Document: “Reports from General Conference Districts: Australasian Union Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Year Book, (Battle Creek: General Conf. of Seventh-day Adventists, 1894), 61. HTML, PDF.
Contents: A brief description of the first union conference’s organization.
Parts of the report that show the close connection to the General Conference are highlighted.
[p. 61]
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Australasian Union Conference.
The Australasian Union Conference composes District No. 7 of the General Conference District, and at the present time includes the Conferences of Australia and New Zealand. During the time of the Australian camp-meeting, Jan. 15-25, 1894, this Conference was organized. Delegates were present from Australia and New Zealand.
The object of this Conference is to unify and extend the work of the third angel’s message, under the general direction of the General Conference, in the Australasian field. As the work extends in that field, other Conferences will be organized. In the organization of the Union Conference, these local Conferences will be brought together for counsel and instruction in the work, and for mutual encouragement, and development of the important interests carried forward by the denomination, in that field.
The officers of the Conference are: A president, a vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer, and an executive committee. The president of the Conference will always be the superintendent of the district appointed by the General Conference. This arrangement will afford the opportunity for all moneys belonging to the General Conference, such as tithes from the local Conferences, First-day offerings, and other general and personal contributions, to be paid to the treasurer of the Union Conference, and he to hold and disburse the same at the order of the General Conference. This arrangement will greatly simplify matters, and avoid the paying of exchange on money, back and forth. Already the Union Conference treasurer has received $487 tithe from the Australian Conference, and $129.50 donations to the foreign mission work.
The meeting was well attended, and all appreciated the privilege and the importance of such an opportunity for consultation and instruction in the work of the message. The regular meetings will be held once in two years. Special meetings can be called at any time circumstances demand it. The present officers are: President, W. C. White; Vice-President, A. G. Daniells; Secretary, L. J. Rousseau; Treasurer, Echo Publishing Company; Executive Committee, W. C. White, A. G. Daniells, L. J. Rousseau, G. T. Wilson, S. McCullagh, Joseph Hare, H. Muckersey, A. Reekie, James Smith.