p. 16 | The Australasian Union Conference

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 12, 1908

The Australasian Union Conference

By Ole Andres Olsen

SINCE my return to Australia, I have had my hands full of work. On my arrival in New Zealand, July 2, I went at once to Palmerston North, to attend a missionary convention which began the next day, and continued till July 13. It was a good meeting, well attended; the Spirit of the Lord came very near, and it proved to be one of the best meetings we have had in New Zealand. I am sure it will give a new impetus to the work in that field.

After this meeting I returned to Australia, and on July 31, we began a missionary convention at Victoria, continuing ten days. The time was fully improved from early in the morning till the evening. Elder R. C. Porter, having arrived from the United States, on his way to South Africa, attended this meeting with us, and the Lord blessed him greatly in his work. All the laborers were present, and took hold with hearty good will. I am sure this meeting will prove a great blessing to the work in Victoria.

Returning from Melbourne, we had a short time to get ready for the publishers' convention and council preceding the union conference. The convention opened August 25, and continued over a week. The union conference began September 3, and continued ten days. During the convention and council preceding the conference, we had a very free time in studying and considering many weighty questions relating to the work in our territory. The attendance at our council was large, all the divisions of our field being represented. The publishing work, the circulation of literature in both the English and island languages, the work in the East Indies and other parts of our mission field,—all received careful consideration; and day by day as we studied the field, the immensity of the work, its great responsibility, and the wonderful providence of God opened to us as never before. It was a great privilege to us all to have this free council, studying together all these important questions. During this time we spent earnest seasons in seeking the Lord for guidance and direction, for wisdom and understanding, and for largeness of heart to comprehend the work, and the Holy Spirit's power with which to carry it forward. The Lord came near, and our hearts were made tender. We all feel much encouraged over the prospects before us.

The presence of Elders J. N. Loughborough and R. C. Porter was a great blessing, and highly appreciated by all our people. I wish here, in behalf of the Australasian Union Conference, to express our thanks and appreciation to the General Conference for sending us such good help for our union conference meeting. Brother Loughborough had a good journey, and came to us in the best of health and courage. The Lord has blessed him in a very marked manner. I have never before seen him enjoy such freedom and power in speaking as the Lord has given him during the time of our union conference. His presentation of the early experiences, the rise, the progress, and the development of the work for this time delighted, strengthened, and encouraged the people. They had never before heard these things related

by one who had been an eye-witness from almost the very beginning.

Brother Porter's labors were also greatly appreciated, and will bear fruit in the furtherance of the work in this field. He dealt fully with the late experiences that the work of the message has been passing through, and showed the relation of the present apostasy and its bearing upon the work and the message at the present time.

These studies were helpful, and gave all our people an opportunity to understand the nature of the present situation, and the right attitude and relation to be taken by every loyal believer at this time. There are no more loyal people to the message in any part of the world than here in Australia; and when the truth is set before them in plain terms, they take hold of it heartily and cheerfully.

The business proceedings of the conference passed off harmoniously, there being not a single negative vote in all our proceedings. The standing committees did faithful work, yet our program was so arranged that no committee sat during the time of service. Many times it happens that the very ones who should be present at the time when an important Scriptural subject is presented, are absent on committee work, and thus they lose a great blessing, and the work as a whole suffers by their absence. It is just as necessary for us to be present at every devotional meeting and Bible study as when business matters are presented. Every line of work received its due portion of attention, and as day after day the conference proceeded, the blessing of the Lord was more and more manifest.

All Departments of the Work Considered

The educational work, the publishing and book work, the religious liberty question, the missionary campaign, the health and sanitarium work, and the Sabbath-school department each had a day assigned to it. The reports from the missionary campaign work in various conferences was of a specially encouraging nature. During the two years since our last union conference, the Missionary Volunteer work has become more permanently organized, and the reports from their societies were a source of great rejoicing to our brethren and sisters. On the evening of the same day there was conducted a young people's model missionary meeting. It had a crowded attendance, and deep interest was shown in it. Our souls were made glad to see this work among the young.

The Island Work

The conference also took some advance steps. Elder L. V. Finster and wife accepted a call to the Philippines. Brother and Sister Finster came here from America seven years ago, and they have done good work in this conference. At the time of my coming to Australia, Brother Finster was president of the West Australian Conference. Something over a year ago he was transferred to Tasmania, where he has served as president the past year, the Lord blessing him much in his work. We all felt grateful that Brother and Sister Finster felt free to accept this call; for we are so anxious to see a permanent work started in the Philippines. They will leave here early in December for their new field.

On account of Brother Gates's health it did not seem right for him to continue his work in the East Indies, so Elder J. E. Fulton was called to take charge of the work in that important district. Before this reaches the readers of the REVIEW, Brother Fulton will be in Java. After acquainting himself with the work in Java, and counseling with the workers there, he will go on to Singapore, and also visit Sumatra; later on he will visit the Philippines, and make himself acquainted with that field, and plan with the brethren in reference to pushing forward the work there, afterward going on to attend the next General Conference. While we shall miss the faithful labors of Brother Fulton in the home field, we are glad that he feels free to accept the superintendency of that populous district. His previous experience in the island mission field will be of value as he takes up the work in his new territory.

