p. 9 | Actions of the European Division of the General Conference Committee

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 28, 1911

Actions of the European Division of the General Conference Committee

By William Ambrose Spicer

Following the biennial council in Europe, which brought together all the members of the General Conference Committee resident in that field, actions were taken relating specifically to the work of the division, which will equally interest our people along with the actions of the biennial council. In fact, the proceedings of the European Division Committee give a realistic picture of the activity of our people in Europe, pushing out into Asia and Africa.

Levant Union

Concerning plans for the Levant Union, which includes the region of the eastern Mediterranean, from Egypt, in the south, to Greece and Turkey, in the north, the following recommendations were made:—

That the work in the Levant be arranged with the view to its development into a more compact union mission field.

The appropriations to the Levant for 1912 to be as follows: Armenian Mission, $1,000; Grecian Mission, $1,250; Turkish Mission, $2,600; Syrian Mission, $2,900; Egyptian Mission, $2,100; total, $9,850.

This is really a very small sum to keep going all the activities that the brethren plan for in these regions where the apostolic missionaries labored. Such figures should stimulate the gifts for missions.

The Syro-Egyptian Mission to be divided, Egypt and Syria each to constitute a separate mission field under the union.

Turkey

Miss Beatrice Baharian, nurse, from the Washington Sanitarium, to proceed to Gland, Switzerland, to secure training in the French language and in other special work in order to engage in the work in Turkey.

Elder A. M. Buzugherian to labor in Tarsus for a time, assisting a local worker, and then to locate in Smyrna.

Dr. V. Pampaian to spend some time in Switzerland, studying the French language, preparatory to his taking the medical examination in Constantinople.

A. Girou, of Belgium, to make Constantinople his field of labor.

A school for workers to be held in Constantinople from Nov. 1 to May 1, 1912; the instruction in the school to be in Turkish, Armenian, and Greek; Brethren C. Voigt and Pampaian and Miss Eunice Kalfa (teachers) and Elder E. E. Frauchiger (superintendent of the Turkish Mission) assisting as other duties may allow.

Elder Z. G. Baharian, superintendent of the new Armenian Mission, to settle at Tokat, and Brother Bedros Touzian, of Albistan, to unite with him in the work; further that an effort be made to supply Brother Baharian with a canvasser for the Armenian field.

Syria

A four weeks’ institute for laborers to be held at Haifa, Syria, conducted by Elders Frauchiger and W. C. Ising.

Miss Adelaide Khourie, nurse, invited to respond to a call for a nurse in Jerusalem.

Egypt

Hermann Pietrowsky and wife, formerly of the Foreign Mission Seminary, to go to Egypt to work for a time in Alexandria, and then to make Asyut, on the Nile, their field of labor.

A. Kafil, of Syria, to go to Egypt.

An Arabic typewriter to be secured for use in the preparation of Arabic manuscripts in Egypt.

Greek Mission

Elder R. S. Greaves, of the Greek Mission, to secure a place for a series of lectures in Janina, Albania.

Miss Loxandra, Greek nurse of the Caterham (England) Sanitarium, to join Elder and Mrs. Greaves in the work at Janina.

Siberian Union Mission

The actions regarding the new Siberian Mission, to be fully appreciated, should be read with the map of Siberia before the eye. It is a most cheering development, this spread of our work through the heretofore almost unknown regions of northern and central Asia. The Siberian Mission includes a strip of European Russia between the river Volga and the Ural Mountains. Actions were taken as follows:—

Elder E. Gnaedjin, superintendent of the East Siberian Mission, to make his headquarters at Irkutsk.

J. J. Gaidischiar, student of Friedensau, appointed to the Volga Mission.

Brethren Krause and Koehn, of Germany, to labor in the Siberian Mission, the former in West Siberia, the latter in the Ural field.

Brother A. Sidnikow to join Elder Gnaedjin in the work in Irkutsk.

The appropriations to the Siberian Mission for 1912 to be as follows (a ruble being about 50 cents): Turkestan, 1,830 rubles; Ural, 4,298 rubles; West Siberia, 4,220 rubles; Volga, 4,700 rubles; East Siberia, 2,200 rubles. This, less 4,600 rubles tithe expected income, leaves 12,600 rubles to be made up from mission funds, or $6,500, for the largest union mission field in the world, so far as area is concerned.

That F. Ginter work in Samara and among the churches, making an effort to enter Ufa, in the Volga Mission.

That H. K. Loebsack, superintendent of the West Siberian Mission, establish his headquarters in Omsk, and that he make a trip into the region of Semipalatinsk.

That K. K. Dueck labor about Powlodar, and J. Jurikson in the region of Tomsk, both in the West Siberian Mission.

For special city effort in Siberia it was agreed that Elder Loebsack should endeavor to secure a hall for meetings in Omsk, at a cost not to exceed 200 rubles ($100) a year; and that Elder J. Ebel should endeavor to secure a hall for public meetings in Tashkent, Turkestan, Central Asia, at a cost not to exceed 200 rubles a year. Thus our brethren in Siberia are endeavoring to spread out their slender forces and to occupy the vast field.

One action taken by the committee will especially appeal to our brethren and sisters. It was a vote of seven rubles a week to Brother J. Pilkewitsch, from the Sustentation Fund, to aid in providing some personal needs to this brother in prison, and to help his wife and children.

East Africa

The East African field being under the oversight of the European Division, actions were taken as follows:—

A. C. Enns, on returning from his furlough in Europe, to unite with the Pare Mission, German East Africa.

E. Lorenz, of the Friedensau school, to visit his home in Norway, and then to proceed to the Abyssinian Mission.

The appointment of P. Stein and wife to the Victoria Nyanza field was acted upon by the full council, and has been reported.

A number of candidates appeared before the European Committee and are under special consideration for the East African field. Some of these young men had interesting stories to tell of their experience in passing through the military. Our young people in the lands of compulsory military service have many trials to bear for the Sabbath truth, and many can testify of the grace of Christ that has helped them endure, and others of the delivering power of God.

This report of items coming before the European Division of the General Conference Committee within a few days’ session bears witness to the stirring activities centering in Europe, by which over one thousand new believers are taken into the church each quarter. It is the power of God, and that only, that can accomplish such a work by the consecration and devotion of those who believe in the message of Christ’s soon coming.

W. A. SPICER, Secretary.