Figure 1.--Australia and New Zealand were different bthat the rest of the South Pacific in that the European settlers became the majority of the population. Missionaries did, however, set up missions for the Australian aborignee population. These snapshots were taken in 1940s at the Presbyterian mission of Ernabella in South Australia. This was one of the first missions where indigenous people were not required to follow European modesty standards. The photo here shows a group of pupils lining up. Click on the image to see a group of cjildren playing at Ernabella, including a missionary kid playing with them.

Oceania was colonized by the Europeans beginning with East Indies (Indonesia) and the Phillipines. The Protestant Dutch emerged as the colonial power in the East Indies. They did not pursue any effort to Christianize the indigenous population. The Spanish did in the Philippines. Magellan claimed the Phillipines for Spain (1521). He was killed, but in insuing years as in the Americas, Conquistadores securd the islands as part of the Spanish Empire. This began (1560s) as was mot the bloody campaign experienced in the Amerucas. The Philippines was not as rich as Mexico and Peru, but was strategically important, epecilly when the silver trade with China began. And as in the Americas, Spanish colonial policy included the estblishment of missions. Many Filipino tiwns and cities began as missions. This can be seen with the imposing stone or brick mission church at the center of town. Commonly we also see connected convent and belltowers, Than across a church atrium or plaza is the municipio government building. Nearby is the town market. Spanish missionaries from the Philippines Christianized thecnearby islands (Marianas), but then headed north (17th century). Christian missions elsewhere in the Pacific only began emerging after a religious revival in Britain and the foundation of the London Missionary Society--LMS (late-18th century). Soon we see mission appearing throughtout the South Pacfic, this time Protestant missions (19th century). There were also Catholic missions on the French islands. Christianity was intoduced to the Pacific Islands by evangelical Protestant missionaries from Western Europeand (especially Britain) and the United States. The first LMS missionaries reached Polynesia (1797). Many different churches launched missionary projects (19th century). Anglicans, Methodists, Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, French Reformed, Lutherans, and Seventh-day Adventists were all involved. The islanders before the arrivals of the missionaries were exposed to Western traders and whalers and with them Christianity. The islanders more or less embraced the Christianity preached by the missionaries. Not all missionary efforts were sucessful, but the missionaries persisted. The greatest resistance was in Melanesia which tended to have a warrior culture. The embrace of Christianity was basically voluntary which is somewhat surprising given the cultural gap. Christianity for one thing was prudish and the island cultures rather permissive. We are not sure why they were so successful. Perhaps the theolohy appealed, but we rther doubbt it. We suspect tht the islanders admired the power and affluence of the Westerners. The missionaries set up missions that offered education and eventually medical care. The process began before the different islands were colonizd and while local governments existed. Often they supported local governments and efforts to remain independent. Pacific Island teachers helped speed the spread of Christinaity South Pacific (Polynesia and Micronesia). In each of these island groups, the first mission to introduce Christianity usually eventually received the support of the majority of the population. The missionary effort of the more populous and fragmented societies of Melanesia was slower process and in New Guinea is still incomplete. Australia is a separate story as it was used as a Brtish penal colony. Here the settlers soon outnumbered the idignenbou population. Missions were not established for the Europeanb settlers, msny of whom were convicts. Missions were estblished for the abotiginees. Each islanf group has it own individual story.

Created: 7:18 AM 11/14/2018
Last updated: 7:18 AM 11/14/2018