Kenneth Grant Fraser
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Grant Fraser O.B.E., M.D., Edin., D.P.H., F.R.S.E. or "Dr Fraser" as he is commonly remembered, was a Scottish missionary doctor and educator in Southern Sudan, specifically working among the Moru people.
He was born in 1877 in Scotland
. He died in Lui, Southern Sudan on 10 February 1935.
, through overhearing some officers discuss spirituality. After his conversion he continued in the army, but began to develop a vision of service as a missionary. While serving in India he first met his future wife Eileen Galbraith, the sister of a British Officer, Alexander Norman Galbraith (1879-1915) and fell in love with her, but he was then only a sergeant, and she turned down his proposal.
On returning to Scotland, Fraser enrolled in evening school and did well, going on to study medicine at Edinburgh
with the express aim of becoming a medical missionary. After completing his study he again proposed to Eileen, and this time she accepted. Eileen had meanwhile had a period teaching, together with her elder sister Alice, in Sudan at Omdurman
and Wad Medani. They married on 30th November 1916. Eileen was the daughter of Ven. Henry Galbraith, Archdeacon of Glendalough
, Co. Wicklow
, Ireland.
During the First World War Dr. Fraser again saw active service in Turkey
, ending the war as a major general. Eileen enrolled as a nurse and served in France. After the war Dr. Fraser went on to complete his medical training by studying surgery. It was this background that the Frasers brought to their missionary service. It enabled Dr. Fraser to develop a strategy, which drew heavily on his military experience, that the Holy Spirit was able to use to establish the church throughout Moru country.
, which was chosen as being close to permanent water but away from fly infested rivers.
As a medical doctor, Dr. Fraser began work on the hospital immediately he arrived, so that he managed to complete the first temporary buildings within five months of arrival. Even before the hospital building was completed the Frasers began to build a small temporary school building, and started teaching a few boys. Alongside they started preaching and bringing the gospel.
An important part of Dr Fraser's strategy was moving out from the centre into the whole of the Moru, and neighbouring Jur
and Avokaya areas, and he did this as soon as he had local people to do so. When work was started at a new centre two people were sent together. One of the pair was a dresser and the other a teacher, but working closely together. On Sundays they would both work together in preaching and establishing the local church. Dr Fraser provided them with standardised medical kits and specific routines and procedures were established. The teams were required to send back reports to Fraser at Lui hospital at regular intervals. By his death in 1935 Dr Fraser had managed to get a coverage of what is now Mundri county, with eleven dispensaries, based at the chiefs' areas. The foundation had been set for a policy that, with slight modifications, continued to be the basis of the mission work in Moru country up until the medical and educational work was taken over by the government in 1957 and 1958.
This strategy has led to a number of important effects in the way Moru society has developed and the way the Moru view development.
o Local Missionary Outreach. Local people were used as missionaries and managed to spread the work throughout the district with no missionaries outside Lui. This helped make it truly Moru.
o Self-Reliance. Dr Fraser delegated much of the work from an early stage, making maximum use of those who had been through the school in Lui from an early stage. This helped foster a sense of local ownership and self-reliance.
o Cover of the Whole Moru Area. Unlike some other areas of Southern Sudan, one does not find that all the educated Morus come from one part of the area. Education and development spread throughout the area.
o Unity of the Moru People. In only a relatively few years the Moru people moved from disunited, fearful groups to being united as Christians and have maintained a cohesiveness ever since.
o Reaching the Whole Man. Dr. Fraser's approach of bringing together the church, the school and the hospital has been seen as a strategy reaching out to the whole man. This can be seen as ministering to the body (hospital), mind (school) and spirit (church), in a holistic way. It is probably this factor as much as any other that has influenced the Moru view of development.
o Importance of Medicine to the Moru. Medicine has been closely associated with education in the mind of many Morus. The result has been many Moru medical personnel, (as well as other scientific disciplines) and a great respect for medicine as a calling.
