West German Union Conference by GUY DAIL

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 6, 1910

West German Union Conference

By GUY DAIL

GUY DAIL

THREE years ago, when the German Union Conference met, it brought delegates from Russia, as well as Germany, Austria-Hungary, and other parts. Since that time the growth of our work has led to the dividing up of the territory then represented in the German Union; yet even now the West German Union Conference represents a population of over sixty millions, with a membership of five thousand.

From the beginning to the close of the summer conference at Friedensau, there was a deep spiritual interest on the part of the thousand campers. The courage of all was strengthened by the influence of the Spirit of God in the meetings, and by reports from the workers. The brethren were glad to greet Brother B. Ohme and family, from East Africa, whose report of work in the Pare Mission territory was most interesting. On the closing Sabbath afternoon a company of recruits for Africa were commended to God in a service that deeply touched all hearts. In addition to Brother and Sister Ohme, who will return from furlough, there were Brethren F. Winter and O. Wallath, who have been taking a course in the Colonial Institute at Hamburg; Sisters Johanna Mertke and Anna Liedtke, nurses; Sister H. Walz, a Bible worker recently of Vienna, Austria,—all to go to German East Africa,—and Brother Emery Lorntz, of Christiania, Norway, who is to join our missionaries in the Abyssinian Mission. Without exception, these have all been students at the Friedensau school. We hope that the company for East Africa may sail in October.

The business of the conference was completed in seven sessions. The report of the president, J. H. Schilling, showed an increase of about four thousand dollars in the tithe, while 1,058 new members had been received.

It was reported that in Mecklenburg, where earnest prayers have been offered to God to open the way for our brethren to meet quietly together without fear of molestation from the civil authorities, partial liberty has now been granted us. One of the officials told our brethren that we really ought to thank God for the championship accorded our work by the grand duke himself, who entered the arena in our behalf against his own clergy. There are still other lands in the union where we are much hampered, but every inch of success gives us courage to hope for still greater things at the hand of God, if we only continue steadfast in prayer, and grow in faith.

The generosity of the people was appealed to in behalf of the material fund for “Ministry of Healing,” which had a deficit. Over a thousand dollars was raised in cash and pledges. Thus far we have disposed of 10,608 copies of the work, 453 copies of which have gone to North America. We realize that there is a great blessing in distributing this book, and are glad that the special German relief edition for America is just off the press, and the Danish and Swedish editions are well under way.

The institutions in Friedensau had a good report. The sanitarium is full of patients, the school has about two hundred students, and the old people's home contains twenty-seven inmates.

The output of the Hamburg Publishing House during the twelve months ending July 1, 1910, was 62,500,000 pages, or about five million more pages than for the preceding year. There is within the territory of the Hamburg Publishing House, with its two branches, at Riga and at Constantinople, a population of three hundred twenty millions to be supplied with literature.

Elder J. H. Schilling was re-elected president of the West German Union; R. Rall, secretary; and N. Schlatterer, treasurer. By an amendment to the constitution, the vice-presidency was discontinued.

All who attended this good meeting return to their homes to take up anew, and more vigorously than ever, the duties which God has placed upon us by the truths he has committed to his church for these days. There are still hundreds of square miles in our territory where there never has been a Seventh-day Adventist, and where our name is unknown.

Friedensau.