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THE GERMANS

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 8, 1877

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 50, No. 19.

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THE GERMANS.

By James Sawyer

A few weeks before the Michigan camp-meeting I left Battle Creek, intending to visit the Swedes in Northern Michigan. As I had heard that there were Swedes in Grand Rapids, I made an effort to find them and distribute tracts and papers among them.
There are many Germans in the city, and it seemed to be a good opportunity to find some of them. The first German I visited bought a German pamphlet. I learned from him the whereabouts of others, but was called away to attend to other matters. About three weeks passed, and I returned to my work as colporteur among the Swedes and Germans. I found the German to whom I sold the pamphlet ready to purchase another, and found another person in his shop who wished to purchase an English tract on the same subject as the one the German had obtained. The German desired me to come again. I visited many families of Germans and found some willing to read tracts and even to pay for them; and some of the Catholics took tracts.
A German on the cars, who was from Chicago, said there were eight German Methodist churches in that city, fifteen German Lutheran, and six German Evangelist, besides a great number of German Catholic churches. As we drew near Suspension Bridge he said there was one German Lutheran church at the Suspension Bridge and one at Niagara Falls. He gave me the names of prominent members in these churches, which I will send to the agent of the General Tract Society.
We believe the third angel’s message has not fairly begun its work, even among the foreigners in our country. Many of the Germans as well as the Scandinavians, are yet to receive present truth. There are probably ten times as many of the Germans as of any one class of foreigners in our land, and an effort to help them may be made, on the part of the colporteur at any time, since there are tracts already published in this language. We cannot help looking for a good future in the T. and M. work among this people. The country places will of course be more favorable than the cities; for in them strong drink and tobacco are obstacles to reform. But it should be the desire of every one to see all, without regard to nationality, rejoicing in hope of salvation through the gospel. JAMES SAWYER.