Wyoming Conference and Camp-Meeting by J. H. WHEELER

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Jul 23, 1908

Wyoming Conference and Camp-Meeting

By J. H. WHEELER

THE first annual session of the Wyoming conference assembled in a beautiful grove at Crawford, Neb., June 18-28, in connection with the annual camp-meeting. The Wyoming Conference is composed of the State of Wyoming, nine counties of northwestern Nebraska, and six counties of South Dakota. A good representation of our people from this locality was present at the beginning of the meeting, and this was increased to approximately two hundred at its close. The president's address and reports of the different workers showed that God had blessed all the work in this field during the past year. Six new churches have been organized with a membership of one hundred thirty, with many more interested ones in the localities where these churches were raised up.

Good ministerial help was present during this meeting, and excellent meetings were held, in which God blessed, and hearts were made tender and accepted Christ. Twenty-nine followed their Lord in baptism during this meeting. Besides the local workers, Elders E. T. Russell, F. M. Wilcox, Meade MacGuire, Charles Thompson, B. E. Huffman, and Prof. C. C. Lewis, Dr. Ida Herr, and Brother C. G. Bellah were present during a part or all of the meeting.

All departments of the work were given due consideration and advanced moves were taken, as the following resolutions which were unanimously adopted will show:—

That we affirm our confidence in the great underlying truths comprising the third angel's message and in the work and leadings of the spirit of prophecy so graciously manifested in the church, and express our earnest purpose to prosecute the work committed to us to glorious triumph.

That we approve of and pledge our hearty co-operation in the plan recommended by the General Conference for an ingathering for foreign mission work, November 22-28, during Thanksgiving week of 1908.

That we pledge ourselves to endeavor to greatly increase the donations to foreign missions.

That we undertake to raise for foreign mission work an amount equal to ten cents a week per capita for our church-membership.

That for the present we favor the Sabbath-school donations and the annual midsummer offering being applied on this fund to make the average of ten cents a week for each church-member.

That in each church it shall be the duty of the church missionary librarian to take charge of the distribution and collection of the missionary envelopes, and in every way to encourage the church in systematic giving for foreign missions.

That the educational superintendent and Missionary Volunteer secretary give her entire time, as far as consistent, to

the building up and strengthening of these branches of work.

That during the coming year a general educational campaign be carried on among the churches of the conference.

“Whereas, the tract and missionary work in our conference is at a low ebb, which we attribute largely to the fact that no effort has been made through an organized tract society to push this work in our conference; therefore,—

“Resolved, That we return to the plan of carrying forward the work through a conference tract society, and that the secretary and treasurer of the conference take charge of this branch of the work.”

The financial report showed tithe receipts to the amount of over seven thousand dollars and trust funds over eighteen hundred dollars. The tithe per capita was over seventeen dollars. On the last day of the meeting the needs of the world-wide work were presented, and twelve hundred dollars was raised in cash and pledges to be paid by Jan. 1, 1909. Book sales for the past year were $4326.55.

Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows: President, Elder J. H. Wheeler; vice-president, Elder G. A. Kirkle; secretary and treasurer, S. J. Quantock; superintendent of the church-schools and Missionary Volunteer work, Nora Hough; State missionary agent, H. E. Lysinger; religious liberty secretary, R. T. Baer. The people returned to their homes greatly encouraged, and with a firm purpose to be consecrated to the service of God, to spend and be spent in his service.

J. H. WHEELER.