The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-04
FINAL REPORT Of
Ev.MR. CAMPBELL
-
Retiring Secretary OF Bible So
cicty Of Virginia Reviews Ten
Years Work.
BUT TWO WEEKS OF REST
Unable to Lay Aside Arduous
Duties Even Temporarily.
Text Of Report.
BUT TWO WEEKS OF REST


transferred to the American Bible S
ciety, the Rev. William S. Campbe
the retiring secretary, submitted his fin
report, summarizing. the labors of t
years and setting forth in detail Il
present condition Of the work. Mr.. Cam
bell has throughout the State hundre
OF warm friends and admirers who regr
his retirement from a post he has fill,
so long and so ably, and whose w,
wishes will follow him into his ne
field. In his final report to the bon,
OF managers on Wednesday Mr.. Cam
bell said:
I'm closing my ten and three-o,lar-
ter years work for tho Bible Society
OF Virginia, / feel that it is but right
that l should make brief report,
summarizing the work to which, dur
ing these years, l have given my
best efforts.
when I took charge of the office
as secretary and general agent, on
April LIST, 1896. I found the work ell
tirely unorganized, with no one to
give me any information as to its
details. Working with your counsel
and advice. plans were developed
which have resulted in accomplishing
a great deal in supplying the Scrip
lures to the people of the State.
The work has not been what
have desired it to be, and yet the
society has accomplished results of
which I feel that no one need be
ashamed. From year to year there
every line of work. The contributions
received by the society increased three
fold over what they were under my
predecessor. and the number of vol
umes Of Scripture circulated each year
increased nearly fourfold during my
last full year of work.
State of the Work.
when 1 took charge Of the work
the society had scarcely any repre-
sentatives distributing the Scriptures
among the people, except as they
were sent out from the depository,
and that was largely wholesale. Dur
ing my term of office have had the
help of 1874 colporteurs ana agents.
working in at least 267 communities
in the State. These faithful work
ers have done glorious work. which
cannot be tabulated. in carrying the
printed word to thousands of desti-
tute families and individuals; and my
relations with every one of them has
been most pleasant
During these years the prisons of
the State have been supplied. some
of them several times, with the Scrip
lures. There is scarcely an eleemosy-
nary institution in the State whose
inmates have not been supplied with
the Word of God; a large number OF
Sunday-schools. unable to provide
themselves with Bibles. have been
the recipient of the societys bene-
factions; to the miners in the coal
regions the Lamp OF Life has been
carried in many languages: all the
soldiers who We're enlisted in the SER
vice of this country in the Spanish
American War and who Were en-
camped in this State were supplied
with pocket Testamen:s; among the
sailors. who have come to our ports,
many thousand volumes of the Scrip
lures have been circulated; good
beginning has been made in introduce
ing the reading Of the Word OF God
In the public schools of the State, by
furnishing copies of the Gospels to
the pupils: wherever need has been
found, earnest effort has been made
to supply it.
Twofold Aim.
IN performing the duties of secre-
tary and general agent, my aim and
work have been twofold. AS tho So
ciety has no regular income. the money
must be raised for carrying on the
work This has been by far the most
laborious part of my duties Then to
use the money raised so as to accom-
pish the most possible, has been my
constant effort. The result has been
that the Bible Society of Virginia has
accomplished more in proportion to the
money expended than any other Bible
society in the United States.
In performing the duties of the two
fold office, which I have held, L have
not only had to do all the office work
of the society. with very little assist
ance, but it has been necessary to
visit almost every section of the State
in order to present the claims of the
work to churches and ecclesiastical
bodies of all denominations.
This work may be briefly summed
up as follows: | have delivered All
addresses, preached 556 sermons, have
Travelled 5o,639 miles, have sent ont
from the office 5901s letters, and have
distributed Chiefly by mniD 5000
copies of the annual reports, and sew
eral hundred thousand circulars In .e-
sdGU u tilS "ulN.
''rhe contributions raised for the
work of the society have been $751;
367; 1S0,9i9 volumes Of Scriptures have
been sold and 47,6GS have been given
to the poor, making the total mum
Der of volumes circulated DDS, SIT.
"Just how many people nave been
reached and how many destitute have
been supplied, there IS no way of
telling. 1t has been a sowing broad
cast of the seed, and though results
may not always appear, still there
can be no question that the Word of
God shall! not return unto Him void
but it shall accomplish that which
lie pleases and prosper In the thing
whereunto He hath sent It,
Constant Labor.
Scarcely any records or corres-
pondence of the office prior to April
/, 1896, We're preserved, You will find
IN the archives of the society care
full record Of every transaction that
has taken place since | have been In
charge of the wntk Every letter
that has been received and copy OF
every one sent out Is now on file In
the office. There ARE also vouchers
for every bill that has been paid, and
stubs showing receipts issued for
every contribution received. All the
books OF the society nre fully writ
ten up 10 date.
During all these years of labor /
have had but two weeks OF rest, for
could never find n time when tho
nTlF a. I,,iI lI,.f. ..