The Western Canadian Union Conference and Ministerial Institute
By George B. Thompson
THE second biennial session of the Western Canadian Union Conference was held at Didsbury, forty-eight miles north of Calgary, Feb. 21 to March 3, 1912. The first two days of the session were set apart to a study of the work of selling our publications. The time from February 23 to 27 was devoted exclusively to a ministerial institute. The remainder of the time was divided between Bible study, and business meetings of the conference. An effort was made to have all the conference laborers in the union present at this meeting, and practically all were in attendance. Considering the membership and the vast expanse of territory, the number of delegates present was very good. The instruction in the work of selling our publications was given by Brethren H. H. Hall, W. R. Beatty, and W. L. Manfull, and was very helpful and highly educational. The spiritual rather than the commercial side of the work was emphasized. It seemed that the instruction given was the best I had ever listened to in this line of work. Many experiences were related showing how the Lord is blessing this work. The book, tract, and periodical sales for the union for 1911 amounted to $29,300.93, and for the biennial term, $49,768.75, an increase over the previous biennial period of $13,257.40. The prospect is very encouraging for a material increase in sales the coming year. The instruction in the ministerial institute was given by Elder A. G. Daniells and the writer, and was similar to that given in other gatherings of like character. From the beginning, the same good spirit which has been present at other institutes was manifest here also. All felt their need of a deeper consecration and greater power to save souls. Nowhere have we seen a more ready response to the instruction given than among the workers here. As we sought God, he sent his Spirit to bless us, and a new and broader vision was received of the work of God and what it means to be a herald of a message of such solemn and eternal responsibilities. Many testimonies were borne of definite victories gained during the meeting. At one of the morning meetings the Spirit of the Lord was especially manifest, and without urging, nearly all present came forward, making a definite surrender to God, and consecrating themselves anew to the finishing of the work of the message in the earth. At the close of the ministerial institute, Elder Daniells, with his wife, left to fill urgent and important appointments elsewhere; the writer remained throughout the conference. The business session of the conference was characterized by a spirit of the utmost unity. The territory of this union includes the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and that portion of Ontario west of Port Arthur. It is about two thousand miles from the eastern to the western extremity of this territory, which embraces an area of more than one million square miles, and is therefore about one third the area of the United States, exclusive of Alaska and the Philippine Islands. The population is less than two million, or about two persons to the square mile. Quite a large portion of the population is composed of foreigners of many nationalities. In the Sabbath-school during the conference, classes were formed in four languages, English, German, Scandinavian, and Servian. In the providence of God all these foreign-speaking people are placed here to receive the message for this time, some, doubtless, to return to their native land to carry the message there. The resources of this territory are prodigious in grain-raising, stock-raising, lumbering, and mining. In the three prairie provinces Dominion reports show that the acreage of small grain last year was over four million. Millions of bushels of grain were destroyed by early frost and snow, and one fourth of the acreage is reported as yet in the fields under the snow unthrashed. The reports rendered from the various conferences during the session showed encouraging progress in nearly all lines of work. The total number of Sabbath-keepers in the field is 1,504, an increase of about five hundred since the organization of the union in 1908. The force of laborers consists of sixteen ordained ministers, seven licentiates, twenty-one missionary licentiates, three union laborers, and over fifty canvassers. In 1908 the annual tithe was $15,005.01, or a per capita tithe of $14.86. Last year the tithe was $28,783.08, or a per capita tithe of $19.13. The tithe for the biennial period was $51,288.94. Last year $8,388.94 was raised on the ten-cent-a-week fund. The Sabbath-school offerings have increased from $1,414.65 in 1908 to $3,639.96 in 1911. Less than one thousand dollars of the union’s share of the $300,000 Fund remains to be raised. It is hoped that this will all be in by July 1. The amount of other union funds sent forward for the general work is very good. The people here have a liberal spirit, and when blessed with bountiful harvests will be able to make liberal gifts to advance the work in other fields, where the population is much more dense, and the material resources less abundant. But few changes were made in the officers of the conference. Elder H. S. Shaw was unanimously reelected president for the coming term. It was voted that the Saskatchewan Mission field be organized into a conference at the time15of their next annual camp-meeting. The publication of a union conference paper will be started at an early date. While attending this meeting, I had the privilege, with Elder Daniells and others, of visiting the Alberta school at Lacombe. We found a good class of students there, the most of whom are planning to devote their lives to the work of God. Professor Beardsley and the faculty arranged the work of the school so that the most of the older students attended a part of the conference and the ministerial institute. They all enjoyed this very much. The school is doing good work, and is a great blessing to the field. Further facilities, especially buildings, are necessary properly to care for the students, and to carry forward the work in the school. These will doubtless be provided in time. A splendid spirit seemed to be in the school. Personally it was a great privilege to attend this good meeting, and become better acquainted with the faithful band of workers here, as well as with the needs and conditions in this field. The prospect is encouraging. Many testified that this meeting as a whole was the best they had ever attended, and all left for their fields of labor with renewed courage and determination to press the battle to the gate.