The Biennial Council in Europe by William Ambrose Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 27, 1911

The Biennial Council in Europe

By William Ambrose Spicer

First Report

The second biennial council of the General Conference Committee is in session in Friedensau, the headquarters of our work in Germany, near the city of Magdeburg. Four years ago the first biennial council was held at Gland, Switzerland. The present council is being largely attended by the believers in Germany. The East German Conference is holding its session at the same time. A large tent, with an extension at the rear, seats two thousand persons; and when all who are present in these opening days gather, the tent is filled, with a few standing outside.

The council proper opened July 4. The believers were present, however, in such numbers that on the evening of July 3 the introductory meeting was held in the large tent, representatives from various lands taking part. The council necessarily brings together the majority of the General Conference Committee. Meeting with the committee, however, in counsel, are a number of missionaries and other representatives from the mission fields, together with a large number of conference presidents and representative laborers of Europe. The following is the list of representatives present, according to countries:—

From America: A. G. Daniells, G. A. Irwin, W. T. Knox, W. A. Spicer, O. A. Olsen, W. B. White, B. G. Wilkinson, Chas. Thompson, S. McVagh, Allen Moon, E. T. Russell, R. A. Underwood, G. F. Watson, E. R. Palmer, H. R. Salisbury, Dr. D. H. Kress, G. B. Thompson, M. E. Olsen. European Division: L. R. Conradi, G. Dail, A. Kuessner, L. Spicer. Asiatic Division: I. H. Evans, J. J. Westrup. South African Union: R. C. Porter, Dr. Geo. Thomason, J. C. Rogers, G. W. Shone. West Africa: D. C. Babcock. East Africa: A. C. Enns, R. Stein, E. Lorntz. South America: E. Forga. Brazil: F. Kluempel, A. Rockel. Australia: M. Lukens. East German Union: H. F. Schuberth, L. Mathe, J. Seefried, E. Bahr, G. W. Schuberth, F. Goettig, W. Prillwitz, F. Kessel, J. F. Huenergardt, O. Schwenecke, O. Luepke, Dr. E. Meyer, W. Krumm, M. H. Wentland, C. Dangschat, K. Amelung, E. Enseleit, H. Meyer, R. Schillinger, R. Cunitz, K. Dierking, C. Bruck, P. Drinkaus, G. W. Hockarth, H. Boex. West German Union: J. H. Schilling, J. G. Oblaender, H. Fenner, K. Sinz, D. F. Gaede, O. E. Reinke, F. Prieser, J. Wolfgarten, R. G. Klingbeil, J. Erzberger, A. O. Janert, F. Gugel, H. Steiner, A. Mueller, F. Gruber, H. Hartkop, F. Grieser, H. Behr, P. John, N. Schwenecke, L. Conradi. Scandinavian Union: J. C. Raft, N. C. Bergersen, C. B. Jensen, Jens Olsen, E. Lind, Ole Olsen, Fred Anderson, L. Muderspach, C. C. Jensen, Erik Arnesen, A. C. Christensen, S. F. Svensson, O. J. Olsen, E. Ahren, Dr. N. P. Nelson, Olaf Olsen. Russian Union: J. T. Boettcher, J. Sprohge, J. Schneider, S. S. Efimow, D. Isaak, K. Schamkow, B. Schmidt, K. Reifschneider, A. Osol, Fr. Koch, O. Wildgrube, H. J. Loebsack, H. Schmitz, K. Sutta, J. Perk, Paul Swiredow. British Union: W. C. Sisley, W. J. Fitzgerald, W. T. Bartlett, H. C. Lacey, W. H. Meredith, H. E. Armstrong, J. J. Gillat, S. G. Haughey, W. H. Wakeham, A. E. Bacon, A. B. Olsen, S. Joyce, J. Nethery. Latin Union: L. P. Tieche, H. H. Dexter, J. Vuilleumier, J. Robert, E. Borle, A. Guenin, P. Steiner, T. Nussbaum, U. Augsbourger, F. Bond, C. E. Rentfro, E. Zecchetto, S. Noulay. Levant Union Mission: E. Frauchiger, W. C. Ising, Z. G. Baharian, R. S. Greaves, G. Keough, A. A. Elshaheed, A. Buzugherian, Dr. V. Pampaian, H. Pietrowsky. Siberian Union Mission: G. Perk, F. Ginter, H. K. Loebsack, E. Gnaedjin, J. Ebel.

Many of these brethren have come in from isolated posts of duty where they have been winning souls to God and enduring varied experiences; and to such it is indeed a feast to be able to join their brethren in counsel and interchange of experience, and to engage together in the study of the Word of God and of plans and methods of work. The presence of the good Spirit of the Lord is very manifest in the meetings. The daily program will be of interest to many:—

Program

A. M. Rising ........................ 5:30 Devotional meeting ............ 6:00-6:45 Workers’ meeting .............. 6:00-6:45 Breakfast ..................... 7:00-7:45 Family worship ................ 8:00-8:45 Bible study ................... 9:00-10:00 Workers’ meeting .............. 9:00-10:00 East German Union Conf. ...... 10:30-12:00 P. M. Dinner ........................ 12:30 Council ....................... 2:00-4:00 Preaching service ............. 3:00-4:15 Open council .................. 4:30-6:00 Supper ........................ 6:00-6:30 Council ....................... 7:00-9:00 Public service ................ 8:00-9:15

Two sessions of the General Conference Committee are held each day in the chapel of the school building, with the representative workers present. The discussions of business are conducted in English without translation, save as here and there little groups of workers of various tongues, who may not understand English, have a brief running translation made as the business proceeds. The third daily session of the council is held as an open meeting in the large tent. At this session the time will largely be given to reports from the various union conferences and the mission-field divisions. These reports are given by translation into German, for the benefit of the vast congregation. When those reporting speak in the German, a brief running translation is put into English (without interrupting the speaker) for the benefit of those who understand the English, who are assigned seats in the group at the end of the large platform.

