Report of East Michigan Conference by E. I. Beebe

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 30, 1908

Report of East Michigan Conference

By E. I. Beebe

THE sixth annual session of the East Michigan Conference was held at Flint, Mich., April 6-9, 1908. There were ninety delegates present, representing sixty-five churches and companies.

The following officers were elected for the coming year: President, E. K. Slade; Secretary and Treasurer, E. I. Beebe; Secretary and Treasurer of the tract society, Frank Hiner; Field Missionary Agent, J. H. McEachron; Field Missionary Secretary, A. R. Sandborn; Secretary of Educational Department, H. A. Boylan; Secretary of Sabbath-school work, Tillie E. Barr; Secretary Medical Department, L. G. Wagner. Executive Committee: E. K. Slade, C. N. Sanders, A. R. Sandborn, B. F. Stureman, R. B. Thurber. East Michigan Conference Association Board: E. K. Slade, C. N. Sanders, A. R. Sandborn, B. F. Stureman, R. B. Thurber. Adelphian Academy Board, E. K. Slade, A. R. Sandborn, B. F. Stureman, R. B. Thurber, C. N. Sanders, F. O. Rathbun. Auditing Committee, J. B. Keiser, Frank Fishell, Wm. Brace, W. R. Fellows, L. W. Lawton, Dr. G. G. Brown, E. R. Lauda, and Delmar P. Wood.

Ministerial credentials were granted to E. K. Slade, J. L. Edgar, L. G. Moore, Wm. Ostrander, E. I. Beebe, A. R. Sandborn, C. N. Sanders, B. F. Stureman. Ministerial licenses were granted to H. A. Boylan, R. B. Thurber, Claude White, Fred Hoxie, L. G. Wagner, Dr. G. G. Brown. Missionary licenses were granted to Anna L. Boehm, Ethel Burnett, Tillie E. Barr, Katherine Dunham, Nora B. Ammon, H. L. Cohoon, Frank Hiner, Marie Harriman, Beatrice Harter, Clara Kiep, Mina Pierce, Mable Reavis, Lucy Tyte, H. A. Weaver, Katherine Weaver.

The tithe report of the conference showed an increase of $3,577.33 over the previous year, also an increase of nearly two dollars’ in the amount paid by each member. The amount of the tithe of this conference for the past year was $22,956.47, and the amount for each member, $12.41.

Among the resolutions adopted were the following:—

“Whereas, The Lord has gone before this people, opening doors in all nations, so that there is an opportunity to teach the truths of the third angel’s message to all the world; and,—

“Whereas, The means received by the Foreign Mission Board is not sufficient to warrant the enlargement of our missionary operations as the opening providence of God seems to demand; therefore,—

“1. Resolved, That we undertake to raise for our foreign mission work an amount equal to ten cents a week per member for our church membership.

“Whereas, There is great need of all our church officers being more fully instructed in the duties and responsibilities which rest upon them; and,—

“Whereas, The special blessing of the Lord has attended the church officers’ conventions held in connection with this meeting, enabling all to realize more fully the responsibility of the Lord’s work; therefore,—

“2. Resolved, That we urge the holding of other similar conventions as may be arranged for by the conference committee, and that an effort be made to have all church officers present to share in the instruction given.

“3. Resolved, That we adopt the plan of sharing our tithe with the needy mission fields, and that we send annually to the Mission Board such surplus tithe as may be on hand.

“Whereas, The Sabbath-school occupies an important place in the advancement of the message in all parts of the world; therefore,—

“4. Resolved, That we urge upon all our people greater faithfulness in the study of the lessons prepared for the various divisions, that our knowledge of the Word may be increased, our spirituality deepened, and the Sabbath-school be made to fill the important place it should in the training of workers and the salvation of souls.

“Whereas, The Sabbath School Worker contains important instruction in reference to the Sabbath-school work; therefore,—

“5. Resolved, That we endeavor to place this most excellent journal not only in the home of every officer and teacher, but in the homes of all our people.

“Whereas, The Lord has blessed our Sabbath-schools in giving their donations to missions, and from this source many thousands of dollars are being annually passed on to the “regions beyond;” therefore,—

“6. Resolved, That we urge upon our

people more liberal giving in our schools, and we further,—

“7. Recommend, That all our schools be encouraged to give all their donations to foreign missions, providing for their expenses from other sources.

“8. We recommend, The plan of offering inducements to students to earn scholarships in the Adelphian Academy and Emmanuel Missionary College in harmony with the plan recommended by the Lake Union Conference Committee.

“Whereas, Conditions demand, and the spirit of prophecy strongly urges, more thorough study and effort along medical missionary lines by all our workers and church-members; therefore,—

“9. We recommend, That our workers arrange for instruction on health and temperance topics to be given in connection with workers’ meetings, tent-meetings, visits to churches, church-schools, canvassers’ institutes, and all general meetings.

“10. We recommend, That the medical missionary work be recognized in our churches by selecting a health secretary who shall encourage the church in the circulation of our health literature, to conduct at least one medical missionary meeting a month, and to study and work along health lines.

“Whereas, In many places a mighty conflict is being waged against the foes of temperance; and,—

“Whereas, We as a people are most heartily in favor of Christian temperance; therefore,—

“11. Resolved, That we extend to all loyal temperance workers our earnest Christian greeting, and pledge our aid in every proper way by voice and pen.

“12. Resolved, That this conference make a special effort to circulate the forthcoming temperance number of the Watchman by placing a club not to exceed five thousand in the hands of the W. C. T. U., for their use in the temperance campaign, and also to encourage our people to sell this special issue.

“Whereas, The closing conflict of the third angel’s message will be along Religious Liberty lines; and,—

“Whereas, Our people are not as conversant with this most important subject as they ought to be, and as they must be to meet the coming crisis; therefore,—

“13. Resolved, That we urge upon all our people the importance of taking and studying the magazine Liberty, and other similar literature; and that the Religious Liberty secretary hold as many general meetings as feasible, in which instruction shall be given along this line.

“Whereas, The Lord has greatly blessed the labors of Elder F. G. Lane in the Caribbean field; therefore,—

“14. Resolved, That we continue his support in that field for another year.

“In accordance with the recommendations passed by the Lake Union Conference that the tract and missionary work be revived and reorganized; therefore,—

“15. We recommend, That a field missionary secretary be selected to develop the work by visiting the local churches, and encouraging them to engage in home missionary work by holding missionary meetings, and giving instruction and training to such as are willing to engage in this work, of which a report be kept by the church, and forwarded to the field missionary secretary.

“Whereas, The present arrangement is that each conference take care of its orphans and aged poor; therefore,—

“16. Resolved, That two collections be taken for this purpose each year, at such times as the conference committee may appoint.

“17. Resolved, That we place at the disposal of the General Conference several laborers for foreign fields, and pay their wage for one year.

“18. Resolved, That, in harmony with the recommendations passed by the Lake Union Conference, we furnish a tent, and two laborers to work in the southern or southeastern conferences, with support for one year.”

E. I. BEEBE, Secretary.