THE WORK IN EUROPE by John Nevins Andrews

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 4, 1880

THE WORK IN EUROPE.

By John Nevins Andrews

THE following is an extract from the report of Eld. J. N. Andrews to our late General Conference. We give it, as the readers of the SIGNS will be interested in the particulars stated:—

It is with difficulty that I prepare a brief report of our work in the European Mission the past year. At the time of the last General Conference, I had just arisen from my sick-bed at Bale, determined that I would shake off ill health and go to work among the people. I was able to keep in the field a few weeks, and then had to take my bed, which I was unable to leave for a long time. Here I prayed and reflected.

I saw that there was no reason to hope that I could go out as a public laborer in a long time to come. But, as I think, the Spirit of God presented to my mind a plan of action by which the French-speaking people of Europe could be reached. It related to the use of our journal, Les Signes des Temps.

We had printed two thousand copies of each number, and the larger part of these copies was still on hand. It was suggested to my mind that lists of addresses should be procured, and that to each person we should send three successive numbers of our old papers, and then a copy of the last number; that with the first number we should send a letter of introduction, saying that we still publish our journal, and that we beg the privilege of sending a few specimen numbers. If these were of no interest to the receiver, we requested him to hand them to some of his neighbors. When we sent the fourth number, we sent with it a letter inviting the receiver to subscribe, but saying also that if he were unable to pay, but desired to receive the paper, we would continue to send it for a time free of charge. It seemed to me that the Spirit of God presented to me this plan of action while I was upon my sick-bed, and that it assured me that this method would succeed.

I did not know where we should get money for the postage, for I did not think it proper to take it from our funds which came from Battle Creek; but money came expressly for this purpose, and we went to work. The result has cheered us beyond measure. Notwithstanding all the difficulties of the undertaking, we have found how to bring the truth to the notice of the French people, not of a few persons merely, but of the masses. The people have responded to our letters and specimen numbers in such a manner as to fill our hearts with devout gratitude to God.

We have received from all parts of France and French Switzerland, and from other countries of Europe, the most cheering letters, accompanied with the money for our journal for one year or more. We have also received many letters from persons in all these countries expressing the highest commendation of our paper, but saying that they could not pay for it. Also many have sent us lists of addresses of persons to receive specimen numbers of our journal. It has seemed wonderful that our old papers, sent out as specimens with letters, have seemed to be equally acceptable with our new numbers. I remember but one case in which any one has mocked at them for being old papers. When we sent out papers without letters and without system, the greater part used to be returned to us. But we have made a careful estimate of the refusals under the present system, and find that they do not exceed one in sixty. By this I mean that nearly all who receive our journal retain it and suffer it to be read in their families.

You will understand that we take a list of one thousand or two thousand names, and send four papers in succession to each person, accompanied with letters; then, if we get no favorable response, we drop this list, and take as many more new names and repeat the process. We now consider our duty done for the present in the case of those who do not subscribe. Out of every such list we get a considerable number of favorable responses, and some subscribers with the money. But it is necessary to keep an alphabetical list of these names thus used, so that as we take new lists every few weeks we can strike from them all names that have been already used. Though the system we have adopted is simple, this work involves a great amount of labor.

Heretofore I have been greatly troubled because the door of access to the French seemed incapable of being opened whether by preaching or by publications. To-day I feel that a wide and an effectual door is opened, and that no man can shut it, if we ourselves continue true to God. We have found the journal, and not the tracts, the right arm of our power for our first aggressive action. So in our present poverty we have abandoned the printing of tracts, and have put all our strength on the paper, making every number the very best that we possibly can. These papers contain a good variety of live articles upon the most important points of our faith, and they are eagerly read. We have many proofs of this. There have been two remarkable providences that have favored this enterprise: 1. Sufficient money has come to pay all the postage without taking anything from Battle Creek. Twice we have received money from Russia for this purpose. 2. I have obtained the names of many thousands of Protestants in France, and that, too, of the class that give to the cause of God. I have more than we can use in several months, perhaps enough for a year.

The postage laws of Switzerland are remarkably favorable. We now have subscribers and friends active to help us at many points in France and Switzerland, also in Holland, Germany, Italy, and Russia. Though the increase of our little churches in Switzerland has been small, for I have been so feeble that I have had to leave them to themselves, and Bro. Ertzenberger has had much to do besides laboring for them, yet I consider that the number of friends created by sending out our paper has much more than doubled our strength in Europe the past year.

Our subscribers are not persons who receive Les Signes at the expense of somebody else, but they have sent us the money out of their own pockets, because they are interested to read our journal; and this class hold on. We have received during the year persons who send the money for themselves, sixty-one subscribers. Nearly every one of these is our active friend. Then not less than forty have asked for the paper, though unable at present to pay for it. The most of these interest themselves to circulate our paper, and also to send us lists of addresses.

