January 24th in China Missions History
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AustinGardner.net’s January 24th in World Evangelism HistoryOn this day in 1922, Mrs. Grace Ciggie Stott, the wife of missionary George Stott, died.
For 23 years, Grace and her husband labored in the city of Wenzhou, China, working closely with the China Inland Mission and Hudson Taylor. The Stotts were truly pioneers, being the first missionaries to this city. But they worked hard and faithful, despite hardships and trials. And the Lord blessed them in a mighty way. Even today, the city of Wenzhou is called the Jerusalem of China. Of its 6 million residents, over 10% claim to be evangelical Christians. The oldest church in the city, Chengxi Christian Church, was started by the Stotts.
In order to be used in such a mighty way, one might imagine the Stotts to be some pretty impressive people who were cut out and destined for this type of work. But they weren’t. George was an amputee, having lost his entire left leg in a farming incident. He was rejected by every mission society until Taylor let him aboard. And Grace was just a typical young woman who felt called to serve her Lord, but felt completely unworthy and unprepared. She described the day she first felt called to China and the way she felt:
“Mr. Hudson Taylor addressed a small meeting, and as I listened to Mr. Taylor’s tale of the darkness of China and the terrible need of workers there, there came a question that would be answered, “Why may not you go to tell of a Saviour’s love?” I had been converted four years, and had begun in a feeble way to serve the Lord—who had bought me —at first by tract distribution, then Sunday-school teaching. The Lord had often also graciously used me to lead many an anxious soul into the light, but up to this time I had never thought of mission work, never supposed I had any call beyond my native city of Glasgow.
For days this question kept ringing in my heart. I had no home ties, it was true ; but was I fit? Then, too, at that time I had never heard of a young girl going to a heathen land—was it practicable? This latter question I decided to ask Mr.Taylor. He saw no reason why I should not go, even though but twenty years of age, if called of God, and if called, surely the fitness would be given by Him.”
Source: Twenty-six years of Missionary work in China | George Stott
January 22nd in China Missions History
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AustinGardner.net’s January 22nd in World Evangelism HistoryOn this day in 1877, Sarah Doremus, the “mother of missions”, died.
A wealthy socialite, Sarah was involved with many social projects and programs, but never got very involved with World Evangelism. But in 1834, she heard Rev. David Abeel, a missionary to China, tell of how the Chinese women continually ask for a “female man” who would come and tell the women of Christ. He continued to talk of how many woman in countries like China and India would flock to the gospel if they had someone who would work with them. But there were few woman trained to do that type of missionary work.
This appeal challenged Sarah to start an organization who would train, equip, and teach woman about missions. With her funds, she founded the Women’s Union Missionary Society for this very purpose. For the next twenty years, Sarah trained and equipped women for the mission field, whether they would go out single or married. During this time, her home saw a constant flow of missionaries coming in and out, giving her the name “the mother of missions.” In those years, her organization saw over 1000 missionaries trained and sent out.
Source: Christianity.com
January 20th in China Missions History
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AustinGardner.net’s January 20th in World Evangelism HistoryOn this day in 1858, Hudson Taylor is married to Maria J. Dyer, a young, single missionary in China. Her parents had been missionaries to China but had died before Maria was ten, leaving her a lonely girl. But when this young woman met Taylor, this all changed.
Maria saw in Taylor a love for and faith in the Lord that she had never seen in anyone else. And even though others mocked him for dressing in Chinese garb and acting like the Chinese, she was attracted to the spirit he did all of it with. When Hudson wrote her a letter of marriage, she was overjoyed. But Miss Aldersey, the woman she lived with, was not: “Mr. Taylor! that young, poor, unconnected nobody. How dare he presume to think of such a thing? Of course the proposal must be refused at once and that is final!” And from that moment on, Miss Aldersey and many of the other missionaries did everything in their power to stop Maria from seeing Hudson and flocked her with other suitors “more qualified” in their opinion.
When Taylor returned from his trip, those opposed to him marrying Maria made it nearly impossible for him to see her or spend time with her. But his heart and her heart still yearned for each other. But they both had to commit it to Lord. And He came through. On night, a massive storm made it impossible for a group of missionaries, including Maria, to get home. So they took refuge in the home of a missionary, which just happened to be the place where Taylor was also staying. That night, Maria and Hudson could finally talk, and both confirmed their love for each other. Despite the opposition, this couple was able to marry and do mighty things for God!
Source: Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret
January 18th in China Missions History
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AustinGardner.net’s January 18th in World Evangelism HistoryOn this day in 1907, John Cornelius Stam was born in Patterson, New Jersey. As a young man, he felt a call to go into mission work and attended the moody Bible Institute, where he meant a young woman named Betty. In 1932, John sailed to China with the China Inland Mission. He married Betty, who had come to china a year earlier, in 1933.
