North American Division Multilingual Ministries (NADMM)

The church work for special ethnic or language groups in North America, especially for foreign-speaking people, is carried on by local conferences with the aid and counsel of the North American Division Multilingual Ministries Department. The department was originally called North American Missions Committee (NAMCO), but in November 1988 the name was changed to North American Division Multilingual Ministries (NADMM). In the mid-twentieth century it was estimated that more than 40 million persons had taken up residence in the United States as immigrants since 1820; that 35 million Americans were immigrants or children of immigrants, and that 22 million had some language other than English as their mother tongue. There are also more than 4 million non-English-speaking people in Canada. SDA Foreign Language Statistics (1973): churches, 299; members, 22,187; workers, 193; baptisms (1962), 803; tithes, $1,511,544.62; missions offerings, $381,683.25. These statistics are now included in conference statistics and are no longer kept separately. Between 1960 and 1964, there were 18 churches organized (German, 1; Japanese, 1; Spanish, 14; Ukrainian, 1; Yugoslavian, 1). The fastest-growing foreign language work in North America, the Spanish, comprised in 1973, 137 churches with a membership of 14,988, and was served by 107 ministers. At the close of 1992 the non-English-speaking membership was more than 106,000, comprised of the following language groups: Hispanics (Spanish-speaking), 440 churches, 68,000 members; Francophone (French-speaking), 90 churches, 14,805 members. The Asian community, church membership stood at 19,684 as follows: Korean, 72 churches, 8,034 members; Filipino, 26 churches, 5,736 members; Japanese, 5 churches, 1,277 members; Indonesian, 5 churches, 1,108 members; Chinese, 8 churches, 1,399 members; Samoan, 6 churches, 969 members; Hmong, 2 churches, 109 members; Vietnamese, 4 churches, 347 members; Thai, 1 church, 142 members; Tongan, 1 church, 118 members; other Asian groups not mentioned already have a total of 445 members. Other language group statistics: Portuguese, 9 churches, 1,550 members; Native Indian, 32 churches, 1,254 members; Yugoslavian, 7 churches, 700 members; Romanian, 3 churches, 360 members; Ukrainian, 2 churches, 200 members; Hungarian, 6 churches, 240 members; Russian, 2 churches, 60 members; Czechoslovakian, 1 church, 20 members; Polish, 1 church, 17 members. The hearing-impaired, who have a “special” language, include 5 churches exclusively for the hearing-impaired, with 775 members, some of which worship in churches that provide interpretation. An Awakening of Responsibility . The pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist movement felt that it was their obligation to work for people of other languages who had come to the shores of North America, being admonished to do so by Ellen White. Foreign Language Publications. Already in 1856 James White, J. H. Waggoner, and Uriah Smith had been appointed to prepare a tract on the Sabbath question for translation into German and other languages. The tract, written by J. H. Waggoner, was circulated in 1858. In the same year it was issued in French (1,500 copies) and also in Dutch. The appeal of Mrs. White in December 1871 for publications in other languages “to raise an interest and the spirit of inquiry among other nations,” resulted in the promotion of a missionary fund of $2,000 for the purpose of initiating a literature program. Germans, Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes helped to raise the money. Many initial contacts in Europe were made by publications sent by new Americans to the lands of their origin. John G. Matteson’s interest in the Scandinavians in America prompted him to publish the first SDA periodical in a foreign language, Advent Tidende (“Advent Herald”), in Danish-Norwegian. It was printed by the Review and Herald at Battle Creek, Michigan, beginning January 1872. Publications of other periodicals followed: Swedish, Svensk Advent Harold (“Swedish Advent Herald”), 1874; German, Stimme der Warheit (“Voice of Truth”), 1879, later changed to its present name, Zeichen der Zeit (“Signs of the Times”). For current periodicals in foreign languages, see Periodicals . After the Review and Herald plant burned in 1902, the printing of foreign publications was moved to the College Press, College View, Nebraska, and later the work was carried on under the name International Publishing Association. This association was taken over by the Pacific Press Publishing Association in 1915, but the building it occupied was destroyed by fire in 1916, and a factory was built at Brookfield, Illinois. There the work continued until it was transferred in 1959 to the home office of the Pacific Press Publishing Association at Mountain View, California, as the Inter-American Publications and Foreign Language Division. North American Foreign Department Organized . The 1905 General Conference session recommended the creation of a North American Foreign Department. The Yearbook of 1905 (late printing) lists the following persons under the department: G. A. Irwin (chair), I. H. Evans (secretary), N. P. Nelson, G. F. Haffner, S. Mortenson, B. G. Wilkinson, and the manager of the New York City foreign literature depository. This department, with headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, was to direct the securing and the circulating of literature in North America in various languages and to assist the organized conferences and mission fields in evangelism among their respective peoples. The secretary of the