Estonian Mission School (1935–1940)

The Estonian Mission School (Adventusuühingute Usuteaduse Kool) was an Adventist training school offering an elementary school education. It was established in 1935, and it operated until 1940. It was located in the Tallinn (Estonia) Adventist church building.

Beginning

The Estonian Mission School, opened on October 28, 1935.¹ Before its establishment, Estonian youth attended the Baltic Union School in Suschenhof, Riga, Latvia, since 1926. In this school, they participated in the education program by using the German language. Some of the subjects (the Bible, history, and the Estonian language) they studied were taught in their native Estonian. The Mission School in Suschenhof graduated a total of 45 Estonian students.²

The need for local workers and Christian education in Estonia, with nearly 2,000 church members at that time, led to the school’s creation. Another reason for the need for a separate school in Estonia was that the Latvian public agency prohibited foreign students from continuing religious studies in that country, and foreign teachers were no longer granted work permits in Latvia. As a result, during the XVII General Meeting of the Baltic Union in Tallinn on May 31, 1935, the decision was made to establish the Estonian Mission School in Tallinn. Richard Vinglas, who had previously taught in Riga, was appointed as the director of the new school.³

Teachers from Suschenhof, including M. T. Undritz, E. Tiesnesis, and E. Ney, were called to teach at the newly established Estonian Mission School. The school started in Tallina with 18 students, who showed strong interest in both studies and church activities. Many students participated in the Big Week mission effort, and half joined the literature-evangelist program during the summer to earn scholarships for the next term. Though small at first, the school was blessed by God, and there was hope for its continued growth and success in serving the youth and the church in Estonia.⁴

The school in Tallinn did not offer the same opportunities like the school in Suschenhof, including a farm and workshops. However, the school grew.

State Recognition

During its first two years, the school was registered as a course. In the third year, church and school leaders decided to pursue official recognition from the Ministry of Education to give their students better advantages. Principal Vinglas describes some of the major challenges faced in achieving that goal:

Before our school could be registered, our classrooms had to be inspected by the municipal school physician. Although our rooms are rather small and not very suitable for use as classrooms, we are glad to report that we were allowed to use them. The next challenge, which seemed difficult to solve, was getting our school principal and teachers recognized by the Ministry of Education. Although not all the teachers had the required diplomas, they were all granted permission to teach.⁵

Thankfully, in September 1937, the school began with thirty students and was officially recognized by the government. This achievement greatly encouraged the staff, as it showed that their prayers had been answered despite the challenges they faced. The school continued smoothly. In addition to their regular studies, the students actively participated in Missionary Volunteer work in Tallinn and contributed to the Harvest Ingathering and Big Week campaigns. On May 28, 1937, the school held its closing exercises. In the morning, Brother Ed. Magi, the conference president, delivered the devotional sermon, after which the students renewed their commitment to serving the Lord. In the afternoon, a special program was held, and five students graduated. They expressed gratitude for their education and chose the motto "In the Master’s Footsteps," hoping to grow in faith and knowledge as they followed God's guidance. The graduates took their State examinations in May and September in order to receive their Government certificates and performed well.⁶

In 1939, Principal Vinglas reported on the school’s good progress:

Every year, our graduates pass the necessary State examinations to receive their official State certificates. Despite teaching a broader range of subjects and our students having less time for study compared to those in other schools, they demonstrate strong knowledge in their subjects. Members of the examination committee have noted that our school ranks among the best private schools. Additionally, in the past two years, the State Inspector visited our school and expressed satisfaction with our work.⁷

The establishment of this school certainly contributed to the improvement of the quality of the Adventist work in Estonia. The students actively participated in Missionary Volunteer work in Tallinn, assisted with evangelical campaigns, and performed music programs in local churches.⁸ Without the establishment of a school, Estonian Adventists would not have been able to train future missionaries and preachers.

Closure

The 1938/1939 school year was successfully completed with twenty-nine students. Eight students graduated that year, three of whom had already passed all their State examinations before summer. The others had only a few subjects remaining, which they hoped to take in the autumn. They, too, expected to receive their certificates afterward.⁹ Unfortunately, things were about to take a turn for the worse. In 1940, Vinglas wrote:

When we began our fifth school last autumn we were looking hopefully into the future, expecting rich blessings from the Lord. Soon, however, dark clouds were gathering around the horizon. We did not know whether or not they would affect our own little school. We had to take one day at a time, to pray and work and leave the future with our Lord.¹⁰

The Estonian Mission School lasted only five years. Just like the Mission School in Latvia, it was closed by the Soviet government after the annexation of three Baltic countries by the U.S.S.R. in 1940. During World War II, the principal of the school, R. Vinglas, as well as teachers M. T. Undriz and E. Tiesnesis and many of the students left the country and escaped to the West. The Adventist Yearbook continued to list the school until 1946, with R. Vinglas serving as principal, and the address listed as Adventistühhingute Usuteaduse Kool, Merepuiestee 14a, Tallinna, Estonia.¹¹

Sources

“Adventists in Estonia.” https://adventistidaafrikas.weebly.com/index.html.

“Lõikustänu,” 1937. In the author’s private collection.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Takoma Park, Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1946.

Vinglas, R. “The Estonian Mission School.” The Advent Survey, July 1, 1936.

Vinglas, R. “The Estonian Mission School.” The Advent Survey, July 1, 1938.

Vinglas, R. “Estonian Mission School.” The Advent Survey, October 1, 1939.

Vinglas, R. “The Estonian Mission School.” The Advent Survey, July 1, 1940.

Notes

1. R. Vinglas, “The Estonian Mission School,” The Advent Survey, July 1, 1936, 6.↩

2. “Lõikustänu,” 1937, in the author’s private collection.↩

3. “Adventists in Estonia,” accessed March 19, 2025, https://adventistidaafrikas.weebly.com/index.html.↩

4. Vinglas, “The Estonian Mission School,” 1936, 6.↩

5. R. Vinglas, “The Estonian Mission School,” The Advent Survey, July 1, 1938, 7.↩

6. Ibid.↩

7. R. Vinglas, “Estonian Mission School,” The Advent Survey, October 1, 1939, 7.↩

8. Ibid.; R. Vinglas, “The Estonian Mission School,” The Advent Survey, July 1, 1940, 7.↩

9. R. Vinglas, “The Estonian Mission School,” The Advent Survey, July 1, 1940, 6-7.↩

10. Ibid., 6.↩

11. “Estonian Mission School,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Takoma Park, Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1946), 239.↩