General Conference Committee Council
By W. A. SPICER
The decision of the Mission Board not to undertake many new enterprises in the mission fields during the great struggle in Europe considerably lessened the number of new problems coming before the council. Australasia’s “Hand Across the Sea”
One interesting action was the vote of thanks to the Australasian Union Conference for its gift of $5,000 to the General Conference emergency fund for the European Division:— Voted, That we express to our brethren and sisters of the Australasian Union Conference our hearty thanks for this liberal gift of $5,000 from their funds, and our sense of appreciation of this another manifestation of their readiness to help in all the world-wide work beyond the borders of their own extensive island mission fields; and we assure our brethren in Australasia of our thankfulness to God that he has so signally blessed and prospered the work committed to their hands. The call for an additional teacher at the Lake Titicaca Indian Mission (Peru)11was referred to the minority board for consideration later if possible. Action on the request for an appropriation for a mission home and headquarters in Lima, Peru, was deferred for one year, on account of the extra pressure upon the mission treasury this year of the war, the South American Union being asked to submit definite estimates and particulars. The South African Union was asked to renew its request for a small printing press for Nyasaland a little later, when conditions are more settled and transport of goods by sea can be better assured. The council decided that next year’s medium for the Harvest Ingathering campaign would be either the Signs Magazine or the Signs weekly, as may later be determined. The following-named brethren were appointed a committee on foreign literature, to give counsel as to what subscription, home workers’, and trade books should be translated into European tongues, having special reference to cooperation between the European and North American Divisions in bringing out books:— N. Z. Town, W. W. Eastman, O. A. Olsen, L. R. Conradi, R. L. Pierce, H. H. Hall, I. A. Ford, S. N. Curtiss, L. W. Graham, L. H. Christian, S. Mortenson, J. H. Schilling, J. C. Raft. Elder A. J. Haysmer was present from the West Indian Union, it being convenient for him to come by way of the States on his return to Jamaica from a visit to the Central American portion of the field. He had visited the republic of San Salvador, this being the first time any of our workers had ever visited that field. While the breaking of connections with Europe has greatly disturbed financial conditions throughout Central America, Elder Haysmer was everywhere impressed with the opening providences that urge us into those fields. The first great need is colporteurs to distribute the literature, this effort to be followed by the evangelist. The Publishing Department was asked to secure colporteurs for Central America and the West Caribbean. It was decided to detach the territory of the Central American Conference and the mission field of Guatemala and San Salvador from the West Indian Union, allowing these fields to come directly under General Conference supervision, owing to the fact that connections are now very difficult with the union office, while very direct steamship connections are secured with the United States. Elder Haysmer presented the appeal of the South Caribbean Conference for consideration to be given to the calls that still come from the British Guiana interior. It was in his effort to respond to appeals from the Indians in that region that Elder O. E. Davis lost his life several years ago. Still the calls come from the Indians, who have a settled conviction that we have the message that they want. The union feels that when work is opened in that wild and unhealthful region, two workers should be associated together. It was— Voted, That we encourage the union conference to continue to keep watch of the openings for work among these Indians, to report plans later, when the Mission Board may be better able to make appropriations. Owing to the widely separated nature of its territory, the West Indian Union finds the greatest difficulty in calling its workers and delegates together for a union conference session and institute. On this account it seemed impossible to hold such a meeting at the regular time. The need of such gatherings, however, was recognized, and it was agreed that provided the war situation clears, so that steamship rates come again to normal, the Mission Board will appropriate $1,000 to aid the West Indian Union in meeting the expense of a union session and institute for workers. Mission Field Appointments
Elder N. Z. Town, secretary of the Publishing Department, was asked to take general supervision of the detached Spanish mission fields, which are, Porto Rico and Santo Domingo, Haiti (French), Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala, and the Central American Conference, the territory of which is Spanish and British Honduras, with the Bay Islands. As a worker of long experience in the Spanish fields, Elder Town will be able to give helpful supervision by correspondence, with occasional visits to the fields. The council approved the plan of giving earnest attention to placing our Spanish publications throughout all this territory. The following advisory committees were appointed for the detached mission fields under General Conference direction:— Porto Rican Mission: William Steele (superintendent), Dr. J. F. Morse, G. D. Raff (field agent), Rafael Lopez. Cuban Mission: A. N. Allen (superintendent), S. H. Carnahan (secretary and treasurer), H. C. Goodrich, J. E. Anderson, A. E. Doering, A. U. Cochran (field agent). Haitien Mission: A. F. Prieger (superintendent), E. A. Curdy, Nord Isaac. Hawaiian Islands Mission: F. H. Conway (superintendent), Robert McKeague, I. N. Bartholomew. Workers were invited to the fields as follows:— J. D. Haynes, of Texas, to Cuba, to engage in the Spanish colporteur work. C. F. Innis, of Colorado, to Cuba, to engage in the Spanish colporteur work. Clarence Hall, of the Pacific Press (California), to Japan, to take charge of the Japanese printing office, and to act as secretary and treasurer of the mission. M. H. Schuster, student of the Clinton German Seminary, to Brazil, to engage in evangelistic work. Other invitations were extended which cannot be reported upon until the negotiations have been concluded. It is agreed that the following calls for workers must be supplied as early as practicable:— An evangelist of good executive experience for India. An evangelist for city work in the cities of India. Two evangelists for the Malaysian Mission, East Indies, and a third to follow later in 1915, the Malaysian Mission feeling assured that it can accept this additional help without having to call for extra appropriations. Two experienced ministers for South Africa when the war situation clears. From time to time during the council cheering news was reported from various portions of the far fields, and representatives in the council made encouraging reports of the interest throughout the churches and conferences in the missionary advance. Every autumn council registers the growth, year by year, of this advent movement. “The volume of business coming into these councils,” remarked one of the older workers, “is as great as that dealt with in General Conference sessions not many years ago.”