MINUTES

of the

1ST GENERAL CONFERENCE

of the

UNITED MENNONITES,

Held In

Blair, Ontario, June 4,5 and 6, 1879. ⁽¹⁾

Conference Members.

Solomon Eby, Samuel Sherk,

D. Brenneman, John Krupp,

Amos Bowman, Thos. H. Low,

C. Blender, J. H. Steckley,

J. McNally, S. Hinds,

N. Detwiler, A. Stauffer

J. Gary J. J. Rohrer,

J. Waterman D. U. Lambert

J. Y. Shantz M. Bowman

M. Hang.

First Session – Wednesday Forenoon

A short time was devoted to devotional exercises.

Conference was called to order.

S. Eby elected chairman, and S. Sherk vice chairman.

J. Krupp elected secretary, and D. Brenneman assistant secretary.

Opening remarks were made by the chairman in reference to the duties and responsibilities of the conference.

A financial report was given by the Editor, in reference to the printing establishment.

Expenses, $595.80

Received, $595.35

Debt, .45

Second Session – Afternoon

Resolved, That the Gospel Banner be continued in German and english.

That the printing establishment be the property of the church.

That the Gospel Banner be published in the english language semimonthly after the expiration of the present volume.

That the editor receive 50 per cent for performing the labors connected with the job press.

That D. Brenneman remain editor and to receive $50.00 per month for printing German and English Banner to the close of present volume.

T. H. Brenneman chosen assistant editor.

Printing establishment committee chosen.

United States Conference.- Jacob Y. Shantz, John Troxel, Benjamin Bowman.

No advertising of a secular nature to appear in the Banner.

Third Session – Thursday Forenoon

Form of discipline examined. Articles from number 1 to 10 inclusive severally weighed and considered.

Fourth Session – Afternoon

Articles from number 11 to 26 and general rules examined.

Fifth Session – Friday Forenoon

Chapter 4 to 9 consisting of different forms building of churches, of Legacies etc. examined.

Resolved: That in reference to donating to the printing establishment, a subscription list be presented to each member and the sum subscribed to be paid in four equal annual payments.

Sixth Session – Afternoon

Resolved, That the printing of Discipline be left to the managing committee.

That 700 English, and 300 German copies be printed.

That D. Brenneman, S. Eby, and B. Bowman, compose a committee to collect a variety of suitable hymns for hymn book.

That managing committee choose some one to assist the editor in preparing discipline for the press.

S. Eby of the Canada conference and D. Brenneman of the U. S. conference elected delegates to attend semi-annual conference of the Evangelical Mennonites in Pennsylvania to be held in October, 1879.

Next General Conference to be held at Bethel, Elkhart Co., Indiana, on the last Wednesday in September, 1883.

B. Bowman elected general conference secretary.

Seventh Session – Evening

Form of discipline re-examined, corrected and adopted.

Form of church book presented to the conference and adopted.

D. Brenneman, J. Y. Shantz and B. Bowman compose the committee to revise conference minutes.

Conference minutes adopted.

Vote of thanks tendered by the conference to the brethren and sisters, neighbors and friends for their love, liberality and kind hospitality manifested during the conference sessions.

Resolved, That we adjourn.

Each session was opened and closed by singing and prayer.

John Krupp, Secretary.

D. Brenneman, Assistant.

1. These minutes are taken from The Gospel Banner, volume 2, number 18, July, 1879.