THE CANVASSING WORK

Report of Meeting held in Review and Herald Chapel, April 8, 8 A.M.

ELDER O. A. OLSEN, being called upon, spoke as follows: I am much interested in this branch of the work, and always have been. In 1 Corinthians 3:9, we have the statement, “For we are laborers together with God.” This is what we are, so that means us, that is what we are this morning,—“laborers together with God.” What a wonderful privilege! Note the word “together.” Partners with God in labor. 2 Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.” Causeth whom to triumph? [Voices; Us. We who are laborers.”] Yes, so every one who is a laborer together with God has the promise of triumph in Christ. Faith is an assurance we can build upon. That being so, there is no such thing in this work as the word “can’t.” We often hear it said, “This can’t be done, and that can’t be done.” Every work that God will have performed can be done, and will be done. So then let us all start out with the idea that we can. You know by experience that when you have that principle firmly fixed in your mind, more than half the battle is fought. The person who says he can’t, is defeated before he begins. That is just the kind of soldiers Gideon’s army was released from. They were fearful, so 22,000 went back. You can see that these 22,000 would have been only a source of discouragement to the others. Finally the 32,000 dwindled down to 300, but the 300 said, “We can!” and the victory was theirs. They were laborers together with God, and God gave them the victory. He is a majority every time, and a mighty majority. So you see if we stand in God, there is no such thing as failure.GCB April 17, 1901, page 300.1

“Now, thanks be to God,”—yes, I say, thanks be to God,—“which always”—how often?”—Always—“giveth us the victory.” Do we believe that? I have found in studying my own self that the worst thing in me is unbelief, limiting the power of God. Israel failed here. They tempted. God, limiting his power, saying, Can God do this? Can God do that? Brethren, he can, and he will. Let us believe what God says, and accept it as a fact. “Now, thanks be to God which always causeth us”—who?—“us”—causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the saviour of his knowledge by us in every place.” Where is it given? [Voices: In every place.] Then what is the field? [Voices: The world.] Yes. Where are we to triumph? [Voices: Every place.] Then there is no place, no country, no section, where we need to calculate on defeat. God stands right by us, causing us to triumph in Christ in every place. Thanks be to him for that.GCB April 17, 1901, page 300.2

I thought the other day of the many things that are centered here. Some years ago—one of the very mischievous things which came into this work—we talked about States’ rights. It may be a little digression here, but I want to bring it in. Now, bring that down to personal rights. What personal rights have I?—None; I have forfeited everything. What personal rights have any of us?—None at all. We have forfeited everything, and all that we have in favor and mercy. So when we talk of ourselves, and our own standpoint, we have no rights. It is all lost. It is all infirmity. Paul was anxious in this matter over his infirmities. He had a thorn in his flesh, which he thought greatly hindered him in his work, and in the next chapter he tells us he prayed God for the removal of this. For this he sought God three times, that it might depart from him. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee. For my strength is made perfect in weakness.” When we look at ourselves, it is all weakness. Thanks be to God, his strength is made perfect in weakness. “Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.GCB April 17, 1901, page 300.3

Turn to the twentieth chapter of Second Chronicles. Here we have the experience of Judah in the time of that great invasion. They prayed very earnestly, and told the Lord they did not know what to do. We stand utterly helpless here, and our eyes are turned to thee. What did the Lord answer?—“Be not afraid; the battle is not yours, but mine.” Whose is the battle?—The Lord’s. Whose was it then?—The Lord’s. Whose is it now?—The Lord’s. What are we?—Laborers together with God. The work is the Lord’s, and all that God requires of us is that we submit to his bidding; obey his command, and he will insure our triumph. He works both to will and to do, and that principle is true in every branch of the work; and we have proved it true in the canvassing work.GCB April 17, 1901, page 300.4

The Lord’s work is one. There is only one body, with its many members. The ear can not do what the hand has to do. Each member has that part of the work that the wise Creator designed. No member of the body can say he does not need the other. The work is incomplete if any part is lacking.GCB April 17, 1901, page 300.5

Now, here is the canvassing work,—a very important branch, and from the few scriptures we read this morning we see a very little of what there is in the work,—the blessedness of being laborers together with God. Success in him is sure. It is a difficulty with us that we do not always appreciate all the different branches of the work as we should. In this we are negligent, and it causes suffering by it, and the whole body suffers as the result. Our pleasure should be to encourage every other part of the work, and thus help and strengthen it.GCB April 17, 1901, page 300.6

