From the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 1 (January 1949): 2.
During the past year as the circulation of the symposium manuscripts decreased, too few papers, reviews, etc., have been sent out from headquarters. The executive council presents this Bulletin series as at least a partial answer to this condition. It will appear at least quarterly, and may develop into a regularly printed journal, Dr. Barnes, past executive council member, is acting as director of all our publication activities. I urge you to support him in every way, especially in responding to requests for comments on papers, for the selection of papers for publication in the Monograph series depends largely upon your comments on the papers appearing in this Bulletin.
The 1949 convention will be held in or near Los Angeles. This will be a long trip for some, but it will make possible attendance of many on the West coast who have been deprived heretofore. A surprising number of Eastern and mid-Western members have indicated their intentions of coming to Los Angeles for this meeting. The tentative plan includes a full week of activities, including several field trips of exceptional interest to our members. Plan your vacation trip to include Los Angeles about the middle of August, 1949!
Modern Science and Christian Faith is having a good reception. The publisher reports that the small first edition (3000) will probably be sold out early in 1949 according to present indications. Several Christian schools have adopted it as textbook although it appeared too late to be used this semester by many other interested schools. ASA members report that the book is excellent in personal witnessing to men in scientific fields and to students.
However, our good friend Dr. Wilbur M. Smith, author of Therefore Stand, expresses a pertinent thought when he wrote recently, "The book is far too important to just appear, sell a few thousand copies, and then disappear. It deserves attention everywhere in this land." Let us work and pray that our book may be need of the Lord and not allowed to "die on the vine." The 75 members throughout the USA constitute the answer to the problem. If each member pushes this book in his own church, among his own friends, and in his own school, this will be an effective sales force. Let each of us augment the normal sales methods in this way so that many may be confronted by the Word of God who otherwise would never be reached.
There are about 1700 institutions of higher learning in the United States. It would be a fine thing if we could send at least one copy to the librarian of each of these with a letter requesting a special display of the book because it treats an all important subject, vital in a world of tumbling mores and moral values. Our treasury cannot stand an expenditure of this magnitude. Do any of you know of wealthy Christians who might be challenged with this attack on the intellectual stronghold of materialism? Surely this is evangelism in the language of those we would reach,
In short, gentlemen, the work of the ASA is just what we few members, by the Grace of the Lord, make of it. If we are lethargic, the work will shrivel; if there is no vision, no progress. I urge each member to make a positive and definite contribution to the work of the ASA, unsolicited, during 1949 that these students might be reached with the claims of Christ.
F. Alton Everest,
President