p. 17 | The General Conference Committee Council at College View, Neb

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Oct 13, 1904

The General Conference Committee Council at College View, Neb.

By Arthur Grosvenor Daniells; William Ambrose Spicer

The usual autumn council of the General Conference Committee was held at College View, Neb., September 15-26, in connection with the meetings of the International Publishing Association, the new association which has in charge the circulation of literature in foreign languages in the United States. The following members of the General Conference Committee were present during the council: A. G. Daniells, Geo. J. Butler, S. N. Haskell, W. W. Prescott, H. W. Cottrell, W. H. Thurston, Allen Moon, A. T. Jones, R. A. Underwood, E. T. Russell, N. P. Nelson, W. B. White, L. R. Conradi, W. C. White, L. A. Hoopes, A. J. Read, D. Paulson, W. A. Spicer.

The following conference presidents, general workers, and ministers were also present: A. G. Haughey, I. H. Evans, H. S. Shaw, A. T. Robinson, C. A. Burman, G. F. Watson, W. M. Adams, C. McReynolds, S. E. Wight, R. C. Porter, C. N. Woodward, James Cochran, Smith Sharp, S. N. Curtiss, H. H. Hall, C. M. Everest, H. Shultz, M. B. Miller, J. H. Morrison, F. M. Wilcox, G. F. Haffner, W. J. Stone, C. J. Herrmann, J. E. White, I. A. Ford, L. Johnson, R. F. Andrews, J. J. Graf, R. J. Bryant.

Sister White was in attendance at the council, speaking each Sabbath morning, and addressing the people on several other occasions.

The ten days were pressed very full of business. The council was in truth a missionary council, planning for missionary work at home and abroad; and during the meetings addresses were given by J. E. White, on mission work in the South; by L. R. Conradi, on the progress of the cause in the general European field, including Asia Minor, Egypt, and German East Africa; by W. H. Anderson, on mission experiences in Rhodesia, South Africa; by J. Lipke, on Brazil; and by Dr. Myrtle Lockwood, on medical missionary work in Japan. At the close of the latter address a collection of forty-one dollars was taken to aid in the erection of the first Seventh-day Adventist meeting-house in Japan.

Following are some of the actions taken, which will be of general interest to our brethren, the recommendations regarding the missionary conventions and campaign having already been printed in the REVIEW of September 29. It was recommended,—

For the Colored Work

“That the first Sabbath in November be appointed for a collection in all our churches for the colored work throughout the South.”

The Week of Prayer

“That the time for the week of prayer be set for December 10-17.

“That the following be the program of readings:—

“Sabbath: ‘What This Denomination Exists For,’ E. W. Farnsworth.

“Sunday: Reading by Mrs. E. G. White.

“Monday: ‘The Spirit and Power of the Message in the Early Days,’ S. N. Haskell.

“Tuesday: ‘Our Message and Work To-day,’ W. W. Prescott.

“Wednesday: ‘Incentives to Service in Current Signs of the Times,’ E. T. Russell.

“Thursday: ‘Review of the Field,’ W. A. Spicer.

“Friday: Reading by Mrs. E. G. White.

“Sabbath: ‘The Mission Outlook,’ A. G. Daniells. (The annual offering for missions is to be taken at this service.)

“Supplementary: missionary program for children, by Miss E. Houser, for Christmas day, or the Sabbath preceding (December 24), optional with each church.”

The Canvassing Work

“Since the winter missionary campaign, beginning November 1, has for its object the enlistment of the rank and file of our people in a vigorous forward movement in the circulation of our small publications, and—

“As this campaign should develop a large number of successful workers, who, by proper encouragement and instruction, would become efficient in the regular canvassing work, therefore,—

“1. We recommend, (a) That our conference and church officers and laborers make note of all these workers that give promise of success as canvassers, and that they send their names promptly to the State agent or the State tract society secretary; (b) that as soon as possible after January 1, a series of canvassing classes be held in every conference, into which shall be gathered these newly developed canvassers; (c) that in large conferences, and where these workers are widely separated, several classes be conducted simultaneously; (d) that the talent and experience of our successful canvassers be recognized and made use of by selecting from their number those best adapted to give instruction to classes where the State agent can not be present; (e) that the conference officers arrange for suitable remuneration for these instructors while engaged in this class of work; (f) that these classes devote at least half of their time to canvassing, thus putting into immediate use the instruction given.

“2. We recommend, That all canvassing agents be requested during the months of November and December, to unite with other workers in actual canvassing, to the end that their future work may be thus vivified and strengthened by fresh personal experiences.

“In order that the sale of our publications may be stimulated, especially in trade books, tracts, and pamphlets,—

“3. We recommend, That all our ministers and Bible workers be urged to return to the good old way of always carrying with them our publications to dispose of wherever possible.”

