Included in this collection is a photo album with scenes from Gerdine’s mission work in Korea. Also included is a framed silk embroidered representation of Mr. Gerdine’s church in Korea given to him as a farewell gift. The church is the Chong Dong Church, which was the first Methodist Church in Korea.
Joseph Lumpkin Gerdine was born on July 13, 1870 in Pickins County, Alabama. The family soon moved to West Point, Mississippi where he was reared. He attended the University of Georgia and in 1892 was admitted to the Georgia Bar. He practiced law for eight years before deciding to devote his life to the missionary service in Korea.
As a preliminary measure to his mission work, Gerdine was admitted on trial in the South Georgia Conference in 1900. He left for Korea in the fall of 1902, and he continued to serve there for thirty-five years. In 1904 Gerdine was ordained in Shanghai, and he married Miss Eleanor Dye in 1909.
After his retirement Gerdine spend many years in Atlanta. He passed away on March 13, 1950 while spending the winter in Florida with his family.