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The
First Missionaries
From The New Society |
To its
dismay, the new society could not find any Englishmen willing or available
to be sent as missionaries to Africa. So, as with The Society for
Promoting Christian Knowledge (1698) and The Society for the Propagation
of the Gospel (1701), the first missionaries sent out from CMS were
neither Anglican nor English, but Lutherans from in Germany.
 "From
this institution the perplexed Committee of the new Church Society,
in what seemed the hopeless backwardness of Englishmen, now hoped
to obtain missionaries....two of the Berlin students, Melchior Renner
of the Duchy of Wurtemberg, and Peter Hartwig, a Prussian, had been
accepted by correspondence...." They came to England and were
accepted as "missionary catechists" for West Africa. The
two returned to Germany to be ordained and were "dismissed"
or commissioned on January 31st, 1804, designated for service in Freetown,
Sierra Leone."....But to appoint men to West Africa , and to
send them there, were two very different things. The only conveyance
that could be heard of was a slave-ship, regularly fitted up for the
trade; but though there would be plenty of room in her until she arrived
off the coast, application for a passage was refused." Another
ship was found, The John, and she "sailed, with other
merchant-vessels bound elsewhere, under the protection of an armed
convoy, and this first voyage of CMS missionaries proved more prosperous
than some later ones, as they reached Sierra Leone safely after fifty-seven
days sailing...."
(Picture: Gleaner Pictorial Album,1887)
The
voyage of the second
missionary party - three men, Nylander, Butscher, and Prasse - illustrates
vividly the delays and inconveniences, to say nothing of dangers,
to which the travellers in those days were exposed. (The journey of
these three, also German Lutherans, involved innumerable delays, being
stranded on the Irish coast, missing a new sailing, being turned back
by a violent gale, losing the convoy, narrowly escaping a French privateer,
being stranded on Madeira and finally reaching Sierra Leone after
more than seven months.)
"Very
early in the history of their enterprise, the Committee of the young
society had to learn by experience how the work of God may be marred
by the infirmities of men. First they were perplexed by getting very
little news of the missionaries. ...then came criticism from onlookers,
that the men were slow at the language and not getting at the people.
Then followed plain indications of friction among the brethren...."
"Of
the first five missionaries, already named, three proved excellent
and faithful workers, accomplished what for West Africa may be called
long service (Renner seventeen years, Nylander nineteen, Butscher
eleven), and died at their posts. One, Prasse, was also excellent,
but died two years after landing. This is a satisfactory record, notwithstanding
that the fifth, Hartwig, turned out badly and caused grave mischief
in Africa and untold sorrow to the committee. He engaged in the slave-trade
and in many other ways proved himself quite unworthy of the name of
missionary."
By
1813, The Missionary Rgister Register reported,
The Church
Missionary Society for Africa and the East "has sent to the Western
Coast of Africa at different times, nine missionaries....and has,
at present, in its employ or under its care, eight Lutheran ministers,
six lay settlers, five English students, various European and other
women and children and about one hundred and twenty African children.
The society is preparing the way for a settlement on one of the islands
of New Zealand. It has authorised a Corresponding committee at Calcutta
to establish Readers of the Christian Scriptures throughout the great
towns of India... An Association lately formed at Bristol, some particulars
of which were given in the last number, will greatly augment both
its funds and its influence and will serve as an encouragement and
a model for the formation of similar Associations.
"The society expended last year about 3000/. beyond its income
in consequence of its increased exertions for Africa; but has every
hope of liberal support from the public."
From
The History of the Church Mission Society, 1899, by Eugene
Stock and The Missionary Register, 1813.
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