BY REV. N. CAMERON, GLASCOW.
IT is with the deepest grief we present this report. As you are already aware of the sad end of our beloved brother and fellow-labourer, the Rev. J. B. Radasi, on the 4th day of last November, you have, I am confident, felt the same pang of grief which we felt when the sad news came. Mr Radasi served faithfully the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland during nineteen years as our Missionary in Southern Rhodesia. He was endowed beyond many with wisdom, humility, self-denial, and trustworthiness. His faith in the
absolute inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible, together with entire dependence on the Holy Spirit as to the success of the word preached in the hearts of the hearers, was the secret of his success. But, the Lord in His inscrutable providence, removed him from the field by a sudden death. The change to him was, we can have no doubt, everlasting happiness; and our duty is: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
At the beginning of September last year a letter arrived from him to the effect that diabetes reappeared in the month of July. He wrote that the attack was much less severe than the former one, and that he was able to attend to all his duties, only that he felt weaker. His Doctor prescribed medicine by which he made considerable improvement. But he was written to, asking him to send a cablegram if he thought that treatment in Johannesburg Hospital would be more beneficial, and that an effort would be made at once for his being readmitted to that Hospital. No cablegram came. But we felt real anxiety about the condition of the Mission, should it be the Lord’s will to remove him. This anxiety moved us to write to the Clerks of the Northern and Western Presbyteries, that in the circumstances no time should be lost in having Mr John Tallach ordained, so that he might be sent away as expeditiously as possible. They both, in name of their respective Presbyteries, agreed to this proposal, Mr John Tallach was then informed and, notwithstanding, he did not intend to sail till January, he placed himself unreservedly at the disposal of the Church. Steps were taken at once to have him ordained, and to secure his passage to Cape Town. He was ordained on the 12th day of September, and he sailed from Liverpool on the 11th day of October.
Before he left, Doctor J. M. Johnston instructed him as to the application of Insulin to Mr Radasi; supplied him with a quantity of it, and also with all instruments necessary, not only for it but also for other requirements, and refused any payment from us. For this great kindness and the real interest he manifested in Mr Radasi’s case, we desire to convey to him the sincere thanks of this Synod.
When it was arranged that the Rev. John Tallach would sail on the 11th October, Mr Radasi was notified that Mr Tallach’s ship was due to arrive at Cape Town on the 31st October, and that he might expect him at Bembesi by the mail train on the 6th November. In reply, he expressed the great joy with which the good news of the arrival of Mr Tallach was received by him-
self, his office-bearers, and all the people of the Mission. So they all knew when to expect Mr Tallach to make his appearance on the ground, and they set about the building of two new huts and a kitchen for his use. This the people did at their own expense.
As passenger trains run there only every second day, Mr Radasi left home on Tuesday morning—the 4th November—so that he would meet Rev. John Tallach at Bulawayo on Thursday morning, 6th November. When the train was coming into the station at Bembesi, as Mr Radasi was walking between it and a goods train, which was held up till the passenger train passed, the back draft of the incoming train drew him in among the wheels, so that he was killed instantaneously. His remains were taken by that train to Bulawayo; but when the office-bearers of the Mission learned what happened, they brought the remains back from Bulawayo. They also sent one of the deacons to meet Mr Tallach on his arrival. One can realise the pang of pain with which the sad news struck the heart of Mr Tallach, as it had struck the heart of the poor widow and, in fact, all the people of the Mission. Mr Tallach and the deacon left at once by a goods train, and were thus enabled to arrive four hours earlier, and just in time to conduct the funeral service. Mr Tallach wrote: “When I arrived, there was a good gathering of people waiting for the funeral service, which I conducted in the open air. I tried to address them from John 14, 3. The whole countryside, irrespective of denomination and colour, mourned and manifested the deepest sorrow. What the loss is to myself I cannot tell; I am as a man in a dream as yet. The Schools were closed since Tuesday. After the funeral service I called the office-bearers and teachers to meet me, and I explained to them that although Mr Radasi was removed all the work of the Mission would be carried on as heretofore, and that there was to be no change as regards the work of the Mission.” We should acknowledge with thankfulness to the Lord that He so arranged in His providence that Mr Tallach arrived in time to carry on the work without a break, and also the tact and wisdom with which Mr Tallach met the painful circumstances which confronted him on his arrival at Ingwenya. The fact that Mr Radasi was removed before Mr Tallach arrived, and that he knew comparatively nothing about the internal work of the Mission, combined with his ignorance of the language spoken by the people, placed him in a very difficult position.
