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clielitage
Rendezvous 4
Someone Has to Tell Them What it Was Like Jack Thorpe
We Never Gave Up on Hope Elsworth Hetke
Prelude 6
Beginning of the Organized SDA Church in Canada Myrna Tetz
Education 46
About Canada's Schools Myrna Tetz and Others
The Church Schools
Canadian Union College and Kingsway College
Pioneer 58
Canada East and Canada West: Two Pioneer Families Dorothy Minchin-Comm and Hervey Gimbel
THE rDITOR's 5TU M P
Our initial vision of devoting an entire issue of cluded in a single issue of Heritage? Well, we confess
Adventist Heritage to the story of the Seventh-day to having made a mistake, for, after all, we are dealing
Adventist church in Canada has almost overwhelmed only with finite space. Hence, you have before you
us. While that nation may seem to be but a rather a double issue. (The next journal may, therefore, be
thin line of "civilization" spread across the top of the a little slimmer than usual.) Here you will survey the
North American con- history of the early years among Canadian churches,
tinent, one should institutions, and their conferences. While our his-
never make the mistake tory here does not, in the main, go beyond the 1930's,
"small" about this through the story may extend into more recent
grass-roots Adventism, and of the independence ERRATUM: We apologize for a misnomer in our
last issue. Wilton Clarke is always Wilnever
bred in a huge, unforgiving landwhich still teems Winston Clark. We know who Winston is too
(former president of the Far Easter Division and
with wild life living in clean air under high-domed sometime secretary to the president of the General
Conference). Wilton, however, is day by day, to be
blue skies. found in his mathematics classroom at La Sierra
University. And so he had a second bad turn from us
Knowing all of these things, then, how could we when, in the last issue on page 21, we name Wil as the
husband of his mother Esther! That should read
have imagined that the whole story could be in- "Fred". Wil has been very patient with us!
For years I've been fascinated by old, abandoned "the everlasting covenant between God and every
houses. During our last trip into Bella Coola, an living creature" (Gen 2:12-17). (Not that He'd ever
isolated coastal town of British Columbia, we stopped forget. But He speaks to us in our own language.)
to photograph a few of them. As we would 3. Tabernacle. A holy place of witness
leave the old homesites, I kept wondering in the wilderness.
why this attraction. Why this fetish? What 4. Sabbath. Observance of the seventh
did these empty, tumbledown old buildings day is a memorial to God's creation.
so captivate me? With time to reflect as we 5. High Days. Great temple feasts and
drove over those historic roads, I decided celebrations which rehearse God's
that the reason for my fascination came providences and blessings.
, rte
from what many of those houses may have -C7 6. The Communion Service. A re-
symbolized. Things, which, in varying de- minder pointing back to Jesus' sacrifice.
grees, are lost to us today: 7. Nature. A reflection of the magnifi-
*A father, mother and children, cence of God.
representing happiness, To be sure, all of these enactments of God are for
*Central heating, mandating togetherness, the purpose of our remembering. Indeed, "Heritage
*Survival, symbolizing a united challenge for the does teach everythingeven the future." It is not
entire family, something which we can conscientiously ignore or
*A wood cookstove, producing homemade bread, avoid. It's a topic we must addresslest we forget. .
berry pies and savory soup and suggesting
commitment, To produce a magazine with a synopsis of the
*Handmade clothes, representing resourcefulness, history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in
*Family worship, indicating belief in God, and Canada has been a venture involving the efforts of
*High dayslike Thanksgiving, Christmas, town dozens of individuals. We thank the presidents of the
days, birthdays, weddings and partiesshowing Canadian conferences who made writing assign-
community. ments. Appreciation also goes to Marilyn Pazitka at
And what does all of this have to do with our the Union office who so cheerfully helped in the
church? I believe it has everything to do. We must project, to those who told me stories and sent pic-
decide what place the past will hold in our plans for tures, and to those who wrote articles.
the future. Is heritage, in fact, God-ordained, or is it Heritage does teach everythingeven the future.
the erratic scheme of some long-forgotten personal- Myrna Johnson-Tetz
ity? What would be lost if heritage is lost? And, what Vice President for Public Relations
would be gained if heritage is preserved? Canadian Union College
God has initiated so many rememberings.' (see College Heights, Alberta, Canada
references)
1.Altars and Offerings. Aaron's breastplate bore References: (1) Ex 28:29; (2) Gen 2:12.17, PP106-107; (3)
the names of the children of Israel. Acts 7:44, PP 343, Heb 9:23.24; (4)PP 48, 336; (5) PK 335, 405;
2. Rainbows. God's glorious remembrance of (6) Lk 22:19; (7) Ps 19:1,2, PP 48.
By Jack Thorpe
old, she reared her son in the Adventist faith 0 Time, I' ve just left the campground dedicated to
which she and her husband had recently accepted. the living God at Hope, British Columbia. This year
From the start, Jack was an entrepreneur and his over 7,000 people came for seven days of campmeeting
projects have ranged from buying and selling beer blessing in unspoiled nature.
bottles when he was 13 to owning and Did you see, Time, the beauty of that
managing several businesses. He and valley, nestled basket-like below the towering
his wife Esther started the first Sev- scrags of rock and enclosed by thousands of
enth-day Adventist church school in trees singing to the wind? Did you notice
Oliver, British Columbia. He believes those campmeeting-lovers, your time-
that his family has been blessed because touched aged and the fledglings together,
of their commitments to the Lord. walking the ribbons of tar-topped roads
When he was six years old, Jack between the Lodge and the auditorium and
went to his first campmeeting, an event among the cabins?
which made a lasting impression on Still, Time, with your invisible power
him. Since then he has attended you touch all things . And today my lagging
campmeetings almost every year of his Jack Thorpe body bewilders me, as the inevitable creeps
life. His recollections are most closely from joint to joint. How long, I wonder,
associated with the permanent camp- before you point your icy finger in my face
site near the town of Hope on the Fraser River, and say, "Your time shall be no more."
British Columbia. Although he claims to be But, Time, give me just one more gift before you
"barely able to read and write," he has here re- let me go . . . . The people must know about this place
called his memories of campmeetings past with where the angels watch. Someone must tell them what
humor and imagination. it used to be like . . .
RENDEZVOUS 5
Some nights we could see the sky on fire with crets to each other, and the snores of those who'd
lightning. We could hear the roar of thunder already found sleep. Their nasal deliberations
bouncing from mountain scrags to more scrags would continue until the camp bell rang early in
while the rain came down with firehose-force. We the morning.
would move our supplies to miss the leaks in the That camp bell! Oh, how I loved the
tent, only to find a small running creek entering campmeeting bell. That off-tune piece of cast-
one end of the tent, through the "slight indenta- iron alerted the saints to come to worship. Like
tion," under our bed of boughs, and then flowing bees going to the hive, they came from the tents
out the other side. and from the cook-fires. Children came from play,
In the morning, in the downpour, we raced to and men came from swapping yarns. The old bell
the cookhouse for hot food and warmth. In the governed the camp activities from early morn to
meeting tent we sat on planks suspended on any- its now-time-to-sleep ring.
thing that would hold them up. We sat with our Then there were the young who'd grown from
wet shoes on damp sawdust and our wet clothes last year's gawking youngsters into young men and
enveloped in blankets torn hastily from our fir- women. The youthful ladies wore their best cre-
bough beds. ations of cotton and lace, and the boys dressed in
On other nights, with the Canadian Northern their mail-order suitsprobably one that an older
Railway bordering the camp, the engineers must brother had left behind. The mystery of mysteries
have been bored to tears by the unending mo- was how a young lady with downcast eyes and a
notony of hundreds of miles of unending steel boy, sly as a fox, could pass on the walkway
track. So now it's 3.00 o'clock in the morning. I pretending to look in an opposite direction, yet
can visualize the sly smile broadening that soot- each knowing how attractive the other was. In
covered face. Under the controlling hand of an meetings they sat conveniently close, but should
engineer, the whistle blows with a volume almost they both glance at each other at the same time, a
beyond description. The towering mountains that great deal of blushing and head-turning would
trough the rolling thunder from 150 pounds of result. One thing certainthey'd both be in
steam pressureand there's a noise beyond deaf- attendance at next year's campmeeting.
ening. It was brain-numbing. And sleepers leaped The campmeetings of those days were more of
off, their fir-bough mattresses as the train thun- an evangelistic crusade. Decisions were made for
dered through. Christ. It was a cleansing time for the local
The campfires of campmeeting lit the dark- church, and the Holy Spirit had an opportunity to
ened nights and provided smoke that stung the be felt and to do His healing work. In meetings,
eyes of mothers as after the piano was played (accompanied by the
they stirred the orchestration of the rain), we sang, we prayed, we
family broth. heard the Word of Hope and Life, and we counted
Also, they re- our blessings.
duced the ever- As the years rolled by, the railway coaches
increasing mos- improved. Diesel engines took the place of those
quito population. wonderful steam engines, and the roads of the
In the quiet of the pioneers became modern highways. Although
night we could much of our beautiful forests have been harvested,
hear the tinkle of beauty unlimited remains.
a halter chain as 0 Time, this year again we will come to the
horses grazed and grandest holiday of alla pre-taste of the future when
rested, the cry of the saints of God will assemble to praise His Holy
night birds, the Name. As we remember the past, help us to be grateful
While campmeetings have come and gone at Hope, British
Columbia over the years, the natural beauty of the mountains whispers of trees for campmeeting today, even as we look forward to the
hovering over the tents in the valley has never changed. telling their se- great heavenly campmeeting to come.
By Elsworth Hetke
RENDEZVOUS 7
of the Nash, I received most of the benefit of the upon us more and more frequently. . . . Never
hissing sprays of steam. Hours went by, but they mind! We were on the way to campmeeting.
were no drudgery to menot for a boy who, until At last, we rolled past Hell's Gate and on into
1943, had travelled only by horse and buggy. Hope, where we quickly settled into our enjoyment.
(Indeed, the trip from Winnipeg to Kelowna to Two days later Dad arrived.
put the Hetke kids into a Christian school had Now I knew that we'd reached a real
been my first train ride.) Hence, going to campmeeting. The smell of the canvas tents, the
campmeeting under motor-power was high ad- huge auditorium, the sawdust-covered floor, the
venture. benchesit almost overwhelmed the senses of a
Steep and narrow, by today's standards, the nine-year-old. . . .Ah, yes! Those benches! Built
road wound through Falkland, Westwold and for utility but most certainly not for comfort, they
Monte Lake. The mechanically activated brakes each offered a one-board backrest. It bent and
created hot smells and loud noises as we ground bowed to the pressure of adult loggers, farmers and
down the hill from Monte Lake to join the Trans- housewives. The same board, however, caught me
Canada highway. At last we reached Kamloops. It right at the nape of the neck. Many a kid who fell
became apparent by then, however, that with all asleep on a campmeeting bench "trickled" through
the stops "to cool things down" (both radiators the gap between seat and backrest. Surely he
and brakes), we'd not make it to Hope in one would have fallen into the sawdust below, except
day-100 miles covered and 200 more to go. for one thing. One actually couldn't fall off the
But we pressed on, the climb out of Kamloops seat. No. More than likely the seat of one's pants
once more spraying steam over us. Finally the road
descended to the Thompson River, toward Cache
Creek. We passed an old orchard planted by an
English visionary who'd built a flume, extending
for many miles along the side of the road. Long
before he finished the project, however, he went
broke. Both flume and orchard stood as exemplars
of Bums' line: "The best laid plans of mice and
men go oft awry!" Our own efforts to reach Hope
were about to become another monument.
With the Nash in the lead and the Essex
trailing somewhere behind, we steamed through
Cache Creek. We'd almost made Ashcroft when
the sudden demise of the differential on the Essex
halted all further progress. My German-speaking
father (who knew only limited English) was thor-
oughly frustrated by this episode with his very first
car. His heavy accent permitted him to call the
Essex by its correct nameand, at the same time,
also to describe its ailment accurately.
We took several boxes out of the Essex and
piled them onto the back of the already-full Nash.
Three or four more people climbed aboard with
me. Promising to follow as soon as he could, Dad Mom and the rest of the family aslo posed in front of the "new" car,
stayed behind to get the car repaired. (In all, the parked in front of the Hetkes' twelve-acre apple orchard in East
Kelowna, British Columbia. (L-R) Florence, Mother Natalia
Essex had five different "rear ends" while we owned Hetke, Nettie, and Agnes. Asserting his natural masculine "car
it.) Now the Nash really had to struggle to get interest" among his sisters and mother, young &swarth sits proudly
through the Fraser Canyon, steam showers falling on the hood of the Essex.
RENDEZVOUS 9
PR ELUDE
E stablishing union conferences was a new idea among Seventh-day Adventists in early 1901.
Church leaders, however, sensed a need for stronger ties among the churches in North America. Therefore,
at a meeting of the General Conference, they decided to divide the continent into five union conferences.
At first the Canadian provinces were joined to the areas of the United States nearest to them. The
Eastern Union included parts of the U. S. as well as the Maritimes, Newfoundland and Quebec. Ontario
was incorporated into the Lake Union while Manitoba joined the North West Union and British Columbia
the Pacific Union. The provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan had not yet come into existence.
Within a few months it was seen that for practical purposes the territories were too vast. At a meeting
of church leaders in South Lancaster, Massachusetts on November 27, 1901, the Eastern Union relin-
quished control of all Canadian territories. Thus the original five were greatly reduced, and new unions were
identified. The North West Union split into two. The Manitoba Mission Field, along with Alberta and
Saskatchewan and the Central Union, was assigned to the Northern Union.
The enormous distances prevented any close tie between the East and the West.
So, for twnety-five years, there existed an Eastern Canadian Union and a Western
Canadian Union.
