Missionary E-Texts

Missionary
E-Texts
Archive

Historical Writings
by, about and for
Missionaries

"I took these men's lives into myself, and I felt my consciousness changed, that God was scraping off all the crud and dirt from my insides and preparing me to be used by Himself for His work."

"Some people treat these men and women like superheroes. However, they were imperfect sinners like us and did a great many things wrong, some more than others. Rather than accepting their teachings whole, we should seek to separate the precious from the worthless and examine all things and hold fast that which is good ."

"Much of the world today is corrupt. Regrettably, much of Christian ministy is problematic as well. These men and women of God, however, in some cases laboring in obscurity and all but forgotten, have much to tell us today."

"I've been on short-term mission trips and have been amazed to see what God is doing in the world today. I would like to know how to be a better missionary, in case I get to go again. And what better way to do this than to look at gifted lives from the past."

"Paul preached Christ's death for us and His resurrection, and that we may be reunited to God through faith in Jesus. Knowing this, shall we not long for every person on earth to realize this ultimate truth as well?"

Welcome!

Welcome to Missionary E-Texts Archive, an electronic repository of historical texts by, about and for missionaries. We hope you enjoy them!

Our emphasis is on missionaries whose spiritual lives or missionary experiences are of potential value to us today. This is motivated by Paul's teaching concerning the value of following the example of worthy lives (Phil. 3:17).

Missionaries

Paul of Tarsus (1st cent. A.D.), missionary to Asia Minor and Europe
Patrick (5th cent. A.D.), missionary to Ireland
Raymond Lull (1235-1316), missionary to Northern Africa
David Brainerd (1718-1747), missionary to Native Americans
William Carey (1761-1834), missionary to India
Henry Martyn (1781-1812), missionary to India and Persia
Ann Judson (1789-1826), missionary to Burma
Hudson Taylor (1832-1905), missionary to China
Samuel Zwemer (1867-1952), missionary to the Arab world

Document Format

Most of the documents here are presented in their original, unedited form, in DjVu(tm) format. This allows you to view the documents with their original look and feel, including any photographs, color plates, maps or engravings which may be present in the original book but are not preserved by other document formats.

Viewing these files requires that you download the DjVu plugin for your browser if you do not already have it. The plugin has controls for selecting pages to view, setting the page size, and increasing the contrast by displaying the foreground only.

Some Uses

Historical and missiological research
Missions work training
Spiritual growth
Enriched insight
Missions strategy
Short-term missions

Missionary E-Texts Archive CD-ROM

Missions-Related Links

U.S. Center for World Missions
AD2000 Movement
Brigada missions networking resources
CrossSearch missions links
SIM Christian missions page
Urbana missions conference
DAWN world missions news
MissionBookstore.com
Global Mapping International mission links

Terms of Use

The material on this web site or any portion thereof may be distributed without limitation provided that this notice is included in the distribution and the material is provided free of charge.

This material or any derivative thereof may not be sold without the written permission of the owner, Missionary E-Texts Archive.

Contact information: email:

missionaryetextsgmail.com

LizardTech, Chromafire and DjVu, and the LizardTech, Chromafire and DjVu logos are trademarks; and MrSID, and the MrSID logo, are registered trademarks of LizardTech, Inc., and are used with permission.

The Texts

1. General Missions History

Text: Christian Heroism in Heathen Lands, by Galen B. Royer. Elgin, Illinois: Brethren Publishing House, 1914.

Overview: A textbook-style overview of missions history and leading missionaries from history. In DjVu format (download the browser plugin).

Keywords: Overview, quick read, bite-sized chapters, missions history.

Read book now.

Individual chapters: Introduction | William Carey | Robert Morrison | David Livingstone | Adoniram Judson | Guido Fridolin Verbeck | James Chalmers | James Gilmour | Fidelia Fiske | John Kenneth Mackenzie | Henry Martyn | Missions till 1790 | Growth in the 19th Century.

2. Paul of Tarsus, Missionary to Asia Minor and Europe

Text: The Bible.

Overview: Paul of Tarsus, 'missionary extraordinaire' and personal witness to Jesus, played a major part in evangelizing Asia Minor and Europe. We know of his efforts mainly through Luke's Acts of the Apostles and Paul's letters in the Bible, the ultimate sourcebook for missionary training. These texts are located off-site at The Bible Gateway.

Keywords: Authoritative, ancient, raw history, inspired, miraculous, guidebook.

Read now: Acts of the Apostles | Letter to the Romans | First Letter to the Corinthians | Second Letter to the Corinthians | Letter to the Galatians | Letter to the Ephesians | Letter to the Philippians | Letter to the Colossians | First Letter to the Thessalonians | Second Letter to the Thessalonians | First Letter to Timothy | Second Letter to Timothy | Letter to Titus | Letter to Philemon | (Letter to the Hebrews).

3. Patrick of Ireland

Text: The Confessions of Patrick.

Overview: Spiritual autobiography of Patrick, influential 5th century missionary to Ireland. In HTML format. Text courtesy Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Keywords: Humility, heart for God, heart for people, imbued with Scripture, quick read.

Read book now.

Biographical sketch of the life of Patrick, located offsite at the Christian History Institute web site.

