Michal Czechowski is
an interesting character
00:00:17.05\00:00:19.88
who tends to divide opinion.
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He was educated
for the priesthood
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in his native Poland.
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Perhaps to flee the country
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on the back of a
hate covered wagon
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because the
monastery that he was a part of
00:00:29.02\00:00:31.09
had gotten involved
in national politics.
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He was later imprisoned in Rome,
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then was in exile in
France for three years
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before he came
here to Switzerland,
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where he renounced the
priesthood, got married
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and then headed across
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to the United States of America.
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There he converted
first to Protestantism
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and then later on in
Findlay, Ohio, to Adventism.
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Having a ex Catholic
priest amongst the church
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attracted a lot of attention
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and frequent mentions
in the Review and Herald.
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He worked near
the Canadian border
00:01:04.96\00:01:06.70
with the French settlers
before moving to New York City,
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where he worked with the French,
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Hungarians,
Italians, Poles and Swedes
00:01:11.53\00:01:14.87
and raised a
congregation in Brooklyn.
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James White found him
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a difficult person to work with,
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a stubborn character
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who liked to march to
the beat of his own drum.
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He longed to go
back to Europe, though,
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and pleaded unsuccessfully
with the brethren to send him.
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He was seen as being too rash,
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sometimes difficult to work with
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and not good at handling money.
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He received several
letters from Ellen White
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that both commended
him and counseled him.
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She urged him not to
mark out his own course,
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but to wait for the
council of the brethren.
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Soon after this, he
went to a camp meeting
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organized by the
Advent Christian Church
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and told them of his
desire to go back to Europe,
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and they agreed to sponsor him.
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In 1864, he came over
and went to northern Italy,
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where he worked near
Torre Pellice for 14 months.
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He then came
here to Switzerland,
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where he worked
for about three years
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and baptized
around 40 believers.
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He raised up several churches,
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the main one
being here in Tramelan.
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It was organized in 1867
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and is the first
Sabbath keeping Adventist Church
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that was organized
outside of North America.
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However, Czechowski had
not told the new believers
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that they were
part of a larger church
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in North America.
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But one of the believers
here in Tramelan found a copy
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of the Review and
Herald in Czechowski belongings
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and began correspondence
with the church in America.
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The first letter that he sent
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was simply addressed
Adventists, Battle Creek.
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And as they
began correspondence,
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it caused much joy
to the church in America
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to hear of the
Sabbath keeping Adventists
00:03:04.35\00:03:06.68
in far away Switzerland.
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He would later run
into financial difficulties,
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both with the press
that he had mortgaged
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and with the
Advent Christian Church,
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who eventually found out that
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while they were sponsoring him,
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he was evangelizing
with a different message
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to the one that they held to
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and the sponsorship was dropped.
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He would go on to work
in France, Germany, Hungary,
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and then in Romania,
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where he raised up
another group of converts.
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He died of exhaustion
at the age of 57 in 1876.
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His legacy is a mixed one.
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Many of his converts
were of the highest quality
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who will go on to
make a significant impact
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in the church in Europe.
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He was a hard worker
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who preached the
gospel in new places,
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but he had some
administrative flaws
00:04:02.64\00:04:04.77
and character flaws
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that left their mark on the work
00:04:06.27\00:04:08.04
and those he
came in contact with.
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God did bless his preaching,
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but the story of his life
poses the question, what if?
00:04:13.58\00:04:18.32
May we listen to the
counsel of our colleagues,
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may we adhere to
the inspired counsel,
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and may we work in
harmony with the brethren
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as we forward God's work.
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The work that
began here in Tramelan,
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though small would
spread much further
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than this small country church.
00:04:53.79\00:04:55.86
The believers here
desired to follow God's Word,
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and they kept the
seventh day Sabbath
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as the Bible taught.
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Their paths would eventually
cross with Jakob Erzberger,
00:05:02.16\00:05:05.67
who was a young man
studying for the ministry.
00:05:05.70\00:05:08.67
Often overlooked, his
work was nonetheless vital
00:05:08.70\00:05:12.54
in the early
establishing of the church here
00:05:12.57\00:05:15.64
on this continent.
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Born in 1843 in
Seltisberg in Switzerland,
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he grew up in poverty.
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His father died
while he was young
00:05:28.36\00:05:30.43
and his mother did her best
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to raise the four
sons that she had.
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In 1864, he decided to go
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and study and
train to be a minister
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at one of the
seminaries in Basel.
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While he was studying there,
00:05:41.14\00:05:42.64
he also worked
in a nearby prison
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to support himself,
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and one of the prisoners there
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told him about a strange
group of people in Tramelan
00:05:47.84\00:05:51.41
who kept the Sabbath.
