NEBRASKA CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS.
By J. F. Beatty
Including Wyoming and the Black Hills of South Dakota. THE twenty-fourth annual session of the Nebraska Conference was held in connection with the camp-meeting at Lincoln, Neb., Sept. 3-16, 1901. Seven meetings were held, and about eighty delegates were present from the various churches. Two new churches were admitted to the Conference,—one, a Danish church of eighteen members, at Meadow Grove, Neb., and the other, an English church of eight members, at Columbus Creek, Wyo. This increases the list of churches to seventy-two, and the membership to about twenty-six hundred. A committee of fifteen was chosen to appoint the usual smaller committees, whose duty it should be to prepare and bring matters of business before the Conference, first presenting them before said large committee. The following are, in brief, some of the recommendations and plans presented before the Conference, and approved:— That the constitution be so changed as to admit the Sabbath-school Association as a department of the Conference, also that the church-school and young people’s work be under the direction of the Conference, and that field secretaries be elected for each of these. The Sabbath-school Association in session voted to become a department of the Conference, and as the tract society was already such, all the work is now under one organization. It was voted that we approve the steps taken in the organization of the Northwestern Union Conference, and that we pay said Conference a tithe, and also pay a second tithe to the General Conference for the support of the general work. A large degree of enthusiasm was manifested in the recommendation to continue the ten-cent-a-week plan of offerings, nearly the whole assembly voting to carry it out the ensuing year. Another important resolution was that relating to the canvassing work, and the distribution of our tracts and papers. The Conference voted to continue their liberal treatment toward our canvassers, and recommended that each church encourage, in every way possible, one or more of its members to engage in this work. Also that the churches continue the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons,” and that the State Agent, assisted by the district superintendents, spend as much time as possible giving instruction in their sale and in the use of our tracts and periodicals. The following are the officers elected for the coming year:— President, N. P. Nelson; Secretary and Treasurer, J. F. Beatty; Secretary and Treasurer of the Missionary Department, Mary F. Beatty; State Canvassing Agent, F. Jencks; Secretary and Treasurer of the Sabbath-school Department, Ida Nelson; Field Secretary of the Young People’s Work, Luther Warren; Educational Secretary, G. M. Brown; Transportation Agent, J. Sutherland. Executive Committee: N. P. Nelson, O. S. Ferren, G. M. Brown, G. A. Kirkle, J. Sutherland. Nebraska Conference Association: N. P. Nelson, T. McAlpine, J. Sutherland, D. W. Lapham, John Christensen. Delegates to the Northwestern Union Conference: N. P. Nelson, G. M. Brown, O. S. Ferren, G. A. Kirkle, F. Jencks, J. F. Beatty, G. Mathiesen, M. W. Blue, Paul Nelson. Credentials and licenses were granted as follows:— Credentials: N. P. Nelson, W. B. Hill, G. H. Smith, G. M. Brown, Luther Warren, O. S. Ferren, J. H. Wheeler, Fred Anderson, R. F. Andrews, P. P. Gaede, V. Leer. Ordination and Credentials: L. E. Johnson, A. C. Anderson. Ministerial Licenses: C. R. Kite, O. A. Hall, W. H. Campbell, John Miller. Missionary Licenses: O. E. Jones, A. S. Baird, J. F. Beatty, W. J. Wilson, C. S. Anderson, C. H. Miller, Mary F. Beatty, Mrs. E. M. Peebles, Esther Smith, Pearl West, F. Jencks, Myrtle Ferren, G. A. Kirkle, J. Nethery, J. B. Mourer, Clara Beatty, George Runck, Robert Ryan, Stella B. Lowry, Ida Nelson, Ella Hedgecock, G. P. Loy, Lilia Warren. Colporteur Licenses: E. L. Cook, J. W. Beams, Franklin Hess, J. H. Johnson, W. H. White, B. M. Garton, John F. Anderson, C. S. Wilbur. Reports from the Conference Treasurer and the Missionary Department were rendered, and were encouraging in many respects, showing a prosperous condition of affairs. Over sixteen thousand dollars’ worth of books was sold the past year, and five thousand dollars has been turned over to Union College on the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons.” Our donations to foreign missions were more than double those of the preceding year, besides the special offerings, which were liberal. It was also a matter of much rejoicing that our Conference is now entirely free from debt. Most of the business meetings were well attended, and a lively interest taken in the discussion of plans of work, etc. We trust the same interest and earnestness may be manifest in carrying them out, that the message may be greatly hastened.