The General Conference

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

The General Conference

Summary of Daily Proceedings, March 30 to April 4

Monday: Forenoon, address by the President, A. G. Daniells. Afternoon, address by Mrs. E. G. White. Evening, sermon by Elder E. J. Waggoner.

Tuesday: Forenoon, report of Elder H. W. Cottrell, superintendent Atlantic Union Conference. Afternoon, announcement of standing committees, and financial reports of General Conference Association and Mission Board. Evening, missionary address by Elder W. A. Spicer.

Wednesday: Forenoon, reports of Elders W. H. Thurston, Supt. Canadian Union Conference; E. T. Russell, Supt. Central Union Conference, and C. W. Flaiz, Supt. Northern Union Conference. Afternoon, report of W. T. Knox, Supt. Pacific Union Conference. Evening, address by Dr. David Paulson.

Thursday: Forenoon, Committee on Plans reported favorably the following resolutions on mission work:—

“Whereas, The one great work of this people is to carry the third angel’s message in this generation to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; and,—

“Whereas, About four fifths of the laborers, and the means with which to support them, are now gathered in the United States, where there is only about one twentieth of the world’s population; therefore,—

“1. We recommend, That a systematic and thorough campaign be entered upon and kept up to turn the attention of conference committees, ministers, and people to the needs of the fields outside of their respective conferences and outside of the United States; and that all conference resources of ministers and money be held open by the conference management to the needs and calls of the regions beyond, the same as within the bounds of local conferences.

“2. We recommend, That conferences urge their laborers to move out into needy fields, especially into fields outside of the United States, and pledge to support them there, as their own laborers, until they have raised up a sufficient constituency to give them their support.

“3. We recommend, That in all cases where laborers are sent into another field, as above suggested, they work under the direction of the conference into whose fields they are sent; that the committee under whose direction they labor audit their accounts; and that all appropriations for their support be sent to the treasury of the Mission Board.

“4. We recommend, That the General, Union, and State Conferences give their internal workings and the expenses of administration careful study, to the end that all unnecessary expenses be eliminated, and the work put upon a sound basis.

“5. We recommend, That we encourage the States that are able to do so, to set aside a definite per cent of the regular tithe as an appropriation to the general work of the Mission Board.

“6. We recommend, That this forward movement in behalf of missions be placed clearly before our people, and that their responsibility to pay a full tithe into the Lord’s treasury be emphasized.

“7. We recommend, That in addition to this devotion of conference resources to destitute fields, we urge all our laborers and people to agitate the matter of the regular weekly offerings to missions, known as the ten-cent-a-week plan, by which a large treasure may easily be turned to the evangelization of the world.”

The discussion of these resolutions occupied the greater part of the forenoon and afternoon sessions. They were adopted with slight amendment. Remainder of afternoon session was occupied by a partial report of the Committee on Institutions and a further report of Committee on Plans. Evening, sermon by Elder D. E. Lindsey.

Friday: Forenoon, discussion of paragraph one of report of Committee on Institutions, providing that all institutions are to be owned directly by the people, either General Conference, Union Conference, State conference, or organized mission field. The resolution was opposed by Dr. J. H. Kellogg, who occupied the remainder of the forenoon session and the afternoon session with a review of his connection with the sanitarium work. Evening, sermon by Elder Geo. B. Thompson.

Sabbath: Forenoon, sermon by Mrs. E. G. White. Afternoon, sermon by Elder A. G. Daniells; subject, “Personal Power and Consecration Needed to Finish the Work in this Generation.”