Biennial Report of the Canadian Union Conference
By W. H. Thurston
The Canadian Union Conference is bounded on the north by unknown regions, on the south by the United States, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by Manitoba. It embraces the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland, and has an area of 662,350 square miles, and a population of nearly five million. There are three local conferences and a mission field in the Canadian Union,—Ontario, Quebec, Maritime, the latter embracing three provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island), and Newfoundland Mission field. There are thirty-nine churches, nine companies, and ninety-three isolated Sabbath-keepers, making a total membership of 990; fifty-one Sabbath-schools, and a few young people's societies, the exact number not reported. There are only twenty church buildings in the conference, the rest of the churches holding services in rented buildings. Our staff of laborers in the Canadian Union Conference is as follows: twelve ordained ministers, four licensed ministers, four licensed missionaries, or Bible workers, and eight canvassers, making a total of twenty-eight. During the summer our ministers engage largely in tent work; but during the winter, in view of the abundance of snow and the extreme cold weather, they work largely in the cities, the presidents of conferences devoting what time is necessary to visiting the churches, strengthening the brethren, and attending to regular conference work. The results of the efforts in this line of work have not been what we had hoped for, but we are thankful for what has been accomplished, there being sixty-two accessions to the conference. We have five church-schools and two academies, with a total enrolment of one hundred and twenty-eight. One of the academies is located in the Ontario Conference, fifteen miles from the city of Toronto, and is known as the Lornedale Academy; the other is in the Maritime Conference, fifteen miles from Oxford Junction, and is known as the Farmington Academy. There are twelve students in the Farmington Academy and fourteen in the Lornedale Academy. These schools are now finishing their second year's work with good results. The schools were started under difficult circumstances and perplexities, but realizing the great need, the brethren were determined to establish these institutions of education that our young people may be educated and trained for the work of God in their own country. In view of the instruction given regarding the medical work, and believing that the time had come to establish this department of the work in Canada, property was purchased by the Quebec Conference, and a sanitarium started in Knowlton, Quebec, July, 1903, with Dr. W. H. White in charge. This work has been carried on very economically, and the Lord has blessed the efforts. This institution is exerting an influence that is indeed gratifying. The sanitarium is not only a blessing to suffering humanity, but from it emanates the gospel of health to all people. During a recent visit to the sanitarium I found patients there from two hundred miles away, and all expressed themselves as much pleased with the treatment received. One patient said to me, “I am not only getting well, but am learning how to keep well and to live a better life.” This is also a place where our young men and young women can go and receive instruction and training for medical missionary work in their own country, which is very desirable, and there are twelve of our best young men and women in training there now, and others are preparing to come at the beginning of the next year's course. We hope for workers as the result. The present capacity will accommodate twenty-five patients. The patronage is gradually increasing, and the rooms have all been occupied the most of the time for several months. A little more room and better facilities are needed in order to do successful work and meet the demands of the public. Treatment rooms have recently been opened in Lindsay, with Sadie Baker in charge. For the past six years Dr. C. V. S. Boettger and his wife have been conducting a hygienic institute in Ottawa, equipped with X-ray and electro-therapeutic laboratory, and they are doing a good work. A French sister, Virginia Gobelle by name, has treatment rooms in a suburb of Montreal, making dieting, fasting, and massage specialties; her rooms are well patronized, especially by the French people. Neither of the two last-named institutions are under conference management, but are conducted as private, or independent, enterprises. The treatment rooms in St. John's, Newfoundland, have been discontinued, as Dr. Lemon desired to leave the island, and no one was available for the place. This department of the work has given us much perplexity. We have not been able to impress a large number with the importance of the book work, and the expense connected with it—freight, duty, customs, rent, office expenses, etc.—has been great, while we have also had to compete with the States in prices; this has resulted in a loss. Our balance sheets show a loss in this department for 1904 of $881.38, but the actual loss in conducting the business was only $208.08, the remaining $673.75 being by fire and refused accounts. To insure success, some change should be made in this department, and we are prepared to give full information and counsel at the proper time. Total tithe receipts for the biennial term, $15,439.65. Amount per capita, $15.59. Amount per capita for each local conference for 1904: Ontario, $8.28 1-2; Quebec, $8.28 2-3; Maritime, $6.86 1-2, Newfoundland, $7.88.