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Deciding to go
there to teach them
00:05:53.25\00:05:55.28
the correct day of worship,
00:05:55.32\00:05:56.89
he himself, after he arrived
00:05:56.92\00:05:58.62
was convicted to keep
the seventh day Sabbath.
00:05:58.65\00:06:01.66
He stayed on for a few weeks,
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studied a little bit more,
00:06:03.79\00:06:05.33
and then was
baptized in a nearby lake.
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In 1868, he decided to pastor
a small group here in Tramelan.
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This was not an easy task.
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The group here was
under the impression
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that they were the
only ones in the world
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holding on to these beliefs
00:06:23.48\00:06:25.18
as Czechowski had
not told them about
00:06:25.21\00:06:27.35
the large established
church in North America.
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When they realized
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that they were
part of a bigger church,
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they sent Erzberger over
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to Battle Creek
to establish contact.
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Despite speaking no English,
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he bravely journeyed over
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and was received warmly
00:06:41.83\00:06:43.26
into the home of
James and Ellen White.
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After instruction by
James White and others,
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he was ordained in
1870 at a camp meeting
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in South
Lancaster, Massachusetts,
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and commissioned to do
missionary work in Europe
00:07:00.18\00:07:03.12
and became the first European
Seventh-day Adventist pastor.
00:07:03.15\00:07:07.76
When J.N. Andrews
arrived in Europe in 1874
00:07:07.79\00:07:11.36
as the first official missionary
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that the church sent out,
00:07:13.43\00:07:15.13
he already had a
dependable co-worker
00:07:15.16\00:07:17.63
and guide in place.
00:07:17.67\00:07:19.67
Erzberger also produced
00:07:19.70\00:07:21.07
the first German
Seventh-day Adventist tracks
00:07:21.10\00:07:24.21
that the young
church distributed
00:07:24.24\00:07:26.21
and also founded the
first German Adventist Church
00:07:26.24\00:07:30.51
in 1875 in Vohwinkel.
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Erzberger also assisted Conradi
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after he was sent
here to Europe in 1886,
00:07:39.42\00:07:42.69
but he also became
a successful preacher
00:07:42.72\00:07:45.19
in his own right.
00:07:45.23\00:07:46.56
He held fruitful
prophecy seminars
00:07:46.59\00:07:48.93
in the various big cities
00:07:48.96\00:07:50.73
such as Zurich,
Basel, Bern, and Lausanne.
00:07:50.77\00:07:54.14
For many years,
00:07:54.17\00:07:55.50
he was the only
Adventist preacher
00:07:55.54\00:07:57.14
taking care of
the German speaking
00:07:57.17\00:07:59.01
churches in Switzerland.
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And after his wife died
00:08:00.91\00:08:02.24
at a relatively
young age of 53 in 1903,
00:08:02.28\00:08:06.15
he spent most of his
time working in Germany.
00:08:06.18\00:08:08.78
Finally, worn out by illness
and the sacrificial lifestyle
00:08:12.89\00:08:16.96
of being a pioneer
missionary, he died in 1920.
00:08:16.99\00:08:21.20
His colleague Conradi
wrote about him after his death,
00:08:21.23\00:08:25.37
"Without seeking his own honor,
00:08:25.40\00:08:27.24
he gave his
utmost in seeking souls
00:08:27.27\00:08:30.01
in the typical Swiss
way, direct and to the point.
00:08:30.04\00:08:34.11
Even as a senior worker,
00:08:34.14\00:08:36.08
he was always willing to
work under a younger man.
00:08:36.11\00:08:39.48
He did not seek his own.
00:08:39.51\00:08:41.25
He was no position seeker.
00:08:41.28\00:08:43.22
Leading people
to Jesus was for him
00:08:43.25\00:08:45.65
the most important holy work."
00:08:45.69\00:08:47.49
Often forgotten,
00:08:53.29\00:08:54.63
the work of Europe's
first ordained missionary
00:08:54.66\00:08:57.73
was vital to the new
church in its early days.
00:08:57.77\00:09:00.94
Here was a man
00:09:00.97\00:09:02.30
who was already
committed to ministry.
00:09:02.34\00:09:04.14
But when he unexpectedly
came in contact with new truths,
00:09:04.17\00:09:07.61
he honestly followed God's Word
00:09:07.64\00:09:09.58
and committed himself to a
new and often difficult mission.
