The German-Swiss Meeting by Guy Dail

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 18, 1906

The German-Swiss Meeting

By Guy Dail

GUY DAIL

Our fifth annual camp-meeting of the German-Swiss Conference was held at Küssnacht, July 5-9, on a green plateau overlooking the Zurich Sea from the north, and half an hour's ride on the train from Zurich. About two hundred of our own people were present, and about three hundred not of our faith attended the evening services. The tent had been pitched for some little time, and a series of meetings had been in progress. The first part of the meeting, there was a little rainy weather, but it did not seem to dampen the interest that had been awakened by the preliminary tent and canvassing meetings. A number of our canvassers had held an institute in connection with the tent-meetings, and had gained a good experience in the circulation of our publications. We think this is the largest and best meeting we have yet had in German-Switzerland since its organization into a conference.

The counsel and help of visiting brethren was welcomed both by the delegates and by the strangers who were present. Brethren Conradi, Spicer, Erzberger, and Peter Nyambo were at the meeting. The consideration of missions and missionary work formed an important part of the program. Brother Nyambo related some interesting things concerning his own land and people, and the manner in which about one hundred native African boys began to observe the Sabbath at Cholo, from the simple study of the Bible alone, before they had ever heard of Seventh-day Adventists. A First-day collection amounting to almost forty dollars was taken up after Brethren Conradi and Nyambo had presented the work in Africa.

We were pleased to see so many new faces at the meeting—new converts to the truth, who rejoice with us in the message for this time. In 1905, forty-three were received, but already during the first half of 1906, fifty-seven have been taken into our fellowship, making the German-Swiss membership four hundred and fifteen; and still there is plenty of work to do, as there are yet several cantons we have thus far left untouched. The finances of the conference are also in good condition. Owing to the removal of forty-three brethren from Basel to Gland, as the Latin Union institutions were transferred, there was a slight decrease in the tithe of 1905 as compared with 1904. Last year the tithe was $3,011, but the previous year it was $3,102; however, for the first six months of 1906, the tithe has already increased so that it gives $2,423.70—a considerable gain if compared with any other like period.

The business transacted was carried forward in the spirit of harmony and brotherly union, there being no dissenting voice. It was voted to give two thousand dollars toward the erection of a home for the aged, under the direction of the German Union; the brethren strongly recommended the purchase of Sister White's new book “Education,” which has been gotten out in the German; the question of completing the sale of the remaining German “Christ's Object Lessons” was also given due attention and the plan to circulate the German “Ministry of Healing” was heartily indorsed; and the suggestion that the German-Swiss tent fund be strengthened was materially supported by about one hundred dollars in donations.

Ministerial credentials were granted to H. F. Schuberth and O. Stoye; ministerial licenses to G. W. Hockarth; missionary credentials to H. Meyer, J. Seefried, Emma Steiner, and Mary Scheidegger.

The officers unanimously elected for the coming year are as follows: President, H. F. Schuberth; Secretary, O. Stoye; Treasurer, W. Sebald; other members of the Committee, J. Murbach, W. Kury, H. Lukat.

There are some things of special encouragement to our workers in the German-Swiss field, and perhaps a brief reference to one or two of them may not be amiss:—

The attitude of the public press toward our work has wonderfully changed of late. Last winter a leading religious paper contained a bitter article against us and our work, the writer being the leader of the Sunday movement in Switzerland. The elder of our Basel church wrote the pastor a very kind and courteous Christian letter, which made such a good impression on him that he called on the church elder, and, as just at that time he could not stay long enough for a visit, the pastor invited our brother to call on him. At the time of the appointment, the conference president happened along, so both he and the church elder were able to call on the pastor. Our brethren talked in a quiet, respectful way, and showed the pastor that he had been mistaken in one statement after another, until he himself acknowledged his error in every point, and said: “Well, if the church should to-morrow say we should observe the seventh day, I would keep the Sabbath.” But our brethren answered: “This is very good; however, this attitude on your part of course does not remove the false impressions created by your article, which has been sent all over Switzerland. How about that matter?” He replied: “I will write an apology for at least some of the things which I have said in my former article.” Although

he had always thought very harshly of Adventists, yet he said he had never had so pleasant a visit with representatives of any other sect as with our two brethren. In following issues of the paper which had contained the bitter attack on us, he stated that he had been misinformed about us in many matters, and he acknowledged that he had misrepresented us in stating that we did not believe on Christ, for he had found that Christ was the center of our system of truth, and he also acknowledged that it would be fruitless to try to withstand our principles with the Old Testament, as he had formerly attempted to do. The man's later articles seem to have turned public opinion more in our favor. We are glad to here give a short extract from a leading Zurich paper, Züricher Wochen-Chronik:—

“The Adventists belong to a sect founded . . . in 1840. They accept the Bible as the foundation of all religious life and feeling. They reject every objection and every doubt as to the truthfulness of the words of Scripture. They withstand the attacks made upon the Word by scientists and the ‘higher critics.’ They seek to live in harmony with Bible principles; their chief object is to love their neighbors as they love themselves, and they call each other brother and sister, and seek to help one another in word and deed. They observe Saturday, and claim that it is the divinely appointed rest day. . . . Through their modest, friendly appearance, the people make a good impression, and the lack of religious fanaticism is a pleasing feature of their faith. They go their way quietly and unobtrusively, seeking to overcome the inequalities of life through their simple belief (in God). Their worship is without ceremony, noise, or display, and their preaching is simple and deserving of respect. Although they are not time-setters, yet they believe that the Son of God will soon personally appear in the clouds of heaven.”

Other papers have also given very favorable notices of our tent-meetings in Küssnacht, and we are glad the Lord seems to be giving us favor with the common people, as he granted to the apostles in the beginning of the Christian dispensation. These notices have helped our meetings very much, and have seemed to break down prejudice.

We feel very thankful for the blessings God has showered down upon the work in this field, and are glad that the workers and the people go forth to their labor and to their homes with renewed cheer to press forward as never in the past, adding victory to victory, in this field with its 2,319,000 inhabitants.

Hamburg.