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Bernhardt Hetze, “Yo soy el mismo ángel [I am the Same Angel]”, La Revista Adventista 82, No. 11 (Nov. 1982): 13.

      3 Apparently, Reinhardt Hetze knew Adventism in Europe through his brother Gottlieb Hetze (Hetze, “Yo soy el mismo ángel”, 13).

      4 See the obituary of Reinhardt Hetze in Carlos Becker, “Necrología [Obituary]”, La Revista Adventista 40, No. 7 (July 1940): 11.

      5 E. H. Meyers, secretary of the Publishing Department of the South American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, believed that Riffel and Hetze did not know one another (Meyers, Reseña de los comienzos de la obra en Sudamérica, 7). See also Mario Rasi, “Progresos de la Escuela Sabática en la Unión Austral [Progress of the Sabbath School in the Southern Union]”, La Revista Adventista 52, No. 3 (March 3, 1952): 3.

      6 Reinaldo Hetze, “Cómo empezó la obra en Entre Ríos [How the Work Began in Entre Ríos]”, La Revista Adventista 33, No. 3 (Jan. 30, 1933): 16.

      7 Adventism spread from North America to Europe (1874), Australia (1885), Africa (1887), Asia (1894) and South America (1890). Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, xi.

      8 Joseph W. Westphal, “The Beginnings of the Work in Argentina”, Review and Herald 97, No. 33 (Aug. 12, 1920): 6; Meyers, Reseña de los comienzos de la obra en Sudamérica, 7. Frank H. Westphal, his wife María Thurston and his children Carlos and Elena arrived to South America in September of 1894 (SDAE [1996], see “Westphal, Frank Henry;” Wearner, “Centenario de la iglesia adventista en la Argentina”, 20).

      9 The knowledge of Adventism spread through German evangelist Louis Richard Conradi (1856-1939). Riffel, Providencias de Dios…, 188-204; Carlos Becker, “Necrología: Riffel”, La Revista Adventista 37, No. 13 (June 21, 1937): 15; Robert Wearner, “The Riffels: Planting Adventism in Argentina”, Review and Herald 161, No. 37 (Sept. 13, 1984): 4-6. About the family history of the Riffels, see document: “Descendientes de Juliana María Weiss y David Riffel [Descendants of Juliana María Weiss and David Riffel]”, in the Ellen G. White Research Center, Universidad Adventista del Plata, Libertador San Martín, Entre Ríos, DF 3023-e.

      10 See Wearner, “The Riffels: Planting Adventism in Argentina”, 4-6.

      11 Some have called this first meeting in the Hetze’s house the “first Sabbath School in South America” (Wearner, “The Riffels: Planting Adventism in Argentina”, 4-6; Hetze, “Yo soy tu ángel”, 13; Wearner, “Centenario de la iglesia adventista en la Argentina”, 23).

      12 Wearner, “Centenario de la iglesia adventista en la Argentina”, 23.

      13 Ibid., 20-23.

      14 Westphal, “The Beginnings of the Work in Argentina”, 6.

      15 The story written by the mentor of the college can be read in Westphal, Pioneering in the Neglected Continent. For a brief description of this educational institution, see Pablo C. Rodríguez, Cien años educando: Origen y desarrollo de la Universidad Adventista del Plata [One Hundred Years of Education: Origin and development of the Universidad Adventista del Plata], pamphlet in the archives of the Ellen G. White Research Center, Universidad Adventista del Plata, Libertador San Martín, Entre Ríos, Argentina.

      16 See Wensell, El poder de una esperanza que educa y sana.

      17 The humble abode of Reinhardt and his family disappeared long time ago (Wearner, “Centenario de la iglesia adventista en la Argentina”, 23; Robert G. Wearner interviewed Hanna Hetze de Bernhardt on February 2, 1964; letter from Juan Riffel to Robert G. Wearner on April 8, 1984). In that place still stands an ombú planted by Hetze in 1892, at the back of what used to be the backyard of his house. Under that tree, Hetze and his wife used to have moments of prayer. In 1982 the place was recognized and bricks of the old house where searched for by brothers Santiago Bernhardt Hetze and Alejandro Bernhardt Hetze (grandsons of Reinhardt Hetze) and professors Humberto Raúl Treiyer and Rafael Rifel from Colegio Adventista del Plata (Hetze, “Yo soy el mismo ángel”, 13).

      3

      Geörg (Jorge) Heinrich Riffel

      By Sergio E. Becerra

      Introduction

The origins of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Argentina are closely linked to the missionary efforts of two lay leaders from Entre Ríos province, Argentina: Geörg (Jorge) Riffel1 y Reinhardt (Reinaldo) Hetze. Both were German immigrants from the Volga2 who settled on the west of the Entre Ríos province together with other German families from the Volga in the second half of the 19th century, seeking economic, religious and social stability.

During the 19th century, one method favored by Adventist missionaries throughout the world was to arouse interest in Adventism among the Protestant communities and even among Sabbath-keepers,3 who due to their religious background would be more sensitive to the Adventist message. This was the preferred model to enter South America, since the first colporteurs for reasons of language and/or religious affinity, sought to sell their religious books and win interested people among the European migrant communities of Protestant background wherever possible.4 That was the case of the small community of Adventist believers among The Germans from the Volga, that was born and grew in its first years among German migrants of Protestant background. Unlike what happened other places, this foundational task was not in the hands of North American missionaries, but it was the result of the labor of Jorge Riffel and Reinaldo Hetze, lay leaders whose Adventist conviction led them to share their hope with neighbors and family years before the church would send an official missionary to Argentina.

Background and Preparation

The Riffels came originally from the valley of the Upper Rhône, today a part of the Canton of Valais, in Southwest Switzerland. The meaning of the Riffel name is “flax comb or rake,” that is in turn related to the verb riffeln, “to comb”.5 Undoubtedly, it refers to the family job in their original living place, that consisted of growing, combing and selling flax for cloth making.

Some of them embraced the Protestant faith during the Reformation. The valley of the Upper Rhône was part of Church lands, its prince was the Bishop of Zion, at that time. It was a time of upheaval and great religious intolerance. This forced the Riffels to leave their homes and principality behind to move to the north of Switzerland in search of a region with population of the same faith. Finally, they settled in the south of Germany, where they became farmers.6

The invitation of Kaherine the Great to settle in Russia was attractive, as well as other residents of the German Empire of the 18th century, after decades of suffering wars, hardship and violence. Germany was coming out of seven years of bloody international war. The decrees of this sovereign of German ancestry, according to which their professions and faith would be respected,

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