Danish-Norwegian Seminary
By Chas. Thompson
The General Conference Council held at College View, Nebr., October, 1909, decided upon the removal of the foreign departments from Union College, and recommended the establishment of three new schools, one of which would be for the training of Danish-Norwegian workers, and also recommended that this seminary be located in the Northern Union. In harmony with this action a committee was appointed to choose the site and make final decision as to location. As a result, the school was located at Hutchinson, Minn., a city of twenty-five hundred inhabitants, about eighty miles west of Minneapolis. They purchased a college building erected by another denomination. This is a four-story building, and its dimensions are 123 feet by 67 feet. The building is of brick with a stone foundation; the floors and furnishings are of hard wood, all in good condition. A farm of one hundred sixty acres adjoining the campus was also purchased. The school is now entering upon its third year, and everything indicates the successful accomplishment of the plans of the committee at the time the recommendation was made. There are four ordained ministers on the teaching faculty. The student body is matured in years, all being soundly converted to the faith, and in the school for the definite purpose of receiving such training as will fit them to be laborers in the proclamation of the third angel's message to the world. It has been the desire of those who have had the responsibility of establishing this institution that it be done without incurring a debt. There was sufficient subscribed in cash and pledges to accomplish this purpose, and the promoters have gone ahead and established a school that the denomination can look to with pride. It deserves the loyal support of every Danish-Norwegian believer in North America. The institution to-day is enabled to meet its running expenses, but it has more than $6,000 liability, most of which is drawing interest. There is a sufficient amount in pledges, unpaid, to liquidate the entire liability, if the pledges could be turned into cash; and we desire in this article to appeal in a special way to those who have made pledges to this institution to put forth their early and earnest endeavor to pay the same. If all will do this, the Danish-Norwegian Seminary can be freed from its liabilities and the burden of paying interest. The time was never more favorable for the people to meet their pledges than to-day. The crops are abundant, the prices excellent, the commodities in demand; so we feel that our appeal ought to be answered at an early date, and the Danish-Norwegian Seminary be freed from its burden. There are others who doubtless have never pledged nor made a donation to this institution, who have it in mind to do so. We appeal to this class to make their contributions at as early a date as possible, so that we can have the money to make the needed repairs and improvements, and thus place the institution on vantage-ground. The General Conference Committee, in its recent session, reaffirmed the policy of carrying forward the work on a cash basis; and we have started on a campaign to wipe out our institutional liabilities. We desire to hear the jubilee song sung at an early date, before the time of the next General Conference, by the Danish-Norwegian Seminary. We believe that the school has been established in the providence of God, and that it is, through his blessing, training workers for his cause, who will go out in answer to the Macedonian call into the unworked and unwarned portions of earth to herald a message that will prepare the honest in heart for the coming and kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is worthy of our confidence and support, and I trust that those who have obligated themselves in a definite way to assist in the establishment of this institution will meet their obligations at an early date, thus enabling it to go forward without being hindered by unpaid liabilities. The Northern Union Conference Association holds the title to the property, and the treasurer of the union will be pleased to receive all contributions for this institution, and the same will be promptly receipted. May the Lord inspire all to discharge their responsibility, and receive his blessing in return.