Titus Coan 1801-1882
Titus Coan
Titus Coan experienced a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which produced what was probably the largest Protestant church in the world at the time. His outstanding ministry in Hawaii is recorded in his autobiographical work entitled ‘Life in Hawaii.’
Titus Coan’s early years
He was born in Killingworth, Conn., USA, on February 1, 1801. His parents, Tamza Nettleton (a relative of Asahel Nettleton) and Gaylord Coan, a farmer, had seven sons, of whom Titus was the youngest.
He was educated at East Guilford Academy and, as a teenager he helped his father, farming. Soon after, he was educated at a military school and started his professional life as a soldier, becoming a lieutenant in a military company for seven years. During this time, he toyed with the idea of entering the business world.
His conversion
During the course of a revival in 1828, led by Charles Finney in Western New York, he responded to the Gospel and became a follower of Jesus. While reading Jeremiah 3:19, he heard God’s voice calling him into relationship, to which he responded with an “unreserved, unconditional, cheerful and eternal surrender of himself to God.”
After his conversion in about 1828 he taught in Auburn State Prison School where he led 2,000 converts to Christ. He attended Auburn Theological Seminary in 1831 for two years and, after his ordination, he accepted a call from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions to do a feasibility study on the possibility for starting a mission station and work in Patagonia, on the Pacific Coast.
His early ministry life
Accompanied by William Arms, Titus set sail for Patagonia in 1833, but unable to obtain sea transportation to that remote area, they made their initial base of operations at Gregory Bay, on the north shore of the Strait of Magellan.
After two months living with nomadic natives (the Aónikenk), they became convinced that overland travel would also be impossible, and, shortly thereafter, in early 1834, began their return voyage home
Two accounts of this visit have appeared in print: the first, a serialized set of short extracts from both their journals in ‘The Missionary Herald’ (1834-35), the other by Coan, published in book form 46 years later, entitled ‘Adventures in Patagonia: a Missionary’s Exploring Trip’.
The move to Hawaii
In 1835, with his new bride Fidelia, he set out for the island of Hawaii. The voyage took more than six months and they reached their destination on June 26, 1835.
He immediately immersed himself in the language and preached his first sermon three months later. He worked hard at building friendships with the natives. He acted as town physician, providing medicines for the sick, resolving health issues, and feuds. His love for the people won their hearts and opened the way for him to become pastor, magistrate, teacher, guide and friend to anyone and everyone.
The people came to know and like him. As a result, the population of Hilo swelled from 1,000 to 10,000. Once a camp meeting went on for two years, the sound of a bell bringing thousands of congregants to the meetings at any hour of the day or night.
As a result, a large part of the population was converted. In fact, he would eventually have a church with upwards of 15,000 members, the largest Protestant Church in the world, larger even than Spurgeon’s Metropolitan Tabernacle in London!
Revival at Hilo
In the autumn of 1837, a protracted meeting that lasted eight days was held at the mission station. Opening the meeting with the text “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” a sobering effect was produced. Adding to the response, a wave of between 15 and 20 feet came crashing ashore and swept away 100 houses and the occupants.
Fortunately, only 13 people died, but it was a sobering and convicting affirmation of Coan’s call to “be ready,” and hundreds of natives flocked to God.
A.T. Pierson describes what happened: “Titus Coan was made for the work God had for him, and he controlled these great masses. He preached with great simplicity, illustrating and applying the grand old truths, made no effort to excite but rather to allay excitement, and asked for no external manifestation of interest. He depended on the word, borne home by the Spirit.
Some would cry out, “The two-edged sword is cutting me to pieces.” The wicked scoffer who came to make sport dropped like a log, and said, “God has struck me.” Once while preaching in the open field to two thousand people, a man cried out, “What shall I do to be saved?” and prayed the publican’s prayer; and the entire congregation took up the cry for mercy.
For a half hour Mr. Coan could get no chance to speak, but had to stand still and see God work. There were greater signs of the Spirit than mere words of agony or confession. Godly repentance was at work—quarrels were reconciled, drunkards abandoned drink, thieves restored stolen property, adulteries gave place to purity, and murders were confessed.
The high priest of Pele and custodian of her crater shrine, who by his glance could doom a native to strangulation, on whose shadow no Hawaiian dared tread, who ruthlessly struck men dead for their food or garments’ sake and robbed and outraged human beings for a pastime—this gigantic criminal came into the meetings with his sister, the priestess.
Even such as they found an irresistible power there—and with bitter tears and penitent confession, the crimes of this monster were unearthed. He acknowledged that what he had worshipped was no God at all, and publicly renounced his idolatry and bowed before Jesus. These two had spent about seventy years in sin, but till death maintained their Christian confession.
In 1838, the converts continued to multiply. Though but two missionaries, a lay preacher, and their wives, constituted the force, and the field was a hundred miles long, the word and work was with power, because God was in it all.
Mr. Coan’s trips were first of all for preaching; and he spoke on the average from three to four times a day; but these public appeals were interlaced with visits of a pastoral nature at the homes of the people, and with the searching inquiry into their state.
This marvellous man kept track of his immense parish, and knew a church membership of five thousand as thoroughly as when it numbered one hundred. He never lost individual knowledge and contact in all this huge increase— what a model to modern pastors, who magnify preaching but have “no time to visit!”
It was part of his plan that not one living person in all Puna or Hilo should not have the gospel brought repeatedly to the conscience, and he did not spare any endeavour or exposure to reach the people.
He set his people to work, and above forty of them visited from house to house within five miles of the central station. The results were simply incredible were they not attested abundantly.”
(A. T. Pierson, The New Acts of the Apostles, A Series of Lectures Delivered in Scotland in 1893. (New York: Baker & Taylor, 1894), pp., 279-284)
When the revival peaked in 1837 people often cried all night. One day in June, 1837, Coan baptised 1,705 and 2,400 took communion. In 1839 and 1840 about 7,400 were received into the church at Hilo and 12,000 were baptised. The revival is said to have gone on from 1837 to 1842.
In Conclusion
Coan was the cousin of the Reformed revivalist, Asahel Nettleton and had attended Charles Finney’s revivals in New York. He was clearly influenced and inspired by these men.
Needless to say, the more conservative veteran missionaries disagreed with Coan’s noisy and emotional revival sermons and his willingness to receive unproven and untaught converts into the church so readily. He carried on regardless, training his converts to be self-supporting and self-propagating. Time has demonstrated Coan’s godly ministry as the church he founded, Haili Church of Hilo, still continues today with the passion and vigour of its founder.
Bibliography: Nancy J. Morris, Dictionary of Evangelical Biography 1730-1860, 1995; Earle E. Cairns, An Endless Line of Splendour, 1986.
Tony Cauchi
For further research:
Titus Coan, American Missionary to Hawaii