In 1874, John Nevin Andrews took a leap of faith, becoming the first official missionary of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, sailing to Switzerland on September 15 with his two young children. His dedication set a powerful precedent: the church sends its best for mission work. The Southern Asia-Pacific region has been blessed by missionaries like Abraham La Rue, who pioneered Adventist work in Asia, and others who followed, spreading the Three Angels’ Messages across the continent.
This week, we celebrate their legacy and reignite our mission spirit. Now, it’s our turn to send missionaries, both within and beyond our territory, fulfilling our divine mandate.
“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6 NKJV).
Thailand
1906 – “Robert A. Caldwell was chosen to go with F.G. Jones to do colporteur work in Southeast Asia. Stayed in Bangkok for three weeks selling the Adventist health magazine Good Health.
Phang Yin Hee, a young colporteur from Singapore, came to sell Chinese Signs of the Times to the large Chinese population of Bangkok.”
SIngapore - Malaysia
1888 to 1893 – “Abraham La Rue made trips to Singapore and the surrounding
regions selling and distributing Adventist literature as he went.”
1893 – “A colporteur from America stayed with an Englishman and his
wife, who later became a member of the early Adventist church in
Singapore.”
1900 – “H.B. Meyers, an early convert in India, and his son spent five and
a half months working over the same territory.”
Philippines
1904 – G.A. Irwin, president of the Australasian Union Conference, decided to pass by Manila on his way to Washington, D.C. to attend the May 1905 sessions of the General Conference. This was the first direct Adventist contact with the islands.
1905 – “Robert A. Caldwell arrived in Manila to sell The Home Handbook, a health book in English.”
1906 – “James L. McElhany and his wife arrived in Manila to start their work in the city to raise an American congregation in Manila, who would subsequently be expected to reach Filipinos.”
1908 – “Pastor and Mrs. Lewis V. Finster arrived from Australia. They learned the local language and did Bible studies with the locals. Some tracts were translated into Tagalog while they were still
studying the language.”
Timor Leste
1947 – “Brother Francis, a literature evangelist, was sent to Timor. Koepang as a pioneer worker. However, he passed away before establishing any soild roads.”
1950 – “Brother Legoh, another literature evangelist, was sent. He started a Sabbath school and later hosted a month of evening evangelistic meetings.”
WWII – “Brother Malonda and Brother Lombadgia helped in the increase of Adventist membership in the area.”
1975 – “A.C. Barlow and his family were voted to pioneer the work in Portuguese Timor.”
1976-80 – “Paulus Kapitan notably held the first Sabbath programs in Dili, helped the church grow and sponsored Adventist education in Indonesia for Timorese youth, a number of which returned to become Adventist leaders in today’s Timor-Leste.”
Myanmar
1902 – “H.B. Meyers and A.G. Watson landed in Rangoon to begin the gospel work in Burma (now Myanmar). They sold religious books on the streets, and their rented house became the meeting place on Sabbaths.”
1904 – H.B.Meyers and Watson also went to Yangon from Mawlamyine city and met with Maung Maung and discussed the Bible. Maung Maung came to believe in the truth of the Seventh Day Sabbath while studying the Bible, so he resigned from his job (government employee). (2) In 1904, he tried to invite missionaries to start the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Burma. It was through him that the Seventh-day Adventist Church began to flourish in Myanmar.
1905 – Herbert H. Votaw and his wife assumed leadership of the newly opened church. He was into active evangelism.
Laos
1957 – “Richard C. Hall and his wife began their work in Luang Namtha Province, Northern Laos. They brought along a young Thai man, Mun Lansri, who would later become one of the most faithful and successful pastors in Thailand.”
1959 – Abel Pangan, a Filipino pastor, was called to join them in 1959 when Richard Hall went on a furlough.
1961By 1961, a church was organized with approximately 44 members, mostly from the Hmong tribe, along with a few from the Tai Dam tribe. Adventist missionaries were able to work there for four years before they had to be evacuated to Thailand then the Indochina War broke out in 1964. The church building was overrun by the military and later destroyed by the war.
1968 – Hearing that there were some Adventists in Vientiane, the church sent Angel Baton from the Philippines to Vientiane in 1968.
1973 – With financial support from the Far Eastern Division, Cat Xin and Angel Biton were able to build a church in Vientiane in 1973. It was opened with fourteen members, mainly Chinese migrants. Miraculously, the Laos government also gave permission to Angel Biton to legally form and operate the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Laos. It was because of the said certificate of permission that the new government also recognized the Seventh-Day Adventist Church as one of the three Christian denominations in Laos.
Cambodia
Early 1920s – “R.M. Milne and Tan Kia Ou were the first recognized Adventist workers to enter Cambodia. They were colporteurs who sold the Signs of the Times in Chinese translation in Phnom Penh.”
1937 – “F.L. Pickett, then president of the Cambodia Mission and then the Indochina Mission, which combined the Cambodian and Cochinchina missions in 1937. Under his guidance, the first Cambodian church was established on the Vietnamese border as early as 1934, but was not recognized until 1936.”
1937 – “Robert Bentz moved to Phnom Penh with his wife, Martha, who later died of malaria, leaving behind their 5-month-old son.
Martha Koempel, a friend of Martha, was requested to come to Cambodia and assist Rebert with his motherless child. She and Robert eventually got married, and she started a maternity clinic in Cambodia while they carried on the work in the area.”
Vietnam
1915 – Adventism arrived in Vietnam.
1928 – “The Adventist Missionary area was assigned to the Asian Malay Church associations based in Singapore.”
1929 – R.H. Wetland arrived in Saigon as a missionary. The foreign Christian who came to Saigon to form the Church then was a French civil Construction engineer named Julien.
Indonesia
1900 – “Ralph Waldo Munson, his, wife, and their five children set sail from New York and arrived in Emma Haven (now Teluk Bayur), Padang. First native convert: Immanuel Siregar.”
1906 – George Teasdale and Petra Tunheim started the work in East Java, selling tracts from Ellen G. White writings translated into Bahasa.
1909 – Munson opened the work in Jakarta and Sukabumi.
1915 – “I.C. Schmidt replaced Tunheim as superintendent of the West Java Mission. Tunheim was transferred to Bandung, where he started the work in 1916.”
1922 – “P. Drinhaus was placed in Bandung to follow up on the work started by Tuheim.”
1923 – “M.E. Direja was sent to assist Drihaus.”
Brunei
At present – “Brunei remains an unentered territory for the Adventist Church, posing unique challenges due to its strict religious laws, predominantly Muslim population, and limited religious freedoms. Evangelism and public religious activities are highly restricted, making traditional missionary work nearly impossible.
To address these challenges, the Adventist Church must adopt creative and sensitive approaches. Building relationships through friendship, engaging in humanitarian work, and leveraging digital platforms can help share the message of hope in a way that respects local customs and laws. Prayers, patience, and perseverance are essential as we seek opportunities to witness in this challenging environment.”
