Field-Governed Mission Structures

Part XYZ: William Carey and the Trio

Field-Governed Mission Structures Part IV: William Carey and the Serampore Trio by Joseph & Michele C.

illiam Carey is popularly known among Protestants as “the father of modern missions.” Though the Moravians and the pietist mission of Halle had been sending small numbers of Protestant for a few decades before William Carey, it was Carey’s creation in 1792 of the Baptist Society and his departure for that effectively launched the Protestant missionary movement. Following Carey’s example, several Protestant mis- sionary societies were founded in rapid succession over the next twenty years in Europe and in North America. Because of William Carey’s influence and Wexample, the previously tiny numbers of Protestant missionaries grew exponen- tially to become a substantial force for the first time. In what follows below we will examine Carey’s missionary career with a special focus on issues of mission governance and its impact on field effectiveness. The Founding of the Baptist Missionary Society William Carey, a shoemaker who became a Baptist minister, knew the value of studying history and he was “a keen student of the history of missions.” He saw the missionary mandate clearly in the New Testament and felt that it was an integral part of the Christian faith (George, p. 35). Among those who influenced Carey in his study of missions history were Justin Martyr, Zwingli, Calvin, the Moravians, John Eliot, and David Brainerd. Carey’s famous Enquiry demonstrates his zeal to do whatever was necessary for the gospel to reach all nations. “Carey’s pamphlet (sic) was a reasoned statement of Christian obligation, of world needs, of existing opportunities, and practi- cal proposals for the formation of a missionary society” (Walker, p. 68). It is no wonder then that Carey was instrumental in the founding of the Baptist Missionary Society. “His immediate aim was the formation of a society for sending out missionaries, and the publication of his pamphlet (sic) was merely a step toward the realization of that aim” (Walker, p. 78). It is important for Joseph and Michele have worked for the context of this paper to understand just how central Carey was in the for- fifteen years in North Africa. Joseph is mation of this Missionary Society. “There can be no question as to who was a Ph.D. candidate at Yale University. the moving spirit in the founding of the Baptist Missionary Society, Ryland, Michele is an R.N. and also an M.A. candidate at Fuller Seminary. They in his Life and Death of Fuller, says: ‘I must consider the Mission as originat- have two children. ing absolutely with Carey’” (Walker, p. 84).

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1793 (32) Mourned the death of good friend, Overview of Carey’s Life . Again to give some context to our study Carey and Dr. John Thomas, are commissioned as missionaries to Endured increased tensions let us look at some important dates Bengal, India. between the Baptist Missionary in Carey’s life. In addition to giving Sailed with his family from Dover Society in England and the context to our study, this brief overview and after five months at sea arrived Serampore Mission. in the form of a timetable of Carey’s life in Calcutta, India as illegal aliens. 1818 (57) also shows how much he accomplished, Moved to Bendel, 30 miles up the Founded . how diligently and sacrificially he Hooghly River. 1820 (59) worked and some of the great adversity 1794 (33) Organized the Agricultural and he suffered throughout his life. An Settled in the Sunderbunds jungle Horticultural Society of India. understanding of these things helps to near Debhatta. 1821 (60) Moved to Mudnabatty, near Mourned the death of his beloved put into perspective the severity of the second wife, Charlotte. treatment that he and the rest of the Malda, to work as an indigo planter. 1822 (61) Serampore Trio received later in their Mourned the death of his son, lives at the hands of the home sponsors His son, Peter, died at age five of dysentery. Dorothy, his wife, Felix, and of good friend and first who succeeded Andrew Fuller and the became increasingly depressed and Hindu convert, . other original friends who had “held the mentally ill. 1823 (62) ropes” for those on the field during the 1797 (36) Married his third wife, Grace early years of their work (This time line Completed his first draft of a Hughes. is taken largely from George’s Faithful translation of the New Testament Mourned the death of his close Witness, pp. xv, xvi). into Bengali. colleague, William Ward. 1798 (37) 1829 (68) 1781 (About age 20) Established, despite much opposi- Indian authorities legally pro- Married his first wife, Dorothy tion, first school of a large network scribed Suttee – the burning to Plackett of indigenous schools with death of widows – the practice of 1783 (Age 22) instruction in Bengali. which Carey had long fought to Baptized by at 1799 (38) see outlawed. Northampton. Moved to Kidderpore to establish 1830 (69) 1785 (24) his own indigo plantation. The Serampore Mission was Called to pastor a Baptist chapel 1800 (39) placed in financial jeopardy by at Moulton. Moved to Serampore and joined the crash of the Calcutta banking 1789 (28) with William Ward and Joshua houses. Called to pastor Baptist church in and Hannah Marshman to form a 1834 Leicester. missionary community. Died at Serampore at age 72. 