Building on the Legacy of African Descendants In Global Missions
By Dr. Monica Mitchell
Black people of faith have been at the center of the Protestant missions movement for a very long time. Unfortunately, little is known of their historic role and even less has been written about it. What better time to pause and affirm their role than now during Black History Month?
The recent post by WCIU President, Dr. Kevin Higgins, chronicles a litany of Black missionary trailblazers and related events pivotal in shaping global missions, several occurring prior to 1793, the first missionary journey of the celebrated William Carey, often referred to as the “father of modern missions.” George Liele, a former slave, left the shores of America, along with his family in 1783, for long-term missions service in Jamaica. Rebekka Freundlich Protten, kidnapped and sold into slavery, became a missionary with the Moravian church in 1737 on the island of St. Thomas after receiving her freedom in 1730. The historical record testifies to the early and critical roles that Blacks played in igniting the Protestant missions movement. Yet their names, contributions, sacrifice and examples have been ignored. It is time to reclaim and celebrate this great legacy!
To prevent the erasure of Blacks from the canons of history in every field, the concept of Black History Month began as a seed of an idea in 1915, originally as Black History Week. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a founder of the original concept, saw Black History Month as a tool to combat the systematic and widespread suppression of the dignity and inherent value of African Americans. In his seminal book published in 1933, The Mis-Education of the Negro, Dr. Woodson characterizes the need for Black History Month in the following way:
“The same educational process which inspires and stimulates the oppressor with the thought that he is everything and has accomplished everything worthwhile, depresses and crushes at the same time the spark of genius in the Negro by making him feel that his race does not amount to much and never will measure up to the standards of other peoples. The Negro thus educated is a hopeless liability of the race” (p4).
When only part of the story is told, it paints an inaccurate picture of the past, a misrepresentation of the past, and a biased perspective of how God has been on mission in and through the Protestant church. Many in the mission movement have asked, “Where is the African American in missions?” Communities of color worldwide have asked, “Where is the African American in missions?” By retelling the role and contributions of Blacks in missions to correctly represent the historical canon, African Americans can once again see ourselves as being part of the story to resume and build upon our role and place in global missions. The retelling and reclaiming have already begun thanks to the efforts of several theologians, pastors, and missiologists whose research is making inroads to dispel common misconceptions of the role of Blacks in missions. (See for example, Bernard Mbenga, Linda P. Saunders, Mary K. Schueneman.)
Proper and accurate retelling is necessary, but it is not sufficient. Early on, Black missionaries on the mission field went through white churches and denominations as well as black missionary agencies. But later, a confluence of factors led to erosion in their missional participation. Racism and segregation during the Jim Crow era, in particular, prevented Blacks from being considered by majority institutions and organizations as missionary candidates or even attending seminary for theological training. The proliferation of colonialism closed its doors to Blacks, fearing the mere presence of Black missionaries would influence indigenous people to seek independence. With the emergence of eugenics, Whites also systematically excluded Black missionaries because they did not feel Blacks were even capable of being missionaries.
While the doors to Black missionaries serving on the mission field closed, there still was a small remnant who persisted in overcoming oppressive barriers. The Spooners are one such couple. Kenneth Spooner was born in Barbados, immigrated to New York City, married an African American wife, and received his missionary calling in 1906. His contribution as a missionary is legendary in the Rustenburg area of South Africa among the BaFokeng - planting churches, establishing schools, and raising up leaders. This was clearly remarkable and only accomplished through the divine grace of God. At the time, South Africa was in the early stages of moving toward the apartheid system and actually prohibited Blacks from immigration when the Spooners arrived in Cape Town in 1915. The Spooners were innovative trailblazers engaged in missional practices ahead of their time. Their cross-cultural ministry centered on building the capacity of new believers to forge their own faith communities through discipleship and self-determination and thereby avoid the pitfalls of dependency. The vibrant Christian community in Phokeng established by the work of the Spooners still maintains strong ties to the African American church. Those ties have expanded and deepened through joint partnership with Bethel Gospel Assembly in Harlem, NYC.
We are emboldened, inspired, and encouraged by the full story of the heroes and sheroes of African descendants on which the shoulders of the modern missions movement stands. The residue from the systematic barriers that led to erosion of African American missional involvement is still with us. Yet, the story continues to unfold. May we strive to eliminate the barriers and pursue relational partnership across the rich racial, ethnic, and cultural fabric reflected in the body of Christ to build on and reclaim African American agency at all levels of the mission enterprise.
K.E.M. Spooner
Missionary to South Africa