history of missions lesson 12 pacific islands - primarily 19th century

Missions History of Missions

Dr. Robert PattonMissionary to Suriname,

South America

The Pacific Islands Mostly done by protestants after

Captain Cook. Initially English Rivalry with the French Roman

Catholics who were there from the time of Magellan, who was killed trying to make them serve the king of Spain

The Pacific Islands Three main groups

Polynesia Micronesia Melanesia

Total population – about 2,000,000 persons

Later Catholics were French

The Pacific Islands They used mission ships with the

missionaries coordinating native evangelists.

Many were killed by the animists who were afraid their evil spirits would be angered by their acceptance - as well as the travesties of some European traders.

There was a constant temptation of falling into sexual sin

There were a number of people movements through the family and tribal units.

London Missionary Society sent 30 men, 6 wives & 3 children to the South Sea Islands.

They sailed on the “Duff”, LMS ship Three places originally settled.

The last was abandoned within a year, leaving only Tahiti and Tonga

On the third location, one man refused to stay after he was accosted by native women, and the other left within a year

LMS ship “Duff”

London Missionary Society sent 30 men, 6 wives & 3 children to the South Sea Islands.

On Tongo, one of the missionaries joined unsaved Europeans, had several wives and lived as a native.

In a war, 3 missionaries were killed, six hid till rescued by passing ship

Tonga & Tahiti

The repentant missionary returned to England and asked pardon

Later Wesleyan Methodists came; John Thomas was successful 25 years, especially after baptizing Taufa’ahau, who became king of the Tonga group and established Christian laws there.

Taufa’ahau, king of Tongo

Tahiti

Tahiti – There was little success initially although a large group of missionaries went there.

The supply ship was captured while returning after a year because of war between Britain & France

Tahiti 3 missionaries “went native”,

others were sick and left. They lost house and printing press, and for a while had to forage for native berries and fruits

Eventually only Henry Nott remained

He persisted 22 years before his first convert

He was primary translator of the Bible

Henry Nott

During a rebellion, all other missionaries fled, but Nott stayed. He had married a native wife, but gave her up, and took one of 4 “godly young women” sent to Australia by the LMS.

His new wife was obnoxious, abused him, and was an alcoholic until her death several months later.

Henry Nott & his tomb in Tahiti

Henry Nott Pomare I was treacherous, had killed

2000 men Pomare II, the son of the original

chief, made a profession of Christianity after receiving guns to defend against the rebels. Although he had been a homosexual, and continued in immorality, many subjects were truly saved, baptized, and lives changed. He was baptized a number of years after making a profession of faith

Pomare, cannibal king of Tahiti

Henry Nott

12 idols of Pomare were sent back to London

Infanticide, cannibalism & war were pretty much eliminated

Pomare II build the Royal Mission Chapel 712 ft long and 54 ft wide – with 3 simultaneous preaching pulpits

Henry Nott, Bricklayer and translator

Nott and others continued to see thousands eventually saved

Samoa also had many saved and a solid Christian church opened

Hiram Bingham

Captain James Cook was killed in Hawaii on his second visit – but contact continued

Interest started when Obookiah was found crying at Yale wanting to learn. A student helped him, but he died. His story sparked interest in Hawaii, and soon missionaries were sent

Hiram Bingham

7 missionaries – 6 couples went to Hawaii – most just married (they met, and were married 2 weeks later, and left for Hawaii two weeks after that!)

Hiram Bingham emerged as the leader

The biggest problem was opposition from European sailors when they could not find women available cheaply for a few trinkets any more

Hiram Bingham

Schools and churches started

Many came to know Christ One queen, Kapiolani, became a

Christian. She had been terrified of Pele,

supposedly a goddess in a volcano. She walked into the volcano, threw stones and sacred berries into the lava, came out and testified of her faith!

Major problem with sexual immorality

Clothing was a problem of luring the men, who were used to naked women

Some missionaries got involved with materialism & commercial ventures

Titus Coan preached often and fervently and revival broke out – 20,000 came into the churches – son-in-law of Hiram Bingham

Hiram Bingham

He translated some of the Bible His son was also a missionary to

the Gilbert Islands and also a translator

A grandson was also an explorer

Queen Kapiolani

This famous queen was saved and changed many things in the country, including infanticide, murder, etc.

