THE twenty-seventh meeting was called at 2:30 P. M., May 26; G. A. Irwin in the chair.
Prayer was offered by C. Santee.
Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.
It was voted to take up the report of the finance committee, tabled at the last meeting. The report was further considered, amended and adopted, as follows:—
Your committee on finance would respectfully make the following partial report:—
1. Whereas, The Word of God declares that the third angel’s message is to be proclaimed to the world in this generation; and,—
Whereas, The same Word teaches that this work is to be supported by tithes and offerings; and,—
Whereas, The Lord charges with robbery those who neglect to thus honor the Lord by rendering to him his own and by withholding suitable tokens of thanksgiving; therefore,—
The General Conference in its thirty-sixth session recommends:—
(a) That local conference officers take special pains to see that such executive officers only are chosen as will faithfully impress upon all conference employees, not only the duty to be conscientious themselves in rendering to the Lord his own, but to be faithful also in giving instruction along these lines to all within their spheres of influence.
(b) That the officers of all churches make themselves ensamples to their flocks in the payment of tithes and offerings, in order that they may consistently exhort others to faithfulness in this respect.
(c) That in view of the dearth of men and means for the foreign work, the local conferences freely share their laborers and tithes with the General Conference.
(d) That suitable envelopes of uniform size and quality, with texts and other reading similar to the attached copy, be provided by the General Conference at small expense, for use in all the churches, these envelopes to be furnished free to the churches for the purpose of securing regularity and uniformity in taking up the weekly offerings and in the collection of the tithe weekly.
TITHES AND WEEKLY OFFERINGS
“YE SHALL CELEBRATE MY SABBATHS”
“O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”
“Bring an offering and come into his courts.”
For God hath said, “They shall not appear before the Lord empty. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God.”
“Bring ye all the tithe into the store-house . . . and prove me. . . . I will pour you out a blessing, saith the Lord.” “Will a man rob God?”
Tithe ........................$
Foreign Missions ............$
Literature in Home Fields...$
For Needy Poor ..............$
Church Expense ..............$
“God loveth a cheerful giver.”
“Honor the Lord with thy substance.”
“There is that which scattereth yet increaseth.”
“Well done. . . . Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Name ................................
Address ............................
(e) That while it is only meet that adequate support should be cheerfully provided for laborers who have grown old and worn in the cause, we recommend that able-bodied men who for a series of years have produced little or no fruit as the result of their connection with the message, be advised to take up some line of self-supporting work.
(f) Whereas, There is a tendency to divert the tithe from its specific object,—
We recommend, That all our conferences sacredly guard the tithe, that this fund be not used for building purposes, the maintenance of church-schools, or for church expenses, but that it be devoted entirely to the support of evangelistic work and Bible teachers.
2. Whereas, There has been committed to this people the threefold message of Revelation 14, to be carried to all the world, and that in this generation; and,—
Whereas, The weekly and annual offerings have been largely depended upon for the furtherance of this work; and,—
Whereas, It has seemed necessary to our Mission Board to cut down the appropriations made for the present year about twenty-two thousand dollars, which can only result in discouragement to many in our needy mission fields, we therefore recommend the following:—
(a) That the second Sabbath in each month be set apart by all our people everywhere, as “missionary day,” for the special consideration of our missions.
(b) That the General Conference Committee appoint a committee to prepare readings for each missionary day, with a program and suitable songs for the occasion; that the readings be so divided that where convenient two or three can take part in the service, thus breaking up the monotony.
(c) That each one to take part in the service, make a study of the field considered, that he may be able to make the subject of special interest.
(d) That a map of the world be provided, so that the different fields may be located, thus educating our people regarding the extent and progress of the message.
(e) That the Sabbath-schools be encouraged to participate in these exercises, that thus the interest of the children may be enlisted in the work of foreign missions.
(f) That our conference laborers and church officers keep constantly before all our people the importance of the weekly offerings for missions, and that we put forth a united effort to raise the offerings for missions, from all sources, to an amount averaging at least ten cents a week per capita.
3. We recommend, That five general annual collections be taken, as follows, at such times as shall be designated by the General Conference Committee, and that the funds received be disbursed as the said conference committee shall direct:—
(a) Two offerings for the foreign missionary work.
(b) An offering for the religious liberty work.
(c) An offering for the work among the colored people throughout the United States.
(d) An offering for the orphans of the Haskell Home and similar institutions.
