Kansas Conference and Camp-Meeting by Florence P. Rice; A. R. Ogden

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Sep 21, 1905

Kansas Conference and Camp-Meeting

By Florence P. Rice; A. R. Ogden

The thirty-first session of the Kansas Conference was called to order Aug. 21, 1905, on the camp-ground at Hutchinson. There was a splendid representation of delegates at the first meeting; in all, one hundred and thirty-one responded to roll-call, representing fifty-seven of the ninety-three churches of the conference. Elder C. McReynolds, who has faithfully served the Kansas Conference at different times as president, was in attendance until after the first Sabbath of the meeting; he then left to take up the work as president of the Wisconsin Conference. The prayers of his many friends in Kansas accompany him to his new field of labor.

The officers elected to take charge of the conference work are as follows: President, J. A. Crane; Vice-President, H. F. Ketring; Conference Committee, J. G. Hanhardt, A. R. Ogden, L. F. Trubey, I. F. Thorn, and B. W. Brown; Secretary and Treasurer, Florence P. Rice; editor of Kansas Worker, H. Meyer; Secretary of Sabbath-school Work, Dora Meyer; Superintendent of church, Sabbath-school, and Young People's Work, I. C. Sultz; State Missionary, F. L. Limerick.

The various branches of the work were remembered by liberal cash donations and pledges, as follows:—


Wichita (Kan.) Sanitarium, cash	$ 89 89
Wichita (Kan.) Sanitarium, pledges	369 00
Foreign Missions, cash	351 63
Sabbath-school C. M. Donation	110 42
Religious Liberty Work	21 43
Work for Blind	58 86
Southern Work	50 00
Wichita (Kan.) Sanitarium Carriage Fund	49 08
Total	$1,100 31

Thus not only were our own home wants remembered, but at least a little thought was given to the more needy fields,—the regions beyond. The Sabbath-school donations showed an average of almost ten cents per capita in attendance at Sabbath-school during the two Sabbaths of the meeting. If all our schools in the land could make such an average Sabbath-school offering each Sabbath during the year, what a flood of means it would bring into the treasury to hasten on the glad message of the coming King. What a glad day that will be when from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come to worship before the Lord. We may now in our family or church Sabbath-schools be few in number, a small minority of Sabbath-keepers, but if faithful we shall be in the great majority when “all” shall come each Sabbath day to worship before their heavenly King.

The following recommendations were passed by the conference:—

“1. In view of the blessings and prosperity that have attended all the various branches of the work during the past year, we lift our hearts in gratitude and thanksgiving to God as the giver of all these blessings, and do humbly beseech that they be continued to us during the coming year, and that we may be brought into so close a relation to him that he can use us more successfully in his cause.

“Recognizing that the Scriptures teach that we and everything that we have belong to God, and that he has reserved one tenth of all as holy unto himself, and that in appropriating this tenth to their own use, many are robbing him and depriving themselves of his promised blessings, therefore,—

“2. We recommend, That all be urged to be faithful in bringing all the tithes into the Lord's storehouse.

“Whereas, The foreign missions are wholly dependent upon the free-will offerings of our people, and,—

“Whereas, The extension of our missionary enterprises in fields yet unentered demands an increase in these offerings, therefore,—

“3. We recommend, A more systematic adoption of the envelope plan of giving to missions.

“Whereas, We believe that the life and interest of the Sabbath-school is increased in proportion to the interest manifested in the work of our missionaries in foreign lands; and,—

“Whereas, In many of our schools more of the donations is used in defraying local expenses than is given to the foreign missionary work,—

“4. We recommend, That our Sabbath-schools meet their local needs in some other way, and that the entire donations be given to the work of carrying the message into the darker regions of the earth.

“Whereas, The Scriptures clearly teach that those who fill positions of responsibility in the church must be men of ‘sound doctrine’ as well as of ‘good report of them that are without,’ therefore,—

“5. We recommend, That no man be elected to any place of responsibility in either the local church or the conference who is not in harmony with the tithing system and all the cardinal points of present truth.

“Realizing that ‘if there is one work more important than another, it is that of getting our publications before the people,’ and that to do this most successfully requires the fullest co-operation of all our people, therefore,—

“6. Resolved, That we urge our brethren throughout the State to work earnestly and in harmony with our State agent to develop both field and home canvassers.”

G. A. Irwin, E. T. Russell, K. C. Russell, H. Shultz, C. C. Lewis, and G. A. Grauer were the laborers present from outside the State, and the Kansas workers were all present.

FLORENCE P. RICE, Conf. Sec., A. R. OGDEN, Sec. pro tem.