s of every nation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark16:15-16). To save every person from sin seemed like the only Christian thing to do; however, this immense task could not ever take a firm hold in a land where tradition and faith had been practiced quite differently for thousands of years. As stated in the Congo Independent State and Congo Missions put forth by the United Methodist Church, the only knowledge they had of religious practices was witchcraft and simple idolatry. Rarely did the missionaries take the time to fully understand the culture of the people they wished to live with.George Grenfell was an English missionary who anxiously worked to convert the people of the Congo. He is sadly just one example of many who failed to understand the necessity for true relationship in ministry. A Baptist not unlike the Prices, Grenfell traveled the expanse of the Congo River and visited villages all along the route. He navigated his steamboat, The Peace, to many places and saw what he believed to be gross injustices. His journals reflect on many of the same experiences seen in The Poisonwood Bible: polygamy, sacrifice, death practices, and relations with the chiefs of the villages. In all instances, Grenfell saw the actions that were committed, but limited his thoughts on why the Congolese chose to live this way. In all his accounts, he merely attributes their violent expressions to ignorance. How can they be ignorant of something that was never supposed to come to their land? Grenfell, as well as many other missionaries, seemed to think that it was about time that someone brought the Gospel to these people who were clearly living in darkness. The people of the Congo, however, had no idea that their lifestyle and culture was not right. This constant conflict led people like Grenfell to preach and attempt to evangelize up until their death. Their calling had bee...
