John Paterson (missionary)

He earned his doctorate from the University of Abo and was instrumental in the operation of the Russian Bible Society for several years eventually being pensioned by Czar Nicholas I.

He was attracted by the religious revival which sprang out of the preaching of James Alexander Haldane, and applied for admission into a class formed by the Congregationalists to train young men for the ministry.

Removing to Glasgow, on 5 July 1803 he became the minister of a church which he had formed at Cambuslang, but he relinquished it on 17 June 1804, with the intention of going out as a missionary to India.

[3] Accordingly, on 27 August 1805, accompanied by his friend, Ebenezer Henderson, he sailed for Denmark, with the intention of travelling on to India; but finding it impossible to carry out this intention, they remained in Northern Europe,[2] and became missionaries there;[4] gradually Paterson’s connection with the churches in Edinburgh was dissolved, and he was left to his own resources, mainly through teaching English language classes.

Thereupon Paterson left Russia; but the emperor treated him with great kindness, and continued to him his pension for life.

During his residence in Northern Europe he was connected with the work of translating and printing portions of the scriptures into Finnish, Georgian, Icelandic, Lapponese, Latvian, Romanian, Russ, Samogitian, and Swedish.

[3] On returning home he settled in Edinburgh, and served for many years as secretary for Scotland of the London Missionary Society,[4] also acting as chairman of the committee of the Congregational Union.