p. 14 | The Arizona Conference by J. J. Ireland

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 18, 1913

The Arizona Conference

By J. J. Ireland

The twelfth annual session of the Arizona Conference was held in Phoenix, the capital city, in connection with the annual camp-meeting, October 30 to November 9. On this camp-ground, which was located in the residence portion of the city near the headquarters of the conference, there were pitched twelve family tents, and one 35 x 70-ft. assembly tent in which the meetings were held. The intermediate school building, which was in the adjoining block, was used for the children's, young people's, and Spanish meetings.

The Phoenix church is the largest one in the conference, and represents about two thirds of the entire conference membership. The attendance of our people at the Sabbath meetings was two hundred, while during the week it was from one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and fifty.

In addition to the laborers from the local field, Elders E. E. Andross, E. W. Farnsworth, and A. S. Booth were present from the union conference and carried the burden of the preaching services. Brother J. R. Ferren, the missionary secretary of the union conference, had charge of the publicity work, and also labored to build up the interest in home missionary endeavor.

The sales of books, tracts, and periodicals at this meeting amounted to $193.15, and of this sum $97.50 represented the cost of the tracts purchased to be used in public and private work.

In the conference there was an encouraging growth the past year, over seventy persons having been baptized, and it was reported that about fifty others had accepted the truth. Of these some were awaiting baptism.

The tithes for the year amounted to $5,095.53, or an increase over the previous year of $769.55. The offerings for missions for the year amounted to $2,050.85, or a gain of $490.20 over last year. On the camp-ground the contributions for missions amounted to $124.58.

In Phoenix the conference is conducting an excellent intermediate school, which has a present enrolment of sixty students. A new school building 24 x 64 feet was erected the past summer to meet the demands of the growing attendance. For the furtherance of this work $337.50 was raised on the camp-ground. The further interest of the brethren in educational work was also shown by the pledging of $276 toward the improvement fund of the Pacific Union College to assist this institution in building up its work.

In the services for consecration there was manifested the same deep determination to know what the Lord would have us do at this time to advance his work that has been seen at all the general meetings held in this union conference this year. In every instance the Lord has blessed such surrenders for service with a large measure of his Holy Spirit.

The canvassers who have been in the field with the general agent have met with excellent success in placing our literature in the hands of the people. This is true especially with the Spanish publications. In some towns more literature was sold to the Mexican people than to those who speak English; and where these books were delivered, they were highly prized.

Elder G. W. Reaser was reelected unanimously to the position of president of the conference. In this work of carrying the gospel message to answer the calls that are coming in from many parts of the conference, he will be assisted by Elders W. L. Sims, I. P. Dillon, and Marcial Serna; and also by Brother Martin Hollister, who was ordained to the gospel ministry and given ministerial credentials at this meeting.

In order that the president of the conference may have more time for aggressive field work, the union conference treasurer was asked to conduct the local conference and tract society business from the union conference office.

Following the camp-meeting a special series of gospel meetings began in

Phoenix in a centrally located hall, under the leadership of Elder A. S. Booth, of the Southern California Conference. It is expected that there will be a large ingathering from this effort. Elders Sims and Dillon will continue their meetings in the upper Gila Valley in eastern Arizona, where there is an excellent interest to hear the truth.

The past year has been an excellent one for the cause in Arizona, and we expect it is only the beginning of the accomplishment of a great work for this field. J. J. IRELAND,