Oppositions to the war of Wesley and the Wesleyans

 

 Translated from Portuguese to English - www.onlinedoctranslator.com
 
 


Opposition to the war of Wesley and the Wesleyans

 

 

Many Methodists were martyrs and heroes

 

Odilon Massolar Chaves

 

Copyright © 2024, Odilon Massolar Chaves

All rights reserved to the author.

Art. 184 of the Penal Code and Law 9610 of February 19, 1998.

The book can only be read, copied and shared free of charge.

Books published in the Wesleyan Library:

Address:https://bibliotecawesleyana.blogspot.com

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-----------------

Odilon Massolar Chaves is a retired Methodist pastor, with a doctorate in Theology and History from the Methodist University of São Paulo.

His thesis dealt with the Methodist revival in England in the 18th century and its contribution as a paradigm for our days.

He was editor of the official Methodist newspaper and coordinator of the Theology Course.

He is a writer, poet and YouTuber.

All glory be given to the Lord

Rio de janeiro - Brazil

 



"And certainly all our declamations about the strength of human reason, and the eminence of our virtues, are no more than the jargon of pride and ignorance, so long as there is war in the world. Men in general can never be considered creatures reasonable, until they no longer know war. While this monster runs amok, where is reason, virtue, humanity? They have no place;[1]

 (John Wesley)

 

 

Index

 

 

·       Introduction 

·       Wesley and the war monster 

·       Theologians and Church against war 

§       Wesleyans in fighting wars and promoting peace: 

·       Awards and legacies

·       Chaplains in wars

·       Persecuted, arrested and martyrs

 

Introduction

 

“Opposition to the War of Wesley and the Wesleyans” is a book that reveals the thoughts and attitudes of Wesley and Methodists around the world.

Many were martyrs and heroes. A report on operations on 5 continents.

Wesley was always against war and helped with blankets more than a thousand French soldiers who were trapped and suffering from the cold, in the war between France and England.

He called war a monster and said it reveals a lack of reason, virtue and humanity.

Worldwide Methodism promotes peace. The promotion of justice, dialogue, respect for nations, human rights and freedom are fundamental to peace.

The prophet Isaiah makes it clear that without justice there is no peace (Is 59.4-9).

Peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Jesus is called the Prince of Peace and we are sent as messengers of peace.

A profound book that recounts the lives and ministries of Methodists who were martyrs and heroes. They gave their lives for peace between people, between nations.

There are sad and beautiful stories related how he acted like Christ and a Japanese soldier could not bear this situation and, therefore, crucified him.

We can and should learn several lessons for our days.

May the Holy Spirit give you peace and may you be an instrument of this peace.[2]

The author   

Wesley and the war monster

 

On October 15, 1759, Wesley walked to Knowle, a mile from Bristol, to visit French prisoners who were being held as a result of the so-called “Seven Years' War”.

“During the Seven Years' War (1756 to 1763), the French and British fought in North America, India, the Caribbean, the Philippines and Africa. After Waterloo, the two nations never faced each other again.”[3]

Before that, there had been other wars and the so-called “hundred years war” (1337-1453).

There were over 1100 French prisoners.

When Wesley arrived, they “were gathered together in a small space, with nothing to lie on but straw mattresses, and no blankets; They only had a few rags to cover themselves, day or night, so they died as if they were sheep attacked by sheep. I was horrified!”[4]

Soon after, in the afternoon, Wesley preached: “Thou shalt not oppress the pilgrim; for you know the heart of a pilgrim, having been a pilgrim in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 23:9).

In addition to preaching, Wesley raised a collection to help French prisoners, which yielded 18 pounds. The next day he reached 24 books.

Wesley said: “With this sum we purchased bedding, blankets, and cloth, which was converted into shirts and trousers; A few dozen socks were also purchased, and all of this was distributed among those most in need.”[5]

The Bristol congregation also sent large numbers of mattresses and blankets. Soon after, the congregation in London and elsewhere sent other contributions.

Wesley believed that from now on soldiers would be better served. On October 10, 1883, he visited at Pembroke “a large number of American prisoners.”[6]

Also on October 10, 1783, he visited “many of the Dutch (Southampton) prisoners.”[7]

Wesley said of war: "And certainly all our declamations about the strength of human reason, and the eminence of our virtues, are no more than the jargon of pride and ignorance, while there is war in the world. Men in general can never be considered reasonable creatures, until they no longer know war. While this monster runs amok, where is reason, virtue, humanity They are totally excluded they have no place; more".[8]

Wesley calls war a “monster” and it reveals a lack of reason, virtue and humanity.  

Theologians and Church against war

 

In your Manifesto of 1750, Wesley included 12 items, including “Avoid getting into wars”:

·      Reduce the gap between rich and poor.

·      Help everyone get a job.

·      Help the poorest by introducing a minimum wage.

·      Provide the best education possible.

·      Help everyone feel like they can make a difference.

·      Promote tolerance.

·      Promote equal treatment for women.

·      Create a society based on values ​​and not on profits and consumerism.

·      End all forms of slavery.

·      Avoid getting into wars.

·      Share God's love with everyone.

