Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists

THE GERMAN WORK IN AMERICA

As early as 1877, some of our Danish and American brethren in Dakota, living in the vicinity of Mennonite settlements, began to feel a burden for the salvation of their neighbors. They knew but little of the German language, but by the circulation of the few German publications we then had, they scattered the seeds of truth among them. In June, 1878, five commenced to keep the Sabbath. In the winter of the same year, Bro. E. H. Pullen went to the Russian settlement near Milltown, Dakota, and distributed some reading matter. Though he could speak but little German, he tried to present to the people, as best he could, the arguments for the present truth, by giving them from his English Bible the references to proof-texts which they looked up in their German Bibles. In a little while about thirty-five accepted the Sabbath; but as we had no German ministers at that time, the work came somewhat to a stand-still. HSFM 255.2

In July, 1879, our German paper, the Stimme der Wahrheit, began to be published as a quarterly, and in January, 1880, as a monthly. This gave them a more perfect knowledge of present truth. About this time, Eld. S. B. Whitney visited them, but as they could not agree with us on some minor points, they did not connect themselves with our people. Later their leaders began to advocate peculiar views, in consequence of which they became divided, and a few gave up the Sabbath. HSFM 255.3

For several years urgent requests for a German laborer were presented to the General Conference, but no one could be found to answer the call. Having commenced to labor in Iowa, in May, 1881, I was invited by the Dakota Conference to work among the Germans in that field. In November I went to Dakota, and labored several months among the Mennonites near Childstown and Brother-field, but the effort seemed almost in vain. Many were convinced of the truth, but it seemed almost impossible for them to break away from their church connection. HSFM 255.4

In February, 1882, I came to Milltown, and met with a hearty reception from a few of the Sabbath-keepers, while others opposed me bitterly. In May a church of seventeen members was organized here, the first German Seventh-day Adventist church in America. Bro. J. Reiswig, who has since been ordained to the ministry, was chosen elder. Some months later another church was organized among the Mennonites in Brother-field, and a small church at Immanuel’s Creek, where the first Sabbath-keepers lived. In the summer of 1883, Eld. Henry Schultz and myself held the first German tent-meeting at Sutton, Neb. During the next two years, assisted during a portion of the time by Brn. J. S. and S. S. Shrock, I labored among the Germans in Minnesota, Kansas, and Pennsylvania. From this small beginning the number of German Sabbath-keepers in America has rapidly increased, until after four years there are now over seven hundred, and the work is steadily growing. HSFM 255.5

The good work was not long confined to America. Papers and tracts soon found their way to Russia, where thousands of the friends and relatives of our brethren lived. As early as 1882 the seed sown bore fruit, and some in the Crimea accepted the Sabbath. In November, 1883, an aged brother from the Milltown church came to Russia, and did what he could to spread the light during the year of his stay. His visit only increased the desire of the Sabbath-keepers to have a laborer visit and organize them. They were obliged to wait long for help, and when I came they gave me a warm welcome. HSFM 256.1