West Virginia Conference Meeting
By E. W. FARNSWORTH.
A GENERAL meeting for the workers of the West Virginia Conference was held at Parkersburg, Jan. 4-11, 1906. On Sabbath and Sunday the services were transferred to Kanawha, ten miles distant from Parkersburg, where one of the strongest churches in the State is located. This conference has been struggling with a heavy load of debt for several years; but now the brethren are rejoicing because nearly all their obligations have been met, and this will leave them free to engage in aggressive missionary work. Parkersburg is a beautiful, thriving city. It affords an excellent opportunity for reaching the people through our health principles, and treatment rooms have recently been started, which are in charge of efficient nurses, and we trust their efforts may be eminently successful. Elder W. J. Fitzgerald and the writer greatly enjoyed meeting the workers and members of churches who were present at this meeting. We were glad to see and converse with a large number of young people. These should be trained for service in God’s cause, and some are planning to attend school where they will receive such training. There was some outside interest manifested, and the brethren expect that meetings will be held both at Kanawha and at Parkersburg, and it is hoped that these efforts will result in adding members to both churches. Plans for work with “Christ’s Object Lessons,” and “Ministry of Healing” were presented, and the brethren and sisters expressed their willingness to assist in circulating these valuable books. We hope to see many in this conference devoting their entire time to the circulation of our literature. There was a spirit of harmony and union in all the discussions of plans for work. It was decided to hold the next camp-meeting in Charleston, and that more labor be put forth in the southern part of the State. This is territory which has not been entered, and we feel sure the brethren will see of the salvation of God as they engage in this forward movement. We heard several express their determination to study the truth more earnestly, that they might be able to carry the light to others. We appreciated the privilege of attending this meeting in West Virginia. We look for growth and progress if the brethren and sisters will be loyal to the truth, and if they will work with energy to give to others the light which has come to them.