[Copy of letter from R. RUHLING to D. NICOLICI
on origin of Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement.]
Elder D. Nicolici, President
Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement
P. 0. Box 234, Oak Park
Sacramento 17, California
Dear Brother Nicolici:
Some weeks ago I received your printed circular letter dated April, 1957, and I think I should answer that part of it which I am absolutely qualified to do, and that is regarding the origination of your movement. It seems to me this is a very vital question.
I was Secretary of the East German Union, located in Berlin, from 1913 onward. In 1920, during the discussion in Friedensau, I wrote down in shorthand everything that was said by both parties and published it later. And I knew personally the different individuals who started that movement, as well as most of the subsequent leading persons of it.
On the upper right of your circular letter you have printed: "Originated in 19l4" and in the second paragraph you have printed the following: ".... It was not until the crisis of the first World War in 1914 that the backsliding was clearly revealed." And, in your letter of May 10, 1954, on page 3, you say again, "The Reform Movement, which came into being as a result of the crisis confronting the Advent people in 1914 • • " Here you give the year 19l4 as the beginning of your movement. I take it for granted that you reprint that from the often-made statement these folks have brought out, without knowing the facts.
Let me say here frankly, as I have done orally and in writing in the past very often, that this is absolutely untrue. The first World War started August 3, 19l4. But there was absolutely no division of opinion among the Seventh-day Adventist church members in Germany whether the brethren should go and take part in the war or not. This fact disproves also your sentence: "The minority who opposed this compromise of the leaders were disfellowshiped from the church." That is absolutely untrue. (About those who were disfellowshiped I shall write later; but let me continue.)
As I stated, the War started in August, 19l4. The months of August, September, October, November, and December passed. That was five months, but there was no division of opinion anywhere, no protest, no trouble, no dispute, and no split in any of our churches about this question. This reform movement started in the early part of January, 1915, and came about on an entirely different question, namely, the vision some persons claimed to have had about the end of probation. So I repeat — when that so-called German reform movement started, it did not involve the question of bearing arms or taking part in the war.
Two lay members, whom I knew — J. Wick and Brother Czukta — were, with many of our church members, drafted into the German army and sent to Berlin for basic training. Here these two men refused to be vaccinated and were sent to military prison for seven days. While in the military prison, J. Wick claimed / to have had a vision, which he wrote out and sent to our publishing house in Hamburg with the request that it be published in our church paper. The publishing house refused to print it.
When these two men were released from prison they deserted from the army and went to Bremen, where they found refuge with the church elder. J. Wick collected money to publish his vision privately, and he sent a copy to nearly every church member and minister in Germany. He claimed to have received the vision on January 11, 1915, in which he was shown that when the stone-fruit trees (cherries, plums, etc.) bloomed in the springtime (April-May), probation would end. He claimed he was shown also that he should report his vision to the leading brethren and if they would not accept it, they were fallen.
Here, I emphasize again, there was nothing in that so-called vision which I have read many times, about the war or taking part in it. It had to do only with the close of probation.
The leading brethren in Germany declared this vision was either imaginary, or from God, or from the devil. Inasmuch as it proved not to be true, it was surely not from heaven, so the conclusion was that it was either imaginary or from the devil. This was the beginning of the "reform movement."
At that time several other persons also claimed to have had visions. One of them, Sister Kersting, a lay member, claimed to have had a vision in February or March of 1915, in which she received light that probation would close when the stone-fruit trees should blossom. A Mrs. Ziegler, another lay member, claimed to have had a vision. One or two others also reported having had visions. One sister, a lay member belonging to a church in a suburb of Berlin, related her vision to the church. The members of the Conference Committee went to talk with her. During the interview she said that formerly she had practiced things such as are written in the so-called Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses (a book of magical formulas circulating during the Middle Ages), and that she was able to do some healing as a result of what she learned in that book. These so-called prophets, it appears, had no contact with each other then, and therefore did not begin to work in collusion among themselves.
Springtime of 1915 came and the trees blossomed, and nothing happened. During all this time nothing was said about bearing arms, but the question raised was one concerning the close of probation.
The two deserters from the army were arrested and sent to prison for five years. Mr. Czukta died during his imprisonment. When Mr. Wick was released he did not continue with the so-called "reformers." The other false prophets gathered to themselves sympathizers in different places, such as Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Munich, etc. They disowned our leading brethren, because they would not accept the purported messages as from God. As soon as blossomtime was past in 1915, new statements were sent out almost every week by the false prophets, setting May 10, 1915, as the date for probation to close. When that date passed, another time was set. They changed their dates five or six times. This enabled our people to see the folly of believing these false prophets.
Then something else happened. In Saxony our churches were closed and we were forbidden to hold services.
When the War broke out in August, 19l4, Elder H. F. Schuberth made a declaration to the German government in Berlin to the effect that our brethren were advised to bear arms in the War. And in the early summer of 1915 a second / statement was presented to the German government regarding the bearing of arms by Elders L. R. Conradi, H. F. Schuberth, and P. Drinhaus. Reference was made in it to the statement by Elder Schuberth in the previous year. As a result of this, the ban against our work in Saxony was lifted.
