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Ninth Annual Session of the Vermont Conference:

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 12, 1871

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 38, No. 13.

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Ninth Annual Session of the Vermont Conference:

By Lewis Bean; D. T. Bourdeau

According to previous notice in the REVIEW, the ninth annual session of the Vermont State Conference of Seventh-day-Adventists was held near Richmond, Vt., Aug. 17–21, 1871, in connection with the Vermont camp-meeting.
Conference met Aug. 17, at 6 P. M. Bro. Lewis Bean, president, in the chair. Prayer by Eld. W. H. Littlejohn. Credentials of delegates were called for and presented, showing a delegation of fifteen, representing eleven churches. One church was not represented.
Voted, That Elds. J. N. Andrews and W. H. Littlejohn and all members present of good standing in our churches be invited to take part in the deliberations of this Conference.
The minutes of the last meeting were called for, read, and approved.
On motion, the chair appointed the following committees: Auditing Committee, S. H. Peck, J. Barrows, R. Loveland, F. T. Wales, J. Marvin, and H. Bingham; committee on Nominations, A. Stone, A. S. Hutchins, and J. Barrows; Committee on Resolutions, A. C. Bourdeau, D. T. Bourdeau, and N. Orcutt.
Written reports of labors from preachers were called for, and Elds. A. S. Hutchins, A. C. Bourdeau, D. T. Bourdeau, A. Stone, and N. Orcutt represented.
Adjourned to call of committee.
SECOND SESSION. Aug. 18, at 1:30 P. M. Prayer by D. T. Bourdeau.
The Secretary’s report was called for, read, and accepted, and showed the standing of the Conference to be as follows:—
Number of ministers, 5; number of licentiates, 4; number of churches, 12; membership, 283; increase during the year, 21; new converts not connected with churches, 30; amount of S. B. pledged for the year, $1608.19; amount pledged to the Conference $1400.00.
The following report by the Treasurer was read and accepted:—
Received during the year $1417.68 Paid out $1417.68
The Committee on Nominations reported as follows: For President, L. Bean; Secretary, D. T. Bourdeau; Treasurer, W. J. Cross; Executive Committee, L. Bean, H. N. Austin, and H. W. Barrows. This report was accepted, and the nominees were elected to their respective offices by unanimous votes of the Conference.
Resolved, That we amend Sec. 4 of Art. 2, so that after the words, “to audit and settle accounts with ministers and others in the employ of the Conference,” there shall be added these words in parenthesis: (in connection with an auditing committee of six laymen, who shall be appointed by the conference each year for this special purpose.)
Adjourned to call of Committee.
THIRD SESSION. Aug. 21, at 10:30 A. M. Prayer by Eld. A. C. Bourdeau.
Voted, That the name of the Braintree church be changed back to that of Roxbury.
On motion, the credentials of Elds. A. C. Bourdeau, D. T. Bourdeau, A. S. Hutchins, N. Orcutt, and A. Stone, were renewed, and licenses were granted to Bro. L. Bean, S. D. Yaw, D. T. Evans, and Edward Kellogg.
Voted, That we have a camp-meeting committee of five, and that the executive committee be empowered to nominate said committee.
The Committee on Resolutions presented the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:—
Resolved, That we pledge ourselves to renewed efforts for the advancement of the work of God both in our own hearts and in those of our fellow-men; and that we feel deeply to humble ourselves in view of our failures to do all that we should have done in time past to honor Him who died for us.
Resolved, That we express our deep concern lest our Conference should, in part at least, become recreant to the light which God has given us on reform both in the subject of health and in that of dress, and that we beseech all our people to be circumspect in these things.
Resolved, That we acknowledge with gratitude to God the prosperity which attends our institutions at Battle Creek, and that we pledge ourselves to aid in every way in our power those who are bearing the burden of their management.
Resolved, That in response to the request made by Bro. White, we recommend that Bro. H. W. Kellogg remove to Battle Creek to help relieve Bro. White in his financial burdens.
Resolved, That we pledge ourselves to collect the dues for our periodicals within the bounds of this Conference; and wherein we fail to accomplish this, we will as a Conference make up the deficiency.
Also it was here Voted, That sister C. P. Whitford be appointed to encourage by correspondence or otherwise the paying for our periodicals in cases of delinquency, and that she be empowered to appoint agents within the limits of this Conference to aid her in this work.
Resolved, That as churches and as individuals we express our heartfelt gratitude to God for the timely and searching testimony which we have received during the past year, and that we hereby acknowledge its justice and pledge ourselves to heed its solemn admonitions and reproofs.
Resolved, That we express our deep regret for the tardiness on the part of many in our Conference in meeting their pledges on Systematic Benevolence, and that we beseech our people to be more punctual in this thing.
Remarks were made by Bro. Andrews and others on the impropriety of appropriating much of the S. B. money in building meeting-houses, and it was voted that this matter be left with the Conference Committee.
Adjourned to call of Committee.
FOURTH SESSION. Aug. 21, at 6 P. M. Prayer by Bro. Andrews.
The report of the Auditing Committee was read and accepted.
The Conference appropriated the sum of fifty dollars to the General Conference fund.
The Executive Committee then presented the following names for the camp-meeting committee: S. H. Peck, F. T. Wales, Charles Bean, M. N. Cross, and Thomas Purden. This report was accepted, and the nomination ratified by vote.
Voted, That Bro. W. J. Cross be empowered to solicit means for the Publishing Association and Health Institute, and to appoint agents within the bounds of this conference to assist in this work.
Resolved, That we tender a vote of thanks to Elds. J. N. Andrews and W. H. Littlejohn for their services at our Conference and camp-meeting.
Voted, That the minutes of this meeting be published in the REVIEW.
Adjourned sine die.
L. BEAN, Pres. D. T. BOURDEAU, Sec.