The Missionary Mindset series looks into the lives of notable missionaries to provide valuable insights and inspiration. Read the last post in the Missionary Mindset series here.
In the 1800s, the spiritual depravity in China grabbed the attention of believers seeking to live out the Great Commission. One of these passionate missionaries was Hudson Taylor, who sacrificed much to spend 51 years pursuing the hearts of China’s unreached with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Hudson’s Background
Hudson Taylor was born on May 21, 1832, in Barnsley, United Kingdom, to James and Amelia Hudson. Although his father—a Methodist preacher—exposed Hudson to Christianity at a young age, he rejected the faith of his family until age 17.
After placing his faith in Jesus, Hudson soon committed to serve as a missionary in China with the Chinese Evangelism Society (CES), a decision that would determine the trajectory of his life.
He spent the following two years training in ministry and medicine, during which he developed a faith in God’s provision for his needs and was ready to venture into the ripe mission fields of China. Hudson embarked on his naval journey around the world in September 1853 and arrived in Shanghai, China, in March 1854.
Hudson fully immersed himself in Chinese culture, even altering his appearance to fit in with traditional Chinese garbs and hairstyles. These seemingly small physical changes dramatically increased his ability to preach the gospel and administer medical treatment amongst the Chinese, especially since his western wear—including a black overcoat—led many locals to label him “black devil.”
As his ministry grew, Hudson moved further into the interior of China. Over the course of four years, he married Mary Dyer and planted a church in Ningbo before an illness forced him to return to England for treatment.
It is during this furlough that he recognized a need for an evangelism ministry focused on China’s interior, inspiring him to form Chinese Inland Mission (CIM). In 1866—after a year of recruiting and planning—Hudson and his family returned to China with a band of missionaries under his leadership.
Hudson wasn’t willing to settle for comfort, and prayed and worked hard to address the extreme spiritual darkness in China—often butting heads with those overseeing CIM from England over his extreme ministry strategies. Nevertheless, CIM continued to expand rapidly and soon became the largest missions agency in China.
But the sacrifice of Hudson’s relentless work ethic was great. In his lifespan, he suffered the loss of his first and second wife as well as several children. In 1900—after years of battling depression and various ailments—his health took a final downturn.
“I am so weak that I can hardly write, I cannot read my Bible, I cannot even pray, I can only lie still in God’s arms like a little child, and trust.” –Hudson Taylor
Five years later, Hudson Taylor died in Hunan, China.
Hudson’s Legacy
Hudson Taylor’s legacy is one of radical trust and obedience to God’s call in China.
He trusted God to provide his daily bread and would stop at nothing to bring the hope of Christ to perishing souls. He refused to grow weary in doing good and, as seen below, God used him greatly as an ambassador of Jesus.
- Founded Chinese Inland Mission
- Took 11 missionary journeys to China
- Inspired thousands to leave their comfortable lifestyles to take the gospel to China’s unreached peoples
Today Hudson’s legacy lives on through CIM—now named the Overseas Missionary Fellowship—and his writings continue to encourage and inspire missionaries.
More Inspiration from Hudson
Hudson Taylor continues to be a bold voice in the realm of missions, pushing believers to trust God more and pray harder. Here are a few of our favorite statements from this missionary to China:
- "China is not to be won for Christ by quiet, ease-loving men and women. The stamp of men and women we need is such as will put Jesus, China, [and] souls first and foremost in everything and at every time—even life itself must be secondary."
- “You must go forward on your knees.”
- “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.”
- “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.”
- “Christ is either Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.”
- “I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize the Lord is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest positions He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult, His grace is sufficient.”