·      Take care of the environment.”[9]

Of war, Wesley said: “What further proof do we need of the utter degeneration of all nations from the clearest principles of reason and virtue? Of the absolute lack, both of common sense and of common humanity, that permeates the entire human race?”[10]

German journalist and writer Hauke ​​Burgarth,[11]raises some important questions for us today about Wesley's Manifesto:

“If you look at Wesley's list in his 'Manifesto,' you will find questions that move us today. Of course the twelve points were linguistically adapted – 300 years cannot be linguistically ignored. But in terms of content, what Wesley wrote so long ago as a to-do list for himself and Christians as a whole is still frighteningly timely. This ranges from the ever-widening gap between rich and poor to the still unrealized equal treatment of men and women to slavery and its modern forms.”[12]

If humanity had followed this manifesto closely, we would certainly have a much better and peaceful world.

Methodist pastor and writer John O'Gooch,[13]in his book "John Wesley for the 21st Century" said that "John Wesley didn't like war. He didn't jump to the notion that we have to support the King in time of war, no matter what."[14]

O'Gooch “pointed out that Wesley tended to blame both sides equally in the war – including the American War of Independence – certainly a battle of his own time.”[15]

Pastor Gooch also stated, “And yet Wesley was not a pacifist. He thought war was foolish and wasted and there should be better ways to resolve international disputes."[16]

Without justice there is no peace.

As the prophet Isaiah said: “They do not know the Way of Peace; there is no justice in their intentions and practices. They have turned all law into crooked paths; whoever walks through them will never see peace” (Isaiah 59.8).

John Wesley not only didn't like war. For him, war is a monster and its existence reveals people's inhumanity, lack of virtue and reason. 

For Wesley, the war was foolish and wasted. People should find better ways to resolve international disputes. 

Furthermore, war is a monster.

The United Methodist Church's Book of Discipline states: “Although the United Methodist Book of Discipline states, 'We believe that war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ' (Book of Discipline, ¶165, C), it also recognizes that United Methodists do not agree on the use of force. Our Social Principles say: 'Some of us believe that war and other acts of violence are never acceptable to Christians. aggression, tyranny, and genocide" (Book of Discipline, ¶164, I).”[17]

There is no reason, justification or virtue in waging wars.

As German pilot Erich Hartman said,[18]who worked in the Second World War: “War is a place where young people, who don't know each other and don't hate each other, kill each other, due to the decisions of old people who know each other and hate each other, but don't kill each other.”[19]

 

Wesleyans in fighting wars and promoting peace


Awards and legacies

 

Several Methodists won awards for their fight for peace. Others left legacies, including:

Arthur Henderson (1863-1935)

He was born in Glasgow, Great Britain. He became a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, to which he was immensely devoted.

One of his sons died in the First World War and the other two of them became his father's colleagues in the House of Commons. Arthur was an architect, a hero of the Labor Party and served as Foreign Secretary (1929-1931). He presided over the World Disarmament Conference, which met in Geneva in 1932.

He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Peace Prize. His approach was conciliatory and temperance. He worked tirelessly for international cooperation and disarmament.

He was known as a "moral compass" in his time. He was an eloquent evangelist in the local church. He was a Sunday School teacher. He had a deep commitment to Methodism.[20].

Chen Su Lan (1885-1972)

 

He was born in Fuzhou, Fujian, China. His mother was a devoted Methodist. At a revival meeting led by Bishop Bradford, he committed himself to be a preacher.

 

In 1905, he went to Singapore and studied at the King Edward VII College of Medicine, obtaining a degree in Medicine and Surgery in 1910.

 

After the Japanese invasion, he tried to escape in 1942, but the ship was bombed. The survivors got a raft and reached a mangrove forest. They were saved the next morning by a boatman who heard their screams and brought a rescue team. In Singapore he was detained by the Japanese, who believed that Methodist leaders were plotting against them. He was released because they found nothing in his house.

 

After the war, he founded the Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in 1945, to help those who were feeling demoralized. In 1947, Chen set up the Chen Su Lan Trust Foundation, which offered resources and land especially to Christian organizations. He was a founding member of the Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association in 1947.

 

The Chen Su Lan Methodist Children's Home was opened in 1968 with the help of the Chen Su Lan Trust Foundation.[21] 

 

Hobart Baumann Amstutz (1896-1980)

 

He was born in Henrietta, Ohio, USA. He graduated in 1915 from Oberlin High School. He was drafted into the army in World War I.

 

In 1921, after the war, he graduated from Northwestern University. In 1923, he earned a Bachelor of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. He later obtained a master's degree in Theology. From 1926 onwards, thereverendAmstutz served as a missionary in Southeast Asia at the Wesley Methodist Church in Singapore for many years.

 

In 1942, he was arrested by the Japanese, spending three and a half years in a prison camp. During this period, he was affected by beriberi and lost 68 kilograms. Before the Japanese took Singapore, he sent his wife and two children home.

 

From 1956 to 1964, he served as a Methodist bishop in Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma) and also as founding president of Trinity College, Singapore. He was principal of the Singapore Methodist Theological School, editor of the Methodist Southeast Asia magazine, superintendent of missions, treasurer and pastor of the English-language Methodist Church in Singapore.

