Western Washington by K. C. Russell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 27, 1907

Western Washington

By K. C. Russell

The annual conference and camp-meeting of the Western Washington Conference was held in Kent, Wash., May 16-26. The camp was located within a few minutes' walk of the city. There was a large attendance of our people at the meeting, and at the evening services there was a good attendance of the citizens from Kent and the surrounding country. The mayor, councilman, ministers, and other representatives from the city were present at some of the meetings.

Harmony prevailed at the business sessions of the conference, and all the departments of the work received their share of attention. Educational day was one of more than ordinary interest, owing to the rendering of an interesting program by the students from the Mount Vernon and Meadow Glade Intermediate Schools.

From the first of the meeting, there was an earnestness on the part of many of those in attendance to make a full surrender to God. Opportunities were given on different occasions during the meetings for all who were burdened to seek the Lord. The last Sabbath was a day that will not be forgotten by many of those who returned to their first love. There were fifty-one willing souls who followed their Lord in the sacred rite of baptism. One of the most encouraging features of this meeting was the interest that attended the young people's meetings. The missionary spirit manifest on the part of some of the young people was most remarkable.

There was a striking coincidence at this meeting. Several young persons had been previously impressed to take up self-supporting missionary work in a foreign field. It appears that only two of a company of six, a young man and his wife, knew of one another's burden to make India their field of labor, until it was mentioned here in a private conversation among themselves. After learning of one another's impressions, they met together, with the exception of one who was unable to be present. And we had an opportunity to interview them concerning their convictions regarding their burden for this distant field. We could but feel that the impressions they had received were produced by the Spirit of the Lord of the harvest. All that they desire in taking up this work is their transportation to the field, and their expenses in getting started in the work, provided, of course, that the Mission Board consents to their going. A part of the company are trained nurses, one has served as a conference secretary and school-teacher, and desires to fit herself for the work of translating.

The young people in camp, learning of the burden of these noble young people, proceeded to raise a fund to assist in defraying their transportation and expenses, and in a few minutes there was raised in cash and pledges upward of two hundred and thirty dollars. Subsequent to this collection, another was taken at the close of a service in the large pavilion, amounting to nearly five hundred dollars.

The tithe received in the conference during the past year was $21,625.75, and there was a surplus of $5,000 after all expenses were met. Two thousand dollars of this amount was voted to the General Conference to be used in the mission work. In addition to the collections already mentioned, there were others taken for the work in their local field.

Besides the local laborers present, there were in attendance: Elder A. J. Breed, vice-president of the North Pacific Union; Elder H. W. Decker, financial agent of the same union; Elder G. E. Langdon, president of the Upper Columbia Conference; Elder George F. Enoch; Prof. M. E. Cady, principal of the Walla Walla College; Brother Carl E. Weaks, general missionary agent of North Pacific Union Conference; Elder E. L. Stewart, president of the British Columbia Conference; Elder W. A. Alway, of the Upper Columbia Conference; Miss Katherine Hale, superintendent of the normal department of Walla Walla College; and the writer. Elder John Isaac, Elder H. J. Dirkson, and Dr. J. E. Froom were also in attendance.

Elder F. M. Burg was unanimously re-elected president of the conference, with C. E. Knight as secretary.

K. C. RUSSELL.