The Calling of Hudson Taylor and the Mission in China

Birth and Family Background

James Hudson Taylor was born on May 21, 1832, in Barnsley, a modest market town in Yorkshire, England. He was born into a devout Methodist family during a time of revival and missionary enthusiasm across Britain. His father, James Taylor Sr., was a successful chemist (pharmacist) and a lay preacher who had a deep passion for evangelism and missions. His mother, Amelia Taylor, was also a woman of fervent prayer and spiritual discipline. From an early age, Hudson was exposed to Scripture, missionary stories, and a household of consistent Christian practice.

Interestingly, before Hudson was even born, his parents dedicated him to missionary service in China, praying that he would one day serve in the Lord’s harvest field there. This commitment, unknown to Hudson for many years, seemed a plan of God as his life later unfolded.

Despite this godly heritage, young Hudson went through a period of spiritual rebellion and skepticism in his teenage years. He was intelligent, curious, and increasingly influenced by scientific and rationalist thought. Though he retained a respect for his parents’ faith, he began to question it personally and distanced himself from God.

Dramatic Conversion Experience

At the age of 17, a turning point came in Hudson’s life. One afternoon, while browsing through his father’s library, he came across a small gospel tract titled It is Finished, which explained the completed work of Christ on the cross. As he read it, the Holy Spirit deeply stirred his heart. In that quiet moment, Hudson Taylor realized the simplicity and sufficiency of salvation by grace through faith. He later wrote:

“There dawned upon me the joyous conviction that since the whole work was finished and the whole debt paid upon the Cross, there was nothing for me to do but to fall upon my knees, accept the Savior, and praise Him forever.”

This profound experience marked the beginning of an entirely new direction in Hudson’s life. He immediately began to hunger for the Word of God and committed himself to living for Christ.

A Clear Call to China

Soon after his conversion, Hudson began sensing a powerful and specific call to China. At the time, China was still largely closed to foreign influence, with only a few port cities accessible due to trade treaties. The vast interior of the country was untouched by the gospel. Hudson read missionary reports and was deeply moved by the spiritual need of the Chinese people—millions who had never heard of Jesus Christ.

This call was not a vague idea but a clear and compelling burden. Hudson resolved to go to China as a missionary, but he understood that the task would require deep preparation, not just passion.

Preparation for Missionary Life

Determined to be spiritually and physically ready for service, Hudson began a period of intense preparation. His approach reflected the seriousness of his calling:

1. Medical Training:
   He began an apprenticeship in medicine under Dr. Robert Hardey in Hull. Taylor believed that medical skills would be a vital door-opener for ministry in China, allowing him to serve the sick while sharing the gospel. He also trained in London Hospital for formal medical education.
2. Spiritual Discipline:
   Taylor disciplined himself in prayer, fasting, and Bible study. He simplified his lifestyle, practiced depending on God for small daily needs, and even chose to live in poverty to learn how to trust God fully. For instance, he chose to move to a poor part of town and live on very little to prepare for hardship in China.
3. Language and Cultural Study:
   He began to study Mandarin Chinese, the primary language of northern and central China, even before he left England. He also read books about Chinese customs, religion, and social structure, seeking to understand the people to whom he felt called.
4. Physical Endurance:
   He exposed himself to challenging living conditions to toughen himself for life in the field—sleeping on hard surfaces, walking long distances, and foregoing comforts. He believed God would honor this preparation for the sake of His calling.

Hudson Taylor’s early life was marked by vision, sacrifice, and surrender. Though young, his heart burned with a desire to take the message of Jesus to those who had never heard. He once wrote:

“I feel as if I could not live if something is not done for China.”

That burning desire became the foundation of one of the most remarkable missionary movements in Christian history.

Hudson Taylor’s First Journey to China (1853–1860)

Departure and Arrival: A Leap of Faith

In September 1853, at just 21 years old, Hudson Taylor set sail from Liverpool, England, aboard the merchant ship Dumfries, under the sponsorship of the Chinese Evangelization Society. It was a bold and sacrificial step. With no guarantee of success and little practical knowledge of what awaited him, Taylor left behind the comfort of home, family, and familiarity, moved by the sole desire to obey God’s call to take the gospel to China.

The voyage itself was perilous. The journey lasted five and a half months, during which the ship encountered violent storms and nearly wrecked near New Guinea. Taylor later reflected that this time at sea taught him deep spiritual lessons about dependence on God, prayer, and surrender in moments of fear.

He finally arrived in Shanghai in March 1854, stepping into a land in the midst of great upheaval. China was being torn apart by the Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864), one of the deadliest civil wars in human history, which created a dangerous and chaotic environment for any foreigner—especially missionaries.

Mission Work: A Radical Approach

Hudson Taylor’s early years in China were marked by both bold innovation and profound difficulty. From the beginning, he resisted the prevailing attitudes of many Western missionaries who remained confined to treaty ports and lived in isolation from the Chinese people. Taylor’s heart burned for the inland provinces, where the gospel had not yet reached, and he was determined to live among the people, not above them.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation

In a revolutionary move for his time, Taylor made the controversial decision to adopt Chinese clothing, including the long gown and distinctive queue (pigtail) hairstyle worn by Chinese men. He also worked diligently to master Mandarin, desiring not just to communicate, but to preach and teach the Word of God in the people’s native tongue.

