A divine call for unity and good will
In the major coal mining and industrial region of West Germany, bounded on the south by the Ruhr River, are found populous and wealthy cities like Dortmund, Essen, Dusseldorf, Cologne, and Wuppertal. A suburban area of present-day Wuppertal is known as Vohwinkel. Nearby is Elberfeld. In those two small communities Adventists had early formed little companies.
When Sister White arrived at Vohwinkel on Friday afternoon, May 27, she was accompanied by Sister Ings and by L. R. Conradi, who had joined them that afternoon at Mainz. The surrounding country was all a part of old Prussia, from which the "Iron Chancellor," Bismarck, had reached out to consolidate the German state into an empire.
The little companies of Adventists came together for a general meeting at Vohwinkel with eager expectations, for Sister White had not preached in Germany before. She spent Friday night at the home of a local church elder who lived "in a pleasant location" several miles out in the country.
Ellen White "found the churches ... in difficulty," and she saw their need for special counsel and help at this time (The Review and Herald, September 27, 1887). Unkind criticism had crept into the church, and factions and hard feelings had resulted.
Conradi spoke Friday evening to an interested, attentive audience. The German leader was a dynamic, executive type of man, and his influence could be felt.
The Vohwinkel Vision
That night as Ellen White slept, a dream was given to her in which she observed a small company who had assembled for a religious meeting. The Lord appeared to them as a church visitor and spoke to them with love and tenderness. The next day, Sabbath, May 28, she wrote out this remarkable revelation, which obviously applied to the Vohwinkel company:
"Last night I dreamed that a small company were assembled together to have a religious meeting. There was one who came in and seated himself in a dark corner where he would attract little observation. There was not a spirit of freedom. The spirit of the Lord was bound. Some remarks were made by the elder of the church and he seemed to be trying to hurt someone. I saw a sadness upon the countenance of the stranger. It became apparent that there was not the love of Jesus in the hearts of those who claimed to believe the truth and there was, as the sure result, an absence of the Spirit of Christ and a great want both in thoughts and feelings of love for God and for one another. The assembling together had not been refreshing to any one.
The Stranger Addresses the People
"As the meeting was about to close, the stranger arose and with a voice that was full of sorrow and of tears, he told them that they had a great want in their own souls, and in their own experience, of the love of Jesus which was present in large measure in every heart where Christ took up His abode. Every heart renewed by the Spirit of God would not only love God but love his brother, and if that brother made mistakes, if he erred, he must be dealt with after the gospel plan. Every step must be followed according to the directions given in the word of God.... The stranger continued by asking several questions:
"You seem willing to wound and bruise the hearts of one another. Is this the pattern Jesus has given you? Where is His manner of dealing? Do you find yourselves sustained in having so little love and forbearance, so little patience for your brethren? Have you forgotten the words of Christ, 'A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another? [John 13:34, 35] 'He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.' [John 14:21]
"You are not cultivating love to God or love to your brethren. Be careful how you treat the purchase of the blood of Christ. There will be need of plain and faithful reproving of evil works, but let the one who takes this work upon him know that he is not separated from Christ by evil works himself. He must be spiritual and restore such an one in the spirit of meekness. Unless he has this spirit he has no duty to reprove or to correct his brothers, for he would create two evils in the place of curing one....
"That which distinguishes the character and conduct of Christians from all others is the principle of holy, Christlike love, which works in the heart with its purifying influence. The true Christian will work the works of Christ in giving expression in deeds of love one to another. With this living, abiding, working principle in life and in character no one can resemble the world. If you know the character and works of Christ you will know the disposition and conduct of Christians. Christ hated evil so much that sin and evil met a strong rebuke from His lips and from His example. While He hated sin He loved the sinner....
"How much greater strength you might have had as sons and daughters of God if you had loved God supremely and your neighbor as you love yourself. How much higher ground you might stand upon if you had been following on to know more and more of the truth and gathering more and more divine light to shine forth in good works to all around you.
"Your works are not pleasing to God but pleasing to the enemy. You have lessons to learn in the school of Christ before you will be fitted for heaven. Your self, your ways, your sharp traits of character make you unskillful in dealing with minds and hearts.... If you allow yourselves to be dictatorial, accusing, and judging your brethren, and with unsanctified hearts and unholy tempers seeking to mend their wrongs, you do unskillful work and drive souls away from the service of Christ....
"You must take hold of God with one hand while with the other hand, in love, you lay hold upon the erring and the sinner and draw them to Jesus. Pray with them, weep with them, feel for their souls, love them, and never let go of them. This is the love Jesus has expressed for you. You must ever strive for unity and forbearance and love. Never draw apart, but press together, binding heart to heart and making supplications in the Spirit. Then the power of God will work in your midst and many souls will be brought to the truth through your influence."--Manuscript 32, 1887.
