St. Helena Island

The Adventist presence in St. Helena Island began officially in 1941 when Adventist worker P. F. Fouche from South Africa arrived on the island.

Basic Information

St. Helena Island, a territory of Britain, is a small island that is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Africa. It is best described as “an emerald set in bronze.”¹ This was the place where Napoleon Bonaparte, the French general, was exiled. The island is described as follows: “St. Helena Island is one of the remotest islands on Earth. It is a subtropical paradise where the mountainous terrain and micro-climates create an astounding diversity of landscapes all within a few minutes’ drive.”²

St. Helena Island has a community of 4,439 people with limited reliance on modern technology (Cellular phone service was only introduced in 2015).³ On the island there is one Seventh-day Adventist church, which falls under the Southern Africa Union Conference territory and is managed by the Cape Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Historical Background

The first Adventist worker on the island was P. F. Fouche from Blackheath, in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1941. Fouche reported that there were eight or nine Sabbath-keepers on the island, one of whom was faithful 88-year-old Grannie Stroud.⁴ Thereafter, Alf Kohen was sent by the Cape Field to St. Helena Island in 1942 during wartime conditions. Kohen experienced serious opposition from both the local Anglican Church and the colonial government. He returned after a few months with very little to show for his efforts.⁵

Nevertheless, there were several missionary pastors who, since then, have served the island Adventist church as the following narrative shows.

Pastor Hilgard P. Campher (1949-1954)

Pastor Hilgard Peter Campher, with his spouse Georgina Elizabeth and six children - Ruth, Patricia, Noreen, Sylvia, Hilgard, Veronica (eldest to youngest) - served the St. Helena Island Church for six years from 1949 –1954. The Campher family left Cape Town on the Dunnottar Castle on Sunday, April 3, 1949.⁶ Upon arriving there, they immediately launched out in an evangelistic effort. The large hall which they hired was satisfactorily filled for several weeks.⁷ Apart from preaching, Pastor Campher also enrolled more than seven hundred people to study the Voice of Prophecy Bible School lessons. On October 30, 1949, Pastor Campherl conducted the first SDA baptism of five candidates on the island. A hall was also built where 40 Sabbath School members met every Sabbath. After almost three years of service on the island, the Campher family was granted five months furlough back in Cape Town, South Africa.

While the Camphers were away from the island on their five-months furlough in the middle of 1952, Pastor Alec and Mrs. Irene Jepthas were sent by the Cape Field to oversee the work on the island from June to November 1952. The Jepthas family included their daughter, Evange, and son, Alec. Pastor Jepthas continued to build on Pastor Campher’s program and prepared a class for baptism later in the year. On November 13, 1952, after a six-month stay on the island of St. Helena, Alec and Irene Jepthas returned to Cape Town on the Llangibby Castle.⁸

After their furlough, Pastor and Mrs. Campher and their three youngest children, Sylvia, Hilgard, and Veronica sailed for St. Helena on the Durban Castle on October 28, 1952. With the assistance of some helpers, Pastor Campher, a man with practical skills, built the house of worship. The church building is still standing there today. He also made the church benches, the pulpit, etc.⁹ After serving faithfully on the island for six years, Pastor and Mrs. Campher saw the church membership increase to 39 by the time they left the island in December 1954.

An account given by one of the founding members, whose name is not stated, was recorded by Veronica de Klerk, the youngest daughter of Pastor Campher, during a family reunion held in Cape Town in 2018. In their late teens, this individual recalls Pastor Fouche visiting the island, distributing literature like The Present Truth under donkeys' saddles. Pastor Fouche also visited the countryside, including this individual’s aunt, who allowed Bible studies at her home. Later, Pastor Campher introduced Bible teachings on the Sabbath, clean and unclean foods, and tithing. The individual attended evening meetings where Pastor Campher used Scripture to explain various topics. Afterwards, the pastor started Sabbath services and eventually purchased property to build a church. Services were held in his house until the church building was completed, with baptisms taking place in their yard.¹⁰

