Scandinavia by N. Z. TOWN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 17, 1914

Scandinavia

By N. Z. TOWN

N. Z. TOWN

Five local annual conferences and the biennial session of the union conference were held in the Scandinavian countries this season.

West Norway

The series of meetings began with the annual conference of West Norway, which was held in Haugesund, one of the interesting historical places on the west coast of Norway. Just outside the town is one of the finest monuments in the country, erected in memory of Harold the Fair, who in the tenth century made a vow that he would not cut his hair or beard until he had united the thirty-one petty kingdoms of Norway. His monument is surrounded by thirty smaller ones, bearing the names of the kingdoms he conquered.

The conference was preceded by a two-day colporteurs' institute, with about twenty canvassers in attendance. This branch of the work was also given an hour's time each day during the conference. It was the writer's first experience in helping to conduct a colporteur's institute through an interpreter, but the Lord blessed in the work.

The plans of the General Conference home missionary campaign were presented, and heartily indorsed by the delegates in the conference. It was recommended that this branch of the work be thoroughly organized throughout the field.

One enjoyable feature of the meeting was the music rendered with stringed instruments. There were four guitars, two banjos, three violins, and a zither. It was indeed inspiring to listen to the beautiful music produced from these instruments by the good musicians present.

East Norway

The East Norway conference was held in Drammen, a picturesque town with lofty hills on each side, about thirty miles from Christiania. About three hundred of our people gathered for this meeting. As in West Norway, a canvassers' institute was held during the two days before the conference opened. The two Norwegian conferences have the same field agent, and as they have no tract societies, no separate record of sales is kept. The two conferences sold $19,900 worth of literature during 1913.

I here met a young man who had been working in the capital of Norway. While there he had called on the king and secured his order for twenty copies of one of our books. These books were to be placed in sailors' homes in Norway. Two other young men, working with the Norwegian health paper, visited the king. He subscribed for forty copies. Probably these have been placed in public reading rooms.

This conference gained seventy-six members during this year, bringing the membership up to seven hundred and sixty-four. The tithe increased $733. At the close of the Sabbath services Brother Christian Tobiason was ordained to the gospel ministry.

The brethren and sisters took a very deep interest in the home missionary campaign, and resolved to become more active soul winners than ever before. In the young people's program, which was planned for the last day of the meeting, some of the children did remarkably well in speaking and singing. All returned to their homes determined to do their part in finishing the work.

The Scandinavian Biennial Union Meeting

This union, which includes all the Scandinavian countries and Finland, with a population of 13,800,000, reported a membership of 3,686, a gain during the biennial period of 318 members. The gain in tithe during the two years is $2,000; offerings, $600; the total tithes and offerings for the two years being $43,160.

In this union there are three publishing centers, Stockholm, Sweden; Christiania, Norway; and Helsingfors, Finland. It was especially encouraging to hear the good report from the Christiania house, which several years ago passed through great financial difficulty. If their work continues to prosper as it has in the past few years, they will be able to sing the jubilee song in a short time. The sales of this house for 1913 amounted to 325,533 crowns ($87,568), a gain of 54,000 crowns over 1912. Just before the conference, one young man in the city of Copenhagen took 1,000 crowns' ($270) worth of orders in one week.

At the close of the meeting Brother Olaf Olsen, superintendent of the Iceland Mission, was ordained to the gospel ministry.

The Scandinavian Union is the only one in Europe which is not directly involved in the present war. With the membership which this union now has, with an intelligent class of Protestant people in every part of the field among whom to work; and with the incentive to work which the present crisis affords, the message should make good progress in Scandinavia.

Just before sailing from England, word came that there were two hundred and eighty patients at the Skodsborg Sanatorium. This institution, as well as the treatment rooms in Sweden, is doing excellent work. The school at Skodsborg, in charge of Brother Erik Arnesen, is also rendering splendid service in preparing workers for the cause. There are at present more than fifty young persons engaged in the work who have come from that school.

The brethren and sisters in this conference entered heartily into the plans of the home missionary campaign.