When the sad news of Mr Radasi’s death came, we lost no time in writing Mr Tallach giving him the information which we felt he urgently needed. We acknowledge now that it was of the Lord’s prescience we had been sent there by the Church, because it enabled us to learn on the spot every thing about the working of the Mission, which we could not do had we not been there. We think that the Lord’s guiding hand can be traced in the past in connection with our Mission in Matabeleland, and that this Synod should give all the praise and the glory to Him for all the goodness and mercy with which He followed our efforts to spread the knowledge of His name among these heathen, and the amount of success which followed.
Since our last report, the extension of the Mission to Chief Bitisani and his people in the Shangani Reserve, about two hundred miles to the east of Bembesi, has taken place. We have sent a Missionary and a Teacher there. They built a church in which services are held on the Lord’s day and in which the children are taught during the week. Mr Tallach, in his last two letters, informed us that he intended to pay a visit to the Chief and his people there. We expect that he has done so by this time.
Our people at Morven were warned last year that they would be removed to one of the Reserves, but they were allowed to remain where they are. They have been told that they will have to remove this year to one or other of three Reserves—the nearest being Shangani. They consulted Mr Tallach, who wrote us about the matter, and we advised that, if possible, they should join Chief Bitisani, so that our Mission there already would supply them all. We hope that they may be received by Bitisani, if they will have to remove from Morven.
Another Chief at Inyati sent men to Mr Tallach, asking that we should set up a Mission amongst them. They were told that two of our office-bearers would be sent to make inquiry, and that a report would be sent to us so that we could decide as to what should be done. This place is, we think, about thirty miles to the north of our Mission. We cannot say what the result will be till the report will arrive. It seems to us that Ethiopia is stretching out her hands unto God, and that the Gospel which has become light bread and is loathed by our people at home tastes like honey in heathen lands. The Bible is valued highly by our poor coloured brothers and sisters and their children in Matabeleland, and as they had exhausted the last
consignment of £20 worth sent two years ago, we have sent them Bibles to the value of £12 last month. This brings the amount paid for Bibles sent from the beginning up to £96.
Mr Radasi wrote us early last year, that he had come to the conclusion that our central school at Ingwenya should be raised to the status of a Secondary School. If this could be done, we could educate our own Teachers, and thus save the expense of sending them to other institutions. Mr Tallach wrote us urging that this should be done. So we have written L. M. Foggin, Esq., the Director of Education, about this, and we await his reply before taking any further steps in the matter. It will be a considerable saving of expenses should we succeed in carrying this proposal into effect.
We take the opportunity this report affords us of thanking our friends who sent us contributions and expressions of sympathy towards Mrs Radasi and her fatherless children. We were enabled by their help to send her £25 last January and £17 this month. Mr Radasi, it has transpired, made use of his own salary in paying some of the working expenses of the Mission, so that after his death the fact became known that he was £30 in debt. This goes to prove that he was more concerned about the support of the cause of Christ, and of sparing the Church’s expenditure, than he was for enhancing his own pecuniary interest. When the above facts became known to the Finance Committee last February, they instructed the General Treasurer to forward a quarter’s salary—£50—to Mrs Radasi. The Committee took into consideration the fact that, seeing Mr Radasi had been paid only up to the date of his sad end, the Church should shew some magnanimity towards the widow and fatherless. We submit now the conduct of the Committee, in having done this, to the judgment of the Synod.
