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The Ontario Conference

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 10, 1907

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 84, No. 41.

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The Ontario Conference

By A. O. Burrill; B. B. Noftsger

The eighth annual session of the Ontario Conference of Seventh-day Adventists was held at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Aug. 15-25, 1907. There were eight meetings in all. At the first service, a committee of five was chosen from the floor to appoint the several standing committees.
By the adoption of the recommendations and plans submitted, this conference has taken several advance steps in the work of promulgating this message.
The young people's work was made a department of the conference, and will be under the direction of a secretary who is to give as much time as possible to field work for the young people. The conference recommended the holding of a provincial young people's convention for the advancement of this important work at our next annual camp-meeting, the program to be prepared by the provincial and local secretaries.
The officers in each church, and the leaders of companies, were urged to take steps to organize a Young People's Society where there are young people whom they can interest in this work, and teach them to interest in the truth other young people not of our faith.
It is planned that one day of the week-of-prayer period be devoted to the consideration of the young people's work and to the part they are to act in this message. The day set apart by the General Conference as Young People's day will be observed in addition to this. It is expected that Lornedale Academy will make an effort to give instruction that will be helpful in the training of leaders for Young People's Societies.
In view of the strenuous efforts which are being made by the Lord's Day Alliance to secure the observance of the first day of the week, it was recommended that the Religious Liberty Secretary take steps to agitate the question by encouraging the people to scatter religious liberty literature; also that public meetings be held for the discussion of this subject in various places as the way may open. The conference voted to supply the magazine Liberty to all the members of the Ontario Legislature regularly, and encouraged our people to engage in the sale of the magazine, as well as in the distribution of Religious Liberty Leaflets throughout the conference. It was also decided that we seek to arouse the people to the evils of intemperance, and to create a public sentiment that will demand the prohibition of the liquor traffic, thus placing ourselves in a proper light before the world upon the temperance question. The people were also encouraged to engage in the sale of Life and Health.
In harmony with the light given by the spirit of prophecy, steps were taken to open up work at once in the large cities of this conference, and it was recommended that young men and women be encouraged to fit themselves to help in this work, also that capable young men in our conference be encouraged to qualify themselves for the work of the ministry, by attending Lornedale Academy, by selling our books and periodicals, and by holding meetings in new places under the direction of the conference committee and ministers of experience.
The conference expressed itself decidedly in reference to the importance of the canvassing work, and proposes to do everything possible to inaugurate a progressive campaign in the book work. Each church was urged to send out at least one canvasser; and all our workers, including canvassers, are to do all they can to encourage promising persons to engage in this work. A man of experience is to be selected to act as missionary agent, who will devote his entire time to the work of training promising individuals.
The officers elected for the ensuing year are as follows: President, Eugene Leland; Secretary and Treasurer, B. B. Noftsger; Executive Committee, Eugene Leland, C. E. Smith, C. E. Wood, R. A. Heard, and B. B. Noftsger; Religious Liberty Secretary, E. Leland; Auditor, R. A. Heard.
The appointment of the Sabbath-school, young people's, and educational secretaries was referred to the executive committee.
Ministerial credentials were granted to A. O. Burrill, I. Sanborn, Eugene Leland, P. M. Howe, and O. F. Butcher. Ministerial licenses were granted to W. E. Hancock and B. B. Noftsger; missionary licenses to Sadie Baker, Katie Hancock, and Margaret Shanks.
A. O. BURRILL, President, B. B. NOFTSGER, Secretary.