The Latin Union Field by Benjamin George Wilkinson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Feb 25, 1904

The Latin Union Field

By Benjamin George Wilkinson

B. G. WILKINSON

Since the Lausanne camp-meeting in July, the work in the Latin Union Mission has given many signs of progress. At that meeting resolutions were passed which have demanded arduous labor for their realization.

In the first place, the resolution which voted the location of the office of the French-Swiss Conference at Geneva, has found a favorable realization. A good, well-situated, and convenient location was found at Rue de la Synagogue 29, almost in the center of the city of Geneva. Here was placed not only the office just mentioned, but also the branch office of the International Tract Society.

It is our plan in the Latin Union Mission not to form local tract and missionary societies, which spring from the local conference, but, according to the resolution of the Lausanne camp-meeting, the union will have a central publishing house, whose headquarters are at Paris. Then all tract and publishing work done in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, French-Switzerland, and the other fields of the Latin Union, will be regarded as branch offices of the central office at Paris.

To find and put in running order this central office at Paris was another task. Especially so, since all the stock of the union was at Basel, Switzerland, at which place it was necessary to divide the stock and ship it to the first two offices already chosen,—those at Geneva and Paris. However, suitable quarters were found at Paris, rue de Vaugirard 108, which will answer our needs for a time.

Another task devolved upon the workers at Paris. The store which had been rented as a meeting-hall at the beginning of the year 1902 for a term of one year, had already in the spring of the same year been rented out from under our feet by the proprietor, to a carpenter. This involved the search for a new hall, which is not very easy to find in Paris. The plan of holding meetings in a hall is little known in this city, except in connection with the Socialists and Salvation Army, whose noisy and clamorous meetings have prejudiced hall proprietors against the idea.

This change was all the more disagreeable, since the meetings begun this fall have obtained a serious and growing interest. After a long search, another hall was found, which we hope is not so far away that the interested ones can not attend. At present there are six or seven who are keeping the Sabbath,—two as a result of the work done in Paris the past spring and fall. Some have made application to receive baptism, and we hope that soon all may be prepared to join the church.

The preaching services are conducted by Elder John Vuilleumier and the writer, assisted by Brother Fred Robert, who is visiting and giving Bible readings. Brother Vuilleumier’s time is largely occupied in editorial work on Les Signes des Temps; and the writer, on account of his general duties as director of the field, is often called to leave Paris. So we at times seriously feel the need of more permanent help for the large city of nearly three million inhabitants, the spiritual Sodom of the Bible. However, the work in Paris has a brighter future, if liberal measures are taken to sustain it.

There is another resolution from the camp-meeting which awaits solution—the one which looks toward the establishment of the health and educational work in the French field. As efforts are now being directed to accomplish this, we hope that the first few months of the new year will bring about the solution of this resolution.

For the first three quarters of the year 1903 our church-membership has increased fifty-two, forty-two having become members by baptism. During the same period the number of regular subscribers to our French paper, Les Signes des Temps, has increased from one thousand to eighteen hundred. And whereas in January last we printed an edition of twenty-six hundred, at the present writing we can state an edition of eleven thousand for September and of nine thousand for November, these editions not being special, but from regular growth of demand.

I must add a word in reference to my visit to Spain in November. We found that the gentleman at Barcelona, whose acquaintance we had made at the time of our visit to Spain last spring, had opened his door to the Brethren Bond upon their arrival in that city. Subsequently, after studying with these brethren, he and his family accepted the truth. As he had previously been an evangelical worker, he had a little flock at Sabadell, about fifteen miles from Barcelona, who looked to him as their spiritual leader. This little band of Christians now invited the Brethren Bond to teach them the truth. As a result of this effort, I found upon my arrival that already two of them had begun the observance of the Sabbath, and that the other members were seriously stirred over the question. I am expecting to receive a call at any time to baptize several members of this group. Arrangements were also made with the new brother, whereby he can gradually withdraw himself from his present occupation, and prepare to become a worker for Spain.

At the present time, Belgium, France, French Switzerland, Spain, and Italy have been in some measure provided with workers. But there remain two more fields of the Latin Union in which nothing has as yet been done—Portugal and Algeria. In these two countries ten million souls wait to hear the proclamation of the last message of warning. Shall these countries hear the trumpet of the watchman? We pray that soon in these fields the mountains shall be brought low, the valleys exalted, and a highway prepared for our soon-coming Saviour.

Paris, France.