We conclude this report by inserting the notice of Rev. J. B. Radasi’s work and death drawn up by the Southern Presbytery:—”The Presbytery would insert in their permanent Records their heartfelt grief on account of the removal by death of their beloved brother and fellow-labourer, the Rev. J. B. Radasi, on the 4th day of November 1924, who was instrumental under the hand of the Lord Jesus and by the power of the Holy Ghost, in setting up a Mission for our Church in Bembesi, Matabeleland, Rhodesia. He started that Mission among the heathen there in 1906. The beginning was very small but, by the Lord’s blessing upon his labours, a large number of the poor natives
were truly brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. He extended the bounds of the Mission so much that, before he was removed from the field of labour, there are six places in which services are held each Sabbath day, and also six schools in which nearly four hundred children are taught. All this has been accomplished in nineteen years. The praise belongs to the Lord who caused His truth to prevail so as to turn many from darkness unto light, and from Satan unto God; but as a servant in the Lord’s house, the Rev. J. B. Radasi, proved that he was faithful to Christ, and to the souls of men, and to the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
“The Presbytery would express their deepest sympathy with Mrs Radasi, and with her fatherless children, and also with all the people of the Mission; and they do pray that the Lord, of His great mercy, would comfort them all in their sorrow, and that He would continue to bless His word to them, and to extend His kingdom in their midst.
“The Presbytery desire to remind them that, while we and they have cause to weep for ourselves and our children, and while we do mix our tears with theirs, we have no cause to mourn, as they who have no hope, ‘believing that they that sleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him.’ That Mr Radasi has gone to be with Jesus cannot be doubted, and we should rejoice on his behalf that he is now following the Lamb amongst the noble company on Mount Zion above.’ ‘Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.'”
I am sure of the concurrence of all the members of this Synod in tendering our sincere thanks to L. M. Foggin, Esq., Director of Education, for Rhodesia, for the letter of appreciation as to Mr Radasi’s character and work, and of sympathy towards our Church on the loss we sustained by his death, which he sent us.
We desire also to bring the pecuniary needs of Mrs Radasi and her children before the Synod for their consideration and help. The family left by Mr Radasi consists of a daughter of the first marriage, who is above sixteen years; four boys and a girl of the last marriage—the oldest of the boys twelve years, and the girl three years of age.
Letter from the Rev. John Tallach.
My dear Mr Cameron,—As I have never written any kind of report before, I trust that your Committee will kindly overlook any lack of that information which is specially the business of this report to convey.
During the last year the Mission has sustained a great loss through the death of its superintendent, our brother, the Rev. J. B. Radasi. It does not come within the scope of my report to do more than refer to his departure, and how, in his absence, the mission is worked. In taking charge of affairs here, I have made use of all correspondence belonging to our late friend—that is, correspondence bearing on missionary work here—of any reliable information I could gather from friends of the mission here, and also I have freely drawn upon the knowledge and experience which a long acquaintance with the mission has given yourself. I trust that, notwithstanding my inexperience of the work and my ignorance of the language, the above sources of information have set me upon lines which, in both spirit and method, were as when Mr Radasi was at the head of affairs. Until August last we had, including Ingwenya, five preaching stations. During the two communions held since my arrival the people gathered to a good number. Communions are held each quarter, and the congregations meet at Ingwenya, where we have a very substantial iron church. The people also gathered well on the Sabbaths on which I preached at the out-stations. Services are held in all places every Sabbath by an office-bearer. At Induba they at present are without a building for worship. We meet in a large dwelling-hut. The people purpose putting up a building this year. There are the ordinary church-door collections taken at one of the three services each Sabbath; one collection gathered among the people each quarter, and one annual collection lifted in August. Last August there was one station added to the mission. This is at Shangani. The distance from Ingwenya is about 80 miles. During the wet season it is very difficult to go this distance, and I regret that I am unable to report from any personal observance of the work there. The ground between this and Shangani is particularly wet, and though I have desired it yet have been unable to proceed. I hope if the Lord wills to go there in June, and will report in due time. We have a settled missionary at this station, and he reports that congregations are good. The teacher also reports that there are 45 attending school. This is an advance of 15 on the closing quarter of last year. Considering the newness of the work
there these reports are satisfactory. There was an application before the last quarterly meeting to open a school and preaching at a kraal about one day’s journey from here, in the direction of Inyati. According to our custom two office-bearers have been entrusted with further inquiry, and a personal interview with the chief of the kraal. Their report on the matter will (D.V.) be forward at our next quarterly meeting. Thus we have six preaching stations, the total membership of which, as shown on the roll, is 83.
