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Mission전 원동지회장 엘드리지 목사 별세
(원동지회: Far Eastern Division - 북아시아태평양지회의 전신)
(원동지회: Far Eastern Division - 북아시아태평양지회의 전신)
BY DON ROTH
여러해 동안 선교사와 교회 행정자요 또한 전쟁포로였던 94세의 폴 허버트 엘드리지 목사가 94세를 일기로 오랜 투병 끝에 로마린다에서 잠들었다.
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엘드리지 목사는 40년 동안 제칠일안식일예수재림교회에서 목사와 교사와 행정자로 봉사했으며, 전 원동지회장을 역임했다.
필리핀에서는 공습과 총격과 기아 속에서 생명의 위협을 느끼는 경험을 했다. 그의 악몽같은 시간은 진주만이 습격을 당한 다음 날이 1941년 12월 8일에 시작되었다. 이날부터 일본군은 필리핀에 폭탄을 투하하기 시작했으며 몇 주일 동안 계속되었다..
엘드리지 목사 가족은 마닐라 북쪽에 위치한 휴양도시인 바기오(Baguio)로 가서 다른 선교사들과 함께 국제적인 문제가 안정되기를 기다리고 있었다. 그러나 미국과 일본이 긴장 관계가 지속되자 교회의 지도자들은 일본에 있는 선교사 가족들을 필리핀으로 철수시켰다. 필리핀이 보다 안전한 곳으로 판단하고 기회가 되면 미국으로 철수시킬 생각이었기 때문이다.
그러는 동안 일본군은 진주만을 폭격하고 마닐라와 싱가폴과 홍콩과 극동 지방의 도시들을 공격했다. 한 때 엘드리지 목사는 마닐라에 있었고 가족들은 보다 안전한 장소인 바기오에 있었다. 결국 가족들이 다시 만나 전에 우리 대학이 있었던 산토 토마스(Santo Tomas)로 갔으며 여러 나라와 여러 교단에서 온 500명의 선교사들이 감금되었다.
그러는 동안 일본군은 진주만을 폭격하고 마닐라와 싱가폴과 홍콩과 극동 지방의 도시들을 공격했다. 한 때 엘드리지 목사는 마닐라에 있었고 가족들은 보다 안전한 장소인 바기오에 있었다. 결국 가족들이 다시 만나 전에 우리 대학이 있었던 산토 토마스(Santo Tomas)로 갔으며 여러 나라와 여러 교단에서 온 500명의 선교사들이 감금되었다.
처음에 전쟁포로 수용소에 들어갈 때는 기껏해야 며칠 정도만 있으면 된다고 들었지만 이 며칠 동안이 3년 동안의 감금의 시작에 불과했다. 전쟁포로들은 가능한 한 정상적인 생활을 하려고 노력했지만 여건은 만만치 않았다.
구원은 미군이 일본군 진영을 공격하기 시작한 1945년 2월 23일에 찾아왔다. 공수부대원들이 일본군 진영에 착륙하여 한 시간 동안 전투를 벌이는 사이 선교사들은 일본군 저격수을 피하여 안전하게 트럭에 올라탔다. 미군 당국이 선교사 가족들과 비종교단체의 사람들을 미국으로 배로 후송하기 몇 주일 전에 일어난 일이었다.
구원은 미군이 일본군 진영을 공격하기 시작한 1945년 2월 23일에 찾아왔다. 공수부대원들이 일본군 진영에 착륙하여 한 시간 동안 전투를 벌이는 사이 선교사들은 일본군 저격수을 피하여 안전하게 트럭에 올라탔다. 미군 당국이 선교사 가족들과 비종교단체의 사람들을 미국으로 배로 후송하기 몇 주일 전에 일어난 일이었다.
전쟁이 끝난 후 교회지도자들은 엘드리지 목사에게 일본으로 귀환하여 교회를 재건하는 일을 돕도록 요구했다. 엘드리지 목사와 레타 사모(Retha)는 선교사로서 20년간을 일본에서 보냈다. 그에게 주어진 임무는 라디오 프로그램을 준비하는 일이었다. 그의 언어능력은 탁월하여 대부분의 일본인 청취자들이 이 방송의 진행자가 일본인일 것으로 생각했다.
1966년, 엘드리지 목사는 싱가폴에 사무실을 두고 있던 원동지회(Far Eastern Division) 지회장으로 선출되었다. 원동지회는 이후에 아시아태평양지회로 개명한 뒤에 북아시아태평양지회와 남아시아태평양지회로 나뉘어졌다.
1975년에 은퇴한 엘드리지 목사는 일선목회와 원목으로서 바쁜 나날을 보냈다. 1990년 57년 동안 함께 살아온 사모의 별세 후에 엘드리지 목사는 에블린 데이비스(Evelyn Davies)와 재혼한 후 로마린다 지역으로 이사했다.
엘드리지 목사의 추모예배는 3월 21일 레드랜즈에 있는 코트너 장례식장((Cortner Funeral Home in Redlands)에서 드릴 예정이다.
유가족으로는 사모인 에블린과 아들 래리, 스테파노스 더글라스, 데이빗과 로져, 의붓딸 도로시, 19명의 손자들, 12명의 증손자들, 두 명의 고손자들이 있다.
