SOUTH AFRICAN BAPTISTS & C.H.S. by DR Marc S. Blackwell, Snr
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), the famed Baptist pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London was to influence many peoples and lands that he never visited himself. South Africa serves as a good example of his influence from a distance. Numerous South African churches and families (especially those using the Dutch translations of his sermons) held him in the highest esteem. Both the Baptist Union and the Independent Baptists of South Africa owe him a great debt. His vision for world missions benefited South Africa and the practical and physical results can still be seen in the missions and churches established here by his London Pastors College graduates. His vision to reach men with the Gospel through church planting remains a valuable example for those of us involved in church planting and missionary work today.
In 1927 The Wale Street Baptist Church published a booklet celebrating its first fifty years of "Life and Service" as a congregation. In chapter one, "The Earliest Days," the anonymous compiler made this telling observation: "One is tempted to digress for a moment, to try and estimate what Cape Town (and all South Africa) owes to 'C.H.S'."
As pastor of the large Metropolitan Tabernacle and as the editor of The Sword and the Trowel, with its 15,000 monthly circulation, he had by the 1860s already become truly popular among common men, and both world famous and influential, as well. C.H.S. authored devotional literature, biblical commentaries, and sermons of renown. By 1899 over a hundred million copies of his sermons had been issued in twenty three languages, and before his death 120,000 volumes of The Treasury of David, were sold. To these figures must be added the influence of more than 125 of his other books. As the founder of both the Stockwell Orphanage and the famous Pastors College for poorer students, both of which were positioned strategically in the poorer communities of the Southside of London, Spurgeon communicated his belief in a Christianity that was concerned for both the spiritual and social problems of his day.
Spurgeon’s influence on South Africa is evident when one recognises that the majority of all English work done was done in some direct connection with a Spurgeon Pastors College graduate. Two of the earliest examples of this influence can be seen in the lives of Rev. Stokes and Rev. Hamilton who were the first "Spurgeon Men" sent to South Africa Thirteen years after Spurgeon started his Pastor’s College he would send out his first church planter to South Africa in the person of Rev. W. Stokes, on May 15, 1867 to minister in Port Elizabeth. As with most of the men sent Stokes was more than just a graduate of the college, all of these men were of a continuing interest to Spurgeon and as such was also a continuing enterprise supported by him and followed with great interest.
In the Sword and the Trowel, Spurgeon's magazine, issued on 1 August 1870 there is a lengthy report on the "Baptist Church, Port Elizabeth, South Africa." The article reports that the church had completed their "third anniversary since the settlement of Mr. W. Stokes, late of our College, on Sunday, May 15th." The article went into great detail on the finances and improvement in the facilities since the church came under Rev. Stokes' care, then it was reported that there was now " Fifty-two members in regular communion, and this increase has been gained in the face of difficulties and obstacles seldom met with in the old country." Pastor Stokes ministered there from 1867 to 1879.
When accepting the leadership of the newly formed “Baptist Union” Pastor Stokes explained that the primary purpose and usefulness must be that of evangelism and church planting. In his 1877 letter to the Baptist Union membership he wrote: "But we are anxious to do more ...and in order that we may work unitedly this Union has been formed ...our aim is to plant, or assist in planting churches..." Stokes, like Spurgeon, was not a "denominationalist" but was simply dedicated to soul winning and church planting but like Spurgeon only so long as compromise of one's convictions was not required.
Next to come was Rev. W. Hamilton, who arrived in Cape Town in 1876 and planted what was known, at first, as the Cape Town Tabernacle. For nine years the first Cape Town Baptist congregation had the same name, "The Tabernacle." This unusual name for a Baptist church stands out as one more example of how strong the Spurgeon influence really was. Even the name of Cape Town's first congregation would be the same as the one to be found on London's Southside, a name peculiar to the famous pastor, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
In reporting on the movements of another Pastor’s College graduate - Mr. Batts, Spurgeon once again shows his great interest in his students in South Africa: "Mr. Batts has gone to take charge of his (Rev. Stokes of Port Elizabeth) church during his absence. Mr. Hamilton's friends at Cape Town treated Mr. Batts most handsomely when he left them for his new temporary sphere of labour, sending him off with their hearty esteem and with tokens of their Christian liberality. We are gratified with everything which this Cape Town church does."
In 1880 Spurgeon's magazine The Sword and the Trowel reports the following: "Notes: Africa. --- Mr. Hamilton of Cape Town reports the opening of the `converted' wine-store at Rondebosch, five miles from the city where he lives. This is the first Baptist Chapel at Cape Town, and also in the Western Province of South Africa.
It is noteworthy to observe that the only time a full photograph of the opening of a new church hall, (other than Spurgeon's own London Tabernacle), was to appear in The Sword and the Trowel would be in the 1884 edition and it would be the photo of the new Cape Baptist church hall. The importance given to this event can be better understood as one reads the longer than usual two page review and the updated report on the whole Hamilton ministry.
