REGULAR QUARTERLY MEETINGS by James White; S. N. Haskell; Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 7, 1877

REGULAR QUARTERLY MEETINGS.

By James White; S. N. Haskell; Dudley Marvin Canright

When our work began, some twenty-five years ago, we had everything to learn. For the first dozen years or more our brethren were few and scattered. But as our numbers began to increase, and churches were formed, the necessity for organization and system became more and more apparent. Some attention has been paid to this subject; but in the press of other things, much has been neglected. We now number about twenty thousand, with some five hundred churches, and about fifty new churches are being added yearly.

A little examination shows that the records of many of these churches have been imperfectly and poorly kept. Some are in utter confusion, and others have no record at all. Names of persons are on the records as members in good standing who have not even kept the Sabbath for years. Others who have moved away have not been looked after, but all knowledge of them has been lost. This ought not to be so.

Again, we find many cases of members who either from feeble health, or poverty, or some little trial or loss of interest, have not reported themselves to the church for years; yet no one has visited them or inquired after them. Many dear souls are thus entirely lost to the cause. We also find that many of our churches have been very slack about celebrating the ordinances. Some churches do not have them once a year, some not once in five years, and others never. We believe that this is wrong, and displeasing to God. These sacred ordinances should be regularly attended to.

Every year our S. B. fund is becoming larger and of greater importance. The progress of our work now depends largely upon the regular payment of this fund. It is generally calculated now that all pledges on S. B. are to be paid quarterly. It is very important that they should be. If allowed to run longer than this, the Conference becomes embarrassed and the amount becomes so large that the individuals fail to pay it at all.

And now the added one-third for the T. and M. work, which is generally adopted by all our Conferences, is also to be paid quarterly. Then all members of the T. and M. Society are required and expected to report to their librarians every quarter. The efficiency of the Society depends largely upon this. Drop the reporting, and the work stops. Every librarian is also required to report quarterly to his director. But there has been great difficulty in securing these reports. Where these quarterly meetings are not held regularly, but are left to be appointed by the director, much confusion unavoidably occurs. Then the constitution directs that a State quarterly meeting of the directors be held quarterly. Also, it is the duty of each S. B. treasurer to forward all money once a quarter to the State Conference treasurer, and report the same to the State secretary. Here again we have found great difficulty in securing this.

Hence, to obviate these evils and to secure system and union of action throughout all our Conferences and churches and among our scattered brethren, we recommend all our Conferences to adopt and put into effect the following plan of

REGULAR QUARTERLY MEETINGS.

1. Let all our Conference years, S. B. pledges, quarterly reports, etc., be counted from Jan. 1st each year, instead of beginning them irregularly through the year to harmonize with the sitting of the Conferences. Do this, and all will begin together and everybody will know just when it comes. One notice by the Gen. Conf. Com. will answer for all. Then our years and quarters will all be of the same length. Then we shall not come up to our camp-meetings with all the business of a year to be done in a hurry and confusion.

2. Let every individual church by itself alone hold a quarterly meeting upon the first Sabbath and Sunday in January, April, July, and October. At each of these quarterly meetings business should be done in the following order:—

(1.) Sabbath morning, when the church has assembled, let the clerk read each name on the church record. When a name is read, if the person is present, call upon him to relate his present condition, feelings, etc. If any members are unavoidably absent, they should send a letter to be read at that meeting. If they are not present, neither have written, then let the officers of the church inquire after them and immediately either write or visit them. Thus every member of the church will be personally heard from and inquired after every three months. This will save many a soul from apostasy and will keep the record clean.

(2.) Then let every church which has an ordained elder celebrate the ordinances. Don't put it off till the minister comes, nor wait till everything is in perfect order, but attend to it then and there. This would be a happy thought, to know that all our people throughout the world were celebrating these holy ordinances at the same time. Surely the Lord would be pleased with such a sight.

(3.) On the next day or evening after the Sabbath, let all come together and pay their S. B. pledges and the one-third for the past quarter. If any fail to do so, the treasurer should immediately see them or write them about it. Much depends upon the promptness of the treasurer in this matter.

(4.) At the same time have a meeting of the Tract Society for that church, in which each member shall read his or her report for the last quarter, and hand it to the librarian. If any fail to do so, the librarian should see them or write them immediately.

(5.) At the close of the meeting let each S. B. treasurer prepare his report to be sent with his money to the State treasurer and secretary the next day, Monday. Also let the librarian make out his report that day ready to be sent Monday to his director. Thus, every item of business in that church and Tract Society will be regularly attended to at a definite time once a quarter.

3. The next Sunday each director will have all the reports in his district, at which time a quarterly meeting of the churches in each district can be held.

4. The following Sabbath and Sunday, the third in that month, the State quarterly meeting can be held, at which the reports of all the directors can be read. This will complete the quarter.

We think that the utility of such a system of quarterly meetings will be apparent to every one. Just before each quarter an article can appear in the REVIEW reminding the brethren of the approaching meeting, and what they should do to be ready for it. Sabbath and Sunday, July 7 and 8, will be the first meeting according to this arrangement. We advise that all pledges and reports be squared up to July 1, and then all begin at this quarter together, as this will be the middle of the year.

Let no church wait for a minister to visit them and instruct them about this matter. The above is just what is to be done. It is so simple that all can readily understand what to do.

JAMES WHITE, S. N. HASKELL, D. M. CANRIGHT, General Conference Committee.