Vuilleumier, Albert (1835–1923)

Albert Vuilleumier is a key figure in both Swiss and global Adventist history. Hailing from Tramelan, Switzerland, he was one of the three founding members of the first Sabbath-keeping Adventist community in Switzerland, established before the arrival of John N. Andrews. His contributions played a key role in making Adventism international.

Early Life and Education

Vuilleumier was born on May 8, 1835, in Tramelan, Switzerland, to Frédéric-Henri Vuilleumier and Elisabeth Joly. At age 13, in 1848 and 1849, he traveled to the German-speaking part of Switzerland to improve his German, a common practice at the time. He spent time in the countryside around Basel. As a child, he was bitten by a spider, leading to intermittent fevers. He also played trumpet in the local brass band. Later, Albert completed his military service, rising to the rank of sergeant major, and became a watchmaker, working alongside his father.¹

On October 4, 1862, Albert Vuilleumier married Wilhelmine, affectionately known as Mina. Albert met Mina while visiting the farmer with whom he had stayed as a youth to improve his German. After their marriage, Mina opened a bakery in the house Albert and his brother-in-law, Edouard², built across from Albert's father’s home. Their first son, Jean, was born on September 5, 1864.³

Albert was a member of the Reformed Church of the Canton of Bern, also known as the National Church. He also attended meetings at the Swiss YMCA in London. After a trip to England just before Michael B. Czechowski arrived in Tramelan, Albert became troubled by the tensions between the National and Free Churches.⁴ His son recalls that, following this trip, Albert decided to stop dancing and focus on reading the Bible, signaling the beginning of his spiritual journey and a time of questioning his faith. This all took place just before the summer of 1866, when a stranger arrived in Tramelan.⁵

Meeting Adventism

Albert met Czechowski in the summer of 1866 through his brother-in-law, Jules-Étienne Dietschy. Prior to arriving in Switzerland, Czechowski had spent 14 months in the Vaudois Alps, Italy. In 1865, seeking financial stability and aiming to set up a printing operation, he decided to relocate his mission to Switzerland. Upon arrival, he organized his first baptism on February 7, 1866, followed by another on August 19, 1866, where a man known as “Father” Hanhardt was baptized. Hanhardt later became a colporteur for Czechowski and traveled to Tramelan as part of the mission. During the summer of 1866, Hanhardt suggested that Czechowski visit Tramelan, as several locals, including Dietschy, were interested in his message.⁶

When Czechowski arrived in Tramelan on August 31, 1866, he met Dietschy, who introduced him to his in-laws, the Vuilleumiers. Since the Vuilleumiers lived across the street, Czechowski stayed with Jules-Étienne but used Vuilleumier’s workshop to hold study and prayer meetings. The two Vuilleumier family homes, conveniently located near the church, school, and market, would later become the center of Adventism in Switzerland and Europe. Czechowski stayed in Tramelan for several weeks, frequently traveling back and forth to his home, over 24 miles away. By New Year’s Day 1866, Vuilleumier, along with other families in Tramelan, such as the Dietschys and Guenins, decided to form a Sabbath-keeping group.⁷

Vuilleumier was baptized on Saturday, August 3, 1867, in Lake Neuchâtel, near Czechowski’s missionary station. On September 15, 1867, he was ordained to the ministry. Vuilleumier became a generous supporter of Czechowski’s mission. The Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism in France hold several debt certificates from Czechowski, five of which are addressed to Vuilleumier, totaling 1,500 CHF. This amount was significant, considering that a worker in the watchmaking industry at the time earned about 1.30 CHF per day. Vuilleumier’s financial support likely contributed to the growing distrust between the missionary and the young community when Czechowski was unable to repay his debts.⁸

Between January and July 1868, Vuilleumier found a copy of Review and Herald in Czechowski’s room, who had been absent for some time. Albert decided to reach out to the American brethren, initiating correspondence that unsettled the independent missionary, who now had to explain his actions.⁹

In 1869, Vuilleumier was invited to meet the General Conference leaders in the United States. However, with his wife expecting, he chose to give up his place to Jakob Erzberger, a young, newly converted missionary whom he had baptized.¹⁰

Life Incidents

Between 1868 and 1874, Vuilleumier suffered significant family and financial losses. On August 4, 1869, Vuilleumier lost his fourth child, Myrte, at the age of two. Just two weeks later, another son, Jacques, was born, but he too passed away at the age of two in 1871. In 1873, Albert’s grief continued with the death of another son, also named Jacques, who did not survive his first year. Additionally, he had to close his bakery, due to the bankruptcy of the bank he was associated with and decreased business opportunities when he started closing on Saturdays due to his religious convictions.¹¹ This could explain his desire to seek reimbursement and his decision to stop supporting Czechowski. These setbacks likely influenced his decision to leave Tramelan and move to Neuchâtel, a city located 24 miles away, in 1872.¹²

