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Thirty-First Meeting

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Jun 8, 1905

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 82, No. 23.

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Thirty-First Meeting

The thirty-first meeting was called at 10 A. M., May 29, the earlier hour being given to association meetings.
H. W. Cottrell was in the chair.
A partial report from the committee on the distribution of labor was presented, and, as amended, adopted, as follows:—

Distribution of Labor

Your committee on distribution of labor would respectfully submit the following partial report:—
We recommend,—
1. That Elder L. A. Hoopes make Australia his field of labor.
2. That D. C. Babcock and wife, of British Guiana, make the Gold Coast, West Africa, their field of labor.
3. That Elder F. H. Conway and wife, of Oklahoma, labor in the Canadian Northwest, the Oklahoma Conference to continue his present salary for one year.
4. That Elder J. J. Westrup and wife, of Oregon, make Inland China their field of labor.
5. That Dr. Law Keen and wife, of California, make China their field of labor.
6. That Elder W. A. Colcord hold himself in readiness to assist in the religious liberty work in England as occasion may demand.
7. That Elder C. McReynolds take the presidency of the Wisconsin Conference, made vacant by the action of the Lake Union Conference Committee in calling Elder Covert to take the presidency of the Northern Illinois Conference.
8. That Elder A. J. Haysmer make Alabama his field of labor.
9. That Iowa send two Bible workers to England, and provide their support while in that field.
10. That Elder Clarence Santee take the presidency of the Texas Conference.
11. That Elder F. M. Burg, of western Oregon, make Great Britain his field of labor, under the support of his home conference while there, or until the Mission Board or the local field shall assume such support.
12. That Dr. Emma Perrine labor in Japan, under pay of the Iowa Conference.
13. That Elder W. W. Steward, of the Upper Columbia Conference, labor in Georgia, under pay of his home conference until recalled, or other arrangements shall be made.
14. That Elder S. G. Huntington spend some time in southern California, doing manual labor with a view of regaining his health.
15. That Brother J. S. James, of West Virginia, take the position of general field missionary secretary, under the direction of the executive committee of the Northern Union Conference.
16. That the Oklahoma Conference send Brother Bernard Voth to labor in Greater New York, under the direction of the executive committee of that conference, and that Oklahoma support him there.
17. That Elder W. A. Westworth make the Southern New England Conference his field of labor.
18. That Amanda Van Scoy labor in China, under pay of the Nebraska Conference while there, or until other arrangements shall be made by the Mission Board.
19. That Brother A. J. Kennedy, of Ohio, join Dr. Miller in China, and labor there under pay of the Ohio Conference.
20. That George Casebeer labor in South America, under pay of the Upper Columbia Conference, the Mission Board paying transportation of himself and wife.
21. That Brother John Isaac make the old Northern Illinois Conference his field of labor.
22. That Brother C. J. Herrmann, of Wisconsin, labor in New Jersey under pay of the Wisconsin Conference until other satisfactory arrangements shall be made for his support, or until he shall be transferred to some other field.
23. That Elder Wm. Cubley, of Texas, take the presidency of the Mississippi Conference.
24. That Elder H. J. Farman make North Carolina his field of labor.
25. That Elder G. E. Langdon make northern California his field of labor.
26. That Elder John Holbrook make Great Britain his field of labor.
27. That Sister E. E. Prescott be accepted as a self-supporting worker in India.
28. That Jacob Hofstra, of West Michigan, make Holland his field of labor, the West Michigan Conference to provide six hundred dollars to apply on expenses and salary.
L. A. Hoopes suggested that fifteen years ago a report like this was much discussed, and there was considerable romance about it. Now these transfers to distant fields are more common. For his own part, he felt it a responsibility for the conference to send him and his family to Australasia for such service as he could render; but while he had no desire to leave this field, as he thought of the growing work in Australia and the vast field of fifty millions in darkness to be reached from Australasia, he felt a deep burden to help where he might do something for them.
W. J. Stone stated that Indiana had hoped to send a man to Africa, and they invited the Mission Board to look over their workers, or to select some other worker, and let Indiana help to sustain him in Africa.
The report was voted upon and adopted.
A. G. Daniells stated that Indiana has made a splendid offer, and he—
Moved, That this General Conference gratefully accept the offer of the Indiana Conference to support a laborer in South Africa, and that the Mission Board take immediate steps to secure the laborer.
At this juncture the following letter from the Central Union Conference Committee was presented:—
TAKOMA PARK STATION, WASHINGTON, D. C., May 28, 1905.
At a recent meeting of the Central Union Conference Committee the question of rendering assistance to some of the home field work was considered. While the members of the committee felt to appreciate the needs of these fields, yet they felt that the appeals that come from the many millions in far-away lands where there are so few laborers with scarcely any foothold at all, were appealing more loudly for the assistance that our conference could render than some of these home fields where there are many laborers and a large constituency.
The Central Union Conference having some few hundred dollars of tithe funds on hand, voted to appropriate five hundred dollars for the Japan Mission field, and five hundred dollars for the Chinese Mission. It was further voted to support a proper missionary worker in the Philippines.
After this vote was taken, there was a general expression by all members of the committee present that the right step had been taken. The blessing of God rested upon the move. All felt glad that we were so situated that we could render this kind of assistance. The committee has in mind a person that they would like to recommend for your favorable consideration for the work in the Philippines. That, of course, would be a matter for your consideration, as we do not wish to bind the Mission Board to any iron-clad rule. Our sincere desire is that the blessing of God may continue to attend this movement. The support of this worker in the Philippines is one of indefinite duration, realizing, as we do, that this is an important step, and that large amounts will yet be expended before the mission is put on anything like a paying basis. The committee therefore made the recommendation that they did.
We feel that in taking this step we have linked with the institutional work in our union conference—namely, the college, the intermediate schools, the sanitariums, and the publishing work—a new tie, a new inspiration for all connected with these institutions to rally to the support of the work in the needy fields in the regions beyond.
Yours for the committee, (Signed) L. A. HOOPES, Secretary C. U. C.
A. G. Daniells did not wish to make all the motions, but he felt he must again submit a motion in recognition of the liberal spirit toward the great fields manifested by the conferences. He thanked God for this—the resources are flowing out toward the needy fields, State lines are vanishing, and there is a determination to put our strength where it is most needed. He therefore—
Moved, That this General Conference express its gratitude for this spirit of cooperation and liberality manifested by local and union conferences, of which this expression from the Central Union is another evidence, to reach out into the great fields where millions are perishing without a knowledge of Christ and this truth.
E. T. Russell spoke of the great pleasure the Central Union Committee had felt in this action. After they decided to turn these funds into dark fields, a feeling came over all that could hardly be described. The influence of the Spirit of God filled the tent, and all realized that God had accepted the gift, and approved of the offering. They felt for the ten millions of the Philippines, and desired this offer to be a permanent blessing to this field.
The motion was put, and adopted by a rising vote.
The following resolution was reported from the committee on plans, and adopted:—
Whereas, There is a pressing need for carefully kept vital statistics of the denomination; therefore,—
69. Resolved, That we approve of the plan of the Medical Missionary Council, for the collection of such statistics, and earnestly recommend that our ministering brethren cooperate with this plan by filling out and returning the required blanks when they send in obituary notices.
A further resolution on “Christ’s Object Lessons” was presented, and action deferred to a later meeting.
The meeting adjourned.
H. W. COTTRELL, Chairman, W. A. SPICER, Secretary.