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The Swedish Meeting

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Aug 24, 1905

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 82, No. 34.

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The Swedish Meeting

By GUY DAIL

GUY DAIL
A few miles east of Kil, in the quiet rural district known as Grythyttehed, with its old and unique church, the delegates to the Swedish Conference assembled, June 21-25, for their midsummer gathering, held partly in the commodious meeting-house just across the road from our own chapel, and partly on the pleasant hillside covered with trees and rocks and grass a little farther beyond. Here we had our first church; and here we held our first annual meeting in 1881, when the Swedish Conference was organized. For a number of days before the regular conference, a workers’ meeting was in progress, and the outside attendance was good. The attendance of our own people was the largest we have had in Sweden for years, and our delegates and workers pronounced it the most united and successful.
The labors of Elder O. A. Olsen, so soon to leave for Australia, and of Elder Conradi, and Elder Fred Anderson (of Finland), were helpful in increasing the spirit of consecration to God, and devotion to his cause. The disposition to listen to counsel, and to respond to the suggestions made, was more manifest than we have before seen; indeed, there was a real desire for the help offered by the visiting brethren. Some hard problems needed solution, and the workers and people grappled earnestly with the educational, medical missionary, and publishing questions that were considered. However, here, as in Denmark, the chief topic in this respect was the evangelical work, and the best manner of attaining a yet greater success in bringing souls to Christ. The Swedish membership at the close of 1904 was eight hundred and one; during the year they had received sixty-eight, and their net increase was forty-two. One very important resolution was passed, urging the Swedish brethren to greater faithfulness in bringing all the tithes into the storehouse of the Lord. The tithe for the past three years has been as follows: in 1902, $3,804; 1903, $2,884; 1904, $3,118; and the offerings for last year amounted to $824; the book sales to $16,198, or only fourteen dollars more than for 1903. The publishing work is on a good financial basis, but there was a loss of six hundred and thirty dollars on their missionary and church papers. This called forth some discussion, and it was voted that the brethren be invited to put more earnestness into the work of increasing the subscription list for the coming year.
On the Sabbath eleven were baptized in one of the four beautiful lakes in the neighborhood. It was a very precious season to all.
X Meeting-house where meeting was held. O Our own meeting-house, too small for meeting. The woods back of O were used part of the time.
X Meeting-house where meeting was held. O Our own meeting-house, too small for meeting. The woods back of O were used part of the time.
The officers chosen for the coming year are as follows: President, O. Johnson; Vice-President, K. A. Farnstrom; Secretary, E. J. Ahren; Treasurer, J. R. Lindqvist; Auditors, A. J. Settergren, J. Bergstrom; Sabbath-school and Missionary Secretary, A. F. Roos; Executive Committee, O. Johnson, K. A. Farnstrom, C. Kahlstrom, E. Lind, J. R. Lindqvist.
The legal association, which holds our property in Sweden, is called the “Sallskapet Sanningens Harold,” and the officers elected are as follows: President, E. Lind; Vice-president, O. Johnson; Secretary, J. M. Erikson; Treasurer, J. R. Lindqvist; other members, K. A. Farnstrom, C. Kahlstrom, J. Lindberg; auditors, K. Mattson, J. Bergstrom. During the year this society added $2,300 to its capital, and its finances are in a prosperous condition.
Ministerial credentials were granted to O. Johnson, J. M. Erikson, E. Ahren, K. Farnstrom, F. R. Oberg, A. J. Settergren, and ministerial license to Birger Andersson. The Bible workers are A. Lundgren, Mathilda Olsson, O. Nelson, P. Hedstrom, Oskar Karlsson, J. Anderson, Kristine Engstrom, Anna Hallberg, Mathilda Lundgren. Only a few of the Bible workers will be employed all the time on conference pay; the others will be self-supporting part of the year.
We have recently begun a small health institution at Nyhyttan, where our school is located. The present outlook for this enterprise is favorable.
It was also voted to organize a conference church, for the isolated members; the conference officers will be the church officials, and look after the individual members, who are scattered here and there over the field.
We certainly had a good meeting, and we believe that the future will show a still greater growth in Sweden. Remember the work here.
Stavanger, Norway.