Murderers and Missionaries (eBook)(Free)

Murderers and Missionaries
Based on the True Story of Johannes Theodore Van Der Kemp

Once a soldier, an adulterer, and a man who openly raised a child out of wedlock, Van Der Kemp spent much of his early life as an outspoken atheist. However, the true problematic nature of his life didn’t start until after he arrived as a missionary in Africa. Against every order from the missionary society, he pioneered his way deep into the African bush and began doing what no other missionary had done before—he lived among the African tribes in order to reach them with the gospel. In doing so, he became the inspiration for missionaries like Karl Gutzlaff, Hudson Taylor, and David Livingstone, and his missionary work forever transformed the trajectory of slavery in Africa.

During his time, Van Der Kemp saw the cruel treatment of Africans by the colonists who claimed to be Christians. He was horrified and demanded justice. He insisted that those responsible, even if they were white, should be tried for their crimes. At his request, the first-ever trials against white colonists were held in Africa.