初谈宋尚节
（接上文）
厦门
对我这个出生在黑龙江的北方人来说，“厦门”这个南方城市的名字既熟悉又陌生。熟悉，是因为它是一座享有盛名的国际港口城市，早在1842年《南京条约》签订后，便成为中国最早的五个通商口岸之一；陌生，则在于我从未亲自踏足那片土地。
直到2022年，我在修读“宣教学”课程、研究基督教传入福建的历史时，厦门这个名字才在我心中渐渐鲜活起来。那段时间，我通过网络结识了厦门大学管理学院（商学院）的潘维廉（William N. Brown）教授——一位深爱中国、熟悉中国文化的美国人。他慷慨地提供了许多关于早期传教士的书籍与资料，使我得以顺利完成那篇论文：《这人撒种，那人收割——探索宋尚节之前中国福建的新教宣教历史》（“One Sows and Another Reaps”: Exploring the Protestant Missions History in Fujian China before John Sung’s Ministry）。[1]
正是通过潘教授，我与这座城市之间产生了一种奇妙的连结。厦门，从记忆中的概念，渐渐变成一座有情感的地方——那里有宣教士的足迹，有福音的种子，有宋尚节布道的脚踪，有上帝在中国南方海岸默默展开的救赎故事。从那时起，我便渴望有一天能亲自走进那片土地，看看那位昔日“撒种”的上帝，如今在那里的田地中结出了怎样的果实。
每当提及新教入华的历史，学者们往往称马礼逊（Robert Morrison, 1782–1834；1807到澳门）是第一位来华的传教士。[2] 事实上，更准确的说法是，他是第一位对中国产生深远影响的新教传教士。在他之前，已有不少西方新教传教士尝试踏上这片古老的土地，但多因历史、政治及文化等阻隔而未能产生持久成果。马礼逊的独特之处则在于他用生命开启了一场以文字、翻译与教育为核心的福音旅程，为后来的宣教工作奠定了坚实的根基。
- 干治士和约翰纽修斯
早在十七世纪，新教传教士乔治·干治士（Georgius Candidius，1597–1647，中文名：干治士）便已将福音带到了邻近福建的台湾。[3] 1627年至1637年间，正值中国明代，他在台湾从事宣教工作。干治士是出生于德国的荷兰籍传教士，受教于归正宗神学院。1624年，荷兰人殖民台湾，荷兰东印度公司派遣干治士前往当地，原意是要服侍殖民者。然而，他到达台湾后，却立志要服事当地的百姓。
干治士认真学习当地的语言与文化，并于1629年撰写了一本介绍台湾的著作，帮助外界了解当地人民的处境与宣教的需要。他深入民间，勤奋事奉。来台十六个月后，他在报告中写道：
“我极其勤奋地学习他们的语言，并从一开始就教导他们基督信仰；感谢主的恩典，
截至1628年圣诞节前半月，已有一百二十八人能熟记祷文，并能对基督教信仰的主
要要点做出令人满意的回答。但因某些原因，这些人尚未受洗……我深信上帝必赐
福这工，使祂为自己建立教会，让人以单纯的心志事奉祂。” [4]
同年，另一位荷兰传教士约翰纽修斯（Johniusius）也来到台湾协助干治士。一年之后，他们带领了一百二十人归向基督。两人同心事奉，成果丰硕，福音工作迅速发展，许多人归信主耶稣。台湾因此成为亚洲最早的新教宣教工场。
归正宗强调圣经是最高权威，因此干治士与同工开始进行圣经翻译工作。他将《马太福音》和《约翰福音》译成当地语言。1647年，干治士在巴达维亚（今印度尼西亚雅加达）安息主怀。据记载，当时台湾南部与中部约有六成当地居民受洗归主。
然而，继任的宣教士缺乏使命热情，道德败坏；信徒归信的动机也多有不纯。许多人虽能背诵信经或教理问答，却未真正明白其中的意义。[5] 这些因素导致福音事工逐渐衰落。1662年，郑成功收复台湾。由于郑氏家族与天主教关系密切，便驱逐了荷兰归正宗的传教士，直到十九世纪六十年代，福音之门才再次开启。[6]
- 厦门：中国新教发源地
中国基督教新教的诞生地是哪里？ 潘维廉教授（Willaim N. Brown）在《老外看鼓浪屿》（Old Gulangyu in Foreign’s Eyes）中指出：中国新教的诞生地是厦门。[7] 据亚历山大·哈密尔顿（Alexander Hamilton）记载：在1700年，厦门大约有五十个基督徒，他们由法国传教士管理一座礼拜堂；但那些会众多是社会的‘下层之人’，他们的基督信仰也同样浅陋。[8]
为何传教士首选厦门呢？巴博（Barbour）指出三个主要原因：第一，这里的人很友好，他们从不排斥老外；第二，福建本地人与外界的交往较多，使这块土地上产生更为自由的情感；第三，如你所知，到中国的第一个宣教差会在马六甲组成，[9] 那里的华人来自漳州（福建南部），传教士学会了他们的方言。当中国的大门被打开时，一批受过训练有经验的传教士已经准备开展工作了……厦门不仅成了传教士光顾的首选地区之一，而且在到来的传教士中，有六七个可以从头传播福音。他们是有经验的人，不用在投石问路方面浪费时间，而是一开始就从很熟悉的系统做起，随后稳步前进。神的领导是多么奇特啊！ [10] 原来神的工作从来都如一粒种子，慢慢孕育、发芽、开花、茁壮成长，最终结出累累硕果。
