Hudson Taylor: Father of Faith Missions

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Hudson Taylor: Father of Faith Missions

Hudson Taylor had the greatest impact on Christianity in China than any other missionary at the time of writing. James Hudson Taylor was born on May 21, 1832 in Barnsley, England to a Christian family. Once, at age four, he said, “When I am a man I mean to be a missionary and go to China.” However, he soon became skeptical and worldly as he grew older with friends that swore.

At age 17, he went to his father’s library and found a gospel tract entitled, “It is Finished”. He then remembered about Christ and accepted him as his savior. On Dec. 2, 1849, he finally promised the Lord that he would go to China.

In the fall of 1852, the Chinese Evangelization Society (CES) paid for his training as a doctor. The CES then, on September 19, 1853, sent him off from Liverpool to China. Once, the sailing vessel, Dumfries, was carried by a four-knot current towards New Guinea, full of cannibals. Taylor and the others prayed, and the Lord sent a strong breeze to send them on their way to China.

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On March 1, 1854, he arrived at Shanghai, China at 21 years old. He was the only missionary that was a resident of Shanghai, thus making him more enthusiastic to preach. In early 1855, he started to do preaching tours, accompanied by another missionary or alone. These tours lasted at least a week long.

Later, he decided to preach to the Taipings, a rebel group with its capital located in Nanking. He then made his way up the Yangtze River and visited 58 villages along the way, which only 7 of those had ever seen a Protestant missionary. However, the ...

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