Emilio Knechtle – The Story of My Conversion

Short Biography

Early Life and Marriage

Emilio Knechtle was born on May 17, 1922, in Zurich (Switzerland) to a Roman Catholic family. His mother converted to Adventism after Emilio, suffering at the age of three from a rare blood disease, was restored to health by an Adventist woman using natural treatment methods. Emilio Knechtle became a Seventh-day Adventist only later in life. After spending his youth in Lugano and completing a banking internship in St. Gallen, in 1946 he emigrated to the United States, where he began a successful corporate career.

In 1950, Emilio Knechtle married Ann Johnston, the fourth daughter of F. Cliffe and Grace Palmer Johnston. Ann was a graduate of Columbia University and worked as a nurse. They were married for 56 years and had six children: Cliffe, Stuart, John, Heidi, Grace, and David.

Career and Ministry

Emilio Knechtle was a successful businessman who led a large corporation in New York that dealt with the global distribution of industrial products and other goods. Attempting to expand the company’s influence into the Caribbean market, Knechtle and his wife lived for three years in the Dominican Republic. During this time, the Knechtles met Dick Johnson, a Methodist missionary who led them to Christ.

Upon returning to the United States, Knechtle devoted himself to pastoral ministry. He served as a founding elder at the First Presbyterian Church in New Canaan. Ultimately, in 1960, he served as co-chairman of Billy Graham’s evangelistic campaign in New York, demonstrating effectiveness in fundraising—he raised a million dollars for evangelistic activities in that city. The following year, he became chairman of the Board of Directors of the Protestant Council of New York, an organization uniting 31 denominations.

Shortly thereafter, in 1963, Knechtle joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In the 1970s and 1980s, he conducted a series of evangelistic campaigns in German-speaking European countries, thereby reviving public evangelistic work in that region.

Later Years

Recalling his conversion later in life, Knechtle stated that although he initially rejected membership on doctrinal grounds, over time he began to have questions regarding certain biblical texts. Extended dialogue with an Adventist pastor in New York, Charles (Karoly) Sohlman, allowed Knechtle to obtain answers to the issues troubling him. However, it was five years of ongoing prayer and reflection that were the main driving forces behind his transition to Adventism.

Knechtle continued his ministry as a speaker at numerous church events, often collaborating with Pastor Sohlman, as well as with other influential speakers such as H.M.S. Richards. His work had a broad reach, reaching listeners at numerous conferences in the USA, as well as in Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

Legacy

Emilio Knechtle’s influence continues today through tape recordings, written Bible studies, and book publications such as Eden to Eden and Adam to Adam. Knechtle also purchased and ran St. Luke’s Boys School—an institution that continues to serve the community of New Haven, Connecticut. Knechtle died at the age of 83 in New Haven on March 16, 2006.

Childhood, Ambition and the Journey to America

I had the opportunity to come to know God in my youth. My mother was a very devout person and always encouraged me to read the Bible. However, at that time, I was only thinking about a career and how to make money. With that aim in mind, I decided to leave Switzerland and go to New York.

When I was leaving for America, I remember saying goodbye to my parents at the airport in Geneva. They were both crying. I was their only child, and they did not want me to go so far away. But I yearned for the big world, wealth, and fame.

My mother put the Holy Bible into my suitcase and said:

– Emilio, please read this book.

– Mom – I replied – I’m not interested in this, I can’t command my heart. I’m not going to New York to study the Bible, but to own one of those skyscrapers, that is my goal, not religion.

I didn’t want anything to do with God back then, although even then I had reasons to show Him gratitude. My mother told me that when I was two years old, I almost died from a little-known disease. The doctors gave my parents no hope that I would recover.

Once, however, my mother met a woman in Lugano who said:

– I am not a doctor, but I will do everything so that your child recovers.

When they came to our house, this woman told my mother that she should give me to God as soon as possible, and then she knelt by my bed and prayed. When she had entrusted me to God’s care, she asked:

– What do you feed this child?

– He eats the same thing we do – my parents replied.

– You must change this. From today, please give the boy only fresh fruits and vegetables to eat. It is also necessary to bathe him often and expose him to the sun. The good God – she said – gave us a great prophet in the person of a certain woman, and through her, He told us how to deal with the sick.

That woman belonged to a small group of Adventists, of whom there were only five in our town at that time. Fortunately, to the astonishment of my parents and the doctors, this simple cure brought unexpected results. After just four weeks, I was completely healthy! Seeing all this, my mother said:

– It was God who sent us this woman.

Shortly thereafter, my mother said she wanted to become an Adventist. My father was a Catholic and didn’t like it at all. As for me, I was completely indifferent to it. And although I knew how my life had been saved in childhood, matters of faith held little importance for me. My goal was New York and I wanted nothing to do with religion.

Success in New York

As I flew over Manhattan—one of the boroughs of New York—looking at the giant skyscrapers, I said to myself:

– At least one of them must be mine. I have to be rich.

I did not realise then that my dreams would come true very quickly, and that everything would continue like a fairy tale. After just three months, I was hired by one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. I was a bachelor, fluent in five languages, and well versed in economics and banking.

