Commin, William Bazett (1883–1933)

William Commin was an early church administrator in Southern Africa. He also served as editor for early Adventist publications in Africa and worked to deepen the publishing ministry in the young Adventist Church in Africa.

Early Life

William Bazett Commin was born in April 1883, at Wellington in the Western Cape, South Africa.¹ He was the last of the five children of John Henry Commin (1845-1921) and Janette Louisa Knipe (b. 1843).² In his childhood, he attended, with his parents, the tent meetings in Cape Town held by American evangelist Elder Ira J. Hankins. He became a Seventh-day Adventist together with his parents.³ He was baptized in 1904 and was an active member and leader of the SDA Church. His father J. H. Commin became a member of the Cape Colony Conference in 1903 and also was an important influence in the South African Union Conference.⁴

Family and Education

Commin’s oldest brother Henry “Harry” Commin (1875-1959) lived and worked at Claremont while the one he followed, Arthur John (1881-1962), lived in England.⁵ On February 17, 1910, W. B. Commin married Mary Alice “Mollie” Tarr.⁶ Mollie Tarr was born on May 11, 1885, in Cathcart, Cape Province, South Africa.⁷ She was the 13^th of the 16 children of James Henry Tarr (1840-1910) and Martha Ann Purdon (1845-1937). James Tarr was the oldest brother of pioneer Adventist Daniel Fletcher (D. F.) Tarr (1861-1948). D. F. Tarr was responsible for bringing the Adventist message to many South Africans during the formative years of the church, including many members of his family. In February 1913, William and Mollie Commin were blessed with a daughter, Doris Marjorie Commin.⁸

Commin attended Claremont Union College in South Africa (now Helderberg College) where he studied business and qualified as a registered accountant.⁹

Mission Work

At the age of 24, Commin became the treasurer for the South African Union Conference in Cape Town. In August 22, 1920, he joined the newly established Southern African Division with the same assignment, serving for eight years. Commin was ordained a church elder during this period.¹⁰ He was also appointed the secretary-treasurer of the Executive Committee at the Southern African Division, which had a team of only three members. The chairman was W. H. Branson, and W. B. White was the only Union president.¹¹ In 1926, he was still serving as the treasurer.¹²

In 1928, he was the business manager to the newly opened Helderberg College and later served in the same position with the Sentinel Publishing Company. He was Southern African Division’s Sabbath School secretary, a position he held until his health began failing him. During his life as a missionary, he also interacted with, inspired, and counselled many young people leading them to embrace Christian service.¹³ He was also an editor and a Sabbath School secretary.¹⁴ As an editor, he prepared and corrected work for the Sentinel Publishing House.¹⁵ He was also a writer, and his work was published in the Southern Africa Division Outlook in October 1931.¹⁶

Death and Legacy

In October 1932, Commin was reported to have been recuperating at Port Elizabeth following a bout of illness.¹⁷ However, only weeks later, on January 20, 1933, he passed away from a stroke. During the week before his death, he had apparently been feeling well, but he suffered a massive stroke while he ate his dinner.¹⁸ He was 49. His funeral was conducted by Elder J. I. Robison.¹⁹ He was survived by his wife Mollie, who passed away in 1951, and their daughter Doris Marjorie, who passed away in 1980.

Other than his administrative work, W. B. Commin was an outstanding editor, and a prolific writer who contributed dozens of articles to the official Adventist publications. He was also a missionary worker among the Black people of South Africa for many years.²⁰

Sources

Clifford, F. G. “Report of the Secretary.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, January 15, 1954.

Commin, W. B. “Sabbath School Goals.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, August 1, 1931.

“General News.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, August 1, 1932.

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LCF9-74F, accessed May 19, 2024.

Robison, J. I. “Obituaries.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, February 1, 1933.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association. Various years. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

Wright, J. F. “A Tried Worker Falls.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, February 1, 1933.

Notes

1. J. I. Robison, “Obituaries,” Southern Africa Division Outlook 31, February 1, 1933, 8.↩

2. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9V7N-6XY, accessed June 9, 2024.↩

3. J. I. Robison, op cit.↩

4. “South African Union Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, North Capitol St., Washington, D.C., 1904), 70.↩

5. Robison, 8.↩

6. Ibid.↩

7. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LCF9-74F, accessed May 19, 2024.↩

8. J. F. Wright, “A Tried Worker Falls,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, February 1, 1933, 4.↩

9. Robison, 8.↩

10. Ibid.↩

11. F. G. Clifford, “Report of the Secretary,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, January 15, 1954, 1.↩

12. “South Africa Union Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Review & Herald Publishing Association, Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C., 1926), 286.↩

13. Robinson, 8.↩

14. Ibid.↩

15. Wright, 4.↩

16. W. B. Commin, “Sabbath School Goals,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, August 1, 1931, 2.↩

17. “General News,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, August 1, 1932, 20.↩

18. Wright, 1, 4.↩

19. Ibid.↩

20. Ibid.↩