Canadian Union MESSENGER
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Canadian Union MESSENGER Volume XLII, No. 1 Oshawa, Ontario January 1, 1973 TEbt5 315 tbe Time ... phis' is' the time of enbings, but of tutu beginnings', too . ob s'enbs' us another pear anb matietb all things nett . Another hope, another chance, another roab to take . Another Star to follok3, anb another Start to make . fletu beginnings, netu abbentureg, nein heights' to attain . e)°Wen opportunities to Work anb builb again . flap anb higher as'pirations', for the future baps' . breaming, mobing on balm bright anb better tuap5. May the New Year bring you many treasured hours. Former President of the Canadian Union Conference Passes to His Rest Elder Walter Alfred Nelson, President of the Canadian Union Conference for twelve years, passed to his rest on December 10 at the home of his son, Paul Nelson, in Portland, Oregon. The funeral service was held at 2:00 p.m. at the Foster Road Funeral Home in Portland, Oregon. Elder Ralph S. Watts, retired from the General Conference, and who is the father-in-law of Elder Nelson's son Paul, officiated at the service. Elder E. R. Waldo, president of the North Pacific Union, gave the life sketch, and Sunny Liu sang "Be Still My Soul." which had long been one of Elder Nelson's favourite hymns. Interment took place at the Lincoln rvlemorial Cemetery on Mount Scott, overlooking the city of Portland. EId_r Nelson was born in Chicago November 12, 1888, the eldest of eight children born to Peter and Mathilda Nelson who had come to America from Stockholm, Sweden. In 1902 the family moved from the busy. commercial city of Chicago to a farm in Southern Alabama. In 1906 the Nelson home was visited by an Adventist layman. Albert Prieger. who afterward came otten. giving Bible studies to the family. He urged young Walter to attend GNlysville Academy in Ten- nessee, and there he was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1907. After four years at the Graysville Academy, Walter entered Washington Missionary College in Ta- koma Park. Maryland in 1911. There he met, and on June 3. 1914 married Eva Lydia Bowen. daughter of Elder and Mrs. T. E. Bowen of the General Conference. Elder Nelson's first service with the denomination was as youth director for the Potomac Conference, while he was still a student at the college. He also conducted evangelistic campaigns in the Rappahanock area of Virginia during two summers. He graduated from college in 1918 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology. He next served as a pastor in Trenton and in Jersey City, New Jersey, and in Philadelphia. W. A. Nelson In 1930 he began administrative work for the denomination, serving in turn as president of the West Pennsylvania, the New Jersey, Greater New York, Central California, and Northern California Con- ferences. His last twelve years of the thirty-two years he spent in administrative work was as president of the Canadian Union Conference, an office to which he was re-elected three times. He retired from active denominational work at the age of 74, after almost fifty years of service in the cause so dear to his heart. He and his wife then spent ten happy years living in Sarasota, Florida. Just six weeks prior to his death, Elder and Mrs. Nelson moved to Portland to be nearer three of their four children. Elder Nelson's health was deteriorating as a result of interstitial fibrosis of the lungs. Death came instantly from a fatal heart attack. Mourning the loss of her husband is his wife Eva. to whom he was married for 58 years. Other mourners include their four children: Edwin. who is principal of Newbury Park Academy in Southern California; Beatrice, wife of Dr. Robert Reynolds who is president of Walla Walla College: Dorothy, who is the wife of Elder Fernon Retzer of the General Conference Sabbath School Department: Paul, who is ministerial and stewardship secretary of the North Pacific Union Conference and their families: five brothers and sisters, twelve grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Mrs. Nelson will continue living with Paul, spending some time occasionally with her (laughter Beatrice at Walla Walla, and with her son Edwin in Southern California. During Elder Nelson's years of service in the Canadian Union there was a 25(,. gain in membership; tithes and offerings rose sharply, and a multimillion dollar program of new church buildings and extension greatly strengthened the work in Canada. W. E. KUESTER, Secretary Public Relations Department Literature Evangelism MISSION Deliveries for October 1972 anadian United Evangelism Alberta $ 8,623.33 C British Columbia 8,702.03 Manitoba-Saskatchewan 4,913.34 Every Minister — Every Member Maritime-Newfoundland 15,556.07 Ontario 17,406.14 By GEORGE