The Faith and Legacy of Missionary Evangeline Louise Antonio WoodEvangeline Louise Antonio Wood,  was one of the sweetest and most caring persons we had the privilege of knowing. Her love extended far beyond her immediate family. She desired to be a grandmother, mentor, and spiritual guide to all of God’s children, encouraging them to experience His love, care, protection, and saving grace.

Grandma Evangeline was a devoted student of the Bible. She studied God’s Word daily and faithfully shared its teachings with us, her grandchildren. She taught us to love Jesus, to place God first in our lives, to obey His commandments, and to honor the Sabbath as a sacred day of worship and rest. Her faith was not merely something she professed; it was a principle by which she sought to live.

Through her study of Scripture and Christian history, Missionary Evangeline became deeply convinced of the importance of all Ten Commandments. She observed that Christians throughout the world generally affirm the Ten Commandments as expressions of God’s moral law, while differing significantly over the observance of the fourth commandment—the seventh-day Sabbath.

Grandma was particularly passionate about the biblical teaching concerning the Sabbath. She believed that the seventh day, Saturday, was established by God at Creation as a day of rest and worship. Genesis 2:2–3 teaches that God rested on the seventh day, blessed it, and sanctified it. For Grandma, these three divine acts—resting, blessing, and sanctifying the seventh day—made the Sabbath uniquely significant.

She often pointed to Isaiah 66:22–23 as evidence that Sabbath worship has an enduring place in God’s purposes:

“And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.”

This promise strengthened her conviction that God’s people are called to honor the Sabbath as a special time of communion and worship with Him. She believed that faithfulness to God includes taking seriously His commandments and following the teachings of Jesus.

Grandma also studied the history of Christianity and was deeply concerned about the gradual development of traditions that, in her understanding, moved Christian practice away from the biblical seventh-day Sabbath. She believed that throughout history, human traditions, cultural influences, and religious institutions contributed to the widespread adoption of Sunday as the principal day of Christian worship.

She frequently referred to the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who in A.D. 321 issued a civil decree concerning Sunday rest. The decree was an important historical development in the growing prominence of Sunday observance within the Roman Empire. However, Sunday observance did not originate solely with Constantine, nor did his decree simply constitute a universal Christian command to worship on Sunday. Rather, the historical development of Sunday observance occurred over a much longer period and involved a combination of religious, cultural, and political influences.

Missionary Evangeline believed that these historical developments contributed to confusion regarding the biblical Sabbath. Her conviction was that Christians should examine these matters for themselves through sincere study of Scripture rather than simply accepting religious traditions because they are longstanding or widely practiced.

She also understood the great controversy between Christ and Satan as a central theme of Scripture. She believed that Satan’s rebellion against God and the spread of sin throughout human history have resulted in humanity’s departure from many of God’s revealed principles. For Grandma, the Sabbath was therefore much more than a day on a calendar—it represented God’s authority as Creator and a weekly reminder of humanity’s relationship with Him.

Her teachings were rooted in the conviction that genuine love for Jesus should be demonstrated through obedience. Jesus declared:

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” — John 14:15

Grandma Evangeline took these words seriously. She believed that obedience was not a means of earning salvation, but a loving response to God’s grace and to the salvation offered through Jesus Christ.

Her life and teaching remind us that faith should lead us to search the Scriptures, follow Christ, honor God’s commandments, and share His love with others. Her desire was never simply that people would know about the Sabbath; she wanted them to know the God who created the Sabbath and, above all, to know and love Jesus Christ.

That is part of Grandma Evangeline’s enduring legacy: to love God, study His Word, obey His commandments, honor His Sabbath, and lead others toward the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Article written by the grandchildren Evangeline Antonio Wood.