The time of the first two days in the open council has been devoted to reports from the Russian Union Conference. Our hearts have been stirred as we have heard the leaders of the work in various parts of Russia tell of victories gained amid difficulties. Truly where difficulties abound, there help from God much more abounds. During the last year the Russian Union added 731 new members. At a later time we shall perhaps be able to give some details from these Russian reports.

Actions of the Committee

We may briefly summarize the actions taken by the committee thus far during the first three days of the council:—

1. That we invite to the deliberations of the council the presidents of conferences, superintendents of mission fields, and representatives appointed by the union, also missionaries present from various fields abroad, and the wives of such representatives as may be present.

2. That the next session of the General Conference be held in the United States, in 1913.

3. That the General Conference session be held at about the same time as the one held in 1909—from about May 15 to the close of the first week in June.

4. That the decision as to the definite place of holding the session be left to the spring council of 1912.

5. That the date for the next week of prayer be December 9-16.

6. That the week-of-prayer readings, formerly printed in the Review, be printed as a separate document, and sent to the churches and isolated members. It was agreed that the readings be prepared and printed earlier than heretofore, so that they may reach distant mission fields in time to allow the believers in such fields to hold their week-of-prayer season at the same time as the churches in America and Europe.

7. The treasurer of the General Conference, W. T. Knox, presented the financial report, which was accepted after detailed study and discussion. The following are a few items from the report:—

Ten years ago, the General Conference treasury was expending each year $100,000 for missions. Five years later about $160,000 was being spent. The figures for the last three years are as follows: 1908, $272,000; 1909, $350,000; 1910, $410,000. In ten years the expenditures have increased fourfold.

In the same time, however, the work has expanded in yet greater measure, so that the growing work consumes the income, and keeps the treasury in constant sore need of increasing income. But these things mean the hastening of the work toward the finish. Attention was called to the fact that the shortness of funds in the treasury was due to the opening of many new fields and missions. During the last four years an average of one hundred missionaries a year has gone out into the field. It is certain that this rate can not be maintained without a very material increase of mission funds.

8. The report of the General Conference Subtreasury in Europe was presented by Elder L. R. Conradi. During the last two years the subtreasury had received, from the believers in Europe, $116,573, and had disbursed to the mission fields under the European Division, $112,214. The conferences and unions in Europe have been generous in sharing their tithe with the General Conference. The tithe has largely increased, owing to the fact that in the last two years 7,692 new believers have been taken into the churches in Europe. In 1909, the European tithe was $194,000. In 1910, it was $216,000. Altogether the European Division, with 550,000,000 people within its territories, spent $275,000 in its work last year. The report of the European Subtreasury was accepted.

On Mission Finance

The brethren in the council have spent much time in these first three days studying the evident call of God to move forward, following his opening providences, into the unworked fields; and after thorough discussion, the following series of recommendations was heartily and unanimously adopted:— In view of the great work that still remains to be done by us, and of the urgent calls for help that come from all parts of the world, we feel deeply impressed that we should now, without delay, formulate plans for larger gifts to our world-wide missionary enterprises, and that the plans for raising these funds should be so simple and definite that a permanent reliable basis will be established for the support of our foreign missions; therefore,—

We recommend: 1. That hereafter there be but one general fund for the prosecution of our missionary enterprises, and that all regular contributions to missions be placed in that fund.

2. That all appropriations to mission fields, whether for the support of missionaries, or for providing institutions or other facilities, be made from this fund.

3. That beginning with Jan. 1, 1912, the rate of ten cents a week a member for missions be raised to fifteen cents a week.

4. That the fifteen-cent-a-week fund include all donations to missions except the per cent of the tithe appropriated by conferences to missions and such donations as are specifically applied otherwise by the donors.

5. That during 1911, earnest efforts be made to raise what is still due on the $300,000 Fund.

6. That earnest calls be made at our camp-meetings and other general meetings for contributions to missions, and that all these gifts be applied on the regular mission fund.

The length of this report demands that we stop here, putting into just a few words the joy and courage expressed on every hand as the brethren representing many lands join in counsel and Christian fellowship. That God is leading forward, is the testimony from every land. The preaching services and Bible studies and devotional meetings are seasons of rich blessings. Many of the workers from America and from far lands have spoken of the prayers which they know are going up from believers whom they have left behind, that God may make this council a great blessing to the work. In these councils the great world-wide work is unified, and the laborers are equipped to go forth with yet greater efficiency and power in service. Conviction comes upon all hearts that the Lord is setting his hand to do a quick work.

The daily attendance at this great meeting is perhaps the largest ever attending any of our general councils, and many more are expected in the first Sabbath of the meeting. But our courage is not in the large number, but in the spirit to humble the heart before God, and to seek for the enduement of power from on high.

W. A. SPICER, Secretary.