 

Shortly after retirement, he was called to be Methodist Bishop of Pakistan (1964-1968), creating the Methodist Church of Pakistan.[22]

 

 

Dorothy Thompson (1893-1961)

 

She was born in Lancaster, New York, USA. Daughter of Margaret and Peter Thompson, a Methodist minister. Margaret died when Dorothy was seven years old (in 1901). Dorothy studied atSyracuse UniversityIt isIllinois Institute of Technology.

 

She was a great journalist, political commentator and one of the main opponents of Hitler and fascism.

 

In 1939, she was recognized by Time Magazine as the second most influential woman in America alongside Eleanor Roosevelt. It was nicknamed "the blue-eyed tornado".

 

She was the first American journalist to be expelled from Nazi Germany, in 1934. She is considered by some to be the “First Lady of American Journalism”.

 

After graduating in journalism, she moved to Europe. Her negative reporting on Hitler and the Nazis led to her expulsion in 1934. She became the first US correspondent expelled from Germany.

 

He returned to America and began writing in more than 150 newspapers and commenting on Rádio BNC.

 

His On the Record column was very popular. She married Nobel Prize winner novelist Sinclair Lewis in 1928 and had one son. She wrote some books, among them: “I saw Hitler”; “The courage to be happy.”[23] 

Carl Lutz (1895-1975) 

He was born in Walzenhausen, Switzerland. He emigrated to the US and studied to be a Swiss diplomat at Central Wesleyan College and George Washington University. He was raised as a devout Methodist and taught Sunday School. 

He was vice-consul of Switzerland in Jajja (Israel). He was transferred in World War II to Budapest, Hungary (1942-1945). In 1944, Germany invaded Hungary. 

As vice consul, he issued thousands of false Swiss documents deceiving Lieutenant Colonel Adolf Eichmann, who wanted to deport the Jews. Lutz saved more than 62 thousand Jews.

Lutz sought to serve the Lord in high regard. Lutz placed the Jewish Agency under his diplomatic protection and removed thousands of Hungarian Jews from the marching lines of the concentration camps, giving them protection documents. 

It was the largest rescue operation of Jewish civilians in the world during the Holocaust. Upon his return to Switzerland, he was reprimanded for exceeding his authority. 

In 1964, he received the Righteous Medal for courageous actions. The film Walking with the Enemy tells his story. Theo Tschuy wrote the book Courageous Diplomat. 

Carl Lutz was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize and awarded the Cross of Honor, German Order of Merit. 

In 2006, in Budapest, a memorial was erected in his honor. In Jerusalem, there is the Yad Vashem Memorial in his honor. 

In 1999, a special stamp was released by Swiss Post to honor him.[24]

 

Anna Eklund (1867-1949)

 

 

She was born in Finland and became a deaconess in the Methodist Church in Russia. Methodism began among Swedish immigrants in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1881. From the beginning, Methodism cared for the poor, sick, and needy.

 

In 1908, the Bethany Diaconal House was opened, headed by her mentor Anna Eklund during the cholera epidemic. Anna was trained in Hamburg and Frankfurt.

 

She and four sisters provided nursing care and humanitarian aid. In 1909 the Methodist Church was legalized, and by 1910 there were 500 members in St. Petersburg.

 

Methodism continued in Russia even after the 1917 Revolution, through the efforts of Anna Eklund.

 

She was a unique minister. During the 1921 famine in St. Petersburg, she led the distribution of food to the hungry. An orphanage was opened near St. Petersburg.

 

On December 25, 1931, the new regime closed the church located in Bolshoi. In 1937, the Stalinist regime forced the closure of the Methodist Church in Russia.

 

Forced to finish her work, Anna returned to Finland in 1939. But her dreams came true: Methodism was reborn in Russia.

 

The Anna Eklund Prize was created for those who distinguished themselves in the pioneering service of Methodism in Russia. A book has been published about her life: Sister Anna Eklund, 1867-1949: a Methodist saint in Russia; his words and testimony, St. Petersburg 1908-1931.”[25]

 

Harold Good

 

He was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 1937. He was ordained as a minister in the Methodist Church in 1962.

 

He was president of the Methodist Church in Ireland (2001-2002) and served as director of the Corrymeela Center for Reconciliation for five years, a place of refuge for those affected by the conflicts in Ireland.

 

He has taken a courageous stand and made friends with all sides in the conflicts in Northern Ireland.

 

In the 1969 riots, wounded people were brought to his church, and when an IRA bomb exploded before Christmas in 1971, he was one of those who helped pull dead children from the rubble.

 

Ministered to Crumlin Road prisoners and was vital to the IRA[26]apologize on the 30th anniversary of “Bloody Friday”. He has promoted reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

 

He won the Methodist World Peace Prize in 2007.

 

He received the Gandhi Peace Award and the Rene Casin Human Rights Award from the Basque government.

Queen Elizabeth II appointed him a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1970 and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1985.[27]

 

Chaplains in wars 

 

Several Methodists served as chaplains during the wars, including:

The D-Day Chaplain in World War II 

Leslie Skinner (1911-2001) was born in York, England. He was a hairdresser and local preacher, then became a Methodist minister. He was appointed to India in 1937. With the onset of deafness he returned to England.

