HISTORY OF THE GAZA MISSION OF THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY (1878-1912)
The Muslim city of Gaza (in Arabic _Chazzeh_) was visited by the late
Rev. F. A. Klein during a tour of investigation in 1862.
Later on a pressing invitation was received from the inhabitants to
open a school in their midst.
A catechist was sent to make inquiries, but nothing more was then done.
In 1878, however, the C.M.S. took over the four schools, two for boys
and two for girls, containing some 250 to 300 children, and other
work which had been started and carried on for several years by Mr.
Pritchard, a gentleman of independent means, who had settled in Gaza.
Shortly afterwards the Rev. A. W. Schapira entered into residence. He
opened a reading-room, which attracted even higher-class Muslims.
Notwithstanding a temporary opposition, the Kaimakam, on Christmas Eve,
1880, addressed the gathering, and encouraged the school.
Medical work was started about 1882, and was the first C.M.S. work of
the kind in Palestine.
The dispensary received a gift from the late Rev. John Venn, of
Hereford, and a fund was raised in Salisbury Square for establishing a
permanent medical mission.
In 1886 the late Rev. Dr. R. Elliot took charge.
Dr. H. J. Bailey was also temporarily at this post in 1890, in order to
assist in the medical work.
[Illustration: NATIVES WITHIN THE C.M.S. GAZA COMPOUND]
During this period Dr. Elliot had the joy of baptising, on October 12,
1890, Moorjan and Mehbruki, two of his own servants, man and wife,
natives of the Sudan.
Some years before they had been sold in Gaza as slaves, the man for ten
pounds, and the woman for twice that sum. The slave market has been
abolished for about twenty years.
All this time the medical work was confined to the treatment of
out-patients, but in March 1891 a hospital adapted from a native house
was opened.
Medical itineration now began to be undertaken at Mejdel and Ashdod.
The fame of the hospital spread far and wide.
The Rev. Dr. Sterling (the author of _A Grammar of the Arabic
Language_, and _Arabic and English Idiom--Conversational and Literary_)
arrived in 1893, and his predecessor, the Rev. J. Huber, of German
nationality, who built the ladies' house and church room, entered into
rest on July 18, and his body was buried in the cemetery in the mission
compound.
Other branches of the work have prospered. In 1902 the numbers in
the girls' school rose from sixty-eight to three hundred, and have
now increased to four hundred. The Sunday school has increased
proportionately with the day school. It would be difficult to find
more interesting schools in Palestine, so efficiently superintended by
Miss Smithies, who is ably assisted by her own trained staff of native
teachers.
In 1906 the Muslims presented Dr. Sterling, on behalf of the building
fund of the hospital, with £100, which they had subscribed in token of
their gratitude for his work among them.
The leavening influence of Christian teaching is unquestionably having
far-reaching effects.
Dr. Percy W. Brigstocke was appointed, in 1907, to act as colleague
with Dr. Sterling, but he was transferred to Es Salt at the end of 1911.
The old hospital and out-patient hall were insanitary, and much too
small for the work, therefore it was with thankfulness that the Bishop
in Jerusalem dedicated the new hospital, containing forty-six beds, on
April 1, 1908.
The opening of the spacious out-patient block took place on February
22, 1911.
The patients are drawn from all classes, Muslims, Orthodox Syrians and
Jews. They may be seen sitting side by side in the out-patient hall
waiting for the doctor, who is an accomplished Arabic scholar.
During 1912 there were 29,581 attendances of out-patients, 701
in-patients, 452 visits in town, and 411 major operations.
The fees from the in-patients and out-patients during 1912 amounted to
£326 18_s._ 10_d._, which goes to assist in the upkeep of the hospital.
There is an out-station, for the expenses of which Dr. Sterling is
responsible, at El Arîsh, the ancient Rhinocolura, "the River of Egypt"
(Numbers xxxiv. 5; Isaiah xxvii. 12), a town of twelve hours' ride from
Gaza, where the C.M.S. school has had an average attendance of fifty
pupils. The population is entirely Muslim.
Mr. W. Watson, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, has done heroic service not only
by inspiring others to give and help the completion of the hospital and
out-buildings, but also in attending personally to the purchasing of
much building and furnishing material.
How much Gaza owes to him and his Northumbrian helpers will only
appear when the great audit of all things takes place.[48]
Canon Sterling is largely his own clerk of the works. He is to be
congratulated that after twenty years of missionary and medical work
in Southern Palestine, he has been enabled to complete the group of
medical and educational buildings which now adorn the C.M.S. Gaza
compound.
FOOTNOTE:
[48] Adapted from _Handbooks of the C.M.S. Missions, The Palestine
Mission, 1910_, a typewritten document by Dr. Sterling, 1912, and
_Mercy and Truth_, 1911.
It may not be generally known that General Gordon paid two visits
to Gaza in 1883. On the first occasion he spent a fortnight, and
afterwards three weeks in the C.M.S. compound. An interesting relic is
the iron bedstead on which he slept. It is still associated with his
name, and is being carefully preserved.