Every branch of the work has its difficulties and its trials. I have associated with canvassers many years, and know that this branch of the work has its peculiar difficulties to meet.GCB April 17, 1901, page 300.7

When I went to Europe in 1866, we had not started the canvassing work. I was then full of enthusiasm that we should go to work. But they said, “We can’t; we can’t. Then I told them what we were doing in America. The answer was that we could do that in America, but never there. But the Lord has said it could be done, and while we had very few canvassers, we began the work. Brother Ludwig Henricksen, from Iowa, had come over to assist us. He had had success here. So to get the work started, he, together with another brother began the work to demonstrate its success. Well, they started in, and to the surprise of all, they were as successful there as in America. Such work takes faith, it takes courage, it takes work. If people believe it can be done, and then have confidence that it will be done, success will follow. The Lord has greatly blessed the canvassing work in Europe. We have met the same experience over there that you have in different places here; namely, that our ministers have not always given the encouragement to the canvassing work that they should; but this is changing, and I am sure we shall from this on have their hearty cooperation. It has sometimes been said of the canvassing work, that this is only commercial work, secular business, and that is all there is in it. Just as quickly as you put the commercial stamp on the canvassing work, you kill it.GCB April 17, 1901, page 300.8

J. B. Blosser: We as agents can kill it in the same way.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.1

O. A. Olsen: Yes, indeed, whoever puts the commercial stamp on the canvassing work gives it a death stamp. That is as far as his influence goes in effecting it, and let everybody do it, and it is bound to die. The fact is, brethren, there is no branch of the third angel’s message that can live under the commercial idea. It needs the missionary idea, the soul-saving idea, the truth-of-God idea, in every part of the work to make it a success. Take that out, and the bottom falls out of the whole thing. All our institutions are only for the one purpose—soul-saving. Every branch of the work is built up for soul-saving. “I am come to seek and save that which is lost.” That was Christ’s mission, and that is the mission of the gospel in the earth, and that is our mission.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.2

The last two years I have been in Europe, and some of the time have been connected with the Sweden Conference. I am glad to report that the Lord is giving success to our canvassing work. In order to have success in the canvassing work, we need workers—conscientious, devoted, persons who love the truth of God, and love to spread it, and will give even their life, if necessary, for its success, because it is the work of God, and they are thus taking a part in spreading the message.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.3

A general agent—a devoted, consecrated agent, who believes in the work with all his soul, and with some executive ability—is necessary for the success of the canvassing work. The individual canvasser may go out and be a success as far as he himself is concerned; but in order to have the canvassing work developed through the Conference, and secure as many as ought to be in it, there must be an agent whose whole soul and interest are in it, and who believes in it with his whole soul. There is no use in having an agent who does not believe in it. If he does not believe in it himself, he can not make others believe in it.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.4

J. B. Blosser: He will make them doubt it, instead of believe it.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.5

O. A. Olsen: Yes, although he may not talk doubt out and out, his silence tells it.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.6

Then the canvassing work must be supported by the ministry under all circumstances and conditions. The minister must speak encouragingly, not only to the canvasser, but to all the people with whom he comes in contact. It won’t do that he should speak kindly to the canvasser, and then, when he turns his back, say, “This canvassing work, I don’t know what about it; it is only money and business.” The effect of such remarks is very hurtful to the canvasser, and is discouraging, keeping many out of this work who should be in it.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.7

I have also found in my experience that the canvasser must be in the same spiritual frame of mind for success in his work as the minister in his. He must live near to God; he must pray just as much; and he must work from the same standpoint. If he does not do this, his work will not be on the plane presented in this Conference. If that work is to stand as equal with the ministry, the same spirit must be put into it. So the canvasser himself must never go to work from the commercial standpoint, but from the soul-saving standpoint. Just as surely as the canvasser goes to work from the commercial standpoint, he will be defeated.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.8

