CONFERENCES

J.H. MORRISON

We will now speak of the Conferences in the order of their age—Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota, and Manitoba. It will be noticed by the reports of these Conferences, that one excels in tithe, another in the foreign offerings, and other some other way. All the figures given are for the two years ending Dec. 31, 1900; and the comparisons are made with the preceding biennial term.GCB April 8, 1901, page 135.4

MINNESOTA

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Minnesota is the oldest Conference in the district. It is about one year older than Iowa, and has a membership of 2,622, organized into 88 churches, besides 610 unorganized. Sabbath-keepers, making a total of 3,232 Sabbath-keepers, or a gain of 4 churches and 432 additions. Each member has paid, on an average, $14.77 tithe, making the total tithe $38,628, a gain of $3,637 for the two years. There are 39 workers on the pay-roll (gain of 9); namely, ministers, 12 (loss of 2); licentiates, 11 (gain of 4); missionary licentiates, 16 (gain of 7).GCB April 8, 1901, page 135.5

Minnesota stands first on the line of offerings to the foreign field during the last two years, but with little increase the last year. The First-day, annual, and miscellaneous offerings to the foreign field amounted to $11,670, a gain of $5,266 over the previous biennial period; Sabbath-school offerings, $1,174 (loss of $936); total amount raised for the foreign work, $12,844, which was $4.86 per member; collections for the Orphans’ Home, $809 (gain of $235); donations to the home work, $2,678 (gain of $152). The aggregate of all tithes, offerings, and donations was $54,859 (gain of $4,412), or $20.92 contributed during the two years by each member for the support of all branches of the work, which was $3.56 more for each member than during the former two years. The book sales were $16,308 (gain of $4,412); Review subscribers, 519 (gain of 36); Instructor subscribers, 602 (loss of 192); church schools, 19; church buildings, 47 (increase of 5). Eight hundred and sixty dollars has been sent to Union College from sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons.”GCB April 8, 1901, page 135.6

IOWA

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This Conference stands sixth in the great family of Conferences on the family records. It was organized a little over thirty-seven years ago, and is composed of 100 churches, with a membership of 3,464, besides 356 unorganized Sabbath-keepers, making in all 3,820 an increase of 403 in the past two years. Its working force consists of 19 ministers, 22 licentiates, and 29 missionary licentiates, a total of 70, besides about 20 canvassers. This is an increase of 1 minister, 1 licentiate, and 2 missionary licentiates since the last General Conference.GCB April 8, 1901, page 135.7

The tithe received the past two years was $53,423 (gain of $8,228), or $15.40 a member; First-day, annual, and miscellaneous offerings to the foreign field, $9,154 (gain of $2,286); Sabbath-school offerings, $2,354 (loss of $612); making the aggregate for the foreign field $11,508, or $3.32 a member. Donations to the Orphans’ Home, $723 (gain of $121); to the home work, $12,286 (gain of $5,200), or $3.54 a member for home work. The total of all tithes, offerings, and donations, both for home and foreign fields, was $78,026 (increase of $15,223); average donations for each member for support of work during the two years, $22.52 (increase of $4.42). The book sales were $15,425 (loss of $648); copies of Review taken, 860 (gain of 16); Youth’s Instructor, 770 (loss of 1); meeting-houses, 60 (gain of 3); church schools, 11; money sent to Union College from sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons,” $2,000.GCB April 8, 1901, page 135.8

NEBRASKA

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This Conference was organized two years before Dakota, two years after Missouri, and the same year as Texas. It has within its limits 2,630 Sabbath-keepers, 2,455 of whom are organized into 68 churches, showing a gain since the last General Conference of 14 churches and 441 members. Nebraska supports 56 laborers (gain, 20); namely, 12 ministers (gain, 2), 11 licentiates gain, 6), and 27 missionary licentiates (gain, 7). About 20 canvassers have been at work. For the two years the tithe has been $40,009 (gain, $8,433), or $16.29 a member; First-day, annual, and miscellaneous offerings, $7,373 (gain, $4,917), or $3.02 a member; Orphans’ Home, $365 (gain, $36.35); Sabbath-school offerings, $1,938 (gain, $60). The total donations to foreign fields were $9,311, or $3.80 a member. Home donations amounted to $5,791 (gain, $666). The aggregate of all tithes, offerings, and donations was $55,476 (gain, $14,076), or $22.60 a member, a gain of $5.70 for each member. Book sales were $26,806 (increase, $15,322); Review and Herald subscriptions, 685 (gain, 199); Youth’s Instructor, 328 (loss, 15); church schools, 8; church buildings, 31 (an increase of 8); returns from “Christ’s Object Lessons,” given to Union College, $4,000.GCB April 8, 1901, page 135.9

DAKOTA

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This is the youngest Conference in the district, organized only a little over twenty years ago. It has 29 laborers on the pay-roll (gain, 3), 10 of whom are ministers (loss, 1); 8 licentiates (gain, 4); and 11 missionary licentiates. Among other workers are 10 canvassers. Dakota has 49 churches (gain, 4), with a membership of 1,469, besides 192 isolated Sabbath-keepers (gain, 150). The tithe for the biennial period was $24,928 (gain, $612), or $17.03 a member; First-day, annual, and miscellaneous offerings, $2,935 (gain, $1,491), or $2 a member; Sabbath-school donations, $1,718 (loss, $122); total donated to the foreign field, $4,653, or an average of $3.17 a member; Orphans’ Home, $282 (loss, $152); donations for home field, $2,241 (gain, $914); sum total of all tithes, offerings, and donations for all purposes, $32,104 (total of all gains, $3,017), an average of $21.85 contributed by each member during the two years (gain, $2 per member); book sales, $18,382 (gain, $8,891); Review subscriptions, 321 (gain 47); Instructor, 156 (loss, 56); church buildings, 15 (gain, 6); church schools, 8; returns Union College, $700.GCB April 8, 1901, page 136.1

MANITOBA

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This is a General Conference mission field, and has suffered much the last four years in consequence of frequent changes of laborers. But it is now hoped that things are in a more settled condition, and that there is a prospect of the cause being built up more permanently.GCB April 8, 1901, page 136.2

Manitoba now has 9 churches (gain, 2), with a membership of 282. There are also about 80 unorganized Sabbath-keepers. The tithe paid the last two years was $2,882 (gain, $400), or $10.22 a member; First-day, annual, and miscellaneous offerings, $162; Sabbath-school donations, $186 (gain, $120); total contributions to foreign missions, $384, an average of $1.23 a member; collections for the Orphans’ Home, $52 (gain, $35); contributions to the home work, $340. Sum total of all tithes, offerings, and donations for home and foreign work, during the past two years, $3,622, which is an average of $12.98 from each member. Subscriptions to the Review, 45 (gain, 13); Instructor, 25 (loss, 40); total number of laborers, 9, consisting of 2 ministers, 3 licentiates, and 4 missionary licentiates. There are 3 church buildings, being an increase of 2. Manitoba is calling for more workers.GCB April 8, 1901, page 136.3

J.H. MORRISON, Supt. Dist. 4.