p. 4 | General Conference Committee Council by W. A. Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 26, 1916

General Conference Committee Council

By W. A. Spicer

The regular autumn council of the General Conference Committee opened October 11, in Takoma Park. The attendance at the opening from outside of Washington, was listed in last week’s Review. Others came in as follows: J. W. Christian, S. Mortenson, W. A. Ruble, M. D., P. E. Broderson.

The program agreed upon by the General and Division Committees is as follows:— General Conference . . . 9 A. M. to 12 M. North Amer. Division . . 2 P. M. to 5 P. M. Evenings, subcommittees or sessions as arranged.

The main business before the General Conference Committee at these autumn sessions is always the consideration of the calls from the mission fields and the making up of estimates and appropriations for the coming year.

Next General Conference

In joint session with the North American Division, the question of the time and place of the next General and Division Conference was considered. The regular time would be in the summer of 1917; but a year ago, on account of the war, it was agreed to postpone the session. It was felt, however, that this postponement should not continue longer than early in 1918. Invitations were extended by nearly all the Union Conferences, with suggestion of places for the conference and assurances of coöperation. Action was taken as follows:—

“That the next session of the General Conference and the North American Division Conference be held in Los Angeles, Cal., provided satisfactory arrangements can be made to hold the meeting in that city, beginning about the first of April, 1918.”

Treasurer’s Report

The treasurer, W. T. Knox, rendered financial reports of all General Conference operations, which were studied in detail. The comparative reports for 1914 and 1915 showed income and expenditures as follows:— 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FOR 1914 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $643,556.03 Expenditure . . . . . . . . . . . 632,130.16 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　__________ Excess of income . . . . . . . . $11,425.87 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FOR 1915 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $734,276.89 Expenditure . . . . . . . . . . . 734,276.89 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FOR EIGHT MONTHS OF 1916 Expenditure . . . . . . . . . . . $397,368.90 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365,734.58 Deficit in operating . . . . . . $31,634.32 The treasurer explained that there is regularly a heavy shortage in operating

the first eight months, inasmuch as the gifts for missions come in most liberally in the autumn season. To cover this shortage and carry the mission fields through, the committee each year sets aside a working capital, as appropriations are made.

Unforeseen Demands

For the regular needs of the missions, each field makes out its detailed estimate, or “budget,” for the coming year. As a plan for dealing with the larger items of unforeseen and unavoidable expense, not provided for in the budget, the following action was taken:—

“We recommend, That, from henceforth, we ask our superintendents of mission fields to include in their annual budgets only the items of regular expenses, leaving all unforeseen expenses and heavy items of transportation of workers to be adjusted at the time of their contraction.”

Safeguarding Emergency Fund

For some years, in making appropriations, the mission fields have been provided with emergency funds for dealing with smaller emergency requirements. To maintain and safeguard the use of these funds the following action was taken:—

“We recommend, 1. That we place with our Division treasurers and such Union mission treasurers as may be decided upon, special deposits of money to be known as Emergency Funds, which shall be used, not for the local operation of the field, but for special service in the meeting of such unavoidable expenses as may present themselves from time to time. “2. Each treasurer of emergency funds is to report from time to time to the General Conference treasurer full particulars as to why and how these funds are disbursed. When forty per cent of said money is expended, the detailed report is to be made out and sent with a request to the treasurer of the General Conference for the restoring of the emergency fund to its full or agreed amount. “3. All payments from the emergency fund are to be made only with the approval of the local committee in each Division or Union concerned.”

Calls for 1917

Calls for laborers in the mission fields were reviewed and referred to a committee on distribution of labor, as follows:—

Leaders in the book work: For Inca Union Mission, Bolivia, North Brazil, Minas Geraes (Brazil), Salvador, Venezuela, Korea, Malaysia, and India.

Superintendents: Northern Latin Missions, Venezuela, India provinces (three), Inca Union fields (two).

Ministers: South Africa, conference president; Cuba, two workers; Austral Union (South America), one; Brazil, four; Bolivia, one.

Teachers: South African Missions, two; Brazil, one; Lake Titicaca Indian Mission, five; Bolivia, one.

Secretary-Treasurers: For Jamaica, Brazil.

Bible worker: For Bombay, India.

Other calls have come in since the opening of the council, which will later be considered. How many of these calls can be responded to will depend not only upon laborers available, but upon mission funds available. Every call, however, represents pressing need. Writing from Lake Titicaca, Brother Stahl emphasized his plea for the five teachers:—

“I hope and pray that soon others will be on the ground getting their preparation in the language and experience. The thing that makes it a little hard up in these mountain wilds is the house question. Some will have to live in Indian huts for a while at least, as we did at first. I believe God is holding the ground for us. Every worker you send now, dear brethren, is worth more than five for each one that might be sent five years later. We must take possession now. There is a time for everything, and this is the time for advance in this Indian work.”

So the council opens, as every council does, with the stirring appeals for extension and enlargement, and the problem of finding men and means to answer the calls.

W. A. SPICER, Secretary.