RH01/26/1989
J. S. Washburn: Unsung Hero
Would British Adventism have survived without him?
By David N. Marshall
Judson S. Washburn could be called the unsung hero of Adventism in Britain. Born in Waukon, Iowa, in 1863, Washburn was 25 at the time of the "righteousness by faith" General Conference of 1888. He, along with a small group of pastors, emerged from that session with a new fervor, a new perspective on every Adventist belief, and began to preach revival.
In February 1891, Washburn attended a ministerial Bible school in Battle Creek at which Ellen White spoke. He must have been among those who complained that "in our camp meetings," 1888 notwithstanding, speakers continued to dwell "upon the law … and not on Jesus." (1) He doubtless appreciated the way Ellen White dealt with this complaint. "Many of our ministers have merely sermonized, presenting subjects in an argumentative way and scarcely mentioning the saving power of the Redeemer…. Of all professed Christians, Seventh-day Adventists should be foremost in uplifting Christ before the world."
"There is danger," she also wrote in her diary, "of presenting the truth in such a way that the intellect is exalted, leaving the souls of the hearers unsatisfied." Like harsh taskmasters, too many ministers were imposing "stern duty" upon their congregations "as if it were a master ruling with a scepter of iron-a master, stern, inflexible, all-powerful-devoid of the sweet, melting love and tender compassion of Christ."
With these ideals pushing back his horizons, Washburn took a ship to Britain, arriving in December 1891.
Adventism had scarcely secured a toehold in England when Washburn arrived. Despite hard work by evangelists such as John Loughborough, S. H. Lane, and A. Allen John in the preceding dozen years, membership remained small: Southampton and Ulceby, a little more than 20; in Grimsby, Kettering, and Wellingborough, substantially less. And these figures included the expatriate evangelists and headquarters and publishing house staff, with their families. As yet there was little to show for long years of hard work by literature evangelist George Drew in the port cities of Hull and Liverpool. In London the work had scarcely begun. The first baptism there, a result of the effort of two Bible workers, took place in 1888.
Massive Changes
During the 10 years of his first stay in Britain, Washburn presided over massive changes. His campaigns in Southampton increased the membership from 20 to 120. Unprecedented success attended his crusades in London, Bath, Bristol, Newport, and Cardiff. This growth in membership left other workers amazed. By 1898 it became necessary to convene a meeting of ministers in Bath to discuss the "division of the British field into conferences."
The precarious state of things at the time of Washburn's arrival and the great escalation in membership as a result of his ministry led one researcher to conclude that British Adventism might have perished but for his contribution.
On April 28, 1882, Washburn began corresponding with Ellen White. His letters reflect the impact upon his thinking of both 1888 and the Bible conference of 1891. They help catalog the extent to which his new perceptions influenced his approach to evangelism. And that approach provides a clue as to why the Holy Spirit was able to bless his endeavors.
Before examining the method, however, let us look at the man.
Washburn fell far short of our modern image of a successful evangelist. No one of us would have been impressed by his presence or delivery. For years he wore the same suit, until it became shiny. Though avoiding actual untidiness, he could never have been accused of being a snappy dresser.
He delivered his sermons in front of, rather than behind, the lectern. To the astonishment of his hearers, he frequently preached for two hours without notes or a Bible. Washburn knew the whole New Testament by heart, together with portions of the Old Testament, including the book of Daniel. Verse by verse he could at will draw from what he had memorized.
"I began meetings here in Bath… on 10 January [1892]," Washburn told Ellen White. "There was a company of five or six before the work began." He preached twice during the workweek, in addition to once on Sabbath and once on Sunday. The Sunday meetings drew the largest attendance. He began with 30 and, as the crusade gathered momentum, eventually preached to 450. The population of the city was 60,000.
Prior to his departure from the United States, Washburn sought advice on how to evangelize the English. The advice proved indecisive and only implanted in his mind some unhelpful stereotypes regarding those he would seek to save. From the start, he told Ellen White, he had abandoned the approach favored in the United States. Like Paul in Corinth, he "determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 2:2). "We thought we would not begin in the old way here, so began with Christ as Creator," and "I have made Christ, in fact, the central and one important thing in every sermon." The reaching of righteousness by faith began "getting people to come to Christ." Within the context of the centrality of Christ, he presented every doctrine, including the Sabbath.
Prophetic Support
Ellen White wrote to E. J. Waggoner, supporting Washburn's approach. Waggoner read the letter at a workers' meeting in London, which proved a source of considerable encouragement. The progress of the work in England, Ellen White told them, had been hindered by the preconception that work in England must of necessity go slowly.
By December 1892, Washburn preaching to congregations of 500 and never less than 160. From beginning of the summer until October 23, every sermon took the form of an exposition of a passage from the book of Romans. Not until he had instilled that gospel message into the minds of his hearers, Washburn told Ellen White, did he begin a study of the prophetic book of Daniel. And even this book he found "to focus in on Christ." Before the close of his first year of evangelism in Bath, 50 were worshiping every Sabbath, and between 25 and 30 had committed themselves to keep the Sabbath.
Opposition Arises
But opposition had arisen. Preachers thundered from their pulpits against Washburn and the Sabbath. They printed tracts against the Adventist faith. Nevertheless, Washburn explained to Ellen White, "all who know anything about us know that we believe in the gospel and that our doctrine is not simply a legal theory…. I do truly believe that if Christ is lifted up He will draw."
Washburn concluded one of his letters to Ellen White with the thought that he still had much to learn about the book of Revelation. He appeared wary of using it in his evangelistic approach, at least in the initial stages.
In the 1890s the work of an evangelist was sufficiently newsworthy to attract attention from local newspapers. In Bath, Newport, and Cardiff, they reproduced Washburn's sermons verbatim, a godsend to the modern researcher. Thus we may read exactly what he said and analyze his evangelistic method.
Washburn treated Revelation as a "postgraduate" course. In both Newport and Cardiff he preached from the book, but only after spending two evangelistic seasons preaching on Christ centered topics and Daniel. His evangelistic method may be summed up as Christ always up front-His atonement, His righteousness, His soon return.
When Washburn returned to the United States in 1900, he played "a leading part in the transfer of denominational headquarters from Battle Creek, Michigan, to Washington, D.C." His return visits to Britain during the 1920s and early 1930s saw him engaged in revival crusades. Many Adventists still living date their conversion to Washburn meetings in dingy public halls under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Washburn outlived two wives. His first wife died in 1932, his second in 1953. He himself died on July 21, 1955, at Hagerstown, Maryland, at the age of 92.
Speakers at his funeral service recalled his great love of music. He had composed hymns, led choirs, and sung solos throughout the United States and Great Britain. The style of his compositions was simple but indicative of his one abiding passion: the love of Christ for the sinner.
Thirty years after Washburn's death, a conference committee met to choose the name for a new school hall. Aware of his importance in the history of British Adventism, the president suggested, "Why not the J. S. Washburn Hall?"
Embarrassed puzzlement spread through the committee. "Never heard of him," said one member. The others admitted that they had not heard of him either. They chose another name.