PRELUDE 11
would be employed who was not a faithful tithe- interesting question: "These people, in our opin-
payer. (3) Rallies on Christian education were to ion, are bound in the not distant future to be no
be encouraged in the church, because "this is an mean factor in Alberta, and, as such, are their
unfortunate age for the young in which the spirit doctrines and beliefs being given the attention
of abandon and self-indulgence that besets the they deserve?"
youth with special temptations and dangers." And The Depression years hit Canada hard, both
(4) The conferences should all "launch an active East and West. In 1930 the cash on hand for the
evangelistic program in an effort to reach all our Western Canadian Union Conference was $100,
young people during 1928.) with $682.66 in the bank. The telephone bill was
210.67 and postage ran to $176.71. A minister's
The Western Canadian Union annual salary was $2,137.83, and women officer
Originally the territory of British Columbia workers earned 35 cents an hour.
was divided two ways. The western part of the
province joined the North Pacific Union while The Canadian Union Conference
the remainder became part of the Upper Colum- Upon the recommendation of General Con-
bia Conference. The British Columbia Confer- ference leaders in 1932, the two Canadian unions
ence organized in 1902 with the Manitoba Mis- merged to become The Canadian Union Confer-
sion following a year later. The Alberta Mission ence of Seventh-day Adventists. M. N. Campbell
came into being in 1904, and two years later it was the first president of the amalgamated unions,
became a conference. The Saskatchewan Mission followed by W. B. Ochs and H. L. Rudy.
organized on January 1, 1907. An examination of early Messengers and Tid-
The organizational meeting of the Western ings reveals an emphasis on the distribution of
Canadian Union was held in the Leduc German tracts, books and other truth-filled literature. Also
church in Alberta. Professor E. L. Stewart served on sacrificial giving and personal witnessing. Pub-
as the first president (1907-1910).4 Describing lic evangelism and concerns for the youth took
the convention, the local newspaper raised an high priority.
Through the years, then, there
has been little change in what the
/account with the 1Royal sank of Canaba church stresses. The changes have
'14t occurred as the church has grown in
numbers, faced new challenges, and
,C1//( '/ 928%( 4 / 77.F' adjusted to the "increased knowledge
r4.4,. 27'1U74.3 113 in these modern days." One would
C' 20 1 0 26 71191 479,r1
L77f os- Zq l97 yrs
nn like to believe that some things never
7,90 369 3 d a" changededication, sacrifice, loy-
1170 91)it ./2o0 2_
13 11S5-- ro kakt /vs/ 5-e et: alty. Today the Seventh-day Adven-
S- 9f 9r 7r :. V-0 e 0 Wg ~x o9Y94 tj tist church membership in Canada
rzf7.. -/
/6 //i6 A)'/ 1 f09 /5
has increased to nearly 40,000. As
/fr et o Qs- ie 3, the heritage of her past influences the
29rs0 3, 73534. ,z plans and dreams for the future of the
y j q L 3. N314
2t ' g 57i o5
44)0,r
/4" 0 church in Canada, the members to-
5. 0 4 3.4) ; 67tc
/CI. '., 131111 is 6
3. slrr( _ /00
/ 9c1 ;. 0! '1 II 71 5-7 In 1924, the Western Canadian Union
`to k97 . to /so Conference had quite a slim account with the
or //9y/4 // Royal Bank of Canada. At the end of October
99 /id/ yf
ql 5- ? 2655 that year the organization had nothing but a
31 29z17 - debit of $599.00. Every dollar meant huge
sacrifice, and treasurers, to be sure, had to
"live by faith."
except as they forget the way the Lord ern Canadian Union were: H. S. Shaw, C. church school teacher. Then he taught
has led in the past." F. McVagh, and A. C. Gilbert. history and Ukrainian at Canadian Junior
College. He also edited the Ukrainian
Sources paper, Watchman for Truth. Later, he
worked in the eastern Canadian confer-
1The material for this article was
ences. (Monteith, 107)
gleaned from the records on file at the
20Letter to Myrna Tetz from Anne
offices of the Seventh-day Adventist Hryirchuk-Samograd, 1991.
Church in Canada, Oshawa, Ontario. Also "One fifteen-year-old boy, after his
from several publications: The Eastern baptism in Mymam, had to spend his Sab-
Canadian Union Messenger; The Western Alberta Sources
baths hiding in the cellars of some of the
Canadian Union Tidings; and J. Ernest Continued from page 53.
church members while his old brothers
Monteith, The Lord is My Shepherd. "One proud tradition, reported by
hunted for him in order to beat him.
2Any record of the history of the Stella B. Lowry, secretary of the Sanitarium
22Letter to Myrna Tetz from Eva
Adventist Church in Canada must be Association, is that Ellen White sent
Melnechuk-Proskiw (1991), concerning
heavily indebted to the work of J. Ernest testimonies to Elder Boynton regarding
her parents. Mike and Kathryn Melnechuk
Monteith, The Lord is my Shepherd. Edited location and plans for this institution.
arrived in Alberta with five daughters and
by Malcolm and Lorine Graham and "The Medical Missionary, June, 1905.
then added five more children to the fam-
Published by the Canadian Union Con- At one point the workers had to live in a
ily. All ten have married Seventh-day
ference of the S. D. A. Church, c 1983. tent in order to make room for more
Adventists and six of them attended Uni-
3J. L. Wilson was the father of J. W. patients in the building. By 1907 the
versity.
Wilson who eventually became president sanitarium had moved into a thirty-room
23J. Ernest Monteith, The Lord is My
of the Canadian Union Conference. brick building.
Shepherd, 108.
24Cal Smith and Peter Rick were
brothers-in-law. Peter Rick and his wife
served four years in the mission service in
India before going to Peace River. For
one entire year the Alberta Conference
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada (1991) could not afford to pay them any wages,
Oshawa, Ontario so they worked at any jobs they could
find. He was not ordained until 1924.
Alberta Conference (1906). Red Deer, Alberta. Churches, 56; membership, 7,411. Attached emotionally to the great north
President: Don Corkum. country, the Ricks finally moved to
Fairview in 1928 to make their perma-
British Columbia Conference (1902). Abbotsford, British Columbia. Churches, nent home.
65, membership, 8,213. President: Ronald Watts. "The Calvin Smiths not only worked
extensively for Indians, but they also put in
Manitoba-Saskatchewan Conference (1903). Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. a particularly self-sacrificing year in 1918,
Churches, 39; membership, 2,924. President: Lester Carney. nursing many through the flu epidemic.
AileenAlbersworth, ed., A Lightin the Peare .
Maritime Conference (1902). Moncton, New Brunswick. Churches, 27; mem-
bership, 1,753. President: Robert Schafer. (Grande Prairie: Menzies Printers, 1908),
53-87.
Ontario Conference (1899). Oshawa, Ontario. Churches, 85; membership, "Albersworth, 3-7.
15,333. President: Richard Bacchus. "In addition to the Reiswigs, other
early families in Peoria were: Berg, Prosser
Quebec Church Conference (1880). Longueuil, Quebec. Churches, 36; mem- and Seibel.
bership, 3,138. President: Robert Samms. "Adventist families associated with
the Belloy-Smoky River district included:
Newfoundland and Labrador Conference (1895). St. John's, Newfoundland. Prosser, Bohnke, Grauman, Schultz,
Churches, 9; membership, 657. President: David Crook.
Boettcher, Littman and Comm.
PRELUDE 13
QUEBEC
While the St. Lawrence valley of Quebec, Canada, had been settled
by French immigrants in 16th-century. In the late 18th-century, the
mountainous land east of the valley was occupied by United Empire
Loyalists who abandoned the new Republic of the United States.
English, Irish and Scots settled in this southeastern corner of the
provinceknown as the "Eastern Townships," and they retained an
affinity for their American neighbors to the south. Three major factors
helped the spread of Adventism in this district in the 19th century.
First, kinship brought people together. William Miller visited his
sister who lived in Hatley, in Stanstead county. In fact, he made five trips
between 1835 and 1846.2 On each of these journeys he vigorously
preached the Second Coming of Christ. Also, Hatley became the first
town in North America to host a Millerite Campmeeting in June, 1842,
during a visit of Josiah Litch.3 The Eastern Town-
ships were also visited by Joshua V. Himes and
other early leaders, both before and after the Great
Disappointment.' And finally, the flood of Mil-
lerite and early Seventh-day Adventist publica-
tions had an enduring effect on Canadian readers,
and one finds in them frequent letters from believ-
ers in the Eastern Townships.5
QUEBEC 15
in another summer campaign, the local newspaper reported that twenty "heads of family" had converted and that
ten to twelve were preparing already for baptism.16 Later in the year, Owen held further meetings in South
Stukely, a few miles north of Bolton, and in July three families had accepted Adventist teachings."
Firm believers in public evangelism Bourdeau and Owen pitched their tent in the public park in Waterloo,
six miles west of South Stukely. July1,1876, opened a series of lectures which, at the rate of eight meetings a week,
would last for two months. The local Waterloo Advertiser not only carried advertising for the orderly and well-
attended18 meetings but also gave detailed accounts of the preaching.
By mid-August the Sabbath Question was on everyone's mind. Again, the Advertiser helped spread the word,
printing a long article on the Sabbath which presented arguments from
history and documentation for the change of the day of worship.19 Bourdeau
and Owen were pleased with the outcome of this first large crusade in
Canada. By October Bourdeau reported that thirty people had been baptized
and that he'd begun meetings in French to accommodate the French-
41P Ariab
speaking population in the area.2
The next month Bourdeau and Owen moved their families to Waterloo
and started regular meetings on Tuesday evenings. He reserved Wednesday
elP.71*-
evenings for South Stukely and went to Bolton for worship services on
Sabbath. All winter evangelistic meetings went on in Warden, Dillington
and Waterloo, and yet another congregation was organized."
On September 30,1877, sixteen members joined themselves to form the
"Stukely and Bolton Church."" They met in a stone school-house near the
William Booth" home in West Bolton. At last, the planning of a church
building seemed to be justified, and in the spring of 1880 the members began
the construction of their own place of worship in South Stukely.24 Mean-
while the other three churches organized before 1877 (Richford and Sutton,
Sutton and Dunham, and Westbury and Eaton) had been disbanded. South
Stukely, therefore, moved into first place as the oldest Seventh-day Adventist
Church in Canadathough they were, in fact, the third Canadian congregation.
Expansion Begins
Bourdeau and Owen worked tirelessly and endlessly, but they had even
greater ideas for the future of Adventism in Canada. They found a suitable
camp site in Magog, near beautiful Lake Memphremagog, and called for a
camp meeting. The campmeeting custom had originated with the Method-
ists and passed on to the Millerites, both groups using the gatherings to good
advantage. Not only was campmeeting a time of annual revival for church
members, but it also included non-believers and became a time for sharing
HARVEST INGATHERING
ing the death of James White the previous Sunday. A deep SACRIFICE WEEK
ANNUAL OFFERING
the joys ofjust one year ago. A. C. Bourdeau and D. M. Canright SABBATH SCHOOL
FOREIGN missiorips
held a memorial service on Sabbath afternoon. ULU, A. C. BOURDEAU, Vermont, and
124 R. A. OWEN, Michigan, will given course
RELIGIOUS LI
1876, describes the nature of evangelism as conducted in the "Big Tent" by A. near th,Pork, at Waterlon.nommeneing -
C. Bourdeau (from Vermont) and R. S. Owen (from Michigan). Right: SATURDAY, 1st JULY, TOTA,..mne7FYiittEIVEO
Church treasurer's receipt, South Stukely Church, Quebec, September 13, L 7.301'. 31.,and continuing evening., Fridge
74;77:11173';
1930. roittanee free, and no collection..
QUEBEC 17
Outreach remained a strong motivation, as always. But presentations were balanced enough to break down
prejudice. When twenty-four people came forward at one of the social meetings, one doubting observer said: "I have
heard that you only seek to make proselytes from other people, but never convert souls to Christ. What I have seen
today is sufficient to refute this story." The next day 1000 people witnessed fifteen candidates baptized in the lake.35
The first French-speaking Seventh-day Adventist evangelists were the Bourdeau brothers. While they gave
much of their time to the ministry in the English-speaking Eastern Townships, a small French-speaking work was
slowly running parallel. It's success has tobe credited to the work of laymen and colporteurs.
The first French-Canadian convert was Napoleon Paquette of Lachute, Quebec. He accepted the Adventist
faith while visiting in the United States, In 1887 he returned home to share his discoveries with his family. At
first his relatives were happy to see him, but when they found out that he had abandoned the Roman Catholic
Church, panic ensued. Finally, the local priest influenced his parents to turn him out. He took up colporteur
work, but became utterly discouraged with his solitary situation and left the church. Twenty years later, however,
he was reclaimed by L. F. Passebois.
In the wake of the work of the Bourdeau brothers, the book ministry went on in the French Canadian Mission.
Hence, in 1890, R. S. Owen and H. E. Rickard were able to discover three French families in Angers who had
learned of Adventism through reading denomination publications.
Between 1910 and 1919, however, Adventists in Quebec suffered a great deal of persecution from the priests.
Both preachers and colporteurs were the victims of repeated arrests and imprisonments. Argyle Taylor,45 along
with Camille Armeneau and Joseph Fortier, sold French Bibles and other religious publications at great risk. In
1910 he was jailed for canvassing without a license. He appeared before the local magistrate after having been
At Thetford Mines, March 13, I had only can- trouble but would leave it with them to
vassed two hours when an officer was on my track and make . . . trouble. . . . I also stated that I could call
took me to the police station. After explaining why on the Bible Society in Quebec City, and they would
it was not necessary for me to have a license, I went come to my help, as they are pledged to protect their
back to selling Bibles. Three hours later two police- colporteurs from any interference whatsoever.
men came up to me and said, "I guess you will go with After a little telephoning, they said, "You may
us." sell; sell all you like. Is that all right?"
When I entered the office, the chief said, "Well, I replied that I was willing to call it settled as far
you are back again." As I would not give my consent as I was personally concerned, but I would talk it over
to stop my work, I was put in the lockup for the night. with our superintendent, for the idea is that it is time
There I sang the songs of Zion for two hours before I for this sort of thing to stop in the Province of Quebec.
lay down on a board to sleep. "Racial distinction," an official remarked.
At ten o'clock the next morning I was brought I said there was no quarrel in me over racial
into the office. The clerk arose and read the charge distinction, but that Jesus Christ gave His life for the
and explained that I would have to pay the cost of the Frenchman as well as the Englishman, and that per-
court, etc. I answered that I would pay nothing as I was sonally I loved the French Canadians. I also said, "But
doing a legitimate work, and was an authorized I do not love the papacy, that system that holds the
colporteur of the British and Foreign Bible Society, people in darkness, ignorance and superstition all
also that we are protected by the Provincial, Domin- their lifetime. And that is why I am selling Bibles to
ion and Imperial governments. enlighten them.
He replied, "The judge will be here March 21st, I then went to the cell for my clothing. Opening
and you can come before him then and plead your case." the satchel, I offered the goods right there, and the
I told him that I did not propose to make myself any clerk handed me the price of the Bible.
