• Home
  • The Mission
    • About us
    • Prayer & Praise Updates
    • Priority Projects
    • Boxes with Love
    • Prayer Articles
    • Prayer Maps
    • Projects
    • Literature4Africa
    • Missionary Reports
    • Hammond Family News
    • In Memorium
  • Video & Audio Gallery
    • Audio Gallery
    • Video Gallery
  • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Digital Resources
    • Articles >
      • Articles
      • News
      • Africa
      • Animals
      • Animism
      • Bible Teaching
      • Christmas
      • Family
      • Gun Control & Self Defense
      • History
      • Islam
      • Missions
      • Persecution
      • Political & Social Issues
      • War and Terrorism
    • Film Reviews
    • Bible Studies
    • Answers to Critical Questions
    • Skeptics Questions Answered
    • Articles in other Languages >
      • Afrikaans
      • German
      • French
      • Danish
      • Chinese
      • Russian
      • Chichewa
      • Czech
    • Links
    • Resource Posters
    • Books published by Dr Peter Hammond
  • Events
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
Frontline Fellowship
  • Home
  • The Mission
    • About us
    • Prayer & Praise Updates
    • Priority Projects
    • Boxes with Love
    • Prayer Articles
    • Prayer Maps
    • Projects
    • Literature4Africa
    • Missionary Reports
    • Hammond Family News
    • In Memorium
  • Video & Audio Gallery
    • Audio Gallery
    • Video Gallery
  • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Digital Resources
    • Articles >
      • Articles
      • News
      • Africa
      • Animals
      • Animism
      • Bible Teaching
      • Christmas
      • Family
      • Gun Control & Self Defense
      • History
      • Islam
      • Missions
      • Persecution
      • Political & Social Issues
      • War and Terrorism
    • Film Reviews
    • Bible Studies
    • Answers to Critical Questions
    • Skeptics Questions Answered
    • Articles in other Languages >
      • Afrikaans
      • German
      • French
      • Danish
      • Chinese
      • Russian
      • Chichewa
      • Czech
    • Links
    • Resource Posters
    • Books published by Dr Peter Hammond
  • Events
  • Contact Us
  • Donate

Adoniram and Ann Judson - Missionaries to Burma

31/8/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
​To view this article as a PowerPoint, with pictures on Slideshare, click here.
To listen to an audio of this article Click here


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.

Picture
Called
The conviction grew that he was called to be a Missionary to Burma, but there were no missionary societies in America yet. So Adoniram travelled to England to consult with the London Missionary Society. 

Captured
His voyage by sea involved being captured by a French warship and imprisoned in France. Adoniram showed the kind of ingenuity which was to characterise his whole missionary life, by escaping from this French prison and making his way back to America, arriving 8 months after he had left. Despite opposition from family and friends, Adoniram lost no time in making preparations. ​

Picture
Courtship
Adoniram courted Ann Hasseltine who was generally accepted as “the most beautiful girl in Bradford, Massachusetts.” His letter to her father is a classic: “I have now to ask whether you can consent to part with your daughter, whether you can consent to her departure to a heathen land, and her subjection to the hardships and suffering of a missionary life? Whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India, to every kind of want and distress, to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death?” John Hasseltine consented and Adoniram married Ann Hasseltine.

Commissioned
They were consecrated for missionary service the day after their wedding, and within 2 weeks they were sailing for India - sent out by the newly formed American Board of Commission for Foreign Missionaries.

Picture
Conflict
Adoniram and Ann spent much of their honeymoon arguing - about baptism. By the time they had reached Calcutta, Ann had also come to agree with the Baptist position and they sent a resignation letter back to the Mission Board that had just sent them out! They then convinced the Baptists to adopt them with the formation of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society.

Picture
Carey
En-route to Burma, the Judsons visited William Carey – the Father of Modern Missions - in India. There they were baptised by immersion, by Carey’s co-worker, William Ward. 

Tragedy
En-route by ship to Rangoon, their first child was stillborn during the voyage. In July 1813, the Judsons reached Rangoon. Their hearts sank at the sights and the smells of the place. Burma was a resistant Buddhist nation, under a cruel and despotic king, who viciously opposed their work. The Judson’s 7-month old son died.

Picture
Tribulation
Adoniram was struck by fever, which left him close to death. One missionary excursion dragged into a nightmare that lasted 7 months, much of it afflicted by fever. Back in Rangoon, Ann was subjected to severe harassment and withstood a devastating plague of cholera which swept the city.

Perseverance
The Judsons used a Zayat (a shelter) to provide rest for travellers, where discussions took place. It was at this Zayat in June 1819 that the Judsons were blessed, after 7 years of labour, with the first Burmese convert, Maung Nau.

Resistance
At one point, Adoniram Judson sought an audience with the Emperor, to present the Gospel to him. His attempt was abruptly dismissed by the Emperor. The Judsons battled discouragement and ill health.

Reinforcements
At one point Ann had to be sent back to America to recover from a debilitating fever. She returned with more missionary volunteers.

