BEHRENS, Henry William

[s. 93] : Born February 13, 1827, in Herm anns berg, Germany; died April In 22, 1900, at Bethany, Transvaal, Africa. early youth, through the influence of the village pastor, Ludwig Harms, he determined to be a foreign mi ionary. Many obstacles preventing, he did not sail for his field of labor in Africa Battle Harbonr Beirut when he was sent out under the Herm anns burg Society. At Ehlenzeni, Natal, Behrens labored six He himself and years among the Zulu Kafirs. No six Kafirs built church, school, and home. baptisms occurred, altho he preached regularly to three hundred natives. In 1863 he was sent to work among the Bechuanas at Linokana (in wliat is now the Transvaal). After a year of faithful work, he saw no results. He sat weeping one day at his door until November 10, 1857, when a negro inquired the cause of his trouble and begged him to visit his people in Mag a lies berg. Mr. Behrens accepted this as a call, went to the region, and found a people ready to hear. Their hearts had been prepared by one of their number who while imprisoned with the Boers had heard the Gospel from an English mi ionary. Behrens began work there November 29, 1864. He soon founded the Christian village, Bethany, where he spent the rest of his life, preaching, composing hymns, and teaching. He was pastor of a congregation of nearly two hundred negroes. He organized a school for the training of native teachers and established nine schools for children. Besides carrying on the work at Bethany, Mr. Behrens supervised the entire work of the Society among the Bechuanas, and saw the work grow rapidly. Once every two years he visited every one of the twenty-nine This stations and twenty-seven mi ionaries. he did faithfully for thirty-six years. 93