QUEBEC 19
imprisoned for two
days. "I have been
incarcerated for two
days, Your Honour, From The Journal of Emma Landry-Nadeau46
and all because I sold
a small pamphlet," he "I graduated from Maritime Academy, in Memramcook, New Brunswick, in May,
said. "Only a simple 1922, having finished the twelfth grade. Elder Passebois, who had charge of the French
booklet on hygiene, work in Quebec at that time, asked me to come to Montreal to help the mission force
by giving Bible studies. I felt that my Acadian French would not be sufficient for the
health and temper- kind of work he expected, so I wrote refusing to go. I was soon to learn, however, that
ance. Since I began, one did not easily say "no" to Elder Passebois. He answered immediately. "We can use
I have sold in all you with the knowledge you have. Come. We'll start you at $12.00 a week."
merely six copies, and So I decided to try it, not just for the money but because I wanted to do God's will.
I have received in Therefore, in July, 1922, I left home for Montreal. I'd
never been in such a big city, and at first the crowds
return forty-six cents. and the traffic overwhelmed me. And I had to learn
I was not aware that I to find my way on the clattering streetcars. I lived by
had offended in this." myself in a boarding house from which I went out each
He was released. morning to sell the French Signs of the Times or to solicit
Five years later funds for the work. Even as I had feared, my command
of Quebec French was not good enough to give Bible
Argyle again ran into studies. But more than anything, I missed the peace
trouble in Quebec and the green landscape of my countryside. I was
City. One day a man terribly lonesome. But whenever I talked of going
tore ups some of the back to New Brunswick, Elder Passebois would say,
"Miss Landry, you're not going home."
papers he was selling. After sticking it out for two weeks, I finally
Then a flock of chil- decided to act. Saying nothing to anyone, I packed
dren pursued him my trunk one night and next morning went down to
from door to door, the train station to get my ticket. I stopped at the
making so much conference office to pick up my last paycheck, and then started walking toward the
streetcar stop on the way to my boarding house. As I walked along, I began to have
noise that he could doubts about my plan. So I prayed that if it was not God's will that I go home, he would
do nothing. Gradu- send something to stop me.
ally, as bigger boys I'd just finished this prayer, when I looked up to see Elder Passebois, striding along
joined the mob, they in his usual brisk manner. Desperately I looked for somewhere to hide, but it was too
late. He had already seen me. Greeting me cheerfully, he asked me where I was going.
pelted him with dirt, I confessed my plan and waited for the lightning to strike. But I need not have feared.
sticks and stones. "Now, Miss Landry," he said, "you don't want to do that." His kind voice melted me,
When a policeman and I began to cry. "It will soon be campmeeting," he went on, "And you'll enjoy that.
finally rescued him, Then when the school term begins at Oshawa this fall, you can attend and get more
he was taken to the education in French."
By this time I had wiped away my tears and was even smiling. "Go back to your
police station for cre- room," he continued, "and read Chapter 34 in The Desire of Ages. Then unpack your
ating a disturbance. trunk. Tomorrow you can get a refund on your ticket." He paused a minute, then
In 1917 Argyle was touched my arm. "We're canning tomatoes at our house tonight. Why don't you come
arrested for selling over and help us?" Before we separated I even confessed to him how I'd prayed and that
I now was sure that God wanted me to stay and work for Him in Montreal.
Bibles on the street. Once I had something to look forward to, time flew by, for I knew that after
He got out ofj ail only campmeeting I would be going to Oshawa Missionary College. So I was glad that God
by paying a fine. "If had intervened to keep me from going home."
we find you selling
Bibles again, we'll put Photo: Born in France, Louis Passebois (1874-1948) attended Battle Creek College in 1890
you in a dark hole and first became a missionary in Egypt and France. In 1914 he began working in French
for a good while." Canada where he had a real talent for holding the scattered Adventists together. Well known
Just how many for his fearless preaching, he attracted much opposition. He was arrested fourteen times, his
times Argyle was ar- home was burned down, and he received fourteen letters threatening him and his family with
death--but nothing stopped the courageous little man.
rested would be
anyone's guess. Many
imprisoned for two weeks, less one day. The Seventh-day Sabbath, a Perpetual Sign.
Nor were women spared difficulties. In 1910 a 'During this visit, Ellen White wrote that although
Sister Roach was arrested several times for canvass- she was sick and her throat was badly irritated, the Lord
heard their prayers and healed her instantaneously. (See
ing without a license. In 1913 Camille Armeneau
E. G. White, Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, Mountain
and Ferere Fortier were arrested and charged with View, CA: Pacific Press, 1915, 132-133.)
the same offence in Montreal. The judge found 8James White, "Eastern Tour," Review & Herald,
them guilty and then suspended the sentence. Just September 24, 1861. (See also Ernest Monteith, "Que-
an hour before the men were taken into custody, bec," p. 27.
Armeneau discussed the sale of La Sentinelle with the 9A. S. Hutchins, "Meetings in South Troy," Review &
local parish priest. The latter promised to review the Herald, June 17, 1862.
magazine from his pulpit the next Sunday. He kept 1 At its business meeting, the church voted "that this
his word and thus gave the colporteurs fine publicity. church be called the church of Richford and Sutton."
In 1919 Mrs. Passebois with two young ladies Thus it became, undoubtedly, the oldest record we have
of the existence of a Canadian Seventh-day Adventist
(Misses Butler and Parnell) sold Adventist literature
church. See "Records of the Seventh-day Adventist
in Plessisville. The local priest persuaded the mayor Church of Richford, VT and Sutton CE." A copy of this
to stop them, threatening them with jail if they did record is available in the Heritage Room of the James
not leave town on the next train. A landmark court White Library, Andrews University. See also a letter in
case followed which ultimately opened up almost all the Review & Herald, January 27, 1863, reporting the
of Quebec to literature ministry." organization of the Richford-Sutton church.
In the years since these early beginnings, the " The Abercom Church, Quebec, just a few miles
literature evangelists have contributed much to north of Richford was organized in 1900. Members came
church-growth in Quebec. In1974, for instance, the from both Quebec and Vermont to attend.
church in Quebec gained 245 members. Of the 215 "Organized February, 1864. A. C. and D. T. Bourdeau,
"Recent Labors," Review & Herald, March 15, 1864.
who were added by baptism, many were influenced
"Organized July 2, 1866. A. C. Bourdeau, "Report
by the fifty literature evangelists working in the from Brother Bourdeau," Review & Herald, August 22,
territory." Between 1985 and 1990 the French work 1865.
among the indigenous French-speaking people has Whalley, p. 26.
revived, under the leadership of Robert Foumier '5A. C. Bourdeau, "Canada," Review & Herald, Sep-
from Ontario. With the twelve full-time workers he tember 20, 1875. (Cited in Whalley, p. 26)
has recruited from among the French-speaking con- 16 A. C. Bourdeau, "Canada, " Review & Herald,
verts, he has made the colporteur work in Quebec March 27, 1876. (Cited in Whalley, 26) See also "West
the strongest in Canada today. Bolton," Waterloo Advertiser, June 30, 1876.
"A. C. Bourdeau and R. S. Owens, "Canada," Review
& Herald, July 3, 1876. (Cited in Whalley, 28)
'Waterloo Advertiser, June 30, 1876. Short accounts
Sources of the various lectures are given in the issues of July 7, 14,
'This article is abridged from a longer, unpublished and 21, 1876, under the headings: "Tent Meetings."
manuscript by Denis Fortin, "The Beginnings of Seventh- 19The Sabbath Question at the Tent," Waterloo Ad-
day Adventism in Canada." (Quebec City, 1991), 13pp. vertiser, August 18,1876. Following this article, however,
He cites as major sources two works: Robert Stephen the newspaper carried no more news about the tent
Whalley, "The Rise of the Seventh-day Adventist Church meetings.
in Quebec." (Unpub. manuscript, 1976); and J. Ernest "A. C. Bourdeau, "Canada," Review & Herald, Au-
Monteith, The Lord is My Shepherd: A History of the gust 10, 1876; October 5, 1876. (Cited in Whalley, 28).
Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada. 21Whalley, 29-30.
2Sylvester Bliss, Memoirs of William Miller (Boston: J.
22"South Stukely Church Records." A copy of these
V. Himes, 1853), 353. records is available in the Heritage Room of the James
'Francis D. Nichol, The Midnight Cry. (Washington, White Library at Andrews University.
D.C.: Review & Herald, 1944), 111. 24The Booth family were Adventists from 1876 and
Whalley, 3-6. charter members of the South Stukely Church. Their
5 See the following Millerite publications for corre-
descendants have made their mark on Canadian Adventism
spondence from Quebec: The Advent Herald, the Signs of ever since. John and Mary Booth's daughter, Merle
the Times, Day-Star, Western Midnight Cry, and others. Also
The Advent Herald and The Review and Herald.
(Sources Continued on Page 33.)
QUEBEC 21
NEWFOUNDLAND
By Trudy Morgan
I; jf'N
idwi
Ir
Above: The first Sventh-day Adventist church building in Newfoundland was on Cookstown Road, St. John's. This picture, taken about 1952, shows the
sign board for the six-month evangelistic campaign held by G. D. O'Brien and his male quartet, The Ambassadors, from western Canada. Below: "The
Manse" in St. John's. Because of sometimes vitriolic local prejudice, Adventist ministers had difficulty finding living quarters when they were assigned to
Newfoundland. Feeling this to be an on-going insult to their pastors, the members purchased this property at 106 Freshwater Road in 1914. Ultimately the
little home was expanded to house not only the parsonage but also the mission conference office, the radio station and the academy.
NEWFOUNDLAND 23
talking followed the stamping of a number one what's got the fish 'ook in 'is mouth."
Outport Doctor of boots. Mindful that she was also the He went on, but only half apologeti-
By Fern Penstock doctor's nurse, as well as his wife and cally. "Sure, an' we t'ought ye might say
cleaning lady, she handed the baby over to No if we told ye the truth." Then,
his older brother and went to the front of realizing that rejection might still be a
the house. possibility, the men rushed on. "Ye will
NOTE: This was the first medical work in Four men with grizzled beards stood in `elp `e, won't ye, Doc?" The now-con-
Newfoundland. A very permanent impres-
sion was made in St. John's in 1955 when the middle of her freshly waxed floor. "I quered patient looked up soulfully. "`E's
the Hildebrands and Moores arrived and say, Doc, we've got a fella out 'ere with a `urt some bad, `e his."
set up an office. While Art and Verna fish 'ook in 'is mouth." The eldest of the Art winked at Verna. "Nurse,
Moores stayed to build up the slow-growing visitors held his rain hat respectfully in prepare the patient for surgery. This
practice, Eugene and Jean Hildebrand both of his hands, "Tink you can do here's a bad case."
worked as a replacement medical team in anyt'ing fer 'im?" Half an hour later Art and Verna
the outports. Verna winced. That had to hurt. "Of Moores stood amid the shambles of the
Verna Moores gave the polishing course," Art replied. "Bring him in, and once-antisepetic surgery. The patient
cloth a final swish and stood up to well see what we can do." But, as they hadn't submitted very humbly to treat-
survey the spotless surgery. Now, along disappeared into the foggy darkness, she ment, and now the whole place smelled
with the usual medicinal smell of a couldn't help noticing the mud already of codfish and wet dog. Blobs and smears
doctor's office, the place now smelled of deposited on her carefully polished floor. of mud, along with puddles of water,
soap and floor wax. She then hurried to Well, no matter. Someone out there covered the floor.
the kitchen to prepare a warm potato needed help. She began laying out the They surveyed the desolation.
and onion-soup supper for her family. instruments and dressings she thought "Mrs. Moores, did I ever promisue you a
When her husband, Dr. Art, ar- might be needed. quiet or easy life?"
rived thirty minutes later, and when Once again the voices approached "Never, I'm sure." Verna smiled at
he'd struggled out of the wild, welcom- the door--much louder and more excited him fondly. Then, both laughing, they
ing embraces of their two little boys, than before. One man burst into the light, got out the mop bucket, and the doctor
Verna asked about one of her favorite stumbling into the room. "`E's coming, and nurse started scrubbing the floor
people. "How's Uncle Tom Critchley" Doc. But it's just that `e don't care fer this again.
Is he very bad?" sort o' t'ing."
"Oh, he'll be fine," Art pulled his Then the whole group came milling
chair up to the table. "He slipped and stomping through the door. In their
climbing out of his dory , but it'll take midst and at the center of their attention
more than a little sprain to keep down walked a huge Newfoundland dog, with a
an old salt like him." fish hook caught in his smooth, black lower
Halfway through the meal, they lip. The dog's toenails skidded unwillingly
heard a car pull into the yard. Vema across the mud-spattered floor.
hoped Art wouldn't have to go out on Verna saw Art blink several times as
another housecall. Through the open his mouth felt open. One of the men, a
door, she could hear him inviting some- bewhiskered little Irishman, pressed for-
one into the surgery. A lot of agitated ward to explain. "Hit's 'im, Doc. `E's the
Above: During the lean 1930's the Seventh-day Adventists in St. John's operated a soup kitchen, even though their resources were very meagre. Below:
The early Dorcas Society in St. John's included familiar names of wives of the pioneer Adventist families: Front Row (seated L-R): Mrs. Noseworthy
3. Mrs Fern Butler, Mrs. Elsie Dawe, Mrs. Jenny Mann, Mrs. Irene Clarke. Back Row (standing L-R): Mrs. Nellie Trenchard, Mrs. Elizabeth Winsor,,
Mrs Webber.
