By REV. W. GRANT, Halkirk.
THIS brief article relating to the late Rev. John B. Radasi and the origin of our Mission in Southern Rhodesia, is the outcome of remarks made in public by the writer in speaking of the mysterious working of divine providence. It is written at the request of friends. A full and interesting history will, we hope, be forthcoming in due course from those
who laboured in that field. This information was partly gleaned from the late Rev. Neil Cameron while I was assisting him in Glasgow and supplemented by the Rev. J. P. Macqueen, London, as he also heard him relate these things.
Mr. Radasi’s parents lived at Seymour, Cape Colony. They were of the Fingoes. His father was in Government service, as a constable and mail contractor. He was also an interpreter. In a letter to one of our ministers, Mr. Radasi said, “My father was a preacher; as was also my uncle. My uncle died in 1904, and his last words were, ‘I am going home. I am going to rest forever, but I cannot help but cry when I think of the mercy of the Lord to such a great sinner as I am.'” Information regarding Mr. Radasi’s mother is limited but she appears to have heard, with appreciation, the Gospel preached by early missionaries.
When and where Mr. Radasi’s conversion took place was not related but we understand that it was in America. He left his native country for the United States of America with a troupe of singers, but when he was brought out of darkness, into the light of the Gospel, “old things passed away and all things became new.” His gift as a singer was then employed in the service of the Lord.
It was evident that he had read carefully the history of the Covenants of Scotland, the Puritans of England, and the Pilgrim Fathers of the United States of America, and expected to find Christianity in practice in these highly-favoured countries.
He was disappointed and grieved by the ungodly lives of the mass of people in America and, hoping he would find what he longed for in Britain, he came to this country. In London he looked for the religion of the Martyrs of Smithfield, but felt discouraged. He worked his passage on a boat to Leith, and went to Edinburgh in hopes of seeing more of practical Christianity in the everyday life of the inhabitants of the city of John Knox. He came from Leith to Edinburgh a lonely, sad at heart, but praying man. He walked along Princes Street and turned into Lothian Road, where he stood by the kerb of the pavement. What was he to do now? The guiding hand of the Lord who says, “Acknowledge me in all thy ways, and I will direct thy steps,” was at work. At that moment there appeared at the window of a house directly opposite a young Caithness man, Mr. H. Sinclair, who had recently returned from Africa. His eye caught sight of the lonely-looking coloured man, and being of a kind disposition he went out and addressed him in an African language. To Mr. Radasi’s intense delight it was his native tongue and he was invited into his home for a meal. Looking on with much interest was Mr. Sinclair’s aged mother, a member of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. She observed that the stranger, before partaking of food, asked God’s blessing on it. This led her into an interesting conversation with him, and she was soon satisfied that here was a god-fearing man from Africa. She remembered that the Rev. N. Cameron, and others, expressed a desire to have a Mission from our Church among the native Africans, and immediately sent a message to Mr. Cameron saying that perhaps Mr. Radasi was the person provided for this work.
Mr. Cameron replied that he was about to leave for Inverness Communion and asked that the young man be directed to a certain address in Inverness, where he would meet him. The advice was immediately acted on.
After Mr. Cameron’s arrival there, Mr. Radasi was asked to come down from his bedroom to meet him for the first time. They entered into conversation but, after a little time, Mr. Radasi suddenly left the sitting-room and returned to his bedroom, much to Mr. Cameron’s surprise. It was with difficulty he was persuaded to return. Evidently Mr. Radasi came to the conclusion that Mr. Cameron’s keen eye was looking into his heart, discerning his thoughts. Those who remember Mr. Cameron’s keen, penetrating glance can appreciate this. After a little further conversation they became deeply attached in a friendship which deepened as the years passed.
