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Greater New York Conference

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 23, 1911

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 88, No. 8.

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Greater New York Conference

By R. D. Quinn

The annual meeting of the Greater New York Conference was held in New York City, January 24-29. A large delegation was present from the home field, and a good representation from the union conference and the General Conference. The meeting was a profitable occasion, and gave all a more comprehensive idea of the magnitude of the work to be done in this great center.
About eighty per cent of the population of Greater New York is of foreign birth. There are in New York 1,300,000 Germans, 600,000 Italians, 110,000 Russians, 100,000 Scandinavians, 100,000 French, 100,000 Bohemians, and twenty times as many Jews as there are in all Palestine, besides thousands of representatives of many other nationalities. To reach all these with the message for this time is a stupendous task, but God has opened the way, and sent us men from some of these languages who are laboring for their own people.
We are now carrying on aggressive work among the English, Germans, Danish-Norwegians, Swedish, Italians, Hungarians, Slavish-Bohemians, and Russians, besides a strong and vigorous work for the Afro-Americans. Within the past year two city training-schools have been opened in the conference, and these are in successful operation. The International Bible Training School is located in Brooklyn, and is under the supervision of Elder H. R. Johnson. The attendance is excellent, and eight nationalities are represented. This school has been very successful from the start, and is filling a long-felt want in the training of workers for the vast foreign population in this country.
The English Bible Training School has been reopened, with Elder L. T. Nicola in charge. The prospects before this school are good, and we believe it will become a strong factor in training and educating for active service many of our people in this great city.
Our present force of laborers is thirty-two; nine of these are ordained ministers, ten licentiates, and thirteen hold missionary license. During the past year we have received appropriations from the General Conference which have made it possible to carry on a vigorous campaign during the past season. Last summer eight tent companies were in the field, and the coming summer we expect to add one more. As a result of the efforts made during 1910, two hundred persons have been reported as observing the Sabbath, over one hundred of whom have already been baptized.
The revival of the canvassing work during the past six months is a very encouraging feature. Since July, 5,612 books have been sold, besides a largenumber of smaller publications, magazines, and tracts having been distributed.
The increase of tithes and offerings for the year 1910 over the previous year is an indication of the spirit of courage and aggressiveness that is characterizing the work in this city. The total amount of tithes and offerings for the conference for 1909 was $25,273.06; for 1910 it was $33,216.82, an increase for 1910 of $7,943.76.
For a number of years the Greater New York Conference has been without a conference office, and we have done our business through the branch office of the Review and Herald, located at 32 Union Square. It was felt at the recent conference that the time had come to establish a separate tract society, and open in connection with it a conference office, to become the headquarters of our work in this field. Brother F. M. Dana has been released by the Atlantic Union Conference to act as secretary and treasurer of the conference for the present, and Brother R. J. Bryant has been invited to this field to act as home missionary secretary. Thus we hope to greatly revive and encourage all our people to carry some responsibility in connection with the proclamation of the message.
On Sabbath, January 28, a joint meeting of all our people was held in the Y. M. C. A. Hall in Brooklyn. Elder W. T. Knox spoke in the morning, and Elder O. A. Olsen in the afternoon. These services will long be remembered as seasons of great refreshing. An offering was taken for the foreign missionary work, and about twenty-five hundred dollars was raised in cash and pledges for the needy fields beyond.
The work in this conference is onward, and we are looking forward to great things the coming year in the proclamation of the message to the neglected cities of the East.
R. D. QUINN.