REPORT FROM SWITZERLAND by John Nevins Andrews

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, January 1, 1880

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 1

REPORT FROM SWITZERLAND.

By John Nevins Andrews

We have just closed our sixth annual Conference, our first being held a few weeks after my arrival in this country five years ago. Our Conference this year convened at Locle, Sabbath evening, Nov. 14, and terminated on first-day, Nov. 16. It was in several respects the best Conference we have ever had in this country. Our brethren have been slow to learn the things necessary for the advancement of the cause of Christ, and have not always been as ready as they should be to co-operate in the work. At this Conference all seemed desirous to engage in the work with zeal and consecration.

Some of our brethren have greatly hindered the work of the tract society by constantly saying that no one is benefited by receiving the tracts, and that the labor and expense of tract distribution are thrown away. At this Conference several persons were present who had been converted by reading tracts. This was an argument in behalf of tract work which entirely changed the feeling on the subject. The brethren voted to make renewed and persevering effort in the tract and missionary work. I shall use my best endeavors to see that this resolution is carried into effect.

They also voted in favor of a more perfect organization of our churches and our Conference. This will be immediately acted upon. The subject of Sabbath-schools was considered, and it was decided to adopt the system of our American brethren in place of the less efficient system now in use in Switzerland. The duty of giving one-tenth of our income to the cause of God was made clear to the mind of every person present, and so far as I know, every individual connected with our cause intends to carry it into effect.

At this Conference I made an earnest appeal to the brethren with respect to the duty of making our work self-sustaining. I called attention to the fact that the financial distress which has crippled us, during the entire period of my residence in Switzerland, has been in consequence of unwise management of means, so that nearly all our brethren have been embarrassed. It has seemed impossible in time past to remedy these errors, but the time has now come when this will be possible; and the brethren have learned by experience what they could not learn by being told. We are grateful to the brethren in America for the assistance that they have so generously rendered, but we are fully determined to accomplish an entire change in our financial affairs. Our first duty is to make our work self-sustaining, and this we hope, by the blessing of God, soon to accomplish. Our next duty will be to repay the money received from America, in rendering equal assistance to some other mission where this will be needed. I hope to see this accomplished at no distant day.

I have never felt so much encouraged as at the present time. It now seems possible to surmount the difficulties that have hindered our work. I have never at any time in America seen so great an accumulation of difficulties as we have had to meet in Europe. But though these things have rendered the progress of our work slow and painful, there has been, nevertheless, some progress all the time; and there is much reason to hope that we are about to see a great advance in the work. I can now be absent from Bâle the most of the time, and I hope not only to labor myself for the advancement of the work, but also to engage all of our people in active missionary work.

Two persons received credentials at this Conference, and seven received licenses. Instruction was given with respect to the duties of licentiates, and in what manner they should give proof that they are called of God to take part in this work. I have never before seen so much of a disposition to receive instruction of this kind. Sixty Sabbath-keepers took part in the Conference. In Switzerland there are 137 members; in Germany, 37; in Turkey, 20; and in France, Italy, and Egypt, the other countries connected with this mission, there are enough to make our entire number 225. This, of course, includes none that are connected with the mission of Eld. Matteson or with that of Eld. Loughborough.

I have recently succeeded in obtaining a large number of addresses of Protestants in France, and to these we purpose to send our French paper for a certain period. If any of the tract societies in America desire to aid us in this work, we will thankfully accept their assistance. We will do all the work ourselves, in the same manner that it is done by the tract societies in America, and only ask those who are willing to do so to aid us by paying for such a number of copies to be sent into France as they shall feel able to pay for.

Bro. Ertzenberger has labored faithfully in Switzerland during the past year. Our statistics show an increase of twenty-five members in Switzerland during this time. For the present he will labor with me in carrying out the action of the Conference in regard to organization and tract, missionary, and Sabbath-school work. I may then visit Bro. Ribton in Egypt, calling on the way on our friends at Valence in France, and at Torre, Pellice, and Naples in Italy. During my absence, Bro. Ertzenberger will probably visit our friends in Germany.

We hope very soon to have the assistance of Bro. Albert Vuilleumier in our work. He has been hindered hitherto by his embarrassments. His help will make a very great addition to our strength.

Our paper, during the whole period of its publication, has borne a faithful testimony on the subject of temperance, and it has wrought a marked change in the practice of its readers. I send a very full report to the General Conference, of all things relating to this mission. I trust it arrived in season.

I have known for many years that there is a denomination of Christians in Eastern Russia, called Malakani, who believe in the near advent of Christ. A recent writer in MacMillan’s Magazine, London, gives a very interesting account of this people. Many thousands of them keep the seventh day. I have prepared an article for our French paper concerning this denomination, and forward it to the Review. They received their light on Christ’s near advent from the writings of Bengel, of Germany, who thought Christ would come about 1836. The Malakani are not the only Sabbath-keepers in Russia. There is an older denomination numbering several hundred thousands, if we may credit the reports that have reached us from several apparently reliable sources.

To-day is the anniversary of my daughter’s death. I cannot tell why one who promised to be so useful should be taken away. God’s judgments are a great deep.

J. N. ANDREWS.

Bâle, Nov. 27, 1879.