All of this seemed as real to Ellen White in her dream as if she had seen and heard the stranger in person. But who was he? The tone of his voice, his words and manner, seemed familiar. She continued:
"He was again seated and the sun, which had been hidden, beamed forth and shone full upon his person. What a revelation! All knew in a moment who had been speaking to them. They said one to another: 'It is Jesus; it is Jesus!' and then such confessions of sins as were made and confessions to one another. There was weeping, for the hearts seemed to be broken, and then there was rejoicing and the room was filled with the mellow light of heaven. The musical voice of Jesus said, 'Peace be with you.' And His peace was." -Ibid.
The Sabbath Meetings
That Sabbath morning--just a matter of hours after she had the dream--she addressed a large audience, many of whom were non-Adventists. "While we were assembled together in this humble place of worship,"* she wrote, "I felt indeed the peace of Christ. I felt that Jesus and angels were present" (The Review and Herald, September 27, 1887).
Conradi was a bit surprised after she finished her sermon when she suggested that the believers have a "social meeting." Nothing of this kind had ever taken place in the Vohwinkel church. Except for a few who may have visited the church in Basel the congregation didn't even know what a social meeting was!
The usual procedure was to assemble together on the Sabbath day and pray for one another, then, because they had no minister to preach to them, go back to their homes; but, testimony services, who had ever heard of such! Sister White kindly insisted that such a meeting should be held, and she said, "The Spirit of the Lord was certainly in our midst." And when it ended they could say, "We had an excellent social meeting." a rich blessing flowed into all hearts present. Most of the believers participated. "My heart was made glad in the Lord to see so many who were indeed lights in the world" (Ibid.).
There were still more meetings that memorable weekend in Vohwinkel. On Saturday night she made a special appeal for unity and harmony among the brethren:
"I was urged to speak again ... at eight o'clock, which I did, upon the subject of making special efforts for harmony, and the necessity of the church having their minds occupied with thoughts upon the truth, the Saviour, and the future life. By living and walking in the truth themselves they will not be employed in talking of the errors and mistakes of others. After I had ceased speaking, Brother Conradi continued the meeting until midnight.
"Sunday, Brother Conradi spoke in the morning upon missionary work. At three o'clock I spoke to those assembled from 1 John 3, verses 1-3. I felt much freedom, although weak for want of food which I could not take upon my stomach. Brother Conradi labored with them faithfully, and I think with good success. There was a healing of their difficulties, except with one brother who left the meeting. Brother Conradi went after him and labored with him until two A.M., with a good prospect of the difficulties being healed."--Manuscript 32, 1887.
Counsel Regarding Little Companies
The substance of her message at Vohwinkel, Mrs. White reported in the Review:
"Let these little companies who seldom have preaching, cling more firmly to Jesus. Let them settle this point first of all, that they are willing to walk in the narrow, cross-bearing path where Jesus has traveled before them. Then let them appropriate to themselves God's promises of divine guidance.... With these precious promises we need not be discouraged.
"God is not ignorant of the trials and the temptations of any one of His dear children, and if they cherish love and peace and harmony in their midst, how pleasing is this to Jesus! He prayed to His Father that His disciples might be one as He was one with the Father. Now if every one, whatever may be the surroundings, whatever the circumstances, will labor to answer the prayer of Christ in their feelings, and their words, and their actions toward each other, then they will be cooperating with the Lord Jesus in His work, and all Heaven will rejoice."--September 27, 1887.
Sister White understood the large potential of a little company of believers, such as the one in Vohwinkel, in sharing their faith. Did she perhaps view the expansion and dimension of the future work in Germany? Its substantial growth in the years that followed? "What great good a very few may do if they are wholly united in Christ! ... They are channels of light to the world," she wrote hopefully.
In conclusion she admonished:
"Let each individual member of the Church feel that he is responsible in a large measure for the strength and prosperity of the church. While you do to the very utmost of your ability, God will as surely do His part, giving you divine enlightenment. God will work, and you must work to the same end to accomplish the same purpose, as faithful soldiers of an army work in harmony with the plans and purposes of their officers. Our will must be surrendered to the will of God. These churches that are small may be living, healthy, strong churches. "I shall never forget this little company and the pleasant associations we have had with them in the worship of God. I should have been pleased to speak to these precious souls directly, but I am thankful that I had the privilege of speaking to them through an interpreter. A Paul may plant, an Apollos may water, but God gives the increase."--Ibid.
Meetings in Gladbach
On Monday morning the little party left Vohwinkel for Gladbach, a city of some size, south of Vohwinkel and just to the north and east of Bonn, the present capital of West Germany. Sister White was pleased to find Brother Doerner at the station to meet them. They took a hack and were brought to the home of his mother. There Sister Doerner lived with her two daughters who were also Seventh-day Adventists.