 

In the Second World War, he joined the Army Chaplains Department, serving in Persia, Iraq and Egypt. In 1944 he became senior chaplain in the 8th Armored Brigade. He was the first British chaplain to reach the beach on D-Day in Normandy on June 6, 1944.

 

After 20 days, he was injured in the head by a mortar. A few days later he returned to the Regiment. He risked his life to take care of his companions. On Sundays, he led services for men at war.

 

Leslie Skinner was an Army captain and chaplain in World War II. He did everything he could to save or at least prolong the lives of wounded soldiers; he ministered to troops on the front lines and helped medical teams. He spent hours dodging gunfire looking for bodies and digging graves, ensuring proper burials. 

He had great compassion and wrote to the families of the dead. This continued for many years after the war. His last appointment was as superintendent on the Walton and Weybridge circuit until 1977. He rose to lieutenant colonel, the highest rank of chaplain. He died at the age of 89.[28]

 

In the 1st World War (1914-1918)

 

Around 150,000 members of the Primitive Methodist Church and 285,000 members of the Wesleyan Church in England served in the war. 15,000 Primitive Methodists and 26,581 Wesleyans died.

 

Several pastors from the Wesleyan Methodist Church of England served in the Armed Forces, some as chaplains, including:

 

Cecil George Dunkerley (1895-1966); He was a prisoner in Germany for two and a half years and began his ministry preaching in the prison camp.

 

Frank Fairfax (1887-1964): After serving as a chaplain in France, he served as a chaplain to British prisoners of war in Switzerland.

 

Charles Edward Gentil (1886-1961): a year after active service in India, he was invited to serve as a chaplain to the Armed Forces, which he did until demobilization in 1920.

 

Hubert Vavasor Griffiths (1885-1965): served in France and Italy as a chaplain.

 

Albert Swales Hullah (1885-1966): became a chaplain in the army, served in France and was awarded the Military Cross for courage in March 1918.[29]

 

In Italy

 

Umberto Emilio Postpischl (1885-1937) was appointed chaplain and in February was sent to the army in Verona. At the end of the war he was pastor in Savona (1918-1920) and Turin (1920-1924). He moved to Bologna in 1924. In the last years of his life, he was responsible for restructuring the local cult of Via del Carbone, in 1931.

 

Giuseppe La Scala was born in Mandanici (Messina). On January 20, 1918, he was appointed chaplain assigned to the Fourth Army with the rank of lieutenant. Discharged in February 1919, he became pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church and was assigned to Reggio Calabria. A convinced anti-fascist, he fought discrimination against Jews in Italy. His house became the headquarters of a committee tasked with forging documents for Jewish refugees from Poland, France and Austria.

 

Carlo Maria Ferreri (1878-1942) was born in Milan. On January 20, 1918, he was appointed chaplain in the fifth army. His appointment was revoked. Accused of friendship with a German soldier, he appealed and in December 1918 was reinstated for a few days as the war was ending.

 

In 1920, he was pastor of the Methodist Church in Rome and elected superintendent of the District, in 1924, and ecclesiastical center. He was also editor of The Evangelist.

From 1926, he was the superintendent of the Italy District, until 1939, when he was elected superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Italy.[30]

 

Juvenal Nascimento (1907-1997)

 

He was born in São Roque, SP. He was the son of Joaquim da Silva and Maria da Silva. He attended the Methodist Church in Santo Amaro, SP.

 

In 1924, at the age of 16, he was baptized and, in 1927, he began the Literature and Theology course at the Instituto Metodista Granbery, in Juiz de Fora, MG, and graduated in 1935. He was appointed to the churches in Valença and Campinas .

 

In 1936, he married Carmem de Oliveira. Juvenal later became Chaplain at the Porto Alegre Institute, RS, and later went to do a master's degree in Nashvile, USA, returning in 1942. Juvenal was fluent in English and Italian.

 

With the beginning of the Second World War (1939-1945), the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB) was organized to fight in the Second World War. The Military Chaplaincy was also established by the Vargas Government in 1944.

 

They left for Italy on September 22, 1944 and only returned on August 22, 1945, after the end of the war.

 

 

His role was to comfort the injured, sick, visit, etc. He also baptized a soldier of Presbyterian origin who was baptized inside the rubble of a house with water from a canteen.

 

Back in Brazil, he continued to serve as a chaplain. In 1963, he lost his wife and went to São Paulo serving in the 2nd Army, as a chaplain.

 

In 1979, he married Cacilda. He received the Peacemaker's Medal and a silver dagger when he retired. The Municipal Council of Araçoiaba da Serra granted him the Citizenship Title.[31] 

 

Persecuted, arrested and martyrs

 

Several Methodists were arrested, tortured or became martyrs for their faith and defense of freedom during the wars. Among them:

Dusty Miller

 

He was born in Newcastle, England. He was a gardener, a simple and very fervent Methodist. He was a prisoner of the Japanese in Thailand during World War II.

 

Prisoners were forced to work up to 18 hours a day to build a railway in the jungles of Burma. More than 16,000 died from malnutrition, disease and exhaustion. Ernest Gordon was also arrested.