00:09:09.61\00:09:13.28
Today, God is
looking for honest people,
00:09:13.31\00:09:15.95
people who will see
what God's Word says
00:09:15.98\00:09:18.22
and will adjust and
change their lives accordingly.
00:09:18.25\00:09:21.52
May we have such an attitude
and spirit in our lives.
00:09:21.56\00:09:25.73
In the early days of our church,
00:10:05.50\00:10:07.54
young people had been
00:10:07.57\00:10:08.90
at the very
forefront of the work
00:10:08.94\00:10:10.81
and the average
age of our pioneers
00:10:10.84\00:10:13.04
was well below 35.
00:10:13.07\00:10:15.44
Conference and even
General Conference presidents
00:10:15.48\00:10:18.38
were in their 20s or 30s.
00:10:18.41\00:10:20.32
It was a young
church moving forward.
00:10:20.35\00:10:23.25
Ellen White
received her first vision
00:10:23.28\00:10:25.19
at the age of 17.
00:10:25.22\00:10:26.86
J.N. Andrews
wrote his masterpiece,
00:10:26.89\00:10:29.12
"The History of the
Sabbath" at the age of 29.
00:10:29.16\00:10:32.26
John Harvey Kellogg
was appointed director
00:10:32.29\00:10:35.06
of the church's
sanatarium at the age of 24.
00:10:35.10\00:10:38.67
Vibrant,
energetic, and open to change,
00:10:38.70\00:10:41.90
the church was moving forward.
00:10:41.94\00:10:44.74
But as the church
expanded and grew,
00:10:44.77\00:10:46.84
and as the
average age increased,
00:10:46.88\00:10:49.14
the need arose for
a particular emphasis
00:10:49.18\00:10:51.81
in ministry to young people.
00:10:51.85\00:10:53.55
In 1879, in Hazleton, Michigan,
00:10:59.12\00:11:02.26
two teenagers, Luther
Warren and Henry Fenner
00:11:02.29\00:11:05.69
were walking down a dusty road
00:11:05.73\00:11:07.76
and they were
talking about the need
00:11:07.80\00:11:09.26
for missionary work to be done
00:11:09.30\00:11:11.27
by young people here
in the middle of nowhere,
00:11:11.30\00:11:14.74
in the countryside,
away from the cities.
00:11:14.77\00:11:17.24
They knelt down on
the dusty road and prayed
00:11:17.27\00:11:19.97
that God would
bless their plans.
00:11:20.01\00:11:21.94
A prayer that would be
answered over and over.
00:11:21.98\00:11:25.65
The first missionary society
started at Luther Warren's home
00:11:25.68\00:11:29.25
and had three aims.
00:11:29.28\00:11:30.65
Firstly, to
plan missionary work.
00:11:30.69\00:11:32.92
Secondly, to raise
money for literature.
00:11:32.95\00:11:35.32
And thirdly,
00:11:35.36\00:11:36.69
to promote the
cause of temperance.
00:11:36.73\00:11:39.13
Twelve years later
in Antigo, Wisconsin,
00:11:43.90\00:11:46.74
another
significant event took place.
00:11:46.77\00:11:49.20
Meade Macguire made a
proposal to the church
00:11:49.24\00:11:51.87
that the youth
society be allowed
00:11:51.91\00:11:53.61
to use the
building for its activities.
00:11:53.64\00:11:55.94
This was discussed
at the church board
00:11:55.98\00:11:58.01
and there was some opposition.
00:11:58.05\00:11:59.78
But one of the older
members, Brother Connor,
00:11:59.81\00:12:02.08
stood up and voiced his support.
00:12:02.12\00:12:04.29
Sometimes the young people
need the support of those older
00:12:04.32\00:12:07.92
in order for their plans
and activities to come to pass.
00:12:07.96\00:12:11.43
If God has placed
you in such a role,
00:12:11.46\00:12:13.86
then may you be a
support rather than a hindrance.
00:12:13.90\00:12:16.80
In 1905, the Manual for
Youth Work was published
00:12:21.77\00:12:25.61
and in 1907 in
Gland, Switzerland,
00:12:25.64\00:12:29.21
at the first
General Conference session
00:12:29.24\00:12:31.41
outside of North America,
00:12:31.45\00:12:33.68
the church voted to
form a new department
00:12:33.72\00:12:36.42
that was called the
Seventh-day Adventist
00:12:36.45\00:12:38.85
Young People Society
of Missionary Volunteers.
00:12:38.89\00:12:42.32
M.E. Kern was asked to
serve as the first director,
00:12:42.36\00:12:46.16
and one of the new initiatives
00:12:46.19\00:12:47.83
that was launched the next
year was The Morning Watch,
00:12:47.86\00:12:51.17
a daily devotional study guide.
