1862 — 1945

Summary

Irwin Henry Evans was an Adventist pastor, missionary, administrator, and hymn writer who served the Seventh-day Adventist Church in a remarkable range of leadership roles spanning more than six decades. He served as treasurer of the General Conference (1903–1910), the first president of the North American Division (1914–1918), and manager of the Review and Herald. He spent seventeen years as a missionary administrator in Asia, organizing churches, establishing schools, and building publishing houses across China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, and beyond.

Early Life and Ministry

Irwin was born April 10, 1862, in North Plains, Ionia County, Michigan, to William and Ruth Ann Evans. Converted and baptized at twelve, “he held the ministry in view as his goal.” He “used to go out and preach to the stumps on his father’s farm.” He began ministry as a licentiate in 1882 and was ordained at the 1886 Kentucky Camp Meeting. In 1887 he married Emma Ferry, who died in 1903. They had four children. In 1904, Irwin married Adelaide Bee Cooper.

Early Administration

In 1891, Irwin was elected president of the Michigan Conference. From March 15 to April 23, 1893, he organized a six-week canvassers’ institute — the largest of its kind, with at least 200 in attendance. He planted a church across the border in Canada through the Michigan Conference. In 1897 he became “business agent” for the General Conference Association. He proposed that every church member raise 10 cents a week for missions to expand overseas workers by 300. He urged: “This can be done. Only let the whole denomination take hold and pull together.”

Review and Herald Manager

On May 28, 1901, Evans was elected president and general manager of the Review and Herald. He cast a new vision: the Review Board were “anxious” that the Review “should fulfill the mission upon which it started in the beginning.” When the Review and Herald building tragically burned on December 30, 1902, Evans managed the crisis and helped relocate the publishing house to Takoma Park.

General Conference Treasurer (1903–1910)

On April 11, 1903, Irwin was elected treasurer of the General Conference. He introduced the adding machine to denominational accounting — “the first time such a machine was purchased by the denomination’s treasury to help secure greater accuracy in keeping the church books.” He established the principle that the General Conference could no longer assume financial responsibility except when “specifically assumed by action of the General Conference or its executive committee.” He also helped establish the official adoption of tithe envelopes, ordering one million distributed to churches across North America.

Missionary to Asia (1910–1913)

Evans left for Asia on June 7, 1910, heading to Japan and then to Shanghai, China. He organized the very first Seventh-day Adventist congregation in Seoul with 31 members. In the Philippines, he witnessed the very first baptism of 12 souls and organized the very first church of 22 members in March 1911. In June 1912, he attended the first Adventist camp meeting held in Korea — and the very first Seventh-day Adventist camp meeting held in Asia — on a small hill near several Korean villages, where approximately 150 people gathered.

North American Division President (1914–1918)

On May 30, 1913, Evans was nominated as president of the North American Division Conference. He launched The Church Officers’ Gazette in early 1914. When Ellen White died in 1915, Evans served as one of the pallbearers and read Scriptural passages at the graveside service. Evans believed that the strength of the church was in its unity:

“Each organization is stronger than the preceding. Each gathers together a larger number of single units combined in the organizations, so that when we reach the General Conference, we have the strongest organized body in our work.”

Evans led the charge in establishing the first systematic requirements for ordination to the gospel ministry.

Return to Asia and Later Service

On April 4, 1918, Evans was elected vice-president of the General Conference for the Far Eastern Division. He continued in Asia until 1930, then served as a general vice-president until 1936, and as a field secretary until retiring in 1941. He was a significant force in developing the 1941 Seventh-day Adventist Church Hymnal and a major player in the development of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary.

Legacy

Among his books were Ministry of Angels (1915), Biblical Preaching (1936), This is the Way (1939), and The Way of Love Divine (1940). Irwin died November 24, 1945, at Takoma Park, D.C., at the age of eighty-three. He was remembered as a “man of iron will but gracious spirit” who did much to mentor young ministers and build up and establish “the pillars of the cause in finance, administration, and literature.”

Source: Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists, encyclopedia.adventist.org. Article by Michael W. Campbell, Ph.D.