General Conference Committee Council
By Walter A. Spicer
Second and Concluding Report
Usually the two most important items dealt with in the autumn council are the appropriations to the mission fields for the next year, and the answer to calls for laborers. In last week’s Review, Elder W. T. Knox, the treasurer, reported the appropriations made. As stated in that report, the estimates submitted by the fields had to be cut down by over $90,000, in order to bring the estimated expenditure within reach of the estimated income. Most of the cuts were made in the calls for funds for opening new territory or stations, the deferring of school enterprises, and here and there reducing the number of additional workers. While the council regretted the necessity of denying many of the requests, it was glad that the appropriations as voted made provision for a yet enlarging work the coming year. We do not report the names of individuals invited to the fields until time is taken for correspondence with all concerned. However, the council gave invitation to seven new workers for India, three for the West Indian Union, two for the North Latin Mission, two for South Africa, two for the Austral Union, the South America, three for the Brazilian Union, and two for the Inca Union Mission, besides listing calls with the Publishing Department for leaders of the book work in Korea, Malaysia, Salvador, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, and for the vernacular work in India. Provision was also made to add three workers not yet found to the Lake Titicaca Indian Mission, another worker for the South African missions, and two or three yet to be found for the Asiatic Division. All this is planned for with the assurance that the churches will keep the mission funds flowing in during 1917 to the full average of sixteen cents a week per member, the North American Division having voted to lift the weekly average one cent for 1917. The mission fields understand that all this hope of advance depends upon the home churches’ seeing that the average of sixteen cents a week per member is maintained week by week and month by month. West Indian and North Latin Publishing Work
For several years study has been given to the question of strengthening and extending the circulation of publications in the fields bordering on the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Further consideration was given to this question during the council, which was attended also by the representatives of the publishing houses in North America, and the following action was taken:— “WHEREAS, There is an urgent need for the consolidation and building up of the book and periodical work in the West Indian Union and Northern Latin American Mission fields; therefore,— “We recommend, 1. That the Pacific Press Publishing Association be invited to establish a branch publishing house in the West Indian Union or Northern Latin American Mission field territory, at such place as may be decided upon in counsel among the members of the West Indian Union Conference Committee, the Northern Latin American Mission Committee, the Pacific Press Board, and the General Conference Committee. “2. That the Pacific Press Publishing Association take over such portion of the present Watchman Press and Mexican publishing house equipment as may be agreed upon by the General Conference and the Pacific Press Board, and at such valuation as may be decided upon by the General Conference auditor. “3. This publishing branch shall supply literature in all languages to the entire field, and may print or import such English and foreign periodicals, tracts, and books as may be needed in the field. “4. That the branch office shall absorb custom duties to each field up to, but not exceeding, ten per cent, also consular fees and freight charges to society offices, or to agents on railway or steamship lines, provided such shipments weigh five hundred pounds or more; freight, but not consular fees, to be paid on shipments of one hundred to five hundred pounds. “5. That this branch office allow the same discounts to societies, missions, and laborers as are outlined in the recommendations of the General Conference Publishing Department; and shall also pay one half of the salary and expenses of the union field missionary secretary. “6. That the West Indian Union missionary field secretary supervise the book work in the Northern Latin American Mission territory until such time as it shall seem best to appoint a union secretary for that field, the General Conference compensating the West Indian Union for the time he spends in their service. “7. That the book work in each conference and mission field be managed and controlled by the local committee, with a field secretary in charge. “8. That the following be the local advisory board: The branch office manager; president of the West Indian Union; superintendent of the Northern Latin American Mission; Union field missionary secretary; president or superintendent of the local conference or mission in which the office is located:5and two other resident members, to be selected by the foregoing and approved by the Pacific Press Board. “9. That it is understood that the Pacific Press Publishing Association will turn over this branch office to the local field if requested to do so by the General Conference, on such terms as may be agreed upon by the General Conference, the Pacific Press Board, and the local fields.” Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings
During the council Mrs. L. Flora Plummer, secretary of the Sabbath School Department, made a report of the results of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings, which have come to be so large a factor in the supplying of means for the mission fields. The report is as follows:— 1912
Cities of India ............... $ 7,674.33
Selukwe Reserve, Africa .... 12,680.64
Mission homes in China .... 12,379.82
Schools in South America ... 10,854.42 1913
Korea and Philippine Islands.. 10,924.01
Medical work in India ....... 12,807.78
Transportation of 150 missionaries ................ 17,615.29
Four enterprises ............ 13,503.86 1914
Training school for China .... 17,491.65
Year’s advance in Japan ..... 18,637.62
Inca Union Mission .......... 17,145.00
War-time call ............... 21,792.06 1915
Malay Missions .............. 21,258.23
Spanish - American Mission fields ................ 22,443.39
African missions ............ 20,155.03
Manchuria, East and West China .................. 25,097.40 1916
Philippine Islands .......... 23,305.10 “Thus,” as the secretary of the department said in presenting the report, “passing the hat seventeen times has brought $285,765.63 to missions.” With the demand for workers to carry this message quickly to all the world, it has ever been recognized that every one of our schools is to be a training center for recruits. Concerning this matter the following action was taken:— “WHEREAS, We recognize the need of acquainting the young people in our schools more fully with our missionary work, and of encouraging a still larger number to enter the work at home and in foreign lands;— “We recommend, 1. That, when possible, the Mission Board place in our various training schools a missionary on furlough, under furlough pay, to spend, if possible, one year in the school, promoting missionary work, and perhaps teaching or studying some. “2. That the General Conference men closely connected with the Mission Board make more frequent visits to our colleges, spending a week or more in placing foreign mission interests and problems before the students, and giving opportunity for personal consultation with young men and women who are interested. “3. That our young people be encouraged to complete their education in our own schools, and to keep their eyes continually on the field, planning to enter immediately some branch of the cause on leaving school. “4. That presidents and other laborers in our various conferences in the training school territory keep in close touch with the development of their young men and women in school, with a view to having some definite place to offer them as soon as their course is finished, thus making the field a more active participant with the school in developing new workers. “5. That we urge our school men and visiting brethren to keep before the young men in our colleges the sacred and high calling of the ministry, and before the young women that of the Bible work; and further, that definite instruction in both lines be provided in the school in addition to what visiting brethren may contribute.” Thus again the autumn council bore witness to the unity of the work in all the world, the older fields planning to develop resources of men and means for the pushing of the work in mission lands. It is realized that the work in the homelands, as we call the older bases, can be finished only when the message has been carried to all peoples abroad. On the other hand, the interests of the work in the regions beyond demand that the work in the older fields be kept vigorous and strong.