General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4
ORGANIZATION AND WORK OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, APRIL 18 TO MAY 1, INCLUSIVE
It will be observed that the Committee has been subdivided into a number of departments; namely, the Mission Board, Pastoral Committee, Finance Committee, Educational Department, Religious Liberty Department, Sabbath-school Department, and Publication Committee, all of which are found on page 499 of the BULLETIN. The principal work of the Committee has been to devise plans for the work of these various departments. GCB April 1, 1901, page 506.20
MISSION WORK
It was recommended to dispose of the property of the Foreign Mission Board and International Tract Society in New York City, and locate the headquarters at Battle Creek, Mich., a statement of which has appeared in the Review and Herald. GCB April 1, 1901, page 506.21
Voted, That the French books now in the General Conference Library be donated to the Paris Mission for use in editorial work there. GCB April 1, 1901, page 506.22
Voted, That the Mission Board be asked to take the general supervision of medical missionary work in Mexico. GCB April 1, 1901, page 506.23
Voted, That the Missionary Magazine be issued with forty-eight pages, the size of Good Health, the price to be fifty cents. The magazine will embody all phases of missionary work, both medical and evangelical. GCB April 1, 1901, page 506.24
CAMP-MEETINGS
Voted, That A. G. Daniells, W. W. Prescott, and W. A. Spicer constitute a committee in the matter of advertising at our camp-meetings this present season; GCB April 1, 1901, page 506.25
That J. A. Brunson be requested to attend as many camp-meetings as possible in the Lake Union Conference; GCB April 1, 1901, page 506.26
That the Medical Missionary Board be requested to take charge of the matter of supplying physicians and nurses to attend the various camp-meetings; GCB April 1, 1901, page 506.27
That A. T. Jones be requested to attend the Upper Columbia, North Pacific, and California camp-meetings; GCB April 1, 1901, page 506.28
That A. F. Ballenger be requested to attend the Chesapeake, Pennsylvania, Atlantic, and New England camp meetings; GCB April 1, 1901, page 506.29
That Elder S. N. Haskell be requested to attend the Pennsylvania, Atlantic, and New England camp-meetings; GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.1
That A. G. Daniells and W. W. Prescott be requested to attend the Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and South Dakota camp-meetings; GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.2
That A. G. Daniells attend the Cumberland Conference meeting, if he can consistently arrange to do so; and also the Ontario camp-meeting, it being understood that the last meeting shall be postponed until July. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.3
Arrangements for the later camp-meetings will be duly announced in the Review and Herald. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.4
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Voted, That a collection for Skodsborg Sanatorium be taken the second Sabbath in September, and that a special effort be made to present the needs of that institution through the medium of our periodicals. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.5
Voted, That a committee be appointed to arrange the details with reference to using a book now published in the French language, entitled “Home Book of Health,” for assisting the Skodsborg Sanatorium, to be carried forward similarly to the one now carried forward in connection with “Christ’s Object Lessons.” P. T. Magan, W. W. Prescott, and David Paulson were appointed such a committee. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.6
Voted, To request I. H. Evans to transact the business connected with the settlement of the affairs of the Christiania Publishing House. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.7
Voted, That it is the sense of this Committee that the original conditions agreed upon for the settlement of the business at Christiania are sufficient, and that they be adhered to. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.8
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT
The following were adopted:— GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.9
We recommend that the duty of the Educational Committee shall be:— GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.10
1. To act as committee of reference in relation to all educational matters. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.11
2. To assist in an advisory way in supplying properly qualified teachers for the different schools. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.12
3. To suggest plans for promoting and properly representing the educational work at the camp-meetings and other large gatherings. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.13
4. To act as a book committee in relation to the different educational books, providing for the securing and writing of books by suitable authors, and planning for the introduction of suitable books into our schools. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.14
5. To promote the development of church and Conference schools in all fields. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.15
THE TRAINING SCHOOL
The following resolutions were approved:— GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.16
Recognizing the imperative need of a school especially devoted to the training of missionary church workers, evangelists, teachers, ministers, and other classes of laborers who can be useful in the advancement of the cause of truth; therefore— GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.17
Resolved, That in the reorganization of Battle Creek College, and the establishment of the school in a new location, we deem it best to make it a missionary training-school, or training-school for Christian workers, and that such courses of study shall be provided, such teachers employed, and such entrance requirements adopted, as shall be consistent with the missionary and evangelical character and aims of the school; and— GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.18
