[work in progress]
Life and ministry
Johannes Mayer [earlier spelling: Maier] was born in September 1831 in Lobenrot (near Stuttgart).
Johannes Mayer studied at St. Chrischona Institute from 1852 to 1854. After learning Amharic under Gobat’s supervision in Jerusalem, Johannes Maier and his classmates Martin Flad, Johannes Bender and Gottlieb Kienzlen left for Ethiopia in late 1855.
In 1859, Johannes Mayer married Sara (previously known as Werkenesh). Mayer had learnt the Oromo language and worked on an Oromo dictionary since he and his colleagues had a vision to reach the Oromo with the gospel. However, Emperor Tewodros II didn’t allow them to move there. All they could do was to teach some freed Oromos at their school.
Johannes Mayer and several other foreigners were detained by Tewodros II at Maqdala. After the British conquest of the mountain fortress in 1868, all the missionaries had to leave the country. The St. Chrischona workers settled in Jerusalem. Mayer and Bender managed to return to Ethiopia with their families the following year. They established a school in Adwa, worked as Bible colporteurs for the British & Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) and—together with aläqa Zännäb—led a group of Bible readers.
In 1871, Mayer founded schools in Ankober and surrounding. The staff members included Greiner, Zännäb and Gebre Mika’el. A year later, they reached the camp of King Menelik at Warra Illu.
Generally speaking, the King’s need for skilled craftsmen seriously limited their time for school to the early morning hour(s).
In 1880, King Menelik gave Mayer a fief in Balli in the Ada district (near the Awash river). Mayer employed Greiner, aläqa Gebru Desta and Gebre Mika’el as teachers in his Oromo-speaking school.
In early 1886, the St. Chrischona Pilgrim missionaries had to leave the country. Mayer moved to Jerusalem. In 1888, he joined his former colleague Waldmeier at the missionary station in Brummana (Libanon). There, Mayer passed away in 1893.
In the last years of his life, Johannes Mayer worked for the British and Foreign Bible Society on the revision of the Amharic Bible. However, his work was not published. Writings by and about Mayer can be found in the “Further reading” section below.
Picture
with their children (2, 9, 10) near Maqdala in 1868
[adapted from Gräber, Geiseln, p. 182]
Further reading
» Bibliography with links