Page 199 - LD215 History of the Church in Africa A4 final

Evangelical Missions and African Initiatives

Van der Kemp may have influenced one of the first Xhosa (named
Ntsikana) to convert to Christianity. Isichei writes the following
about Ntsikana:

He was drawn to give up ochre and traditional dancing, and to
send away all wives but one. He said that there were, indeed, two
Gods, but they were Father and Son.… He wrote a magnificent
hymn, which is still sung today:

He is the one who brings together heads which oppose
each other,
He is the leader who has led us,
He is the great blanket which we put on.

When death was near, in 1821, he asked his family to bury him in
the Christian manner. (109)

Robert and Mary Moffat
Robert Moffat was a missionary to Southern Africa for more than fifty
years. Born and raised in Scotland in humble circumstances and with
limited education, he became a professional gardener. While working on
a farm in England, he heard the message of Christ at a small Methodist
society meeting in a farm house. Like Wesley, his heart “was strangely
warmed,” and he committed his life to Christ and His mission. One year
after his conversion, he heard a missionary associated with the London
Missionary Society present the challenge of missions. However, when
he applied for missionary service, he was rejected. As Tucker observes:

Undaunted by his rejection, Moffat secured a new gardening
position near Roby’s (the LMS director’s) home and began to
study theology with him on a private basis. After a year Moffat
again applied to the LMS, and this time was accepted. (141)

Moffat proceeded to South Africa in 1816 as a single missionary.
About three years later, Mary Smith arrived from England and they
were married. Meanwhile, Moffat was shocked to discover opposition
to his proposed mission by many of the colonists and local government
officials. Even more disturbing was the condition of Cape Colony
missionaries. Reporting to the London Missionary Society, he stated,

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