General Conference Bulletin, vol. 1
DISTRICT NO. 3 — SUPERINTENDENT
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH
District No. 3 is made up of the four State Conferences of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Its territory is comprised in the four named States and the Province of Ontario, the latter being part of the Michigan Conference. GCB February 19, 1895, page 241.5
THE MICHIGAN CONFERENCE
which was organized Oct. 5, 1861, was the first conference ever organized by the Seventh-day Adventists, and it is now the largest conference as to numbers in the denomination. It has 132 churches, with a membership of 5505. It has twenty-one ordained ministers, eighteen licentiates, and twenty paid Bible-workers. The tithe of the conference for the past year was $37,941.35. Its first-day offerings to foreign missions was $2133.89. In the conference there are 193 Sabbath-schools, with a total membership of 6500. These schools gave the last year for the support of foreign missions the sum of $3114.91. GCB February 19, 1895, page 241.6
The last summer two camp-meetings were held in Michigan. The first of these was held for our people in the northern part of the State. The larger meeting, in connection with which the Michigan Conference held its session, was a gathering of over three thousand Sabbath-keepers. GCB February 19, 1895, page 241.7
The book sales in Michigan and Ontario reached the sum of $9123.84. A comparison of the statistics of the Michigan Conference for the years 1893 and 1894 shows an increase of 995 members. GCB February 19, 1895, page 241.8
OHIO CONFERENCE
The Ohio Conference has sixty churches, with a membership of 1507. This is an increase of four churches and seventy-six members for the year. There are twelve ordained ministers, seven licentiates, and twelve Bible-workers in the conference. The tithe paid for the last year was $13,000.37, being an average of $8.62 for each member. The total contributions of the conference for foreign missions for the year was $3052.01. The State has 106 Sabbath-schools, with a membership of 1880. The schools contributed to foreign missions $1047.38. With an average of thirteen canvassers, the book sales in the State were $7222.23. GCB February 19, 1895, page 241.9
One general camp-meeting was held in the State. Six hundred and sixty were encamped on the grounds. This conference has one of the educational institutions of the denomination, the Mt. Vernon Academy. This institution has been well patronized, and is in a prosperous condition. It is a source of strength to the cause in Ohio. GCB February 19, 1895, page 241.10
INDIANA CONFERENCE
The Indiana Conference has fifty-six churches and 1580 members. This is an increase of two churches and 178 members over the preceding year. The conference has nine ministers, seven licentiates, and seven Bible-workers. The tithe of the conference for the last year was $9537.45, being $636.99 less than the previous year. GCB February 19, 1895, page 241.11
There are seventy-eight Sabbath-schools in the State, with a membership of 1808. This is an increase of seven schools and 448 members. These schools contributed the last year for foreign missions $690.16, being an increase over the previous year of $118.20. The total contribution of the conference to foreign missions for the year, including the annual offerings, was $2120.41. This is $854.56 less than the preceding year. With an average of fifteen canvassers for the year, the book sales amounted to $7905.50, being only $3095.50 less than the sales of twenty canvassers the previous year. GCB February 19, 1895, page 241.12
There were two camp-meetings held in Indiana the past year. The first of these was the annual State conference and camp-meeting. There were 960 persons in camp. The other was a local meeting for the southern part of the State, with about one hundred in camp. GCB February 19, 1895, page 241.13
ILLINOIS CONFERENCE
The Illinois Conference has thirty-two churches, with a membership of 1164. This is five churches and 160 members more than the previous year. The tithe of the conference for the last year was $10,841.53, being an average of $9.06 for each member. The tithe was $966.98 less than that of 1893. GCB February 19, 1895, page 241.14
The State has sixty-eight Sabbath-schools, with an enrollment of 1593 members, being sixteen schools and 307 members more than the former year. The Sabbath-schools gave to foreign missions $718.88, which was $35.33 increase. The total contribution of Illinois to foreign missions for the year was $3306.27, a decrease of $549.99. This conference has seven ordained ministers, two licentiates, and eighteen Bible workers. Two camp-meetings were held the past season. GCB February 19, 1895, page 241.15
The Chicago branch of the Battle Creek Sanitarium, at 28 College Place, and the Free Dispensary at 100 Van Buren St., Chicago, while not under the control of the conference, are, nevertheless, exerting a strong influence for the cause of truth in that city. Over one third of the entire membership of the Illinois Conference is in the four organized Seventh-day Adventist churches of Chicago. The South Side English church has more than doubled its membership in the twenty-one months since it removed its meeting place from 28 College Place. It now has an enrollment of over 200 members. The Bible-readers in the city are successful in leading many to the truth. There are now eight different Sabbath schools held by our people in different parts of Chicago every Sabbath. Besides these, a Chinese school is held every Sunday evening. GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.1
