Reye, Raimund (1903–1968), and Reubena Emily (Thompson) (1899–1992)

Raimund and Reubena Reye worked as missionaries among the Samoan people in Samoa in the 1920s through the 1940s. Raimund Reye was the principal of the West Australian Missionary College for 14 years in the 1950s and 1960s.

Early Years

Raimund Reye was born in Apia, Samoa, on October 4, 1903, the eldest child of Ernst and Margaretta (Betham) Reye.¹ Margaretta was of mixed ancestry, including English aristocracy, Portuguese, and Samoan.² Ernst was a Hamburg-born agricultural expert and treasurer of the German administration of Western Samoa until the First World War.³ Raimund had three brothers, Volrad,⁴ Ernst Alfred,⁵ and Egbert,⁶ and a sister, Anna Alvine Margaret. Like Raimund, Volrad and Ernst became ordained ministers, and Alvine married a minister, Ron Heggie.⁷

Most of Raimund’s school lessons were in the German language; the English language was taught as a separate subject. He also absorbed some of the everyday Samoan language. He worked as a blacksmith for four of his teenage years.⁸

Introduction to Adventism

Thomas and Edith Howse were resident Adventist missionaries in Western Samoa, having arrived in 1910. Edith became a close friend of Margaretta, initially finding a common interest in health topics. Edith left tracts with Margaretta, later supplying her with a Bible and Bible Readings for the Home Circle.⁹ Raimund accompanied Thomas Howse on two trips to the Aleipata district to the southeast of Apia, helping to distribute literature and acquiring a sense of mission service.¹⁰ Back in the Reye household, Howse studied the Scriptures with them. The older family members, including Raimund, were baptized in October 1919.¹¹

To Australia

Wishing to properly fit himself for mission work, Raimund sailed to Australia in July 1920 and enrolled in the missionary course at the Australasian Missionary College, Cooranbong, New South Wales.¹² He was elected as the president of his 1922 graduation class.¹³ During his studies, he became acquainted with Reubena Emily Thompson (born March 18, 1899, at Eugowra, NSW)¹⁴, a secretarial student. Reubena went on to begin a nursing course, and Raimund lingered another year to develop their friendship. He worked in the college blacksmith shop and enrolled in a couple of extra subjects.¹⁵

While Reubena continued her nursing studies, Raimund was appointed to South Australia as a ministerial intern. He began by doing some canvassing of Uriah Smith’s book Daniel and Revelation. Salesmanship was not a part of his shy and studious nature. He sold only eight copies during the southern summer of 1923–1924.¹⁶ He was then assigned to help with tent crusades among the German-speaking people of South Australia. Ludwig Lemke, a German, was president of the conference and had enlisted two other evangelists of German ancestry, Erwin Roenfelt and Anthony Weil, to address the numerous German settlers. At Loxton they met with vigorous opposition from the Lutheran minister, taking his cue from a colleague at Renmark and Berri who had made a public bonfire of Bible Readings for the Home Circle.¹⁷

An urgent need arose for a resident missionary in Samoa. Church officials favored Reye and urged him to advance any marriage plans even though Reubena had not completed her nursing course. Reubena consented to forego her graduation. She and Raimund were married in the Wahroonga church by Elder William Turner on November 4, 1925,¹⁸ and two weeks later they sailed for Samoa.¹⁹

Service in Samoa

The Samoan Mission had previously worked mainly among expatriate families and had struggled to make headway among the nationals. Allegiance to village chiefs and loyalties to other denominations were strong. Young Samoan men who had accepted Adventism and then abandoned it said they would have remained if the Adventists had offered a community where they would be free of persecution and ridicule from their elders. Howse recognized the dilemma and expressed the need for a school campus that would function as a safe haven for trainee national missionaries.²⁰ Church officials at headquarters concurred with this idea. Reye inherited these sentiments and set about to establish a training institution.²¹ Reye’s vision was focused primarily on the Samoan nationals.