A good German breakfast was waiting to be served, but Ellen White could not eat. She was forced to lie down and rest, and scarcely had strength to sit up. Illness in Basel and the strenuous meetings before she left for Germany left her almost exhausted.
She wrote of the Doerner family:
"Sister Doerner is the daughter of Brother Lindermann, who has kept the Sabbath for twenty-five or thirty years. He is now living, and is 83 years of age. It is through his influence that the Doerner family has received the Sabbath. There are three brothers who at the present time are observing the Sabbath. They are united owners of a large manufacturing establishment, in which cotton goods and cotton and woollen goods are made."--The Review and Herald, October 11, 1887.
Impact of J. H. Lindermann's Work
About 30 years before, J. H. Lindermann, as the result of his own investigation of the Bible, came to believe that Christ would return to the earth in the near future. In 1867 he had advanced in his studies to the place where he saw the seventh day as the true Sabbath. Not only did he preach his views but he published these doctrines in pamphlets. Little companies then sprang up from the seed planted at Vohwinkel, Solingen, Gladbach, and Rhedt.
News of Lindermann's Sabbathkeepers became known to Seventh-day Adventists in Switzerland as the result of a providential contact with an itinerant beggar. A Swiss believer had befriended that beggar. If he had not done so the word might not have reached them at all!
James Erzberger wrote to Lindermann, and he received in reply an invitation to come and visit the group at Elberfeld in the Wuppertal area. Erzberger brought J. N. Andrews with him, and they were delighted to find a company of about 50 expectant people ready to listen to the precious truth they had to bring.
It was from among Lindermann's followers that the nucleus for the Vohwinkel church was formed, one of the first Seventh-day Adventist German churches in the world, and members of Lindermann's immediate family were among those who became Seventh-day Adventists.
On January 8, 1876, James Erzberger baptized eight persons at Solingen, a city famous for its fine steel cutlery. It was the first Seventh-day Adventist baptism in Germany, and the little group was organized and became the first Seventh-day Adventist church in the country, with 25 members. The believers at Vohwinkel were organized at about the same time.
The Germans maintained the work of God without financial assistance from Switzerland. However, in 1884 the churches at Solingen and Vohwinkel joined the newly organized Swiss Conference.
Visiting the Church at Gladbach
While at Gladbach, Sister White was charmed by the well-kept grounds at the Doerner home, ornamented with a variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers. The beauty and fragrance acted like a natural healing therapy upon her body and mind. She walked in the garden reflecting upon creation's lovely wonders.
She wrote later:
"While I was in Europe, a sister ... who was in deep distress, wrote to me, asking for some word of encouragement. The night after I had read her letter I dreamed that I was in a garden, and one who seemed to be the owner of the garden was conducting me through its paths. I was gathering the flowers and enjoying their fragrance, when this sister, who had been walking by my side, called my attention to some unsightly briers that were impeding her way. There she was mourning and grieving. She was not walking in the pathway, following the guide, but was walking among the briers and thorns. 'Oh,' she mourned, 'is it not a pity that this beautiful garden is spoiled with thorns?' Then the guide said, 'Let the thorns alone, for they will only wound you. Gather the roses, the lilies, and the pinks.'"--Steps to Christ, 116, 117.
Mrs. White then asked:
"Have there not been some bright spots in your experience? Have you not had some precious seasons when your heart throbbed with joy in response to the Spirit of God? When you look back into the chapters of your life experience do you not find some pleasant pages? Are not God's promises, like the fragrant flowers, growing beside your path on every hand? Will you not let their beauty and sweetness fill your heart with joy?"--Ibid., 117.
That afternoon she preached a touching sermon from John 15:1-3, Brother Conradi interpreting. She seemed to feel her subject intensely. "The truth was to me a reality," she explained, "and I felt that God indeed gave me special strength and imparted to me of His Holy Spirit while speaking. I saw before me an intelligent company who had but few privileges and little labor from the ministering brethren. We hope and pray that this meeting may prove a blessing to those who were present."--The Review and Herald, October 11, 1887. Often during her lifework did the Lord's servant preach from John, chapters 14 and 15.
The next morning the little itinerant company boarded the cars for Hamburg on their way to Copenhagen. "We saw as we neared Hamburg," wrote Ellen White, "that there was a great fire. The flames seemingly reaching to the sky above us, lighting up everything around. It was a grand scene. We learned that the ships and warehouses were in flames from petroleum which had exploded."--Ibid.
One half hour later at Altona, "beyond Hamburg," Ellen White's party changed cars and proceeded by rail and ferry on to Copenhagen.