Special Funds

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 6, 1906

Tithes

	Amount
Tithes paid by Sabbath-keepers in North American Union Conferences in 1905	$670,520.31
Tithes paid by Sabbath-keepers in all other fields	187,494.60
Grand total tithes paid in 1905	$858,014.91
Grand total tithes paid in 1904	691,819.33
Net increase for 1905 over 1904	$166,195.58
Average for each Sabbath-keeper in 1905	$9.83
Average for each Sabbath-keeper in 1904	$8.47
Increase per capita	$1.36
Per cent of gain in tithes paid in 1905 over 1904	24.02¹

Offerings

	Amount
Total offerings to missions, from all sources except Sabbath-school offerings	$119,440.14
Sabbath-school offerings to foreign missions	49,894.97
Total offerings to missions from the entire world, for 1905	$169,335.11
Total of similar offerings for 1904	144,712.20
Net increase for 1905	$24,622.91
Per cent of increase for 1905 over 1904	17.01
Of the foregoing amount of offerings for 1905 there was contributed in North America	$134,827.34
All other countries	34,507.77
Total	$169,335.11

Special Funds

	Amount
Tithes appropriated by North American Conferences for evangelistic work in mission fields in 1905	$79,557.81
Amount raised in all other countries	18,139.08
Total for 1905	$97,696.89
Grand total “offerings” as noted above	$169,335.11
Total tithes and offerings contributed for mission fields in 1905	$267,032.00
Total of similar funds in 1904	227,743.31
Net increase for 1905 over 1904	$39,288.69

Contributions for Special Work

	Amount
Contributed by North American Conferences for special work, such as support of orphanages, religious liberty work, work for colored people in the Southern States, etc., where the funds are sent outside the church, but not to a foreign mission field (reported incompletely, however)	$95,232.75
Contributed by all other fields for similar purposes	12,453.10
Total contributions for special work in 1905	$107,685.85

Contributions for Local Church Work

	Amount
Contributed by North American Conferences for local church work, such as distribution of literature, assisting needy poor, church expenses, and all other local missionary work or enterprises (reported incompletely, however)	$17,964.69
Contributed by all other fields for similar purposes	9,198.34
Total for 1905	$27,163.03

Grand Totals

	Amount
Total tithes from all the world in 1905	$858,014.91
Total offerings from all the world in 1905	169,335.11
Sabbath-school donations not included in offerings to missions, but expended by local Sabbath-schools and State associations (and in some cases donations to orphanages)	18,718.74
Total contributions for special work	107,685.85
Total contributions for local church work	27,163.03
Grand total of all funds raised by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in 1905, for evangelistic work	$1,180,917.64
Total amount of similar funds for 1904	856,714.28
Net increase for 1905 over 1904	$324,203.36
Per cent of increase	37.84
Average for each Sabbath-keeper in 1905	$13.52
Total Sabbath-keepers in North American Union Conferences	65,186
Total Sabbath-keepers in all other fields	22,125
Grand total	87,311
Tithe per capita in North America	$10.29
Tithe per capita in other fields	$8.47
Total tithes, offerings, and other funds raised in North American union conferences during 1905	$934,763.70
Total of similar funds in other countries	246,153.94
Grand total for 1905	$1,180,917.64
Per capita for North America	$14.34
Per capita for all other countries	$11.13

Statistical Report of Seventh-day Adventist Conferences and Missions

For the Year Ending Dec. 31, 1905—Table No. 1

The table reports, by conference and mission, the area, population, churches, membership, companies, Sabbath-keepers, Sabbath-schools, ministers, missionaries, book and periodical canvassers, laborers, educational work, tithe receipts, offerings, special-work contributions, local-church contributions, and book and periodical sales. The principal divisions are the North American Union Conferences, Australasian Union Conference, European Union Conferences, and Miscellaneous Union Conferences.

The statistical report continues through the conferences and missions, including the District of Columbia, Atlantic, Canadian, Southern, Lake, Northern, Central, Southwestern, and Pacific Union Conferences; the Australasian, German, Scandinavian, British, Latin, and Oriental Unions; and the South African, South American, and miscellaneous mission fields.

For the Year Ending Dec. 31, 1905—Table No. 1 (Continued)

The continued table gives the corresponding educational, tithe, offering, Sabbath-school, special-work, local-church, and publication figures for the remaining conferences and missions.

Statistical Report of Seventh-day Adventist Conferences and Missions

The report continues with the Oriental Union Mission, South African Union Conference, South American Union Mission, and Miscellaneous fields, followed by the Recapitulation of Conferences and Missions.