After some time, I was sent to Europe for a special course that cost the company many thousands of dollars. There I was introduced to the technology of manufacturing new drugs, after which I went to various countries to establish new branches for my company.

Traveling all over the world, I naturally also stopped in Switzerland. As soon as I greeted my parents, I asked my father:

– So what do you say, Dad? Are you still unhappy that I left for America?

My father hugged me and said:

– I am proud of you, son, the proudest of all the fathers in the world! You have risen so high, and in such a short time!

My mother, on the other hand, did not give the impression of being as happy as my father. After arriving home, she took me into her room and asked:

– Emilio, do you ever read the Bible I gave you?

– Mom – I replied – I don’t have time to deal with that. A wonderful future is opening up before me! I can make a career you haven’t even dreamed of!

When I said that, my poor mother fell to her knees and said:

– Lord, I gave this child to You when he was only two years old. Why haven’t You changed his interests? Why don’t You answer my prayers?

As soon as I returned to New York and went to the office, the director of my company summoned me to his office and asked if I had a tuxedo.

– Of course – I replied.

– That’s good – he said – change into it as soon as possible. The family that owns this company is throwing a party in two hours. The young man who was supposed to sit next to their daughter is sick. So I suggested that you could take his place. Did I do well?

– Very well! Wonderful! Thank you very much.

And so, after two hours, I was sitting among the richest people in New York. It was a party hosted by the Rockefeller family, and I was to accompany their daughter. Around midnight, the greatest artists and musicians arrived. We listened to a concert, and then I finally dared to invite my companion to lunch the next day. The invitation was accepted, and in this way, we became friends.

After a few weeks, my girlfriend suggested that I accompany her to dinner at her cousin’s home. But once we got there, I noticed that the cousin was much prettier, so I immediately turned my attention to her instead.

Just six months later we got married, and I finally had my skyscraper. It was the tallest building on Fifth Avenue in New York, belonging to that family. I had everything I wanted. I just didn’t expect that I would marry into a family that was devoted to Christ, and I didn’t like that.

Every time I came to my in-laws’ apartment, prayer and Bible meetings were held there. Many missionaries from Africa, Asia, and South America came there, and my mother-in-law would say to them:

– You have dedicated your lives to Christ. You have ruined your health. I will always remember you and take care of you for the rest of my life.

One day, a young man knelt beside my mother-in-law. She put her arm around him and said:

– You are called by God. I know you are going to San Francisco now. Here is money for you to preach the gospel to that city for four weeks.

That young man was Billy Graham. My mother-in-law financially supported his work. However, I was not happy about this, especially since I didn’t know this man yet at that time, and my wife, despite being friends with him, hadn’t mentioned anything to me about him.

However, despite the fact that I didn’t want to participate in these meetings, my wife loved me. My mother-in-law, on the other hand, couldn’t understand why she had allowed her daughter to marry me. I myself wouldn’t have given my daughter to such a rascal as I was then.

A Missionary Who Lived His Faith

We went to Bermuda for our honeymoon. We visited several islands and stopped in Santo Domingo. At that time, Rafael Trujillo ruled the country as dictator.

We had a large air-conditioned house there with a wonderful view of the whole city and the sea. After two days of our stay, Sunday arrived. Seeing that my wife was dressed for church and wearing a hat, I asked:

– Where are you going, honey?

– To church – she replied.

– To church? – I asked in surprise. – In that case, without me. That doesn’t interest me.

– Honey – she said – how can you leave your newly wedded wife alone in a foreign country, especially when she did not know the local language. I can’t go there alone.

She insisted very much, so in the end, I agreed. We searched for a long time for a Protestant church, until finally we found one. It was a small Methodist church. When we went inside, I noticed that there was that everyone there was black.

– We’re going back home – I said to my wife.

– No, Emilio, please. They are my brothers and sisters too, come with me.

She led me all the way to the front, to the first pew. All around us sat only black people, and and, to make matters worse, I was wearing a white suit. Never in my life had I felt so foolish as then…

Soon, a preacher came forward and began to speak. What he said made a great impression on me, so I decided to invite him to lunch. The invitation was accepted, and we became friends.

He was a wonderful man, his name was Dick Johnson, and he was a little over thirty years old. He had a wife and four children and lived in terrible poverty. When we stopped by his house one day, I said:

– Listen Dick, how much do they pay you for this work? Why are you sitting here? Your education is probably every bit as good as mine, yet you’re as poor as a church mouse. If you are willing to work for me, I can offer you twelve thousand dollars a year starting tomorrow. I need about fifty new people to work.

– Thank you very much for this offer – he said – but I love my work and I cannot leave these people, despite having so little money.

I could understand many things, but I could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in money. Sometimes I saw Dick, regardless of the heat or rain, driving to some rural hut simply to read the Bible with people. Everyone loved him very much, kissed him, and hugged him. They seemed to be one family. Meanwhile, riding in my air-conditioned, chauffeur-driven limousine, I watched this man and was full of admiration for him.

