The Emergence of Mission Structure
Several mission structures and societies could be formed to spread the gospel as a result of the Second Great Awakening. In 1803, Presbyterians began to form the Standing Committee for Mission Service at the Presbyterian General Assembly. These small groups were to carry out the mission among new settlers, native peoples, and black people. But there was no foreign mission society in the United States. The main figure in founding the foreign mission society was missiological entrepreneur Samuel J. Mills.
In 1806, Samuel J. Mills enrolled at William College. A small group of students held a prayer meeting to foster spiritual awakening on campus. Prayer meetings were normally held in a grove of trees. One day, because of a thunderstorm, a prayer meeting was held in a haystack. Later, that meeting was called the haystack prayer meeting. In 1808, the haystack prayer meeting group and other students formed a group called “The Brethren”. Their aim was to send the gospel to heathen lands. After four years of holding that haystack prayer meeting, they became seminarians at Andover Seminary. Moreover, God answered their prayers by sending someone who would later become a missionary to the foreign land, Myanmar.
They were joined by Adoniram Judson, the son of the pastor of the congregational church. But Judson was an unbeliever and rejected Christianity in favor of deism, and became an atheist while he studied at Brown College. But Judson’s philosophy was changed by a sleepless night in the inn. On one trip, Judson had to stay in a room of the inn next to a young man who was very ill and possibly dying. Judson could not sleep the whole night because of the groans of the ill man. When the morning arrived, the ill man passed away, and Judson asked the caretaker about him. Then he knew that the ill man was Jacob Eames, his best friend, who shared his deism at the college. Since that time, Judson has been torn between spiritual relief and intellectual pursuits.[1]
Two professors at the Andover Theological Seminary suggested that Judson study there to seek the truth. Judson entered as a special student at Andover Theological Seminary on October 12, 1808, because he was not a Christian. Judson overcame and recognized his need for forgiveness after reading Psalm 130, which was part of the seminary's regular curriculum. Then, on December 2, 1808, Judson dedicated himself to God, and he made a public profession of his new faith on May 28, 1809, at the Third Congregational Church in Plymouth. Judson became known for his devotion to the Bible in Andover. Judson decided to devote his life to the cause of missions at the beginning of his second-year seminarian at Andover.[2]
Judson thought of offering himself as a missionary to the London Society for the East Indies. Upon Samuel Mills’s arrival at Andover, Judson joined the Brethren to implement their ambition for the cross-cultural mission. On Thursday, June 28, 1810, they presented their mission at the meeting of the General Association of Congregation Ministers of Massachusetts. On June 29, the General Association appointed nine members to look into their request. On September 5, 1810, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was given its name by the General Association and adopted the constitution. The association approved the request of Adoniram Judson, Samuel Nott, Samuel Newell, and Samuel Mills to become foreign missionaries. On 19th February 1812, they sent Adoniram Judson as their first missionary to Calcutta, India.[3] Therefore, we can conclude that they were the first cross-cultural missionaries among white Americans.
[1] Jason G. Duesing, “Ambition Overthrown: The Conversion, Consecration, and Commission of Adoniram Judson,” in Adoniram Judson: A Bicentennial Appreciation of The Pioneer American Missionary, ed. Jason G. Duesing (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2012), 57-60.
[2] Duesing, “Ambition Overthrown,” 61-65.
[3] Joseph Tracy, American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions: Compiled Chiefly From the Published and Unpublished Documents of the Board (New York: M. W. DODD, 1842), 23-27.
In 1806, Samuel J. Mills enrolled at William College. A small group of students held a prayer meeting to foster spiritual awakening on campus. Prayer meetings were normally held in a grove of trees. One day, because of a thunderstorm, a prayer meeting was held in a haystack. Later, that meeting was called the haystack prayer meeting. In 1808, the haystack prayer meeting group and other students formed a group called “The Brethren”. Their aim was to send the gospel to heathen lands. After four years of holding that haystack prayer meeting, they became seminarians at Andover Seminary. Moreover, God answered their prayers by sending someone who would later become a missionary to the foreign land, Myanmar.
They were joined by Adoniram Judson, the son of the pastor of the congregational church. But Judson was an unbeliever and rejected Christianity in favor of deism, and became an atheist while he studied at Brown College. But Judson’s philosophy was changed by a sleepless night in the inn. On one trip, Judson had to stay in a room of the inn next to a young man who was very ill and possibly dying. Judson could not sleep the whole night because of the groans of the ill man. When the morning arrived, the ill man passed away, and Judson asked the caretaker about him. Then he knew that the ill man was Jacob Eames, his best friend, who shared his deism at the college. Since that time, Judson has been torn between spiritual relief and intellectual pursuits.[1]
Two professors at the Andover Theological Seminary suggested that Judson study there to seek the truth. Judson entered as a special student at Andover Theological Seminary on October 12, 1808, because he was not a Christian. Judson overcame and recognized his need for forgiveness after reading Psalm 130, which was part of the seminary's regular curriculum. Then, on December 2, 1808, Judson dedicated himself to God, and he made a public profession of his new faith on May 28, 1809, at the Third Congregational Church in Plymouth. Judson became known for his devotion to the Bible in Andover. Judson decided to devote his life to the cause of missions at the beginning of his second-year seminarian at Andover.[2]
Judson thought of offering himself as a missionary to the London Society for the East Indies. Upon Samuel Mills’s arrival at Andover, Judson joined the Brethren to implement their ambition for the cross-cultural mission. On Thursday, June 28, 1810, they presented their mission at the meeting of the General Association of Congregation Ministers of Massachusetts. On June 29, the General Association appointed nine members to look into their request. On September 5, 1810, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was given its name by the General Association and adopted the constitution. The association approved the request of Adoniram Judson, Samuel Nott, Samuel Newell, and Samuel Mills to become foreign missionaries. On 19th February 1812, they sent Adoniram Judson as their first missionary to Calcutta, India.[3] Therefore, we can conclude that they were the first cross-cultural missionaries among white Americans.
[1] Jason G. Duesing, “Ambition Overthrown: The Conversion, Consecration, and Commission of Adoniram Judson,” in Adoniram Judson: A Bicentennial Appreciation of The Pioneer American Missionary, ed. Jason G. Duesing (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2012), 57-60.
[2] Duesing, “Ambition Overthrown,” 61-65.
[3] Joseph Tracy, American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions: Compiled Chiefly From the Published and Unpublished Documents of the Board (New York: M. W. DODD, 1842), 23-27.
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