There was already a tradition at St Matthew’s when Frank Weston arrived of supporting mission work abroad. In 1888, Bishop Smythies, Bishop of Zanzibar, had been at St Matthew’s pleading for men to come out to the Theological College in Mazizini. Members of the Universities’ Mission to Central Africa used to stay at St Matthew’s when they came to London.
In 1894, a ‘Foreign Mission at home’ was started during the Octave of the dedication festival. A Mr Wimington- Ingram spoke at the Mission of the Good Shepherd building in the parish who had a strong personality and the meeting did not finish until it was agreed to raise £100 each year.
In 1898, there was a Mission ‘At Home’ which had to be held outside as so many people attended. Archdeacon Johnson was the chief speaker with the Revd Frank Weston.
Frank Weston had considered doing missionary work for Bishop Smythies before but his health was not good enough. Archdeacon Woodward encouraged Frank Weston to see his doctor again. He eventually left St Matthew’s for Zanzibar in 1898 . St Matthew’s was his first parish and it was the model of St Matthew’s which he took with him to Africa where
‘there were no fierce debates at vestry meetings about what should or should not be done. The life of the place was focussed at the altar’. [13]
Ten years after leaving St Matthew’s he was appointed Bishop of Zanzibar and consecrated in October 1908.
