DECEMBER 12TH, 1939
DECEMBER 12TH, 1939
[p. 274] BELOVED BROTHER IN THE LORD, — It has been a very definite exercise with me ever since I began to break bread that the printed ministry ought not to be made the source of financial profit. The first tracts which I wrote, about 55 years ago, I published myself at cost price, and the brethren generally greatly appreciated the opportunity of getting gospel tracts at a low price. But the Tract Depots did not approve of profits being eliminated, and I had at that time to fall in with the system current. But I clung to the thought that the Lord’s work should not be regarded as a profit making business.
For many years there has been a growing exercise that books of ministry were sold at prices which seriously curtailed their circulation ... It was felt that the Lord was giving very much that was intended by Him for the blessing of His saints universally, and that gospel books were rightly to be distributed as widely as possible. It seemed clearly to be wrong to impose an unnecessary check upon the circulation of that which had been so freely given from on high....
I think you will be able to gather from the above how I regard the matter. Of course the elimination of the commercial element from this particular part of the Lord’s work involves in principle that it should be eliminated from the distributing agencies also. That is, the Tract Depots should be regarded as kept for the furtherance of the work of the Lord, and not for the purpose of making profit on the ministry which is sold. And brethren should be prepared to have fellowship in the necessary cost of maintaining the Depots. Adequate compensation for this would be found in the fact that the ministry would be available at less than half the cost, so that two or three books could be given away in place of one. Indeed, the very large increase of the circulation of the printed ministry is marked evidence of the need there was of a change. But even apart from considering what has resulted I feel sure that you will agree that it is not good that the commercial element should so influence the publishing of spiritual ministry that the circulation of it is restricted. Our desire is that it should go abroad as freely as possible for all those for whose benefit the Lord has given it.
With much love in the Lord,
Yours affectionately in Him,