My Spiritual Awakening

One day Dick came to me and said:

– Emilio, I need help.

– What happened? – I asked. – Do you want money? No problem, I can give it to you. You can buy yourself a car.

– No – he said – I didn’t come to ask you for money. One of my friends, who acted as a teacher during the service, had to resign from this function. Could you replace him?

– You must be crazy! – I replied, completely taken aback by such a proposal. – Me, a teacher? I don’t know the Bible at all and I have no idea what I could say.

– You don’t need to have any preparation – Dick said. – I will write everything on a piece of paper for you, and you will just stand before the people and read it. Please, help me.

Seeing how much he cared about it, I finally agreed. On Sunday, I stood before the congregation and began to read. It was a beautiful story of God’s love for man, describing the plan of salvation for fallen humanity. What I read made such a great impression on me that right after the service I went to Dick and asked:

– Is what I read today really the truth? Is this story really in the Bible?

– Yes – Dick replied – everything you read is true.

– Then give me the Holy Scriptures – I said. – I have to check it myself.

It was incredible! I asked for the Bible myself, and what’s more, I wanted to read it! I returned home and read it until morning. The Word of God fell on the parched ground of my heart like drops of rain. I was blind, but I already knew that God loved me and wanted to heal me.

When Jesus was passing through Jericho, He heard a cry:

– Son of David, have mercy on me!

The Son of God heard this cry, so pressing through the crowd, He approached the blind man and said:

– What do you want Me to do for you, Bartimaeus?

– Please heal my eyes, Lord. I have been blind from birth.

Then Jesus said:

– Bartimaeus, be healed.

And then, a strange shiver went through Bartimaeus’s body. God’s power possessed him, and to everyone’s astonishment, Bartimaeus was healed. When he regained his sight, the first view that appeared before his eyes was the Savior’s face, expressing love and pity.

It was similar with me. I too had been blind all my life until now, and what I saw right after regaining my spiritual sight was God’s love revealed in the Holy Scriptures. When I understood this, I fell to my knees at night and said:

– Lord, if You can change a sinner interested only in money and women, then please do it.

And so, my mother’s prayers were answered. The Apostle James says that the prayer of a righteous person has great power. Pray fervently and patiently for your loved ones who have not yet followed Jesus, and sooner or later God will hear you.

From then on, the most important goal in my life was an ever-deeper understanding of Christ’s character. For this reason, I decided that every day I would devote three hours to reading the Bible and prayer. This was not easy, because I was then the director of five large companies. I had five deputy directors and three factories under me. However, despite devoting much less time to my professional work, it was precisely then that I received a promotion to a very high position.

Learning to Share the Gospel

One day, sitting in my office in New York on the famous Fifth Avenue, I said to God in prayer:

– Lord, why have You entrusted me with such a high position? You know that this is not what matters most to me now.

– I gave it to you – was the answer – so that you could present the gospel to all these rich people.

However, I had no idea at the time how to do it. Fortunately, at the same time—it was in the year 1957—Billy Graham came to New York. He was just about to conduct a great evangelistic campaign at Madison Square Garden, where about 15,000 people came to listen to him every day.

My wife knew him well, as they had once studied together in the same school. After the evangelistic campaign in New York, she invited him to our estate in Venice. When he arrived there, my wife said:

– This is my husband – Emilio. I am happy to announce to you that Emilio recently converted and became a Christian.

When she had introduced us, Billy Graham put his arm around me and said:

– Glory to the Lord that you have converted! Tell me, how many new churches have you established since your conversion?

– Churches? – I asked, surprised by such a question. – I haven’t established any church.

– And how many people have you won for Christ during this time then?

– How many people? To be honest, nobody…

– Then, for God’s sake, what are you doing with your Christianity?

– What do you mean what? – I replied. – Every day for three hours I read the Bible and pray, and I can say that I love God.

– And that’s all?! That means you love God, but not people. God called you to present the good news to the world. He gave you a wonderful, rich wife, you live surrounded by rich people. All this so that you would tell them about salvation.

– But I have no idea how to do it – I replied.

– Really? Then we must change that.

And so, for three months, Billy Graham taught me how to present the gospel to atheists, Jews, or Muslims. He showed me how, with the help of the Holy Scriptures, to present the plan of salvation in a beautiful and understandable way. I had to memorize all these texts. When I was ready after three months, Billy Graham said to me:

– And now go and tell people about God’s love, starting with those who are in your immediate surroundings.

However, beginning with the people I saw every day was very difficult for me. My office was huge; I had several deputies, hundreds of clerks, and secretaries.

One day, one of the directors from a dictaphone manufacturer came to my office. After settling all the official formalities, I finally plucked up the courage and said:

– Could we talk for a moment about something that is very close to my heart?

– Of course, I still have half an hour.

Bible Meetings in My Office

And so, for the first time, I told someone who Jesus Christ was to me and what He had done in my life. I was afraid that I would make a fool of myself, but to my surprise, this man was so moved by what he heard that tears flowed from his eyes…

– You don’t realize how great a value what I heard here has – he said.

