The Rhenish and West German Conferences
By Guy Dail
It was in the local assembly hall of our church in Dusseldorf on the Rhine that two hundred and thirty or more of our brethren living in various parts of Rhenish Prussia met for their third annual midwinter conference, December 28 to January 1. Dusseldorf contains about two hundred and forty-one thousand inhabitants. It is noted for its art and artists, and it boasts that no two of its many well-built houses are alike. The territory of the Rhenish Conference is composed of the one province, Rhenish Prussia. This province is about as large as New Hampshire, and contains five million seven hundred thousand people, as many inhabitants as are in Pennsylvania. The meeting was the best the Rhenish Conference ever had. The visiting brethren (Elders Conradi, Erzenberger, and Schuberth) were made welcome; good attention was given to the instruction they presented from the Word. Friday night the second largest hall in the city was secured for us, and between three and four hundred persons were present. Elder Conradi clearly set forth the signs of the times, especially as seen in the world's preparations for war, notwithstanding the peace and safety cry that one may hear from many a pulpit. A spirit of union characterized the business meetings. The group of believers at Remscheid, and the church at Duisburg, were received into the conference. Some perplexing difficulties that had existed between brethren were carefully considered, and the Spirit of God united hearts. Confessions were made, forgiveness was granted, and sin was put away. One item will be of special interest, perhaps, as it expresses the feelings of the brethren here toward the Washington enterprise. It was voted that a collection be taken up in the Rhenish churches the third Sabbath in April, for the One Hundred Thousand Dollar Fund. The same officers were chosen as for the previous year, with one or two exceptions. One minister, five licentiates, and three Bible workers received conference papers to engage in the work the coming year. As to statistics: The tithe for 1904 was $4,148, an increase of $1,234 over the previous year; offerings, $564, or $195 more than in 1903; 130 persons were received by baptism and vote, a net gain of forty, making the present membership 373. After paying a second tithe, the conference was able to settle with its workers, without debt. For the year to come, the outlook is hopeful, and the workers and brethren of the Rhenish Conference go forth to their respective fields full of hope and with renewed courage. January 4-8 the West German Conference was held in Cassel, on the Fulda River, a city containing about one hundred and fifteen thousand inhabitants. This is a beautiful place, especially the famous Wilhelmshohe, where Napoleon III was prisoner after the battle of Sedan, Sept. 1, 1870. The territory of the West German Conference comprises all the States and principalities and duchies and Prussian provinces north of the Main and west of Brandenburg and Pomerania, except Rhenish Prussia. Delegates were present from the various parts of this field. The outside attendance was good. The evening meetings were held in two different halls, one of the halls being large and commodious. On an average, about one hundred not of our faith were present. One hundred and fifty to two hundred of our own people were at the conference. A hearty welcome was given Brother Isaac, from America, who remains to labor in this field. Harmony prevailed in the business meetings. One important resolution brought about the separation of Hamburg and Friedensau from the West German Conference. Here are our two union institutions; therefore the West German tithe is much larger than the tithe of the other conferences. That each conference might stand practically on the same financial footing after Jan. 1, 1905, Hamburg, where we have our publishing house, and Friedensau, the home of our school, food factory, and sanitarium, will be under the direct control of the German Union Committee, lessening the population in the West German field by about one million. That the West German Conference may have no loss through the sudden operation of this resolution, the German Union assures it as large a surplus at the end of 1905 as was in the West German treasury at the close of 1903. The West German Conference pays a second tithe to the German Union, as heretofore. During the year the laborers in this conference baptized 171, took in fifteen by vote, and raised its membership from 1,111 to 1,167. The tithe was $11,881, while for 1903 it was $10,646; donations, $2,087, or $359 more than the previous year. The following-named persons were elected as members of the conference committee: J. Pieper (president), J. Lippertz, Fr. Goetting, H. Freyboth, D. Isaac. On Sabbath eight brethren and two sisters were baptized. This was especially a good day. Brother H. Behr was ordained to the ministry, making four ordained ministers in this field. To each of these men has been assigned a certain district where he is to have sort of local charge, and in a certain sense will be held accountable for the progress of the work in his territory. This will give the president more liberty to hold lectures in the larger cities, and develop the younger laborers with whom he is surrounded. Five received licenses to preach, and fifteen go out as Bible workers, while over fifty were granted permission to canvass. The union workers were able to render much appreciated help by their presence, Bible studies, and counsels. The meeting closed with a good spirit, and there was present among the delegates and workers a determination to go forward with renewed vigor to work for the nineteen million in the West German Conference the coming year.