 

There was a Gordon was impacted by Dusty's simplicity and firm faith in the face of the cruel treatment of the Japanese. Dusty never lost faith and was never angry. His faith and selfless love for his fellow prisoners and the Japanese were remarkable.

 

Two weeks before the end of the war, in 1945, Dusty had been crucified by a Japanese man who was frustrated by Dusty's calmness in the face of hardship. He had the character of Christ. [32]

 

Korean Methodist pastors

 

Many Methodist pastors Koreans died during Japanese rule (1910-1945) and invasion of North Korea (1950-1953). OreverendDong-Chul Kim (1899-1950), who died in 1950, when the communist party took power in Korea.

 

Many others were killed, including Korean Methodist pastors Sug-Won Kim, Gimyusun and Gimyijun.

 

Other Methodists were killed in prison during the rule of Japan (1910-1945): thereverendLee Yeong-Han and preachers Kwon-Ho Won and Choi In-Gyu. OreverendKang Jong-Geun denied worshiping Japanese gods and was tortured to death on June 3, 1943.

 

North Korea (1950-1953) executed many Presbyterians, Methodists, and other Christians. Some Methodists died in 1950: thereverendKang Enyoung died for denying North Korea's anti-Christian policy; OreverendYongman Kim was a hospital chaplain, was arrested and thrown into the sea; OreverendHongsik Kim and his wife were shot dead.[33]

 

Zdravko Beslov (1920-1993)

 

He was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. He became pastor of the Methodist Church in 1943. He won a scholarship for a doctorate in the USA, but with the war he decided to shepherd the flock and be with his mother.

Opposition to the communist regime led to him being imprisoned in prison camps across Russia for 14 years. He worked in inhumane conditions in coal mines and quarries. After his release, he was still persecuted.

He is considered a martyr for Christianity, even though he did not die in persecution. After 1989 he sought to restore the Methodist Church.

He was elected superintendent of Bulgarian Methodism in 1990. After 45 years, at the age of 72 and after a stroke, Zdravko Beslov led the Church with the same zeal.

He was instrumental in obtaining official state recognition of the Methodist Church in Bulgaria. He met face to face with his persecutors and said: “I do not want them to be punished, nor should they be treated as I was treated.”

In 1992, he won the Methodist World Peace Prize for his efforts to bring reconciliation and healing to Bulgaria.[34]

José Abad Santos (1886-1942) 

He was born in San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines. In 1904, he went to the USA as a government pensioner. 

He studied law at Colégio Santa Clara, in California, and received his bachelor's degree in law at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois. USA. He earned a master's degree in Law from George Washington University in 1909. 

When he returned to the Philippines, he served as an assistant prosecutor in the Department of Justice (1913-1917). In 1919, she was instrumental in establishing the legal foundations of the Philippine Women's University. 

He was a staunch Methodist, a member of the Central Methodist Church of Manila. He married Amanda Teopaco and they had six children. He was the first Filipino corporate lawyer for the Philippine National Bank, Manila Railroad Company. 

He became Attorney General and served as Chief Legal Officer to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives. He was Secretary of Justice (1921-1923, 1928 and 1931). In 1932, he became a Supreme Court justice, and chief justice in 1941. 

In the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1942, President Manuel L. Quezon went to the US and appointed José Abad Santos as acting president. 

He was captured with his son, Jose Jr. (Pepito). He went to the firing squad for not collaborating with the Japanese, but before that he told his son: “Don't cry, Pepito, show these people that you are brave. It's an honor to die for the country. Not everyone has that chance.” He was executed on May 2, 1942. 

He is remembered for having served in the Philippines with the utmost honor and patriotism. He has received many honors: one of the Women's University schools and one of the six Arellano University campuses are named after him.[35] 

Angolan Methodists 

Several Methodists were martyrs, imprisoned or persecuted in the fight for Angola's independence from Portuguese rule that began in 1961. Several Methodists participated in this fight, and many Methodist laypeople and pastors died. 

Reverend Guilherme Pereira English died with his daughter Juliana. Arrested in 1961, “he was killed in an atrocious way. They cut off an arm and other parts of the body. Then they gave him a shot of mercy.” His daughter Luzia English fled to the woods. She joined the guerrillas and completed her primary studies at an Angolan refugee school in Congo, controlled by surviving teachers from schools belonging to the Methodist Church of Angola.

José Mendes de Carvalho, called Hoji-ya-Henda (Lion of Love), was the son of Agostinho de Carvalho, a nurse and consecrated Methodist. José belonged to the Methodist youth and its choir group.

 

In 1954, he went to live in Luanda, in the house of Pastor Agostinho, Agostinho Neto's father. Afterwards, he was commander of the Popular Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola and died in combat. He is an Angolan national hero. Due to his combativeness and moral integrity, he became the patriotic symbol of Angolan youth. 

Pastor Evangelista Bernardo Panzo, for around 14 years, lived with thousands of Angolans in the forests, ministering to the people: “we built houses for worship... I opened a school to teach the Bible. No one went out to fight without first confessing to the pastor.”

