Did you know that the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Montreal has roots stretching back to the mid-1800s? Today we will explore the fascinating story of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church presence in Canada started with the Millerite movement. Visionaries like William Miller helped cultivate the Adventist cause on Canadian soil. The Seventh-day Adventist Church became an organized entity in Quebec in the late 1870s. By the early 1900s the church had spread across Canada. Today the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada covers all of Canada and the French territory of St. Pierre and Miquelon.
One notable chapter in the Seventh-day Adventist Church history involves work among French speakers. This was one of the earliest attempts to connect with a non-English population. In the 1850s Adventists considered preaching the gospel to all nations. They recognized the need to reach the French population north of New England in Quebec.
The conversion of Augustin and Daniel Bourdeau was a significant event. These brothers descendants of French Canadian parents helped establish the Seventh-day Adventist Church presence. They worked among French-speaking populations in Quebec Europe and the American Midwest. The Bourdeau brothers spread the message to relatives and friends. They prepared French tracts about the Sabbath and the prophecies of Daniel. By the winter of 1858-1859 the Bourdeau brothers were preaching regularly. They preached in the border towns of northern Vermont and in Quebec.
Michael B Czechowski a former Roman Catholic priest joined the Bourdeaus. Czechowski helped win over French Baptists. He was instrumental in establishing the first French-speaking Sabbath-keeping Adventist congregation. It was located in Tramelan Switzerland.
Despite their desire to work among French people the Bourdeaus concentrated on English work. They established many new churches in northern Vermont and Quebec. The Vermont Conference pledged support for Augustin Bourdeau’s work. Occasional visits at the Grande Ligne Mission produced some good results. Some friends subscribed to Adventist journals and purchased books. Years later some people at the Mission decided to keep the Sabbath.
In 1875 Augustin Bourdeau his son-in-law and daughter started permanent work in Quebec. They established English-speaking churches in the Eastern Townships. The Quebec Conference was organized in 1880. It was the first Seventh-day Adventist Church conference in Canada.
Napoleon Paquette a French-speaking Roman Catholic accepted the Seventh-day Adventist Church message. He returned to his hometown of Lachute and shared his new beliefs. Paquette and R S Owen pitched their evangelistic tent. By mid-summer one other French Canadian was keeping the Sabbath.
Early Seventh-day Adventist Church evangelists avoided working in large cities. They preferred rural environments. But they soon realized that large cities also needed to receive the gospel. In 1897 the General Conference assigned Daniel Bourdeau to work in Montreal. By August 1898 Daniel Bourdeau and his team planned a series of French meetings in Montreal. The meetings caught the interest of the population. A reporter from La Presse interviewed Bourdeau. The report appeared on the front page. The headline announced the upcoming end of the world. The meetings continued during the fall in a rented hall.
After laboring in Montreal for over a year the Bourdeaus witnessed the birth of a new congregation. On October 1 1899 Augustin baptized ten persons. He organized a church of 22 members. This first church in Montreal was predominantly English-speaking. It is now the Westmount church.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church continues to grow and evolve today. It continues to spread the gospel. It is a testament to the dedication of its early pioneers. The work among the French population of Quebec is a tribute to those pioneers. They dreamed of a large harvest of souls when Jesus comes again.