General Conference Bulletin, vol. 1
DISTTRICT NO. 1 — SUPERINTENDENT
I. D. VAN HORN
Elder I. D. VanHorn, of District No. 1, submitted his report in substance as follows:— GCB February 19, 1895, page 238.10
THE nine conferences. — Maine, Quebec, Vermont, New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Atlanta, Virginia, and West Virginia, — and the mission field embracing the Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, composing this district, send greeting to the President and the General Conference assembled. GCB February 19, 1895, page 238.11
To make a report to you that would be complete in all its parts would be a difficult task. I gather the information from the reports of the presidents of these different conferences, all of which are made out to the end of the year 1894. In alphabetical order the first in the list is — GCB February 19, 1895, page 238.12
THE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
This conference is made up of seven counties of the State of New York, which include the cities of New York and Brooklyn; all of New Jersey and Delaware, Maryland, except the three western counties; and the District of Columbia, with the capital of the nation. GCB February 19, 1895, page 238.13
This conference is small in territory but large in population, having upward of five million inhabitants. It has ten ordained ministers, three licentiates, two Bible-workers, and fifteen canvassers. It has seventeen churches, with a total membership of 850, an increase of 179 over last year; and each church has a tract and missionary society. Three churches and tract societies and five Sabbath-schools have been organized during the year. GCB February 19, 1895, page 238.14
the tithes paid into the treasury for the year amount to $8286.22, a gain of $1062.27 since the last General Conference. The number of members reported as paying tithe is 392. The amount of first-day offerings is $347.84; $14.49 less than last year. The annual offering at the beginning of the year was $581.86, a falling off of $92.20 from the previous year. The donation to the conference tent fund and to the South Lancaster Academy amounts to $656.27. The results of the labors of the workers in the conference is quite encouraging. They report 183 conversions and twenty-eight candidates baptized. Three of the ministers have been employed in religious liberty work for the most of their time. The spiritual condition of our people in the conference is good. The arrest, trial, and imprisonment of a few of our brethren in the State of Maryland have created a more determined zeal, and given a more wide-spread influence to the truth than could otherwise have been accomplished. GCB February 19, 1895, page 238.15
MAINE
The Maine Conference is rapidly coming up to a very encouraging and prosperous condition. The laborers consist of three ministers, two licentiates, one Bible-worker, and six canvassers. The result of the work done in the conference gives seventy-six conversions, thirty-five persons baptized, one church organized, and two tract societies organized. The number of churches in the conference is twenty-one, and the number of members appearing on the church books is 489, quite a number of whom however are non-residents. The number of Sabbath-keepers in the State is about 400. there are two companies yet unorganized. There are ten tract societies, and five persons are engaged in tract distribution. The number of Sabbath-schools is nineteen, one of which was organized the past year. There are one hundred and eight-six subscribers for the Review, five clubs for the Signs, and four clubs for the Sentinel. The amount of tithes paid in is $3415.93, and increase of $935.81 over last year. The amount of first-day offerings is $303.60, an increase over last year of $82.42. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.1
A great and important change in spiritual matters is taking place in this conference. Faith in the advanced light of the Message and all lines of work is increasing, and matters are moving on in harmony. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.2
The Third Angel’s Message had its beginning in Maine, and now in the time of the loud cry God is again showing his power to save. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.3
MARITIME PROVINCES
The work in this field has for the last two years been under the charge of Elder R. S. Webber, and for nearly a year Elder F. I. Richardson has labored here also. Sixteen canvassers have worked here, only a few of whom have put in their whole time. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.4
There are now six organized churches, with a total membership of 140. They have ten Sabbath-schools, with a membership of 180. The contributions from these schools for six months were $65.92. The amount of tithes for the year ending September last is $508.70; the amount of book sales by canvassers, $4,919.56. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.5
The Lord is giving prosperity to his work in this field, and there is still room for more laborers. A laborer should be placed on Prince Edward Island, which is really the garden of that country. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.6
NEW ENGLAND CONFERENCE
This conference stands firm in the truth both in spiritual and financial work. The laborers in the conference are nine ordained ministers, four licentiates, four Bible-workers, and eight canvassers. The number of churches is twenty-eight, two of which were organized the last year. Total membership, 909, a gain of eighty-eight in the year. There are thirty-five Sabbath-schools, with a membership of 796. The amount of tithe received during the year was $10,421.60, a gain of $220. The annual offerings amounted to $1288.96; first-day offerings, $585.60; Sabbath-school offerings, $1106.07; book sales by canvassers, $3,490.75; other book sales, $1170.97; contributions for tent and camp-meeting fund, $1000; contributions for improvements on South Lancaster Academy, $4000. There are 311 subscribers for the Review, 22 clubs for the Signs, and 16 clubs for the Sentinel. The number of conversions is eighty-eight. One large camp-meeting and one general meeting have been held during the past year. The arrest, trial, and conviction of one of our brethren for Sunday labor in the vicinity of Boston has told loudly for the spread of the truth. The South Lancaster Academy has been enlarged without increasing the debt, which makes room for a larger number of students with but little increase of expense. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.7