When Czechowski left Tramelan, Vuilleumier, Dietschy, and Ganuin wrote to the General Conference to send a missionary to Switzerland, and John N. Andrews arrived in 1874.¹³ Vuilleumier accommodated Andrews. During their time together, Vuilleumier and Andrews developed a close friendship. In one letter from the United States, after the death of his own daughter, Andrews expressed his sorrow to Vuilleumier, knowing that Albert, having lost several children, would deeply understand his grief.¹⁴

Andrews recognized the same qualities in Vuilleumier that Czechowski had seen when he appointed him as a pastor. In his letters, Andrews continually urged Vuilleumier to dedicate himself fully to ministry. However, at one point, Albert ventured into a poorly planned watchmaking business, which ultimately undermined the young Adventist community. The community had hoped to use the profits from the venture to support evangelistic efforts, but the project ended in failure.¹⁵ Both Andrews and James White tried to help Vuilleumier sell his watch inventory in America by placing advertisements in the Review and Herald.¹⁶ However, according to Andrews’ letters, the American market was not receptive to Vuilleumier’s products. It took several years for Vuilleumier to liquidate his business and recover from this failed venture before he could fully commit himself to the church’s mission.¹⁷

Later Years

On September 23, 1885, Vuilleumier was officially ordained as a pastor of the church, with Ellen G. White present at the ceremony during her visit to Europe. In a letter to George Butler from the same year, she wrote, “I believe him to be an excellent man.”¹⁸ In 1886, Vuilleumier was listed in the Adventist Yearbook as a member of the Executive Committee of the Foreign Mission Board in Switzerland.¹⁹

Vuilleumier worked in Geneva for four years before leaving for the United States on September 29, 1896, where he stayed for eight years. He returned to Europe in October 1904 and settled in Gland, Switzerland, in April 1905. His wife passed away in December 1906. In 1907, he moved to Geneva to live with his eldest daughter, Elise. He returned to Gland in April 1910 and passed away there in 1923.²⁰

Contribution

As one of the three founding members of the Sabbath-keeping Adventist community in Switzerland, Albert Vuilleumier played a crucial role before John N. Andrews arrived. His house in Tramelan served as a meeting place and center for evangelism. The property was later sold to Jean-Georges Roth, who built the first Adventist chapel in Europe on the site. This chapel was dedicated by Ellen G. White.²¹

Vuilleumier also played a pivotal role in the global spread of Seventh-day Adventism. In 1872, he, along with Dietschy and Guenin, jointly signed a letter to the General Conference, requesting the appointment of a missionary. This formal request marked their desire to fully integrate into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In response, the General Conference sent its first official overseas missionary, J. N. Andrews to Switzerland, who then stayed with Vuilleumier in La Coudre, near Neuchâtel. Finally, Vuilleumier’s legacy extended through his son, Jean Vuilleumier, who made significant contributions to Adventism, becoming an Adventist pioneer in Argentina and Uruguay, advancing Spanish-language publications.

Sources

Periodicals

Czechowski, Michael B. “Notre journée.” L’Évangile Éternel, September 5, 1866; September 12, 1866; September 19, 1866; October 10, 1866; October 17, 1866; January 9, 1867.

Czechowski, Michael B. “Avis.” L’Évangile Éternel, December 31, 1866.

Czechowski, Michael B. “Mission.” L’Évangile Éternel, May 22, 1867; June 12, 1867; July 12, 1867; July 26, 1867; August 9, 1867; August 16, 1867; September 20, 1867

Czechowski, Michael B. “Mission.” L’Évangile Éternel, June 12, 1867; July 12, 1867; July 26, 1867; August 9, 1867; August 16, 1867; September 20, 1867.

Czechowski, Michael B. “From Br. M. B. Czechowski.” Voice of the West, January 15, 1867.

Czechowski, Michael B. “Letter from Switzerland.” Voice of the West, February 12, 1867; August 28, 1867.

Czechowski, Michael B. “Our European Missionary.” Voice of the West, October 1, 1867.

Czechowski, Michael B. “Mission Letters from Switzerland: Number Eighteen.” World Crisis, September 25, 1867.

Czechowski, Michael B. “Mission Letters from Switzerland: Number Nineteen.” World Crisis, October 23, 1867.

Letters

Michael B. Czechowski to Albert Vuilleumier, February 6, 1867, DP03. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).

Michael B. Czechowski to Albert Vuilleumier, February 6, 1867, DP06. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).

