lfred James and Eda Frances Sargent.

Photo courtesy of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Archives.

 

Sargent, Alfred James (c. 1888–1959)

By Suak Khaw Ngin

First Published: November 9, 2020

Alfred James Sargent was a missionary to Burma (now, Myanmar).

Early Life

Alfred James Sargent was born to Daniel William and Fanny White Sargent¹ on July 26, 1887 at East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England.² His parents were pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in England.³ He was only a baby when his parents joined the Adventist Church. ⁴Alfred’s father served as “a sea captain, and his mother was often called to the summer palace of Queen Victoria to oversee the preparation of food for special events.”⁵

Under the influence of his parents and the Dunscombe Hall College environment, ⁶ he was baptized at an early age⁷ by Elder O. A. Olsen in 1902 in London.⁸ He spent his childhood in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England and later as a teenager in Battle Creek, Michigan and St. Helena, California, America (1907-1911). ⁹

Education and Marriage

Sargent was highly educated and trained in the medical professional. He had ten years of his early schooling in English public school and two years in grammar school in Newport I. O. W., England (1891-1902).¹⁰ He attended Dunscombe Hall College, London (1902-1905).¹¹ In 1907, at the age of fourteen, he went to Battle Creek College, in Michigan, United States to receive medical training. Between 1907-1909,¹² he was under the supervision of Dr. J. H. Kellogg. After two years, between 1909-1911, he moved to St. Helena Sanitarium, in California, America to study nursing. After he took a one-year break in England, he returned to California in 1912¹³and became a registered nurse in 1914.¹⁴

He had also earned a diploma of medical technology from the College of Medical Technologists, Chicago.¹⁵ Besides medical education, Alfred had learned two languages by practice. He learned French in two years, Burmese in one year, and Karen (local dialect of Burma) in just six months.¹⁶

Alfred was married to Eda Frances Winslow, a graduate nurse¹⁷ on August 18, 1926 in Oakland, California.¹⁸ She was born to missionary parents, Mary Ann Lyle and Herbert Howland Winslow on July 1, 1898.¹⁹ To them were born Mareda (1927) and Winsleigh Sargent (1931).²⁰

Ministry

Sargent was a talented person. He was “an artist, a musician, a carpenter, and expert seaman.”²¹ He labored as a tent master with Elder Gauterau in 1904 at Newport, Isle of Wright, England.²² After his nursing program, he worked as a private nurse in Berkeley and Oakland (1914-1917). ²³ In 1917,²⁴ he went to France during World War I, serving as a medic with the American Expeditionary Forces.”²⁵ Soon after he returned from France, he was engaged in carpentry and floor work in Los Angeles (1918-1925).²⁶

In 1925 he worked with Dr. Homer Rue as a physiotherapist in laboratory and office work. ²⁷In 1926 he was called to serve San Francisco as an in-charge of the city’s medical work in connection with Dr. Lendis, Elder Tindall’s efforts, and the Evangelist Training School.²⁸

In 1929 the Sargents answered a call to go to Burma as missionaries ²⁹ as an in-charge of the Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwaddy) Delta Mission Field until 1935.³⁰ While serving Burma, Sargent was ordained in the gospel ministry by Elders Cormack and Kern during the Burma Mission Biennial Meeting, at Meiktila in 1932.³¹ During this period he was able to organize ten Sabbath School groups, open five outschools (study groups that met on Sabbath and taught reading, writing, and basic math), and baptize eighty souls into the church.³² However, sickness interrupted their service, and they had to return to America for surgery and furlough (1935-1940).³³

In 1940, shortly before World War II, he returned to the districts of Basein and Mysungmyaback, Burma to continue the medical and evangelistic work.³⁴ Sargent was among the last Adventist missionaries to leave Myanmar in 1942, when war broke out, and was the first one to return to his mission station. After the war ended in 1945,³⁵ he resumed his humanitarian and missionary calling in helping the poor people due to the ravage of war.