The fanatics got a copy of the document which these brethren presented to the government and used it to foment rebellion against the leaders of our work in Germany. No employed workers of the denomination took part in this. One of the leaders in the rebel faction was a Mr. Richter, a former elder of the church in Bremen. They began to denounce the church as having fallen and become Babylon, and urged the brethren, particularly their sympathizers, to come out from among our churches. It was at this time that the so-called "reformers" began to take the position that our brethren should not bear arms in war. Groups were organized, and they met by themselves. Their leaders traveled from one place to another. Some of their followers refused to respond to the draft call for military service. And when some of our brethren, when asked by the police, told what they knew about them, the "reformers" claimed they were being persecuted by the denomination. They began to propagate their views by printing literature.
According to my recollection, not one of our ordained ministers in Germany joined in this "reformist" rebellion during the period of the War.
When the War ended in November, 1918, some young ministers not yet ordained did join the "reformers." One of them was Henry Spanknöbel, with his brother Karl Spanknöbel. Later, when the Nazis had arisen in Germany, Henry joined them. The Nazis sent him on a special mission to the United States. When it was suspected that the FBI was seeking Henry Spanknöbel, the German ambassador in Washington, D. C. hid him and sent him to New York on a boat, and hence to Germany. The FBI searched the boat but could not find him.
The two brothers became prominent and active as early leaders in the "reform movement." Henry was an able speaker. Both he and Karl served in the German army during World War I, and it was not until after the War ended that they joined with the "reform movement." Henry disappeared mysteriously and his whereabouts are unknown. Karl is now in America, and calls himself by the name "Noble." A nephew of theirs, Elder J. N. Noble, is one of our ministers in South Dakota.
A meeting was held in Friedensau, Germany, from July 21 to 23, 1920, which was attended by such leading men of the General Conference as Elders A. G. Daniells, F. M. Wilcox, M. E. Kern, L. H. Christian. It was at this time that Elder Christian arrived to assume his duties as president of the European Division, having been elected to that post at the previous General Conference session.
The leader of the "reformers" was then a Mr. Dörschler, who had previously been an elder in one of our churches, but not a denominational worker. They had set up their central headquarters in Würzburg, in southern Germany, where they were printing their publications. They had denounced the work of the Red Cross as of the devil, and admitted it at this Friedensau meeting, because we had advised our men to serve in the medical corps during the War.
Elder Daniells and his associates from the General Conference labored earnestly with the dissident brethren, trying to win them back. Elder Daniells very carefully explained our denominational position on the question of bearing arms in time of war. Also it was pointed out that the leaders of our work in Germany had made a mistake in advising our brethren to bear arms in World War I. After / they had heard the explanation of the denominational position taken by our people on the subject, the leaders of our work in Germany readily acknowledged that they had been mistaken.
Inasmuch as the "reformers" called us "Babylon" in their publications, we could no longer tolerate them in our churches, and disfellowshiped them. Any organization would have done the same. But what an inconsistency! First they called us "Babylon" from which they should go out, and then claimed they were persecuted by the denomination when we disfellowshiped them. Why would they not want to be disfellowshiped from Babylon? Or did they feel they could do a better propaganda work as long as they claimed to be members of the Church?
Now, according to this absolutely true statement which I have written to you, can I expect that you change your claims about the year 1914?
Did any one of the former leaders, after leaving the "reform movement," ever repudiate his former doings and confess his wrongs? Let me give you an illustration: In 1926 during the General Conference session in Milwaukee I met Karl Spanknöbel, whom I knew very well, and who was one of their leaders. He said to me, "Brother Ruhling, since I am here in America and have learned the English language, and have started reading the Testimonies, I am now convinced that we had no reason whatsoever for our reform movement." Now has he confessed any of his wrongs and repented from the harm he has done to our denomination? Or has he joined the church again? No. He is still living in Detroit but is not a member of the denomination. Or, have those who collected tithe and offerings from our church members ever given any of it back or confessed their wrong? Have they, for calling us Babylon in public, ever confessed their wrong?
Some ten or twelve years ago I met a young man in Lodi, California, during our camp meeting. He claimed he knew all that had happened in Europe with the origination of the movement he belonged to. I asked him how old he was. I found out he was not yet born in 1914, but he claimed to know all. I told him he knew nothing. Or what he knew had been learned from the distorted writings of some of the "reformers." I told him he should go home and study the Bible and the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy, and stop preaching falsehood and learn to proclaim the truth.
So, if you are as sincere as you claim in your letter, I hope most earnestly that you will make a few corrections, at least, when you print a new circular letter.
Very sincerely yours,
R. Ruhling
[Copy made November 11 and 12, 1957]
[WER-ho]
(OR: ks. SDA Encyclopedia art. Ruhling)