She decided to challenge Pele, the goddess of the volcano. Walking 100 miles with 80 other Christians, she descended into the crater and desecrated it, challenging those to accept Christ if Pele did nothing. Many were saved

Queen Kapiolani

Hawaii

Catholics also came – some famous like Father Damien, who worked with lepers until he himself died of the disease. He is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic church

Eventually materialism of missionaries and the retirement of the Binghams led to decline in churches to 5000

Father Damien – before and after leprosy

Father Damien dying & buried surrounded by lepers

John Williams He was saved as a teenager while learning

the work of a blacksmith. After starting to attend church, his life changed dramatically, he felt called to foreign missions and married Mary, going close to Tahiti.

They moved twice, second to Raiatea, the home of the god Oro which was the center of human sacrifice. He worked to improve their civilization, building a fine house as an example

His second ship, Endeavor, was good, and he made 18000 pounds commercially covering costs. He argued about the need of a ship

Raiatea

John Williams, memorial tomb

John Williams He translated the Bible in Raretongo

language He built Messenger of Peace, and trained

native evangelists. The natives, despite limited training, did an excellent job.

He also lost 7 of 10 children in infancy. In 18 years, they had visited every island

within 2000 miles of Tahiti. He returned to Britain for 4 years, raised

money for a much larger ship, and returned with his son and daughter-in-law

Missionary ship John Williams and book of his adventures

John Williams Problems with the natives weary of demands

of missionaries, strife between Wesleyan Methodists and others, and influence of Catholics were major problems

He was finally killed and eaten with his missionary partner Harris on Erromango as he tried to extend to New Hebrides. There were clues that danger was there – no women on the shore, and he did not send natives first. He tried to outswim the natives, but was clubbed to death

His descendents went to Erromango to accept apologies from the natives in 2009

John Geddie

Raised in Nova Scotia as a Presbyterian

Traveled to Aneityium and stayed there with his wife 24 years.

Translated, planted churches, evangelized and trained native workers

Extremely successful work

John Geddie

“When he arrived, there were no Christians; when he left, there were no heathen”

He suffered attacks numerous times but was not killed

His natives evangelized widely despite many trials; many died

John Geddie & Aneityium

Aneityum island, remains of church

John G. Paton Born in 1824. He was raised in poverty and

started working age 12 Converted at 17 as a Scottish Presbyterian, he

worked in Glasgow City Ministry. He was aggressive and unafraid in the midst of poverty there. He had a famous quote from Mr Dickson, who feared that he would be eaten by cannibals

After 10 years of city mission work, he married and left for the mission field at Tanna. They had major culture shock with the natives basically naked. His wife and newborn son died within a year.

John G. Paton

John G. Paton

John G. Paton Native evangelists from Geddie lived a

different life. Some of the natives were so incensed they killed one native evangelist and threatened Paton.

Measles brought an epidemic and 1/3 of the population died

Natives tried to kill him many times; he hid 4 days – especially the natives of the coast, finally he escaped Tanna.

He remarried after escaping Tanna, returned from England with a vessel, and the commodore tried to punish the natives of Tanna

Islands of New Hebredes

John G. Paton

He escaped to Australia, raised money and built his first boat, Dayspring

He moved to Aniwa, and saw a major breakthrough over 24 years

Eventually had 300 native evangelists Retired as missionary statesman,

raised funds and continued translation work, and died at age 73

Tanna – chief & witchcraft

John G Paton

Paton owed much to his godly parents, especially his father

He had an unswerving confidence in God – that he would not die until his work for God was done, though threatened by clubs, muskets and spears

John G. Paton

He was convinced that God could save anyone – example of his faithful helper Abraham from John Geddie

Some others did not survive – the Gordons were betrayed and killed by natives on Erromanga – but later the harvest came to fruition

James Chalmers New Guinea, Scottish Presbyterian. Saved

and committed to missions service in his teens.