Then he confided his problems to me. His marriage was a complete failure. He lived surrounded by terrible people. He was so broken that he intended to commit suicide by jumping from the twenty-eighth floor.

This man accepted Jesus in my office, and then asked if he could bring others who, like him, were in a dire situation.

– Of course – I replied.

And the very next day, he brought thirty-three people to my office! In this way, my office turned into a Bible lesson center. I had hundreds of employees, so I also invited them for a meal during the break. I handed out sandwiches and Bibles to them and asked someone to read the text I provided, and then I asked if they understood the passage. When they didn’t understand something, I then slowly explained it to them in a simple way. Later, clients came who also wanted to participate in these meetings and study the Word of God.

It was a wonderful experience. Many people were converted and gave their lives to Jesus. Some even decided to quit their jobs in order to study theology and devote their whole lives to preaching the good news of salvation.

And so, for example, the aforementioned director of the dictaphone factory came to me one day and said:

– What I learned from you is so wonderful and is so precious to me that I decided to resign from my current job. I will no longer sell dictaphones. From today, my greatest desire is to tell others what Jesus has done for them. I want to study theology and become a preacher. Emilio – he said – today I will go to the managing director and tell him that I am very sorry, but after twenty-three years I want to quit my job to be able to fully devote myself to Christ.

– Well, okay – I said – but he will dismiss you immediately, and how will you support yourself?

Then he, without hesitation, replied:

– I am not worried about that, I have entrusted my life to the Lord and He will certainly take care of me.

So he went to the managing director and told him all this. The director, instead of showing dissatisfaction, stood up and calmly said:

– You have set a wonderful and noble goal for yourself. I am also a believer, I just never brought myself to speak about it.

Then he thought for a moment and said:

– Because you have worked so long and conscientiously for this company, I have decided to pay you four years’ salary to give you the opportunity to study theology at the university.

The day after this conversation, he came to me and said:

– Look at what God has done for me. I can go to the university and study peacefully for four years without worrying about supporting myself. The director gave me one hundred thousand dollars in salary!

I was often moved seeing how wonderfully the Lord took care of those who dedicated their lives to Him.

Practical Christianity Among New York’s Children

When the clergy found out that I was organizing Bible meetings in my office, they began to invite me to their churches to preach sermons there. Once I went to a church where Dr. Norman W. Peale was the pastor. It was a huge Presbyterian church, to which I also belonged at that time. I went to that magnificent temple because I was asked to preach a sermon there. Before me, however, a young black man spoke. He was twenty-four years old and his name was Ben More. This young preacher spoke in such a captivating way that right after his presentation I approached him, expressing my appreciation, and asked what he was doing in New York and about his work.

– Do you really want to know what I do in New York? – he asked.

– Yes, of course – I replied – what you said here was so interesting that I would like to get to know you better and talk.

– Good, I will write down my address for you. If you want, you can come tomorrow, and you will see what I do.

The next day, I got into a taxi and drove to one of the worst and most dangerous districts of New York. When I instructed the driver to stop the taxi, he said in surprise:

– Are you sure you want to get out here? It can be very dangerous.

As soon as I got out, I noticed Ben already waiting for me, who smiled and said:

– To tell you the truth, I didn’t believe you would come here. I am very glad you dared to do it.

Next, he led me down dark and narrow stairs to some basement. He opened the door, and to my surprise, I saw a group of about a hundred of the sweetest children I had ever seen. There were white and black children, Mexicans, Poles, Puerto Ricans, Spaniards, children of various races and nationalities.

– What is this?! – I asked. – Who are these children?

– This is my congregation – Ben answered.

– Well, but where did you gather so many children from?

– Where from? From basements, from streets and rooftops. That was their home; they lived and slept there. I found them in trash cans, where they picked up leftover food. I brought them here, and we live together.

– Well, okay, but how do you manage with so many children, and what do you do with them?

– I will show you right away, wait.

He turned toward the children and said loudly:

– Children, let’s jump into our uniforms!

As soon as Ben gave this command, all the children immediately ran downstairs, washed themselves, and put on clean clothes. Then Ben opened the next door, and there stood six tables laid for a meal. He bought this food with his own modest income. It was modest food, but after three minutes, nothing was left of it.

When the children had eaten the meal, Ben said:

– And now children, come to me!

The children sat around him and me, and Ben opened the Bible and, reading it, told the children how much God loves them and what He has done for them. Then he asked them simple questions:

– Pedro – he said, turning to a boy who had joined them only the day before. – Tell me what the Lord Jesus did for you.

Answering this question, this little boy, on whose body wounds inflicted by a knife during fights were visible, having almost no teeth, stood up and, literally burning with love for the Savior, said:

– I love the Lord Jesus with all my heart! He changed my life! I ran away from home and stopped going to school, but I will go back there!

Then Ben asked another boy:

– Juan, tell Mr. Knechtle what you owe to the Lord Jesus?

The boy immediately stood up and called out with enthusiasm:

– Jesus saved me! I love Him! Now thanks to Him I am a different boy!