Over in Scandinavia we generally have two meetings with the canvassers during the year, at which the larger part of them come together in one or two places, as the case may be. One time is during the Conference or the camp-meeting. This is generally near the midsummer. At that time we always have special meetings with the canvassers, and if possible have special Bible studies with them, such as would be most appropriate from their standpoint. Then the other time is at midwinter near the holiday season. We find that we can work up to the holidays with excellent success. We arrange it so that we have a delivery closing just at the beginning of the holidays, but just as soon as the holidays come, the work stops for several weeks. I have found at this time that it is important for the work to gather the canvassers in, in order to hold them in trim and not let them become scattered or diverted from the work.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.9

A year ago we gathered them at Orebro, in Sweden. Brother Lind is our canvassing agent. He is very successful—as good an agent as we have anywhere. He wanted that I should attend the meeting, and this I gladly did. There are two qualifications that are necessary in the management of a general agent. First to know how to watch over and deal with the canvasser in a practical way, and so closely that if there appears any difficulty anywhere he can be on hand to render the necessary assistance. They all feel they are watched over; and if a difficulty appears, the canvasser knows he is going to have help. That creates confidence, and they fear nothing.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.10

Second, there is the spiritual work. In a canvassers’ convention it is not only to talk about studying the book; it is not only to talk about the field and districting and all that, but there must be Bible study to build up the soul.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.11

I went over to Orebro and spent ten days. We had four Bible studies a day. I paid no attention to the territory and that part of it. I did not preach; just led a Bible study, and they all took part in it. We had a precious season. The Lord was with us, and when the time came for us to separate, that company of thirty canvassers felt as if they could go out and take Sweden, and conquer the whole country. A canvasser going out with that courage will do something.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.12

Soon the reports began to come in, showing orders taken to the amount of about $1,000 a week.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.13

W. S. Cleveland: Do you think this institute was largely responsible for their success?GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.14

O. A. Olsen: I think so. It was the inspiration they had, and the unity. The cause was God’s. They went out with faith in God, and in his truth, and in his work.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.15

J. W. Watt: Do you favor holding institutes in every State?GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.16

O. A. Olsen: I do, and you can not have success without them. You can not be successful any length of time without them. There may be a few who have force enough in themselves to make a personal success, but you can not carry the majority with you.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.17

J. W. Watt: Is it right to allow the instruction given by our colleges and academies to take the place of institutes in the States?GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.18

A Voice: No, sir.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.19

O. A. Olsen: I do not know much about this instruction in the colleges, but I do not believe it. In my own experience I have found there was nothing that encouraged the canvasser more than that I came down there, sat down with them, and led a Bible study especially for their help. This was encouragement to them. And so they knew that they had my sympathy in their work, as well as the agent’s sympathy and interest.GCB April 17, 1901, page 301.20

S. E. Wight: Who bears the expenses of these institutes,—the Conference, tract society, or the canvassers?GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.1

O. A. Olsen: We have no regular rule for that. We manage according to our ability. The Conference takes a part; the depository takes a part; but as it was a year ago, when we had that awful financial crisis, we told the canvassers our finances were in such a condition that we could not help them at that time. We will do everything we can for you, but we can not pay out any money, we said; and they appreciated that, and turned out for a general meeting. I find that if we take the brethren into our confidence, and tell them just how it is, they will appreciate the situation, and relate themselves kindly to the situation.GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.2

F. E. Painter: How many canvassers have you?GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.3

O. A. Olsen: Thirty-five. I do not know that there are that many steadily at work. We have canvassers to-day who have been in the field since 1887. We have one sister who will spend three months canvassing, and then get enough ahead in the three months to put in nine months’ Bible work in the Conference without pay. That is about the best record I have ever seen anywhere. Last winter we had a meeting during the holiday week at Stockholm. The larger part of the canvassers came in, and we had four Bible studies a day, and let as many others come as wished. I am receiving reports every week, and the Lord is prospering the work marvelously. I know there is success in the work, and I tell you, brethren, there must be unity and co-operation. The ministry must support the canvasser, and the canvasser the ministry, and the churches give them aid in work. If we all work together, we shall please God, and triumph through Jesus Christ.GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.4

E. E. Miles offered the benediction.GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.5

None can follow Christ as Master and Leader, and forget that their bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost.—A. H. Bradford, D.D.GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.6

If God writes “opportunity” on one side of open doors, he writes “responsibility” on the other side.—J. T. Gracey.GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.7

A timid person is frightened before a danger, a coward during the time, and a courageous person afterward.—Richter.GCB April 17, 1901, page 302.8