Resolved, That we request the General Conference Committee to take special advisory supervision of the school, that it may be made as far as possible a model training-school, in which the true principles of education shall be clearly and faithfully represented, and which may be made the means of promoting the cause of educational reform among us in the training of teachers for church schools, academies, and other schools; and by the publication of a monthly educational journal, and in such other ways as the General Conference Committee may advise and approve. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.19
Voted, That the Medical Missionary Board be asked to make some arrangement whereby the Medical Missionary Training-School in Chicago can be affiliated with the Missionary Training-school which it is proposed to establish superseding Battle Creek College. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.20
Voted, That the Educational Department be encouraged to establish correspondence missionary training-schools in connection with the Missionary training-school for Christian workers. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.21
Voted, That members of the Educational Department visit some of the camp-meetings in the interests of educational work, and that they arrange with the different Union Conferences regarding the matter. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.22
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DEPARTMENT
In the Religious Liberty Department, the following recommendations were adopted:— GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.23
1. That Elder Allen Moon and D. W. Reavis continue their field work under the direction of the Religious Liberty Department. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.24
2. That the headquarters in Chicago be discontinued as soon as practicable, GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.25
3. That the Sentinel of Liberty be issued as a quarterly, in order to preserve the influence of the name and the continuity of the publication: and that to meet any emergency that might arise, special numbers be issued as the case may require. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.26
4. That the Sentinel of Liberty and Religious Liberty Library be moved to Nashville, Tenn., and that they be published by the Herald Publishing Company, if satisfactory arrangements can be made. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.27
5. That the Religious Liberty Library be continued. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.28
SABBATH-SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Voted, That the Sabbath-school Department arrange for the work of organizing the young people for missionary work and for the missionary Reading Circle. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.29
PUBLISHING COMMITTEE
In harmony with their own suggestion, it was voted that the Pacific Press Publishing Company be encouraged to establish a small branch printing office in Mexico, also to print such denominational literature for that field as they can handle to advantage. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.30
The following actions were taken with reference to the appointment of editors of our various denominational papers:— GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.31
1. That U. Smith be editor of the Review and Herald. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.32
2. That M. C. Wilcox be editor of the Signs of the Times. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.33
3. That the appointment of editor of the Bible Echo and other Australian papers be left with the Australasian Union Conference. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.34
4. That A. T. Jones be editor of the Sentinel of Liberty and Religious Liberty Library, and C. P. Bollman be associate. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.35
5. That Adelaide Bee Cooper be editor of the Youth’s Instructor. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.36
6. That the question of supplying editors for the European papers be referred to the General European Conference at its next meeting. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.37
7. That W. W. Prescott be editor of the Missionary Magazine, and W. A. Spicer and Mrs. E. H. Whitney be assistant editors. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.38
8. That the Secretary of the General Conference be editor of the GENERAL CONFERENCE BULLETIN. GCB April 1, 1901, page 507.39
THE BOOK BUSINESS IN THE SOUTHERN UNION CONFERENCE
In response to a memorial from the Southern Union Conference Committee, the Review and Herald Board voted to turn over to the Southern Union Conference the present worth of the Atlanta Office, the said Union Conference to assume all resources and liabilities of said office. In harmony with the foregoing action, the General Conference Committee recommended that the work of circulating literature in that Conference be turned over to that Conference. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.1
RELATION BETWEEN THE REVIEW AND HERALD PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION AND THE SOUTHERN PUBLISHING COMPANY
Whereas, The General Conference Committee have advised that the control and management of the subscription and general book business in the nine States included in the Southern Union Conference be transferred to the Southern Union Conference; and— GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.2
Whereas, The Review and Herald have consented to this, and have generously donated to the Southern Union Conference their book stock and business now located at Atlanta, Ga.; therefore,— GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.3
Resolved, That it is the mind of this Committee that the Southern Union Conference and the managers of the Herald Publishing Company should labor earnestly to promote the interests of the Review and Herald Publishing Company by making sale of as large a number of their books as possible, consistently with the interests of the cause in the South. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.4
Resolved, That the managers of the Herald Publishing Company are hereby instructed to use every reasonable effort to protect the interests of our other publishing houses against injury through the circulation or advertisement of special or cheap editions of current publications, in the territory of the other publishing houses. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.5
