The North England Conference at Leicester
By Guy Dail
At the final meeting of the conference proper, held last evening, August 11, about one thousand persons were present. From the opening day of the conference, July 31, the outside interest gradually increased. As the chief speaker could be heard by only about seven hundred persons in and around the large pavilion, it was necessary to hold an open-air “overflow” meeting, during which three hundred persons gave good attention to the words of life for fully three quarters of an hour. Many pronounce this the most wonderful meeting we ever held in Great Britain. The workers were united. The special truths for these special times were proclaimed in an especially emphatic manner. Such topics as, “The Second Coming of Christ,” “The Nature of Man,” “Spiritualism,” “The Fate of the Wicked,” “The Judgment,” “The Law of God,” “Who Changed the Sabbath?” “Righteousness by Faith,” “The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation,” and the “Signs of the End,” still have power to stir men’s hearts when presented in the demonstration of the Spirit. Mormonism, Dowieism, and many other “isms” are making rapid headway in this field. There is a desire for the supernatural, the miraculous, the marvelous. There is also a settling down into the formal, lifeless, outward ceremonialism, and a growing disbelief in the divine authorship and authenticity of the Scriptures. Many of the people trust in their ministers, and many of their ministers do not trust in the Word of God. The work done at the North England Conference demonstrates that God yet has a people on earth, and that that people is hungering and thirsting for righteousness, and that when the true, primitive gospel is preached, men’s souls will be stirred by it, men’s hearts will be converted to God. As we now leave this city and the laborers who are to remain, we feel deeply concerned that they may go forward in the fear of Jehovah, and reap a rich ingathering of such as are “being saved.” Acts 2:47, R. V. The conference laborers did what they could for the success of the meetings, and valuable help was rendered by Elders L. R. Conradi, O. A. Olsen, J. O. Corliss, A. F. Ballenger, and W. A. Westworth, and Drs. David Paulson, A. B. Olsen, and Eulalia Sisley. There were a few sessions of the British Union Committee, in which things pertaining to finance, and to gospel, educational, and health work were carefully considered. It was impressed upon all that strenuous efforts must be made to put our work on a self-supporting basis; that what the people need is the clean-cut message for this time; that we must educate our native-born young men and young women for the work in the home and the foreign field; and that the health principles which God has given us are to enlighten the world, and be a mighty factor in preparing a peculiar people to give the “loud cry.” The work of the Health Association was more clearly defined than it had been heretofore. This society will act as a union society for the United Kingdom. Its office will be largely administrative. It will be the legal holder of the sanitarium and medical missionary property in Great Britain. It will act as a distributor of the funds which may be received on rents, etc., and thus see that each health institution shall receive its share of attention and financial help. This will prevent one institution from becoming too fully self-centered. Before heavy outlays for improvements can be made in one place, the association will investigate the needs of the sister institutions in the field. The sanitarium which may have far the better advantage as to equipment, payment of rent, or patronage, will thus be called upon to assist the less fortunate member of the institutional family. This is really the basis upon which things are operated on the Continent, and this basis is good for the institutions, and it is good for the people, as it inculcates correct gospel principles. The business of the North England Conference passed off pleasantly. The best, and most brotherly feelings were manifested by the workers and by the lay members. When the conference was organized last year, no constitution was provided: this year that matter was taken up, and a constitution was heartily adopted. Appropriate resolutions were passed, expressing thanks to God for his protecting care over the conference the past year; acknowledging the liberal spirit of our brethren in America who have so generously assisted the North England Conference; urging the individual members of the conference to do all in their power to help the officers in their efforts to make the conference self-sustaining; recommending the formation of a legal union organization that shall hold all the conference property, and the turning over of all the properties of the North England Conference to the called-for legal association; encouraging the young people of North England to attend Duncombe Hall Missionary College, and starting an educational fund for the assistance of worthy students (about one hundred dollars was raised at the time); pressing home upon the people the need of greater activity in the circulation of our gospel and health literature; establishing a conference poor fund to help pay the expense of keeping worthy poor members at the sanitarium, in cases where neither the relatives of the sick nor the church to which the sick belong can render the necessary financial aid; calling for greater liberality in missionary offerings; requesting the British Union Conference to provide uniform report blanks for the making of conference reports and the keeping of church and conference records, and enjoining upon church clerks, secretaries, and librarians, faithfulness in the matter of filling out such blanks and forwarding them promptly to the proper persons; and fostering the church-school work, where it is established and carried on under the supervision of the conference committee, and supported from local church funds. Ministerial credentials were given to E. E. Andross, M. A. Altman, S. G. Haughey, J. W. McCord, D. A. Parsons; ministerial license to A. S. Marchus; and missionary licenses to C. H. Castle, J. Brandt, E. Bartlett, C. Sanders, J. F. Bacon, E. Cousins, Mrs. C. H. Castle, Mrs. L. A. Parsons. Two new churches were received into the conference. One of these is the Leeds church, with thirty-five members; the other is located at Hull, and has about thirty members. Eleven candidates were baptized at the meeting. There were fifty-three baptized during the year, and the conference membership is now three hundred and sixty. Its tithe for the year ending June 30, 1903, was about $5,200; S. S. donations, $215; annual offerings, $70; First-day offerings, $65. The finances of the North England Conference are in good condition. Those who enjoyed the privilege of sojourning for a few days in the beautiful city of Leicester (the former home of William Carey), and attending the meetings held on the camp-ground on Foose Road, South, will long be thankful that God met with them so truly and so willingly, and blessed them so abundantly. May the peace of God be with our brethren in this field, and their work go forward in mighty power.