GENERAL CONFERENCES by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 1, 1862

GENERAL CONFERENCES.

By Editor

In last week's Review are Bro. Waggoner's remarks upon this subject. We have been pained to witness the confusion and delays of which he speaks. Every tent preacher should know his field of labor for the tent season, as early as the first of May. The brethren in Iowa, Ohio, and New York, as well as Bro. Waggoner, suffered much from suspense on account of Bro. Cornell's undecided position East, till near the first of June, and the tents in New York and Iowa have been delayed about one month from the same cause. A general conference of preachers and delegates in April would have prevented the pain of suspense, and these unhappy delays.

At the general conference every State or local conference can be represented by preachers, delegates, or at least, by letter. The wants of the cause in the wide field can be considered, and, as far as the means exist, be supplied. This will by no means supersede State or local conferences. These, however, in those States where the cause is young, should be attended by some one of our experienced preachers, chosen for this purpose by the general conference.

The cause in new fields has suffered dreadfully in consequence of its inexperienced friends' being left to manage for themselves. They were not acquainted with the dangers to which the cause is exposed, hence have moved out with confidence in their own judgment, but almost certain to suffer disappointment and discouragement sooner or later in consequence of not realizing that advancement of the cause they anticipated. And what seems most discouraging is, that it is almost impossible to show such that the real cause of the failure is in themselves. Some such are ready to murmur at the course pursued by the old experienced hands, and they sometimes complain of matters at the Office as though any one man of them knew better how things should go here, than all who have toiled in connection with it for the past ten years.

But what seems to us the very climax of folly is to send our most experienced, and ablest men, into these new fields, to act under the legislations of these inexperienced brethren, to yoke up with some preacher of little experience, who perhaps for want of a hard-earned experience which the old hands have, has more confidence in his judgment to manage the tent enterprise than all those ministers who have been at it for seven years. Such preachers may toil the hardest, yet there is an influence against them that will tear down faster than they can build up, which is a matter of grief and great discouragement. But these young brethren do not deserve censure so much as the older ones, who have opposed organization, and have left these young disciples to bear burdens which they were, for want of experience, incapable of bearing. If the old hands had come up unitedly on organization, these evils, which have been eating the very vitals out of the cause in some localities, might have been averted.

As early as June, 1859, we wrote in favor of yearly conferences in the different States, and published in Review, and the same in a pamphlet of 3000 copies, entitled, Report of General Conference, &c., and proposed to attend such conferences in the different States. We had seen the powerful influence such conferences had on the cause in Michigan, and wished other States to share the same blessings. But as no one responded to the position taken, and the proposition made, we waited in discouragement till the torrent of opposition to organization broke forth, which blighted our hopes for the cause for the time being, and crushed our spirits. All this time the friends in Ohio, where the cause was comparatively young, were legislating independently of the body, and running the cause into the ground, until their ablest preacher, T. J. B., has given up the Sabbath, and the other, G. W. B., is laid upon the shelf. Iowa, especially the southern part of the State, is suffering similar disasters. Our experience is, that when jealousy is added to self-sufficiency, there is no remedy only to leave such to work out the matter alone, and learn better by sad experience. Ohio is cured, and the friends left in that State are united and true. We deeply regret that they have not the pleasure of supporting a tent in that State this season. There are probably greater trials, and a more complete sifting, before Iowa, when the real friends will come up to the work unitedly.

But let the evils in these new fields be remedied as far and as fast as possible. And we know of no better way to commence than by conferences as above suggested. When ministers and people are ready to act in this matter, we are ready to go far and near where our labors are needed, and do all we can to encourage and build up the cause. But until they are fully ready to take hold of the work, we choose to stay in our own State, where union and prosperity prevail, rather than to go abroad to labor under the dictation of those of little experience, or have the influence of our wearisome labors blasted by murmurings and jealousies.

We say, Let those who choose to manage, and are ready to murmur at our experienced preachers for not laboring according to their notion of things, have their own way. You cannot help them. Sad experience is the only remedy for such, if, indeed, there be any. Do not labor among them to give them influence. And if you do not work according to their plans, they think they have occasion for strife. Rather labor in those States where the cause is in a condition to enable you to work unfettered, or go into entirely new territory, and as you bring men and women into the truth, teach them that they are utterly incapable of managing the general interests of a cause in which they have no practical knowledge.

Some will regard these remarks severe. To us, this is the best evidence that they are needed. That very deceptive influence over their minds which makes these remarks necessary, will brand them with severity. That man who is wrong, and knows it, is a hypocrite. We have no labor to spend on such. We labor to help those who are wrong, yet think they are right. Under this deception, such are not prepared to receive plain dealing at once, hence they talk of severity.