Virgil E. Robinson

No history of the rise and development of the remnant church could claim to be complete if it failed to mention Joseph Bates and to emphasize the important place he played. Joseph Bates devoted the last twenty-five years of his life to keepint the commandments of God - to the task of proclaiming, exalting, and champoining the binding obligations of the seventh-day Sabbath. It should be remembered that he was fifty-four when he began to proclaim the Sabbath truth. He had been a preacher of the first angel's message for years before the great desappointment in 1844. Never seeking the limelight, he was perfectly satisfied to do his duty as he saw it, trusting the Lord from day to day to reveal to him him particular work and then give him strength to accomplish it. In these days when the feeble resources of the pioneers - what they achieved with them still amazes us today - have been multiplied a thousandfold, it is hoped that this story may inspire the remnant peopl of God anew, leading them to throw into the task that sill faces them the same ardor and devotion, the same sacrificial service and fearless courage, that maked the life of Joseph Bates.… (more)

Courage, self-possession, fortitude, faith, tenacity are among the words that may be used to describe the character qualities of many a modern missionary. But few have matched the Scotsman John Paton in manifesting these qualities. Sent as a missionary to the island of Tanna, in the New Hebrides, Paton found himself caught up in a web of constant intrigue and treachery, the pressures of which would have broken the spirit of most men in short order.Literally driven from the island, Paton settled on another, Aniwa. It was here that the office related incidents of the talking chip in the rain from the earth took place. Here, also, the seeds of the gospel dramatically took root, and Paton saw the results that amply made up for the disappointments of Tanna.The story of John Paton is well told by the veteran writer Virgil Robinson, whose narratives have been avidly read by a generation of Adventist youth.… (more)