Schneider, Chester Clarence (1892–1956)

By The Brazilian White Center – UNASP

The Brazilian White Center – UNASP is a team of teachers and students at the Brazilian Ellen G. White Research Center – UNASP at the Brazilian Adventist University, Campus Engenheiro, Coelho, SP. The team was supervised by Drs. Adolfo Semo Suárez, Renato Stencel, and Carlos Flávio Teixeira. Bruno Sales Gomes Ferreira provided technical support. The following names are of team members: Adriane Ferrari Silva, Álan Gracioto Alexandre, Allen Jair Urcia Santa Cruz, Camila Chede Amaral Lucena, Camilla Rodrigues Seixas, Daniel Fernandes Teodoro, Danillo Alfredo Rios Junior, Danilo Fauster de Souza, Débora Arana Mayer, Elvis Eli Martins Filho, Felipe Cardoso do Nascimento, Fernanda Nascimento Oliveira, Gabriel Pilon Galvani, Giovana de Castro Vaz, Guilherme Cardoso Ricardo Martins, Gustavo Costa Vieira Novaes, Ingrid Sthéfane Santos Andrade, Isabela Pimenta Gravina, Ivo Ribeiro de Carvalho, Jhoseyr Davison Voos dos Santos, João Lucas Moraes Pereira, Kalline Meira Rocha Santos, Larissa Menegazzo Nunes, Letícia Miola Figueiredo, Luan Alves Cota Mól, Lucas Almeida dos Santos, Lucas Arteaga Aquino, Lucas Dias de Melo, Matheus Brabo Peres, Mayla Magaieski Graepp, Milena Guimarães Silva, Natália Padilha Corrêa, Rafaela Lima Gouvêa, Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, Ryan Matheus do Ouro Medeiros, Samara Souza Santos, Sergio Henrique Micael Santos, Suelen Alves de Almeida, Talita Paim Veloso de Castro, Thais Cristina Benedetti, Thaís Caroline de Almeida Lima, Vanessa Stehling Belgd, Victor Alves Pereira, Vinicios Fernandes Alencar, Vinícius Pereira Nascimento, Vitória Regina Boita da Silva, William Edward Timm, Julio Cesar Ribeiro, Ellen Deó Bortolotte, Maria Júlia dos Santos Galvani, Giovana Souto Pereira, Victor Hugo Vaz Storch, and Dinely Luana Pereira.

First Published: July 21, 2021

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Chester Clarence Schneider, pastor, physician, and administrator, was born on April 16, 1892, in the city of Schaffer, Kansas, United States. During his youth, he attended the Schaffer Adventist School in his hometown and then later went to Lodi Academy in the state of California. Afterwards, he went to Clinton German Theological Seminary in Missouri, where he became a member of the SDA Church, being baptized in 1912 in the church of this seminary.¹

On May 16, 1915, while studying at Clinton, he married Katharine Ewart, who served the Lord by his side as a nurse. The couple had two children, Wilbur and Ellsworth. ² Later, while still a student, Schneider began working in the state of Minnesota among Germans.³ Then, in 1917, he graduated from Clinton Theological Seminary.⁴ When finishing his studies, with the desire to extend his area of surgery, he attended a medical missionary course at Loma Linda University, in the state of California, concluding it in 1922.⁵ So, in September of the same year, the Schneider family went to serve in Brazil, arriving in the city of Rio de Janeiro.⁶

In the first twelve years in Brazil, he held various roles in Adventist work as pastor and administrator.⁷ During this period, he served as president of the following missions: Espírito Santo, from 1925 to 1926;⁸ Rio-Espírito Santo, in 1927;⁹ and Rio de Janeiro, in 1928.¹⁰ Besides that, he cooperated in the direction of Brazil College (now Central Adventist University of São Paulo) from 1925 to 1928.¹¹ From 1929 to 1931, he led several departments of the East Brazil Union Mission, such as Sabbath School and Youth Ministry.¹² Still in the same union, he served as director of the Home Mission Department from 1931 to 1933.¹³

Then, in order to serve as a medical missionary, he decided to enroll in the School of Medicine and Surgery in Rio de Janeiro, where he graduated in 1938. However, to validate the medical degree, it was necessary for Schneider to become naturalized as a Brazilian citizen, which happened in the same year. After his graduation, he returned to the United States to attend specialization courses at Loma Linda, returning to Brazil in 1941.¹⁴ This year Clarence served as a doctor at the Brazil College,¹⁵ as leader of the medical department of South Brazil Union Conference,¹⁶ and took over medical direction of the recently inaugurated Liberdade Health Clinic in São Paulo, today São Paulo Adventist Hospital.¹⁷