NEW YORK CONFERENCE
Progress is being made in this conference in all lines of work. Five houses of worship have been built since the last General Conference. The laborers in the conference are eleven ministers, seven licentiates, two Bible workers, one colporter, and twenty canvassers. Six churches have recently been organized, making the present number forty-eight, with a total membership of 1250. Nine Sabbath-schools have been organized during the year. One hundred conversions are reported, and fifty have been baptized. The amount of tithes for 1894 was $9463.68, an increase of $3000 during the past two years. Donations have been made to the conference to the amount of $214.58 exclusive of what has been raised for the South Lancaster Academy. Book sales for the year amount to $22,000. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.8
THE PENNSYLVANIA CONFERENCE
This conference shows good evidence of growth and progress. The present number of laborers in the conference is five ministers, seven licentiates, three Bible workers, and thirty-five canvassers. The number of organized churches is forty-five, and there are five companies yet unorganized. The number of church members is 1150. In turning over a portion of its territory to the New York Conference, the Pennsylvania Conference has been reduced in its numerical force and strength. The number of conversions during the year was 129; the number baptized, 127. Six churches have been organized, and thirteen Sabbath-schools. The amount of tithes during the past year was $8799.49; first-day offerings, $477.21; fourth-Sabbath offerings, $1138. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.9
The spiritual condition is good, and there is a determined zeal to push the message everywhere in the State. The National Reform movement is making a strong effort to increase the rigidity of the Sunday law and the fine for its violation. These efforts have served to spread more widely the work of God, and many are thus brought to see the truth and the work-of God for our time. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.10
THE QUEBEC CONFERENCE
is improving both spiritually and financially. A very fine meeting-house has been erected at Fitch Bay. It contains a basement, in which a school was begun last fall, and is now carried on with success. There are two ministers and one licentiate in this conference, and one Bible-worker and six canvassers. The conference contains six churches, with a membership of 168. There is one unorganized company, and there are about twenty isolated Sabbath-keepers. Thirty have been converted, and nine candidates baptized. Sabbath-schools now number thirteen, three of which were organized during the year, and the total membership is 162. Tithes, $786.41; donations, $474.35; first-day offerings, $28.43; book sales, $1170.32. One camp-meeting was held in the month of June. Harmony prevails among the brethren, and a willingness to push forward the truth. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.11
THE VERMONT CONFERENCE
Though small in territory, this conference is prospering. From this conference have gone out many faithful and earnest workers, and the work is now pushing forward in all lines with determined zeal. Forty-five conversions are reported, and thirty candidates have been baptized. The conference mourns the loss of Elder A. S. Hutchins, who was highly esteemed by all who knew him, and much loved by all our people. The Vermont conference has four ministers, one licentiate, two Bible-workers, and ten canvassers. There are twenty churches, two of which were organized the past year. There are forty-eight Sabbath-schools, with a membership of 465. Amount of tithes, $2,900; first-day offerings, $246.19; annual offerings, 748.91; Sabbath-school offerings, $400. A very fine house of worship, with a tract depository attached, has been built in Burlington. The headquarters of the conference and tract society have been established there. GCB February 19, 1895, page 239.12
VIRGINIA CONFERENCE
The workers in this conference are three ministers, three licentiates, and nine canvassers. Two churches have been organized during the year. There are now seven, with a membership of 210. There is one unorganized company, and twelve isolated Sabbath-keepers. There are eight Sabbath-schools. There have been twenty-five conversions, and twenty-two have been baptized. Tithes paid into the treasury, $791.86; first-day offerings, $32.80; donations to the conference, $914.53; book sales, $2409.95. The missionary spirit is growing, but it is yet below what it ought to be. The removal of the tract society to Richmond has given new vigor to the work, and was a move in the right direction. The spiritual condition of the conference is improving. GCB February 19, 1895, page 240.1
THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE
is steadily moving on in the work of the Message in its different lines. The efforts put forth show good results. The workers in the conference are three ministers, four licentiates, five Bible workers, and twenty-three canvassers. Number of churches, six; membership, 222; unorganized companies, seven; thirty Sabbath-keepers who are not church members. There are nine Sabbath-schools, with a membership of 222. Number of conversions reported, 22; 18 baptized. Amount of tithes the past year, $910; first-day offerings, $934.10; donations by the Sabbath-schools to missions, $79.24. Three church buildings are in process of construction. The preparatory school at Newark is reported to be in a prosperous and self-supporting condition. Good results from the school are already seen. The blessing of God attends the work in this conference, and it is prosecuted with success. GCB February 19, 1895, page 240.2