p. 11 | L. R. CONRADI by L. R. CONRADI

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 14, 1913

L. R. CONRADI

By L. R. CONRADI

From the European Division

L. R. CONRADI

With the new year 1913, the European Division started out with two additional unions, the Central European and the Danube Union Conferences, making a total of eight union conferences, two union mission fields, and eight local missions under general management.

The first quarter’s summary is indeed ‘a promising omen for this year. Not less than 1,284 new members were received into church fellowship, and 1,107 of these were by baptism. This exceeds the additions in the same quarter of 1912 by 275. Our net gain was 655 against 529 last year. The largest net gain is shown by the West German Union, 242, with 340 additions. The next is the East German Union, having a net gain of 102, with 182 additions. Next come the General Conference missions in Africa, which show 81 gain and no loss whatever. The British Union added 119, with a net gain of 53. The Danube Union shows a net gain of 40, with 69 additions. The Latin Union, with 9 additions, has a net gain of 17, undoubtedly occasioned by accessions from other fields. The Scandinavian Union, with 47 additions, shows a net gain of 13. Three fields had losses. Though the Russian Union added 79 members, yet it shows a loss of 90. The Siberian Union added 10, and yet shows a loss of 4. The Levant Union added 2, and shows a loss of 1. These losses are partly accounted for by death, and 26 moved to America.

As far as the financial outlook is concerned, our tithe also shows a steady increase. The reported tithe for the first quarter was $86,701, but $1,200 was overlooked by the Scandinavian Union, and so the total was really $88,000, or $14,000 more than for the same quarter last year. The average tithe per member has again increased this quarter. The same is true of the offerings, which total $19,166, or $2,500 more than last year, and average per member sixty-six cents against sixty-five cents last year. Our book sales also show an increase of $3,500.

This increase is not so great when we take into consideration the increase in the number of our workers. In the same quarter of 1912 we had 165 ordained ministers, now we have 198, and our total number of gospel workers increased from 613 to 692. We are surely grateful to God for these additions to our working staff, and we hope and pray that as the old workers grow in efficiency, and the new workers multiply, we shall see greater results throughout the field.

With the increase of our conferences and missions, the general meetings also multiply, and it is quite a study to so distribute them throughout the year that the few general laborers can attend most of them, and that too much of the preaching force may not be tied up by them. During the first quarter of the year we have arranged to hold the twenty conferences in Germany proper, and the union committee meetings and audits throughout Europe. While in the past I generally arranged my work so as to be able to attend at least some of the German conferences, it was impossible this time on account of my visit to Africa. However, by starting the meetings in the West German Union early, Elder H. F. Schuberth was able to attend some of them, and Elder I. T. Boettcher spent two months in assisting in these conferences.

The rest of the help was supplied locally. All these meetings were well attended by our own people, and in many places there was an excellent outside attendance. A good spirit seemed to prevail everywhere, and the same officers were reelected throughout.

As Brother Guy Dail and I were busy in Africa until the last of January, we returned only in time for the union district and committee meetings. Reaching Naples February 17, I immediately proceeded to Gland, where the Latin Union committee was in session, and we had a very good time there.

Arriving in Hamburg, I found the West German Union District meeting convening, the union committee meeting to follow immediately. There was a good attendance, and this union voted something like $10,000 surplus tithe to our mission treasury. March 6-9 the East German Union District held its session at Magdeburg. This meeting was also well attended, both by our own people and outsiders. The union committee meeting was held in Friedensau, and all the East German conferences came forward nobly with surplus tithe to the union. After strengthening the working capital of the many mission fields and dividing with the Danube Union, they also turned in a surplus of about $2,500 to the European Division Conference.

From here I went immediately to Watford, where the British Union Committee met, and March 20-23 we held our district meeting in London. We were pleased to see so many of our people at this important meeting, and also such an excellent spirit prevailing. The work in this great city is making decided advancement since the district has been organized. The week following we were in Skodsborg, where we had the Scandinavian Union Committee meeting. Our last union meeting we held in St. Petersburg, April 9-13. The Lord indeed blessed us there. Elder Schuberth and I were in attendance from the outside, and all the members of the union committee were present. We so distributed throughout the city that we had three or four meetings every evening, and the halls were overcrowded. The work in this large city has made wonderful progress during the last few years since I have been there. Sunday I spent in Riga, and spoke several times to a crowded house.

After thus making the round throughout the division, we had a meeting of the division committee from April 29 to May 1, and then took the boat for New York, continuing our work all the way across to the General Conference.

Thus the first quarter of 1913 was in truth a busy time, but a blessed one. While we rejoice to see the number of members increasing throughout the union conferences in Europe, we are especially grateful that in this quarter not less than seventy-four souls were added in our oldest African field, the South Pare Mission, making a total of over one hundred members increase in East Africa.

Though our workers have increased faster than ever, and we try to keep pace as far as possible with the general advance in the cost of living, we were very thankful that the means coming in in tithes and offerings, with the additional and surplus tithe from conferences, amounted to so much that there was even a balance in the treasury after settling all the accounts for 1912. Thus still greater plans could be laid for the advancement and extension of the work.

We shall mention a few of the difficulties that have faced us. They seem to be increasing in different parts of the field. Our only depository in the Eastern Empire we found closed. Some of our canvassers in other fields were imprisoned, while many of our workers are under trial. In the Balkan States we were troubled and hindered by the cruel war. The uncertainty of political conditions in Europe also brought a financial depression. But in spite of all this our means increased, our institutions showed greater prosperity than ever, and there was a general advancement all along the line. But what might we see if we enjoyed the fulness of God’s Spirit and power, and were fully awake to his providences?