Brazil Conference by F. W. Spies

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Aug 25, 1904

Brazil Conference

By F. W. Spies

F. W. SPIES

The second session of the Brazil Conference of Seventh-day Adventists convened at Joinville, April 23-30. Aside from the laborers of Brazil, who were nearly all present, we also had with us Elder J. W. Westphal, superintendent of the South American Mission Field. Owing to the vastness of the territory of our conference, and the slow and expensive means of travel, but a small representation, comparatively, was present to participate in the business of the conference. The weather, however, was excellent, and the greatest harmony and unity prevailed in all the transactions of the conference.

At the opening of the conference, the former president, Elder H. F. Graf, was elected to preside during the conference, and then a committee of fifteen was nominated and elected by the conference, and this committee in turn appointed the other committees. Thus the business of the conference in all its details was placed in the hands of the brethren, and they all seemed to realize that the work belonged to them as much as to the laborers, as shown by the readiness with which they entered into the discussions and the carrying out of the measures brought before the conference.

As previously reported, several weeks before the conference began, we brought a force of eight canvassers into the Joinville district, and thoroughly canvassed the surrounding country, as also the town which contains perhaps between three and four thousand inhabitants. This created considerable interest, and during the conference our evening meetings were well attended. But the Lutheran pastor of the place, a man of very winning manners, did all he could, both in public and by visiting from house to house, to keep the people away from our meetings, and the last evening of the conference we noticed a marked falling off in the attendance, which continued until four evenings later when we closed our meetings, having scarcely any attendance from the outside. This experience reminded us of the saying of the spirit of prophecy, that the pastors would make almost superhuman efforts to shut the light away from their flocks. It was done here, and may the one who was instrumental in doing it see, ere it is too late, where he is drifting.

Besides an expression of thanks to God for his blessing bestowed upon the work during the past two years, and a similar expression to our brethren in the home field for the assistance they rendered in advancing the Lord's work in this field, several other resolutions were adopted by the conference. Among these were pledges to greater faithfulness in rendering to the Lord his own in the matter of tithes and offerings. The first-day offerings and the missionary acre fund received special attention. A resolution to raise five thousand milreis ($1,250) for the publication of Portuguese literature was also adopted, and about one fourth of this amount was secured in cash and pledges at this conference. Another resolution to the effect that we pay a tithe of our tithe to the South American Mission was adopted; still another to make renewed efforts to dispose of the “Christ’s Object Lessons” still on hand, so that our schools can have the means to push their work. The conference also expressed its readiness to turn over to the South American Mission its German church paper, the Mission Arbeiter, so that it could become the organ of all our German churches in South America. The periodical work, and especially the circulation of the Portuguese paper, received attention.

The committee on nominations brought in the following report: President, H. F. Graf; Vice-president, F. W. Spies; Secretary and Treasurer, A. B. Stauffer; Secretary of Sabbath-school Department, Mrs. Mary Ehlers; Conference Committee, H. F. Graf, F. W. Spies, Dr. A. Gregory, Emil Schenk, George Wischral, John Lipke, and August Anniess.

The committee on credentials and licenses recommended that credentials be given to H. F. Graf, F. W. Spies, and W. Ehlers; ministerial licenses to W. Stein, John Lipke, and Emil Holzle; missionary licenses to A. B. Stauffer, Dr. A. Gregory, and Emil Schenk. The colporteurs are A. Berger and A. Brack. Other names were referred to the conference committee.

The conference was a season of great blessing, and many consecrated themselves anew to the Lord and his service. May the same Spirit that presided at all the deliberations of the conference assist us in carrying out faithfully all that has been decided, and may the Lord’s work make greater progress during the coming conference term than ever before, is my prayer.