He smiled with joy, revealing, that he had only one tooth! And then he added:

– I will go back to school, I will find my mom—a prostitute who is now in prison. I will find my brother who deals in pornography. I love them, I will find them and tell them about Jesus!

As I listened to these children so moved, I said:

– Ben, this is the most wonderful church I have ever seen. Can I become a member of it?

– What? Really? – he asked in surprise. – You want to belong to our group?

– Yes, very much so. I know no place where I would feel better than here, and I am convinced that if Christ came to New York today, He would certainly visit here first.

When I said that, Ben began to clap and sing for joy:

– I have been praying for a man like you for a long time!

The next day, I told all my rich associates, businessmen, and acquaintances about what Ben More was doing in New York. They immediately collected fifteen thousand dollars. With this money, we leased 250 hectares of land situated among the hills in New York State. We bought minibuses and took the children out into nature. We told them that God’s love is also revealed in nature. These children had never before been outside this concrete city, far removed from nature. This trip gave them such great joy that they ran, jumped, climbed trees, smelled flowers, and bathed in the river, like children at play . It was an exceptionally pleasant and moving sight. Then we also prepared delicious food for them so they could finally eat their fill, and we took them to dental offices to have their teeth treated.

In this way, Christ showed me what practical Christianity was supposed to look like. I understood that practical piety consists of giving oneself in service to others. This gave me so much satisfaction that although my bank balance was steadily diminishing, I didn’t worry about it. When He who was the richest in the universe lived among us, He usually ate only very simple food, had no home of His own, nor a pillow under His head, and when He had to pay tax, He had to perform a miracle and tell Peter to take a coin from a fish’s mouth.

The Lord knew that money was previously my god, so just like to the rich young man He said to me:

– Go, sell everything, and then come and follow Me.

So I sold share after share until finally I had nothing left. When I saw hundreds and even thousands of such poor children, my conscience did not allow me to act otherwise. Many criticized my behavior, saying:

– You are acting like a fanatic. You wasted money that you should have kept for your family.

I, however, did not worry about these remarks, because I knew that such self-sacrifice was what God expected of me, and that what I was doing was according to His will.

I firmly believe that soon Christ will return to earth in great glory. How would I feel if at the moment of His coming I still had, for example, ten thousand dollars in my account?

Jesus could then ask me:

– Why did you leave that money in the bank? Did you see those poor children in New York? They have nothing except torn clothes, and you have thousands of dollars in your account, several houses, ten suits, and you say you are My follower?

Among America’s Protestant Leaders

The whole church was of course on my side. I was often invited to speak in various places. Finally, I was elected chairman of the grand council of all Protestant churches in America. I became the chairman of two thousand five hundred parishes and churches. Every week I sat on the council with the great religious leaders of America and wondered why God had entrusted me with this position? Finally, I understood what the purpose of it was. Thanks to this, I became convinced that these great religious leaders had no personal relationship with Christ and did not love Him. For me, it was a shocking discovery back then. When I met the leader of the richest and largest church in America, I found that he had no spiritual connection with Jesus and was as cold as a stone. I also learned about their various sins and immorality, yet on the council they sat with great seriousness and dignity, passing important resolutions.

Because I was the chairman of this council, they were forced to give me the opportunity to speak during various such meetings. Once, I was to speak at an annual meeting attended by about five thousand listeners. Some members of the council expected me to talk about economic matters and financial problems, but I spoke about the Savior the whole time. Representatives of countries from almost all over the world listened to me, but Jesus Christ was always the central theme of my addresses.

Proud dignitaries of the church sat in places of honour beside their elegantly dressed wives. Gray-haired church leaders, doctors, and professors of theology in magnificent gowns listened to a young man who opened the Holy Scriptures and spoke in a simple way about God’s love.

When I finished, most of them walked out without a word. I often expected some reaction from them, but in vain. The simple followers of Christ, however, and in particular the black people, approached me with tears in their eyes and said:

– We have never heard anyone in such a high position speak about God so touchingly and beautifully. We will pray for you and do everything to help you!

Those great theologians and bishops, on the other hand, were usually dissatisfied with what they heard. When I told them once that Christ is God, I was mocked by them:

– You don’t have a theological education, that’s why you believe that Jesus is God.

And when I said that I believe in the visible Second Coming of Christ, they then explained to me that this is a false interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, and that in reality, the second coming of Christ is only a symbol of the United Nations, which defuses the threat of war and stands guard over peace.

I was amazed listening to such strange theories taught by leading Protestant figures at the time. All this caused me to begin having doubts as to whether the community I was in was actually God’s church. So I prayed for God to show me where the truth was. I felt a strange spiritual lack, which is why I prayed fervently that I might get to know a church whose principles were fully consistent with what the Bible teaches.

Searching for the Church That Followed the Bible

And then, as if in answer to my prayers, letters came from my mother:

– Emilio – she wrote – I am very happy about what you are doing, but please, go at least once to the Adventists for a Saturday service.

In response, I wrote this:

– Mom, Adventists are a sect after all. My wife and her family think so, Billy Graham claims so.