Pastor George Beyers (1955–1958)

Pastor George Beyers, his wife Marie, and their two daughters, Rosemary and Clarice, served the church on St. Helena Island from January 1955 to April 1958. During the first two years that they were on the island, twenty-three (23) members joined the church. A further five were baptized in the month of December 1956. Pastor Beyers used to conduct open-air meetings because he could not hire any halls. He projected his presentations on the wall of a building. The meetings ran for five nights a week for a period of six weeks.¹¹

St. Helena Island received important visitors from time to time. The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at St. Helena in 1957 aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia. He opened the new Duke of Edinburgh playground in Market Street. In 1958, Pastor S. G. Maxwell visited the island and was surprised to find a church located in the capital city, Jamestown, with a resident pastor and a membership of 46 and over 80 attending the Sabbath School.¹²

Pastor Beyers established the first Branch Sabbath School on the island at Woody Ridge. Due to the scarcity of certain foodstuffs on the island, Pastor Beyers used to import large bags of Weet-bix breakfast cereal straight from the factory in South Africa, as well as macaroni, and he would ensure that all church members received a fair share. The Beyers family left before their term ended because Mrs. Beyers needed medical attention.¹³

Pastor Welcome Phillips (1958–1963)

Pastor Welcome Philips, his wife and children, replaced Pastor Beyers on the island and served there from 1958 to 1963. Their son, Onyx, was born to this pastoral couple while they were serving on the island. Pastor J. van de Merwe, the South African Union evangelist and his wife, were assisted by Pastor Phillips conducted an evangelistic campaign.¹⁴ Pastor Phillips also held prayer meetings in church members’ homes in the country side. Due to a lack of vehicles on the island at the time, he had to walk everywhere he went, which he said “kept him fit”.

Brother William Fillmore (1966-1969)

Brother William Fillmore served the Island SDA Church from 1966-1969. William Fillmore and his wife, Daphne, were such an active couple, that they started the first Pathfinder Club on the island. From them the youth of the church learned different crafts and skills such as glass painting, paper maché, and plaster of paris molds, etc. Due to his skills in designing and being a qualified sign writer, Bill Fillmore was able to write all the signs for the church, for Solomon & Company PLC, and also for other small organizations on the island. He held cottage meetings in members’ homes in all the districts of the island.

Pastor Alwyn Du Preez (1969-1972)

Pastor Alwyn Du Preez, accompanied by his wife Joyce, served the St. Helena Island SDA Church from 1969-1972.¹⁵ Their children, Pam and Ron, did not accompany them to the island. Pastor Du Preez conducted “The Open Bible Campaign” at Longwood while his wife Joyce conducted the choir and managed the welfare services of the local SDA church.¹⁶

Pastor Du Preez also conducted open air meetings at the Half Tree Hollow Clinic while his wife played the piano and accordion for church services, choir performances and outreach programs. Every week after the close of Sabbath, the Du Preez family opened their home for social evenings and fellowship and provided food for everyone. They introduced church outings and were very active in the welfare work of the church’s Dorcas Society.

Pastor George Baxen (1973-1976)

Pastor George Baxen and his family, consisting of his spouse Joyce and their three children Enslin George; Ellsworth Mark, and Lucinda Joy Helena served the St. Helena SDA Church from 1973 to 1976. When the Baxen family arrived on the island, the couple already had two boys, Enslin and Ellsworth. Joyce Baxen was pregnant with their third child, who was born three months after their arrival on the island. Lucinda Joy Helena, born on the island, was the only missionary child who ended up receiving the island’s name among her other names.

According to their son Ellsworth Baxen, Pastor George and Joyce Baxen were assigned to the St. Helena Island district by the then-Good Hope Conference in 1973. At the time, to reach the island, there was only one mode of transportation, and that was a four-day trip by ship. Pastor George Baxen pastored the Adventist church on St. Helena Island for approximately three years.

