James B. Eddie and the Congo Mission

Family legend was that James B. Eddie had contact with Stanley in Africa.  I found this report on the web which mentions Eddie and Stanley almost on the same page.  It is in the American Baptist 73rd Annual Report Proceedings of the Annual Meeting Held in Minneapolis, Minn  May 27.  Eddie was in England at the time of this report.

B O S TO N

MISSIONARY ROOMS , TREMONT TEMPLE

1887

Rand Auery Company, Printers, Boston

"THE CONGO MISSION .

The past year has been one of marked interest in the mission on the Congo. For several years much faithful and patient work had been done in acquiring the language, in translating hymns and portions of Scripture, and in preaching the gospel to the people as opportunity offered, but without large apparent results. In August, 1886, a remarkable movement manifested itself among the Congo people, who began to throw away their

fetich idols, and to profess the religion of Jesus Christ. The interest centred at Banza Manteke, where, in the course of a few weeks, one thousand and sixty-two professed themselves

followers of Christ; but the tide of feeling overflowed to other stations of our own mission, and to those of other missions.

The first Christian church in the Congo Free State was organized Nov. 21, 1886, at Banza Manteke, of forty-two members. The missionaries have been very cautious in

receiving candidates for baptism ; but, up to the last advices, ninety-seven had been baptized at four stations, and others will be received from month to month, as the brethren are able

to satisfy themselves that their faith is sufficiently intelligent to enable to adorn their profession as members of the body of Christ. There is an encouraging interest at all the stations; and especially at Banza Manteke the missionaries are tasked to their utmost in the work which presses upon them of training the Christians, teaching inquirers, and providing for the innumerable demands of the new work which has suddenly assumed such hopeful proportions.

The agreement adopted by the Baptist General Association of the Western States and Territories, and afterward ratified by the Executive Committee, and printed in the Missionary Magaz ine for December, 1886, provides that the association shall adopt its own measures for the collection of funds, appoint its missionaries, and select their fields of labor, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee; and also agrees that, “ at the earliest practicable moment, the association shall be represented in the Board of the Missionary Union, and also in the Advisory Committee at Chicago.” In pursuance of this

agreement, the two missionaries of the association have been placed on the list of the Missionary Union, and are now laboring at the station of Mukimvika, at the mouth of the

Congo. Great interest in the Congo Mission has been shown by the brethren of African descent, throughout the country; and much assistance in carrying on this interesting work may be expected from them, both in men and means. The charter of the steamer “ Henry Reed ” to the Congo Free State expired March 29 of this year. It is supposed that the steamer would take part in the transportation to the Upper Congo of Mr. Henry M. Stanley’s expedition for the relief of Emin Pacha, after which it will resume more directly evangelistic work. An association, called “ The Henry Reed Steamboat Company,” has been organized for the maintenance of the steamer and

its missionary work on the Upper Congo; by means of which has been collected, in the first three months of this year, mostly from the children in Sunday schools, $724.21.From the nature and exigencies of the work, frequent changes in the location of some of the missionaries are necessary; but the following is a list of the stations and missionaries at the last information : —

1. Mukimvika : Rev. T. E. S. Scholes, M.D., Rev. J. E. Ricketts.

2. Palabala : Rev. Joseph Clark and wife, Mrs. S. J. White, Mr. J. J. France (lay

assistant).

3. Banza Manteke: Rev. Henry Richards and wife, Rev. Edwin Small, M.D.

4. Mukimbungu : Rev. T. H. Hoste.

5. Lukunga : Rev. C. H. Harvey and wife, Mr. C. E. Ingham and wife.

6. Leopoldville: Rev. A. Billington, Rev. A. Sims, M.D., Mr. J. B. Murphy.

7. Equator Station: Rev. John McKittrick, Mr. F. M. Gerrish.

On the way to the Congo : Mr. J. H. Camp (engineer), Mr. J. M. Lewis, Miss Lina Faulkner, Miss Lenore Hamilton, Miss L. C. Flemming.

In England: Rev. P. Frederickson, Rev. Charles B. Glenesk, Rev. Charles B. Banks, Rev. James B. Eddie, Mr. Herbert Probert..."

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