Heroes of the Faith: Ruth Bell Graham

Ruth Bell Graham was the wife and life partner of evangelist Billy Graham. She was born on June 10, 1920 in Qingjiang, Jiangsu, Republic of China. Her parents L. Nelson and Virginia Leftwich Bell were medical missionaries to Shandhai. She enrolled at the age of 13 in the Pyeng Yang Foreign School in Pyongyang, Korea. She then graduated high school […]

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Heroes of the Faith: Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith is known for his down home, good clean humor on his shows The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock. However, he was also a gospel singer. Andy Samuel Griffith was born on June 1, 1926 in Mount Airy, North Carolina. He was the only child of Carl Lee and Geneva Nunn Griffith. He came from humble beginnings, but from […]

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Heroes of the Faith: Thomas Cranmer

Thomas Cranmer was a leader during the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury. He brought major changes to the church during the reigns of King Henry VIII and two of his children, Edward VI and Mary I. He died a martyr’s death, which was immortalized in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and his legacy continues through the Book of Common Prayer […]

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Heroes of the Faith: Jonathan Goforth

Jonathan Goforth was a Canadian missionary to China. He and his wife, Rosalind, became the leading missionaries in early 20-Century China and helped to establish and the revival of the Protestant China missions. Goforth was born on February 10, 1859 in Ontario, Canada. He was the seventh of eleven children. As a young man he sensed the call on his […]

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Faithful Heroes: Watchman Nee

Watchman Nee established churches throughout China, before being imprisoned and persecuted for his faith. Watchman Nee waws the third of nine children born to Ni Weng-hsiu and Lin He-Ping. He was born on November 4, 1903 in China. His grandfather was an Anglican preacher and Nee was raised in the Methodist church. At the age of 13, he entered the […]

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Faithful Heroes: William Tyndale

William Tyndale the first person to directly translate the English Bible directly from Hebrew and Greek. He was born around 1494 in Gloucestershire, England as William Hychyns. As a young man he entered Oxford University earning a Bachelors and then Master of Arts degree. He became a gifted linguist and fluent in seven additional languages to his native English. He […]

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Faithful Heroes: John Huss

John Huss is considered the first church reformer after John Wycliffe, the theorist Protestantism. He was the forerunner to Luther, Calvin and Zwingli. Jan Hus was the true spelling of his name. He was born around 1369 in Bohemia. By 1400, he had earned a Bachelor and Master’s of Arts degree from the University of Prague and was ordained a […]

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Faithful Heroes: John Wycliffe

John Wycliffe is considered an important predecessor to Protestantism. His translation of the Vulgate, a late 4th Century Latin translation, into Middle English is now known as Wycliffe’s Bible. He was born sometime in the mid 1320s in Yorkshire, England. By his early 20s, he was moved to Oxford, with which he would be closely connected the rest of his […]

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Faithful Heroes: George Whitefield

George Whitefield was an English Anglican cleric and evangelist. He worked closely with the Wesley brothers {Johna nd Charles} and together the trio founded Methodism. Whitefield was born on December 27, 1714 in Gloucester, England. He was the seventh and last child of Thomas and Elizabeth Edwards Whitefield, who were inn keepers. From a young age, he had a passion […]

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Faithful Heroes: Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon is an English Baptist Pastor who greatly influenced other denominations. He is often referred to as the “Prince of Preachers”. Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born on June 19, 1834 in Essex, England. His conversion on January 6, 1850, at the age of 15, is recounted as following: “On his way to a scheduled appointment, a snow storm forced […]

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Faithful Heroes: John Bunyon

John Bunyan was an English writer and Puritan preacher. He is best remembered for his book The Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan was born in 1628 to Thomas and Margaret Bunyan in Elstow, Bedfordshire, England. As a child, he received some rudimentary schooling and learned his father’s trade of tinker. In the summer of 1644, both his mother and sister, Margaret, died. […]

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Faithful Heroes: Joni Erickson Tada

Recently, Joni posted about some of her health struggles and even during this difficult time her faith and optimism were shining forth. Joni Eareckson was born on October 15, 1949 in Baltimore, Maryland. She was the youngest of four girls born to John Eareckson {for whom she was named} and his wife Lindy. Joni followed her parents example and led […]

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Faithful Heroes: Frederick Douglas

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey is estimated to be born around 1818, although his exact birth date is unknown. He chose to celebrate his birthday on February 14. He believed the master was his father and was parted from his mother at a young age. He then lived with his grandmother until he was six and he moved in to learn […]

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Faithful Heroes: Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth went where she felt God was calling her. She was one of a dozen children born to James and Elizabeth Bomefree and given the birth name of Isabella Baumfree. She was born around 1797 in Swartekill, New York and went through four owners throughout her childhood. She only spoke Dutch until after she was nine years old. She […]

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Faithful Heroes: Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman became known as the Moses of the Underground Railroad. She relied on her faith to lead the slaves to freedom through a tumultuous time. But, who was Harriet Tubman? She was born on January 29, 1822 {based on midwife payments} in Dorchester County, Maryland, into slavery. Her parents, Harriet “Rit” Green and Ben Ross named their daughter Araminta […]

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Heroes of the Faith: Amy Carmichael

Amy Beatrice Carmichael is known for her missionary work to India, where she opened an orphanage and founded a mission. Amy Wilson Carmichael was born on December 16, 1867 in Millisle, County Down, Ireland. She was the daughter of David and Catherine Carmichael. She was the oldest of their seven children and her father worked as a miller. “One possibly […]

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Heroes of the Faith: Lottie Moon

Growing up in the Southern Baptist Church, each Christmas we take up the Lottie Moon Foreign Mission offering. This goes to fund and assist foreign missionaries around the world. But, who was Lottie Moon? Why do we take up an offering in her name? Charlotte Digges Moon was born on December 12, 1840 in Albermarle County, Virginia. She was the […]

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Heroes of the Faith: Lillian Thrasher

Lillian Trasher founded the first Orphanage in Egypt and known as the Nile Mother of Egypt. Lillian Hunt Trasher was born on September 27, 1887 in Jacksonville, Florida. She was raised as a Roman Catholic in Brunswick, Georgia. After a term of Bible college, she worked for two years at Faith Orphanage in North Carolina. After hearing a missionary from […]

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Heroes of the Faith: John Gibson Paton

John Gibson Paton greatly improved life in his missionary work in the South Pacific. He was born on May 24, 1824 in Braehead, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. He was the oldest of eleven children born to James and Janet Paton. At the age of twelve, he began to learn his father’s stocking manufacturing business. He worked fourteen hour days beside his father […]

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