As the young couple worked in the small eastern town of Tsingteh (today called Jingdezhen), they heard rumors of communist bandits raiding and attacking villages throughout the countryside. As the Stams were preparing to flee south to safety, the bandits raided their town and took the couple and their two month old baby captive. That night, John Stam wrote a letter to CIM authorities, which read:
“My wife, baby and myself are today in the hands of communist bandits. Whether we will be released or not no one knows. May God be magnified in our bodies, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:20″
Betty, after seeing a bandit killed before her eyes for trying to protect her and her baby, realized that their lives would probably be taken. In order to save her baby, she took her and wrapped her, some provision, and a little money inside a hooded sleeping bag and hid her in some winter bedding.
Mr. Lo, a Chinese pastor who had worked with John Stam, had been following the group of bandits, hoping to somehow help the Stams. He was the one who came across the bodies of John and Betty Stam on that cold December morning. As he was removing the bodies, he heard a noise coming from some old bedding, as he went to investigate, he found a small sleeping bag containing some supplies, money, and a small baby girl whop had been saved by her mother’s bravery.
Back in 1923, when Stam graduated from the Moody Bible Institute, he gave a speech whichstated the following:
“Shall we beat a retreat, and turn back from our high calling in Christ Jesus, or dare we advance at God’s command in the face of the impossible? …. Let us remind ourselves that the Great Commission was never qualified by clauses calling for advance only if funds were plentiful and no hardship or self-denial was involved. On the contrary, we are told to expect tribulation and even persecution, but with it victory in Christ.”
Source: OMF International
January 17th in China Missions History
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AustinGardner.net’s January 17th in World Evangelism HistoryOn this day in 1922, Peter Torjesen, a Norwegian missionary with the China Inland Mission, was married to his childhood sweetheart, Valborg Tonnessen, in a simple Norwegian ceremony in the heart of China.
Fourteen years earlier, seventeen-year-0ld Peter was attending a meeting when a missions mobilizer stood up and gave an appeal to surrendering your life to Christ, with an emphasis on the work in China. Peter’s heart was stirred and when the offering plate was passed around, he emptied his wallet into the plateit (which wasn’t very much). But more importantly, he slipped a small peace of paper into the plate with the words, ”Og mit liv”(“And my life”). It was that night that Peter surrendered his life to the Lord’s work.
When Peter and Valborg were married, they went before the board and asked to be assigned to the hardest post in China. So they were sent to Hequ, a city of 10,000 alongside the Great Wall and the edge of a fearsome desert. For fifteen years, this brave couple advanced the cause of Christ, seeing much fruit. During WWII, they used their mission station as a haven for refuges, saving thousands. Peter stayed in Hequ until his death in 1939. But even today, the work Peter started is being continued in the country he committed and gave his life to reach.
Source: The Australian
January 16th in China Missions History
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AustinGardner.net’s January 16th in World Evangelism HistoryOn this day in 1902, Eric Liddell was born in Northern China to James Dunlop Liddell and his wife, who were Scottish missionaries with the London Missionary Society. For the first five years of his life, he lived with his parents in China. But at the age of six, he was sent to a boarding school in England with his older brother. During his time at school, Liddell excelled at two things: sports and loving Jesus! He had a great reputation on the field, becoming the captain of both the cricket and rugby team. He won multiple rewards for his skills. In fact, he was called the fastest man in Scotland. But despite all his popularity and success, he stilled clung tightly to his Lord. He joined a group of men with the Glasgow Students’ Evangelical Union who would travel around Scotland and preach to large groups of students. He was known as a man of integrity and as being “absolutely without vanity.”
The 1924 Olympics were held in Paris and Eric was entered to compete in the track events for the U.K. However, when the schedule came out, it was discovered that the event Eric was favored to win, the 100-meter race, was being held on a Sunday. Eric, based on his own personal convictions, refused to compete. Instead, he switched over to the 400-meter race and began to prepare for this event. Still, his practice runs were not very impressive and no one expected him to win. When it came time for his race, Eric went up to the staring line with the other contestants. As they lined up, a member of the American Olympic team slipped a piece of paper into his hand with a quotation from 1 Samuel 2:30: “Those who honor me I will honor.” During that race, Eric not only won a gold medal, but he also set a new world record. God truly did honor the man who honored him.
After he finished university in 1925, Eric Liddell decided to return to China, the place he was born. For nearly forty years, Eric worked among the Chinese people. It was his time serving in China that Eric viewed as his greatest accomplishment. When asked if he regretted leaving the popular sports world for missionary work, Eric replied, “It’s natural for a chap to think over all that sometimes, but I’m glad I’m at the work I’m engaged in now. A fellow’s life counts for far more at this than the other.” Even during the Japanese takeover of China during WWII, Eric stayed and continued to serve the chinese people until his death.