1792 (31) Baptized the first Hindu to believe Carey published An Enquiry into in Christ through his ministry. the Obligations 1803 (42) The Early Years of Christians to Appointed professor in Fort Before and through the process of Use Means William College in Calcutta. the formation and early activities of for the the Baptist Missionary Society, Carey Conversion of First Bengali New Testament the Heathens. printed by the Serampore Press. developed close friendships with several 1807 (46) men who became the ones who com- Ordained his son Felix who was mitted to “hold the ropes” for him while sent as a missionary to Burma. he was in India. This was the analogy Published Sanskrit New Carey used to illustrate his relation- Testament. ship with those who would stay back in Received the doctor of divinity England supporting him in whatever degree from Brown University. way they could. These friends included Buried his first wife Dorothy who Fuller, Ryland, Sutcliff and Pearce died of a fever. (Walker, p. 67). Telling of the early 1808 (47) days of the Baptist Missionary Society, Married his second wife Deaville Walker writes, Charlotte Rumohr. 1812 (51) For the first time we see Carey- sur Serampore’s printing rounded by colleagues throwing presses destroyed in a fire themselves unsparingly into the along with years of transla- campaign. The ability of Ryland, the tion work. influence of Fuller, the eloquence of 1814 (53) Sutcliff, and the enthusiasm of Pearce Ordained his son Jabez who was are now linked unreservedly with the sent as a missionary to Amboyna faith and courage of Carey (Walker, of the Moluccan islands. p. 89). 1815 (54)

International Journal of Frontier Missions 18:3 Fall 2001 116 Field-Governed Mission Structures Part IV: William Carey and the Serampore Trio 117 Miller refers to those four as the old n his translation work Carey made decisions guard. They knew Carey well and esteemed him highly. Those four main which he felt were a strategic part of home supporters worked hard to raise financial and prayer support for the reaching Indians for Christ, but his friends missionaries in India, but they were not without influence. back home did not always understand. Carey and Thomas in the beginning I made decisions on the field as to the without any Christian fellowship out- questions arose primarily from newer workings and details of their ministry. side of his family. members of the society, with less For example, at one point they wanted personal knowledge of Carey than Each decision Carey made to move was or needed “to live less expensively” and the old stalwarts. At a meeting when based on his knowledge of the situation, Fuller was absent, they fired off a curt so decided to move “up the river to the opportunities available to him and letter to Mudnabatty questioning the Bendal.” Not much later, they realized the search for what would help him best wisdom of the indigo plantation. They that: to reach the Indians with the gospel insinuated that Carey was a money Bendal, being a Portuguese settle- and to establish a Christian community grubber for whom ‘the spirit of the ment was inhabited by a mixed among them. missionary’ had been swallowed up population. Carey believed a place by ‘the pursuits of the merchant’ more purely Indian would better serve The business operation was never (George, pp. 106-107). an end in itself. Rather it was the their purpose. Hence it was decided Carey was deeply offended when this to go to Nadia the ‘Hindu Oxford’ of God-provided means to accomplish a larger, worthier ideal. As Carey letter finally made its way into his Bengal... Carey was well received by hands in January 1796. He refused the scholarly Hindus who recognized reminded himself, ‘If, after God has so wonderfully made way for us, to grovel or justify his actions: ‘If my his linguistic ability... (However), no conduct will not vindicate itself, it is land for cultivation was available at I should neglect the very work for which I came thither, the blackest not worth vindicating.’ All the same, this settlement. Farming had been a he responded with a stern blast of his part of Carey’s overall plan for self- brand of guilt and infamy must lie upon my soul (George, p. 106). own. He was putting upwards of one- support. Money was running low. third of his income from the indigo At this time Thomas was recalled to Unfortunately, works back into the mission. He vigor- Calcutta because of pressing debts” ously denied that the love of money (Miller, pp. 52-53). Communication between Carey and his supporters back home was slow had motivated his course of action. ‘I Carey decided to move with his family and uncertain due to the continu- am indeed poor, and shall always be to the Sunderbunds, a jungle forest ing hostilities between England and so, till the Bible is published in Bengali area where he had the opportunity France. Carey’s first letter to the and Hindostani.’ Besides, the society to secure “some land ...for three years society, written on board ship before had contributed less than 200 pounds rent free... On February 6, 1794, with he reached India, was not received to his support the three years he had enough food for one meal, the family until a year later when he was already been in India. Hardly the basis for so landed at Dechatta” (Miller, p. 55). settled at Mudnabatty. censorious an attack! Fuller was able to smooth over the misunderstand- Not many months later, still in 1794, In August 5, 1794, still having received ing and restore friendly relations Carey and his family moved again no communication from his “friends between the society and their premier taking a three-week trip to move 250 who had pledged to ‘hold the ropes’ for” missionary-pioneer. Still, this episode miles to Mudnabatty which became Carey, he wrote to the society, foreshadowed even greater difficul- their first permanent place to settle ties in the future. Those problems too “‘Surely you have not forgotten us.’” involved the financial integrity of the since leaving Leicester in England. Carey believed that missionaries should George Udney had offered him a mission. Unfortunately, they would become self-supporting as soon as pos- prove impossible to resolve once the position on his plantation there with a sible after arriving on the field in order mediating hands of Fuller had been salary “of 250 pounds... per year (and)... to free up “money raised at home to be removed by death (George, p. 107). a share in the proceeds of the business used in starting new missions endeav- should it succeed.” (Carey believed from ors. In the (same) letter of August 1794 In his translation work Carey made the beginning that missionaries should ...Carey informed the society he would decisions which he felt were a strategic become self-supporting as soon as pos- no longer require their monetary assis- part of reaching Indians for Christ, but sible after arriving on the field.) More tance, thanks to the business agreement his friends back home did not always significantly, the new position also gave he and Thomas now had with Udney” understand. In addition to translat- Carey “for the first time a legal stand- (George, p. 106). ing the Bible into Sanskrit, the sacred ing in British India, preventing (his) language of ancient Hindu civiliza- peremptory expulsion by the East India Back home in Northamptonshire, tion, Carey also published a Sanskrit Carey’s letter was received with sus- Company.” He surely also welcomed dictionary and grammar and translated picion and alarm. They had not sent “many of the great epics of the Hindu the fellowship of his former co-worker Carey to India to become an entre- Thomas again, as Carey had felt very preneur! Was he intending to make tradition such as the Ramayana, a poem lonely and isolated living in Dechatta himself rich by this new scheme? Such comparable in scope to Homer’s Iliad

International Journal of Frontier Missions 18:3 Fall 2001 118 Field-Governed Mission Structures Part IV: William Carey and the Serampore Trio 119 Dr. Fuller, those of a Christian friend.” and Odyssey. When Fuller read Carey’s ments and persecution by both Indians To make matters worse, a team of translation of these Hindu writings, he and British, not to mention the most younger missionaries, led by Carey’s wondered whether his dear friend were severe climatic conditions and danger own nephew Eustace, set up a rival not wasting his time on such ‘obscene’ from tigers, poisonous snakes, alligators church and mission station in Calcutta literature” (George, p. 142). and, of course, malaria. quite independently of the Serampore leaders. The society backed the In the face of such objections, Carey In view of all of these trials, one is younger men (who had spread continued to work with texts from impressed by Carey’s description false rumors about Carey, Ward and the corpus of sacred Hindu writ- of the severity of the tensions that Marshman) and continued to press ings. He had three reasons for doing later developed between those at the Carey and the Serampore Mission so. First, he felt that he could not to surrender all property rights and adequately counter the arguments Serampore mission and the newcom- ers in the Baptist Missionary Society strategic decision-making to them. of the Brahmins unless he knew first- Eventually this dispute led to an open hand their own Scriptures. Second, back in England who sought to govern their affairs, when Carey writes home schism between Carey and the society by mastering these writings, he was his