Samuel Kaboo Morris
Samuel Kaboo Morris , (* 1873 in Liberia ; † May 12, 1893 in Fort Wayne , Indiana ) was a Liberian Methodist - also known in the USA as "The Apostle of Simple Faith" - and the son of a Kru king who had converted to Christianity .
Life
Born the eldest son of a Kru king , Kaboo , his African name was, had to live hostage with the warring Grebo, who abused him and extorted tribute payments from his relatives . After weeks of imprisonment, Kapoo felt an irrepressible urge to flee and he succeeded in loosening his bonds. He wandered around in the jungle for several days and finally found a plantation that had been created by an American Liberian. There, Kaboo met a small Christian community that was looked after by a missionary station of the Methodist Church . At that time, Lizzie Macneil , a young missionary from the United States , had just arrived and developed a close and friendly relationship with Kaboo . Mcneil taught Kaboo and revealed the power of the gospel to him, so that Kaboo was baptized in the name of Samuel Morris in 1887 and lived on the plantation for a few more months. By now Samuel Morris had made up his mind to become a minister or a missionary himself. Since he no longer wanted to return to his (pagan) relatives, he went to Monrovia to complete a regular school education, he earned his living as a house painter and became an avid churchgoer. Around 1891 he made the decision to enter the college in the United States that Lizzie Macneil was attending to complete the training as a missionary. Completely penniless, he was hired as a laborer on an American sailing ship and landed in New York Harbor on September 27, 1891 . In early December he met Thaddeus Reade , the principal of Fort Wayne College . The teachers present were so impressed and touched by the life story of the African that he was able to stay and study through a specially created foundation. Morris was an enthusiastic public speaker; he was considered a child prodigy by his contemporaries . Before completing his training, Morris died of a cold on May 12, 1893 and was buried with full honors in the cemetery of Fort Wayne College .
The later Taylor University , which emerged from Fort Wayne College , honored Samuel Kaboo Morris with numerous foundations, monuments and memorial services. In his Liberian homeland, in Sinoe County , Samuel Kaboo Morris also became a role model for the youth.
Books on Samuel Kaboo Morris
- Lindley Baldwin: Samuel Morris: The African Boy God Sent to Prepare an American University for Its Mission to the World . In: Men of Faith . Baker Books, Grand Rapids MI 1987, ISBN 978-0-87123-950-1 , pp. 94 .
- Terry W. Whalin: Samuel Morris: The Apostle of Simple Faith . Barbour Publishing Inc., Uhrichsville, OH 1996, ISBN 978-1-55748-878-7 , pp. 176 .
- Terry W. Whalin: Samuel Morris: Missionary to America . Barbour Publishing Inc., Uhrichsville, OH 2006, ISBN 978-1-59789-117-2 , pp. 208 .
Web links
- Samuel Kaboo Morris , his life story on a Taylor University website
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Morris, Samuel Kaboo |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | missionary |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1873 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Liberia |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 12, 1893 |
| Place of death | Fort Wayne , Indiana |