During Pastor Baxen’s tenure there, the family encountered austere living conditions, which provided a testimony to God’s gracious provision and care for His children. A lack of essential food items was a regular occurrence. The monthly visits of the boat from South Africa supplied much of the provisions that were needed, but at times the boat would only come after two or three months. The Baxen family were vegetarians, but the couple decided, out of necessity, to include in their diet white fish to get sufficient nourishment. Unfortunately, their children, who were still young, did not take well to eating fish.

Despite the unfavorable soil conditions on the Island, Pastor Baxen planted the first garden on the Adventist church premises where the pastoral home was also located. The garden surprisingly yielded vegetables like spinach with ease and flourished. As a result, Joyce Baxen had an opportunity to teach cooking lessons to a few members on how to make spinach patties. This was one of God’s blessings during their stay there.

Pastor Baxen attended regular fraternal meetings and maintained good relations with pastors of the various other denominations. There was a time when there were no eggs and salt available for purchase on the island. Pastor George and his wife Joyce prayed, and on a certain Sunday, the Baptist pastor had a surplus of eggs, and he decided to give them as a tithe to the Adventist pastor. Every Sunday for two months, his son delivered twelve eggs to the Baxen home. The Baxens also made regular visits to the governor of the island. Consequently, when the governor asked for some of the pawpaws from the trees planted on the Adventist property, Pastor Baxen was willing to share these with him. The Meals on Wheels Department of the SDA Church was started on the island at this time, and the department collaborated in its work with the Salvation Army. Following a weekly alternating schedule, the Salvation Army would serve meals with some meat on the menu, and the next week, Meals on Wheels served vegetarian meals.

During Pastor Baxen’s tenure on the island, the Good Hope Conference treasurer, Pastor Jephtas, visited the Baxen family. Meanwhile, Pastor Baxen conducted several Bible studies while on the island, and Sister George and her son, Patrick, were among those baptized. Pastor Baxen also conducted at least two evangelism series. This was after there had been no baptisms on the island for some years prior to his arrival. This period of the Baxen’s ministry there provided, among others, spiritual lessons of dependence on God during trying conditions of missionary service. Other lessons learned included the importance of sharing healthy relationships with all people regardless of their religions and denominational or government affiliations. Pastor Baxen realized that he was only one in a long line of many faith-led workers who had gone before him and those who were to come after him.¹⁷

Pastor William Turner (1976-1980)

Pastor William Turner served the island SDA church after Pastor Baxen left, from 1976-1980. He was accompanied by his wife, Sarah, and at several intervals, their sons Arthur and Woodrow and daughter Connie joined them. Mrs. Turner was in charge of the Dorcas Society, and she helped with the Meals on Wheels program that was run in collaboration with the Salvation Army. The Turners were very fond of the church’s youth and loved taking them to the Willow Bank Farm. They were a hospitable couple. Every Sabbath they would invite a church family to their home for Sabbath lunch, and everyone had the opportunity to dine with them on many occasions.

Pastor Basil Kriel (1980-1984; 1985-1989)

While many experiences of Pastor Basil Kriel have been shared verbally and anecdotally, there was not a lot of information available regarding his service on the island. He served the Island SDA Church for two periods, namely 1980-1984 and again from 1985-1989. Pastor Kriel was accompanied by his wife, Bell, and they were visited by their daughter Colette and son Kevin on several occasions. He redesigned the old church building to its present shape with the help of a professional designer, Hugh Gibbs, and worked with the men of the church to upgrade the building.

Pastor Kriel was very active with the children and youth of the church. He introduced church youth camps, the “thought for the day” with the youth singing for radio broadcasts, children’s stories, and special musical items for the Sabbath Divine Service. He enjoyed gardening and planted lots of vegetables, which he always shared with the members of the church. Pastor Kriel introduced potluck lunches on Sabbaths, and every Sabbath he provided a vegetarian soup or stew for everyone to enjoy. He encouraged members to have musical programs, and this is the reason that the group “Singspirationals” was formed. Pastor Kriel is remembered for his humility and preaching powerful sermons with no notes but his Bible.