00:12:51.20\00:12:53.84
The society was mission focused
00:13:00.08\00:13:02.41
and the youth Sabbath
schools raised the money
00:13:02.44\00:13:05.21
for the SS Pitkin,
00:13:05.25\00:13:06.82
a missionary boat that
sailed to the South Pacific.
00:13:06.85\00:13:10.19
Although it only
sails for 10 years,
00:13:10.22\00:13:12.22
it captured the imagination
00:13:12.25\00:13:14.26
of young people
around the world.
00:13:14.29\00:13:16.56
Over the next few
years and decades,
00:13:16.59\00:13:18.86
societies will
be formed in Korea,
00:13:18.89\00:13:21.56
the Philippines, South America,
00:13:21.60\00:13:23.67
Central America,
Hungary and China.
00:13:23.70\00:13:26.03
The Youth Missionary
Society would also be launched,
00:13:32.31\00:13:35.18
which would be the precursor
00:13:35.21\00:13:36.68
to the pathfinder
department that we know today.
00:13:36.71\00:13:39.61
The name of the
department would change in 1972
00:13:39.65\00:13:43.02
to the Youth Department
of Missionary Volunteers
00:13:43.05\00:13:45.82
and then changed again in 1979
00:13:45.85\00:13:48.62
to the
Adventist Youth Department
00:13:48.66\00:13:50.43
and changed again in 2005
to Adventist Youth Ministries.
00:13:50.46\00:13:55.40
The journey from that
dirt road over a 125 years ago
00:14:00.87\00:14:04.94
has been a story of
innovation and inspiration.
00:14:04.97\00:14:08.04
But we now have over
10 million young people
00:14:08.08\00:14:10.85
in almost every
country around the world.
00:14:10.88\00:14:13.72
As a church we must remember
00:14:13.75\00:14:15.52
that our early identity
was embedded in young people
00:14:15.55\00:14:19.02
and putting young people
at the center of the church
00:14:19.05\00:14:21.62
will be key to
fulfilling the gospel commission
00:14:21.66\00:14:24.49
and finishing the work.
00:14:24.53\00:14:26.43
Ellen White
wrote many years ago,
00:14:26.46\00:14:28.50
"With such an army of workers
as our youth rightly trained,
00:14:28.53\00:14:32.17
might furnish
how soon the message
00:14:32.20\00:14:34.64
of a crucified, risen
and soon to come savior
00:14:34.67\00:14:38.07
will be taken to
the whole world."
00:14:38.11\00:14:40.31
If you are older,
00:14:40.34\00:14:41.68
then support the
young people in your church.
00:14:41.71\00:14:43.95
If you are a younger member,
00:14:43.98\00:14:45.41
then don't let
anyone despise your youth
00:14:45.45\00:14:48.02
and rise to the challenge,
00:14:48.05\00:14:49.65
serving God
wherever you might be.
00:14:49.68\00:14:53.32
When I was growing up,
00:14:53.36\00:14:54.69
if you wanted to study history
00:14:54.72\00:14:56.06
or do research on
a particular topic,
00:14:56.09\00:14:58.09
there was really only
one option that we had
00:14:58.13\00:15:00.60
and that was to read a book.
00:15:00.63\00:15:02.46
And I never really used
to like reading that much.
00:15:02.50\00:15:04.73
So we decided to
create a resource
00:15:04.77\00:15:06.60
that would translate
this written information
00:15:06.63\00:15:08.77
into the language of today.
00:15:08.80\00:15:12.71
My name's Adam Ramdin.
00:15:12.74\00:15:14.08
And my name is Clive Coutet.
00:15:14.11\00:15:15.44
And we are the
cofounders of Lineage Journey.
00:15:15.48\00:15:18.11
Back in 2016,
00:15:18.15\00:15:19.48
I was reading The
Great Controversy,
00:15:19.51\00:15:20.85
and I was really struggling
00:15:20.88\00:15:22.22
to find any
relevant video resources
00:15:22.25\00:15:23.99
that I could use
to aid me in my study.
00:15:24.02\00:15:25.82
So I decided to approach Adam
00:15:25.85\00:15:27.19
about the possibility
of making some videos
00:15:27.22\00:15:29.12
on the Reformation.
00:15:29.16\00:15:30.66
So we started
filming in the end of 2016
00:15:30.69\00:15:33.60
and in 2017 we
released 48 videos
00:15:33.63\00:15:37.17
that covered the
period of the early church
00:15:37.20\00:15:39.60
all the way through to
the end of the Reformation.
