General Conference Bulletin, vol. 6

Conference Proceedings. TWENTY-NINTH MEETING

W. A. Spicer, C. P. Bollman, I. H. Evans, C. M. Snow, T. E. Bowen

May 31, 10:30 A. M.

Elder A. G. Daniells in the chair. Prayer by W. M. Healey. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.1

J. O. Corliss: I notice that there has come to us in the last day or two one from Indiana, who has sat in our councils year after year and session after session of the General Conference, but because of illness he was not elected as a delegate to this Conference. I would like to see him an honorary delegate to this body, and permitted to take part in its deliberations. I refer to Elder W. J. Stone. I move, Mr. Chairman, that he be received as an honorary member of the delegation. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.2

The motion was seconded and carried. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.3

Elder S. M. Butler was seated as a delegate from the Columbia Union Conference. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.4

A. G. Daniells: The Conference closed yesterday leaving some unfinished business pending the report of the Committee on Plans. It closed with Resolution 23. The first item for this morning is No. 24, recorded on page 208 of the BULLETIN. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.5

Resolution 24 (on preparation of our publications) was then read, and question called, the resolution being voted without discussion. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.6

Resolution 25 was then read:— GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.7

25. We approve, Of the action of several of our publishing houses in paying a tithe into the treasury of the General Conference, and we invite all the publishing houses in the United States to follow their example. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.8

A. R. Ogden: Why not include other institutions, such as sanitariums and possibly some of our higher schools and colleges, that are having a net earning, especially sanitariums? GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.9

E. R. Palmer: It was thought best in preparing this resolution not to complicate the question too much by introducing many institutions that fill a variety of fields. Our larger publishing houses operate in the general field, sending their products to all parts. The publishing houses occupy a general field that some other institutions do not. Although I am in personal sympathy with the suggestion that other institutions pay tithe into the General Conference treasury for the support of their several departments of work, yet we thought it best not to introduce that into this resolution. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.10

W. W. Prescott: May I ask why it would not be proper for publishing houses outside the United States to pay tithe in their respective fields? GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.11

E. R. Palmer: It was thought by the committee that it would be proper for them to pay tithe in their respective fields, and not into the General Conference treasury, but rather in the fields in which they operate, which are usually quite circumscribed. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.12

W. W. Prescott: I move as an amendment that the publishing houses outside the United States be invited to pay a tithe to the union conference treasury in their respective fields. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.13

The motion was seconded. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.14

L. R. Conradi: I should like to know what we are to do where we have a publishing house operating perhaps in two or three unions at the same time, as the Hamburg House. That house has paid tithe before it has been voted. We have given thousands of dollars to help our schools and other institutions, but to-day we are operating in two unions, and soon will be in three unions. Our institution tithe has been going in a different way, building up an educational center, getting out literature in eighteen different languages. Now suppose we should give it to the union treasury for them to spend it in another way. Would that be the intent of the motion? The literature ought to be increased in the same languages, and extended to twenty-five or fifty more. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.15

C. H. Jones: The Pacific Press Publishing Association has already adopted the plan of paying tithe of their net income. It has been divided among the union conferences comprising our constituency, the Pacific, the North Pacific, the Central, and Canadian, in proportion to the amount of business that has been done in each one of those conferences. This resolution would change that, providing that this tithe be paid to the General Conference instead of the unions. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.16

I. A. Ford: In our field, the South, the various union conferences, at least two of them, are not quite self-supporting, yet they are supporting missionary secretaries who are devoting their time to building up the circulation of literature. We tried to adopt the plan of paying tithe, and the question in my mind is, Would it not be in our field better to pay this tithe to these union conferences to provide funds with which to support the missionary secretaries? GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.17

L. R. Conradi: I want to say another thing. Now, for example, here is the German Union. That union to-day supports itself fully and gives of its offerings quite an amount of money to the countries abroad. The publishing house, on the other hand, is giving far more than the tithe right along, and at the present time is willing to help in the Levant field. It has established a work in the Russian Union. Now it expects to help the General Conference in starting the work in the Levant field, perhaps sending you every year an amount much more than the tithe. Would you think it better for the Hamburg house to pay that money to the German Union to-day, which is self-supporting, or help you where you have such calls as made upon you to-day in getting out the publications in the other countries. It is not the question of paying tithe, because we are giving more than that, but it is the principle of paying that tithe to the respective union, which has of itself sufficient money. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.18

W. W. Prescott: What I am speaking of is the principle of institutional tithe paying—whether it should be recognized, or whether the institutions should be allowed to control their own funds. If the institutions are allowed freedom to control their own funds, the Review and Herald could certainly find abundant ways in which it could use its tithe. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.19

