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MINNESOTA CONFERENCE

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 17, 1879

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 54, No. 4.

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MINNESOTA CONFERENCE.

By Harrison Grant; D. P. Curtis

The eighth annual session of the Minnesota Conference convened at Calhoun Lake, Hennepin Co., Minn., June 19, 1879. Eld. H. Grant, president, in the chair. Prayer by Bro. D. P. Curtis. Bro. and Sr. White and all visiting brethren from other Conferences, in good standing, were invited to participate in the deliberations of the Conference. The churches were called, and thirty-one responded by delegates. Nine new churches, with an aggregate membership of one hundred and thirty-two, reported themselves, and asked admission to the Conference. Their requests were granted, and their delegates took seats in the Conference. A company of four at Graham Lake requested to come under the watchcare of the Conference. Request granted. The president was instructed to appoint the committees.
Adjourned to call of Chair.
SECOND MEETING, June 20. Conference called by the president. The president was instructed to appoint an auditor. Accordingly Bro. Van Kirk was appointed. The Chair announced the committees as follows: On preaching, James White, D. P. Curtis, W. B. Hill; on nominations, J. L. House, T. J. Cross, J. H. Warren; auditing committee, B. F. Lee, Jos. Sutherland, H. W. Norton, Wm. E. Armstrong, Wm. Moulton, I. Z. Lamb; on resolutions, D. P. Curtis, W. C. White, A. H. Vankirk; on credentials and licenses, H. W. Babcock, W. B. Hill, H. W. Norton.
Adjourned to call of Chair.
THIRD MEETING, June 23. The list of delegates called and corrected. The nominating committee reported as follows: For president, Harrison Grant; secretary, D. P. Curtis; treasurer, W. I. Gibson; executive committee, W. H. Hall, C. Kelsey. The report was adopted as a whole.
The secretary read the statistical report. Twenty-nine churches reported eight hundred and thirty-six members. No report from nineteen. Nine new churches, reporting one hundred and thirty-two members, give an aggregate of nine hundred and sixty-eight.
The secretary also read a financial report, taken from the treasurer's book, showing that churches and individuals have paid into the treasury during the year, $3208.76.
The treasurer reported that he had received during the Conference year, $3875.65. Amount paid out, 3067.50 Balance in treasury, $808.15 Report approved.
By request, the name of the Faribault church was changed to Dundas.
Moved, That the treasurer be paid for his services. Amended by instructing the Chair to appoint a committee of three to recommend what compensation the treasurer shall receive for his services, and also what compensation he shall receive for taking care of Bro. David Price during his last sickness. Chair appointed Jos. Sutherland, John Emerson, and Allen Moon, such committee.
Adjourned to call of Chair.
FOURTH MEETING, June 24. The committee on compensation of treasurer, etc., reported, recommending that the treasurer receive as compensation for taking care of Bro. Price, $4.00 per week, for seventeen weeks; and that the compensation for his official services, be one per cent of the money coming into his hands. Report adopted.
The committee on credentials and licenses presented their report, recommending that credentials be renewed to Elds. H. Grant, Stephen Pierce, H. W. Babcock, D. P. Curtis, L. H. Ellis, W. B. Hill, A. C. Spicer, C. Nelson, J. W. Moore, N. Batten, J. I. Collins, John Fulton, Samuel Fulton. The case of Eld. G. M. Dimmick was referred to the Conference committee. Recommended that Brn. Andrew Mead, D. C. Burch, and J. E. Norstrum receive ordination and credentials.
Also recommended that licenses be given to the following-named persons: Bro. Richard K. Post, Sr. Lizzie Post, Sr. Anna Fulton, Sr. Libbie Collins, Sr. Libbie Fulton, Brn. J. M. Hopkins, E. E. Olive, M. H. Gregory, E. Moore, J. L. House, T. W. Bogar, Peter Amundson, E. A. Curtis, L. A. Curtis, J. H. Hackett, Peter J. Peterson, Wm. Brickey, Wm. Schram, E. H. Pullen, Allen Moon, John Rasmussen, T. J. Morgan, R. A. Burdick, A. H. Vankirk, T. J. Cross. The following-named brethren were referred to the Conference committee: W. H. Butler, C. C. Ward, S. Rosie, M. J. Spicer, H. W. Babcock.
By their request, the names of R. A. Burdick, Allen Moon, and Lizzie Post were referred to the Conf. Com., and the remainder of the report was adopted. The committee on resolutions submitted the following:
Resolved, That we hereby express our gratitude to God for the privilege of again meeting in our annual convocation, and that, in view of the goodness of God, we will earnestly endeavor to humble our hearts before him, and put away our sins from us, that he may be pleased to still bless and keep us, and help us to be more efficient workers in his service.
Resolved, That we greatly rejoice in the privilege of again meeting our beloved Bro. and Sr. White at our Conference, and of listening to their counsels, instructions, and admonitions, for which privilege we would express to them, and to God, who has given them the health and ability to come and visit us at this time, our sincere thanks.
Resolved, That we are thankful for the presence and labors of Bro. Olsen at this meeting, and that, in the interest especially of our Scandinavian brethren, we request the General Conference to allow him to labor among us for a time, as the Lord may open the way, under the direction of our Conference committee.
