Judson Ends Mission Gridlock - Godly Men Weep!

When the Evangelical Congregationalists held there annual meeting in Thursday june, 28, 1810 Judson and four (4) others stood and read this memorial;

"The undersigned, members of the Divinity College, respectfully request the attention of their reverend fathers, convened in the General Association at Bradford; to the following statement and inquires:

They beg leave to state that their minds have been long impressed with the duty and importance of personally attempting a mission to the heathen; that the impressions on their minds have induced a serious, and, as they trust, a prayerful consideration of the subject,. and that, after examining all the information which they can obtain, they consider themselves as devoted to this work for life, whenever God; in His providence, shall open the way.

They now offer the following inquiries, on which they solicit the opinion and advice of this Association: Whether with their present views and feelings, they ought to renounce the object of missions as either visionary or impracticable; If not, whether they ought
to direct their attention to the Eastern or the Western world," Whether they may expect patronage and support from a missionary society in this country, or must commit themselves to the direction of a European society; And what preparatory measures they ought to take previous to actual engagement.The undersigned, feeling their youth and inexperience, look up to their fathers in the Church, and respectfully solicit their advice, direction, and prayers. "

(Into all the World, Vance Christie, pg 69, Barbour publishing 2004)

You see, NO one sent missionaries for almost 250 yrs in those days – No one knew how. Know one knew what to do, where to begin. They were all baffled as to the next step. But as Judson read this letter, Vance Christie writes ;

" A hush fell over the assembly as Adoniram read the memorial. After he finished reading, each of the four who had signed the document stood to share a brief personal testimony of why he was convinced God had called him to serve as a foreign missionary. As they did, some in the audience began to weep as the moving prospect."

(Into all the World, Vance Christie, pg 70 Barbour publishing 2004)