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Missionary Stories

ten Christian Missionaries Every Christian Should Know

Christian missionary stories have made a huge bear on on our civilization's generation today.

Through prayer and introducing Biblical principles, Christian missionaries take influenced educational activity systems, belief practices, lifestyle behaviors, and economic structures. Their faithfulness to God and His Discussion is a testimony of cultural history, too as traditional rituals, having been challenged and developed because of their devotedness to the Ane who is worthy to receive all the glory.

These people were by no means perfect, fully prepared, or fully equipped for the life they would live. Their religion was tested and tried countless times through endurance and suffering, and many were on the verge of giving upwards. However considering of their obedience to God, their stories continue to motivate us today.

While we believe that the foundation for missions is based upon scripture, we also recognize that pioneer Christian missionaries take been the showtime to carry out the Smashing Commission. Through the impact of their stories, God is raising up another generation who has a called-for desire in their hearts for His love to be known by every person on globe.

In this blog, nosotros are introducing 10 pioneer Christian missionary stories that have inspired thousands of people for centuries. Over the course of the adjacent few blogs, nosotros will look at the life of each missionary and the legacy that is still being carried out to this day.

1. David Brainerd: Pioneering a Legacy in Missions

Born in 1718, David Brainerd was i of the first missionaries to translate and carry the good news of Jesus to the Native Americans of New Bailiwick of jersey in their own language until the day of his death in 1747. His faith and passionate pursuit of God's holiness has inspired countless missionaries such as William Carey, Adoniram Judson, and Jim Elliot. His story is nevertheless being told today to rekindle the beating center of missions that every Christian should have: That the beloved of God would exist fabricated known to every lost soul on world. Read the full story about David Brainerd.

two. William Carey: Pioneer to India and Begetter of Modern Missions

William Carey was born in 1761 and is often called the father of the modernistic missions motility because of his forty-i years of service on the mission field until he passed away in 1834. He was the first missionary to India and the start Baptist preacher to believe that the Dandy Commission establish in Matthew 28:xviii-20 was a binding control on every generation of Christians. He is known for translating the unabridged Bible into Bengali and transforming culture through business and education. Read the full story about William Carey.

3. Adoniram and Ann Judson: Pioneers of Overseas Missions

Adoniram and Ann Judson were the offset American missionaries who were sent overseas to serve on the mission field in both India and Burma—at present known every bit Myanmar. Both Adoniram and Ann worked on translating the Bible into Burmese until Adoniram was thrown into prison when accused of being a spy during the first Anglo-Burmese War. Ann, known as the mother of modern missions, fought to get her husband out of prison past going to every regime court of police, raising sensation, and writing books on beingness a missionary in a foreign country. Their stories reflect that information technology is God who plants the seed and makes it abound. Read the full story about Adoniram and Ann Judson.

four. David Livingstone: Missionary, Abolitionist, and Explorer to Africa

David Livingstone was a Scottish missionary, slave abolitionist, and physician during the mid-19th century. He is best known for his explorations of the continent of Africa, his revulsion for the African slave trade, his belief in the nobility of Africans, and position towards commercial enterprises with Biblical foundations. Read the total story well-nigh David Livingstone.

v. John M. Paton: Working Among the Cannibals

Born in Scotland in 1824, John G. Paton was a Christian missionary to the cannibals on the New Hebrides Islands of the South Pacific until he died in 1907. His life was filled with trials, as his first wife and their child soon died after his arrival on the island, and many times he had to flee for his life from the natives. Nonetheless, Paton'due south organized religion withstood testing and he connected to piece of work and preach for several years while likewise raising support for missionary work. Today, the impact of his life tin can be seen in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. Read the full story about John Chiliad. Paton.

half dozen. Hudson Taylor: Founder of the China Inland Mission

James Hudson Taylor was the commencement Christian missionary to People's republic of china and spent fifty-ane years working to bring the gospel to those who had never heard the name of Jesus in their own language. In 1865, Hudson founded the China Inland Mission (CIM) considering he knew that there were millions of people who needed to hear the message of Jesus Christ. His legacy has inspired countless Christian missionaries to go to the hardest and darkest places on earth. Read the full story nearly Hudson Taylor.

7. Mary Slessor: Pioneer Missionary to Nigeria

Mary Slessor was built-in in 1848 and was a Scottish missionary to the Efik people of Nigeria. After learning the language and gaining the trust and acceptance of the people, she began to teach the locals the Bible and was able to promote women'due south right and protect native children. She is almost famously known for stopping the common practice of infanticide of twins among the Ibibio people. Read the full story about Mary Slessor.

