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THE GENERAL MEETING AT BATTLE CREEK

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 16, 1876

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 48, No. 20.

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THE GENERAL MEETING AT BATTLE CREEK.

By James White; C. W. Stone

According to previous appointment, this meeting was held at Battle Creek, Nov. 12 and 13, 1876. There being a sufficient number of brethren present, the General Conference committee called them to unite with themselves in deliberations upon Conference business. The first session was held Sunday morning at 10 o’clock, Eld. James White, president, in the chair. Eld. S. N. Haskell, one of the General Conference committee, was present; and Eld. U. Smith was appointed by these to supply the place of the third member of the committee, Eld. D. M. Canright, who was absent.
Eld. H. W. Decker, president of the Wisconsin Conference, H. A. St. John, president of the Ohio Conference, Eld. James Harvey, president of the Indiana Conference, Eld. Jerome Fargo, president of the Michigan Conference, Elds. M. B. Miller, A. O. Burrill, John Byington, and Harmon Kenyon, of the Michigan Conference, Eld. O. A. Olsen of the Wisconsin Conference, Eld. John Fulton of the Minnesota Conference, I. A. Olmstead, a licentiate of the Michigan Conference, S. Howland, S. H. King, Dr. J. H. Kellogg of the Health Institute, Prof. S. Brownsberger, principal of the S. D. A. College, and James Sawyer, editor of the Swedish Herald, were invited to assist the General Conference committee in the business of the meeting.
Meeting opened with prayer by Eld. Smith. Eld. White read a request from the church at Dallas, Tex., for a faithful preacher to be sent there with a tent. He made some remarks upon the comparative number of preachers in Michigan and Iowa. Michigan has nineteen ordained preachers, twelve of whom are in the State. Iowa has fifteen with twelve in the State. Bro. King made remarks upon Texas as a field of labor, closing with the motion, that Eld. R. M. Kilgore, of Iowa, be requested by the General Conference to go to Texas, to labor there as a missionary. The motion was carried.
The subject of Systematic Benevolence was taken up. The matter had been carefully studied by the brethren during the two previous days, in special Bible-class sessions, and by themselves. The result of this investigation will very soon be published in pamphlet form by the committee.
Adjourned to call of chair.

SECOND SESSION, 2 P. M.

Prayer by Eld. White.
Eld. White introduced the matter of the Swedish mission, and read a letter from a Swedish brother, A. J. Petterson, of New Sweden, Me., requesting that Bro. James Sawyer go to stay with them a month or more, to teach them English. Remarks were made by Bro. Sawyer and Eld. Haskell. Eld. H. moved that Bro. Sawyer visit the Swedes in Maine as soon as possible. Carried.
The matter of sending Eld. John Matteson to Denmark was mentioned; but for want of information, it was left with the General Conference committee.
Eld. White spoke for a few moments upon the distribution of reading matter and the duty of the Conference to take some measures to accomplish it effectually. Eld. Haskell also made some remarks. Eld. White mentioned the representation of our publications at the Centennial, the expense of which would be presented for consideration at the evening session after Dr. Kellogg should report. He then dwelt upon the SIGNS OF THE TIMES and HEALTH REFORMER and the number of subscribers that should be obtained in each State.
Moved by Eld. Decker, that a committee of five be appointed to apportion to each Conference the number of subscribers it should obtain for these publications. Carried. The chair appointed S. N. Haskell, H. A. St. John, Jerome Fargo, U. Smith, and H. W. Decker as said committee.
The college paper was introduced by Prof. Brownsberger, who made some remarks upon the objects of that paper. After a few remarks by Eld. White, it was voted to refer the matter to a committee of three, who shall take charge of the publishing of said paper, and appoint its editor. Prof. Brownsberger, Dr. Kellogg, and Eld. Smith were appointed as such committee.
Adjourned to call of chair.

THIRD SESSION, 10:10 P. M.