Sweden

Some changes were made in the Swedish Conference. Brother Ole Nelson, the president, was released to take charge of the South Swedish Mission, and Brother L. Muderspach, of Finland, was invited to take his place as president.

Brother Emil Lind gave an interesting report of the work done by the Stockholm Publishing House during the past year. Its sales amounted to $24,000. A good corps of canvassers are in the field, and it is planned to push this branch of the work vigorously.

Finland

Following the Scandinavian Union meeting, Elders J. C. Raft, J. T. Boettcher, L. Muderspach, and C. O. Carlsson, and I took the boat from Stockholm to Finland. A large company of brethren and sisters, including the Swedish choir, which furnished excellent music during the meeting, accompanied us to the wharf and sang a cheering good-by as our boat pulled out.

One who has taken this trip cannot well forget the beautiful scenery along the way. Hundreds of islands, with their luxuriant green foliage, the white houses, with their red tile roofs, among the trees along the water front, and the beautiful sunset, which we enjoyed at 9:30 P. M., made the journey very pleasant.

The Finnish meeting was held in the city of Helsingfors. About two hundred and twenty-five of our brethren and sisters were present. As the conference had been well advertised, there was a large attendance of those not of our faith at the evening services. Good progress has been made in the Finland Conference during the past year. The net gain in membership was reported as seventy-six, making a total of three hundred and forty-three. The president reported twenty-one Sabbath schools and twelve churches. An interesting chart was presented, showing the increase in tithes and offerings. The total tithe receipts for 1913 were $3,566, a gain of $317 over the previous year. The total offerings were $683, a gain of $320. As the Swedish Conference in annual session invited Brother L. Muderspach to take the presidency in Sweden, Brother C.

O. Carlsson, of the South Swedish Mission, was elected president of the Finland Conference.

We found here a large, enthusiastic company of colporteurs. During the past year, Finland sold $12,000 worth of books. Here, as in Scandinavia, the work is carried forward on the subscription plan. Brother A. G. Sandbeck, the general agent of Denmark, attended this meeting to assist in the colporteur work. A new edition of “Great Controversy” is being prepared in the Finnish language, and the brethren are hoping that 1914 will be the banner year in this work.

In the Sabbath school 407 marks (or over $80) was given in donations. At the close of the meeting forty, mostly young people, were baptized. Notwithstanding Finland is rapidly being Russianized, our brethren still enjoy full liberty in carrying on their work. The outlook for the future is bright.

Denmark

The last meeting of the Scandinavian Union was held at Vejle, a little town in the western part of the country, only a few miles north of the German border. The best halls which our brethren can secure in Europe for holding meetings are usually in connection with hotels. For this meeting, we had a nice hall in a hotel just across the street from the railway station. We also lodged in the same house. Brother Sandbeck and I arrived two days before the conference, to assist in the short colporteurs' institute. At the first meeting we found the small hall where the Sabbath meetings are held packed to the limit with colporteurs. This was one of the most enthusiastic companies of colporteurs that I ever had the privilege of meeting. They all entered heartily into the spirit of the institute, and seemed eager to learn anything that would help them to do better work in getting our literature into the hands of the people. A few years ago the annual book sales in Denmark went down to 12,000 kroner ($3,200), but during 1913 the total sales amounted to 112,000 kroner (over $30,000).

As Elder C. C. Jensen was obliged to return to the States early in the year on account of Sister Jensen's health, Denmark had been without a president. Elder A. G. Christiansen, of California, responded to an invitation from the Denmark brethren to supply his place. With his family he arrived just as the meeting opened, and was unanimously elected president.

The day appointed for the special midsummer offering in Scandinavia fell on the Sabbath of this meeting. During the week, Elder L. R. Conradi gave two or three missionary talks to prepare the way for a special offering on the Sabbath. All were invited to come prepared to give or pledge liberally. At the time of the meeting on Sabbath, no special appeal was made, but the brethren responded cheerfully to the calls that had been previously made. The Sabbath school offerings, together with the special collection, amounted to 3,200 kroner (over $860). One brother gave 1,000 kroner. At the close of the afternoon Sabbath service, Brother N. P. Hansen was ordained to the gospel ministry.

Washington, D. C.