More than ten years had elapsed since our workers in Northern Europe were able to get together in a workers' meeting. It was, therefore, with great expectation that our evangelistic workers looked forward to this institute to be convened in the Onsrud Mission School in Norway from August 1-10 this year. Over two hundred workers from the two Scandinavian unions, six from Holland, and one representative from Poland were present.
The ten days we spent together in study, prayer, and counsel fulfilled all our choicest expectations. The Spirit of God moved our hearts in a remarkable way, and right from the begin-. fling to the closing this gathering was permeated by much prayer. Besides the daily prayer and testimony meetings, groups of workers came together praying earnestly for a baptism of the Holy Spirit.
In his opening address G. A. Lindsay, president of the division, emphasized that our greatest need was a new baptism of the Holy Ghost, that we are living on borrowed time, and that God will finish His work and cut it short in righteousness. As Christ's fellow workers our greatest responsibility is to proclaim the good news of salvation in Christ among the fifty million people living inside the borders of this division.
A deep desire for a stronger evangelism was expressed again and again by the workers in their testimonies and prayers. All felt the need of deeper spiritual preparation and a new experience in communion with Christ in order to win more souls for the kingdom of Christ. "It is important to prepare our literature and sermons and all the techniques connected with our public efforts," said A. Rintala, president of the East Nordic Union, "but it is more necessary to consecrate our hearts in sweet communion with Christ in order to be one with Him in this solemn closing work."
As the days went by and workers from the different countries told their experiences in evangelism during the war, and how many hundreds of new converts had joined the Advent message in those trying years, we caught a new vision of our mighty Saviour, whose work of salvation neither war nor hunger, persecution nor prison can hinder. We who had the privilege of listening when our brethren from Finland told of the power of God in healing the sick and in subduing and converting sinners, received a vision of what God can do for us when we in self-sacrifice submit ourselves to Him. Similar experiences were also told by workers from other countries.
The daily program for the institute was divided in four parts : (I) Bible studies. Prayer and testimony meeting. (2) The minister and the church, covering the minister's responsibility as a shepherd for the flock, and associated subjects. (3) Public work. Evangelism. Personal work of the minister in soul-winning endeavors, methods, etc. (4) Miscellaneous, as Bible correspondence school, advertising, illustrating material, question hour, round table.
M. L. Andreasen, of the General Conference, received a hearty welcome from all the workers. His Bible studies on the Hebrews and the sanctuary question were highly appreciated.
R. A. Anderson, of the Ministerial Association of the General Conference gave to the institute a real uplift and inspiration during the four days he was able to stay with us. His sermon on the first Sabbath's forenoon emphasized anew the thought which permeated the entire meeting, that if the love of Christ abides in our hearts, a new day will dawn over our soul-winning work. "Of all professing Christians, Seventh-day Adventists should be foremost in uplifting Christ before the world."— Evangelism, p. 188. What the world needs is to see Christ glorified in our workers and our members. At the closing of his sermon Elder Anderson made an earnest appeal to this great congregation of workers to prepare their hearts for the outpouring of the Holy Ghost by a sincere confession of sins, just as the disciples did before the day of Pentecost.
The afternoon was occupied by a missions symposium. Several of our Scandinavian missionaries home on furlough attended the meeting and told many a touching experience from - their work in the mission field.
It was a real joy for all the workers to bid H. M. S. Richards, from the Voice of Prophecy, welcome when he arrived from England to spend a little time with us before going to France. Elder Richards told us of his experiences in the development of our world-wide radio work and the Bible correspondence schools. In his preaching he gave us a vivid illustration of how to present Christ in every sermon.
In the last twenty-five years we had never had a ten-day workers' meeting in Scandinavia, as far as I remember. But these ten days went by altogether too fast. They were crowded with teaching in every line of evangelistic and pastoral work. The importance of finding new ways and methods in our public work in order to reach the millions living in the great cities, in the thousands of villages, and out in the country, was discussed from day to day. But the outstanding feature of this meeting was the prayer and testimony meetings. Over and over both old and young workers expressed their heartfelt desire for a new experience in their personal life and a new power from above in their public work.
The last Sabbath was a real spiritual feast. Elder Andreasen spoke to us in a quiet and calm way about the gift above all gifts, the wonderful love of our Father in heaven as revealed in our dear Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In the afternoon we had an evangelistic symposium. Brethren representing the different countries in Scandinavia told many a touching experience from their evangelistic work during and after the war.
Our Ingathering work is now going on all over the division, and we are praying and working for greater results than ever before. We believe that this workers' meeting will have a lasting influence for a great forward movement in our work in proclaiming the message.
Workers' Meeting in Poland
In the middle of the ruins of Europe's most destroyed city, Warsaw, a meeting for our Polish workers was held August 14-20. We were happy to have F. D. Nichol with us a few days. He talked to us on the "Distinctive Marks of Seventh-day Adventists," emphasizing the importance of getting ready for the coming of our Lord by purifying, ourselves from all sin. Only the clean in heart can see God. "In spite of war and ruins, hunger and nakedness," said Elder Nichol, "we must reveal to the world joy and happiness in our expectation of the soon coming of our Lord and Saviour. Let the world see our uplifted heads and beaming eyes, while we are waiting and doing His work."
The president for the Polish Union, J. Kulak, and all the workers from the three conferences were present—about twenty-five in all. This little group of workers headed by their indefatigable union president, have worked hard, sometime S day and night to rehabilitate the work in Poland after the war.
Our workers' institute in Warsaw was held in a dark back yard where the church has a rented meeting hall, and one room and kitchen which for a long time have served as conference office, dining room, and bedroom for a family. A new house, or rather a house in ruins, has been bought, and in due time the union conference and church will be adequately housed for all kinds of church activities. We had a blessed and profitable meeting, covering such subjects as evangelism, pastoral work, and home missionary work.
Before the war the staff of workers in Poland was more than double what it is now, so the need for more workers is great. If everything materializes as hoped for, a school for our young people will open in Krakow this autumn. I have never seen so many young people in our churches anywhere in the world as here in Poland. The South Polish Conference, with a little over twelve hundred members, has about six hundred children besides the young people. So you well understand that the majority of the constituency in this conference does not consist of old people. With such an army of young people there is the best of prospects for the Advent Movement in that country. Our membership in Poland is now more than two thousand and five hundred.
The seven days we spent together were marked by the sweet influence of the Holy Spirit, and a brotherly love bound us together in Christ. The various subjects were freely discussed by all present and much time was spent in prayer and testimonies. Before our meeting came to a close, all the workers consecrated themselves anew for a strong soul-winning campaign for the coming year.
AXEL VARMER.
