A Visit to Our Foreign Churches in the East
By Steen Rasmussen
DURING the early and middle part of July, it was my privilege to make a general tour among some of our foreign churches in the Eastern States, in order both to become better acquainted with our foreign workers and to study plans for future policies. I left Chicago July 6, and went directly to New York City. In this great metropolis we have one of the greatest, if not the greatest, foreign mission field in the world. With its teeming millions of every tongue and speech, we are here facing a problem of greater magnitude than most of us have realized. These people must in some way hear this everlasting gospel. The great question confronting us is, How is this going to be done? and who is going to do it? Every one will have to answer this question for himself according to the responsibility and burden the Lord is placing upon him. It will be necessary that all join hands in this gigantic undertaking, and with the hearty cooperation of all, from the highest conference official down to the youngest member of the local church, we firmly believe this work can be done, and done quickly. A good, strong work has for years been carried on in Greater New York among several foreign nationalities, such as the Germans, Swedes, and Danish-Norwegians. Something has also been accomplished in recent years among the Hungarians, Italians, Finns, Bohemians, and others. Still, the greater load of the burden is unmoved. We believe, however, that our brethren in the Greater New York Conference are awake to the seriousness of the situation, and will do all in their power to sound the gospel trumpet in scores of these foreign tongues. On Sabbath morning, July 8, I met with our Bohemian-Slavish church in Newark, N. J. This church, which is composed of Bohemians, Slovaks, and Poles, has been raised up under the fostering care of Elder Paul Matula and his associates. The Lord has greatly blessed Brother Matula's labors, and we now have a well-organized church of sixty-two members here. Another company, consisting of twelve Bohemians, has been organized in Bridgeport, Conn., with Brother T. Zaleha as leader. Sister Christina Kuk lish, one of our Bohemian Bible workers, has recently taken up work among her nationality in Perth Amboy, N. J. In Passaic, N. J., another little company meets for Sabbath services. Scattered believers are found in Burlington, N. J., Wyoming, Del., Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pa. There are prospects for a good, strong work this summer. Arrangements have just been perfected by the Division, Lake Union, and Northern Illinois Conferences for Brother L. F. Kucera, a Bohemian, to go to Chicago to labor for those of his nationality. Sister Anna Soukup has been laboring in that great Bohemian center for some time, and the first fruits of her labors is one Sabbath-keeping family. Chicago, being the Bohemian center in the United States, with its more than 150,000 of that nationality, offers splendid opportunities for a good work to be done. Brother Kucera will, according to present arrangements, begin his work about the first of September. In the afternoon of Sabbath, July 8, I went over to Brooklyn in order to meet with our Finnish brethren. This little group of faithful believers was organized on the twenty-fifth day of December, 1915. Brother R. Immonen has charge of the work here, and is assisted by Brother A. Hämara and two sisters. Elder H. C. J. Walleker also met with us, and we celebrated the ordinances of the Lord's house for the second time in the history of this little company. Two new members were taken into church fellowship, increasing the membership to twelve. This summer the Finns have had conducted the first tent effort for them ever carried on, in New York City. From a letter received from Elder J. E. Jayne, president of the Greater New York Conference, we quote the following concerning the interest attending this effort: “Last Sunday night I visited the Finnish tent. They had a stereopticon on the twelfth chapter of Revelation. They were not able to seat the people. Perhaps fifty stood. This bids fair for a good harvest of souls among that nationality.” From New York I went to South Lancaster, Mass., in order to meet Elder G. G. Roth, superintendent of our French work, and Elder F. C. Gilbert, leader of our Jewish work. I had a most pleasant visit with these two brethren. I was greatly impressed with the fact that the French, as well as the Jews, have been much neglected the last few years. Much more must be done for the Jews. The Spirit of prophecy plainly tells us that the message must go to the Jews, and that many of these lost sheep of the house of Israel will respond to the gospel invitation. We need more literature in the French and in the Yiddish, and it is our earnest hope that if present plans mature, the Pacific Press Publishing Association will take hold of this literature work, which is of the utmost importance. There are good prospects for a wide circulation of some timely, up-to-date literature in these two tongues. Requests for literature upon present truth in the Yiddish come to Elder Gilbert almost daily. By moving cautiously, we shall doubtless be able to reach many Jews who already look upon us as a people who have special light and an everlasting message to give the world. On my way back to Chicago, I spent a few very profitable days in Takoma Park, placing with some members of the Division Conference and General Conference some of our present needs. It was a source of great encouragement to me to find a very appreciative attitude toward the foreign work. I also stopped at Youngstown, Ohio, where I met with our Roumanian brethren. Brother John Klepe, who began the work in the Ohio Conference a few years ago, reports about forty believers. He has at present a good interest. Some very bright young people have accepted the message, and are now doing self-supporting colporteur work. The one great need among most of these foreign nationalities is more literature in the simplest and cheapest but most attractive form possible. Something has already been done in distributing reading matter, and more will be done as soon as the International Branch of the Pacific Press Publishing Association gets into its new headquarters in Brookfield, Ill. On this tour I met with workers and believers of eight different nationalities. On the whole, the outlook for our foreign work in this country was never brighter. With the sincere sympathy and hearty cooperation of conference leaders and officials, we look into the future with great hope, courage, and expectation. Our workers are of good courage, and are inspired with a firm determination to give the message quickly to their own nationalities. It was a real pleasure to meet with these dear brethren and sisters of so many different tongues. We look to them to make a rapid and prosperous growth, to sound the message with power, and hasten the coming of the Master.