NEWFOUNDLAND 25
"There are those," he charged, "who 1930, with the call letters 8BSL (Bible commercial station in 1932. Its call
stand ready to subvert religious liberty Study League), broadcasting Bible letters, VOAC, later changed to the
and imprison men for no other crime studies and religious music from his name we know today, VOAR (The
than that of being God-fearing!: own home.14 Public response to this Voice of Adventist Radio).18 VOAR
This was not the only time Elder outreach was enthusiastic and posi- still reaches out to Newfoundland and
Keslake was involved in controversy tive. Labrador today, as necessary as it ever
during his seven years in Newfound- By 1932 Station VOAC (Voice was. Although the S.D.A. church in
land. Like other Adventist ministers of the Adventist Church) was estab- Newfoundland still has only 670
in these early years, he engaged in lishedwith no strings attached. Now members, one of the most powerful
public debates with clergymen of other church services, news and weather witnessing tools of the Church in
denominations on the Sabbath ques- (readings from the St. John's newspa- Canada has been this radio station.
tion. And defending Bible truth in per) went out to rural Newfoundland Despite the hardships and opposi-
those days could lead to harsh treat- daily where isolated famlies hovered tion faced by Adventist pioneers in
ment. One evening, Elder Keslake over their crystal sets and Atwater Newfoundland, many people were re-
came home to his rented rooms to find Kent radios. Church members also ceptive to their message. Pastors,
his belongings out on the sidewalk had a chance to take part in producing
and his family staying with friends. a variety of programs" and using local
The landlord had been visited by a music talent. When W. C. Baird first
clergyman in the afternoon and had put on "The Painter's Programme," a
subsequently evicted the Keslakes counselling session for painters and
without notice. These conflicts fre- woodworkers, he became flustered.
quently made finding housing almost Mixing up the pages of his carefully
impossible for the ministers. This typed script which his nephew,
problem led to the purchase of the Broadcaster Clarence Whitten, had
property at 106 Freshwater Road, an typed for him, poor Brother Baird's
address for the Newfoundland Mis- plaintive voice went out over the air-
sion which has remained unchanged waves, "Oh my goodness! Where am
to this day.11 I!" (The next day he endured the
laughter of his
Outreach by Radio friends who
A series of workers, both Cana- inquired as to
dian and American, served the church, whether he'd
and slowly the truths of Adventism found himself
spread into outport communities along or not.)16
Newfoundland's 4,000-mile coast- During
line.12 Still, at the end of 1928 the the early
total membership numbered only 1930's the
eighty-nine. In 1930, the extreme station's call
difficulty of transportation made the letters were
use of radio appear to be a happy changed to
solution, and the believers were ready 8RA, then to
to make any sacrifice to launch the VONA. Af-
project. ter the station
Perhaps the establishment of a was sold to a
small radio station in the Manse on local busi- Above: Colporteurs used the mission boat, The Hope, for canvassing the northern
Freshwater Road is the most outstand- nessman," outports of Newfoundland in 1926. Below: Over the yars Radio Station VOAR
ing achievement in the history of the the church provided Adventist young people with valuable broadcasting experience. Here, in
Mission." Pastor Harold Williams established a 1954, RalphJanes, a student at Newfoundland Academy sits at the controls. Janes
first went on the air in early March, new, non- is now president of Kingsway College, Ontario.
indeed, take firm root in the rocky soil Hersum ably refuted her charges. (See BSL'," Eastern Canadian Messenger, March
of this storm-blown Old Rock. "Mrs. Cowperthwaite's Lecture," in St. 18, 1930, 3. The station operated on 228.9
John's Evening Telegram, August 1, 1895; meters, 1,310 kilocycles and 10 watts. Even
and "A Letter from Mr. H. J. Hersum," while testing the station, twenty-five calls
Sources
Evening Telegram, August 2, 1895. (Cited came in. And when a little program was
'The Newfoundland Conference in-
in David Kennedy, ed., As He Has Led Us aired to test the antenna, fifty calls came in.
cludes Labrador and the French Islands of in the Past: 90 Years of the Seventh-day Harold Williams acquired his expertise from
St. Pierre and Miquelon. Adventist Church in Newfoundland( St. George Stevens, an Adventist who had
'Modem communications first alerted John's: Creative Publishers, 1985, 8-10). operated a radio station in Auburn, New
the continent to the existence of the See also, S. J. Hersum, "Newfoundland," York. Late in 1930, Stevens himself came
colony when, in 1858, the U.S. frigate Review & Herald, July 9, 1895, 442-443. to St. John's as a self-supporting worker.
Niagara laid the first trans-Atlantic cable
75. J. Hersum, "Newfoundland," Re- The studio was now housed in the
at Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. In 1901, view & Herald, November 3, 1896, 704. Cookstown Road Church. Edward Butler
atop Signal Hill, St. John's, Guglielmo 'Warmth reaches Newfoundland (the first Adventist convert), conducted
Marconi heard the first faint clickings from the off-shore Gulf Stream, but not "The Layman's Study Hour."
from England which announced the be-
often. The long, cold, damp winters have "Kennedy, 17-18.
ginnings of long-range, wireless telegra- long been legend, and cynics like to advise "After the government permitted an
phy.
that if one does not happen to be in increase of power, the call-letters VO were
'Newfoundland and Labrador had but Newfoundland on precisely the right day, assigned to Newfoundland, and VONA
one task, that of converting the meat of he might miss summer altogether for that (Voice of the North Atlantic) became the
the codfish into the coin of the realm by year. The island's northeast coast and first commercial radio station in the colony.
trading, all the way from the Mediterra- Labrador are sealed off by ice from January The ever-present need for funding to
nean to Brazil. Having but one economic
to June. maintain the station had brought in adver-
outlet, they had a long history of poverty 9Mrs. Pippy's becoming a Sabbath- tising. Difficulties over the advertisements
and hardship. Recent years, however, keeper caused much public discussion. arose, however, over the church's refusal to
have brought prospetiy from the pulp- The local Methodist minister denounced advertise products inconsistent with its
and-paper mills fed by the vast forests of Adventists from his pulpit and called teachings. VONA was sold in 1932.
the region and the rich ore deposits in Parker a devil. (0. E. Parker, "Newfound- "In 1952 VOAR (The Voice of
Labrador. land," Review & Herald, June 12, 1894, Adventist Radio) was granted a private
4L. T. Ayers, "Newfoundland," Re-
380) commercial license, even though it was still
view & Herald, October 10, 1893, 638- 'An employee of Job Brothers, Ed- a non-commercial radio station. By 1959
639. For a detailed history of the work in ward Butler lost his job because of the broadcast time stepped up to thirty-eight
this province, see J. Ernest Monteith, The Sabbath question. From then until his hours a week, tape-recording facilities im-
Lord is My Shepherd: A History of the death in 1950, he was a self-supporting lay proved, and the Voice of Prophecy was
Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada. worker. His grandson, George Adams, augmented by other programs like
(Oshawa, Ont.: The Canadian Union has held many positions of responsibility "Unshackled, "Your Radio Doctor," "The
Conference of S.D.A., 1983), 132-140, in the S.D.A. Church. Quite Hour," and Your Story Hour." Also,
189, 214-215, 230-231, 266. See also, "A "George Morgan, "106 Freshwater regular Sabbath morning services are
Brief History of the Seventh-day Road," in Kennedy, 11-13. The New- broadcast from the new Queen's Road S.D.A.
Adventist Church in Newfoundland," in foundland Mission was part of the Church. VOAR has been reaching St. John's
The Crusader (Portugal Cove, Nfld.: New Northeastern Conference which included area listeners for many years, but today it has
Life Crusade, 1982), 5. eastern Canada and New England. The made an exciting new power increase.
NEWFOUNDLAND 27
0 N T A
By Myrna Tetz
T he story of Ad-
ventism in Ontario goes back to 1850
and Joseph Bates made a circuit of
Lake Ontario, laboring among all
and is associated with the Millerites. known Millerites.
It focuses on one, Peter Gibson, who Despite "tedious cold weather,
sent a contribution of one dollar to deep snow and cold impenetrable
the Advent Review,in care of C. A. hearts," they were able to report 100
Minor.2 Apparently Minor had al- converts in Canada West (Ontario).4
ready travelled in western Ontario, Nonetheless, some twenty new be-
for there is an interesting letter from lievers appeared in Mariposa and
D. C. Corcoran in the village of Reach in northern Ontario. They
Delaware, some ten miles west of shared their beliefs by assidulously cir-
London. He describes the visit of a culating tracts and the Review, by
"beloved brother" who "expounded to encouraging one another to live above
him" the significance of the law of persecution and disappointment, and
God. Only later, through the reading by waiting eagerly for a visit from the
of the Review, did Corcoran, his wife, "travelling brethren." the farmers who, by then, were be-
and a neighbor, Mrs. Estacy Young, Only one attempt at proclaiming coming anxious about their crops.
become Sabbath-keepers. the Sabbath was made by a Seventh- Again, Ontario school laws made it
day Adventist leader during the 1860's. difficult to hold religious services in
Millerite Connections R. F. Cottrell held eighteen public schoolhousesand halls were both
Meanwhile, Peter Gibson had meetings in Bronte, where he en- scarce and high-priced. Canada, it
invited any brethren of the Philadel- countered stiff opposition from those began to appear, would be a difficult
phia Church (the name Seventh-day who loudly misrepresented the basic missionfield in which to make a mark.
Adventist was not adopted for another Adventist faith. Undaunted, Cottrell Ten years later, in 1872, Cottrell
ten years) to visit him that summer, called his audience to forsake "their again tried public evangelism, this time
should they be travelling west. He fashionable as well as their unpopular near Milford, Prince Edward County,
may have been a known follower of sins" and be converted. His efforts, it Ontario. Now it was the weather, not
William Miller and therefore a good seems, met with no success.' More- the people, who resisted him. Storms
prospect for accepting Sabbath truth.' over, any meetings running into July and winds, with snow drifts blocking
In any case, in late 1851 Hiram Edson could hardly maintain the interest of the roads in every directiononce
their year, both spiritually and physi- employee. Meanwhile, John Thomas _Coming 200 Mike or FM..
'
Mt :
1:00-12:30 Sermon
1:00 Dinner
3:00- 4:00 Sermon
There will be Gul-etirring
r1.1rIg 4 ", -
SAG SAO Young People colfg zil:g.,711Z4
cally. In this vein, a 1917 advertisement Errington set about the construction ttistli
ed with a tent and one
6:15 Supper
e:00 Sermon
PIM
GM:Tn e:ttl'EheVef. and
ONTARIO 29
it had to be replaced with a larger in the Seventh-day k 7i Canadian
one.8 Adventist Church,
Ir
During the first decade of the cen-
tury, Ottawa became the center for
work in eastern Ontario. It began
with a hygiene institute operated first
he was selling books
and periodical sub-
scriptions in
Ontario as early as
ATCHMAN
by D. C. V. S. Boettger and his wife 1878-1879. In
(1899-1905) and then William succeeding years
Hudron (1905-1914). While serving the colporteur work
as conference president, H. M. S. grew and had to find
Richards held a successful series of an administrative
meetings in Ottawa. center in Canada.
So, little by little, Ontario was
opening up, sometimes with remark- In 1889 George
able outworkings of Providence. J. L. W. Morse was ap-
Wilson recounted such an event from pointed manager of
Renfrew, Ontario, where the mem- the new Seventh-
bers met for church in a rather unat- day Adventist
tractive hall above a garage. Then the Publishing Asso-
garage burned. To all appearances, ciation branch.9
everything (including five cars) had The purpose of this
been destroyed, and the members in- Toronto office was Pi . Mr 1 Mr Mita . ,f H rIftwilled Bin level
10,000 "Watchman",
or varnish on the table had been plates for
scorched. And at the next prayer several
meeting they sang from the editions Every Month
VE n 711 Special Offer N. 3
hymnbooks which had gone through of Home long
Wonderful au t e
saving truths of the Bible ea at the
present dote. Because of this fact,
C00111131 071011111. One Year,
for WS 1.20
Premium for 0,02
the fire. Readings the monthly visio of the Canadian
Offers
the Dominion. Many have acothod
Special Club Offers
Watchman are welcomed ththughout
st u nommen watch.
the truth through reading it. But
and other who About pair neIghbou, s.""
friends, and yoto relative? Are you
giving them this warning 'tong,
As a special inducement for you t
help reach the 10,030 mark, the pub
lishing home ismaking four special
man to one Addrees. One
Tear, Beek
1.26
F1T or More Cozad. Wte12.
The Publishing Work books.1 If not, then make a start during this
oonnmno
arm for new and renewal subscrip
dons:
S..501BI Offer No.1
A Special Opportunity
man to One Adana. AO
?donee., Oath
kg: dAn
rage of do specie offers which hold "m g
a ag " gingrt7en' ul'
eninmto"'
tVf,r7,"
hr.
Butchart of Eramosa (Canada West) stitution goo during
only.
time the campaign og
V.
,. ger,gg
eMM.11111 Pekr lirtm coo "Stroightening Out Mrs. Perkins'
plerr
od
nid m
mphi let of 43
would be excellent em
monthly
links of the Canatlign I.Vetchman,
for
:
tion. And, to be sure, George A. King into the Book and Bible House
A Canadian Magazine for
ro.r tart
Ontario's first church (Lambton Publish- 'iterative listed in Spaniel Offer No. _ _
only magagine of its kind primed in
Canada. It is edited from a Cana-
dimvisorpoint and appeal.
Name..._.____.._
County) came to have the most wide- ing Asso- Address
is
special way IC C.anadiens. Ile op
PAO
of the December
facabnile of the cover
Decembm issue. Have your
eubscriptions with this number.
spread influence on the world church. ciation (1895), under the man- U you desire to send several Canadian Watelume to individual
Ada
addresses, just write them Gel sheet of paper.
Fill in the order
tads,
r blank and mail
CNTARIO
of Oshawa, Ontario, adjoining he
campus of Oshawa Missionary College.
woo. km. 1 sontoO
It became the Canadian Watchman
Vol. 17 College Heights, Alberta, March 16, 1926 No. 11 Press (1920)a real asset to the work
of the church in Canada."
Field Secretaries in the The Watchman Press remained
Western Canadian Union he first and only publishing house
Conference owned by Adventists in Canada. Most
importantly, it began publishing a
missionary paper called The Canadian
Watchman. Since it appealed specifi-
cally to Canadian interests, the
3. M. liNATYSH EN H. E. MoRWEN membership rallied to the task of in-
Alba. Ponnalaino orm0 588.400
Saskatrhowan Popolanou am 757,500
creasing its circulation.
Although this large-scale and am-
bitious operation ultimately provided
a rich menu of Christian literature,13
time soon proved that the demand of
C. R. MORRIS UNION
the constituency was insufficient to
maintain full-time production. For
the next eighteen years suitable com-
mercial work supplemented the de-
PERCY GERRARD nominational printing program. In
P. G. BlY &Dish Columbia Populancsa norr 52.1,1
Manitoba- .PopulnoT n over 610,1003 June, 1938, C. G. Maracle took over
the publishing house under private
EASTERN CANADIAN RESSENG'E S
Top Left: The Western Canadian management. The Canadian Watch-
Eastern Canadian Messenger Tidings for March 16 , 1926 . Top Right: man Press still controlled production,
own.. orkko oy An Adventist layperson, John Brewer was however, until 1952 when the press
tAmn nom ,nan, n,vor.ern ono
. A.1
Ani onnuol, in. a In. Anon, i Ahal ON
on Ion nin M., in God, thy tried and fined for violation of the Lord's
oar o..
.11T"111`T'
Day Act in Smithville, Ontario in 1909. became a separate legal entity and was
[...a.
