The Work at Battle Creek
By Board of Elders
THE cause of truth is onward at this place, and there are many encouraging conditions. During the year 1904 there were two hundred and forty-two new members added to the church, and one hundred and seventy-two members dismissed , leaving seventy as the net gain in membership for that time. There has been quite an exodus of our people from Battle Creek, some to Washington, some to Nashville, some to College View, some to Mountain View, and to a number of other localities. The removal of burden-bearers has resulted in calling others of our members to take up their work, who, before that, were more or less inactive. There are still others who are planning to remove to localities where they will have wider opportunities and more urgent demands for missionary effort than exist here. The desire seems to be quite general on the part of our members to go wherever the Lord wants them, and to do what they can for the advancement of the cause of present truth. Some of the more important financial items in the work of the church for the past year are as follows: Amount of tithe paid, $15,385.20; receipts of the tract and missionary society, $1,719.23; church expense, $1,358.04; relief fund, $225.40; church-school teachers' fund, $1,711; Sabbath-school contributions, $1,185; Young People's Society contributions, $560; contributions to various other denominational interests (including only a portion of the contributions to the Washington fund), $3,000, thus making a grand total of revenues from this church of more than $25,000 for that year. There have been many personal contributions to the Washington fund, also to some other funds, which can not be definitely tabulated, and hence are omitted from the foregoing compilation. In the autumn of 1903 the church decided to procure a site and erect a school building suitable for the accommodation13of the resident children of our people. That was accomplished, and our church-school moved into the new building in April, 1904. The amount contributed for the site, the building, and its equipment up to the present time, aggregates $5,800. The record thus far for the year 1905, as to membership and finances, compares favorably with last year. The degree of harmony and union that prevails among the believers here is very encouraging, and in all departments of the work there is a determination to keep step with the advancing message. We are carefully studying the world-wide demands of the gospel of the kingdom. Commendable activity is manifest in the work of the Young People's Society, the district missionary and prayer-meetings, and in house-to-house missionary effort. To a marked degree there has been of late a drawing together of the church and sanitarium interests and work; and more general and hearty co-operation now exists in this respect than for a number of years—perhaps than ever before. The nurses and helpers of the sanitarium and the students of the medical college are decidedly active in missionary work, which is only a logical outgrowth of the general policy and conviction that prevail in those two institutions. In no other year of the history of the sanitarium have there been so many opportunities in connection with that institution to place the truth before those not of our faith as during 1904, and in no year have those opportunities been more diligently improved, nor with better results. The Industrial Academy—that being the name of our church-school—has enrolled a total of two hundred and ten pupils for the current school year. The teaching force consists of the principal (Prof. B. E. Nicola) and five regular teachers, besides some cadet help. The work done in this institution is thoroughly in harmony with the principles of Christian education, and most excellent results are manifest. The general services at the Tabernacle are well attended. Those who have the preaching services in charge are making a special study of the needs of the congregation and community with a view of having such discourses as will best meet existing conditions. The Battle Creek church is full of courage in the good work, and has nothing but words of good cheer, encouragement, and hearty accord for the progress of the third angel's message.