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GENERAL CONFERENCE

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The Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · December 11, 1879

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 54, No. 24

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GENERAL CONFERENCE.

By James White; Uriah Smith

(Concluded.)
A strong appeal having been made for Vermont by C. W. Stone, this led to a consideration, for some time, of the wants of the cause, and the dearth of laborers in important fields, whereupon it was
Moved, That Elds. D. M. Canright, S. N. Haskell, and C. W. Stone be a committee to consider and report what can be done toward sending a laborer to Vermont.—Carried.
Fifteenth Meeting.—Nov. 26, 6 P. M. Prayer by Eld. Jas. White. Minutes of previous meeting approved.
The committees not being prepared to report, Eld. Butler spoke of the propriety of making the Missouri Conference a legally-incorporated body, qualified to hold the title to meeting-houses and other church property, so that should a church having a meeting-house cease to exist from removals or any other cause, the property would not be lost to the Conference. The Chairman raised the inquiry why it would not be well to act upon the same principle in respect to the General Conference, Missionary Society, etc. It was then
Moved, That this matter be referred to the General Conference Committee.—Carried.
Eld. Haskell being called to the chair, Eld. Jas. White introduced the following preambles and resolutions:—
Whereas, The S. D. Baptists have for many years observed, taught, and defended the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and are known to us through their delegates to our General Conference as a body of Christian Sabbath-keepers possessing a good degree of culture, liberality of sentiment, and Christian forbearance, therefore
Resolved, That we deem them worthy of our respect and love, and that it is for the interest of the Sabbath cause that the two bodies of Christian commandment-keepers labor to sustain friendly relations to each other; and
Whereas, Certain preachers, who professed to be S. D. Adventists, at an early date in our brief history, did seek their field of labor in the localities where there were S. D. Baptist churches, and did weaken some of their feeble churches, and blot out others, resulting in harm and only harm, to the great grief of the S. D. Baptists, therefore
Resolved, That our S. D. Baptist brethren had just cause for complaint, and that it is the sense of this Conference that our preachers are violating the Golden Rule—Do unto others as you would have them do to you—in seeking their fields of labor where S. D. Baptist churches are located.
Resolved, That while we deplore the spirit of prejudice and unkindness manifested by certain S. D. Baptist ministers toward S. D. Adventists, we deeply regret the injury done to individuals and to feeble churches, about twenty years since, by those men whom we could not control, and who have since done S. D. Adventists tenfold the injury they did the S. D. Baptists, resulting in weakening and grieving both denominations. And while we pledge our influence against such wrongs in the future, we ask not to be held responsible for that which we have no power to control.
These were unanimously adopted.
Sixteenth Meeting.—Nov. 28, 10:30 A. M. Prayer by Eld. Jas. White. Minutes of previous meeting approved.
The Chair, according to a vote passed in the fifth meeting, appointed the committee to inquire into the status of the cause in the southern field, as follows: B. L. Whitney, D. M. Canright, and U. Smith.
The Chair, also, according to vote passed in the thirteenth meeting that he should name two others to act with himself as a committee on a course of reading and study for ministers, named U. Smith and S. Brownsberger.
Eld. G. I. Butler then introduced the following, which were unanimously adopted:—
Whereas, The subjects of health and temperance have been intimately connected with this cause, and are of themselves of the most eminent importance to the well-being of our fellow-men; and
Whereas, God has providentially connected with this cause a Sanitarium, where the sick may be treated, and the laws of health and temperance may be taught by those eminently qualified to do so, which has already done great good, and may, if properly appreciated, accomplish much more; and
Whereas, In this reading age, when the press wields such a mighty influence, comparatively little can be done to move the minds of the people without its assistance; and every good cause finds it a leading instrumentality with which to accomplish its object; and
Whereas, God, in his providence, has connected with our work Good Health, a journal devoted especially to these great and important subjects, a journal ably edited, pure in tone and sentiment, containing a vast amount of information greatly needed by the public everywhere to educate them in these principles so necessary to their well-being here and hereafter; and
Whereas, The success of the Sanitarium in the great work it has undertaken depends largely upon the success of Good Health in this work of educating public sentiment and creating an interest in the proper treatment of disease, and in calling the attention of the suffering to its many facilities for this object; therefore
Resolved, That we urge upon our people the importance of making special efforts to extend the circulation of Good Health by all proper means, and also our other health and temperance literature.
Resolved, That we deplore the lack of interest which some manifest in the great health and temperance movement, and we urge upon our people everywhere the importance of reading up on these subjects, till they become intelligently familiar with the principles of health and temperance reform.
Eld. J. Fulton spoke further in reference to Ontario as a field of labor, and the help needed there at the present time.
Seventeenth Meeting.—Nov. 30, 3 P. M. Prayer by Eld. James White. Minutes of last meeting approved.
The committee on the matter of procuring a laborer for Vermont reported by presenting the following:—
Resolved, That in view of the urgent appeal from the Vermont Conference made at its last session, the General Conference recommend that Eld. Geo. I. Butler visit Vermont this winter, and labor there and in the New England and Maine Conferences three months, or more.