Source: The Eric Liddell Centre
January 14th in China Missions History
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AustinGardner.net’s January 14th in World Evangelism HistoryOn this day in 1894, Dr. Jonathan Goforth, the great missionary who did so much work among the churches in China, wrote the following rules for daily living on the fly-leaf of his Bible:
1. Seek to give much—expect nothing.
2. Put the very best construction on the actions of others.
3. Never let a day pass without at least a quarter of an hour spent in the study of the Bible.
4. Never omit daily morning and evening private prayer and devotion.
5. In all things seek to know God’s Will and when known obey at any cost.
6. Seek to cultivate a quiet prayerful spirit.
7. Seek each day to do or say something to further Christianity among the heathen.
“they cannot destroy the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ”
“They used persecution, violence, handcuffs, swords, labor teams and prison. They shamed us in public displays, took away all our rights and privileges of daily life. They have closed our churches, burned our Bibles and put our pastor in jail, but they cannot destroy the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Chinese Christian
Carl Lawrence, The Church in China (Bethany House Publishers, 1985), p. 35.
01.13.12
January 13th in China Missions History
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AustinGardner.net’s January 13th in World Evangelism HistoryOn this day in 1887, C.T. Studd gives away his entire inheritance to the work of Christ. In his father’s will, it stipulated that when the C.T. Studd turned 25, he would receive his share of the inheritance. By this time, Studd had already spent two years in Chungking, China, working with Taylor and the China Inland Mission. Already, he had given up a career as one of the most successful cricket players in all of England. Already, he had given up the comforts of a plush, social life filled with ease. Already, he had left family and friends behind. But now, he was faced with yet another decision: what would he do with his inheritance? He was about to receive £29,ooo. It is hard to determine the average worth of this amount to today’s currency, but by using this site and this information, we estimated the modern value of his fortune would have been between £20 to £30 million, or $30 to $45 million. This is a massive amount of money to be handed to a 25 year old. But what would he do with it?
Studd sought out council from several friends, including Hudson Taylor. But what rang truest to him were the words of Christ to the rich young ruler in Mark 10:21, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” Studd writes:
“One day, when I was reading the harmonies of the gospels, I came to where Christ talked to the rich young man. Then God seemed to bring back to me all the vows I had made. A few days later, the post which only came every half month brought letters from the solicitor and banker to tell me what I inherited. Then God made me just ordinarily honest and told me what to do…God had promised to give a hundred fold for everything we give to him. A hundred fold is a wonderful percentage…10,000%””
And so he gave it all away. 20% went to the Salvation army’s work in India, which was used to send out 50 new officers throughout the country. 20% went to George Muller, for both the work among the orphans and the mission work he did in foreign fields. 20% went to D.L Moody, who used the money to start a small school in Chicago, called the Moody Bible Institute. 20% went to George Holland for his work among the poor in London. The rest was distributed to other works and friends, especially among the CIM. His last act was to give about 2 million pounds to his fiance, so she wouldn’t be in need or want during their work together. Her response? “Charlie, what did the Lord tell the rich man to do?” “Sell all.” “Well then, we will start clear with the Lord on our wedding!” and she gave her money away too. In a poem Studd wrote, he ends with this, “Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Source: C.T.Studd – Cricketer and Pioneer By: Norman Grubb | Studd’s Poem
Documentary: The Cross – Jesus in China
Almost four hours covering 50 years of Christianity in China, this four part documentary called “The Cross” brings history to life. Interviews with those who have been through the persecution and decades later are still loyal to the Lord Jesus. If you have read anything about the the history of Christianity in China then this documentary will help bring color to those black letters of the page.
With the documentary being four hours long, it does get repetitive in style. For the student of missions, you could watch the first part, but for those really interested in learning about missions in China, I would recommend watching all four parts.
I watched part of this before reading the book, Jesus in Beijing, but watch the majority of it after I finished reading that book. The two work and re-enforce each other.
Here is part of the editorial review:
This documentary, The Cross: Jesus in China, portrays the little known history of a remarkable people; it is the turbulent 50 year history of Chinese Christians on screen! For the first time, the history of Christianity in China, especially within the House-Church movement, is given in an honest and comprehensive account. The film answers the question raised by many people outside China: how did the number of Chinese Christians increase from 700,000 in 1949 to approximately 70 million today despite communist control? Using live footage and interviews, the film captures the true stories of many people and seeks to answer the most common questions: how does the Chinese government deal with Chinese Christians and vice-versa? How have Chinese Christians developed, survived and grown? What kind of people are they and what influence have they had and will they have on Chinese society? The documentary film consists of three episodes and one short subject. It lasts about four hours. The episodes are: Seeds of Blood, The Bitter Cup, The Spring of Life, and The Canaan Hymns.
I thought this documentary was encouraging, helpful, insightful and taught me many things as well.
Note: There are two parts of the documentary that seem unnecessary but for some reason were included in the documentary therefore some viewer discretion is advised.