Page 239 - LD215 History of the Church in Africa A4 final

The Twentieth Century and Beyond

Liberia
I mentioned early missionary efforts in Liberia in Chapter 9. Now I
will note the coming of Pentecostal missionaries to this country in the
early twentieth century.

Although Mr. and Mrs. John Perkins had served in Liberia since 1900,
while they were in the United States of America for ministry in 1907
and 1908, they were baptized in the Holy Spirit at a camp meeting.
As I have noted, this was not uncommon. Empowered by the Holy
Spirit, they sought reappointment by the Methodist Church; however,
they were rejected because of their Pentecostal experience. So, they
trusted the Lord and proceeded to Liberia as independent Pentecostal
missionaries with six other Pentecostal missionaries, including John
Harrow from Canada. The Lord spoke to the group supernaturally
and told the missionaries to get off the ship at Garraway, which was
about 30 miles northwest of Cape Palmas. At this point, H. B. Garlock
tells the story:

On Christmas morning, 1908, the ship anchored two miles
offshore, and the party of eight missionaries was lowered over
the side of the ship in a “mammy chair” into a life boat and rowed
ashore at Garraway. As their little boat was beached, an excited
African named Jasper came rushing up to them and said: “I know
who you are; you are missionaries! God appeared to me in a
dream while I was at home in the interior and told me to come to
Garraway to meet a party of missionaries who would come to my
tribe to preach the gospel. Just follow me and I will show you the
way to the Barroba tribe.” (23)

Jasper guided the missionaries to Newaka where they established the
first Pentecostal mission. Within a year, most of the original missionaries
had either died or were sent home because of health problems; however,
others arrived from both Canada and the United States of America, and
a partnership in mission had commenced.

In 1920, H. B. Garlock and his sister, Blanche, joined the Pentecostal
mission in Liberia. One year later H. B. married Ruth Trotter, who had
joined them in the United States of America. The Lord used the Garlocks
to help establish the Assemblies of God in Liberia. Garlock relates

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