The Lake Union Conference by W. H. Edwards; Arthur Grosvenor Daniells

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Michigan · Apr 15, 1902

The Lake Union Conference

By W. H. Edwards; Arthur Grosvenor Daniells

The first session of the Lake Union Conference was held in the Forty-Sixth Street church, Chicago, Ill., March 27 to April 2. The State conferences of the union were represented by delegation, as follows: Michigan, 19; Wisconsin, 23; Illinois, 18; Indiana, 16; Ohio, 11. There were seven delegates at large.

Twelve meetings were held during the session, which were devoted to Bible studies, reports from conference presidents and laborers, and the transaction of conference business. An Advisory Board Committee of eighteen was elected by the delegates for the appointment of the standing committees, and to act as a Committee of Counsel to the Executive Committee and other standing committees during the conference.

The publishing, the educational, and the medical work, and missions, each occupied one day of the conference for the presentation of reports, the giving of addresses, and the passing of recommendations.

The following recommendations and resolutions were passed:—

That the General Canvassing Agent be elected and directed by the Lake Union Conference.

That the General Agent, acting in conjunction with the officers of each conference, give early attention to reconstructing, unifying, and building up the work in our State tract society offices.

That State conferences make arrangements as far as possible to relieve the Tract Society Secretary from conference work outside of his department.

That more care be exercised in the selection of canvassers, and that a more thorough training be given them, not only in the theory of the work, but by the State Agent's giving each one his personal attention and help in actual field work until the canvasser is established in the work, or it is seen to be best to advise him to choose some other work.

Medical Missionary Work

Whereas, The health reform is to the third angel’s message as the right arm to the body, and the medical missionary work is a blessed means for benefiting suffering and sinful humanity; and,—

Whereas, For a number of years the largest school among us has been the Medical Missionary Training School conducted by the Battle Creek Sanitarium; and,—

Whereas, This school has been conducted without any proper buildings of its own in which to give instruction; therefore,—

Be It Resolved, That we consider it a Christian duty and privilege to assist in the raising of a fund for this worthy purpose by means of the Missionary Acre enterprise, the proceeds of which were, by the last General Conference, dedicated to this purpose; and we encourage our people to co-operate with those who are pushing this work, until the desired end shall be accomplished.

We recommend the plan of employing medical missionary workers by each conference, these workers to co-operate with the church schools in the churches, and as far as possible connect with tent efforts in new fields.

We recommend that as fast as practicable the conference committees in co-operation with the Medical Missionary Board take steps to establish treatment rooms and hygienic restaurants in the largest cities, to the end that the principles of hygienic living may be more rapidly propagated.

Resolved, That we indorse the action of the Wisconsin Conference in laying broad plans for pushing its sanitarium work at Madison.

We recommend that the Michigan Conference assume the responsibility of supporting the medical missionary work at Berrien Springs, and co-operate with the Berrien Springs Sanitarium Association in raising funds to start the work.

Resolved, That we indorse the plan of preparing the book, “The Living Temple,” as a popular book to be sold for the benefit of the sanitarium work.

Resolved, That we recognize the work done by the Life Boat Mission and the Life Boat Rest, and hereby instruct the Lake Union Conference Committee to employ, in advice with Dr. David Paulson, such persons as are necessary to carry on the work of these institutions successfully, their accounts to be audited by the Lake Union Conference, beginning the audit from Jan. 1, 1902.

We recommend our conference committees to apply at once to the Medical Missionary Board for proper workers to conduct the cooking tents at our camp meetings this year.

“Christ’s Object Lessons”

Whereas, The Lord has given us a great and good plan in the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons,” whereby all the people of this denomination may be enlisted in personal service; and,—

Whereas, We have abundant evidence that God is fulfilling to us his promise of a fourfold blessing; namely, a blessing to each one who should enlist in the service; a blessing to the cause as a whole; a grand deliverance to all our schools from debt; and a great and blessed service in behalf of the world; therefore,—

Resolved, That we express our thankfulness to God for the revival of this good work, and for the success thus far attained; and that we proceed immediately to perfect our organized effort, and press on with renewed energy until every book is sold; and that we do our best to complete the work by the first of June.

Whereas, The conferences composing the Lake Union Conference have already placed their order, or are contemplating doing so immediately, for their entire quota of “Christ’s Object Lessons;” and,—

Whereas, The cost of each one of these books for initial expense and material is about twenty cents; therefore,—

We recommend that each conference committee of the conferences composing the Lake Union Conference be requested to co-operate with the Financial Secretary of the General Conference in the formulation and execution of plans for the immediate raising of the necessary amount.

Inasmuch as the effort for the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons” will develop in an especial way latent talent in the canvassing work, we recommend that State agents, in co-operation with the conference workers, be active in drafting such persons into the regular canvassing work.

General Recommendations

Whereas, There is a great dearth among us of consecrated business men, for the lack of which the cause of truth has suffered much, on account of which burdens heavy and grievous to be borne have been bound upon ministers, to the injury of their legitimate work; therefore,—

Resolved, That we ask the trustees and faculty of Emmanuel Missionary College to open this summer a training school for business men, in which the principles of Christian and Bible finance can be taught.

We recommend the discontinuance of the office of Lake Union Conference Sabbath-school Secretary, leaving the State secretaries to deal directly with the General Conference Sabbath-school Secretary.

We recommend to State conferences that great care be exercised in arranging the work of the State Sabbath-school Secretary, that this officer may not be so hampered by other duties as to be unable to give proper attention to Sabbath-school interests.

We recommend that the ministers and conference workers, in visiting churches, give more attention to the Sabbath schools and the training of teachers, and co-operate heartily in the various plans recommended by the Sabbath School Department for the strengthening and developing of all lines of Sabbath-school and Young People’s work.