8. Amy Carmichael: Female parent to Bharat

Born in 1867, Amy Carmichael was an Irish missionary to Bharat. She is known for opening an orphanage after rescuing children from being trafficked in the Hindu temples. She served in India for fifty-v years without a furlough, and in the final twenty years of her life she remained bedridden and wrote several books about the missionary work to be washed in that location. Her dedication to serving God has inspired many Christians to become missionaries and to remain steadfast in their faith. Read the total story about Amy Carmichael

ix. Jim and Elisabeth Elliot: Undivided Devotion to God and the Unreached

Jim and Elisabeth Elliot met equally students at Wheaton College in Illinois. Jim was a fellow whose center was on fire for God to be known among the unreached, who was inspired by several missionaries such equally David Brainerd, William Carey, and Amy Carmichael. He convinced his iv friends to join him as missionaries in reaching the Auca Indians along the Curray River in Republic of ecuador. In 1956, all v missionaries were martyred by the tribe. Later, Elisabeth Elliot went to go alive among the tribe that killed her husband and share the gospel with them. Their lives continue to affect countless Christians all over the earth to this solar day. Read the total story about Jim and Elisabeth Elliot

10. Brother Andrew: God'southward Smuggler

Brother Andrew is a Christian missionary known for smuggling Bibles into communist countries during the top of the Common cold War, which earned him the nickname "God's smuggler." He is known for praying "Lord, brand seeing eyes blind." He continues to speak to Christians all over the world and has stirred upwards dissatisfaction in the hearts of those who have never considered preaching the good news, to get to the unreached and bring the gospel to where it is non. Read the full story about Brother Andrew.

These missionaries knew that the toll of traveling overseas could have away everything they held beloved on this earth. Parents, loved ones, children, safety, and health. While they found peace and security in God, they knew that in that location would be picayune comfort out in the wild Amazon jungle, traveling by crowded train in India, or preaching the gospel in a rural hamlet in Burma.

Still, these pioneer missionaries endured through their trials and sufferings because of their honey for God and their desire for Him to be known amid the nations. They willingly gave their lives to Christ and dedicated all their days to living for Him. If need be, they were willing to die for Him. Their lives are seeds that went into the basis, multiplying and bearing much fruit. Their commitment to loving Him above all else encourages us to do the aforementioned and to follow in their footsteps.

"The chore of carrying the gospel to remote tribes hidden in strange and dangerous places ofttimes requires a courage and daring equal to that displayed past the explorer in search of a new river or the soldier in the performance of his duties."

– A.West. Tozer

What Does it Mean to Exist a Pioneer Missionary?

Accept y'all ever stopped to recall about why nosotros are able to go and practise missions overseas? It is considering someone went before us and followed God'southward call on their lives to fix a way into the hardest and darkest places on earth through prayer and obedience to the Holy Spirit. They were merely ordinary humans serving an extraordinary God. But because they were the first willing people to get, God has used their stories of faithful dedication to be a legacy in inspiring others to go and continue pioneering the country and make disciples.

A elementary definition of a pioneer missionary is:

"They boldly went where no Christian had gone before."

– Christianity Today

However, in Biblical Hebrew, the word for pioneer isחָלוּץ (chalats). This word means ane equipped for war. In Modernistic Hebrew, the word meanspioneer, the 1 who goes first in a keen venture. The root of this give-and-take besides meansstrength andvigor –the exact attributes needed for a pioneer missionary on the field.

We are able to go to overseas today because God put information technology in the heart of someone before us to exist the first person to bring the good news of Christ to those people. Just every bit John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus, so as well do pioneering missionaries go into the wilderness, preparing the way and making an opening for others to follow.

Jesus, the Ultimate Pioneer of our Faith

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so smashing a cloud of witnesses, let usa also lay bated every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and permit us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility confronting himself, then that you lot may non grow weary or fainthearted."

– Hebrews 12:1-three

No wonder pioneer missionaries are so passionate nearly making headway amid the nations for the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the Greek, "Prokopto" means to cut forward a way, accelerate, or make progress. "Archegos" as well ways originator, author, founder, leader, and the first to lead.

In the proper context, this is referring to the first in a long procession, the file-leader who pioneers the fashion for many others to follow. In this scripture reference, information technology is obvious that Jesus is the Ultimate Pioneer who made a mode for u.s.. He is to be our perfect example of what information technology means to be the showtime to get and so that others may enter into the joyful abundance of God'southward presence.

