Pacific Union Conference
By J. J. Ireland
THE Pacific Union Conference is composed of the local conferences of California, Southern California, Arizona, Utah, Western Oregon, Western Washington, Upper Columbia, Montana, and British Columbia, and the mission fields of Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands. The total area is 1,841,393 square miles, with a population of 3,736,393, drawn extensively from foreign countries. Within this territory there are 10,166 members of our faith distributed as follows: isolated Sabbath-keepers, 644; unorganized companies, 38; organized churches, 218. The total force of laborers is 92 ordained ministers, 25 licensed ministers, 65 Bible workers, and 44 canvassers. Of this company of workers 182 are on the pay rolls of our conferences. The tithe receipts of the entire field for the past two years amount to $235,441.02. Of this sum $44,771.84 has been expended in other fields. The offerings for the general work for the same period are $36,489.41. During the past two years considerable attention has been given to awakening a deeper interest in Christian education, with the result that on Dec. 31, 1903, there were in operation 76 church-schools, with a total membership of 1,493. The colleges at Fernando, Healdsburg, and College Place, and the intermediate schools in Montana and western Oregon report a large attendance and a deep interest. The combined enrolment of these colleges and intermediate schools is five hundred and thirty-four. Steps have already been taken for the establishment of a number of industrial schools in various parts of the field during the present year. In medical institutions the Pacific Union Conference has perhaps a greater number according to its population than any other field. Yet with all these facilities the patronage during the past year has been excellent, and the influence of the work far reaching. There are about two hundred and fifty employees connected with the various medical missionary enterprises now being operated in this territory. At the biennial meeting of this conference, which was held in Healdsburg, Cal., March 18-27, every local conference and institution within its borders was represented by a full delegation, and it seemed to be the unanimous desire of all present that just such plans should be laid that would be for the material advancement of the work. The officers selected for the present biennial term are as follows: President, W. B. White; Secretary, J. J. Ireland; Treasurer, E. A. Chapman; Missionary Secretary, H. H. Hall; Assistant Missionary Secretary, G. W. Pettit; Educational Secretary, M. E. Cady; General Agents, Lee Moran and S. C. Osborne; Auditors, J. J. Ireland and H. H. Hall. The executive committee is composed of the presidents of the nine conferences, and W. B. White, W. T. Knox, T. J. Evans, W. R. Simmons, C. H. Jones, M. E. Cady, and M. C. Wilcox. The most important recommendations adopted are as follows:— 1. “We hereby acknowledge the manifold mercies and blessings of God manifested toward us during the last two years, and express our heartfelt gratitude to him for the degree of prosperity and success he has given us in our work. “In view of the great need of more earnest, consecrated laborers in both home and foreign fields to carry this message to all the nations of earth in this generation, we deplore the fact that so many of our young men, who might be used of God in the proclamation of this message, are drifting toward commercialism, using the precious talents, given them of God, in worldly lines. That this condition may be changed and more of our young men encouraged to consecrate their lives to the gospel ministry,— 2. “We recommend, (a) That our union and State conference officers, and the ministry in general, be requested to carefully look out our young men of ability and consecration, and by personal labor endeavor to impress their minds with the great need of a larger number of faithful men in the gospel field, the greatness of the work, the nearness of the end, and the necessity of their making a complete surrender of their lives to the public ministry of the Word; (b) that we earnestly request our training-schools to give more attention to this important question, and less, if need be, to instruction along commercial lines, and we would invite the hearty co-operation of our educational brethren in the encouragement of more of our young men to enter upon public labor; (c) that in our training-schools more thought and attention be given to the ministerial course, and that more of our intelligent, consecrated young men be urged to enter this course of study; (d) that when lay brethren in our conferences, who may not have had the educational advantages of our training-schools, feel the burden resting upon them to publicly present the truth, our conference officers give careful thought and attention to such, and by counsel and advice, encourage such laborers when it may seem best to do so. “Whereas, The Lord is calling especially upon the young people of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to enlist in the work of the third angel’s message; and,— “Whereas, Through messages from the spirit of prophecy, the young are urged to organize themselves for active effort along Christian lines; and,— “Whereas, A large proportion of the young are being drawn away from the truth and the work to the world; therefore,— 3. “We recommend, That more earnest and persevering labor be put forth in behalf of the young people in the following ways:— “(a) That parents everywhere be urged to study the needs of their own children and young people, and to seek to revive the true home spirit of love, confidence, and fellowship. “(b) That our Sabbath-school officers, general and local, be asked to take up systematic work in behalf of the young people. “(c) That the several conference Sabbath-school secretaries and superintendents of young people’s work endeavor to co-operate, as fully as possible, with the general officers of the young people’s department of the General Conference. “(d) That our church-school teachers be invited to take special interest in the17young people of the respective churches to which they are called. “(e) That our ministers and church elders seek, in every way consistent with the general good of the church, so to arrange the services and exercises that they may be more interesting to the children and youth. “(f) That greater effort be made by both conference and local church officers to encourage the young people to organize themselves according to the plan laid down by the spirit of prophecy. “Whereas, Our work is great, and our laborers are few; therefore,— 4. “We recommend, That, as conference officers and laborers, we earnestly seek to impress upon the minds of all our people the importance of their each taking part in carrying this message to the world, and that we assist them to do so by— “(a) Explaining the particular fields of each of our periodicals, and urging our people to subscribe for, study, and circulate them. “(b) Presenting the advantages of a systematic circulation of tracts on leading points of present truth. “(c) Urging them to carefully study the principles of true medical missionary work. “(d) Encouraging one or more in each church to canvass for our forty per cent books, beginning with their own members, and extending the efforts as their experience will permit. “(e) Directing the attention of all our people to the importance of their circulating such books as ‘Christ’s Object Lessons,’ ‘Story of Joseph,’ and ‘Ministry of Healing.’ “(f) Aiding suitable persons to follow up the foregoing efforts with Bible readings and cottage meetings. “(g) Inviting our church officers to call the attention of the conference to such openings for meetings as they feel unable to fill themselves. 5. “We further recommend, That to make the above suggestions practical and permanent, classes be organized in connection with general meetings, or in such other ways as may be thought best, at which these methods of work may be thoroughly taught by precept as well as by example; and, that we urge each church to elect to the office of librarian the person who will the most successfully lead the members into actual missionary service. “In view of the important truths and messages of warning and instruction that are published in the REVIEW,— 6. “We recommend, That our ministers and other laborers put forth earnest effort to place this excellent paper in every family of Seventh-day Adventists in our conference. “Whereas, There is need of a low-priced, popular health journal, on which all our people can unite in giving a large circulation; and,— “Whereas, It should bear such a general name, and be published in such a place, as will make it a representative of the whole field; therefore,— 7. “We recommend, (a) That our brethren at Washington, D. C., be invited to publish such a journal, and that we pledge to it our hearty support; and (b) that the Pacific Health Journal be offered to the Review and Herald, of Washington, D. C., and that they be invited to change its name and make-up as they may deem necessary to accomplish the purpose mentioned above. “Whereas, The book ‘Christ’s Object Lessons’ has been to the world, to our people, and to our schools especially, of inestimable value; and,— “Whereas, Our State conferences, which have cheerfully borne a heavy burden in this work, are looking to those connected with our schools to take a larger part in this work hereafter; therefore,— 8. “We recommend, That the managers and teachers in our schools arrange to take the lead in this great work, and with the assistance which our ministers and faithful church workers will give, strive to carry the work originally undertaken, to successful and immediate consummation. “Whereas, There are conferences that desire to use the proceeds from the sale of ‘Christ’s Object Lessons’ for the establishment and equipment of intermediate schools; therefore,— 9. “We recommend, (a) That these conferences which have completed the sale of their quota in behalf of the college be encouraged to sell ‘Christ’s Object Lessons,’ using the net proceeds for their intermediate schools; (b) that those conferences that have not completed the work of selling their quota in behalf of the college, and who desire to use ‘Christ’s Object Lessons’ for their intermediate schools, be encouraged to sell the book and divide the proceeds, retaining one half for the local schools and sending one half to the college, until their share of the college debt is paid; (c) that our schools purchase the books from the publishers at the cost of manufacture, and sell them to individual agents or to our people through the tract societies, as they may have opportunity. “Whereas, God has made it a condition for our receiving his unmeasured blessing that we pay a faithful tithe into his treasury (Mal. 3:10); and,— “Whereas, We believe that the recognition and practise of the tithing system by our institutions would prove a great blessing to them, and exert an excellent influence upon our people; therefore,— 10. “We recommend, That the several institutions in the conference pay a tithe of their net earnings. “Whereas, Many of our sanitariums are embarrassed by a burden of indebtedness, and nearly all are in need of additional facilities; and,— “Whereas, Our experience in the sale of ‘Christ’s Object Lessons’ for the relief of our schools has resulted in placing about two hundred thousand dollars in our various school treasuries, and has suggested to our minds the propriety of a similar effort in behalf of our sanitariums; and,— “Whereas, The forthcoming book on Christian temperance and care of the sick, by Mrs. E. G. White, entitled ‘The Ministry of Healing,’ promises to be a very popular work, and one especially appropriate to be sold for the financial relief of our sanitariums; and,— “Whereas, This book has been offered to our sanitariums in the Pacific Union Conference so long as our people will handle it with vigor, as a relief enterprise; therefore,— 11. “Resolved, That we prepare for a strong campaign for the sale of this book as soon as it is issued. 12. “Resolved, That we deem it appropriate that the several sanitariums, in whose behalf the book is to be sold, should solicit the assistance of our training-schools and conferences in the selection and training of an efficient corps of missionary evangelists, who may be sent into the field to educate the people in the principles of the gospel of health, and to lead our people in the sale of the ‘Ministry of Healing.’ 13. “Resolved, That we ask the Pacific Press to print, bind, and supply the books to our sanitariums at moderate prices for manufacture, and that we request our tract societies to assist in handling the books for this relief work without profit. “Whereas, The medical missionary branch of our work has been and is still being mentioned from time to time through the spirit of prophecy as a very important part of the gospel message to the world; therefore,— 14. “We recommend, That our workers throughout this union conference renew their interest and zeal in this branch of our message, and, both from the pulpit and in private homes, give due attention to the principles of healthful living and all true medical missionary work, that we may become a more peculiar people, with truly temperate lives, filled with words and deeds of Christian kindness to our fellow men. “Whereas, There are many of our young people who are interested in taking a full course in preparation for the practise of medicine and surgery; and,— “Whereas, There is danger that many of our bright and earnest young people, through a lack of wise counsel and advice in the selection of an institution in which to receive the necessary course of study, may make serious mistakes in this matter, and may experience perplexity and disappointment as a result; therefore,— 15. “We recommend, That our young people seeking a medical education be counseled to select only such medical colleges as are generally approved by the medical profession.” J. J. IRELAND, Secretary.