Art, obsession, and identity
Going on a religious mission across borders to spread the word of God is not something for everyone. But ever since the early days of Christianity, missionaries have traveled to faraway lands to spread the gospel and try to convert other peoples to their faith. Of course, this has not been without controversy. That said, certain figures stand out amongst the history of missionaries.
In this gallery, we bring you some of history's most famous missionaries, whose legacy is still present to this day. Click on and get to know them.
Paul the Apostle, or Saint Paul, is one of the most important evangelists in Christian history. Paul traveled throughout the Roman Empire in the 1st century spreading the gospel, founding Christian communities, and writing part of the New Testament.
St. Patrick lived in Roman Britain when he was kidnapped by raiders and taken to Ireland. There, he stayed in captivity and strengthened his relationship with God. He eventually escaped, went back home, but later returned to Ireland as a missionary. His impact was such that he is the patron saint of Ireland.
Montecorvino was an Italian Franciscan missionary. He founded one of the earliest Latin Catholic missions in India and China.
Francis Xavier was a Spanish Catholic missionary who co-founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1540. He represented the Portuguese Empire and led the first Christian mission to Japan. Xavier's missionary work spread across Goa (India), Malacca (Malaysia), the Maluku Islands (Indonesia), and China.
John Eliot was an English Puritan missionary to the Native Americans in Massachusetts. Eliot is credited with getting the first Bible ever printed in North America, the Eliot Indian Bible, which was translated into the Massachusett Indian language in 1660. John Eliot is known as the "Apostle to the Indians."
German missionary Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg was the first Pietist missionary to India. He's responsible for the first translation of the New Testament into Tamil.
Junípero Serra was a Spanish Catholic priest and Franciscan missionary. He established the Franciscan Missions in Sierra Gorda, Mexico, and eight Spanish missions in California.
William Carey was an English Christian missionary and Particular Baptist minister. Carey hugely contributed to the spread of Christianity in India, where he served for 41 years and translated the Bible into local languages and dialects. He is known as the father of the modern missions movement.
Samuel Marsden was born in England and became a priest of the Church of England in Australia. He was a prominent member of the Church Missionary Society in Australia and is credited with the introduction of Christianity in New Zealand.
Henry Martyn was an Anglican priest and missionary best known for his work with the Islamic community in India and Persia (present-day Iran). Martyn translated scripture into Urdu, Arabic, and Persian.
Anglo-Scottish Robert Morrison was the first Protestant missionary in China. Morrison served for 27 years, translated the Bible into Chinese, and authored the first Chinese-English dictionary. He is considered the "father of Anglo-Chinese literature."
Adoniram Judson was an American Baptist missionary to Burma (now Myanmar), where he stayed for 40 years. Among his works is the translation of the Bible into Burmese.
Ann Judson joined her husband Adoniram Judson in Burma and became the first American female missionary. Ann Judson is known for writing a catechism in Burmese.
Robert Moffat was a Scottish missionary to South Africa. He is best known for translating the first Bible into Tswana.
Dubbed the "father of faith missions," Anthony Norris Groves was an English missionary to the Arabic-speaking Muslim community in Bagdad, Iraq, and later in India.
David Livingstone was a Scottish physician, explorer, and missionary. Livingstone is credited with the conversion of the king of the Bakwena in Botswana. Livingstone not only worked to promote Christianity across Africa, but also to combat the slave trade in the continent.
John G. Paton was a Scottish missionary who's best known for preaching to the natives in the New Hebrides Islands of the South Pacific, including the cannibals of the island of Tanna.
Hudson Taylor was a British Baptist Christian missionary. He's best known for his missionary work in China, where he served for 51 years and founded the China Inland Mission (now known as OMF International) in 1865.
Lottie Moon was an American Southern Baptist missionary in China for 39 years. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, where believers help fund Southern Baptist missions worldwide, was inspired by her work and established in her honor.
Mary Slessor was a Scottish missionary in Nigeria. She's known for translating the Bible into the native language, fighting for women's rights, and stopping the infanticide of twins in local tribes. Mary Slessor adopted four children (pictured).
Jonathan Goforth was a Canadian Presbyterian missionary who worked in China. He's often quoted as the most relevant missionary revivalist in early 20th-century China.
C. T. Studd was an English cricketer and missionary in China, India, and Africa for over three decades. Studd was the founder of the Worldwide Evangelization Crusade (now known as WEC International).
Amy Carmichael was an Irish Protestant Christian missionary who served in India for 45 years. Dubbed the "Mother to India," Carmichael is best known for her work with women and children, including rescuing young girls from temple prostitution.
Eric Liddell was a Scottish sprinter, rugby player, and missionary in China. Liddell taught religion at the Anglo-Chinese College in Tianjin. Part of his life story is portrayed in the movie 'Chariots of Fire' (1981).
The British missionary is best known for her work in China, where she spent 40 years. Gladys Aylward went on to found an orphanage in Taiwan.
Born in Skopje, North Macedonia, Mother Teresa went on to become a Catholic nun and found the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, in 1950. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate dedicated her life to the poor and sick. In 2016, she was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
Helen Roseveare was an English doctor and missionary to Congo (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) for 20 years. She's credited with establishing numerous medical clinics through the Worldwide Evangelization Crusade.
Sources: (Bibles.net) (Have Fun With History)
See also: These stars are born-again Christians
Famous missionaries who spread Christianity around the world
These men and women dedicated their lives to spreading God's word
LIFESTYLE Evangelism
Going on a religious mission across borders to spread the word of God is not something for everyone. But ever since the early days of Christianity, missionaries have traveled to faraway lands to spread the gospel and try to convert other peoples to their faith. Of course, this has not been without controversy. That said, certain figures stand out amongst the history of missionaries.
In this gallery, we bring you some of history's most famous missionaries, whose legacy is still present to this day. Click on and get to know them.