Next in the regular meetings in Great Britain, was the North England Conference, held in the populous city of Manchester (Lower Broughton Town Hall), March 16-20.
As it had been but half a year since the former gathering of this conference the president’s address covered the work of only six months. During that time, as he pointed out, three churches had been organized, one at Newcastle-on-Tyne, with thirty-two members; one at Sheffield, with nineteen members; and the old church at Grimsby was reorganized, with a membership of seven. The work in Sheffield has so rapidly grown that it now has thirty-four members, and in Newcastle-on-Tyne there are forty-nine. At the close of 1905 there were sixteen organized churches, eight companies, and five isolated believers, making a total membership of five hundred and forty-four, showing a net gain of one hundred and eleven for the year. But since the first of January, 1906, seventy-seven more have been baptized in this field.
Sixteen laborers have been engaged in the work; but a part of the time two of them have not been occupied in North England, as Brother McCord was transferred to South England, and Brother Andross, the president, had to devote a great deal of his time to interests of the British Union. Efforts have been conducted in King’s Heath, where our annual tent-meeting was held last summer, and in Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Sheffield, Nottingham, Manchester, Wigan, and Market Harborough.
Two new Sabbath-schools have been organized, so there are now twenty-three schools, with a membership of six hundred and sixty-one.
Financially, the same growth noted in South England may be observed here. The tithe for 1904 was $5,219; for 1905, $6,610. The offerings for 1904 were $764; for last year, $1,000. For 1906 this field will not require any help from American appropriations.
The proposed mission to British East Africa was very heartily supported at this meeting, and the people promised to increase their First-day offerings, and ordered five hundred copies of “Story of Joseph,” a part of the profits from the sale of which will go to strengthen the East African Mission Fund.
TOWN HALL, MANCHESTER
For several years the Health Food Company in Birmingham has had a very hard struggle financially; but the past year has shown a really good gain. The Leicester Sanitarium has also done well, and its usefulness and power are extending each month. Dr. F. C. Richards, who is in charge of the medical work here, and Dr. A. B. Olsen, medical superintendent of our growing sanitarium at Caterham, South England, still continue their public work by forming good health leagues in various cities, thus spreading the grand principles on which the health reform movement is based. Strong resolutions in support of this branch of the message were unanimously passed.
There is another matter that just at this time is receiving great attention in Great Britain—the urgent demand for additional Sunday legislation. The Lord Avery Sunday-rest bill, which was thrown out of the House of Lords last year, has been again introduced, supported by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The government feels that this is a matter of great concern to its subjects, and one that should be very carefully investigated. A joint committee composed of members from the two houses is to receive all the evidence that can be brought before it as to the most effective legislation. This matter is now being vigorously discussed, so this seems to be our opportunity to present the truth on that question. It is proposed that a conference be held in London the coming May, at which every shade of religious opinion may be represented; that on the first Sunday in July, every church in the kingdom shall have a sermon on this Sunday question; and that a letter be drawn up and signed by the leaders of all denominations, and published in every religious paper in Great Britain, urging the people to insist on securing religious legislation. We trust God will give special wisdom to the brethren who have been appointed to act as a religious liberty committee in Great Britain, that all may be done within our power to call the attention of the British nation to the correct principles of religious liberty in connection with the third angel’s message.
There was a good spirit in the meeting, and the election of officers and the transaction of all other business passed off harmoniously. For credentials, the following names were reported and accepted: S. G. Haughey, D. A. Parsons, and A. S. Marchus; for ministerial license, J. Gillatt, J. Ellis, J. D. Gillatt; for missionary license, Mrs. M. Barnard, Mrs. L. A. Parsons, Miss C. Sanders, Miss Jessie F. Bacon, Miss E. Cousins, Miss E. Edie, and Miss J. Welch.
Those elected to hold office for the coming year are: President, W. D. MacLay (who leaves Scotland because the climate does not agree so well with Sister MacLay); other members of the Conference Committee, E. E. Andross, D. Redhead, D. A. Parsons, J. Gillatt; Treasurer and Secretary, Mrs. M. Barnard; Auditor, T. H. Burt; Auditing Committee, to act with Conference Committee, Brethren Hawkins, Normansell, Davies, and Briscombe.
The help of the visiting brethren—Elder Conradi, Professor Salisbury, and Brother Sisley—was timely and much appreciated. We feel sure that the cause of God will more rapidly advance in this field with its more than sixteen millions than it has at any previous time. The workers went to their fields, and the brethren returned to their respective homes, more determined and encouraged than ever before to be faithful in carrying the burdens God has laid upon them.
