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Minutes of the Canadian Union Conference

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 7, 1902

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 79, No. 40.

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Minutes of the Canadian Union Conference

By W. H. Thurston; S. D. Hartwell

The first biennial session of the Canadian Union Conference was held in connection with the Quebec camp meeting, at Waterloo, Quebec, Sept. 10–15, 1902, the first meeting being called at 10:30 A. M., of the 10th, with Elder W. H. Thurston in the chair. Elder Collie led in the devotional exercises, earnestly asking the blessing of the Lord upon the deliberations of the conference.
The following delegates were seated at the first meeting: from the field at large, W. H. Thurston and S. D. Hartwell; from Ontario, J. W. Collie; from Quebec, S. A. Farnsworth, H. E. Rickard, J. M. Ellis, and J. C. Nichols; from Maritime, George E. Langdon, M. S. Babcock, and F. A. Tracy; from Newfoundland, H. J. Farman. At a subsequent meeting William Ostrander was seated as a delegate from Quebec.
The minutes of the meeting held at South Lancaster, Mass., Dec. 3, 1901, at which time the conference was organized, were read and approved.

President's Address

“The organization of the Canadian Union Conference went into effect Jan. 1, 1902. It embraces the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, the maritime provinces, and Newfoundland. In looking the field over, it was evident that more laborers were needed, and we began at once to supply this demand.
“Up to date there have been sixteen laborers brought in from the States, and yet there are rich fields waiting for the faithful worker.
“The maritime provinces were organized into a conference last May, and each province in the conference was supplied with two or more laborers. Two local camp meetings and several general meetings have been held in the union conference during the summer, and ten tent efforts have been in progress. As a result of these efforts a large ingathering of souls should be realized.
“In St. John's, Newfoundland, a health institute has been established, with the Drs. Lemon in charge, and a good work is being done. The institution has been running only three months, and it is now self-supporting. It is true that a building had to be fitted up for giving treatments, and some further outlay of means will be necessary for the enlargement of the institution to meet the increasing demand, but we believe that the money is forthcoming.
“At a legal meeting held at St. John's, Newfoundland, Sept. 2, 1902, the following resolution was adopted:—
“‘Resolved, That the medical missionary workers sustain the same relation to the mission field and to the Canadian Union Conference as other workers in the island; and that no line of separation be recognized between the medical missionary work and other departments of work in this field.’”
“Dr. A. E. Lemon has been granted ministerial license, and Dr. Carrie J. Lemon, missionary credentials, and they are both on the pay roll of the Canadian Union Conference as conference laborers, the same as the ministers, and are in full harmony with this arrangement.
“Looking at the situation as a whole, the outlook is good, the churches are much encouraged, and the missionary spirit is being revived.
“In regard to the educational work it has been thought best, instead of planning for one large industrial school for the entire conference, as first suggested, to establish a school in each local conference as soon as practicable.

