BIENNIAL REPORT OF GENERAL CONFERENCE DISTRICT I

H. W. COTTRELL

This district comprises the States and Provinces of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut. Delaware, District of Columbia, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, which are included in the following Conferences and Mission Fields, of which I give a condensed biennial history:—GCB April 4, 1901, page 51.1

ATLANTIC CONFERENCE

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The Atlantic Conference shows an increase in membership of 119. Four churches have been organized and received into the Conference, making seventeen in all, with a membership of 801. Number of persons employed under pay of the Conference: Ministers, five; licentiates, one: Bible workers, three; other laborers, two. Public missions one. Amount of tithe received during biennial term, $18,179. Contributed to foreign missions during the term, $2,126.43. The amount of money secured by solicitation and applied on debts or otherwise used in local work, was $168.40. Net book sales, $9,000.GCB April 4, 1901, page 51.2

CHESAPEAKE CONFERENCE

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It will be remembered that this Conference was organized in April, 1899. There has been an increase of sixty-nine in the church membership during the biennial term. The Conference membership in 654. There are ten churches. The number under regular employ of the Conference are: Ministers, two: licentiates, two: Bible workers, four. The General Conference has also supported one minister in the Conference during the term. There are five church schools and one gospel mission. Tithe received during the term, $8,365.56. Donations to foreign missions, $1,532.04. Received from donations, and applied on local interests, $1,648.65.GCB April 4, 1901, page 51.3

MAINE CONFERENCE

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The increase in membership during the biennial term, seven. There has been one church organized and received into the Conference, making twenty-two in all, with a membership of 524. There are under Conference pay: Ministers, five: licentiates, one: Bible workers, one; secretaries, one; mission workers, one. City missions, one. Amount of tithe received during the biennial term, $6,716.72. Amount donated to foreign missions, $539.74. Amount applied on various local interests, $814.36. Net book sales, $2,344.53.GCB April 4, 1901, page 51.4

NEW YORK CONFERENCE

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This Conference shows an increase in church membership of 172. Five churches have been added to the Conference, making a total of sixty-five. Conference membership, 1,638. There are on the Conference pay-roll fourteen regular ministers, three licentiates, three Bible workers, two secretaries, and one printer. The number of canvassers have ranged from six to ten. There are four church schools and one gospel mission. Increase of tithe over previous term, $4,773. Total tithe for present term, $21,341,84. Total amount of money contributed to foreign missions, including that from the various departments of the Conference, $5,339.55. There has been $1,100 applied on the Conference debt. Net book sales, $11,120.16.GCB April 4, 1901, page 51.5

NEW ENGLAND CONFERENCE

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Increase of membership during the term, sixty-five. Six churches have been received into the Conference, making a total of forty-four, with a membership of 1,165. Ministers, eleven; licentiates, four; Bible workers, three; mission workers, one; secretaries, two; printer, one. One church school and one public mission. Increase of tithe during biennial term, over preceding term, $2,873.05. Total amount of tithe during term, $25,925.54. Amount of money denoted to foreign missions through the various channels, $7,622.39. Sabbath-school receipts during term, $2,463.30. Amount of money secured by gifts and applied on various local interests, $8,277.96. Net book sales, $6,727.71.GCB April 4, 1901, page 51.6

PENNSYLVANIA CONFERENCE

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Increase in membership during term, about 250. Churches organized during term, seven, making a total of sixty-one, with a membership of about 1,750. The number of workers employed; ministers, eight; licentiates, four: Bible workers, three; other laborers, five. There are five church schools and one city mission. Increase of tithe over preceding term, $3,799.25. Total amount of tithe, $26,115.99. Amount of money donated to foreign missions through various Conference channels, about $4,257. Amount raised for local work under the head of different funds $1,698.18. Net valuation of book sales, approximately, $35,000.GCB April 4, 1901, page 51.7

QUEBEC CONFERENCE

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Increase of membership, forty. Two churches have been received into the Conference, making seven in all, with a membership of 150. Number of workers employed: ministers, three; licentiates, two. There are two church schools. Tithe received during the term, $2,090.60. Amount of money donated to foreign missions from the various departments of the Conference, $273.74. Amount solicited and applied on local work, $300. Elders D. T. and A. C. Bourdeau have been laboring under the local direction of this Conference, but awarded by the General Conference. Amount of book sales, $700.GCB April 4, 1901, page 51.8

