# Hints for missionaries to Melanesia



## Pergamum (Jan 18, 2011)

Hints to Missionaries to Melanesia, by Walter G. Ivens (1907)

A fascinating manual from 100 years ago for missionaries going to Melanesia.

What has changed since then and what would NOT be in a manual today that was included then and what did they miss that we would have included?


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## AThornquist (Jan 19, 2011)

That is an interesting manual. I'm just wondering why he didn't include instructions on how to poll the community to see what type of church they wanted.  Ugh and unfortunately my thoughts are shallow right now since I am greatly fatigued, but I'll respond to some of what I read.




> Clothes. As a rule the Clergy do not wear white when attending Chapel, but white duck clothes are frequently worn at other times. It will probably be found that black can be worn at most times with comfort. For field work, cotton or flannel or cellular shirts are worn, and rough trousers, khaki or other, with a wide leather belt. A leather watch-pocket is attached to the belt. Ordinary hats can be worn, but a Panama straw hat is useful.



This portion is quite minor, but I wonder about having certain standards, such as for clothing, that can become almost dogmatic in some places. Do the missionaries impose their standard of dress on the natives for chapel? By this standard style of dress, do the natives feel any pressure to dress more like the missionaries in order to dress "Christianly"? What comes to my mind is certain African groups that dress like Western businessmen on Sunday even though it's 100+ degrees and that style of dress is completely foreign to what their culture normally looks like, or at least used to look like. When natives adopt Western standards for everyday life, eventually the extremes may happen, such as conducting Sunday services in nearly the same way as a Western church does, singing Western hymns in English, etc. My current understanding is that sometimes far too much of the West is associated with the Gospel, which manifests itself in missionaries of the C1 variety. I don't think this was an issue for the writer of this manual, but I am just thinking generally. Is my line of thinking off base here, Perg? I can sometimes be too reactionary, and maybe my desire to contextualize is making me recoil too much from dress standards. 




> There is a Customs duty at Norfolk Island on oil, candles, tea, sugar,* tobacco*, fancy biscuits, but it has to be paid either in Sydney or in Auckland. *To keep wine or spirits, a permit has to be obtained from the Norfolk Island doctor through the head of the Mission. No one, on arrival, would be refused to take an opened bottle of spirits ashore*.



I can't imagine the IMB including this in a missions manual. 


Honestly, I'm not sure what was included that would not be included in such a manual today. It seems like much more could be added to each chapter, especially with regard to sanitation and health. Also, the religious background and climate of Melanesia was not discussed, which I imagine would be a major area of consideration nowadays, as well as governmental and cultural movements or lack thereof. I don't recall much in the way of actual ministry instruction either, but apparently the purpose of this manual was about the practical matters of daily life and not the missionary endeavors, such as evangelism, using available literary resources (if any) in the local languages, etc. I'm probably missing a lot, but this is the best I can do at this time of night.

---------- Post added at 11:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:01 PM ----------

I would also be interested to know your thoughts on the questions you asked, Perg.


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## Bald_Brother (Jan 19, 2011)

I went through the whole thing and I saw absolutely nothing about internet access or the cost of satellite cable! 

But seriously, that is pretty interesting. I'm with Andrew on this, overall, good tips. I wouldn't say to take much out, but adding updated travel and medical/hygeine stuff would be advisable. Maybe replacing a few things as modernization has taken place (do kids still earn sixpence caring for horses and is a saddle still necessary?). I wonder, too, whether accidental westernization may be in those tips (like with the clothing) - and it would be advisable to have a section that dealt with cultural and religious awareness and some form of cultural immersion. (?)


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## Pergamum (Jan 19, 2011)

> A.--WITH CHRISTIANS.
> 
> (1).--Never be in a hurry to make rules. Melanesians are generally conservative, and are very slow to see the need for an alteration in anything they have once learned, so be careful of things in the beginning, and never make a rule that is likely to be [23/24] only temporary and to be abrogated later on. Be content to endure what for the time is faulty, if by waiting a permanent good can be secured. A native is always a laudator temporis acti, and the newcomer must be prepared to hear of the virtues of his predecessors, but their loyalty to those they know is very remarkable, and they are most biddable and teachable. Any command in a school, if expressed in writing, is implicitly obeyed.
> 
> ...



What do you all think of this list of advise for dealing with local native Christians?


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## TimV (Jan 19, 2011)

Pergamum said:


> Natives cannot stand special favouring,



That's the point I made about nepotism.


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## SolaScriptura (Jan 19, 2011)

Pergamum said:


> Natives cannot stand special favouring,



Not sure I buy that. In elder based societies (like Afghanistan) the locals look down on the outsider if they don't show special deference to the elderly. 

But at the end of the day I thought that a well managed native is a happy native. Isn't that true?


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## TimV (Jan 19, 2011)

It's the same in Melanesia and Africa, Ben. Elders, big men, whatever are treated with deference. But get two powerful men of equal status and give one a trade concession or a Toyota and not the other one and the gun and machetes come out.


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## Pergamum (Jan 19, 2011)

Ben, this is advice for Melanesian-focused missionaries. Melanesians are a unique group.


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## SolaScriptura (Jan 19, 2011)

TimV said:


> It's the same in Melanesia and Africa, Ben. Elders, big men, whatever are treated with deference. But get two powerful men of equal status and give one a trade concession or a Toyota and not the other one and the gun and machetes come out.


 
So it's like being in prison...


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## Pergamum (Jan 19, 2011)

The pushiest and strongest rise to the top.


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## Pergamum (Jan 19, 2011)

> In making translations for religious purposes, it will be found that the Missionary's first work will be to give the converts the forms of faith and prayer (the Prayer Book), which Christianity has accepted, to guide them. Then will follow parts of the New Testament, of which the Prayer Book will be the natural interpreter. "In making such translations, nothing is to be more deprecated than the substitution of general, for particular terms, or the turning of a metaphorical expression into dull prose, because such a metaphor is not in native use. A true and natural metaphor will make itself at home among Melanesians, as images from the Hebrew Scriptures are in English."--(Codrington).
> 
> I find it curious that they would translate the prayer book before any part of the Bible. but then again, this was an Anglican mission. Given that empty forms and external actions versus a real, internal heart-belief is the problem throughout much of Melanesia, the focus on forms of faith seems misplaced.
> 
> ...


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