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The East Prussian Conference

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 15, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 7.

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The East Prussian Conference

By GUY DAIL

ONE year ago Western Prussia was separated from the Prussian Conference, and Eastern Prussia alone was made to constitute the territory of the East Prussian Conference. The first annual session of the East Prussian Conference since the division was held in Konigsberg, Dec. 19-24, 1911, and was attended by two hundred fifty of the nine hundred forty-one members that are seeking to hold up the banner in this province.
Aside from the conference workers, Elders J. T. Boettcher, president of the Russian Union Conference, H. F. Schuberth, president of the East German Union Conference, O. Luepke, principal of the Friedensau Industrial School, L. Trautmann, secretary of the East German Union, and the general canvassing agent of the Hamburg publishing house, Brother H. Boex, assisted us in the conference, giving much appreciated and valuable instruction. God's Spirit was with us from the beginning to the close of the meeting, and was manifested in the business transactions as well as in the public lectures and Bible instruction and seasons of prayer that were held each day. Sabbath was a day of special blessing. The entire congregation heartily rededicated themselves to God. The regular conference sessions were held in our new chapel in Konigsberg; the evening lectures were given in a fine hall located in the central part of the city. About three hundred persons attended the evening meetings.
The report of Elder O. Schwenecke, the president, showed that there had been an average of ten workers in the employ of the conference for the year 1911, and that the Lord had so richly blessed their efforts that there had been 185 additions by baptism and vote, with a net gain of 163. Four new companies were received into the conference at this time. The strong missionary interest of the delegates was shown by their gift of 2,643 marks for missions, 2,316 marks of which was cash. This brings the weekly average of gifts for missions up to ten cents a member for 1911.
We are happy to see an increase of about a mark a day in the average earnings of the canvassers of East Prussia for the year compared with 1910. There were on the average fourteen colporteurs employed in the conference, and their sales amounted to 21,104 marks.
The prospect is also good for securing a number of earnest young workers in this province, as nearly a dozen were recommended for the Friedensau school, who have been doing earnest missionary work in the young people's societies.
The outlook of the work in this field is promising. There is need for an increase in the tithe, which has fallen off on an average of two marks a member, as compared with 1910; but we have every reason to hope for an increase during 1912. May God give success, and hear the prayers of his people for the continued advance of the cause in East Prussia. GUY DAIL.