Only a year after he joined the Adventist Church, 19 year old Arthur sensed God calling him to serve in China. Let's follow his 17-year mission journey!
At only 19 years old, Arthur Allum [AL-um] sensed God calling him to serve in China.
This was only a year after he joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Even though his own relationship with Jesus was still new and growing, for him the call to go to China was “just as definite as the call to keep the Sabbath.”
He decided to attend Avondale College to prepare for his life of mission service. At Avondale, Arthur connected with two people who would be essential in his life. The first was a young woman named Eva. She became his wife and future mission partner. Second was Dr. Harry Miller, a pioneer Adventist missionary to China. Dr. Miller wrote to Arthur and described the work there. He encouraged him to come serve as a missionary.
To raise money for traveling, Arthur sold literature in New Zealand as soon as the college year was over. Arthur and Eva married only a month before they sailed to China in 1906. The couple’s first assignment was working in the health clinic and printing office overseen by Dr. Miller.
The Allums immediately started dressing like their new neighbors and learning to speak Mandarin. They found the new language difficult to learn but they were determined, because they knew it was critical to their mission. Day after day they practiced until they were fluent in Mandarin. Arthur even became an interpreter!
Learning a new language was only the first challenge this missionary couple faced. The second was malaria. Both became ill at one point or another, and Arthur even contracted malaria three times. Still, they were committed to serving the people, primarily through publishing work and education.
In August 1911, Arthur reported that in the year before, the North Central China Mission had 64 church members. That number had since grown to over 100 and was still growing. Arthur said, “In a work like this, there is no room for discouragement.”
Arthur and Eva had three boys while serving in China. Eva stayed busy caring for her family as well as the people they were trying to reach. She taught Sabbath School, led the young people’s society, and held Bible studies with women twice a week.
For 17 years, Arthur and Eva’s family served the Chinese people. Every day they tried to share the love of Jesus with even just one person. When Arthur gave a report to the General Conference about the work in China, he highlighted the continual need for missionaries to reach those who did not know Jesus. He said, “We long for power to stir the multitudes of China as they have never been stirred in days past. We are seeking with you for a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit for service.”
Today, the mission offerings send and equip missionaries all over the world. Your support helps the Adventist Church answer the Great Commission. Because of the mission offerings, missionaries have the opportunity to take the love of Jesus to the ends of earth.
“If you’d like to read more historical stories like this, visit the Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists at encyclopedia.adventist.org”
