Manitoba Annual Conference by Arthur G. Daniells

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 31, 1907

Manitoba Annual Conference

By Arthur G. Daniells

At the close of the North Dakota Conference, I went to Winnipeg to attend the annual session of that conference. I was accompanied by Elder Haffner, superintendent of the German work west of Chicago, Elder Hayes, president of the South Dakota Conference, and Prof. Otto Graf, educational secretary of the Northern Union Conference. Owing to a railway wreck, we were delayed twenty-four hours on the road.

We found the conference in session, with a good attendance from the widely separated churches of the vast territory of that conference. Hitherto the province of Saskatchewan has been a part of the Manitoba Conference, but at this meeting it was set off as a mission field, thus reducing the territory of the conference to the province of Manitoba.

Our cause is now firmly established in the province of Manitoba, with headquarters at Winnipeg. I was pleased to find Winnipeg such a prosperous, up-to-date city. It has clean, attractive public buildings and business blocks. Its electric street-car system is excellent. The province of Manitoba is growing in population, wealth, and importance, and we rejoice that our cause is permanently established there, and that there is a good prospect for its rapid development.

The proceedings of the conference passed off very pleasantly. Elder W. M. Adams was re-elected president, with a substantial committee to aid him in carrying out a wide-awake, forward policy. This conference has a small school in operation at Portage la Prairie, about sixty miles west of Winnipeg. One great object of this school is to educate their young people in their own field, that they may have their services in the future to carry forward the various lines of work they have in hand.

The province of Saskatchewan was separated from the Manitoba Conference for the purpose of operating it as a mission field under the care of the Northern Union Conference. This province is growing very rapidly. Its capital is Regina, a nice city centrally located. It was the desire of the Sabbath-keepers in that province that this should be done. The union conference committee favored the proposal. Elder H. S. Shaw, president of the Minnesota Conference, was invited to take the superintendency of the mission, providing the Minnesota Conference will release him. It is thought that he should locate at Regina, to establish a good strong church there, and then work out to other parts of the province. Brethren Conway and Curtis, who have been working in Saskatchewan during the last year, have been encouraged by seeing some excellent persons embrace the truth.

The cause is certainly making encouraging progress in western Canada. It will soon be advisable to organize a western Canadian Union Conference, which will embrace the four provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. This will very likely be done during the present year. Elder Underwood is working very hard to place the work in this part of the field on a good, solid basis, and the Lord is blessing the efforts. We must have the work on the Canadian side of the line wholly managed and supported by those living on that side. This will

give them courage, good cheer, and strength.

My visit to this field gave me new interest in it, and more courage regarding the future development of the cause there. For a time it will need assistance from the States, but now is the time to give it. Let us remember western Canada in our prayers and gifts.

A. G. DANIELLS.