Penner, Jacob Bernard
Person
Jacob Bernard Penner (also Jakob Bernhard Penner) was born on March 25, 1894, at Alexandrodar, Russia. He was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church on September 10, 1910, in the Kuban River. After his baptism he helped to form the first young people’s society in Russia and was elected Sabbath school teacher and secretary. In the fall of 1911, he was urged by J. T. Boettcher, the president of the churches Russian work, and others to attend Friedensau Missionary Seminary in Germany. While at Friedensau, he assumed various leadership roles—room elder, M.V. leader, deacon for all Russian students, Sabbath School teacher, home missionary leader, and at times Sabbath School superintendent. At the outbreak of WWI (August 31, 1914), all of the male students from Russia (22 men) were arrested and taken to a prison camp close to Friedensau for fear of being potential Russian troops. They left the camp some time in 1915. During this time the German government converted the school buildings, dormitories, and sanitarium into a military hospital. Jacob was selected by the school board to become the new Russian teacher because the Russian department had lost its teacher during the transition. Shortly after, he was inducted as head male nurse for the men’s bath and treatment rooms for the year; he used this opportunity for missionary work.
In 1916, he was asked by the East German Union Conference to become the secretary of the Pommeranian or Oder Conference with its office in Eberswalde, near Berlin. While he was at Eberswalde he met Martha Anna Augusta Wuttke, a helpful nurse from Friedensau. They were married after the Peace Treaty with Russia was signed on March 4, 1918.
Penner conducted many evangelistic efforts at Eberswalde, and also later at Templin, Pasewalk, and Prenzlau. He raised up and organized a church in Templin. In Greifswald he made use of his knowledge of the Russian language by translating the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly. Here his son, Bernhard J. Penner, was born on July 17, 1919. In the fall of 1920, he received an emergency call to Stettin (today Szczecin, Poland) to relieve a pastor who was too ill to work. Penner answered the call but had to live apart from his family for a year due to the lack of living accommodations. Due to the unsettled conditions in Germany at that time, Penner asked for a transfer to America. He wrote a letter to J. T. Boettcher, Secretary of the German Department of the General Conference, asking to work among the German people in America. Permission was granted with the understanding that he would return to Germany. Penner and his family left Germany via Bremen on September 3, 1921, and arrived at Ellis Island, New York, on September 17, 1921. First they stayed with his sisters, Sarah Fast and Rachel Penner, and then with the O’Keene family. He sold books in the area to support his family, and he also became acquainted with the churches and people in the area.
In May-June 1922, Penner attended the General Conference Session at San Francisco, California. There he received three different calls to work for the church. He accepted the call to head the German Department at Clinton Theological Seminary at Clinton, Missouri. He arrived with his family at Clinton at the end of August 1922. His duties included teaching preparatory German, grammar, composition, literature, stylistics, and rhetoric. He also served as the faculty advisor for the student body. Shortly after their arrival at Clinton their second son, Jonathan Guenther Penner, was born on September 27, 1922.
Early in 1926, the Greater New York Conference called Jacob Penner to be a pastor-evangelist in the Bronx-Manhattan area. On June 12, 1926, during the General Conference Session at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he was ordained by the recommendation of New York Conference President Carlyle B. Haynes. His ordination certificate was signed by A. G. Daniells, I. H. Evans, O. Montgomery, W. A. Spicer, C. B. Haynes, and Ceril Myers. For seven years he worked in the area of New York City, holding public efforts, doing personal visitation, giving Bible studies, and directing a choir. In September 1932, he was transferred to the Hersey City, Newark, and Patterson Church District in New Jersey. He faced some trying times during his pastorate there. On July 1, 1938, Jacob and his family moved to Brookfield, Illinois, were he became the successor of Klemis A. Offermann in the German Department of the International Branch of Pacific Press. He acted as the editor for all German publications, such as Zeichen der Zeit and Botschafter. He also translated the German Sabbath School and Mission quarterlies plus tracts and books. He promoted the weekly publications and other works throughout the entire North American Division. Jacob served in that position for 23 years.