The Session and Deacons’ Court meet each quarter one week prior to the communion services.
Schools.—That Mr Radasi was not only a capable but also successful superintendent of schools is evident by the Educational Department’s appreciation of his work. But while the schools are under the Educational Department of Southern Rhodesia, our intention and aim in the education of the natives are essentially missionary. That is—education is conducted exclusively from the standpoint of the Gospel. The Department requires that while some English is to be taught, the native language is to be fully taught. All therefore in our schools are thoroughly taught to read the Xosa Bible. So soon as they are able to read they receive a Bible for themselves. The other items of an elementary education are included in the scheme, and these are, as far as possible, taught to the children, but always with the intention of cultivating the gift of God in intelligence, and the training of these habits of discipline, industry, and order at all times inseparable with Christian conduct in the world. In his Bible readings and lessons in the schools, Mr Radasi worked on a scheme. As I am at a disadvantage this year I am not able to carry this out to my liking. This year our subject is “The African People’s Interest in God’s Word.” In the first quarter we trace through the creation and fall of our common parents the Biblical history of the heathen. Our plan leads us through those parts of the Old Testament which evince the truth of the Apostle’s words—”They did not like to retain God in their knowledge, and He gave them up to a reprobate mind.” In the second quarter we go on the same lines, only we read the parts in the Epistles bearing on the degeneracy of heathen peoples. For the third quarter we will read some of the prophecies bearing upon their ingathering, concluding in the last quarter with those New Testament parts relative to the partial fulfilment of these prophecies, the thread running through the whole being “a people departed from God and the Gospel, God’s gracious command to return.” All this if the Lord wills.
Two of the three pupils receiving education from the Church have finished the teachers’ course last year. One, the teacher at Shangani, has one year yet to go. We have this year sent one pupil for higher education to Lovedale. The attendance is fully as much as last year. If anything there are more heathen children this year than last. The parents who have church connection pay each 4s a quarter fees. The grant from the Educational Department for last year was £55 5s. The number of pupils in the respective schools are as under:—Ingwenya, 111; Lebeni, 77; Morven, 31; Bembesi, —; Induba, 37; Shangani, 45. Total, 301. This is to this date. As the work is now over, there will be an addition all round in next quarter.
On the medical side of my work here I have tried to put my little knowledge and less experience to the best advantage. There was a fair amount of sickness during the months of February and March. During these months there was an average of 60 callers each week. Fever, chest troubles, and bad eyes are the majority of cases. As far as opportunity is given I try to set before these patients the obligations of men and women to come to hear what their God has to say to them from His word.
In conclusion, I request that your Committee consider the insertion of our communion dates in the Magazine. Our reason is in our desire for the special prayers of our people at home during these seasons. I also request that you consider the allocating of a small sum, say £5 annually, for replenishing my medical stores. It is not so much a matter of amount as having something definite to fall back upon.
If there is anything by way of information which your Committee may desire in future reports, kindly let me know, and (D.V.) I shall include this if possible.
The Communions are held here on the last Sabbath of the following months:—March, June, September, and December. The Lord of us hath mindful been, and He will bless us still.—Yours sincerely,
J. TALLACH.