department was authorized to draw $20 a week as salary. Superintendents and advisory committees were set up, including the following superintendents: German, G. F. Haffner; Swedish, S. Mortenson; Danish-Norwegian, L. H. Christian. When O. A. Olsen became full-time secretary of the Foreign Department in 1909, the foreign membership in America included 3,000 Germans, 2,000 Danes and Norwegians, 1,500 Swedes, and some of a few other nationalities. Foreign Language Schools . In 1909 the General Conference approved the establishment of three foreign-language schools; the Swedish to be located in the Lake Union Conference; the German in the Central or Southwestern Union Conference; the Danish-Norwegian in the Northern Union Conference ( see Broadview Academy ; Clinton Theological Seminary ; Hutchinson Theological Seminary ). At the recommendation of O. A. Olsen, secretary of the department, a city mission training school for preparing foreign-language workers was established in New York City. Role in Foreign Missions . About 1910 O. A. Olsen reported the encouraging beginnings among the Italians, Serbians, Romanians, Russians, and several other nationalities. In order to set before the foreign-speaking church members in North America the needs of overseas missions, in 1918 a goal of $150,000 in offerings was set, divided among the various language groups. Bureau of Home Missions . When, during World War I, the name Foreign Department caused some embarrassment it was changed in June 1918 to Department of Home Missions for North America, and in July 1918 to Bureau of Home Missions for North America. At that time the membership of the foreign-language churches in North America was 11,791. In 1919 there were 13,632 members. Many ministerial recruits from among the students at the colleges and from among the workers entered denominational service in Europe. Miscellaneous Language Educational Program . In 1920 the Swedish Seminary at La Grange, Illinois, petitioned the General Conference to help provide funds for buildings in which to offer education for young people of Italian, Russian, Polish, Bohemian, Hungarian, Finnish, Romanian, Serbian, and other language backgrounds. Administration of the Foreign Language Work . At the Autumn Council of 1920 the General Conference Committee recommended that the foreign language workers look to the local conference administration for guidance and direction, while the bureau was to provide counsel and assistance coordinated with conference operations. Thus the Bureau of Home Missions moved into the same relationship with conference administrations as that held by other departments. The headquarters of the bureau were transferred from Chicago to Washington, D.C., the General Conference headquarters. Associate secretaries were appointed for Danish-Norwegian, Swedish, German, French, Spanish, Yiddish, Russian, and miscellaneous languages. In 1933 work for North American Indians was put under the bureau. In 1933 a Bureau Committee of seven to nine members was appointed by the General Conference Committee to direct the bureau in carrying on its work. A comprehensive and detailed working policy was adopted for the foreign language work in North America. In 1939 it was revised so that the work and responsibilities of the Bureau of Home Missions secretary and associate secretaries were to be arranged by the General Conference Committee itself. Progress of the Work. In 1935 W. H. Branson reported that in the United States preaching was being done in 24 languages besides English. The 64 workers were reported to have baptized more than 1,600 in 1934. The members of the foreign-speaking churches brought in $356,000 in tithes for the same year and contributed $284,000 in mission offerings. World War II and After. World War II was a blow to the Japanese work in the United States. The Japanese-speaking church members were placed in relocation camps. In response to a plea for publications and workers to move into these areas, the General Conference made salaries available from the emergency fund of the bureau for the employment of three workers. In 1945 the work of the bureau expanded again. Arrangements were made for the bureau to produce Bible correspondence lessons in German, Italian, Polish, and Spanish. Home Foreign Committee. In 1951 the Home Foreign Bureau (as it had been called since 1946) was dissolved. The North American Committee on Administration determined that the “work among the foreign-speaking people of North America is primarily the responsibility of the local conferences”; therefore the work should come directly under the direction and supervision of the local conference administrations, though appropriations for carrying on the work locally would still be provided by the General Conference. The General Conference officers appointed a foreign-language committee of seven to study how to work among foreign-speaking people in ensuing years. This committee became known as the Home Foreign Committee. North American Missions Committee . In 1957 the name of the Home Foreign Committee was changed to the North American Missions Committee. In the same year Interchange , a quarterly bulletin for the foreign-language workers in North America, was mimeographed. The name of this publication was changed in 1976 from Interchange to Impact. Committee members for the North American Missions Committee elected by the General Conference in 1975 were N. C. Wilson, chair; M. S. Nigri, vice chair; R. A. Wilcox, secretary; M. E. Kemmerer, treasurer; F. L. Baer, J. W. Bothe, C. E. Bradford, J. C. Kozel, Walter Ost, M.D., A. J. Patzer, A. H. Roth, V. W. Schoen, B. M. Wickwire. Bible