General Conference Committee Council by W. A. Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 30, 1913

General Conference Committee Council

By W. A. Spicer

THE autumn council of the General Conference Committee opened October 14, in the chapel of the Foreign Mission Seminary, at Takoma Park. It was held in connection with the council of the North American Division Conference Committee. In addition to those listed as present from outside of Washington in last week's REVIEW, W. D. Salisbury, Prof. B. F. Machlan, and Dr. W. A. Ruble joined the council.

The following actions by the council may be reported:—

Estimates and Appropriations, 1914

First in importance was the consideration of estimates and appropriations for 1914. Detailed estimates of needs had been sent in from the fields, the council studying them one by one, and making up the budget for 1914, totaling $474,749.

Much as the mission fields need even more than the full amount of appropriations voted for their ever-expanding work, it was realized that the budget was a large one and that all the believers must indeed carry a continual burden for the missionary advance if the funds are to be supplied. The General Conference treasurer's financial report for the eight months of 1913 showed that the sending out of the many new workers appointed at the time of the General Conference had consumed all the mission funds in hand, including the working capital which the mission treasury needs in order to tide over times of stringency. Thus every additional grant for 1914 calls for increased income.

Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings

The council named enterprises to be the object of contributions in the Sabbath-schools on the thirteenth Sabbath of the present quarter. The Sabbath School Department will make announcement to the schools. This thirteenth Sabbath offering in the schools has grown into a great missionary enterprise.

Study for the Ministry

The following action was taken concerning educational preparation for the work of the ministry and courses of systematic reading for ministers:—

For the purpose of encouraging young men to study for the gospel ministry, and in order that our evangelical work may be strengthened,—

We recommend, 1. That our conferences and schools urge young men who are looking toward the ministry to finish either a ministerial or literary course in one of our denominational schools.

2. That conferences in licensing young men to the ministry require at least the completion of an academic course of twelve grades in one of our schools, or its equivalent.

3. That young men who are now licensed ministers who have not completed the academic course be urged to pursue studies in our training-schools, or in the Fireside Correspondence School, with a view to reaching this educational standard before ordination.

4. That a reading course for ministers be prepared each year by the General Conference Department of Education, in counsel with the General and North American Division Conference Committees, and that the course shall be conducted by the General Conference Department of Education.

The 1914 Harvest Ingathering Campaign

The council reviewed the splendid results achieved in the past by the Ingathering campaigns, and the enthusiastic reports of progress in the campaign just now going forward in all the conferences, and made the following recommendations for the campaign for 1914:—

1. That the REVIEW AND HERALD be the publication to be used in the 1914 campaign.

2. That we undertake to circulate 1,000,000 copies of the special issue during the campaign.

3. That we undertake to raise during the campaign the sum of $250,000 for foreign mission work.

4. That the publishers of the German and Scandinavian periodicals publish a special for their respective nationals, containing such portions of the reading-matter and cuts from the English campaign number as seems advisable, and that the foreign churches be encouraged to use these specials during the Harvest Ingathering.

5. That the reading-matter and illustrations for the 1914 special be gathered and compiled by the following committee: W. A. Spicer (chairman), F. M. Wilcox, W. W. Prescott, and T. E. Bowen, with the suggestion that some articles bearing on the signs of the times and the second advent constitute a portion of the reading-matter.

6. That the campaign in the North American Division be placed under the direction of the Home Missionary Department, and the Treasury Department of the North American Division.

Further report of actions is deferred to another number.

W. A. SPICER, Secretary.