I even sent her several of Graham’s books to persuade her to leave the Adventist Church.

One day, however, I came up with the idea to meet with the Adventists despite everything. So I went to a service on Saturday, but unfortunately I heard nothing there except dry theology. They constantly talked about the commandments and about what people should and should not do. Christ was pushed into the background and was hardly spoken of at all. When I returned home discouraged after listening to this sermon, I said to my wife:

– You were right, they have little in common with Christ.

My mother, however, encouraged me in another letter to try once more:

– That’s not true – she wrote. – That was just a coincidence. I myself know a preacher of Hungarian origin who worked in Switzerland during the war, and now lives in New York. I will come personally and take you to him, and you will see that he has a similar understanding of the gospel and the plan of salvation as you do.

After some time, my dear mother flew to New York and introduced me to Pastor Charles (Karoly) Sohlman. However, when this wonderful preacher explained to me what Adventists believe, I was already so prejudiced against them that I hardly listened to him at all and did not accept the truth he presented to me.

Two Years of Unemployment and an Answer to Prayer

And then, like never before, troubles began. Within one month, I was removed from my position as president of the company where I worked, as a result of which I was unemployed. It was a very painful experience.

All this caused me to begin praying fervently to God:

– Lord, why did this happen? After all, I gave my life to You. I spoke about You everywhere. I even gave away all my money. Why do You test me in this way?

God, however, for some reason did not answer my prayers, and for two years I was unemployed. Despite my extensive connections, I could not find a suitable position. I was so discouraged that I could no longer even pray. My wife was also becoming increasingly irritated by this whole strange situation. Finally, she withdrew money from the bank and said:

– If you can’t find a job, then take this money and buy yourself some factory!

I took the money, but at that time I could find neither a factory nor a company for sale.

All this seemed very strange to me. I felt that it was because of me that God could not hear my prayers. I had the impression that He expected something from me, and that there was something in my life that He didn’t like.

So I fell to my knees and said:

– Lord, show me what I must do so that You can solve my problems. Please show me what I have done wrong that You cannot help me?

And then, in answer to my pleas, I heard a voice:

– Go to the Bronx, there I will show you new truths. That preacher whom you didn’t want to listen to is My servant, and he will reveal My will to you. I have heard your prayers and I want to help you. I know that the church to which you belong cannot fully quench the thirst of your soul, because to the questions that trouble you, no one can give you answers, not even Billy Graham. I already wanted to show you once where the truth is, but you didn’t allow it.

Discovering Adventist Truth

I immediately went to the Bronx. I knocked on the door:

– Do you remember that young man who was here once with his mother and would not accept what you said?

– Yes, I remember you very well – the pastor said.

– Now I am ready. Please tell me everything that Adventists believe. Only, do I have to listen to everything about pork, the Sabbath, or the mortality of the soul? I know all that.

When this experienced preacher heard this, he said sadly:

– I think that it is rather I who should apologize to you on behalf of my fellow believers, because it is true that among us there are also those who do not know Jesus and therefore do not speak of Him, but about doctrines themselves. They were indeed baptized, but they have not given their hearts to Christ. Despite this, however, I assure you that God has entrusted us with many wonderful truths.

– If so – I said – then please explain them to me.

Then that preacher began to walk slowly around the room, and I listened. Within two hours, he presented the plan of salvation to me in such a beautiful and deep way that I had never heard anything like it before.

When I listened to him, I thought to myself that my dear mother was right after all. Now I had no doubts about it. I desired to continue these meetings, so I said:

– How much time per week can you devote to giving me further lessons?

– My whole day off – the pastor replied. – All of Tuesday is at your disposal.

So we met regularly, and he uncovered new, wonderful truths for me. This man radiated the character of Christ. After one such meeting, I said to my wife:

– Honey, we had a completely false idea about Adventists. Now I know that they are people very devoted to God, and besides, they have a much deeper understanding of the plan of salvation than all other Christians.

Opposition from My Family

When my wife heard this, her facial expression suddenly changed and she said:

– What are you saying?! That’s a sect! You’ve lost your mind! For two years you couldn’t find a job, and now it shows what the effects of that are. Think about what you’re saying. The devil led you there! Wait, I’ll go right now to one of the theologians we know, and he will prove to you that the Adventists are wrong.

She even brought several of them. They tried by every possible means to convince me that the Seventh-day Adventist Church represents a false religion. However, they couldn’t justify this on the basis of the Bible, especially since every time I went to my teacher, he gave me such arguments that those theologians were helpless, and one of them even said:

– Now, I don’t even know what I believe myself anymore.

These conversations only confirmed my conviction that I should join this church. Unfortunately, when my wife noticed this, she said something I didn’t expect:

– I see that you are so fascinated by these Adventists that soon you will become one of them yourself, but if you make such a decision, then I will be forced to divorce you…

– What? – I asked in surprise. – You could divorce me for that reason? We have six children after all…

– It doesn’t matter – she said. – I don’t want to have a husband who is an Adventist.

