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The Opening of the General Conference

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 22, 1913

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 90, No. 21.

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The Opening of the General Conference

By C. M. S.

THE thirty-eighth session of the General Conference is now in progress. For months, preparations for it have been going on, not merely the material preparations for rooming delegates and visitors and arranging for meetings, but preparation of hearts on the part of the people. This is borne witness to throughout the entire encampment. There is in the face and in the attitude of the people gathered here an expression of hopeful expectancy. They have come together expecting great things from God; and there is no question but that as they go out from this gathering, they will go equipped and determined to attempt great things for God.
In this gathering it has been literally true that the brethren have had to lengthen their cords and strengthen their stakes in order to accommodate the people. This encampment is much larger than the previous one. The space where was pitched the large pavilion four years ago was not large enough to accommodate the one to be pitched this year, and trees had to be removed to make room for the increased dimensions of the large tent. The encampment itself has overflowed in four directions as compared with the last quadrennial encampment. This tented village is a city of no mean size, beautifully situated and most comfortably arranged. There are now six hundred twenty family tents pitched, and between three and four thousand people are on the grounds.
On Thursday, May 15, at 10 A. M., the Conference was formally opened. Following the opening song, Elder J. N. Loughborough and Elder S. N. Haskell offered fervent prayer for the blessing of God upon this session of the General Conference. The goodness of God in protecting his people from the catastrophes of this world, and especially from accidents in coming to this gathering from all parts of this world, was earnestly set before the Conference by Elder A. G. Daniells. He asked for a united expression of thankfulness to God on the part of all our people for his manifest care in this regard.
A most interesting feature of this meeting, and an encouraging and helpful one as well, was the testimonies borne by the early pioneers and the leaders in the work to the wonderful leading and blessing of God in the work of this denomination.
A remarkable feature of this first meeting was that nearly every delegate answered to his name in the roll-call.
The Sabbath services at the encampment will be long remembered by those who had the privilege of being present. (Concluded on page 24)
(Concluded from page 4)
More than two thousand persons assembled in the large pavilion for the Sabbath-school. This was the senior division. The junior, intermediate, primary, and kindergarten divisions, which met in other places, would greatly increase this number. It was estimated that there were 4,000 people on the grounds for the Sabbath services.
The morning sermon was preached by Elder I. H. Evans, vice-president of the Asiatic Division of the General Conference. His discourse was based upon John 2:17: “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” It was an impressive sermon, and brought home to individual hearts the importance of godly zeal in the work committed to us, and zeal that is according to knowledge. “There must be in the heart a spirit of loyalty, not to man, but to God, to Jesus Christ, to the truth of God, a zeal that is a consuming, burning fire in the heart for God and the kingdom of God; and he who has such a zeal burning in his soul will be as irresistible as any force in nature. Wherever he goes he will burn his way into the hearts of the children of men.” He urged upon all the necessity of turning away from all selfish ambitions, and consecrating soul, body, and means to the work of the third angel’s message.
The afternoon sermon, by Elder E. E. Andross, also brought deep conviction to the hearts of the people. “The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light,” was the text of the sermon. He dwelt upon the fulfilled and fulfilling signs to prove the application of the text to our times, and in the light of that fulfilment urged upon the people who believe this message a course of life in harmony with our profession. “This is the dark night of sin, of sorrow, of death; but the day is at hand. Already we can see the gleams of the dawning day, the harbinger of that glorious time when the reign of sin will be finished, when sorrow will be wiped away, and death will be no more.” One danger he feared was that our people would take these fulfilling signs as a matter of course and fail to realize their great import.
Elder Andross’s sermon was followed by a call for the return of backsliders and a renewal of consecration on the part of the people. In the testimony and praise meeting which followed, hundreds took part. The services of this Sabbath at the General Conference have marked a forward move on the part of this denomination. May its influence extend to every part of the great harvest-field, that the denomination as a whole may move up on higher ground, and greater results be seen in souls born into the kingdom. C. M. S.