Advanced +

Tièche, Léon-Paul (1867–1928)

By Eudritch Jean

×

Eudritch Jean: Diploma in Electronic Engineering (Haitian State University), B.A. in Theology (Adventist University of Haiti), and M.T.S. (Friedensau Adventist University [FAU], Germany). Jean worked as an electronic engineer in Haiti for twelve years and shortly served as assistant pastor at the district of Bethanie in the Central Haiti Conference. Currently, he is working as volunteer for the Institute of Adventist Studies of FAU. He plans to pursue doctoral studies in ethics.

First Published: January 29, 2020

Audio

An evangelist and administrator in France and Switzerland, Léon-Paul Tièche was one of the first leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the European French speaking countries.

Early Years

Léon-Paul Tièche was born on April 30, 1867, in Chindon, Switzerland.1 At the age of nineteen he became a Seventh-day Adventist while working as an accountant in Bienne, Switzerland.2 After his baptism in 1886 he was called to be the accountant at the Imprimerie Polyglotte, the Adventist publishing house in Basel, Switzerland.3

Trip to America

Tièche worked at the publishing house for only one year. In 1888, together with the brothers Arnold and Paul Roth, he went to the United States for a training period in nursing at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan.4 For two or three years he worked as a nurse and earned a diploma in massage therapy.5 After his training, he returned to Europe.

Evangelist and Administrator

Upon his return to Europe, Tièche served as an evangelist in France and Switzerland and was ordained to the ministry about 1899.6 In the meantime, he married Rachel Cabanis. They had a son, Maurice, who was born on March 5, 1895. Tièche used his work as a nurse as a means of access to people.7 He could break down prejudice on one hand and advocate the Adventist health message on the other.8 As a result, his ministry was effective.9 In addition, he also worked as an interpreter for Adventist preachers coming from America.10

After serving as an evangelist for more than a decade, Tièche became the president of the French-Swiss Conference in 1903.11 He remained in this position until 1907. That same year he was called to serve as president of the Latin Union Conference and held this office for approximately fourteen years.12 In addition to his position at the union, Tièche was also involved in other activities. He taught at the Latin Union School from 1907 to 1910, and occupied other administrative positions. He served as president of the Leman Conference in 1916, then of the French Conference in 1917 and 1918.13 Tièche also managed the Lake Geneva Sanitarium (also known as Sanatorium du Léman, Gland, Switzerland) from 1918 to 1920.14

Later Years

Tièche worked for the development of the Latin Union Conference in a remarkable manner. However, at the end of 1919 health issues forced him to request lesser administrative duties.15 He was then released from the presidency of the union and replaced by A. V. Olson.16 Subsequently, Tièche was assigned to the North Africa Mission where he served as superintendent.17 Due to the continual decline of his health, he worked in this position only until the beginning of 1920.18 He retired from active service about 1924.19 Approximately four years following his retirement he died in Geneva, Switzerland on February 29, 1928,20 at sixty-one years of age.

Contribution

Léon-Paul Tièche worked for the Adventist Church for more than three decades. During this period he played an important role in church leadership in the European French-speaking countries. He served as evangelist and administrator at the conference and union levels and contributed to the progress and growth of the Latin Union Conference. In addition, he managed the Lake Geneva Sanitarium.

Sources

Hancock, W. E. “The Work in North Africa.” ARH, July 7, 1921.

Holser, H. P. “Central Europe.” ARH, August 29, 1893.

__________. “Central Europe : France.” ARH, May 30, 1893.

__________. “France.” ARH, November 7, 1893.

__________. “Our Work in France.” ARH, December 20, 1892.

“Léon-Paul Tièche.” Revue Adventiste, April 1, 1928.

Loughborough, John N. “Switzerland.” ARH, April 17, 1900.

“Report of the General Conference Committee Council in Europe.” ARH, January 22, 1920.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association,1916-1921.

Spicer, William A. “The General Conference Committee Council at Gland, Switzerland.” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, June 27, 1907.

“Tièche, Léon-Paul.” Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald, 1996, second revised edition.

Tièche, Maurice. “L. P. Tièche.” Revue Adventiste, May 15, 1928.

Notes

  1. “Léon-Paul Tièche,” Revue Adventiste, April 1, 1928, 14; “Tièche, Léon-Paul,” Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald, 1996, second revised edition), 776.↩

  2. “Léon-Paul Tièche,” Revue Adventiste, April 1, 1928, 14.↩

  3. Ibid.↩

  4. Ibid.↩

  5. “Tièche, Léon-Paul,” Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, 776. See also Maurice Tièche, “L. P. Tièche,” Revue Adventiste, May 15, 1928, 9.↩

  6. Ibid.↩

  7. H. P. Holser, “Central Europe: France,” ARH, May 30, 1893, 4.↩

  8. Idem, “Central Europe,” ARH, August 29, 1893, 6.↩

  9. Idem, “France,” ARH, November 7, 1893, 5.↩

  10. Idem, “Our Work in France,” ARH, December 20, 1892, 5; John N. Loughborough, “Switzerland,” ARH, April 17, 1900, 12.↩

  11. “Tièche, Léon-Paul,” Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, 776.↩

  12. William A. Spicer, “The General Conference Committee Council at Gland, Switzerland,” ARH, June 27, 1907, 6; “Léon-Paul Tièche,” Revue Adventiste, April 1, 1928, 14; Maurice Tièche, “L. P. Tièche,” Revue Adventiste, May 15, 1928, 9.↩

  13. See “Leman Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1916), 114; “French Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1917), 120; “French Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1918), 121.↩

  14. “Lake Geneva Sanitarium,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1918), 228; “Lake Geneva Sanitarium,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1919), 236; “Lake Geneva Sanitarium,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1920), 264-265.↩

  15. Tièche wanted to take up duties less taxing physically than the work and travel required in leading a large field such as the Latin Union Conference. “Report of the General Conference Committee Council in Europe,” ARH, January 22, 1920, 17.↩

  16. Ibid.↩

  17. “North African Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1921), 92.↩

  18. W. E. Hancock, “The Work in North Africa,” ARH, July 7, 1921, 11.↩

  19. “Tièche, Léon-Paul,” Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, 776.↩

  20. “Léon-Paul Tièche,” Revue Adventiste, April 1, 1928, 14.↩

×

Jean, Eudritch. "Tièche, Léon-Paul (1867–1928)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 29, 2020. Accessed October 09, 2024. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6B74.

Copy to clipboard Download Word File

Jean, Eudritch. "Tièche, Léon-Paul (1867–1928)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 29, 2020. Date of access October 09, 2024, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6B74.

Copy to clipboard Download Word File

Jean, Eudritch (2020, January 29). Tièche, Léon-Paul (1867–1928). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved October 09, 2024, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6B74.

Copy to clipboard Download Word File