 

They prayed at 4 o'clock, 5 o'clock in the morning and at noon. There were around 3,500 people. In 1975, Angolans achieved independence, with Agostinho Neto, national hero and Methodist.[36]

Martin Prikask

He received a good education in Estonia. He served in the Russian army and, in 1903, graduated. Methodism arrived in Estonia in 1907.

Martin was one of the first to convert. He was a merchant and became a local preacher (1909). He studied at college to be a pastor and graduated in 1912.

He was a good communicator, a charismatic preacher and was able to preach in Estonian, Russian, German and English.

In 1921, Martin was elected a life member of the Estonian Red Cross and sat on the Bank of Estonia.

Since 1919, he was responsible editor of a magazine about the Christian family. He was editor-in-chief of the magazine Novo Conselheiro Cristão (1928-1940).

With the Second World War, the Churches suffered greatly from the communists and practically disappeared.

In 1941, there was mass deportation to Siberia, and three Methodist pastors were arrested, including Martin Prikask.

He was interrogated in 1941 and killed in 1942. His wife, Eliise, escaped after being imprisoned. On Martin's grave there is a monument in his honor.

He was the first superintendent of the Estonian Methodist Church. His work was not in vain; The Methodist Church re-emerged in Estonia after 1991.[37]

Ryu Gwansun (1902-1920) 

She is called the Joan of Arc of Korea. She was born in Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. She was the daughter of Ryu Jung-gwon and Yi So-je.

In 1919, she was a student at the Ewha Womans Methodist School in Seoul. The school was founded in 1886 by Mary F. Scranton, a US Methodist missionary. His teacher Alice Sharp was a Western missionary. 

Gwansun entered Ewha's school on a student scholarship. Gwansun became known for organizing the March 1st Movement against Japanese colonial rule in South Korea. 

Their deep faith in God and the teachings of the Ewha Methodist school gave them the courage to act. 

She returned to her home in Jiryeong-ri when the Japanese government closed all Korean schools. Together with her family, she began to arouse public sentiments against the Japanese occupation. 

He visited churches explaining the conditions of the demonstrations that would take place in Seoul. 

Both of his parents were shot dead by Japanese police. She was arrested and suffered torture. She was sentenced to five years in prison. During the trial, Gwansun protested the unfair Japanese colonial administration and the law of the Governor-General of Korea. 

Gwansun died in prison on September 28, 1920. His final words were: "Even if my nails are pulled out, my nose and ears are torn off, and my legs and arms are crushed, this physical pain does not compare to the pain of losing my nation. My only regret is not being able to do more than dedicate my life to my country." 

On October 14, 1920, his funeral was held at the Church in Jung-dong by minister Kim Jong-wu. Gwansun has been called Korea's Joan of Arc. She was awarded the Independence Order of Merit in 1962. She is a symbol of the Korean struggle for independence through peaceful protest.[38]

Jacopo Lombardini (1892-1945)

He was born in Gragnana, Italy. He grew up and was educated in a family of marble miners. In 1915, he joined the Republican Party.

He studied at a financial sacrifice and participated in the First World War as a volunteer. In World War II, because of his anti-fascist political stance, he was prevented from working as a teacher.

He went to Turin and gave private lessons. He discovered faith in 1921 through a group in the Methodist Church. Between 1923-1924, he studied Theology at the Waldensian College in Rome. He did not complete the course, but became a Methodist evangelist, professor at the College of Valdese Torre Pellice and witness to Christ's death camp.

On March 24, 1944, he was captured by the German SS and Italian fascists. He was in the camps of Fossoli, Bolzano and Mauthausen.

After several months of forced labor and torture, he was hospitalized in the Melk infirmary camp. He was one of the last martyrs of the war. He was killed in a gas chamber at the Mauthausen extermination camp on April 24, 1945, the day of Italy's liberation from the fascist yoke and German occupation.

In his honor, Lorenzo Tibaldo wrote the book The Freedom Walker. He never used weapons. He received the Silver Medal for Military Valor, in memoriam.

In 1968, in Cinisello Balsamo, the Jacopo Lombardini Cultural Center was founded. In 2006, the same city awarded him The Golden Ear. He was a man of faith, culture and a patriot who loved freedom.

On Holocaust Memorial Day in 2015, the play Jacopo Lombardini, a master of freedom, was presented, sponsored by the Committee for the Protection of the Valpellice values ​​of the Resistance and the Constitution of the Republic.[39]

Maskepetoon (1807-1869)

He was an indigenous chief of the Cree tribe. He was born in the Saskatchewan River region of Canada. He was respected for his skill as a hunter, his generosity and wisdom. In his youth he was violent and scalped his wife Susewisk.

In 1841, he became friends with Wesleyan Methodist Church pastor Robert Terrill Rundle. Maskepetoon invited him to visit the Mountain House.

He converted and was baptized with his wife and children. The ReverendJames Evanscreated the syllabic system of the Cree language, which was one of the major factors in the success of indigenous missions.

Pastor Thomas Woolsey taught Maskepetoon to read and write. He became an apostle of peace and sought to make peace with the enemy tribes.

When he met the person who had killed his father, he invited him to his accommodation, forgave him and presented him with a chief's outfit.