With Jesus as our leading instance, nosotros have the opportunity to become where no man has always gone before to bring the gospel to people who have never earlier heard the name of Jesus in their own linguistic communication.

What Touch on Practice Pioneer Missionaries Have on Culture?

Pioneer missionaries have been some of the first Westerners to enter into unengaged cultures and share the gospel with the indigenous inhabitants.

For years, there has been a large contend over whether or not Westerners ruin other cultures. In this section, nosotros will look at the wrong and right means pioneer missionaries have approached culture, and how that has fabricated an touch overseas.

The Wrong Arroyo: Westernizing Culture

In the by, there have been some pioneer missionaries who entered into a new civilisation with the mindset that the locals were pagans and needed to be converted to Christianity. Rather than attempt to study the underlying behavior that affected the native's behavior, they shunned the very people that they had come to share the gospel with.

These missionaries also introduced medicine, food, dress, politics, machines, and legal traditions from the West into the native culture. Nevertheless, rather than teaching the local people how to sustain themselves, the missionaries poured all their resources into their own ministries and businesses. While Western practices and values are not bad, the local people began to depend on the Western missionaries for bringing in goods to back up their economy.

When the missionaries left, the economy and culture would decline into a worse state than when they found it. In the years that those missionaries had been amongst the people, in that location was fiddling lasting spiritual impact and no disciples were made. The missionaries had focused just on physical needs instead of addressing the spiritual needs of the people besides. Thus, there was no permanent transformation. You need both to make an impact.

The Correct Approach: Studying Culture

On the other mitt, there have been pioneer missionaries whose faith in God has driven them to observe people who accept never heard the proper noun of Jesus. They were burdened with the desire to share the gospel and brand disciples who brand more disciples.

Rather than endeavor to 'prepare' a culture, these pioneer missionaries immersed themselves among the local people. They dressed as they did, learned the linguistic communication, and became learners of the culture by studying the social beliefs of the natives. In doing so, they discovered the needs of the people and recognized what was valued in that civilisation. Often the natives did non have a Bible written in their own language, and pioneer missionaries were able to translate the Bible into the indigenous linguistic communication of the people they were with.

Information technology takes years to share the full gospel with someone, and see whatsoever fruit from their work. Yet these pioneer missionaries knew how to contextualize the gospel and reach people with the love of Christ and endured through faith in edifice long-lasting relationships.

They also recognized that the people needed to be equipped with skills and trained how to help their ain people. Medicine, education, business, and disciple-making became their chief focus of teaching. They also introduced Biblical values that shaped the culture's social interactions and lifestyle. This produced a long-term impact and has brought greater transformation to these cultures today.

"Today'due south missionaries are full-bodied less in the far distant, less "civilized" parts of the earth due to the unreached masses of people groups in the globe's large cities. Simply pioneer missionaries have left a legacy of stiff commitment to attain the unreached under farthermost difficulties."

– A.West. Tozer

Are Pioneer Christian Missionaries Even so Needed Today?

In that location are still six,500 unreached people groups in the world. That ways that roughly 2.two billion have never heard the gospel in their own language and at that place are less than ii% believing Christians in their community.

Today, yous can be a pioneer missionary and go where no missionary has always gone before.

Pioneer missionaries have the potential to raise up the next generation of leaders to seek after the heart of God and attain all peoples, together. They tin inspire the younger generation to rise upward in spiritual maturity and carry the torch where the previous generation was unable to become. With God'due south strength and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we can accept the stamina and strength to do the hard things and partner with God in the work He is doing all over the world.

"The supreme and crying demand of this lost world is the Gospel. Shall we not ascent at Christ'south control to carry the blessed saving news to every perishing one?"

– Robert Jaffray

Jesus is worthy to be praised, and nevertheless, there are people whose languages take not notwithstanding reached His ears. There are tribes and tongues whom He has never heard the audio of, saying: "Jesus, we love You lot! Jesus, we need Y'all! Jesus, cheers for dying on the cantankerous for my sins and rising again and rescuing me!"

It is clear that there is a desperate need for people all over the world to exist told of God'southward peachy love. People'southward eternity is at stake. How can we say that nosotros have no part in the Peachy Commission?

Be on a lookout for full stories of each Christian missionary. God is nonetheless using their stories to modify the trajectory of people'due south lives, and He may utilise it to change your center.

May nosotros exist a people who are wholly consecrated to Christ and utterly devoted to the glory of God so that He may be known among all the nations.

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Source: https://bethanygu.edu/blog/stories/christian-missionaries/