vision had first called into being. better able to translate the Bible into to those who sought to rule in a high- Carey lamented this breach, for he Sanskrit, and so offer a positive wit- handed manner: “I have scarcely ever knew squabbling among Christians ness to the gospel. Finally, there was written under such distress of mind.” It could only hurt the cause of missions. an economic motive. Because there seems he had a lot of cause for distress (George, p. 164-165). was a demand for such texts, their of mind since sailing for India, but he Further indications of the change in publication was a profitable venture puts these tensions above most other for the Serampore Press (George, pp. the home viewpoint was the ‘assign- 142-143). causes for distress of mind. Carey goes ing’ of Pearce (the son of Carey’s good on to write, friend, ) and his wife Once again Carey made decisions based We are yours to live and die for, but when they arrived in August of 1817, on a first-hand knowledge of the situ- as your brothers, not as your servants. to ‘reside in the Serampore family, ation, opportunities available to him I beseech you, therefore, not to Ward’s colleagues in the press.’ This and with a desire to do what was best attempt to exercise a power over us was an innovation that touched the for the work of the gospel in the Indian to which we shall never submit... I do Serampore family rather unpleasantly. context. hope that the ideas of domination Hitherto, those who joined them had which Fuller never thought of, but done so after the various parties had It would appear that in the early years which the Society has imbibed since become acquainted, and then by there were some tensions between his death, will be given up (Winter, unanimous vote they were assigned the missionaries on the field and the 1991, p. C-5). their task. This seemed another indica- home base especially with regard to tion of the ironclad authority England An ominous event in the history of disagreements which the home base intended to maintain over mission the Serampore Mission occurred on affairs. Consequently, Carey wrote colleagues had about Carey’s decision May 7, 1815, when Andrew Fuller to be involved in business in order to Ryland, saying: ‘I have scarcely ever died at age 61. He had been the chief written under such distress of mind... support himself and in order to con- spokesman, fund-raiser, and arbitra- My heart is exceedingly wounded’” tribute to the mission and with regard tor for Carey and his associates since (Miller, p. 129). to decisions related to his translation the founding of the society in 1792. work. However, because a strong bond Without his steadying presence, the In this case the BMS in England were of mutual trust and admiration had delicate relationship between the mis- not only continuing to press for the been formed with Fuller and a few of sionaries on the field and the sponsors surrender of all strategic decision- the others before Carey left for the field. back home began to unravel. Carey, making to them, but they were actually Marshman, and Ward were falsely For the most part Carey and his close forcing their decisions on Carey and accused of building up personal for- the Serampore mission by assigning the colleagues governed the work on the tunes at the expense of the mission. field and the problems did not become At one point Carey replied that were Pearces to live in the Serampore mission severe until later when the original he to die on the spot, his wife would and to take on the particular task of “rope-holding” team all passed away. hardly have enough money to pay working with Ward in the printing press for his coffin! True, the Serampore work without consulting the missionar- Later Tensions with New schools and publishing ventures had ies who would be most affected by this Home-Base Brethren brought in large sums—far more than decision. the paltry gifts they had received from Even the overview above does not fully Carey did not expect the British board reveal the multitude of trials Carey England—but these resources, along with Carey’s Fort William salary, had to be without power. He and Marshman endured. In addition to his wife’s been plowed back into the mission. did ultimately turn over most financial mental illness (which caused her more and real estate assets of the Serampore than once to try to kill Carey) and the Carey resented the arrogant tone which the new home secretary, John properties to the board’s legal control. death of his son Peter, he and his family In earlier days Carey had written Fuller suffered continual health crises, dire Dyer, used in his correspondence. “I cannot write to Mr. Dyer,” he said. on numerous occasions reporting about financial straits to the point of severe “All of his communications are like the work (and even asking for Fuller’s poverty, no response to the gospel for those of a secretary of state, and not, opinion in certain matters.) The “inno- the first several years, grave disappoint- as was formerly the case, with dear