H. W. Cottrell: In addition to what Brother C. H. Jones has said pertaining to the action the Pacific Press has taken relative to tithe-paying, I wish to add that it accompanied the tithe with the suggestion that these several unions use this money in the promotion of publishing work. They would not do it in their field, but without this resolution, it would naturally go from these unions into the General Conference treasury. There is where it would land anyhow, and it seems to me that the resolution, so far as it pertains to publishing houses that are already paying tithe, is altogether out of order. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.20

E. T. Russell: It seems to me what the last speaker would like to see is really provided for in the recommendation on [reading Resolutions 25 and 26]. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.21

J. O. Corliss: I would very much desire to see the principle enunciated here that would be a help in our churches. We have had some trouble in some parts of the field regarding the disposal of the tithe from the churches. When we establish the principle that any institution paying tithe has a right to decide where that tithe shall go, and for what use it shall be put, there might be those in some of our churches who would take advantage of that, and say, If such an institution has a right to decide where its tithe shall go, we have the same right. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.22

I believe we ought to be a unit in all of our work. I believe our present system, of paying tithe into the regular channels, will be the best thing we can do. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.23

C. F. McVagh: I wish to speak to the principle that Brother Corliss has been speaking to. I do not believe that there is a moral obligation resting upon institutions that belong to the cause to pay tithe as a moral obligation rests upon the individual to pay tithe. Yet I do believe in the principle of our publishing houses paying tithe, and I would like to see some uniform system provided for. I do not like this idea of having one institution deciding that it will pay tithe in one way, and another institution deciding in another way; for I fear that it would produce some confusion such as Brother Corliss has spoken of. In the Southern Union, I am glad to say, we have reached the time when we have a little prospect in our publishing house work of something to pay tithe on, and we could well use the tithe in that field; yet I do not contend for that. All I am contending for at the present time is that there shall be uniformity. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.24

F. F. Byington: I would like to say, simply for information, that the International Publishing House (College View) has paid tithe on what profit it has made into the Central Union Conference. This resolution would simply change the place where we pay to the General Conference. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.25

W. C. White: It is my conviction that if forty men had each written up this resolution, we would have had forty different forms, and many of them might have been good, but I believe the form in which we have it is a good one. The conditions of the field have been carefully studied, and, while I would not object to striking out the resolution all that relates to the disposal of the tithe, I want to say a word in favor of the resolution on some other points. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.26

If I am correctly informed by the men who are conducting the foreign houses, they are turning over to the union conferences a tithe of all of their earnings, and considerable more than the tithe, and that is disposed of by the union conferences. In such instances I think we might follow that proverb which says, “Let well enough alone.” GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.27

With reference to the matter of asking that all the institutions be included, I believe we will get on much better to deal with the publishing houses first. There is a principle underlying the proposal to let each one pay his tithe to his own church. Now to which church do our publishing houses belong?—They belong to the General Conference church. The General Conference Publishing Department has an expense in the general promotion of the publishing work. Therefore there is a consistency in the proposal before us to have the tithe of these large publishing houses paid to the General Conference. GCB June 1, 1909, page 238.28

I believe that when we study the question of sanitariums paying tithe, we shall find that our sanitariums do not belong to the General Conference. There are very few cases where we have established a sanitarium that has served more than one union conference. In most instances they stand as conference institutions. Therefore, I believe we shall get on faster, and be better satisfied with our work, if we will adopt this, and later on discuss the question of sanitariums paying tithe to their local conferences. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.1

L. R. Conradi: When we started our Hamburg publishing house, we had no stock company, and we did no outside printing. It was started then as a union affair. We had no printing house board to control matters; but whenever the year closed, the union conference committee met, and they disposed every year of the earnings of the institution. They have given thousands of dollars to get out the publications in all these various languages. Now to-day we are not arguing on the amendment against the principle of paying tithe, nor against the principle that some one else than the publishing house should dispose of the tithe, because our publishing house does not dispose of the tithe; the union conference committee does it, and we are perfectly willing, as a house, to give that tithe to the sub-treasury of the General Conference, and give two tithes, willingly and gladly, only we do not see much gain in distributing it among unions which are already self-supporting. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.2

Dr. D. H. Kress: This same matter was up in Australia several years ago, and I think the way we left it there, instead of calling it a tithe, each institution gave an offering equal to the tithe, to be used as tithe. I am doubtful myself whether it would be wise to designate just how our tithe should be used, but making the offering equal to the tithe, it seems to me, would remove that obstacle. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.3

H. Shultz: I believe in the tithing system straight. I believe that it is right that our institutions pay tithe just as well as individuals. If there is a sub-treasury over in Europe, I believe that the amendment that Brother Prescott offered might be changed, and instead of the union conferences, put it “sub-treasury of the General Conference,” then the thing would be in its proper place. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.4

