Gordon Hall (8 April 1784 – 20 March 1826) was one of the first two
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...
missionaries to
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...
, then-headquarters of
Bombay Presidency. He was instrumental in establishing ''Bombay Missionary Union'', and he was the founder of the ''Bombay Mission'' or ''American Marathi Mission'', the first
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
overseas mission station in the world at Bombay.
Biography
He was born on 8 April 1784 in
Tolland, Massachusetts
Tolland is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 471 at the 2020 census, making it the smallest town in Hampden County by population ...
to Elizabeth and Nathan Hall. He graduated from
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was kill ...
in 1808, and entered
Andover Theological Seminary
Andover Theological Seminary (1807–1965) was a Congregationalist seminary founded in 1807 and originally located in Andover, Massachusetts on the campus of Phillips Academy. From 1908 to 1931, it was located at Harvard University in Cambridge. ...
in 1810. While at the Andover Theological Seminay in June 1810, he joined the group of students like
Adoniram Judson,
Samuel John Mills Samuel John Mills Jr. (April 12, 1783 – June 16, 1818) was an American preacher and missionary from Connecticut. He is known for contributing to the organization of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and to the formation of t ...
,
Samuel Newell
Samuel Newell (1784–1821) was an American missionary and one of the pioneers of American foreign missions. He served with the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in India and Ceylon, where he founded the first American ''Ceylon M ...
,
Samuel Nott, and
Luther Rice
Luther Rice (25 March 1783 – 27 September 1836) was an American Baptist minister who, after a thwarted mission to India, returned to America where he spent the remainder of his career raising funds for missions and advocating for the formation of ...
, whose enthusiasm for overseas missionary service, presented themselves to the
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
General Association; subsequently, resulted in the formation of
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...
(ABCFM), the first American overseas agency in
North America. ABCM having endorsed Judson, Hall, Newell, Nott, and Price for missionary service, a committee of the board sent Judson to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
to inquire the possibilities of cooperation with the
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational m ...
(LMS) like joint superintendence and support of missions from LMS, and still remain under the direction of board; however, LMS declined such an agreement and instead expressed their willingness to receive Judson and his associates under their patronage, instead of joint management. Upon return, the board determined to carry on its own program and appointed the above missionaries to serve in
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
colonies like
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
, and some contiguous territory out of the British jurisdiction—The board seems to have been unable to point any specific country to occupy. The missionaries were left to decide what field to occupy after their arrival in India; thus, the first overseas missionary program from
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
commenced in 1811. Having been appointed as a missionary under ABCFM in September 1811, he studied
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
at
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
and
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
together with Samuel Newell—he attended medical lectures as it might increase usefulness as a missionary.
He was ordained along with Judson, Mills, Newell, Nott, and Rice on 6 February 1812 by the ABCFM at
Tabernacle
According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...
church,
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...
. Hall, Rice, along with Judson, Newell, Nott and their wives in two different groups sailed to East India Company colonies—Judson and Newell sailed from Salem on 9 February 1812, while Hall, Rice, Nott and his wife sailed from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
on 18 February 1812. Judson and Newell reached
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
(''present''
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
) on 17 June 1812, while Hall and others on 8 August 1812—Mills remained in
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, apparently, to promote and oversee the cause to which he was committed.
All the missionaries were warmly received by already operating
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
of different denominations in Calcutta, including
William Carey, one of the
Serampore Trio
The Serampore Trio was the name given to three pioneering English missionaries, namely William Carey (1761-1834), Joshua Marshman, (1768-1837), and William Ward (1769-1823). William Carey arrived in Bengal in 1793 and Marshman and Ward arrived ...
. But Carrey's expectations of them were not high; however, they were soon denied residence by the East India Company on ground that they were not
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
subjects—and also,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
being at war, lately. But, they were authorized to go other places that are out of the jurisdiction of the Company. Under these circumstances—Mr.& Mrs.Samuel Newell embarked for the
Isle of France, now
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...
—Judson and Rice got
baptized and resigned ABCFM that ultimately resulted in the formation of a Baptist Board for Foreign Missions in the United States—Hall and Nott, though engaged their passage to Isle of France, an unexpected detention of their vessel made them to change their plans to go
Ceylon, now
Sri Lanka; however, the arrival of
Evan Napean
Evan is both an English and Welsh male given name derived from "Iefan", a Welsh form for the name John. In other languages it could be compared to " Ivan", " Ian", and " Juan"; the name John itself is derived from the ancient Hebrew name Yəhô ...
, who was friend of missions and a vice-president of the
British and Foreign Bible Society, as the governor of
Bombay Presidency opened a better prospect for them. Hence, Hall and Nott evaded and sailed for
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...
(''present''
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
) and arrived the destination in February 1813. Later, they persuaded the Bombay governor and a vice-president of the
British and Foreign Bible Society to allow them to stay, apparently, establishing the first American missionary station overseas on foreign lands at Bombay called ''Bombay Mission'' or ''American Marathi Mission'', commencing the first mission to the
Mahrattas. In 1816, he married Margaret Lewis,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
woman resident of Bombay.
