Henry Gerhard Appenzeller was born in Souderton, Pennsylvania, in 1858. His mother was Swiss Mennonite, while his father was from Pennsylvania. His parents went to the German Reformed Church. His mother played an important role in his life. She influenced Henry’s faith by gathering him and his two brothers to read German bible on Sunday afternoon. His mother spoke German but little English, therefore, German was his first language. Henry was transformed due to a personal spiritual experience on October 6, 1876. And he celebrated every year on this day as his spiritual birthday.He studied in Franklin and Marshall College, a school that is based on the Reformed Church.

He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in Lancaster at his age of twenty- one, three years after his conversion. Then he served in the church as a Methodist preacher. After that, he attended Drew Theological Seminary, a theological school. During his study in Drew Theological Seminary, he joined overseas missionary service. Before Appenzeller headed to Korea, he married Ella Dodge. And he had three children in his life, one of which Alice Rebecca Appenzeller was the first American born in Korea.

Appenzeller arrived in Korea on April 5, 1885, an Easter Sunday morning, with his wife Ella Appenzeller. During that period, Seoul was in political struggle. Missionaries could not set up a church, nor preach in the public. Evangelism had to be done secretly. Appenzeller focused on preparing missionary residence in the first two years. In 1887, worship in public became possible, therefore, chapel was established for service.His goal was to transform Pagan Korea into Christian Korea.

Appenzeller was the founder of a boy school, Paichai Hakdang in Korea in 1887. He spread the Gospel, introduced Western culture, and trained the students into Methodist.He was one of the founder of the first Korean Methodist Church in Seoul, Chong Dong. and he also established many Protestant institution. He served in the Chong Dong as a pastor in 1887 until his death in 1902. In 1886, Appenzeller was on the Board of Bible Translators with the other Methodist, Presbyterian missionaries and other Korean translator. He helped to translate the bible into Korea.

In 1902, at the age of 44, Appenzeller was traveling to a southern port city, Mokpo, to attend a meeting for the Bible translation. While at sea he drowned trying to save a Korean girl. A cenotaph in his honor was erected at the Yanghwajin Foreigners’ Cemetery, the gravesite of over 300 foreigners including over 80 missionaries from many denominations including those sent by the United Methodist Church, and its predecessor denominations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Since its founding in the 19th century, the Korean Methodist Church has dramatically developed as one of major Protestant denominations in Korea. In 2001, the denomination comprised 5,262 churches, 1,394,514 members, and 7,298 ministers. There were six universities established under the Methodist model, including Pai Chai. In addition, the denomination had its own theological seminary, the Methodist Theological Seminary in Seoul. It also had six theological institutes and 54 junior high and high schools.

조선에 빛이 된 선교사, 예수 그리스도를 닮은 아펜젤러 선교사를 소개합니다.
아펜젤러(1958-1902)는 조선에 온 감리교 최초의 선교사이자 최초의 교육가, 성서번역가, 위대한 목회자입니다. 그는 1885년 우리나라에 와서 17년간 조선을 위하여 희생과 섬김의 삶다가 1902년 성서번역자회의에 참석하기 위해 배를 타고 가다가 목포 앞바다에서 해상사고로 순교하였습니다. 아펜젤러 선교사는 충분히 탈출할 시간이 있었음에도 불구하고 3등 선실에 있던 한국인 조수와 이화학당 학생들을 구하려다 참변을 당했습니다.
“섬김을 받으러 온 것이 아니라 섬기러 왔습니다”

부연 설명하자면
그는 1858년 펜실베이니아주 서덜튼 (Souderton, PA)에서 태어났으며, 프랭클린 앤 마셜 칼리지(Franklin and Marshall College)를 1882년 졸업하였다. 감리교 신학교인 드류 신학교(Drew Theological Seminary)에서 공부했으며, 1884년 미감리교 선교 위원회로부터 한국 선교사로 임명되어 1885년 샌프란시스코에서 출발, 조선에 선교사로 입국하였습니다.

1885년 4월 5일 부활절에 호러스 그랜트 언더우드와 함께 인천으로 입국한 아펜젤러는 정동제일교회를 설립하고 내리교회 창립의 밑거름이 되었습니다.

그는 신학문에 뜻을 둔 청년을 모아 교육 사업을 시작하였는데, 이것이 바로 고종 황제가 이름과 현판을 하사한 선교사가 설립한 최초의 서양식 학교, 배재학당(현 배재고등학교)이다.

한국에 성서 번역부가 생기자 언더우드·게일 등과 함께 마가의젼한복음셔언해, 보라달로마인셔 등 성서의 국역에 참여하였다. 교육 방식을 암기보다는 판단을 강조하는 방식으로 고치는 데 공헌하였습니다.

1902년 44세가 되던 해에 인천 제물포에서 출발하여 전라남도 목포로 가던 일본배인 구마가와마루와 같은 회사소속인 기소가와마루가 어청도 서북방 2-3해리 지역에서 충돌해 구마가와마루가 침몰하면서 조선인 여학생을 구하려다 익사했습니다.

서울특별시 마포구 합정동 양화진 선교사 묘지에 있는 아펜젤러의 묘지는 가묘이다. 시신은 아직 여학생과 조사 조한규와 함께 어청도 바다 밑에 있을 것으로 추정하고 있습니다.

아들인 H. D. 아펜젤러(Appenzeller, Henry Dodge, 亞扁薛羅2世, 1889~1953)도 역시 한국에서 선교사로 활동하였습니다.