Whereas, The subject of health reform has for some time been sadly neglected among us, showing a backslidden state of the church, and whereas, we believe this to be one of the fundamentals in the grand work of reform, under the third angel's message, therefore,
Resolved, That we will endeavor from this time to more fully come up to the demands of this branch of the work, and thus prove our claim of being earnest temperance reformers.
Resolved, That we approve of the action of the General Conference, and the brethren at Battle Creek, in building the Dime Tabernacle, and recommend that the brethren of this Conference make a vigorous effort to raise their quota of $1.20 each as recommended by the General Conference, and also that those who are able be earnestly requested to make additional donations to it, as the Lord has placed means in their hands to use in his work.
Resolved, That it is the duty of all our young men and women, and especially those who intend to bear a part in the closing work of the church, to make every possible effort to gain such an education as will qualify them to labor successfully; and that it is the duty of the church to encourage them, and, if necessary, help them to do so.
Resolved, 1. That it is the sense of this Conference that there should be an Educational Relief Fund raised in the State, to aid worthy men and women to educate themselves for home and foreign missionaries.
2. That this fund be raised by donations of sums of not less than one dollar; and by loans for three years, without interest, of sums of not less than ten dollars.
3. That the fund so raised, be controlled by a board of three trustees, to be elected by the Conference, one for one year, one for two years, and one for three years, so that hereafter there shall be one elected annually, to hold his office for three years.
4. That the duties of these trustees be as follows: First, to encourage as many as possible to avail themselves of the advantages of our college at Battle Creek; Secondly, to decide who need aid from this fund, and are worthy of it, and who shall be helped by loans, and who by donations, and to what extent in each case; Thirdly, to report annually to the Conference, all receipts, expenses, and disbursements, which report shall be submitted to the auditor appointed by the Conference.
Whereas, It has become clearly evident that the churches need more pastoral labor among them, to promote their growth in grace, and steadfastness in the faith, therefore,
Resolved, 1. That the executive committee, together with four other brethren to be appointed by the Conference, constitute a committee, to divide the Conference into districts, and to assign one or more ministers to each district for the Conference year.
2. That it be the duty of the ministers so assigned, to visit each church in the district and labor publicly and privately, as they may be able, to promote a healthy growth in all branches of the work as far as possible, and to build up and strengthen the churches by adding to their graces and their numbers.
3. That the ministers so located, be allowed to select such helpers from among the licentiates, as they need in their respective districts, and have the general supervision of all the laborers in their districts, subject to the oversight of the executive committee.
D. P. CURTIS, Chairman of Committee.
The report was taken up by items and adopted, after remarks by W. C. White, H. W. Norton, W. H. Hall, D. P. Curtis, J. Olive, and others.
On motion, the Chair appointed A. Moon, J. H. Warren, and S. Fulton, a committee to nominate the board of trustees provided for in the seventh resolution. The committee reported the name of A. H. Vankirk for one year; John Fulton for two years; David Alway for three years. The report was adopted, and these brethren elected as such trustees.
On motion, voted that this board of trustees be constituted general agents, with power to appoint sub-agents to raise the fund contemplated in the seventh resolution. The Conference appointed H. W. Norton, Henry Young, H. H. Stanton, and John Olive as the additional members of the committee to district the Conference, as called for by the eighth resolution.
On motion, voted to donate one hundred dollars to the General Conference for the past year, and that hereafter a tithe of the funds of the Conference be given to it, as recommended by the last General Conference.
The auditing committee presented their report, showing that twenty-three laborers performed an aggregate of 522 weeks of labor during the year, at an expense of $1118.15, and were allowed for their labor the sum of $2885.50. The report was approved.
The following resolutions were offered and adopted:
Resolved, That the ministers and the elders in all the churches be requested to urge upon the attention of the churches the importance of coming up to the tithing system, as recommended by the General Conference, and adopted by our Conference at its last session, and that they exhort all to adopt the system personally, and carry it out fully and honestly before God.
Resolved, That the secretary be instructed to revise the minutes of this session, and forward them to the REVIEW Office for publication.
The minutes were read and approved, and the Conference adjourned, sine die.
On the morning of the 25th, after a brief discourse by Bro. White, Brn. Andrew Mead, D. C. Burch, and John E. Norstrum, were solemnly set apart to the work of the ministry, by prayer by Bro. H. W. Babcock, the imposition of hands of all the ministers, and the hand of fellowship by Bro. White.
HARRISON GRANT, Pres. D. P. CURTIS, Sec.

CONFERENCE DIRECTORY.

Pres., Harrison Grant, Medford, Minn.
Sec., D. P. Curtis, Hutchinson, “
Treas., W. I. Gibson, Rochester, “
Exec. Com. } Harrison Grant, Medford, “ W. H. Hall, Kingston, “ Calvin Kelsey, Wells, “