History of the missions of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions to the oriental churches, Volume II.Anderson, Rufus
Religion
History of the missions of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions to the oriental churches, Volume II.
Anderson, Rufus
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions; Missions -- Eastern churches
Dr. Dwight was born at Conway, Massachusetts, on the 22d of
November, 1803. His family removed to Utica, New York, and there, at
the age of fifteen, he was hopefully converted during a revival of
religion, and united with a Presbyterian church. He graduated at
Hamilton College in 1825, and, while in the Theological Seminary at
Andover, became deeply interested in the missionary work, and took
great pains, along with some fellow-students, to illustrate the
beginning of foreign missions from the United States. In his last
year at the Seminary he offered himself to the American Board, and
was appointed one of its missionaries. After completing his studies,
he entered upon an agency for the Board, which continued until 1829.
From this time, through more than thirty years, the events of his
life form an important part of the history of the mission to the
Armenians. That mission grew, in his time, from a single station at
Constantinople to twenty-three stations, and eighty-one
out-stations, extending over the greater part of Western Asia; and
whereas, at the commencement of his labors, he did not know of a
single convert in the whole country, at their close, there were
forty-two churches, with sixteen hundred members, twelve ordained
native pastors, forty-three licensed native preachers, thirty-four
catechists, fifty-five teachers, and thirty-nine other helpers.
He was made to be a leader in the Lord's host. There was in him a
rare combination of sound common sense, piety, resolution, firmness,
candor, and courtesy, and withal an honest simplicity, a godly
sincerity, and a practical tact, that seldom failed to secure for
him a commanding influence; and the mission, of which he was so long
a member, was sufficiently eventful to give full exercise to all his
powers.
It affords much pleasure to the writer, that he is unable to recall
an instance, in all the thirty years, where Dr. Dwight's opinions
were seriously at variance with those of the Committee and
Secretaries of the Board. It may be that, under the influence of a
more extended correspondence, there was sometimes greater progress
in their opinions on questions of missionary experience, than in
his; but there was never any collision of thought; and it was most
gratifying, on his arrival in this country, after his instructive
and interesting tour of observation among the missions and mission
churches, to find this eminent servant of Christ in full accord with
his Committee on all the great points of missionary practice. The
prominent trait, however, in his character was spirituality. This
was in him an ever-growing quality. From day to day, from month to
month, from the commencement of his missionary life until his death,
he was wholly devoted to the kingdom and glory of his Redeemer. He
walked with God, and was not, for God took him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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