Significant acreage had been leased at Saluafata Harbor, southeast of Apia, but it had fallen into disuse. Reye began to restore the property and raised funds to build a school.²² Just when the Samoan Mission was gathering pace, Reye was pressured from church headquarters to transfer and supervise the New Hebrides Mission.²³ With some candor Reye denied such plans bore the imprimatur of the Spirit and responded by writing that the Samoan Mission could “least afford another setback.”²⁴ His arguments prevailed, and he pressed ahead until the school opened on March 3, 1930. It was named Vailoa Training School, meaning “constant water.” In the first year, 18 young men were gathered from non-Adventist backgrounds, and Reye instructed them in Bible, English, the three Rs, geography, hygiene, and Samoan history. All lessons were in the Samoan language.²⁵ Once the school was established, Reye delegated the teaching to others and attended to the translation of tracts, books, and a hymnal. Other duties included administration, evangelism, and the occasional invitation to preach in other Protestant congregations.²⁶ In the Australasian Record, Reye frequently reported the advances of the Samoan Mission, vindicating the wisdom of his resolve to serve in his homeland.²⁷

Reye’s father died at Apia in 1933.²⁸ In January 1934 he also lost his brother Volrad, who died with double pneumonia in Bunbury, Western Australia, less than three months after ordination. He was only 28 years old.²⁹ During furlough in Australia, Raimund himself was ordained on October 6, 1934, during the camp meeting at Parramatta, suburban Sydney, New South Wales, before returning to Samoa.³⁰

The Second World War heralded a different dynamic for Reye and the Samoan Mission. Political innocence coupled with an abiding sense of loyalty to fellow Germans in Samoa caused Reye to assist Germans and engage in the activities of their Concordia Club.³¹ In May 1940 Reye realized the full extent of his predicament, writing to headquarters that it would be prudent for him to transfer out of Samoa and allow a British national to superintend the affairs of the mission.³² No action was taken by church officials, chiefly because no suitable replacement could be found at the time. The following year Reye was issued with papers classifying him as an enemy alien. Matters grew worse when he was advised in late April 1942 that he was to be detained on Somes Island in Wellington Harbor, New Zealand. Without permission from headquarters, he ordained Siaosi Neru to assume control of the mission and asked church officials to endorse his urgent action. It was a tearful separation as Raimund was forced to bid farewell to Reubena and children Ramona, Arnim “Arnold,” and Ernest.³³

Detained in New Zealand

As a political prisoner on Somes Island, Reye conducted Sunday services for the internees. Through the Swiss Consul in Wellington, he also successfully negotiated the removal of his family to New Zealand.³⁴ He spent less than a year in detention, from May 1942 through March 1943, and church officials arranged parole so that he could work in the Sanitarium Health Food office at Papanui, suburban Christchurch, and later preach in the local churches.³⁵ News of Reye’s parole prompted members in Samoa to lobby church headquarters to have him return and resume translation work.³⁶

Back in Samoa

Reye was permitted to continue his parole in Samoa. Initially, he resided in Apia but found he needed solitude for translating and moved to the nearby island of Savaii. He spent March 1945 through December 1947 completing the translation of Steps to Christ and Bible Doctrines, volumes 1 and 2.³⁷ He wanted to work on a translation dealing with prophetics but was instead appointed to pastoral ministry in South New Zealand.

Ministry in New Zealand and Australia

The Reyes left Samoa, arriving in Sydney for a short holiday before leaving for the South New Zealand Conference on May 14, 1948.³⁸ They never returned to Samoa, and his expertise in the Samoan language was never utilized again because he had trained so many gifted Samoans to replace him. He spent three years in church ministry in South New Zealand before he was assigned to the West Australian Missionary College as principal.³⁹ He also taught some Bible units. Students affectionately dubbed him “Chief.”⁴⁰ Only on rare occasions did he have cause to benefit from his German heritage, assisting in 1955 during a suburban crusade in Perth for German-speaking people.⁴¹

The Reye family was dealt a cruel blow when their youngest son, Ernest, passed away on May 30, 1957, having suffered some months with a brain tumor.⁴² After the tragedy, Raimund struggled to maintain his emotional equilibrium and had to take sick leave for most of 1959. He took up his role as principal again in December 1959, finally retiring from active duties on March 1, 1966. His tenure of 14 years as principal stands as the longest at the West Australian Missionary College, now Carmel College.⁴³

Raimund and Reubena Reye retired to Gosford, New South Wales. There, on August 19, 1968, Raimund died and was laid to rest in the Avondale Adventist Cemetery on the campus of Avondale College.⁴⁴ He had given much of his energy to Christian education in both Samoa and Australia. Reubena died on October 2, 1992, and was interred with Raimund.⁴⁵

Sources

“At the ordination service on the first Sabbath. . . .” Australasian Record, October 29, 1934.

