Northern European Division
Decided progress and courage are the keynotes of the latest report by Elder W. E. Read, secretary of the division, who writes: " We are very glad for the activities of the Ministerial Association, and count it a privilege that we as leaders and workers in God's cause can receive such help. During the past two or three years especially, there has been a real wave of evangelism spreading over the whole missionary force scattered throughout the old European Division. We find our native workers becoming imbued with the same spirit, and as I look at our mission fields I cannot help but feel that we have remarkable prospects before us in soul-winning effort. We appreciate The Ministry. We have decided to arrange for the journal to be sent free to our missionaries in Africa, and the inclosed order for forty-nine annual subscriptions will enable you to care for this matter."
Elder W. M. Landeen, writing from the office a few days later, refers to the strong Reading Course promotion which is going forward under his direction during the absence of Elder J. H. Schilling, the regularly appointed Ministerial Association secretary. We quote as follows: " The work got a late start, and it is too early yet to report the number of readers we have. I think, however, we shall have a nice list when everything comes in. In Scandinavia, Poland, and the Baltic Unions we have arranged for special Reading Courses. I just received a letter from Brother A. Sproge, of Riga, who looks after the interests of the Ministerial Association in the Baltic Union, saying that they have forty-eight workers taking the Reading Course in that field. We are writing out to the different conferences so as to get a complete list of all the readers in the various languages."
Southern European Division
Deepening interest and growing appreciation are expressed by President A. V. Olson, as follows: " The officers and other members of our division staff are deeply interested in the Ministerial Association. We appreciate the good work that it has accomplished in the past, and we believe that more and more the results of its uplifting and vitalizing influence will become apparent. Since the beginning of 1929, Elder Raft has concentrated his efforts within our division territory, and the results have been very gratifying. I understand that there are now sixty-seven workers taking the English Reading Course, and our Ministry list has been increased to ninety-eight. Our foreign language Reading Courses are becoming well established. In the French Course there are twenty-two enrolled at the present time, but there will be many more, and we consider this but the beginning."
Elder L. L. Caviness, division secretary, writes encouragingly of the present status of the work throughout the field, and incites to intelligent optimism rather than blind presumption. He states: " Southern Europe has been a hard field, and as we have read of the thousands accepting the truth in South America, Inter-America, Philippines, and in sections of Africa, we have been moved to a holy jealousy, and led to wonder when God would do similar things for us. Praise the Lord, the time has come when we are beginning to see the desired results.
" At our winter council, the leader of our work in Rumania reported that there were between 2,000 and 3,000 people throughout that country being instructed in baptismal classes, whom they hope to baptize during 1929. Our workers in Jugoslavia hope to reach a total membership of 2,000 before the time of the next General Conference. The work is going forward in France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, but alas! not so rapidly as we would like to see. In all these countries we are in desperate need of more workers, and we find that the most satisfactory results attend the training of workers right here on the ground. We have but one training school for France, Belgium, Italy, Jugoslavia, Spain, Portugal, and for all our mission fields in Africa, and it takes time to train workers. We often hear ministers and other workers refer to the carrying of the gospel to all the world as a task which is almost finished, but
I like to face facts fairly. Recently I have made a survey of the unentered fields among the colonies of the countries within the Southern European Division, and I have been startled to see the extent of the task still before us. When I think of the thousands, yes, millions, who are dying in these lands without a saving knowledge of the gospel, my heart cries out in the words of my Master, ' The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.' Pray for the work in Southern Europe."
The Far Eastern Division
From Prof. Frederick Griggs' office comes the request: " Please send us 200 Credit Cards for 1929 as soon as possible. Our workers are much pleased with the Reading Course this year, and several have already completed the course."
