Baptist Herald Is Not a Com Plete History of the Mission Socie Ty, but the Rev
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A People with a Mission Baptist erald Volume 60 July/August 1982 Number 7 & 8 United ..... 4 Monthly Publication of the North American Baptist Conference 1 So. 210 Summit Ave., Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 60181 8 ..... Cameroon Interim editor: Barbara J. Binder Celebrating 100 ve~rs of "iss·~~s This year we begin the celebra tion of 100 years of mission effort Expanding ... .. 12 of The North American Baptist General Missionary Society, 1883-1983. This special issue of the Baptist Herald is not a com plete history of the Mission Socie ty, but the Rev. Harold Lang, associate missions director, has painted with words in a sweeping brushstroke what North American Wherever your assignment has put you, Baptists have done at home and around the world. The Rev. Fred others have labored there before you. You Folkerts, missions director, has have entered into their labor, like it or not. assisted in the selection of photographs. They may not have had the high I. Q. that This special issue of the Baptist Herald celebrates the ministry of you have; they may not have had your Ministering missions and challenges us to con to Minorities ..... 20 tinue "In Jesus' Name" to bring talents, opportunities and your brand of the Gospel to a needy world. Sec tions of the Baptist Herald usually theology, but they were dedicated to the included each month are not ap cause of Christ as you are today. Remember pearing this month, but will return in the September issue. this while you develop your world-shaking It is our prayer that you may let the Lord speak to you as you read plans for your present charge. It behooves us 24 ..... A Look Around of the past and allow him to challenge you for the future. to remain humble, faithful and tactful. BJB "I have planted , Apollos watered; but God gave the Increase" I Cor. 3:6 BAPTIST HERAl..D: Send editorial and businoss COf' rospondonco to Barbaro J. Binder. I So. 210 Summil Avo .. Paul Gebauer, December 1950 OokbrooL Torroco. IL 60181. Send oddross chongos to Ba p tist Harald Subscriptions. I So. 210 Summit Ave .. OokbrooL Torroco. IL 60101. Six wooks notico roquired for chnngo o! oddross. Furnish o!foclivo doto ond oddross label from ro cont Issue. Publishod monthly (oxcopt Jonuory/Fobruory Looking Ahead ... .. 29 ond July/ August bi·monthly) by tho North Amoricon Baptist Con!oronco. I So. 2 tO Summit Avo .. OokbrooL Torrnco. IL 60161. Second cluss postogo poid ot Villa Pork. IL 60181 ond at uddltionol moiling ollicos. Subscription rotas in tho United Stutes und Cunudo: ono yoor-SB.00: two yours $ 15.00 Church Family Plun-SB.00: sin81o copv-S 1.00: foreign subscription-$15.00 onu your Mombor o{ llvungollcol Prose Associutiun. Nows roporlod uml viows oxproseml uro not nocussuril)' tho position o{ lhu Nlll· th Amoricon Buptist Con{uronco. (Printod 111 tho U.S.A.) USPS 042560 . A People with a Mission There large cities were develop General Missionary Society ple with a mission. Who were dent; 55 home missionaries were ing; industry was flourishing; Formed these people? being supported; and 2,191 United and life was more stable. Slowly fears were allayed; All had a German heritage. members were added. Patiently, skillfully, those feelings subsided. On September They came from a variety of The total Conference member favoring consolidation answered 26, 1883, by act of the Seventh countries in Western Europe, ship increased from 10,000 to the objections. They pointed out General Conference meeting in where the use of German was 13,000, and the total number of that two-thirds of the salary of Cleveland, Ohio, the General widespread. Some came to North churches grew to 161 from the the General Secretary would be America to escape religious time the first church was '' 'f'T<Jo expensive!" Should the Mission Societies of paid by the Home Mission Socie persecution in countries where organized in 1843. l "Creates a Baptist the Eastern Conference of the ty of the American Baptists. The "In the event that a the state church was extremely But Rev. Grimmell faced prob 'pope'. " German Baptists and the three English-speaking American Bap powerful. Others found a per lems. Even before his report to "Takes away the autonomy of General Missionary sonal faith in Christ after their the General Conference of 1886, districts of the Western Con tists who had been in America Secretary is elected, one the local church." ference be combined into a single for some time supported arrival in the New World. a lack of funds forced him to "We'll be controlled by the General Missionary Society with evangelism among immigrants thing stands fast, that he Together, they were deeply return to full leadership of his Easterners." a