Paget Wilkes
Encyclopedia
Alpheus Paget Wilkes was an English evangelical Christian missionary
to Japan
who was one of the founders of the Japan Evangelistic Band
in 1903. In addition to extensive mission work in Japan, and touring South East Asia, he wrote a number of penetrating expositions of Christian scriptures.
Wilkes was born on at Titchwell
, Norfolk, the second son of Rev. Alpheus Wilkes and his wife Mary Davies. He was and brought up in Little Walsingham where his father, an austere evangelical from Yorkshire, was headmaster of the Grammar School and also vicar of West Barsham. His mother was the daughter of Henry Davies
, bookseller, publisher and newspaper editor of Cheltenham. She was vivacious and nicknamed "y Deryn" for her lovely singing voice, while Wilkes was heavy and serious, a contrast that was too marked to make for harmony. Paget Wilkes and his elder brother Lewis were initially taught at home in an environment of strict simplicity and discipline. Few pleasures were permitted, and little variety came into their lives. Their mother died when Paget was thirteen and following the remarriage of his father in 1886, the family home became a centre for highly religious spinsters. Wilkes went to Bedford School
and Lincoln College, Oxford
. Inspired by a meeting led by Frederick Brotherton Meyer
, he became a devoted Christian and during his three years at Oxford he spent part of his vacations in Christian work helping in the work of the Children's Special Service Mission
. There was a strong Christian zeal at Oxford at the time, and in those ten years 60 missionaries went from Oxford. Wilkes was particularly inspired by Richard Reader Harris and his Pentecostal League.
In 1898 Wilkes began his mission work in Japan at Matsue and Osaka
on the invitation of Barclay Buxton
, who first went to Japan in 1890. They returned to England in 1902. In 1903 at the Keswick Convention
, Wilkes and Buxton founded the Japan Evangelistic Band (or JEB). The Band was devoted to aggressive evangelism and personal holiness. The work of the JEB, now known as JCL, has led to the establishment of the Kansai Bible College in Kobe
and over 150 churches in Japan.
Over the next 20 years Wilkes and his wife spent their time alternating between England and Japan where he was based at Kobe. In 1907 the Japanese climate was affecting their son's health and he needed to go to school in England, so Mrs Wilkes returned to England and the following year Paget followed them back and stayed in England for 18 months.
In April 1910, Wilkes returned to Japan on a tour described in his "Missionary Joys in Japan". He travelled via Moscow and the Trans-Siberian Railway
and reported floods at Karuizawa
, the convention at Arima Onsen
and a tour which included Kōfu, Yamanashi
Nagasaki, Fukuoka
and Nakatsu. In 1911 he visited Korea
and made a tour in the north of Japan taking in Morioka
. He returned to England in June 1912.
The Wilkes were back in Kobe at the beginning of 1913 and returned to England on 1915, to be with their son. Wilkes went back to Japan on his own in 1918 via North America through New York
and San Francisco. His son was at the Front in Flanders and Wilkes received cables, one saying he had been gassed and was in hospital in Liverpool and another later one that he had been captured at the Front and sent to Germany.
After returning to England, Wilkes went back to Japan in August 1923 and in July 1925 landed at Shanghai
on a mission to China. It was there that he inspired Dr. Ji Zhiwen
(计志文, anglicized as Andrew Gih), the founder of the Evangelize China Fellowship
. In 1926 Wilkes and his wife were back in England and then visited his sister Mary Dunn Pattison then leading a Christian group at Chalet Point du Jour near Geneva
. After visiting South Africa in the spring of 1927 for 6 months, Wilkes revisited Switzerland in Autumn 1927. He was particularly active, travelling over 4000 miles and holding 220 meetings, and as a result his health was impaired. He left England in February 1928 but was taken ill on arrival in Canada. So he returned to England and then Switzerland where he stayed at the Spiritual centre at Viennes. His activity was much reduced but he still revisited Japan for the last time in 1930.
Wilkes produced a number of significant expositions of the scripture including the "Dynamic" series, "Salvation" and "Sanctification". R. A. Torrey said that if he could put only one other book besides the Bible into the hands of his students it would be The Dynamic of Service by Paget Wilkes. Wilkes also wrote poetry and hymns and translated many Japanese poems into English.
and Anglican vicar. Their grandson Michael Paget-Wilkes is Archdeacon of Warwick
. Paget Wilkes' brother Lewis Vaughan Wilkes founded and ran St Cyprian's School
, Eastbourne
, a very influential prep school
.
