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Nelson Schwantes

Photo courtesy of Brazilian White Center - UNASP. 

Schwantes, Nelson (1903–1988)

By The Brazilian White Center – UNASP

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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: December 11, 2021

Nelson Schwantes, pastor, administrator, and evangelist was born on January 8, 1903, in the city of Cachoeira do Sul, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Son of Arthur Schwantes and Clementina Schwantes, he was raised in a traditional Adventist home. His father was a pioneer canvasser in South Brazil, and his grandfather, Ernest Julius Theodore Schwantes, was one of the first to be baptized in the city of Taquari.1

Following their steps, Nelson decided to serve God as a pastor. In 1930, he got married to Anna Becker. They had three children: Lucilla (Arouca), Berenice and Paulo. On June 17, 1932, he graduated in Theology at Brazil College (today UNASP-SP).2

Schwantes began denominational work on April 9, 1933, in the city of Araraquara, state of São Paulo, where he assisted Pastor Jeronimo G. Garcia in series of meetings.3 As a result a church was founded, and Nelson was appointed to take over the field and continue the evangelistic effort.4 Afterwards, in 1934, he accepted a call to work at the Paraná-Santa Catarina Mission, where he served as pastor in the city of Porto União, state of Santa Catarina, and also in the Curitiba Central Church, state of Paraná.5 In this field Schwantes was ordained to the pastoral ministry in 1936.6

Afterwards, in 1939, he returned to São Paulo city in order to be a pastor at São Paulo Central Church.7 One year later, 1940, he was appointed as president of the Mato-Grosso Mission, where he also led the Youth and Education Departments.8 The following year, 1941, he was appointed as president of the Goiana-Mineira Mission,9 leading the same departments as formerly.10

In 1942 he accepted a call to the Rio-Minas Gerais Mission, where he served as pastor in many churches, among them the Belo Horizonte Central Church. During this period, he participated in the project called motorized evangelism, which consisted in using a well-equipped car containing speakers and a projector. A place was chosen, usually a public square, where a Biblical message was preached, and the addresses of interested people were gathered for future contact. By this means, the Adventist message was successfully spread to hundreds of people from suburbs of Rio de Janeiro and the countryside of Minas Gerais state.11

Pastor Schwantes served at this field until 1953, when he was appointed as president of the Bahia-Sergipe Mission. The following year, he retired, leaving a legacy of 21 years of ministry. He passed away in 1988, at 85 years of age, and he is remembered for his dedication to the Gospel mission during two decades of service as a pastor and administrator in various states of Brazil.12

Sources

Bertoldo, Leandro, História e Memória do Adventismo em Mogi das Cruzes. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: Litteris Editora, 2018.

“Formatura no Collegio Adventista” Revista Adventista, vol. 27, no. 11, November 1932.

“Nelson Schwantes obituary.” Revista Adventista, year 85, no. 05, May 1989.

“Notícias.” Revista Adventista, vol. 27, no. 11, November 1932.

Olson, H. O. “Reuniões Regionais na missão Goiano-Mineira.” Revista Adventista, year 37, no. 08, August, 1942.

Schwantes, Siegfried J. Professor toda a vida: uma autobiografia de Siegfried J. Schwantes. São Paulo, SP: Instituto Adventista de Ensino, n.d.

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

Schwantes, Nelson. “Evangelismo Motorizado.” Revista Adventista, year 43, no. 07, July 1948.

Schwantes, Nelson. “Evangelismo Motorizado.” Revista Adventista, year 45, no. 01, January 1950.

Wilcox, E. H. “União Sul Brasileira.” Revista Adventista, vol. 28, no. 06, June 1933.

Wilcox, E. H. “União Sul Brasileira.” Revista Adventista, vol. 28, no. 10, October 1933.

Wilcox, E. H. “União Sul Brasileira.” Revista Adventista, vol. 29, no. 03, March 1934.

Wilcox, E. H. “União Sul Brasileira.” Revista Adventista, vol. 29, no. 05, May 1934.

Notes

  1. “Nelson Schwantes” Revista Adventista, year 85, no. 05, May 1989, 30; “Formatura no Collegio Adventista” Revista Adventista, vol. 27, no. 11, November 1932, 7; “Notícias,” Revista Adventista, vol. 27, no. 11, November 1932, 6; Siegfried J. Schwantes, Professor toda a vida: uma autobiografia de Siegfried J. Schwantes, (São Paulo, SP: Instituto Adventista de Ensino, n.d.), 8-10.

  2. Ibid.

  3. E. H. Wilcox, “União Sul Brasileira.” Revista Adventista, vol. 28, no. 06, June 1933, 9-10.; Leandro Bertoldo, História e Memória do Adventismo em Mogi das Cruzes (Rio de Janeiro, RJ: Litteris Editora, 2018), 102.

  4. E. H. Wilcox, “União Sul Brasileira.” Revista Adventista, vol. 28, no. 10, October 1933, 13.

  5. E. H. Wilcox, “União Sul Brasileira.” Revista Adventista, vol. 29, no. 03, March 1934, 15; “Parana-Santa Catarina Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1935), 190; Wilcox, E. H. “União Sul Brasileira.” Revista Adventista, vol. 29, no. 05, May 1934, 13.

  6. “Parana-Santa Catarina Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1937), 182.

  7. “Nelson Schwantes” Revista Adventista, year 85, no. 05, May, 1989, 30; “São Paulo Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1940), 192.

  8. “Nelson Schwantes” Revista Adventista, year 85, no. 05, May 1989, 30; “Missão Mato-Grosso” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941), 191.

  9. H. O. Olson, “Reuniões Regionais na missão Goiano-Mineira.” Revista Adventista, year 37, no. 08, August 1942, 23.

  10. “Goiano Mineira Mission” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1942), 143, 240; “Nelson Schwantes” Revista Adventista, year 85, no. 05, May 1989, 30.

  11. Nelson Schwantes, “Evangelismo Motorizado.” Revista Adventista, year 43, no. 07, July, 1948, 12; Nelson Schwantes, “Evangelismo Motorizado.” Revista Adventista, year 45, no. 01, January 1950, 10.

  12. “Nelson Schwantes” Revista Adventista, year 85, no. 05, May 1989, 30.

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UNASP, The Brazilian White Center –. "Schwantes, Nelson (1903–1988)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. December 11, 2021. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=CIH8.

UNASP, The Brazilian White Center –. "Schwantes, Nelson (1903–1988)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. December 11, 2021. Date of access February 18, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=CIH8.

UNASP, The Brazilian White Center – (2021, December 11). Schwantes, Nelson (1903–1988). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved February 18, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=CIH8.