A Tour in Kansas and Oklahoma by Ole Andres Olsen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 24, 1910

A Tour in Kansas and Oklahoma

By Ole Andres Olsen

FOLLOWING the meeting of the Central Union Conference at St. Joseph, Mo., it was arranged for me to visit some of our German churches in Kansas and Oklahoma. The object of the tour was to become better acquainted with the German branch of our work, that we might be the better able to assist in planning wisely for its advancement. Together with Elder G. F. Haffner, the superintendent of the German department, I visited ten churches — five in Kansas and five in Oklahoma.

Our first call was at Tampa, Kan. Here we had meetings forenoon and afternoon, January 25. The roads being very bad, some from a distance could not come; but there was a goodly number assembled, and we had a very profitable occasion.

We next visited Lehigh. This was one of the first places where Elder L. R. Conradi, many years ago, preached the truth among the Germans in Kansas. A large company of believers came into the truth in this place and vicinity, and from here spread out to other places near and farther away. The members from this church have laid the foundation for many a church throughout Kansas and Oklahoma.

From Lehigh we visited Durham, Shaffer, and Nekoma. At each of these places we had interesting meetings, and the presentation of the work for our time met a hearty response. As I was unable to speak German, Elder Haffner acted as interpreter, which was very acceptable.

We then turned our course toward Oklahoma. Our first appointment was at Shattuck. Here we had two well-attended meetings. At Shattuck we have the largest church in the conference. I enjoyed our meetings with this church very much.

We continued our tour from here, visiting Tangier, Lahoma, Okeene, and West Cooper. At this last place we had a general meeting. Representatives were present from six churches, besides the one where the meeting was held. The West Cooper church was filled to its utmost. In the yard about the church seventy-five teams were counted. This was an interesting and also a profitable occasion.

In all these meetings we dwelt on the message which God has committed to his people to proclaim to all the world at this time; and in connection with this, we sought to present our duty and responsibility in the matter of bringing the truth to the large foreign population that has located among us.

I greatly appreciated the privileges of this tour together with Elder Haffner, and as a result I have obtained a much better understanding of the conditions existing in the German department of our work.

I was especially impressed with the large number of bright young men and women that are coming on the stage of action, and never before did I so fully see the great need and importance of a German training-school as I did after I had made this round. It is certainly high time that a decided move be made in the way of providing such a school. I would that all our German people could fully appreciate the importance of such a step.

I was glad to find a few church-schools; and these are doing good work. We also found other churches where they would like to have church-schools, but teachers are wanting. While at College View I was informed by the head of the normal department that they had had calls for six German church-school teachers, but that the requests could not be complied with because they did not have the teachers to send. But this awakening is certainly an encouraging omen, and will mean much to the progress of the German branch of our work.

This demand for German church-school teachers, together with the demand for field laborers in the German work, certainly emphasizes the importance and need of a German training-school for the development of German laborers for teachers of church and intermediate schools, and for laborers in the great German field in this country. What is now needed to carry this higher German training-school idea into effect, and to make it a real success, is a united effort on the part of all our German people in this country. So let us all take hold unitedly, and the blessing of the Lord will be seen in a decided, forward movement in the German department of our work.

O. A. OLSEN.