MISCELLANEOUS
In harmony with the action of the General Conference, as recorded on page 356 of the BULLETIN, providing for men to be appointed in each Union Conference to take the oversight of the work in other languages, the following report was adopted:— GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.6
That for the German work the following persons be selected as its representatives, to counsel with the General Conference Committee, and to take the general oversight: H. Shultz, F. H. Westphal, T. Valentiner. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.7
For the Scandinavian work the following were chosen: L. Johnson, S. F. Svensson, E. G. Olsen, C. A. Thorp, A. Swedberg. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.8
Further, That the Union Conferences select others to take the special oversight in their respective districts, where it seems advisable. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.9
Work of general laborers in Union Conferences: That each general laborer in German and Scandinavian lines in the Union Conferences should work in his own Union Conference, not going outside of that unless called to do so by another Union Conference. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.10
Voted, That all dealings with men under pay of the General Conference, who are located in the Union Conferences, be through the officers of the Union Conferences. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.11
It was understood that such laborers should report to the Union Conferences. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.12
The following actions of the Southern Union Conference were approved:— GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.13
1. We suggest that May 1, 1901, would be a favorable time to begin our self-government. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.14
2. That all our laborers report to the General Conference up to May 1, and be settled with up to that date, according to the audit of last year. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.15
3. We request that on the above-named date the Treasurer of the General Conference furnish the Treasurer of the Southern Union Conference with an itemized statement of all funds paid out for the work in this Conference between January 1 and April 30, 1901, and also that he be furnished with a statement of the total amount of expenditures in this field during the year 1900. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.16
4. We further request that all funds and appropriations for special work in the South be transferred at the time to the Treasurer of the Southern Union Conference, with a statement as to what they were donated for, and the amount of each appropriation. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.17
5. We further request that the amount appropriated by the General Conference to the Southern Union Conference, according to the expression of the General Conference found in the BULLETIN on pages 68 to 70, be placed, as far as possible, at the disposal of the Treasurer of the Southern Union Conference, to be paid to him as needed. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.18
The following recommendations adopted by the Scandinavian brethren attending the General Conference were read, and it was recommended that they be published in the Sions Vaktare and the Evangeliets Sendebud:— GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.19
Whereas, Our periodicals do a great work in the promulgation of present truth; therefore,— GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.20
1. Resolved, That we urge our Scandinavian brethren and sisters to interest themselves for a wide circulation of Sions Vaktare (Swedish) and Evangeliets Sendebud (Danish-Norwegian) by not only becoming regular subscribers themselves, but also by sending these papers to relatives and friends, by soliciting subscriptions for the same, and by taking clubs of the Swedish and Danish papers, and doing house-to-house work with them. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.21
2. Resolved, That we ask our American brethren to aid in this work whenever and wherever opportunity presents itself to do anything in this line. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.22
Whereas, The proceeds from the sale of the Scandinavian editions of “Christ’s Object Lessons” are to be devoted to the upbuilding of the Scandinavian publishing and educational work; therefore,— GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.23
Resolved, That we ask all our people, both the Scandinavians and other nationalities, to aid in giving the Scandinavian editions of this work a wide sale. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.24
Voted, That Dr. N. P. Nelson be recommended to return to Skodsborg, Denmark, to take up work in connection with the Philanthropic Society. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.25
Voted, That ten thousand dollars be raised to assist in establishing the institutional health work—sanitarium and health-food business—in England. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.26
It was voted to request the Medical Missionary Association to furnish two physicians, a man and his wife if possible, who could connect with Dr. A. B. Olsen in work in England; also to recommend one or two well-trained nurses; and that Brother H. G. Butler be asked to return to England to connect with the health-food business. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.27
We recommend that the General Conference assist the London house in securing at least ten thousand dollars to be used by that house as a working capital. GCB April 1, 1901, page 508.28
The attention of the committee having been called by Sister White to the diversion, to other fields, several years ago, of funds raised especially for the work in the Southern field, it was voted that this Committee accept the responsibility of making such restitution in this matter as a careful investigation would show ought to be made; and further, that the other organizations which had a part in this diversion of funds be urged to do the same. GCB April 1, 1901, page 509.1
That the preparation of blanks for the use of the General Conference be referred to the Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer. GCB April 1, 1901, page 509.2