In 1947 he was appointed as Ayeyarwaddy mission superintendent³⁶ until 1949.³⁷ On February 23, 1949, Sargent submitted a request for permission to return to America. On his request and the recommendation of the Union Mission Committee, the division finally released him from his missionary duties in Myanmar.³⁸

The family served during a difficult period but had endured trials until the end. The family had suffered loss of personal possessions on three occasions. Firstly, the bandits burned their freight. Secondly, when the Japanese troops came, his wife and children had to escape on the last American freighter while Alfred had to walk out of “northern Burma, leading, with the help of 150 head-hunter coolies, 75 refugees, among them 20 invalids.” Thirdly, he also suffered when he had to walk several miles of flooded rice fields, at places chest deep, to help the suffering.³⁹ He was a selfless and commitment missionary. On one occasion he risked walking to the west coast to baptize 14 nationals when the Japanese had just crossed the Salween River. He managed to return just in time to start his own three-months' walk out of Myanmar. Many times he had to also sacrifice his life to treat patients by walking through a shower of bullets or a tribal war casualty at the gate of his mission.⁴⁰

Later Life

He retired from leadership of the Ayeyarwaddy Mission Field in 1949⁴¹ and returned to the United States of America. He served for twenty years in foreign missionary work and six years in denominational labor in the United States.⁴² Alfred and Eda Sargent settled in Sebastopol, California.⁴³ He did not live long after retirement. He died on November 18, 1959, in San Jose, California, United States.⁴⁴

Legacy

Alfred Sargent will be remembered for his commitment as a selfless and self-sacrificing medical missionary and church administrator who served the people of Myanmar. He had a heart for service and mission and persevered during times of extreme difficulties while serving as a missionary. He was never afraid to face dangers and was even willing to sacrifice his own life to share the gospel to the Burmese people. His experiences in the field of mission attest to his high calling as a dedicated and faithful church worker.

Sources:

Burma Union Committee Minutes, Action No. 1947-2686 and No. 1948-2641. Archive in Myanmar Union Mission Office, Dagon, Myanmar.

Nichol, Francis David. “In Remembrance.” ARH, December 31, 1959.

Personal Information Form and Biographical Material of Alfred James Sargent. General Conference Secretariat, record series APPT—XPIF, Record ID 114942, creation date 12, 31, 1950. General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Archives, Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A.

Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. Second revised edition. Washington, D. C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1996. S.v. Alfred J. Sargent.”

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 1949; 1952. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

Notes:

1. Personal Information Form and Biographical Material of Alfred James Sargent. General Conference Secretariat, record series APPT—XPIF, Record ID 114942, creation date 12, 31, 1950, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Archives, Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A.↩

2. Francis David Nichol, “In Remembrance,” ARH, December 31, 1959, 27.↩

3. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia (1996), s.v. “Alfred J. Sargent.”↩

4. Nichol, “In Remembrance,” 27.↩

5. Ibid.↩

6. See Personal Information Form and Biographical Material of Alfred James Sargent.↩

7. Nichol, “In Remembrance,” 27.↩

8. See Personal Information Form and Biographical Material of Alfred James Sargent.↩

9. Ibid.↩

10. Ibid.↩

11. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia (1996), s.v. Alfred J. Sargent.”↩

12. See Personal Information Form and Biographical Material of Alfred James Sargent.↩

13. Ibid.↩

14. Nichol, “In Remembrance” 27.↩

15. See Personal Information Form and Biographical Material of Alfred James Sargent.↩

16. Ibid.↩

17. Nichol, “In Remembrance” 27.↩

18. See Personal Information Form and Biographical Material of Alfred James Sargent.↩

19. Ibid.↩

20. Ibid.↩

21. Nichol, “In Remembrance,” 27.↩

22. See Personal Information Form and Biographical Material of Alfred James Sargent.↩

23. Ibid.↩

24. Ibid.↩

25. Nichol, “In Remembrance,” 27↩

26. See Personal Information Form and Biographical Material of Alfred James Sargent.↩

27. Ibid.↩

28. Ibid.↩

29. Ibid.↩

30. Ibid.↩

31. Ibid.↩

32. Ibid.↩

33. Ibid.↩

34. Ibid.↩

35. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia (1996), s.v. Alfred J. Sargent.”↩

36. Burma Union Committee Minutes, Action No. 1947-2686. Archive in Myanmar Union Mission Office, Dagon, Myanmar.↩

37. Burma Union Committee Minutes, Action No. 1948-2641. Archive in Myanmar Union Mission Office, Dagon, Myanmar. See also Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1949), 195.↩

38. Ibid., Action No. 1949-2855. Archive in Myanmar Union Mission Office, Dagon, Myanmar.↩

39. Nichol, “In Remembrance,” 27.↩

40. Ibid.↩

41. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia (1996), s.v. Alfred J. Sargent.”↩

42. Nichol, “In Remembrance,” 27.↩

43. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1952), 427.↩

44. Nichol, “In Remembrance,” 27.↩