p. 16 | Progress in the Pacific Union Conference

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Jan 8, 1914

Progress in the Pacific Union Conference

By E. E. ANDROSS

I AM glad to be able to report progress in all departments of our work in the Pacific Union Conference. The camp meetings of the past summer were, in some ways at least, the best we ever held. The last one closed November 23. This was held at Phoenix, Ariz., and was a very successful meeting. It was not a large gathering, as we do not have a large constituency in Arizona as yet, but the Lord was very manifestly present, and there were evident tokens of progress in the work.

The attendance of our people has been the best this summer that we have ever had at our camp meetings. Probably the largest camp meeting that we have had for many years was held in Los Angeles in August. There were about five hundred tents pitched on the ground, and perhaps twenty-five hundred believers encamped. It seemed very much like the General Conference, as far as numbers were concerned. While this was a very large meeting, and hence difficult to handle, it was a very profitable one for the work in this part of the field. Our membership in Southern California is growing quite rapidly. The Lord is greatly blessing the efforts of the laborers.

This is also true in the California Conference. Perhaps the largest meeting that we have held in the Pacific Union Conference was the one at San Jose following our camp meeting in that city. Between sixty and seventy have accepted the truth as a direct result of the summer's effort there, and the brethren are now planning to erect a large church suitable for the increased congregation. In both the California and Southern California Conferences where evangelistic efforts have been held splendid results have followed.

It really seems that the Lord is visiting us with his Holy Spirit, and there are evident signs of the beginning of the latter rain. I feel confident that our people generally are enjoying a better Christian experience than ever before. They seem to be awakening to a realization of the times in which we are living, and I sincerely hope that we may see fulfilled the word given us in Volume IX of the Testimonies, where the servant of the Lord saw a great reformatory movement among God's people.

The Northern California Conference is enjoying much of the Lord's blessing, as is also the Central California Conference. A foundation is now being laid in Utah for a larger work than we have ever seen before. While that field is a very difficult one, we are not at all discouraged, but believe sincerely that the

Lord has a people in that State, and we hope to be able to reach many in the near future, and thus build up a strong work.

Our educational work is also prospering. The college is enjoying a much larger attendance this year than ever before. We have about two hundred and fifty students enrolled in the various grades. Between fifty and sixty of these are in the collegiate department. A number of our young men are definitely preparing for the ministry, and are giving evidence of a call to that sacred work. The academies at Lodi and Fernando are also enjoying a good patronage this year, and a good spiritual atmosphere pervades the schools.

An intermediate school has been established at Phoenix, Ariz., and about sixty students are in attendance. This gives promise of becoming a great help to the work in that field. It is not wholly confined to the English language. We are planning to bring some of our Mexican young people to that school, and train them there for field work. Some will pass on to our higher schools after completing the course in that school. We hope in this way to develop some strong workers for the Mexican people.

Our church schools are enjoying prosperity. Their numbers have materially increased this year. Altogether, we are of good courage in our education work.

The medical school is also prospering. Our sanitariums are enjoying better patronage this year than they did last, and we have hopes of financial prosperity. Best of all, the Lord is blessing in these institutions in bringing the light of truth to many patients, and it is our great desire to see this department of our work continually grow in power and influence among the people. We have a large class of nurses who are preparing for work in the various fields. Many are deeply devoted to the work of the third angel's message.

Without attempting to enter into the detail of all the various departments of our work, I may say that the Lord is blessing in our efforts to get the printed page into the homes of the people. He is also blessing our young people, and they are being awakened to the necessity of taking a more earnest and active part in the work of this message. Our Sabbath schools are growing in interest, and are becoming important factors in raising funds for the mission work. Our conferences are doing all in their power to raise their quota of the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund.

We rejoice in the assurance that we are now homeward bound, and shall soon enter the port of eternal rest.

E. E. ANDROSS.