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America's First Foreign Missionaries - Adoniram and Ann Judson By Dr. Peter Hammond 
Adoniram and Ann Judson had the distinction of being America’s first foreign missionaries. Adoniram Judson was the son of an austere Congregational minister. Adoniram learned to read by age three. From the beginning it was clear that he was destined for an exceptional life.
Conversion When he entered Brown University on Rhode Island, he became enchanted with Deism and unbelief and slipped into a restless life. After graduation he wrote for the stage in New York. Then he chose to head West for the frontier. En route, at an Inn, he listened all night to a man dying in the next room. In the morning he was shocked to learn that the deceased man was one of his closest companions at college, an outspoken unbeliever who had opposed the Gospel of Christ vehemently. Adoniram knew that Jacob Eames was lost, but he also recognised that the same was true of himself. The West lost its allure, he turned his horse around and enrolled at a Theological Seminary. He was converted to Christ there, in 1808.
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45 Years Ago – The GRAHAMSTOWN EVANGELISTIC MISSION
The Vision
The vision for the Grahamstown Evangelistic Mission grew out of our daily Bible Study and Prayer Fellowship, which I initiated in my first week of National Service at 6th South African Infantry Battalion. As the Bible Study grew and as we had the joy of leading fellow soldiers to Christ, we were praying over how to reach the next intake, which would come in July 1980. When I suggested organising an Evangelistic Mission during the first month of the next intake, there was excitement. But, inevitably, hard realities were discussed: Initially, there will be over 2,000 conscripts. How on earth could we reach them all? How could we possibly organise permission? What venue could possibly be big enough? Who would be the best Evangelist to invite? The Evangelist Well, I immediately knew that Rev. Roger Voke was the ideal man. Roger Voke was a dynamic Evangelist and the most challenging speaker that I had heard at Holiness Conventions at Glenvar Bible College and Keswick Conventions. Roger Voke had trained me in Evangelism Explosion. 
It is impossible! It cannot be done! Do not be ridiculous – what difference can one person make?”
Have you ever encountered these reactions? Anyone who embarks on a challenging enterprise – especially those determined to end legal abortions, eradicate pornography, establish a Christian school or Christian Teacher Training College, stop the ongoing slave trade in Sudan, work for national Reformation and Revival or evangelize a Muslim nation – will encounter those people who seem to believe that they have “the gift of criticism” and “a ministry of discouragement!”
The FAMILY, FAITH and UPBRINGING of DAVID LIVINGSTONE
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The Fighting Missionary The hero of the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington, described Dr. David Livingstone as "The fighting parson." The Friend of Africa Jacob Wainwright, who had been rescued from slavery by Dr. Livingstone, described him as: "The friend of the African." Practical Christianity American journalist and explorer, Henry Morton Stanley, described Dr. Livingstone as: "A truly pious man - a man deeply imbued with real religious instincts. His religion… is of the true, practical kind, never losing a chance to manifest itself in a quiet, practical way - never demonstrative or loud. It is always at work, if not in deed, by shining example." 
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Consecrated Hudson Taylor’s father, James Taylor, before his birth, knelt beside his 24 year old wife, Amelia, in the parlour at the back of his busy chemist shop in Yorkshire, England, and prayed: “Dear God, if you should give us a son, grant that he may work for You in China.” Deviated By age 4, Hudson would declare: “When I am a man, I mean to be a missionary and go to China.” Also by age 4, he had learnt the Hebrew alphabet. Hudson was home-educated and grew up in a Godly home. However, by age 17, he was severely backslidden, restless and rebellious against his parents. 
Robert Moffat (1795-1883), was brought up near Edinburgh by devout Christian parents, who filled his heart and mind with accounts of the exploits of missionaries in other countries. After being apprenticed as a gardener and a brief experience as a sailor, Robert Moffat determined to join the London Missionary Society. However, his first application was rejected. Undaunted, the Scot tried again the next year and was accepted.
Commissioned In October 1816, at Surrey Chapel in London, he and 8 others were set apart for the work of the LMS. One of the others was John Williams, who was destined to lose his life at the hands of cannibals in the South Seas. Robert Moffat set sail for Africa, arriving in Cape Town in January 1817.  To see a Video of this Presentation click here
To listen to an Audio of this Presentation click here To view this article as a PowerPoint presentation on Slideshare, with pictures, click here. Raised in Poverty Mary Slessor (1848-1915) was born, the second of seven children, into a poor and troubled home in Scotland. Although her mother was deeply religious, her father was a violent drunkard, who brought the family to abject poverty, fear and misery. Their one-roomed home had no water, lighting or toilet and hardly any furniture. Mary slept on the floor. Mary’s older brother died, leaving her as the oldest surviving child. When her father died, the burden of supporting her family fell upon her young shoulders. At 10 Mary began work as a half-timer, spending half her time at school and half her time at the mill. At 14 years Mary began working full time, a 58 hour week at the looms. However, her mother ensured that Mary went to Church every Sunday.  To see a video presentation on this article, click here
To listen to an audio presentation on this article, click here Henry Martyn was born in Truro, Cornwall, England, and he was only two years old when his mother died from tuberculosis. (His sisters followed their mother to an early grave and by the time he was 28, he was the only member of his family still surviving.) Reclusive Student Henry was a gifted student, and the ease with which he was able to learn, tempted him to avoid hard work and he gained a reputation for idleness. He was not popular and his small physique invited bullying by other boys. To protect him from bullying, the teachers placed him under the protection of another boy, who had an enduring Christian influence on his life. Conversion While studying at St. John’s College, Cambridge, Henry got into arguments and fights. On one occasion he threw a knife at a fellow student. At this time his father died and his sister began intensive intercession for her wayward brother. A lecturer and another student challenged Henry about his relationship to the Lord, and he began reading The Bible. As Henry was converted to Christ, he also achieved great success in his academic studies, but now in the light of his conversion experience, Henry observed: “I obtained my highest wishes, but was surprised to find that I had grasped a shadow.”  To view this article as a PowerPoint, click here.
To view the video of this presentation, click here. To listen to the audio of this message, click here. "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For the Kingdom is the Lord's and He rules over the nations." Psalm 22:27-28 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…" We are not called to make converts, or "decisions", but disciples. We are to make disciples, not only of individuals, we must start there and of families, which is vital, we are not only to disciple congregations and communities. The Great Commission commands us to make disciples of nations - all nations! “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:3
To listen to an audio of this message, click here The number one reason for missionaries failing and giving up is interpersonal conflict. Interpersonal conflicts are a primary source of disruption in Christian ministries, missions and churches. Dependent Some come to the field with serious character flaws, fears and phobias, which lead to major relationship problems. There are dependent people who need constant support and direction and, rather than contribute to the team, they sap its energy. Independent On the other extreme, there are the independent people, the lone rangers, who divert the team’s energy as they yank this way and that to pursue their own agendas. |
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"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the End of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28: 18-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the End of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28: 18-20
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