The British Union Conference embraces the territory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. It has an area of 120,960 square miles, with a population of over forty-two million.
The British Union Organization
An interesting event in the history of the message in Great Britain was the General European Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which was held in London, May, 1902. At this meeting there was a larger gathering of representatives, not only from the different countries of Europe, but also from America, than at any previous gathering in Europe in connection with this work. It was indeed a missionary conference, and the work all over Europe received a new inspiration and impetus from that occasion. At this time we were favored with the presence and faithful labor of Elder Daniells, president of the General Conference.
At the annual meeting of the British Conference, in the month of August, the same year, the British field was reorganized, by dividing England into two divisions, to be known as the South England Conference and the North England Conference. Scotland, Ireland, and Wales were made three separate mission fields. The whole was united in one organization, to be known as the British Union Conference. The object and purpose of this was for the better and more rapid extension of the message in all parts of the field. The utility of this move has been fully demonstrated, as shown by the more rapid growth of the work since that time.
Survey of the Field
At the time of the reorganization, and at the end of 1902 and the beginning of 1903, the British Union had nine ministers, five licentiates, thirteen Bible workers, and forty-seven canvassers—seventy-nine in all, thirty-seven of whom were on the conference pay-roll. There were nine churches, having a membership of seven hundred and eighty-nine, with sixty-nine isolated and not organized, making a total of eight hundred and fifty-eight; twenty-six Sabbath-schools, with a membership of seven hundred and twenty-six. The tithe amounted to $12,287.75, annual offerings to $432.66, and Sabbath-school offerings to $229.93, and book sales to $41,101.87. Of institutions, we had the International Tract Society, doing a noble work in publishing the truth, and the Duncomb Hall Training College, which opened early in 1902.
Now, at the end of another two years, we are privileged to record eighteen ministers, seventeen licentiates, twenty-eight Bible workers, one hundred and ninety-five canvassers, including those who sell our papers as well as books; twenty-nine churches, with a membership of 1,080; twenty-one unorganized companies, with a membership of one hundred and ninety-six; and eighty-eight isolated Sabbath-keepers, making a total membership of 1,364; and fifty-three Sabbath-schools, with a membership of 1,419. The tithe for 1904 amounted to $15,010.25, the annual offerings to $986.09, Sabbath-school offerings to $770.31, First-day offerings to $132.24, the tithe per capita to $13.62, and offerings to missions to $1.62 per capita. Our book sales for the two years amounted to $64,618, paper sales to $64,515.68, tract sales to $1,811.48, total sales to $130,945.16. In the British Union we have five houses of worship.
Thus during the two years, there has been seen an encouraging growth in all the departments of the work, with an increase of nine ministers, twelve licentiates, fifteen Bible workers, and one hundred and sixteen canvassers, a total increase in the number of laborers of one hundred and sixty-two. There has been also an increase of twenty churches, and of five hundred and six in the total membership; twenty-seven Sabbath-schools, and in the Sabbath-school membership, 693. The increase in the tithe was $3,622.50; in the Sabbath-school offerings, $533.38; and annual offerings, $554.43.
While making note of this increase and growth, we acknowledge with gratitude our indebtedness to the General Conference for the liberal appropriation of $16,813.67, and to various State conferences, such as California, Vermont, and Wisconsin, for sending ministers and supporting them in the field; otherwise, it would not have been possible to employ and support so many laborers. In this connection I would also acknowledge the liberal gift of $12,279 for the establishment of our sanitariums. I would also mention that the results of this earnest effort are only beginning to appear. The prospect is that the near future will show more rapid progress and growth, especially in the matter of additions to the number of believers in the truth, and consequently a corresponding increase in tithes and offerings.
Our Institutions
During the biennial period, we have also witnessed the blessing of God in our institutional work. The International Tract Society has been prospered. Our facilities have been improved by exchanging worn-out presses for new and improved machines, by which more and better work can be done, and still we are not able to keep pace with the increased demands of the work.
Our Periodicals
At the present time the Present Truth has a weekly circulation of more than twenty thousand copies; the British Good Health, a monthly circulation of 50,000 in England. Besides the British edition, there are three small editions published—for India, the West Indies, and South Africa—totaling about three thousand copies. There is also our union conference organ, the Missionary Worker, whose circulation is confined to our own people. The large majority of these magazines are sold in England from house to house.
Educational
The Duncomb Hall Training College has been greatly blessed and prospered. Beginning very small, and without a permanent location and the usual facilities and equipments so helpful to a school, we have had to move from time to time from one place to another. Still with all these drawbacks, which would seem disastrous to a school, the college has prospered, and has done most excellent work.