To provide a better perspective on the relationship between Spurgeon and South Africa the following biographical dates are provided:
1834, 19 June: Born in Essex, Kelveden
1850, 6 Jan: Accepted Christ as his Saviour. 3, May: Baptised at Islesham Ferry.
1851: Pastors Waterbeach Chapel.
1853, 18 December: C.H. Spurgeon’s first Sermon at New Park Street.
1854, March: Commences his Pastorate at New Park Street Baptist, London.
1855, July: Mr. T. W. Medhurst is accepted as first of the ministerial students.
1856, 8, Jan. Marries Susannah Thomson 20, Sept. Twins: Thomas & Charles are born. 19, Oct. Surrey Gardens Music Hall meeting ends in pandemonium & disaster.
1857: A 2nd student is accepted and the Pastors College is founded.
7, October: Preaches to over 23,000 at Crystal Palace.
1861, 25, March: Newly constructed Metropolitan Tabernacle opened.
1864: Baptismal Regeneration Controversy.
1866: Colportage Association founded.
1867: Stockwell Orphanage founded and the visit to Hamburg, Rev. Oncken
24 March to the 21st April renovations on the Tabernacle led to services at the Agricultural Hall, Islington and services were attended by 20,000 or more.
- W. Stokes, becomes the first Pastors College student to Africa.
- Carl Hugo Gutsche of Hamburg also goes to South Africa.
1875: Mrs. Spurgeon's Bookfund begins.
1876: Spurgeon sends Rev. W. Hamilton to South Africa
1877: Spurgeon sends Rev. G. W. . Cross to South Africa
1878: Spurgeon sends Henry J. Batts to South Africa
1879: Girls' Orphanage founded, London.
1880: Spurgeon sends Rev. Walter Mann to South Africa
1883: Spurgeon sends Evans & Maynard to South Africa
1884: Spurgeon sends Rev. H. T. Peach to South Africa
1886: Spurgeon sends Rev. J. F. M. Warren to South Africa
1887-1891: The Down-Grade Controversy.
1887: C.H.S., the Tabernacle and Pastors College all withdraw from the Baptist Union.
1889: Spurgeon sends Adamson & Hay to South Africa.
1891: Spurgeon sends Baker & Russell to South Africa
1892: 31, January - Spurgeon Dies.
1893: Rev James Maginnes is sent to South Africa
1894: Spurgeon's son and new Pastor of the Tabernacle, Charles visit South Africa
1898 -1921: Some eight more Pastors College students come to South Africa, at least six (from this grouping) remained in South Africa through 1930 and many longer.
One more special illustration of the Spurgeon influence even in cross-cultural missionary outreach is demonstrated in the life of Rev. W. A. Phillips. Phillips had been brought up as a youth under the direct influence of the life and preaching of Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon. Phillips ministered in South Africa from 1905-1927.
The Lambaland Mission which Rev. Phillips founded, provides a perfect example of the power of the Spurgeon influence to motivate men such as Phillips to tackle and overcome such obstacles as lifeless theology, racial bias and directionless tradition. Over half of all the missionaries of the S.A. Baptist Missionary Society during this period had received their training and/or had financial connections to Spurgeon, his college or his church.
Three perspectives:
(i.) History that effects us today.
"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them:" II Timothy 3:15
Rev. Ernest Baker arrived in Cape Town to the pastorate of the Wynberg Baptist Church in 1891. He moved in 1893 to the Wale Street Baptist Church in Cape Town where he stayed some twenty-one years until 1914. Then he went on to enjoying especially popular pastorates in Johannesburg and then in Port Elizabeth.
To fully appreciate the idea of a Spurgeon-Baker influence on South Africa it is necessary to introduce the reader to additional information regarding both Baker and his primary disciple-student, J. W. Odendaal II. Only as the strength of this influence between Baker and Odendaal Ii is clearly established will it be possible to show just how strong this influence really was and only then can its benefits for South African Baptist become fully evident.
Ernest Baker was one of the last students personally sent to South Africa by C.H. Spurgeon. He was one of South Africa's greatest preachers. He was known for his writing ministry and like Spurgeon founded and edited numerous Christian periodicals: the "South African Baptist," the especially popular "Marching Orders," and "The Midnight Cry" with its dispensational, pre-tribulational and pre-millennial emphasis. His writing skills led to publications of scholarly Biblical exposition, such as: The Return of the Lord, Plain Talks, What Does The Second Advent Mean? and the Prophetic Lamp.
It is interesting to notice that the "Spurgeon men" were to reflect the evolving changes in their College President and Pastor, C.H. Spurgeon. An interesting example is found in the changing attitudes of Spurgeon toward fundamentalism, separatism and dispensational hermeneutics. As Spurgeon's own views evolved, so also were the views of each generation of the men sent out.
Baker's founding of the Baptist Bible Institute in Cape Town stands out as a classic example of the Spurgeon influence on South African Baptist leaders. Baker never lost the Spurgeon influence and emphasis on evangelism and church planting and even planted and pastored a new congregation, the Cape Road Baptist Church of Port Elizabeth in 1930 to 1935 during the later years of his ministry.