VERMONT CONFERENCE

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Increase in membership during the term, twenty-three. One church has been organized, and received into the Conference of churches, making a total of twenty, with a membership of 529. Number regularly employed: Ministers, two; licentiates, one; Bible workers, two; and one secretary. Increase of tithe during biennial term, $1,291.21. Total tithe for biennial term, $6,863.77. Amount of money contributed to foreign missions from the various departments of the Conference, $876.92. Money solicited and applied in the various interests of local work, $842.42. Book sales at agent’s rates, $2,235.60.GCB April 4, 1901, page 51.9

VIRGINIA CONFERENCE

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There has been an increase of twenty-five in conference membership during the term. Two churches have been received, making a total of fourteen, with a membership of about 400. Employed laborers: Ministers, three: licentiates, one. Tithe during term, $3,030.80. Contributed to foreign missions, $531.61. Amount applied on home interests, $657.41. Book sales, $100.GCB April 4, 1901, page 51.10

WEST VIRGINIA

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Increase in church membership, sixty. Two churches have been received into the Conference, making the total number twelve, with a membership of 325. There are two ministers employed in the Conference, one being under General Conference pay. Licentiates, five: Bible workers, one; secretaries, one. One gospel mission. Tithe received during the biennial term, $2,695.18. Donations to foreign missions, $176.27. Amount paid publishing house on debt during the term, $1,444. Amount applied on local interests, $783.00. Amount on book sales, $1,115.00.GCB April 4, 1901, page 51.11

MARITIME MISSION FIELD

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Increase in church membership forty-seven. Two churches have been organized, making eleven in all, with membership of 215. The number in this field under regular employ of the General Conference has varied from one to six, but there is only one regular minister at this time, with two missionary licentiates. Church schools, one. Increase of tithe, $438.88. Total tithe during term, $2,518.27. Foreign mission offerings through the Sabbath-schools and annual offerings’ $672.88. Value of book sales, $1,362.59. Amount of money secured by donations, and applied on local interests, $375.GCB April 4, 1901, page 52.1

NEWFOUNDLAND MISSION FIELD

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This field has one organized church, with a membership of thirty. There are one minister and one Bible worker in the field. Tithe received during the term, $461.79. Annual offerings to foreign missions, $31.79. Money applied on local interests, $228.48. Value of books sold in the field at net prices, $888.13.GCB April 4, 1901, page 52.2

PERIODICALS

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Just a few words in regard to the periodical work. Our church organ, the Review and Herald, has a fair circulation among our own people. The Signs of the Times has a circulation of 6,214; and 1017 copies of the Youth’s Instructor are taken in the district. The circulation of the American Sentinel, Missionary Magazine, and Good Health should be greatly augmented, together with those mentioned above.GCB April 4, 1901, page 52.3

District Institutions.GCB April 4, 1901, page 52.4

THE ACADEMY

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The South Lancaster Academy has prospered during the biennial term both spiritually and financially. As the result of spiritual life, there is no friction in the faculty, or among the managers, and but little disciplining required among the students.GCB April 4, 1901, page 52.5

NEW ENGLAND SANITARIUM

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The sanitarium has prospered remarkably since its establishment. It has been well filled with patients the greater portion of the time, and much of the time to its entire capacity. Modern improvements for giving treatments have been supplied, and the institution is rapidly gaining prestige among the better classes of society. A sisterly appreciation exists between each of the institutions and the Conferences comprising the district, so that each has the moral support of the other, all to the praise of God, whose they are.GCB April 4, 1901, page 52.6

SUMMARIES

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Total increase of church membership in the district	840
Total membership	8,172
Number regularly employed	162
Total amount of tithe	$92,690.00
Total Foreign Mission Offerings	$21,201.21
Total amount used in local work	$17,305.45
Total net sales of books	$60,693.72
Total amount of tithe	$92,690.00

Although the work of gospel reform as now held by us as a denomination had its origin about fifty-six years ago in this district, yet the amount of labor thereafter bestowed in it, now a country of cities, was greatly abridged because of its westward course. The Macedonian call is now heard from almost every part of the district. Ears are open to hear, and hearts to receive, the glad tidings of the Messiah’s soon return, and kindred truths of a character-testing message. But truly the work is great and the laborers are few in this field of approximately thirty millions of people.GCB April 4, 1901, page 52.7

H. W. COTTRELL, Supt. Dist. 1.