Evening star., 1946-06-06
Adventist Conference
Told Of Big Increase
In World Members
By Cospor Nonnes


membership has been increased by
$3.50 since 1941, swelling its member
ship to 573,311, E. D. Dick of Tako-
ma Park, Md, general secretary of
the General Conference of Seventh
| day Adventists, reported today to
the Quadrennial world conference of
the denomination in session at Sligo
Church. Carroll and Flower avenues,
Takoma Park.
The 45th session of the General
Conference of Seventh-day Adven-
fists, first to be held since the war
ended and the first to take place in
the District area since 1918, opened
last night and is being attended by
more than 800 delegates, 300 of them
from overseas. The convention will
continue through June Is.
Mr.. Dick also reported that All
new church organizations have been
added during the five-year period,
many of them in War-torn coun-
tries. He noted that members of
the IA Washington Seventh-d Ad-
ventistS contributed an average of
S11844 each to the S3l 100000 fund
for home and foreign missionary
work during the years 194l to 1916.
5000 Attend Session.
J. L. McElhany, president of the
General Conference, presided at the
opening session last night. Nearly
5000 persons, including the dele
gates, filled the spacious auditorium
and balcony of the church and over
flowed into the hall underneath the
main floor. Loud speakers carried
the proceedings at the meeting to
the overflow crowd.
The auditorium floor, crowded
with delegates. provided a League
lof Nations atmosphere with signs
deHoting the different divisions
which make up the conference.
Those represented were Australasia,
Central Europe, China, Far East,
Inter- Northern Europe,
Near East, South Africa, South
America, Southern Asia, Southern
Europe and North America.
(The last named includes the
United States, Canada, Alaska, Ber-
;nuda Islands and Hawaiian Is
lands. There . are ten unions or
divisions in the United States, the
District of Columbia belonging to
the Columbia Union Conference
which consists of Delaware, Mary
land, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsyl-
vania, Virginia, West Virginia and
the District.)
Elder McElhany told the gathering
in his address that one of the pri-
mary concern of the future will be
to carry forward the work of reha-
bilitation of the church and its
properties in the war-devastated
countries. He pointed out that
hundreds of our churches" have
been destroyed and the members
scattered before the whirlwinds of
war; Many of them have "perished
or disappeared" and others have
been thrown Into interment or con-
centration camps, some to die OF
starvation and disease" he added.
/ Spiritual Rehabilitation.
| In addition to the material reha-
bilitation to be given, Elder McEl-
hany declared the even more i'm
portant work of spiritual rehabili.
tation' must accompany it. It is our
task, he pointed out, to heal those
to whom the war has brought de-
preston and encouragement. bit
terness and alienation" The confer.
7 ence president warned that extreme
nationalism is one of the conse-
quences of war but asserted a spiri,
of unity will bring 'the hearts oI
men of all nations and races" to.
gether in a united purpose to main
tain the unity of the faith"
The session today noted in re-
port by w. E. Nelson of Takoma
Park, treasurer of the general con-
ference, that S4,847, ,85604 has been
raised for the rehabilitation of war
stricken peoples and for the rebuild
ing of the destroyed church prop
critics.
| Members of the finance, plans
distribution of workers, credentials
constitution and seating of delegates
committees were elected last night
by the conference delegates. Chair
men of those committees selected
were: w. E. Nelson, finance; H. A
Morrison, plans: w. H. Branson
distribution of workers; L. K. Dick
son. credentials; Mr.. Dick, consti.
tuition, and also of the seating ot
delegates.
i Elder w. A. Spicer of Takoms
Park, president of the General Con
ference of Seventh-Day Adventist
from 1922 to 1890. gave the opening
prayer. Paul Wickman, secretar.
of the Radio Commission of 'th,
denomination, directed the singin.
with Mrs. Minnie Iverson, leader O
the Washington Missionary !
Cappella Choir, leading the choir.
Seated on Platform.
Those seated on the platform
were: Mr.. Spicer, Mr.. McElhany, F
M. Wilcox, retired editor of tn,
Review and Herald ationa
magazine; Mr.. Dickson, vice presi
dent of the North American divi
sion; Mr.. Nelson, A. v. Olson, presi
dent of the Southern European di
vision; Mr.. Branson, vice presiden
of the general conference: A
l.. Ham. president Of the Southern
Asia division; Glenn Calkins, presl
dent of the Inter-American divi