The General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland has celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the establishment of the Livingstonia Mission, which has developed and now functions as the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP).
During the General Assembly in Edinburgh last month Dr John S. Ross gave an in-depth presentation, saying: ‘Today marks the 150th anniversary of one the boldest missionary ventures of the Scottish Church.’
He spoke about the reason behind the venture, those involved in the initial trip (including James Stewart who was a Scot and a Free Church member) and others who later travelled to Malawi to be part of the community and mission (including William Koyi, a senior Lovedale Xhosa student from South Africa).
Speaking about the historical context, Dr Ross said following the death of the great explorer-missionary David Livingstone in 1874 the national conversation turned to how best memorialise him. Subsequently, Stewart and a group of friends initiated the idea of Livingstonia. It was approved by the 1874 Free Church General Assembly and the idea not only caught the imagination of the Free Church but also that of the other Presbyterian denominations and the public press. Within a short time, almost singlehandedly, Stewart raised the initial £10,000 and recruited personnel. Just a year after the project’s conception, the advance party set off for Nyasaland.
Dr Ross spoke of the eight men who left London in 1875 to travel to Africa saying: ‘Their goal was to establish Livingstonia – a community which would be Scottland’s living memorial to its missionary hero David Livingstone.’
Two years later, Stewart led a second party to Nyasaland, which included William Koyi, a senior Lovedale Xhosa student who had volunteered for missionary service. Dr Ross said: ‘Stewart always maintained that Koyi “was the human agent largely used by God in opening up the way for the Gospel.” Adding, in old age and with deep feeling, that Koyi was one of the best men he had ever known.’
There are many twists and turns in the history of the Livingstonia Mission, including the essential need to move sites, cross-cultural challenges, and some missionary physical cruelty that took place, which caused conflict in the community. Dr Ross said that if the missionaries saw Koyi primarily as ‘a faithful and accurate interpreter of their message’, the Ngongi people saw Koyi as ‘a cultural go between’.
What is certain is the Livingstonia Mission has a lasting legacy.
This article has been published in the June/July edition of The Record magazine. Dr Ross has also kindly made his full presentation available. Click here to read the full article.