THE Latin Union and the French-Swiss Conference held their meetings in Lausanne, from August 9 to 14; the Southern French Conference held its meeting in Saint-Hippolyte, from August 21 to 25; and the Spanish Mission held its meeting in Barcelona, from August 28 to September 1. Our different fields were well represented at the union meetings. We were especially glad to see quite a delegation from Italy. Although French Belgium, the canton of Tessin, and Algeria have recently been separated from the Latin Union Conference, that union still has a population of 100,000,000. During the three years since the Latin Union had its last meeting, 367 persons were admitted, with a net gain of 171; but during the last six months there were ninety-six admissions, with a net gain that brought the membership up to 1,159. The tithe has also increased in the three years from $9,000 to $12,500, and the gifts have nearly doubled. Spain now has a membership of about 100, Portugal 45, and Italy 80.
France is really divided into four portions. First comes the Latin Union District, which comprises Paris and its surroundings; then the Southern French Conference, the North French Mission, and the departments joining Switzerland which have been united with the French-Swiss Conference. There are, in all, about 300 Sabbath-keepers in that republic. We have now fourteen ordained ministers in the Latin Union, twenty-eight other gospel workers, and a number of nurses. The available gospel helpers are not more than fifty, or one to every two million persons.
The business of the union conference passed off harmoniously, and Elder L. P. Tieche was reelected union president. In the French-Swiss Conference one important decision was to change the name in accordance with the present territory. The best name found was the Leman Conference, Leman being the French name for Lake Geneva. Elder H. H. Dexter was again elected president of that conference.
WORKERS AT THE SOUTH FRENCH MEETING
Though it was rather rainy and cold the latter part of the meeting, yet our people remained till its close. Brother Paul Meyer, who had labored with success in the Portuguese field, was ordained to the ministry. We were very glad of the liberal spirit shown by the people to bring up their gifts to ten cents a member. About $500 was raised at the meeting; and with what was collected last year, the Latin Union will be quite well up to the mark.
As to the institutions, the school is under the direction of Brother P. Steiner, and has good prospects of a fair attendance; while the sanitarium had the best year since its existence. In 1911 265 patients visited the sanitarium, while the first six months of this year we already have had 152. In view of the urgent needs, it was voted to erect a dwelling-house near the food factory, which would also serve for the book department; and a building containing a large stable and some dwellings will also be put up. The addition to the sanitarium was postponed for a year to give time for better study. Elders W. J. Fitzgerald and Guy Dail and the writer assisted during the meetings, and all appreciated the help thus rendered.
On our way to the meeting of the Southern French Conference, we spent two days in Gland considering the needs there. We found quite a good number of our people at Saint-Hippolyte, and there was quite a good attendance in the evening from the outside. Elder Tell Nussbaum, who has now settled in Lyons, was reelected president. Careful plans were laid for solid winter work in three different parts of the field.
We were pleased to see a good delegation of our farmers from the Tarn present. When the call was made for mission gifts, they responded very liberally, one brother giving $200. Besides the union president and the writer, Elder P. Steiner and Dr. L. E. Conradi assisted in the meetings.
After the meetings, we spent two days at Cette, Montpellier, and Aigues-Mortes on our way to Spain. At the latter place we visited the tower of Constance, where the Huguenots were imprisoned for so many years. In Barcelona we found about seventy of our one hundred Sabbath-keepers. The meetings were held in two different places, and the attendance from the outside was good in the evenings. We took further steps to organize the field by appointing a local committee of five. Two of the members of this committee are native Spaniards. It was also planned to organize a church at Barcelona, and to get the other companies well founded. Elder Walter Bond, who has thus far labored mostly in Barcelona, will now work for a number of months outside, dropping the burden of local church work on others. We hope that by another year he may be able to move his headquarters to Madrid. Elder F. Bond will work in Murcia and its vicinity.
Brother J. Brown is of good courage in the canvassing work. There were about seven workers employed for nearly ten months, and three others for a shorter period. Their total sales in books and papers amounted to about $3,000. With careful management, there is no question but that the canvassing work can be made self-sustaining in this field, though the earnings are not what one would expect in the States. Brother E.13Borle, as well as Brother P. Steiner, was with us at this meeting. We hope soon to have the book “Daniel and the Revelation” finished as our first large work printed in Spain.
On the whole, the prospects of the Latin Union are brighter than ever before. A number of young persons are now coming to the front, and the school is turning out some new workers, so we may, with the increase of workers, expect more rapid growth. There is no question but that the Latin Union is one of the hardest fields we have, and it takes a long time to lay a good foundation, and, above all, to secure good native workers who understand the people and their needs. But not only must the Latin Union be well supplied, but also the great French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian colonies; and the Lord is helping in that direction.
We had Brethren A. Guyot and Jose Abella, of Algeria, with us, and they gave favorable reports. Brother Abella is a Spaniard, but he has mastered the French, knows some English, and is now making good headway in the Arabic. Not only is the work going forward in Algeria, but we are also starting on the Portuguese West Coast, and now also in the isle of Mauritius, near Madagascar. Plans are being laid to enter these fields as soon as workers can be secured. Let us remember the work in the Latin Union in our prayers.
