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FOREIGN MISSION BOARD 227
the Southern Board. Rev. John Day and Rev. A. L. Jones were appointed by
the Southern Board in September, 1846, to be located at Grand Bassa on the
West Coast.
John Day, a native of Virginia, had gone out to Liberia in 1830 as a missionary
of the Triennial Convention. One of the outstanding missionaries on
the West Coast was Rev. J. M. Harden, who was appointed by the Foreign
Mission Board in December, 1850, and was transferred from Liberia to Nigeria
in 1856.
The first Southern Baptist missionary to Nigeria was Rev. T. J. Bowen who
went out in 1850. The first city in Nigeria to open its doors to him was Abeokuta.
Additional missionaries were sent to Nigeria in 1853. Through the dark days
of the War Between the States, and Reconstruction Days, Moses L. Stone and
Mrs. J. M. Harden (Mr. Harden died in 1864) held our work together.
In 1874 W. J. David went out from Mississippi under appointment of the
Foreign Mission Board, and from that time the work in Nigeria grew slowly
but steadily. We now have some seventy missionaries in Nigeria, and there is
desperate need for that many more to enter open doors and to reinforce overworked
missionaries already on the field.
In September, 1870, our work in Italy was opened with the occupation of
Rome, when Dr. William Cote of Paris, under appointment as a missionary of
the Southern Baptist Convention, entered Rome with the army of Victor Emmanuel,
King of Italy. In March, 1873, George Boardman Taylor, son of the
sainted James B. Taylor, was appointed missionary to Italy. The story of
missionary trials and triumphs in Italy constitutes one of the most ^glorious
chapters in Southern Baptist history. Through World War II, Italian Baptists,
heroic soldiers of the Cross, have kept the work going despite great suffering
and sacrifice.
From February, 1872, to June, 1893, Dr. Henry Allen Tupper was corresponding
secretary of the Board. During his term of service Mexico (1880),
Brazil (1881), and Japan (1890) were entered. The Woman's Missionary Union,
auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention, was organized (Richmond, 1888).
The first missionary of Texas Baptists in Mexico (transferred to Southern
Baptists) was John Westrup who began his work November 1, 1880, but was
murdered shortly thereafter. One of the best-known missionaries to Mexico in
those early days was Dr. W. D. Powell.
Dr. and Mrs. W. B. Bagby were appointed missionaries to Brazil in December,
1880, and sailed the next month. The first Baptist church was organized
by Mr. and Mrs. Bagby and Mr. and Mrs. Z. C. Taylor at Bahia in October,
1882. Dr. and Mrs. Bagby spent fifty-seven years of active service in Brazil
before they were separated by death. Their five children gave themselves to
missionary service in South America.
In 1889, thirty years after Japan was opened to Christian missionaries, we
sent there two- missionary couples, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. McCollum, and Mr. and
Mrs. J. A. Brunson. In 1860, two missionaries under appointment of the Foreign
Mission Board had sailed for Japan, but their boat was never heard from again.
It was difficult in those days to forecast the changes which would take place in
Japan the next fifty-five years.
Miracles of God's grace and power have been manifest in recent months
in Japan. A great American layman, a judge advocate in Japan, wrote: "The
doors are wide open and minds are receptive as never before. It would have
taken centuries for our missionaries to do what they can new do overnight."
Dr. Henry Allen Tupper was succeeded by Dr. Robert J. Willingham (September,
1893, to December, 1914). Under his leadership the gifts of Southern Baptists
to missions increased from $106,332 in 1893 to $587,458 in 1914. Among
the outstanding achievements of his administration was the development of our
institutional work as represented in schools, colleges, seminaries, and hospitals.
No man among us ever revealed to a greater degree the compassionate heart of
God. While he was secretary we entered Arg entma (1903) and Uruguay (1911).
Secretary James Franklin Love (home secretary May, 1914, to June, 1915,
and executive secretary June, 1915, to May, 1928) was a missionary statesman.
During his administration Southern Baptists began work in Chile (1917) and
assumed responsibility for Baptist Mission work in Syria (1920), Palestine
and (1920), the Spain Ukraine (1921), (1921).
Yugoslavia (1921), Hungary (1921), Rumania (1921),