Mel iitoo meano ` ..err "ens 'IT o kno vio .A0 it II
.1. 01 n,':.4 tot .,1.,lk ;wad oillornisko
Middle Right: "Grandma Smith" was re-named Kingsway Publishing Asso-
I. Mirime
t Solo y I
the first known Seventh-day Adventist in ciation. Yet one more change, how-
Essex County, Ontario, Canada. Bottom ever, was in store for this very flexible
Right: Roswell F. Cottrell was the only
Seventh-day Adventist leader to proclaim
publishing venture. In 1969 the Ca-
the Sabbath during the 1860's, nadian Union Conference asked Pa-
cific Press Publishing Association in
Opposite Page Top: The Canadian California to take over the publishing
]Iliac -511141918.41X.No OUT NOM kinlos. CONING EN
tilik wortisYinkloiloor in.... Ore *O....0 noamonan IRUp. ,K
Watchman (Christmas, 1926.) Bottom responsibilities for the Canadian ter-
l= re:4;
.
;;:%1'11 .74, 7:1 '
41L
"7 r.:14rn
.4 111'7 trIrIV.
, . rt.. .,-11.1. on. kip. Ace oni Troperm . is
,, ,... p.,.... right: Advertisement to help circulate the
1 . i aid, tom% roan fr.., Ws .1; sky., .I
Watchman. (November 23, 1926) . ritory. Meanwhile, Maracle Press has
1., r,,-1,-,,,,K=
iii..2Ei ''..77"EarliFesso5.itinniL
L' :Serso4 it-^7.114
1. ...IT snol I; monk
he mom. mash
lik the hoer lo thoonnosio , ...we coiiho
i. b. is la Left: Hiram Edson (top) and Joseph continuted to operate primarily as a
:=71.":.TaTI'llnialgal'::1" 3=4:
cbc... ,,,,""
=a1M 244' t=.'" a,,.= Bates (bottom) preached in Canada in late commerical printer.
}:=7.77141 ';h: S Inerooto b,
onsihry of Siyiey osoino ;nit
1851. They labored among all of the What the Seventh-day Adventist
,..K.:: our . ,'''Talr:a.g
'77.7ry '- nnbar of oohs comlm in if
ive * Wk.. known Millerites who would, naturally,
r=ottll=a.
.t" mt.' ...a ,
Velum olio.
a,47.lartlla ."...=1:
tionit
be goodprospects for accepting the Sabbath church has now become in Canada is
--iliiiii7fEiii;LV6iiiWiTutri truth. yet another story, and a long one. But,
slow as the beginning years of church-
100,000 Goal WeekDecember 14-21 planting may have been, the Ontario
Conference had a concentration of
ONTARIO 31
major cities which has given it a large 2,000 Millerites who had once lived in tawa, three years later to Port Hope (thirty
constituency. And it has become the the Toronto area. (George Brown, miles east of Oshawa). (Dronen, 2)
heart of church administration in the "Canada," Review & Herald, October 28, "'This major move of 1913 was made
Big Country. 1884, 684-685.) possible by the donation of the land and a
'The new church on Awde Street building. Also, the Review & Herald
served as a place of worship for the next Publishing Association transferred
forty years and also housed the offices of equipment and personnel to the Canadian
Sources the Ontario Conference in the basement. House. A new provincial charter granted
The main sources for this article are: 90f the establishing of this branch of the Canadian Watchman Press permission
J. Ernest Monteith, The Lord is My Shep- the Review & Herald, Morse reported: to publish and print a denominational
herd: A History of the Seventh-day Adventist "Under the supervision of the Canada magazine and also to manufacture books,
Church in Canada, and Dennis Uffindell, Tract and Missionary Society, the can- papers, and materials to supply the needs
"The Origin of the Seventh-day Adven- vassing work had already been taken hold of the denomination in Canada.
tist Church." of to a limited extent in the Province of "In addition to titles already in print,
'Advent Review, November, 1850, 72. Quebec; and in the Province of Ontario the Watchman Press produced other im-
3The Gibsons' letters to the Review one canvasser had been engaged for a portant books: The Modern Medical
continued for many years, with Elizabeth portion of the time since last December. Counsellor, E. G. White's The Desire of
continuing correspondence after her Something had also been done in the Ages,and health books for the French-
husband died in 1854. Maritime Provinces. Two canvassers were speaking population. Imports included:
4The census of 1851 recorded 663 sent from Michigan to Toronto to start Arthur Maxwell's Bedtime Stories, The Bible
"Second Adventists" in Upper Canada. the work there simultaneously with the Story, and The Children's Hour, and
(Montieth, 42) establishment of the office.:" (Cited in Drama of the Ages by W. H. Branson.
5 R. F. Cottrell, "Meetings in Canada," George Dronen, "Notes" (1991), 2.) Magazines were: The Canadian Watch-
Review & Herald, January 20, 1863, 61. mThis edition of Bible Readings sold man (1920-1943), which later became
6Montieth, 43-44. 15,000 copies in Canada. E. G. White's The Signs of the Times (1943-1954). For
'An elderly couple and their grand- Patriarchs and Prophets was also printed in the needs of the French-speaking popula-
daughter attended Brown's reading room Canada. tion there were: Le Messager (1924-1928,
and began keeping Sabbath. They claimed "In 1902 the press moved to 1937-1953) and Les Signes des Temps
to have been baptized by William Miller Montreal, and then back to Toronto two (1928-1936)an evangelistic journal.
in 1844, the only ones remaining of some years later. In 1908 it transferred to Ot- (Dronen,2)
ONTARIO 33
BR I T IS HCOL U M B I A
4. Adventist Beginnings in
British Columbia (Est. 1902)
By Dorothy Eaton Watts and Others
Campmeetings
Skyscrapers now crowd the area where a "city of tents and
campers" once gathered, in September, 1902, for the first
British Columbia campmeeting, at the corner of Westminster
Avenue and Harris Street (now Georgia Street) in Vancouver.20
That final weekend of the camp, ninety people attended
fifteen more people than the total membership of the confer-
ence. Representatives of all five churches were there to witness
the official organization of the British Columbia Conference.21
Above left: One of Canada's true "old timers," C. 0. Smith, could recall
the beginnings of the Cumberland Church in British Columbia in 1902.
Later he bacame president of Canadian Junior College. At the time of his
retirement he was teaching in the Bible Department at Atlantic Union
College. Above right: A Newfoundlander by birth, George Adams began
and ended his ministry to the Adventist church in British Columbia--with
years of mission service in between. Middle left: S. G. White was first a
colporteur and then a minister in the Vancouver area. About 1921 he
raised up a twenty-two-member church in White Rock. Middle right:
About 1930 Desmond
Tinklerbeganhisministry
as a colporteur-
evangelist in Prince
George in "The Caribou"
(north central British
Columbia). After thirty
years of service to his
homeland, he became
president of the
Newfoundland Mission
(1959-1963). Below: The
first campmeeting in
British Columbia was
held in September 1902.
the "city of tents" was
pitched at the corner of
Westminster Avenue and
Harris Street (now
Georgia Street) in
Vancouver. Here a group
of campers pose in front
of the main tent.
BRITISH COLUMBIA 35
Afterwards campmeetings were held in a vari- church basement! At that time guests stayed in
ety of placesfrom Vancouver and Pitt Meadows the homes of church members or in rooming
to Kamloops and Vernon." In June, 1912, the local houses with cooking facilities.
newspaper described the Adventist campmeeting as In the early1940's the church acquired land at
"a cotton city of impressive and orderly appearance, Hope, near the Fraser River, 100 miles east of
with its tents lined up and with its streets, and with Vancouver. They purchased the property from
sanitary arrangements carefully looked after."23 Erwin and Ellen Corbett, owners of a sawmill. The
Forty cents would buy a full campmeeting first building to go up served as conference office-
dinner in 1922. For that much you could have cum-Book & Bible House. The church owned a few
potato salad, roast, corn, peas, lemonade, bread, tents, but most people brought their owngoing
butter, and pudding. A breakfast of cereal, milk, into the woods, upon their arrival, to cut tent poles.
fruit, toast, and Postum cost only twenty cents.24 Campers prepared their meals at an outdoor kitchen.
Tent rental at the 1926 meeting in Vernon was Mrs. Bayliss remembers the outhouses without
$7.75, including a full floor. Straw cost fifty cents plumbing and campers arriving by boatalso the
per tick, and a bed frame and springs could be had straw tent. Guests brought their own ticks (cloth
for $1.25. Those who brought their own tents paid mattress covers) and filled them at the straw tent.2
$1.50 ground rent.25
Kathleen Bayliss remembers meeting Hubert The First Churches
(her future husband) at the campmeeting in 1941 Most of the churches established in the first
at the 10th Street Church in Vancouver. Their twenty years of the British Columbia Conference
first date was for a campmeeting meal in the were the result of tent meetings.27 People in
Victoria thought a circus had come to town as they
watched a large tent go up at the corner of Douglas
and Herald Streets in June, 1889.28 What the au-
dience saw, of course, were the beasts of Daniel
and Revelation instead of circus animals. H. W.
Reid (of Portland, Oregon) and H. A. Baxter (of
Tacoma, West Territories) delivered the lectures.
As a result, the first Adventist church in British
Columbia was organized by the North Pacific
Conference in June, 1890.29
Immediately, Evangelists Isaac Morrison and
V. H. Lucas opened a nine-month series of tent
meetings. When the pastors of several denomina-
tions tried to drive them out of town,3 they were
grateful for an offer of land from Mr. Oppenheimer,
the wealthy Jewish mayor of Vancouver. In the
spring of 1891, the fifty attendees found a church
building of their own on what is now Georgia
Street.31 Unfortunately, without leadership, this
church soon disintegrated. Six years later, J. L.
Wilson (later the first president of the British
Columbia Conference) revived the members by
holding meetings on the corner of Granville and
Three loggers with friends, Shirley, BC, in 1943. Whenever Georgia Streets. They built a churchwhose
the Adventist boys in the logging camps could spend a Sabbath
day witht he scattered church members, they found spiritually
eventual replacement brought a building with six
and had a wonderful fellowship with young friends, and basement rooms. Here the conference office
feasted, literally, on delicious home cooking. moved, after leaving Pitt Meadows in April, 1910.32
BRITISH COLUMBIA 37
The First work for the Indians was required and recruitment officers came from
One of the first mission projects of the new time to time to remind the boys how much better
conference was the beginning of work among the off they would be in the army. In the bunk-houses
West Coast Indians. 0. E. Davis, a former shoe there the Seventh-day Adventist boys mixed with
cobbler in Michigan, travelled 700 miles by boat and witnessed to young men of many other faiths
to Port Simpson to work among the Chinook Mennonites, Hutterites, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Indians. One of the first men he met was Henry Plymouth Brethren. Unlike their veteran coun-
Pierce, who had an amazing story terparts who now trade stories of World War II
to tell. He told about a dream he'd battles, a great many Adventist "veterans" remember
had several years earlier. In it, he "bunkhouse stories" from the lumber camps.37
saw a light approaching. As it Today the British Columbia Conference has
came nearer, he saw a man bathed become one of Canada's very substantial Adventist
in the light. When Davis arrived "home bases" home of missionaries and profes-
in Port. Simpson, Pierce immedi- sionals of all kinds. Moreover, its wandering sons
ately recognized him as the man of and daughters often choose to return home.
his dream." After Pierce was bap- "Beautiful British Columbia" with its more com-
tized, he attended the Pitt Mead- passionate climate, has had, of course, its own
ows School. Later he returned to magnetism, often attracting retirees from other
work for his own people.34 provinces and immigrants from abroad.
BRITISH COLUMBIA 39
M AR I T I M E
5. Seventh-day Adventists in
the Maritime Provinces (Est. 1902)
By Douglas Hosking
D espite their
proximity to Maine, the birthplace of
one house when he was
halted by a voice saying,
Adventism, the Maritime Provinces "Go back to that house."
seem to have had no church members He found there a teacher,
for about two decades after 1844. David Corkharn.3
It is intriguing to note, however, By 1888 David
that the Advent Christian Church was Corkham was preaching
organized in New Brunswick along the at Tantallon, Nova
Bay of Fundy. And stories are known Scotia, where he met
of the message spreading among the sharp opposition. One
fishermen. For example, a Captain night, he was met by a
Edgett accepted the Seventh-day mob and escaped only
Adventist message in the 1860's or when Levi Longard
70's. With his wife he faithfully wit whisked him away in a
nessed to their hope at Harvey Bank, carriage. In spite of the
Albert County.' While the two Edgett children hostility, the first S.D.A. church in the Maritimes
did not remain part of the church, the son of a Mrs. was organized in Tantallon on August 12, 1888.
Stevens who had worked for the family later became From this point onward, Adventism seems to have
an Adventist. He, in turn, contacted a doctor who taken fire in the Maritimes. Evangelism in Indian
played a pivotal role in the hospital in Albert and Harbour, Halifax, New Glasgow, Truro, Hopewell
in the church organized at Riverside. Cape, Moncton,4 and Saint Johns produced bap-
In the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, Mr. tisms and new churches. Meetings were held in
John R. Israel heard the message inNew England. He rented school rooms or in the open air. One of the
began the first recorded public meetings at Freeport, believers testified, "Some came to listen, some to
Digby County, in 1878.2 Eight years later we hear of scoff, but I believed." And she continued to
him canvassing in Mount Denson. He told of passing believe as an isolated member for the rest of her
Above: Philip and Doris Moores, with Marilyn and Biby Jeannie,
the first two of their four daughters. A native Maritimes, Philip
Moores, in his first year of ministry (1938) worked in five different
cities. Over the next twenty-six years he served as president of five
conferences. His last appointment before retirement was manager
of television operations at the S.D.A. Media Center in Southern
California. Below: William Thomas Longard ( 1830-1905) and
his wife, Julia Ann (Dauphine) Longard. An unidentified
granddaughter stands between them. During 1889, Longard built
the old Tantallon church on Longard Road. He was assisted by
others, including four of his sons: Stephen, Levi, George, and
Frederick.
MARITIME 41
of education. She had great influence in the area now Through the 1970's and 1980's long range
occupied by the Hampton and Barnesville churches. steady growth was punctuated by intermittent
Stiff opposition faced the church well into the declines as Maritime "export members" sought
1920's. When opening a new church at Lake jobs and Christian education elsewhere. The
George, near Fredericton, Elder J. A. Strickland outflow has been somewhat modified by new op-
faced mob violence, threats by firearms and at- portunities: a large new school (with greenhouses)
tempted poisoning of the water supply. In another at Barnesville; a senior citizens' facility at Kennebec
effort at Newcastle Creek only two converts joined Manor, Saint John; and a new Academy (the first
the church.'' Still, the membership grew. Elder since 1934) at Bedford, near Halifax. The opening
Barrett, an ex-Catholic student priest, campaigned of the first French-speaking church at Moncton
in a tent which eventually would open a church in has given the church new direction also.