E. R. Palmer: I think we will do well to leave out of the resolution references to the tithe paid by our publishing houses in foreign conferences. We have no sub-treasuries in some of the conferences where there are publishing houses and there are various arrangements by which these publishing houses in foreign countries make their donations to the support of the work. I think it would be better not to pass the amendment. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.5

W. W. Prescott: I am perfectly willing to accept the suggestion that the tithe be paid to the sub-treasury. I understand, if this amendment is defeated, that it pronounces that our institutions are not under obligations to pay tithe. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.6

M. C. Wilcox: It seems to me that it could not be so understood. Our foreign institutions are meeting perplexities and problems that we do not have to meet at all. It seems to me it would be better to leave the foreign field alone, and deal with the field at home. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.7

The Chairman: The question is on the amendment, which the secretary will read. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.8

The Secretary [reading]: Insert the words, “and invite the publishing houses abroad to pay a tithe, those in Europe to the General Conference sub-treasury, in other lands to their respective union treasuries.” GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.9

M. A. Altman: It seems as if the principle might be carried out by simply striking out the phrase, “in the United States,” and have it read, “we invite all the publishing houses to follow their example.” That would do away with the other conditions. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.10

Chairman: I should like to ask Brother Irwin to take the chair for a moment, so I may say a word on this. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.11

[G. A. Irwin takes the chair.] GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.12

A. G. Daniells: Now, brethren, our departments have come to be very large factors in this cause. They are operated at heavy expense, and we can not help it. Some of us on the General Conference Committee have regretted greatly the expenditure required in operating them. But as we have looked out over the field, and have seen the details of work multiplying, and have found how utterly impossible it would be for a few men to deal with these, we have said, We must go on and foster these departments, and make them strong. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.13

I have all the time felt that these departments—the publishing, the educational, the medical—ought to pass to the general treasury something in return for the expense and effort made in their behalf. I believe the day will come when each one of these departments will pass on to the general treasury all that is required to carry on the work of those departments. Now may I ask how this money that is passed by the Pacific Press to the union conferences ever reaches our treasury? GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.14

H. W. Cottrell: The Press has not paid this tithe until this year; and it is only recently that we received this, and I suppose it has not yet been forwarded. You will get it, every dollar of it, from the Pacific Union, anyway. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.15

A. G. Daniells: Well, that explains it. What I have said relates to all the departments. The Sabbath-school, of course, brings large returns to the general treasury. We have endeavored to have the Missionary Volunteer Department return to the General Conference all that has been necessary to operate it, and I am glad to say that it has done that. Now when we send out our medical workers to visit our sanitariums, to lecture in the field, to attend Chautauquas, and to work in behalf of the national campaigns for prohibition, it costs a great deal of money; and yet the General Conference, so far as I know, gets not one dollar from the medical department anywhere to meet this large general expense. Now we work hard to foster the interests of our sanitariums, to supply men, and to help young men and young women to get their degrees to practise in different places where they are needed; and yet our sanitariums, up to this time, have not returned to the General Conference anything, so far as I know, to meet this expense. Some day it will be done, I am sure, and then it will relieve the general administration of this burden. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.16

[A. G. Daniells takes the chair.] GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.17

W. W. Prescott: I like Brother Altman’s suggestion. I would like to make his suggestion my motion,—to strike out from the resolution the words, “in the United States.” GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.18

The Chairman: The amendment, then, has been changed to read, “we invite all the publishing houses to follow their example.” This is the only question before us, as I understand it. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.19

H. R. Salisbury: I want to make one final plea before this comes to a vote, that the resolution be left just as it is here printed. I want to speak from the standpoint of one on this side of the water who has been on the other side. For six years I was a member of the board of one of our European publishing houses, and what they did on that board was done on other boards. At the end of the fiscal year, we took our net profits, and said to our brethren, the Union Conference committee, Here is our money for you to do with it what you please. That is done in Great Britain, and is done at the Hamburg house; the whole money is taken over and handed to the denominational administration, and they do with it what seems best to them. Now they have done that for years. They have not given a tithe; they have given everything; and now because we bring in a resolution here that our houses in the United States shall give merely a tithe, and that it shall be used partly in fostering our publishing interests in mission fields, why should we by resolution ask our European institutions to give a tithe, when they have been giving, and still want to give, everything? Why not let the resolution remain as it is printed here? GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.20

S. G. Haughey (North England): I am heartily in favor of the recommendation as the proposed amendment reads, which would provide for our British publishing house to pay a tithe to the General Conference to help on with its work. It seems to me that that is a right principle, and that it would not interfere with the work we are doing now; The rest of the profits could be used as we might see fit, as hitherto. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.21

