Guide to the Pommerenke Family Papers

Herbert (1900-1978) and Jean Macpherson Pommerenke (1895-) served as missionaries to China until their retirement in 1970. Jean Macpherson was appointed by the Board of Foreign Missions in 1920 and began her missionary career as a teacher in the True Light Middle School in Canton. Herbert Pommerenke served as a volunteer teacher at Linghan University in Canton from 1924-1927. In 1927, they were married, necessitating Mrs. Pommerenke's resignation from missionary service.

Upon Mr. Pommerenke's graduation from McCormick Theological Seminary in 1930, they were appointed to the China Mission where they were initially stationed at Canton before their subsequent assignment to Yeunkong Station in 1931. In 1934, they were transferred to Kochow where they performed teaching and evangelistic work. During 1937-1938, Reverend Pommerenke taught at Canton Union Theological College in before their reassignment to Yeunkong where Mrs. Pommerenke taught in the primary schools and Reverend Pommerenke engaged in evangelistic work. Their work was hampered in the late 1930s by the Japanese invasion which resulted in their capture, internment and ultimate repatriation in 1942. They returned to Free China in 1943 where they engaged in relief work at Chengtu.

In 1946, they were assigned to Canton to assist with the postwar rehabilitation and remained there until 1948 when they were forced out by the Chinese Communists. In 1952, they were appointed to the Brazil Mission where Reverend Pommerenke was Acting Treasurer of that Mission. They returned to China in 1955 where Reverend Pommerenke served as Treasurer in the Mission Field Office and as pastor of a church comprised of Chinese refugees from the former Presbyterian Mission on Hainan Island.