In 1942, Chester was responsible for establishing Adventist medical work in Rio de Janeiro. He rented a large house and adapted it into a small clinic, known as the White Rest Clinic, with a capacity of 18 inpatients and a department for outpatients. He was coordinator of the White Rest Clinic from 1942 to 1947,¹⁸ assumed leadership of the medical department of the East Brazil Union Mission from 1942 to 1955,¹⁹ and was the school doctor at East Brazil Academy (today IPAE) from 1946 to 1949.²⁰

During this period, Schneider raised funds for the construction of a new hospital unit. He received support from the leaders of the General Conference and the East Brazil Union Mission and, in 1944, land was acquired for the construction of a hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Thus, on June 20, 1948, the White Rest Clinic was closed, and the work was moved to the Rio de Janeiro Sanitarium and Hospital, inaugurated in the Silvestre District.²¹

From then on, he served as medical director of the hospital until 1951.²² After that, he returned to the United States to continue studying and later returned to Brazil in 1953, where he served as chaplain at the Rio de Janeiro Sanitarium and Hospital. He remained in this position until his death²³ on February 13, 1956, in his own residence near the Rio de Janeiro Sanitarium and Hospital.²⁴

Chester Clarence Schneider served the Seventh-day Adventist Church for over 30 years as pastor, physician, and administrator. During this period, he was a pioneer of medical missionary work in Adventist institutions and was the founder of the Adventist Silvestre Hospital. In addition, he worked in various departments of the Adventist Church in Brazil. He left a great legacy to medical missionary work and to the gospel advancement of the Brazilian SDA church.

Sources

“Catarina Schneider Relembra Pioneirismo do Esposo.” Revista Adventista, February 1977.

“South American Division.” ARH, August 26, 1948.

Bueno, Alexandre de Assis. “O Cristão Chester Clarence Schneider.” Monografia, Instituto Adventista de Ensino, 1990.

Lindbeck, Lylon H. “Rio de Janeiro Calling.” Pacific Union Recorder, July 28, 1943.

Meyer, N. H. “The Rio de Janeiro Hospital.” ARH, September 14, 1961.

Rhoads, Bert. “Shaffer Church School.” Central Union Outlook, October 19, 1926.

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

Vargas, Elieser Canto. “Objetivo das Instituições Médicas Adventistas.” Monography, Instituto Adventista de Ensino, 1986.

Wilcox, R. A. “Dr. Chester Clarence Schneider.” Revista Adventista, May 1956.

Notes

R. A. Wilcox, “Dr. Chester Clarence Schneider,” Revista Adventista, May 1956, 28; Bert Rhoads, “Shaffer Church School,” Central Union Outlook, October 19, 1926, 1.↩
Wilcox, 28; Alexandre de Assis Bueno, “O Cristão Chester Clarence Schneider” (Monografia, Instituto Adventista de Ensino, 1990), 6; “Catarina Schneider Relembra Pioneirismo do Esposo,” Revista Adventista, February 1977, 30.↩
Bueno, 7.↩
Wilcox, 28; Bueno, 6; “Catarina Schneider Relembra Pioneirismo do Esposo,” 30.↩
Wilcox, 28.↩
“Catarina Schneider Relembra Pioneirismo do Esposo,” 30; Lylon H. Lindbeck, “Rio de Janeiro Calling,” Pacific Union Recorder, July 28, 1943, 10.↩
Wilcox, 28.↩
“Espirito Santo Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1926), 174; “Espirito Santo Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1927), 187.↩
“Rio-Espirito Santo Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1928), 197.↩
“Rio de Janeiro Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1929), 205.↩
“Brazilian Seminary,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1926), 224; “Brazilian Seminary,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1929), 266.↩
“East Brazil Union Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1930), 231; “East Brazil Union Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1932), 238.↩
“East Brazil Union Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1933), 164; “East Brazil Union Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1934), 167.↩
Wilcox, 28; Bueno, 11.↩
“Brazil Junior College,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1942), 202.↩
“South Brazil Union Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941), 199; “South Brazil Union Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1942), 143.↩
“Catarina Schneider Relembra Pioneirismo do Esposo,” 30.↩
“Rio de Janeiro Clinic,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1943), 284; “Rio de Janeiro Clinic and Rest Home,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1948), 288.↩
“East Brazil Union Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1943), 145; “East Brazil Union Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1956), 143.↩
“East Brazil Academy,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1947), 237; “East Brazil Academy,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1950), 258.↩
Elieser Canto Vargas, “Objetivo das Instituições Médicas Adventistas” (Monografia, Instituto Adventista de Ensino, 1986), 16; N. H. Meyer, “The Rio de Janeiro Hospital,” ARH, September 14, 1961, 19; “South American Division,” ARH, August 26, 1948, 19.↩
“Rio de Janeiro Sanitarium and Hospital,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1949), 307; “Rio de Janeiro Sanitarium and Hospital,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1952), 288.↩
“Rio de Janeiro Sanitarium and Hospital,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1955), 257; “Rio de Janeiro Sanitarium and Hospital,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1956), 263; Bueno, 12.↩
Wilcox, 28.↩