In the Levant Union Mission by Guy Dail

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 4, 1913

In the Levant Union Mission

By Guy Dail

GUY DAIL

This year our Levant meeting was held at Ovajuk, not far from Constantinople, September 16-21. About sixty of our people attended,—workers from the Armenian, the Cilician, and the Grecian fields, and laborers and lay members from the Central Turkish Mission,—while from one hundred and fifty to two hundred were at the public lectures. Unfortunately, Brother E. E. Frauchiger, the superintendent of the Levant, was detained at home in Constantinople by a severe attack of malaria.

Good preliminary work had been done by Brethren A. J. Girou and O. Pirenian, who had been laboring with the people for a week or so before the conference convened. Our own members were awakened, backsliders reclaimed, and sinners converted. Brother A. M. Buzugherian baptized seven on the Sunday morning of the conference. Most of them were young people, among whom there is still a great work to be done, not only here, but also in the surrounding Armenian villages. Brother R. S. Greaves and Dr. V. Pampaian remained to follow up the interest, and we wish them a further harvest.

Probably there is no part of the “regions beyond” much harder to work than is the territory of the Levant Union. First, there is the large Mohammedan population, whose Mussulmanic prejudices against Christianity have not been lessened by the political events and the attitude of the powers of Christian Europe during the past year. The followers of the prophet have been treated to an example of the manner in which so-called Christian nations unite to overthrow the crescent by means of the cross, declaring a sort of crusade, and then in the division of the spoils these same Christian peoples turn against one another, and the cross becomes divided against itself. They listened to the promise of the great powers in Europe affirming that the status quo in the Balkans must be maintained at all costs, and then felt these same civilized powers retreating from their promise as soon as the allied Balkan States had sufficiently advanced toward Constantinople!

Again, among the nominal Christian nationalities in Turkey itself there is little unity, but rather a bitter enmity. The Greeks and the Armenians are not good friends, although both claim to be Christian nations. And even in the schools of Christian learning, there are strong traces of modern unbelief, caused by an acceptance of the hypothesis of evolutionary science and by the theories of higher criticism.

Brother Baharian stated that there has been a great decay in belief among the Armenians, if one compares their condition now to that of twenty years ago. Then men and women believed in religion and in the Bible, but now a belief in the veracity of the Scriptures is the exception among the masses of the Christians in Turkey.

Another great difficulty is the compulsory military service; for, rather than serve the Turkish-Mohammedan government, thousands of young men, the cream of the nation, become voluntary exiles in lands where they have greater privileges and can secure better remuneration for their labors and talents. Bible society agents complain that they are not able to carry on their work in certain previously well-populated districts because the inhabitants have literally deserted their homes, leaving sections depopulated.

One of the burning questions at the conference was that of securing and training more workers. At present our Constantinople school is closed because of lack of promising young men of suitable preliminary training to make them hopeful candidates for the ministry.

The canvassing work has suffered materially among us on account of the war. There will be a falling off in our annual sales of about twenty per cent, I should judge, for the present year, as compared with 1912. In many parts of Turkey our workers state that the people actually do not have money for bread—and of course there is none for literature. Again, we must not forget that about four fifths of the people cannot even read. However, the desire for news of the latest battle fired up the determination of many a soul to learn to read the papers, and so the war will work an educational blessing in this particular to quite a number of Turkey’s people. Furthermore, the reorganization of the army, or at least its strengthening numerically, will compel some to receive a better education than they would have received had they remained in their native villages.

Our canvassers will therefore have a larger reading public in the future than they have had thus far, if present indications may be taken as a criterion. Many of the Greeks, especially, still have an insatiable desire for wisdom, even as in Paul’s day, and without doubt one of the best methods of scattering the message in Greece will be through the colporteur. Our literature in Greek, Turkish, and Armenian has been enriched

during the last year, so that our brethren in all parts of the world who desire to approach their neighbors using these languages should not forget that reading-matter is now procurable. Such books as “His Glorious Appearing,” and “Steps to Christ,” and many tracts can be obtained. Our Arabic literature is also increasing. Those who would be pleased to assist in this branch of the work can secure price-lists by writing to the Internationale Traktatgesellschaft, German Post, Box 109, Galata, Constantinople.

During the war, Sister Loxandra Keanides acted as head nurse for Princess Alice, of Greece, in the Italian hospital at Saloniki, where she had many opportunities to speak words of comfort to the wounded, sick, or dying soldiers; and that her efforts were appreciated by not a few is shown by the kind messages received from those who recovered under her care.

There was a good missionary spirit among the brethren at the meeting. The Sabbath-school gifts amounted to 230 piasters (a piaster is about four cents), while the cash and pledges to the missionary fund amounted to some 1,400 piasters.

Sabbath was the best day of the conference. The forenoon service was a real consecration meeting, there being a hearty response to the appeal for reconsecration to God.

After the conference the workers remained a few days for a special workers’ meeting, and the time was improved by study, counsel, and laying plans for the proclamation of the message. Although there are signs of progress in this field, and we have recently been informed of baptisms in various places, yet there remains a great deal to be done before we can believe that we have fulfilled our duty to the twenty million people in the Levant Union, which now includes Bulgaria also. The score of workers here are greatly desirous of being remembered at the throne of grace by God’s people all over the world.