Whereas, In most of the mission fields abroad union conferences or mission organizations have been formed able to hold properties; and,—
Whereas, The General Conference Committee is now the operating Mission Board of the denomination; therefore,—
4. Resolved, That we instruct the trustees of the legal Foreign Mission Board of Seventh-day Adventists, a corporation of the city of New York, to close up its corporate existence, transferring any properties which it may still hold for the denomination, either to union or conference organizations having charge of the fields where such properties are situated, or to the General Conference Corporation, of Washington, D. C., as may be advised by the executive committee of the General Conference.
Whereas, The General Conference has24removed its headquarters from Battle Creek, Mich., to Washington, D. C.; and,—
Whereas, The General Conference Association is a corporation organized under, and existing by virtue of, the laws of the State of Michigan, thus making difficult, on account of this removal, the transaction of business; therefore be it,—
5. Resolved, (a) That we approve of the organization of the corporation known as the General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists.
(b) That we advise all future business of the General Conference to be done in its name as far as practicable.
(c) That the business of the General Conference Association be transferred to the General Conference Corporation on such conditions and as rapidly as the executive committees of the respective corporations shall deem wise.
The committee on plans made a further report, which was read by L. A. Hoopes. The first recommendation regarding a department of work for foreign-speaking peoples in America was referred back to the committee for further preparation.
Other recommendations were considered, as follows:—
Constitution Amended
50. Resolved, That the constitution be amended as follows:—
(a) By changing subsection “c,” section 3, article III, to read as follows: “Such members of departmental committees and representatives of missions of the General Conference as shall receive credentials from its executive committee.”
(b) By substituting the word “quadrennial” for “biennial” and the word “four” for “two” in section 6, article V.
(c) By substituting the word “quadrennial” for “biennial” in section 1, article VII.
Annual Reports
51. We recommend, That the Year-book be published during November of each year, and that revisions for the same be sent directly to the General Conference office by each local and union conference and each organization and institution throughout the world, to be received by the General Conference not later than November 1. A failure to receive any report at the time stated shall not be held to be sufficient reason to delay the publication of the Year-book, thus vitiating all other reports received, and unnecessarily increasing the cost of publication.
52. We recommend, That the annual statistical reports of conferences and missions be collected, collated, and forwarded by union conference secretaries, as at present.
53. We recommend, That the fiscal year of all conferences, institutions, and departments of our work end on the thirty-first of December.
On Young People’s Work
Realizing the definite call of God to our young people to organize for service, and believing that the good work already begun in this direction should be encouraged and strengthened throughout the entire field; therefore,—
54. We recommend, That the Sabbath-school Department of the General Conference give special attention to this branch of the work in calling the attention of the various union and State conferences to the need of the appointment of suitable persons who can devote a part or the whole of their time to this branch of the cause, as circumstances demand.
55. We recommend, That so far as possible, the young people’s meetings at camp-meetings and other general gatherings be made more practically missionary in character: first, by introducing live missionary studies; second, by actually enlisting the young people in evangelistic effort for themselves and for others.
56. We recommend, That there be prepared at an early date a series of Sabbath-school lessons on the subject of practical missionary effort, calling the attention of the church, both old and young, to the work to which God has called them.
57. We recommend, That superintendents and secretaries of local conference Sabbath-school and young people’s departments seek to encourage the young people’s societies under their supervision to unite in the support of one or more laborers in some mission field.
Whereas, There is great need of such instruction and careful planning concerning this work,—
58. Resolved, That a vigorous educational campaign be carried on throughout the union and State conferences by means of missionary conventions, articles in our papers, and the preparation and circulation of leaflets on the salient points of this work.
59. We urge our ministers and laborers to thoroughly study and present to the churches the divine principles of church organization, department, and discipline as set forth in the Scriptures and in the Testimonies of the Spirit of God.
Foreign Publications
Whereas, The third angel’s message is to go to every nation, tongue, and people; and,—
Whereas, There is a constantly increasing stream of people of various nationalities coming into the United States; and,—
Whereas, We have no thoroughly organized method of reaching them; and,—
Whereas, Greater New York City is the natural headquarters for effort on their behalf; therefore,—
60. Resolved, That we look with favor upon the establishment of a foreign publication depository in that city, the object of which would be—
(a) The circulation of foreign literature among the millions of other tongues of the great Eastern cities.
