This chapter suggests that the precariousness of missionary work to Māori was exposed by the sexual transgressions of missionaries themselves. It offers a close reading of the most protracted scandal that rocked the mission: the dismissal of William Yate in 1836 following allegations he established sexual relationships with a number of young Māori men and boys. Rather than abstract sexuality from broader social relationships and treat it as a discreet and self-contained domain, this chapter suggests that the scandal around Yate was profoundly shaped by the broader social dynamics and conflicts that he set in place. It stresses that interracial...