00:15:39.63\00:15:42.80
Then in 2018 and 19,
00:15:42.84\00:15:44.77
we released another 52
episodes on church history.
00:15:44.81\00:15:48.54
These have now been
viewed all over the world
00:15:48.58\00:15:51.15
in over 100 countries,
00:15:51.18\00:15:52.65
covering about 50
different languages
00:15:52.68\00:15:54.98
and we have over 3
million views online.
00:15:55.02\00:15:58.29
These videos have
been used as a resource
00:15:58.32\00:16:00.49
in both secular
and Christian schools
00:16:00.52\00:16:02.92
as well as several
church denominations
00:16:02.96\00:16:05.19
across the globe.
00:16:05.23\00:16:06.56
Used in Bible
studies, study groups,
00:16:06.59\00:16:08.76
as well as play to
the general congregation.
00:16:08.80\00:16:11.07
They also make a great
online evangelistic tool
00:16:11.10\00:16:13.70
where people are
able to share them.
00:16:13.74\00:16:15.20
And we've seen
them go into countries
00:16:15.24\00:16:16.60
that we are ourselves can't go.
00:16:16.64\00:16:18.11
Countries that are Muslim,
00:16:18.14\00:16:19.47
countries where the
Christian message cannot go.
00:16:19.51\00:16:22.31
One of the
challenges we have though,
00:16:22.34\00:16:24.11
is that amongst our
team of almost ten people,
00:16:24.15\00:16:26.21
we are all
volunteers on this project,
00:16:26.25\00:16:28.25
sacrificing our time,
our effort, and our energy
00:16:28.28\00:16:30.62
in order to make
these resources together.
00:16:30.65\00:16:33.25
Just to put
things into perspective,
00:16:33.29\00:16:35.09
each Lineage episode
as well as the filming
00:16:35.12\00:16:37.63
takes an
additional two to three days
00:16:37.66\00:16:39.59
in post production.
00:16:39.63\00:16:40.96
That is a lot of
time and sacrifice
00:16:41.00\00:16:42.80
that this team has made
00:16:42.83\00:16:44.17
in putting 100
episodes together.
00:16:44.20\00:16:46.10
So we need to raise the funds
00:16:46.13\00:16:47.57
to cover the cost of the filming
00:16:47.60\00:16:49.27
as well as the
continued production costs
00:16:49.30\00:16:52.07
that come after that.
00:16:52.11\00:16:53.58
So for as little
as one dollar a month,
00:16:53.61\00:16:55.48
you can help us to
expand this ministry
00:16:55.51\00:16:57.65
to create new resources
00:16:57.68\00:16:59.25
to reach more
people across the world.
00:16:59.28\00:17:01.52
Thank you for visiting this page
00:17:01.55\00:17:03.28
and taking the time
to watch this video.
00:17:03.32\00:17:05.45
We really appreciate that.
00:17:05.49\00:17:07.02
Thank you for your
support of the ministry so far
00:17:07.06\00:17:09.49
and we ask that you
would prayerfully consider
00:17:09.52\00:17:11.73
being a partner with
us on this Patreon page.
00:17:11.76\00:17:15.30
May God bless you
00:17:15.33\00:17:16.67
and we ask that you
continue to keep this ministry
00:17:16.70\00:17:19.00
and our future plans in prayer.
00:17:19.03\00:17:20.77
When Ellen White
was 18 years old,
00:17:38.15\00:17:40.42
one of the biggest
problems that she faced
00:17:40.46\00:17:42.59
was the matter
of transportation.
00:17:42.62\00:17:44.69
She was young and in poor health
00:17:44.73\00:17:46.80
and when she traveled
00:17:46.83\00:17:48.16
she needed one
or two attendants.
00:17:48.20\00:17:50.47
James White was fully convinced
00:17:50.50\00:17:52.73
that her work and
experience was of God
00:17:52.77\00:17:55.94
and felt it his
duty to travel with her.
00:17:55.97\00:17:58.84
In 1845, they
traveled together a lot
00:17:58.87\00:18:02.01
but apparently neither of them
00:18:02.04\00:18:03.71
had ever thought
of getting married.
00:18:03.75\00:18:05.65
But as they took
the matter to the Lord,
00:18:05.68\00:18:07.62
they were both convinced
that God had a great work
00:18:07.65\00:18:10.35
for them to do together,
00:18:10.39\00:18:11.75
and that they could
each assist one another.
