Our European Division Meetings-No. 6 by A. G. Daniells

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 27, 1913

Our European Division Meetings — No. 6

By A. G. Daniells

The annual meeting of our Austrian Mission field was held in Vienna, the capital of the Austrian Empire. While this empire embraces countries like Hungary, Bohemia, and Moravia, our Austrian Mission field is limited to Austria proper. Hungary is the largest and most important division of the Danube Union Conference. Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia were at first a part of our Austrian Mission, but Bohemia is now a separate mission, and Moravia and Silesia have been organized into a conference.

This arrangement leaves Austria proper, with its nine provinces, a separate mission field. This part of Austria is said to be the most intensely Catholic country in all Europe, and possibly in all the world. Of its population of some nine millions, about eight millions are Catholics.

The laws of the national government, and also of the city governments, are all favorable to the Catholic Church and against other denominations. These laws forbid the holding of public religious meetings. No public meeting of any kind can be held without obtaining permission. Then the police must be notified of the time and place of the meeting to be held, and it is required that a policeman or some other officer of the government shall be present to hear all, and make a record of anything he desires to use. In a public meeting no hymn can be sung, no prayer offered, and no benediction pronounced. It must not have the semblance of a religious service, for only the Catholics are permitted to conduct religious services. I believe certain favors are granted to Protestant “sects,” as they are called when they have grown to certain proportions. But the restrictions and prohibitions are so heavy that it is well-nigh impossible for any body of Protestant believers to secure very much freedom.

We have now been working in Austria ten years, and during that time we have not been permitted to take a religious name, or to hold a regular public religious service.

The law forbids religious teaching, baptizing, and the forming of churches. It forbids the distribution of religious literature by selling, lending, and giving.

In fact, it aims to make it impossible for any religious body, save the Catholic Church, to exist in Austria.

But with all this against us, our cause is making most encouraging headway in that country. When I visited Austria in 1902, eleven years ago, we were just beginning our work in that empire. There were ten or twelve believers in Prague, Bohemia. I learned of no others. There was not a Seventh-day Adventist in the great city of Vienna.

During these eleven years we have had only a few laborers in Austria, and these have worked under the greatest difficulties. But God has given them most encouraging success. There are now nearly one thousand believers in Austria, including Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. The reports for the quarter ended July 31 of this year shows that there are 180 baptized believers in Bohemia, 334 in Moravia and Silesia, and 242 in the Austrian Mission field. Nearly all of these have come from the Catholic Church, and have been won by the most careful and prayerful efforts. We have baptized believers in every province of Austria, and there were delegates at our last annual meeting from all these provinces, save one — Dalmatia — which lies in the extreme southern part of Austria, along the eastern shore of the Adriatic.

I am sure it will be both interesting and helpful to our people outside of Austria to hear how we were able to hold our annual meeting, bound about as we were by such restrictions. Our evening meetings were mostly public, but not professedly religious. The meeting was opened — without singing or prayer — by the simple announcement of the name of the speaker of the evening, who proceeded to give a lecture on some beneficial subject. In his lecture the speaker could discuss problems of all sorts relating to the betterment of the people. Even the Bible and its teachings could be discussed in the presence of the police and some other government officials.

But the government permits another kind of meeting to be held, a private meeting to which no one may come except those who are invited. The invitation must be given by card. This card must contain the name of the person invited, the full address of the place of meeting, and the name of the one extending the invitation. This meeting, being private, may be religious in character, but it is, of course, subject to police inspection. Should the police find a person present who has no invitation card, that person would be removed from the meeting by the officer.

The purpose of all these restrictions is to make it as difficult as possible for any one, save those representing the Catholic Church, to conduct religious meetings. And it must be confessed that when all the prohibitions and obstacles are understood, it seems almost impossible to get a foothold and make headway. Yet God has given our workers in Austria marvelous success. They have had many remarkable experiences. Many times the Lord has delivered them from serious situations. This has given them confidence and courage.

The workers and brethren and sisters who attended our meeting in Vienna were full of gratitude and joy for the light and blessings of the third angel’s message. It was truly inspiring to associate with these dear people, and to witness their zeal and courage. Whenever a hymn was to be sung in our private meetings, a number of the brethren would immediately close all the windows of the hall so that our meeting should not attract the attention of passers-by, and so possibly create a riot. After the first hymn the windows would be opened until the closing hymn.

The reports of the ministers, Bible workers, and canvassers were full of interest. The following, taken from the report of one of the laborers, tells the story of the steady progress the cause is making:—

“The Lord gave us for these two cities ten souls, of which eight fall to Bozen and two to Merava. Not without difficulties we labored, and the Lord helped us wonderfully.

“One dear woman in Bozen, a good Catholic woman but now a sister of ours, heard of the meetings. She daily attended mass, and was a regular visitor of three praying circles. Her son, who used to accompany her to my lectures, was a student of the Franciscan high school, preparing to become a Franciscan friar. Both being deeply impressed by this truth, the mother left her praying circles and the mass, and the son his Franciscan study, to become a hopeful member and student of our missionary school at Friedensau. The Lord be praised.

“A precious experience another dear brother had in Meran. He is the father of four children, and held a position in the city railway service. At first he was given the Sabbath off, but as he asked to have it off regularly, notice was sent to him that he must give up his position. The day before leaving his work as a street-car conductor, while conversing with a gentleman in the car he mentioned his having to give up his position. Being asked the reason, he answered, ‘For conscience’ sake.’ The gentleman was surprised, and gave him a position, with the Sabbath free.”

In one of the meetings we requested all who had come from the Catholic Church into our ranks, to stand. Nearly every one of the one hundred and fifty who were present arose.

The statistical report showed that during the year ended June 30, ninety-seven were added to their numbers, seventy-six by baptism, and twenty-one by letters from other countries.

The average tithe per member was $22.42 and the offerings to missions $7.65 per member. This is a fine showing for the 242 brethren and sisters scattered over Catholic Austria.

During that same year our seven canvassers sold $4,200 worth of our publications, and this in the face of laws forbidding the circulation by loan, sale, or gift of religious literature. In carrying on their work these canvassers are constantly subject to arrest and fine or imprisonment. In his report one of the canvassers told of being arrested, of all his publications being taken to police headquarters and burned, and of a fine imposed on him. On refusal to pay the fine he was sent to prison for three days. As he had the privilege of choosing the days of the week he would go to prison, he selected Friday afternoon. When released the following Monday he resumed his canvassing. He was again sent to prison, and he again selected Friday as the day to enter. After several repetitions of this, the jailer asked him how it happened that he always came on Friday. He replied that he did no work on Saturday, the Sabbath, and that he could not canvass on Sunday, so he chose these days for his imprisonment in order to have more time during the week for canvassing.

It was truly uplifting and encouraging to hear the reports of these workers, and witness their devotion and courage. They believe in this cause with all their hearts, and are doing all they know how to help to finish quickly the work God has given us to do.

Elder J. Wolfgarten, who has had charge of the work in Austria for several years, was chosen leader for another term. Brother and Sister Wolfgarten have had many evidences of the special care and deliverance of the Lord during these years.

Elder G. W. Schubert, who has recently been elected president of the Central European Union, in which Austria is located, attended this meeting, and at its close, in company with Elder L. R. Conradi, attended general meetings in Bohemia and Moravia. In the latter country they organized a new conference. It is expected that a Bohemian conference will be formed in another year. Thus the work progresses, and for it all we praise and magnify the name of the Lord.

A. G. DANIELLS.