The Missionary by W. C. White

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 7, 1886

The Missionary.

By W. C. White

A Visit to Scandinavia.

ONE week after the close of the missionary council in Basel, we went to Copenhagen, Denmark. Here we met Elder Matteson, who for some months has resided in this city, where he expects to labor during the winter. There are already a dozen or more in Copenhagen who are keeping the Sabbath. Some of these can do good work as colporters, and in holding Bible-readings from house to house, if they will devote themselves to the work. Copenhagen is a proud and beautiful city, one of the most beautiful we have seen; but its people are very indifferent to religious matters. The pursuit of wealth and pleasure engrosses their attention. Atheism is popular. Eating and drinking, dancing and merry-making, are the subjects of thought and conversation. Attendance at the churches is small, except on the occasion of some pompous ceremony. In such places we cannot expect large congregations to come and listen to unpopular truths; and if the message of warning is given to these people, it must be carried to their homes.

A few of our people came in from the adjacent churches, so that on Sabbath and Sunday there were about fifty Sabbath-keepers assembled. Elder Matteson spoke twice, and held several Bible-readings; and mother spoke twice to our people, and Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings to congregations of about two hundred.

At Stockholm, Sweden, there is much more interest in religion. The churches are more generally attended, and there is a more general interest to investigate the prophecies and Scripture doctrines. As the result of Elder Matteson's labors and some colporter work, there is a church of seventy members in Stockholm. This church seemed to prize very highly the privileges afforded by the meetings. Their hall, which had seats for some over two hundred, was crowded every evening. Every foot of standing room was occupied. We believe that there are many souls in Stockholm who will yet obey the truth. Elder Matteson intends to return there in March to hold another series of meetings, and to instruct the members of the church how to hold Bible-readings and how to labor for others.

From Stockholm we went to Grythyttehed, a small country place where Elder Rosqvist labored for a long time, and where he was arrested at the instance of the priest, examined, and forbidden to preach in Sweden. Here is one of the oldest companies of Sabbath-keepers in Sweden. They number about sixty. Here, too, the greatest interest was manifested in the meetings. We saw in this company several brethren who we believe could do good work as colporters and missionaries. We think that Sweden is one of the best fields in Europe for missionary labor.

On our way from Grythyttehed to Christiania, we stopped two days at Örebro, where there is a small company of Sabbath-keepers. This is a place of fourteen thousand people, and is one of the oldest cities in Sweden. Here we visited the prison where Elder Rosqvist was imprisoned for preaching after being forbidden by the authorities. Two evening meetings were held here, but the room used was so small that only one hundred could attend.

Friday morning, October 30, we reached Christiania, Norway, and were met at the train by Brother L. Hansen and Elder A. B. Oyen, and we were soon at the home of Brother Oyen, where the household language was our own familiar English. At Christiania we have a church of one hundred and twenty members, and here is located our Scandinavian publishing house.

The mission printing-house and meeting-hall is now nearly completed. It is built of brick, two stories, with high basement, about forty by sixty-five feet in size. The basement and first floor will be used for the publishing work, and the meeting hall above will seat a congregation of four to five hundred.

Brother H. W. Kellogg is now at work putting in the engine, boilers, and heating apparatus, and it is hoped that both the meeting-hall and the printing department will be ready for use in January.

Part of the old building which Elder Matteson bought six years ago, and in which were the printing-office and meeting-hall, having been torn down to give place to the new building, we had no hall of our own that was suitable for meetings. But the Good Templars very kindly gave the free use of their hall, which would seat over three hundred.

This is the oldest and largest church of Sabbath-keepers in Scandinavia, and we were glad to see a well-organized and efficient Sabbath-school. Although we could not understand the recitations, we could see that some had given earnest and profitable study to the lessons. We believe that much would be gained by the more perfect organization of the Sabbath-schools in our small churches in Scandinavia.

About two hundred attended the meeting Sabbath forenoon, and in the afternoon about one hundred assembled to celebrate the ordinances of the Lord's house. A large hall had been hired for Sunday forenoon, where mother addressed an attentive congregation of about twelve hundred.

Tuesday we went to Drammen, a city of several thousand inhabitants, about thirty miles from Christiania, where there is a church of twenty members. Here, as in all the cities of Scandinavia, it was difficult to secure a good hall. But the best in the place was secured, a dance hall about thirty-six by eighty feet in size, with a narrow gallery on each side and a huge stove in each end. There was no pulpit, nor place for one. But something must be provided, and that without delay; so we brought six beer tables from an adjoining room, and with them made a platform. A square carpet was thrown over this platform, and another table set on top for light-stand and pulpit, and with chairs and stools steps were made to this platform. We doubt if the dance hall or the beer tables were ever put to so good use before.

The people came, and filled the seats, the gallery, and all the standing room, and listened with the best of attention while mother spoke of the love of Christ and his life of sacrifice. Wednesday and Friday evenings another hall was secured in Christiania, and mother spoke to about five hundred each evening. On Friday a request was made by the president of the temperance society that she should speak on the subject of temperance, in the Soldiers' Military Gymnasium, the largest hall in the city. At the time appointed, there were about sixteen hundred assembled. From the secretary's opening remarks it was evident that they expected a regular campaign address, full of statistics and stories about the crusade; but when they saw that the matter was to be argued from a Bible standpoint, they were at first astonished, then interested, and finally deeply moved, as fathers and mothers were appealed to to educate their children to overcome temptation and thus secure the overcomer's reward.

At the close of the address, Dr. Nisson, president of the society, made a few pointed remarks, calling attention to the fact that the great prosperity of the temperance movement in America was due to the fact that it was supported by religious zeal and Bible truth. He appealed most earnestly to parents to act upon the matter of training their children to temperate habits.

Each evening of the following week was devoted to meetings with the Christiania church. These meetings were seasons of deep interest. Some who had become backslidden and discouraged renewed their vows to keep all of God's commandments.

In all these meetings in Scandinavia, as in Switzerland, mother's sermons were spoken in English, and translated, sentence by sentence, into the language of the people. And although this is hard work for the speaker, yet the interest of the hearers was sufficient encouragement, it being equal to that of any congregation we have seen in America. On some occasions, hundreds who could not find seats would stand for an hour without any sign of weariness.

From Christiania I came to America to attend the General Conference, and November 16 mother and Sister McEnterfer, who accompanied her on this Scandinavian trip, returned with Brother H. W. Kellogg to Basel, where they arrived safely November 17. Battle Creek, Mich. W. C. WHITE.