The membership of our school the first year was thirty; the second year brought fifty-four to attend it; last year we had fifty-six students; while our enrolment has reached ninety this present year, the students representing South England, North England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, America, India, Central Africa, Switzerland, Russia, Holland, and Natal—one student for every fifteen Adventists in Great Britain. Fifty-five of the students this year are paying all or a part of their expenses by canvassing in London. Spiritually the school has been greatly blessed. Those who had not done so before coming to the college have since given themselves to the Lord, seventeen having been baptized this year. During the past two years we have sent out thirteen into the nurses' course, eight into the ministry, two into educational10work, fifteen or twenty into the canvassing work, and eight into the publishing work. Ten of the young men in the school are doing active work on Sabbaths and Sundays, holding meetings in different parts of London. Financially the school has also been prospered, having been able to pay its own way this year.
The Good Health Association
This association was organized and incorporated in August, 1903, with its headquarters and office in London, for the purpose of carrying on sanitarium and medical missionary and health work in the United Kingdom. At the present time there are three small sanitariums in the British Union, carried on under the auspices of this organization, with an asset of $21,345.58.
The Belfast Sanitarium
was opened in Belfast, Ireland, through the generosity of the Irish friends, who raised $1,216.50, and a gift of eight hundred dollars from the General Conference in America in the fall of 1902, the formal opening taking place in January, 1903. In the beginning of our work there we ran behind in our expenses; but during the last six months of 1904 there has been some little gain. Thus far three patients and three others who were not patients have accepted the truth through coming in contact with the sanitarium and the Good Health magazine. The charity work of the institution during the past two years has probably exceeded five hundred dollars.
The Caterham Sanitarium
was formally opened in May, 1903. The institution is located at Caterham, Surrey, seventeen miles south of Westminster Bridge, London. Caterham is a little town of about nine thousand inhabitants. The cost price of the sanitarium, including legal transfer, amounted to about fifteen thousand one hundred dollars, and of this amount ten thousand dollars was contributed by the General Conference, and $1,716 for equipments was given by friends in America, and the remainder was raised in the home field.
Since then, three additional villas have been secured, two of which have been leased under a three-years' agreement, so that the present capacity is forty bedrooms for guests, besides ample room for the workers. The sanitarium is situated about four hundred and fifty feet above the level of the Thames, and is on the outskirts of the town, and still within five minutes' walk of the railway station on the Southeastern Railway. The house thus possesses all the advantages of a beautiful country situation, and at the same time is within easy reach of London, the express trains making the trip in about half an hour.
During 1903-04 about five hundred and fifty patients were treated. We know of at least eight patients who, through coming to the sanitarium, have accepted the truth and joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church; and there is a large number who have accepted the principles of healthful living as taught at the institution, and are carrying them out in their homes with great benefit. Our net gain for the two years was about eight hundred dollars.
Leicester Sanitarium
This institution is located at 82 Regent Road, Leicester, in the heart of a city of about two hundred and twenty thousand inhabitants. One of the leading citizens of the place, a business man, offered us the free use of a large double-fronted house for a period of ten years, and also offered to build suitable bath rooms in connection with the place, provided we would run it on the lines of our developed sanitarium work. This offer was presented to the General Conference in April, 1903, and was unanimously accepted, the General Conference Committee generously voting an appropriation of fifteen hundred dollars to assist in establishing the institution. There was some delay in fitting up the bath rooms, so that the institution was not formally opened until Feb. 8, 1904.
We have reason to believe that good work is being done at this institution, not only in relieving the afflicted, but that a decided influence in favor of the truth is constantly exerted.
Our Needs and What Is to Be Done
What shall I say, or how can I express it better than in the oft-repeated phrase, “Arise, and finish the work”? For this men and means are needed.
While the territory covered by the British Union Conference may not comprise so large an area or so dense a population as some fields, yet its needs are numerous and urgent. We have millions of people who have never yet heard the message. The work that remains to be done is exceedingly great, and the laborers are very few. It should be remembered that in past years Great Britain has been foremost in sending missionaries to heathen lands and to the islands of the sea. Such missionaries as Carey, Moffatt, Mackay, Livingstone, Morrison, Martyn, Burns, Marshman, Heber, Marsden, Williams, and others too numerous to mention, have gone from this kingdom to all parts of the world as light-bearers.
We are also indebted to England for the first translation of the Scriptures into the English language, and to the British and Foreign Bible Society, and other similar societies, which have since published and distributed millions of copies of the Scriptures in a multitude of languages in all parts of the world. The British field is in possession of tremendous resources of men and means for use in this closing work. And just now is the time when they should be developed and brought into service. Laborers must be multiplied, and it seems to us that at this conference facilities must be provided for spreading the truth to all parts of the British empire. We feel very grateful for all that has been done, and for the interest manifested in advancing the work in this important field. Without the assistance given, we should be far behind what we are; and we earnestly ask that due consideration be given to this important field.
Just now is the time for a decided forward movement in the British Union, and the effect and result of this will be a mighty inspiration that will reach to the utmost bounds of the vast British empire, and hasten the day of the finished work.
O. A. OLSEN,
President.
FACULTY AND STUDENTS OF THE LONDON TRAINING-SCHOOL
