p. 12 | Danube Union by J. F. HUENERGARDT

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Apr 10, 1913

Danube Union

By J. F. HUENERGARDT

J. F. HUENERGARDT

The Danube Union Conference has not yet completed the first quarter of its history. Although the field was organized in July, 1912, up to December 31 it composed a part of the East German Union.

The Danube Union embraces the Transylvania and Middle Hungarian Conferences, and the West Hungarian, North Hungarian, Theiss-Save, Adriatic, Roumanian, and Bulgarian Missions. In all these fields we have a fair beginning. Our force of workers is almost sixty.

The canvassing work has also developed well, especially in the Middle and North Hungarian fields. A beginning has also been made in Roumania. Our Budapest branch house of the International Tract Society of Hamburg has closed its first year with a net gain of several hundred crowns. We are very thankful for this. In 1911 our colporteurs sold about 7,000 crowns' worth of tracts and books. In 1912 we reached almost 30,000 crowns.

It was my privilege to visit Roumania the beginning of this year. I first visited our company of believers in the city of Ploeshti, where we were disturbed by the priests last November while holding our yearly conference. Since then we have secured a new and very convenient hall, and are happy to say that our enemies have quieted down. On one occasion, several weeks ago, a priest came to one of our public meetings and denounced the Word of God, but his own people led him out, with an apology, asking us not to be angry, as the priest had probably been drinking a little too much and in consequence did not know exactly what he was about.

The experience we had here last fall resulted in benefiting the work of God. After the priests had routed our meetings, a number of the leading journals took our side and defended us. This brought the truth before the people, and many became acquainted with our work. In the city of Bukharest we now have two churches and a company, almost 200 members in all.

In a village near the city of Braila, a young man accepted the truth. The priest of the place, on hearing of it, caused the brother to be led out into the street in the middle of the village, where, before a great crowd of people, he strongly accused him. Finally the brother was commanded never to read the Bible again, but instead to come to the priest's house, where he would receive better and more useful books from the priest's private library. The young man, however, defended his position bravely, and declared that he would read no other book than the Bible, as that alone had brought peace to his soul. He was finally released, and went his way rejoicing. Our brethren in this country, although a great many times pressed by the enemy, are steadfast in the truth and meet their conflicts bravely.

I am sorry that the new outbreak of hostilities between Turkey and the Balkan States has made it impossible, at least for the present, for me to visit Bulgaria and Servia. However, Brother C. Motzer, the superintendent of the Bulgarian Mission, writes that they are slowly but surely gaining a foothold in different important parts of that field. All our workers have received permission from the government to canvass, even those who are not natives of Bulgaria.

In general, our work is making progress in our great field. The workers are all of good courage, and are pressing forward. Next quarter we hope to be able to give some figures showing our progress. We ask the people of God to remember us before the throne of grace.

Budapest, Hungary.