About Dr. Mackay
偕叡理牧師，俗稱馬偕博士，英文全名為George Leslie Mackay，取漢名「偕叡理」，1844年出生加拿大一個蘇格蘭拓荒移民家，十歲時就立志海外宣教。自師範學校畢業擔任教員後，輾轉再多倫多、普林斯頓及愛丁堡大學深造，直到1871年獲加拿大海外宣道會派令，始終不改其往赴中國宣教之初衷。
Rev. Jie Rui-Li, commonly known as Dr. Mackay and George Leslie Mackay as his full English name, was born in 1844 in Canada as a Scottish pioneer immigrant. When he was ten he set up his mind to become a missionary overseas. After graduating from a normal school he worked as a faculty member. Later he went on for further education in the universities of Toronto, Princeton, and Edinburgh. In 1871, he was ordered by the Overseas Missionary Association of Canada and has never changed his original intention of going to China for missions.
1872年抵淡水，租屋為寓所，同時亦兼禮拜、行醫和授課之用，閒餘與牧童學得通俗之臺語，融入一般民眾之生活，後亦在淡水取臺灣姑娘為妻、生根落戶甘苦與共之誠心，終於克服戰勝了條約港地區特有的仇外情結及風俗民情之差異。於1880年第一次返國述職時，已有教會廿所，培育本地傳道廿人，信徒三百人的宣教初果。教內人士尊稱「偕牧師」，民眾都稱其綽號為「黑鬍番」，在國外亦以Black-Bearded Barbarian聞名，晚期臺灣士紳則尊稱他「偕牧師老夫子大人」。爾後陸續在淡水設立偕醫館、牛津學堂和女學館，發展醫療與教育之志葉，一生貢獻臺灣，愛在臺灣，至今仍然在臺延續。
After his arrival in Tamsui in 1872, Mackay rented a residential house, and also used it for worship, medical practice and teaching. During his leisure time he picked up popular Taiwanese with the local herdsmen, and accustomed himself to the life of the general public, and later even took a Taiwanese girl as a wife, showing his firm mind of taking root in Tamsui. Through hard work and sincerity, he finally overcame the xenophobic complex that was unique to the treaty port area and blended himself with the life of Taiwan local people. When he returned to China for the first time in 1880 to report on his work, he already had a church house to cultivate local missionaries and 300 believers. People in the church honored him as "Pastor Jie", and the public called it "Black Hufan". He was also known abroad as “black-bearded barbarian”. Later Taiwanese gentry honored him as "Old Master Pastor Jie”. Since then, the Medical College, the Oxford College, and the Women's Academy were established one after another in Tamsui to spread Dr. Mackay’s medical and educational missions. He has contributed to Taiwan throughout his life, and his love for Taiwan has thrived to this date.
1901年因喉癌病逝於淡水寓所，家屬尊其遺囑安葬於淡水家族墓園。蓋其一生在臺設立教會60間，施洗信徒達三千餘人。三十年之久跋山涉水於客、閩、平埔、高山原住民間，足跡遍及大甲溪
以北，東達宜蘭、花蓮。
In 1901, he died in his residence in Tamsui due to laryngeal cancer, and was buried in the family cemetery according to his will. Throughout his life, he established 60 churches in Taiwan and baptized more than 3,000 people. For thirty years he has reached the folks of Hakka, Fujiao, Pingpu, and aboriginal tribes, wading through water and mountains. His footprint has extended as far as north of River Dajiaxi, Yilan and Hualien of eastern Taiwan.