A Study on Female Missionary of Gunsan Mission Station(1896-1940)

There were 29 female missionaries who were active based in the Gunsan Station in 1896-1940. They were largely women from the new Southern middle class of American society and church in the second half of the 19th century. The missionary ladies who were devoted to their families in Gunsan along with unmarried missionaries originated from the Victorian values of the Southern society of America in the 19th century. It was a patriarchal society, but they opened the religious domain such as overseas missions to women and encouraged their participation. As for the area of service, 17 were wives of missionaries, 4 were in women’s ministry, 2 were in educational ministry, and 6 were in nursing ministry. Hired by the Executive Committee(선교 본부), they exerted their professionalism according to the personnel appointments and institutional(financial) support of the Mission(선교부) within the scope of their designated duties. The unmarried female missionaries suffered the diverse cultural pressures of Korean society in those days just because they were single. Their helplessness of isolation as “the loneliest beings” stroke them often. They engaged in comfortable middle-class economic activities based on their salaries that were not insufficient from the Mission, the infrastructure of the station, and the continuous supply and support from their motherland. They were able to continue their ministry for many years, and the driving force came from their intimate friendship and visits with colleague missionaries inside and outside, parties & play, reading & exercise, domestic and foreign travel, and sabbatical leaves.