For the Year Ending Dec. 31, 1905—Table No. 1 (Concluded)

The concluding portion gives the totals for the several unions and missions and the grand totals for 1905 and 1904. For the North American Union Conferences the grand totals are: total Sabbath-keepers, 87,311; total tithe receipts, $858,014.91; amount of tithe appropriated to fields outside the conference, $97,696.89; total offerings to foreign missions, $119,440.14; total Sabbath-school offerings, $68,613.71; total Sabbath-school offerings to foreign missions, $49,894.97; total contributions for special work, $107,685.85; total contributions for local church work, $27,163.03; and retail value of books and periodicals sold, $548,067.03.

Summary of Statistical Reports, 1863 to 1905—Table No. 2

The summary presents, for each year from 1863 through 1905, the number of union and local conferences, missions, ministers, licentiates, licensed missionaries, canvassers, total laborers, churches, membership, Sabbath-keepers, tithe, per capita, offerings to missions, total Sabbath-school offerings, and book and periodical sales. The totals reported are: tithe for the years 1863–1905, $9,095,936.43; offerings to missions, $2,047,274.12; total Sabbath-school offerings, $756,838.42; book and periodical sales, $7,723,801.66; and grand total tithes and offerings, $11,143,210.55.

Foot-notes for Table No. 1

1. The tithe per capita is based upon the total Sabbath-keepers, and not upon the church-membership, for the reason that the funds come not from the members of churches alone, but from members of companies and from isolated persons as well. 2. A very true index of the growth of the work in each field is given in column 12, showing the per cent of gain in total Sabbath-keepers for 1905 compared with the standing for 1904. The decrease in each field is shown by an asterisk. 3. By “total laborers” in column 20 is meant the number of persons employed in the conference or mission field, including not only the four classes named, but all other persons not specified. 4. Former reports have given separate amounts received from annual offerings, First-day offerings, and miscellaneous offerings, to foreign missions. In this report all amounts received from these three sources are included in column 34, showing total offerings to missions, except the amount received from Sabbath-schools, which is reported separately in column 36. 5. In column 37 are shown, for the first time in this report, the amounts contributed for special lines of home mission work, such as for orphanages, religious liberty work, work for certain classes (as the colored people in the Southern field), or for any special line of work where the funds are sent outside the local church, but not into a foreign mission field. 6. Column 38, also a new column, in which is indicated the contributions for local church work, such as distribution of literature, assisting needy poor, church expenses, and all money collected in

local churches and expended in local missionary work or enterprises. Like the preceding column, the returns, as will be noted from Table No. 1, are incomplete, and being reported here for the first time, the comparisons with 1904 are not given. 7. The division of territory between the South Russian Conference and the Middle Russian and North Russian missions depends upon the language spoken, and not according to territorial lines. 8. Under General Conference are included those engaged in general labor, as well as the amount of tithes and offerings not accounted for elsewhere in this report. During 1905 the General Conference received on the $100,000 fund, $63,524.38, of which it is estimated that $50,000 was paid by individuals direct to the General Conference, and hence the latter amount is given here, because it is not reported by local conferences. 9. The four quarterly reports which the Sabbath-school Department has published for 1905 show $69,421.95 as total Sabbath-school contributions, and $48,974.42 as donations to missions. This annual report shows $68,613.71 and $49,894.97, respectively. The difference is partly because of a difference in the time of making out the reports. The annual report is intended to give only the amount received up to December 31. In making up the quarterly reports it frequently occurs that they are held for some time to include all that may be reported as belonging to that quarter. Another point which has a bearing on this apparent discrepancy is the fact that the quarterly reports which the Sabbath-school Department publishes contain reports from foreign fields one quarter behind those in the United States; hence, as the time of the two reports does not agree, the amounts can not be expected to agree.

Foot-notes for Table No. 2

1. Estimated conservatively. 2. By the term “mission” is meant a local field not yet organized into a conference, whether in the United States or elsewhere. 3. In the column showing total laborers are included all persons specified in preceding columns, as well as all other laborers not thus specified. 4. Beginning with 1900 the report shows the number of Sabbath-keepers, as well as the church-membership. The difference is made up of members of companies and isolated believers. From this point the tithe per capita is based on the Sabbath-keepers. 5. From 1874 to 1888 the offerings to missions is estimated. It is believed that this is done on a conservative basis. The term “missions” here does not necessarily mean foreign missions, although 1874 is the year when such work was entered upon by the denomination. The figures in this column include money from all sources, aside from tithes, used for evangelistic work in mission fields. If additional evidence were needed to show the wisdom of more thoroughly organizing the work throughout the world, as was counseled by the spirit of prophecy at the 1901 session of the General Conference, it is abundantly furnished in the foregoing report, which indicates that the progress of the work since 1901 has been at a very much more rapid and substantial rate than ever before in its history. Truly this cause is now moving forward with an impetus never before manifested, because the time has come to finish the work.