L. R. Conradi: I have no question about the amendment as it has been proposed. So far as we know, the tithe does not go to the respective unions, but to the General Conference. We did not wish to see the thing turned back into the unions, but to the General Conference; and we have desired to see the profits of our foreign presses used abroad rather than in the States. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.22

I. H. Evans: I think the delegates might be interested to know something of the interest the General Conference Committee takes in trying to foster the publishing work throughout the world. We maintain our publishing department staff here in the home office, which is but a small part of the expense. Last year we called Professor Caviness from Mexico to the Pacific Press office at Mountain View, kept him there, paid him a salary for many months, and met his transportation both ways, and in return he gave his exclusive time to the translation and production of literature. Other men on the Pacific Coast were paid by the General Conference for their time while they were producing literature to be printed by our publishing houses for circulation abroad. We are carrying not only in this, but in other lands, a continual heavy expense, in order to get out literature that our publishing houses may print, and that our people may have to circulate to get the truth before the world. It seems only just and reasonable that the publishing houses that are built by the donations, not of the individuals in the locality where they are erected, and located, but by the contributions of our people throughout the world,—that these publishing houses, after they have become factors in the denominational work so that they have a net profit, should turn around and help to maintain and support the work that the General Conference is trying to carry forward throughout the world. It was our General Conference that erected the printing house in Hamburg. It was our people who built the Pacific Press. It was not the constituency to-day of the Review and Herald that erected that printing plant. Seventh-day Adventists all over this land and in many places in the world, had just as much to do in erecting the Review and Herald, and have made just as great sacrifices in maintaining it, as have those who to-day are officially connected with it. GCB June 1, 1909, page 239.23

Why, then, if the denomination is called upon to maintain an institution, is it not proper to say that the general organization having the administration of affairs throughout the world, should receive from these institutions a tithe of their net earnings? We have many enterprises that must be fostered and built up. There is China, with 435,000,000 people. The General Conference must establish a printing plant in that country, and get out literature for those people, at a tremendous expense, and with no prospect of a net profit. Should not these older institutions now contribute to the establishment of our printing work in China, in Japan, and Korea? And as soon as they get their finances in good condition, these publishing houses, I believe, should do more than pay a tithe; they ought to become a strong contributing agency in the establishment of our publishing work in heathen lands. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.1

I believe in this amendment. I believe in the principle. I believe it will be helpful to an institution to pay a tithe on its net gain. I do not believe it ought to be considered a donation. I believe that if these institutions will pay a good, fair, open tithe, it will beget courage in the hearts of those who are toiling and working on small wage in these institutions. I believe that the delegates here want this resolution passed as amended, that there may be a unity throughout the world, and that we may all work together in pushing the publishing work in heathen lands. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.2

The amendment to strike out the words “in the United States,” leaving it a recommendation that all the publishing houses pay tithe to the General Conference, was then voted on and carried. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.3

The next resolution was read as follows:— GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.4

“26. We further recommend. That this tithe be used by the General Conference in meeting the expenses of the General Conference Publishing Department, and for fostering our publishing interests in mission fields.” GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.5

J. O. Corliss: I believe that the General Conference has a perfect right to use its tithe in any legitimate way that it sees fit, without being instructed by this body. I do not believe that we should go into details as to how this should be used. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.6

Andrew Nelson: Isn’t this the General Conference saying what it shall do with its tithe? GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.7

Elder Shultz: I believe that this tithe belongs to the General Conference and to its treasury. Those in charge of the treasury will certainly know what to do with the money. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.8

E. R. Palmer: I fail to see the force of these arguments against the resolution. It appears to me that the resolution teaches the opposite of what is expressed in the objection. Every dollar that comes into the General Conference treasury must be put out under the instruction of the General Conference Committee and its officers here acting for the Committee. The General Conference Committee simply operates between sessions for this body. The General Conference Committee certainly has not greater authority in saying how the tithe shall be used than this body. Therefore it appears to me that it is proper for us to state that the tithe should be used in this way, for the building up of the publishing work in the foreign missions. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.9

S. G. Haughey: I would like to say that I think the General Conference Committee are much better able to tell, as circumstances and needs arise, where this money should go than this body of men. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.10

S. W. Nellis: As the tithe is the Lord’s, and the spirit of prophecy has told us just how that tithe should be used,—merely for the great evangelical work and the support of the gospel ministry,—I am in favor of striking this out. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.11

The motion to strike out, Resolution 26 was then voted upon and carried. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.12

The next resolution was read:— GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.13

