The European General Conference, 1903
By Guy Dail
The tabulated report of the European General Conference for the year 1903 lies before me. The various unions have sent in their latest corrections, and the summary given is, we believe, reasonably correct. The area of this field is six million square miles, including German East Africa and excluding Siberia, and its population is four hundred and seventy-three million. There are three union conferences and two union missions in our territory,—the German, the British, and the Scandinavian Union Conferences, and the French-Latin and Oriental Union Missions. We have 276 churches, with a membership of 8,274; 105 companies that are unorganized, with 892 members; and 381 isolated Sabbath-keepers, making a total of 9,547 members in this field. About seventy of these are Sabbath-keepers in the Oriental Mission, who have not yet been baptized. During the year, the Rhenish and Prussian Conferences have been added to the fields of the German Union, and the Spanish and French-Belgium Missions to the French-Latin Union. At the end of 1902, our membership was 8,274. During the twelve months following, 1,373 were baptized, and 495 were added by vote, and the net increase for the year was 1,273. Our tithe for 1903 amounted to $68,650; annual offerings, $9,770; First-day offerings, $1,380; Sabbath-school donations, $5,079; the items for the corresponding time in 1902 were as follows: Tithe, $59,010; annual offerings, $2,570; First-day offerings, $828; Sabbath-school donations, $4,240. There has been some increase in our gifts and tithes, the amount of tithe per capita increasing about sixteen cents during the year. At the close of 1903 there were engaged in our five union fields 70 ministers, 37 licentiates, and 106 Bible workers, or one gospel worker for every 2,216,000 of the population. Certainly there is still room for more workers. There were 450 canvassers in the field, and their sales amounted to $115,130. During 1902, 323 canvassers were in the field, and the sales amounted to $102,650. In view of the greatness of our needs, and the millions upon millions who know nothing of the special work God will do to prepare the world for his soon coming, we request our brethren in America to keep the European field before God in their prayers. Remember especially the newly entered mission in German East Africa, and the work of our brethren in all our other mission fields, where the work is hard, and things often seem to go more slowly than we would like, because of the difficulties that prevent a rapid progress. We are cheered with the knowledge that God is doing a mighty work, and we rejoice that the time of waiting will not be long. The first quarter’s reports for 1904 show signs of constant advancement. Those who are willing to deny self and live for others, will never lack plenty of work to do; such ones will always find that God has employment for them. Men of the right kind are scarce; but God has them somewhere, and as soon as we more fully awake to our high privilege, there will be plenty of the right kind of men, and there will be enough means in the treasury to complete the carrying of the glorious third angel’s message to the world in this generation. However, he who is not willing to forsake all that he has can not be the Lord’s disciple. Luke 14:33.