05/30/2026
Hudson Taylor, one of the most famous Christian missionaries in history. He founded the China Inland Mission (now OMF International) and pioneered inland missionary work in China in the 19th century, often dressing in Chinese clothing to better reach the people.
As a teenager around age 17, Hudson Taylor was not deeply committed to faith, though he came from a Christian family. One day, while his mother was away (about 70 miles distant), he picked up a gospel tract from his father's library to pass the time. He intended to read only the story at the beginning and skip the "religious" part.
While reading, he came across the phrase “the finished work of Christ.” This puzzled him. He thought: Why "finished"? Then the words from John 19:30 — “It is finished” — came to mind. He realized Christ had fully paid the debt for sin through His death on the cross. There was nothing left for him to do but accept this gift of salvation by faith.
At that exact moment, his mother (far away) felt a strong burden to pray for her son and continued praying until she had peace that God had answered. When she returned home, she was convinced he had been saved — and he had! Hudson later described it as the Holy Spirit flashing light into his soul, leading him to kneel and praise God for salvation.
This encounter transformed him. Soon after, he felt God's call to China as a missionary. He faced immense challenges — poverty, opposition, illness, and loss — but trusted God deeply for provision. He famously said he "never made a sacrifice" for Christ, because what he gained in knowing and serving Jesus far outweighed any cost.
“I have no doubt that many a missionary has been called... but the question is, are we obeying the call?” — Hudson Taylor
His life and the China Inland Mission led thousands to Christ and inspired generations of missionaries.
- JESUS SAVES TV