Editorial by Editor

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 18, 1911

Editorial

By Editor

So far as the records show, we believe, the first Seventh-day Adventist to report from a land outside of America, sent the message from the West Coast of Africa.

It is of special interest to learn that the first light of the full third angel’s message kindled across the seas, shone out in a glimmering spark from one of the darkest corners of the Dark Continent.

THIS first mission field report appeared in the REVIEW of March 29, 1864. The horizon of the believers was lifting, and the thought of the message going to other lands,—“to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,”—must have been borne in upon them more clearly by this first word from Africa. Under date of Jan. 2, 1864, Hannah More wrote from Cape Palmas, in Liberia:—

“Thank God I now see clearly that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord my God, and am keeping it according to the commandment. Mr. Dickson also is keeping it. It is quite singular to keep it here. I do not know of any others on the coast who keep the seventh day. But that is no proof against its authenticity. I only wonder that many good people reject the commandments of God by their traditions.”

Your people may now consider that you have whole-hearted Seventh-day Adventists here, waiting with you for that blessed appearing of Him whom we love and adore, and purpose to worship evermore. O, it will be delightful to see him as he is, to worship him aright, and cast our crowns at his feet! O, how sublime to see the time near, even at the door! So I will labor on and pray on, and may God’s special blessing attend and prosper my feeble efforts in his vineyard. I trust you will sympathize with me in these efforts to glorify God, and make ready a people prepared for his coming kingdom.

How I would love to recount to you all the way the Lord has led me, and how wedded I was to the tradition I was educated in, of keeping the first day for the Sabbath! O, how hard I found it to decide against what good people had taught me, whose memories I still venerate! But all is over, and for some weeks I have been keeping with you the seventh day.”

THE writer of this report was an American missionary. She came to this country to get acquainted with our people, and some years later died in Michigan. Evidently the little light in West Africa was suffered to go out after a time, in those early days. But now many lights are being kindled on that dark coast, and the call comes most earnestly for more workers and more means with which to follow the opening providences of God.

THAT year, 1864, in which came this first report from across the sea, was also the year in which the Polish minister, M. B. Czechowski, in the service of the First-day Adventists, went over to Europe, there to teach what he had heard of the Sabbath truth to the Swiss believers who formed our first company in Europe.