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...
to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
who was one of the founders of the Japan Evangelistic Band
Japan Evangelistic Band
The Japan Evangelistic Band , or 'Kyodan Nihon Dendo Tai' in Japanese, is an evangelical Christian group founded in England in 1903 with the original aim to "initiate and sustain evangelistic work among Japanese wherever they are found". Within thirty years the organisation grew to 180 workers...
in 1903. In addition to extensive mission work in Japan, and touring South East Asia, he wrote a number of penetrating expositions of Christian scriptures.
Early life
Titchwell
Titchwell is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the north Norfolk coast some west of the village of Brancaster, north-east of the seaside resort of Hunstanton, north of the town of King's Lynn and north-west of the city of Norwich.The civil parish has...
, Norfolk, the second son of Rev. Alpheus Wilkes and his wife Mary Davies. He was and brought up in Little Walsingham where his father, an austere evangelical from Yorkshire, was headmaster of the Grammar School and also vicar of West Barsham. His mother was the daughter of Henry Davies
Henry Davies (journalist)
Henry Davies was a Wales-born journalist, publisher and librarian at Cheltenham, England who took an active part in the town’s political life, and edited the Cheltenham Looker-On for 57 years.-Early life:...
, bookseller, publisher and newspaper editor of Cheltenham. She was vivacious and nicknamed "y Deryn" for her lovely singing voice, while Wilkes was heavy and serious, a contrast that was too marked to make for harmony. Paget Wilkes and his elder brother Lewis were initially taught at home in an environment of strict simplicity and discipline. Few pleasures were permitted, and little variety came into their lives. Their mother died when Paget was thirteen and following the remarriage of his father in 1886, the family home became a centre for highly religious spinsters. Wilkes went to Bedford School
Bedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
and Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
. Inspired by a meeting led by Frederick Brotherton Meyer
Frederick Brotherton Meyer
Frederick Brotherton Meyer , a contemporary and friend of D. L. Moody and A. C. Dixon, was a Baptist pastor and evangelist in England involved in ministry and inner city mission work on both sides of the Atlantic...
, he became a devoted Christian and during his three years at Oxford he spent part of his vacations in Christian work helping in the work of the Children's Special Service Mission
Children's Special Service Mission
Children's Special Service Mission was the original name, from 1867, of the organisation now called Scripture Union. Begun by Thomas 'Pious' Hughes and Josiah Spiers in Islington, London, this evangelical Christian movement was less formal than the Sunday Schools of the day and attracted children...
. There was a strong Christian zeal at Oxford at the time, and in those ten years 60 missionaries went from Oxford. Wilkes was particularly inspired by Richard Reader Harris and his Pentecostal League.
Mission work
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
on the invitation of Barclay Buxton
Barclay Fowell Buxton
thumb|Japan, 1937.Rev. Barclay Fowell Buxton was an English evangelical Christian missionary in Japan.Buxton was the son of Thomas Fowell Buxton and Rachel Jane Gurney and grandson of Sir Thomas Buxton, 1st Baronet...
, who first went to Japan in 1890. They returned to England in 1902. In 1903 at the Keswick Convention
Keswick Convention
The Keswick Convention is an annual gathering of evangelical Christians in Keswick, in the English county of Cumbria.- History :The Keswick Convention began in 1875 as a catalyst and focal point for the emerging Higher Life movement in the United Kingdom. It was founded by an Anglican, Canon T. D....
, Wilkes and Buxton founded the Japan Evangelistic Band (or JEB). The Band was devoted to aggressive evangelism and personal holiness. The work of the JEB, now known as JCL, has led to the establishment of the Kansai Bible College in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
and over 150 churches in Japan.
Over the next 20 years Wilkes and his wife spent their time alternating between England and Japan where he was based at Kobe. In 1907 the Japanese climate was affecting their son's health and he needed to go to school in England, so Mrs Wilkes returned to England and the following year Paget followed them back and stayed in England for 18 months.