Then she took me to my mother-in-law, who had always loved me and was proud of what I did. When she listened to my wife, however, to my surprise she too condemned me and said:

– I agree with my daughter. You dishonour her by your behavior. For fifty years we have been Christians, and now you want to belong to some sect? I warn you that if you don’t change your mind, I too want nothing to do with you.

Seeing that by themselves they couldn’t change my views, they invited their whole huge family, and after a long conversation, they all together told me that if I didn’t convert back, they would disown me completely.

Since they had also invited their spiritual advisor to this meeting, I turned to him, asking for an opportunity to speak with him in private. He was an old, experienced clergyman, about 75 years old.

Together we went to the library, closed the door behind us, and there I poured out my whole heart to him. I told him how much I love Jesus and that I also love my wife and children and do not want to lose them, but on the other hand, I cannot deny what I consider to be God’s truth.

Listening to me, at a certain point this man was moved himself so much that tears flowed from his eyes:

– I am convinced – he said – that you are telling the truth, and I have no doubt that you are still a deeply believing child of God and my brother. Listening to you, I even got the impression as if God Himself were speaking through you.

When he said that, he embraced me, hugged me, opened the door, and moved, said to the whole family:

– You are all mistaken! This is probably some misunderstanding. This man still loves Jesus and lives for Him, and the fact that he wants to be an Adventist should not be of decisive importance in this situation. I don’t fully understand Adventists either, but his wanting to join them shouldn’t be a reason for divorce.

When my wife heard this, moved by these words, she approached him and said:

– You mean he is still a Christian?

– Of course – the pastor replied with a smile. – He is even a very good Christian!

Thanks to this wonderful intervention of God, my wife gave up on the divorce. Satan, however, did not give up, and after a few months, she began threatening me with separation again to force me to stop meeting with the Adventists. She couldn’t understand why I decided to associate myself with this particular church.

All this was a very painful experience for me. Our marriage was actually already broken up. Because I suffered greatly, I again began to fervently ask God for help:

– Lord, You know how great a value the truth You revealed to me has for me, but if I remain faithful to it, I will lose my wife and children. If, however, there is no other way out, then I am ready to accept Your will.

A Dream, Baptism and the Threat of Divorce

And then, as if in answer to my cry, I had an extraordinary and very clear dream at night. I dreamed of Christ, who in a calm and melodious voice said to me:

– Emilio, do not be afraid. I am with you. Ellen White is My child…

When I woke up, I felt great relief. This dream strengthened me greatly. Praying in the morning, I said:

– Thank You, Lord, for this wonderful sign and comfort. Yesterday they showered her with the worst insults, and You have now strengthened my faith, saying that You called her. I was already convinced of it before, but You, seeing that my faith was weakening, gave me a sign to give me courage. Thank You for this.

When I thanked God, I lay down next to my wife, put my arm around her, and said:

– Honey, you are very dear to me and I love you, but I must become an Adventist.

When I said that, my wife started to cry. She cried so much that if someone saw her, they would think some terrible tragedy had happened to her. She despaired and cried all day long.

Then family members gathered and again threatened me and wept over me. When I was going to my baptism, their curses accompanied me, and my rich friends considered me a fool because I was risking the loss of my family, wealth, and friends just because I wanted to belong to some small, poor church. I, however, despite this, accepted baptism and joined a group of Adventists of Hungarian origin, who were the most wonderful people I knew.

Because against the will of my wife and her family I became an Adventist, my wife unfortunately filed for divorce. The divorce case was handled by the largest divorce law firm in New York.

The Accident and Reconciliation

This whole situation led me to a nervous breakdown, and I felt unable to endure any more. Because I really liked skiing, I told my wife that I had to leave for a while and asked her to postpone the divorce proceedings.

I took my three older sons with me, and together we went to the mountains. I skied and, surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery, I talked to God. During one such prayer, I heard a voice:

– Invite your wife here. She is suffering too. Ask her to come here.

So I went to the phone and asked her to leave everything and come, even for a few days:

– Forget about the divorce – I said. – Leave everything, come to us, and we will be together again with our children.

And to my surprise, shortly thereafter my wife was already with us, and we skied together.

After a few days, however, she decided that we had to return home:

– I will go first – she said – together with two of the children and the nurse, and you go with the rest of the children.

Since the roads were slippery, I warned her:

– Drive slowly, the road is icy.

– I know – she said – follow me.

When we set off, increasingly worried, I looked at the speedometer, which indicated 60, 70 and then 80 kilometres per hour. Suddenly, the car driven by my wife spun around and hit an oncoming car with great force.

Because we were driving too close to each other, I didn’t have time to brake effectively, so our car also went into a skid. When we started spinning, I just cried out:

– Lord, save us!

And then, we felt as if an invisible hand gently stopped us. It turned out that we had driven into a huge snowdrift and none of us was hurt, and the car was not even scratched.

As soon as the car stopped, I immediately called out to my sons:

– We’re getting out, we have to help Mom and the children! Pray for them!