Mr. Radasi was received as a student of our Church and was, in due course, licensed to the work of the ministry. He was ordained in the hall of St. Jude’s Church, Glasgow, on the 16th November, 1904, and chose as the field of his future labours Matabeleland in Rhodesia. In making this choice he was guided by two considerations. First, he thought he would understand their language, seeing the Fingoes and Isindebele are two branches of the Zulu tribe and could understand each other. Second, he desired to make known the Gospel where it was not preached before.
I here quote Mr. Cameron, “It was felt that some recognition from the Colonial Office would strengthen his position as our missionary in South Africa. The Rev. J. R. Mackay wrote Sir R. B. Finlay, Attorney-General, M.P. for the Inverness Burghs, asking his valuable help. He immediately wrote the Secretary for the Colonies, and received a reply saying they would do all they could for Mr. Radasi. Mr. Angus Fraser, who accompanied Mr. Radasi to Southampton, and Mr. Radasi himself, called on the Colonial Secretary, who received them very kindly and sent a letter to Lord Milner, and asked them to see the Secretary of the Chartered Company. This they did and he sent a copy of Mr. Radasi’s certificate of licence and ordination to their office at Cape Town. He told them it would be necessary to get a letter of recommendation from some well-known public man, otherwise he would have to cancel the letter he sent. Mr. Fraser asked him if a letter from Sir R. B. Finlay would do! He assured them that a letter from him would be all that was necessary. Mr. Mackay wrote Sir R. B. Finlay about this and he at once wrote the Secretary of the Chartered Company and received the following reply:— ‘I am directed to thank you for your letter of 1st inst., with reference to the Rev. J. B. Radasi, a native missionary of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and to say that a copy of your letter has been forwarded to the Administrator of Southern Rhodesia at Salisbury and to the Company’s representative at Bulawayo, with a request that they should afford Mr. Radasi any assistance possible in carrying on his work.’ We have no doubt the recognition given will be very valuable to our dear brother in his future labours in South Africa.”
Mr. Radasi arrived in Cape Town on the 13th December, 1904, and reached Bulawayo after meeting many difficulties and discouragements. In one of the first letters received from him he said, “I have no place to preach in. I go to a hut or just outside.” He preached in Cape Town
and other parts of Cape Province. Also in Southern Rhodesia, particularly in Gwanda, Bulawayo, Figtree, etc., before he was led to make Ingwenya our Mission Station. His labours and the labours of those who followed, were abundantly blessed there.
His experience on first visiting Gwanda, 90 miles from Bulawayo, may here be related. How could he get the natives there to listen to the Gospel Message? It happened to be a period of prolonged drought. In conversation with the people they said, “We will gladly come to hear you if your God will give us rain.” This was a testing of Mr. Radasi’s faith, in the exercise of which he said, “Yes, come!” When they arrived at the landmark fixed a large black snake emerged from the bush, and fearing this would frighten them away, as native superstition regarded this as an ill omen, he set about killing the snake, which he was enabled to do. He was happy to find that they listened attentively as he prayed and preached. That evening a cloud, not bigger than a man’s hand, appeared on the horizon, followed by a heavy downpour of rain to the great joy of all and to the relief of man and beast. Prayer was answered.
Thus as we reflect on the wonderful movements of the wheels of providence seen in Mr. Radasi’s coming to Scotland, directed to that spot in Lothian Road, Edinburgh, where it was foreordained that the young man should see him, receive him into his home, with all that followed must we not say, “This is the doing of the Lord and wondrous in our eyes.” Love for the spiritual and temporal welfare of our less favoured fellow-beings in Africa, moved the Free Presbyterian Church in Scotland, Canada, and elsewhere to whole-heartedly support that movement. Through many difficulties and with much self-sacrifice, this Mission-work has continued for nearly fifty years. In carrying the Gospel Message there our Church knows no “colour-bar,” but earnestly desires for all-native office-bearers, members and adherents the riches of divine grace.
The Mission Staff have our sincere and prayerful support.
“Be of good courage, and He strength unto your heart shall send;
All ye whose hope and confidence doth on the Lord defend.”
(Psalm 31, verse 24).