Meet Hudson Taylor

A Study Guide to his Autobiography and Spiritual Secret of Hudson Taylor

Introduction to the Student:

Welcome to the world of J. Hudson Taylor. We would like to introduce you to this humble servant of God who was used mightily in His hand to bring the gospel to the vast empire of China. Come with us and learn about his homeland and his adopted land. What was it like to live in the nineteenth century? What was happening here in America while he was growing up in England, or surviving incredible events in far away China? And how did he think? How did they talk back then? Your great grandfather probably lived many of the same years that Hudson lived. They would have shared many experiences that would now seem foreign to us.

Would you like to get to know Hudson Taylor? We will let him speak to you himself. In his own words he will tell you how he came to know the Lord, how he learned to trust God for all of his needs, and how he came to abide in the Lord and experience peace in the midst of seemingly unendurable circumstances. We will also let his son and daughter-in-law tell you about his later years and his homegoing to glory. You will learn about the mission he founded, and how it prospered after he was gone.

We know you will enjoy your time with this hero of faith. His was not a great faith, but a faith in a Great Savior. Let him tell you about the marvelous adventures and the perplexing trials he experienced as he left his home and family to follow this Savior to the other side of the globe. If you can begin to see his world and his heart, you will truly become acquainted with this man, and then perhaps you will look forward, as we do, to meeting him after we meet the Saviour!

In this study you will learn about Hudson's world as well as his life. You will learn about places and events that shaped his life. You will make maps of Great Britain and China and add to them the places where Hudson worked and traveled. You will learn the vocabulary that he had to learn to be able to communicate his story so effectively. You will learn how to spell the words that he had to learn, and you will learn by using methods and tools that he used when he was home educated: dictation and dictionary consultation. It is our prayer that you will learn how to continue learning, and that you will be motivated to study further into his life and into the lives of other heroes of faith.

Are you ready? You will need this study guide, a copy of Hudson's autobiography Hudson Taylor (published by Bethany House) and Spiritual Secret of Hudson Taylor by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor (published by Whitaker House), a dictionary, access to a set of encyclopedias, a Bible concordance, and other reference works, a single-subject, wirebound notebook, some unlined paper for making maps and drawings, a pencil, and a red pen or marker. Oh, yes, and please throw in some enthusiasm, a willingness to work hard, and a sense of adventure! It is our prayer that after you have met Hudson Taylor, you will have a deeper love and commitment to his Savior, and that you will never be the same again.