The Biennial Council in Friedensau, Germany by William Ambrose Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Aug 17, 1911

The Biennial Council in Friedensau, Germany

By William Ambrose Spicer

Fourth Report

These reports can give but brief notice to other than the regular council meetings. Once each day the East German Union Conference is in session—Elder H. F. Schuberth, president—with many interesting reports and plans for strengthening the forces in this vigorously growing field, stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea; and each evening there is either a preaching service or a missionary talk, the latter now and then accompanied by stereopticon pictures.

The Levant

The Levant Union representatives have reported to the council, E. Frauchiger for the Turkish Mission, Z. G. Baharian for the newly organized Armenian Mission, R. S. Greaves for the Greek Mission, covering ancient Macedonia, W. C. Ising for Syria and Palestine and Geo. Keough and Awada Elshaheed for Egypt. Our publications have been sold in Tarsus, Smyrna, Ephesus, Colosse, Iconium, etc., in Turkey, and our evangelists are going over the roads that the apostles traveled long ago. Elder Buzugherian told how formerly it used to bring fear to his heart to pass a prison; but when put into prison for the truth’s sake, he had found a home and a place of blessing inside prison walls, the Saviour coming preciously near. Our Jerusalem health institute is giving sometimes three hundred treatments a month. In Egypt a Christian congress made a call for Sunday observance, and a Mohammedan congress replied that neither the Old nor the New Testament knew aught of a holy day, save the seventh day, calling the attention of all Egypt to the Sabbath issue. Dr. V. Pampaian gave interesting reports of experiences in medical missionary work among Moslems and others in the Caucasus and Turkey.

Elders R. C. Porter and Geo. Thomason have reported to the council for South Africa. God has blessed with spiritual revival, and souls are being won in the colonial cities. As for mission schools, we have three hundred fifty native African Sabbath-keepers as the result of the faithful school work. The Lord is blessing the union training-school and the sanitarium. Dr. Thomason related experiences of spiritual blessings, both in the institutional work and in the medical evangelistic work in the mission fields. Elder J. C. Rogers reported for Nyasaland, bringing its scenes before our eyes by the stereopticon.

Elder A. C. Enns, on furlough from German East Africa, and Elder D. C. Babcock, of West Africa, have set before the council and the large congregation the situation in those fields. We have now about two hundred Sabbath-keepers on the West Coast. Eagerly these brethren urged the need of their fields. Recommendations were made on African matters as follows:—

That R. Stein and his intended wife, of Germany, be invited to go this autumn to the Victoria Nyanza Mission, German East Africa.

That a committee be appointed to find an English bookman for the West Coast Mission, and to keep in mind the need of a French bookman for the French territory in West Africa, these workers not to be put under appointment until the Mission Board treasury authorizes the same.

That the question of a permanent station in the Gold Coast be left to the autumn council, when appropriations are to be made; and that, if it is then possible financially, we encourage Elder T. M. French in his desire to establish a Gold Coast station.

That effort be made to select two nurses in Great Britain, a man and his wife, for treatment-room work in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

That the Publishing Department be

asked to find a Spanish-speaking canvasser as soon as possible to begin work in the Canary Islands (the nearest healthful furlough base for our workers on the West African Coast), and further,—

That as soon as the funds in the Mission treasury will warrant, a home be provided for our West African workers in one of these islands, at a cost of from ten hundred dollars to twelve hundred dollars, to which workers may go periodically for a few months’ furlough, in order to preserve life and health for service.

That E. R. Palmer, secretary of the Publishing Department, be asked to spend three months in South Africa in the interests of the book work, at as early a date as consistent.

That, on account of shortage of funds, we find it impossible to grant the South African Union’s suggestion that they be permitted to buy the property of the Maranatha (Kafir) Mission, now occupied and operated on lease.

That Elder J. C. Rogers and his wife be granted a furlough from Nyasaland (recommendation also being made to the South African Union as to possible arrangement for supplying the places of these workers).

