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Leila and Arthur Mountain, 1922.

From the collection of Julie and Barry Oliver.

Mountain, Arthur, Jr. (1890–1975) and Leila (Minchin) (d. 1946); later Thora (Thomsen) (1914–1965)

By Milton Hook

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Milton Hook, Ed.D. (Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, the United States). Hook retired in 1997 as a minister in the Greater Sydney Conference, Australia. An Australian by birth Hook has served the Church as a teacher at the elementary, academy and college levels, a missionary in Papua New Guinea, and as a local church pastor. In retirement he is a conjoint senior lecturer at Avondale College of Higher Education. He has authored Flames Over Battle Creek, Avondale: Experiment on the Dora, Desmond Ford: Reformist Theologian, Gospel Revivalist, the Seventh-day Adventist Heritage Series, and many magazine articles. He is married to Noeleen and has two sons and three grandchildren.

Arthur Mountain, Jr. spent forty-four years in the service of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, twenty-nine of them in mission work in Asia. He trained as a teacher, but worked as a literature evangelist, minister, business manager, treasurer, and mission president.

Early Years and Training

Arthur Mountain was born on May 28, 1890, in Wellington, New Zealand,1 to Arthur and Ellen Mountain. He had two siblings, Edgar and Nellie. His parents had accepted the Advent message prior to his birth.2 He was, therefore, raised as a Seventh-day Adventist. His father was placed in charge of the New Zealand literature evangelism ministry3 and later moved to South Australia.

It was during the family’s brief stay in South Australia that Ellen Mountain became weakened with tuberculosis and died at their home in Walkerville, suburban Adelaide, on July 5, 1906.4 Arthur Mountain’s father was transferred to the Australasian Union Conference headquarters at Wahroonga, New South Wales, where served as treasurer.5 He married Mary Pallant in 1907,6 but Arthur Mountain, Jr. was only at home for another eighteen months before he left to board at the Avondale School for Christian Workers, Cooranbong, New South Wales, in order to qualify as a teacher. He graduated in 1910.7 Instead of taking up the teaching profession, he adopted his father’s former work as a literature evangelist. For two years, 1911 and 1912, he sold Heralds of the Morning and Great Controversy in New South Wales. His sales figures were commendable8 and in 1913 he returned to his alma mater and graduated from the missionary course.9 This set the direction for the rest of his career.

Mission Service

At the annual council of the Australian Union Conference, which met at the end of September and beginning of October 1913, Mountain was appointed to China as a literature evangelist in response to an urgent call from the General Conference.10 He married Leila Minchin and they sailed from Sydney on July 29, 1914, aboard the St. Albans,11 but had to transfer to a Japanese ship for a safer voyage because of the outbreak of war between European powers. Travelling with them was Arthur Mountain’s sister and brother-in-law, Nellie and Harold Blunden, also on their way to China as literature evangelists.12 They all arrived without further incident.

Mountain was directed to work in the South China Mission with headquarters in Canton, Guangdong Province.13 He learned the Cantonese language and eventually Chinese Mandarin, and was soon placed in charge of literature evangelism in south China.14 The political situation in the province became unstable in 1916 as revolutionaries from Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces to the west threatened to overrun Guangdong. On one occasion, the mission officers found themselves in the line of fire and bullets pierced the buildings in their compound.15 Understandably, headquarters were moved to Hong Kong the following year where Mountain tried to continue as the trainer and supervisor of the literature evangelists in southern China amid the unrest. Leila Mountain served as the Tract Society secretary.16 However, the political situation deteriorated further and because of his father’s British heritage, Mountain was conscripted for military training with the Indian army. Leila Mountain and their little son, Vernon, returned to her parents’ home in Western Australia.17

After his military service and a furlough in Australia, Mountain returned to mission work in China, first, as secretary/treasurer of the Hunan (Henan) Mission in central China18 and then, from 1923 through 1926, as secretary/treasurer of the Central China Union Mission with headquarters in Hankow, Hupeh (Hubei) Province.19 Mountain was then called to serve as assistant business manager and treasurer at the Shanghai Sanitarium for three years, 1929 through 1931.20 While holding this position he was ordained in 1930.21 His children were able to attend the Far Eastern Academy in Shanghai.22 Mountain returned to Hupeh (Hubei) Mission as secretary/treasurer23 followed by a return to similar work at the Central China Union Mission once again.24

A Decade in America

Hoping to benefit Arthur Mountain’s health, in 1936 the Mountain family moved to the United States and settled in Glendale, California. They spent ten years as part of the Pacific Union Conference ministerial team25 and a short term at Blue Ridge Sanitarium in Corona, California.26 As an additional benefit, their children, Vernon, Vivienne, and Valerie, were able to pursue advanced studies. Vernon Mountain pursued dentistry. Arthur Mountain’s health recovered but Leila Mountain developed a fatal illness that took her life on November 4, 1946, in the St. Helena Sanitarium.27

Return to the Mission Field

In 1947, Mountain was appointed business manager at the Penang Sanitarium and Hospital, Straits Settlements, a position he held for five years28 before transferring to the North Borneo Mission to be president/treasurer. He became conversant with the Malay language and spent a further five years in Borneo from 1952 through 1956,29 culminating in the building of the headquarters church at Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu).30 He also married Thora Thompsen, who took an active interest in establishing a Dorcas Society in Jesselton.31

Retirement

Arthur and Thora Mountain returned to California to enjoy retirement. He died at Paradise on August 8, 1975. He had authored one book titled Possess Your Soul in Patience, a line adopted from Luke 21:19-21.32 Arthur Mountain’s forty-four years of service, approximately twenty-nine of them being in mission work in Asia, were remarkable for the leadership that he provided and his application to learning the difficult foreign languages.

