(From the Lutheran Kalendar)
Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg was born in Saxony in 1682. He studied at theUniversity of Halle, then the center for the Piestistic movement in theLutheran Church. He responded to an appeal from the King of Denmark formissionaries, and in September 1706 he and Heinrich Pluetshau arrived inTranquebar on the southeast coast of India, the first Protestantmissionaries in that country. They began preaching, and baptized theirfirst converts about ten months later. Their work was opposed both byHindus and by the local Danish authorities, and in 1707-8 Ziegenbalgspent four months in prison on a charge that by converting the natives hewas encouraging rebellion. The Copenhagen Missionary Society wanted toencourage an indigenous Christian Church, not one which simply imitatedEuropean cultural patterns, and accordingly instructed its missionariessimply to preach the Gospel, and not concern themselves with othermatters. Ziegenbalg replied that a concern for the physical welfare ofothers is implicit in the gospel.
He set up a printing press, and published studies of the Tamil languageand of Indian religion and culture. His translation of the New Testamentinto Tamil in 1715, and the church building that he and his associatesconstructed in 1718, are still in use today. His close cooperation withthe Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (an Anglicangroup) was an early exercise of harmony between Christian communities inthe mission field. He married in 1716, and about that time a new andfriendly governor arrived, and he was able to establish a seminary forthe training of native clergy. When he died on 23 February 1719, he lefta Tamil translation of the New Testament and of Genesis through Ruth,many brief writings in Tamil, two church buildings, the seminary, and 250baptized Christians. Today the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church carrieson his work.
Other missionaries commemorated with Ziegenbalg include the following:
Christian Frederik Schwartz, born in 1726, spent 48 years in India at theTranquebar Mission. His quality of life deeply impressed the people, andwas a powerful witness for the Christian Faith. He worked closely withthe Anglicans, and was appointed an Anglican chaplain, but remained aloyal Lutheran throughout. He died 12 February 1798
Hans Egede, born in 1686 in Norway, was a pastor who read in his historybooks that the Norse had settled Greenland, but that there had been noword from them since the 1400's. Finding that no one else was interested,he raised money himself, bought a ship, and sailed to Greenland in 1721with his wife, Gertrude Rask. They found that the colony had completelydied out, but set to work to preach the Gospel to the Eskimos. Theirprogress was slow at first, but prospered as the people came to knowthem. Gertrude died in 1735, and in 1736 Hans returned to Denmark totrain missionaries, living his son Poul behind to continue the mission.Hans Egede died 5 November 1758.
Thomas von Westen was sent by the Copenhagen Mission Society to preach tothe Lapps, a semi-nomadic people of Northern Scandinavia who follow thecaribou (reindeer) in their annual migrations. He died 9 April 1727.
We praise thee, O Lord, for the examples of thy servantsBartholomaeus, Christian, Hans, and Thomas, whom thou didstcall to preach the Gospel in India and elsewhere. Raise up, webeseech thee, in this and every land, heralds and evangelistsof thy kingdom, that all may come to know the unsearchableriches of Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee andthe Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
We praise you, O Lord, for the examples of your servantsBartholomaeus, Christian, Hans, and Thomas, whom you called topreach the Gospel in India and elsewhere. Raise up, we pray, inthis and every land, heralds and evangelists of your kingdom,that all may come to know the unsearchable riches of JesusChrist, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, oneGod, now and for ever.