Central Union Conference Report
Christian with a deep desire to assist as a missionary when he left this country. With this spirit in him, he threw himself into the work of learning the language of the natives as soon as he landed in the field of his father's future operations. In much less than a year the boy had so far mastered the native language of the tribe for which they were laboring that he was able to act as interpreter to his father, translating his discourses from the English as he spoke them. Elder E. T. Russell, the president of the Central Union Conference, in presenting his biennial report stated that the condition of the several local conferences was that of marked prosperity. There has been a large increase in the tithe, so that the various conferences of the union have been able to support their laborers amply, and in addition they have sent thousands of dollars from their tithe to the General Conference to assist them in advancing the work in foreign lands. The union conference had over five thousand dollars in the treasury, and as it would take less than a thousand dollars of this to finish paying the laborers in full, it was voted to send two thousand dollars to the Mission Board to assist in its work in the regions beyond. This amount is, of course, in addition to the sums already sent by the several local conferences. The Kansas Conference has erected eight church buildings, and has dedicated ten, during the biennial term. Elder Russell expressed his disappointment that he had not received the reports from the other conferences, as he was sure that they had also had a good degree of prosperity. No feature of the conference seemed to draw forth more earnest discussion than the subject of religious liberty. Some excellent papers were presented on this question, and all were exhorted to labor earnestly for a revival of this work. Seeds have been sown in a quiet manner during the last eight or ten years that are crystallizing into church federations that will soon bring in the establishment of the image to the papacy, in fulfilment of the prophecy of Revelation 13. And during this same period we have been asleep on the question, and have been doing but little to educate the people upon this subject of such vital importance. Elders N. P. Nelson, C. A. Washburn, and W. B. Hill have been called to rest from their labors during the past biennial term, and resolutions of respect and condolence were passed concerning them. Other resolutions were passed upon such important topics as the circulation of our “dedicated books,” “Christ’s Object Lessons” and “Ministry of Healing;” the necessity of our ministers’ returning to the old method of selling large quantities of our tracts, pamphlets, and books, in connection with their meetings, both among those of our own faith and among others; the continuing of the effort to place the REVIEW in every Seventh-day Adventist home; a general and prolonged effort to get all our people to using our missionary periodicals, the Signs, Watchman, and Life and Health; religious liberty; our health and temperance and our sanitarium work. The Kansas City branch of the Pacific Press reported its book sales for 1904 to have been $65,205, and for 1905, $69,975, or a total for the biennial term of