On January 8, 1956, on a sandy beach along the Cararay River in the rainforest of Ecuador, Jim Elliot and four other young missionaries met the end of their lives on spear-tips carried by the very people they had spent years preparing to bring the good news of Jesus Christ. Only days before, they hadContinue reading “2.10 — Jim and Elizabeth Elliot & Martyrdom and Mission”
Tag Archives: missionary biography
2.9 — David George & Persistence in Evangelism
How large must a church be to send church planters? How large of a budget does it before a church can raise up and send full-time missionaries? What if I told you that from Silver Bluff Baptist Church in Aiken County, SC, not one but two international church planters emerged from a small congregation ofContinue reading “2.9 — David George & Persistence in Evangelism”
2.8 — St. Patrick & Loving Your Enemies
Myth and legend swirl through the shamrocked legacy of Patricius son of Calpurnius, son of Potitus the Catholic priest. Most of what we know for certain about Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, comes from his own Confessio,a defense of his ministry and belief written late in life. This autobiographical treatise along with a letter denouncing theContinue reading “2.8 — St. Patrick & Loving Your Enemies”
2.7 — John G. Paton and Steeled Conviction & Courage
In the mid 1850s, a call went out to the ministers of the Scottish Reformed Presbyterian Church for a new missionary to be sent to a chain of islands off the coast of Australia. John Inglis pleaded for another to be sent to help him, claiming that on his island alone “3,500 savages [had thrown]Continue reading “2.7 — John G. Paton and Steeled Conviction & Courage”
2.6 — David Brainerd and Power in Weakness
On March 20, 1747, a twenty-nine year old David Brainerd said goodbye to his congregation of Delaware Indians for the last time. His long battle with tuberculosis ended in Northhampton, Massachusetts, on a bed in the home of Jonathan Edwards. He passed away October 9, 1747. Brainerd had been a missionary for only four years.Continue reading “2.6 — David Brainerd and Power in Weakness”
2.5 — Hudson Taylor and A Heart for the Lost
In 1861, Hudson Taylor contracted a serious illness, forcing him to leave behind a fledging church of 21 believers in Ningpo, China, and return to England in hope of recovery. While away, the lost souls of inland China plagued Hudson’s conscience: “The feeling of blood guiltiness became more and more intense…every day tens of thousandsContinue reading “2.5 — Hudson Taylor and A Heart for the Lost”
2.4 — Adoniram Judson and Counting the Cost
Today 3,700 Baptist congregations in Myanmar trace their origins to the ministry of one man: Adoniram Judson. The only Burmese Bible in existence was translated by this Baptist missionary. Hundreds were set free from the oppression of Buddhism during his lifetime, many missionaries were raised up, and a legacy of gospel proclamation was laid inContinue reading “2.4 — Adoniram Judson and Counting the Cost”