Prayer by Eld. White.
The committee on apportioning periodicals reported as follows:—
To circulate 10,000 copies each of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES and the HEALTH REFORMER, Maine should circulate 267 copies of each; New England, 400; Vermont, 334; New York, 667; Ohio, 467; Michigan, 3,334; Indiana, 334; Illinois, 400; Wisconsin, 1,200; Minnesota, 800; Iowa, 1,267; Missouri, 334; Kansas, 400; Texas, 67; Virginia, 67.
The report was accepted.
Voted, That the General Conference recommend to our several T. & M. Societies east of the Rocky Mountains to make an earnest effort to obtain 10,000 subscribers for the SIGNS, and the same for the REFORMER.
Moved, by Eld. Haskell, that we recommend to the several Conferences to follow the example of the State of New York by taking a number of almanacs that will compare with their membership as the number New York has taken compares with hers. Carried.
The above apportionment was made upon that basis by the committee.
Dr. J. H. Kellogg presented his report of the exhibition of our publications at the Centennial as follows:—

DISTRIBUTED.

Denominational Tracts, 7,000
Health and Temperance Tracts, 7,000
Periodicals, 1,000
Almanacs, 2,300
Bird’s Eye Views, 4,000
Catalogues of Health Publications, 3,000
Number of pp. circulated, 500,000
Total cost, $291.00
Voted, That Eld. S. N. Haskell be a committee to correspond with the several Conferences, or T. & M. Societies, and apportion to each its share of this expense, and invite them to pay it.
Eld. White occupied a few minutes in speaking upon the prospects of our College and the advantages it presents to pupils from all parts of the wide field. The duty of our people to come up fully on S. B., so as to put our institutions on firm footing and keep them there, was plainly and forcibly set forth by the speaker.
Voted, To recommend to the several Conferences to interest themselves in sending pupils to our College at Battle Creek.
A letter was read from Orlando Soule in Tennessee, asking a little help. The Conference voted to assist him in the manner he suggested. It was also voted to send him ten dollars’ worth of publications.
Voted, That the proceedings of this Conference be published in REVIEW.
Adjourned at 11:10 P. M., to call of chair.

FOURTH SESSION, MONDAY, 9 A. M.

Prayer by Eld. H. W. Decker.
Voted, That this Conference recommend that Eld. S. N. Haskell make Michigan his headquarters, to labor especially in this State in connection with the Mich. T. & M. Society, and in other States as may be required, to carry out the plans of this Conference. Carried by unanimous vote.
Matters relating to the General Conference T. and M. Society were discussed. On examination of the records, it was found that this Society was organized in 1874, with Eld. James White, as president, Benn Auten treasurer, and Eld. S. N. Haskell business agent; also it was found that this Society has a credit of $493.76, at the REVIEW Office.
Voted, to revive this Society, with Sr. M. J. Chapman as treasurer. By virtue of his office, the president appointed Sr. Chapman secretary.
After some further discussion as to the amount necessary to be raised in addition to the S. B. in the several Conferences, the meeting adjourned to meet at 1:30 P. M.

FIFTH SESSION, 1:30 P. M.

Prayer by Eld. White. In connection with this session, a meeting of the trustees of the Publishing Association was held. This board transacted some business relating to accounts between the Association and several of the State Conferences. This was done at this point, that the General Conference might be prepared to decide upon the amount of means necessary to be raised to carry on the proposed missionary work.
The chair then appointed a committee to present a resolution upon that matter at the next session.
Adjourned to meet at 7 P. M.

SIXTH SESSION, 7 P. M.

Prayer by Eld. St. John.
The committee presented the following resolution, which was accepted and adopted:—
Whereas, In the raising of means for all such general enterprises as the proposed increase of the circulation of our periodicals and distribution of our publications, or in any move for the support of our institutions, which are laboring for the advancement of the Master’s cause, our people should have the privilege of bearing the burden equally, and should regard it a duty to do so; and,
Whereas, Such equality may be effected if our people, having first correct S. B. pledges, will donate for such special calls sums in proportion to their S. B. pledges, therefore,
Resolved, That this Conference recommend to the several State Conferences that each individual raise a sum equal to one-third of his S. B. pledge for the year, to meet the demand for means to be used as far as necessary in the proposedincrease of the circulation of the SIGNS, the REFORMER, and other publications, this offering to be paid, if convenient, the first of Jan. 1877, or, if more favorable, in four installments, the first to be paid Jan. 1; the second, April 1; the third, July 1; and the fourth, Oct. 1, 1877.
Adjourned to call of the chair.
JAMES WHITE, Pres.
C. W. STONE, Sec.