American Marathi Mission
''American Marathi Mission'' or ''Bombay Mission'', the first American mission station overseas, was one of the firstfruits of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), the first foreign mission agency in
North America. Upon arrival after the establishment of mission station at Bombay, he soon devoted himself in learning local languages like
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
, and others. When
Americans
Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Ame ...
(Hall and Nott) arrived,
Mahrattas, originally an obscure
piratical
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
race, were dominant
in Bombay in the early eighteenth century. For about a century, they ruled and ravaged a large part of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Upon decline of their power, they were gradually absorbed by the British as their subjects. Americans were the first to go in among them— Unlike
Tamil people
The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar ( ta, தமிழர், Tamiḻar, translit-std=ISO, in the singular or ta, தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, translit-std=ISO, label=none, in the plural), or simply Tamils (), are a Drav ...
in
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...
and northern districts of
Ceylon, no preparatory work had been done for
''Bombay Mission'', except merely that of conquest by a
Christian power. At present, Mahrattas seems to stand different to the
Christian religion
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popul ...
from what they did in 1813.
As part of
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
and missionary work as people would not come to them, they had to go to the people; accordingly, after garnering a group of hearers at temples, markets, and other places of public resort, they used to read passages of
Scriptures
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual pra ...
, explaining the truths contained in them. He preached in the English church, prepared
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
in Marathi language, and gave medical treatments to
English people
The English people are an ethnic group and nation native to England, who speak the English language, a West Germanic language, and share a common history and culture. The English identity is of Anglo-Saxon origin, when they were known in ...
and
Indians. He opened the first of thirty-five schools in 1814 and supervised schools over the course of his subsequent missionary years. He
evangelize
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are in ...
d the souls of Bombay Presidency and provided medical services, especially in
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
temples and in bazaars. He and Nott were soon joined by Samuel Newell, who commenced ''Ceylon Mission'', at Bombay. After Nott relinquished his labors due to ill-health and reverted to United States, Hall and Newell continued the missionary work. In 1818, two more new missionaries were added to the station, the number of schools were increased to eleven, and later to twenty-one schools.
In March 1826, he visited
Nassick, also spelled
Nasik as part of missionary duties. When he arrived Nasik,
Cholera was rampant in the town; as a result more than 200 died on the day of his visit. He stayed at Nasik till his books and medicine are distributed and set out to return home on March 18. Having already caught up with Cholera, he died on 20 March 1826 at Dodi Dapur, near Nasik, Maharashtra, India, after thirteen years of missionary work between 1813 and 1826.
Bombay Missionary Union
He was instrumental in the formation of the ''Bombay Missionary Union'' in November 1825. This society was formed by the missions of the American Board, English
Church Missionary Society
The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...
at Bombay, those of the
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational m ...
at Bombay and
Surat, and that of the
Scottish Missionary Society in the southern
Concan (also spelled
Konkan
The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...
). On this occasion, he preached a
sermon
A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. ...
that was later published, and four new natives were converted and received to the fellowship of the church.
Bibliography
He published his
sermon
A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. ...
s on foreign missions in 1812 and ''The Duty of American Churches in Respect to Foreign Missions'' in 1815. He wrote ''The Conversion of the World, or the Claims of the Six Hundred Millions'' in 1818, along with
Samuel Newell
Samuel Newell (1784–1821) was an American missionary and one of the pioneers of American foreign missions. He served with the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in India and Ceylon, where he founded the first American ''Ceylon M ...
—with this publication, Hall and Newell "proposed a strategy whereby 30,000 missionaries could reach every person on
earth.". They further argued:
In October 1826, he published ''Appeal to American Christians on behalf of the twelve millions speaking the Mahratta language'' in Missionary Herald. He translated the portions of the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...
(
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and form ...
) into
Marathi language
Marathi (; ''Marāṭhī'', ) is an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by Marathi people in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the official language of Maharashtra, and additional official language in the state of Goa. It is one of t ...
, prepared a harmony of the
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
s, and distributed the
Christian literature
Christian literature is the literary aspect of Christian media, and it constitutes a huge body of extremely varied writing.
Scripture
While falling within the strict definition of literature, the Bible is not generally considered literature. Ho ...
—evangelical literature and
tract
Tract may refer to:
Geography and real estate
* Housing tract, an area of land that is subdivided into smaller individual lots
* Land lot or tract, a section of land
* Census tract, a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census
...
s.
See also
*
Bible translations into Marathi
References
External links
The Quarterly register and journal of the American Education Society - By American Education Society - Recollections of Gordon Hall - pages:209-211Jonathan Edwards, Religious Tradition, and American Culture - By Joseph A. Conforti The Birth of Missions in America - By Charles L. Chaney - pages:187-311American Marathi MissionReligion in America - by Robert Baird -p.301
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Gordon
American Protestant missionaries
Protestant missionaries in India
1784 births
1826 deaths
Williams College alumni
Deaths from cholera
American expatriates in India
American evangelicals