Whereas, A question has arisen concerning the advisability of organizing a General Conference Department to take charge of the periodical and home tract and missionary work; and,— GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.14

Whereas, We believe that confusion would result from the circulation of literature being directed by two departments operating through the same general offices, and through the same field; therefore,— GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.15

27. We recommend, That the periodical and home and tract and missionary work continue, as in the past, under the direction of the Publishing Department, and that the General, union, and local conferences unite in making the necessary provision for conducting more thoroughly and aggressively these neglected lines of work. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.16

S. N. Haskell: Perhaps I do not understand this resolution; but if I do understand it, the view that I take of it is that it will be detrimental to the work. Notice what it says: “That the periodical and home tract and missionary work continue, as in the past, under the direction of the Publishing Department, and that the General, union, and local conferences unite in making the necessary provision for conducting more thoroughly and aggressively these neglected lines of work.” Then this department not only excludes a general tract and missionary department here at home, at Washington, but excludes it in every conference in the country. Now, the question in my mind would be this: What was the tract society when it was so strong and accomplishing so much? It was simply an organization to distribute literature. Now, if we exclude this entirely, it is simply limiting the work. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.17

The difficulty is this: You know that the strength of the missionary work is a spirit of sacrifice, not of making money. It is the giving away of books, tracts, etc., getting them into the hands of the people. Publishing houses have to make some money. But you never can inspire in any man or woman the spirit of sacrifice unless it exists in your own heart. If you ask a man to give, you must give yourself; you must place yourself upon a level with the person that gives the money. And when he sees that you have a spirit of sacrifice, that it is not a money-making concern with you, but that it is for the purpose of scattering our truth-filled literature, then the mind of that person is affected to do the same thing. But the publishing houses are on more of a commercial basis. When the tract societies were organized, I remember a man came to me and said, “As long as you work on this line of giving the truth to the people, you may put me down for fifty dollars a year. I will give that to help on your missionary work.” So I think that the whole resolution is wrong. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.18

Furthermore, notice how it is worded: “We recommend, That the periodical and home tract and missionary work continue, as in the past.” Well, if the past has been all right, why legislate upon it? GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.19

A. T. Robinson: I was a little afraid to have Elder Haskell recognized before I was, for I feared he would speak in favor of this resolution. But I am glad that the father of this missionary work has spoken before I did. As a member of the Committee on Plans I wish to explain that this resolution is not before the Conference as the unanimous opinion of the members of that committee. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.20

Now as to its merits. This people, as we all know, is pre-eminently a missionary people. The mission of this people is not the publishing work, it is not primarily to circulate literature. This people has undertaken a gigantic task, which, to my mind, is divided into four great natural divisions. I will mention them in the order in which they have been developed,—the evangelical, the publishing, the medical, and the educational. All the other sub-divisions grow out of these divisions. These departments will be successful in the accomplishment of the work for which they were created, just in proportion as they are actuated by the real true missionary spirit. The publishing department is, to my mind, a part of the machinery with which is connected the motive power that makes this message go to all parts of the world. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.21

Now suppose that the missionary department was turned over to the medical department. What would be the result? We should have an abnormal development. And we would not have to go very far back in the history of this denomination for an illustration, when the medical department tried to capture and run the work of the denomination. I believe the result would be similar if the missionary work of the denomination is made the department of any other department. GCB June 1, 1909, page 240.22

I was never more glad than I was four years ago at the General Conference when the note was sounded all through the Conference of returning to the old-time missionary spirit and work. It seems to me, Brother Chairman, that the missionary department ought to be pre-eminently the department of all departments, and it ought to be the work of the missionary department to push the circulation of our literature in every possible way. But there are other lines of work that ought to be pushed. I think the preamble of this resolution is misleading. It recognizes the circulation of literature as missionary work. I am glad Elder Haskell brought that out. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.1

I know that one objection will be brought against this, and I am going to refer to it. That is, the thing has been tried. There was a missionary department created, and the one in charge of that found this difficulty, that there was a conflict in attempting the circulation of our literature through two departments. Now I think the reason for that is very simple. When you put a publishing man at the head of the missionary work, one who has been a publishing man all his life and has put all his efforts in that direction, of course he will run the missionary department in that direction. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.2

But I believe that there ought to be a General Conference Missionary Department. It may be objected that my speech is not constructive. It seems to me that there ought to be first some destructive work on this resolution. I believe in my soul that there ought to be reach out to the ends of the earth, and a Missionary Department that would push every department of this work. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.3

