North Pacific Union Conference by G. B. Thompson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 16, 1916

North Pacific Union Conference

By G. B. Thompson

The fifth biennial session of the North Pacific Union Conference convened in College Place, Wash., Feb. 17-23, 1916. The daily services of the session were held in the commodious church building. The organization and arrangements of the meeting were excellent, and everything was conducted with promptness. Though serious floods had greatly disarranged railroad schedules, practically all the workers were present at the opening service.

The first few days of the session were devoted to institute work, conducted by Elder I. H. Evans and the writer, in which the privileges of a victorious Christian life and the duty of winning souls to Christ were emphasized. These studies found a responsive chord in the heart of every worker present. It was very encouraging to see such a large and experienced company of workers enter so prayerfully and enthusiastically into the spirit of the meeting. All present seemed to be desirous of gaining everything possible from the opportunities presented in the few days together. This contributed much to the success of the meeting. I do not know that I ever attended a gathering where the special presence of the Lord seemed to be any more marked from the beginning to the close than at this meeting.

Not only in this union, but throughout the field, the pillar of cloud is rising. A new spiritual experience is coming to God's people. The outlook never seemed more encouraging.

One inspiring feature of the meeting was the presence of a large company of students each day, the college program being so arranged that they could attend the Bible studies and the evening services. A number in the college are preparing definitely for the ministry. The writer spoke one evening to the foreign mission band of nearly one hundred.

The Lord has prospered the work in the union during the biennial period just closed. I take the following encouraging extracts from the report of the president:—

“We have employed an average of 45 ordained, and 17 licensed workers, and 18 Bible workers.

“During the biennial period our membership has grown from 7,659 to 9,504, a gain of 1,845, an average of 40 for each ordained worker, or 23 for each worker employed. The membership is grouped into 203 churches, a gain of 27 churches for the period.

“The various treasurers’ reports show that the total tithe received by union and local conferences aggregates $270,000, a gain of nearly $23,000 in the two years. Of this amount we have turned over to the Division Conference $2,700 as tithe, and $50,700 as division of tithe, a total of $53,400, and $1,620 on the Sustentation Fund; subtracting the tithe turned over to the Division from the amount received, leaves $216,591, which was used in carrying on our work in the union.

“Earnest efforts have been made to raise the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund. While we have made some gain, yet we have fallen considerably short of the amount called for. For the two years we should have raised $152,629, but the amount actually raised totaled $124,444, leaving a shortage of $28,185. Montana and Idaho were the only conferences in our union that passed the goal of twenty cents a week.

“Our total contributions to missions for the two years amounted to $126,277; the total amount contributed to work outside the union was $181,306, a gain of $23,781 over the previous biennial period. The total amount of tithes and offerings for the two years was $397,455, lacking but $2,545 of reaching the $400,000 mark.

“The immediate future is pregnant with events of the most solemn import to the people of this world. The stage is set for the enactment of the final drama in the history of human events. ‘The eleventh chapter of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfilment.’ It has seemed that the Turk was about to be driven from Europe, the way of the kings of the East prepared. Angel hands seem to be loosing the winds. The nations are angry, and gripped in mortal strife. The map of the world is changing. The highest civilization of the centuries is turned into barbarism, and is threatening to engulf all mankind.

“Governments are losing control, and anarchy is seething just under the veneer of formalism. Statesmen are struggling under their burdens, and know not which way to turn for relief, for it is a time of trouble such as the nations have never seen. Unseen hands seem to be hurrying the world to its fatal doom. Mankind seems to strike an attitude of expectancy, and asks, What next? The seer of Patmos replies, ‘Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldst destroy them which destroy the earth.’ Men are everywhere groping their way in the gathering gloom.

“Just now, it would seem, is the time for the third angel’s message to be proclaimed with the added power of the loud cry, and for God’s people to be filled with all the fulness of God, and ‘with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.’”

The reports of the various conferences and departments indicated growth. The religious liberty department has found it necessary to enter into an active campaign against religious legislation, especially in Oregon. The secretary of the department, in his report, said, among other things:—

“A few months ago we reached a new era in the field of operation, and new demands were made upon the department in certain portions of the union conference.

“In 1854, the territorial days, a Sunday law was enacted in the territory now known as Oregon, which was adopted by the legislature in 1864. The law was amended in 1865 by eliminating one of the more radical phrases, and as then amended now stands on the statute books. It slumbered for sixty-two years. Recently it was dug up out of cold storage, and it was found that the blue law still had in it the venom of persecution.”

The agitation of the question will result, as usual, in calling the attention of the best people of the country to the work of the message.

The utmost unity of purpose marked all the deliberations of the conference. Elder C. W. Flaiz was reelected president. The other officers and departmental secretaries elected were practically the same as before. Some exchange of laborers is contemplated in the union, with a view of strengthening the work and preparing for a most vigorous and aggressive campaign. A laborer was voted to Alaska to push the work in that field.

The outlook in this great Northwest is more encouraging than ever. The workers returned to their fields of labor with renewed courage and determination to press the battle to the very gates of the enemy, to storm every citadel of error as never before, and to press home the truths of the message upon the hearts of sinners and lost souls everywhere, figuratively “pulling them out of the fire,” ere probation closes, and the time of rescue is over.

We confidently expect to see in the next two years the greatest ingathering of souls ever seen since the introduction of the message in this part of the vineyard.

G. B. THOMPSON.