Drums in the Darkness – 20th Century Mission Work in Angola

This is the story of the work of the United Church of Canada in Angola. It has a number of photographs which I have included in greyscale to preserve their quality. My thanks to Redcliffe College for providing me with a copy. This book is in the Public Domain.

John T. Tucker [1883-1958], Drums in the Darkness. The Story of the Mission of the United Church of Canada in Angola, Africa. Toronto: Committee on Literature, General Publicity and Missionary Education of the United Church of Canada, 1927. Hbk. pp.216. [Click to download complete book in PDF]

Contents

1. Mother Africa
2. The Elephant Hunter’s People
3. Rolling Back the Map
4. Bubbling Springs in Bié
5. The Blacksmith’s Hammer
6. Days of Development
7. Daughters of Africa
8. New Paths
9. Healing Leaves
10. Doings and Dreams

Analytical Index
Suggested Study Helps

Introduction

This book is a remarkable record of the power of the Gospel as a redemptive force. It is also a tribute to the unremitting industry, infinite care, unfailing goodwill, and tactful leadership of the Christian missionary in dealing with primitive people, full of fear and prejudice.

The writer is possessed of unusual qualifications for his task. For fifteen years he has laboured as a  missionary of the Canada Congregational Foreign Missionary Society (now in the United Church of Canada), working through the American Board in ·west Central Africa, and is the Principal of the Currie Institute at Dondi, Angola, which position he has held since its establishment in 1914. He was appointed a  member of the Phelps-Stokes Commission investigating educational needs in West and ·South Africa; a  member of the special commission of the American Board to negotiate on missionary matters with the Portuguese Government in Mozambique; and is Secretary of the Angola Evangelical Missions Conference, and Treasurer of the Angola Mission of the United Church of Canada. [Continue reading]