PENNSYLVANIA CONFERENCE.
By B. L. Whitney
HAVING spent the last three weeks in this Conference, I can report a good degree of interest in most departments of the work, so far as I have had opportunity to observe. There are five tents being used here this season, all of which I have visited. All these tents have a fair attendance, and with some the interest seems quite deep and general. There has been a great change in this respect during the past two or three years. While even that short time ago it was almost impossible in many localities to get a congregation of interested listeners, now nearly every locality furnishes a good field of labor, and many calls come in for help, that cannot possibly be filled with our present number of laborers. This change we believe is largely due to the influence of the tract and missionary work. We hope for a large increase of strength to this new Conference as the result of tent work the present season. The greater share of the brethren have adopted the tithing system as recommended by the General Conference, and as a consequence we find the Conference funds considerably increased. If all would do this according to the approved plan, the wants of the cause in this respect might be fully met. We are especially pleased to find that the company brought out during the past year has adopted this plan, and also provided themselves with the library of Sr. White’s writings. This shows that these points of truth and duty will be as readily accepted as anything else connected with our work when they are properly presented, and they are certainly good evidences of the genuineness of the work. The Sabbath-school interest is also receiving a good degree of attention. Nearly every company of Sabbath-keepers in the Conference have organized Sabbath-schools, and some of these are in a flourishing condition. We look for great improvement in this direction, however, as it is but recently that special attention has been given to this branch of the work. The Tract Society Institute held last spring at Wellsville, N. Y., has proved of great benefit in introducing better order and system into the work of the society. Some of the district officers especially have shown a commendable zeal in laboring to carry out the system in all the churches in their districts, which course will certainly result in a marked improvement in the condition of the society. The work is now under way of raising a Reserve Fund of $1000, for this Conference society. Lastly I mention the interest that has been taken in the Health and Temperance Association. Whenever we have presented this subject, the majority of the brethren present have signed the teetotal pledge, and we shall do the best we can to have this movement general throughout the Conference. While we see great room for improvement on all these points we have mentioned, yet we are thankful for the omens of good we do see, and take courage still to labor on to that end. May God abundantly bless the work.