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Ellen G. White in Europe 1885-1887

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The First Missionary an Englishman

The first tangible “help” for Britain had come from Switzerland. According to Historical Sketches*: EGWE 36.1

“The first Seventh-day Adventist missionary to visit England was Bro. William Ings, who reached Southampton from Basel, Switzerland, on May 23, 1878. EGWE 36.2

“Bro. Ings remained at first two weeks, when he returned again to the Continent. He reported much interest, and people hungering for the truth. He soon returned to England, and resumed work in the land of his birth. At the end of sixteen weeks he reports ten keeping the Sabbath.... He and his wife remained in England until the beginning of the year 1882. Much of his time was spent in ship work, and thousands of pages of publications on present truth in various languages were sent by him to all parts of the world.... But Bro. Ings’ labors were not confined to ship work. In Southampton and surrounding towns and villages he presented the truth faithfully as opportunity offered, going from house to house, obtaining subscriptions for periodicals, talking and praying with the people.”—Page 81. EGWE 36.3

The same year that Ings began his work in England the General Conference sent J. N. Loughborough across the Atlantic. He arrived seven months after Ings came to the country. Loughborough plunged into evangelistic work in Southampton and its suburbs within a week after his arrival. He preached in a newly purchased tent sixty feet in diameter. Six hundred attended the first service. Meetings ran from May 18 to August 17, and thirty persons signed “The Covenant” to keep God's holy commandments and to wait for the Lord from heaven.† EGWE 36.4

No baptism was conducted until February 8, 1880, when Loughborough immersed six persons—he did not believe in rushing his candidates into the church! By July 2, 1881, twenty-nine had taken their baptismal vows. Credit was partially due to the excellent Bible work done by Maud Sisley, who had returned to her homeland from America. EGWE 36.5

Pioneer S. N. Haskell also visited Britain and labored on the Continent in 1882. He encouraged the workers and urged the beginning of a publishing enterprise in England. Other ministers followed with brief visits. J. H. Durland and M. C. Wilcox, however, were missionaries in Britain attached to the work there. EGWE 37.1