- 大卫·雅俾理（David Abeel，1840–1846）——首位到福建的传教士
在第一次鸦片战争结束之后——这场战争发生于1839年至1842年，由英国与清朝之间爆发，并最终以中英南京条约签订以及五个通商口岸向西方开放告终——大卫·雅俾理（David Abeel，中文名：雅俾理，拼音：Yǎ bǐlǐ，1804年6月12日－1846年9月4日）于1842年来到福建厦门。[11]他是福建首位开拓的新教传教士。[12] 与此同时，美国圣公会主教威廉·琼斯·布恩（Rev. William Jones Boone, 1811–1864）也抵达厦门。
雅俾理1804年6月12日出生于新泽西州新布伦瑞克。他最初在罗格斯学院（Rutgers College）学习医学，随后转入该地的归正会神学院（Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church）学习神学。他先在纽约雅典市牧会两年，1829年10月启程前往中国广州。一年后，他加入美国海外差会（American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions），并访问爪哇、新加坡和暹罗（今泰国）。他学习中文，但因身体欠佳，1833年经欧洲回国。途经瑞士、法国、荷兰等国时，他积极呼吁西方人士关注福音传播到其他民族的使命。在英国，他还协助创立了一个促进亚洲女性教育的协会。返回美国后，雅俾理出版了《世界对福音的需求》（The Claims of the World to the Gospel）、《在中国的居留》（Residence in China）以及《耶路撒冷的差会大会》（The Missionary Convention at Jerusalem）。[13] 他的著作极大地增强了他在早期宣教运动中的影响力。
1839年，他再次访问马六甲、婆罗洲及亚洲其他地区。1842年，他在厦门建立了宣教点，但到1845年，身体状况迅速恶化，于1846年因肺结核回国去世。他忠心事奉至最后一刻，他的工作并非徒劳。厦门的前两位归信者在1846年受洗时，将他们最初的信仰印象归功于雅俾理的讲道。
两年后，厦门建成了新街教堂，这是中国第一所新教教会。2018年11月21日，《中国日报》报道了新街教堂“建堂170周年——‘中国第一所圣堂’纪念”。[14] 在雅俾理短短42年的生命中，他不仅开拓了厦门宣教，使中国的第一所新教教会得以建立并取得成功，还在东方开创了女性教育的先河。
- 杜嘉德Carstairs Douglas
杜嘉德（Carstairs Douglas，中文名：杜嘉德，拼音：Dù Jiādé）出生于1830年12月27日，苏格兰人，生于雷恩弗鲁郡基尔巴尔昌（Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire）。他是一位苏格兰传教士，主要因研究福建南部的闽南方言而被后人铭记。为了在福音事工中取得成效，杜嘉德来到厦门后很快意识到，他必须精通当地语言。他很快就能够流利地使用闽南话。在厦门期间，杜嘉德牧养教会，教导学生，并经常外出布道，无论寒冬酷暑，有时甚至在月光皎洁的夜晚行程数十里。他于1873年编纂了《厦门土话中英文词典（Chinese–English Dictionary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Amoy）》。[15] 为了编纂这本词典，杜嘉德勤奋工作，每天至少花费八小时。长期的劳累使他的容貌看起来比实际年龄苍老许多。他在46岁时去世，但人们普遍认为他已超过六十岁。在他22年的宣教生涯中，他所完成的工作，比大多数人两倍时间所能完成的还要多。摘自1877年8月，驻汕头的H. L. Mackenzie牧师致差会友人的两封信中写道：
“在二十二年多的时间里，他的劳苦从未间断，唯有主再来的大日才能宣告，这位深受爱戴的人——如此‘坚毅不动、常在主的工作上丰富有余’——他的劳苦并非徒然。” [16]
为了编纂词典，杜嘉德广泛收集闽南方言词汇。每当听到新词，他会立刻记录在笔记本中，并反复练习，直到完全掌握。由于这部词典的重要价值，他获得母校颁发的荣誉博士学位。词典出版后，立即成为所有闽南语学习者必备的重要参考书。值得一提的是，他最后一次公开事工是参加1877年5月1日在上海举行的传教士大会，大会有来自全国各地的100多位代表，充分代表了各地教会和团体。大会任命了一位美国主席和一位英国主席，英国代表一致授予杜嘉德博士最高荣誉，这显示了人们对他工作和人格的高度评价与认同。这似乎也是他公开事工的一个特别收官安排。[17] 杜嘉德最后的日子非常感人。英国长老会传教士威廉·麦格雷戈（William McGregor）在一封信中写道：“当他的医师告诉他病情结果非常不确定，并建议他若有安排最好尽快处理时，似乎是担心会让他过于惊慌，他还补充说：‘但你千万不要激动，你是个哲学家。’杜嘉德立即制止他说：‘我是基督徒；’然后稍作停顿，又补充：‘这样更好。’” [18]