In April 1910, Wilkes returned to Japan on a tour described in his "Missionary Joys in Japan". He travelled via Moscow and the Trans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
and reported floods at Karuizawa
Karuizawa, Nagano
is a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.As of January 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population of 17,833 and has a total area of ....
, the convention at Arima Onsen
Arima Onsen
is an onsen, or hot springs in Kita-ku, Kobe, Japan. This Onsen is still a hidden treasure of modern Kobe, behind Mount Rokko. It attracts many Japanese who want tranquility with beautiful natural surroundings and yet easy access from the busy cities in Kansai metropolitan area including...
and a tour which included Kōfu, Yamanashi
Kofu, Yamanashi
is the capital city of Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had a estimate population of 197,540, with 85,794 households. The total area is 212.41 km².-History:Kōfu's name means "capital of Kai Province"...
Nagasaki, Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
and Nakatsu. In 1911 he visited Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and made a tour in the north of Japan taking in Morioka
Morioka, Iwate
is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture, Japan.As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 300,740 and a population density of 588.11 persons per km². The total area is 489.15 km²....
. He returned to England in June 1912.
The Wilkes were back in Kobe at the beginning of 1913 and returned to England on 1915, to be with their son. Wilkes went back to Japan on his own in 1918 via North America through New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and San Francisco. His son was at the Front in Flanders and Wilkes received cables, one saying he had been gassed and was in hospital in Liverpool and another later one that he had been captured at the Front and sent to Germany.
After returning to England, Wilkes went back to Japan in August 1923 and in July 1925 landed at Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
on a mission to China. It was there that he inspired Dr. Ji Zhiwen
Ji Zhiwen
Ji Zhiwen , known in the west as Andrew Gih, was a leader of evangelical Christianity in China prior to the communist revolution. He was the founder of the Evangelize China Fellowship.-External links:...
(计志文, anglicized as Andrew Gih), the founder of the Evangelize China Fellowship
Evangelize China Fellowship
The Evangelize China Fellowship is a non-profit 501 organization, originally founded in 1947 by 20th-Century Chinese revivalist Andrew Gih...
. In 1926 Wilkes and his wife were back in England and then visited his sister Mary Dunn Pattison then leading a Christian group at Chalet Point du Jour near Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. After visiting South Africa in the spring of 1927 for 6 months, Wilkes revisited Switzerland in Autumn 1927. He was particularly active, travelling over 4000 miles and holding 220 meetings, and as a result his health was impaired. He left England in February 1928 but was taken ill on arrival in Canada. So he returned to England and then Switzerland where he stayed at the Spiritual centre at Viennes. His activity was much reduced but he still revisited Japan for the last time in 1930.
Writing
Wilkes produced a number of significant expositions of the scripture including the "Dynamic" series, "Salvation" and "Sanctification". R. A. Torrey said that if he could put only one other book besides the Bible into the hands of his students it would be The Dynamic of Service by Paget Wilkes. Wilkes also wrote poetry and hymns and translated many Japanese poems into English.
Personal life
Paget Wilkes married Gertrude Hamilton Barthorp who supported him in loyally his work. Their son Arthur Hamilton Paget Wilkes became a missionary in Africa, RAF ChaplainRoyal Air Force Chaplains Branch
The Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch provides military chaplains for the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom.-Training:RAF chaplains and candidates receive training at the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre, which is located at Amport House....
and Anglican vicar. Their grandson Michael Paget-Wilkes is Archdeacon of Warwick
Diocese of Coventry
The Diocese of Coventry is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Coventry, who sits at Coventry Cathedral in Coventry, and is assisted by one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Warwick. The diocese covers Coventry and Warwickshire.The diocese is...
. Paget Wilkes' brother Lewis Vaughan Wilkes founded and ran St Cyprian's School
St Cyprian's School
St Cyprian's School was an English preparatory school for boys, which operated in the early 20th century in Eastbourne, East Sussex. Like other preparatory schools, its purpose was to train pupils to do well enough in the examinations to gain admission to leading public schools, and to provide an...
, Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, a very influential prep school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
.
Selected publications
- Missionary Joys in Japan (1913)
- The Dynamic of Faith (1916)
- The Dynamic of Service (1924)
- The Dynamic of Redemption (1924)
- Salvation (1928)
- Modern Thought (1929)
- The Dynamic of Life (1931)
- Sanctification (1931)