Sydney Mines. A mob stoned the tent and rowdies Traditional hardships in the Maritimes may
tried to steal the chartsand the Riot Act had to seem to live on in small churches, tottering on the
be read. Nonetheless, new churches appeared in verge of collapse. In the spirit of the pioneers and
North Sydney, Carlingford and Barrington. An- in the new persecution-free environment, how-
other set-back was the great Halifax explosion ever, the Maritime Adventists have courage. They
which destroyed the church. Although several look to Christian education, a revival of the
members were miraculously saved in this disaster, the colporteur program and a deeper commitment as
two-year-old daughter of one of the members died. means to face the challenge.
The Depression ushered in the 1930's, debili-
tating the Maritimes until the beginning of World Sources
War II. An exodus ensued," which reduced the 'In 1895-1896 David Corkham and G. E. Langdon
Adventist population from 400 to 33. Churches preached in Albert County, the place of beginnings.
were lost at Riverton and Hopewell Cape. Despite 2Also in 1878 James Sawyer and Brother Gelotte
the witness of A. J. Rice who had moved isted for only twenty years. During that
there and who canvassed for part of his Manitoba-Saskatchewan Sources time, however, thirteen churches came
living. Continued from page 47. into being (see box p. 47).
61n 1890 more than $8,000 in books 3W'nile the newspaper owner later "Other members of the Neufeld fam-
were soldan enormous sum for the published a statement that his paper did ily who were active in the work of the S.
Maritimes at that time. not endorse the views expressed by the D. A. church were: Don Neufeld, Bible
7F. W. Stray, The Eastern Canadian editorial in promoting the Seventh-day scholar and teacher, and editor of the
Messenger, June 28, 1932, 2. Sabbath, he did admit personal respect for church journal, Review and Herald; Henry
'The Maritime Conference was made Mr. Flaiz. Feyerabend, television evangelist and
up of the churches of Tiverton, Tantallon, 'Despite hostility, sixteen people be- musician.
Truro, Annapolis, New Glasgow, Jeddore, came Sabbath keepers in McGregor. Sab- 14
Among the sixteen baptisms from
and Halifax, Nova Scotia; Elgin, Hopewell bath interest spread to Gladstone, the first evangelistic series were Frank
Cape, Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, Winnipeg and Plum Coulee. Although Shearer and his mother, from Fort Carlton.
and St. Martin's, New Brunswick. (The several Adventists were brought to the They first thing they knew was that Ad-
Guthries were assigned to PEI.) Officers courts for breaking Sunday laws, only one ventists didn't eat pork or drink tea.
elected were: G. E. Langdon, president; (John McKelvey) served a prison term. "Conway later became a Bible in-
M. S. Babcock, vice-president; and Mrs. 'Among the new converts in the structor at Battleford Academy. His last
Carrie Langdon, secretary-treasurer and German congregation at Morden were work in Canada was serving as chaplain at
Sabbath School secretary. (She became the families of J. Nichols, P. Wiebe, D. Rest Haven Sanitarium, Sidney, British
the first of several women to serve the Nichol, and A. A. Toews. Other churches Columbia.
Maritimes in executive offices. were raised in Russell, Altamont, "Walter Forshaw was one of nine
'George McCready Price always Scandinavia and Killarney. baptized at the Regina effort. He assisted
claimed that the earliest known Sabbath- 6Later, a second church school opened in other public meetings in Swift Current,
keeper in New Brunswick was his uncle, in Winnipegin the old building after Markinch, Macrories, Kindersley,
George McCready. The old man always the Bannerman church moved on to new Weybum and Tugaske.
attributed his conversion to reading Sev- and larger quarters following the success- "Elder Babienco also established
enth-day Baptist literature. From there ful 1923 campaign by F. W. Johnson. Russian-speaking congregations in Vice-
he found the transition to Adventism 7 Beausejour was one of the early Ger- roy and Lonesome Butte.
relatively easy. man centers, with a group of thirteen "At the point of the conference
10 In 1932 the Depression further organized in 1913. Other new churches of merger, Manitoba had only eight churches
crippled the Memramcook Academy, and the time were: the Bannerman Church of open.
it closed. As a final defeat, the building Winnipeg and others at Fort William, 'Whitesand serves as the base of
burned to the ground three years later. Grandview, Erickson, and Minitonas. youth camp activities. It now has a large
"These two Newcastle Creek con- 8Gulbrandsen later served in Gimli metal auditorium and improvements are
verts were the Crawford brothers. Their and Winnipegosis. made yearly.
families hav9 since had a large influence 9The city of Brandon challenged the
in the Adventist church. best the workers had to offer, even after
MARITIME 43
M AN I T OB A - S ASK A T CHEW AN
6. The Manitoba-Saskatchewan
Conference (Est. 1903 )1
By Ruth Bodrug
MANITOBA-SASKATCHEWAN 45
his son were planting their crop on Though never well-to-do, from this the leadership of Elders Shaw and
their new land in the spring of 1887, humble home came two ministers, D. Sulzle, were able to organize a
George Ross came under strong D. and John D. Neufeldboth of church in Rouleau. In the next
conviction. He asked the boy, late whom worked for years in the prairie generation this church produced a
one Friday afternoon, "What do provinces." number of doctors, nurses, teachers
you think about me finishing my The Hoehn family has also pro- and others who served the denomi-
work before I obey the Lord?" vided a number of notable workers to nation well. Another hard worker
The lad's instant reply the church. In 1906 the John Henkes in Rouleau was star-canvasser A. D.
prompted Ross to keep the Sab- family came from Minnisota to settle Haynal. Busy translating and writ-
bath. "I know what you would say near Canora. A vigorous colporteur ing for the Slovakian people there,
if you told me to do something, and she covered the district, and then her he became the second Slovakian to
I said that I'd do it when I got husband invited a neighbor boy, Ed- be ordained to the ministry.
ready." Thus the Ross family be- ward Hoehn, in for Bible studies. He The Russian community at
came the first Adventist believers came with his brother and also his Beaver Creek was first reached by
in Saskatchewan, and they were sister Hulda. The trio was baptized at Elder Eugene Farnsworth and his
part of the second Saskatchewan the campmeeting and went on to brothers who, surprisingly, got per-
church organized on April 1, 1906. Battleford Academy. They were in mission to distribute their tracts at
Second were the Neufelds, a the first graduating class. Hulda later the door of the Mennonite Church
German-Mennonite family who married Dr. Sam Crooks. In later life as the congregation came out. El-
came to America from Russia. Al- she has gone to other achievements of der Babienco came in 1914 to foster
ready Dietrich Neufeld, a studiously her own and is the first 95 year-old to the interest and a church was estab-
religious man, had found the Sab- climb Pikes Peak! Other charter lished there two years later."
bath truth in his Bible. Upon his families of the Canora church (orga- Within three more years, despite
arrival in the United States, he and nized October 17, 1916), were, in ad- much opposition, it became the
his family had already started ob- dition to the Henkes, Deer, Houck, largest in the conference with a
serving the seventh day. This habit Wimer, Jewkes and Hnatyshyn. membership of 137.
caused problems, so in 1892, he The first worker among Opposition:
decided to look for land in Saskatchewan's German population Elder D. D. Neufeld brought
Saskatchewan. He found a family was Elder C. Sulzle. Together with about revivals in both Rosthem and
in Rosthern, and the next year he Elder Ziprick, he worked in Rosthern Fox Valley. When he went to
brought his family north. They and Melville. Fenwood to conduct meetings, he
became part of Saskatchewan's first Elder Dirksen opened the first had difficulty finding a meeting
organized church in Waldheim. public meetings in Yorkton in 1898." place. Finally he rented a dance
In 1906 F. H. Conway" and Paul Curtis hall. Then the town denied him
had an evangelistic series in Regina. the use of the hall, but by that time
The effort was difficult, with the twenty-five people had decided to
Curtis's having to live in a tent where keep Sabbath. Since renting a
they got showered with stones. A church would be impossible, the
number of citizens advocated impris- members built onewith a barn
onment for these bearers of strange large enough to hold seventeen
doctrines.16 Pastors C. J. Rider and teams of horses!
Forshaw opened meetings in another The Kaytor family had helped
winter-tent effort in Swift Current, erect a Catholic church in Regina.
where the twenty people who attended Since no money remained for pews,
the first night huddled around a stove. each member bought a chair. Upon
The work in Saskatchewan fell becoming Seventh-day Adventists,
into several ethnic groups, other than the Kaytors took their chairs away
E. M. Chapman was president of the Manitoba the original British and German. all except the father. He left his
Conference from 1913-1917. In 1906 Regina believers, under chair because he hadn't decided to
A has so often
been the case, Seventh-day Adventist
being 1,100 miles northwest of
Manitoba. One, however, said, chari-
Dirksen was sent from Manitoba to
organize Alberta's first church, in
teachings first came to Alberta in the tably, "Alberta reaches almost to the Leduc on May 14, 1898.5 Though
spring of 1895 through the work of North Pole. . .but having been there isolated, the membership thrived on
two colporteurs, Thomas R. Astleford published church papers and faith-
two winters, I find that the climate there
and George W. Sowler. Working in fully attended prayer-meetings, Bible
is superior to the climate of Michigan."4
Edmonton and the towns along the The development of the church in readings and Sabbath Schools. The
railroad to the south, Astleford brought Alberta was to pro- far-reaching ef-
in the first converts in the province.2 ceed along marked fects of litera-
Four years passed, however, before a ethnic lines and ture distribu-
permanent minister could be assigned within large family tion throughout
to the infant church in Alberta,' so the groups. Alberta can
canvassers carried on. To the south hardly be over-
Sowler sold 200 copies of Bible Read- The German ALBERTA estimated.
ings in Calgary. He canvassed to the Beginnings The climate
north, toward Fort MacLeodamong Block's early notwithstand-
the ranchersand also along the Ca- work stirred up lay- ing, Alberta be-
nadian Pacific Railroad to the east. participation in came an abun-
Alberta at the turn of the century Leduc (twenty miles dant land for
was a great lonely country, and on one south of Edmonton). settlers, and
trip, Sowler travelled in the saddle for Also a strong interest people would
twenty-five miles without seeing even in health reform come in groups.
one house. A number of colorful went along with the In May of 1906,
misconceptions about Alberta existed, health lectures of Dr. Menzel of Stony for instance, twenty-three people from
of course, even in sophisticated quar- Plainone of the charter members of Oklahoma arrived in Leduc. Particu-
ters. At the 1901 General Conference, the Leduc church. John Gustave Litke, larly in the case of this province, some of
one of the brethren described it as the however, is the earliest known con- the immigrants were already Seventh-
"field . . . away up yonder, about as far vertsimply because a colporteur day Adventists when they arrived.'
as white people generally go." An- shared his new faith with his German By the 1870's the hundred-year-
other charted it (very incorrectly) as friends in the district. Soon H. J. old promise of Catherine the Great to
ALBERTA 49
a rented house but Actually, the first Ukrainian
soon expanded to a Adventist believer was M. H.
larger, modem facility. Philbrick. '9 A cruelly mistreated eight-
The fame of the sani- year-old boy, he took refuge in the
tarium spread, and one home of the Philbricks, Adventist
patient is known to members of the Vermilion Lake
have come from 1,200 church. Since they brought him up as
miles up north. "The their own son, he became an Adventist
doctors are recom- a number of years before the Soloniuks.
mending our treat- William and Nancy Hryirchuk
ments in every direc- were among the first Seventh-day
tion," the credentialed, Adventist families to be baptized in
five-nurse staff an- the Beauvallon area in 1919. Reared
nounced with pride.18 in a very devout Greek Orthodox
Not only did this pri- family, Nancy listened cautiously to
vate institution do the Bible studies, for no Bible had ever
great service in pre- been permitted in her home. Then
ventive medicine, but their little daughter, Anne, became
it did much to break down prejudice. violently and inexplicably ill. Having
In 1906 Calgary acquired a sanitarium lost one child the previous year, the
of its own. The urge to locate a sani- Hryirchuks despaired, for the nearest
tarium-hospital in a rural location, hospital was in Edmonton, 100 miles
however, would not be fully realized away. With almost the little one's last
until the establishment of Rest Haven breath, an Adventist colporteur ap-
Hospital in British Columbia in1921. peared at the door. He couldn't sell a
book in the middle of this crisis, of
The Ukrainian Community course, but he dropped to his knees by
the fact that the law-makers often Outstanding advances were made the cradle and prayed for the healing
took the Adventist side. among the Ukrainian settlers in the of the little girl. As soon as the man
In 1903 the first general meeting Beauvallon District (east of departed, Nancy saw that her baby
of Seventh-day Adventists in the ter- Edmonton) in the 1920's. It all began had completely recovered from
ritory was held at the home of J. H. with the 1917 visit of a Ukrainian whatever the illness had been. Now
Lowry in Ponoka.15 The next year Baptist named Ripka to the home of the Hryirchuks could delay no longer
Alberta campmeeting convened in Elia Tkachuk. Unrestrained by tact, and joined the Beauvallon church in
Ponoka also (July 12-17, 1904), with Ripka roundly condemned them for 1919.2
about one-third of the 150 believers their idol worship, recommended In 1920 Mike and Kathryn
present.16 burning the Catholic pictures on the Melnechuk, of Pittsburgh, Pennsyl-
walls, and kept Tkachuk up until 3 vania, traded farmssight unseen
Medical Work in Alberta a.m. arguing his point. The next day, for land in Beauvallon, Alberta. Soon
The health work in Alberta be- Tkachuk told his neighbors, the after their coming, a neighbor revealed
gan with the lectures of Dr. Menzel George Soloniuks, what he'd learned, communioty prejudice,21 warning the
(based on The Testimonies) in the and they borrowed a Bible from an- Melnechuks, "There are a few families
earliest days in Leduc and the wide other neighbor, Mrs. Tym. Until T. here who keep Saturday (soo-bot-ne-
distribution of tracts. The arrival of T. Babienco arrived the next year, key). They have very peculiar ideas,
Frank. Lewis Hommel (1875-1964), a however, no Ukrainian minister had so don't have anything to do with
graduate nurse from Battle Creek been available. The first church was them." The soo-bot-necks, however,
Sanitarium, marked its formal phase at Pobida (Victory), to be pastored for knew what worked. They came to get
with the establishment of a sanitarium the next nine years by Peter acquainted and brought gifts of food.
in Edmonton.17 Although it began in Yakovenko. Then when spring work began, one of
ALBERTA 51
in Peace Riverand the memories of the pioneers, the snow on the ground the first trail from Peoria through to
their Christian witness still live on." and the icey spring water made no Belloy. Other immigrants followed,"
Joe and Ruth French of Grande Prai- difference on that March day. Now and in August, 1931, the Alberta
rie remember his ministry well. When Joe and Ruth met their new breth- Conference president, Arthur V.
they first moved to Waterhole in1919, renthe Fergusons, Knutsons, Rhoads, organized a thirteen-member
Joe had already, as a boy, become Keillors, Joe Miller and Mr. Stone (an church there. Five years later, husky
acquainted with Adventists. Having eighty-two-year-old gentleman who farmers dug out the basement for a
attended meetings with his parents was sure that he would live to see Jesus new church building by hand. They
(the Sam Frenchs) in Stettler, he knew come.) The neighbors noticed, how- worked far into the night, for that far
one when he saw one. So when a ever, that Joe and Ruth didn't "hang north the sun hardly sets in summer.
young Russian colporteur sold them out" about town on Saturday as usual. Short, rich growing-and-harvest sea-
Bible Readings for the Home Circle and "Aren't we good enough?" one farmer sons punctuate the long, severe win-
The Home Physician and then spent asked. "You have to go all the way to ters under the Northern Lights. and
the next Saturday alone in a grove of Bluesky to find friends ?"26 still make farming in the Peace River
trees, Joe said, "He's got to be either a The Reiswigs were the first Ad- a viable option.