NEEDS OF MISSIONARY WORK IN NEW DISTRICTS

“While safeguarding the essential interests of our established work through the conference, what we would seem at the present time to need in extended missionary districts and in our large cities, are the best practical ways (1) of securing a sufficient number of suitable Christian workers; (2) of properly distributing these laborers with due regard to economy and efficiency; (3) of obtaining the resources to sustain these laborers and their indispensable institutions; (4) of inspiring and helping them to secure and maintain a uniform policy of advance, uniting under proper regulations all our resources for vigilant and energetic progress. The publishing work, and our future policy and details of operation, should receive careful consideration at this meeting, and a permanent location should be decided upon for our headquarters.
“I thank you all for your hearty cooperation thus far in the Canadian Union Conference work, and trust that the Lord will direct in all future plans and efforts in this important field.”
Elder Collie gave an interesting report of the work in Ontario. Elder Farnsworth spoke for the work in Quebec, giving a brief report of the work of the past year, which he said was encouraging to the brethren of the conference. A number of laborers have been taken into the field during the year, some of whom are being supported by other conferences. Elder Farman reported advancement in the work in Newfoundland, the future prospects being bright. He strongly urged the importance of more laborers' being sent there. Elder Langdon reported the work in the Maritime Conference, and spoke encouragingly of the outlook.
The Chair being empowered, by vote of the conference, to appoint the usual committees, reported the following: Nominations, George E. Langdon, H. J. Farman, J. M. Ellis; Credentials and Licenses, J. W. Collie, S. A. Farnsworth, M. S. Babcock. The delegates were appointed as a committee of the whole on Plans of Work.
Elder W. A. Spicer was invited to take part in the deliberations of the conference.
The time of the second meeting of the conference was taken up in discussing the question of the publishing work, and conference headquarters. It was the consensus of opinion that the interests of the conference would be best served by continuing the publishing work in Canada, and a motion was carried authorizing the Chair to appoint a committee of two with himself to consider the matter of location. The east and the west were represented on this committee, which consisted of Elders Langdon, of New Brunswick, and Collie, of Ontario. This committee subsequently reported, recommending Montreal as the headquarters, and suggesting that the time of making the change in location be left to the discretion of the conference president and the secretary. Report adopted.
Elders Rickard, Collie, and Babcock were appointed as a committee to consider the matter of legal incorporation, and after taking time for investigation, verbally reported, recommending the incorporation of the Canadian Union Conference Association, with a board of seven trustees, to be elected at the regular sessions of the conference, for the purpose of holding property in the Dominion of Canada, not otherwise provided for.
The constitution was, by vote, amended by striking out the word “eleven” and inserting the word “nine” in Section 3, Article V, thus reducing the number on the executive committee; also eliminating the word “educational” from the same article, and providing that superintendents of organized mission fields should be members of the executive board.
Upon the recommendation of the Committee on Nominations, the following persons were elected as officers for the ensuing two years: President, W. H. Thurston; Vice-President, J. W. Collie; Secretary, Treasurer, and Auditor, S. D. Hartwell; Executive Committee, W. H. Thurston, J. W. Collie, T. H. Robinson, S. D. Hartwell, A. E. Lemon, M. D., and E. P. Auger, together with the presidents of Quebec and Maritime Conferences and the superintendent of the Newfoundland mission field; Trustees of the legal incorporation, W. H. Thurston, J. W. Collie, S. A. Farnsworth, George E. Langdon, T. H. Robinson, S. D. Hartwell, and M. S. Babcock; Publishing Committee, W. H. Thurston, J. W. Collie, S. D. Hartwell, E. P. Auger, George E. Langdon; Mission Board for Newfoundland, Elders H. J. Farman and W. H. Thurston, Dr. A. E. Lemon, and Brother Johnston, and one to be supplied.
Ministerial credentials were granted to W. H. Thurston and H. J. Farman, and ministerial license to Dr. A. E. Lemon and S. D. Hartwell. Missionary credentials were given to Mrs. Carrie Lemon and Miss Clara Farman.
The following recommendations were passed, after interesting discussion:—
“Whereas, We recognize that the medical and evangelical work are one and should be placed upon the same basis, and,—
“Whereas, The Newfoundland Health Institute has taken the initiative in resolving and placing the medical work on the same basis as the evangelical work, therefore,—
“Resolved, That the workers in each department report to, and their accounts be settled by, the executive committee in the field in which they labor.
“Whereas, The Ontario Tract Society, in order to obtain possession of the territory of the Province of Ontario from the Review and Herald, assumed the responsibility of certain accounts, which have proved to be worthless, and,—
“Whereas, This assumed indebtedness is a part of the accounts turned over to the Canadian Union Conference by the Review and Herald, therefore,—
“Resolved, That that assumed indebtedness be forgiven the Ontario Conference, except those parts of the account for which they have received value; for these they will be expected to pay.”
The matter of the forgiveness of the debts which were turned over to the conference was quite fully discussed by Brethren Thurston, Spicer, Collie, and others, all concurring in the opinion that we should expect settlements to be made of all accounts where it was evident that value had been received by the creditors, as the proceeds of these accounts had been intended for the benefit of the union conference.
Four meetings were held, and all the business of the conference was performed with a unanimity of purpose and feeling, which was encouraging, and all felt that the conference had been a profitable one, and the different conferences of the union were more closely bound together. Adjourned sine die.
W. H. THURSTON, President; S. D. HARTWELL, Secretary.