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California State Conference of S. D. Adventists

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 28, 1875

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 46, No. 17.

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California State Conference of S. D. Adventists.

By John Norton Loughborough; Wm. Saunders

FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING.

In compliance with the published call of the Executive Committee, the fourth annual meeting of the California State Conference of Seventh-day Adventists was held in connection with the annual camp-meeting in Fairfax, Marin County.
The Conference was called to order by the President, Eld. J. N. Loughborough, at 5 P. M., Sept. 23, 1875, and was opened with prayer by Eld. J. H. Waggoner. The delegates presented their credentials to the Secretary.
Eld. J. H. Waggoner, of the Michigan Conference, was by vote invited to take part in the deliberations of the Conference; and, on motion, all brethren in good standing were also invited to take part.
On motion, The churches of Oakland and San Jose (Santa Clara and San Jose having been consolidated) were received into the Conference.
By vote of the Conference, Bro. R. D. Hicks was authorized to represent the unorganized company of Sabbath-keepers at Lower Lake, and Bro. Wm. Healey, the company at Middletown, Lake County.
On motion, The Conference adjourned to meet again at the call of the President.

SECOND SESSION.

Conference opened, Friday, Sept. 24, at 5 P. M., with singing and prayer.
Delegates being called for, the churches were found to be represented as follows: San Francisco, Wesley Diggins, Knud Brossen, Charles Chittenden; San Jose, Wm. Dumont; Santa Rosa, Wm. B. Dennison, John Morrison; Vallejo, J. S. Howard; Healdsburg, Joseph Dimmick, Wm. Harmon; Bloomfield, J. D. Bandy; St. Helena, W. A. Pratt; Petaluma, Edwin Moore; Napa, Joseph Eggleston, C. H. Clark; Woodland, M. G. Kellogg, Alfred Mason, Wm. Saunders; Green Valley, W. T. Ross; Red Bluff, J. H. Disher; Oakland, John I. Tay, D. B. Rickey, J. W. Cronkite; Gilroy, J. N. Loughborough; Watsonville, S. B. Bresee; Bear Valley, John Judson; Little River, Reuel Stickney; Hollister, J. D. Richardson; Middletown, Wm. Healey; Lower Lake, R. D. Hicks. The minutes of proceedings of last year's Conference were read and unanimously approved.
Adjourned to Sunday morning at 8½ A. M.

THIRD SESSION.

Sunday, Sept. 26, 8½ A. M.
Opened with singing, and prayer by Eld. Waggoner.
Eld. James White, President of the General Conference, being now present, was requested to take part in the deliberations of the Conference.
The President announced the following committees: On Nominations, Wesley Diggins, Edwin Moore, John I. Tay. On Credentials and Licenses, A. B. Atwood, M. G. Kellogg, Charles Chittenden. On Resolutions, Eld. J. H. Waggoner, Wm. Saunders, D. A. Morton. Auditing, Brn. Diggins, Morrison, Harmon, Mason, Stevenson, and Pulse.
Adjourned to the call of the President.

FOURTH SESSION.

Sunday, Sept. 26, 5 P. M. Opened with prayer by Eld. Waggoner.
Reports of labor were presented by Elds. Loughborough, Waggoner, Canright, and Kellogg, and by licentiates Carey, Stockton, Howard, Healey, Judson, Uhl, and Brossen.
Eld. White made some very interesting remarks in regard to the work of the Conferences in the East; he thought the business sessions should be made short and interesting, and spoke of the great interest in the Vermont, Iowa, and other camp-meetings which he had lately attended. In some places it seemed as though the whole people were anxious to hear and learn the truth.
Adjourned to the call of the President.

FIFTH SESSION.