4. Raymund Lull

Text: Raymund Lull: First Missionary to the Moslems, by Samuel M. Zwemer. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1902. 204pp.

Overview: Raymund Lull (Ramon Llull) (c. 1235-1316), late medieval scholar, missionary and martyr to Northern Africa, predated the modern missionary movement by centuries. In DjVu format (download the browser plugin).

Keywords: Learned, loving, bold, pioneering, ahead of his time, going where no one else would go.

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Individual chapters: Introduction | Europe and the Saracens in the Thirteenth Century | Raymund Lull's Birthplace and Early Life | The Vision and Call to Service | Preparation for the Conflict | At Montpellier, Paris and Rome | His First Missionary Journey to Tunis | Other Missionary Journeys | Raymund Lull as Philosopher and Author | His Last Missionary Journey and his Martyrdom | "Who Being Dead yet Speaketh" | Bibliography .

5. David Brainerd

Text: Journal and writings of David Brainerd, taken from The Works of Jonathan Edwards.

Overview: David Brainerd (1718-1747) was missionary to native American peoples of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. His journals were widely read and highly influential. In HTML format. Text courtesy Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Keywords: Devoted, humble, heart for God and His work.

Read now: The Life and Diary of David Brainerd: With Notes and Reflections. | Mr. Brainerd's Journal, In Two Parts. | Appendices to Mr. Brainerd's Journal. | Mr. Brainerd's Remains, Consisting of Letters and Other Papers .

Biographical sketch of the life of David Brainerd, located offsite at the Christian History Institute web site.

6. William Carey

Text: Life of William Carey, Shoemaker and Missionary, by George Smith. 1909 edition.

Overview: William Carey (1761-1834), missionary to India and founder of the English Baptist Missionary Society, often considered to be the founder of modern missions. In HTML format. Text courtesy Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Keywords: Bold, learned, innovative, dedicated.

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Biographical sketch of the life of William Carey, located offsite at the Christian History Institute web site.

7. William Carey, An Enquiry

Text: An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens, by William Carey, 1792.

Overview: The book considered by some to have inaugurated the era of modern missions. This text is located off-site at GraceNet UK.

Keywords: Manifesto, call to Christianity to obey God, heart for the world.

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8. Carey, Marshman and Ward

Text: The Story of Carey Marshman and Ward: The Serampore Missionaries, by John Clark Marshman. London: Alexander Strahan and Co., 1864.

Overview: A history of William Carey and his associates in India. In DjVu format (download the browser plugin).

Keywords: Dedicated, innovative, pioneering, successful.

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Read more about the Serampore missionaries offsite at the Christian History Institute web site.

9. Henry Martyn

Text: A Memoir of Rev. Henry Martyn, B. D., by John Sargent. New York: American Tract Society, 184-?. 447 pp.

Overview: Henry Martyn (1781-1812), fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, and missionary to India and Persia of the early 19th century, has been described by some as having the most well-balanced spirituality of any Christian figure of the 19th century. In DjVu format (download the browser plugin).

Keywords: Erudite, spiritual, humble, self-effacing, heart for God and for people.

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Biographical sketch of the life of Henry Martyn, located offsite at the Christian History Institute web site.

11. Ann Judson

Text: Memoir of Mrs. Ann H. Judson, Late Missionary to Burma. Including a History of the American Baptist Mission in the Burman Empire, third edition, by James D. Knowles. Boston: Lincoln and Edmans, 1829.

Overview: Ann Hasseltine Judson (1789-1826) and her husband Adoniram were among the first overseas missionaries from America. In DjVu format (download the browser plugin).

Keywords: Full of trials and perils; promotional.

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Biographical sketch of the life of Ann Judson, located offsite at the Christian History Institute web site.

12. Hudson Taylor

Text: Hudson Taylor in Early Years: The Growth of a Soul, by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor. New York: Hodder and Stoughton; George H. Doran Co., 1912.

Overview: Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) was a pioneering missionary to the interior of China and founder of the China Inland Mission. In DjVu format (download the browser plugin).

Keywords: Spiritual, dedicated, pioneering.

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Biographical sketch of the life of Hudson Taylor, located offsite at the Christian History Institute web site.

14. Hudson Taylor: Union and Communion

Text: Union and Communion: Or, Thoughts on the Song of Solomon, by J. Hudson Taylor. London: Religious Tract Society, 1929.

Overview: Hudson Taylor shares spiritual insights from his experience of communion with God. In plain text format. Text courtesy Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Keywords: Spiritual, practical, insightful.

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15. Samuel Zwemer on Islam

Text: Islam: A Challenge to Faith, by Samuel M. Zwemer, second revised edition. New York: Layman's Missionary Movement, 1909.

Overview: A fairly comprehensive overview of Islam written by Samuel M. Zwemer (1867-1952), missionary to the Muslim world. In DjVu format (download the browser plugin).

Keywords: Encyclopedic, evangelical, motivational, somewhat dated.

Read book now.

Individual chapters: Introduction | The Origin and Sources of Islam | Mohammed, the Prophet of Islam | The Spread of Islam | The Faith of Islam | The Ritual of Islam | The Ethics of Islam | Division, Disintegration, and Reform | The Present Condition of the Moslem World | Missions to Moslems | Methods and Results | The Problem and the Peril | A Challenge to Faith | Appendices and Index .