Progress of the Work in Scandinavia.
By William C. White
THE cause of present truth seems to be making steady advancement in the Scandinavian countries. During the last winter and spring about twenty have been added to the church in Copenhagen. Several of these are men of ability who may do good work for the Master if they will give themselves unreservedly to his service. At Laurvig, Norway, a church of about twenty members has been lately organized, and in Sweden three churches have been added to the Conference. At the fifth annual meeting of the Swedish Conference which was held in Orebro, June 23-28, there were, after the three new churches had been received into the Conference, nine churches represented by twenty-three delegates. The Conference in Sweden now has two hundred and fifty members; this is a gain of fifty-seven during the year. At the beginning of the meeting there were about fifty of our brethren and sisters present, and their number increased to seventy before the meeting closed. At a workers' meeting held by Elders Matteson, Olsen, and Oyen for six days preceding the Conference, instruction had been given in canvassing, Bible-reading, book-keeping, and writing. Although this meeting was much smaller than similar ones held in America, we are sure it was a very profitable season for the ten or twelve who attended it. The colporters who enjoyed the privileges of this meeting go forth much better prepared to make a success of their work. At this meeting Brother C. Norlin, who has labored successfully as a colporter for several years, was ordained to the work of the ministry. This, with the fact that Elder Matteson has moved to Stockholm, gives Sweden three ministers. For some years in the past Brother O. Johnson has been the only minister in this Conference. In many respects Sweden appears to be a favorable place for labor. The people are earnest; many of them are dissatisfied with the formality of the State Church, and many who have left the State Church are looking for more light. Much has been accomplished in Sweden by the circulation of reading matter, and many interesting experiences were related in the colporters' meeting. Elder Johnson reported that in the locality where he last labored thirty persons have embraced the truth with but six weeks' labor, because their minds were prepared to receive the truth by reading matter which they had received from America. It seems that a brother in Kansas has been sending many papers and tracts to this locality for a period of five years. During this time he has received but very little encouragement from those who received the publications, nevertheless the reading matter was having an influence, and when Brother Johnson came to the neighborhood many were ready to receive the truth. The persons chosen as a Conference Committee for the coming year are J. G. Matteson, O. A. Olsen, O. Johnson, C. G. Hedin, and J. E. Oberg. Most of our brethren in Sweden are poor men who work hard for small wages, and they have not yet learned to do much towards sustaining their preachers. During the last year less than $80 has been paid into the Conference treasury, yet they seem hearty and earnest, and anxious that the work shall go forward. They have thought that there was nothing that they could do, but when the matter was laid before them showing that there was a work for each one to do, they promised to do their part, and took hold heartily in the organization of a Tract and Missionary Society. It was thought that one strong society would be more efficient than three small ones; therefore a Scandinavian Tract and Missionary Society was organized with an Executive Committee of five, composed of a president, secretary, and one member from each of the three Scandinavian countries. The officers chosen for the coming year were, President, O. A. Olsen; Secretary, Cecilie Dahl; members of the Executive Committee, for Sweden, J. G. Matteson; for Denmark, K. Brorsen; for Norway, A. B. Oyen. On Sabbath, June 26, an interesting Sabbath-school was conducted by Brother Oyen. A regularly organized school with classes, teachers, class recitations, and a general exercise, was a new thing to most of those present. Lesson slips had been printed and distributed to all present at the Conference. On Friday teachers were appointed and a teachers' meeting was held in which instruction was given as to the plan and order of the school. All seemed interested in the matter, and were prompt in attendance Sabbath morning. They were quickly organized into classes and the school opened at the appointed time. We have never seen a school of this kind pass off more promptly or with better order. Deep interest was shown in the lesson, which was upon the immutability of the law of God. When it was mentioned in a later meeting that they would sometime want to organize a Sabbath-School Association, the brethren urged that it be organized at once; and so a Scandinavian Sabbath-school Association was organized on the same general plan as the Tract Society. We believe that the holding of this school will lead to the organization of many similar ones in different parts of Sweden. The programme and general features of the meeting were similar to our general meetings in America. The early morning meetings were attended by nearly all of our people, and by others who were interested. In these meetings much practical instruction was given in the short talks of Mrs. E. G. White. The day was occupied by business meetings and in giving instruction about our work, and in the evening there was a sermon. At the evening preaching services, and on Sunday, there was a good attendance of the people of the town. The newspapers of the city published brief reports of the meeting. At one of the business meetings a resolution was adopted, recommending that a quarterly paper be published in the interest of the Missionary Society, and the Sabbath-school Association. In accordance with this request, the managers of the publishing house at Christiania have decided to issue a thirty-two page quarterly in Swedish and the same in Danish giving instruction in the missionary and Sabbath-school work.
W. C. WHITE.