Calls to and Transfers of the Evangelistic Worker

Moving On to Unwarned Areas—Often the inhabitants of a city where Christ labored wished Him to stay with them and continue to work among them. But He would tell them that He must go to cities that had not heard the truths that He had to present. After He had given the truth to those in one place, He left them to build upon what He had given them, while He went to another place. His methods of labor are to be followed today by those to whom He has left His work. We are to go from place to place, carrying the message. As soon as the truth has been proclaimed in one place, we are to go to warn others.—Manuscript 71, 1903.

Move Only When the Cloud Is Lifted—Do not become restless or faithless; keep the armor girded on for battle, strengthen your souls in God, and you can do valiantly. In God is our strength and efficiency.... When the cloud is lifted, and God indicates your duty to open the work in some other field, you can move understandingly. But do not now forsake the field where so much has been done and where there is still more to be done.—Letter 77, 1895.

The Voice of Duty—The voice of duty is the voice of God,—an inborn, heaven-sent guide.—Counsels on Health, 562 (1896).

May Know God Leads—We are not to place the responsibility of our duty upon others, and wait for them to tell us what to do. We cannot depend for counsel upon humanity. The Lord will teach us our duty just as willingly as He will teach somebody else. If we come to Him in faith, He will speak His mysteries to us personally.... Those who decide to do nothing in any line that will displease God, will know, after presenting their case before Him, just what course to pursue. And they will receive not only wisdom, but strength.—The Desire of Ages, 668 (1898).

Workers With a Sense of Duty—In every advance move that God has led us to make, in every step gained by God’s people, there have been ready tools of Satan among us, to stand back and suggest doubts and unbelief, and to throw obstacles in our way, to weaken our faith and courage. We have had to stand like warriors, ready to press and fight our way through the opposition raised. This has made our work tenfold harder than it otherwise would have been. We have had to stand as firm and unyielding as a rock....

Some ... seem to be without an anchor. Such have greatly injured the cause of truth. There are others who seem never to have a position where they can stand firmly and surely, ready to battle if need be when God calls for faithful soldiers to be found at the post of duty.... Some have no idea of running any risk or venturing anything themselves. But somebody must venture; someone must run risks in this cause.—Testimonies For The Church 3:315, 316 (1873).

Evangelists to Complete Their Effort—I know nothing in regard to Elder -----’s case, except that he has been used by the Lord in His work in Los Angeles, and that he has been greatly blessed. Over one hundred have taken their stand for the truth as a result of his labors. At the close of his last series of tent meetings he thought of changing his field of labor, but he received a petition signed by many of the citizens of Los Angeles, asking him to remain and continue his meetings. The Lord has given Brother ----- a spirit of adaptability, with wisdom to plan and carry out his work, and He has blessed him in the bringing out of leaflets, notices, and charts that have aroused the interest of the people.

I would say, Let Brother ----- labor where his message is evidently accomplishing great good. Those who have come to his meetings have given freely of their means to sustain the work that he has carried forward....

For the present let him remain in Los Angeles; for the Lord is giving him marked success in bearing the message to the people. Let him give the trumpet a certain sound, arousing those who have never heard the truth. May the Lord encourage him to remain in Los Angeles until the church members are aroused to gird on the armor and show that they have a burden to give the message....

Let no one, by precept or example, seek to draw Elder ----- from his God-appointed work. Let all take hold with him in an effort to carry the work in clear lines.—Letter 75, 1905.

Guiding Principles in Calling an Evangelist—As to whether it is right for Elder ----- to leave Los Angeles and labor for a time in a Northern city, I will say, We must sometimes leave such questions very largely to the man himself. There is too much displacing of the men who are doing a good work, the very work that the Lord has said should be done. Sometimes when a man is having success in his efforts and the interest continues good, the question of moving him to another field ought not to come to him at all, because it only confuses him. If the Lord is mightily stirring the people of Los Angeles, through the tent meetings, let nothing interrupt the work.... Let no one try to draw Brother ----- away from the place where there is a deep interest and an extraordinary opening to present the truth. This is Los Angeles’ opportunity.—Letter 193, 1905.

Workers Harmed by Unnecessary Moving—I think it does harm to call workers from one part of the vineyard where they are doing good work, to go to another field where they are to begin all new. I think it gives the ones called an idea that they are of greater consequence than they really are, and the poor souls will be injured. I caution you on this point of changing workers when there is no necessity.—Letter 179, 1900.

Early Move of Workers Not Understood by Converts—I knew that Brother and Sister ----- were not free from faults, but that they were striving to know and to do the Master’s will, and that they had talents that fitted them to reach men and women in the higher walks of life, and that through their labors many might become interested in the truth. I knew that a move would deprive an important field of labor that was much needed, and also that a move would mean much to them personally, for they had just gotten fairly settled in a suitable home. I did not feel free to lend my influence to have them moved.

Their removal to another field under such circumstances would cause an unfavorable impression to be left on the minds of those who, through their efforts, had newly accepted the faith. Moreover, if it were indeed true that they possessed objectionable traits of character, the case would not be made better by sending them to another field of labor, for they would carry with them their objectionable characteristics and methods.—Letter 48, 1907.

Moving Men Too Soon—Satan’s Device—Had the minister utterly refused to listen to the colored, one-sided statements of any, had he given words of advice in accordance with the Bible rule and said, like Nehemiah, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down,”(Nehemiah 6:3^L) that church would have been in a far better condition. This work of withdrawing men from their fields of labor has been repeated again and again in the progress of this cause. It is the device of the great adversary of souls to hinder the work of God. When souls that are upon the point of deciding in favor of the truth are thus left to unfavorable influences, they lose their interest, and it is very rarely that so powerful an impression can again be made upon them. Satan is ever seeking some device to call the minister from his field of labor at this critical point, that the results of his labors may be lost.—Manuscript 1, 1878.