“Clipping from ‘The Pacific Islands Monthly’: The Late Mr. E. F. Reye.” Australasian Record, October 9, 1933.

Coombe, L. C. “Ernest Raymond Reye obituary,” Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, July 1, 1957.

———. “Reubena Emily Reye obituary.” Record, December 19, 1992.

Fulton, J. F. “Outgoing Missionaries.” Australasian Record, December 7, 1925.

Graduation Folder 1922. Avondale College Archives, Cooranbong, New South Wales. Box: 723. Folder: “Graduation Folder 1922.”

“Having spent a few months in Australia. . . .” Australasian Record, May 31, 1948.

Howse, Edith B. “Apia, Samoa.” Australasian Record, February 25, 1918.

Howse, John, Arnold Reye, and Tom Turner. “Anna Alvine Margaret Heggie obituary.” Record, February 24, 1996.

Howse, T. “Samoa.” Australasian Record, November 19, 1917.

———. “Samoa.” Australasian Record, October 18, 1926.

Johanson, E. J. E. J. Johanson to the Under-Secretary, Department of Justice, Wellington [ca. August 1944]. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Box: 3418 Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”

“Late Mr. E. F. Reye.” Pacific Islands Monthly, September 20, 1933.

Lemke, L. D. A. “Pastor Volrad Reye obituary.” Australasian Record, February 26, 1934.

Maberly, F. T. “Raimund Reye obituary.” Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, September 16, 1968.

“Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work.” Australasian Record, March 17, 1924.

Petrie, W. W. “Life Sketch of E. A. Reye.” Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, June 26, 1978.

Raimund Reye Work Service Records. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Folder: “Raimund Reye.” Document: “Raimund Reye Biographical Information.”

Raimund Reye Work Service Records. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Folder: “Raimund Reye.” Document: “Raimund Reye Sustentation Fund Application.”

Reye, Arnold C. “Raymond and Reubena Reye: Missionaries to Samoa.” Journal of Pacific Adventist History 11, no. 1 (September 2017).

Reye, R. “Good Progress in Samoa.” Australasian Record, September 14, 1931.

———. “Samoa.” Australasian Record, February 3, 1930.

———. “Samoa.” Australasian Record, February 14, 1927.

———. “Vailoa Mission School, Samoa.” Australasian Record, May 26, 1930.

Reye, R. R. Reye to C. H. Watson. September 24, 1928. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Box: 3418. Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”

———. R. Reye to Dr. Schmid, Swiss Consul, Wellington. August 19, 1942. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Box: 3418. Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”

———. R. Reye to S. V. Stratford. May 30, 1940. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives: 3418. Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”

———. R. Reye to S. V. Stratford. August 28, 1947. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Box: 3418. Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”

Reye, R. E., and R. Reye. “Progress in Samoa.” Australasian Record, October 10, 1932.

“Reye-Thompson.” Australasian Record, November 30, 1925.

Samoan Workers. Samoan Workers to E. B. Rudge. September 14, 1944. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Box: 3418. Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”

Wareham, Russell. “Egbert Reye obituary.” Record, November 23, 1991.

Watson, C. H. C. H. Watson to R. Reye. October 15, 1928. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Box: 3418. Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”

Weil, A. H. “Loxton.” Australasian Record, December 1, 1924.

White, E. E. “Life Sketch of Pastor Raimund Reye.” Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, September 30, 1968.

Notes

1. E. E. White, “Life Sketch of Pastor Raimund Reye,” Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, September 30, 1968, 14.↩

2. Arnold C. Reye, “Raimund and Reubena Reye: Missionaries to Samoa,” Journal of Pacific Adventist History 11, no. 1 (September 2017): 24n9.↩

3. “Late Mr. E. F. Reye,” Pacific Islands Monthly, September 20, 1933, 33.↩

4. L. D. A. Lemke, “Pastor Volrad Reye obituary,” Australasian Record, February 26, 1934, 7.↩

5. W. W. Petrie, “Life Sketch of E. A. Reye,” Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, June 26, 1978, 14.↩

6. Russell Wareham, “Egbert Reye obituary,” Record, November 23, 1991, 14.↩

7. John Howse, Arnold Reye, and Tom Turner, “Anna Alvine Margaret Heggie obituary,” Record, February 24, 1996, 14.↩

8. Raimund Reye Work Service Records, South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives, Folder: “Raimund Reye,” Document: “Raimund Reye Biographical Information.”↩

