Johan Alfred Rinell

Johan Alfred Rinell (27 November 1866 - 3 July 1941) a Swedish Baptist missionary to China, arrived in Shantung province with his wife Hedvig Lovisa in 1894. From 1894 to 19?? when he passed away he, his wife and fellow Swedish missionaries established medical clinics, schools and churches in and around the town of Kiaohsien. Johan Alfred is also credited with establishing the first post office in Kioshsien and aiding in disaster relief.

Early Life

Johan Alfred was born on a farm named Krokebo, [near the town of Rinna] in Östergötland, Sweden. On September 30, 1883, at sixteen years the of age, Johan Alfred, with some struggle, made good on his promise to his dying brother and became what he considered was a true Christian, but remained a Lutheran, the state church of Sweden. In 1884 he left the state church and became a baptist. He began preaching in Rinna's small baptist church at the age of nineteen, which he did until 1888 at which time he took the steamship from the port of Vadsena to Stockholm to attend the recently founded Betelseminariet (Bethel Seminary).

While attending Bethel Seminary Johan Alfred continued to preach and also to baptize new converts to the baptist faith. On November 30, 1889 while in the own of Alunda he baptized twenty-two year old Hedvig Lovisa Ersson another convert to the baptist faith who one day wanted to become a missionary.

The influencial British missionary James Hudson Taylor visited Bethel Seminary. Taylor spoke of far off lands where people had no knowledge of the one true God. His inspiring lectures on missions and strong appeals fired interest for missions among the students.Johan Alfred decided he wanted become a missionary.

Career Beginnings

Though the wish to become a missionary was strong, Johan Alfred decided to first try his wings closer to home. A small baptist church in Fredrikshald, Norway needed a pastor. He wrote the church offering his services with the understanding that some day they would need to find another pastor. They accepted this condition and offered Johan Alfred the job at an annual salary of 1000 crowns.

He started his journey to Norway in the beginning of October 1891. On the way he stopped by Karlstad to see young Hedvig who was caring for her brother's children. Their mother had died [?? months previousy]. By October 8 Johan Alfred and Hedvig were engaged. [Verify they were engaged during this visit]. Johan Alfred continued on his journey and started his work in Fredrikshald. The following October in 1892. Johan Alfred and Hedvig were married in Fridrikshald, Norway. She was four days away from her twenty-fifth birthday. Johan was almost twenty-six. [Verify].

Two months later a committee in Stockholm met to decide on who to ask to become missionaries in China. They decided upon Johan Alfred and Hedvig. Despited both their earlier desire to be missionaries they questioned accepting the invitation. They were settled now in Norway, and they had such a cute little home. They questioned if they were to uproot themselves from their home and community now. Everyone in the church loved them. What is more they felt that the future of their church was in their hands. They wondered what their parent would say. They would be traveling to the other side of the world and would not see their parents for years, if ever again. They also wondered what would be their fate also in this distant and strange land. These and many other questions weighed on them. In the end they remembered their earlier wish to spread the Christian message to far of lands. They accepted.

Traveling to London

Though China was to be their mission field they first set sail on a ship called the Torsten from Göteborg on Thursday, November 9, leaving friends and family who they knew they would not see for many years. In England they studied English. English would be far more useful to them than Swedish in China. In China they would struggle with learning Chinese.

Beginnings in China

In March 1894 Johan Alfred and Hedvig took sailed for China by way of Gibraltar, Malta, Brindisi, Egypt, Aden, Columbo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and ending their ocean journey at the port town of Chefoo in China where they met other missionaries. From Chefoo the Rinells and the other missionaries traveled 300 kilometer southeast to Kiaochow (now known as ???). The women rode each a "Shen-tse", a large basket suspended by a mule in front and one behind. Each of the men rode a mule.

 

3.0 Legacy

4.0 Publications

J. A. Rinell och John H. Swordson, Boxare-upproret och förföljelserna mot de kristna i Kina 1900–1901 [Boxer Rebellion and the persecution of Christians in China, 1900-1901] Stockholm: Baptistmissionens Förlagsexpedition, 1902.

Rinell, Johan Alfred. De svenska baptisternas kinamission åren 1890-1905 [The Swedish Baptist China Mission Years 1890-1905]. Westerberg, 1906, 71 pages.

Rinell, Johan Alfred. Missionsproblemet: ett maningsord till det Svenska baptistsamfundet. [The Problem of Missions]. Missionsbokhandeln, 1910, 70 pages.

Rinell, Johan Alfred. Svenska baptistmissionen i Kina: Ett 40-årsminne. [Swedish Baptist Missions in China: a 40 year memory]. B.-M. s Bokförl., 1931, 149 pages.

Rinell, J. A. Lindberg, J. E. Hou, S.S. A History of the Swedish Baptist Mission in Shantung, China, 1891-1941.

Rinell, Johan Alfred. Missionsuppdraget och Vi. [The Call to Missions and Us]. B.-M:s bokf., 1932, 87 pages.

Rinell och Swordson, s. 280; jfr Peter Matson, Missionsbilder från Kina, Minneapolis 1906, s. 26.

5.0 Notes

6.0 References

7.0 Bibliography