JOHN A. MARTIN SUPERINTENDENT GREAT FALLS DISTRICT, GREAT FALLS, MONTANA John A. Martin was born at Teewater, Ontario, Canada, April 29, 1869, of Scotch-Irish parentage. The greater part of his boyhood days were spent on the farm. In his seventeenth year he was given a license to preach, but owing to ill health he had to discontinue for a time. In October, 1887, he moved to Livingston, Montana, and assumed work at the railroad shops. In 1892 the Rev. Jacob Mills placed him in charge of Livingston Circuit, Montana Conference. The following year he was appointed to the Bozeman Circuit and from there was sent to Glasgow, Montana, in the North Montana Mission. After two years of service there and one at Fort Benton he went to Garrett Biblical Institute, but owing to ill health he returned before graduation to Montana and was stationed at Hamilton for four years; Philipsburg, one year; Chinook, three years; Lewistown, two years; First Church, Great Falls, five years; and in 1913 was appointed superintendent of the Great Falls District, North Montana Conference, in which capacity he is now serving the church. CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP JOHN A. MARTIN "Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, Them that honor me I will honor."-1 Sam. 2. 30. WE believe that "Christian Stewardship" is one of the greatest questions before us to-day as a church of the living God. And, further, we do not hesitate to say that the success of God's work, great as we know it is, hinges very largely upon the fact of our honoring God or our dishonoring him. There is no possible doubt but that the church has been brought into derision on account of the methods that have been employed for the raising of finances in order to carry on the work. That an organization which has only the welfare of men at heart should be questioned, as the church is to-day, about its usefulness is rather humiliating to those who are giving it the strength and devotion of their lives. Yet the question is being asked, "What is the matter with the churches?" Many are the solutions offered, but none, so far, of the inventions of man's mind has given a satisfactory answer; nor yet will they ever be able to do so, for God himself has the only solution-that of honoring him. When the church honors God, he always honors the church. That is a biblical statement and has been proven time and time again in the Christian experiences of those who have "proved him." When a church or an individual feels no responsibility as to privileges and duties in this great work of the salvation of the lost, of a necessity something must suffer, because God's plans have not been put into operation. When we begin to put biblical methods into practice you will see a different world; not that God will change, but the change will be in us. There is no doubt whatsoever that the work of God is suffering every day, and I believe very largely so, from a lack of knowledge of what God has to say to us in his own blessed Book. "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." There lies our difficulty; we have failed to grasp the vision as given to us in the Word of God. Multitudes of folks have been endeavoring to consecrate themselves to the work of God without consecrating their possessions. We must bear in mind that the church can never come to its fullness of power until it accepts and practices a financial system that will pour into the Lord's treasury a due proportion of the resources of his people everywhere; for victory in the local church means victory abroad as well, while defeat of the church at home means defeat everywhere. At the big International Epworth League Convention held in Buffalo, New York, in July, 1914, Dr. Badley, who is the general secretary of the Epworth League of India, made the statement that there have been thousands of natives turned away who came seeking baptism because they did not have enough Christian workers to teach the natives the true significance of Christian baptism. Contrast that statement with this fact: in this country there are several thousand Student Volunteers who are willing to go to foreign mission fields, but there is not the means at hand to send them. There must be something woefully wrong with the church when such conditions exist, especially when the church has long prayed for open doors, and God has heard the earnest supplications of his people; the doors have opened, but the purse strings have tightened, the tithe has been withheld. It is just as necessary in living a Christian life to have a system in our financial obligations to the church as it is to pray, or read the Bible. In fact, I doubt the sincerity of a life that can say prayers, and read the Scriptures and then close the ear and heart to the everpleading Macedonian cry, "Come over and help us." When the church either at home or abroad turns away seeking souls from its altars, because of lack of funds with which to support native workers or pay the running expenses, it is a sad commentary on twentieth-century Christianity. |