过了一会儿，他安慰一旁哀悼的信徒说：“唯有神的恩赐，在我们的主耶稣基督里乃是永生。”（罗马书6:23）
1877年7月26日，杜嘉德在厦门鼓浪屿去世，葬于此地。（未完待续）
[1] 李春海：“初谈宋尚节”，8/31/25 牧者之言，浏览于10月14日2025，https://lricbc.org/?p=1689。
[2] Ruth A. Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions, 2nd ed(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2004), 178. Stephen Neill, A History of Christian Missions, Volume Six in the Pellican History of the Church, Revised for the Second Edition by Owen Chadwick (London: Penguin Books, 1990), 238. J. M.Terry & R. L. Gallagher, Encountering the History of Missions: From the Early Church to Today (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017), 253.
[3]Taiwan’s old name was Formosa.
[4] George Candidius, “Account of the Inhabitants,” Formosa under the Dutch: Described from Contemporary Records, with Explanatory Notes and a Bibliography of the Island, ed. William Campbell (London: Kegan Paul, 1903), 25.
[5] John Lai, “063 George Candidius,” A Collection of Articles on the History of Christianity in Taiwan, http://www.laijohn.com/BOOK1/063.htm, accessed on December 12, 2022.
[6] John Lai, “051Chenggong Zheng Treats Victorio Ricci Kindly,” A Collection of Articles on the History of Christianity in Taiwan, http://www.laijohn.com/BOOK1/063.htm, accessed on December 12, 2022. Paul Wu, “Is Robert Morrison the first Protestant Missionary to China?” China Christian Daily, trans. Alvin Zhou, March 05, 2017, accessed December 2, 2022, http://chinachristiandaily.com/news/culture/2017-03-05/is-robert-morrison-the-first-protestant-missionary-to-china-_4260.
[7] 潘维廉（William N. Brown）：《老外看老鼓浪屿》(Old Gulangyu in Foreigners’ Eyes)，潘文功、钟太福译（厦门：厦门大学出版社，2010），421。
[8] Alexander Hamiliton, New Account of the East Indies, Being the Observations and Remarks of Captain Alexander Hmilton, 1688-1723, Volume II (New Delhi ★ Madras: Asian Educational Services, 1995), 245.
