CHRISTIANIA PUBLISHING HOUSE
By S. H. Lane
It is quite generally known to the readers of the REVIEW that our Christiania publishing house, situated at Christiania, Norway, has been, and still is, deeply involved in debt. For some time Christiania has been suffering from a financial crisis. The city passed through, for a time, a great building boom, which collapsed, and the ruin wrought in the disaster has been direful in its results, many banks and business firms passing into such financial straits that quite a number have suffered total extinction; and in this almost universal downfall our publishing house, which was involved in debt, has suffered severely, being brought almost to the verge of financial bankruptcy, which will still occur if our brethren everywhere do not come to the rescue. When the facts first became generally known, it was thought by some that the institution must go down; and propositions for the creditors to take the property were made; but after due consideration and prayer, it was decided that our people could not stand clear in the sight of Heaven and before men if the institution was suffered to go into the hands of its creditors, who, should it be sold under the hammer through a bankrupt sale, would suffer severe loss. The work in Norway has been established through years of patient toil and sacrifice, and it does not seem by any means consistent that the institution should be lost; so a few months ago a proposition was made to the creditors that the denomination would redeem the house from debt. The Seventh-day Adventist publishing house has stood as a parent institution to all similar institutions in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, and has aided the work in Finland, by furnishing, that is, giving, reading-matter to all these fields, and the work which it has accomplished in the past has been blessed of God; and had it not been for the existence and help of this house, the cause of the Third Angel’s Message would not stand in the Scandinavian countries as it does to-day. We can not for a moment think that the Lord would be pleased to see this house go into bankruptcy. A proposition was sent to the creditors, offering what was due them, in six semiannual payments of eleven thousand dollars each, which they gladly accept, and declare that, by paying the full amount, we will fully reinstate ourselves in their estimation as an honest, devoted Christian people. The matter has been placed before our brethren and sisters throughout the field, and many have nobly responded. The first installment of eleven thousand dollars was sent the first of January. The late General Conference, realizing the situation and the necessity of raising funds with which to meet our next obligation, recommended that June 1 be a day of prayer for our work in Scandinavia, and that special offerings be made on that day for our Christiania publishing house. This recommendation was unanimously adopted. The General Conference Committee in council after the close of the Conference, find it impossible, on account of the great amount of business to be transacted, properly to get this matter before our people as soon as June 1, therefore it has been decided to request all our churches throughout the field to devote Sabbath, July 6, instead of June 1, to prayer to God that His special blessing may rest upon the work of the Christiania publishing house, and that through the goodness of God and the liberality of our brethren, offerings may be freely given to aid the debt-bound institution. An especial appeal will be read in all the churches that day. We trust that the elders of our churches, and the ministers and workers throughout the field and in every church, will make it a special point to attend the meeting that day, and that there will be an earnest consecration of each individual to the Lord, that it may be a day of special blessing, and that a large contribution may be made by each church, that the obligation to the creditors of the Christiania publishing house may be met. Let none feel that they are not responsible for the debt, and therefore should have no part in its liquidation. Ancient Jerusalem was lost to the people of God. Its walls were broken down, years of desolation enshrouded it, and Israel mourned; but at last the command of God came to rebuild the walls. Those who built were not responsible for the desolation; but God said, “Arise and build;” and although those who builded, and sacrificed that the work might go on, were not responsible, yet they cheerfully labored for the restoration, and the Lord blessed, and Jerusalem again stood in her glory, to be blessed of Heaven, and to be a source of blessing to God’s people: so now we are restoring our debt-suffering institution, and as we pray and give, Heaven’s richest blessing will be enjoyed by all. We trust our brethren and sisters will so plan that the contribution may be abundant; and as we plan on earth, Heaven will plan to pour us out a rich blessing on the first Sabbath in July. More will be said of this matter, and readings will be furnished. We hope all will pray and labor to the success of this undertaking. S. H. LANE,
Chairman Gen. Conf. Finance Com.