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Business Proceedings of the California State Meeting of S. D. Adventists

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 28, 1872

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 39, No. 24.

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Business Proceedings of the California State Meeting of S. D. Adventists.

By John Nevins Loughborough; H. T. Hewitt

AGREEABLY to previous appointment in the REVIEW, the fourth annual session of the California State Meeting of S. D. Adventists was held with the church of Santa Rosa, Sonoma Co., Cal., Apr. 26, 1872. Meeting opened with prayer by Bro. J. Ferguson, at 9 A. M.
Secretary’s report of last meeting read and accepted. Inquiry was made, as to what had been done on resolution second of that report, in which we pledged ourselves to become responsible for delinquent subscribers. Bro. L. reported that he had written twenty-one letters to delinquents, but had received response from only two, who sent three dollars. He stopped those to whom he had written, who did not respond in three months, and paid arrearages to the amount of forty dollars out of interest on surplus State funds. Report accepted, and Bro. Loughborough’s action in the matter approved.
Resolutions 4 and 6 of last year were called up. No. 4 related to expense of a laborer to this coast. Bro. L. reported that the traveling expenses of Bro. Cornell to this coast were ninety dollars in specie, all of which had been made up by subscription. No. 6 related to a camp-meeting; whereupon it was voted to accept this meeting in place of the camp-meeting. Resolution 9 was read, calling up the matter of a Mission and Tract Society. Bro. Loughborough reported as follows:—
On hand at time of last State Meeting, $21.12 Received during the year, $290.40 Total, $311.52 Of this, over $60 were the proceeds of the sale of old gold and silver jewelry. This is in addition to the fund of the San Francisco church which has raised over $100 as a tract fund, $70 of which were from sales of melted jewelry. Paid during the year for books and tracts for free distribution, $229.40, leaving a balance in the treasury of $2.12, and about $30 worth of tracts on hand not distributed. Report accepted.
The executive committee, with whom the matter of arranging quarterly meetings was left last year, reported a plan which was accepted by the meeting. Appointments for these meetings have already been sent to the REVIEW.
Reports of labor and finance were made by Elds. Cornell, Loughborough, and Kellogg, which reports were accepted. Brn. Ferguson, Wood, and Morton, made remarks concerning the few meetings they had held.
Reports of churches were next made, showing from six churches a membership of 175, and S. B. to the amount of $1,965.68.
The Treasurer’s Report was next rendered as follows:— In treasury at last report, $395.47 Received during the year, $1,932.14 Total, $2,327.61 Paid out as per Book, $1,465.79 Balance on hand, $861.82 Report accepted.
Voted to change our State organization so as to correspond as nearly as possible with the regulations of State Conferences in other States. The constitution recommended by the General Conference to the various States, with its several amendments, was then read and adopted, save calling ourselves still a “State Meeting” instead of a Conference. A desire was expressed that a Conference be organized fully in this State, when, in the judgment of the General Conference, it is feasible thus to do.
An auditing committee of six was next appointed, consisting of Brn. Chapman, Hewitt, Downing, Gourley, Judson, and Johnson. Brn. Ferguson, Walker, and Diggins, were appointed a committee on nominations.
SECOND SESSION, 3 P. M., April 26. The committee on nominations recommended continuing the same officers for the coming year, further recommending Bro. J. Ferguson as the third member of the executive committee. These officers were elected and are as follows: President, J. N. Loughborough; Secretary, H. T. Hewitt; Treasurer, J. N. Loughborough. Executive Committee, J. N. Loughborough, M. G. Kellogg, J. Ferguson.
The Auditing Committee reported having effected a settlement with the ministers in the service of the State Meeting.
Report accepted.
They further reported a balance in the treasury, after all settlement, of $313.82, and recommended to the State Meeting to appropriate $300 of this sum to the General Conference. It was therefore unanimously
Resolved, That we appropriate $300 of our State fund to the General Conference fund as a slight token of our appreciation of their noble spirit of disinterested benevolence toward us.
A resolution was next passed, unanimously requesting Bro. Cornell, if possible, to remain and labor in the State six months longer, at least:
Moved, That the executive committee are hereby empowered to select three or five brethren to act with them as a committee to arrange for and appoint a camp-meeting at such time and place as they may deem proper. Carried.
A resolution was next passed to authorize the State committee to publish a suitable number of copies of the minutes of this meeting for our churches, and secure such blanks as may be necessary to expedite business in this State. The committee wish us to state here that they have since had the matter under advisement, and conclude as follows: 1. To secure such blanks as are already in use in State Conferences. 2. As it will probably be but a few months before a State Conference will be organized here, and then we shall be in a more permanent shape for minutes, we decide simply to have about 300 copies of our State constitution printed for the instruction and use of our churches until such time as the California State Conference shall be organized.
Letters of approval were voted to Elds. Loughborough and Cornell in laboring as missionaries, from the Michigan Conference, within this State.
Licenses were voted to Bro. M. G. Kellogg, and Bro. Jackson Ferguson. The following resolution was then passed unanimously:
Resolved, That we organize a Tract and Missionary Society for this State, following as far as possible the constitution and plan set forth by the General Conference Committee.
THIRD SESSION, Sunday, 28, 9 A. M. Constitution of Missionary Societies read and adopted. Voted that the officers of the State Meeting of California be the officers of the Tract and Missionary Society with the addition of Bro. O. T. Johnson of San Francisco as vice-president.
Resolutions 1, 2, and 3, passed by the General Conference, on the subject of the great and important truths of this time, the signs of the times, and the responsibility that rests upon us to warn our fellow-men, were adopted. It was next unanimously, Resolved, That Bro. M. G. Kellogg be appointed solicitor and collector on this coast, of funds for the Health Institute, Publishing Association, and the $10,000 book fund.
The following resolution was then passed:
Whereas, Our brethren in Washington Territory have been calling loudly for help, and have been disappointed in their expectations, therefore,
Resolved, That we hereby express our sympathy with them and pledge them our aid in securing effective labor to set in order things in the church and start the work in that Territory.
The following was next presented:
Resolved, That we hereby express our earnest sympathy for Bro. White in his afflictions caused by excessive labor in this cause, and we hereby renew our invitation given at our last State Meeting for Bro. and sister White to visit this coast as soon as Bro. White is able to endure the journey. Passed by a rising vote of the whole house. It was also
Resolved, That while we deplore the lack of laborers in our Master’s vineyard, and feel to cry unto him to raise up faithful men to labor for the salvation of souls, we recommend such in our midst as feel that they have a duty to preach the message, to move out and make a thorough effort in some place and thus satisfy themselves as to duty; for if they fail to do this, they will lessen the confidence of their brethren in the genuineness of their call.
A vote of thanks was extended to the Santa Rosa church for entertaining this State Meeting.
A vote was taken, empowering the committee to publish in the REVIEW such business of this meeting as they deem of general interest to our brethren abroad.
FOURTH SESSION, a brief one, after the forenoon discourse, first-day, the 28th. While Bro. Kellogg was taking pledges for stock in Publishing Association, &c., Brn. Judson and Hewitt taking names of members to Missionary Society, and Bro. Ferguson collecting on REVIEW, Instructor, and Reformer, the following item was introduced:
Resolved, That we as Seventh-day Adventists deplore the sad state of musical talent among us, and recommend that there be one chosen from each church, to lead in singing, and as musical director, and that they meet as often as once in three months to devise ways and means for the cultivation of church music, and that they attend these musical conventions.
The following persons were then chosen directors: Petaluma, J. W. Cassidy; Healdsburg, Joseph Dimmick; Santa Rosa, S. B. Breese; Green Valley, Richard Rickett; Bloomfield, John Judson; San Francisco, Wm. D. Stocking. It was recommended that a musical convention be held at such time and place as the directors may select.
Adjourned, sine die.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH. Pres.
H. T. HEWITT. Secretary.