Borneo Evangelical Mission
Encyclopedia
Borneo Evangelical Mission was a Protestant Evangelical
Christian
missionary
society that worked among the people of Borneo
, Malaysia. It was founded in October 1928 by three Australia
n missionaries, Hudson Southwell, Frank Davidson and Carey Tolley. In 1975 the BEM merged with Overseas Missionary Fellowship (formerly the China Inland Mission
).
On 12th November 1928, Southwell and Henderson landed in Kuching
, Borneo. They were referred to the Rajah's private secretary, Gerard MacBryan and the Rajah's cousin and legal adviser Charles Willes Johnson. The Rajah gave permission to establish a mission in Sarawak
and recommended starting in the Limbang
area to the north-east. Davidson and Tolley were to join them later.
The historical setting then was the regime of the White Rajahs
in Sarawak that began with the English adventurer and explorer James Brooke who set out for Borneo in 1839. His nephew Charles Johnson Brooke succeeded him in 1868. The third Rajah was Charles Vyner Brooke who ruled from 1917. The era of the White Rajahs came to an end on 1st July 1946 when Sarawak became a crown colony.
Sarawak, together with Sabah
and the Federation of Malayan States came together and formed Malaysia in 1963. With the increasing use of the Malaysian national language, Borneo Evangelical Church soon became Sidang Injil Borneo or more commonly known as S.I.B. Today, S.I.B. churches may be found in Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia besides Sarawak.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
society that worked among the people of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, Malaysia. It was founded in October 1928 by three Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n missionaries, Hudson Southwell, Frank Davidson and Carey Tolley. In 1975 the BEM merged with Overseas Missionary Fellowship (formerly the China Inland Mission
China Inland Mission
OMF International is an interdenominational Protestant Christian missionary society, founded in Britain by Hudson Taylor on 25 June 1865.-Overview:...
).
History
The Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) was pioneered by Hudson Southwell together with two fellow missionaries Frank Davidson and Carey Tolley of Australia. They boarded an old cargo steamer from Melbourne in early October 1928 bound for Singapore. Travelling with them was Alexander Henderson, a pioneer of the Southeast Asian timber trade who had offered to help establish a base on the island of Borneo. Henderson left the team the following year.On 12th November 1928, Southwell and Henderson landed in Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
, Borneo. They were referred to the Rajah's private secretary, Gerard MacBryan and the Rajah's cousin and legal adviser Charles Willes Johnson. The Rajah gave permission to establish a mission in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
and recommended starting in the Limbang
Limbang
Limbang is a border town and the capital of Limbang District in the Limbang Division of northern Sarawak, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The division has an area of 3,978.1 square kilometers, and a population of 42,600...
area to the north-east. Davidson and Tolley were to join them later.
The historical setting then was the regime of the White Rajahs
White Rajahs
White Rajahs refers to a dynasty that founded and ruled the Kingdom of Sarawak from 1841 to 1946, namely the Brookes, who came originally from England. A Rajah is a monarch in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.-Rulers:...
in Sarawak that began with the English adventurer and explorer James Brooke who set out for Borneo in 1839. His nephew Charles Johnson Brooke succeeded him in 1868. The third Rajah was Charles Vyner Brooke who ruled from 1917. The era of the White Rajahs came to an end on 1st July 1946 when Sarawak became a crown colony.
Sarawak, together with Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
and the Federation of Malayan States came together and formed Malaysia in 1963. With the increasing use of the Malaysian national language, Borneo Evangelical Church soon became Sidang Injil Borneo or more commonly known as S.I.B. Today, S.I.B. churches may be found in Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia besides Sarawak.