Henry Gerhard Appenzeller was a Methodist missionary who took a major part in introducing Protestant Christianity to Korea.
Background
Henry Gerhard Appenzeller was born on February 6, 1858 in Souderton, Pennsylvania, United States.
He descended from Jacob Appenzeller, who came to Philadelphia in 1735 from Appenzell, Switzerland, and was secured as a tenant farmer by a Mr. Thomas, of Suderton, Pennsylvania. Jacob was thrifty and eventually acquired the farm. Gideon, of the fourth generation, married Maria Gerhard, of Mennonite stock. Henry, the second of their three sons, was born on the Suderton farm. His mother never mastered English, and she and her son always conversed in "Pennsylvania Dutch. "
Education
After a public school education, he attended the West Chester Normal School, graduated from Franklin and Marshall College at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1882, and then attended Drew Theological Seminary at Madison, New Jersey.
Career
He had been "converted" in 1876, while attending Presbyterian revival services at West Chester, but in 1879 had joined the Methodist Church at Lancaster, and, being licensed to preach, had filled sundry small pulpits during his college and seminary days. At Drew he "excelled in Greek, " and became private secretary to one of the professors.
The faculty and students of Drew accompanied them to their train, singing hymns. Appenzeller was ordained at San Francisco, February 1 or 2, 1885, and sailed on the latter date, accompanied by Dr. Scranton and family, Methodist missionaries, and the Rev. Horace Underwood, Presbyterian; all bound for Korea. The Appenzellers and Mr. Underwood arrived at Chemulpo on April 5, 1885. The century-old opposition to Christianity still made missionaries unwelcome in Korea, and, because of the disturbed conditions following the bloody émeute of December 4, 1884, official advice was against taking ladies to Seoul.
The Appenzellers therefore returned temporarily to Japan but were back in Chemulpo in June 1885, and settled at Seoul in July. Their daughter, Alice R. , was born that year--the first white child born in Korea. Two other daughters were also born there.
Appenzeller soon acquired a knowledge of the language and assisted in the translation of the Scriptures; Matthew and Mark, First and Second Corinthians being assigned to him. He aided in the establishment of the Methodist printing house by the Rev. Mr. Ohlinger, whom he assisted in editing the Korean Repository.
He later became the editor of this valuable magazine under its new title Korean Review. In 1886 he established the Pai Chai School for boys, the brick building for which was completed in 1887.
In 1895 he realized the fulfilment of a fond dream in the laying of the corner-stone of a brick church building on the Methodist premises at Seoul. In a regrettable encounter, in May 1902, with some Japanese workmen engaged in the construction of the Seoul-Fusan Railway, he and Bishop Moore and the Rev. Mr. Swearer, were injured. This delayed his intended departure for the South on mission work, so that he was obliged to take a following steamer, the Kumagawa, sailing from Chemulpo June 11, 1902. That evening his ship was wrecked in collision with the Kisawaga near Kunsan. His body was not recovered. Being dressed, he might have saved himself, as did others, had he not gone forward to rescue a native mission girl entrusted to his care.
Achievements
Appenzeller and other missionaries introduced Protestant Christianity to Korea from 1885 to 1902. He was known by his three contributions to Korean, the Paichai College Hall, the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Seoul, and the translated New Testament.
Since its founding in the 19th century, the Korean Methodist Church has dramatically developed as one of major Protestant denominations in Korea.
