p. 9 | The Levant and Austria-Hungary by L. R. Conradi

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 8, 1910

The Levant and Austria-Hungary

By L. R. Conradi

L. R. CONRADI

The General Conference Committee of the European Division met in Hamburg, September 15, 16. The few days spent together were well occupied. In view of the great calls from the mission fields, we increased our appropriations for 1911 to $57,450.

From here the writer went to Vienna to attend the annual meeting of the Austrian Mission field. Here many evidences of God's power are seen. In Vienna, that great city of a million people, a large hall was crowded to the utmost with attentive listeners. By the end of the year, Austria will have close to three hundred members, yet there is a population of twenty millions to be labored for, and the work has scarcely begun. A number were baptized while the conference was in session. One province after another is being entered, and we hope to have the entire field covered soon. In spite of all the present restrictions, God is opening up the way, both to the preacher and to the canvasser. We were glad indeed to see God's prospering hand over the work in Austria, and trust that the Lord will continue to bless workers and leaders in this great field.

From here I went to Constantinople. I found seventy-five persons attending the workers' meeting. The six days of my stay were indeed busy ones. We had our regular meeting-hall in Stamboul for the conference, and everything spoken in English was translated into Armenian, Turkish, Greek, and German. Great changes are taking place in this field, and God is opening up different avenues for the advancement of the work. The new government is trying in every way possible to improve the country, to build railways, and to clean and beautify the city of Constantinople. But what has been neglected for centuries can not be accomplished in a few years. We were all happy that our people could now meet together without molestation. Elder E. E. Frauchiger reported his long trip along the western part of Turkey, down to Adana and Tarsus; and Elder Z. G. Baharian told of his tour into the eastern portion.

In view of all these openings, the Levant field was divided into three portions,—Armenia, Greece, and Central Turkey,—to which is added for the present the Syrian-Egyptian field, though it is understood that it will still be directed from Hamburg. A local committee of five was appointed for the Central-Turkish field. Of the five thousand dollars appropriated to Turkey, one thousand dollars was set apart for Greece, another thousand for Armenia, and the three thousand dollars left will be used in the central field. The tithe and contributions of the first nine months of this year were larger than the whole of any previous year. From all appearances a fair increase will be seen at the end of this year.

The report of our publishing and canvassing work was especially interesting. During the last year, 1,686,000 pages were printed by our depository. Of these, 761,000 were in Armenian, 313,000 in Armenian-Turkish, 320,000 in Greek, and 292,000 in Turkish proper. Besides this, printing is also being done in the Arabic language. Our canvassers sold about nine thousand French tracts and papers. The Armenian “Steps to Christ” is highly recommended by other Protestant societies. Over half a dozen bright young people were selected to enter immediately into training for the work. Though our people have liberty to work and to assemble, yet they have not gained the liberty of civil marriage as yet; and as long as the marriages have to be performed in the old churches, they must conform in every way to the ceremonies of the place. We hope that erelong this difficulty will also be removed.

Early Thursday morning, I reached Hermannstadt, in Transylvania, and

found about one hundred of our people assembled, and Elders H. F. Schuberth and J. F. Huenergardt conducting the meetings. Hitherto, Hungary, with its eighteen millions of people, has formed a conference, but by no means a self-supporting one. They had about seven hundred members; but as Transylvania proper, with a strong German membership, was well able to become a self-supporting conference, we decided that from Jan. 1, 1911, Hungary should be divided into the Transylvanian Conference and the Hungarian Mission field. The former has about four hundred members, and will pay two tithes to the union. Elder F. Kessel, who speaks both Hungarian and German, was elected as president, while Brother Huenergardt will remain in charge of the Hungarian Conference.

Most of our people present were Germans, and there were also a good number of Hungarians and Rumanians, so the word spoken had to be translated into the languages of the two latter nationalities. I left, after a good Sabbath meeting, to reach Hamburg by Monday, October 10, as my boat was to sail on Thursday, October 13, for South America.

We have now one thousand members in the Austria-Hungarian field, among fifty-one millions of people, and this empire is now divided into one conference and four mission fields, including also Servia.

Hamburg.