[9] 最早面向中国的基督教新教宣教活动是在马六甲形成的，当时传教士罗伯特·马礼逊（Robert Morrison）和威廉·缪恩（William Milne）于1818年创立了英华书院（Anglo-Chinese College）。由于当时禁止传教士在中国大陆直接设立学校，这所书院作为江外宣教（Ultra-Ganges Missions）的一部分而成立。这一举措成为新教早期在亚洲宣教工作中的关键一步。Lin Yihong, “The Origin of The Ultra-Ganges Missions and Its Periodical Press,” Cultural and Religious Studies, Vol. 10, No. 7 (Guangzhou: Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, July 2022): 385-394.
[10] George F. Barbour, “China and the Missions at Amoy, with Notice of the Opium Trade” (Edinburg: William P. Kennedy, 1855), 29-30.
[11] Sue Brown & Dr. Bill, “David Abeel–Amoy’s 1st Missionary,” The Amoy Mission 1841-1951, Xiamen–Birthplace of Chinese Protestantism (amoymagic.com), accessed on December 3, 2022.
[12] Philip Wilson Pitcher, In and About Amoy (Shanghai & Foochow: The Methodist Publishing House in China, 1912), 299.
[13] David Abeel, The Missionary Convention at Jerusalem (New York: John S. Taylor, 1838).
[14] David M. Stowe, “1804—1846 David Abeel Pioneer American Missionary to China,” Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1999), https://bdcconline.net/en/stories/abeel-david, accessed on December 3, 2022.
[15] John M. Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs: Missionary of the Presbyterian Church of England at Amoy, China (London: Waterlow and Sons Limited, Printkks, London Wall, 1877), 45-48.
[16] Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 72.
[17] W. S. S Wanson, “His Missionary Career,” Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 68.
[18] Wm. McGregor, “His Closing Days,” Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 53.
An Initiative Reflection on John Sung
(continued from the above)
Xiamen
- A Brief Study of the History of Missions in Xiamen
- John Sung in Xiamen
- My Trip to Xiamen
For me, a northerner born in Heilongjiang, the southern city of Xiamen was both familiar and unfamiliar. It was familiar because it is a renowned international port city and, as early as 1842, following the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing, became one of the first five treaty ports in China open to foreign trade. Yet it was unfamiliar because I had never personally set foot on that land.
It was not until 2022, when I was taking a course in mission and researching the history of Christianity to Fujian, that the name Xiamen gradually came alive in my mind. During that time, through the internet, I made the acquaintance of Professor William N. Brown from the School of Management (Business School) at Xiamen University—a devoted American who loves China and is well-versed in Chinese culture. He generously provided me with numerous books and materials about the early missionaries, which enabled me to complete my paper, “One Sows and Another Reaps: Exploring the Protestant Missions History in Fujian China before John Sung’s Ministry.” [1]
It was through Professor Brown that I developed a special connection with this city. Xiamen, once merely a name in memory, gradually became a place full of meaning—where the footsteps of missionaries can still be traced, where the seeds of the gospel were sown, where John Sung once preached, and where God quietly unfolded His redemptive work along the southern coast of China. From that moment, I longed for the day when I could personally set foot on that land, to see how the God who once “sowed the seed” is now bringing forth fruit in that field.
