The Lord saw in His mercy to lay our dear Brother Sigmund Gutknecht to rest on September 2, 2011, in Roetgen, Germany. This faithful warrior of the cross was born in Radomsko, Poland, on September 15, 1918.
Sigmund Gutknecht grew up in a Lutheran family, and at an early age, felt in his heart the desire to serve the Lord. When he was 18 years old he came into contact with the Seventh-Day Adventist church, and worked as a canvasser for several years. During the Second World War he went through many experiences which are recorded in the book, he narrated, “Never Alone”.
After the Second World War, while he was living in his parent’s country of origin (Germany), Brother Gutknecht came into contact with the Reform Move-ment. He accepted the message with great joy and immediately prepared himself to enter the Mission School in Baden, Wüttenberg.
He became a canvasser and continued this blessed work together with his wife, Sister Margareta, with whom he was happily married until the Lord laid her to rest in June 2001.
Brother Gutknecht and his wife worked actively to spread the message of salvation and many are the souls who accepted Christ as their personal Saviour from their labours. In 1966, Brother Gutknecht became president of the General Conference, in which office he served for 27 years. He also taught in the mission school in Hungary for many years.
Brother Sigmund Gutknecht will be missed by his biological and spiritual family. He was loved and respected very much as a great man of God, a man of great faith. Soon we will meet him once more on the resurrection morning.