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: Elisabeth Elliot

Elisabeth Elliot was a Christian author and speaker. She was inspired by the missionary work of Amy Carmichael and her husband, Jim Elliot, was killed during the Auca Mission. Elisabeth Howard was born on December 21, 1926 in Brussels, Belgium. Her parents were missionaries and she had four brothers and a sister. The family returned to the United States when […]

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Faithful Heroes: Martha Myers

Martha Myers, was a doctor, who dedicated her life to sharing the gospel with the people of Yemen. She and two other missionaries were killed while serving the people of Yemen. Martha Myers was born on March 13, 1945 in Birmingham, Alabama. Myers grew up in a Christian home and is described as “compassionate” even from a young age. By […]

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Faithful Heroes: Mary McLeod Bethune

Mary Jane McLeod Bethune was an American educator, stateswoman, philanthropist, humanitarian and civil rights activities. She was a co-founder of UNCF and one of the few women to serve as college president in the pre-Civil Rights era. She was born on July 10, 1875 in Mayesville, South Carolina. She was the 15th of 17 children. Her parents were slaves and she […]

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Faithful Heroes: James Hudson Taylor

James Hudson Taylor was a missionary to China for 51 years and founder of the China Inland Mission. He was born on May 22, 1832 in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England. His father, James was a pharmacist and Methodist lay preacher. As a young man he ran away from his parents Christian beliefs. He came to Christ at the age of 17, after […]

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Faithful Heroes: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor, theologian and one of the founding members of the Confessing Church. His stand against anti-Nazism cost him his life. He was born on Feburary 4, 1906 in Prussia, which was then in the German Empire {now in Poland}. His father, Karl, was a psychiatrist and neurologist while his mother, Paula, was a teacher. Dietrich […]

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Heroes of the Faith: Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale was the founder of modern nursing. She was born on May 12, 1820 in Florence, Italy to an upper-class British family. She was moved after the place of her birth, before her family returned to England the following year. In 1837, she underwent the first of several experiences which she believed were calls from God. The first was […]

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Heroes of the Faith: Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was admired by many for her charitable work among the poor in Calcutta, India. She was born Anjezë Gonxhe {Mary Teresa} Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910 in the Ottoman Empire. Her parents were Nikollë and Dranafile Bojaxhiu. She was baptized the day after her birth and always considered August 27th her “true birthday”. According to biographer Joan Graff […]

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Heroes of the Faith: Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards was a Puritan preacher and philosopher. He is considered by many to be America’s greatest theologian. He was born on October 5, 1703 in the Connecticut Colony. He was the fifth of eleven children born to Timothy and Esther Stoddard Edwards. He was also their only son. In 1716, he entered Yale College. He took a great interest […]

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