Missionary Reviews Changes In Africa

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29932, 20 September 1962, Page 2

Missionary Reviews Changes In Africa

In the footsteps of the missionary and explorer, David Livingstone, one of the early ministers of the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church was responsible for opening a 30,000square mile mission field in Northern Rhodesia. He was the Rev. J. J. Doke, whose daughter, Miss O. C. Doke, is visiting Christchurch for the first time in 60 years. Miss Doke spent 46 years at the mission, and now lives in retirement there.

Describing her services to t ’ mission as that of “jack of all trades.” Miss Doke yesterday recalled the early days of trekking on foot through dense jungle, and later by bicycle, to reach African converts. But the opening of the big copper belt, and subsequent urbanisation, brought far-reaching changes, she said. Roads opened up the country and the mission now had two hospitals with African nurses, and a church with 2000 members in the charge of two ordained ministers. There were two boarding schools, a bible school with 27 students taking a threeyeer course, and a translation of the bible had been completed, said Miss Doke. In an article which Miss Doke wrote recently for ‘ ‘The Australian Baptist,’’ she described the pioneering days of the mission. Pioneer missionaries of the Nyasadand Industrial Mission (undenominational) had been working among the ba Wambe peoples of Northern Rhodesia, when Mr F. Stanley Arnot, the greatest missionary-explorer after Livingston in Central Africa, reported to Miss Doke's father in Johannesburg that the missionaries would have to give up because of communications problems. The Rev. Mr Doke, accomI inied by his son, went to investigate. He died of fever on the return journey The present mission was

established the next year, and Miss Doke joined it in 1916, two years later. "The people dressed in skins and barkcloth. and lived in small scattered villages in forests infested with wild animals,” she recalls. They were dominated by superstitious beliefs in witchcraft and spirits. Today, however, since the establishflaent of the copper belt, hardly a spirit house was to be seen. African pastors were reaching their own people, and education and modem medicine were accepted. The people came in flocks to the hospital, although many still preferred their own medicines. Miss Doke said yesterday. Some of these were very good if used properly, but a great many were far too strong and had a harmful effect. The opening up of the country had meant that the African had been pitchforked into civilisation, with no intermediate transition, Miss Doke said. One of the greatest effects had been to make them money-hungry and, while this was still so, many were now saving and investing their capital. Commenting on the unrest in South Africa, particularly around the mine areas. Miss Doke said that it was perpetrated by the leaders, who claimed to speak for all Africans. But they did not in fact do so—the average African wished to live a s’tnple, uncomplicated life. Miss Doke said.