In District No. 3 there are 280 churches, with 10,751 members. Besides these, there are several hundred scattered Sabbath-keepers not yet organized into churches. This shows an increase of twenty-seven churches and 2420 members in the two years since the last General Conference. The present number of ministers is forty-five, a decrease of six; present number of licentiates, thirty-one, one more than two years ago; present number of Sabbath-schools, 445, an increase of eighty-three. The present membership of the schools is 11,781, an increase of 2526. The donations of these schools to foreign missions the past year were $5571.33, or an increase of $2088.65 more than two years ago. The tithe paid by the district the past year was $71,320.70, an increase of $2452.05 over the last General Conference report. GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.2
The last year there were seven camp-meetings held in the district, and nearly 6000 of our people were in camp. The interest to learn the truth is increasing in District No. 3, and there is abundance of room for work in enlightening souls. GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.3
The time of the meeting having expired, the Conference adjourned. The Chair, in view of the necessary absence of himself and the Recording Secretary, appointed Elder J. N. Loughborough chairman and L. T. Nicola secretary pro tem. GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.4
SABBATH-SCHOOL COUNCIL
THE first meeting of the Sabbath-school Council was held at 2 P.M., Sunday, February 17, when the subject of the qualifications of officers and teachers was taken up by Elder M. H. Brown. He spoke in substance as follows:— GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.5
This is a subject of great importance. The officers and teachers in our Sabbath-schools exert a very great molding influence upon the schools over which they have charge, and it is important that their qualifications be such that they can put a proper mold upon the work; and in order for them rightly to mold and direct the minds of those over whom they are placed, it is necessary that they themselves have the right mold, the divine mold. Unless the officers and teachers in our Sabbath-schools have an experience in the things of God, they certainly cannot help others in the good way. GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.6
Among the qualifications of a superintendent may be named the following:— GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.7
1. The primary requisite is that he should have a Christian experience. He must himself know the way, or he cannot teach the way. He cannot teach Christ and him crucified unless he knows Christ himself. He cannot manifest the spirit of Christ unless he is possessed of that spirit; he cannot lead others to the fountain of life unless he has partaken of it himself. Hence this qualification should always be considered first in the selection of such an officer. And the second qualification necessarily follows, if he has the first. GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.8
2. He will love the word of God. He must be a man of one book, and that book be, not the music book, the record book, the library book, or the question book, but the Book of books, — the word of God. Bishop John H. Vincent, in his work entitled, “The Modern Sunday-school,” well says:— GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.9
The superintendent honors the Bible, that his teachers and pupils may honor it. He speaks of it frequently, handles it reverently, quotes it accurately, teaches it systematically, searches it personally, prayerfully, diligently. — Page 47. GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.10
3. The superintendent should recognize and respect the rights of parents, and inculcate in the minds of children the filial obligations which they owe to their parents. He should endeavor to impress the minds of the children with that reverence, respect, and obedience that are due to parents and to superiors. This reverence and respect are greatly lacking in these times. The superintendent should seek the co-operation and the help of parents in this work. A good superintendent will always be one who is interested in all the members of his school. He will realize the importance of having a personal acquaintance with each member, entering into their sympathies their trials, their difficulties; and he will be a help to them wherever possible. He can thus exert an influence that will tell on the Lord’s side. He should greet the children with a kindly word and a friendly smile, and should show that he has an interest in them, thus winning their love and confidence, and enabling him to bind them to the Saviour. GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.11
4. The superintendent should be apt to teach. He should have instruction to impart, and should know how to impart it. GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.12
