The German Union Conference
By L. R. Conradi
The empire of Austria-Hungary contains about forty-seven millions of people. The field is polyglotte, and quite strongly Catholic. It is but a short time since we entered upon work here. We have divided Austria-Hungary into two mission fields; most of the work has been done in the Hungarian portion, which contains nearly twenty-one million inhabitants, of whom about four millions are Protestants. There are now one hundred and forty-two members in this field, among whom are represented the Hungarian, the German, the Servian, and the Rumanian nationalities. Their addition last year was thirty-three. We now have one ordained minister in the country, and will have six Bible workers, but some of these have just come from the school in Friedensau, and are rather inexperienced. Last year's income was six hundred and ten dollars in tithe, and the German Union must assist the field financially. Here are twenty-six millions of people. Thus far we have but one company. It is located in the Bohemian city of Prague, and contains twenty members. Last year Vienna was entered, and one Sabbath-keeper has been brought in there. Another interest is springing up near the German border, and several have been baptized. This year we have placed four Bible workers in the field, besides the ordained minister who is in charge. Last year's tithe was only one hundred and thirty-six dollars, so that the union has to carry this large field entirely. This field contains the countries of Rumania, Bulgaria, Servia, and Montenegro, the so-called political storm-center of Europe. Thus far we have attempted no work in Servia and Montenegro. Our chief effort has been put forth in Rumania. Last year a church was established in the capital, Bucharest. We also have churches among the German colonists on the Black Sea. The total population of this field is twelve million five hundred thousand. Our membership is eighty-five. Last year's growth was seven, and the tithe was one hundred and twenty-seven dollars. This sum is inadequate to carry the workers there (two ordained ministers and two other workers), so that the German Union helps liberally with mission funds. In point of membership, this is the smallest field in the German Union Conference. Included in this field is the country of Holland, with about five and one-quarter millions of people, and the northern or Flemish part of Belgium; with three and one-half millions, so that in the entire field there are nearly nine million souls. Thus far our work has been confined to Holland. Before the falling off in Holland, which took place in the spring of 1902, there were two hundred and forty members here, but one year ago there were only thirty-seven left. The field is now recovering, and its membership is fifty-nine; last quarter fifteen were added, and the tithe was eighty dollars. We now sustain one ordained minister and four other laborers here, and as the income is so small, of course the union must liberally assist with funds. Elder Klingbeil, who has fully united with us again, will open up the work in Flemish Belgium. On my way from Switzerland to the North England Conference, I passed through Brussels and Antwerp, for the purpose of becoming better acquainted with the situation there. Brussels has a population of three hundred and seventy-four thousand, and is quite a fine city. The common people here use the Flemish, while the more highly educated speak French. Antwerp, from which I took passage to England, is one of the chief continental ports; it has nearly three hundred thousand inhabitants. Flemish is the language spoken here. Belgium is almost entirely Catholic, but there are quite a number of Socialists and infidels. The German Union Conference has these large mission fields to financier and man; thus it is carrying the work in by far the larger part of Europe, and more than half of Asia. In addition to this we have lately decided to enter a new field. This country is nearly twice as large as Germany itself, and has a population of six and one-half millions; about thirteen hundred of these are Europeans. The Lord has been opening up the way for us here in a wonderful manner. I had a personal interview with the governor last fall, and we now have his hearty personal invitation to come there; we have the written permission of the government to enter the field, purchase land for a mission, and enjoy the same rights and privileges that are accorded to all missionary societies. Of the nine societies now operating in the field, the Catholics seem to have quite a strong hold, and it is certainly high time that we step into this providential opening. The brethren in the German field have already donated two thousand dollars toward the opening of this mission, and in addition to this, the First-day offerings are to be kept sacred for this mission. During the first quarter, these offerings increased from one hundred dollars to about two hundred and fifty dollars. We expect that several workers will sail for East Africa this autumn. We certainly hope to have the co-operation of all our brethren in the States, but we look especially to our German-American friends for help. Nothing will prompt to greater liberality or bring more blessing to the people of God, than to live for others—to extend the gospel to those who are sitting in darkness. The actual