p. 18 | The California Camp Meeting

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 25, 1902

The California Camp Meeting

By A. T. Jones; M. H. Brown

The camp meeting and conference at Fresno, September 30 to October 12, proved to be a missionary meeting throughout. From the president's address at the beginning, until the second ordination service at the very close of the meeting, the keynote was, “Foreign fields,” “The gospel in all the world as a witness to all nations, that the end may come.”

The detailed report of the proceedings will show this more fully. Space will be taken here only to state that eighteen of the workers of the California Conference accepted the call to other fields. Five thousand dollars, and at least thirteen and one-third per cent of the income of the conference in the coming year, and the support of every worker of the conference sent by the conference to foreign fields, was unanimously voted by the whole congregation. About one hundred and ninety dollars was freely donated by those present from their own pockets to send a 40 x 60 foot tent to Elder Andross in England. More than a hundred dollars was donated in a Sunday afternoon collection for the work in the South; and nearly seven hundred dollars was given to the Material Fund of “Christ’s Object Lessons.” In other words, all calls and donations were for the general work, none for the local.

The following-named workers go abroad: Brother and Sister J. S. Harmon, to Ontario; Brother and Sister Shaeffer, and Brother Douglas, to the South; Brother and Sister McCord, Brother and Sister Castle, and Brother Walter Halliday, to England; Brother and Sister Albrecht, to Germany; Brethren Walter and Frank Bond, to England, on the way to Spain; Brother A. S. Marchus, to England, on the way to Natal, South Africa; Brother F. Dewitt Gauterau, to France; Brother D. A. Parsons, to Ireland; and Dr. Keem to China.

Brethren McCord, Douglas, Gauterau, Parsons, and Shaeffer, were ordained to the gospel ministry, unto which they go forth.

With such a spirit prevailing throughout, it was only the sure consequence that the meeting should be unanimously pronounced by those present the best that they ever attended. There were present persons who had attended twenty-four annual camp meetings in different parts of the country, and these, with praise and thanksgiving, declared this meeting to be the best they ever attended.

It was remarked that this was the smallest State camp meeting that had been held in California for many years. This is doubtless true as to actual numbers; but measured by its missionary results, it was certainly by far the largest camp meeting ever held in California, if not the largest ever held in the world.

At the session of the State Conference, which was held in connection with the camp meeting, the following resolutions were adopted:— That the conference committee be made up largely of men of apostolic character and experience.

That the board of directors of the California Conference Association be made up of the men best qualified to do the deacons’ work of the conference.

That the conference committee be advised to refer to the directors of the association those parts of the conference work which naturally belong to the deacons.

We recommend that suitable homes be purchased for aged and infirm ministers, the value and location of each home to be mutually agreed upon between the conference and the minister interested.

That our people in this conference be invited to contribute regularly for the erection and maintenance of a fund called the “Ministers’ Fund.”

That this fund be available for use in two ways in aiding such ministers: (1) in the purchase of homes for them; (2) in paying for treatment and care at the sanitarium when they are sick and in need of such help, it being understood that the sanitarium will share with the conference in such expense.

That the necessities of these ministers and those dependent upon them shall be met from the tithe, the same as other conference workers.

That our people in this conference be invited to contribute to a Sanitarium Treatment Fund, to aid the sick and worthy poor among us to secure treatment at our sanitarium. The California Sabbath-school Association maintained an “endowed bed” for years from its surplus funds, but now that money all goes for missions. It proved a great blessing to many, and the plan now recommended, if adopted and supported, will revive this blessing, and accomplish great good.

Inasmuch as Christian education is the one essential for our children, and the providing for the same is one of the first duties of the church; and,—

Inasmuch as a proper financial support of our church schools is necessary, that the best results may be attained, and as there is at this time no definite general plan for the support of the church schools, and as a result many churches have not yet availed themselves of this means of grace,—

We recommend to the prayerful consideration of our people in this conference the advisability of paying a second tithe for the support of the church schools and other financial needs in our churches.