5. Another important qualification of the superintendent is that he should be observing. He should be quick to see and hear, and slow to speak. He should be a man of few words, and his attitude and deportment should be such as to produce quiet and order in the school. In the language of Vincent in the “Modern Sunday School,” he should be “quiet in deportment, carrying himself with dignity, ease, steadiness, ... quiet in administration, never ringing his bell nor rapping on his desk with violence, never betraying a sense of personal injury at the insubordination of his scholars, giving his commands in a subdued tone of voice, filling the school with the peaceful atmosphere which he desires all to breathe. He knows how to wait for quiet: standing for a minute without moving a muscle, looking steadily, holding himself in a hushed, patient, undisturbed mood, until every pupil, seeing him, knows what he desires and purposes.” — Page 44. GCB February 19, 1895, page 242.13
6. He should be a person of good judgment. Teachers are to be selected; order is to be maintained; many important questions are to be decided. A superintendent to be a person of good judgment will always have the good judgment to counsel with his fellow-officers. GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.1
7. He will labor to develop the talents and the gifts in the school, and to instruct those associated with him, in their respective duties, and see that they are properly performed. GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.2
8. The true superintendent has charge of his school seven days in the week. That is to say, he should have it upon his mind not simply upon the Sabbath-day, but throughout the week, and should be planning, and thinking, and praying, and working in the interests of his school during the entire week. GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.3
We cannot expect to have all these qualifications combined in one person; but the one who is consecrated to God will have a daily experience in the things of God, will have the instruction and guidance of the great Teacher, and will improve as the weeks go by. GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.4
The secretary should have some gift in writing and arranging a report. He should have an intelligible report, — one that will be interesting and will engage the attention of the school. all the divisions of the school should come within the scope of the report from time to time. He should be a person that will be prompt and faithful in keeping the records, making out reports, and in all the duties of that office. GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.5
In this connection I would like to make this remark: All should be careful always to work in harmony with the church officers. They should not draw off, and lead the church officers to feel that they are running the Sabbath-school independently of the church. There should be the utmost unity and harmony between the officers of the church and the Sabbath-school. GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.6
Now a few words with regard to the qualifications of teachers. The same is true with regard to their qualifications, at least in a measure, as in the case of superintendents: they should be converted persons; they should have an experience in the things of God. In order to teach the word of God they must know how to teach, or cause others to know it. They must have the matter, then they should have the manner — the best methods. They should be students of the Word; they should study the best methods of teaching, and understand how best to impart instruction to others. A passage in 1 Corinthians 2:11-14 shows how important it is that a person should be converted in order to teach in the Sabbath-school. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” Therefore the natural man cannot teach spiritual things, because he has never received them. He must have the mind and spirit of Christ; he must be a converted man, a regenerated man, a transformed man, so that he can discern spiritual things, and impart the spiritual instruction which should be imparted in the Sabbath-school. GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.7
In the language of Vincent in the book before quoted: “Let the truth be taught by earnest hearts. Let the living water be dipped from the fountain, and distributed to thirsty souls. If this can be done in a golden chalice [the educated and cultured], well. If God appoints for the service some marred or misshapen pitcher [the unlettered], let it also drop into the crystal depths, and be borne dripping with living waters to the thirsty lips.” — Page 88. GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.8
The Chairman of the meeting, Brother C. H. Jones, spoke as follows:— GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.9
We have representatives here from all parts of the field. We do not suppose that the consideration of these questions will be merely for your benefit, but that as you go from this meeting, you will carry this instruction to all parts of the field, and thus benefit others. Treasure up in your hearts the things that are good, but do not shut them up there. Let them flow out to others. GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.10
THE meetings of the Sabbath-school Council at 2 P.M. in the Office chapel are so well attended that it looks as if a larger room will soon have to be chosen. That is as it should be. GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.11
ELDER G. W. Kneeland, of British Guiana, South America, reports that several lepers in the leper asylum in that colony, have accepted the Sabbath truth. Truly the light of the truth is penetrating everywhere. GCB February 19, 1895, page 243.12
(Continued from page 221.)
