George Nathanael Anderson

George Nathanael Anderson (August 8, 1883 – October 8, 1958) was an American Lutheran pastor and missionary to Tanganyika. Anderson studied at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, and the Augustana Theological Seminary before being ordained by the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1912. He held a succession of posts in the American Mid West before volunteering for missionary service.

Anderson was sent to the British colony of Tanganyika in 1924 to review the situation there. As a former German colony the territory had hosted missions of the German Lutheran Church but these were expelled in 1917 during the First World War. Anderson reported favourably and a formal Augustana Church mission was sent in 1926, with Anderson at its head. Anderson oversaw the expansion of the church's role in the territory and in 1944 was appointed President and director of its General Administrative Committee, becoming responsible for the church's entire operation in Tanganyika. He retired in 1956 and died in the United States two years later.

Early life George Nathanael Anderson was born on August 8, 1883, in Morganville, Kansas. He graduated from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, in 1909. He later graduated from the Augustana Theological Seminary; studied at the University of Minnesota and the Union Theological Seminary and was awarded a doctorate. In 1919 he was amongst a group of people praying at a church meeting for a new bible school to train Lutheran missionaries. Amongst the attendees was Annette Elmquist, who had attended a non-Lutheran bible school and was keen for the church to have its own. Soon afterwards Elmquist and Anderson were married.

Tanganyika The Lutheran church had been active in missionary work in Tanganyika before the First World War, however the largely German missionaries were expelled by British forces in 1917. The Augustana Church was asked to take over the abandoned missions by the German Lutheran Church and in Summer 1924 Anderson with his wife and three sons (LeRoy. Paul and Marcus) visited the colony.

Anderson's wife and children joined him at Iramba from 1927 and remained with him until his retirement in 1956, though Annette would sometimes reside in the United States with some of the children to ensure their education. In this role, which he held until 1952, he was responsible for liaising with the Tanganyikan government. One key task was to negotiate with the colony's government over the ownership of land and property formerly held by the German Lutheran Church.

Anderson retired in 1956 and was invited to remain in Tanganyika by the local church but chose to return to the United States. He died on October 8, 1958, in Minneapolis.