The BLB Blog

The official blog of Blue Letter Bible

William Carey: Father of Modern Missions

Posted on June 13, 2011 Posted by Blue Letter Bible

A Mission-less Society

You might find it hard to believe that in the late 18th century the majority of Protestant churches had very little interest in international missionary outreaches. They believed that Jesus’ Great Commission to go out to all the nations was only for the generation of the apostles.

Silly right? Well, this kind of thinking was commonplace in that day.

Going against the grain, a newly ordained minister by the name of William Carey urged his fellow Baptist ministers in England to form a missionary society. He received little interest in response. In fact, at one of these Baptist meetings, Carey was abruptly interrupted by an older minister, who said, “You man, sit down! You are an enthusiast. When God pleases to to convert the heathen, he’ll do it without consulting you or me!”

Such an attitude is incomprehensible today. The reason for this is largely due to the persistent efforts of William Carey. He never gave up.

Missions: A Christian obligation

In 1792 Carey wrote his “Inquiry into the Obligation of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens.” He argued that the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ applied to all Christians of all times. He rebuked any Christian that would ignore this: “Multitudes sit at ease and give themselves no concern about the far greater part of their fellow sinners, who to this day, are lost in ignorance and idolatry.”

Shortly thereafter, a missionary society was born, and at its inaugural meeting, Carey preached what has become known as his “Deathless Sermon”, based largely on Isaiah 54:2-3. The sermon climaxed with a call, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God!”

Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God!”

This phrase became a kind of motto for William Carey’s subsequent ministry, which included  translating the Bible in over 30 languages and serving in India, on mission for the gospel, for the rest of his life.

Carey’s greatest legacy is that he inspired of a worldwide missionary movement that influenced many after him, including Adoniram Judson, Hudson Taylor, David Livingstone, and countless others.

Filed Under: Misc.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About Blue Letter Bible

Blue Letter Bible offers some of the best online Bible study tools—free! Visit our main site blueletterbible.org. You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Comments

  1. Saved By Grace says

    June 13, 2011 at 3:35 pm

    Funny thing, the “not for today” argument does not seem to be a new one. Best to believe the bible is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Must be careful about dispensationalist reading more than what was written from God’s word.

  2. jrd says

    June 20, 2011 at 11:50 am

    Yes abd amen, we are called to be missional minded. not only on an global level, but on a personal community level. lifting up are eyes and looking at our own harvest field. we are commisioned to take the kingdom of God into our area of influence. God changes things for the better when His people advance with the good news. no kingdom push, no kingdom blessings. heaven comes to earth through us.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates and the latest Blue Letter Bible news!

PARTNER WITH THE BLB | (DISCLAIMER)

Other sites:

  • Blue Letter Bible
  • Blue Letter Bible Institute ('BLBi')

Comments Policy

  1. No registration is required to leave a comment.
  2. You may certainly ask follow-up questions.
  3. Please stay on topic. When unrelated comments get in the way of discussion, they will be deleted.
  4. We reserve the right to delete comments that we, at our discretion, find snarky, slanderous, trollish, or off-topic.
  5. Comments that are too long or contain many links may be held in moderation until an administrator approves.
  6. You grant us license to post your comments.
  7. Please be mindful of your words (Eph. 4:29; Matt. 12:37; James 1:19; James 1:26).
  8. Always exercise Christian charity (Col. 4:6; Rom. 12:10; Eph. 4:15, 25).

© Copyright 2012-2025 Blue Letter Bible · All Rights Reserved