On motion to adopt this report, Eld. Butler remarked that if the Conference so decided, he would go and do what he could in the time specified; but he asked the Conference to look carefully at the circumstances and consider whether it was appropriate, after he had been elected president of two Conferences in the West, which were both in most urgent need of help, to send him to a distant field in another part of the country, which could not possibly be in greater need of labor than the Conferences of which he had been put in charge. The motion to adopt was further discussed by S. N. Haskell, Jas. White, and W. C. White, and lost.
Eld. C. W. Stone then offered the following:—
Resolved, That Eld. A. O. Burrill be recommended to go to Vermont to labor for a period of two or three years, or more.
An amendment was offered to substitute the name of J. O. Corliss for that of A. O. Burrill.
Under a suspension of the rules, the following resolution was introduced and adopted:—
Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with Eld. J. O. Corliss in his sickness which made it necessary for him to leave the encouraging field of labor in Ontario; and we pledge our brotherly care and our prayers for his recovery, that he may return to his field of labor in that State at the opening of the next tent season.
The question of the amendment being resumed, the amendment was lost.
Another amendment was offered, adding the words, “at the opening of next tent season,” so that the resolution would read, “Resolved, That Eld. A. O. Burrill be recommended to go to Vermont, at the opening of next tent season, to labor for a period of two or three years, or more;” which amendment prevailed.
The motion, as amended, was then carried.
The committee to nominate the two remaining members of the Missionary Board, reported by recommending that it be left with the seven members already elected to fill the two remaining vacancies. The report was accepted.
Moved, That the Chair appoint a committee to assist Bro. White in procuring necessary help.—Carried.
Moved, That the Chair appoint a committee of three to examine all our blanks, S. S. and T. and M. books, and suggest such improvements therein as they may deem necessary; and also to suggest a form for an S. B. book.—Carried.
The question of the publication of a paper in England, and the shipment of a quantity of reading matter for distribution in Sweden, was taken up and discussed at some length. The subject was finally referred by motion to the General Conference Committee.
A motion to recommend leading brethren who have the principal part to act in the transaction of business matters to be on the ground at the time of camp-meetings three or four days before the regular meetings commence, in order to prepare business and make the camp-meetings more interesting, was withdrawn after being discussed by B. L. Whitney, G. I. Butler, H. Grant, J. G. Saunders, Smith Sharp, and W. C. White; and the following was offered in its place:—
Moved, That a committee of five be appointed by the Chair to suggest such improvements in the manner of holding our camp-meetings as shall make them most profitable, and to report through the Review.—Carried.
Eighteenth Meeting.—Dec. 1, 9:30 A. M. Prayer by Eld. S. N. Haskell. Minutes of previous meeting approved.
Moved, That Eld. James White and wife be hereby appointed as delegates from the General Conference of S. D. Adventists to the next General Conference of S. D. Baptists.—Carried.
Moved, That we recommend the Michigan Conference to take under its supervision, as a part of its territory, the province of Ontario.—Carried.
The committee to be appointed by the Chair on revision of blanks, etc., was named as follows: B. L. Whitney, M. H. Brown, and Smith Sharp.
The time for which Eld. J. H. Waggoner was sent by the Conference to the Pacific Coast to take charge of The Signs of the Times, having expired, it was
Moved, That the matter of Eld. Waggoner’s further continuance with the Signs be referred to the General Conference Committee.—Carried.
W. C. White stated that he had been requested at an informal meeting of the brethren to appoint a committee of five to prepare leaflets for distribution at camp-meetings, and he would appoint D. M. Canright, C. W. Stone, U. Smith, S. H. Lane, and W. C. Gage. Thereupon it was
Moved, That this action, subject to revision, be sanctioned by the General Conference.—Carried.
It was then
Moved, To revise the appointment by substituting the name of W. C. White for that of W. C. Gage.—Carried.
The committee on camp-meetings, to be appointed by the Chair, was named as follows: B. L. Whitney, J. Fargo, W. C. White, H. Grant, and H. W. Decker.
Moved, That the Chair appoint a committee of three to consider the following questions: 1. How long it is desirable for church elders, deacons, and clerks to hold their office without a re-election; 2. What the duties are which pertain to each office; 3. What majority should be considered necessary to elect officers, expel members, etc.—Carried.
Elds. Geo. I. Butler, H. W. Decker, and J. Fargo were appointed as said committee.
The following resolutions were introduced by Eld. B. L. Whitney:—
Resolved, That we recommend that our ministers furnish quarterly reports of their labor, expenses, and receipts, to the secretary of the Conference to which they belong.
Resolved, That we instruct the committee on the revision of blanks, to prepare blanks for quarterly and annual reports of ministers.
After some discussion these were adopted.
The following resolution, passed at a ministers’ meeting, was introduced and adopted as an act of the Conference:—
Whereas, God has again most mercifully and graciously spoken to us as ministers, in words of admonition and reproof through the gift of the spirit of prophecy; and
Whereas, These instructions are just and timely, and of the utmost importance in their relation to our future labors and usefulness; therefore
Resolved, That we hereby express our sincere and devout thanksgiving to God that he has not left us in our blindness, as he might justly have done, but has given us another opportunity to overcome, by faithfully pointing out our sins and errors, and teaching us how we may please God and become useful in his cause.
Resolved, That, while it is right and proper that we express our thankfulness to God and his servants in this manner, yet the best manner of expressing our gratitude is to faithfully heed the testimony that has been borne to us; and we hereby pledge ourselves to make a most earnest effort to reform on those points wherein we have been shown to be deficient, and to be obedient to the will of God thus graciously made known to us.
Adjourned sine die.
Jas. White, Pres.
U. Smith, Sec.