Key missiological concepts illustrated by the lives of missionaries
- Looking for an understanding of missionary work? What does "missionary work"
mean?
- What are the best roles missionariescan play in the expansion of the Kingdom of God?
- What have missionaries done to make a lasting impact?
What can we learn from the missionaries of the past?
Doing Missions Well: Examples from Missionary History
Published in Engage, an online missions magazine
How did missionaries help spread Christianity?
What do Britishers Mary Slesor and William Carey have in common with an Italian
named Francis of Assisi, a Canadian named Susan Fitkin, and an American named Steve Saint?
Well, what each one did during the years of service given to the cause of world evangelism can
be used to highlight important concepts in missiology.
These are examples of missionary heroes. That doesn't mean they had arrived at absolute
perfection. It does mean they were used by God in extraordinary ways and can serve as models
for us. These are examples of missionaries who helped spread Christianity with how they lived
and how they treated those to whom they went to minister.
Do you need sermon illustrations on missions? Use some of these stories!
Missionary Examples
- Mary Slessor and
"identification" -- It was said of this red-headed British lady who went in the 1800s to what is
now Nigeria that she was "more African than the Africans."
- Boniface and power encounters
-- When he escaped unscathed from cutting down a sacred oak tree in what is now Germany,
Boniface demonstrated that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is more powerful than any
other spiritual force.
- Paul Orjala and "indigenization" --
By empowering Haitians to lead churches and other ministries in Haiti, Paul Orjala set the course
for a vibrant and fruitful church-planting movement.
- William Carey's holistic ministry
-- By insisting that our mandate is that of ministering to the whole person, Carey followed the
example of Jesus' ministry while He was here on Earth.
- Francis of Assisi and ministering
incarnationally -- At a time when those who called themselves Christian were sending armies to
wipe out the "infidels," Francis went to see a Muslim leader and talked of the life and message of
Jesus Christ.
- Foresight: Harmon and Lula
Schmelzenbach -- Harmon's vision of what could be in southern Africa went far beyond
what he himself was actually doing.
- Gladys Aylward: Example of
humility -- Rejected by a mission board, Gladys Aylward went to Asia anyway and found work
to support herself so she could fulfill her missionary call.
- Dedication: Ansgar (or Anskar) --
In thirty years of ministry in Scandinavia, Ansgar saw no evidence of lasting fruit. Still, he felt
that was where God had called him, so he ministered faithfully.
- Missions mobilization: Susan
Norris Fitkin -- Though illness kept her from being a "go-er" as a foreign missionary, Susan
Fitkin poured her energy into being a sender and mobilizer who promoted world evangelism,
drummed up enthusiaism, painted a vision, and raised money.
- Empowerment: Steve Saint --
Steve Saint insisted that the Waorani who took his father's life in an Ecuadorian jungle and then
later became Christians must determine their own future as a tribal people rather than simply
being recipients of whatever foreigners decide to do for them.
- Strategic Action: William
Cameron Townsend -- Townsend's realization that not having the Bible in a people group's
mother tongue sorely limited evangelismand discipleship among that group.
- Pioneering: Earl and Gladys
Mosteller -- Missionaries are not duplicate copies of each other. Earl and Betty Mosteller
had the gift of pioneering new works.
Lessons to be Learned from the Past
What characteristics of cross-cultural missionaries of past centuries would we do well to
emulate? Here are seven items:
- Cultural Sensitivity
- Respect for Human Dignity
- Adaptability and Resilience
- Moral Integrity and Authenticity
- Humility
- Relationship Building
- Patience and Perseverance
Other Missionaries Who Inspire Us
Twenty more heroes and heroines of the Christian missionary movement:
- David Livingstone: A Scottish missionary and explorer in
Africa, his work helped open up the continent to Christianity.
- C.T. Studd: A British missionary and one of the Cambridge
Seven, he served in China, India, and Africa, and founded the Worldwide Evangelization
Crusade (now WEC International).
- Adoniram Judson: One of the first American missionaries.
He served in Burma (now Myanmar), where he made significant contributions to Bible
translation and evangelism.
- Hudson Taylor: Founded the China Inland Mission and was
instrumental in the spread of Christianity in China.
- Helen Roseveare: A British medical missionary who served
in the Congo for many years, where she established hospitals and medical training centers. She
was also known for her writings and speaking on mission work and suffering.
- Jonathan Goforth: A Canadian Presbyterian missionary to
China, he led revivals in Manchuria and was influential in the early 20th-century missionary
movement in China.
- David Brainerd: Although his missionary work was
short-lived due to his untimely death, his efforts among Native Americans and his posthumously
published diaries inspired many future missionaries.
- Lottie Moon: A Southern Baptist missionary to China whose
efforts greatly impacted Southern Baptist missions.
- Amy Carmichael: An Irish missionary in India who founded
the Dohnavur Fellowship and worked extensively with children and women.
- Jim Elliot: An American missionary who was killed while
trying to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador, his story inspired many to enter missionary
work. His wife Elizabeth continued the work of her husband after his death, focusing on
ministering to the Huaorani (also spelled Waodani) and sharing their story with the world.
- Eric Liddell: A Scottish Olympic athlete and missionary to
China, his story of faith was popularized in the film "Chariots of Fire."
- Henry Martyn: An Anglican missionary and translator in
India and Persia who translated the New Testament into several languages.
- John G. Paton: A Scottish missionary to the New Hebrides
(now Vanuatu) in the South Pacific. His efforts led to the conversion of many islanders, and his
autobiography has inspired generations of missionaries.
- Samuel Zwemer: Known as the "Apostle to Islam," he was a
pioneering American missionary to the Muslim world, founding the Arabian Mission and
promoting Christian-Muslim dialogue and evangelism.
- Betty Greene: One of the founders of Mission Aviation
Fellowship (MAF), she was a pilot who used her skills to support mission work in remote areas
by providing transportation for missionaries, medical supplies, and relief efforts.
- "Brother Andrew" van der Bijl: Also known as "God's
Smuggler," this Dutch missionary smuggled Bibles into Communist countries during the Cold
War and founded Open Doors, an organization supporting persecuted Christians.
- Ida Scudder: An American medical missionary in India who
founded the Christian Medical College & Hospital in Vellore. She was a pioneering female
doctor who greatly advanced medical care and education for women in India.
- Paul Carlson: An American medical missionary in the Congo
who was martyred during the Simba Rebellion. His life and death brought attention to the
humanitarian needs in the Congo and inspired many to continue medical missionary work.
- Florence Young: A New Zealand missionary who founded
the Queensland Kanaka Mission and the South Sea Evangelical Mission, working primarily with
laborers from the Solomon Islands and other Pacific nations, focusing on their spiritual and
social welfare.
- Isobel Kuhn: An American missionary and author who, along with her husband John Kuhn,
served with the China Inland Mission among the Lisu people of China and Thailand. Her
writings have inspired many to pursue missions.
-- Howard Culbertson,
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