Jew or an Adventist." ventists in Clairmont, where they Although the Alberta Conference
The next Adventists they met hauled coal and firewood to keep alive. was the last to be added to the Union,
were Bert Bailey and his hired man, Then, in 1926 three Reiswig brothers its membership has remained com-
Mr. Wilson. (Because of a drought in (George, Dan, and Fred) homesteaded mitted and generous. The youngest in
the Edmonton area, Mr. Philbrick had in Grizzly Bear Flats (now known as the "family," but in no way lesser for
shipped all his cattle to Waterhole.) Peoria)a district approached in a that accident of history! The found-
During his wife's absence on a visit to two-day journey by wagon through ing of the early churches, naturally, is
Stettler, Joe became friends with the "The Badheart." Settlers" here carved to be tied to the settlement of the
two men, and by the time Ruth re- their farms out of the woodlands and province itself.
turned her husband was convinced of created a distinctive community, two
the Adventist faith. Reluctant to give thirds of which were Adventists. As a Sources
in to a church that would make them young man, Son Harold Reiswig 1Much of this article is abstracted
so peculiar among their neighbors, opened what for decades was to be the from Dennis H. Braun, "A History of the
she held back. Learning of the French's only general store in the area. In1929 Alberta Conference up to 1910" (Andrews
interest, Peter Rick and his wife came a group of young farmers, newly ar- University, Unpub. manuscript, 1974).
over from Bluesky where a small rived from northern Germany slashed Othere sources are: J. Ernest Monteith,
church had been formed. Since Joe
and Ruth had but one bed, the Ricks
slept on the floor of the one-room log
cabin. Over the quantity of good food
which Mrs. Rick brought along, they
all became well acquainted.
The Frenchs, and others, were
baptized at the next campmeeting.
Peter Rick dug a pool out of the spring
but could supply no heater! Yet, for
The Lord is My Shepherd (Oshawa: Cana- (Washington D.C. Review & Herald, present were Boynton,
dian Union Conference, 1983); Wolfram 1976),21. (See Church Clerk Records of Block and two colporteurs. At this time,
Hackenberg, A Light in the Peace (Grande the Leduc church). Charter members of however, the Alberta Tract and Mission-
Prairie: Menzies Printers, 1980); personal the Leduc church were the Litkes, Sticles, ary Society was formed, with Stella Lowry
interviews by Myrna Tetz; and other Klatts, Kuhns, Comms, Louisa Ergang, as secretarya necessary step since the
sources. Elisabet Geick and William Reidman. nearest office was almost 1,000 miles away.
16 Review & Herald, June 30, 1904.
2Northern Union Reaper, August 14, NorthernUnionReaper , May 1,1906.
1906. "Alberta Mission Field Council was
7August Kunz was in charge of Ger-
formed on July 15, with Boynton as chair-
3Henry Block, a German worker of man correspondence at the denomina-
man. Three other ministers represented
College View, Nebraska, received the call tional headquarters in Battle Creek,
the entire work-force for the province: H.
to Alberta on a Friday. "On the following Michigan. He communicated with a
Block, R. S. Greaves, and A. C. Ander-
Monday he and his family started out for number of would-be Sabbath keepers in
son. The next year Paul Curtis arrived
Alberta, not even taking time to lock the southern Russia.
from south of the border, with the Iowa
door to the old home." (Northern Union 8Concurrently some Russians shared
Conference promising to pay $10.00 per
Reaper, August 14, 1906). He was joined the interest in Adventism, as was the case week for his support in this northern
in 1901 by another Nebraska minister, J. of Theofil A. Babienco of Tarashcha, missionfield.
W. Boynton, who built a house in Ponoka. Ukraine, south of Kiev. Having secured a
4Generalamference Bulletin, Apri117, Bible, he and a company calling them- (Continued on page 13.)
1901. selves "A Community of Brethren, Be-
5Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia lievers in the Bible," left the state church
ALBERTA 53
A T ION
Above left: The home of Mrs. Anna Pippy at 92 Freshwater Road, St. John's,
Newfoundland. Here, in 1905, the Adventists opened their first day school in
Newfoundland. This church school, held in her living room, continued for about ten
years. Above Right: After the intermission Doug Dowden creates a "pretend Indian"
hunting among "pretend trees." Below left: Christmas programs were an old and
beloved tradition in Adventist schools back in less complex times. Here Grades 3 to 6
at Newfoundland Mission Academy sing a carol to candlelight (1953, under the
principalship of Emmerson Hillock). Below right: The Corner
Brook School, Newfoundland, 1951. Coated with icicles and
banked with snow, many a small Canadian school, like this one,
housed within four walls: the church, the classroom, a social hall,
and a drafty two -)om apartment for the teacher.
EDUCATION 55
anyone rich or increased in goods. In 1915
Howard Capman earned $5.00 a week, teaching
in Toronto. Board and room took up $3.50, and
then he paid tithe. That left him with $1.00 a
week for all ofthe other necessities a teacher in
Grandview, British Columbia, might have.4
Poverty-stricken they were, but those early
church school teachers had enormous commit-
ment to their work. One at Ontario's first el-
ementary school in Selton (1895-about 1903)
slanted everything in the classroom to the Bible:
"Instead of learning that "J" standsforJohnny...the
beginners learned "J" stands for Joseph who was
sold into Egypt. In their arithmetic no problems
ever concerned tobacco or pigs. Pupils estimate
at current prices the cost of construct-
ing Solomon's Temple. Even the
morning roll call was taken differently.
Each student responded to his name
by repeating a verse of Scripture be-
ginning with his initial."5
In 1901 Ontario church members
voted for the opening of an industrial
school in order to train workers to staff
their own province. Two years later
Eugene Leland and one other teacher
opened the doors ofLomedale Academy
to eight stu-
dents. Both
members and
students were
Above left: Mrs. Anna Dybdahl (nee Nelson) was the first church school teacher in the
Ontario Conference. Middle Left: Daniel Dimock's family in whose home a church school
was started in 1899. Later they donated land for the Farmington Industrial Academy. (L-R,
tik 4- 4
standing) : Daniel Dimock, E. Eimock, a grandmother, Joan Dimock and Mrs. Lettie Dimock;
(seated) Mrs. R. A. Hubley and an unidentified boy. Below left: The main building at
Williams(WP , Nova Scotia. Above right: The faculty and graduates of Williams(WP Acad-
emy in 1915. Front row (L-R, seated): Elsie F orward-Hartin , Lewis Hartin, and Violet
Morgan. At the sides and behind: Charlie Joyce, Mr. Ma.chlan,Gladys Machlan, Oliver
Stevens, Mr. and Mrs. N. H. Sanders. Middle right: Martitime Academy at Memramcook
where it functioned for sixteen years. A suspicious fire in 1932 destroyed the entire school plant,
and the school was not reopened. Below right: The faculty and Student body at Williams(WP
Acedmey..
Opposite Page: Battleford Academy remained vigorous to the end of its career. Above: The
dormitory girls of 1927. Below: The Junior Class of 1928.
Alberta
Alberta's first (short-lived) school opened in
Tees (1903-1905 ), with Miss Lorena Carpenter
(later Mrs. Hommel) as its teacher. It occupied
an upstairs room in the home of L. D. House. For
the 1906 school opening in Leavings (later called
Granum), V. D. Hawley came up from South
Dakota as teacher. His work was "quite a load for
EDUCATION 57
a twenty-three-year-old lad to carry," he recalled. they'd ridden to school. John Hober, the local
"The denomination at that time had nothing to postmaster, built swings for the school children.
offer church schools. There was no course of He set metal rings in two fir trees and strung cable
study and no textbooks to speak of. There were between the trees to hold the swings. He also built
thirty-four students, and I received $15 or $20 per a ramp behind the swings that could be used as a
month and was 'boarded around.' Besides teach- launching pad for a wonderful ride through the air.18
ing all the grades froml through 9, I was voted the The students at Bella Coola proved to be
following responsibilities at the church: elder, capable of mischief whenever left alone. On one
Sabbath School superintendent, young people's occasion, one of the older boys said, "Wouldn't it
leader and a pinch-hit class teacher. .. .I didn't see be fun if all the chairs were turned upside down?"
a believer outside of the local church from the Soon everyone was busy turning over the furni-
time I started school in the fall until I arrived at ture. As soon as the grown-ups returned, how-
campmeeting the next year."" ever, the children were equally busy setting things
right again. On another occasion, the children
British Columbia took a collie and clipped its hair short, like a lion.
The first school was opened in Pitt Meadows The parents found the guilt-ridden youngsters
in 1907. After a period of indifferent success, the behind the barn, trying to glue the hair back onto
second one (the work of many hands) was estab-
lished in Firvale. In 1904 an Adventist, F. A.
Johnson, had homesteaded in Upper Bella Coola
Valley.'2 His land, some thirty miles from town"
was in an area that was later named "Firvale."14
Other Adventist families, also looking for a re-
mote area that would serve as a refuge in the last
days, soon joined the Johnson. The homesteaders
arrived by boat and had to make the two-day trip
to Firvale by wagons pulled by oxen or horses.'5
By 1907 the Firvale church was organized,'' and
two years later the third church school in the
conference was opened by Ed Phelps in a house
donated by William Stein." A barn stood behind
the house where students could leave the horses
Above: At their teacher's knee, pupils of the Stettler Adventist School (about 1915).
Middle: Church and school often occupied the same premises, at different times and
on different days of the week. This building was the original Brooks Seventh-day
Adventist church as well as the Stettler school (1915-1916). Below: Often one or two
families made up the entire school enrollment. In the case of the first year of the Stettler
school (1914-1915), the Patterson family was the the mainstay of the enterprise.
Opposite Page: Above left: Teacher and students at the Stettler School in its third
year (1916-1917) . The McCarty and Zumwakt families were well represented.
Above right: The nurses, the pre-coedsthey all like to pose with the laboratory's
resident skeleton. Below left: Students at the Rutland School (progenitor of Okanagan
Academy) cluster around their teacher, R. Clayton. Below right: The original
campus Oshawa Missionary College. The first building of any consequence to be
constructed was an all-purpose building (left) which later served as the girls' dormitory,
plus kitchen dining room, laboratory, offices, chapel, and classrooms. Next (right) ,
came the administration. In between was the president's cottage. All of these buildings
have now been demolished.
EDUCATION 59
Later in that summer of 1913, a bricklayer While it remained small the French Depart-
was needed to install the boiler. Once again ment played an important role in training church
Kirkendall retired to his prayer place. He asked workers, until the Depression brought it to an
the Lord specifically to send Nathan Wagar who end. Thus Oshawa Missionary College was the
was, at the moment canvassing some thirty miles only church institution in North America offer-
east of Oshawa. Wagar, meanwhile, on the road ing French-language programs.
distinctly heard an insistent voice ordering him Now known as Kingsway College, the school
to return to Oshawa. When he arrived back on has lived for eighty-eight years. It averages a 250-
campus he turned into Kirkendall's house. The student enrolment and offers provincially accred-
president greeted him warmly. "Well, thank the ited high school diplomas and the academic require-
Lord you're here." When the men compared ments needed for Ontario university entrance.
times, they found that the time when Wagar
heard the voice coincided to the minute with the Part II CANADIAN UNION COLLEGE27
time when Kirkendall prayed. Among the settlers arriving in Alberta at the
By 1916, the school now called "Eastern turn of the century were a few Adventist members
Canadian Missionary Seminar,"" offered college from the United States. Assigned to the Alberta
level work for the first time in Canada, included mission field in 1901, J. W. Boynton from Ne-
a training program for French workers, and started braska faced the new settlers' demand for schools.
a teacher training course." The Normal Course By 1907 the log-cabin church school at Har-
became the strongest program, preparing candi- mattan was surpassed by a "canvassers school" for
dates for secondary teaching.26 Non-Adventist workers, Alberta Industrial Academy. C. A.
youth were admitted, provided they would "con-
duct themselves in accordance with the prin-
ciples upon which the school was founded."
EDUCATION 61
By the end of the first term, a new school The rules and regulations were few but were
building was required, so all the able bodied well enforced. Students were expected "to ab-
people took to the woods, some thirty miles stain from indecent or disorderly behavior, from
distant, to cut logs almost-free on government profane and unbecoming language; from the use
land. There were eighteen men two women (as of tobacco and all alcoholic drinks; . . .and from all
cooks)," eighteen horses, three bobsleds and a improper associations." The institution restricted
cutter. Choosing a site near the Saskatchewan associations between the sexes "to the ordinary
River, the school workers planned to float the forms of civility."
logs to Strathcona when the ice broke up in the The cost of operating Alberta Industrial
spring. When the party left on April 1, 1907, the Academy was low, but expansion appeared to be
snow was three feet deep. In three weeks they had almost impossible. To finance this "growth
1,700 logs piled on the ice, awaiting the river scheme," each member was asked to sell three
journey to a sawmill in Edmonton where the copies of Christ's Object Lessons." Now the vision
lumber would be prepared. Some logs, unfortu- included finding a location large enough to build
nately were lost in the spring floods. a school and a sanitarium (to provide work for the
The Leduc period of the school, however, academy students). During the visit of W. A.
proved to be difficult. When the temperature Spicer (from the General Conference) to Alberta
dropped fifty and sixty degrees below zero out- in 1909 the decision was made to purchase a farm
doors, the temperature in the sleeping rooms ran two miles north of Lacombe.
at about twenty degrees below zero, to say nothing
of the conditions for several families living in
tents on the school farm." Boys in the log-house
dormitory often awoke in the morning to find
their blankets covered with snow. The new frame
building erected in 1903 offered a couple of
amenities wood stoves for heating, a water
system in a barrel behind the kitchen stove. In
1908 a lean-to
was attached to
the boys' log dor-
mitory for the
new preceptor
and his wife. It
proved very drafty
in the winter, but,
by throwing water
over the walls, the
crackswere almost VV
11.16
1
instantly sealed 40?
with ice. --- N
Canadian Junior Col-
lege. The Old Admin- I I E
istration Building of
1927. The fifth-floor
annex housed boys a
some of whom use the
it for a backdrop for a
fifteen-man pyramid.