Whereas, There is a great call for earnest and consecrated workers, both in our institutions and in many new fields,—

We recommend, That we as a people put forth extra efforts in getting our young people interested in the different lines of educational work that are being carried on for the development of efficient workers at St. Helena Sanitarium, at Healdsburg College, at the Pacific Press, at the Sanitarium Food Company, and at the Vegetarian Café in San Francisco, and that we heartily co-operate with these institutions with our prayers and the use of our best judgment in the selection of suitable young people to take up these different lines of work.

Whereas, There is a great need of an opening being made for medical missionary work in Arizona, and Elder Webster has recently asked for financial assistance in developing the work in that field, and also for a consecrated physician suggesting the name of Dr. E. C. Bond, formerly of this part of the State; and,—

Whereas, The Pacific Union Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association has recommended that Dr. E. C. Bond answer this call from Arizona,—

We recommend, That our people donate liberally to the establishment of this branch of the work in Arizona, and extend their earnest prayers for God’s blessing to rest upon the efforts that are put forth in this direction.

That missionary conventions for the purpose of familiarizing our people with the details of missionary work be encouraged.

That careful, systematic efforts be made thoroughly to develop the interest awakened by the circulation of “Christ’s Object Lessons.”

That every Seventh-day Adventist family be encouraged to subscribe for a few copies of The Signs of the Times and of The Pacific Health Journal, with which to do missionary work around home.

Whereas, There has been established at what has heretofore been known as Crystal Springs a post office bearing the name of Sanitarium; therefore,—

We recommend, That the name of the church at that place be changed from Crystal Springs to Sanitarium.

We hereby instruct our conference officers to appropriate from the conference funds five thousand dollars for use by the General Conference in Europe.

Also that, in addition to the first tithe that is now being paid to the Pacific Union Conference, and the second tithe for the support of the mission work, we will for the present year devote at least thirteen and one-third per cent of our tithe to the General Conference.

And, further, that the California Conference support, as far as consistent with its work, every minister from this conference who is sent by it to foreign fields.

That we pay the Pacific Press Publishing Company $2,460, more or less, advanced by it for the work in Australia, at the request of the California Conference Committee, about three years ago. The circumstances under which this money was advanced were explained by Brethren Knox and C. H. Jones. It was advanced at the urgent solicitation of Sister White, and used for the advancement of the cause in Australia when it was greatly needed.

In view of the sad lessons taught us by denominational debts, and in view of the Bible injunction to “owe no man anything, but to love,”—

It is the sentiment of the delegates here assembled that institutional and denominational debts are not Scriptural, but a curse; and that our conference and tract society officers are hereby advised not to involve the conference or the tract society in debt; and,—

We also recommend the board of Healdsburg College in increasing its facilities or in establishing new industries to do so without incurring any debts.

The following officers were elected:— California Conference: President, A. T. Jones; Secretary, M. H. Brown; Missionary Secretary, A. J. Bourdeau; Sabbath-school Secretary, Mrs. Carrie R. King; State Canvassing Agent, A. S. Kellogg; Conference Executive Committee, A. T. Jones, I. O. Corliss, D. T. Fero, M. E. Cady, H. G. Thurston, medical superintendent St. Helena Sanitarium, C. H. Jones, A. S. Kellogg, and J. S.

Osborne; Treasurer of Conference, Pacific Press Publishing Company; Auditor, J. J. Ireland, auditor Pacific Union Conference.

Board of Directors of California Conference Association: M. H. Brown, E. A. Chapman, C. H. Jones, T. A. Kilgore, G. W. Mills, R. P. Gray, and E. G. Fulton.

The secretary of the Sabbath-school department presented the following report:—

Since our last annual report the California Conference has been divided, taking eight hundred from its membership, into what is known as the Southern California Conference.

The number of schools at the present time is ninety-five, with a membership of 3,271. In addition to this number, there are 292 isolated Sabbath keepers, to whom we have written and sent lesson quarterlies. About fifty have responded to our letters, and these we count as members of our State Home department.

The total amount of contributions for the year ending June 30, 1902, is $3,916.17. According to the reports received, the amount donated to missions is $1,583.65; to the care of orphans, $288.26.

A. T. JONES, Pres. M. H. BROWN, Sec.