--- A British missionary with a Taiwanese heart
Rev. Beeby was a British Reformed Church missionary, originally sent to Amoy, China, then to Tainan, Taiwan. He first was a teacher and the chaplain of the Chang Jung Middle School. He then moved on to teach the Old Testament Theology at the Tainan Theological College and Seminary (TTCS). He also taught English at Cheng-kung National University part time.
Dr. Beeby spent 22 years in Taiwan teaching Old Testament theology; preaching the love of God and the wisdom of the words of God, among others. He loved Taiwan so much that he once applied the citizenship of Taiwan, though unsuccessfully.
- Beeby was the first British missionary being expelled by the Communist China (1949-50) and the Nationalist KMT in Taiwan (1972)
- He spoke better Taiwanese than many Taiwanese
- He was one of the few who applied the citizenship of Taiwan
- He said that a good preacher should be like a prophet in the Old Testament where he pointed out the sins of the enemies of Israel before the judgments of God would soon come down too; e.g., Amos to Israel
- Perhaps better off by using the metaphors to point out the messages; e.g., Nathan to King David
- He suggested that in the 1960’s, the only way to understand the Taiwanese newspapers was to read them “upside down”
- In 2001 Dr. Beeby was invited by the Midwest Taiwanese-American Association Annual Meeting held in Central College, as the keynote speaker. With his beautiful Taiwanese, Beeby began his speech by asking a simple yet stunning question, "What is the Taiwanese culture that you folks carry on here in the United States?”
- He was the one who dreamed in Taiwanese language well into his retirement in England
Thank you Stephen. Dan Beeby was my Grandfather. My brothers and I are planning a trip to Tainan to visit some of the places both he and my father Christopher (Died last year) would have visited.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Beebuy