situation at present is this: The four German conferences and the German-Swiss Conference, which contain only about three thousand Sabbath-keepers, are carrying on the work in their own fields for about sixty million people, and raised last year seven thousand dollars besides, for advancing the message among about two hundred millions more, who are found in the various mission fields of the German Union territory. The only assistance we receive is between two and three thousand dollars per annum, appropriated by the Mission Board. Nor should it be forgotten that the ship mission operating in the Hamburg harbor is also supported by the union. God blesses us. Last quarter's report shows that there was an addition of four hundred and sixty-three in membership. This brings the total membership of the field up to 4,750. It should be remembered that not alone is the German Union benefited by this increase, for the American churches also reap some of the fruits of the labor here, as many of our brethren and sisters emigrate thither every year. Thus the German-American field can well afford to assist us with means, and now and then send us a good laborer, as they are actually increasing their membership through immigration. The German Union tithe for 1902 was $27,000, and our offerings were about $4,000. For the first half of 1903, the tithe was $15,000. God blesses the cheerful giver. We have also seen God's blessing in our institutions. The publishing house in Hamburg has had quite a prosperous year. We printed 3,540,000 pages of books and tracts last year, and three quarters of a million of our periodicals. The book sales in the field amounted to $39,149,—the highest they ever were. And yet it is only God's Spirit that is holding the winds. We have lately seen on what a slender thread our liberty to circulate these publications hangs. One complaint by a certain city council has been sufficient to cause the circulation of a list of twenty-two of our leading publications to be forbidden to our canvassers for the coming year. We now need God's blessing, and wisdom from on high, in our attempts to have this decree revoked. It is to go into effect Jan. 1, 1904. The International Tract Society, as such, has a capital of about twenty-five thousand dollars. With this, it publishes works in fourteen different languages. This capital has been gained through the self-sacrifice of our laborers, and by a careful management of our income and expenses. Including the property, the publishing house now has a value of about fifty thousand dollars.15 Our Friedensau institutions have also been blessed of God. We have over forty patients in the sanitarium; the business of the food factory is constantly growing; the school is becoming a mighty factor in educating much-needed workers. Of the one hundred ministers and Bible workers we now have, fully ninety per cent have been educated in this field; this holds true of the three hundred canvassers, nurses, and employees in our institutions. The value of such a school can scarcely be estimated, and yet all we have thus far is the dormitory, which cost, including the furnishing, about thirteen thousand dollars. The future dining room in the dormitory now serves as our schoolroom, accommodating about seventy students of various tongues and nationalities, and on the Sabbath this same room serves as a chapel for the students, the patients, and the employees of Friedensau. The room is not large enough to accommodate all. We have helped ourselves all we could, as we did not want to build any faster than the money was provided. The Friedensau property now represents a capital of about eighty-five thousand dollars; over forty thousand has been paid, and the rest of the money (save one mortgage of two thousand dollars held by the original owner) is covered by deposits of our own people. We have sold nearly six thousand copies of “Christ's Object Lessons,” and the material fund for the second edition—an edition of eleven thousand—was collected before the books came from the publishers. As soon as we can sell these, we hope to build the much-needed chapel, which will accommodate about three hundred and fifty, with four schoolrooms below. It has taken the grace of God to enable our people throughout the field not only to sustain the work in their home conferences, but also to assist the work in other lands through their gifts and offerings, and to assist in the upbuilding of these institutions. Our late camp-meeting in Friedensau revealed the spirit that actuates the people. They are becoming thoroughly united, and are determined to go forward notwithstanding great difficulties, through the grace of God pressing the battle unto victory, and carrying the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. Knowing the cramped financial condition of the Mission Board, we have told our brethren that we would not ask them this year for the five thousand dollars which they voted for East Africa, with the understanding, however, that whatever comes in specially to this mission will be applied on this appropriation; and we feel sure that there are those who will esteem it a privilege to help in the work in German East Africa, and the Mission Board will be glad to forward their gifts for this purpose. Let us all have a free and liberal spirit, and be of good courage. We are nearing the glad day of triumph.