Arthur and his wife, Bertha were early Seventh-day Adventist missionaries to China. He was not only a physician but he was also an evangelist, educator, editor, and an administrator.
He was a graduate of the American Medical Missionary College in the class of 1903, in company with three other physicians, his wife, Bertha Loveland, and Drs. Harry W. Miller and his wife Maude, all of whom were classmates, dedicated themselves for overseas service to the church.
They went to China to open the work of the Seven-day Adventist Church in Central and North China. They also were the first to start medical work in that country. As there was no money in the mission budget, Dr. Selmon himself arranged for the first year’s expenses.
It was a long and weary journey from Shanghai to Sin Tsai in Honan province. Fortunately, they had Eric Pilquist to meet them and help them get acquainted with the country. Bro. Pilquist had gone to China as an employee of the British and Foreign Bible Society in Central China. While in furlough to the United States, he learned of the Adventist faith and he offered his services to the church. What a joy these new recruits brought to the little handful of workers in South China who had been there for a year.
Elder Wilbur writes, “We are rejoicing to have the Drs. Selmons and Miller and their wives in China. But I must add that as these workers will be located in Central China, which is one thousand miles by water-route from us, they will be about as available to the South China work as a New Orleans physician would be to a resident of Chicago. So we say, if the Lord is impressing other physicians to come to China, there is still room.” Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald, December 24, 1903.
Elder J.N. Anderson, the leader of the work made the trip up to Honan from Canton and helped the group get settled. The following year Dr. Selmon was ordained to the gospel ministry and a small dispensary was opened at Sin Tsai. The two nurses who came with them, Misses Charlotte Simpson and Carrie Erickson, were left to run it while Drs. Arthur and Bertha Selmon moved to Siang Cheng to open up a new mission. They were here for the next five years. In 1908, they moved to Cheo Chia Kco in Honan. He engaged in medical and evangelistic work, serving as superintendent of the North China Mission Field.
“The changes of ten years in China are remarkable. We have seen the country roused from its sleep of ages. As the prophet, Joel predicts of the last days, the long-slumbering nations are waking up. “Let the heathen be wakened.” Joel 3:12
Ten years ago newspapers, except the Peking Gazette(a paper which contained only the imperial edits and official appointments) were found in only the large cities along the seacoast. Today, go where you will, you will see the newsboy with his bundle of papers.
Ten years ago, it took great effort to lead the people to see the importance of education for the masses. Now the people are setting themselves earnestly to the task of establishing public schools for the fifty or more millions of Chinese boys and girls.
The difference between eight days travel on a wheelbarrow or in a sedan, putting up at the roadside inns for the night, then years ago, and a few hours in a comfortable railway passenger-coach covering the same ground now, is too great to be appreciated by any except those who have been through the experience.
Ten years ago it would have been considered beyond belief that a city could be found where the people were anxious for the help of a missionary. Today in more than one locality, they are calling for the medical missionary to come and treat their sick.
Surely in these things we cannot fail to see that here in this land is an opportunity that is unique in the history of missions. The way is now fully open quickly to make know the everlasting gospel throughout the length and breadth of China.” A.C. Selmon, M.D.
A new work in Shanghai called Dr. Arthur Selmon in 1910 to take charge of the publishing house and edit the Chinese Signs of the Times.
In 1919 appeared the first subscription book published by the SignsPress in Shanghai. While working as an editor in China, Dr. Selmon wrote in Chinese a book called Health and Longevityon the maintenance of health under primitive conditions. It was translated into several languages and was sold by colporteurs in many countries.
In the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald of July 2, 1914, we have an interesting report of the work done in our Signs Press. It is written by Elder E.H. Wilber, our first Seventh-day Adventist missionary to enter China:
“Although this country has for the past two years been more or less unsettled by revolution and robbers, yet our work has moved steadily forward, increasing in numbers and strength. Thousands of copies of the Chinese Signs of the Timeshave found their way into the remotest parts of the field, and are sure to bear fruits to the glory of God. Our evangelists for several years were greatly handicapped for lack of Chinese literature giving instructions in Bible doctrines, but now we have a book of Bible readings, also a verse-by-verse commentary on the book of Revelation. Besides these, a book on Daniel is just coming from the press. These with our Sabbath School Lesson Quarterlies, the Signs of the Times, “Christ our Savior” and other literature, are proving a great help to our Chinese workers.”
In 1912, Dr. Selmon was asked to be the superintendent of the East China Mission. A dispensary was operated by the Drs. Selmon in Shanghai. The medical work grew and was extended to a small sanitarium in a dwelling house in the residential section of Shanghai. Soon friends were made among influential Chinese, and the Chinese Red Cross Society gave its hospital buildings for sanitarium use, free of rent and upkeep charges for a series of years. Here a large work was done, both for Europeans and for Chinese, and a training school for nurses was carried on. Dr. C.C. Landis also joined them at this time.
How could one man do so much! Next, we find Dr. Selmon as principal of the China Union Missions Training School in rented quarters in Nanking. During the political disturbances in 1913, it was transferred to the headquarters in Shanghai.
In 1912, Dr. Selmon made use of a tent for the first time to hold public evangelistic meetings in China. The same year there was a reorganization of the church work. The China Union Mission was dissolved and the mission were placed directly under the Asiatic Division and were given responsibility for local matters. Dr. Selmon was then made medical missionary secretary of this above division.
In 1924 or 1925, he returned to the United States having served over 21 years in China.He entered private employment as director of health services for the W.K. Kellogg Company and as associate medical director of the W. Kellogg Foundation.The story of his life was written by his wife, Dr. Bertha Loveland Selmon under the title “They Do Meet.”He went to his rest in 1931.