o Significance of Individual Christians for Local Development. It was the teachers and dressers who were the first animateurs for development in most rural communities, while also bringing the gospel with their work. Key Christian individuals are still important in bringing change and motivation to the various communities.
o The Church as an Internalised and Indigenous Structure. Throughout the turmoil that has effected Sudan on and off since the 1950s the church has proved particularly significant as the one structure that is indigenous and continues regardless of what is going on round about.
o Social rather than Economic Development. One of the very few criticisms heard of Dr Fraser from any Morus was that his work was devoid of any economic development programme. This however may reasonably be seen as outside the scope of his work.
Many Moru schoolchildren over the years have wanted to follow him and become medical doctors. As a result they enter the 'science' stream. Those who have not become doctors have become medical professionals at other levels, or entered professions like agriculture as a result of this desire to follow his example.
Lui Hospital is still an important hospital is Southern Sudan.
Both Kenneth and Fraser are common baptismal names amongst the Morus even today, reflecting the high esteem he is still held in amongst these people. When Morus visit Britain they are keen to visit Edinburgh where Dr Fraser trained.
He was born in 1877 in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He died in Lui, Southern Sudan on 10 February 1935.
His Early Life
Fraser was born at Crock Ban on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland in 1877. At the age of 14 he ran away from home and joined the army as a drummer boy. He was converted to be a committed Christian while serving in South Africa during the Boer WarBoer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, through overhearing some officers discuss spirituality. After his conversion he continued in the army, but began to develop a vision of service as a missionary. While serving in India he first met his future wife Eileen Galbraith, the sister of a British Officer, Alexander Norman Galbraith (1879-1915) and fell in love with her, but he was then only a sergeant, and she turned down his proposal.
On returning to Scotland, Fraser enrolled in evening school and did well, going on to study medicine at Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
with the express aim of becoming a medical missionary. After completing his study he again proposed to Eileen, and this time she accepted. Eileen had meanwhile had a period teaching, together with her elder sister Alice, in Sudan at Omdurman
Omdurman
Omdurman is the second largest city in Sudan and Khartoum State, lying on the western banks of the River Nile, opposite the capital, Khartoum. Omdurman has a population of 2,395,159 and is the national centre of commerce...
and Wad Medani. They married on 30th November 1916. Eileen was the daughter of Ven. Henry Galbraith, Archdeacon of Glendalough
Glendalough
Glendalough or Glendaloch is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is renowned for its Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, a hermit priest, and partly destroyed in 1398 by English troops....
, Co. Wicklow
Wicklow
Wicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
, Ireland.
During the First World War Dr. Fraser again saw active service in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, ending the war as a major general. Eileen enrolled as a nurse and served in France. After the war Dr. Fraser went on to complete his medical training by studying surgery. It was this background that the Frasers brought to their missionary service. It enabled Dr. Fraser to develop a strategy, which drew heavily on his military experience, that the Holy Spirit was able to use to establish the church throughout Moru country.
A Missionary in Sudan
Dr and Mrs Fraser arrived in the Moru country on December 22 1920, about ten years after the area became part of Sudan. They settled in LuiLui
Lui is a French adult entertainment magazine created in November 1963 by Daniel Filipacchi, a fashion photographer turned publisher, Jacques Lanzmann, a jack of all trades turned novelist, and Frank Ténot, a press agent, pataphysician and jazz critic..The objective was to bring some charm "à la...
, which was chosen as being close to permanent water but away from fly infested rivers.
A clear missionary strategy
The way the church developed in Moru country resulted from the strategy that Dr Fraser applied, interacting with the nature of the culture of the Moru people, and guided by the Holy Spirit. Dr Fraser's strategy reflected his experience as a soldier, together with his skills as a doctor, a teacher and a preacher. The work he was involved in shows an understanding of the completeness of man combined with a clear strategy of reaching out to the people God had given him to work with. Dr Fraser was a strong man with a strong character, and as a keen hunter had important characteristics respected by the Moru people. He was also seen by them as someone who was close to God.As a medical doctor, Dr. Fraser began work on the hospital immediately he arrived, so that he managed to complete the first temporary buildings within five months of arrival. Even before the hospital building was completed the Frasers began to build a small temporary school building, and started teaching a few boys. Alongside they started preaching and bringing the gospel.