We quickly got out of the car to see what had happened. The view we saw was terrifying. The steering wheel had struck my wife’s head, her whole face was mangled, her teeth knocked out, and her jaw severely displaced. Our children were lying upside down, but fortunately, thankfully, all of them showed signs of life.

With difficulty, we managed to extract them from the car. Since no car appeared on the road for a fairly long time, ambulances arrived only after an hour. My wife and children were placed on stretchers, taken to the hospital, and operated on. As for me, I prayed constantly that God would keep them alive.

I was able to see them only after ten days. I came to the hospital, entered the room, and saw my wife. Her whole body was wrapped in bandages. When she noticed me, she said in a quiet voice:

– Is that you, honey?

For the first time in a long time, she called me “honey.”

– Please, take my hand – she whispered. – Now I know that God joined us together.

Through this tragic experience, she understood that God did not want her to divorce me just because I became an Adventist.

– Honey – she said – please take me out of this hospital, these nurses are not nice.

Although I really wanted to, I couldn’t fulfill her wish, and I had to wait another half a year. Every day, however, I came to the hospital and took care of her.

Only after six months was I allowed to take her from that mountain hospital to our estate. I had to carry her into the house in my arms. I bought a special hospital bed with various levers. I laid her next to me, and for a whole year, I took care of her as best I could. My wife was unable to do anything on her own, not even wash or feed herself. For this reason, I spent most of the day beside her, but I did it out of love, not compulsion. Thanks to this, my wife began to love and respect me again. It was a real lesson in practical Christian love for her, which caused her attitude toward me to change.

A Lesson in Practical Christian Love

This painful experience brings to my mind a story that once happened in Scotland. A shepherd was taking care of a large flock of sheep obedient to him. One day, however, when as usual toward evening he was calling the sheep to the hut, he noticed that one little sheep ran in the opposite direction. And every following day, this problem repeated itself. Often for hours he had to search for it. The worst thing, however, was that other sheep began to follow in its footsteps. The shepherd had to remedy this somehow. So he took that disobedient little sheep, laid it on his knees, and with pain in his heart broke its front legs. Then he set them and wrapped them in a bandage. Afterward, the shepherd took care of it constantly. This little sheep ate from his hand, slept under his blanket at night, rested its head on his chest, until finally, through suffering, it began to listen to his voice and from then on never ran away from him again.

My wife too had to go through a similar experience so that her attitude toward me could change and so that she would no longer want a divorce. I, however, did not think about that then, but suffered together with her and waited for when I could take off her bandages.

God in His great love sometimes allows various painful experiences in our lives, because suffering is often the only effective method of leading us onto the right path.

This unpleasant experience meant that, although I am now an evangelist in the Adventist church, my wife loves me with all her heart and no longer thinks about any divorce. Now she accepts what I do not because I gave her a theoretical lesson on the superiority of the principles of my church, but because I showed her the love of Christ which “surpasses all understanding.” This is precisely what Christianity is about: to possess God’s love, thanks to which it becomes possible for a sinful human being to treat even those who hate them with affection and care.

Although my wife is not yet an Adventist, when I told her that I would like to begin working in this church, she raised no objection; she only suggested that we pray together:

– Lord – she said in prayer – You know that I would not have called my husband to this office, but I love him and respect him very much, so if You need him, let it be as You wish.

What a change! Love is the greatest force in this world! People can resist various teachings and philosophies, but no one can resist true love.

Sharing Adventist Truth with Billy Graham

The world’s greatest evangelist—Billy Graham—comes to visit us. We spent many hours studying biblical truths together with him and his brother, who is also a well-known evangelist. My son, who lives in his neighborhood, recently talked with him throughout Saturday and Sunday.

The Lord entrusted these wonderful truths to me so that I would pass them on to the most influential representatives of Protestantism in America. The realization of this calling gives me much joy, especially when these teachings are properly understood and accepted.

Even Billy Graham changed his attitude toward what Adventists teach, and from the time I presented to him in detail what we believe, he has never spoken ill of Adventists again. One day, after a conversation lasting three hours, he even said:

– Emilio, I am deeply moved by what I have heard. Now I actually see that all of this is supported in the Holy Scriptures. Pray for me, and I will think it over once more…

Christ Stands at the Door

In the third chapter of the Book of Revelation, Jesus Christ says to every person:

– Behold, I stand at the door and knock: If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me. To the one who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne…

Jesus stands at the door of your heart and knocks, wanting to enter inside and dwell in you along with His extraordinary love. You can let Him into your heart by inviting Him in prayer and daily reading of His Word, humbly accepting the contents of this wonderful book. If you do so, the Lord will show you the truth, and that “truth will set you free.”

Allow Christ to dwell in your heart, because only when He is in you and you are in Him will your life become the light of the world, for God’s agape love—which never fails and enables one to love even enemies—will become your portion. You will then be ready to welcome Him with joy when He soon comes to our planet for the second time in great power and glory.

Amen.

Source Note

This article was written based on audio cassette recordings during Emilio Knechtle’s appearances in the USA and in the former GDR, where he spoke at an Adventist theological seminary.

 

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