The Minnesota Conference Proceedings by Fred Johnson; H. F. Phelps

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 7, 1903

The Minnesota Conference Proceedings

By Fred Johnson; H. F. Phelps

According to appointment, the forty-third annual conference and camp-meeting of Seventh-day Adventists of Minnesota were held at Stillwater, Minn., May 29 to June 7, 1903, Elder Fred Johnson presiding. Forty-three churches were represented by ninety-six delegates. Visitors and members of the conference were invited to take part in considering all questions that might come before the meeting. Elder Johnson presented a brief address touching the work of the past, and making some suggestions for future aggressive work.

The various committees were nominated by ten men appointed from and by the conference, to act with the conference committee. Their work was accepted, and the committees worked faithfully.

The officers for the ensuing year are as follows:— President, Fred Johnson; Vice-president, A. Mead; Secretary, P. E. Sanford; Treasurer, C. M. Everest; Bookkeeper, Wm. Asp; Executive Committee, Fred Johnson, A. Mead, H. S. Shaw, P. A. Hanson, and H. L. Halverson; Secretary of the Sabbath-school Department, Miss Ella E. Merickel; Educational Secretary, M. B. Van Kirk; State Canvassing Agent, W. W. Ruble; Corresponding Secretary, A. G. Gilbert; Members of the Conference Association, C. M. Everest, H. S. Shaw, A. J. Stone, and A. Mead.

The various secretaries rendered reports from which we gleam the following items: Cash received on tithe, $24,824.23; on Relief and Camp-meeting Fund, $655.37. There are 138 Sabbath-schools in the State, with a membership of 2,439. Donations for the six months past are $966.43, of which $464.19 was reported for missions. Several conventions were held with good results.

The report of the educational secretary gave the number of church schools as twenty-four, with twenty-six teachers employed, the average wage being $14.50. Two hundred and eighty-seven students were enrolled; among these fifty were not of our faith. Under the labors of the teachers, twelve students were awaiting baptism. Fifty-two are ready to enter the industrial school.

The State canvassing agent rendered a verbal report, which indicated progress and interest in the canvassing work.

Credentials were granted to Andrew Mead, H. F. Phelps, W. W. Stebbins, H. S. Shaw, Fred Johnson, H. Steen, A. J. Stone, C. L. Emmerson, J. F. Pogue, O. O. Bernstein, and J. C. Christenson.

Ministerial licenses were given to E. W. Catlin, F. A. Detamore, P. A. Hanson, E. H. Huntley, B. Frances, C. M. Babcock, John F. Anderson, S. E. Jackson, W. W. Ruble, J. O. Peet, Arthur Moon, M. S. Reppe, Geo. L. Budd, Amos Ritchie, A. D. Ewart, M. B. Van Kirk, Frank Kozel, E. M. Chapman, and A. C. Gilbert; and that A. H. Van Kirk should receive license when free to enter the work.

Missionary licenses were given to the Misses Ella E. Merickel, Lena Nichols, and Celia Tichenor; to Mrs. E. H. Huntley, W. H. Wild, Ralph Campbell, Andrew Gilbert, Alfred Battin, Gust Freeman, C. M. Everest, F. E. Rew, H. E. Shelstad, Wm. Asp, P. E. Sanford, C. A. Lavine, Jas. Bellinger, Albert V. Olson, and Gust Henrickson.

A list of twenty-one recommendations was presented by the Committee on Plans, and was carefully considered. These recommendations related to the work at home and in distant lands, and may be summarized briefly, as: Thanks to God that the lives of all our laborers had been preserved since our last conference; extending the time of our support to Brethren A. W. Kuehl and J. M. Hyatt, now in Africa, for another year. This, however, was amended to extend our support to them, as to all laborers, till reversed by vote of the conference. One thousand dollars was appropriated from the tithe fund to the work in distant lands. The ten-cent-a-week plan was re-adopted. An aggressive, organized campaign for the distribution of literature, and institutes for the furtherance of this work; the creation of a health and temperance department, with institutes, and an active campaign for the agitation of this subject, were recommended.

Several recommendations were devoted to the furtherance of the State industrial school. It was also recommended that all Sabbath-school donations, above the actual running expenses, be given to missions, and that the needs of these missions be kept before our schools as an incentive to liberality; that a short ministerial institute be held for the benefit of the younger laborers; that the conference business be not transacted in connection with our camp-meeting; that an allowance be granted from the tithe, which is the inheritance of God's ministers, properly to support sick or aged laborers, also the widows and orphans of those removed by death.

There were two baptismal scenes, thirty-nine candidates receiving the ordinance. About three thousand dollars, in cash and pledges, was donated to the various branches of the work. We were favored with the presence of Elders Butler and Haskell during the latter part of the meeting, and their labors were appreciated by all.

FRED JOHNSON, President. H. F. PHELPS, Secretary.