00:18:11.79\00:18:14.26
Thus, on Sunday,
August the 30th, 1846,
00:18:18.39\00:18:22.50
James Springer White
and Ellen Gould Harmon
00:18:22.53\00:18:26.27
stood before Charles Harding,
00:18:26.30\00:18:28.30
Justice of the
Peace in Portland, Maine,
00:18:28.34\00:18:30.94
and were married.
00:18:30.97\00:18:32.31
They were aged 26
and 19, respectively.
00:18:32.34\00:18:35.84
They entered
their marriage penniless
00:18:35.88\00:18:37.95
with few
friends, broken in health,
00:18:37.98\00:18:40.58
but with the deep
conviction that God had a work
00:18:40.62\00:18:43.39
for them to do together.
00:18:43.42\00:18:45.29
And their belief in the
message was unshakeable.
00:18:45.32\00:18:48.36
Their first place of
abode would be the Harmon home
00:18:48.39\00:18:51.73
in Gorham, Maine,
just outside Portland.
00:18:51.76\00:18:54.66
Through the
course of their marriage,
00:18:58.80\00:19:00.20
they lived in Maine, New York.
00:19:00.24\00:19:02.37
Here in this house in
Michigan, Colorado, California,
00:19:02.40\00:19:06.11
Connecticut and Iowa.
00:19:06.14\00:19:07.78
They traveled
thousands of miles together
00:19:07.81\00:19:10.18
by horse drawn
carriages and sleds
00:19:10.21\00:19:12.51
and later on by trains.
00:19:12.55\00:19:14.45
Their whole marriage
evolved around ministry,
00:19:14.48\00:19:17.49
sacrificing time,
means, and money for the cause.
00:19:17.52\00:19:21.62
Through the many
trials and obstacles
00:19:21.66\00:19:23.46
that they encountered,
00:19:23.49\00:19:24.83
they still
managed in their marriage
00:19:24.86\00:19:26.93
to survive and thrive.
00:19:26.96\00:19:28.76
The chances of
divorce increase greatly
00:19:33.54\00:19:36.50
when one or a combination
00:19:36.54\00:19:38.67
of the following
factors are present.
00:19:38.71\00:19:41.21
Financial issues,
poverty, losing a child,
00:19:41.24\00:19:44.91
when one of the partners
suffers a serious illness,
00:19:44.95\00:19:47.88
when one gets a promotion
00:19:47.92\00:19:49.32
especially the
woman, and adultery.
00:19:49.35\00:19:52.19
Apart from adultery,
00:19:52.22\00:19:53.59
the Whites would
experience all of these.
00:19:53.62\00:19:56.79
They started out
with abject poverty
00:19:56.83\00:19:59.49
with James doing hard
labor and working long hours.
00:19:59.53\00:20:03.47
The printing press
was sometimes in debt,
00:20:03.50\00:20:06.00
but they would continue on.
00:20:06.03\00:20:08.17
They lost John
Herbert, their child,
00:20:08.20\00:20:10.54
in his infancy
at a very young age
00:20:10.57\00:20:13.17
and Henry died at the age of 16.
00:20:13.21\00:20:16.44
James suffered a few strokes
00:20:16.48\00:20:18.61
that brought about
a personality change.
00:20:18.65\00:20:21.35
But through all of this,
00:20:21.38\00:20:23.28
they maintained
their love for each other.
00:20:23.32\00:20:25.85
Despite having all these factors
00:20:30.99\00:20:33.26
that would have raised
the likelihood of divorce,
00:20:33.29\00:20:35.86
they pull through.
00:20:35.90\00:20:37.30
Sometimes Ellen
doesn't know what is going on,
00:20:37.33\00:20:40.14
and yet the letters
between the two of them
00:20:40.17\00:20:42.17
reveal a side to their
marriage that is often not seen.
00:20:42.20\00:20:46.17
They are filled with
lots of tender love phrases
00:20:46.21\00:20:49.24
and show that
they were convicted
00:20:49.28\00:20:51.01
that they should be together.
00:20:51.05\00:20:52.91
James was extremely
driven and prone to overwork,
00:20:52.95\00:20:56.92
and Ellen herself persevered
through some very hard times.
00:20:56.95\00:21:01.02
And yet the union of these two
00:21:01.06\00:21:03.06
will go on to have an impact
00:21:03.09\00:21:04.79
that will be
seen only in eternity.
00:21:04.83\00:21:07.30
They had some
marriage challenges as well,
00:21:11.93\00:21:14.50
but they did not just
exist unhappily together.
00:21:14.54\00:21:17.51
Their love for
each other ran deep
00:21:17.54\00:21:19.51
and kept them
together until James died
00:21:19.54\00:21:22.14
at a relatively young age of 61.