four grammar grades, and one high school grade. There are ten regular teachers in this department, besides special teachers for drawing, painting, Sloyd, music, and the director of the gymnasium. Four hundred pupils have been enrolled in the department, and the last report showed 330 in regular attendance. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.1
Aside from the branches just mentioned, the study of the Bible is made a special feature of the work, and is required in all the grades. The most essential difference between our work and that of other schools is the religious influence and training. The great object of our work is to know God. He reveals himself to men in three ways: in nature, or his works; in history, or his dealings with men; and in his Word. It is only by his written Word that we are able to understand his works and his dealings with men. We endeavor to make the Bible and its teachings the great theme through all our work. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.2
Education is not something that is distinct from life; education is a life; and that means a great deal to us. The end of education is not the amount of knowledge stored up in the mind; but it is the development of our working power. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.3
We endeavor to teach the children the connection between themselves and the things that they see all around them, and how to turn this knowledge to the best account. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.4
What we call “Sloyd” work has been recently introduced into the school. the word Sloyd simply means “to make.” A trained teacher has this work in charge; and the children spend two hours per week studying objects and making them. An object such as a pasteboard box is set before them, and they draw a picture of it upon paper; then they cut out a model of paper, then put together a pasteboard model, making a neat, well-shaped box, in which there is not the variation of a sixteenth of an inch from a perfect shape. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.5
[Samples of the actual work the children had done were exhibited before the delegates. Tiny little tots in the second grade had made bags for school-books, and boxes for various uses; some of the six-year-old girls had made themselves little aprons, one was working on a little skirt for herself; one little boy in the second grade had made himself a cap which one might have thought had been made in a factory. Mittens and baskets were shown that had been made by pupils in the seventh grade. The work done in each grade is simply surprising for neatness and skill.] GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.6
It has been planned that next summer there shall be a garden for the school, where each pupil will be given a piece of ground to plant and care for. From the measurements of the ground the pupils will be taught arithmetic, from the ground itself they will be taught geography and geology, and from the growing plants they will learn botany. The whole garden is to be a missionary garden, and the great study above all and in all will be the Creator of all and his sacred work. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.7
Prof. Prescott invited the particular attention of the delegates and every one connected with our work to the special features of the educational work mentioned by Prof. Griggs. He said that he considered it of great importance, and that it was the expectation to introduce it into all our schools as soon as consistent. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.8
Elder Olsen expressed a deep interest in this phase of the educational work, and gave an account of his visit to the Mickleson Sloyd school in Copenhagen, Denmark, where this work has probably reached the highest development yet attained. He said that last summer during the vacation season, eighty teachers attended this school to receive instruction to teach in the schools throughout that country. He also visited an orphanage where the Sloyd was used; and saw articles made by little ones three to eight years of age, which were worthy of a place in a museum. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.9
On motion of H. M. Mitchell, seconded by D. H. Lamson, the Chair was empowered to appoint committees. The Chair requested the Committee of the General Conference on Nominations to bring in nominations for the Educational Society. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.10
The Committee on Resolutions was named as follows: J. N. Loughborough, Geo. W. Caviness, Frederick Griggs. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.11
Adjourned to meet Feb. 27 at 3 P.M. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.12
OUR canvassers are, we suppose, accustomed to straight talk, and the State agents are no exception. Therefore they will no doubt relish the rather pointed exhortation of the article on State Agent’s Work in this number. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.13
THE remarkable development of our educational interests is one of the most notable features of the cause of Seventh-day Adventists. This is shown by the report of the Educational Secretary, the most of which appears in this number. Not long ago one school was considered ample for the requirements of the denomination. But the providence of God has made this matter more clear, even as it is brushing away the mists in other matters. The report is worthy of a thoughtful reading. GCB February 19, 1895, page 244.14