When one of the earlier missionaries and his family came down from the interior of China to Hong Kong with his family for a little vacation trip they were introduced to the new recruits who had just recently arrived in September of 1917. Their names were Denton and Florence Rebok. When the little girl heard the name Florence, she looked up at the beautiful face of Mrs. Rebok and said, "My name is Florence too.” From that time on, for the next 23 years in China and many years of close friendship in America the daughter was called Little Florence and Mrs. Rebok, Big Florence. Many are the happy memories that linger from the days spent with the Reboks in their home in Hong Kong and playing with their children, Edward and Jean.
Denton was born in Newbury, Pennsylvania in 1897 and at the age of 10 became a Seventh-day Adventist. Upon finishing high school his family decided to move closer to Washington D. C. so he could enter Washington Missionary College. Here he met a schoolmate by the name of Florence Kneeland who had been born in British Guiana where her parents were Adventist Missionaries.
During Denton's senior year, he was approached by Elder I. H. Evans to go to China as a worker for God. Together Denton and Florence decided that God's way, wherever it might lead was the way they wanted to go. On May 28, 1917 they were married and on August 2 of the same year were on board the Empress of Russia bound for China.
The young newlyweds were to go to Swatow, in the Kwangtung Province. This was a port city between Hong Kong and Shanghai. Elder J. P. Anderson and Pastor Ang Tsz-Kieh were there to meet them. Soon they arrived at the mission compound which was near the railway station on the other side of a canal which flowed right in front of the homes. There were 2 buildings on the property each being two stories high. Downstairs were the kitchen, dining room, living room, and study and three bedrooms upstairs.
The Reboks would share the house with the Andersons, who had two little girls. Denton and Florence were given the study downstairs and the bedroom just above it. (Nine years later this same bedroom would be Little Florence's room for 3 years.) On the right side of the compound was a fish oil processing plant. And on the left a kiln where lime was made from sea-shells. The odor were terrific, I can assure you!
All day and night sampans were moving on the canal and coolies were unloading the cargo onto the wharfs by the railway depot. There was no privacy for the Reboks. And the worst was still to be heard. One morning before dawn they were rudely awakened by the noise from a bugle blowing and followed by gun firing. They later learned that in back of the compound about a half a mile distance was the criminal execution grounds. The bodies would be left on the site for many hours before burial was permitted.
They also encountered an earthquake and a civil war. The missionaries were forced to flee through a barrage of flying bullets and seek safety in the city for five days. They were wondering where to find a place to live during the fighting when a very wealthy gentleman stepped up to them and offered his palatial home which was very close to the church. These are some of the circumstances that the Reboks were called to labor under, but which prepared them for many worse conditions in later years.
After being in Swatow for one year, a call came from F. H. De Vinney, the president of the Union, to transfer the Reboks to Hong Kong, he to be the publishing, educational, young peoples and home missionary secretary of the South China Union. What an assignment! But that is what the early missionaries had to do, be “Jack of all Trades.” This assignment was done very beautifully by Denton. Many new ideas were tried as he learned the Chinese way of adopting American life styles to the Oriental.
Another year passed since their coming to China when Elder 1. H. Evans, who was now the Division president, visited the Reboks in their home in Kowloon. As the two men visited, Elder Evans said, “1 want you to do something special for the China Division. I want you to become the president of our college in China.” This meant transferring again to a new area and new language. Their home would be in Shanghai.
Many thoughts ran through his mind. What kind of a school should it be? He spent much time studying Mrs. E. G. White's books, Counsels to Teachers, Education and Fundamentals of Christian Education. He came to the conclusion that these principles should be the blueprint for the new school. "We must build our college as close as possible to the instructions of these books.”he vowed. "Not only the head, but the heart and the hand must be educated."
How could it be done in a land like China? Again he would have to change the views of Chinese education. This was well demonstrated as the Shanghai Missionary College took shape. Industries were set up where the students could earn money to pay for their tuition and at the same time learn a trade for future years. Also the school was able to sell the things they manufactured and then pay for the application expenses of the school.
Mr. Rebok was not satisfied with the location. He felt it should be out in the country away from a large center like Shanghai. Also he believed that it would be much better to have it a boarding institution where the faculty could have more influence upon the young people.
Land of one hundred and twenty-five acres of hills and green valley overlooking the Yangtze River, 160 miles from Shanghai and 30 miles from Nanking, was purchased. Here with much effort Mr. Rebok built a model school. It was named the China Training Institute. The reputation of the college spread far and wide. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek made an official request to have an exact duplicate of the school made in Nanking and a faculty member from our school be sent to operate it. Dr. Paul Quimby was chosen for this position and moved to Nanking to live. The Generalissimo was so pleased he laid plans for another similar institution be built near their summer home. However the Japanese war prevented its construction.
Mr. Rebok's dreams had been fulfilled. A beautiful college stood as a beacon of light shining across the land of China, from Chiao Tou Tseng. As the rumors of war became more ominous a Medical Cadet Training course was added to the curriculum of the college. J. H. Effenberg had been an officer in the German army during World War I. A total of 25 young men enrolled in the courses and Prof. Effenberg became an excellent teacher. When war began many of these students were drafted into the army to fight against the Japanese invaders. The school was soon taken over by the Japanese troops. Looted and burned to the ground until nothing remained but memories of the dear old school. Still many of the young folk remained faithful to the truths they learned and when the missionaries had to leave China, during the Japanese invasion and World War II, they carried on the mission program and kept the torch of light burning in China to this day.
Elder Rebok had to leave occupied China and move up to Chungking. Here he and Ezra Longway with a handful of workers carried on until the Communistic government took over all China. Many were the miraculous stories that were written of God's guiding hand of deliverance over His church during those trying war years.
The Rebok's furlough was due so in June, 1940 he and his family returned to the United States. He taught at Washington Missionary College and at La Sierra College. He was president of Southern Missionary College and the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. He served as chairman of the Ellen G. White Publication Board, and secretary of the General Conference and later served the General Conference as a General Field Secretary.
He passed to his rest in 1984 being 87 years of age. His memory will long live in the hearts of the Chinese people he so much loved.