and Mabel worked as teachers at the mission, which opened a school for 25 students in the first week of operation, with lessons being held initially in the open air. By 1907 the school had expanded to 75 pupils and two outreach schools had been established in nearby villages. By the end of Branch's tenure at the mission the school had 112 pupils. Branch picked up the local language and was well liked by his congregation; he formally founded the first Adventist Church in the protectorate on July 14, 1906. Withdrawal Branch protested against the mistreatment of Africans in the protectorate and because of this was characterised as a militant in the local press. He also quickly began to disagree with Booth's Ethiopianist goals. The colonial government's fears were heightened after the 1906 Bambatha Rebellion in South Africa and the SDA, keen to maintain good relations, agreed to withdraw the Booths. Booth was replaced by Joseph H. Watson, but he died soon afterwards, leaving the Branch family to run the mission alone. Despite his opposition to Ethiopianism and his general conservatism, the SDA, keen to reassure the colonial government of their loyalty, replaced Branch with a white American, Joel C. Rogers. Rogers, with experience of missionary work in South Africa and attitudes towards Africans that were more in line with those of Europeans, was considered more acceptable by the government of the protectorate. Branch and his family were in South Africa by September 1907. They found their sons were prevented from attending the Adventist schools in the state as they were segregated for whites only. The family returned to the United States in 1908 as Henrietta suffered from fevers. Later life Upon his return to the United States, Branch was placed in charge of the SDA's work with African Americans in Denver. He moved to Philadelphia in 1910 where he set up the first African American SDA church in the city. This church developed into the Ebenezer SDA Church and established almost a dozen daughter churches in the city. Branch and Henrietta, together with Dr James Hyatt, lectured and distributed pamphlets across Philadelphia. Henrietta died on April 4, 1913; Branch was badly affected by her death. Branch's sons, unable to pursue an education, had left to join the army and Branch was in poor health, suffering from the aftereffects of malaria. Branch subsequently married Lucy Baylor, who was much younger