The work in Martinique and Guadeloupe, overseas departments of France, in the West Indies, was started in 1987, when Edgar Mariassouce, from French Polynesia, accepted the call to locate in Martinique.
The Samoan Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, were reached by the message of reformation in 1988, when A. C. Sas baptized a few souls and organized a group.
Angola, West Africa, received our visit for the first time in 1990. A group of reform-minded Adventists were baptized and organized by Jorai P. da Cruz from Portugal (January–February 1990).
In Mozambique, East Africa, the first group of Reformers was organized by Rubens de J. Araujo in 1990.
Important contacts were made in mainland China, Taiwan, Ghana, Malawi and French Guyana. The most promising of these missionary fields, in 1991, seemed to be China.
The Andean Union was dissolved in September 1988, and the three countries which formed that Union (Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela) were reorganized as Fields directly attached to the General Conference, with the agreement that they would work to become Union Conferences as early as practicable.
The Danube Union was dissolved in September 1990, and the three countries that integrated that Union were reorganized as follows: Hungarian Field and Poland-Czechoslovakia Field.
The Trans-African Union Mission was dissolved in March 1991, and its constituent Fields (Botswana, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Natal-Transvaal, and Resda) were directly attached to the General Conference as autonomous Fields.
In January 1990, while Brethren W. Volpp and A. N. Macdonald were visiting Ghana and Nigeria, West Africa, Brother Macdonald became ill. Feeling better, he decided to go on a local trip, while Brother Volpp proceeded to Kenya. Upon his return from his trip, Brother Macdonald felt suddenly worse and died in the home of G. R. Harrison, our leading brother in Nigeria.
In compliance with a resolution made by the General Conference Council in 1988, a missionary course was conducted in Graz, Austria, from November 14, 1989 through June 20, 1990. There was an attendance of nine students from different countries. It was planned that this seminar would be a preliminary step in the establishment of a missionary school in Europe. Of those nine students, four were employed in the work of the church after the seminar.
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| Presidents of the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement General Conference: Otto Welp (1925–1934), Wilhelm Maas (1934–1942), Albert Mueller (1942–1948), Carlos Kozel (1948–1951), Dumitru Nicolici (1951–1959), Andrei Lavrik (1959–1963), Clyde T. Stewart (1963–1967), Francisco Devai (1967–1979), Wilhelm Volpp (1979–1983), Joao Moreno (1983–1991), Neville S. Brittain(1991–1995), Alfredo C. Sas (1995– ). |
In the early part of 1990, an important problem was settled among the Romanian brethren. A large portion of the membership, forming three Field Conferences, complained that they were not integrated, as they had no representation, when the Romanian Union Conference was reorganized in 1984, under prohibitive circumstances. After the revolution in Romania, when religious liberty was granted to the people, a special effort was made to reconcile those Fields with the Union. By the grace of God, unity was restored in April-May 1990.
During the period 1987–1991, transfers of workers occurred as follows: Brethren N. S. Brittain, from South Africa to Australia (1988); Rubens de J. Araujo, from Brazil to South Africa (1988); A. C. Sas, from Australia to USA (1989); Jorai P. da Cruz, from Brazil to Portugal (1989); Esmeraldo Heredia, from Portugal to Chile (1989); Jose Angel Senior, from the Dominican Republic to Spain (1989); Emilson Motta, from Chile to Italy (1990).
In coordination with each other, the North American Fields, the German Union, and the General Conference sent 10,000 Bibles to Romania in 1990; 2,000 of these Bibles were designated for our Romanian-speaking brethren in Moldavia.
During the same administrative period (1987–1991), our colporteurs (in 22 countries) sold about 2,500,000 books worth about 12 million dollars.
Thanks to the political changes that took place in Europe from 1987 through 1991, religious freedom was restored in Romania, Russia, and Bulgaria. In these countries, our people are now free to hold their meetings and services openly and legally. But the question is: for how long?
Blessed be the Lord for His help! We have often seen the presence of His merciful hand with us. The cause is His, and He will take care of His work.