- Georgius Candidius and Johniusius
Church historians and scholars believe that Robert Morrison (1782-1834) from the British was the first Protestant missionary coming to China in 1807. [2] However, in the seventeenth century, the Protestant missionary Georgius Candidius (1597-1647, Chinese name: 干治士, pinyin: Gān Zhìshì) brought the gospel to Taiwan,[3] which is adjacent to Fujian, from 1627 to 1637 during the Ming Dynasty in China. [4] Candidius, a Dutch born in Germany, was the first Protestant missionary to China. He was taught at the Reformed Theological Seminary. In 1624 Netherlands colonized Taiwan. The Dutch East India Company sent Candidius to Taiwan for serving the colonists. When he arrived in Taiwan, he considered serving the local people. He earnestly studied the local language and culture, and wrote a book about Taiwan in 1629, helping people understand the situation of the local people and the needs of missions. He went into the local community and worked hard for the ministry. After sixteen months of coming to Taiwan, he reports:
“I have used great diligence to learn their language, and from the outset to instruct them
in the Christian faith; and I have succeeded so far that a fortnight before Christmas of
the year 1628 there were a hundred and twenty-eight persons who knew the prayers and
were able to answer in the most satisfactory manner with regard to the principal articles
of our Christian faith; but for certain reasons none of these have been baptized…I trust
the Lord of God will bless this work, and that he will build up a church onto Himself,
serving Him will all singleness of heart and mind.”[5]
In the same year, another Dutch missionary, Johniusius, came to Taiwan to help him. A year later, they led 120 people to Jesus. They served fruitfully with one heart, missions made progress rapidly, and many people converted to Jesus. Taiwan became the first mission land in Asia. The Reformed Church emphasized that the Bible is the highest authority, so Candidius and his companions began to translate the Bible. Candidius translated the Gospels of Matthew and John into local language. He went to the Lord in 1647 in Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia). The sixty percent of the locals in southern and central Taiwan were baptized to Christ. [6] The successive missionaries lacked passion for missions and had corrupt morals. The believers converted with wrong motivation. They might memorize some doctrines or catechism, but probably did not understand the meaning. [7] These factors caused a decline of the gospel ministry. In 1662, Zheng, Chenggong recovered Taiwan. Due to the close relationship between the Zheng family and the Catholic Church, they expelled the Dutch Reformed missionaries from Taiwan until the 60th of the nineteenth century. [8]
- Xiamen: The Birthplace of Protestantism in China
Where was the birthplace of Protestant Christianity in China? Professor William N. Brown, in Old Gulangyu in Foreign Eyes, argued that the cradle of Chinese Protestantism is Xiamen. [9]According to Alexander Hamilton’s account: In 1700, there were about fifty Christians in Xiamen, served by French missionaries in a small chapel; however, most of these believers belonged to the lower classes of society, and their Christian faith was quite superficial. [10]
Why did missionaries choose Xiamen as their first station? Barbour identified three primary reasons. First, the people there were friendly and never hostile toward foreigners. Second, the residents of Fujian had frequent contact with the outside world, which fostered a more open and liberal spirit in the region. Third, as you may know, the first missionary society to China was formed in Malacca, [11] where most of the Chinese community came from Zhangzhou in southern Fujian. The missionaries there had already learned their dialect. Thus, when China’s doors were opened, a group of trained and experienced missionaries was already prepared for the work ahead.
“Xiamen,” Barbour noted that became not only one of the most favored regions for missionary endeavor but also a place where six or seven missionaries could begin spreading the gospel from scratch. They were experienced men, wasting no time in uncertainty, but proceeding steadily from a system they already knew well. “How strange ae the leadings of Providence!” [12] Indeed, God’s work has always resembled a seed—quietly planted, slowly germinating, blossoming, growing strong, and finally bearing abundant fruit in due time.
- David Abeel to Fujian
After the end of the first Opium War—a military engagement fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842, with the signing of the Sino-British Nanjing Treaty and the opening of the five treaty ports to the West, David Abeel (Chinese: 雅俾理, pinyin: Yǎ bǐlǐ, June 12, 1804 – September 4, 1846) came to Amoy Fujian in 1842. [13] He was the first pioneer Protestant missionary to Fujian. Rev. William Jones Boone (1811-1864), Bishop of the American Episcopal Church arrived at the time. [14] Abeel was born June 12, 1804, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He began medical studies at Rutgers College and later turned to study at the Theological Seminary of the Reformed church in that place. He first pastored in Athens, New York, for two years, then sailed to Canton, China, in October 1829. A year later, he transferred to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and visited Java, Singapore, and Siam. He studied Chinese, but because of his poor health, he returned home via Europe in 1833. As he passed through Switzerland, France, Holland, and other countries, he urged Westerners to concern about the gospel reaching other nations. In England he helped build a society for promoting the education of women in Asia. Upon his return to America, Abeel published The Claims of the World to the Gospel, Residence in China, and The Missionary Convention at Jerusalem.[15] His influence in the early missionary movement was greatly increased by his writings. [16] In 1839 he visited Malacca, Borneo, and parts of Asia again. In 1842 he established a mission at Amoy, but by 1845 his health had deteriorated rapidly, and he returned home to die of pulmonary tuberculosis in 1846. He labored faithfully to the very last, and his work was not in vain. The first two converts at Amoy, baptized in 1846, ascribed their earliest impressions to his preaching. [17] Two years later, Xiamen built Xinjie Church, the first Protestant Church in China.