Pastor Charles Chalmers (1989-1997)

Charles Chalmers and his spouse Valerie served the St. Helena Island SDA Church for eight and a half years from 1989 to 1997. His main purpose and mission for going there was to rebuild the SDA Church “manse” (pastor’s house) in Jamestown. Due to his poor health during these five years, only limited information about his term of service there was collected from his wife.

Charles was not a pastor by profession, although he did pastoral work on the island. His main contributions during his tenure on the island were rebuilding the SDA Church manse and sponsoring a group of SDA youths to attend Young Life (youth meetings) in South Africa. As an ordained elder and commissioned minister, he also conducted baptisms, evangelistic services, and community events.¹⁸ He is also said to have preached 52 sermons every year.

Pastor Chalmers finished the renovations of the church that Pastor Kriel started and removed the gunny bag ceiling, which was a challenging task. Once a week he produced and presented a gospel program on the local radio station, which the community looked forward to and enjoyed. He was a ham radio operator, and on one or two occasions, the youth/Pathfinders from the Island SDA Church got to speak with Pathfinders overseas.

Pastor Edward A. Appollis (1997-2001)

Pastor Edward Appollis, his spouse Jilian, and their children, Emile and Jean, succeeded the Chalmers family, arriving in September 1997. They came on the RMS St. Helena and served two terms until September 2001.The building programs that were realized during their tenure included breaking down the old room adjacent to the manse, building a classroom next to the manse that was also used as a church library, and paving a walkway from the church around the manse and to the hall.

Those who were baptized during Pastor Appollis’s tenure included Jeremy and Patra Duncan; June Fowler; Leah Ellick; Colette Thomas, Rose Duncan; Sophia Joshua; Andrea Benjamin; Glenda Peters, Andrew Robinson; Br. and Sr. Dickenson, Dion Stevens, Gavin Williams; James and Doris Bowers; Lee-anne John, and Marcel Duncan.

Pastor Appollis’s evangelism programs included the Longwood Campaign; weekly small group meetings in Longwood at James and Doris Bowers’ home; a Revelation Seminar at the Consulate Hotel in Jamestown; a campaign in Half Tree Hollow; and the Guinea Grass campaign at the Guinea Grass Community Hall in 2001.

Community events conducted included the annual Vacation Bible schools; year-end functions for senior citizens; Radio Epilogues (devotionals) on St. Helena Island Radio; Sunday night half-hour services on the radio once every six weeks on a rotational basis with other churches, the Singspirationals, and a 21^st concert at Prince Andrew High school in 2001.

During Pastor Appollis’s tenure, official Adventist visitors to the island included Dr. Eric Webster, editor of Signs of the Times, and his wife Ruth, who visited in 2001, traveling aboard the RMS St. Helena. Noleen Johnson accompanied them. Dr. Webster later published an article on the island’s 500th anniversary. Pastor George Baxen, president of the Cape Conference, also visited.¹⁹

Pastor Glen E. Africa (2001-2003)

The next pastor to serve the SDA Church on the Island was Pastor Glen Africa and his wife Frankie, who served from October 20, 2001 to December 23, 2003.²⁰ Pastor Africa’s main achievements during his tenure included the baptisms of Heather Benjamin, Angelo Stevens, and Ashley Furniss on Sabbath, November 29, 2003, and fixing the roof of the garage and clubhouse in Jamestown. Evangelism programs included a Wednesday night series of meetings, placing the Signs of the Times magazine in the church foyer when ships visited; and the radio broadcasts. Community events conducted included: Vacation Bible School (VBS) from August 10 to 24, 2003, annual cake sales; and the St. Helena’s 500 years’ celebrations in 2002.²¹

Pastor Africa spent a lot of time visiting the elderly members of the church, but he was also great with the youth. He ensured they all got out in nature and included nature walk Sabbaths in the year’s plans. He arranged the first and only Pathfinder Fair that took place on Francis Plain on June 16, 2003. It so happened that there was a lot of rain in June, and Francis Plain was becoming waterlogged. Pastor Africa did not want to cancel the fair after all the hard work from the whole church, so he arranged a prayer program to pray for the rain to stop. Their prayers were answered, the rain stopped at the beginning of Sabbath, June 13^th, and the field was able to drain the water, leaving solid ground for erecting the booths, so the fair was held as planned on Monday, a public holiday.

