Robert A. Jaffray
Encyclopedia
Robert Alexander Jaffray (1873 - 29 July 1945) was a missionary
to China, Indonesia, and several other countries, with the Christian & Missionary Alliance who served as the founding principal of the Alliance Seminary in Hong Kong
and principal contributor and editor of the Chinese language Bible Magazine. Jaffrey founded the first Chinese missionary society called the Chinese Foreign Missionary Union in 1929. His life is chronicled in the biography by A. W. Tozer Let my people go!: The life of Robert A. Jaffray (1947).
). Robert's father had great ambitions for his child, wanting him to one day become the CEO and owner of Toronto Globe.
, he decided it was that his calling was to take him serve as a missionary to China. His father was deeply opposed to this and threatened not to pay for his expenses to travel to China, although he would be willing to pay for the return trip if young Robert ever wanted to return from his long term missions.
, Guangxi
, China
in 1897. He served as leader of all Christian & Missionary Alliance work in south China. While he was there, his responsibilities included mission administration, preaching, evangelistic itineration, assistance in founding the Wuzhou Bible School (later called the "Alliance Seminary in Hong Kong"), editor of the Chinese "Bible Magazine", and writer for his publications. The Chinese-language Bible Magazine, which he edited and for which he wrote many of the articles, was read in Chinese communities all over the world. Jaffray was known for his leadership qualities, and was called a "missionary strategist and statesman." He wrote for and edited Bible Messenger, published by South China Alliance Press He used this publication to send training materials to Cantonese missionaries and then later to others, reprinted in their "colloquial language versions."
Jaffray served in Wuzhou for 35 years, in spite of a heart condition and diabetes. In 1942, Japan
invaded the island where he was stationed with his wife, Minnie, and daughter. Soon after the invasion, Jaffray and other missionaries were arrested by the Japanese, and sent to internment camps
. Jaffray remained captive until his death in 1945 from illness and malnutrition.
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
to China, Indonesia, and several other countries, with the Christian & Missionary Alliance who served as the founding principal of the Alliance Seminary in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and principal contributor and editor of the Chinese language Bible Magazine. Jaffrey founded the first Chinese missionary society called the Chinese Foreign Missionary Union in 1929. His life is chronicled in the biography by A. W. Tozer Let my people go!: The life of Robert A. Jaffray (1947).
Background
Robert Jaffray, was born in 1873 into a wealthy family of which his father owned Canada's Toronto Globe (today’s the Globe and MailThe Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
). Robert's father had great ambitions for his child, wanting him to one day become the CEO and owner of Toronto Globe.
Calling to Missionary Service
As a young man, Jaffray sensed that he had a calling to become a missionary. After having an encounter with the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, A.B SimpsonAlbert Benjamin Simpson
Albert Benjamin "A.B." Simpson was a Canadian preacher, theologian, author, and founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance , an evangelical Protestant denomination with an emphasis on global evangelism....
, he decided it was that his calling was to take him serve as a missionary to China. His father was deeply opposed to this and threatened not to pay for his expenses to travel to China, although he would be willing to pay for the return trip if young Robert ever wanted to return from his long term missions.
Missionary Work
The Christian & Missionary Alliance sent Jaffray to WuzhouWuzhou
Wuzhou , historically known as Wuchow, is a prefecture-level city in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.-Geography and climate:Wuzhou is located in eastern Guangxi bordering Guangdong province. It is at the confluence of the Gui River and the Xun River where they form the Xi River; 85% of all...
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 1897. He served as leader of all Christian & Missionary Alliance work in south China. While he was there, his responsibilities included mission administration, preaching, evangelistic itineration, assistance in founding the Wuzhou Bible School (later called the "Alliance Seminary in Hong Kong"), editor of the Chinese "Bible Magazine", and writer for his publications. The Chinese-language Bible Magazine, which he edited and for which he wrote many of the articles, was read in Chinese communities all over the world. Jaffray was known for his leadership qualities, and was called a "missionary strategist and statesman." He wrote for and edited Bible Messenger, published by South China Alliance Press He used this publication to send training materials to Cantonese missionaries and then later to others, reprinted in their "colloquial language versions."
Jaffray served in Wuzhou for 35 years, in spite of a heart condition and diabetes. In 1942, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
invaded the island where he was stationed with his wife, Minnie, and daughter. Soon after the invasion, Jaffray and other missionaries were arrested by the Japanese, and sent to internment camps
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
. Jaffray remained captive until his death in 1945 from illness and malnutrition.
Quotes
- "The supreme and crying need of this lost world is the gospelGospelA gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
. Shall we not rise at Christ's command to carry the blessed saving news to every perishing one?"
Sources
- Tozer, A.W. Let my people go!: The life of Robert A. Jaffray (1947) ISBN087509189X
- To All People, Niklaus
- Indonesia August 2004: Field Facts: Working the Soil