There are some propositions that will come before this Conference, that we must face, and I do not know how they are going to be met. But it seems to me that there ought to be a department studying the situation. When we have to face the proposition of sending forty families to China, twenty-two to India, and half a million dollars to be appropriated,—where are these resources coming from? I believe that we have only thus far touched the resources of this denomination in carrying forward this great mission to the world. And I regret more than my words can express that while we have had departments here at this Conference studying along their various lines, there has been no institute that would gather in our missionary secretaries, to study and plan ways and means by which the missionary spirit itself can be aroused in all our people. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.4

Now I believe that in our home conferences it is not more men, it is not more preachers, that we need to give the truth in this home land. I believe if we had the organization of the missionary work all through our churches, that we would set to work in definite lines the members of our churches, and that we would say to our very best men, You go to the front, and we will send our money with you, and we will do the work at home. Now, brethren, that is not mere theory in my mind. It is an actual fact. There never was a people on this earth so willing, so ready, as are this people. There is nothing that this denomination in the home land needs so much as leadership, men who set other men to work. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.5

What is going to be the result of this General Conference in our home conferences? Some of us have been trying to organize the missionary work during the last four years, and God has blessed the efforts. We have missionary secretaries, the best men that can be found, giving their whole time and study and effort to getting our people to work. But when the proceedings of this General Conference are carried home, and they find that that department is legislated out of existence, and there is no missionary department of the General Conference, shall we tell them, That is all right, the Publishing Department will direct our home missionary work? I do not believe in this resolution, and I only wish that I were able to make it as clear to your minds as it is to me. I hope this resolution will not pass. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.6

W. C. White: I wish first to make a definition and draw a picture of a tree, before Brother Palmer makes his defense of these resolutions. Now by both of these speakers, there seems to have been presented to us a lack of distinction between the publishing house and the Publishing Department. Both have spoken as if this resolution called for this work to be instituted and directed by the publishing house. I want to call attention to the fact that there is a distinction. The publishing house is a factory. Our factories, thank God, have gotten rid of commercial work, and are conducted by earnest men with a missionary spirit, who want the publications to be of service to the church. Our Publishing Department is a totally different institution or organization from the publishing house. The Publishing Department is made up of representative men in all parts of the field, who are in the field,—men chosen by the General Conference or its Executive Committee. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.7

Now we want to say a few words about the matter of the relation of the different lines of work. At various times we have had our work compared to a tree. In the October council of 1902, this picture was presented to me by one who then took a very prominent part in the work. He said, Our work has four co-ordinate departments,—the evangelical, publishing, medical, and educational. And our work should be organized so that the men in charge of each of these departments could meet together, pray and plan together, and then go forth into the field with all the influence of the General Conference, without having to submit their plans to some other department. Do you see the picture? It is that of a tree with four trunks, starting from the ground all co-ordinate. What would we have done if we had started out on that plan? You see that we would have been in dire confusion. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.8

Now let us picture another tree. Here is a tree with a body which grows up to a certain height, and then it branches into four departments. We will not say they are co-ordinate, but there are the four departments described, the evangelical, publishing, medical, and educational. Where is the top of the tree? GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.9

Brethren, I do not believe our tree is built on this plan either. I believe our church is like a fir-tree, that has a solid top pointing straight to heaven, and that top is the church, a missionary organization; and that is the view that was held by our men in 1901, when it was proposed that the International Tract and Missionary Association, the Religious Liberty Association, the Sabbath-school Association, the Medical Missionary Association, should be dissolved as separate associations, and that the church itself should stand as the missionary society; that every member of the church was a member of the missionary society; that we needed no missionary society separate from the church; and that it was the legitimate, the principal work of the church to do missionary work. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.10

Therefore the way I see the tree is a good strong growth from trunk to top, the church. It is reaching out toward heaven. It is the missionary church. Then you have some branches. You have the tract and missionary work; today we call it the Publishing Department. To be correct we would call it the missionary publishing department, as one branch. We have the medical missionary as another branch; we have the educational as a third branch; but the church itself is the great missionary society; and these three branches are helping it in doing its missionary work. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.11

Now if we create a department called the General Missionary Department, and it is to do the work of the church, what in the world is the church for? What use have we for it? What is its organization going to do for the time and trouble that we spend in keeping it up? It seems to me that the principle laid down in 1901, that the church is the missionary society, and the missionary society is the church, is the principle which gives strength to our work today; and that the publishing, medical, and educational departments are the three big, strong branches that branch out first. Then as we go further up, we find a lot of other departments branching also from the tree. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.12

A. T. Robinson: May I ask the speaker a question? GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.13

A. G. Daniells: If he is willing. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.14

A. T. Robinson: Would you apply the same argument to the local conference and the church itself against having a missionary department? GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.15

