Henry G. Appenzeller
Rev. Henry Gerhard Appenzeller (February 6, 1858-June 11, 1902) was a Methodist missionary and one of two American missionaries (the other being Horace Newton Allen) who introduced Protestant Christianity into Korea in 1885.
Early life and training
Appenzeller was born in Suderton, Pennsylvania, in 1858, graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1882, and then attended the Drew Theological Seminary. He was ordained to the ministry and appointed as a missionary to Korea in San Francisco in 1885.
Transplanting the family to Korea
After leaving the US on February 1, Appenzeller and his wife arrived at Jemulpo (now Incheon) on April 5, 1885, after a stop in Japan. Deciding that the atmosphere in Korea was not yet settled down after the coup attempt the previous December, they returned to Japan after 5 days, where they stayed until returning permanently to Korea in mid June. After settling into their mission house in Hanyang (Seoul), Appenzeller began to travel throughout the country, preparing to teach God's word. His oldest daughter, Sarah, born five months later, was the first American baby born in Korea. The Appenzellers also had a son and two more daughters in Korea.
Work in the mission field
As he travelled around Korea, Appenzeller became concerned about the lack of educational opportunities for women and commoners in the country, where only the sons of the upper classes had access to a good education. At home in the US, free (compulsary) education had been available to all children and college education had opened up to women in the mid 19th century. Appenzeller wanted to make the same opportunities available to the people of his new homeland.
In 1887, construction was completed on the first Methodist church in Korea. Appenzeller and his colleagues were careful not to repeat the mistake the Catholics had made a few years earlir when the built building was completed andThe Pennsylvania native established the first Methodist church in Korea and travelled throughout the country speaking about the Gospel of Jesus. He founded Pai Chai Hak Dang, the first modern Western-styled school in Korea and the predecessor of present-day Paichai University. He also participated in the translation of the Bible into Korean with other missionaries.
As he learned more about education in Korea, Appenzeller discovered that
Death in maritime accident
In 1902, at the age of 44, Appenzeller drowned while journeying to a southern port city, Mokpo, to attend a meeting for Bible translation. He was later buried at the Yanhwajin Foreigners' Cemetery, the grave site of 40 missionaries sent by the United Methodist Church and its predecessor denominations in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Legacy
Since its founding in 19th century, the Korean Methodist Church has dramatically developed as one of major Protestant denominations in Korea. In 2001, the denomination comprised 5,262 churches, 1394,514 members, and 7,298 ministers. There were six universities established under the Methodist model, including Paichai. In addition, the denomination had its own theological seminary, the Methodist Theological Seminary in Seoul. It also had six theological institutes and 54 junior high and high schools.
See also
- Christianity in Korea
- 19th Century Protestant Missions in China
- List of Protestant missionaries in China
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1963.
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