International Journal of Frontier Missions 18:3 Fall 2001 118 Field-Governed Mission Structures Part IV: William Carey and the Serampore Trio 119 vation” which troubled them most was energy, diminishing their contribu- Brotherhood.” However, “this plea “the role of making assignments of per- tion to contextual reflection on how was ultimately denied, and the feared sonnel, the role of making supervisory to penetrate Asia further for Christ. expulsion of the Trio became a reality” (Winter, 1992b, p. 2). n comparison to all the other challenges they had In Summary So it becomes clear that when the faced, these problems with the home board were the Serampore Mission structure was led and governed on the field, the field most distressing. workers were freed up to do the work I effectively of proclaiming the good and administrative decisions. They did They grieved over the self-defeating news and of building up a Christian not feel that was the beneficial function tendency of the BMS ‘apparatus for community. Living in community of the board” (Winter, 1990, p. C-5). missionary efforts’; they were appalled that missionaries had been virtually as a team, they had mutual account- So it was not the idea of financial reduced to the status of ‘mere sti- ability to one another and had to learn accountability that bothered them so pendiary servants’ obliged to obey mutual submission and mutual trust much, although they easily felt it was the keepers-of-the-purse in Britain. and service. (They had agreed for the unreasonable for the board to demand They felt depersonalized and found most part to hold all things in common. so much financial control when the it ever more difficult to face daunting They ate their meals together and evangelistic odds. Serious inefficiency prayed together twice every day as a large majority of the money to build resulted (Smith, p.191). the mission properties and to sup- group.) When the home board changed port the national workers came from In 1825 both Ward and the Marshmans hands and the newcomers who did not the missionaries themselves. But what after 26 years on the field, left the know the field workers very well took it really concerned them was the idea field for their first furlough “with the upon themselves to wield much greater that the board in Britain felt that they express purpose of putting the work- authority than the original group had were in a position to make supervisory ing relationship between Serampore exercised and in a manner that dem- and administrative decisions about the and the BMS committee on firmer onstrated suspicion and distrust, they work and the living arrangements of the footing” (Smith, p. 190). However, “it created a great emotional strain for the missionaries on the field without even was not until 1830 that the matter was field missionaries whose effectiveness consulting the missionaries themselves adjusted satisfactorily” (Miller, p. 131). in their work was seriously diminished. and without any first-hand knowledge It is clear that when the British board The original structure worked with the of the situation or the context in which tried to govern the missionaries work original “rope-holders”, because they the missionaries lived and worked. from Britain, there was a great difficulty had formed significant trusting relation- Carey felt that the missionaries should created for the missionaries, which ships with the field workers. work as brothers in relation to the home hindered their work and drained them It seems that there had also been an board, not as hired servants. emotionally, spiritually and physically. understanding, whether spoken or These problems made Carey physically unspoken, about what the role of the These tensions between the home base ill. “So greatly did all these discords prey and the workers on the field had a home board would be and just how upon his mind that he became seriously much authority they would have. When direct impact on the effectiveness of the ill” (Miller, p. 128). Marshman and Baptist Mission Society’s work in India. newcomers, with surely all the best Ward felt the need to go back in person intentions, came into that structure A. Christopher Smith describes this as to Britain to try to work out these prob- follows: without having formed those relation- lems. Of Carey, Miller wrote “...during ships of trust and without a mutual Greater value needed to be set on the sixteen years of persecution by his understanding of what their role was sanctified relationships between English brethren he had been greatly to be, great problems arose. There home and abroad, in place of all the abased” (Miller, p. 135). In comparison are lessons here to be learned about strain and distrust that had dogged to all the other challenges they had their steps over the past decade. communication, relationships, trust, Otherwise, the whole work would faced these problems with the home reconciliation and