Brighton Beach
Excerpt from the book, J. Hudson Taylor: A Man in Christ by Roger Steer
(Upon returning from six years in China with the Chinese Evangelization Society, Hudson Taylor saw poor financial stewardship, comfortable missionary lifestyles and failure to reach the Chinese people for Christ.)
“Despite the fears, Hudson could see so clearly the sort of agency that was needed. It would be a mission composed of men and women from different denominations who would give themselves to evangelism, church planting and the training of church leaders. They would need to press into the interior of China, depending on God alone to guide and provide for them in answer to believing prayer. To reach each of the 11 untouched provinces there would need to be a minimum of 22 missionaries. […]”
“George Pearse invited Hudson Taylor to Brighton for the weekend of June 24-26, 1865. During Sunday morning worship he heard the Presbyterian J.M. Denniston preach and was moved by what he said. Then, as he recalled, ‘unable to bear the sight of a congregation of a thousand or more Christian people rejoicing in their own security, while millions were perishing for lack of knowledge, I wandered out on the sands alone, in great spiritual agony; and there the Lord conquered my unbelief, and I surrendered myself to God for this service. I told him that all the responsibility as to the issues and consequences must rest with him—his to direct, to care for, and to guide me and those who might labor with me.’”
“Need I say that peace at once flowed into my burdened heart? There and then I asked him for 24 fellow workers, two for each of the eleven inland provinces which were without a missionary, and two for Mongolia; and writing the petition on the margin of the Bible I had with me, I returned home with a heart enjoying rest such as it had been a stranger to for months, and with assurance that the Lord would bless his own work and that I would share in the blessing. I had previously prayed, and asked for prayer, that workers might be raised up for the 11 unoccupied provinces, and thrust forth and provided for, but had not surrendered myself to be their leader.”
