One More Offering for Christiania
By A. G. Daniells
SABBATH, July 5, has been appointed by the officers of the Mission Board as the day for taking the next annual offering in behalf of the Christiania Publishing House. This will be just one year since the last offering was taken for this institution. In making the call for another offering for Christiania, it is due to all our brethren and sisters that a full, clear statement be made regarding our experiences in dealing with the calamity that came to our publishing house in Norway. It will be remembered that in the month of October, 1900, a council, composed of a large number of our ministers from all parts of the United States, was held in Battle Creek. After giving the condition of the Christiania Publishing House very thorough consideration, it was decided by this council that we ought, as a people, to pay the bankers and other business men of Christiania the money, $66,000, for which our publishing house was liable. A proposal was sent to the creditors that if, from that date, they would waive their claim to any further interest, we would pay them the $66,000 in six semiannual installments of $11,000 each. The creditors accepted this proposal, and our first payment was made early in the year 1901. The decision of the brethren in council to pay these creditors was heartily approved by our people in all parts of the world, and by the General Conference, which convened a few months later. As soon as it was known that the creditors were to receive every dollar of what they had intrusted to us, money began to come in from various sources. Quite a substantial amount was received in connection with the Christmas offering of 1900. The first separate, special call for Christiania was made one year ago, and the offering was taken the first Sabbath of July. We regret the necessity of our having to pay so much money without the prospect of either advancing the cause or securing anything in return. The season of the year when the contributions were to be made did not seem favorable. All the expenses incident to the production of crops had been met, but no harvests, to speak of, had been gathered. Under all the circumstances, no one ventured to predict a large offering. It was thought that five or six thousand dollars would be about all we could reasonably expect. But the response of our people to that call shows how greatly we were mistaken. To our joy, more than eighteen thousand dollars has come to the Mission Board in response to the call for the July offering. This is far beyond the fondest expectation of any of our brethren. We are pleased to inform our people that since the decision was made, a year and a half ago, to pay the $66,000 to the Christiania creditors, we have raised for this purpose contributions amounting to $35,000. This leaves but $31,000 more to be raised. When the decision was made to pay the $66,000, the task looked almost beyond the possibility of accomplishment. It appeared to many that it would take a heroic struggle for a long time to raise this money; but to the praise of our blessed Lord, more than half the total amount has come to our hands within eighteen months, without undue anxiety, and without making a very pressing appeal to the people. The call for the July offering was clear and definite, but moderate. Nothing has been said in public or through our papers regarding this matter since, and yet the money has been constantly coming. Because of this we have many times praised7the Lord with grateful hearts, and we cannot at this time express the gratitude we feel for the help he has so graciously given us. Since meeting the European brethren in the London Conference, we have effected arrangements for the future management of the Christiania Publishing House, which I believe will be heartily approved by our brethren in America, who are contributing liberally toward the payment of what is due the Christiania creditors. At the present time the General Conference Association holds the deeds of the Christiania Publishing House property. It has for many years been regarded as the property of the General Conference Association; and because of this the association has been considered the real managers of the institution. During the last year it has seemed to the members of the Mission Board that this property ought to be held by our brethren in Europe, who are near enough to understand how to manage it. Our brethren in Battle Creek are so little acquainted with the condition in Christiania that they do not feel capable of giving advice, even when they are urged to do so by the brethren in Christiania. We have therefore submitted a proposition to the European brethren for the transfer of this property, and our proposition has been accepted, the following recommendation having been passed by the European General Conference, convened in London, May 15-25:— We recommend the transfer of the shares and deeds of the Christiania Publishing House from the General Conference Association to the European General Conference, or any other party it may designate, on the following conditions submitted by the Mission Board:— First, That the Mission Board pays the following amounts:— (a) Kr. 200,304.81, as per original agreement. (b) $3,000 standing on the books of the Mission Board as a debit against the Christiania Publishing House. (c) $857.46, appropriated for the payment of insurance, taxes, rates, etc., during the past year. (d) $8,609.80, advanced by the General Conference Association just before the Christiania Publishing House failed; amounting in all to about $66,549.56. Second, That the European General Conference assumes the following responsibilities:— (a) The management of the business affairs of the Christiania Publishing House. (b) The payment of the mortgage, amounting to Kr. 62,000. (c) The payment of the deposits listed at Kr. 25,086.22. (d) The settlement with the creditors not mentioned in the original statement submitted by A. C. Christiansen to the Mission Board under date of April 16, 1901. It is a great relief to the officers of the Mission Board and to the trustees of the General Conference Association to have the affairs of the Christiania Publishing House settled on the terms expressed in this resolution. Hereafter our brethren in Europe, who are well acquainted with all the conditions surrounding the publishing house, will manage its affairs, thus relieving our brethren in America from unnecessary anxiety and perplexity. And it will be a far greater relief when the last dollar of the indebtedness for which the Mission Board has become responsible has been paid to the Christiania creditors. When this is done, we shall be more free to give our attention and our energies to practical missionary work, which will result in the advancement of this blessed cause. In view of the present situation, the officers of the Mission Board feel emboldened to ask our brethren in America for a large July offering. We want to appeal for $30,000. As already stated, we have $31,000 yet to raise, but we have decided to ask our people to raise an even $30,000 with the promise that we will pay the remaining $1,000 from missionary funds. We are aware that it seems like a large request, but we feel encouraged from our past experience to make such an appeal. Last year the offering reached $18,000, without a very special effort, and at a time when we were just entering upon the payment of the large sum. We have now raised more than one half of the amount required. We are on, so to speak, the home stretch. Times are prosperous. The money must in some way be raised inside of eighteen months. It does seem to us that if a heroic effort is made in behalf of the July offering, we shall succeed in raising $30,000, and thus dispose of this unpleasant task. It will be a great relief to the Mission Board if we shall never again have to ask for an offering for this purpose. Therefore we appeal to the presidents of union and State conferences, to our ministers, church officers, and to all the people, to put forth earnest efforts to make this offering the last for this specific purpose. Much more might be said on this point, but I shall leave the presentation of other features of the question to other brethren who may feel impressed to write. I truly believe that we shall have the hearty co-operation of our people at this time.