The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-08-01
SEVENTH DAY AOVENTISTS
ANNUAL TEN DAYS SESSION BE-
GINS AT FORT VALLEY.
Religious Sect Is Now Working in SO
Countries With 5,1O1 LabOrers OPP
Grating in 81 Languages,

Countries With 5,1O1 LabOrers OPP
Grating in 81 Languages.
FORT VALLEY, Ga.-The thir-
teenth annual conference and camp
meeting of the Georgia Conference
of the Seventh Day Adventists will
begin ten day session here Thurs
day mourning in a city of tents, at
which delegates will be in attendance
from all parts of the state of Geor-
gia. The big encampment has been
in process of erection for the last
two weeks, and is now in readiness
for the first arrivals. The conference
will remain in session until Sunday,
August 10th.
Delegates from all of the Seventh
Day Adventist churches in the state
have been elected to this meeting on
the basis of one delegate to every ten
members of the congregation. The
largest delegations will come from
Atlanta, Savannah, Macon, Valdosta,
Brunswick, Albany, Boston, Alpha
retta, Gainesville, Dixie, Ty Ty and
Douglass Others will come from
widely separated places throughout
the state.
To Live in Tents.
A large number of family tents
have been pitched, in which the dele
gates and visitors will live during the
encampment A dining and grocery
tent will supply all of the provisions
for the ten-day session. The young
people will have their own assembly
tent; there will be book tent in adj
dition to the great canvas pavilion in
which all of the preaching services
and the business sessions of the con-
ference will be held.
All Branches to BE Represented.
All of the ordained and licensed
ministers, the Bible teachers, the
church school teachers and the other
laborers in the conference will be in
attendance at this meeting, as well
as several leading ministers and lect-
urers from various parts of the eoun-
try.
The two prominent characteristics
of the belief of Seventh Day Advent
lists are the observance of the seventh
day Sabbath, Saturday, from sun
down Friday night to shutdown Sat
urday night, and the teaching of the
second coming of Christ in the very
near future. They are profoundly
convinced that God is sending to the
world through them a personal mes
sage proclaiming the personal reap
pearance of Jesus Christ.
Church Organized in 1916.
1t was in the year 1916 that Sew
enth Day Adventists, as denomina-
ton, had their start. At that time
one man, Capt. Joseph Bates, a re-
tired sea captain taught in part the
doctrines which they hold. Starting
in obscurity and poverty the denomi-
nation has had a remarkable growth,
doubling it's number every decade
since that time until there is at pres
ent 114,000 Seventh Day Adventists
in the world. Their influence has
extended until the sun never sets up
on their organized work. Within
period of less than seventy years they
have so covered the face of the earth
in their operations that there is
hardly a country today where their
workers are not found. During this
time they have raised and expended
in the prosecution of their work the
enormous sum of $25, 100000.
Their ASIA churches, with mem
bership of 114,OOO mepEbers, untram-
meled in any way, select and elect
delegates to local conferences; the
local conferences, in public assembly,
elect delegates to the union confer
ences, which in turn elect their dele
gates to the great divisional and gem
eral conferences.
Representatives in SO Countries.
Seventh Day Adventists are now
working in Sc countries with SOL
laborers, operatin in 81 of the lead
in tongues of the world. During the
last ten years they have sent $50 mis-
sionaries to foreign lands. They now
have in non-christian and non-Pro-
testant lands $50 foreign missionar-
les and 974 native workers, making
total working force in the countries
of 1850. They have 140 main sta
tions, 143 out-stations and Alb
churches with a membership of H.
SOS in the countries.
They also operate ninety colleges,
academies and intermediate schools,
81 publishing houses and branches
and SO sanitariums in which they car
ry on medical missionary work.