In the Kingdom of Saxony by Guy Dail

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

In the Kingdom of Saxony

By Guy Dail

We have just finished the midwinter session of the Saxon Conference, held in Dresden, January 19-23. Between two hundred fifty and three hundred of our brethren and sisters were able to leave their work for these few days, and to enjoy the blessings God was pleased to impart to those who earnestly sought him. As many as six hundred were present at the evening lectures. Outside help was rendered by Brethren L. R. Conradi, H. F. Schuberth, and Ernst Kotz. We are glad that 164 persons were received into this conference during the past year, raising its membership from 434 to 503. In the tithe there was some gain, as well as in the Sabbath-school and weekly offerings, but there was an exceptionally good annual offering of $483, or about $185 more than a year ago. The canvassing report for the year was encouraging, and showed a gain in the sales. After the auditing was done, there was a small surplus in the treasury. No donation to an outside field was made, but for Friedensau about $260 was collected in cash and pledges. Of this sum quite a portion was given by the various local tract societies. The policy followed by the committee last year was to employ as many laborers as could possibly be carried by the tithe, that the work might go forward as rapidly as possible. In the small kingdom of Saxony there are no less than forty cities of over ten thousand inhabitants each, where we have done nothing as yet publicly to present the third angel's message. Some parts of this land seem to be simply an aggregation of cities, and the population of Saxony averages about 743 inhabitants to the square mile. There are four and a half million people in this small kingdom. Though the court is Roman Catholic, yet over ninety per cent of the inhabitants are Protestants. We have

good churches in Dresden, Leipsic, and Chemnitz, the three largest cities in this field. While we admit that there is enough to be done in Saxony to consume much more capital than her churches could bring together annually, yet we believe it is better for a local conference so to regulate its finances as to have a surplus at the end of the year, which may be voted toward the work in the regions beyond. It is the pursuance of this plan that has brought such blessing to the work in Germany.

Elder C. Sinz, formerly president of the Saxon Conference, now goes to the North German field, and his place was taken by Elder W. Prillwitz, heretofore of Middle Germany. We wish for the incoming president and his associate workers—two ministers, one licentiate, and five Bible workers—the constant help of God in their work for 1910, and that the more as we are now being surrounded by many difficulties created by the government. In many respects this is a hard field—but yet God is greater than any of the difficulties. We do not know the future, but we do have confidence that the third angel's message is going to be crowned with success in the sight of its enemies.

GUY DAIL.