Correspondence Courses. In 1974 evangelism through correspondence courses began to be emphasized with the following languages being used: English, Armenian, Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Holland-Dutch, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Yugoslavian. Radiobroadcasts. Radio work was also put to use in reaching the people of other languages, including American Indians. In 1974, besides English, there were broadcasts in Armenian, Arabic, Bohemian, Chinese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Ilocano, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Turkish, and Ukrainian. Jewish Work Assigned to the Committee. Evangelism for the Jews previously conducted by the Hebrew Scripture Association was placed in 1964 under the direction of the North American Missions Committee under the name of the Israelite Heritage Institute. Officers of the North American Missions Committee were officers of this auxiliary organization. ( See Israelite Heritage Institute .) In 1983 Clifford Goldstein became editor of Shabbat Shalom , a magazine for the Jewish community. Special Activities. By the end of 1967 NAMCO had developed a series of 12 filmed Bible studies for the deaf, with Arthur W. Griffith, the only Seventh-day Adventist-ordained deaf minister, who labored principally in the Oregon Conference, as the “signer.” ( See Deaf, Work for .) Hispanic Work. Hispanic Adventism had its beginnings in 1899 in a little town called Sanchez, Arizona. Although the town no longer exists, the Spanish work has flourished from that one-room adobe church with 22 members to more than 68,000 Seventh-day Adventists with 440 congregations to date in North America. Spanish Advisory. Work among the Spanish-speaking population of the North American Division became more firmly established with the appointment of the Spanish Advisory in 1981, a name that was changed to Hispanic Advisory in 1989. In 1984 the Institute for Hispanic Ministry at Andrews University was established to enhance the training and preparation of Hispanic pastoral ministry and leadership in the NAD. The year 1985 brought about the establishment of a Hispanic scholarship fund to assist Hispanics pursuing studies in nonministerial postbaccalaureate degrees. The Hispanic Education Advisory was appointed at the division level in 1988 to give guidance and orientation to Hispanic youth. The year 1974 was the beginning of Revista Adventista , the official Spanish edition of Adventist Review. In 1984 it was voted that El Centinela , a publication that had its beginnings in 1896 in Latin America, become the official missionary journal for the Hispanic population of the NAD. French Work. Within the two decades between 1970 and 1990, the French-speaking members of this division came into prominence because of their impressive growth. By 1992 the combined membership of the two French subgroups, the Quebecois and the Haitians, was nearly 14,000 strong. Although the Quebecois and Haitians share a common language, they have two separate cultures. The Haitian population, which retains its West Indian culture, centers mostly in the United States, with some members in Montreal and Quebec. In the Quebec Conference, Haitians represent 35 percent of Seventh-day Adventist Church membership. The French Literature Translation Coordinating Committee was appointed in 1991, which was replaced in 1992 by the Francophone Advisory. The first meeting of this advisory took place in January 1993. Total NAD Francophone membership in 1993 numbered 14,805. Asian Work. An Asian associate director for the Multilingual Ministries Department of the North American Division was appointed in 1991 as a half-time employee of the North American Division and half-time employee of the Pacific Union, to be the director of Asian/South Pacific affairs for both entities. Korean Work. The first Korean believers in the North American Division met in 1960 as a branch of the White Memorial church in southern California, with approximately 40 members. The total Korean membership at the end of 1992 stood at 8,034. Literature began rolling off the presses of the Korean Adventist Press on May 12, 1980, with permission of the Pacific Press Publishing Association, under the supervision of the Southern California Conference. The press, which received denominational status in 1991, prints and distributes books and periodicals for the Korean churches in this division. In 1982 a weekly Korean Faith for Today television broadcast began in Los Angeles; 1992 saw the beginning of yearly Korean Bible conferences (camp meetings), one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast. Also in 1992 Koreans sponsored two missionaries: Charles Cho to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Ben Chon to Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, both formerly part of the Soviet Union. Secretaries-North American Foreign Department: I. H. Evans, 1905–1909; O. A. Olsen, 1909–1914; Committee, 1914–1916; Steen Rasmussen, 1916–1918; Bureau of Home Missions for North America: L. H. Christian, 1918–1919; P. N. Broderson, 1919–1923; M. N. Campbell, 1923–1932; W. H. Branson, 1932–1936; M. N. Campbell, 1936–1939; H. T. Elliott, 1939–1941; L. Halswick, 1941–1950; Home Foreign Committee: E. J. Lorntz, 1951–1956; North American Missions Committee: Wesley Amundsen, 1956–1968; C. H. Lauda, 1968–1975. Field Secretary With Responsibility for NAMCO: R. A. Wilcox, 1975–1980; Secretary, North American Division Multilingual Ministries Department (NADMM): Joseph Espinosa, 1980–1990; Vice President for Special Ministries: Manuel Vasquez, 1990– .