In 1869, when hostilities increased between the Cree tribe and the Kainai, Blackfoot and Piegan tribes, he sought to promote peace and went to visit the Blackfoot camp, carrying a white flag and open Bible, but Chief Big Swan killed him. .

He was called “Martyr of Peace” and “Gandhi dos Campos”. He became a hero in many books.[40]

Varani

Ilaijia Varani, was chief of Viwa Island, in Fiji, and an ally of Cakobau. Varani was a warrior, feared and respected as a leader.

The English Wesleyan missionary John Hunt (1812–1848) evangelized in Fiji and suffered several threats from Varani.

When Hunt taught him to read, Varani was impressed by the crucifixion of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, translated by Hunt. He said he was going to become a Christian.

“When Ratu Varani was about to give up his pagan ways, he sent a message to Cakobau about his intention. Cakobau replied that if Varani did so, he would kill and eat him. Varani replied that although he respected Cakobau, he feared God more”.[41]

On Good Friday, March 21, 1845, “Varani made his public profession of faith at the morning prayer service and entered the waters of baptism and soon after was baptized with his followers by the Holy Spirit when a fire fell from the sky and they spoke in tongues in Kirici.”[42]

In 1845, a great revival took place in Viwa. In the first week, around a hundred people converted with tears and repentance.

Varani married his main wife and was baptized into the Methodist Church. He became a fervent disciple of Christ, with real changes in his life. “His feared double-hulled war canoe called Lagolevu used to hang dead babies from the mast before heading off to war and was now used to transport missionaries to various parts of Fiji. That canoe is now the symbol of the Methodist Church in Fiji because Ratu Varani and the canoe contributed greatly to the work of the first Methodist missionaries in Fiji.”[43]

Varani changed his name to Elijah, and under his protection, missionaries were able to spread Christianity. Varani paid with his own life when he tried to bring peace to the tribes of the Lovoni and Levuka islands who were at war with each other.

In 1853, Ratu Elijah (Varani) went to Ovalau to put down fighting between the Tui Levuka and rebellious mountain villagers. His unarmed intervention was unsuccessful. He was attacked and murdered.

Varani became the first Christian martyr in Fiji.[44]

  

 


[1]https:// johnmeunier.wordpress.com - From his pamphlet on “The Doctrine of Original Sin, According to Scripture, Reason and Experience”. 

[2]The characters in this book were taken from my books volume 1 and 2 – “O Notável Povo do Coração Aquecido”, published by Angular Editora. They were adapted for this book. 

[3] https://aventurasnahistoria.uol.com.br/noticias/acervo/afinal-quantas-vezes-franca-inglaterra-entraram-guerra-434518.phtml

[4] WESLEY, João. Excerpts from João Wesley's Diary. São Paulo: Imprensa Metodista, 1965. P.109.

[5] Idem.

[6] Op.cit. p.176.

[7]Op.cit., p.176.

[8]https:// johnmeunier.wordpress.com - From his pamphlet on “The Doctrine of Original Sin, According to Scripture, Reason and Experience”. 

[9]https://gpswords.wordpress.com/2022/01/30/john-wesleys-manifesto-c-1750

[10]https://www.methodist.org.uk/media/10392/john-wesleys-manifesto-newdocx.pdf

[11] Hauke ​​Burgarth (born 1964) lives in Pohlheim near Giessen. Born in Hamburg, he lives in the middle of Germany again after several years on Lake Constance. He works as a freelance editor and journalist. Most of what he does has something to do with communication - also with giving a voice to the speechless. He is married to Eva-Maria; they have four adult children and three grandchildren. Locally, he belongs to an FeG and is involved in the children's program, with sermons and in church leadership. Furthermore, he works voluntarily in humanitarian aid. He loves a good glass of red wine, books and good conversations. In his free time, he likes to ride his motorcycle - preferably on mountainous and winding roads. https://www.scm-shop.de/person/burgarth-hauke.html

[12]https://m.jesus.ch/magazin/ethik_und_gesellschaft/357105-john_wesley_und_sein_manifesto.html

[13]John O. Gooch, a retired Methodist minister.“He is a freelance writer and a former curriculum resources editor at United Methodist Publishing House. He earned a BA in history, an M. Div., and a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from St. Louis University. and has taught at St. Louis University, Noden Theological Seminary, St. Paul School of Theology, and Perkins School of Youth Ministry. He wrote Being a Christian in the Wesleyan Tradition, John Wesley for the 21st Century, and Claiming the Name: A Theological and Practical Overview of Confirmation and he is a frequent writer of articles and curriculum resources. He and his wife Beth live in Lee's Summit, Missouri.” https://www.abingdonpress.com/authors/john_o_gooch/

[14]htpps://margaretssundayreflections.blogspot.com/2020/09/john-wesley-peace-is-never-easy.html

[15]Idem,

[16]Idem.

[17]https://www.umc.org/en/content/ways-united-methodists-can-talk-together-about-war-and-peace

[18] https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Hartmann- “Erich Alfred "Bubi" Hartmann (19 April 1922 in Weissach — 20 September 1993 in Weil im Schönbuch) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful fighter ace in the history of warfare aerial”.

