Reports from German Union Conference

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 27, 1909

Reports from German Union Conference

Austrian Mission

Elder J. Wolfgarten, director of the Austrian Mission, reported as follows:—

The largest field in the German Union is Austria, right in the heart of Europe. It contains one hundred twenty thousand square miles, and is about as large as Oregon and Oklahoma. Its inhabitants number about thirty million people, who are divided among Germans, Bohemians, Poles, Ruthenians, Slovakians, Croatians, Italians, and Rumanians. The larger portion of these are Roman Catholic.

Our work began in this field in 1901. In 1905 we had five companies with sixty-three members, paying six hundred dollars tithe. Last year these had increased to one hundred thirty-five members, paying eleven hundred dollars tithe. We have now formed a society under the name of “Christian Men and Women,” whose purpose is declared to be the advancing of Christian life and the holding of public meetings; but we are not allowed to open our meetings with prayer. I have found that the Lord has gone before me and opened ways and made preparations that I knew nothing about. The canvassing work is forbidden, yet last year we baptized fifty believers. We have two ordained ministers, four licentiates, and eight Bible workers. We ask the prayers of God’s people everywhere that we may have still greater success in this interesting field.

Hungarian Conference

Elder J. F. Huenergardt, president of the Hungarian Conference, reported for that field:—

This conference embraces the kingdom of Hungary, including Transylvania, with a population of twenty-one million eight hundred thousand, or one fourth the population of the United States. Its territory is about the size of Kansas and Oklahoma.

About 1587 a Hungarian nobleman, Ossoe Andras, was convinced of the Bible Sabbath through the simple reading of the Bible. As a result of his work, within a quarter of a century there were sixty-five villages and towns in Transylvania that were observing the true Sabbath. When I went to that country, I found twelve Sabbath-keepers. We now have Sabbath-keepers among the Hungarian, the German, the Slovakian, the Servian, and the Rumanian nationalities, scattered among twenty-five groups and companies in the principal cities and towns of the country.

Our conference was organized at Kolozsvat in 1907, and our present membership is five hundred five. Our force of laborers is composed of three ordained ministers, one licentiate, six Bible workers, and two missionary nurses. Our tithes and gifts have more than doubled since the organization of the conference. The work is steadily advancing, and workers are being prepared for these various nationalities. Our canvassing work is developing, and we are translating our tracts and other literature into all these languages.

West German Conference

H. Fenner, the president of the West German Conference, speaking through an interpreter, said:—

The West German Conference was organized in 1898, and since the organization of the German Union Conference in 1901, three conferences have been cut off from its territory. The population of our conference is now seven million two hundred fifty thousand. We now have twenty churches, with five hundred twenty-nine members. Our workers are happy in their work. Our greatest need is more laborers to do justice to the interests that are springing up.

Upon motion the meeting adjourned until 3 P. M.