Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans
By Guy Dail
As most of our readers may recall, at the German Union Conference held in Friedensau last summer, the Austria-Hungarian and Balkan Mission was divided into three distinct fields,—the Austrian Mission, which is composed of Austria; the Hungarian Mission, made up of Hungary; and the Balkan Mission, containing the Balkan States. In the first-mentioned mission, we have been operating for about one year and a half, and from the report of the year ending Dec. 31, 1902, we take the following: baptisms, 13; received by vote, 5; membership, 20, all of whom belong to the church in Prague; tithe, $136.31; Sabbath-school offerings, $10.11; annual offerings, $4.85. One minister and two Bible workers are here laboring for twenty-five million people. A letter just received from Elder J. P. Lorenz, who has been laboring in Prague, states that he has had good audiences, and many are deeply interested in the truth; but he fears that, on account of the great difficulties those who observe the Sabbath will have in obtaining a livelihood, the immediate visible results of his effort will not be very large. It requires a great deal of faith to accept an unpopular message, when everything in the world seems to say to you, You must give up your situation; your wife and children will starve; you can obtain work nowhere. That is what stares many a would-be believer in the face, in these countries, and the conditions of society are such that a man can not “just turn his hand to anything,” as in newer and more highly favored lands. There was no general meeting in Austria this year; but the believers there were encouraged by the visit of Brethren Conradi and Schubert, while they were in that part of Europe attending the Hungarian and Balkan meetings. In Hungary the five churches and companies were quite well represented at the general meeting in Klausenburg, February 5-8. A committee on resolutions, one on nominations, and a committee on credentials largely shaped the doings of the session. During the year 1902 there were twenty-nine added by baptism and four by vote, making the total membership one hundred and thirty-three; the tithe was $610.44; Sabbath-school donations, $81.91; First-day offerings, $1.37; annual offerings, $11.83; book sales, $120.59. The Committee on Resolutions offered the following, which were unanimously passed:— “1. In looking over the first year of our existence as a mission field, we would heartily express to the Lord our thankfulness for his blessings, as seen in the growth of our membership, and increase of our means. “2. Next to God, we would also thank our brethren in the German Union Conference for the laborers and means they have sent us. “3. As the Lord has reminded us of our duty to the poor, we heartily support the proposition to establish a church poor fund, and advise that on the first Sabbath of every month a collection for this fund be taken up in our churches. “4. Recognizing the importance of seeking to spread the gospel in the heathen lands belonging to the territory of the German Union Conference, as, for example, German East Africa, we would recommend that our First-day offerings be devoted to that purpose. “5. Whereas, God has opened up the way for us to assist the school in Friedensau through the sale of ‘Christ’s Object Lessons,’ we would advise that we undertake to sell our quota of this book. “6. Whereas, The expense attending the publication of ‘Christ’s Object Lessons’ is to be met entirely by gifts, therefore we would recommend that our churches and companies contribute toward a fund for that purpose.” As a result of the report of the Committee on Credentials, it was voted to grant credentials to J. F. Huenergardt, L. Mathe; missionary licenses to P. Todor, G. Unk, P. Gyongyosi, S. Kellemann, A. Gaspar. The following officers were appointed: Director of Mission, J. F. Huenergardt; Secretary, P. Todor; Treasurer, B. Severin; Secretary of Sabbath-school and Missionary Departments, K. Laubhan. A collection of nearly fourteen dollars on the Material Fund for ‘Christ’s Object Lessons’ was taken up. The blessing of God attended the preaching of the word, and was also felt during the business meetings. All returned to their homes with a stronger determination to prove more earnest and faithful in the Master’s service, and do their part in upholding the light among the seventeen million people in this field. It was in the seaport town of Constantza, Rumania, that the brethren of the Balkan States assembled for their annual meeting, February 10-14. About thirty persons were present from the four churches and companies outside of Constantza. As there is a membership of only ninety, this was a good representation for that field. Bulgarians, Armenians, Russians, and Germans met together as one in Christ. A committee of twelve brethren was chosen to shape the business of the conference. Six resolutions were adopted:— “1. In consideration of the many blessings which we have received from God the past year, notwithstanding our shortcomings, we would express our sincerest thanks to our Heavenly Father, and pledge greater faithfulness to our Lord in the future, especially in bringing all the tithe into his storehouse. “2. As we have been assured through the spirit of prophecy that our mission school in Friedensau should be assisted by the sale of ‘Christ’s Object Lessons,’ we pledge ourselves to sell an average of two copies of this work during the coming year. “3. We would further agree to bear our share of the Material Fund on ‘Christ’s Object Lessons.’ “4. Resolved, That we dedicate our First-day offerings to furthering the work in German East Africa. “5. We recommend that Brother Seefried, after the sale of his business in Rumania, make Bulgaria his field of labor, and that Brother Conradi select an all-round worker for that field. “6. We recommend that ‘His Glorious Appearing’ be published in Bulgarian, and the Prophetic Charts in Bulgarian, Servian, and Rumanian, as well as the two tracts, ‘Seven Reasons for Sunday-keeping Examined’ and ‘Sabbath or Sunday?’” Credentials were granted to G. Perk; ministerial license to A. Seefried; Missionary license to F. Adomeit. The following officers were appointed: Director of the field, G. Perk; Secretary, F. Adomeit; Treasurer, B. Severin; Sabbath-school and Missionary Secretary, K. Laubhan; Canvassing Agent, N. Constantinoff. Two were added to our membership,—an Armenian, who was baptized in the Black Sea, and a German, who was received by vote. Five dollars and sixty-one cents was collected on the Material Fund, and seven dollars was subscribed to that fund, while books to the value of $11.50 were sold at the meeting. In 1902 there were seven baptisms in the Balkan Mission; the tithe was $127.72; Sabbath-school donations, $10.26; First-day offerings, 44 cents. By considering the number of members we have in this field, as well as looking at the few workers, one can see that there is but a beginning made here, for what are our numbers among the twelve million souls who are to be warned in the Balkan States? However, it is not numbers we need so much as a few men and women who really believe God, and are willing to endure any hardness for the advancement of his kingdom. A small company of consecrated believers will do more in the hands of the Almighty than all the hosts of a formal, half-converted, worldly minded church. Work there is, a plenty of it; difficulties there are, many of them; but the God we serve is only graciously waiting to do abundantly above all that we can ask or think. Who among us will yield ourselves fully to him? Who will live up to his privilege in giving the gospel to those that sit in darkness? GUY DAIL.