He worked for10 years in Rarotonga, and then went to New Guinea. He loved the people and worked freely with them. Worked on translation

His wife died 2 years later. He went on furlough, remarried, and lost

his second wife to illness. When going to the Fly River, he and another missionary were clubbed to death and eaten on April 8, 1901

James Chalmers – “Tamate”

James Chalmers

John Coleridge Patteson John Coleridge Patteson - Anglican

bishop of Melanesia. Well trained, he started as bishop of

New Zeeland, where a big mission was already – 22 mission stations, 50,000 adherents.

The work had expanded after the Maori language was translated with the Bible.

With the influx of Europeans, there was a lot of trouble over the land. Many reverted back

John Coleridge Patteson, bishop of Melanesia

John Coleridge Patteson As Anglican bishop of Melanesia, he

learned 20 different Melanesian languages. He brought native boys to New Zealand for education and to be returned as evangelists. Once he had over 50 students.

His plan was defeated by European “blackbirding” - capturing slaves. The natives became suspicious of his methods

Patteson’s home in New Zealand

John Coleridge Patteson When he went ashore, he did not return,

and those following him were driven back by arrows. Later his body was pushed out in a canoe with 5 marked wounds for 5 men who had been stolen “blackbirded.

His death helped stop the practice of capturing slaves for sugar and cotton plantations, and raised up other missionaries

John Patteson’s body set afloat

John and Mary Calvert – missionaries to Fiji

Fiji had incredible cannibalism, deaths and also killing wives of departed men, and killing before every important event. Men were buried with the posts of the kings house, and crushed rolling out war canoes

The Calverts first task was to bury 80 victims’ bones after arrival

They finally worked on King Tanoa, a bloodthirsty man who ate hundreds of persons

Tanoa, village then

John Calvert then, Fiji Islands now

John and Mary Calvert

Mrs. Calvert averted the death of 5 of 14 victims for a cannibal feast.

Mr. Watson stopped sacrifices at 5 women for Tanoa’s death

Later Thakombau, the son, was saved and 17 years later gave Fiji to Queen Victoria. They saw 1300 churches established! He translated the Bible

Florence Young

Sister of plantation owners, she worked with the slaves, teaching them with great response.

She organized and had many plantations participate. She started the Queensland Kanaka Church. At the peak, they had 17 missionaries and over 100 national workers in 11 locations and thousands of members

After 10 years in China, she returned

Florence Young

Florence Young

Blackbirding was now illegal. She and many family members started working in a mission to the South Seas in church planting (South Seas Evangelical Mission) – at least 10 other family members joining over the next years

Kanaka Church

New Zealand

Samuel Marsden was originally a missionary pastor to New South Wales, ministering to criminals in Australia. He helped develop a place for women prisoners there.

Samuel Marsden was an effective Anglican bishop and reached many Maori for the Lord though he had been a very severe magistrate in Australia

New Zealand

He became interested in the Maori, a cannibalistic tribe of New Zealand who had killed and eaten many sailors

Samuel Marsden

On his one furlough, he befriended a New Zealand native Maori who helped him. He bought a ship, the Active, because no captain would bring him to the islands. He was received because of the young friend who was with him. He also introduced sheep, horses and other animals

Marsden

He made 7 trips to the Maori and gradually many were saved. He transported youth for training in Australian

He was greatly respected as an older man above 70.

Bishop George Selwyn, Samuel Marsden New Zealand

Maori around 1850 and ritual dance reinacted

Sumatra – Ludwig Nommensen

Injured at age 13, promised the Lord to serve him if he was restored to health, and walked 3 years later. After caring for the family, he went to Sumatra under the Rhemish society – German Lutheran

Worked with the Batak people with great success

Sumatra

Initial work was slow, but with the conversion of some chiefs, there was a a people movement and eventually well over 100,000 persons were saved

He trained national pastors and teachers and empowered them

He translated the New Testament into Batak

Ludwig Nommensen

Batak warriors 1870

Traditional Batak house Modern Batak couple