The Martyrs of Melanesia 		September 27
The Anglican Church in Melanesia, like most churches throughout Christian history, has a roll of those who are honoured as martyrs for the faith. The best known is John Coleridge Patteson, the first bishop (see 20 September), but there were many others.
In 1864 Patteson and those with him were attacked on the island of Santa Cruz. Among those injured in the attack were Fisher Young and Edwin Nobbs, two Norfolk Islanders, who contracted tetanus as a result of arrow wounds. Fisher Young in particular is remembered for his forgiving attitude to his murderers. In spite of intense pain, Fisher’s faith never wavered. He sent a message to his father: “Tell my father that I was in the path of duty, and he will be glad. Poor Santa Cruz people!”. Both he and Nobbs died as a result of their wounds.
When Patteson himself was murdered seven years later on one of the Reef Islands, north of Santa Cruz, two others, Joseph Atkin, a New Zealand priest, and Stephen Taroaniara, also died. It was Atkin who returned to shore on Nukapu, even though he was wounded, to recover the body of Patteson. Taroaniara, in spite of intense suffering, asked his friends not to think of revenge. The way in which he endured his pain made a great impression on those who had known him before his conversion.
The island of Malaita was a difficult and dangerous area for the Melanesian Mission. In the early twentieth century three Melanesians met their deaths. Arthur Ako was a leading mission teacher in the south of Malaita and began the first school at Fiu. He was killed in 1904. Two years later James Ivo, who was a teacher from Nggela, was shot and killed in northern Malaita. In 1910 James Sili was killed. Charles Godden, an Australian priest on the island of Aoba in the northern New Hebrides since 1902, was killed in 1906 by a Melanesian who had returned from Queensland and sought revenge on some European for his imprisonment there. Further to the east from the main Solomon Islands group are the Reef Islands. There the first Reef Islander ordained, Ben Teilo, was attacked and killed in 1926 after seven years of ministry.
More recently, during a period of civil unrest in the Solomon Islands, a group of guerrilla rebels tortured and killed Nathaniel Sado, a Melanesian Brother at Easter 2003. When the assistant head of the Melanesian Brotherhood, Robin Lindsay, went in April with five other Brothers, Francis Tofi, Alfred Hill, Ini Paratabatu, Patteson Gatu, and Tony Sirihi, to ask for Sado’s body, they also were killed, some when they arrived, others after being tortured. At first it was hoped that they were being held hostage, but their deaths were confirmed in August 2003 when the guerrilla leader, Harold Keke, was captured. The bodies of six of the Melanesian Brothers were buried at the Motherhouse of the Melanesian Brotherhood at Tabalia, Solomon Islands, on the 24 October. Robin Lindsay was buried there on 5 November.
Although these are the best known of those who died for their faith in Melanesia, there are many others who suffered for their faith, and others again who died of illness or in accidents in the proclamation of the gospel. They are all honoured by the church for their witness.
For further reading:
D.L. Hilliard, God’s Gentlemen: A History of the Melanesian Mission 1849-1942, Brisbane, University of Queensland Press, 1978.
For Liturgical Use
The Anglican Church in Melanesia has an honourable roll of those who have given their lives for their faith, including both Melanesian and European Christians. The best known is Bishop Patteson, but there were others. Native Christians such as Fisher Young, Edwin Nobbs, Arthur Ako, James Ivo, Ben Teilo, and Stephen Taroaniara, as well as Europeans such as Joseph Atkin and Charles Godden are remembered with pride, and serve as examples to the church. In 2003, Robin Lindsay, the assistant head and six other members of the Melanesian Brotherhood were killed by guerrillas during a period of civil unrest.
Sentence
I took you from the ends of the earth, says the Lord your God, and called you from its farthest corners.		Isaiah 41:9
Collects
Creator God,
whose majesty is in the storm as well as in the calm,
we thank you for those of every race
who gave their lives in Melanesia
for the sake of Christ;
may your church always proclaim your gospel,
live your commandments,
and overcome the powers of darkness;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. 

God, you call us, your missionaries,
to carry our lives in our hands;
we praise you for your many servants in Melanesia
whose lives were taken
by those for whom they would gladly have given them.
Psalms	97	149
Readings
Isaiah 26:1-4		Perfect peace
Colossians 1:9-14		Made strong
John 12:20-26		The servant must follow
Post Communion Sentence
Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.	Hebrews 12:1,2