The General Conference by W. W. P.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 31, 1903

The General Conference

By W. W. P.

The Opening Meeting

The thirty-fifth session of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists convened according to appointment in the church at Oakland, Cal. The first meeting was held on Friday, March 27, at 2:30 P. M. The devotional exercises consisted of singing, reading of the Scripture by Elder J. N. Loughborough, and prayer by Elder G. A. Irwin.

Remarks of welcome were made by Elders W. T. Knox and C. H. Jones.

The roll call showed that there were seventy-six delegates present, representing nine union conferences, two delegates from the European General Conference, and twelve delegates-at-large, making a total of ninety delegates.

The following recommendations concerning the conduct of the conference, adopted in the council of the General Conference Committee during the week, were presented and adopted:—

1. That Brethren A. G. Daniells, G. A. Irwin, H. W. Cottrell, W. T. Knox, and G. I. Butler act as chairmen during the session of the conference.

2. That the general program should provide for a devotional service at 8:00 A. M., conference sessions at 9:30 A. M. and 3:00 P. M., and an evening service.

3. That the first two days, from Friday evening to Sunday evening, should be devoted to a consideration of the definite message for our day, the waiting fields, and the question of finishing the work in this generation.

4. That twenty-five men be nominated from the floor of the conference to act with the presidents of the union conferences as a committee to appoint the standing committees of the conference.

5. That Brethren W. T. Knox, G. A. Irwin, L. R. Conradi, and H. W. Cottrell should be a committee on the daily program of the conference.

The Committee on Daily Program arranged with the following persons to occupy the time until Monday: Friday evening, W. W. Prescott; Sabbath forenoon, Mrs. E. G. White; Sabbath afternoon, G. A. Irwin; Saturday evening, A. G. Daniells; Sunday forenoon, L. R. Conradi; Sunday afternoon, A. T. Jones; Sunday evening, W. W. Prescott.

A spirit of earnestness and courage pervaded the conference, and the faith of many is reaching up for a signal blessing at this meeting. W. W. P.