Issachar Jacox Roberts


Issachar Jacox Roberts was a Southern Baptist missionary in Qing China notable for being in a direct contact with Hong Xiuquan and for denying him Christian baptism.

Early life

Roberts was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, and graduated from Furman University, a Baptist school in Greenville, South Carolina.

Significance

He was known for his erratic behaviour and "falling into difficulties with nearly everyone who worked with him", which cost him his connection with the Southern Baptist Convention. Roberts was the only Baptist known to have influenced Hong Xiuquan, the Hakka who led the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing Dynasty which caused millions of deaths. Hong spent two months studying with Roberts at Canton in 1847. Roberts refused Hong's request for a baptism, perhaps due to a misunderstanding.
He was also the first Baptist missionary arrived in Hong Kong in February 1842.

With the Taipings

In 1860, Roberts left Canton for the Taiping capital at Nanjing. He was dismayed to find that the beliefs of the Taiping departed widely from his own Christianity, but nevertheless accepted a post as advisor to Hong Rengan, foreign minister at the Taiping court. While there, Roberts arranged for some Baptists from the United States to visit Nanjing and meet Hong directly. He left in January 1862 on board the British gunboat Renard following a dispute with Hong, accusing Hong of the murder of Issachar's servant, and was thereafter fiercely critical of the Taiping.

Death

Roberts died of leprosy at the home of his niece in Upper Alton, Madison County, Illinois on December 28, 1871.