The efforts to come out of the influence of the dark ages and return to the Old Paths, restore primitive Christianity have been great. Great men have given almost all their lives in this effort, and much has been accomplished, yet I sincerely doubt if we have fully returned. I believe there are a number of phases of the work of the Church, and Christian living that we do not fully comprehend.

One that is being sadly neglected is the spread of the gospel in mission fields, sounding out the Word. Our efforts in this direction are not meeting divine requirements. In the course that we are pursuing we are not walking in the Old Paths.

Thousands of souls are dying for want of the "Bread of Life." Yet, so little is being done. Surely, there is no Christian, who if he had a neighbor actually starving, dying for want of food, who would make no effort to help him. Yes, we would divide, we would help, it makes little difference how poor we are. We would be willing to do what we could. We have been taught that until we can see the importance of it. Now, that is right. That is a part of our Christian life and if Christians would really put in practice what they know, especially in visiting the sick, instead of saying, "I know I ought to," it would mean much to the cause. That, however, is not the important side. The apostles at Jerusalem said, "It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables," thus, teaching that the important thing was preaching the Word.

First: I believe the preachers to be greatly responsible. We have fallen into the custom of just going where called, to the congregations already established, and holding them a meeting, and that is about the extent of our efforts. The Apostle Paul, whose life’s work was the preaching the gospel, said he strived to preach not where Christ had been named, Rom. 15:20. The record says, "the apostles went everywhere preaching the Word," Mk. 16:20. The command to them was to "go into all the world." Question, Can a preacher today pursue the course that most of us are pursuing and be following the example of the apostles? Walking in the Old Paths?

When we view the work of some sectarian preachers, those who are putting forth a great amount of zeal and determination in their efforts, and see the spread of those institutions, we are made to wonder. If we, with the Truth, had the zeal and determination they have, it would mean the salvation of many souls.I wonder sometimes if those of us who go only where and when called, and then only where we know the support will be good, if we are not nearly as unscriptural as the hired pastor.

Of course I realize the preacher must be supported, but, Brethren, it is up to us to teach the congregations their duty. Cry aloud from the pulpit and through the press until we can pursue the scriptural course and be supported!

Second: I want to insist that it is no more the duty of the preachers to go, than it is of the congregations to send them. Paul clearly teaches in Rom. 10:14-15, that salvation depends on the gospel being preached and that the preaching depends on the preacher being sent. The churches of today have reversed the divine order. We have the custom of calling the preacher, instead of sending him out. Congregations seem to think, when they call in a preacher and have a meeting at home once a year, their responsibilities have been met.

I am sure that no congregation can be scriptural in practice and never support the gospel in mission fields, making no effort to "sound out the word." Paul says in Eph. 3:10 that it is by the "church the manifold wisdom of God should be made known." If we fail I am sure that there is no other source to look to. The Devil does not even want people to be saved.

Let every congregation that now exists plan a mission meeting for next year, select the most suitable place, arrange with some preacher to do the preaching, support him and keep him there until he has had time to teach and convert the folks and get them established in the work. If each congregation would only establish one more congregation next year this would double our forces. And this would be no more than the Lord expects of us.

I would like to see the 0. P. A. make mission work one of its special features in the future. The churches need to be taught on this subject, thus we need a number of articles from different preachers and readers. We also need more reports of the mission work that is being done. This will arouse more interest among others in mission work.