The Scandinavian Union Conference by Guy Dail

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 26, 1906

The Scandinavian Union Conference

By Guy Dail

GUY DAIL

The third annual session of the Scandinavian Union Conference was held in connection with the Norwegian Conference, at Christiania, June 8-11. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland were well represented at this meeting, which will probably prove to have been the most important session of our people that has yet convened in the land of the ancient Norsemen, because of the resolutions passed, and the advanced steps taken. Scandinavia has now decided to enter upon an undertaking in full harmony with the policy outlined by its sister union conferences of the Old World—a policy based upon a sound Biblical principle: “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth. . . . The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” We believe that as no man liveth unto himself, so also no conference can live unto itself, and no union conference can live, in the truest sense, when thinking only of those within its borders. God’s people must turn their eyes to the “regions beyond.” The cause of missions, and the liberality that supporting missions begets, must be linked together with the educational, tract and missionary, Christian temperance, and Sabbath-school departments of the home field, if we wish to see the greatest good come to the greatest number of believers.

Several important resolutions were passed at this Scandinavian Union meeting, but that which we regard as by far the greatest and most beneficial to the union conference and to the cause of God in general is this:—

“Resolved, That the First-day offerings of the Scandinavian Union Conference from April 1, 1906, be devoted to establishing a mission in Abyssinia, and that the officers of the union conference be requested to look for suitable young persons, who can be trained to go to Abyssinia, and open up the work there.”

Just as soon as the plans proposed for Africa can be carried out by the British and Scandinavian Unions, the African territory occupied by the five European unions will extend from Algeria on the north, where the Latin Union is operating, to the northern boundary of the South African Union, and will include Egypt and the Sudan, Abyssinia, and British and German East Africa. Everywhere we find that an aggressive movement into the citadel of the enemy, as he is entrenched in these heathen lands, begets confidence in the third angel’s message, arouses the enthusiasm of God’s people, and quickens their religious life. When we, to whom God has revealed such a wonderful truth, thoroughly awake, as the Moravians awoke, and send out an army of consecrated young men who are supported in their arduous labors by the prayers, sympathies, and means of the church at home, then we shall see that our God will do a short work in the earth; he will speedily prepare the way for his coming.

A second resolution, yet somewhat akin to the one just quoted, provides that the three most northern counties of Norway (Nordland, Tromso, and Finnmarken), with the three northern counties of Sweden (Norrbotten, Vesterbotten, and Angermanland) be organized into the Northland Mission, beginning with Jan. 1, 1907, and that it be under the control of the Scandinavian Union Conference. It is understood that this will not affect the present arrangement of the canvassing work. In this territory there are about 25,000 Laplanders, 25,000 Finns, 375,000 Swedes, and 200,000 Norwegians. The area is 302,000 square kilometers. If we remember that the Scandinavian Peninsula is about 2,000 miles long, we can see the necessity for a division of the field.

In 1898 Scandinavia had thirty-seven evangelical laborers; in 1905 it had only thirty-five. The brethren were astonished when their attention was called to that fact, and it helped them to see more than ever the need of training young men and women for workers. Therefore, the proposition to hold a four months’ winter school, or union institute, at Nyhyttan, Sweden, easily carried. It is expected that Elder O. A. Johnson, assisted by a Swedish language teacher and a Danish language teacher, will conduct the course, which will last from Nov. 1, 1906, to March 1, 1907.

It was voted to ask that Elder P. A. Hansen be freed from local work, so he might devote his whole time to the interests of the union conference. It is planned that he visit Iceland this summer, and assist in taking over into the union the chapel erected by Brother Ostlund and his associates in Reykjavik. The report of the work in Iceland was very encouraging. Our paper there now has one thousand more circulation than the largest political paper in the island; its list is much larger than any other of the fifteen periodicals published there, its monthly issue being three thousand eight hundred, which we think will easily reach four thousand before the close of the year.

In 1905 the Scandinavian Union tithe was $17,037, $3,053 more than for 1904; the offerings amounted to $2,900, or $265 more than for the previous twelve months; the book sales to $39,119, against $37,613 for 1904; 266 believers were added, or sixty-three more than the year before, and their membership was raised from 2,416 at the beginning to 2,493 at the close of 1905. Very many went to America, so that the net gain was not so large.

Ministerial credentials were granted to P. A. Hansen, F. Anderson, F. R. Oberg, D. Ostlund; missionary licenses to Oscar Anderson, Alma Bjugg, and N. Anderson.

The following officers were elected: President, P. A. Hansen; other members of Committee, presidents of Norway, Sweden, Denmark; J. C. Ottosen, F. Anderson, E. Lind; Treasurer, Jens Olsen; Secretary, J. C. Raft; auditors, P. Hansen, E. Lind.

It was also unanimously decided to push the publication of “Ministry of Healing” in the Danish-Norwegian and Swedish, so that book may be from the press by the first of October, if possible, in these two languages. The work is rapidly advancing on the Danish-Norwegian “Revelation,” and the Swedish “Revelation” will also be out this autumn, together with the Finnish.

We believe that this field, with its twelve and one-half millions of people, was never in a better condition than at present, and hope the immediate future may show that God’s blessing is with his workers here. All are of good courage, and feel that they had a blessed meeting.

Randers, Denmark.