00:21:22.18\00:21:25.11
He died early due to overwork,
00:21:25.15\00:21:27.68
literally working
himself to an early grave.
00:21:27.72\00:21:31.62
After his death,
00:21:31.65\00:21:32.99
some church
officials visited Ellen White
00:21:33.02\00:21:35.19
and suggested they put a
broken shaft over his grave,
00:21:35.22\00:21:38.66
signifying that
his work was cut short
00:21:38.69\00:21:41.20
and that no one else
could complete his work.
00:21:41.23\00:21:43.87
Ellen White
responded, "Never, Never.
00:21:43.90\00:21:46.87
He has single handedly
done the work of three men.
00:21:46.90\00:21:50.04
Never shall a broken
monument be put over his grave."
00:21:50.07\00:21:53.78
Her affection for him ran deep,
00:21:53.81\00:21:55.84
and she ensured
that even in his death,
00:21:55.88\00:21:58.11
his legacy would
be remembered well.
00:21:58.15\00:22:03.05
The marriage of the
Whites stands as an example
00:22:03.08\00:22:06.22
of the power of God to
overcome all the obstacles
00:22:06.25\00:22:10.33
that are thrown in the
way when two become one.
00:22:10.36\00:22:14.00
If you are facing challenges
00:22:14.03\00:22:15.76
in your
relationships or marriage,
00:22:15.80\00:22:17.90
then know that God is powerful
00:22:17.93\00:22:19.97
and able to rescue
the most helpless of cases
00:22:20.00\00:22:23.54
and bring joy amidst sorrow.
00:22:23.57\00:22:25.97
In 1852, James
White wrote an article
00:22:43.29\00:22:46.09
in the Review and Herald
00:22:46.13\00:22:47.46
suggesting that some of
the believers in New England
00:22:47.50\00:22:49.96
consider moving
out west to Iowa.
00:22:50.00\00:22:52.97
This was before
the tithing system
00:22:53.00\00:22:55.00
and systematic benevolence,
00:22:55.04\00:22:56.81
so they would have to
do self-supporting work
00:22:56.84\00:22:59.07
and witness to their neighbors.
00:22:59.11\00:23:01.24
Ellen White also said that,
00:23:01.28\00:23:02.84
"Where there had been
1 convert in the east,
00:23:02.88\00:23:05.35
there will be 20 in the west."
00:23:05.38\00:23:07.55
J.N. Andrews and
his family spoke it over
00:23:07.58\00:23:10.39
and along with Cyprian
Stevens and his family.
00:23:10.42\00:23:13.05
And J.N.
Loughborough and his wife,
00:23:13.09\00:23:15.06
they decided to
relocate out west.
00:23:15.09\00:23:18.23
In total, around 30
believers from New England
00:23:18.26\00:23:21.80
moved out west to the small town
00:23:21.83\00:23:24.33
of Waukon, Iowa.
00:23:24.37\00:23:25.70
However, it wasn't long
before the new believers found
00:23:31.14\00:23:33.88
that day to day
living was so hard
00:23:33.91\00:23:35.98
and took so much of their energy
00:23:36.01\00:23:37.78
that they didn't have
much left to share their faith
00:23:37.81\00:23:40.38
with their neighbors.
00:23:40.42\00:23:41.75
Ellen White was
shown that the believers
00:23:41.78\00:23:43.42
in Waukon, Iowa
00:23:43.45\00:23:44.79
needed her
encouragement and counsel
00:23:44.82\00:23:46.99
as they were faltering
in their original task.
00:23:47.02\00:23:50.13
The area was sparsely
populated and on top of that
00:23:50.16\00:23:53.19
it was a
particularly harsh winter
00:23:53.23\00:23:55.10
which made
traveling around difficult.
00:23:55.13\00:23:57.73
When the weather moderated,
00:23:57.77\00:23:59.27
John Loughborough went and
bought some carpentry tools
00:23:59.30\00:24:02.00
and went to work.
00:24:02.04\00:24:03.57
James and Ellen made
the journey west to Iowa
00:24:07.94\00:24:10.68
in the winter time
by horse drawn sled
00:24:10.71\00:24:13.25
and standing in
their path on the journey
00:24:13.28\00:24:15.72
was the Mississippi River.
00:24:15.75\00:24:17.39
However, by the
time they reached,
00:24:17.42\00:24:18.75
the ice had melted some
00:24:18.79\00:24:20.56
and the falling snow
had turned to falling rain.
00:24:20.59\00:24:23.56
And it was 12 inches of
water on top of the mushy ice.
