Japan was engulfed in political conflicts and wars between the 12th and 16th centuries. This period of upheaval ended during the reign of the Three Unifiers (Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu). Wary of foreigners and their influence, the shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu issued the sakoku edicts in 1635 and started the self-imposed isolation of […]
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George Müller (1805-1898)
George Müller (1805-1898) was unique among 19th-century missionaries. The majority of these missionaries came from the English-speaking world and preached the gospel to those who did not speak English. Müller, a native of Prussia, chose to minister in Bristol, England instead of far-off Asia or Africa. His impact on the English people was tremendous. Müller […]
Gladys Aylward (1902-1970)
Petite and dark-haired, the woman would not have looked out of place in any Chinese city during the early 19th century. But upon closer inspection, one could see that she was a foreigner. She was Gladys Aylward, an intrepid English missionary who is renowned for her work among the orphans in Yangcheng County during one […]
David Livingstone (1813-1873): Explorer and Missionary
David Livingstone (1813-1873) stands as a giant not only in the history of Christian missions, but also in the history of exploration. He was able to overcome his humble background to study theology and medicine, as well as become one of the most daring Christian missionaries in the African continent. David Livingstone was one of […]
Hudson Taylor (1832-1905)
Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) is one of the most formidable names in the history of Christian missions. Although he was not the first Christian missionary in China, he was one of the most daring and most innovative. He established and built the China Inland Mission (now OMF International) despite many personal tragedies and the difficulties of […]
What to Pray For When You Don’t Know What to Pray For
I don’t know where I heard this, but one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever been given when it came to prayer is this: set a timer for five minutes and try to pray the entire time. It shouldn’t really be that hard; after all, we sit in drive-thru lanes at fast food […]
101 Small Ways to Share the Gospel
Of all the things that are difficult in the life of a Christian, talking to someone else about the Gospel is probably one of the hardest. For most of us, we’re content to sit in our little church pews and sing some songs, while resisting the constant temptations that life tends to throw at us […]
China Invades Tibet 1950-1951
The Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, was the first to establish relations with China after his marriage to a Tang Dynasty princess. The Qing Dynasty intensified the efforts to bring Tibet into its fold, but it was distracted by internal problems during the latter half of its rule. Between 1950 and 1951, however, China invaded Tibet […]
Japanese Chinese War (The First Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895)
Between 1894 and 1895, Imperial Japan and Qing Dynasty China fought supremacy over Korea. It would be called the First Sino-Japanese War, a bloody conflict from which Japan emerged triumphantly. China was forced to cede the Liaodong Peninsula, Taiwan, and the Penghu Islands to Japan after its loss in 1895. It was also compelled to […]
Methodists Separate from Church of England 1795
The 18th-century religious movement called Methodism was founded by the Anglican priest John Wesley. As Methodist converts increased, the clergy of the Church of England often refused to administer them the sacraments. Wesley adamantly encouraged the Methodists to remain in the Anglican fold, but it was not meant to be. In 1795, Methodist leaders issued […]