John Mackenzie was a Scottish missionary of the London Missionary Society to Southern Africa and prominent advocate for the rights of indigenous Africans. Born in a village of Moray, Scotland, in 1835, Mackenzie became a Christian in 1853 under the preaching of Alexander Williamson, a student preacher from the Theological Academy of the Congregational Churches of Scotland. About a year later, Mackenzie’s calling to the mission field followed. He enlisted to become a missionary with the London Missionary Society in 1855 and was on the field by 1858. His spiritual life is recorded in his journal entitled, “Jottings”.
His first missionary assignment was in Southern Africa at Kuruman. A famous missionary station in history, this station was established by Robert Moffat in 1821. Later, Moffat’s son-in-law, David Livingstone, would serve at Kuruman. Nevertheless, Mackenzie dedicated himself to the Tswana people that later led to the establishment of the Bechuanaland Protectorate in 1885. Mackenzie served both as a missionary and as the Deputy Commissioner of the Bechuanaland Protectorate. From these positions, he would advocate for the protection of native African’s rights. He returned to full-time missionary work after Cecil Rhodes replaced him as Deputy Commissioner, though he retained much of his political influence.
A stroke led to Mackenzie’s death in Kimberley, Cape Colony on March 23, 1899. Recorded by those knew him best, Mackenzie met death with:
“Unflinching courage, indomitable faith, and unwearied sympathy for those around him.” [1]
It was said of MacKenzie:
“But men that knew his religion, his dependence in all and through all upon God his Father and Saviour, was for MacKenzie the deepest and the highest fact in his life, and the root of all that he did and hoped to be.” [2]
William Douglas MacKenzie
A school founded in 1899 in Francistown, Botswana was renamed in his honor in 1958, the John MacKenzie School.
References
[1] W. Douglas MacKenzie. John MacKenzie: South African Missionary and Statesman (London, UK: Hodder and Stoughton, 1908) 543.
[2] Ibid., 532-533.
Nicholas R. Martin 