Sources

“Arthur Mountain, [Jr.]” ARH, November 20, 1975.

Australasian Missionary College Annual Announcement. Cooranbong, New South Wales: Avondale Press, 1940.

“Brother and Sister Blunden...” Australasian Record, July 27, 1914.

Butz, Edwin, S. “Ellen E. Mountain obituary.” Union Conference Record, July 23, 1906.

Chin, Phang Thau. “The Door at Jesselton is Open.” The [Southeast Asia Union] Messenger, May/June [1956].

“Consequent upon the conscription...” Australasian Record, November 24, 1918.

“Distribution of Labour.” Australasian Record, October 13, 1913.

Hare, R[obert]. “Arthur Mountain obituary.” Australasian Record, January 12, 1925.

Minchin, E[dwin] L[ennard]. “Leila (Minchin) Mountain obituary.” Australasian Record, January 13, 1947.

“Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work.” Australasian Record, August 7, 1911.

Morse, H[arry] H. “Far Eastern Academy.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, vol. 19, no. 10, October 1930.

Mountain, Arthur L. “Disturbances in Kwangtung.” Asiatic Division Mission News, September 1, 1916.

“Notes and Personals.” Union Conference Record, July 15, 1907.

Pohan, R[heinier] A[bidan]. “Dorcas Activities in North Borneo.” The [Southeast Asia Union] Messenger, March/April [1956].

Robbins, W[illiam]. “The Closing Days of Another School Year.” Union Conference Record, October 17, 1910.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1904-1956.

“Word was received from Brethren Blunden…” Australasian Record, August 24, 1914.

Notes

  1. “Arthur Mountain, [Jr.]” ARH, November 20, 1975, 31.↩

  2. R[obert] Hare, “Arthur Mountain obituary,” Australasian Record, January 12, 1925, 7.↩

  3. E.g., “New Zealand Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1904), 56-57.↩

  4. Edwin S. Butz, “Ellen E. Mountain obituary,” Union Conference Record, July 23, 1906, 12.↩

  5. E.g., “Australasian Union Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1907), 70.↩

  6. “Notes and Personals,” Union Conference Record, July 15, 1907, 7.↩

  7. W[illiam] Robbins, “The Closing Days of Another School Year,” Union Conference Record, October 17, 1910, 6.↩

  8. E.g., “Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work,” Australasian Record, August 7, 1911, 5.↩

  9. Australasian Missionary College Annual Announcement (Cooranbong, New South Wales.: Avondale Press, 1940), 51.↩

  10. “Distribution of Labour,” Australasian Record, October 13, 1913, 4.↩

  11. “Brother and Sister Blunden...,” Australasian Record, July 27, 1914, 8.↩

  12. “Word was received from Brethren Blunden...,” Australasian Record, August 24, 1914, 8.↩

  13. E.g., “South China Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1915), 130.↩

  14. “Arthur Mountain, [Jr.],” ARH, November 20, 1975, 31.↩

  15. Arthur L. Mountain, “Disturbances in Kwangtung,” Asiatic Division Mission News, September 1, 1916, 4.↩

  16. “South China Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1917), 156-157.↩

  17. “Consequent upon the conscription...,” Australasian Record, November 25, 1918, 8.↩

  18. E.g., “Hunan Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1921), 105.↩

  19. E.g., “Central China Union Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1923), 122.↩

  20. E.g., “Shanghai Sanitarium,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1929), 334.↩

  21. “Arthur Mountain, [Jr.]” ARH, November 20, 1975, 31.↩

  22. H[arry] H. Morse, “Far Eastern Academy,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, October 1930, 15.↩

  23. E.g., “Hupeh Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1933), 100.↩

  24. “Central China Union Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1935), 100.↩

  25. E.g., “Pacific Union Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1937), 51-52.↩

  26. “Ministerial Directory,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1938), 399.↩

  27. E[dwin] L[ennard] Minchin, “Leila (Minchin) Mountain obituary,” Australasian Record, January 13, 1947, 7.↩

  28. E.g., “Penang Sanitarium and Hospital,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1947), 281.↩

  29. E.g., “North Borneo Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1952), 112.↩

  30. Phang Thau Chin, “The Door at Jesselton is Open,” The [Southeast Asia Union] Messenger, May/June [1956], 1-2.↩

  31. R[heinier] A[bidan] Pohan, “Dorcas Activities in North Borneo,” The [Southeast Asia Union] Messenger, March/April [1956], 5-6.↩

  32. “Arthur Mountain, [Jr.],” ARH, November 20, 1975, 31.↩

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Hook, Milton. "Mountain, Arthur, Jr. (1890–1975) and Leila (Minchin) (d. 1946); later Thora (Thomsen) (1914–1965)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. June 01, 2020. Accessed September 21, 2020. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8AWC.

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Hook, Milton. "Mountain, Arthur, Jr. (1890–1975) and Leila (Minchin) (d. 1946); later Thora (Thomsen) (1914–1965)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. June 01, 2020. Date of access September 21, 2020, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8AWC.

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Hook, Milton (2020, June 01). Mountain, Arthur, Jr. (1890–1975) and Leila (Minchin) (d. 1946); later Thora (Thomsen) (1914–1965). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved September 21, 2020, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8AWC.

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