존 세이즈(John Seys) 선교감독관과 19세기 전반 미국감리교 아프리카선교의 세속화

Abstract

John Seys, the third white missionary superintendent of the African Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, had "peculiar qualifications" for the Mission. Born and grown up in an island of the West Indies, the tropical climate of which was similar to that of west Africa, he seemed to be able to live and work in the mission field. Moreover, having worked as a manager at a sugar plantation, he had not only first-had familiarity with the African race but also managerial skills, a must for the superintendent in the far mission field. Seys's qualifications, however, turned out to cause a serious problem: secularization of the Mission. To maximize the efficient use of mission funds, Seys started a Mission Store and erected a saw mill and a sugar mill. Those activities in the 'secular' arenas led the Mission to conflict with the government of Liberia, disrupted the missionary community, and ultimately harmed the Africa Mission itself to a great deal.