p. 17 | The Southwestern Union Conference by George A. Irwin

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 5, 1908

The Southwestern Union Conference

By George A. Irwin

THIS conference convened at Keene, Tex., February 7, and continued until the seventeenth. There was a full representation of delegates from each of the three conferences composing the union conference, and one delegate from New Mexico. The sessions of the conference were held in the Keene church, which was sufficiently large to accommodate comfortably not only the delegates and visiting brethren, but the entire number of students of the Keene Academy.

It was arranged that the school should attend the forenoon session, and thus get the benefit of the Bible studies that were given each day, beginning at half-past ten and closing fifteen minutes before twelve. The morning hours prior to the time of the Bible lesson were taken up in social meetings and conference business. One of the afternoon sessions was devoted to conference work, and another to Bible study. Public preaching services were held each evening during the entire conference. The reports from the different conferences revealed quite a gain in membership, and also a very healthy increase in tithes and all regular funds and special funds for the promulgation of the work both at home and abroad. New Mexico was added to the conference as a mission field, in harmony with the action taken at the General council. Arrangements were made for a local board of management, and plans were made for the necessary funds to prosecute the work in this new field. A large portion of the western part of the State of Texas was also set off as a mission field, and was put under the supervision of the conference committee.

The work among the colored people of the district that had heretofore been carried on under the direction of the union conference committee was at this meeting given over to the several States. The work of the Keene Academy (the school of this union conference) is very prosperous. The school is full to overflowing with an excellent class of students. The missionary spirit seems to be kept well to the front by the faculty. A number of those who are about to finish their course gave in their names for the Mission Board to draw from to supply the need in the foreign fields.

As I looked over the village of Keene and saw the many comfortable homes and the large church and the school buildings with their accompanying industries, and saw the large company of students as they marched to and from the church each day, and then thought back only a few short years to the time when this same ground was without an inhabitant and covered with trees, I could form some idea of how rapidly our message is going. Already from this school there are missionaries in many of the foreign fields. Brother and Sister Jones, who now stand at the head of the mission in Singapore, were for a time students at the Keene Academy. Brother C. B. Hughes, the first principal of the school, and one who has had much to do with bringing it to its present state of efficiency, is laboring to build up a school for the West Indies. There are many others whom I might mention if space would permit. The dry weather of the past summer, which caused a partial failure of the cotton crop, and the financial scare of the closing days of 1907, have affected the collections of the school quite materially. Nevertheless the business manager’s report revealed the gratifying fact that the school would come out even in its finances.

It having been demonstrated by several years’ trial that a sanitarium could not be successfully operated at Keene, the Texas Conference has sold the sanitarium building to the school, and it will be moved to the school grounds, and be used as a dormitory for the boys. Four hundred dollars of the purchase price was donated by the conference to the Keene church to apply on its indebtedness. This amount, added to some pledges they already had and to a cash collection that was taken during the conference, wiped out the debt on the church, and left a few dollars for some necessary repairs. The debt being provided for, the church was formally dedicated by appropriate services on Sunday afternoon, the closing day of the conference.

Having been present at the union conference two years ago, and having attended camp-meetings in each of the conferences the year following, I was better able to appreciate the progress that had been made in the conference, in finance, increase of membership, and spiritual growth.

While much business was done, and many questions considered that would have a bearing upon the future of the work, and upon which the delegates had different views in the beginning, it was a noteworthy and often-mentioned characteristic of the conference, that there

was not a dissenting vote from the beginning to the end. Elder Thompson and the writer were present during the entire time of the conference. Elder Daniells arrived about the middle of the conference, and remained until the Sunday morning that it closed. His presence and labors were very much appreciated by the delegates and brethren. Elder Porter was unanimously re-elected president of the union conference, with Elder Santee vice-president. Brother C. N. Woodward was re-elected secretary and treasurer. These officers have the entire confidence of the brethren throughout the field. This, added to the courage that was manifested by the delegates and workers at the conference, betokens prosperity and a large increase in the work during the coming biennial period.

GEO. A. IRWIN.