On November 21, 2018, China Chinese Daily reported Xinjie Church’s “170th Anniversary of ‘First Holy Church of China.’” [18] Within Abeel’s short 42 years, he not only pioneered the Amoy Mission, which led to building China’s first Protestant church and the successful mission, but also pioneered women’s education in the East.
- A Presbyterian missionary Carstairs Douglas to Fujian
Carstairs Douglas (Chinese: 杜嘉德, pinyin: Dù Jiādé) was born on December 27 of 1830 in Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire. He was a Scottish missionary, being remembered chiefly for his writings concerning the Southern Minnan dialect of Fujian. To be effective in the gospel ministry, when Douglas came to Amoy, he soon realized he must be proficient in the local language. He was soon able to speak fluently Minnan dialect. When Douglas was in Amoy, he pastored the church, taught students, and often went out to preach despite the cold and heat, sometimes traveling dozens of miles on moonlit nights. He compiled Chinese–English Dictionary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Amoy in 1873. [19] He worked hard, spending at least eight hours a day on it. Because of his tedious labor, he looked much older than his age. He died of forty-six-year-old, but people thought him of over sixty. He did more work during the twenty-two years of his missionary life than the most of men accomplish in twice that time. Extracts from two letters, dated August 1877, by Rev. H. L. Mackenzie, Swatow, to friends connected with the Mission: “For more than twenty-two years his labors have been unceasing, and the great day of the Lord’s coming will alone declare how this beloved man, so ‘steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,’ did not labor in vain.” [20] In order to compile the dictionary, Douglas collected Minnan dialect extensively. Whenever he heard a new word, he immediately wrote it down in his notebook and practiced it repeatedly until he could master it well. For the dictionary, Douglas received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater. As soon as this dictionary was published, it immediately became an essential book for all Minnan learners. It is a noticeable event that the last public ministry he did was to attend the Missionary Conference in Shanghai on May 1, 1877. There were more than 100 representatives present. They came from all over China and fully represented various local churches and societies. An American president and a British president were appointed, and the British delegates unanimously bestowed the high honor on Dr. Douglas. This shows everyone’s high evaluation and approval of his work and character. This seems to have been a special arrangement, as a closing chapter of his public ministry.[21] The story of his last days was quite touching. A Letter from the Rev. William McGregor, Amoy, one of the Missionaries of the Presbyterian Church of England states:
“When his medical adviser told him that the result of his illness was very doubtful, and that
if he had anything to arrange he had better do it, apparently fearing he might alarm him too
much, he added, ‘but you must not excite yourself, you know; you are a philosopher.’ Dr.
Douglas here at once checked him, and said, ‘I’m a Christian;’ then, pausing for breath,
Added, ‘that’s better.’” [22]
After a while, he comforted the mourning believers on the side: “The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 6: 23). On July 26 of 1877, he died, and was buried on Gu Langyu islet in Amoy, China. (To be continued)
[1] Li Chunhai, “An Initial Reflection on John Sung,” 8/31/25 A Pastor’s Word，accessed October 15, 2025, https://lricbc.org/?p=1689.
[2] Ruth A. Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions, 2nd ed(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2004), 178. Stephen Neill, A History of Christian Missions, Volume Six in the Pellican History of the Church, Revised for the Second Edition by Owen Chadwick (London: Penguin Books, 1990), 238. J. M.Terry & R. L. Gallagher, Encountering the History of Missions: From the Early Church to Today (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017), 253.
[3]Taiwan’s old name was Formosa.
[4] Donald Frederick Lach & Edwin J. Van Kley, Asia in the Making of Europe, Volume III (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993), 277.
[5] George Candidius, “Account of the Inhabitants,” Formosa under the Dutch: Described from Contemporary Records, with Explanatory Notes and a Bibliography of the Island, ed. William Campbell (London: Kegan Paul, 1903), 25.