W. C. White: In the local conference I understand that the conference in session stands for the same thing as this Conference stands for in session. The executive committee stands through the year for the same as this Executive Committee stands for, through the four years. Then to facilitate its work, it has its Sabbath-school secretary or department, its young people’s secretary or department, its tract secretary or department, its medical secretary or department, its educational secretary or department,—all branches of the conference tree; and the fact that these missionary departments are working in the conference does not in any way take from the Executive Committee its responsibility and its work. These are either advisory or auxiliary to the Executive Committee. They are directed by the Executive Committee. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.16

You carry the matter to the church. Your church is the missionary organization; its officers correspond to the Executive Committee of the conference. They are supposed to care for all departments; and the librarian, and the person appointed to have a special charge over medical work, and the Sabbath-school superintendent, and the leader of the young people’s Missionary Volunteer meetings, all these leaders, stand in the same relation to the group of church officers—composed of elders and deacons—as these departments stand to the State conference executive committee. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.17

Therefore if you should come into the church with a general missionary department in the church, to take the supervision of the tract department, of the medical department, of work in Christian help bands, of the Sabbath-school, or the Missionary Volunteer work,—if you organize a general missionary department to take precedence over these, you have simply a new name for the church, a new organization for the organization of the church; and it seems to me that it would bring confusion. GCB June 1, 1909, page 241.18

E. R. Palmer: I will say but little, because Brother White has said many things that I had in mind to mention. I believe that I am in perfect harmony with the outline of what the church ought to do, and the great work that is before us as a church, in missionary lines, as outlined by Brethren Haskell and Robinson. The Publishing Department is not an association of publishing houses, to use our people for building up commercial interests. It is rather an association of our people, in churches, in conferences, in unions, and in the General Conference, for the prosecution of the work of circulating our literature; and our publishing houses are the printers to supply the goods with which to do the work. That the Publishing Department, in the General Conference and in the union, and in the States, and in the church, is not built upon a publishing house organization: it is evangelical in its every fiber, there being only representation enough in the Publishing Department that the publishing house interests may be properly considered in counsel. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.1

There is no question that has come before us more prominently during the executive work of the past four years than how to lift the Publishing Department out of that condition into which it seemed to have fallen through the neglect of our evangelical work to build up the circulation of literature properly. It seemed to be understood to be a commercial work, managed by the publishing houses, using the people for building up their interests, instead of an organization of the people using the publishing house for furnishing the supplies and helping the evangelical work. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.2

Therefore, resolutions have been passed from time to time, by the General Conference body, by the Publishing Department, placing all the responsibility and the organization of this work in the hands of the people themselves, and in the hands of the evangelical work, reaching from the church to the General Conference. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.3

Brethren, if you place the work of our Publishing Department upon a commercial basis, managed by our publishing houses, for their interests, you take every spark of life out of it. Our Publishing Department can not exist upon that basis. The church at work is the substrata of all our efforts. You take away the church from us, you take away the people in the conferences from us, and we have nothing to do. Our publishing houses in themselves are nothing. Because we carry the name, the Publishing Department, is no indication that we are a commercial institution. If we are not the old-fashioned tract and missionary society, as it was first organized by the venerable man upon the stand [Elder Haskell], organizing our churches, and doing the work, then our Publishing Department is nothing, and should be wiped from off the slate, and another organized to take its place. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.4

Now when you come to the proposition of dividing that organized work under two heads, where two organizations direct the work in the church, in the State, in the union, in the publishing house, you draw a line through a work which is one in itself, just as distinctly as if this Conference were to draw a dividing line between our colleges, and put them under one department, and the intermediate schools and all the church-schools under another department. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.5

J. O. Corliss: Will the delegate permit a question at this point? Will you please state, kindly, what two organizations are directing the work in the churches now? GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.6

E. R. Palmer: The proposition that came before the Committee on Plans was, whether we should have a Publishing Department managing the subscription book work, and a tract and missionary department managing the periodical part of our business, the forty-per-cent books, and tracts. Our work is divided about half and half into these two parts. If you organize another department, you then have the circulation of literature under two distinct heads, and two distinct lines of management. It is not that we desire or wish to have the department, whatever you may call it—home tract and missionary department. Call it anything you like. We want it a department dealing with all lines of literature, built up in the church, in the conference, in the union, and in the General Conference, as an evangelical organization, and not as a commercial work. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.7

J. O. Corliss: Would you, then, do away with the State agent? GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.8

E. R. Palmer: No, no; but his work must be upon the evangelical basis. Our canvassers in the field are as much evangelists and gospel workers as any of our workers. It is that misconception of the work of the Publishing Department, that it is a commercial work, and is built upon the publishing house interests, that leads to this discussion. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.9