(b) To supply its publications to its agents in the Atlantic Union Conference.
(c) To become the North American headquarters for all small denominational publications outside of the German, Swedish, Danish, and Spanish languages.
Subscription Books
In view of the urgent need of our subscription books being widely circulated, that this message may be speedily given, and the necessity of having able canvassers and leaders to do this; therefore,—
61. We recommend, That our conferences and training-schools give special attention to securing and developing promising persons for this work,—
(a) By providing courses of instruction especially adapted to their needs.
(b) By holding canvassers’ institutes and conventions in the conferences at suitable times.
(c) By selecting an able and experienced person to act as general agent in each conference.
62. That our large subscription books be bound in two or three styles of bindings, and that this change be brought about as rapidly as consistent with the disposition of the stock on hand.
Missionary Campaign
Realizing that multitudes are “in the valley of decision,” and that the time has fully come when the Master pleads with every child of his to “go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city” and “into the highways and hedges,” to bid the hungry and perishing to the marriage feast,—
63. We recommend, That the great missionary campaign entered upon last year be strengthened, deepened, and enlarged into a mighty movement for the promulgation of the third angel’s message.
To avoid confusion, and to economize effort, we recommend the following:—
GENERAL PLAN FOR NORTH AMERICA
(1) That the effort to place the REVIEW AND HERALD in every Sabbath-keeping home be continued, especially through the camp-meeting season and early fall.
(2) That a general campaign in North America for our missionary periodicals be entered upon about October 1.
(3) That beginning in early November, special efforts be made by conference workers and church officers to interest our people in the sale of forty-per-cent books.
(4) That the interest aroused by this work be developed by—
(a) The liberal use of message-filled tracts.
(b) Securing subscriptions for our periodicals.
(c) Holding Bible readings and cottage meetings.
(d) Missionary correspondence.
(5) That missionary conventions be held October 7 and November 18 in all our churches, to study local needs and to organize for service.
W. C. White urged on this resolution that the way, and the only way, to carry this message to all people in this generation, is for all our people to take up the work of carrying the message to the people. Let an agitation be begun, and kept up by ministers and church officers, to see literature placed in all homes.
C. H. Edwards felt that this activity in missionary work was the best plan of drawing the people away from the idea that a resident pastor is essential. A church working with literature keeps alert and alive by its own activities; and people who come into the truth through reading are usually active in working for others with reading-matter.
Supplies
64. We approve of the plan to publish four special numbers of The Signs of the Times and the Watchman, two special issues of Life and Health, and such issues of the foreign papers as their publishers may deem best.
65. We look with favor upon the plan of setting aside certain small, easy-selling books for the use of those who wish to canvass in their own neighborhoods.
66. We also approve of the steps being taken in the publication of the Signs of the Times Leaflets, to furnish our ministers and people with an inexpensive literature for general circulation.
Organization
67. We recommend, That the General Conference Committee appoint a missionary campaign committee to co-operate with conference officers in the carrying out of these recommendations.
By action on the entire report, it was unanimously adopted.
The Chair called upon G. I. Butler, president of the Southern Union Conference, to complete his report, which had been left unfinished at a former adjournment. A brief summary follows:—
Southern Union Conference
The importance of planting small sanitariums in great Southern cities has been urged by the spirit of prophecy. The first was begun at Graysville, on a beautiful site. The institution is not completed, and needs further funds. About sixteen thousand dollars has been expended thus far. It has been receiving a few patients. The Review and Herald publishing house donated their building at Atlanta to the South, for use as a sanitarium. It has prospects of a good patronage. At Nashville the work begun by L. A. Hansen and his wife has been turned into a sanitarium, Dr. Hayward in charge. A building of our own is much needed to save the enormous rents. The Nashville Sanitarium has not run behind the last year, but this has been achieved only because of the sacrifice25of the workers. Treatment rooms have been established in a number of cities.
The Southern Missionary Society has done good work for the colored people. It is impossible to emphasize the need of work for the colored race in the South in terms stronger than have been used by the spirit of prophecy. This is a burden belonging to all our people, and the great work to be done calls for greatly increased effort and flow of means toward this destitute field. There has been greater advancement in the colored work during the last two or three years than ever before. We have only begun this work. As we take hold to help the unfortunate, showers of blessing will fall. There is no discouraging note sounded in the Southern field. The battle is hard, but God is mighty; his truth will prevail.
