Speaking to a Thousand Russian Priests

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 4, 1909

Speaking to a Thousand Russian Priests

“THE MOUNTAINS OF ARARAT,” RUSSIAN CAUCASUS

Not often does a Protestant preacher have such an audience as the president of our Russian Union Conference addressed not long ago in Kief, the holy city of Russia, where thousands of pilgrims go annually to touch the relics of the Greek saints. Here the Russian Orthodox Church was holding a missionary congress, with a thousand priests in attendance.

They had passed resolutions condemning Seventh-day Adventists. The director of our work in Russia, J. T. Boettcher, asked the secretary if he might be permitted to speak to the congress. He writes:—

“The secretary went into the congress hall, and after a few minutes returned, and invited me to go into the meeting with him. There were all the dignitaries of the Russian Church assembled, with an archbishop acting as chairman.

“With my heart uplifted to God in prayer, I was permitted for an hour and a half to testify to the truth of God’s Word. At the close, some came forward and thanked me for what they had heard. The secretary said he would arrange for me to speak to the congress the next day on ‘The Immortality of the Soul.’

“At the appointed time, I was there, and found the wide corridors filled with people waiting to go in. At first all were admitted; but later on, as the crowd became too great, only the priests or missionaries who had tickets could get in. Never did I experience the help of the Lord more than on this occasion. At the close the missionaries invited me to take tea with them, so that they could hear more concerning the matter. This invitation I gladly accepted, and thanked God for this wonderful leading.”