The General European Conference
By Guy Dail
The first meeting of the General European Conference convened at 5 P. M., July 14, 1904, in the large pavilion on the Friedensau camp-ground, near Magdeburg, Germany. The delegates, of whom there were fifty-six, came together in open session twice daily, except Sabbath, until Monday evening, the nineteenth. As most of our readers will remember, the General European Conference was organized in Friedensau in the summer of 1901, and had a second meeting in London in the spring of the following year, so that the present gathering is really the third we have had thus far. As a fitting introduction to the conference, the president, Elder L. R. Conradi, read Isaiah 52—that stirring, yet beautiful and tender call of God to his people to awake, to put on their strength, and to go forth with clean hands, carrying the glad tidings of peace to all nations, and saying unto Zion, “Thy God reigneth!” The time is not far distant when the ends of the earth shall see his salvation, and it is as heralds of this salvation that we have been called out, a remnant unto the Lord our God. One controlling purpose animated every speaker, and this one purpose predominated in all the resolutions and business transactions: this thought is expressed in the words spelled out by the workmen in a sort of brick mosaic, as they slowly laid the outside walls of the north and south dormitories of the Friedensau Industrial School,—“The Lord cometh; pray and work.” Wonderful indeed is the inspiration that comes to us when this sentiment is allowed to be the one theme at a large gathering such as we had on those quiet grounds. Our outward surroundings were all that could be desired, in the midst of the secluded wood. The weather was warm, nicely adapted to the comforts of those sojourning in tents for a season, and the sky was almost continually cloudless. We had no rain. About eight hundred of our German brethren were in attendance. We never attended a meeting characterized by greater spirit of oneness and unity in all that was undertaken. A glance at the following list of delegates will show how fully the field was represented:— America, W. A. Spicer; General European Conference Committee, L. R. Conradi, O. A. Olsen, P. A. Hansen, B. G. Wilkinson, H. F. Schuberth, O. A. Johnson, Dr. J. C. Ottosen, W. C. Sisley, H. R. Salisbury, J. T. Boettcher, and Dr. P. A. De Forest; North England, E. E. Andross; South England, T. C. O’Donnell; Wales, A. F. Ballenger; general delegates from Great Britain, Dr. A. B. Olsen, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Castle; Scandinavian Union, C. C. Hansen; Denmark, Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Hansen; Norway, C. M. Jensen; Sweden, C. Kahlström; Finland, A. Boettcher; Iceland, D. Ostlund; Latin Union, Mrs. B. G. Wilkinson; French Switzerland, L. P. Tieche, P. Schild; German Switzerland, J. Erzenberger, H. Steiner; German Union, Dr. A. J. Hoenes, H. Hartkop, A. C. Christiansen; Western Germany, J. Pieper, O. Luepke, W. Krumm, A. Pages; Eastern Germany, E. Frauchiger, C. Rehlin, C. Sinz; Southern Germany, C. W. Weber, G. Hofer; Rhineland, G. W. Schubert, W. Varlemann; Eastern Prussia, G. Olander, E. Nopper; Southern Russia, H. J. Loebsack, H. Berg, C. Laubhan; Northern Russia, K. Remfert, J. Jurickson; Middle Russia, J. Perk; Hungaria, J. F. Huenergardt; Austria, L. Mathe; Holland, J. Wibbins; Orient, F. Horner, G. Dail. In reviewing the work of the past two years, the president said, in part:— “We have great reason to thank God for his protecting care and providence over our field. During 1902 and 1903 there have been 3,138 additions to our numbers, bringing our membership up to 9,547. Our net gain was 1,950. We have organized one hundred and twenty-four churches and companies; we have formed the British Union, the Scandinavian Union, the North England, the Rhenish, and the Prussian Conferences, and have organized the Latin Union, the French, the Hungarian, the Austrian, and the Balkan Missions, while we have entered Rome and Spain and Flemish Belgium, and Tiflis in Asiatic Russia, and opened our mission to the heathen in German East Africa. We have also been able to secure a director for the Oriental Mission, and a man to take charge of the work in Turkey.” “At the beginning of this period we had one hundred and eighty-four evangelical workers; two years later the number had increased to two hundred and ten, not counting thirty-eight other workers, or, there was an increase of six ministers and twenty-one Bible workers, but we had a loss of one licentiate.” “The tithe for 1903 was $68,581, as against $47,593 in 1901, showing an increase of nearly $21,000. The tithes and offerings for the two years were $146,800. The Mission Board appropriated to our field, from July 1, 1902, to July 1, 1904, $35,872 in cash, showing that our actual expenditure has been at least $181,000.” “We have three organized union conferences, two union mission fields, thirteen local conferences, ten missions, and fifteen important institutions, one third of which have been opened during the last two years. “Our needs most urgently demand the enlargement and improvement of our educational facilities for the development of native workers, a better condition of the finances of the medical department in certain parts of our field, and an increased literature in many of the languages already containing some of our publications, and good