Following this report, the committee on distribution of labor rendered a partial report, consideration of which was laid over to another meeting.
Adjourned.
G. A. IRWIN, Chairman, W. A. SPICER, Secretary.
Finishing the Work
THE seventh session of the ministerial institute was called at 11 A. M., May 19, when the following subject was considered: “The Ministry and the Field: Inspiring the People to ‘Finish the Work’ in Both Home and Foreign Fields.” The principal speaker was Elder A. G. Daniells, who spoke, in part, as follows:
It is certainly proper to talk about finishing the work. This special work in which we are engaged was begun about sixty years ago, and is the culmination of a work begun when the Lord spoke encouragement and assurance to Adam at the fall. God has a work in the world; for he says: “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently.” And again he says, “Go work to-day in my vineyard.” “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” So, from the fall to the present time, God has had a work going forward, of which he is the beginner and also the finisher.
Of the finishing of this work we read: “In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished.” The mystery of God is the gospel, and that work is to be finished in the days of the voice of the seventh angel. That sounding began in 1844. We know that this is correct from the clear line of prophecy that we have in the seven trumpets. Beginning with the first trumpet, we can trace our way clearly until we come to the eleventh day of August, 1840, when the sixth trumpet ended. The seventh was to sound quickly, and in the days of that sounding, the time would come for the dead to be judged, for the conflict among the nations, and for the reward to be given to the saints of God, and also to the wicked. So the events of the seventh angel carry us from the time it begins to sound down to the time when the wicked will receive their just deserts at the close of the thousand years. This voice began to sound in our day; the time of the seventh angel is our time. The finishing of the gospel is the proclamation of the gospel in all the world as a witness unto all nations. The gospel is summed up in the threefold message of Revelation 14, which is to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. The message, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come” became due when the seventh angel began to sound; and the proclamation of this gospel which began then will bring the end of human history and of the work of God in the earth. That will finish the work.
This is the time to finish the work; the threefold message is the message to finish the work; and the people brought out by the threefold message are the people to finish the work in the earth. This is the time, this is the message, this is the people; and we are now face to face with that tremendous problem.
I thank God that such a definite work is assigned to us. We are in the world for a definite purpose, which is to arise and finish the work of God in the earth. This is the purpose of the latter rain. Pentecost came to cause the seed that Christ and his disciples sowed, to spring up and bear fruit, while the latter rain is to come to ripen off the whole harvest for the garner of God. We have come to the time of the latter rain, and that is the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is given only for service in the work of God, to finish his work in the earth. Power is given for service, and not for our edification. The Spirit of God is given that we may serve, toil, and work to finish the work of God.
Men, money, and labor consecrated to God are needed to finish the work. The Lord will not give the Spirit in the latter rain to any one who has no idea of serving in his cause. We want power to apply to this mighty movement that is in the world, to be finished at this time. All the power that is needed will be given to the people who desire to accomplish the work.
And this service does not mean fleshly service, but the service which God points out in his Word. That alone can do the work, and no amount of prayer-meetings, or of joy in our own hearts, or association, will take the place of downright hard service in the cause of God. Consecrated service is called for to-day in all lands; and when that is determined upon, when we make up our minds that God’s cause shall have it, he will grant the power, send his laborers forth, provide the means, and we shall see a mighty work done. Hard, earnest work among the people will enlighten and help them. We want to consecrate our own lives to the definite purpose of finishing the work.
It is a pleasure to think that we are not to toil on here until we are old and gray, and then hand this work over to another generation, and that generation to another. We have come to the time when we are to finish the work in our generation, in our day, and bring it to an end. If that is not true, we are a terribly mistaken people. It has seemed to me at this meeting that I have caught an idea of brotherly love and brotherly unity that I never realized before. It seems to me there is a blending of hearts, and a binding together as brethren and sisters in one great family, with Christ as head, that I never saw manifested in any previous experience. I believe the Lord is coming wonderfully near to this people, and that he will begin a work the like of which nobody has seen in latter days. May God grant it.
