Apostle Paul (5 A.D. in Tarsus - 67 A.D. in Rome)

Paul wrote 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. After Christ the Apostle Paul was the greatest missionary that ever lived. Paul specifically taught his disciples to follow his example. (Philippians 3:17,2 Thessalonians 3:7,9) We are also taught to imitate the faith of the saints who have gone before us in Hebrews 6:12 and 13:7. Paul lived his entire life for the cause of the Gospel and for the glory of Jesus Christ. Paul continually spoke of the power of the Gospel in texts such as Romans 1:16 and also taught that the main missionary tool for the Gospel work is the proclamation of the Gospel i.e. preaching (I Cor. 2: 1-5). Paul also explained this in Rom. 10: 14-15. If we are to follow the Word of God and live out biblical mission then we must follow the Apostle Paul's example and teaching of making "preaching" the primary method of doing the work of the Gospel.

Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 - March 22, 1758)

Edwards was the greatest theologian and philosopher that America ever produced. He played a fundamental role in the First Great Awakening and wrote books such as Religious Affections and the Life of David Brainerd. His theological treatise, sermons, and life practices provided the critical groundwork for biblical living and missions. Edwards understood and taught that objective truth must validate any emotional or religious experience. Understanding Edward's teaching today is of great importance for curbing the high emotional and subjective experiences of postmodern spirituality and for carrying a biblical/theological toolbox to work in any missional context around the world. Edwards lived and died preaching and teaching that all of life and service must be done wholly for the glory of God and the beauty of Christ.

George Whitefield (December 16, 1714 - September 30, 1770)

Whitefield was one of the greatest evangelist that ever lived. Much of the reason that America was founded as a "Christian" nation was because of the life and work of Whitefield in the 13 British Colonies. He was the main component for starting the Great Awakening in Great Britain and the Colonies. He was a contemporary of John and Charles Wesley but had far better doctrine and ministry success then either of the two brothers. He was also close friends with Benjamin Franklin who measured the capacity of his preaching to reach a crowd of 10,000 people and calculated his voice could be heard for over a mile. Whitefield focused on the proclamation of the Word above all else and trained many other preachers to go out to proclaim the Word with him such as John Cennick and the famous preacher from Whales, Howell Harris. He was much engaged in social work and that of building orphanages and schools but it was a small work compared to his preaching of God's Word. The preaching of the Word was always preeminent in every aspect of Whitefield's life and ministry.

David Brainerd (April 20, 1718 - October 9, 1747)

Brainerd led an amazingly weak yet powerful life as a missionary to the Native Americans. He was orphaned at age 14 and later attended Yale before promptly being expelled for saying a disrespectful comment about his college tutor in private. Though Brainerd only had a handful of Indian converts his piety, his heart for God, and his heart for serving the lost is legendary. The Life of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards led to the inspiration of 1,000's to become missionaries. He was licensed to preach in 1742 and then a year later decided to work among the Native Americans, specifically among the Delaware Indians. Brainerd suffered much physical and mental torment and spent much of his brief life expressing the vileness of his sin and of his need for God. He died at the age of 29 from tuberculosis in the house of Jonathan Edwards. Brainerd was a contemporary and friend of Edwards, Wesley, and George Whitefield.

Hudson Taylor (May 21, 1832 - June 3, 1905)

Taylor founded the China Inland Mission and lived and worked in China for 51 years. He is most famous for his ability to understand Chinese culture and dialect and adapt to the Chinese way of life. He established over 300 work stations and included the help of over 500 nationals in all of the eighteen provinces of inland China. Some 18,000 to 25,000 conversions are attributed to Taylor's preaching. Taylor took on Chinese dress and hair style so that he would not be seen as the "black devil" anymore due to his prior use of his black overcoat of typical British fashion. What is the most important to remember about Taylor is that he did two things very well. He adapted to the host culture and he stayed faithful in proclaiming the Gospel thorough the preaching of the Word. Taylor and the mission also considered the father of the modern "Faith MIssion" movement. He also greatly impacted D.L. Moody, C.T. Studd, and C.I. Scofield all whom later assisted Taylor in His work. He was buried in Changsha, Hunan, China.

ON February 14, 1860 he wrote: "If I had a thousand pounds China should have it- if i had a thousand lives, China should have them. No! Not CHina, but Christ. Can we do too much for Him? Can we do enough for such a precious Savior?"