HUDSON TAYLOR by Bill Gemaehlich
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s we continue to put our hope and devastating, this trial paved the way for a trust in Christ like never before life-changing moment in Taylor’s walk with during COVID-19 and the current war Christ which he referred to as “the exchanged across our world, we can look to men and life.” Taylor wrote about this experience in a women of faith who have gone before us letter to his sister after the Yangzhou riots: for encouragement. “’If we believe not, He abideth faithful.’ I Hudson Taylor devoted his life as a mislooked to Jesus and saw (and when I saw, sionary in China for 51 years. Taylor served oh, how joy flowed!) that He had said, ‘I during a time when China was closed to will never leave you.’ ‘Ah, there is rest’ I foreigners and racial prejudice made it thought. ‘I have striven in vain to rest in hazardous to venture into the interior of Him. I’ll strive no more. For has he not the country. He courageously established a promised to abide with me, never to fail chain of missions, bringing the Gospel to a me?’ And, dearie, He never will!”1 nation who had never heard As we continue to faithLet us not grow weary fully seek Him day-by-day, the name of Jesus. and like Hudson Taylor faced many trials week-by-week, and monthas he led the British China by-month during these difTaylor be strong Inland Mission. One of the ficult days, let us not grow and courageous most famous trials was weary and like Hudson remembering the Lord Taylor be strong and couthe Yangzhou riot, which our God goes with erupted in August 1868. rageous remembering the The riot started in oppous and He will never Lord our God goes with us sition to the presence of forleave or forsake us. and He will never leave or eign Christian missionaries forsake us. because of rumours that they were stealing “If we are faithless, he remains babies and killing them to make medicine. faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” The angry mob, estimated between eight (2 Timothy 2:13 ESV) and 10 thousand people, assaulted the missionaries, looted, and burned the British 1 Taylor, Howard. Hudson Taylor and the China China Inland Mission. Inland Mission: Volume 2: The Growth of a Work of God. London: China Inland Mission, 1920. In his biography of Hudson and Maria Taylor, author John Pollock states that Hudson Bill Gemaehlich is the EVP/COO operations at Taylor was so discouraged by the riot that “he Insight for Living Ministries.assistant at Insight for was tempted to end his own life!” Although Living Canada.