00:24:23.59\00:24:27.63
As they approached the river,
their driver Josiah Hart asked,
00:24:27.66\00:24:31.00
"Is it forward to
Iowa or back to Illinois?"
00:24:31.03\00:24:34.67
The answer was given,
00:24:34.70\00:24:36.04
"Go forward,
trusting in Israel's God."
00:24:36.07\00:24:38.77
As they made their way across,
00:24:44.51\00:24:46.01
sinking into the
slushy, mushy ice,
00:24:46.05\00:24:48.82
a small crowd had
gathered on the other side
00:24:48.85\00:24:51.65
and cheered as
they reached Iowa.
00:24:51.69\00:24:54.29
They continue their
journey on to Waukon.
00:24:54.32\00:24:57.39
Ellen White would
find J N Loughborough
00:24:57.43\00:24:59.76
and Josiah Meade
working on a store.
00:24:59.79\00:25:02.33
They found out
that she was there
00:25:02.36\00:25:03.70
and they came to see her.
00:25:03.73\00:25:05.07
Her first words were,
"What doest thou here Elijah"?
00:25:05.10\00:25:09.30
Receiving no
response, she asked again,
00:25:09.34\00:25:11.64
and then a third time
00:25:11.67\00:25:13.01
Loughborough
understandably was embarrassed,
00:25:13.04\00:25:15.34
not knowing what to say.
00:25:15.38\00:25:16.75
That night meetings commenced
00:25:22.55\00:25:24.52
and the believers
were greatly encouraged
00:25:24.55\00:25:26.76
by the ministry of the Whites.
00:25:26.79\00:25:28.82
Both J.N.
Loughborough and J.N. Andrews
00:25:28.86\00:25:31.79
renewed their commitment
to service and to God.
00:25:31.83\00:25:35.33
J.N. Loughborough said,
00:25:35.36\00:25:36.70
"I have laid up my
hammer and driven my last nail."
00:25:36.73\00:25:40.64
J.N. Loughborough would return
with the Whites to Michigan,
00:25:40.67\00:25:44.17
while J.N.
Andrews would stay there
00:25:44.21\00:25:45.77
for two years longer.
00:25:45.81\00:25:48.08
Loughborough himself
was a convert of Andrews
00:25:48.11\00:25:51.08
and would go on to
be a powerful missionary
00:25:51.11\00:25:54.12
for the church.
00:25:54.15\00:25:55.48
Unfortunately, soon after this,
00:25:55.52\00:25:57.25
his wife died in childbirth,
giving birth to twins,
00:25:57.29\00:26:01.32
herself and one of
the twins did not make it.
00:26:01.36\00:26:04.46
They had been
married for over 16 years,
00:26:04.49\00:26:06.36
and she was a tremendous support
00:26:06.39\00:26:08.13
to her husband,
00:26:08.16\00:26:09.50
never holding him back
in his ministry at all.
00:26:09.53\00:26:11.93
She had supported him faithfully
00:26:11.97\00:26:13.67
along all his travels
00:26:13.70\00:26:15.27
and his
relentlessly busy schedule.
00:26:15.30\00:26:17.24
J.N. Loughborough was
also a pioneer in missionary
00:26:21.78\00:26:24.41
here in California
00:26:24.45\00:26:25.78
and would also spend
time in the United Kingdom
00:26:25.81\00:26:28.45
helping to
establish the church there
00:26:28.48\00:26:30.42
in the city of Southampton.
00:26:30.45\00:26:32.39
I wonder what
would have happened
00:26:32.42\00:26:33.79
if James and Ellen White
00:26:33.82\00:26:35.39
didn't make that
treacherous journey
00:26:35.42\00:26:37.06
in winter out to Waukon, Iowa?
00:26:37.09\00:26:39.39
Sometimes in life we
start out on a project,
00:26:39.43\00:26:42.03
but then we get
discouraged and we stop.
00:26:42.06\00:26:44.47
Maybe like J.N.
Loughborough and J.N. Andrews,
00:26:44.50\00:26:47.30
you have been
successful in ministry,
00:26:47.34\00:26:49.34
but then you've
stepped away for a while
00:26:49.37\00:26:51.17
and you need to get
your life back on track.
00:26:51.21\00:26:53.81
I want to encourage you
to get your life in harmony
00:26:53.84\00:26:56.18
with God's plan for it.
00:26:56.21\00:26:57.81
And if that
involves making some tough
00:26:57.85\00:26:59.51
and awkward decisions
00:26:59.55\00:27:00.95
that you would have the courage
and the boldness to do so.
00:27:00.98\00:27:03.55