(known formerly as Harvest Ingathering; also called in various parts of the world by other names). An annual worldwide denominational appeal to, and gathering in of funds from, the general public. The campaign serves a double purpose: (1) it provides funds to aid a world program that includes medical, educational, welfare, and evangelistic projects, which bring relief and uplift to humanity and a living Christ to the world, and (2) it is a means of making contacts in millions of homes, whose occupants are presented with a special issue of a magazine that describes the worldwide work of Seventh-day Adventists and that offers the opportunity of enrolling in a Bible correspondence course. This solicitation has been conducted every year since 1903 and has been extended to all countries where there is SDA work, where permitted by the government. Solicitors are unpaid volunteers from among the church members in all walks of life.
The Seventh-day Adventist humanitarian program of welfare, medical, educational, and evangelistic projects is the church’s attempt to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who went about doing good, healing the sick, teaching the people, and preaching the gospel. In North America increasingly larger amounts of the Ingathering funds are being used each year for Community Services that extend emergency relief irrespective of race, creed, or color.
Funds sent to overseas countries provide for many projects, such as clinics, dispensaries, leper colonies, mission schools-often the only facilities available to large populations. At the same time, about one third of the total funds collected in the Ingathering campaigns is contributed by donors in overseas countries. In many of these countries, significant projects have been carried out with such funds. For example, in China several hospitals were established with funds raised locally.
The funds gathered in this campaign comprise only about 10 percent of the total annual budget of the General Conference, the major source of funding being the tithes and offerings of SDA members.
Origin . The idea of giving away magazines and asking, in return, for contributions for the mission program originated with Jasper Wayne, a traveling salesperson of nursery stock, who lived in Sac City, Iowa. As he related the experience in 1903, he ordered 50 copies of a special issue of the Signs of the Times.
Receiving them at the post office, he unwrapped them and began to hand them out to people standing in the lobby, saying that any money received would go to the cause of foreign missions. To his surprise he disposed of them immediately and received more than $4 for missions.
About 10 days later another package of 50 papers arrived, sent by mistake. He took these papers with him in his buggy to use as occasion offered. The first man he approached gave 15 cents and the next 18 cents, and then a woman gave 25 cents. This gave him courage to suggest 25 cents thereafter; some gave larger sums. Receiving about $26 by distributing these 50 papers and realizing the possibilities in this plan of securing money for missions, he at once ordered 400 copies more to carry with him. In about a year he had raised about $100 with them and had greatly enjoyed explaining the work of the church.
In 1904, at a camp meeting held at Omaha, Nebraska, he interested the president of the Nebraska Conference in his plan. Though reluctant to speak before a large audience, he mustered his courage and explained his method at one of the meetings. Also, he had a talk with Ellen White, who was present at the camp meeting. She manifested a deep interest and gave the plan her endorsement (Christian Service, pp . 167–177).
In 1908 the General Conference recommended the Ingathering plan to all churches, approving the use of a special Thanksgiving number of the Review and Herald for informing the public of SDA work, and in gathering Thanksgiving gifts for missions.
Objectives and Goals. The Ingathering program, promoted by the GC Church Ministries Department, with financial aspects managed by the GC Treasury Department. The program has five objectives: (1) 100 percent membership participation, (2) total coverage of territory, (3) searching for persons interested in the gospel, (4) increased offerings, and (5) a thorough follow-up of interests.
During the early years of Ingathering no specific financial objectives were set. In 1915 members were encouraged to set for themselves voluntary individual goals as to the total amount raised. The principle of an individual goal was recommended to all divisions of the world field, and in 1934 it was recommended that conferences assign Ingathering goals for each church. In 1935 the Autumn Council recommended the Minute Man goal, representing appropriations from North America to maintain the work overseas for one minute. Beginning in 1948, the Bible correspondence school advertisement and coupon became a regular feature in the Ingathering magazines. In 1959 the Minute Man goal was replaced by the individual Silver Vanguard objective of $25.
Methods. The campaign, officially limited to a maximum of six weeks, is conducted by various methods-street solicitation, visits to places of business and to homes, singing bands, Christmas caroling, and correspondence.
Results. Through 1992, $509,380,626 had been gathered in the countries of the world. The sum of $67,247,599 was raised in the five-year period 1988–1992.