Posted on Sunday, March 01, 2009 - 06:50 am:

Autumn Council

November 3, 1943

FUTURE OF OUR COLORED WORK:

J. L. McElhany explained that during the time of the Coun-
cil the officers and the union conference presidents had "been
giving some study to the question of the future development of
our colored work, and that they had two recommendations to offer,
as follows:

We recommend. To this Autumn Council that a meeting be
held prior to and in the same place as the Spring Meeting of the
General Conference Committee for the purpose of studying the fu-
ture development of our colored work in North America, and that
the General Conference Committee be authorized to make all the
necessary preparation and arrangements for this meeting, includ-
ing the naming of those who shall be invited to attend, it being
understood that there shall be a number of representatives of
our colored work invited to attend; and further,

We recommend: That in view of this forthcoming meeting,
the committee on the relocation of the Riverside Sanitarium be
asked to delay its work until after the proposed meeting.

The recommendations were adopted.

1943 Autumn Council of the General Conference Committee

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SPRING MEETING

THREE HUNDRED NINETY-SIXTH

GENERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MEETING
Hotel Stevens, Chicago, Illinois, April 10, 1944

The first session of the Spring Meeting was held in the
convention room of the Hotel Stevens, Chicago, Illinois, at 2:00
P,M., Monday, April 10, 1944,

MEMBERS OF THE &ENERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE PRESENT:

J L McElhany, W H Branson, L H Christian, J F Wright,
W G Turner, E D Dick, A W Cormack, H T Eiiiott, T J Michael,
W E Nelson, W H Williams, H H Cobban, J F Cummins, W A Spicer,
M F Brewer, Frederick G-riggs, R Ruhiing, W E Phillips, H" W
Barrows, Claude Conard, L Halswick, G- E Nord, K D Casebeer, H A
Morrison, W H Teesdale, J E V/eaver, R G- Strickland, W A Butler,
IV A Scharffenberg, Dr H M Walton, G- A Roberts, D Lois Burnett,
L E Froom, R A Anderson, G E peters, H K Blunden, J J Strahie,
E S Franklin, H H Votaw, C S Longacre, J A Stevens, S A Vellman,
L L Moffitt, y/ K I sing, A W Peterson, C L Bond, E W Dunbar, M L
Rice, H L Rudy, N C Wilson, F H Robbins, J J Nethery, M V
Campbell, V G Anderson, L K Dickson, E F Hackman, J W Turner,
G J Apoel (of China), G L Torrey, D A McAdams and V/, S.Murray
(of Inter-America), W P Elliott, M C Taft, F C Carrier, H C
Kephart, Dr H V/ Volimer, H G- Chiids, G- V/ Wells, H J Klooster,
C B Hsynes, B G r/iikinson, V/ P Bradley, S S Andross, Dr V7 E
Macpherson, E A Moon (of Southern Africa).

OTHERS PRESENT;

Because of special matters that were to be considered,
there were present also the local conference presidents in North
America, the union treasurers and auditors, the presidents of
senior and junior colleges, members of a committee on financial
policies, colored representatives who were members of a large
committee appointed to study the question of our colored work,
also representatives of the publishing work who had been in at-
tendance at a Publishing Convention, as well as a number of
others present by special invitation.

"He Leadeth Me," was sung- to open the meeting, and prayer
was offered by W.K.Ising,

Elder J.L.McElhany read a number of extracts from Volume
8 of the Testimonies, on "The Power Promised," among which were
the following;

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April 10, 1944

"God does not ask us to do in our strength the vork be-
fore us. He has provided divine assistance for all the emer-
gencies to which our human resources are unequal. He gives the
Holy Spirit to help in every strait, to strengthen our hope and.
assurances to illuminate our minds and purify our hearts.

tfM.7ith great power gave the apostles witness of the resur-
rection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them.1' Acts
4:33. Under their labors there were added to the church chosen
men, who, receiving the x*/ord of life, consecrated their lives to
the work: of giving to others the hope that had filled their
hearts with peace and. joy.

"To us today, as verily as to the first disciples, the
promise of the Spirit belongs. God will today endow men and
women with power from above, as He endowed those who on the day
of Pentecost heard the word of salvation. At this very hour
His Spirit and His grace are for ail who need them and will take
Him at Kis word.

"Notice that it was after the disciples had come into
perfect unity, when they were no longer striving for the highest
place, that the Spirit was poured out. They were of one accord.
All differences had been put away.

"So it may be now. Let Christians put away all dissen-
sion, and give themselves to £od for the saving o'f the lost. Let
them ask in faith for the promised blessing, and it will come.
The outpouring of the Spirit in the clays of the apostles was the
'former rain,' and glorious was the result. But the latter rain
will be more abundant,

"The presence of the Spirit with &od's workers v:ill give
the presentation of the truth a power that not all the honor or
glory of the world could give.11

As we take up the ^ork of this council, said Elder
i/icElhany, as we consider the matters that are to come before us,
let us make the things of first importance first in our thinking
and in our praying. May vie be led and guided by the Spirit of
aod,

DAILY PROGRAM:

The following Daily Program was adopted:

Devotional 8:30 —" 9:30 A M
Committee Session 9;35 —12;00
Session of Subcommittees 2:00 — 5:00 P M
Session of Subcommittees . 7:30 — 9:30

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...

COLORED WORK IN NORTH AMERICA:

The large and representative group that was appointed in
harmony with the action of the 1943 Autumn Council, to give study
to the future of our colored work, and which group met in Chicago
prior to this Spring Meeting to do its work, submitted a report,
which was adopted as follows;

Advanced School in the North :

We recommend, 1. That a school be established in the
North where advanced training can be given our colored youth;and

2. That a commission be appointed to give study to this
plan and report to the 1944 Autumn Council.

Sanitarium in the North ;

We recommend, That a commission be appointed to give
study to providing for the medical and nursing education needs
of our colored constituency in the North, this commission to re-
port at the earliest possible date.

Future of Riverside Sanitarium:

We recommend, That the commission on the Riverside Sani-
tarium be requested to further consider the work and future of
that Institution and endeavor to report during this Spring Meet-
Ing,

Publishing Work :


We recommend, 1. That the Southern Publishing Associa
tion secure a colored editor for the Message Magazine.

2. That plans be laid to establish a small periodical
for the colored constituency, somewhat comparable to the union
conference papers in size and style, which will carry church
news and promotion material,


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Conference Organization

The present development of our work among the
colored people in North America has resulted, under the signal
blessing of God, in the establishment of some £33 churches with
some 17,000 members; and,

WHEREAS, It appears that a different plan of organiza-
tion for our colored membership would bring further great advance
in soul-winning endeavor; therefore,

We recommend, 1, That in unions where the colored con-
stituency is considered by the union conference committee to be
sufficiently large, and where the financial income and territory
warrant, colored conferences be organized.

2. That these colored conferences be administered by
colored officers and committees.

3. That in the organization of these conferences the
present conference boundaries within each union need not be
recognized,

4. That colored conferences sustain the same relation
to their respective union conferences as do the white conferences.

5. That the General Conference Committee apooint three members of a commission to join with other members to be appoint-
ed by each union conference committee concerned, for a study of
the colored work in the respective unions, these commissions to
report to the respective union committees, and that in cases
where it is found necessary for any union committee to request
additional appropriations, organization of colored conferences
be deferred until after the 1944 Autumn Council, in order to as-
certain whether or not this will be possible.

6. That the 1930 plan of colored organization for the
Southern States be adopted for all territories in North America
with sufficient members, but where the constituency is not suf-
ficiently large to warrant the organisation of colored confer-
ences.