Pastor Charles Boesack (2004-2007)

Pastor Charles Boesack, his spouse Eva and their three sons Craig Deon, Walter Allen Charles, and Lenrick Johnathon Angus served for four years from 2004 to 2007. His fourth son Arnold Thurston did not accompany the family to the island.

His achievements and events conducted included painting both the interior and exterior of the church hall and manse; conducting baptisms on a yearly basis; evangelism programs such as Weeks of Prayer by Pastor Raymond A. Zeeman (the Union Conference Representative), Pastor Eugene Fransch (Division Youth and Pathfinder director), and Heather Tredoux, representing the Voice of Prophecy Bible School when they visited the island for one month. Their community events included Vacation Bible School, year-end functions for seniors; conducting funerals and weddings in the Anglican Cathedral and the Baptist Church; and radio devotional services on a rotational basis with other churches, lasting about half an hour to one hour on Sunday nights.²²

Pastor Leon E. Du Preez (2008-2011)

Pastor Leon Du Preez and his wife Priscilla took over from the Boesacks and served on the Island from January 2008 to December 2011. Their contribution to the church included baptizing five converts and conducting campaigns in Longwood, Sandy Bay, and Half Tree Hollow respectively, and extending the Church Hall. Pastor Arnold Neuhoff, the Cape Conference Health Ministries director at that time, visited the island in May 2011 to assist with conducting a Health Expo and health talks.

The Du Preez pastoral couple also facilitated musical programs accompanied with sermonettes in Half Tree Hollow, Longwood, and Jamestown. They supported the Senior Citizen’s Club, Adventist Women Ministry (AWM) Prayer Breakfasts, and Vacation Bible Schools. They conducted counselling and Bible studies, church services on every Sabbath and other programs at a senior facility (CCC) as well as supervising the prison and hospital visitations by church members.

The couple also facilitated the holding of the church’s 60^th anniversary celebrations on May 9-10, 2009. Pastors Edward Appollis, Charles Chalmers, and Raymond A. Zeeman went there to participate in the program. The governor of the Island, Andrew Gurr, was also a part of the 60^th anniversary celebrations, and other visitors travelled to the island for the occasion by RMS ship.

Other visitors to the island during the Du Preez family’s tenure included Pastor Edward Baron, SAU Ministerial director; Pastor Raymond Zeeman, VOP director; and Pastor Arnold Neuhoff, Cape Conference Health director. More visitors who went there in August 2011 included Susan Davids, Valerie George, Maria Manual, Rachel Liebenberg, Miriam Jantjies, and Pastor M. Z. Cornelius.²³

Pastor Martin Clack (2012-2013)

After this period, Pastor Martin Clack, his spouse Debbie, and their son Joshua served for a short stint from 2012 to 2013. They had to leave the island in early November 2013 as their son needed an operation. They did not return because of the child’s post-operative complications and health conditions. Accessibility to the island was too slow since it took five to six days to reach St. Helena by ship.

The main events during Pastor Clack’s tenure included the distribution of the book “Great Hope” to the islanders by the SDA church members; publishing weekly health nuggets in the two newspapers; opening a health shop from the manse to sell goods at cost price with capital from the pastor’s salary to meet the demands of healthy alternatives since more than 60 percent of the islanders had diabetes; conducting stop smoking clinics; training church members in health programs offered free of charge; providing healthcare based on “Be Free” training for the community. They also continued with the VBS program, Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs; running Daniel and Revelation seminars; making private prison visitations; hospital outreach programs by the church; and baptisms for Lesley Clingham and Charmaine Salt.²⁴

Pastor Clack did outreach programs at Sandy Bay and Half Tree Hollow and arranged for the church to take part in the National St. Helena Day celebrations. He arranged booths, including one for selling healthy vegetarian foods, and the others conducting back, chair, and foot massages. Members of the church assisted with cooking and selling of the meals, and they applied the massage techniques that they had been taught.