Monday, Sept. 27, 5 P. M. Prayer by the President.
The Committee on Nomination of officers reported as follows: President, Eld. J. N. Loughborough; Secretary, Wm. Saunders; Treasurer, W. C. White; Executive Committee, Wesley Diggins, T. M. Chapman (the President being ex officio chairman of the Committee).
The nominees of the Committee were elected by unanimous vote of the Conference.
Eld. Waggoner, chairman of the Committee on Resolutions, presented the following, which, on motion, was unanimously adopted:—
Whereas, The Michigan Conference has invited Eld. Loughborough to labor in that State, and the General Conference has consented to transfer him to that State,
Resolved, That this Conference earnestly request that Eld. Loughborough be not transferred to the East, but be permitted to labor in California during the coming Conference year.
The following preamble and resolution were also offered by the Committee:—
Whereas, Our brethren in various places have been called upon to serve as jurors and witnesses in courts of justice upon the Sabbath,
Resolved, That the Conference Committee be and are hereby instructed to appoint a suitable person or persons to obtain signatures to a petition asking the next Legislature to pass a law exempting all who observe the seventh day of the week, commonly called Saturday, as the Sabbath of the Lord from serving as witnesses and jurors on that day.
The resolution was adopted unanimously. Committee on Licenses and Credentials reported in favor of renewing the credentials of Eld. J. N. Loughborough and Eld. M. G. Kellogg, and granting licenses to R. A. Morton, Knud Brossen, J. E. White, J. Andrews, and John Judson. The Committee recommended that Wm. M. Healey be ordained and set apart for the ministry, and that he be granted ministerial credentials. The names of other candidates for licenses were referred to the Committee for further consideration.
Adjourned to call of the President.

SIXTH SESSION.

Tuesday, Sept. 28, 5 P. M.
Opened with singing, and prayer by Eld. Kellogg.
Committee on Licenses and Credentials reported that they had no further business to transact, and they were discharged.
Committee on Resolutions reported further, as follows:—
Resolved, That we hereby express our gratitude for being so highly favored with the help of Bro. and Sister White at this camp-meeting, and we appreciate the interest which they have manifested in us and in our prosperity, in that they have passed by several large camp-meetings which they were urgently requested to attend in order to meet with us.
Resolved, That it shall be the duty of the elder or leader of each church in this Conference to see that the proper reports of the S. B. treasurers are sent to the State secretary quarterly, and that the S. B. books and church records, together with the annual reports of the treasurers, are sent to the annual Conference by the delegates representing their respective churches.
Resolved, That we recognize the voice that for twenty-five years has been calling to Seventh-day Adventists through the testimonies to the church as a voice from Heaven; and that it is our duty to heed it in all its teachings, whether it encourages, admonishes, or reproves us.
Resolved, That we fully indorse all the steps that have thus far been taken in locating and establishing the Publishing House in Oakland.
Resolved, That we hereby express our gratitude to God, and to our brethren east of the Rocky Mountains, for their noble liberality in furnishing us with two power presses, a steam engine, and the necessary equipments for a first-class publishing house. While we have this evidence of their deep interest in us, we also express the great pleasure we feel in receiving the good reports of the success of the work among them, especially in the eastern camp-meetings, and we renew our pledge to be faithful to the trust conferred upon us in this important field, to endeavor to spread the present truth to the peoples, nations, and tongues, of the earth.
The last two resolutions were put to vote separately, and passed not only by vote of the Conference, but also by a rising vote of the congregation.
The secretary here read the membership and financial reports of the different churches of the Conference, which were accepted.
The President appointed as a Camp-meeting Committee for the ensuing year, G. D. Hager, Wm. Harmon, E. J. Church.
The President stated that the Railroad Company had offered the Conference the use of these grounds for two years more, and on motion he was authorized to conclude such an arrangement with the Company.
Adjourned to call of President.

SEVENTH SESSION.

Wednesday, Sept. 29, 5 P. M.
Session opened with prayer by Eld. Loughborough.
A report of the tent fund was made by the President, which showed a balance of $227.96 on hand at close of this Conference.
Funds were raised by voluntary subscription to pay for clearing the grounds.
Voted, By the Conference, that the expense of transporting the organ used during this Conference and camp-meeting to and from Oakland be paid out of the money so raised.
The Conference treasurer made the following report:— On hand, April 24, 1875, $954.05; received since that time, $2072.60; total, $3026.65; paid out since that time, $1913.72; balance, $1112.93; additional receipts, $200.00; total am't now on hand, $1312.93.
The matter of loaning one thousand dollars from the Conference Funds to the San Francisco church for one year without interest, to assist them in building a church edifice, having been recommended by the Auditing Committee, Eld. White and others gave their views, and it was put to vote and carried unanimously, and also by a rising vote of the congregation.
On motion, The Napa church was allowed to retain the balance due the State Conference on S. B. pledges for the last two quarters to enable her to pay off her church debt.
The following resolutions were offered and adopted:—
Resolved, That we hereby tender our thanks to the North Pacific Coast R. R. Company for the use of their grounds, and for the facilities they have extended to us in this camp-meeting.
Resolved, That the proceedings of this Conference be published in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES and in the REVIEW AND HERALD.
Conference adjourned sine die.
J. N. Loughborough, Pres. Wm. Saunders, Sec.