We have also strengthened the work in Tonga by sending Brother and Sister Harold Piper to take up school work on the island of Haapai, where an important interest has risen among the natives.

In the Home Field

Some changes were also made in the home field, which we trust will prove a blessing. Brother W. L. H. Baker now takes the presidency of the Tasmanian Conference, made vacant by the calling away of Brother Finster. Brother S. M. Cobb will take the presidency of the Victorian Conference, Brother Jesse Pallant of the New Zealand Conference, and Brother W. H. Woods of the New South Wales Conference.

The reports that came in from our institutions were very encouraging. We would have been glad to see larger gains in numbers accepting the truth; but there never was a time since our coming to this field when the outlook was so encouraging as at the present. Since the missionary campaign has been taken up, interest is springing up in so many places, and souls are accepting the truth through reading our publications. All these things are sources of special encouragement. We sincerely praise the Lord for all that he is to us. Two years ago our union conference was decidedly a missionary conference. The present meeting will be denominated a missionary campaign conference; for the missionary campaign both at home and abroad seemed to be the special burden of the meeting. More activity at home will prepare more laborers for distant fields.

The circulation of our literature received special attention, and I am sure our conference presidents and ministers as a whole will give this part of the work much more attention than they have in the past. We shall also put forth more vigorous efforts in getting translations into just as many languages as we can among the different people of the islands. It is a great encouragement to us that our experience has taught us that our literature is just as effectual among the semicivilized of the islands as it is among the more advanced people in the home land.

A Youth's Paper

It was decided also at this conference to print a young people's paper. There has been an urgent call for this. We would have been greatly pleased if we could have made use of the Youth's Instructor; but Australia is so far away, and the mails are so irregular, that a paper printed here is greatly needed.

Our Statistical Report

I will here submit a brief review of our statistical report for the two years, beginning June 30, 1906. The number of believers in the Australasian Union Conference was 3,999; June 30, 1908, the figures stand at 4,404, an increase of 405.

The tithe reported for the two years is $118,299.52, an increase of $21,758.30 over the former report. The Sabbath-school offerings, $14,623.39, as compared with the last report, $11,452.08, show a gain of $3,171.30; and to missions $12,218.09, an increase of $5,411.06 over the former report. During the biennial period, $14,774.48 has come in as offerings to foreign missions, which shows an increase of $2,830.03; for home mission work, $6,087.01; and for local church work, $7,941.87. These last figures were not reported at the last conference.

In the Missionary Volunteer Department, $3,227.77 has been raised in contributions for foreign missions, and $674.92 for home work. Neither were these reported at our last conference. This makes the total amount of money contributed for home and foreign work during the two years, $165,219.91; that is, this much has been reported. I am sure that considerably more than this has been raised, but has not been included in the reports.

Our book sales for two years stand at $164,214.71, as compared with $144,567.87 for the former period, showing a gain of $19,646.84. This, too, is encouraging, considering the smallness of the number working and other circumstances.

Thus we are able through the mercy of God to report an increase in all the different departments of the work; but had we all been as faithful as the importance of our time demands, the increase would have been much greater.

A Forward Impetus

Our good conference has given a decidedly forward impetus to the work throughout the Australasian Union Conference. The attendance was larger than on any previous occasion of this kind. In order to find room for the delegates and visitors, thirty tents were pitched in a grove near the church. Two years ago the school was able to care for quite a number of the delegates. This time all their space was filled with students. Two years ago the Retreat was vacant, but this time not only were the school buildings filled, but the overflow had also taken up considerable room in the Retreat. This made it necessary to pitch many tents; but the weather was good, and all were happy, rejoicing in the great blessings experienced day by day.

We shall now at once begin our campmeeting season. September 29, in company with Elder Loughborough, I shall start for the general meeting in Queensland to be held at Brisbane. The next day Brother and Sister Porter will take their departure for Africa, stopping five days at Melbourne, where the steamer takes on cargo. October 1 Brother and Sister Fulton, together with Brother and Sister Thorpe, will sail for Java; so not only have the conference delegates left for their home fields, but we are rapidly spreading to fields abroad.

It was certainly in the providence of

God that Brother and Sister Porter could be here for our conference, and the best wishes and earnest prayers of our people in Australia will follow them to their new field of labor. Through this acquaintance, Australia will feel in closer touch with Africa than ever before.

Brother Loughborough will remain with us, and visit our various camp-meetings. Our people are greatly rejoiced over the opportunity of having Brother Loughborough visit our various conferences.

The laborers of the Australasian Union Conference as well as of our people are of the best of courage, and their heart is set to serve God, and their shoulders are put to the work. We rejoice in the glorious prospect that soon the work will all be finished, and the glorious consummation of our hopes realized. We appreciate that we have entered a very important time, and that there is much at stake; but by the grace of God we mean to be faithful, and in the day of the final gathering stand with the blood-washed throng on Mount Zion with the Lamb. What a gathering of the faithful that will be!—from every land and clime they will come, from every nation and people, from every generation from the time of Adam down to the last! The glorious prospect of the consummation so near at hand fills our hearts with joyous expectations.

O. A. OLSEN.