Annual offerings to missions. $ 1,195 63
Weekly offerings to missions 1,220 73.12
Miscellaneous offerings to missions ..... 248 60
Sabbath-school offerings ..... 1,730 21
Sabbath-school offerings to missions ................ 897 81
Total offerings to missions. $ 3,562 77
Appropriations to the C. U. C. by Mission Board ..... 8,570 00
Retail value of books sold. 11,481 49 As the Canadian Union Conference has been operating only three years, I will give comparisons for that time:— Tithe for 1902, $7,891.34; for 1903, $7,405.10, a falling off of $486.24; for 1904, $8,034.55, an increase of $629.45 over 1903. Offerings to missions for 1902, $1,389.10; for 1903, $1,538.33, an increase of $149.20; for 1904, $1,974.44, an increase of $436.11. The tithes and offerings are not what might be expected, but the spiritual condition of the conference is good, and the tithes and offerings are increasing. We are endeavoring to keep before the people the true principles of loyalty and the blessings of liberality, as well as the importance of the work and the great field before us. Our constituency is small, territory large, and laborers few; hence the work moves rather slowly in our field. The establishing of the two academies and the sanitarium gives character to the work, and while we do not expect that they will develop into large institutions, they are already demonstrating their utility, and it is believed that they will be great factors in developing the work, as well as in supplying workers for the Canadian field. We need twelve or more good ministers, a few Bible workers, and two or three doctors to join our force of laborers in the Canadian Union Conference, that a good constituency may be built up and this will strengthen the work in all its departments. These workers could be sent and supported by local conferences in the home field until they can become self-supporting. The Mission Board recently sent Brother George Skinner and his wife to Montreal to labor, and Brother Skinner is being supported by the Iowa Conference. This was a great encouragement to the believers in Montreal, as well as to the Quebec Conference. This is only a beginning of what might be done, and of what we hope will be done for the Canadian field. The work could be further strengthened and built up if a few experienced canvassers would locate permanently in Canada and take the lead. This would encourage others to take up the book work. About a year ago Elder F. A. Tracy and his wife went to Newfoundland, and he has been laboring in St. John's with good results. Elder Tracy feels that the work in the city should not be neglected, and yet there are urgent calls for help coming in from the outposts. A good minister of experience should be sent to join Elder Tracy in the work there. The educational work in the island should receive some assistance financially in the near future, that better facilities may be provided for this department. Our schools in Canada need some further help in becoming established, and the sanitarium needs the rest of the money planned to be raised for it last fall, and we trust that this is forthcoming. As workers we need to realize more and more the importance of the work and the solemnity of our message, and we need more of the Spirit and power of the Master in proclaiming the message. As the field is quite well organized now, the president can devote considerable of his time to field work, visiting the local conferences at the time of their spring and fall councils and annual camp-meetings, keeping in touch with the entire field through correspondence. Our laborers should be located with the view of strengthening the work in hand and raising up new churches, in the cities as well as in the country. We should have ministers permanently located in our large cities, such as Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, and St. John's. I would favor abolishing the Canadian publishing house, dividing the stock among the local conferences, re-establishing local tract societies, and letting each local conference conduct the book business in its territory, dealing directly with the Review and Herald publishing house. I believe this would be more satisfactory to the field, and less expensive, and that greater results would be realized; either this or a branch office established by the Review and Herald publishing house. Our young people should be encouraged to attend the academies and to take the course at the sanitarium, with the view of preparing themselves for the Master's work in Canada. In this way native workers will be developed for the harvest, and the work will be strengthened in all lines. A strong effort should be made to revive the canvassing work, and proper persons should be encouraged to enter this branch of the missionary work by providing them with necessary instruction and help in starting, to insure success. A line of instruction should be continued through the Union paper as well as by personal efforts, with our churches, with the view of enlisting all in active missionary work. A systematic effort should be continued with “Christ's Object Lessons” to aid the educational work, and a campaign inaugurated with the “Ministry of Healing” for the benefit of the medical work. All can have part in this, and great good may be accomplished if faithful work is done. These are some of the points which I would consider essential to success, and if the needed help is supplied, and aggressive work is done, the Lord will bless the efforts, and ere long the conference will become self-supporting. In conclusion, I would say that we are thankful to God for the prosperity which has attended the work, and for a humble part in finishing the gospel work in the earth. With all our mistakes and failures, the Lord has been good to us, and to him be all the praise for what has been accomplished. W. H. THURSTON,
President.