EDUCATION 63
overnight. The one luxury was a boy making Sources
rounds and leaving a pitcher of warm water at 'Eastern Canadian Messenger, September 2, 1914,
each door. Water was brought in a wooden barrel 'Monteith, 214-215. Everyone in Newfoundland
on a stone-boat, drawn by the school bull and thus identifies with some church, and the government
driven by a student, Max Popow. One day the bull pays teacher salaries.
'It was not until the mid-1960's that new land was
ran away, but fortunately Alfred Pond came to
purchased and Newfoundland Academy came into its
school that year with two oxen. Finally, five years own.
later, in 1914, water was piped into the rooms in Fast 4In the same year a teacher in Grandview, British
Hall, and the first bath tub was installed. (Baths Columbia offered to pay his landlord $10.00 per week,
were permitted once a week, on a schedule.) The with a supply of potatoes and apples.
only piano on "The Hilltop" was one brought to the "Montieth.
school by Pastor and Mrs. P. 0. Adams in 1910. 6Other Ontario schools included Windsor, Fort
That same year West Hall, the boys' dormitory was William, Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Paris and
built, and construction of the administration build- Haileybury. Today seventeen schools ( including
ing began in 1912. W. A. Clemenson (later the Kingsway College) operate in Ontario.
'Schools opened in Findlater and Macroriein the
president of four Canadian conferences) was the
1920's and in Regina and Brockington in the 1930's.
first graduate of Alberta Industrial Academy. In the next decade schools appeared in Saskatoon and
By 1919 the school had become a Western Moose Jaw. Others have opened, closed, and sometimes
Canadian Union Conference institution, bringing reopened in: Yorkton, Rosthern, Rabbit Lake,
about the name change: Canadian Junior College. Battleford, and Quill Lake.
The fourteen -grade status enabled the faculty to 'Other Saskachewan church schools included:
offer three curricula: pre-nursing, ministerial and Findlater (1926); Macrorie (1927); Moose Jaw (1949);
literary. Senior-college status was attained in 1946 and Saskatoon (1947). Today seven schools serve
and a Bachelor of Theology degree was offered. Saskatchewan. After many fluctuations of fortune,
Today, the high school division is fully accredited today seven schools are in operation.
95t. John, New Brunswick, did not have a school
with the Province of Alberta. Under the adminis-
again until 1946.
tration of the new college president J. D. Victor 10Other Maritime schools: Dickie Mountain, NB
Fitch, Canadian Union College attained the long- (operated by Mrs. Martin Kierstead in her home for
sought-after accreditation with the Province of forty yearswith no salary); Halifax, NS ( 1927, Sandy
Alberta for three-year Bachelor of Arts degrees: Lake Academy). Other early schools opened in
English, Music, and Religious Studies. To be Carlingford, Moncton, and North Sydney. Today the
sure, this 500- Maritime Conference has eight schools.
student cam- 11The Stettler School (taught by Mrs. T. E. Bowett)
pus has come remained open for only three years. Peoria had the first
along way Adventist school in the Peace River district (1934).
since it occu- Other early Alberta schools opened in Belloy, Rocky
Mountain House, and Edmonton. Today the Alberta
pied rented Conference operates eleven elementary and second-
quarters in ary schools.
Leduc in 1907. l'Ibid., 184.
Interviews with James and Marvin Astleford,
July, 1991.
14Montieth, 184.
BInterviews, Astleford.
16S .D.A. Encyclopedia, 165. Loma Waterman re-
calls that John Hober, her grandfather, was the one
Rosie Florence Madsen. who gave the community its name. The Firvale
Around Nov.-Dec. 1930. Age church was disbanded in 1930.
16. Canadian Junior College 17Montieth, 184.
entrance not finished. 18Even after the school was closed and the prop-
EDUCATION 65
Living the Gospel,
Canada East and Canada West:
(Personal Sketches of Two Pioneer Families)
By Dorothy Minchin-Comm
Opposite page: Left: Amelia Ford-Moyst (1882-1982), the daughter of a sea captain, may serve as an
exemplar of all the pioneers who solidly laid, upon their rocky island of Newfoundland, the foundations of early
Adventism. Right: Thomas F. Moyst, the husband of Amelia Moyst, was 2nd Engineer of the S. S. Caribou,
a ferry on the gulf run between Port-aux-Basques , Newfoundland, and Sydney, Nova Scotia. He served the
Newfoundland Railway Steamship Company from 1923-1942. He and all of his shipmates died on October 14,
1942, when their ship was sunk by an enemy submarine.
Above: Affectionately known as "Nannie" Moyst, Amelia lived to be almost100 years old. In later years she
lived in Port-aux-Basques , but after the death of her husband she moved to Corner Brook with her daughter Mabel
Moyst-Dingwell and son Ralph. Below: Graduation day for the midwifery class in St. John's, Newfoundland,
with the instructor seated center front. Barely five feet tall ,energetic and practical Minnie Moyst stands at the
right in the back row.
PIONEER 67
The Caribou, had been carrying American and II. Old Fashioned Adventism:
Canadian servicemen and women to the military
bases in Newfoundland and was, therefore, fair The Gimbel Family
game for enemy action. (Ships were going down
constantly in the surrounding Atlantic.) Tom By Dorothy Minchin-Comm
Moyst, along with the rest of the crew, lived and Hervey Gimbel
perilously, day and night, in anticipation of being
victims to the enemy submarines. He was on duty
in the engine room when the German torpedo hit
his ship. Two days later his body was found W hile the basics of doctrine run as a
common denominator to Adventism around the
floating in the Gulf.'
After that Minnie didn't want to return to world, cultural differences have always produced a
Port-aux-Basques, so she and her bachelor son, wonderful mosaic of the experience. In Canada,
Ralph, made a new home in the paper town of for instance, take rural Alberta. If you had walked
Corner Brook. Now usually called Nannie Moyst, into the church near Beiseker as late as the 1940's,
she became the unofficial leader of the tiny you would still have found much of the old-world
Adventist church, which convened in the one- mind-set. Indeed, where else could you have re-
room school house (built in 1937 at 9 Carmen captured more of ethnic German worship than here
Avenue ).4 in the prairie-flat wheat country of southern Alberta.
In her latter years, when the church grew and What were the components of the bedrock
there were other hands to share the work, Nannie faith to be found in the little country churches in
Moyst continued to knit and crotchet to raise her the Canadian and American mid-west? First, the
money for Sabbath School Investment.' Still, warm, dry air around the centrally placed pot-
ministers, teachers and members of all ages deferred bellied stove would ring with the lively singing of
to her wisdom and counsel.6 old German hymns from the Zions Leder and no
PIONEER 69
the home of Rosie, who was his older sister. By the While in California attending to the medical
time Ruth went home for the summer, he'd ac- needs of their baby boy, the Gimbels' two-and-a-
quired a Model-T Ford roadster for just $125. Now half year-old Averil died of spinal meningitis.
Jake could pursue his case in earnest. On his first Heartbroken, Jake and Ruth left their little one in
visit to the Johnson farm, he found Ruth carrying Babyland, at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale,
two heavy buckets of water in from the well. Her and headed back to Alberta. Then, before they
mother had always told her, "Don't marry a farmer. could reach home, they learned that Ruth's
You'll have to work too hard." But, since Ruth was youngest sister, Blanche (in nurses training), had
already working hard, Jake saw no reason for giving also died of meningitis in San Diego.
up his quest. Back in their familiar Rosebud church (named
Happily Ruth returned to the Advent Public for nearby Rosebud Creek), Ruth and Jake sat on
School in September. Jake's courtship had pro- Sabbaths between two comforting mottos and
gressed well enough so that he didn't have to resort were comforted. On the west wall: "The Love of
to the methods of his friend, Emil Gramms. The Christ Constraineth Us," and, on the east: "The
latter, in pursuit of another schoolteacher, had Lord is my Shepherd." The rest of the week, they
saved his fencing tasks along the road for times fought to wrest a living from the landa struggle
when he knew she would be walking by. (An which escalated with the Great Depression of
occasionally inconvenient device, but it worked.) 1929, followed by the drought years of the "Dirty
Sometimes Jake took Ruth out on horseback- 30's." Dust storms roiled through the brazen sky
riding dates. The next spring Jake and Ruth one and blotted out the sun, while dry winds whisked
day galloped the ponies, Billie and Longshanks, away the precious topsoil and deposited it in the
into a grove of trees in a field. In that secluded spot next township. Some people began to drift along
Jake gathered enough courage to propose. Then, with the tumbleweeds that blew into the fences.
on a blistering summer day, July 2, 1924, Jake and Farm sales and auctions increased, as the doubters,
Ruth celebrated their small family wedding in in despair, migrated to British Columbia and Cali-
Father and Mother Gimbel's house in Calgary. fornia.
Chicken noodle soup for the reception and then Still, believing that things couldn't get worse
away to the city's St. George's Island Park for the only betterJake and Ruth Gimbel hung on. One
honeymoon. Three hours later, wilted in the heat,
they bumped down the trail back to Beiseker and
to the making of their new home. Already they
knew that they wanted to make it a training
ground for Heaven.
No Beiseker housewife, of course, could be
ignorant of the fine points of German cuisine, so
Ruth very quickly learned how to make
dumphnoodles , strudel, kuchen, and kass knepfla.
Life prospered for the young couple with two
babies in the first two years, Averil Kay and Hervey.
After buying the car, a piano, most importantly,
came next. (That piano was to become a focal
point for all the music education in the commu-
nitythe Gimbel kids as well as many other
children. Friday nights the male quartet gathered
at the piano too.) Next came a dining room set, a
mohair sofa and two arm chairs. All furnishings,
however, kept to a frugal minimum for Jake and
Ruth had placed their priorities elsewhere.
PIONEER 71
der the bulk of the buffalo robes off the sleighs and Sources
the bear skin coats. Jake and Ruth also agitated for 'For a more complete account of the conversion of
classes in English, as a means of getting in touch Minnie Moyst, see Ray A. Matthews, "Woman
with the young Canada which was growing up Preacher," in Gospel Anchors Aweigh: Adventist Begin-
around them. nings in Newfoundland (Mountain View, CA: Pacific
The winter weather, however, could cause Press Pub. Assoc., 1980, 81-87.
'Newfoundland joined the Confederation of
more inconvenience than just the matter of the
Canada as the tenth province in 1949.
provisions for the children's Sabbath School. Aunt
3See H. Thornhill, The Tragic Sinking of the S. S.
Florence Openshaw can remember the day at the Caribou, and It Happened in October (1945).
Rosebud church when she was baptized by Elder J. 4The little church had been kept alive mainly by a
J. Reiswig in March, 1926. The minister cut a hole series of school teachers, beginning with Gerald Dolan
in the foot-thick ice, just big enough for the two of and then by Elder L. A. Astleford. When Walter 0. and
them to get in. (And afterwards there was no tent Dorothy Minchin-Comm served their ministerial in-
or shelter for changing into dry clothes.) When ternship in the Corner Brook pastorate (1951-1952),
asked why she couldn't wait until at least June, she Nannie Moyst was, as she always had been, a great
replied, "When my mind is made up that's it."" comfort to all the young arrivals. A new church
building was put up in Corner Brook during the pastoral
When it came to education, Jake and Ruth
tenure of Frank and Caroline Knutson, in the mid-
spared no effort. In 1941 they began the eighteen- 1950's.
year-long marathon of paying tuition and dormi- 5 In1976, with the help of her daughter Mabel
tory expenses for their six children. First, came (Dingwell) and her daughter-in-law Violet (Moyst),
Canadian Union College (Lacombe, Alberta), Nannie Moyst made $500 for Investment. The three
followed by Walla Walla College, (Washington) women knitted cushion covers and slippers and other
and, for some, Loma Linda University (Califor- beautiful pieces of craftworkas well as dressing dolls
nia). Had they chosen other priorities, the Gimbels for gifts.
could by now have enjoyed quite a comfortable 'Adapted from George Morgan (grandson of Minnie
standard of living. But Jake and Ruth had set their Moyst), "Nannie Moyst," in Kennedy, 31-35.
'Among the emigrant families to Alberta were the
sights on the Kingdom far too long for that. In1967
Kindopps, Humanns, Gimbels, Tetzs, Roths, Leiskes,
they retired to the "Cromwell Hotel" ( the name Bechtholds, Treibwassers, and others.
familiarly given to their house on Cromwell Av- 'Adam Roth, "Gold Wedding," Beiseker, Alberta,
enue in Calgary ). That's where the door forever June 30, 1955. (Letter and article are now in the
stood open, where another potato could always be Heritage Room, Andrews University) Cited in J. W.,
added to the soup and where a stranger from Monteith, The Lord is my Shepherd. (College Heights,
church or a utility man on the street had an equal AB: Canadian Union Conference, 1983 ),105.
chance of being invited home to lunch. 91n 1887-88 the Gimbels, along with other German
In the 1950's the college graduations began, families from Odessa, Russia, emigrated to mid-America,
followed by the weddings. Shortly after, came the settling in Kansas and the Dakotas.
10
Ru th's father, Fred Johnson, a Swede, first
grandchildrengreat flocks of them. By the1970's
worked among the Scandinavian
a new crop of Gimbel parents had begun communities east of the Calgary-
paying tuition bills, providing a Chris- Edmonton Trail. Perhaps no
tian education and giving music lessons. other Canadian province had
They could hardly do otherwise, given the more strongly delineated ethnic
role models they had in Jake and Ruth. lines than did the church in
The Seventh-day Adventist church Albertadifferences which per-
need never apologize for its little frontier sisted until relatively recent
churches. The sturdy, single-minded, times.
and determined pioneers kept their faith "Aileen Albersworth, ed., A
Light in the Peace. (Grande
the same way they kept their landwith
Prairie: Menzies Printers, 1980),
love and hope, sacrifice and courage. 33.