By Jesse Morrell

      In the beginning

      -1832 James Taylor and Maria Taylor, Yorkshire England, prayed "Dear God, If you should give us a son, grant that he may work for you in china.

      -Hudson Taylor born May 21, 1832

      -Born into a Methodist family

      -Hudson wanted to be a china missionary without knowledge of his parent's prayers.

      -Converted at age 17, after rebellious season. 50 miles away from home mother locked her self up for prayer and determined not to leave until her son was saved. Praying like that gets God's attention.

      -Saved by a tract about the finished work of Christ and said he accepted "this Savior and this salvation."

      First trip to China

      - During night of intense prayer his call to china was confirmed. He was a man of prayer, plenty of men preach, not many men pray.

      -Next few years spent fervently studying language, medicine, and the bible.

      -Age 21, Monday Sep 19th, 1853. A three massed clipper "Dumfries" weighing less then 500 tons, took Taylor to China. He had faith that worked, and working faith, because faith without works is dead.

      -Terrible storm, convinced they would die, trusted God, content to die trying to obey God.

      -Arrive Shanghai March 1854

      -Worked for Chinese Evangelization Society started by Karl Gutzlaff

      -Same year, clothing and hair Chinese. He was ahead of his time. Like hair Krishna's in America.

      -Taylor saw missionaries living in luxury and thought they were worldly. K P Yohannas Book same thing.

      -Less pay then everyone else. Most $700 a year not including rent, he received $80 including rent.

      -Dec. 1854, with Joseph Edkins, sailed with bibles and tracts to people on Huangpu River. Crowds drew, mobs threatened, escaped by hopping a boat.

      Left CES

      -1857 Taylor resigned from C.E.S. after much prayer, finding it insufficient.

      -Trusted God for finances, no asking for donations or even letting friends/family know situation.

      -Married Jan 1858 Maria Dyer, 20yrs old. Same heart beat for China.

      -By March 1860, his church and Ningpo had 21 members.

      Return to England

      -1861 caught a disease, went back to England to recover.

      -at home translated bible and recruited missionaries.

      -Frustrated with other Christians in 1865 "Can all the Christians of England sit still with folded arms while these multitudes (in china) are perishing-perishing for lack of knowledge, for lack of that knowledge which England possesses so richly, which has made England what England is and made us what we are? What does the Master teach us? Is it not that if one sheep out of a hundred be lost, we are to leave the ninety nine to seek one? But here the proportions are almost reversed, and we stay at home with the one sheep, and take no heed to the ninety and nine perishing ones!" Because our hearts do not burn within us, souls burn in hell. Some say their church doesn't witness, well I know the name of their church. It must be the "good for nothing" church. I didn't say it, Jesus said it.

      Vision for new organization

      -Mission Organizations were confined to only 5 treaty ports. Hudson realized a new organization was needed to evangelize the rest of China. Wanted 24 missionaries, 2 for reach of the eleven inland provinces of China that were without a missionary, and two for Mongolia. At the time there were only total of 90 Protestant missionaries in China. Hudson planned on increasing that over 25% himself.

      -Started China Inland Mission with 5 missionaries, hesitant and fearful. He could not sleep more then 2 hours in 1865.

      -Friend concerned for his health invited him to a weekend break in Brighton. Hudson slipped out after worship because he could not bear the site of seeing a congregation of a thousand or more rejoicing in their security while china goes to hell. One walk on beach he found peace and comfort.

      -China Inland Missions distinct features were:

      1) Not any specific denomination
      2) No set salary/ no debt
      3) No appeals for funds
      4) Directed by leaders on frontlines, not home committees.
      5) Go into the interior of China
      6) Chinese clothing/ adopt culture.

      Back to China

      -Within one year, Hudson's family, 16 missionaries, leave London for China to join 2 other missionaries already laboring in China for CIM.

      - Town's of Hangchow (Hangzhou) and Hsiaosha (Xiaoshan) worked in medical care and treatment and preaching.

      -1867 missionary John Mc Carthy from Dublin describes the scene when he arrived. It was a Chinese New Year; a crowd was outside the CIM Clinic, venders selling, Taylor preaching open air on a table to the people.

      -200 patients daily.

      - Mat Usiu, converted at Ningpo, also preached as people waiting medical treatment.

      Some trouble.

      - Lewis Nicol, a CIM missionary, complained about the way things were run and even spread lies. Preferred English clothing for respect and protection. Hudson hesitant of his release, but did so and 3 others left with him.

      -Some from other society complained that Hudson had single men and women living together. Hudson and Maria kissed others on forehead before bed. Some loss of support back in London.

      -1870 Baptist Welshmen Timothy Richards won over CIM members. Said you could use similarities from Buddhism and Confucianism to influence china to Christ. Very liberal. CIM suffered.

      Still going forth

      -CIM still grew. 1876, 18 new missionaries set sail for China, totally 52 missionaries for CIM.

      -Expanded to reach areas such as Honan (Henan), Shens (Shaanxi), Kansu (Gansu), Hunan, Kweichow (Guizhou) and at least one reached Tibet.

      -Despite more criticism, began sending unmarried women into the interior.

      -1881 prayed for another 70 missionaries, by 1884 had 76.

      -1882 had 56 wives, and 95 single missionaries

      -1885 the Cambridge Seven joins. C. T. Stud the famous captain of Cambridge Cricket team. Studd also inherited several million dollars which he used to help support Moody Bible Institude and the for Salvation Army missionaries to come to china. Also famous Stanley Smith, captain of Cambridge rowing team who had a soap box in Hyde park where he preached open-air what he called "not the milk and water of religion, but the cream of the gospel."

      -1886 praying for another 100 missionaries. A prayer without faith is a prayer that will go unanswered. The only answered prayer is a faithful prayer.

      -Veteran missionary said "I am delighted to hear that you are praying for large reinforcements. You will not get a hundred, of course, with the year, but you will get many more than if you did not ask for them." Hudson said "Thank you for your interest, we have the joy of knowing our prayers answered now. And I feel sure that, if spared, you will share the joy or welcoming the last of the hundred to China!"

      By Nov. 1887, 102 candidates accepted and had enough money for their passage to China.

      -Grew to be the largest organization in China and had influences in all 18 provinces of China.

      "I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God: first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done." H. Taylor

      More Trouble temperature rising

      -Riot had CIM house attached, family injured and other missionaries hurt. London debated on whether or not these missionaries were good for British trade.

      -Rivalry between counsels caused 30 missionaries to resign. Hudson wanted those near to the frontlines to have executive power.

      Still being strong

      - Taylor said "China is not to be won for Christ by quite, ease loving men and women.... The stamp men and women we need is such as will put Jesus, China, souls, first and foremost in everything and at every time- even life itself must be secondary."

      - He was a strong man. Despite poor healthy and depressions he labored. His depression, which is a spiritual battle, was at times so severe that he wanted to die. The job was so enormous, but God is still bigger.

      Nearly had a complete physical and mental break down in 1890 during speaking tour in the United States.

      -His wife died at age 33. 8 of his children died before reaching age 10.

      - 1900, Taylor was in Switzerland when the Boxer Rebellion Spread through China. 58 Missionaries and 21 children killed.

      Others catch on

      -by the end of his life, those who once scoffed at his methods were adopted them.

      -After Taylor's death- young Chinese Evangelist looked upon the body and said "dear and venerable Pastor, we too are your little children. You opened for us the road to heaven. We do not want to bring you back, but we will follow you."

      Lessons to learn: Faith and trust, courage and bravery, pressing forward, perseverance, compassion, not to settle for second best.