Since its inception, Andrews University has distinguished itself as one of the best-quality academic destinations for those seeking Adventist higher education in North America. However, the story of its namesake, John Nevins (J.N.) Andrews is not as well known as his fellow Adventist pioneers. Andrews University is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024, so it only makes sense for the school’s inspiration to be properly acknowledged as more than just a last name and statue in front of Pioneer Memorial Church. J.N. Andrews was an amazing role model and pioneer for the early Adventist church 200 years ago and an excellent example of Christian leadership and courage for us today.
Born on July 22, 1829, in Poland, Maine, to Edward Andrews and Sarah Pottle, John Nevins Andrews grew up in a rural community and was the elder brother to his only sibling, William, who was five years his junior. John Nevins became a part of the Millerites at only 13 years old and began adopting future Seventh-day Adventist practices, such as observing the Saturday Sabbath, shortly thereafter. After the Great Disappointment of October 22, 1844, John Nevins and his family, like many families of the early Adventist church, struggled to rebuild their faith, but thankfully, through time, they were able to gather more understanding of the Bible, especially due to John Nevin’s fascination in reading and comprehending the word of God for himself.
In the early 1850s, John Nevins began his life in ministry and helped to establish the early Adventist church after becoming an ordained minister in New England. During this time, he met and lived with fellow young adult Christians and eventual Adventist pioneers James and Ellen G. White. Unfortunately, James White’s dominant leadership style and consistent scrutiny of J.N. Andrews and other leaders in the early Adventist church led to very shaky relationships during the latter part of Andrews’ life. Even one of Ellen G. White’s defenses of her husband’s critiques was sent in a letter to Andrews’ deathbed. Thankfully, this butting of heads did not prevent the progress of John Nevins Andrews, the Whites, and other leaders who sought to better the church in various ways.
John Nevins went on to write several books during his evangelistic career, his most prominent one being “The History of the Sabbath and the First Day of the Week” in 1859. One of the aspects of John Nevins’ adult life that he is best known for is his “scholarly defense of Adventist doctrines” when seeking to help legitimize the Adventist church as a non-profit religion in Washington D.C. Because of John Nevins Andrews’ evangelistic and theological work for the Seventh-day Adventist church, he was elected in 1867 as the third-ever president of the General Conference for a two-year term. After his presidency, John Nevins became the editor of the Adventist newsletter Review and Herald (now known as Adventist Review) for another two years.
On October 29, 1856, John Nevins married Angeline Stevens after moving with his family to Iowa, where he continued his theological studies. The couple would go on to have four children during their marriage, and because of early issues with John Nevins being often called away to travel for various evangelistic gatherings in the eastern United States, Angeline and the children eventually moved to live with John Nevins in New York. Angeline died from a stroke in 1872, just before she could see two of her and John Nevins’ children, Charles and Mary, be a part of the first group of Seventh-day Adventist missionaries on a trip to Europe. John Nevins would also join his children as spiritual witnesses in Europe by helping to start a publishing house in Switzerland and a French periodical in 1876. Unfortunately, three of John Nevins’ four children would die from contracting tuberculosis. Two of them died during their infancy while their mother was still alive, and Mary died at the age of 17. John remained as a missionary in Europe until 1883 after also succumbing to tuberculosis. At the age of 54, John Nevins Andrews was laid to rest in Basel, Switzerland.
Andrews University adopted John Nevins Andrews’ last name in 1960 after being founded as Battle Creek College in 1874 and having the name changed to Emmanuel Missionary College in 1901. The trustees of the University decided upon this name change in order to give tribute to J.N. Andrews’ “life and labor” as one of the greatest and most influential pioneers in the Seventh-day Adventist church. However, this is not the only legacy of John Nevins. The elementary education school John Nevins Andrews School opened in 1907 in Takoma Park, Maryland, and the Pioneer Memorial Church sculpture, done by artist Allan Collins, featuring Charles and Mary Andrews, was unveiled on the Andrews University campus in 1998. J.N. Andrews’ descendants have represented his legacy well, starting with John Nevins Andrews’ grandson, who bears the same name and later became an Adventist missionary in the Sichuan Province of West China. Also, in 2005, J.N. Andrews’ unpublished writing works were donated by his living relatives to the Center for Adventist Research in the James White Library on the Andrews University campus.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.