Arkansas-Louisiana Conference President, 1943-1948
His Early Years
Frank Donald Wells was born on August 3, 1880, in Bedford, Ohio, to Mary and Franklin Wells. He was the fifth of six children (Ancestry, 2022). Frank’s father, Franklin, became a Christian early in life and united with the Disciple church in Bedford. In 1879, the year before Frank’s birth, it was his parent’s privilege to hear the Adventist message and they joined the Seventh-day Adventist church. Several of the children enlisted in the service of the church when they grew up (Grave, 2008). Frank married Mabel Rose Wells on September 2, 1902.
Years of Service
Frank D. Wells began his career in 1917 as the Field Missionary Secretary for the Western New York Conference in Rochester. Two years later he continued the same office for the Greater New York Conference. Frank went to South Lancaster, Massachusetts in 1923 and was ordained in Springfield, Massachusetts, in January 1924. He served as secretary of the Atlantic Union until 1926, at which time he became president of the Northern New England Conference. In 1932 he became the Southern New England Conference president. From 1938 to 1943, Elder Wells was the Texas Conference president, then served as the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference president in Little Rock, Arkansas, from 1943 to 1948. After serving as a conference president for twenty-two years, Elder Wells served for a year as a pastor at St. Augustine, Florida, then went to Southern Missionary College (now Southern Adventist University) as a field representative.
Retirement Years
Elder Wells and Mabel retired in Takoma Park, Maryland, and after retirement he “spent several years as a representative for the Christian Record. After his second ‘retirement’ he looked for a project to occupy his time.” He wasn’t satisfied sitting around doing nothing so he “became a representative for the Reader’s Digest.” The funds from the project were dedicated to Investment (Visitor, 1966). Frank passed away in September 1969.
Citations
(1966, Nov. 17). Columbia Union Visitor, p. 14.
Ancestry Family Trees. (2022). Frank Donald Wells. Retrieved from ancestry.com.
FindaGrave.com (2008, Aug. 26). Franklin Wells. Retrieved from findagrave.com.
How it all Began 