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김숙영
Death of Former FED President Paul Eldridge
Don A. Roth <donaroth@verizon.net> February 13:
Elder Paul Herbert Eldridge, 94, a long-time Far Eastern Division worker and former president, who spent the World War II years in an internment camp in the Philippines, has died.
After a long illness, Elder Eldridge died on Thursday morning, February 12, at the board and care home where he and his wife Evelyn lived. Memorial services will be held on Sabbath afternoon, March 21, 3:00 p.m., at the Cortner Funeral Home chapel in Redlands. A former Japan Union Mission co-worker, Pastor Lou Venden, will give the homily.
Elder Eldridge was a pastor, teacher, and administrator during his 40 years of service with the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. After retirement in 1975, he served on a voluntary basis as an associate pastor, lecturer, and church administrator. He has lived in the Inland Empire for the past 17 years.
Air raids, gunfire, and starvation were just a few life-threatening experiences Paul Eldridge faced as a prisoner of war in the Republic of the Philippines.
When relations between the USA and Japan became strained during the waning months of 1941, church officials recommended that the missionary family in Japan be evacuated to the Philippines where they expected to be safe until arrangements could be made to send them to the USA.
The family was taken into Japanese custody when he was just 27 years of age while he was living in the Philippines after spending four-and-one-half years in Japan as a missionary.
His wife Retha and two young children also suffered through three years of incarceration, the last portion of which was in the Los Banos Internment Camp south of Manila.
Eldridge's nightmare began December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked. The Japanese began dropping bombs on the Philippines, and this continued for weeks.
The Eldridge family was sent to Baguio, a mountain resort area north of Manila, where they joined other Adventist missionaries in waiting out events of the international conflict.
When relations between the USA and Japan became strained during the waning months of 1941, church officials recommended that the missionary family in Japan be evacuated to the Philippines where they expected to be safe until arrangements could be made to send them to the USA.
In the meantime, the Japanese raided Pearl Harbor and then made plans to sweep south to Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong, and other East Asia cities. At one time Pastor Eldridge was situated in Manila trying to do his work while the family was in a safer place in Baguio.
Eventually the families were reunited and then sent to Santo Tomas, a former university, where Eldridge and five hundred other missionaries from many nations and denominations were incarcerated.
When they first went to the camp, they were told they would be there for only a few days, but those few days turned into three years, two and one-half of which were under house arrest.
Due to the length of their stay in the camps, the prisoners tried to make life as normal as possible.
They had some school supplies, so adults would serve as teachers and classes were held every weekday. The children also got together for recreation and played sports daily.
The Eldridge children included Norma, now deceased, and Larry, now living in the Chicago, Illinois area.
Although they tried to live a normal life, conditions were harsh. The prisoners had to construct makeshift toilets and showers. The group had little food; prisoners were served two small meals a day.
They also dealt with dehydration due to salt deprivation. Many became ill, and many contracted malaria. Salvation came on February 23, 1945, when American soldiers began attacking the Japanese camps. Although the camp was under heavy fire, the military managed to get all of the prisoners to safety.
The paratroopers landed at the camp, and the shooting began. After an hour, the soldiers were able to take them past Japanese snipers to trucks which took them to safety. It took several weeks before the military authorities were able to find shipping that would take the Eldridge family and hundreds of other missionaries and non-religious workers to the safety of the United States.
After the war was over, the administrative authorities at the church's international headquarters near Washington, D.C. asked Pastor Eldridge to return to Japan to help re-establish work. Pastor Eldridge and his wife Retha spent a total of 20 years as missionaries in Japan. One of his assigned tasks was to prepare radio programs for his church. His Japanese language skills were so good that most Japanese thought that it was a Japanese who was doing the speaking.
In 1966 Eldridge was elected president of the Far Eastern Division of the church headquartered in Singapore. In this post he was the spiritual leader of Adventists living in all of the Pacific Rim nations as well as Guam/Micronesia. At the same time he was a vice-president of the General Conference.
His retirement years included part-time work as a pastor in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and then full retirement in Florida. His wife of 57 years died in 1990.
Eighteen years ago Pastor Eldridge married Evelyn Davies, a long-time family friend, in a ceremony at the home of her daughter. Dorothy Marais, in Oak Glen, California and then made their home in this area 14 years ago. For many years during the summers they traveled back east to the state of Maine where the enjoyed cooler weather and family in a cottage by a lake near Portland.
Even in retirement Pastor Eldridge stayed busy. For a period of time he served as chaplain of the senior retirement center in Loma Linda, the Linda Valley Villa. Later they made a decision to relocate to the Villa where the daily burdens were considerably lighter. It as there that he had a bad fall and it became necessary to go to a board and care home on Lawton Street where he remained until his death on February 12.
Survivors that include both families are his wife Evelyn, of Loma Linda; a son, Larry, of Chicago, Illinois; a nephew, David Wilkins, of Yucaipa; five children, 19 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren, and a host of friends around the world.
Mrs. Eldridge can be reached at the Loma Leisure Home, 25010 Lawton St., Loma Linda, CA 92354.