THE PRESENT SITUATION AND NEED IN SCANDINAVIA
By George A. Irwin
Prior to the recent Week of Prayer, a small leaflet, entitled “An Appeal in Behalf of Our Work in Scandinavia,” was sent out to all our Conferences and churches in sufficient quantities to place one in each home. The leaflet contained a statement of the situation of the Christiania Publishing House, and the propositions formulated by a general council held at Battle Creek in October, consisting of the General Conference Committee, the presidents of Conferences, and other leading men, and submitted to the creditors of that house; also an earnest appeal from Sister White for us to rally to the support of the institution in this its time of need. The object of sending out the leaflet so generally was to acquaint our brethren everywhere with the situation, so that they might have the privilege of assisting their Scandinavian brethren in their need. It has been reported to us that in many places the leaflet failed to reach its destination in time, or was forgotten by those to whom it was sent for distribution, so that the Week of Prayer passed by with simply the ordinary collection, while they held money in reserve to help Scandinavia, supposing from some things they had read in the Review that a special opportunity would be given for donations for this purpose. The object of this article is to correct any misunderstandings, and to show that there is still opportunity and need for our giving. We trust that every family has not only received the Appeal, but has had time carefully to read it; and if you have done so, you have noticed that the propositions submitted to the creditors involve the payment in full of all legitimate claims within a specified time. Word has been received that the creditors have accepted139the propositions, thus showing faith in the honor and sincerity of the denomination. This means the payment of about eleven thousand dollars every six months for three years. The prompt payment of these obligations will not only redeem the present plant, and place a valuable property, free from debt, in the hands of the denomination, but it will raise the honor and credit of the denomination above reproach throughout the world. Elder O. A. Johnson, writing from Christiania, under date of Jan. 31, 1901, says, “I have watched with much interest the outcome of the financial difficulties here, and so have our brethren. While corporations, firms, and religious institutions have gone into bankruptcy, and have been reported in the papers here to their own injury and disgrace, yet up to date not a discreditable word has appeared against our institution.” Surely the Lord has been good thus to shield us and preserve our credit while we were passing through severe trial, not knowing exactly what to do. But now that the way is clear before us, we should show our appreciation of His goodness by our liberality in assisting to meet these obligations as they become due, or even before. The plan adopted by the council for the raising of money to meet this obligation was as follows, as can be seen by reference to page 6 of the leaflet:— “That each of our Conferences do all in their power to largely increase the annual offerings, and that the amount raised in excess of the amount received from the same source last year, be applied on said debt.”
“That we pledge ourselves to do all that we can to increase the various offerings to the Foreign Mission Board, with the understanding that a portion of the same is to be applied in the liquidation of the aforesaid debt, the amount to be fixed by the Foreign Mission Board, in counsel with the General Conference Committee.”
It will be seen by the foregoing that the Foreign Mission Board has been made the channel through which money to meet this obligation is to pass, and it will also be apparent that their ability to meet it, without in any way curtailing their missionary operations in other parts of the world, will depend upon the increase of contributions that comes into the treasury. In view of this, much anxiety has been felt as to the amount of the annual offering. An official report of the 18th inst. gives the amount received to that date on annual offering, and for the work in Scandinavia, $24,405.50. This is four thousand dollars more than was reported at the end of the month of March last year. Unless the States have been more prompt than formerly in sending in returns, it will be safe to conjecture that the increase over last year has been from five to seven thousand dollars. But even if the larger amount may be realized, or even more, it will come far short of meeting our obligations. What shall we do then? Curtail our missionary operations, call in some of the workers from foreign fields, and turn a deaf ear to the Macedonian cry from fields not yet entered, and use the money that comes in in meeting our obligation in Scandinavia? To this question I am confident a decided “No,” will reverberate from one end of the land to the other. And not only would we hear “No” from every loyal Adventist, but we would hear the same from the heavenly intelligences who stand ready and anxiously waiting to co-operate with us in meeting the demands upon us from whatever source they may come. There have been times of crisis in the work of God in all ages, when, viewed from a human standpoint, defeat seemed inevitable; but the Lord’s cause has never been left without faithful men to stand in the breach. At the crucifixion of Christ, when His followers were scattered, with hopes blasted, and, because of their poverty, with little or no influence to turn the tide that was set against them, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, men of wealth and influence, came boldly to the front, and used their talents to sustain the cause of Christ, and tide it over a crisis that its enemies had hoped would prove fatal. Such experiences are tests of character; and the Lord has frequently permitted threatened disasters to overtake both individuals and His Church to test their loyalty and develop their real characters. Our present financial distress will prove a test to us as individuals, as churches, and as institutions. The enemy has been at work for years to bring about just such a condition of things as confronts us at this time, in hope of stopping the work entirely, or of so hindering it that souls would be lost who might otherwise be saved. There is means enough within the ranks of Adventists to-day to wipe out the debts of every one of our institutions, and place sufficient money in the hands of the Lord’s regularly authorized agencies to carry forward His work in strength and power. There are those of our number to-day, who, if they would come forward, as did Joseph and Nicodemus, could relieve the situation in a very short time. When the Lord, by the earnest appeals that are coming to us, is asking, “How much owest thou?” shall we turn a deaf ear to the inquiry, and hoard up, or invest in houses and lands or worldly enterprises, the money He has intrusted to us as stewards? In view of the troublesome times just before us, let us beware of the leprosy of Gehazi, and instead of receiving “money, . . . and garments, and olive yards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men servants, and maid servants,” let us invest our money in the bank of heaven. Some Conferences that failed to grasp the situation in December, are now planning to make another effort, and we sincerely hope and pray that success may crown the effort, and a spirit to give be thereby set in operation that will not cease until those having charge of the work shall say, “It is enough,” and the people be restrained from giving. It is expected that our coming General Conference will be characterized by a missionary spirit and zeal hitherto unknown, and if these expectations are met, money will be needed to transport and sustain the missionaries in the field. The time has fully come for the message to go with a loud cry to the ends of the earth; so let us, one and all, young and old, rich and poor, rally to the support of the cause to the utmost of our ability. Let us strengthen the hands and hearts of our brethren in Scandinavia by rescuing their printing plant, thus enabling them to set the machinery in operation at an early date, to print the precious truth for distribution throughout that entire field. Who will be the first to respond to this call by a liberal contribution, and thus set the tide going in this direction? May the Lord inspire all our hearts with courage and devotion at this time.