Missionary to the Cannibals - John G. Patton
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· 886 viewsBrief Biography of John G. Patton - a missionary who endured Cannibals to bring them the Gospel of Christ.
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John Patton Short Biography
John Patton Short Biography
Early Life:
Born in Scottland 1824
Poverty - But Godly Parents.
Worked through School and Seminary
Felt Called to be a missionary in South Pacific.
Before John Patton arrived:
Missionaries John Williams and James Harris arrived in 1839 - being killed and eaten within minutes of being ashore.
1842 London Missionary Society sent a second party, forced off within 7 months.
A second mission in 1848, 1852, 1854 saw amazing success with a total of 3,500 hundred coming to believe (50% of the population) in adjacent Islands.
Island Culture:
Cannibals
Infanticide
widow sacrifices (for husbands in the after life)
Worship was entirely a worship of fear - involving pleading to stop suffering, secure revenge, and request evil Spirits to go this way or that.
John Said: “Thus were the New Hebrides Baptized with the blood of martyr’s, and Christ thereby told the whole Christian world that he claimed these islands as his own.”.
John Patton’s Arrival:
Arrived in 1858
Paton had to endure many life challenges including:
Losing his wife and new born child shortly after arriving.
Sickness - “fever and ague had attacked me 14 times severely”
No Doctors
No Escape
Constant Threat from Natives he is trying to give the Gospel too.
He was followed by Tribal chiefs
Surrounded by Tribesman ready to kill him.
Many times having to run from would-be killers
Criticism from fellow elders and church members.
“In unison, Pastors and parishioners alike offered a number of arguments against such a foolhardy task. Let the reader here take note: the criticisms the church gave sound spiritual in every way. One can even assume they attached a slew of proof texts in support.” Quote provided by Challies from John G. Patton: Missionary to the Cannibals of the South Seas by Paul Schlehlen.
Notice His Resolve:
Result:
If I die here in Glasgow, I shall be eaten by worms; If I can but live and die serving the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms; for in the Great Day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer.
John Gibson Paton
Result:
The Island that first killed missionaries in 1839,
almost universally came to believe in Christ.
The U.S. government estimates the total population at 272,000 (July 2015 estimate). According to the 2009 census, approximately 82 percent is Christian. (VANUATU 2015 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT, State Department)
Understand statistics do not show genuine Gospel believers.
But remember, He died 1907 - 100 years latter and the Island that was originally full of pagan cannibalism is today proportionately a Christian island.
May I also note,
there are places where we need people to go,
where people say you can’t go
but in desperate need for the Gospel.
ILLUSTRATION: Doesn’t this sound an awful like what Tim is doing in Central Asia? The Same kind of risk, and stress, and courage.
There is a courage and dedication to be modeled here.
A love and trust in Christ;
and realization the only hope this world has to be saved from the wretchedness of sin and it’s judgment - is Christ.
Without it,
there is no hope.
And society’s that have no Christ - show it.
Are we this passionate about people in our community?
And may say,
there
To often we are too content or to afraid to go out tell our community about Christ.
Shame on us,
1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.