Canadian Union Meetings by William Ambrose Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Oct 12, 1905

Canadian Union Meetings

By William Ambrose Spicer

THE Canadian Union Conference held two camp-meetings during the summer season. The reports from their field and institutional work showed that the organization of the union has brought new strength into the work in eastern Canada, and bound the different portions of that field more closely together in common service.

Quebec

The Quebec Conference meeting was held at South Stukely, not far from the Vermont border. The brethren had planned pitching the camp in a larger place, but were disappointed in securing a location, and at the last moment decided upon South Stukely, a country village where quite a number of Seventh-day Adventist families reside. In the closing days of the meeting, however, the believers came in from a radius of twenty-five miles, and there was a fair representation of the conference membership. These days were days of blessing in the camp, and the Quebec brethren face the new year's work with fresh courage and inspiration. Ten persons were baptized. Elder H. E. Rickard was re-elected president of the conference.

During the year past the conference has made its way out of debt, and now if all the believers are faithful in tithes and offerings, there is no reason why the plans of the conference committee for a more aggressive work in Quebec should not be carried out. The Knowlton Sanitarium has had an encouraging year, showing a working profit of over eight hundred dollars. For so young an institution this means that the Lord has especially blessed, and that Dr. White and his helpers have put in earnest work. Nearly every day members of the sanitarium family drove over to the camp at South Stukely.

The nurses' training-school has graduated some of its first workers, two of whom will doubtless start treatment-room work in some of the towns of eastern Canada. The Quebec Conference has a good number of young people engaged in business or attending school at South Stukely, Fitch Bay, and other places, who must be depended upon to grow into service in this needy field.

A large proportion of the province of Quebec is French-speaking and Catholic. We know what that means as a missionary undertaking. A special fund was started at the camp-meeting for securing a church building or meeting hall in the city of Montreal. Brother George Skinner earnestly pleaded the cause of that great metropolis of Canada, two-thirds French and one-third English, and the conference is united in desiring to see a strong, aggressive work carried forward in that city. They need the prayers and assistance of brethren in more favored parts as they enter upon the campaign in these populous centers which have been neglected so long.

Meetings of the Canadian Union Committee were held during the camp-meeting. Elder William Guthrie was present from the Maritime Conference and Elders Thurston and Leland from Ontario, all rendering help in the meetings. All who attended the camp-meeting confidently expect to see aggressive moves made in the province of Quebec during the coming year.

Ontario

The Ontario camp-meeting was held this year also in a country district rather than in a large town, inasmuch as the brethren decided to have it in the vicinity of their new school at Lorne Park, so that the brethren and sisters in attendance might get acquainted with the educational work now well started in Ontario. It was a small meeting, but a good meeting, with a double portion of blessing on each Sabbath. Seven were baptized during the meeting.

The work is moving on in Ontario. Here again one can see that no longer does the plant of this truth find its root over the border in the United States as once it did. It has root in Canadian soil, and with the Lorne Park school entering upon its second year of service and preparing to train Ontario's young people on their own soil, one can readily see that the truth is making long strides in Canada. These institutional training centers in the field mean fresh hope and courage to the believers, and new strength for the development of the work in Canada. Hitherto the Canadian young people have come over into the States for training, too often to grow up into the work on this side, rather than in their own more needy Canadian field. Now with the educational advantages in evangelistic and medical lines which may be found in Canada, we shall see greater strength brought into the work.

Elder Eugene Leland and his wife are in charge of the training-school at Lorne Park, which has a substantial building, with a fifty-acre farm surrounding it. The brethren are finding that with proper attention to enriching the soil their land brings forth abundantly, and during the year, I believe, about fifteen hundred dollars has been paid on the school obligations by means of “Christ's Object Lessons” and otherwise. In fact, during the year about two thousand five hundred dollars of conference obligations has been met.

Elder A. O. Burrill was re-elected president of the conference, and it is planned that he with two assistants shall devote at least a portion of the autumn and winter to a vigorous personal campaign among the companies with “Christ's Object Lessons,” with a view to raising funds for the educational work.

One or two small treatment rooms have been opened in Ontario, one at Lindsay, with Sisters Baker and Johnson in charge, having been especially blessed in securing influence among the people and bringing souls into the truth. A company of believers has grown up around this little plant, and it gives our people in Canada an idea of what can be done by consecrated evangelistic nurses in all the country.

Elder Thurston, president of the Canadian Union, was present at the

Ontario meeting, and Elder C. McVagh, of western Pennsylvania, also attended. Ontario gave Brother McVagh a warm invitation to return to labor permanently in his native Canada whenever the way opens.

With the Knowlton Sanitarium growing into strength in Quebec, and with the Lorne Park school prepared to give a thorough training for field service, the Canadian Union brethren have good reason to thank God and take courage.

W. A. SPICER.