In December, 1902 Edwin H. Wilbur and his wife, the former Susan Haskell, both trained nurses, went to Canton, becoming the first S.D.A. workers in China proper. About that time an elderly Chinese returned from America to his ancestral home at Sun Ling, not far from Hong Kong. And there he aroused an interest in the S. D. A. teachings.

Soon after the Wilbur’s arrival they were joined by Eric Pilquist. Just who was this man? Why was he in China? He was an employee of the British and Foreign Bible Society in Central China. While he and his wife, Ida, were on vacation in the United States, they became Seventh-day Adventists. Also they became acquainted with J.N. Anderson and urged him to accept the Mission Board’s call to go to China as missionaries. The Andersons arrived in South China February 2, 1902. Mr. Pilquist returned to China and offered his services to the Adventist Church. He sent a letter to the Board begging for help to be sent to that darkened land.

“Early in January 1903 Eric and his wife were released from the British and Foreign Bible Society and connected with the Seventh-day Adventist Mission and was requested to go to the province of Honan. Mr. J. N. Anderson too was asked to make a trip up to the Central part of China and help Mr. Pilquist lay plans for a new mission station. Mrs. Emma Anderson accompanied her husband and described their trip.

“From Hong Kong we traveled eight hundred miles by ocean steamer to Shanghai, thence river steamer six hundred miles up the Yangtze River to Hankow. The last hundred miles was over the Belgian Railway to Sin Ing Chio, whence we were transferred by wheelbarrow to San-li-ti-en. That is our baggage was transferred. For when we saw the kind of conveyance that had been provided, we, ourselves, suddenly preferred exercise.

“During this visit to Central China Mr. Anderson was so moved by China’s great need, and by the attraction of the wonderful gospel opportunities it affords, that he wrote a long letter to the Mission Board, setting forth the situation quite fully, and appealing for workers and means. This letter reached Oakland at the opening of the General Conference Session of 1903 and Elder W.A. Spicer brought its contents to the attention of that body, thus:

“We have just received a letter from Bro. J.N. Anderson in China. He is in that land of 400.000.000.  We have half a dozen workers there; and Bro. Anderson reports that he has made a journey into the far interior, to the province of Honan, and that he found six adult Chinese ready for baptism. They are men of intelligence, some of them ready to go into the work for others. He writes to the Conference asking if it would not be possible to suggest that every conference in America send one of its laborers to enter that great land that we have neglected these fifty years. It may be thought too much for China’s four hundred millions. “W. A. Spicer, General Conference Bulletin, page 65, April 3, 1903.

In answer to Mr. Pilquist’s plea to the Mission Board a missionary party was on its way to Central China. It consisted of four physicians, Drs. H. W. and Maude Miller, Drs. A. C. and Bertha Selmon, two nurses, Misses Simpson and Erickson. Mr. Pilquist met them and took them to Sin Tsai in the province of Honan. The next year the Millers left Sin Tsai to open a new station at Shang Tsai. The Selmons moved to Hsiangch’eng.

Bro. Pilquist had 6 people ready for baptism and on Feb. 14, 1903 Elder J. N. Anderson performed the first S. D.A. baptismal service in China at Singyangchow, about 125 miles north of the city of Hankow.

In November of the same year, after the group of new recruits arrived, Elder J. N. Anderson made another trip to Sin Tsai to help them get settled. It was then that he and Dr. Harry Miller ordained Eric Pilquist to the ministry, the first ordination service held in China. The next year the Pilquist family moved to a new station at Lo Shan, where with the help of national teachers, and evangelists, he opened a boy’s school. The Pilquists were in Lo Shan for five years.

In 1910 Bro. Pilquist joined Elder A. A. Allum in a big city effort in the city of Nanking.

It is wonderful to see how God had the plans for His work already arranged. Bro. Pilquist knew the Mandarin language and was acquainted with the Chinese people’s customs and ways. Thus he was a great help to all  the new workers who came from America.