Tentmaking Missions in history

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Johnny Chun / Executive Secretary of TI

[Mission in China & Hudson Taylor]
   Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China and founder of the China

Inland Mission (CIM, now OMF International). Taylor spent 51 years in China. The society that he began was

responsible for bringing over 800 missionaries to the country who began 125 schools and directly resulted

in 18,000 Christian conversions, as well as the establishment of more than 300 stations of work with more

than 500 local helpers in all eighteen provinces.

   Taylor was known for his sensitivity to Chinese culture and zeal for evangelism. He adopted wearing native Chinese clothing even though this was rare among missionaries of that time. Under his leadership, the CIM was singularly non-denominational in practice and accepted members from all Protestant groups, including individuals from the working class, and single women as well as multinational recruits. Primarily because

of the CIM's campaign against the opium trade, Taylor has been referred to as one of the most significant Europeans to visit China in the 19th

century. Historian Ruth Tucker summarizes the theme of his life: " No other missionary in the 19 centuries since the Apostle Paul has had a

wider vision and has carried out a more systematized plan of evangelizing a broad geographical area than Hudson Taylor."

   Taylor was able to preach in several varieties of Chinese, including Mandarin, Chaozhou, and the Wu dialects of Shanghai and Ningbo.


[Tentmakers in China]
   The Jesuit missionaries who went to China in the 16th and 17th century also had bi-vocational roles. Learned priests like Matteo Ricci, Johann Adam Schall von Bell and Ferdinand Verbiest became court astronomers and tutors of the emperor. They had freedom to preach wherever they went. These 

tentmaking Jesuits were very important part of Catholic missions.

   In 1807, Robert Morrison was the first Protestant missionary to China when he arrived in Macau. Life was not easy in the face of hostility from British opium traders, and the local people. After two years, he began working for the East India Company as an interpreter. It was the only way Morrison 

could legally stay on Chinese soil.

   In the next 150 years, many missionaries who went to China built some of the country’s best schools, universities, hospitals, and clinics. While they might not have been financially self-supporting, they definitely had bi-vocational roles, and contributed to China’s social, economic, and spiritual development.

Don’t go until you know!

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by Ari Rocklin from Tentmaking Today

   In our ongoing research of returned tentmakers for the past

20 years, we have seen definite trends in what makes for fruitful

ministry in the hard places. At the same time recognizing that

there are no templates that work for everyone, as we have also

seen tremendous spiritual breakthroughs through people who

were ill prepared to go. God is bigger than man’s best laid out

plans. This does not mean that people should deliberately leave

unprepared.

   I recently visited with a Christian couple who went to Central

Asia on a teaching contract for two years. Even though we had

urged them to attend some kind of specific tentmaker training

before going, they had chosen not to. Even while they were already

abroad, they declined our free scholarship offer  to

attend one of our GO Equipped courses not too far from where they

were living which also coincided with their holidays.

   In listening to their story, it was full of exciting events and on the whole it had been a very positive experience for the family. They had attended the 

international church (locals were not allowed) where they had made many friendships that resulted in visiting each other’s homes and being a

part of festivities. They had traveled in the region and made many friends among local people and with their students. They enjoyed eating out in

restaurants and were well known in their community.

   They could not point to any issues or hardships as it related to cultural adaptation, taking it all in stride with their great sense of humor.

   When asked if they had any opportunities to share their faith with locals, their responses were vague, pointing instead to the wonderful multi cultural 

expatriate church where they felt very much at home. It became evident that no local person had visited their home nor had they visited local people in 

theirs.

   It seemed to me that they were blissfully oblivious to the opportunities in their everyday lives to share the Gospel on so many levels with all the

people God had put in their lives.

   As much as I enjoyed hearing their story and being genuinely happy for their overseas adventure, deep inside I grieved at the loss to God’s Kingdom in 

a country where few have ever met a true follower of Jesus.

   I’m going to repeat the title of this article: Don’t go until you know! Get training, get mentoring, get encouragement before you go. These things are 

available only a few quick mouse clicks away. You will find real people who will walk with you in your preparation. Add Kingdom values to your

overseas adventure.