Congregation, Iringa, Tanzania, December 1924

“Iringa Congregation at Temporary Church 12/24.” Group portrait with men and women standing, dressed for a Sunday service, whilst children sit on the ground at the front. The minister stands on the right wearing a gown and pith helmet and some of the indigenous men wear their military uniforms. ❧ The Church of Scotland, based in Nyasaland [Malawi], took over the work of the Berliner Missionsgesellschaft [Berlin Missionary Society], in the Iringa district of Tanzania, after the deportation of German missionaries during the First World War. The British authorities were concerned that the mission stations were being used to supply the enemy and that they exerted too great an influence in the region. James Hetherwick, from Blantyre, was worried that the German missionaries would not be allowed to return and their successful work would falter. He appealed to Robert Laws at Livingstonia to cooperate in caring for the German fields. ❧ Andrew M. Anderson and Duncan Ross Mackenzie were the two main participants in Iringa and the Churches custodianship of the Berlin Missionary society’s property. The indigenous population were predominately from the Hehe tribe and the three main stations were at Lupembe, Kidugala and Ilembula with numerous sub-stations, many of which had fallen into disrepair after the war. ❧ When the German missionaries started to return there were disputes over whether they should be allowed to return to their former station. The Church of Scotland home authorities eventually ruled that the German missions should be returned. ❧ This image belongs to an album of photographs collected by Dr. Stevenson and includes images from India, China and Africa.