Meetings of the Scandinavian Union by Ludwig Richard Conradi

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 11, 1913

Meetings of the Scandinavian Union

By Ludwig Richard Conradi

From June 18 until July 20 the five Scandinavian conferences held their annual meetings. The Denmark Conference and the Union District had their meeting at Aalborg, the Finland Conference at Tavastehus, the Swedish Conference and the Swedish Mission fields at Gotenborg, the West Norway Conference in Stavanger, and the East Norway Conference at Christiania. Besides Elder J. C. Raft, who attended all the meetings, Elder J. T. Boettcher assisted at Aalborg and Tavastehus. The writer helped at Aalborg, Gotenborg, and Stavanger; Elder L. Muderspach in the Christiania meeting; also Brother Erik Arnesen assisted in most of these meetings. The former officers were reelected throughout, with the exception of those of the Swedish Conference. Though Elder S. F. Svensson had served the conference for a number of years, yet in view of the fact that Mrs. Svensson preferred to remain in the States, a change was made, releasing Elder Svensson; and Elder O. Nelson was selected in his place.

The meetings were well attended by our people, and in most of the places there was also an excellent outside attendance. A splendid interest was shown in our missionary work. The ten-cent-a-week plan received considerable attention, and all promised to do their best to reach this standard the present year.

There was quite a harvest of souls in all these conferences. In Finland, 46 were baptized, in Denmark 23, in West Norway 12, in Sweden 4. During the first quarter of 1913 there were 47 additions in the union, during the second quarter 166, or 213 in the first six months of 1913. Their net gain was 113. There seems to be a steady emigration of our people to the States, five members having moved to America during this period.

The tithe during the two quarters amounted to $15,700, quite an increase over last year. The offerings amounted to $2,950.

This was my first visit since the Christiania house had been enlarged. I was much pleased indeed to find that the treatment-rooms, which now occupy a good part of the old publishing house, have proved so successful. The publishing work is also constantly developing with the increased success of the canvassing work in Denmark and Norway. The property returns not only a good rent, but with the prosperity of the publishing house and the treatment-rooms, they are able constantly to lessen their debts and increase their present worth.

We spent some time also at Skodsborg, and were pleased to find such excellent patronage; at times as many as seventy first-class patients have to wait for weeks to obtain a room in the sanitarium. As the treatment-rooms are rather primitive, and more room is needed for patients, it was decided that a new building should be put up, uniting the present school building with the sanitarium, and giving not only better treatment-rooms, but also more rooms for patients. It was well understood that, though we had to incur some debt in providing this increased facility, no further enlargement should be made until this new building was entirely paid for. The food business in Copenhagen has developed so well that they had almost sufficient money to put up the much-needed building.

On my way from Stavanger I also called at the Frydenstrand Sanatorium, which formerly was used as our college, and later was run as a sanitarium, but has been taken over recently by Brother P. A. Hansen and been considerably improved. There was a good patronage there at the time, and we hope that much good may also be done by this institution.

We were pleased to learn of the prosperity of the school work at Skodsborg. Brother Arnesen was reelected director, and there seems to be a far better outlook for securing young people for workers in this field—the greatest lack indeed of all.

We were also glad to learn that the work is advancing so well in the Icelandic field; there we have only two workers. Brother Olaf Olsen was able to baptize ten persons the first quarter, bringing up their membership to forty-two. The total membership in the Scandinavian Union now is 3,496. Their total active working force is sixty-five. We hope that in two years more Scandinavia will not only become a sturdy factor in building up the finances of our union, but also prove an excellent recruiting-ground for workers both at home and abroad. L. R. CONRADI.