General Missionary Secretary? from various language groups. must devote his entire committed to be witnesses for church in Brooklyn. "We've gotten along well until Jesus Christ. As they saw the For seven years, from Many pastors and leaders The German Baptists would be time to the office." now. Why change?" from the West were suspicious responsible for only $600 annual waves of German immigration, 1885-1892, he sought, as best he The year-1882. Der Send of this new innovation. Life west ly of the salary, $150 from each -J. C. Grimmell, first they were aware that an ex could, to both pastor a church bote, publication of the German of the Appalachians was so dif district or area. elected General Mis panding mission field was con and direct the mission thrust. As tinually arriving on their own Baptists of North America, ferent from the East. The fron The General Secretary would sionary Secretary, he completed his ministry as doorstep. General Missionary Secretary at buzzed with controversy. Not tier was real. Towns of any size not travel indiscriminately 1883-1892 about the need to reach out for were widely scattered. across the country. He would the General Conference meeting Christ; not a bout the oppor The pioneer was an indepen stay several months in each Grimmell Elected First General in 1892, he pled, "In the event tunities or challenge of missions; dent individual, self-reliant, liv area. He was not to be a travel Missionary Secretary Missionary Society of the Ger At the 1883 Conference, the but how this could be done most ing on his own. He was uncom ing preacher but a coordinator. man Baptists of North America effectively. fortable with the Easterners. Unity would be a step forward. Rev. J. C. Grimmell, pastor of came into existence. First German Baptist Church, The General Missionary Socie Brooklyn, New York, became the ty was not the first united effort first General Missionary of the German Baptists of North Secretary. Within a few weeks America. In 1858 Augustus of his election, Rev. Grimmell Rauschenbusch became the first undertook an extensive tour to German teacher at the Rochester Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakota, Baptist Seminary in Rochester, Manitoba, Illinois and Penn New York. From this the German sylvania. Department developed with the Three years later, Rev. Grim purpose of training leaders for mell reported at the next Con missionary work among German ference in Detroit, Michigan, in speaking people in North 1886, that 29 new churches America. were organized; 28 new In 1870 the German Baptist churches were built; four mis Publication Society, Cleveland, sion churches became indepen- Ohio, obtained its charter. It pro duced a variety of essential materials mainly in the German language. The creation of the General Missionary Society was another significant step in uniting a peo- General Ml ~sion a ry Sec'.etary G.A Schulte and wife in front seat with the Rev. and Mrs. Eduard Gruetzner at Hanover, ON, in 1911 on the oc casion of the Gruetzners 60th weddrng annrversary. 4 BAPTIST HERALD JULYI AUGUST 198Z 5 A People with a Mission but made frequent trips to the But Great Britain was no longer is anxious to become a foreign Professor Rauschenbusch that mainland. When, because of the anxious to extend its vast colo missionary ... He hos a pleas prompted action by the German Catholic Spanish government of nial empire. When Germany ing personality, is a devout committee. As a result, on Cameroon Fernando Po, persecution of Bap claimed sovereignty over the Christian, a good conversa March 27, 1891, a young tists arose, Saker and his group Cameroon, Great Britain tionalist, and above o11 very American, who himself had im of Baptists needed to find a new withdrew. active in Christion work. He is migrated to the United States, home. Sailing along the coast, they established the town of Vic Cameroon Comes under German establish a Christian witness toria in 1858. Control r'J1he closing decades of the When Cameroon became a l nineteenth century witnessed there. He studied diligently to Clark, Prince, Merrick, Saker-these and their fellow German colony, it raised the the rise of a new European na learn the language and later problem of what the English Bap established a printing press at missionaries from England and tion. Germany was coming to its Jamaica were all related to the tist missionaries should do. They own. It felt any nation of Bimbia. British empire. They hoped that realized that they would no significance needed to have col Among others who volunteered the entire area would be longer be welcome in a country onies. So Germany eagerly joined in England was Mr. Alfred established and continue as a now under the influence of a dif the race to complete the carving Saker. Mr. Saker worked on the protectorate of Great Britain.