DISTRICT NO. 6 — SUPERINTENDENT

J. H. MORRISON

District No. 6 embraces over one fourth of the territory of the United States, with a population of a little more than the State of Massachusetts. In this we discover at once some of the disadvantages of the field. The financial depression which has swept over our land has been more keenly felt in the West than in the East.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.1

GENERAL

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This district includes three local conferences and two mission fields. It has 121 churches, with a total membership of 5839. The Sabbath-schools number 260, with a membership of 6566. The list of conference workers is as follows: Ministers, forty; licentiates, eighteen; Bible-workers, twenty-five; canvassers, twenty-one; secretaries, three; total, 107. The increase of members for the last two years is 1879. During the time twenty-one camp-meetings are reported, with an attendance of about 12,000. Ten ministers have been ordained, and seventy churches erected. The tithe for this period amounts to $91,629.60, and contributions to foreign missions, $29,579.54. In the district there is a publishing house, two colleges, and a sanitarium, which are meeting with success. The following lists of periodicals are taken: The Review and Herald, 1088; Signs of the Times, 2437; American Sentinel, 970. The spiritual interests of the work have advanced, and we have reason to expect constant progress in this respect in the future. We will now speak more particularly of the separate conferences and fields.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.2

CALIFORNIA

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This conference embraces over one half of the district, and within its borders are three of the four above-mentioned institutions. It has for its territory California proper, Nevada, and Arizona.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.3

The conference is divided into six districts, and each of the members of the Executive Committee is placed in charge of a district.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.4

During the year 1893, one general and two local camp-meetings were held, and in 1894, one general and three local camp-meetings. These meetings were of great benefit to the work.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.5

There are fifty-five laborers in the conference, divided as follows: Ministers, seventeen; licentiates, five; Bible-workers, fifteen; canvassers, eighteen. There have been a number of Chinese and Japanese schools in operation. One of each was organized in San Francisco since our last General Conference. There is a Japanese school now in operation with an attendance of sixty. There are now fifty-two organized churches in the conference, with a membership of 3192, which shows a gain since the last General Conference of eleven churches and 788 members.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.6

For the past two years, the following financial report can be made: Tithes for 1893, $29,141.46; 1894, $28,289.10; total, $57,433.43; foreign missions for 1893, $9655.72; 1894, $9068.01; total, $18,723.73. In each case the amount for the past year is less than the preceding. In addition to the general cause for this, there is a local cause worthy of mention: a number of the leading churches, and the strongest financially, have for years been under a heavy load of debt incurred in erecting church buildings. Plans were made at the last annual meeting for paying off the indebtedness, and quite satisfactory results have already been reached in this direction. The book sales have been $19,000.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.7

UPPER COLUMBIA

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There are seventeen laborers in this conference, divided as follows: Ministers, eight; licentiates, seven; canvassers, one; and one secretary.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.8

This conference has suffered as much as any other in the district on account of financial depression.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.9

The conference is composed of twenty-two churches, with a membership of 1091, and eight unorganized companies of about 100 persons. This shows an increase of 572 members for the two years. There are twenty-seven Sabbath-schools, with a membership of 1021.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.10

The tithes for 1893 were $6674.33, and for 1894, $4907.40; foreign missions for 1894, $1492.07; 1893, $2077.11. Total, $3579.18.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.11

Success has attended the efforts of the laborers the last two years. Two general camp-meetings were held, with an attendance greater than the membership of the conference, and the last annual meeting was preceded by a Bible school, in which there was a good interest. A Bible school was conducted at College Place one year ago this winter.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.12

NORTH PACIFIC

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The working force of this conference consists of ten ministers, six licentiates, six Bible-workers, and one secretary. It has forty-one organized churches, with a membership of nearly 1400. This shows an increase of about 300 during the past two years. The tithes for the last conference year were $8896.12; for the year 1893, $11,158.20; foreign missions for 1894, $2866.20; 1893, $4009.41.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.13

This conference has been undergoing quite a change for the last few months in the way of laborers. Elder J. E. Graham, the former president, was called to take charge of the ship “Pitcairn,” and Elder W. H. Healey was chosen to take his place. Elder J. E. Fulton was also called to a foreign field.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.14

During the last two years, two general and six local camp-meetings were held, all of which showed a growing interest on the part of the people. All seem to be hungering for the unfolding of the truths of God; they have found the Lord to be gracious.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.15

Portland, the chief city of Oregon, is an important center of our work in this conference. People are coming and going from all parts of the country, hence the different nationalities are represented in this city. This conference has erected a neat and commodious house of worship. At Portland they have also purchased grounds, and contemplate the erection of a new tract and Bible depository. They have also taken the first steps for the opening of a sanitarium. This conference, like California, has a Chinese and a Japanese mission school carried on with a degree of success.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.16

MONTANA

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Montana is a mission field, and most of the people there are miners. This circumstance suggests some of the difficulties that must be encountered by the laborers. Elder J. W. Watt, who had charge of the work there, has been removed to Indiana, and Elder J. R. Palmer, of Colorado, was appointed to take his place. Montana has four churches with a membership of 130. The tithe the last year was $1707.76; first-day offerings, $59.37; fourth-Sabbath donations, $13.42; Christmas offerings, $75. Two general camp-meetings were held, one in 1893 and one in 1894, each with a good interest and attendance.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.17

UTAH

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This is a General Conference mission field. During the past year Elders Willoughby and Gardner, of Iowa, and Sisters Annie Hemming and Hammond, Bible-workers, from California, were sent to this field, beginning their labors at Ogden, in July. At present the workers are divided between Ogden and Salt Lake. They have met with reasonable success in their efforts. Two companies have been formed, one at Ogden and the other at Salt Lake, and a large number of our books have been sold in different parts of the territory. The workers sent to Ogden remained during most of the summer, and engaged in tent-meetings. They met with some success. There is a growing interest in that city and surrounding country. I had the privilege of spending a couple of months with the workers in Utah during last autumn. I found the field an exceedingly peculiar and difficult one, on account of the predominating influence of Mormonism. Salt Lake, Ogden, and Park City are the only places where so-called “Gentiles” are found to any extent. Our laborers are compelled in most instances to do their work by house-to-house methods. Encouraging openings have been found in a number of private families, even among the Latter-day Saints, which indicates that the Lord is moving on the hearts of the people in that field.GCB February 20, 1895, page 253.18

INSTITUTIONS

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The institutions referred to in our general statement are four in number, two of which our Educational Secretary has reported so fully that I need not refer to them.GCB February 20, 1895, page 254.1

The Pacific Press. — The past two years have been the most prosperous in the history of the institution. This is all the more remarkable when we consider the severity of the financial crisis prevailing on the Coast. While many other institutions were closed or limited in their operations, the Pacific Press was enjoying an increased patronage.GCB February 20, 1895, page 254.2

Rural Health Retreat. — Several substantial improvements have been made. The treatment rooms have been reconstructed, so that at present they are very commodious and convenient. A new boiler house, a bakery, and a cottage of twenty rooms were constructed. The grounds have been rearranged and beautified. Altogether, the changes have very materially added to the attractiveness and convenience of the institution and its surroundings. The patronage has been remarkably good, and beyond our most sanguine expectations.GCB February 20, 1895, page 254.3

While we have noted with pleasure some items of progress, may we not look forward with a degree of assurance that God will bless with greater success efforts put forth with deeper devotion and more thorough consecration?GCB February 20, 1895, page 254.4