The first recruits for the Presbyterian work came in 1849, when
Rev. Stephen Bush and his wife arrived. Mr. Bush had been a college
mate of Dr. House and Mr. Mattoon, and he came from Sandy Hill
(now Hudson Falls), N. Y., the home town of the Mattoons. This
little company of Christian men and women now decided to organise a
church as a bond of fellowship and for the orderly administration
of the sacraments. When it is considered that they had not yet won
a single convert from either the natives or the Chinese, it is a
remarkable testimony to their faith that they should have taken
this step in anticipation of the future harvest. Dr. House records
this action in his journal under date of Aug. 31, 1849:
“After tea we had a meeting of the members of the mission,
and with all due solemnity organised a Presbyterian church
in Bangkok, by the election of Rev. Stephen Mattoon as our
pastor, and S. R. H. [Doctor House] as ruling elder. Brother
Mattoon as senior member of the mission presided, reading at
the opening of the meeting the first chapter of Revelation,
that introduces the address to the seven churches of Asia by
their Glorious Head.
“In the name of the Great Head of the Church we, a little
band of five, united together in a separate church
organization, the beginning of great things we hope—the germ
of the tree that shall overshadow the land. The lay members
of this infant church were S. R. House, Mrs. Stephen Mattoon,
and Mrs. Stephen Bush.” [Mr. Mattoon and Mr. Bush being
clergymen were not eligible to membership in a local church.]
At the first communion of the new church, held on Sept. 30, a
Chinese Christian was received:
“In the evening at a meeting of the Church Session Quasien
Kieng, the native member of the A. B. C. F. M. mission church
(received by Messrs. Johnson and Peet on January 7, 1844) was
received into our membership on certificate of recommendation
from the pastor, Rev. A. Hemmenway. An interesting occasion
to us. A worthy brother, this Chinese disciple; may his wife
and many others come in with and through him.”
This Chinese Christian, whose name is spelled variously in the
doctor’s journal and elsewhere, was Kee-Eng Sinsay Quasien, who
served as the first Chinese teacher in the boys’ school and who
became the grandfather of Boon Itt, concerning whom more notice
will appear later. Up to this time, so far as records show, there
had been no genuine converts from among the Siamese in any of the
missions. There had, however, been several from among the Chinese.
Indeed when the king was urged to take action against the first
missionaries he replied: “Let them alone; no one will give heed to
them except the Chinese.” The first convert from among the Chinese
sojourners in Siam was Boon Tai, who had come under the personal
influence of Dr. Gutzlaff previous to 1831. A few others were
converted under the teaching of transient missionaries, and then
came Mr. Dean, who established the first church of Chinese.