p. 17 | Work Among the French by O. A. Olsen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Mar 30, 1911

Work Among the French

By O. A. Olsen

AFTER attending the Greater New York Conference, and the Western New York Conference at Burt, I took the opportunity to visit Montreal, Canada, in the interest of the work among the French. Elder O. K. Butler, who has been laboring in this city for some time, rendered me every assistance possible. Here I also met Elder G. Roth, our French laborer, and together we visited the French believers and such as were interested in the truth.

This was my first visit to Montreal, and I greatly appreciated the opportunity. We found quite a number of French believers, also a goodly number who are deeply interested, and on the way to accept the whole truth. Elder Butler informed us that the best interest at present is among the French. While a number of them can understand English, there are still a large proportion that can not. In view of the extended interest it was deemed necessary for Elder Roth to go there as soon as possible to spend some time and follow up this interest.

I felt much encouraged by seeing this favorable outlook for the work among the French in Canada, and again the need of French workers was emphasized. We also learned of two other small companies of French believers, but they were too far distant to visit at this time.

Later I made a tour to our French churches in Michigan and Wisconsin. Sabbath and First-day, March 4 and 5, I had six interesting meetings with the church at Harris, Mich. This is our largest and strongest French church in North America. The church-membership is forty, and the Sabbath-school membership sixty. We found a large number of young people and children. They maintain a prosperous church-school numbering twenty-two. I was greatly pleased with my visit, and with the interest manifested by both old and young in the church.

After this I visited the French company at Little River, near Oconto, and the church at Robinson, both in Wisconsin. This last is the second largest, and as far as I know, the oldest French church in the States. The present membership is twenty-nine. A large number have gone from here to Harris, Mich.

All through the northern part of Wisconsin and Michigan, there are large numbers of French people, but no workers. The work among the French has been greatly neglected. According to government statistics, there are in the United States about one and one-half millions of French, and in Canada about two millions. While many among them can speak English, there is still a large number who do not speak English. Indeed, I have been surprised to find so large a proportion who understand so little English that one can not converse with them except through an interpreter. For these three million five hundred thousand persons we have at present only one worker, Elder Roth, who devotes himself wholly to the French.

From all that one can learn, it is evident that in proportion to the labor bestowed, the French have responded to the truth as readily as any other nationality. Thus the French field among us is deserving of better treatment. In view of this destitution, we made a call last year for a French laborer from Europe, and this call was answered by the coming of Elder Roth, who with his family landed in Boston on July 28, 1910. But one laborer is not enough; still, we ought not to have to look to Europe to supply laborers for the French in this country. Has not the time come when an effort should be made to develop laborers for the French field from among the French in this country? We feel that this is a question that deserves immediate attention.

We have schools for the development of workers in the German and the Scandinavian. Why should we not have a school, or at least a French department in one of our schools, in this country where our French youth could have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the French language, and prepare themselves for work in their mother tongue? We say again that this question is deserving of careful study at the present time. O. A. OLSEN.