Picture
Torture
In 1824, war broke out between Great Britain and Burma. Although Judson was an American, he was accused of being an English spy and incarcerated in “Death Prison” for 18 months. Adoniram was mistreated and tortured by the Burmese, confined with 50 others in the most atrocious conditions, filth and squalor. At night his feet were tied to a bamboo pole, which was raised above his head so that he was forced to sleep, if at all, with only his head and shoulders on the ground.

Degradation
On the first occasion that Ann was allowed to visit her husband, eight months after his arrest, she carried their new born daughter, Maria. Ann was shocked that her normally fastidious, neat and presentable husband was in such a degrading state, having to crawl towards her in a condition that she was not even able to describe.

Devastation
When the British were able to free Adoniram, he was hit with another devastating blow, his beloved wife Ann had died. Six months later, their 2-year-old daughter, Maria, was buried alongside her mother. Adoniram sunk into extreme depression, and for a time, the work of the Gospel in Burma came to a halt.

Picture
Success
Inspired by the steadfastness of the Judsons, new Missionaries from America began arriving. More and more Burmese were converted to Christ. In one year, 200 converts were baptised. In 1832, Judson’s translation of the New Testament was completed, followed in 1834 by the Old Testament.

Progress
Adoniram then married Sarah Boardman, the widow of a missionary colleague. He worked at revising his translation of The Bible, alongside instructing native preachers and Evangelists. When his work on The Bible was finally done, he turned his attention to a Burmese dictionary.

Disaster
As Sarah’s health deteriorated, Adoniram accompanied her by sea back to America for recuperation, but she died en-route and was buried on the Island of St. Helena in August 1845. Then the news reached him that their 1½-year-old son, Charles, had died a month before his mother.

America
Although by now, he could barely whisper, large crowds gathered to hear him speak in America. When he returned to Burma, he took his third wife, Emily Chubbuck, with him. Emily generated some controversy as she was half his age and a writer of popular stories. Nevertheless, there was no doubt that she was a dedicated Christian and devoted to the Mission.

Picture
Karen for Christ
By 1849, the English-Burmese Dictionary had been completed. By the time Adoniram died in 1850, he had established 63 Churches amongst the Karen tribe. Over 100 000 Karen people had been baptised. Before he died, Adoniram declared: “When Christ calls me home, I shall go with the gladness of a boy, bounding away from his school.” All Judson’s 5 surviving children grew up to distinguish themselves in Christian service. The Karen people in Burma have remained steadfast in their Christian Faith despite severe persecution, an island of Christianity in a sea of Buddhism.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,  I have kept the Faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Dr. Peter Hammond


Picture
This article was adapted from a chapter of The Greatest Century of Missions book (224 pages with 200 photographs, pictures, charts and maps), available from: Christian Liberty Books, PO Box 358 Howard Place 7450 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-7478, Fax: 086-551-7490, Email: admin@christianlibertybooks.co.za, Website: www.christianlibertybooks.co.za.

Picture
1 Comment
J K Timothy link
10/8/2022 18:32:01

Thanks for the life of Adoniram Judson in a nutshell.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    More Articles