Before I sit down, I wish to say a word with regard to this resolution. It did not come from the Publishing Department. It was brought directly to the Committee on Plans, which referred it to a joint committee made up of the sub-committee on Plans and the Publishing Department. A brief resolution was presented, which was unfortunate in its wording, and was opposed. It was referred back to the joint committee. It was re-worded and re-submitted, and passed unanimously the Committee on Plans; hence comes in in the regular order. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.10

Now, Brother Chairman, pardon me for taking this much time; but I do plead for our publishing work, that no section of it shall be considered built upon the publishing houses, or be considered commercial. We are evangelical or we are nothing: and we want our canvassers, our periodical workers, we want all our workers circulating our literature, to work on the basis of an evangelical organization, but to include our publishing houses in counsel, to the end that we may co-operate with them perfectly in the selling of literature and in the supplying of goods. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.11

A. T. Robinson: I would like to inquire of Brother Palmer if this resolution recognizes the circulation of our literature, and the circulation of our literature alone, as the missionary work of this denomination. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.12

E. R. Palmer: The resolution does not purport to cover other lines of missionary work outside the circulation of literature. It does plead for a oneness of the work in circulating literature, subscription books, periodicals, forty-per-cent books, trade books, tracts, leaflets, from the General Conference organization down through to the church, as one work. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.13

J. O. Corliss: Would you do away with the present missionary secretary? GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.14

E. R. Palmer: I would not do away with either the man who takes charge of the agents, or the man who takes charge of the tract and missionary work. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.15

J. O. Corliss: Would there not be two departments still if you keep them both? GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.16

E. R. Palmer: There would be one department. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.17

J. O. Corliss: By which one of these persons would the work be directed? GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.18

E. R. Palmer: The work would be directed primarily from the State tract society office, the tract society secretary being the directing officer. All the accounts must be kept in the tract society office for subscription books, church books, and all. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.19

M. A. Altman: It seems to me that this resolution is to resolve not to do something that is not being done. If the purpose of the resolution is to introduce a new department, I submit that it does not do it; and if it is merely for the purpose of discussion of the question, it has already met its purpose. I, therefore, move that Resolution 27, with its two preambles, be stricken out. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.20

The motion was seconded. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.21

A. G. Daniells: The motion is made to strike out Resolution 27. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.22

E. R. Palmer: This resolution does not erect a man of straw and propose to knock him over. This resolution deals with a question that has been before us for months, which the president of the General Conference and the Committee on Plans have asked should be presented in this way for discussion, to decide whether we should have two departments for conducting this work, or one. Therefore we plead for action by this Conference concerning this question. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.23

A. G. Daniells: I wish to ask Elder Irwin to take the chair while I make an explanation. I see that the situation is not understood. For six months or more there has been before the General Conference Committee the idea of establishing another department called the Home Missionary Department. The object sought in suggesting that new department has been to foster missionary activity in all our churches throughout the country. How shall we get at it? Well, we have talked of creating a department to foster that activity. There has been objection to that. It has been argued that the Publishing Department itself ought to be evangelical, Christian, and Christian enough in spirit, in motive, and in activity to do that work instead of creating another department to do it. Now I have been perplexed, and suggested that it be brought to the Committee on Plans, and have some discussion by this Conference. This resolution comes before us, and says, No, do not create another department for that purpose, but use the Publishing Department, not the printing houses, but the Publishing Department we have to foster and develop missionary activity in the circulation of our literature throughout the field. That is the question that is before us. GCB June 1, 1909, page 242.24

J. Vuilleumier: The matter is not quite clear in my mind; therefore I rise to express a thought or two. I see a distinction between the canvassing work and the tract work. These two lines of work would represent two different corps of soldiers in the army. I see that difference between the canvassing work and the distribution of tracts by the individual. In a local conference I see a canvassing agent, and I see an organization for the tract work. I see the same distinction in the union, and it seems to me logically if there was a difference made in the General Conference organization it would be logical. It seems to me that there might be reasons for having some one take the special burden of setting the whole denomination at work. GCB June 1, 1909, page 243.1

The question of striking out Resolution 27 was called, and the motion lost. GCB June 1, 1909, page 243.2

A. T. Robinson: I think the benefit of resolutions and discussions in the General Conference is educatory. Now we are to go home to our conferences. I want to know definitely if it can be made clear whether the passage of this resolution carries with it the sentiment that we are to go home, and do away with our missionary department in our churches. GCB June 1, 1909, page 243.3

Voices: No. GCB June 1, 1909, page 243.4

The time for adjournment having already passed, the meeting adjourned without action on this resolution. GCB June 1, 1909, page 243.5

A. G. DANIELLS, Chairman,
W. A. SPICER, Secretary.