9. Edith B. Howse, “Apia, Samoa,” Australasian Record, February 25, 1918, 3–4.↩

10. T. Howse, “Samoa,” Australasian Record, November 19, 1917, 3.↩

11. Raimund Reye Work Service Records, “Raimund Reye Biographical Information.”↩

12. Arnold C. Reye, “Raimund and Reubena Reye,” 4.↩

13. Graduation Folder 1922, Avondale College Archives, Cooranbong, New South Wales, Box: 723, Folder: “Graduation Folder 1922.”↩

14. L. C. Coombe, “Reubena Emily Reye obituary,” Record, December 19, 1992, 15.↩

15. Arnold C. Reye, “Raimund and Reubena Reye.”↩

16. E.g., “Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work,” Australasian Record, March 17, 1924, 3.↩

17. A. H. Weil, “Loxton,” Australasian Record, December 1, 1924, 4.↩

18. “Reye-Thompson,” Australasian Record, November 30, 1925, 7.↩

19. J. F. Fulton, “Outgoing Missionaries,” Australasian Record, December 7, 1925, 4.↩

20. T. Howse, “Samoa,” Australasian Record, October 18, 1926, 9.↩

21. R. Reye, “Samoa,” Australasian Record, February 14, 1927, 3.↩

22. R. Reye, “Samoa,” Australasian Record, February 3, 1930, 4.↩

23. C. H. Watson to R. Reye, October 15, 1928. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives, Box: 3418, Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”↩

24. R. Reye to C. H. Watson, September 24, 1928, South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives, Box: 3418, Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”↩

25. R. Reye, “Vailoa Mission School, Samoa,” Australasian Record, May 26, 1930, 2.↩

26. R. Reye, “Good Progress in Samoa,” Australasian Record, September 14, 1931, 8.↩

27. R. E. Reye and R. Reye, “Progress in Samoa,” Australasian Record, October 10, 1932, 8.↩

28. “Clipping from ‘The Pacific Islands Monthly’: The Late Mr. E. F. Reye,” Australasian Record, October 9, 1933, 7.↩

29. Lemke, “Pastor Volrad Reye obituary.”↩

30. “At the ordination service on the first Sabbath . . . ,” Australasian Record, October 29, 1934, 8.↩

31. Arnold C. Reye, “Raimund and Reubena Reye,” 20.↩

32. R. Reye to S. V. Stratford, May 30, 1940, South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives, Box: 3418, Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”↩

33. Arnold C. Reye, “Raimund and Reubena Reye,” 20–22.↩

34. R. Reye to Dr. Schmid, Swiss Consul, Wellington, August 19, 1942, South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives, Box: 3418, Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”↩

35. E. J. Johanson to the Under-Secretary, Department of Justice, Wellington [ca. August 1944], South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives, Box: 3418, Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”↩

36. Samoan Workers to E. B. Rudge, September 14, 1944, South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives, Box: 3418, Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”↩

37. R. Reye to S. V. Stratford, August 28, 1947, South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives, Box: 3418, Folder: “Lotu Aso Fitu.”↩

38. “Having spent a few months in Australia . . . ,” Australasian Record, May 31, 1948, 8.↩

39. Raimund Reye Work Service Records, South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives, Folder: “Raimund Reye.” Document: “Raimund Reye Sustentation Fund Application.”↩

40. Milton Hook, personal knowledge from attending the college 1953–1954.↩

41. Milton Hook, personal knowledge from attending the 1955 German crusade.↩

42. L. C. Coombe, “Ernest Raymond Reye obituary,” Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, July 1, 1957, 7.↩

43. Raimund Reye Work Service Records, “Raimund Reye Sustentation Fund Application.”↩

44. F. T. Maberly, “Raimund Reye obituary,” Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, September 16, 1968, 15.↩

45. L. C. Coombe, “Reubena Emily Reye obituary,” Record, December 19, 1992, 15.↩