p. 14 | The West Russian Meeting by GUY DAIL

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 4, 1909

The West Russian Meeting

By GUY DAIL

GUY DAIL

Since the first of last January the West Russian Mission has been in existence. It was cut off from the territory of the former North Russian field. It contains Russian Poland, and the governments of Grodno, Kovno, Minsk, Vilna, and Volhynia. Of the twenty-two million people within its boundary lines, about fifteen million are Poles, five million are Jews, and the remaining two million are chiefly Russians and Germans. We have neither a Polish nor a Jewish laborer for the twenty millions comprising these two nationalities. Our efforts have thus far been put forth chiefly for the Germans.

The last of our general autumn meetings in the Muscovite empire was the first annual session of the West Russian Mission, which was held from October 30 to November 3, in Lodz, the rapidly developing center of the Polish textile trades. It is a city of about three hundred fifty-two thousand inhabitants, nearly one third of whom are employed in its factories. Foreign capital has been well repaid for its investments in this place, and Polish wares have found not only a good market in Russia proper, in Transcaucasia, in Siberia, and in China, but they are also making their way into Persia, Asia Minor, and the Balkans. The development of these industries is giving to Poland a middle class—a class between the feudal nobility, which earlier formed an oligarchy that was “splendid, wealthy, turbulent, oppressive,” and the peasants, who, before they obtained their freedom in 1807, were said to be among the “most enslaved and degraded of mankind.” Not a few of these peasants have now become land-owners, and are free to hire out as workmen in the large manufacturing establishments. The development of this middle class, and the various religious, political, and financial ambitions of the various classes and nationalities, are responsible for the frequent clashes between the people and the authorities, and between the workmen and their employers. There were abundant signs of the critical situation of affairs during our conference in Lodz. Brother J. T. Boettcher has already written of these conditions quite fully, so I need only allude to the strict martial law in force, and to our thankfulness to God for his kind care and protection.

Our meetings during the day were held in our local hall, but at night the public lectures were fairly well attended in one of the halls of the city. We were pleased to see the strangers who came bow their heads in silent prayer before taking their seats. This we had not noticed in other parts of Russia. There was no occasion for the presence of the police here—and none were at hand to offer their protection—during the entire meeting. Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, and Greek Catholics are represented in Lodz, so the people are accustomed to the religious gatherings of all these denominations. Owing to the interest awakened among the strangers who attended the lectures, it has been found advisable to continue our efforts still longer.

For a long time it was desired that we might enter Warsaw, and this was made possible recently. Warsaw is the third Russian city in size, and contains about seven hundred fifty-six thousand people, many of whom are engaged in the large iron and steel and engineering works, in the production of leather, and in the beet-sugar refineries. It is stated, however, that one must be very judicious in the distribution of literature, as even the Bible may not be freely and openly circulated by the British Bible Society in Warsaw. In our small hall a number of persons meet regularly in search of truth, and the German brother, whose wife speaks Polish, finds plenty of work to do among those who are interested in the message.

Several Jews have recently been converted in Vilna. We are thus getting a foothold among that people, and believe that the future will see no small number of Israelites joining the remnant who are waiting for the coming of the Lord.

During the first three quarters of 1908, thirty-nine members were received, and the net increase was twenty-two, making the membership, September 30, two hundred ninety-two. The tithe for the nine months was nine hundred eighty rubles. At the meeting, nearly three hundred forty-six rubles was raised in pledges and cash toward the proposed Russian union school. The various departments of the work received careful attention, special stress being laid upon the circulation of our literature, and the education of our youth to be laborers together with God. Brethren J. T. Boettcher and H. J. Loebsack were richly blessed in their efforts to be of use to the local workers in bringing in a deeper religious experience among the thirty-three delegates from the five churches and three companies represented at the meeting. As many as two hundred twenty-five were at the evening lectures—a satisfactory attendance in view of the other religious meetings that were in progress in the city at the time.

There was union in all the business transacted. The field has two ordained ministers, two licentiates, one Bible worker, and one colporteur. Brother D. P. Gaede was re-elected superintendent of the West Russian Mission. All go from this meeting to engage in the work more earnestly. In some respects, this is a hard field; but God is above difficulties, and through his power trouble and opposition may only make us stronger, and our victories the more pronounced. A partial failure in the crops of Volhynia for several years has worked hardship to many of the brethren, for the majority of our members in this field belong to the agricultural class. May God remember them all, and bless the work there as never before.

Hamburg, Germany.