The salvation of our children is the concern of every Seventh-day Adventist parent, church officer, and conference worker. The Word of God plainly declares in II Corinthians 6:17-18: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be yet separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” This is a direct commission to us as Seventh-day Adventist parents. Are we educating our children to discern and to escape the corruptions that are in the world? Are we seeking to save the souls of our boys and girls, or neglecting to do this, are we aiding in their destruction?
No Seventh-day Adventist would consent willingly for the children of the church to be lost to the world. Every Seventh-day Adventist mother should, like Hannah, dedicate her child to the service of God and sacrifice to the end that her child should be trained for a place in the service of the Lord. All the youth should be permitted to have the blessings and privileges of an education at our schools, that they may be inspired to become workers for the Lord.
Through the Spirit of Prophecy the Lord has directed us to erect Christian schools as havens of refuge for our young people. The believers in the Wisconsin Conference have taken the counsel of the Lord seriously, and have constructed a girls’ dormitory known as South Hall, at Columbus, Wisconsin. The accompanying picture shows the student body which now occupies the girls’ dormitory. There can be no further expansion of our educational work at Columbus until a boys’ dormitory is constructed to house about 75 boys. Both boys and girls now occupy the same building, and this will be necessary until a boys’ home can be built. We recognize the undesirability of both boys and girls living in the same building, and, therefore, we believe it is imperative that a boys’ dormitory be built as soon as funds can be provided. The estimated cost to erect a boys’ dormitory and completely furnish it is approximately $175,000. Of this amount the churches in Wisconsin are requested to raise $100,000 and the conference will make available $75,000. The Wisconsin Conference Committee has authorized the campaign to raise this Boys’ Dormitory Academy Fund starting January 1, 1950. We fully believe that the young men in Wisconsin are just as worthy of a dormitory as are the girls.
As we launch into this new year our district pastors will present to every church a beautiful brochure showing pictures of the present buildings, the student body, the faculty, and the board of directors. A goal chart will also be presented to every member, giving him opportunity to give as the Lord impresses. The believers in Wisconsin deserve sincerest commendation for what they have done in providing the facilities for Christian education at our newly located academy at Columbus. Now comes the opportunity for us to give of our means for the urgently needed boys’ dormitory, which will be known as North Hall. I know of no more worthy project to which any Seventh-day Adventist could dedicate a portion of his means than this need for a boys’ home at our new academy. I trust that every church member will seek the Lord in prayer, and then dedicate to God a definite offering to be given on the third Sabbath monthly during 1950.
H. J. CAPMAN
This article and its accompanying picture originally appeared in the Lake Union Herald
