Missionaries and Their Impact

Many significant and inspiring missionary works have been seen in South Africa and can still be seen. I will only be focusing on the ones that I believe stand out the most.

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/missionary-heroes-of-south-africa-11630223.html

While earlier missions work may have occurred in South Africa, many look to the date of July 9, 1737 as the arrival of the first Protestant missionary. This was the date that the Moravian, Protestant missionary, George Schmidt, arrived due to a request by the Dutch church. He saw moderate success, but other clergy in the area felt threatened by him, and he was ultimately cut off from the colonies. He had a desire to reach the Hottentots (Khoikhoi). Upon his departure, he left a Bible with his converts, and they eventually learned how to read it. It was a gift that kept on giving![1]

“Another auspicious day for South Africa occurred on this day, July 9, 1875 when Ernest Creux and Paul Berthoud, seminary friends, founded a mission to the Gwamba people at Valdezia in the Spelonken area of South Africa.”[2] This duo is perhaps my favorite about which to read. Both men were faced with perceivably insurmountable difficulties, and each man became intimately familiar with unimaginable pain and loss. Berthold lost his entire family (wife and five children) to disease. Creux lost three children and was imprisoned by the Boers. Throughout their ministry days, they were told they would fail. According to the Boers, the Gwamba language was impossible to learn. These missionary friends were undeterred. They set their minds to purpose and not only learned the language but translated the Bible into it!

            In addition to being tenacious, they were smart and did what every good missionary over the years has done—they trained the locals to minister. By training local men to carry the torch of the Gospel, they ensured their good work would continue long after they could not. However, while these men had success, not all missionaries in South Africa were as effective.

            Throughout the 1800’s missionaries of many different denominations and faiths began to enter South Africa. Wesleyans, Anglicans, and even Mormons were seeking to make new converts and gain a stronghold in South Africa. Naturally, depending upon what region of South Africa they were in, the missionaries were met with reservation. “Despite the continuing spread of a missionary presence into southern Africa during the 19th Century, by the time of the Anglo-Zulu conflict of 1879 very few converts had been won over to Christianity” and even fewer to Mormonism.[3]  Africans sometimes fled the areas in which these missionaries were, and new converts were often threatened with witchcraft and curses. This was to be expected. Many missionaries entered the area with no idea of the culture. They came with the good news of Jesus and a desire to moralize the people in Christian values. Furthermore, many missionaries measured their success based upon the people’s willingness to adopt a particular moral standard that hitherto was completely foreign to them. Unfortunately, it was an issue of innocent ignorance and putting the cart before the horse. It is an issue we see to this day. Often those evangelizing give a strong call to morality and try to project Christian values on the lost world. This is ineffective. We cannot expect the conviction we have due to the Holy Spirit to resonate with people lacking the Holy Spirit. While it might bring conviction in some cases, morality never brings conversion. We must introduce people to the Spirit then guide them to understand the Spirit’s guidance. Early Christian missionaries were introducing eternal life and abundant life in the same basket, but they are two very different things, and one does not ensure the other.

http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/missionaries-pondoland

            These missionaries were not complete failures though. More than their calls for morality, their introduction of agricultural land and practices benefitted the indigenous people and softened them toward the missionaries. In a time when whites were taking everything, the missionaries did offer desirable, materialistic opportunity. Granted, they did not realize the potential because they were still deeply focused on making the people moral.[4]

            Missionaries in South Africa brought work, education, and most importantly, the Gospel. By the late 1880’s, Christian institutions began to gain traction in South Africa. As these grew, so did the opportunity for the Gospel. Finally, missionaries were starting to see that measurable morality they so desperately wanted to see.

South Africa is now considered primarily Christian. Certainly, Christianity is a broad term, but it is an encouraging fact nonetheless. Ultimately, though these missionaries saw little immediate results, their hard work and faithfulness would bring long-term success.

             

Bibliography

Cummings, Lawrence C. “The First Missionaries to South Africa.”  Africa Southeast

(February 21, 2012). https://africase.lds.org/thefirst-missionaries-to-south-africa (accessed June 23, 2016).

Graves, Dan. “Missionary Heroes of South Africa: 1701-1800.” (April 18, 2007).

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/missionary-heroes-of-south-africa-11630223.html (accessed June 23, 2016).

South African History Online. “Pondoland: The Missionaries.” SAHO (January 13,

2014). http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/missionaries-pondoland (accessed June 23, 2016).

-----. “European Missions in South Africa: The Role of Missions.” SAHO (March 22,

2011). http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/european-missionaries-southern-africa (accessed June 23, 2016).

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[1]             Dan Graves, “Missionary Heroes of South Africa: 1701-1800,” (April 18, 2007). http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/missionary-heroes-of-south-africa-11630223.html (accessed June 23, 2016).

[2] Ibid.

[3]             South African History Online, “Pondoland: The Missionaries,” SAHO (January 13, 2014). http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/missionaries-pondoland (accessed June 23, 2016).

[4]             -----, “European Missions in South Africa: The Role of Missions,” SAHO (March 22, 2011. http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/european-missionaries-southern-africa (accessed June 23, 2016).