placement of author- grind to a halt. Internal hassle was board were the most distressing. ity. We can learn also from these events bogging the work down, to the In the end Carey and the other mis- about the benefits of field governance dismay of the field workers who sionaries transferred the property and about the proper role of a home wished to move ahead with freedom rights of the Serampore mission to board as it seeks to supervise and assist to win the masses, to the glory of God its missionaries in the effective work (Smith, p. 191). the home board, but agreed with the home board that the original mis- of the gospel. It is a job which needs Sad to say, such hassles prevented sionaries would continue to live there to be done with great thoughtfulness Carey and Marshman from focus- without paying any rent during their and with much prayer and with mutual ing their thought more creatively lifetimes. Marshman wrote the home understanding by both home board and on effective mission strategy in the board in 1825 asking for the “recogni- missionaries of given roles and of places field. Problems generated from the of authority and decision-making. home base sapped away at their tion of the autonomy of the Serampore

International Journal of Frontier Missions 18:3 Fall 2001 120 Field-Governed Mission Structures

In conclusion, some of Winter’s insights the people back home of the often regarding external and internal boards unconventional complex of factors are helpful in this study: field workers must take into account External boards are often located (Winter, 1992, p. 9). culturally and geographically at a very Winter concludes by writing about the great distance, and have inevitable limitations of perspective. Intuitively, Serampore Brotherhood: those in the team at Serampore There is no way the incredible output recognized the importance of a self- of that handful of missionaries can governing structure (Winter, 1992b, be explained apart from the two p. 2). chief features of the Serampore The issue is basically whether or not Brotherhood: the commitment to society in general... will concede mutual personal accountability and the same measure of autonomy to interdependence, and the freedom a group of missionaries working (for a few years at least) of this field together as is normally conceded team to make its own decisions and to members of local church bodies, work out its own assignments and which always have ‘internal’ boards strategies without the interference of (Winter, 1992b, p. 2). an external board of directors. In this regard the Serampore example seems Both Carey and Taylor began with FPO surely to have great and crucial les- a short covenant-like document sons for many new mission agencies early in their experience with a field today (Winter, 1992, p. 10). IJFM team. The Serampore Trio’s Form of Government (was) a short but weighty document... created on the field and written by field leaders... Bibliography (However), these field produced George, Timothy ‘rules’ elicited substantial opposition 1998 Faithful Witness: The Life and from those at home who had noth- Mission of William Carey. Christian ing to do with their creation and History Institute. whose structural concept was that of Miller, Basil a governing board of outsiders rather 1952 William Carey: The Father of than a governing council of insiders Modern Missions. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. (Winter, 1992b, p. 8). Smith, A. Christopher External boards have one commonly 1990 The Edinburgh Connection: accepted reason for being: an exter- Between the Serampore Mission nal board of directors allows outsiders and Western Missiology, in to monitor the use of funds derived Missiology: An International from donors who are not a part of Review. (April 1990) the organization. This is a very legiti- Walker, F. Deaville mate concern. It is important for... 1960 William Carey: Missionary Pioneer organizations to surrender to outside, and Statesman. Chicago: Moody uninvolved, impartial observation Press. every use they make of donated Winter, Ralph D. funds. This is one reason for an out- 1992 The Kingdom Strikes Back: side public financial audit. The Ten Epochs of Redemptive History, article in Perspectives on On the other hand, an undesirable the World Christian Movement: A aspect of an external board is that it is Reader, 2nd ed. Ralph D. Winter less likely than an internal board to be and Steven C. Hawthorne (eds.). close to the work, either geographi- Pasadena: William Carey Library, cally, or culturally, or to the daily 1992. 1992b William Carey’s Major Novelty, heart-beat of a cross-cultural ministry in Missiology: An International (Winter, 1992b, p. 9, emphasis his). Review. ( January 1992). FPO The pressure to do what (the exter- nal) donors think best is a subtle and powerful force. This perspective is enhanced, and in part originates, from a subtle distrust on the part of

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