E. W. Farnsworth: We are to inspire the people to finish the work. To inspire means to fill with energy, to inbreathe. We as ministers are called upon to inbreathe into the people the idea of finishing this work, to fill them with enthusiasm for doing it. Enthusiasm is not something that can be drawn off to order. David said, While I was musing, the fire burned within me. That which breeds enthusiasm in missionary work is great missionary facts of the success of missionary enterprises. If a26man has no enthusiasm in this thing in his own soul, he can not possibly inspire enthusiasm in anybody else’s soul. Our own hearts must first be filled with the conviction that this work must be finished in this generation, or we can not inspire anybody else to believe it. Then, and not until then, can we take that to their souls, and lead them to that experience.
We need money for many enterprises. If we will lift ourselves, it will give us strength to help another to lift. No man can get up much enthusiasm in pushing this work to foreign fields with a ten-thousand-dollar farm on his hands, or a five-thousand-dollar account in the bank. But let him put that amount into this cause, and it will give him more inspiration than he can get by talking to the people all his days. When there is something to do or some sacrifice to make, that is what God wants, and there is no amount of prayer or exhortation that will ever take the place of the thing that God wants done.
We have this message to give to the world, and you may talk everything else under heaven, but it will never take the place of giving this message. That thought must take hold of our very souls and hearts, and we must settle that in our souls before we can lift this denomination to a proper place before God. When this company consecrates what they have, and puts it into this work, this denomination will rise as one man, and carry this work to the ends of the earth. The thing is with us. If we are leaders of the people, under God, we must take hold of this work and do, and I am glad to see evidences that the people are rising to that thing. That is the key that will unlock every missionary enterprise that we want to enter.
J. N. Loughborough: I am glad to hear about closing up the work soon. I think if these principles are carried out, with the blessing of God, they will tell mightily in closing up the work. This day is an anniversary day, for it was just one hundred and twenty-five years ago to-day that the sun was darkened, when the Lord told us what to do: “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Our redemption is very near. May the spirit of enthusiasm fill all our hearts, and the hearts of God’s people, and the work will go. There was more done in three months in 1844 than had been done in all the preceding time of that movement. The mighty power of God went with that message like a tornado, and seemed to move independently of human agencies. They got the midnight cry in many places at the same time and in the same way. The Lord is not slack; one day with him is as a thousand years. I have thought that that meant that God would do in a day what you would think it would take him a thousand years to do.
R. A. Underwood read Eze. 12: 22, 23, and stated that this work will be finished in this generation, whether we have a part in it or not.
O. A. Olsen: As I look over the fields, I see indications of a rising as I never witnessed it before. May God give us divine inspiration and the power of this message to go forth and close up this work in righteousness.
W. J. Stone: Much is being said in these days about new light; but I want to say that unless the new light contributes to the old message, it is not light; for all the truth in the world to-day is in the third angel’s message. All truth is in harmony with the third angel’s message. All the light and glory of all past ages is focused in this message for this people. Nearly two thousand years ago John, in vision, saw this company here to-day, and this message going to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. This is a definite message, and let us stand by it.
Review and Herald Publishing Association
By W. W. Walters; W. B. Walters
An adjourned meeting of the Review and Herald Publishing Association was held in the large tent at Takoma Park, Friday morning, May 26, at eight o'clock. The following recommendations were submitted by the committee on plans:—
That the Battle Creek property be at once placed upon the market; that the real estate east of Washington Street, the house and lot facing Main Street west of Washington Street, and the farm be sold as quickly as can be done advantageously; and,—
That the building and machinery west of Washington Street be offered for sale as a going concern, reserving the name Review and Herald Publishing Company.
That we instruct the trustees to pay a tithe of the net earnings of the association for the past year to the General Conference.
That we ask the General Conference to devise a plan for the raising of fifteen thousand dollars to assist in the erection of suitable buildings for the Review and Herald Publishing Association at Takoma Park, Washington, D. C.
In explanation of the call for assistance in erecting the buildings, it was stated that it had been found difficult to realize any considerable amount of cash from the assets of the old Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association of Battle Creek, and it was possible that it might require some time to do so. It was further stated that the removal of the printing plant from Battle Creek to Washington was a leading feature of the general move, and that many of the people in the field had supposed that a portion of the One Hundred Thousand Dollar Fund would be appropriated for the benefit of the Review and Herald Publishing Association. It was stated that it was for the interest of the work that a suitable printing plant be erected without delay, and it was felt that the people would willingly assist in this enterprise.
After a full discussion of the recommendations, they were adopted.
The meeting then adjourned until Monday, May 29, at 5:30 P. M.
W. W. WALTERS, Chairman.
W. B. WALTERS, Secretary.