Pastor Paul Millin (2014–2022)

The Millins succeeded the Clacks and rendered service on the island from June 2014 to January 2022. The Millin family comprised of Pastor Paul, his spouse Langa, daughter Paula, who had been born on the island in 2014. and their son Ryan, who was born in 2020. During their tenure, the main maintenance activities included re-roofing of the pastor’s garage; extending the toilet block; putting in glass shelving in the church library, and recarpeting the church. Much work was also done in the manse with new tiles installed downstairs and new laminate flooring upstairs. The entire property was repainted as well. All work was carried out by members of the church.

The souls won from the community and others from within the church family who were baptized included Charles Essex, Wendy Henry, Keith Leo, Rachel Newman, Edson Stevens, and Carol Thompson. The Millins’ evangelism thrust included yearly Weeks of Prayer (adult and youth), Vacation Bible School, annual carol singing, outreach campaigns, and Health Expo’s during which literature was distributed throughout the island. Community annual events included Remembrance Day services, ecumenical services, governor’s flag parades, community weddings, and the SDA church’s 70^th year anniversary celebrations.

Among the official Adventist visitors to the island during the Millins’ tenure were Pastor Leon E. Du Preez, Pastor Edward Baron (while on holiday), Pastor Charles Boesack (also on holiday) on two occasions; Dr. Paul Shongwe, Pastor Trevor Kunene and Pastor Randall Gelderbloem, officials of the Southern Africa Union Conference and Cape Conference who visited in August 2015; Pastor J. Julies, who conducted a VOP graduation in September 2018; Dr. David Spencer, president of the South African Union Conference; and Dr. and Mrs. Papu, Cape Conference officials who arrived for the 70^th anniversary celebrations of the church on August 4, 2019, and for a pastoral ordination service on August 10, 2019.²⁵

Pastor Ruben Oliphant (2022-2024)

This pastoral family of Pastor Ruben Oliphant was serving the SDA Church on St. Helena Island at the time of the writing of this article. Pastor Oliphant arrived on the island in July 2022 and his wife, Jamiela, joined him in February 2023. They have two adult daughters (Remell and Erone) who are both married and have two grandchildren with a third on the way. In the short time they have been on the island, Pastor Oliphant reported that he conducted five funerals, one wedding, and one baptism of Sarah Newman-Leo on October 28, 2023, with two more candidates being prepared. They had campmeeting and a two-week-long campaign followed by a Voice of Prophecy (VOP) graduation officiated by Pastor Patrick Stander, VOP director. Cape Conference President Pastor Xolisa Lefume also paid a visit to the island. The Division, Union, and Conference Adventist Women’s Ministries directors visited the island on a benchmarking tour to establish a Center of Influence. Pastor Oliphant reported further that they have opened a Meals-on-Wheels branch and that they conduct a weekly radio program on one of the local radio stations. The program’s name is “Pages of Hope” during which they do a weekly review, chapter-by-chapter of a Christian book.²⁶

Future Outlook

The local Adventist Church has maintained good relations with the local government. This can be seen in regular invitations by the governor to the churches that include the local SDA Church. During certain special SDA church events, the governor is invited to attend the local SDA church’s services and to deliver a speech during such occasions.

Before the airport was built in 2001, the local community faced challenges, particularly the impact of tourism on the island and its churches. However, the airport’s construction brought positive changes such as easier access for church leaders, improved travel for special occasions, better medical care through telemedicine, and enhanced internet service since October 2023, enabling online meetings, live streaming, and internet evangelism.