Michael B. Czechowski to Albert Vuilleumier, March 31, 1867, DP04. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).

Lettre WS à AV, December 13, 1867, DP14. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).

Michael B. Czechowski to Albert Vuilleumier, July 5, 1868, DP02. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).

Michael B. Czechowski to Annie E. Butler, August 18, 1868, DP05. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).

Michael B. Czechowski to Albert Vuilleumier, December 15, 1868, DP07. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).

Albert Vuilleumier to General Conference Brothers, January 6, 1869, DP15. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).

John N. Andrews to Albert Vuilleumier, January 14, 1878, DP32. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism.

John N. Andrews to Albert Vuilleumier, April 15, 1879, DP31. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).

Other primary sources

Vuilleumier, Albert. “Diverses datations en notes manuscrites,” 1910, boîte 1CP1, chemise n° 4, fourre n° 2, doc 07. Historical Archives of French-speacking Adventism.

Vuilleumier, Albert. “Albert Vuilleumier, 1835 – 1923,” boîte 1CP1, chemise n° 4, fourre n° 1, doc 05. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).

Magazine articles

De Prato, Anna. “Origine du ‘sabbatisme’ ou plutôt de l’Adventisme du septième jour en Europe.” Revue Adventiste, December 1, 1922.

Geymet, Jean-David. “Petits commencements : 1re partie.” Revue Adventiste, May 1, 1922.

Guenin, Jules-Henri. “Les premiers jours du message à Tramelan.” Le Messager, May 1905.

Roth, Gustave. “Débuts de l’adventisme en Europe.” Revue Adventiste, April 1, 1937.

Vuilleumier, Jean. “Souvenirs intéressants sur l’origine du message adventiste en Suisse.” Le Messager, June 1905.

Vuilleumier, Jean, “Débuts de l’œuvre en Europe et dans l’Union latine.” Revue Adventiste, September 1, 1924.

Vuilleumier, Jean. “Premiers jours de l’œuvre en Europe [partie 1].” Revue Adventiste, May 1, 1939.

Vuilleumier, Jean. “Premiers jours de l’œuvre en Europe [partie 2].” Revue Adventiste, May 15, 1939.

Vuilleumier, Jean. “Premiers jours de l’œuvre en Europe [partie 3].” Revue Adventiste, June 1, 1939.

Vuilleumier, Jean. “Premiers jours de l’œuvre en Europe [partie 4].” Revue Adventiste, June 15, 1939.

Books

Dabrowski, Rajmund and L. Beach Bert B., eds. Michael Belina Czechowski 1818-1876, Results of the Historical Symposium about his life and work held in Warsaw, Poland, May 17-23, 1976, commemorating the hundredth anniversary of his death. Warsaw: Znaki Czasu, 1979.

Valentine, Gilbert M. J. N. Andrews, Mission Pioneer, Evangelist and Thought Leader. Nampa: Pacific Press, 2019.

Vaucher, Alfred. M.-B. Czechowski. Collonges sous Salève: FIDES, 1976.

Waber, Karl. Streiflichter aus der Geschichte der Siebenten-Tags-Adventisten in der Schweiz 1865-1901. Zürich: Advent-Verlag, 1995.

Notes

1. All these details are sourced from the notes of Jean Vuilleumier, “Albert Vuilleumier, 1835 - 1923,” boîte 1CP1, ch. 4, f. 1, doc 05 and Albert Vuilleumier, “Diverses datations en notes manuscrites,” 1910, boîte 1CP1, chemise n° 4, foure n° 2, doc 07 available at the Archives adventistes francophones, Collonges sous Salève (France).↩

2. Edouard was the husband of one of Albert’s sisters, Lina. They had the same last name but were not related. Vuilleumier is a common name in Tramelan even today.↩

3. Ibid.↩

4. See, Jean-Pierre Bastian, Christian Grosse, Sarah Scholl (éd.), Les fractures protestantes en Suisse romande au XIXe siècle, Genève, Labor et Fides, 2021.↩

5. Anna De Prato, « Origine du ‘sabbatisme’ ou plutôt de l’Adventisme du septième jour en Europe », Revue Adventiste, December 1st, 1922 and Jean Vuilleumier, « Premiers jours de l’oeuvre en Europe [partie 2] », Revue Adventiste, May 15th, 1939. Albert returned from England “a few months before September” 1866, according to Jean Vuilleumier.↩

6. See Michael B. Czechowski, “From Br. M. B. Czechowski,” Voice of the West, March 20th, 1866 and “Mission letters from Switzerland: Number Five,” World Crisis, March 14, 1866.↩