God has turned our captivity. We have found out how to do his work, and that it is possible for us to reach the people. Though I have been so feeble and in so much danger of consumption, no previous year has shown results so encouraging. I no longer feel in doubt as to gaining the attention of the French people. God has opened before us an effectual door. If we could afford to print ten thousand copies of Les Signes, we could use every one of them to excellent advantage. It is very difficult for the living preacher to gain access to the people in any country on the Continent; for things are so shaped that in most cases all public halls can be closed against us by the village minister or by some rich man. In this state of things, it is evident that our right arm of power is our paper. When we have obtained a village directory we can preach the truth to the people of that place; and though the ministers quite often write us letters of remonstrance, they can do nothing effectual to shut out the truth. I take their letters and without giving names, answer them through our paper; and this works admirably. I know just what the minister says against the truth, and I can show up his argument to his own people. We have thus an effectual door open which our enemies cannot shut. In many of these villages we get subscribers, besides friends who cannot subscribe, but who labor actively to circulate our journal.

I am confident that our journal will open the way for the living preacher. My convictions are that the work in other countries of Europe will have to be opened in this same manner. If we had two or three thousand copies of a German paper to send out with letters, as we now send out our French paper, we could take lists of addresses and go to work efficiently at once. I make the same suggestion concerning England. It is true that the difficulties in the way of the living preacher are not so great as upon the Continent, yet they are very much greater than in America. Tents are used in England very freely, but it is by a class of men whose influence is not good; and hence the better classes in England are very reluctant to enter a tent. Halls are very expensive. Of course we must do our best with tents and what we can afford in the way of hiring halls. But our progress this way will be in the face of great difficulties, and considerable of our strength must be used in holding the ground we gain. A paper would add a hundred-fold to our strength. A paper printed in England would be better than one from America, for obvious reasons. But we cannot undertake a new journal in our present poverty and feebleness of resources. The SIGNS OF THE TIMES is an excellent paper, and will answer our purpose well if we can have enough copies. To make an effectual movement, we ought to have two thousand copies of the SIGNS. If a little real missionary spirit in behalf of England can be awakened among our brethren, this number of copies can be furnished without taking anything from the Battle Creek treasury. The postage in England is one cent for each copy sent out, or $20 for two thousand copies. If you say this is too heavy an expense, I answer, There is no other way we can do so much with the same money. If it cannot be met, we may as well abandon the attempt to get the present truth before England. But it can be done; for it ought to be done and must be done. We have many rich brethren who are piling up wealth, and could singly pay this postage bill. Besides this, it would not be long, were this plan put in operation, before a large part of this postage would come in from those who would receive the papers.

I have had ample opportunity to see the situation of the cause in England and to judge of its wants. I therefore in the strongest manner pray that this mission may be re-inforced by a full supply of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Bro. Loughborough is laboring hard to advance the work. I believe this mission wil accomplish a great work if it can be properly reinforced by a supply of suitable papers. Bro. Ings is laboring with untiring zeal in placing publications on the steamships which touch at this port, and also in selling and distributing papers and tracts everywhere. These brethren are doing all in their power to reach the people.

We are near the time when we shall not ask any more help from the treasury at Battle Creek for our French work. Till that time comes, we shall ask as little as possible. When it does come, we shall thank God, and consider how we can repay what we have received from America. We owe no debts in Europe; to you we owe much which we will repay when we can—if not to you, then to other missions.

Bro. Ertzenberger has just returned to Germany, after an absence of twenty-seven months. He finds all our friends steadfast, and everything in good order. Bro. E. is a man of God, who seeks to labor unselfishly and diligently in the cause. He has spent much time this year in translating into German.

I think the members in France, independent of our new subscribers, remain about the same as last year, but no one has visited them. Our friends in Italy are steadfast, and have had two or three additions. I think there is no change in Egypt, only that we do not have to sustain any expense in that country.

We extend to Bro. and Sr. White the most cordial invitation to visit the entire field and to see our state. They will not despise the day of small things, and we will gladly profit by their counsel. Or if the General Conference see fit to send a committee of our brethren, as heretofore proposed, we shall welcome them joyfully, and lay before them a full view of all our affairs.

Though this has been a most trying year to me, yet I count it by far the most prosperous year in our mission. God has taught us how to reach the people, and our work is now very encouraging. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. And so we thank God, and take courage.

We have received other subscribers besides those that I here report. These are the ones obtained by sending out our journal on trial with letters. Besides these, there are twelve thousand persons who had not received their second letter when Sister Oyer's report was made at Bale. From these we may reasonably hope for forty subscribers and a considerable number of friends who will ask the paper to read. One young brother in Switzerland has obtained seventeen subscribers.

Below, we give the statistics of the Sabbath-keepers belonging to our churches in Switzerland and Germany. This includes none of the new subscribers, who are scattered over several countries, and it includes none of our friends in France, Italy, Egypt, and Roumania. I suppose the number in those countries to be greater than that given in my report of last year. In consequence of feebleness, I have communicated with them very little by means of Les Signes.

No. of Sabbath-keepers in Switzerland, 148 " " " " " Germany, 40 " " " Sabbath-schools " Switzerland, 8 " " " " " " Germany, 2 " " " " " pupils in " 28 " " " " " " " Switzerland, 88 New Sabbath-keepers uniting with our churches in Switzerland, 12