Mission and Revolution in Central Asia - Svenska Missionskyrkan

The short Mission history in Eastern Turkestan will show how suitable this place was for
mission work among Muslims. Of course results were never overwhelming, compared to
mission work among other peoples, but in terms of mission to Muslims, it came to be
successful. 41
2. Pioneers
When, on his exploring trip, Höijer came to Kashgar he had in his company, among others,
Johannes Avetaranian, who has already been mentioned above. He was a Turkish Muslim
converted to Christianity. “Johannes the Evangelist”, as the missionaries used to call him, was
born in Turkey. His father had been a dervish, i.e. a member of a Muslim mendicant order.
His mother who was deaf, dumb and blind died when Johannes was two years old. At the age
of 18 he also lost his father. By then he could however support himself as a school teacher and
Imam. As an Imam he had the right to lead the prayers in the mosque and to announce the
hours of prayer from the minaret. At that time he began to have serious doubts about his faith.
By chance he then came into contact with a prisoner of war, returning home from Russia who
had received a New Testament in Turkish, while in Russia. Johannes borrowed the book and
started studying it with growing interest. After some time it became clear to him that here had
found the salvation he was looking for. The change he underwent soon became visible for the
Muslims around him and he had to leave his post as a teacher. He now devoted a whole year
to the study of the Bible and he also started to preach his new faith. He was persecuted and
had to flee from place to place. Finally he ended up in Tiblis where he came into contact with
the Swedish Mission and was baptized. Shortly afterwards he met with Höijer who took him
along with him on preaching tour in Armenia and later on to Sweden. In Sweden, he attended
a Mission Course at the Mission School of Kristinehamn. After that he returned to Asia. In
Caucasus he met missionary E. John Larson, and the two of them started on a six months’
mission trip. 42
In the beginning of 1892 he arrived in Kashgar, together with Höijer. When Höijer left,
after only one week, Avetaranian stayed on alone. He spoke the language of the country and
his looks did not attract attention. Höijer was convinced he would be a good missionary in the
new field. 43
Shortly after Höijer’s departure the representative from the British and Foreign Bible
Society for Southern Russia, Dr. Morrison came to Kashgar for a visit. He was both
astonished and happy to find a Swedish missionary there. 44 In collaboration with the MCCS,
Avetaranian was now employed by the Bible Society as an agent for selling Bibles. 45
Morrison gave Avetaranian his best recommendation adding that he “is an unusually zealous,
amiable and competent worker in the service of the Gospel”. 46
Avetaranian now employed a couple of poor boys. After some time one of them became a
Christian and was baptized. Apart from that, Avetaranian led a life of solitude and isolation.
Höijer writes about him in 1893 saying “that he was nearly forced to leave Kashgar, but he is
still there, remaining faithfully on his post”. 47 Sven Hedin got to know him and writes about
41 Björk, 1965, p. 110. Et aliter.
42 Palmaer, 1938, p. 109. Lundahl, 1917, p. 286 ff. Larson, 1919, p. 46, 54.
43 Palmaer, 1938, p 109. Höijer counted on another one of his followers from the beginning, Mnatsakan, to stay
on in Kashgar. The Russian Consul advised him not to. Mnatsakan’s looks made people think he was a Jew, and
antipathy against the Jews of the town was great. (Larson, 1905, p. 337 f.).
44 Larson, 1905, p. 347 f.
45 Canton Vol V, 1910, p. 46.
46 Larson, 1905, p. 437.
47 MCCS Annual Report, 1893, p. 77.
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