Question

How did missionaries receive support in the early days?

a) Each missionary received his or her total support from an individual sending church.
b) Missionaries used their personal savings augmented by support from family and friends.
c) Publications served as collecting agencies through which missionary funds were forwarded overseas.
d) Money was allocated from the General Council, but strict accounting was required.

Answer 1

Early missionaries received support through personal means, donations from friends, family, and organizations, and from Christian rulers. They established churches and schools to convert and educate locals in various regions, working closely with rulers. Over time, their influence led to the emergence of independent African churches and political movements.

Step-by-step explanation:

Early missionaries often had to find creative ways to fund their efforts to spread Christianity and European culture around the world. In many instances, these individuals received support through a combination of personal savings, assistance from family and friends, and donations from religious or private organizations. They also garnered financial backing from publications that acted as collecting agencies, forwarding funds to missions overseas. Additionally, missionaries worked closely with Christian rulers and sometimes received allocations from church councils, though these generally required strict accounting. Some pioneering missionary ventures were initiated by influential figures within the royal or noble circles, while others were community-led efforts aimed at furthering religious and cultural objectives.

Protestant and Catholic missionaries established churches and schools and were sometimes directly involved in political affairs in places like Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. The cooperation of local rulers was often sought, as their conversion could significantly impact the success of missionary efforts. During the 17th century and beyond, European nations like Portugal, Spain, and France sent missionaries to other continents with overarching goals that included religious conversion but also intertwined with issues of trade, political influence, and cultural assimilation.

In Africa, the legacy of missionary work eventually led to the formation of independent African churches, marking a shift away from the European missionary model towards a more localized approach to Christianity, which also supported emerging movements for political independence.