Aotearoa New Zealand Association for Mission Studies

'The redemption of the whole man': medical work in the Melanesian Mission  1849-1947 with particular attention to the role played by women.

Medical missions were an important part of much nineteenth century Protestant missionary strategy. In his 1904 book on missions Eugene Stock noted that while Presbyterians had led the way in this development the Anglican Church Missionary Society was the missionary society with the largest number of medical missions. My paper will argue that in the Melanesian Mission, another Anglican body, medical work was however given low priority. It was not until Bishop Walter Baddeley became head of the Mission in 1932 that medical work was promoted as integral to the Mission. This was a consequence of his belief in 'the redemption of the whole man'. I will trace the development of medical work from the beginning of the Melanesian Mission under Bishop George Selwyn in 1849 till Bishop Baddeley's retirement in 1947. I will pay particular attention to the role of women missionaries as they carried out most of the primary health care, and faced a number of difficulties in doing so.

 Janet Crawford, Abstract, ANZAMS 2003.

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