Report of the Columbia Union Conference by G. B. THOMPSON

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 20, 1909

Report of the Columbia Union Conference

By G. B. THOMPSON

G. B. THOMPSON, PRESIDENT

At the General Conference Council held at Gland, Switzerland, May 9 - 24, 1907, it was advised that the territory of the Atlantic Union Conference be divided into two conferences; and that Ohio, which was then a part of the Lake Union Conference, be invited to join the new conference.

At the next biennial session of the Atlantic Union Conference, held in Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 14 - 24, 1907, the delegates, after giving consideration to the suggestion of the Gland Council, acted favorably upon it; and a new conference, known as the Columbia Union Conference, was organized. Elder W. J. Fitzgerald was chosen president. This conference includes the territory of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware. The District of Columbia was organized into a conference, Feb. 14, 1909, and has requested admission, but has not yet been formally admitted into the union. Including the District of Columbia, we have in this union nine conferences, with 218 churches, and a membership of 6,591.

On account of the conference having been so recently organized, we are unable to present any comparative statistics showing the growth of the work. Unity and harmony prevail in all the local conferences, and aggressive plans are being pushed for the advancement of the message in all lines. Excellent work was done in the selling of literature during 1908, the sales being much in excess of those of previous years in the same territory. The book sales alone were about $60,000. The reports for the first four months of 1909 show a marked increase over the same period one year ago.

The tithe for 1908 was $87,638.75, or an average of $13.07 per member. The offerings to foreign missions for the year 1908 amounted to $24,666.04. A deep interest is manifested in the work in the regions beyond, and it is confidently expected that the gifts to missions will show a marked increase during the future.

The only institution owned and controlled by the union is the college located at Mt. Vernon, Ohio. This school is widely and favorably known, workers who received their training here being found in many of our mission fields. For many years this school was owned and controlled by the Ohio Conference; but in the winter of 1907, it was voted by the constituency to transfer it to the Columbia Union, and it is now considered a union school, although some of the legal steps necessary have not, for various reasons, been complied with. The college is in need of extensive repairs, which must be made at once. In addition to the funds needed for repairs and other improvements, there is considerable debt upon the institution, which must be provided for.

During the year just closed, which has been among the most successful in the history of the institution, the attendance was larger than could be well accommodated; and in order to properly carry forward the work of educating the young people of the union, more buildings will have to be erected, better adapted to the work of a college. Some plans for the raising of funds in the union for the benefit of the school were made by the board at their last meeting, and it is hoped that sufficient funds will be received to place the school in condition to carry forward the work of training more laborers for the various mission fields of the world.

We have in the union some conference institutions which are doing excellent work. An academy has been opened during the past year at Newmarket, Va., which has done good work also. An excellent church-school is in operation at Takoma Park, D. C., which employs three teachers, and does a good grade of work. There are also a number of church-schools in the union conference.

The sanitarium at Philadelphia, Pa., owned by the East Pennsylvania Conference, is well equipped, and prepared to render as good service in medical lines as can be found in any of our sanitariums. The institution is struggling under a large indebtedness, and needs financial aid. This sanitarium at the present time stands loyally with the work of the message, and those who labor there endeavor to keep the truth before those who come under their influence. Some of the leading physicians of the city have willingly co-operated with Dr. W. H. Smith in the medical work, and aside from the debts which burden the institution, the outlook is good. It is located in one of the largest cities of the United States, and is just such an institution as is needed in order to reach the people with this message.

A small sanitarium has also been operated in connection with the Mt. Vernon College during the past year; this has done good work, both in making the work of the college more efficient, and in bringing the principles of health before a large number of people.

Some private institutions are also operated in some of the local conferences. As a rule, these are doing good work.

The population of this union, including the District of Columbia, is 17,387,395,—the largest of any union in the United States. But while the population is large, our membership is comparatively small. Such cities as Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Jersey City, Newark, and many others are calling for workers, but at present we are unable to supply them.

In many of our Western conferences, through the blessing of God, a large membership has been raised up in a population much less dense than in this field. As the message began in the East, and was carried West, so now we believe the West should turn and look upon the needy condition of the East, with its great and varied population, and send workers into these cities and support them. Some of the conferences are already doing this, and it is helping to greatly strengthen and develop the work. We feel grateful for the help thus given, nor are we unmindful of the help which the General Conference has so freely given in this time of need. We are blessed by having the headquarters of the General Conference, also the Review and Herald Publishing Association, the Foreign Mission Seminary, the Sanitarium at Takoma Park, and the Branch institution in the city of Washington, located in our union. While these are not owned or controlled by this union, their influence is felt, and is of great value in advancing the work.

We are persuaded that further help should be given to the large cities of the East. Such aid will result in a blessing, not only to the conferences receiving, but to those which so freely give it. Like bread upon the waters, it will return to us again greatly increased. This will help to fulfil the statement made that the message is to return East with power. There is a large foreign population in many of the cities. We have in a certain sense, a foreign field right at home. Such efforts as have been made to reach these various nationalities have been attended with good results, and a number of foreign-speaking churches have been gathered out. But we must do more. The large foreign population already here is being increased almost daily by thousands, and some plans must be devised

to bring the message more fully before these people. We hope this conference will suggest a plan by which this can be done.

We are full of courage and hope for the future. The message never seemed clearer, nor its speedy triumph more certain. We have followed no cunningly devised fables in this message. It is the truth of the living God. We have seen its rise from a small beginning to world-wide proportions. The closing event—the coming of Jesus to reap the harvest of the earth—is impending. Now is the time for earnest, consecrated labor; then the victory and rest in the kingdom.