An important part of Dr Fraser's strategy was moving out from the centre into the whole of the Moru, and neighbouring Jur
Jur River
The Jur River is a river in western South Sudan, flowing through the Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria regions. About long, it flows north and northeast, joining the Bahr el Ghazal River on the western side of the Sudd wetlands. The Jur River is part of the Nile basin, as the Bahr al-Ghazal flows into...
and Avokaya areas, and he did this as soon as he had local people to do so. When work was started at a new centre two people were sent together. One of the pair was a dresser and the other a teacher, but working closely together. On Sundays they would both work together in preaching and establishing the local church. Dr Fraser provided them with standardised medical kits and specific routines and procedures were established. The teams were required to send back reports to Fraser at Lui hospital at regular intervals. By his death in 1935 Dr Fraser had managed to get a coverage of what is now Mundri county, with eleven dispensaries, based at the chiefs' areas. The foundation had been set for a policy that, with slight modifications, continued to be the basis of the mission work in Moru country up until the medical and educational work was taken over by the government in 1957 and 1958.
This strategy has led to a number of important effects in the way Moru society has developed and the way the Moru view development.
o Local Missionary Outreach. Local people were used as missionaries and managed to spread the work throughout the district with no missionaries outside Lui. This helped make it truly Moru.
o Self-Reliance. Dr Fraser delegated much of the work from an early stage, making maximum use of those who had been through the school in Lui from an early stage. This helped foster a sense of local ownership and self-reliance.
o Cover of the Whole Moru Area. Unlike some other areas of Southern Sudan, one does not find that all the educated Morus come from one part of the area. Education and development spread throughout the area.
o Unity of the Moru People. In only a relatively few years the Moru people moved from disunited, fearful groups to being united as Christians and have maintained a cohesiveness ever since.
o Reaching the Whole Man. Dr. Fraser's approach of bringing together the church, the school and the hospital has been seen as a strategy reaching out to the whole man. This can be seen as ministering to the body (hospital), mind (school) and spirit (church), in a holistic way. It is probably this factor as much as any other that has influenced the Moru view of development.
o Importance of Medicine to the Moru. Medicine has been closely associated with education in the mind of many Morus. The result has been many Moru medical personnel, (as well as other scientific disciplines) and a great respect for medicine as a calling.
o Significance of Individual Christians for Local Development. It was the teachers and dressers who were the first animateurs for development in most rural communities, while also bringing the gospel with their work. Key Christian individuals are still important in bringing change and motivation to the various communities.
o The Church as an Internalised and Indigenous Structure. Throughout the turmoil that has effected Sudan on and off since the 1950s the church has proved particularly significant as the one structure that is indigenous and continues regardless of what is going on round about.
o Social rather than Economic Development. One of the very few criticisms heard of Dr Fraser from any Morus was that his work was devoid of any economic development programme. This however may reasonably be seen as outside the scope of his work.
Dr Fraser's Heritage
Looking back at the development of the Moru church, Dr Fraser's strategy was crucial in the way the church spread throughout the Moru people and its effect on the outlook of the whole tribe.Many Moru schoolchildren over the years have wanted to follow him and become medical doctors. As a result they enter the 'science' stream. Those who have not become doctors have become medical professionals at other levels, or entered professions like agriculture as a result of this desire to follow his example.
Lui Hospital is still an important hospital is Southern Sudan.
Both Kenneth and Fraser are common baptismal names amongst the Morus even today, reflecting the high esteem he is still held in amongst these people. When Morus visit Britain they are keen to visit Edinburgh where Dr Fraser trained.