    All
    15 YEARS IN THE FRONTLINE
    Adoniram And Ann Judson - Missionaries To Burma - GCM 2106
    AFRICA FOR CHRIST - BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW SUMMIT
    AFRICAN AMERICANS CHALLENGED TO MOBILISE THEIR CHURCHES FOR WORLD MISSIONS
    Africa - The Challenge
    America's First Foreign Missionaries - Adoniram And Ann Judson
    An Interview With GEORGE VERWER
    Answers To Prayer From The Frontline Mailbag
    ANSWERS TO PRAYER FROM THE FRONTLINE MAILBAG 2019
    BEARING WITNESS TO THE LOVE OF CHRIST WITH PEOPLE OF OTHER FAITHS
    BIBLICAL FAITH And MODERN COUNTERFEITS
    BUILDING THE PEACE OF CHRIST IN OUR DIVIDED AND BROKEN WORLD
    BUT DOESN'T GOD LOVE EVERYONE EQUALLY?
    CAPE TOWN 2010 CONGRESS ON WORLD EVANGELISATION
    Celebrating 50 Years Of Marriage And Ministry
    CHINA PREVENTS PARTICIPATION IN MISSIONS CONGRESS
    CHRISTIANS MUST CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION
    CLAIMING CITIES FOR CHRIST
    CONFRONTING COMMUNISTS WITH THE GOSPEL.
    Congo For Christ
    CONGO RIVER MISSION
    C.T. Studd - Cricketer For Christ - GCM 2016
    David Livingstone - The Best Friend Africa Ever Had
    Dealing With Pathological Antagonists
    Do You Want To Change Your World?
    Dr James Kennedy - A Friend To Missionaries In Africa
    DR. JAMES KENNEDY – A FRIEND TO MISSIONARIES IN AFRICA
    EVANGELISING MUSLIMS IN NIGERIA
    FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE The Lady With The Lamp
    General Charles Gordon
    GLOBALISED WORLD
    Hammond Family News December 2015
    Henry Martyn - Missionary To Persia
    Henry Morton Stanley
    Hijacking Christmas
    HOW CIVILIZATIONS COMMIT SUICIDE
    How FRANCIS GRIM MENTORED Me In MISSIONS
    How To Be Effective In Missions Without Becoming A Victim
    Hudson Taylor - Missionary To China
    John Paton - Missionary To Cannibals - GCM 2016
    John Williams - Missionary Martyr To The New Hebrides
    LET THE EARTH HEAR HIS VOICE
    Living By Faith
    LIVINGSTONE THE LIBERATOR (DAVID LIVINGSTONE)
    Making Disciples Of All Nations
    Mary Slessor - Missionary To Nigeria
    MISSIONARY MADNESS
    MISSIONARY MURDERED IN MALAWI
    MISSIONARY VISION
    MISSIONS CONGRESS CALLED TO WORK FOR A SECOND REFORMATION
    MISSIONS CONGRESS TARGETED BY MASSIVE CYBER ATTACK
    MISSION To AMERICA - 2016
    ON THIS DAY IN MISSIONARY HISTORY
    OPERATION WORLD LAUNCHED AT CAPE TOWN 2010
    Prayer & Praise Update AFRICA FOR CHRIST - BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW SUMMIT
    PUTTING FEET To Our FAITH
    Reclaiming Surrendered Ground - Freedom In Christ
    REFORMATION FOR TRANSFORMATION
    REFORMATION IN ZAMBIA
    Robert Moffat - Pioneer Bible Translator
    Robert Morrison - First Protestant Missionary To China
    Samuel Ajayi Crowther - The First African Bishop Of The Anglican Church - GCM 2016
    Samuel Marsden - Missionary To Australia And New Zealand
    Samuel Zwemer - Missionary To The Muslims
    SUPERNATURAL POWER For WORLD MISSIONS
    TAKING THE WHOLE GOSPEL
    TESTIMONY OF COURAGE AMIDST COMMUNIST PERSECUTION IN NORTH KOREA
    Thanksgiving
    The Amaturisation Of Missions
    THE BOXERS AND COUNTING THE COST - MISSIONARY MARTYRS IN CHINA
    The Challenge Of Livingstone Today
    The Challenge Of Missions
    The Challenge Of Missions - GCM 2016
    The Christmas Truce
    The Forbidden Bible
    THE GREAT COMMISSION COURSE IN CAPE TOWN 2019
    THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL
    THE GREATEST MISSIONARY IS THE BIBLE
    The Greatest Movement In The World
    The Greatness Of The Great Commission - Ascension Day
    The Martyrs Prayer
    The Missionary Roots Of Freedom And Prosperity
    The Most Powerful Witness
    THE TRUTH OF CHRIST IN A PLURALISTIC
    THE WHOLE CHURCH
    Three Visions Of Africa
    TO THE WHOLE WORLD
    What Difference Can One Person Make? (William Carey)
    What Does It Take To Be A Missionary Of Frontline Fellowship?
    WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SERVE GOD?
    What Inspired The Greatest Century Of Missionary Advance?
    What Inspired The Greatest Century Of Missionary Advance? - GCM 2016
    Why Do So Many Fail And Give Up?
    WILLIAM CAREY’S VISION OF A CONGRESS FOR WORLD MISSIONS IN CAPE TOWN FULFILLED
    William Carey - The Father Of Modern Missions - GCM 2016
    William Chalmers Burns - Missionary To Manchuria - GCM 2016
    William Wilberforce - Missionary To Parliament - GCM 2016
    WILLIAM WILBERFORCE - SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE
    WOMEN AT RISK WORLDWIDE
    Working For Reformation In Africa
    You Are What You Read
    Zambia Update November 2002

    Archives

    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    November 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    December 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    March 2019
    October 2018
    June 2018
    February 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    August 2015
    December 2014
    August 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    July 2013
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    February 2010
    November 2007

    RSS Feed

"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
Picture

P.O.Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa

Tel:  +27 (0)21 689 4480 
Email: admin@frontline.org.za
  • Home
  • The Mission
    • About us
    • Prayer & Praise Updates
    • Priority Projects
    • Boxes with Love
    • Prayer Articles
    • Prayer Maps
    • Projects
    • Literature4Africa
    • Missionary Reports
    • Hammond Family News
    • In Memorium
  • Video & Audio Gallery
    • Audio Gallery
    • Video Gallery
  • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Digital Resources
    • Articles >
      • Articles
      • News
      • Africa
      • Animals
      • Animism
      • Bible Teaching
      • Christmas
      • Family
      • Gun Control & Self Defense
      • History
      • Islam
      • Missions
      • Persecution
      • Political & Social Issues
      • War and Terrorism
    • Film Reviews
    • Bible Studies
    • Answers to Critical Questions
    • Skeptics Questions Answered
    • Articles in other Languages >
      • Afrikaans
      • German
      • French
      • Danish
      • Chinese
      • Russian
      • Chichewa
      • Czech
    • Links
    • Resource Posters
    • Books published by Dr Peter Hammond
  • Events
  • Contact Us
  • Donate