Borge Shantz and the Pedersen family were present to present the papers and materials of an early missionary, Emanuel Pedersen, during the Chapel service at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary on April 17, 2007. After the Chapel service, there was an open house for them at the Center for Adventist Research.

Borge Shantz spoke about Emanuel Pedersen describing his life and work. With his Danish passport in hand Emanuel W. Pedersen, lived on four continents and in six different countries. This incredible history was with one intention: to share the eternal gospel to thousands of human beings.

Emanuel was born in Odense, Denmark on May 28. 1904, the same town that Hans Christian Andersen was born. Friends and family say he had a real way about him, that made him a very good salesman. Emanuel Pedersen became when quite young an excellent literature evangelist. Especially in the summer months between the studies at the mission school in Nærum. After school he got a number of different jobs like teacher, preacher, field-secretary and evangelist. He never held a job outside of the church.

Emanuel traveled together with his lovely wife Esther in 1937 to Uganda as a missionary. After extensive negotiations with Uganda’s Minister of Education the school that was to become Bugema University became a lasting reality. In the years 1943-1953 they worked in Kenya.

Emanuel worked in the church for 40 plus years and was on sustenance for 30 plus years. Though he was retired he did not sit at home and spend all his time reading the Washington Post and the Review and Herald. He was an advisor to the General Conference President, and in 1971 he traveled to Iran as a guest for the 2,500 year anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great.

The Pedersen collection will be a useful resource to researchers and is a welcome addition to the Center for Adventist Research.

Borge Shantz