Some challenges for mission include the youth exodus in search of work, an aging church membership, the isolation affecting local medical care, the rise in chronic diseases, a decline in church-centered focus, and increased social media usage leading to youth isolation. To address these, new approaches are needed, such as expanding health programs, introducing medical missionary work, using literature and media evangelism, establishing urban centers of influence, and expanding youth membership.²⁷

Sources

Appollis, Edward. “Culture, Change and Communication. The Intercultural Communication of the Gospel and the Response to Change on St Helena Island.” Germany, VDM Publishers, 2011.

“A Pictorial Visit to St Helena.” Southern African Division Outlook, June 15, 1971.

“Cape Field.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, December 1, 1952.

https://www.bradtguides.com/saint-helena-an-emerald-set-in-bronze/. Accessed October 26, 2023.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Saint-Helena-Island-South-Atlantic-Ocean/History. Accessed August 23, 2024.

LeButt, A. C. “Breaking New Ground.” ARH, March 23, 1950.

Maxwell, S. G. “Saint Helena Island.” Southern African Division Outlook, January 15, 1957.

“News Notes.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, April 15, 1942.

“St. Helena.” South Africa Division Outlook, March 15, 1941.

St. Helena’s official website for St. Helena Tourism, https://www.sthelenatourism.com/. Accessed October 24. 2023.

Notes

1. https://www.bradtguides.com/saint-helena-an-emerald-set-in-bronze/, accessed October 26, 2023.↩

2. St. Helena’s official website for St. Helena Tourism, https://www.sthelenatourism.com/. Accessed October 24. 2023.↩

3. Ibid.↩

4. “St. Helena,” South Africa Division Outlook, March 15, 1941, 2.↩

5. “News Notes,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, April 15, 1942, 3.↩

6. “News from the Cape Field,” Southern African Division Outlook, May 1, 1949, 3.↩

7. A. C. LeButt, “Breaking New Ground,” ARH, March 23, 1950, 170.↩

8. “Cape Field,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, December 1, 1952, 10.↩

9. Des Koopman, interview by author, Cape Town, August 8, 2023.↩

10. A testimony by Veronica Campher-De Klerk, youngest daughter of Pastor H. Campher.

    CHATGPT rewrote the article on 200824 with the prompt: “This article is for a journal. Can you write the story in a reported speech please? Thanks.” The information from Veronica was supplied in Cape Town on August 13, 2023.↩

11. Des Koopman, “St. Helena Island of Exile, George Beyers,” interview by the author, Cape Town, June 7, 2023.↩

12. S. G. Maxwell, “Saint Helena Island,” Southern African Division Outlook, January 15, 1957, 10.↩

13. Mrs. Clarice Koopman (nee Beyers), daughter of Pr. G. Beyers, interview by author, August 8, 2023.↩

14. Des Koopman, historian, interview by author, Cape Town. August 8, 2023.↩

15. Ibid.↩

16. “A Pictorial Visit to St. Helena,” Southern African Division Outlook, June 15, 1971, 2.↩

17. Ellsworth Baxen, online interview by author, Mauritius. August 2, 2023.↩

18. Mrs. Valerie Chalmers, telephone interview by author, Cape Town. August 13, 2023.↩

19. Personal knowledge of the author, having served there from 1997-2001.↩

20. Glen Africa, entries in three personal diaries provided by his wife Frankie Africa.↩

21. Frankie Africa, online interview by author, Pretoria, June 26, 2023.↩

22. Pastor Charles Boesack, online interview by author, Cape Town, June 8, 2023.↩

23. Pricilla Du Preez, online interview by author, Nelspruit, July 3, 2023.↩

24. Debbie Clack, online interview by author, Zimbabwe, August 8, 2023.↩

25. Paul Millin, online interview by author, Nottingham, England, April 29, 2023.↩

26. Pastor Ruben Oliphant, online interview by author, St. Helena Island, December 13, 2023.↩

27. Edward Appollis, “Culture, Change and Communication. The Intercultural Communication of the Gospel and the Response to Change on St. Helena Island” (Germany, VDM Publishers, 2011). A copy of this book was donated to the local library in Jamestown, St. Helena Island.↩