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Collection 453 Oral History Interviews with Paul H. Bartel

 Collection
Identifier: CN 453

Scope and Contents

One oral history interview with Paul Henry Bartel (1904-2001) in which he describes his parents' work in China with orphans, his own childhood in that growing up in China, his conversion to Christianity and anecdotes from his long career as a missionary. Other topics discussed include: The Boxer Uprising and its aftermath; education, including high school at a Holiness Mission school; returning to the United States for college and experiencing culture shock; missionary training institute; memories of Chiang Kai-Shek and Feng Yu-hsiang; effects of World War I on Western missionaries serving in China. The time period covered by the interviews is 1904-1991.

Paul Henry Bartel was interviewed by Robert Shuster on November 26, 1991 at the Billy Graham Center Archives at Wheaton College.

Dates

  • Created: 1991

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Biographical Information

Full Name: Paul Henry Bartel (Rev)

Birth Date: July 19, 1904, in Tamingfu, Hopei, China

Death Date: June 25, 2001

Family:

Parents: Henry Cornelius and Nellie Schmidt Bartel, independent missionaries in China

Siblings: Loyal, Joseph (died young of small pox), Agnes, Jonathan

Marital Status: Married to Ina Birkey, January 1, 1931

Children: Robert, Joan (Stough, Wheaton B.A. 1981; MA 1983), Carol

Conversion: At age ten

Denominational Affiliation: Christian and Missionary Alliance

Education:

1946 M.A., University of Chicago

1962 B.Div, Fuller Theological Seminary

Career:

1932-1960 Missionary, Lungtan, China (on the borders of Szechwan, Kweichow, Hunan, and Hupeh provinces)

1960-19?? Teacher, Canadian Bible College, Saskatchewan, Canada

Church planter, Chinese C&MA churches in Canada

Founder of the Winter Conferences for Chinese students in Canada

Head, China Alliance Press, Hong Kong

Other significant information:

1946 M.A. Thesis: The Chinese Bible, being a historical survey of its translation, University of Chicago, 1946

1962 B.Div. Thesis: The use of literature in the Protestant missionary enterprise among the Chinese people, Fuller Theological Seminary, 1962

Extent

2 Audio Tapes

95 Minutes

Language of Materials

English