Fourth Annual Session of General Conference.
By U. Smith
Conference met according to appointment in Review, in Battle Creek, May 16, 1866. Bro. White being unable to attend the meeting, Bro. Byington was chosen Chairman pro tem. Prayer by Bro. Bates. Delegates were present from Michigan, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Ohio. With the exception of Vermont, which was represented by her own delegate, New England was represented by the returned missionaries, J. N. Andrews and M. E. Cornell. Minnesota was represented by letter. Minutes of last meeting read and approved. Reports from missionaries were handed in, Bro. Andrews giving a brief statement of his labors in connection with Bro. Cornell, in New England; Bro. Ingraham of his work in Iowa, giving an encouraging report of the state of things in that part of the field, all the churches which he had visited having taken a decided stand against the defection in that State. Bro. Cornell made brief remarks concerning his labors in New England. Bro. Loughborough presented a report from Bro. Rodman, of R. I., also of his own labors what portion of the time he has been able to be in the field. The Treasurer presented his report showing the following results: | Amount on hand at last report, |
$1739.43 |
|---|
| " received during Conference year, |
1751.22 |
| Total, |
$3490.65 |
| Paid out as per Treasurer's book, |
$1460.27 |
| Cash in Treasury to balance, |
2030.38 |
| Total, |
$3490.65 |
Moved, That the Chair appoint a committee of three on resolutions. Carried. Brn. Andrews, Loughborough, and Ingraham, were thereupon named as said committee. Moved, that a committee of three be appointed by the Chair to nominate officers for the ensuing year. Carried. Brn. Taylor, Lawrence, and Harvey, were thereupon named as the committee on nominations. The next item of business being distribution of labor, letters and remarks were called out in reference to the condition and wants of the cause in various localities. With these the remainder of this session was occupied. One fact was very apparent: The field is large, and the laborers are few. Adjourned till 3 o'clock, P. M. AFTERNOON SESSION. Prayer by Bro. Andrews. Report presented from Bro. Sanborn on the state of the cause in Minn. Committee on Nominations reported for President, James White; Secretary, U. Smith; Treasurer, I. D. Van Horn. Executive Committee, James White, J. N. Andrews, J. N. Loughborough. Report accepted. After some remarks by Bro. Loughborough and Andrews, Bro. White was chosen president for the ensuing year, and the other brethren named, were chosen to the respective offices for which they were nominated. Committee on Resolutions reported so far as they had prepared resolutions. Report accepted. The Conference then proceeded to act upon the resolutions offered as follows: Resolution on dress read. Resolutions of the B. C. church read. After considerable discussion, the matter was referred again to the committee with instructions to add a resolution touching evils just the opposite of those condemned in the resolutions. Resolution on Meeting House in Battle Creek was adopted, reading as follows: Whereas, The church in Battle Creek, Mich., contemplate building a larger house of worship, and Whereas, This seems to be the proper place for the general meetings of our people; therefore Resolved, That the General Conference Committee be authorized to solicit from the several State Conferences, and from individuals, such a proportion of the entire cost of the house, as they shall deem equitable and just. Resolved, That Bro. J. N. Andrews be requested to prepare an article setting forth the teachings of the Scripture on the subject of war. Resolved, That Bro. G. W. Amadon, superintendent of the Battle Creek Sabbath School, be requested to prepare immediately, question books for the use of Sabbath Schools, in a progressive series adapted to the use of infant classes, children and adults. Adjourned to meet at the call of the committee. THIRD SESSION. May 17, at 11 o'clock A. M. Committee on Resolutions were called on for a further report. The committee reported progress, and asked leave to sit again, which was granted. Resolution of the committee on dress read, Resolutions of the B. C. church read. These resolutions were amended by adding "Point 12" as follows: "While we condemn pride and vanity, as set forth in the foregoing resolutions, we equally abhor and abominate everything that is slovenly, slack, untidy, and uncleanly in dress or manners." Point 7 was then amended by substituting the word "wearing" for "donning," in the expression, "We think the brethren greatly err from the sobriety of the Christian, in donning the moustache or goatee," so that as amended, it should read, "We think the brethren greatly err from the sobriety of the Christian in wearing the moustache or goatee." The resolutions presented by the committee, were then acted upon, and the following unanimously adopted: Whereas, The Scriptures enjoin the use of modest apparel, prohibiting the wearing of broidered hair, gold, pearls, and costly array, and Whereas, We consider the work of Judson, the devoted missionary to Birmah, entitled, A Letter to the Women of America on Dress, an admirable exposition of the Scriptures on this subject, and Whereas, The Resolutions on Dress passed by the Battle Creek church, and published in Review, Vol. xxvii, No. 23, make application of those principles to certain foolish fashions of the present day, therefore Resolved, That this Conference adopt these resolutions as amended, and earnestly recommend our people to live them out. Resolved, That the Publishing Association be requested to append these resolutions to Judson's work on dress. Whereas, The Gen. Conf. Committee cannot properly discharge their duties, without a thorough acquaintance with the wants and abilities of the cause in all parts of the field, therefore Resolved, That it is the judgment of this Conference that one or more of the Gen. Conf. Committee should be present at the sessions of each State Conference, and participate in all their business proceedings. Whereas, At the session of the Iowa State Conference, held at Pilot Grove, Iowa, July 3, 1865, it was "Voted, That the cases of Elders Snook and Brinkerhoff be placed in the hands of the Gen. Conf. Committee, and that they be requested to recommend to the Iowa Conference Committee, such action, in each case, as they may deem best for the cause, and their own welfare; and Whereas, Messrs. Snook and Brinkerhoff have openly renounced the work of the third angel's message, therefore