[6] Georgius Candidus, A Short Account of the Island of Formosa in the Indies, Situate Near the Coast of China: And of the Manners, Customs, and Religions of Its Inhabitants (London, 1732). This book gave some reports concerning the ministry.
[7] John Lai, “063 George Candidius,” A Collection of Articles on the History of Christianity in Taiwan, http://www.laijohn.com/BOOK1/063.htm, accessed on December 12, 2022.
[8] John Lai, “051Chenggong Zheng Treats Victorio Ricci Kindly,” A Collection of Articles on the History of Christianity in Taiwan, http://www.laijohn.com/BOOK1/063.htm, accessed on December 12, 2022. Paul Wu, “Is Robert Morrison the first Protestant Missionary to China?” China Christian Daily, tran. Alvin Zhou, March 05, 2017, http://chinachristiandaily.com/news/culture/2017-03-05/is-robert-morrison-the-first-protestant-missionary-to-china-_4260, accessed on December 2, 2022.
[9] William N. Brown, Old Gulangyu in Foreigners’ Eyes，trans. Pan Wengong, Zhong Taifu (Xiamen: Xiamen University Press, 2010), 421.
[10] Alexander Hamiliton, New Account of the East Indies, Being the Observations and Remarks of Captain Alexander Hmilton, 1688-1723, Volume II (New Delhi ★ Madras: Asian Educational Services, 1995), 245.
[11] The first Protestant mission to the Chinese formed in Malacca with the establishment of the Anglo-Chinese College in 1818 by missionaries Robert Morrison and William Milne. The college was founded as part of the Ultra-Ganges Missions because it was forbidden for missionaries to set up a school directly in mainland China at the time. This initiative was a critical step in the early Protestant missionary efforts in Asia. Lin Yihong, “The Origin of The Ultra-Ganges Missions and Its Periodical Press,” Cultural and Religious Studies, Vol. 10, No. 7 (Guangzhou: Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, July 2022): 385-394.
[12] George F. Barbour, “China and the Missions at Amoy, with Notice of the Opium Trade” (Edinburg: William P. Kennedy, 1855), 29-30.
[13] Sue Brown & Dr. Bill, “David Abeel–Amoy’s 1st Missionary,” The Amoy Mission 1841-1951, Xiamen–Birthplace of Chinese Protestantism (amoymagic.com), accessed December 3, 2022.
[14] Philip Wilson Pitcher, In and About Amoy (Shanghai & Foochow: The Methodist Publishing House in China, 1912), 299.
[15] David Abeel, The Missionary Convention at Jerusalem (New York: John S. Taylor, 1838).
[16] David M. Stowe, “1804—1846 David Abeel Pioneer American Missionary to China,” Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1999), https://bdcconline.net/en/stories/abeel-david, accessed on December 3, 2022.
[17] John Gerardus Fagg, “The Mission Field: David Abeel, Missionary to China (1895). It is cited by Sue Brown & Dr. Bill, “DAVID ABEEL–Father of Amoy Mission,” https://www.amoymagic.com/Am_Abeel.htm, accessed on November 30, 2022.
[18] Ye Lan, “The 170th Anniversary of ‘First Holy Church of China,’” China Christian Daily, November 21, 2018, tran. Lin Changfeng, http://chinachristiandaily.com/news/church_ministry/2018-11-21/the-170th-anniversary-of–first-holy-church-of-china-_7927, accessed on December 9, 2022.
[19] John M. Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs: Missionary of the Presbyterian Church of England at Amoy, China (London: Waterlow and Sons Limited, Printkks, London Wall, 1877), 45-48.
[20] Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 72.
[21] W. S. S Wanson, “His Missionary Career,” Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 68.
[22] Wm. McGregor, “His Closing Days,” Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 53.
this too was his expression of care). He said, “If you serve in America, you must build a family. You need to have a helper. It is great that the Lord grants you a loving partner. Learn how to raise children, and you will better shepherd the flock.” With the help of Pastor Lam and Pastor Kirk, Shasha and I entered the covenant of marriage. Today, by God’s grace, we have three children. Pastor Lam officiated 51 weddings in his lifetime—10 Chinese American and 41 Chinese marriages—becoming a blessing to many families.