Report on Calls from the Fields

The mission committee, having considered the most urgent calls from the fields, submitted the following list of needs, to which they recommended favorable response if found possible:—

JAPAN

1. Funds for printing two tracts already translated.

2. Minister for Yokahama.

3. Minister for Korea.

CHINA

1. Worker for Hongkong.

2. Additional worker to join staff in Canton.

3. Additional worker to join the staff in Honan.

INDIA

1. Minister to join workers already under appointment for India.

2. Minister for Burma.

3. One lady and one gentleman nurse for Calcutta Sanitarium.

4. School-teacher for India.

5. Man and wife for Karmatar orphanage school.

CANADIAN NORTHWEST

1. Minister for city work at Calgary, Alberta.

2. Minister for Assiniboia.

3. Minister for Saskatchewan.

4. Six hundred dollars for Indian work.

5. Teacher for training-school in Manitoba.

AFRICA

1. Two men for Nyassaland.

2. One man for Barotseland.

3. One man for Bechuanaland or other native work.

4. Lady teacher for Claremont College.

5. Minister for Gold Coast, West Africa.

SOUTH AMERICA

1. One printer for Brazil, Brother Sabeff, of College View.

2. Return of J. Lipke and wife to Brazil.

PANAMA

Minister to join Elder I. G. Knight.

CENTRAL AMERICA

1. Minister to join Elder H. C. Goodrich.

2. Bible worker for British Honduras.

MISCELLANEOUS

It was further recommended that Elder H. Krum, now on furlough in Pennsylvania, be invited to connect with the German Union Conference, that Brother Adam Schlotthauer and wife, of Union College, be invited to go to Germany, and that Miss Harvey, nurse, of the Portland Sanitarium, be invited to go to Japan.

It was also voted that Prof. B. G. Wilkinson, of the European field, be recommended to come to Washington to engage in school work, in harmony with the invitation of the board of trustees of the Washington school.

Mission Finance

MISSION FIELD APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE YEAR 1905

Bermuda ........................ $350 Brazil .......................... 3,000 Canadian Union Conference ....... 4,864    Canadian Union ................. $1,240    Maritime ........................ 2,624    Quebec .......................... 1,000 Central American Mission ........ 2,000 China Mission Field ............. 8,400 Cuba ............................ 1,000 General European Conference ..... 26,300    British Union ................... $7,600    Latin Union ..................... 6,500    Oriental Union .................. 6,000    Scandinavian .................... 3,000    German Union .................... 2,500    General ........................... 700 East Caribbean Conference ....... 5,435 India Mission .................... 11,000 Jamaica Conference ............... 1,820 Japan Mission .................... 6,000 Mexico ........................... 3,604 Panama Mission ................... 1,600 Porto Rico ....................... 1,500 Polynesia ........................ 8,500 River Plate Conference ........... 3,500 Southern Union Conference ....... 7,500 South America Union .............. 1,200 South African Union Conf. ....... 11,000 West African Gold Coast .......... 1,500 West Coast South America ......... 4,000 Arkansas Conference .............. 1,700 Philippines ...................... 2,000 Canadian Northwest Territory ..... 3,000 Emergencies ...................... 4,000 Total ............................ $124,773

For colored work in the South, the November offering.

It was recommended that this collection be disbursed as follows: seventy-five per cent to the Southern Union Conference, twenty per cent to the Southwestern Union Conference, and five per cent to the Virginia Conference.

THE ANNUAL OFFERING

“Whereas, We have now opened missions in nearly every country in the world, thus permanently establishing our cause in all lands; and,—

“Whereas, The steps we have already taken bring to us most pressing calls for more laborers and means; therefore,—

“We recommend, That a call be made for an annual offering of $80,000, and that we earnestly request the vigilant co-operation of all conference officers, ministers, church officers, and people everywhere in raising this amount during the next week of prayer.”

THE TEN-CENT-A-WEEK PLAN

“Whereas, The ten-cent-a-week plan for the support of foreign missions has been recommended by the General Conference, as well as adopted by most local conferences, a plan by which, if generally accepted, our means for the support of foreign missions would be greatly increased; and,—

“Whereas, The opening providences of the Lord in the regions beyond are an imperative call to this denomination to rise to the great opportunity to send this message throughout these distant lands, where as far as our missionaries have entered, many souls are accepting the truth; and,—

“Whereas, It is impossible for the Mission Board to answer this call of the hour unless the means to support more workers can be produced, therefore,—

“We recommend, That each conference committee make it a part of its conference work to co-operate with the officers of the various churches to establish in each church in its territory the ten-cent-a-week envelope plan of giving for the support of foreign missions, and that each conference be urged to raise for foreign missions, by means of the envelope plan, a sum equal to ten cents a week per capita.