South America

A communication came to the council from Elder J. W. Westphal, of the South American Union Conference, sent from La Paz, Bolivia, just after a visit to the Indian believers by Lake Titicaca, Peru, where the Lord is so powerfully working.

The Mission Board had been forced to cut the appropriations to South America by several thousands, but the brethren in that field are shaping their plans accordingly, and they expect to see their work move forward into greater strength. It was voted,—

That in response to the call from South America, we ask the Manitoba Conference to release Elder F. L. Perry, and that we invite him to return to South America with a view to taking the superintendency of the work in Uruguay.

On matters relating to the publishing work for Spanish South America and other fields, it was recommended,—

1. That the South American publishing-house at Buenos Aires be recognized as the publishing and wholesale distributing center of the South American Union Conference, and that all publishing business with the conferences and mission fields of that union be transacted through the publishing-house.

2. That the percentage allowed on all publications to pay the expenses of distribution be divided on the usual basis between the publishing-house and the tract societies of the South American Union.

3. That we encourage the Spanish-speaking fields, especially Spain, South America, and Mexico, to hasten as rapidly as possible the development of their local publishing work, and that we request the Pacific Press and Hamburg publishing-houses to continue to assist these Spanish fields, from a missionary standpoint, in the printing of the large books, until such time as the Spanish fields are able to take over that work as originally arranged.

4. In view of the fact that the arrangement made by the General Conference with the Pacific Press Publishing Association and the Hamburg Publishing House for the publication of Spanish books was only temporary, and as the way is now opening for the publication of Spanish literature in Spain and South America, we advise the Pacific Press to move cautiously in publishing new books in the Spanish language and in making investments in the same, so that the financial burden may be kept as light as possible for both parties when the transfer is made.

To All the World

The South American brethren asked urgently that some one of the General Conference officers be with them in the two biennial union conference sessions to be held in 1912, as well as in general meetings in local mission fields. Elder I. H. Evans, of the Asiatic Division, asked that the president of the General Conference visit the Orient in 1912, to join in councils of the Asiatic Division in these days when the foundation of the work there is being laid. The council recognized the fact that the General Conference means the whole world in these days.

Elder G. A. Irwin, vice-president of the North American Division, stated to the council that inasmuch as his call to duties in the Pacific Union Conference made it impossible to give the attention to the general work in the division that he felt it should have, he believed that the time had come to make some other provision for the North American Division. He therefore formally tendered his resignation of the vice-presidency, and asked that the brethren be perfectly free to accept it; not office, but only the place of duty in the service of this message being his one desire. After discussion, and in recognition of the fact that Elder Irwin, in the work to which he has been called on the Pacific Coast, has all that one man can do, it was voted,—

That Elder G. A. Irwin’s resignation of the vice-presidency of the North American Division, for the reasons stated, be accepted.

A committee was appointed to nominate some one to fill the vacancy, and its report was accepted later, as follows:—

That Elder W. T. Knox be appointed vice-president of the North American Division.

That an experienced man be secured for the General Conference Treasury Department, to act as assistant treasurer.

Other Actions

It was recommended,—

That the calls from South America and the Orient for an officer of the General Conference to visit these fields be referred to the officers of the General Conference, and that the matter be decided and notice given the fields as soon as possible.

That Paul Hennig, of Germany, be invited to go to the United States, to engage in teaching in the Clinton German Seminary.

That the Latin Union be asked to release Elder J. Vuilleumier, of Switzerland, and that he be invited to devote his service to the French work in Canada.

Further proceedings must be deferred to the next and last report. The weather has been perfect from the opening of the meeting. The hearty receptive spirit of the great congregation, has been an inspiration and blessing to all. These believers love the third angel’s message, they believe it with all their hearts, and are giving their lives and their means in devotion to it. It is a privilege to hear the volume of praise to God ascending as the good old hymns are sung by the congregation. The song services now and then given by the choir, have been appreciated. The days are crowded with services, including youth’s and children’s meetings; but all things move forward in good order, and with a spirit of warm Christian fellowship throughout the busy camp.

W. A. SPICER, Secretary.

Friedensau.