7. Czechowski documented his own journey and mission efforts in Tramelan (e.g., “Notre journée,” L’Évangile Éternel, September 5, 1866; September 12, 1866; September 19, 1866; October 10, 1866; October 17, 1866; January 9, 1867.↩

8. See Michael B. Czechowski, “Mission,” L’Évangile Éternel, September 20, 1867, “Our European Missionary,” Voice of the West, October 1, 1867 and “Mission Letters from Switzerland: Number Eighteen,” World Crisis, September 25, 1867. The Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism holds five certificates of indebtedness and a telegram from Michael B. Czechowski addressed to Albert Vuilleumier (“Dette MBC envers AV de 500.- CHF”, 16 août 1867, HAFA, DP08 , “Dette MBC envers AV de 500.- CHF”, 20 juin 1867, DP09; “Dette MBC envers AV de 80.- CHF”, 05 août 1867, DP11, “Dette MBC envers AV de 20.- CHF”, 28 octobre 1867, DP13 and “Télégramme MBC à AV”, 06 février 1867, DP03).↩

9. Michael B. Czechowski to Albert Vuilleumier, letter, July 5, 1868, DP02. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).↩

10. For the birthdays of the Albert Vuilleumier’s children, see Albert Vuilleumier, "Diverses datations en notes manuscrites," 1910, boîte 1CP1, chemise n° 4, foure n° 2, doc 07. See also Jean Vuilleumier, « Premiers jours de l’œuvre en Europe [partie 4] », Revue Adventiste, June 15th, 1939, concerning Jakob Erzerbger.↩

11. An article in the Bulletin de la Société Neuchâteloise de Généalogie asserts that the business did not survive this decision. See Jean-Philippe Vuilleumier, “Trois parcours Vuilleumier,” Bulletin de la Société Neuchâteloise de Généalogie 22 (2024), p. 37.↩

12. Cf. Jean Vuilleumier, “Albert Vuilleumier, 1835 - 1923,” boîte 1CP1, ch. 4, f. 1, doc 05 and Albert Vuilleumier, “Diverses datations en notes manuscrites,” 1910, boîte 1CP1, chemise n° 4, foure n° 2, doc 07.↩

13. Office of Archives, Statistics and Research, “Transcription of minutes of GC sessions from 1863 to 1888” [online], available on: https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/GCSessionBulletins/GCB1863-88.pdf (accessed April 29, 2024).↩

14. See letters John N. Andrews to Albert Vuilleumier, January 14, 1878, DP32. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism and John N. Andrews to Albert Vuilleumier, April 15, 1879, DP31. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).↩

15. For more details about that business venture, consult Gilbert M. Valentine, J. N. Andrews, Mission Pioneer, Evangelist and Thought Leader (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press, 2019), 535‑567.↩

16. James White, “Swiss Watches,” ARH, January 3, 1871.↩

17. John N. Andrews to Albert Vuilleumier, April 15, 1879, DP31. Historical Archives of French-speaking Adventism, Collonges-sous-Salève (France).↩

18. Ellen G. White, Lt 23, 1885. For Ellen G. White’s presence at Albert’s ordination, refer to Ms 24, 1885. In his chapter on Michael B. Czechowski in Europe, Jacques Frei mistakenly claims that Ellen White criticized the character of Albert Vuilleumier. He confuses Albert with Adémar, as the letter refers to “brother A. Vuilleumier.” However, the context of the letter clearly points to Adémar, who had spent several weeks with the Whites (Rajmund L. Dabrowski and Bert B. Beach, eds., Michael Belina Czechowski 1818-1876. p. 262_.↩

19. “European Missionary Council,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1886), 92, https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1886.pdf.↩

20. Cf. Jean Vuilleumier, “Albert Vuilleumier, 1835 - 1923,” boîte 1CP1, ch. 4, f. 1, doc 05 and Albert Vuilleumier, “Diverses datations en notes manuscrites,” 1910, boîte 1CP1, chemise n° 4, foure n° 2, doc 07.↩

21. Ellen G. White’s chapel dedication sermon, dated December 25, 1886, has been preserved (Ms 49, 1886). According to the State Archives of Bern, which holds records from the Courtelary district, the original house is now located at Grand-rue 160. The land was purchased by Frédéric-Henri Vuilleumier, Albert’s father, in 1838, and the house was built in 1842. Some of the land was later transferred to Albert and Edouard Vuilleumier for their own homes, a bakery, and a watchmaking workshop. The original house, located across the street, was occupied by Frédéric-Henri and his daughter, Sophie, and her husband, Jules-Etienne Dietschy. In 1872, Albert and his family moved near Neuchâtel. A sale advertisement for the house appeared in the National Suisse, and it seems Edouard Vuilleumier eventually bought the house from his brother-in-law.↩