“Whereas, There are many demands for financial aid in building up institutions in our weaker conferences and mission fields; and,—

“Whereas, It is often desirous that some person representing these enterprises be permitted to solicit donations in our stronger conferences; and, unless care is taken, confusion is likely to result from several persons’ soliciting donations through the conference for various enterprises at the same time, therefore,—

“We recommend, That any person sent out to solicit donations for any special local enterprise first receive suitable credentials from the Mission Board or from the union conference from which he comes, and that satisfactory arrangements be made with the executive committee of the local conference in which he wishes to solicit, before such delegate enters upon his work.

“Whereas, The Sabbath-school offerings have been an important factor in the missionary campaign, and the needs of the fields now call for a continued increase in all our funds for missions, therefore,— “We recommend and urge upon all the adoption of the plan recommended at the Oakland Conference, that of devoting all the contributions to missions, save on the specified Sabbath, and we urge all to be watchful to increase the mission funds.”

MISCELLANEOUS

“We recommend the following enterprises as objects for which funds may be solicited by those in charge of the fields represented, in such manner as may be mutually arranged with the home conferences: Quebec sanitarium, $3,000; Maritime school, $1,500; Hildebran (N. C.) school, $1,000.

“Resolved, That we favor opening the Northwest Rhodesia Mission, according to plans outlined by W. H. Anderson, provided the funds can be secured, and that we endeavor to raise ten thousand dollars with which to establish the mission, and to operate it the first two years.

“Resolved, That in view of establishing a school in the Central Canadian Northwest for the purpose of training workers in that field, we supply one thousand copies of ‘Christ’s Object Lessons’ in the various languages, free to this field, and that these books be supplied in lots of one hundred copies until that amount is exhausted.

“Whereas, The periodicals published by the International Publishing Association are missionary papers, and are used for missionary purposes in every part of the world where the Scandinavian and German languages are spoken, and,—

“Whereas, There is a deficit on these papers from Dec. 31, 1903, to the present time; therefore,—

“Resolved, That the General Conference, the Lake Union Conference, and the Central Union Conference share equally in making up the deficit.”

The Next General Conference

It was voted that the next General Conference should be essentially a missionary conference, and that the keynote should be the coming of the Lord and the finishing of the work.

The following recommendations were adopted:—

“1. That the next session of the General Conference be appointed to be held at Washington, D. C., May 11-30, 1905.

“2. That the conference be located, planned for, and conducted with the view of interesting and benefiting the public of Washington.

“3. That this council make some provision for subjects and speakers for the public services in connection with the coming General Conference.

“4. That a general delegation from home and foreign fields be called to the forthcoming conference, and that the officers be requested to make the best arrangements possible for the foreign fields during the absence of the delegates.

“5. That provision be made by raising a fund for the entertainment, free of expense, of the delegates from foreign lands.

“6. That our American conferences best situated to do so, be requested to provide, without rental, the tents that will be required by the conference.

“7. That a daily bulletin be published, and that we authorize the officers to appoint a competent committee to edit the

bulletin, and to report to the daily press.

“8. That the general officers, presidents of union conferences, superintendents of mission fields, and heads of departments be requested to prepare their official reports in writing, and that duplicates be provided to hand to the secretary of the conference, the editor of the bulletin, and the reporters of the daily press.”

“9. That in order to relieve the committee on plans and recommendations of the usual strain of perplexity and taxing labor, and also to secure greater efficiency, a committee be appointed by this council, to be composed chiefly of the heads of department committees, to prepare recommendations covering all phases of our work, and to place them in the hands of the committee on plans and recommendations that shall be appointed by the General Conference.”

“10. That a transportation committee be appointed to make provision for railway rates for delegates to the General Conference.”

The following-named brethren were appointed as the committee to prepare recommendations provided for in recommendation 9: A. G. Daniells (general), H. H. Hall (publishing), W. A. Spicer (missions), G. B. Thompson (Sabbath-school), Frederick Griggs (educational), W. A. Colcord (religious liberty).

DELEGATES FROM MISSION FIELDS

The following were appointed delegates from the mission fields to the next General Conference, and the executive committee was authorized to make any further appointments which might seem advisable:—

F. W. Field, of Japan; J. N. Anderson, of China; J. L. Shaw, of India; W. H. Wakeham, of Egypt; B. G. Wilkinson, of the Latin Union; J. W. Westphal, of South America; G. M. Brown, of Mexico; A. J. Haymer and J. B. Beckner, of the West Indies.

A. G. DANIELLS, Chairman, W. A. SPICER, Secretary.