WHAT WAS THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY?

The London Missionary Society was formally established in September 1795 by a group of Presbyterian clergy and laymen, during the period of revival of evangelism among the Protestants. The stated aim and purpose of this Society was to spread the knowledge of Christ throughout the world and to bring Christian principles to the heathen nations. In the 1800s, The London Missionary Society’s goals were also extended to the propagation of English language and culture through the heathen nations. The Society consisted of Protestants from a wide range of denominations.

HISTORY OF THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY:

Early missionary work of the society was in Africa and America. But in the 19th century, the London Missionary Society began to expand its activities into south East Asia, notably China and India. Initially, the missionaries found it difficult to obtain entry into China and there were incidence of violence against many of them who did manage to enter the country. The London Missionary Society operated under a Board of Directors and its sources of funding were mostly from volunteers and salaried officials. However, since much of its work involved overseas ministry, the Society was soon finally strapped. It then merged with the Commonwealth Missionary Society which in turn became the Council for World Mission in 1977.

WHY THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY WAS CONSIDERED A COLONIAL POWER?

The London Missionary Society entered foreign countries, purportedly to evangelize the heathens. They came equipped with Bibles and medicines, ready to spread the word of God in these heathen nations. But in order to communicate with them, they often had to teach the natives English. As they began to interact with the natives and teach them their own religious beliefs, they also taught them their own English ways and as a result, many of the natives began to identify closely with the missionaries and to desire to accept their culture and be a part of their society. This produced antagonism among others in the society, and the natives who had accepted Jesus began to be perceived as having accepted the ways of the foreigners. Particularly in China, the missionaries were perceived as intrusive strangers who had no right to remain so long in their country. Thus, they resisted entry of these missionaries. Further, the Catholics in these south East Asian nations also resisted the entry of these missionaries.

CHINESE PERCEPTION OF THE SOCIETY:
In 1793, Lord Macaulay set out on a diplomatic mission to the Manchu Court in 1793. In order to establish trade relations with that country. But this mission was met with resistance, especially since the English missionaries were beginning to filter into China. The entry of the English culture into the country was perceived as a threat to the ancient Chinese civilization. It was the first serious threat that had been posed to the continuation of the cultural traditions of the Chinese people which had been followed for many generations. The new converts were perceived as being an evil influence on the Chinese converts by teaching them “their ways” do that they turned away from many of the ancient customs which they no longer perceived to be fair and equitable since they were not Christian. The Chinese were a very tight knit society and culture and they did not welcome strangers into their communities and it was many years before the missionaries were able to acquire a foothold in China, thanks mostly to the efforts of charismatic evangelists like Robert Morrison.

When Robert Morrison (1782-1834) of the London Missionary Society entered China for the first time, he wrote as follows:
"Twenty-five years have this day elapsed, since the first Protestant Missionary arrived in China, alone and in the midst of perfect strangers, with but few friends, and with many foes."
This initial resistance did not deter the missionaries however. They continued to persevere with their efforts and the situation began to change as they began to acquire more influential converts. For example in China, Liang A-fa (1789-1855) and Wang T'ao (1828-1897) are notable examples. With the conversion of such men who were respected in society, many others also began to follow in their footsteps and the movement intensified. As a result, the influence of the missionaries also began to expand and they began to have an effect on the country’s social, intellectual and political developments through its converts. In India, unlike in China, it was the East India Company that was predominantly responsible for the colonization of the princely states, but it may be noted here that the London Missionary Society also played a very active part in colonizing India. They set up many schools and colleges in India, and established churches which drew more and more converts, who were attracted to the message of salvation and hope preached by the missionaries.

CONCLUSION:
Religion has often been used as a pretext to acquire political and economic power. Although there are some missionaries who are sincere in their purposes, the larger part of the clergy are always conscious of the political and economic benefits that are often gained by donning the deceptive mantle of “religious messengers.” The London Missionary Society’s religious workers set out to evangelize, but then, the lure of power and wealth from a foreign country encouraged their superiors to set into motion measures to gain inroads into the power structure of the societies they were entering and enlarge the sphere and scope of English influence, to make use of the resources and facilities available in the host nations. This is why the London Missionary Society may be referred to as a colonial power.