Frederick Stanley Arnot

Frederick Stanley Arnot was born on September 12, 1858, in Glasgow, Scotland. His family was of modest means and belonged to the Free Church of Scotland. As a boy, he was fascinated by the stories of David Livingstone, the great missionary and explorer. His father had met Livingstone, and the family had a connection to him. When Arnot was fourteen, he stood in the crowd that watched the funeral procession of Livingstone pass through the streets of Glasgow in 1874. He said that he decided that day that he would go to Africa.

He was a sturdy and determined young man, and he studied for a time at a school in Glasgow. He came into contact with the Plymouth Brethren and was drawn to their simple faith. He felt that he should go to Africa on his own, without the backing of a mission board, trusting God to supply his needs. In 1881, at the age of twenty-three, he sailed for South Africa. He had little money and no experience, and he was ill-prepared in many ways.

He spent some time in South Africa and then began a journey to the north, with the aim of reaching the interior. He traveled by ox wagon and on foot through Botswana and to the Zambezi River. He reached the Barotse kingdom, where he spent two years and learned the language. He was alone for long stretches and was sometimes close to starvation. He was robbed and nearly killed by raiders. In 1885, he set out to find the kingdom of Garenganze, a region deep in the interior, ruled by a powerful king named Msiri. The journey was long and dangerous.

He reached Msiri's capital, Bunkeya, in 1886. He was received by the king, who allowed him to stay. Arnot lived there for about two years and preached the gospel to the people. He was the first European missionary to reach that part of Central Africa. He was a young man alone in the heart of the continent. He built a small house and taught a few children. He also became ill with fever and was close to death several times.

When his health failed, he returned to Britain in 1888. He told the story of his journeys in a book, Garenganze, or Seven Years' Pioneer Mission Work in Central Africa, published in 1889. The book had a large influence on the Brethren and on others. It led to the sending of more missionaries to the region, including Dan Crawford, and the work in Katanga grew. He did not return to Garenganze himself for many years.

He spent the later part of his life in Africa and in Britain, and he was involved in the support of missions. He made other journeys to Africa, and he also took part in missionary work in Angola. He remained a man of frail health, and he suffered from the effects of his early hardships. He was a gentle man with a deep sense of humor. He also carried a sense of regret that he had been unable to do more.

He died on May 15, 1914, in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the age of fifty-five. He is remembered as one of the great pioneers of the Brethren missions in Africa. His life shows what a young man can do when he has a clear call and a plain trust. He walked into the unknown and opened a way that others followed.