E. KNOWLES, Ministerial Secretary Quebec 7,850.86 Canadian Union Conference $63,051.77 Missionary Report for January 31 will soon be here. That is the deadline for the Mission '73 Enlistment program. By that time every member in the Canadian Union should have filled out a October 1972 commitment card. There is something everyone can do to help finish the work. Even Literature Given Away 4,912 invalids can pray for specific names and thus have a part. Here are some suggestions: Bible Course Enrollments 579 1. Dedicate at least 2 hours each week to soul winning activity. Homes in which Prayer was offered 427 2. Take at least one person through the Gift Bible program. Bible Studies 125 3. Develop a monthly Signs of the Times route. Baptisms 5 4. Give away a tract a day or a tract a week. 5. Use your telephone to invite people to enjoy the "Voice of Prophecy," "Faith for Today," or "It Is Written." 6. Distribute Bible Correspondence Enrollment cards. Deliveries for November 1972 7. Carry enrollment cards and literature with you at all times. Alberta $ 9,155.71 8. Keep literature by your front door to give to callers. British Columbia 10,144.13 9. Write at least one missionary letter each week. Manitoba-Saskatchewan 1,716.72 10. Start a story hour or Branch Sabbath School. Maritime-Newfoundland 12,695.35 11. Conduct a neighbourhood Bible class in your home once a week. Ontario 25,530.24 12. Spend two hours a week in friendship visitation. Quebec 2,530.16 Choose a specific project and be true to your commitment. Don't let another year go by without doing something in a definite way to help finish the work. There is $61,772.31 something you can do. Have you set the date for the first series of Mission '73 meetings in your district? Missionary Report for Do you already have committees functioning and planning ahead to make these meetings a success? Are you continually developing your interest file? November 1972 Is your Sabbath School class working as a team with the objective of winning one Literature Given Away 3,896 soul each quarter? Invite friends and neighbours to Sabbath School and then be sure Bible Course Enrollments 462 your class is such that they will want to come back each week. If you want visitors to Homes in which Prayer was offered 471 return, you must gear your teaching accordingly. Bible Studies 124 As we stand at the threshold of another year of public and personal evangelism you Baptisms 1 have another opportunity to send names of friends and relatives to be invited when meetings are held in their area. Many were baptized during 1972 because someone cared enough to send a name, address and information to: "Stewardship is the sponge of service EVANGELISM 1148 King Street East that when dipped into the water of life Oshawa, Ontario expands into enlarged blessings." . THREE DAYS . Yesterday . Tomorrow . Today . Like mintage spent, is past recall; It never promised earthly man, Is gold that covers hill and dell, Its echo dimmed beyond time's wall. Nor does it often fit a plan. And rich are they who use it well. PEARL PHILLIPS . Official Organ of the CANADIAN UNION CONFERENCE of Seventh-day Adventists, Carl Klam, C.nt a/a Editor; Pearl I. Browning, Associate Editor. President, J. W. Bothe; Secretary-treasurer, Carl Klam. Departmental Secretaries: Publishing, C. K. Okuno; Ministerial, G. E. Knowles; Public Relations, Lay Activities, Sabbath School, Radio-TV, W. E. Kuester; Missionary Volunteer and Temperance, R. J. E. Hillock; Educational, P. W. Manuel; Public Affairs, D. L. Michael; Medical, H. W. Gimbel, M.D. Issued semimonthly. Subscription price $2.00 a year. Second class mail registration number MESE G1EW 0912. Printed by Maracle Press Limited, Oshawa, Ontario. 4 CANADIAN UNION MESSENGER Challenges for 1973 A Letter From the Leaders Of the General Conference Neal C. Wilson, Vice President E. E. Cleveland, Co-ordinator North American Division Mission '73 & '74 Dear Fellow-believers: MISSION '72 is now history. It was the year in which we listed, with others unlisted. The plan, therefore, is for every realized many of our worthy objectives in our evangelistic out- member to pick his own form of witnessing, decide how many reach. Thousands more were baptized in 1972 than in 1971, and hours a week he will spend at it, then get busy doing this right we are grateful to God for His blessings upon our efforts. away. If you need any training in the form of witnessing But MISSION '73 presents even broader challenges. We do, selected, contact your pastor and he will provide a competent indeed, intend to field the largest number of evangelistic cam- teacher in that area to prepare you for the work. Local, Union, paigns in the history of the North American Division during and General Conference personnel are available for this service.