There came the time when Pacific Press consolidated their international language work at their facility in Mountain View, California. Penner decided to continue doing his editorial work by correspondence instead of making the move west since he was already near retirement age. He worked in this way for more than two years and then retired with his wife to Berrien Springs, Michigan, in December 1959. Even after his retirement, he still tried to stay productive. He wrote on a regular basis for Zeichen der Zeit, and served as part-time teacher for the Russian language department at Andrews University for four years. At the Pioneer Memorial Church he was elected as an elder and became actively involved in the Visitation Program. He served in this capacity for 15 years. He also helped to develop a German Sabbath School Department in the Pioneer Memorial Church.
His wife Martha Anna Augusta Wattke-Penner passed away on March 13, 1975. Afterwards he lived with one of his sons in Gresham, Oregon. He died on December 5, 1985, in Clackamas, Oregon.
In 1916, he was asked by the East German Union Conference to become the secretary of the Pommeranian or Oder Conference with its office in Eberswalde, near Berlin. While he was at Eberswalde he met Martha Anna Augusta Wuttke, a helpful nurse from Friedensau. They were married after the Peace Treaty with Russia was signed on March 4, 1918.
Penner conducted many evangelistic efforts at Eberswalde, and also later at Templin, Pasewalk, and Prenzlau. He raised up and organized a church in Templin. In Greifswald he made use of his knowledge of the Russian language by translating the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly. Here his son, Bernhard J. Penner, was born on July 17, 1919. In the fall of 1920, he received an emergency call to Stettin (today Szczecin, Poland) to relieve a pastor who was too ill to work. Penner answered the call but had to live apart from his family for a year due to the lack of living accommodations. Due to the unsettled conditions in Germany at that time, Penner asked for a transfer to America. He wrote a letter to J. T. Boettcher, Secretary of the German Department of the General Conference, asking to work among the German people in America. Permission was granted with the understanding that he would return to Germany. Penner and his family left Germany via Bremen on September 3, 1921, and arrived at Ellis Island, New York, on September 17, 1921. First they stayed with his sisters, Sarah Fast and Rachel Penner, and then with the O’Keene family. He sold books in the area to support his family, and he also became acquainted with the churches and people in the area.
In May-June 1922, Penner attended the General Conference Session at San Francisco, California. There he received three different calls to work for the church. He accepted the call to head the German Department at Clinton Theological Seminary at Clinton, Missouri. He arrived with his family at Clinton at the end of August 1922. His duties included teaching preparatory German, grammar, composition, literature, stylistics, and rhetoric. He also served as the faculty advisor for the student body. Shortly after their arrival at Clinton their second son, Jonathan Guenther Penner, was born on September 27, 1922.
Early in 1926, the Greater New York Conference called Jacob Penner to be a pastor-evangelist in the Bronx-Manhattan area. On June 12, 1926, during the General Conference Session at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he was ordained by the recommendation of New York Conference President Carlyle B. Haynes. His ordination certificate was signed by A. G. Daniells, I. H. Evans, O. Montgomery, W. A. Spicer, C. B. Haynes, and Ceril Myers. For seven years he worked in the area of New York City, holding public efforts, doing personal visitation, giving Bible studies, and directing a choir. In September 1932, he was transferred to the Hersey City, Newark, and Patterson Church District in New Jersey. He faced some trying times during his pastorate there. On July 1, 1938, Jacob and his family moved to Brookfield, Illinois, were he became the successor of Klemis A. Offermann in the German Department of the International Branch of Pacific Press. He acted as the editor for all German publications, such as Zeichen der Zeit and Botschafter. He also translated the German Sabbath School and Mission quarterlies plus tracts and books. He promoted the weekly publications and other works throughout the entire North American Division. Jacob served in that position for 23 years.
There came the time when Pacific Press consolidated their international language work at their facility in Mountain View, California. Penner decided to continue doing his editorial work by correspondence instead of making the move west since he was already near retirement age. He worked in this way for more than two years and then retired with his wife to Berrien Springs, Michigan, in December 1959. Even after his retirement, he still tried to stay productive. He wrote on a regular basis for Zeichen der Zeit, and served as part-time teacher for the Russian language department at Andrews University for four years. At the Pioneer Memorial Church he was elected as an elder and became actively involved in the Visitation Program. He served in this capacity for 15 years. He also helped to develop a German Sabbath School Department in the Pioneer Memorial Church.
His wife Martha Anna Augusta Wattke-Penner passed away on March 13, 1975. Afterwards he lived with one of his sons in Gresham, Oregon. He died on December 5, 1985, in Clackamas, Oregon.
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Jacob Bernard Penner Collection
Accession
Identifier: Collection 68