Resolved, That we recommend to the Iowa State Conference that their names be dropped from their minutes. Whereas, There appeared in the World's Crisis, of Feb. 14, 1866, a very defiant challenge, to S. D. Adventists for the discussion of the Sabbath question, particularly the history of the Sabbath, through the columns of that paper, and Whereas, This challenge was promptly and unqualifiedly accepted, with the offer on our part that it should also appear in the Review, and Whereas, The Crisis thereupon refused to allow the discussion to appear in its columns; and further refused to publish the brief note of acceptance from J. N. Andrews who was designated to conduct the discussion on the part of our people; and further, when courteously requested to let the fact appear that the challenge had been accepted, would not even grant us that favor, therefore, Resolved, That we express our surprise at such a course on the part of the Crisis, and our inability to reconcile it with the principles of honor, of justice, and of Christianity. Unanimously adopted. Resolved, That in our judgment the expulsion of members from church fellowship should never be effected by less than a two-thirds vote of the entire membership of the church in question; and such action should not take place without previous faithful labor with the erring member, and also due notice of the trial. The only circumstances under which these regulations should be departed from at all are in the case of outrageous crime in which the guilt is manifest; in which case, at the discretion of the church this previous labor may be dispensed with. Resolved, That in the case of church trials involving the expulsion of members, we deem it advisable that our brethren, if possible, secure the aid of some experienced preacher; if this is not consistent that they make application to their own State Conference Committee for the aid of some experienced and judicious lay-brethren to aid by their counsel and advice, excepting such cases only as are excepted in the preceding resolution. Whereas, It seems proper that churches should sometimes have representation in Conference before they are fully organized, by which we mean having ordained officers, therefore, Resolved, That when Sabbath-keepers in any place have enrolled their names under the church covenant of S. D. Adventists, appointed a leader and organized systematic benevolence, they shall be entitled to delegates to the sessions of the State Conference to the same extent as though fully organized. Whereas, The subject of health is now attracting much attention among us as a people, and we are now learning the great truth that the proper way to avoid disease, or to recover from it, is to adopt correct habits of life, therefore Resolved, That this conference request our brother Dr. H. S. Lay, whom we deem fully competent so to do, to furnish through the Review a series of articles on the health reform. Resolved, That we acknowledge the health reform as set forth in the testimony of Sr. White, as part of the work of God incumbent on us at this time, and that we pledge ourselves to live in accordance with these principles, and that we will use our best endeavours to impress their importance upon others. Resolved, That the delegates from each State Conference should be prepared to furnish to the Gen. Conf. the statistics of their respective Conferences; and it is hereby requested of the Secretaries of the several Conferences that they furnish the delegates of their own Conferences, such statistics, specifying the number of ministers and licentiates, the number of churches, the number of the membership, and the total amount of their s. b. fund, &c. Resolved, That in the judgment of this conference it is much to be regretted that in small churches where two or three substantial and efficient members constitute the chief pillars of strength, these members frequently move away with no weighty reason for so doing, leaving the church of which they were members to be scattered and extinguished. Resolved, That we recommend to the several State Conferences, that they require from each minister in their employ, a written report of each day's occupation. Resolved, That in the judgment of this Conference it is a great error in the course of some of our brethren that they leave their fields of labor, to go elsewhere when the work is not completed where they are; so that they not only leave the interest to die out among the people, and thus fail to reach a large number that might have been converted to the truth, but they also leave many of those already identified with the work, too feeble to stand securely against their enemies. Whereas, The Michigan State Conference at a former session voted to donate to the General Conference Missionary fund the sum of $500; and Whereas, The Michigan State Conference desires to aid in the erection of a suitable house of worship in B. C., therefore, Resolved, That we release the Michigan State Conference from $500 of its pledge. Whereas, The same reason exists in the case of the General Conference Committee as in that of the State Conference Committee for selecting lay brethren to aid in the settlement of accounts of preachers. Resolved, That the chair be empowered to appoint two brethren to aid in such settlement. Resolved, That we empower the Gen. Conf. Committee to solicit aid for Brn. Cornell and Cottrell, in their efforts to obtain for themselves a humble home; and that they solicit this aid through the Review, or in any other way that they may think proper. 197Resolved, That when a member takes a letter of commendation from a church, it is the judgment of this Conference that he remains a member of that church; till he becomes a member of another church; and that he should pay his systematic benevolence accordingly, giving due notice when he joins the church of another place. Moved by Bro. Andrews, that we refer the subject of issuing a small collection of revival hymns to the Gen. Conf. Committee, with a request that they give it their favorable consideration. Carried. Moved by Bro. Loughborough, that the committee of this Conference be empowered to publish such number of minutes as they see fit, including the original minutes, amendments to constitution, and the minutes of the present meeting. Adjourned to meet again at the call of the committee. The Conference held in all, seven business sessions; and the various resolutions drew forth animated, interesting, yet harmonious discussion, and were each adopted by a unanimous vote. John Byington, President, protem.
U. Smith, Secretary.