William Duncan (missionary)

William Duncan (1832-1918) was an English born Anglican Missionary who founded the Tsimshian Communities of Metlakatla, British Columbia,in Canada and the Metlakatia, Alaska in the USA.

In 1854 he joined the Church Missionary Society (CMS)and in 1856 he was sent to the North Pacific coast of Canada.
He began to work with the Tsimshian community and learned their language. He Initially led 60 Tsimshians to found a new utopian Christian community, Matlakatla. He exerted his own brand of low church Anglicanism in the community. He created his 16 rules (See list)- communion was deliberately omitted. The community grew and was successful. Economic self-sufficiency was a core tent of Duncan’s vision.

He split from the C.of E.on doctrinal differences and the CMS expelled him in 1881.

He transformed his mission into a non-denominational ‘Independent Native Church’ which was quite evangelical and under the strict doctrinal control of William himself…

With the government’s permission he established a second utopian community on Annette island, Alaska - which became an Indian reservation. In 1887 he led approximately 800 Tsimshians in a canoe voyage from ‘Old’ Metlakatla to’New’ Metakatla, Alaska.

William died aged 86, he was with the Tsimshian community for over 60 years.

He was often referred to as ‘Father Duncan’ but he was never ordained.

He remains an extraordinarily controversial figure in Tsimshian communities today.

Source
Wikipedia