We recommend that one or more Scandinavian Bible and canvassing schools be held in this union conference the coming winter, and that a committee of five Scandinavians be selected to confer with the conference presidents and arrange for this work. The object of such schools is to prepare Scandinavian canvassers, and possibly other laborers. It is understood that such schools should be no expense to the Lake Union Conference treasury.

We recommend that Elders H. R. Johnson, L. H. Christian, S. Mortensen, N. P. Nielsen, and Brother C. A. Thorp be appointed as such a committee.

We recommend that each conference pay a second tithe to the General Conference for mission purposes.

Whereas, The assets and liabilities of the General Conference Association are being distributed among the union conferences which now have direction of the work in this country,—

We recommend that the Lake Union Conference assume the thirty-four thousand dollars of the General Conference Association liabilities which the General Conference Committee have assigned, as a fair and equitable proportion to be borne by this union conference.

Whereas, The Ontario Conference desires to join the newly organized Canadian Union Conference,—

We recommend that the constitution of the Lake Union Conference be so amended as to drop Ontario from membership in this union conference.

Whereas, The educational work is a fundamental and necessary feature of the third angel’s message; and,—

Whereas, This work sustains the same relation to the children and youth that the church work sustains to our church members and those outside the faith; therefore,—

We recommend that the Lake Union Conference Executive Committee, in conjunction with the Educational Department of the General Conference and the Educational Secretary of the Lake Union Conference, shall, at their earliest convenience, take under advisement and endeavor to formulate a plan for the systematic regulation and support of the church-school work.

Whereas, The work for the Germans is in need of more vigorous effort, in order to make it a success; therefore,—

Resolved, That the local conferences composing the Lake Union Conference are earnestly requested to make such provision for their regular camp meetings that the German work may be properly represented and carried forward, calling such German laborers to assist in the work as may be necessary, and that the expenses thus incurred be borne by such local conferences.

Further Resolved, That a strong effort be made to conduct a series of tent meetings in every local conference, for the German people, even if it should become necessary to procure laborers from other conferences to help in this work.

And be it further—

Resolved, That, as far as possible, German church schools be established in all our local conferences wherever needed.

Whereas, There is a sad shortage of laborers to do the work of carrying the third angel’s message to the large population of German people in the Lake Union Conference; therefore,—

Resolved, That the local conferences give special attention to seeking out godly young men and encouraging them to prepare for the German work.

We recommend that the Executive Committee of the Lake Union Conference take under advisement the propriety of establishing a Lake Union Conference paper, to take the place of the papers now published by the local conferences.

Whereas, The Lord has in a special way brought before this conference the needs and openings in Nyassaland, East Central Africa, therefore,—

Resolved, That we, as a union conference, accept Nyassaland as a mission field, to which to devote our surplus tithe, operating the field in conjunction with the Mission Board.

P. T. Magan presented a further recommendation from the committee, which was adopted by vote, as follows:—

This conference has already appointed a committee to draft a legal charter and take the initiatory steps toward the incorporation of a legal body in which shall be vested titles to all lands, estates, moneys, bequests, legacies, and any other real or personal property or valuable assets of any name or nature which shall be acquired, by gift or purchase or by any way whatsoever, by the Lake Union Conference.

It will take considerable time, thought, and study to formulate such a charter so as to make it best suited to meet the requirements and exigencies of the situation. It will be impossible, therefore, for your committee to report at this meeting of the Lake Union Conference.

In order that this work be not delayed longer than necessary, your committee requests the privilege of legally incorporating just as soon as the form of the charter and the officers and trustees of the same can be agreed to by the members of the Lake Union Conference Executive Committee.

The Committee on the Distribution of Labor reported as follows:—

That Elder O. S. Hadley and his wife, of Indiana, labor in Illinois.

That Elder C. H. Bliss, of Illinois, make Indiana his field of labor.

That Elder J. M. Ellis, of Indiana, labor in Quebec.

That Elder S. G. Huntington, of Indiana, labor in Ontario.

That Elder H. H. Burkholder, of Ohio, labor in the Indiana Conference.

That Elder P. G. Stanley, of Indiana, labor in Wisconsin.

That Elder J. C. Harris, of Michigan, labor in Indiana.

That Cora Gibson and Sadie Baker, Bible workers of Ohio, labor in Ontario, and that their traveling expenses be paid to Toronto by the Ohio Conference.

That John Isaac, of Wisconsin, be recommended to make Ontario his field of labor, to be sent and supported by the Lake Union Conference.

That Elder Wm. Ostrander, of Michigan, be invited to labor in the city of Montreal; that Michigan pay his transportation and salary, with the understanding that he continue to labor in Michigan in the interests of the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons” till June.

That Elder M. S. Babcock, of Ohio, be invited to make Nova Scotia his field of labor, his salary to be paid for one year by the Ohio Conference.

The Treasurer’s report showed that he had received during the eight months from July 1, 1901, to March 1, 1902, tithes amounting to $6,787.87; offerings, $2,488.56, making a total of $9,276.43.

The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—

President, A. G. Daniells; Vice-President, Wm. Covert; Secretary, Treasurer, and Auditor, W. H. Edwards.

Executive Committee: A. G. Daniells, Wm. Covert, W. H. Edwards, the Presidents of the conferences of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin; General Canvassing Agent, J. B. Blosser; Sabbath School and Educational Field Secretary, Miss M. Bessie DeGraw; Missionary Secretary, D. W. Beavis; Training School representative, P. T. Magan; publishing work representative, I. H. Evans; sanitarium work representative, Dr. David Paulson; German work representative, C. J. Herrmann; Scandinavian work representative, H. R. Johnson; Business Agent, W. H. Edwards.

W. H. EDWARDS, A. G. DANIELLS, Secretary. Chairman.