Rufus Anderson
Encyclopedia
Rufus Anderson was an American
minister who spent several decades organizing overseas missions.
, on August 17, 1796. His father, also named Rufus Anderson, was Congregationalist
pastor
of the church in North Yarmouth. His mother was Hannah Parsons. He graduated from Bowdoin College
in 1818, and from Andover Theological Seminary in 1822, and was ordained as a minister in 1826. He married Eliza Hill (1804–1880) on January 8, 1827. He worked at the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
(ABCFM) as an assistant while studying at Andover. In 1822 he applied to go to India
but was asked to remain at headquarters and later appointed assistant secretary. In 1832 he was given total responsibility for overseas work.
Anderson believed that "missions are instituted for the spread of a scriptural self-propagating Christianity". Missions were for:
Anything beyond this, he felt, was secondary. The end of the mission was to be "a scriptural, self propagating Christianity" the test of which is seen in evidence of a religious life, a genuine change in the church and the individual.
He wrote that Bible translation, literature, schools, press and all other activities should be directed to building a mature local church which evangelised and sent out others as missionaries. He also prohibited any mission becoming engaged with a government or engaging in any kind of business. He advocated cooperation with other societies to avoid the waste of people and money. To Anderson, civilisation was not a legitimate aim of the mission but would come as an impact of the gospel, this went against the nature of mission in his time which started with civilisation of the natives.
The missionary was not to be a pastor or ruler but an evangelist, moving on to the next place as soon as possible; their business was with unbelievers, not believers. The society existed solely to help the missionary discharge their duty rather than making them a servant. Native ministers were to be the spiritual leaders.
Though there is dispute as to who wrote about the idea first, the "three-self" method is attributed to both Anderson and Henry Venn
. They both wrote about the need for creating churches in the missions field that were self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating.
He published several books, as well as many articles in The Missionary Herald. He is remembered in Sri Lanka
for shutting down American Ceylon Mission
's popular Batticotta Seminary
because it was not converting enough locals to Christianity.
He traveled to the Hawaiian Islands
in 1863 after crossing the Panama Canal
, described the trip in a book, and after retiring in 1866 wrote a history of the missions there.
He died May 23, 1880 in Boston
and was buried in Forest Hills Cemetery
after a funeral at Eliot Congregational Church
.
His son Edward Anderson became a chaplain in the American Civil War
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
minister who spent several decades organizing overseas missions.
Life
Rufus Anderson was born in North Yarmouth, MaineNorth Yarmouth, Maine
North Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,565 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, on August 17, 1796. His father, also named Rufus Anderson, was Congregationalist
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the church in North Yarmouth. His mother was Hannah Parsons. He graduated from Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
in 1818, and from Andover Theological Seminary in 1822, and was ordained as a minister in 1826. He married Eliza Hill (1804–1880) on January 8, 1827. He worked at the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was the first American Christian foreign mission agency. It was proposed in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College and officially chartered in 1812. In 1961 it merged with other societies to form the United Church Board for World...
(ABCFM) as an assistant while studying at Andover. In 1822 he applied to go to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
but was asked to remain at headquarters and later appointed assistant secretary. In 1832 he was given total responsibility for overseas work.
Anderson believed that "missions are instituted for the spread of a scriptural self-propagating Christianity". Missions were for:
- convertingReligious conversionReligious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
lost men, - organising them into churchChurch BodyA local church is a Christian religious organization that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by pastors or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek seek non-profit corporate status...
es, - giving these churches a competent native ministryChristian ministryIn Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
, - conducting them to the stage of independence and (in most cases) of self-propagation.
Anything beyond this, he felt, was secondary. The end of the mission was to be "a scriptural, self propagating Christianity" the test of which is seen in evidence of a religious life, a genuine change in the church and the individual.
He wrote that Bible translation, literature, schools, press and all other activities should be directed to building a mature local church which evangelised and sent out others as missionaries. He also prohibited any mission becoming engaged with a government or engaging in any kind of business. He advocated cooperation with other societies to avoid the waste of people and money. To Anderson, civilisation was not a legitimate aim of the mission but would come as an impact of the gospel, this went against the nature of mission in his time which started with civilisation of the natives.
The missionary was not to be a pastor or ruler but an evangelist, moving on to the next place as soon as possible; their business was with unbelievers, not believers. The society existed solely to help the missionary discharge their duty rather than making them a servant. Native ministers were to be the spiritual leaders.
Though there is dispute as to who wrote about the idea first, the "three-self" method is attributed to both Anderson and Henry Venn
Henry Venn (Church Missionary Society)
Henry Venn , was an Anglican clergyman who is recognised as one of the foremost Protestant missions strategists of the nineteenth century. He was an outstanding administrator who served as honorary secretary of the Church Missionary Society from 1841 to 1873...
. They both wrote about the need for creating churches in the missions field that were self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating.
He published several books, as well as many articles in The Missionary Herald. He is remembered in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
for shutting down American Ceylon Mission
American Ceylon Mission
The American Ceylon Mission to Jaffna, Sri Lanka started with the arrival in 1813 of missionaries sponsored by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions . The British colonial office in India and Ceylon restricted the Americans to the relatively small Jaffna Peninsula for...
's popular Batticotta Seminary
Batticotta Seminary
The Batticotta Seminary was an educational institute founded by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions 's American Ceylon Mission at Vaddukodai, in the Jaffna Peninsula north Sri Lanka in 1823. It was closed in 1855. The reason for such a decision being that it was not successful...
because it was not converting enough locals to Christianity.
He traveled to the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
in 1863 after crossing the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, described the trip in a book, and after retiring in 1866 wrote a history of the missions there.
He died May 23, 1880 in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and was buried in Forest Hills Cemetery
Forest Hills Cemetery
Forest Hills Cemetery is a historic cemetery, greenspace, arboretum and sculpture garden located in the Forest Hills section of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery was designed in 1848.-Overview:...
after a funeral at Eliot Congregational Church
Eliot Congregational Church
Eliot Congregational Church is an historic Congregational church at 56 Dale Street, at the corner of 118-120 Walnut Street in Boston, Massachusetts....
.
His son Edward Anderson became a chaplain in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.