tracts and books in the tongues we have as yet left untouched.” The second day was devoted to the reports of the union presidents. The first of these to speak was Elder O. A. Olsen, of Great Britain. He told of the growth in that field, with its forty-two million inhabitants. During the two years, 259 were added to the denomination in this field, but the net gain was only 168, giving a total of 1,160 members in the British Union Conference. The tithe amounted to $27,636, and the offerings to $2,032, besides $6,865 raised in the field for local enterprises; America has given, on appropriations and for institutions there, $22,418. Elder P. A. Hansen was not present at the time, but he arrived later, and his report showed that within the biennial period they have been able in the Scandinavian Union Conference to baptize and receive by vote just 500; and, as their membership arose from 2,006 to 2,271, there was a net gain of only 265. The tithe for the period was $26,082, and the gifts were $3,504.44, while their book sales were $61,257. They had twenty-two ministers, three licentiates, nine Bible workers, eight other workers, and sixty-seven canvassers. Elder B. G. Wilkinson, in behalf of the Latin Union Mission, stated that among the one hundred million inhabitants of the countries in his field, we had 494 members, Dec. 31, 1901, but two years later there were 651, showing a net increase of 157, although there had really been no actual growth in their working force. The tithe for that time was $9,270, the gifts were $3,126, and book sales, $9,614. The greatest need of this union at present is a school for the training of workers, and this will soon be provided. The Oriental Mission has 55,766,000 inhabitants. Our chief efforts have been put forth in Turkey, Syria, and Egypt; we have not entered Persia, and have done no permanent work in Greece. From Dec. 31, 1901, to Dec. 31, 1903, there were fifty-one additions, with a net gain of thirty-one. Our baptized membership is 212. However, on account of the great difficulty in baptizing candidates, we carry seventy-two “unbaptized Sabbath-keepers” on our lists, making a nominal membership of 289. Our twenty-one workers are divided proportionately among each of the three fields, as we have just seven in Turkey, seven in Egypt, and seven in Syria. The tithe amounted to $2,143, the gifts to $438.17 Elder Conradi reported that the German Union Conference contains 270,000,000 people, and is, therefore, the largest union conference in the world. At the close of 1901 its membership was 3,818; 2,229 were baptized and voted into the church during the next two years, bringing the membership up to 5,156, so that the net gain was 1,338. At the time of its organization, the German Union Conference had a tithe of $17,500, while for 1903 it was $35,640, nearly doubling in the two years and a half; for the two years, the tithe amounted to $62,587, the gifts to $10,004, the book sales to $85,308. We had one hundred and seven workers, showing a net gain of thirty-one for the biennial period. Two meetings were given especially to the educational work. The last two years we have had about two hundred and twenty students in our European schools, and one hundred and two of these have entered the work not only in various parts of our own field, but also in India, East, West, and South Africa, the Orient, South America, and Australia. Our two permanent schools are located in Friedensau and London; institutes have been held in Christiania, in Copenhagen, in Geneva, and in Paris. Brother Luepke stated that the work in Friedensau is conducted in the German and Russian languages. The school capital arose from 43,973 marks in 1901 to 101,938 marks in 1903; our educational fund has gradually decreased from a credit several years ago to a deficit of about 10,000 marks, a large number of students having received help from the educational fund, but most of this money will be returned as soon as the students enter the work. From 1899 until the present time, we have had one hundred and eighty-five students, one hundred and one of whom have entered the work in Germany, Hungaria, Flemish Belgium, German Switzerland, Austria, North and South Russia, Palestine, Balkan States, Holland, Sweden, and German East Africa. Our course is but two years in length. It needs to be extended, and we ought to have a larger faculty. Professor Wilkinson spoke of the two institutes they have had in Geneva and Paris, as a result of which they have been able to train one worker for Italy, four for French Switzerland, and two for France, and one young man who received the message there has returned to carry it to Argentina, South America. The institutes in Christiania and Copenhagen also did creditable work, and a large number of the students there have gone into the colporteur work. Professor Salisbury stated that the school in London started three years ago, and gives its special attention to the development of evangelical laborers. Its course is from two to four years in length, and there are about fifty students in attendance. Many are able to support themselves by canvassing, and, as a general thing, these are the best in their studies and most promising as workers. Four of the eight companies of believers in the vicinity of London are placed in the charge of students who are preparing for the ministry. One tent company this summer is entirely manned by students from the London school.