Page 208 - LD215 History of the Church in Africa A4 final

A History of the Church in Africa

work in the Congo. Within a short time John died because of health
problems. Tucker captures Peter’s response to this great loss:

Peter constructed a crude coffin and dug the grave himself. There
were no church bells or flowers or eulogies, but, alone at the
grave, Peter “reached another crisis” and recommitted himself to
preaching the gospel in Africa. (301)

When Scott returned to the United States of America, he persuaded
friends to plan for a mission to reach the interior of Africa from the east.
In 1895, a small party of five men and three women arrived in Mombasa
under Scott’s leadership. Within a short time, they moved inland and
began working among the Wakamba; however, on December 4, 1896,
Scott died. In spite of this setback, those who remained took up the mantle
of leadership and training. The result was that the Africa Inland Mission
expanded throughout Kenya, Western Tanzania, Uganda, and Eastern
Congo. On balance, the evangelical impact of this work has been powerful.
The missionaries not only built mission stations but also provided schools
and medical facilities. Former Kenya President, Daniel Arap Moi, often
testified about being educated by Africa Inland Missionaries. My wife and
I are grateful that we were able to send all three of our children to Rift
Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya, which was established by the Africa
Inland Mission for the education of missionary children.

God made clear to Rowland Bingham, a young Canadian, that he
was to spread the gospel in Africa. With two colleagues, Bingham went
to West Africa in 1893 to begin a journey that would take them to
the Sudan. As Tucker observes: “On arriving in Lagos, the young trio
quickly learned why other missions had been so wary about sending
missionaries into the Sudan. Their chances of survival, they were told,
were nil” (296). Although the three young missionaries were determined
to go, Bingham soon contracted malaria and was left behind. The other
two, however, began the 800-mile journey, but within months both
friends were dead. Although Bingham returned to Canada, his burden
for the Sudan only increased.

Bingham made a second attempt to go to Africa, but once again he
caught malaria and was forced to go home. Although Bingham could not
return to Africa, the following evidence indicates his ultimate success:

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