PAGE THREE
Home -  Page One - Page Two - Page Three - Page Four - Page Five - Page Six

AUGUST 2004 PRAYER FOCUS

MORAVIAN MISSIONARY MARTYRS

According to missionologists there were far more Christian Martyrs in the 20^th century then in all the previous 19 centuries combined. The hypothetical question, “Would you be willing to lay down your life for your Savior?” has often prompted mixed responses. But as in all crises, we never can be prepared for a situation that does not really exist. History proves that when we are doing the work of the Lord, He gives us courage and wisdom to handle whatever may come our way.

As I write this article on July 6^th, the 589^th anniversary of the martyrdom of John Hus, my thoughts were directed to an article I came across that appeared in the Wachovia Moravian in 1933 that someone had given me years ago entitled Moravian Missionary Martyrs. Here is that text:

 Forty-six adult missionaries and four children met violent deaths during the 200 years of Moravian missionary activity, out of a total of 1947 missionaries.

 Here is what happened to them:

Thirteen men, five women and three children perished at sea. Four men and two women were lost at sea without leaving a trace of their fate. One man was killed at sea during an attack by pirates.

 One Labrador missionary was lost without a trace while on a hunting expedition.

 One man was killed by lightning. One man was kicked to death by a horse.

 Four drownings are recorded; one in the Nile, two men one women and a child in the Kuskokwim, Alaska, and one in Cottica, Surinam.

 One man was killed by a sawfish.

 Eleven men, three women and one child, were murdered or burned to death. The murders are accounted for in the five following instances:

1.      In 1752, probably on the 13^th of September, seven men were murdered by Labrador Eskimos: Captain Madgson, helmsmen Ehrhardt, Roberts and Hamilton, and three sailors, Elik, Losen and Nowell. Ehrhardt was a Moravian.

2.      Seven men, three women and one child, were shot or burned to death on November 24, 1755, at Gnadenhuetten on the Mahoning (Lehighton-Weissport, PA) when Indians destroyed the station.

3.      In 1782, not far from Gnadenhuetten, Ohio, just before the terrible massacre of 96 Indians, Joseph Shebosh, son of famous Shebosh (John Joseph Bull) was shot, tomahawked and scalped by white men. Joseph was not, like his father, actually a missionary, but a half-Indian, member of the congregation, greatly respected by all.

4.      On September 2, 1862, James Ward, Jr., missionary among the Cherokees, was shot to death by a band of 20 Indians.

5.      On Tuesday, March 31, 1931, missionary Karl Bregenzer, was murdered by bandits at Musawas, Nicaragua.

These men and women counted not their lives dear unto themselves. They made the supreme sacrifice for God. All other missionaries were like them in spirit. They all dedicated their lives to the Lord; only a few met a violent death. The greater number died a natural death, but passed through much tribulation into the kingdom of God.

They climbed the steep ascent to heaven

Through peril, toil and pain;

O God to us may grace be given

To follow in their train.

-          From the Moravian

 Let us remember all our missionaries serving all over the world, our work crews and those who share the Gospel in other organizations, in their work, in their travel and at home.                                    JHG