[19]https://www.facebook.com/poesiatextos/posts/a-guerra-é-um-lugar-onde...-

[21]Search: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chen_Su_Lan

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1481_2009-03-06.html

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/printheritage/image.aspx?id=7802b0bc-fff9-4f1c-91f3-3be9a1c830f2

[22]Search: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobart_Baumann_Amstutz#/media/File:1942-45-ForeverBegin-p79-Amstutz-Thompson-SimeRdCamp.jpg

http://dbpedia.org/resource/Hobart_Baumann_Amstutz Birthday September 18 Freebase primary MID "/M/0f0089"

http://www.encyclo.co.uk/define/Hobart Baumann Amstutz

http://records.ancestry.com/hobart_baumann_amstutz_records.ashx?pid=126183837

[24]Search: http://www.emk-birsfelden.ch/nc/de/startseite/newsdetail/artikel/2014/aug/methodist-carl-lutz-im-schweizer-fernsehen.html

http://foraus.ch/media/medialibrary/2013/07/Carl_Lutz_Foundation_Information_July_2013.pdf

http://www.greatsynagogue.hu/gallery_lutz.html

http://celebratemessiah.com.au/personal-stories/260-putting-the-dictates-of-god-before-those-of-man-the-life-of-carl-lutz.html

http://mandarchiv.hu/cikk/2993/Mentoangyal_svajci_zaszloval

[26]“The Irish Republican Army (1917-1922), also known as the 'Old IRA', was recognized as the legitimate Irish army until it disintegrated into opposing factions following the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which would later fight each other in the Civil War Irish. Irish Republican Army (1922-1969), the anti-treaty faction of the IRA and which lost the Irish Civil War to the pro-treaty faction (...)”. https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exército_Republicano_Irlandês

[27]Search: http://blogs.owu.edu/connect2/the-reverend-dr-harold-good-awarded-honorary-owu-degree/

http://sluggerotoole.com/2005/10/03/profile_reveren/

www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk...ireland/4283674.stm

www.creighton.edu/.../news/.../haroldgoodnr093011

www.htmlsite.methodist.org.sg/.../wmpeaceaward.html‎

http://blogs.owu.edu/connect2/the-reverend-dr-harold-good-awarded-honorary-owu-degree/

[28]Search:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Worked-Sundays-Leslie-Skinner/dp/0952777401

https://revdavidgoesonsabbatical2014.wordpress.com/tag/rev-leslie-skinner/

http://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/nov/21/guardianobituaries1

www.warhistoryonline.com/tag/methodist-minister

[29]Search:http://www.myprimitivemethodists.org.uk/page/albert_ewart_gladwin?path=0p4p136p130phttp://www.mywesleyanmethodists.org.uk/page/wesleyan_methodist_ministers_who_served_in_the_armed_forces_during_ww1?path=0p4p38p

http://www.myprimitivemethodists.org.uk/page/francis_john_harper_1880-1966?path=0p4p136p166p

[30]Search:http://www.studivaldesi.org/dizionario/xxsecolo.php

http://www.studivaldesi.org/dizionario/evan_det.php?evan_id=489

http://www.mandanici.net/articoli/28 ottobre 2010 giuseppe la scala/art.htm

http://www.studivaldesi.org/dizionario/evan_det.php?secolo=XX&evan_id=488

[32]Search:http://www.amazon.co.uk/WyrdWood-The-Story-Dusty-Miller/dp/1460983785

https://youtu.be/PaucbxVIhr4

http://finslab.com/enciclopedia/letra-e/ernest-gordon.php

[33]Search:http://kcmma.org/board/bbs/board.php?bo_table=bd1

http://kcmma.org/board/bbs/board.php?bo_table=bd1

http://www.cck.or.kr/eng/html/intro01.htm

http://m.blog.daum.net/_blog/_m/articleView.do?blogid=0G7b2&articleno=7076876#

www.pastordougroman.wordpress.com

http://m.dangdangnews.com/articleView.html?idxno=21018&menu=1

http://kmc.or.kr/new_eng/about/about05.html

http://www.cck.or.kr/eng/html/intro01.htm

[36]

Research: KIPUNGO, Jose. Christians in a new world. Methodist Press, São Paulo, 1984, p.66

http://m.ja.sapo.ao/politica/governador_pede_participacao_em_massa_dos_cidadaoshttp://m.ja.sapo.ao/politica/governador_pede_participacao_em_massa_dos_cidadaoshttp://kantoximpi.blogspot.com.br/2007/01/mulheres-angolanas-histricas-4uma.html

http://angola-luanda-pitigrili.com/who%E2%80%99s-who/l/luzia-ingles-van-dunem-inga

[40]Search: http://www.history.alberta.ca/victoria/150thanniversary/panel2.aspx

http://www.biographi.ca/fr/bio/mcdougall_john_chantler_14F.html

http://baptista.hu/vamospercs/beke/M.htm

http://engagingstudents.blackgold.ca/index.php/division-ii/soc-d2/social-4/4-2-the-stories-histories-and-the-people-of-alberta/let-s- bring-alberta-s-history-to-life/builders-of-alberta/maskepetoon/

[41] https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/chiefly-island-ties-of-bau-and-viwa/

[42]Idem.

[43]Idem.

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