This approach was met with criticism and ridicule from other foreign missionaries, who viewed such adaptation as undignified and unnecessary. But Taylor believed that in order to win souls, he had to become one with the people—echoing the apostle Paul’s principle in 1 Corinthians 9:22:

“I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”

Evangelism and Medical Ministry

Taylor ministered in Shanghai, Ningbo, and surrounding towns and countryside. His work combined evangelism, Bible distribution, and medical care. He traveled with a Chinese helper, distributing gospel tracts and preaching in open markets, temples, and homes. He often faced hostility, mockery, and resistance—but also saw seeds of faith begin to take root.

He established small mission outposts and treated illnesses wherever he went, using his medical knowledge as a means to open doors for the gospel. Many were willing to receive help for their bodies—and in turn, heard the message of Christ for their souls.

Yet the challenges were relentless. Hudson faced severe illness, isolation, danger from bandits and warlords, and discouragement due to the slow pace of visible fruit. His financial support was uncertain, and he was frequently left with barely enough money to survive. Still, he chose to live by faith, depending entirely on God for provision.

Struggles and Return to England

After six grueling years of service, Taylor’s health deteriorated due to overwork, poor nutrition, and the strain of repeated illnesses such as malaria and back pain. Additionally, the unsettled political climate, the difficulty of communicating with supporters in England, and his growing sense that the missionary movement needed reform, all led him to the difficult decision to return home in 1860.

His departure from China was not a retreat, but a strategic pause. Taylor returned to England with renewed vision and the conviction that more could be done to reach China’s unreached millions.

During his time back in England, he: Completed his medical studies, becoming a certified physician. Translated portions of the Bible and Christian tracts into Chinese. Shared his burden with churches and Christian societies across England, calling for a new wave of missionaries willing to go into China’s interior.

It was during this period that the vision for the China Inland Mission (CIM) began to take shape—a mission built on faith, simplicity, cultural adaptation, and an unwavering focus on unreached souls.

Founding of China Inland Mission (1865)

A Vision Born from Deep Burden

After returning to England in 1860 due to ill health, Hudson Taylor did not rest. Though physically removed from China, the spiritual burden of reaching the millions in China’s vast, unreached interior remained heavy on his heart. While other missionaries focused on the relative safety and accessibility of the treaty port cities along the Chinese coast, Taylor was deeply grieved that the majority of China’s provinces—home to tens of millions—had no gospel witness at all.

His heart broke especially for the inland provinces, where foreign presence was nearly nonexistent and where the people lived and died without ever hearing the name of Jesus. Taylor once wrote:

“If we are to evangelize China, we must go inland.”

This growing burden, coupled with fervent prayer and time spent in Scripture, led him to a clear and radical vision: to found a new missionary agency dedicated entirely to evangelizing the interior of China.

The Birth of a New Mission

On June 25, 1865, while walking along the beach in Brighton, England, after preaching at a church, Taylor was overcome by anguish over the lost in China. He later wrote of this moment:

“I could not bear to think of China’s perishing millions. I felt I could not continue to live unless I found a way to do something for them.”

That same day, he returned to his lodging, went to his room, and in fervent prayer, surrendered everything to God. He committed to launching a mission that would not rely on human means but on faith in God alone. That mission became the China Inland Mission (CIM).

Foundational Principles of the CIM

Hudson Taylor’s China Inland Mission was radically different from the missionary societies of his day. It broke with convention in multiple ways:

1. Faith-Based Support

CIM missionaries were not to solicit funds or salaries. They would rely solely on God’s provision through prayer and the voluntary support of God’s people. This principle was modeled after George Müller’s orphan ministry, which deeply influenced Taylor. Taylor believed that God’s work done in God’s way would never lack God’s supply.

2. Non-Denominational and Inclusive

CIM welcomed missionaries from any Protestant denomination as long as they held to basic evangelical beliefs. Taylor believed that unity in the essentials of the gospel was more important than denominational distinctives. This made CIM one of the most interdenominational missionary organizations of its time.

3. Cultural Identification and Adaptation

CIM required its missionaries to wear Chinese clothing, speak local dialects, and live simply among the Chinese people. They were not to create Western enclaves but to integrate into Chinese society, showing respect and humility. This principle drew ridicule from many Westerners but allowed for deeper relational and spiritual connections with the Chinese.

4. Focus on Inland and Unreached Provinces

CIM’s entire mission strategy was centered on reaching the 11 inland provinces of China, plus Mongolia—places with little or no gospel presence. These were regions that were physically hard to reach, culturally resistant, and often hostile to foreigners. Taylor envisioned sending teams deep into the interior to plant churches, distribute Scriptures, and raise up Chinese believers.

Launching the Mission

Starting such a faith-based mission was not easy. Taylor faced: Criticism from established missionary organizations. Financial insecurity, as he had no guaranteed support. The monumental challenge of recruiting missionaries willing to endure great sacrifice.

Yet God honored his faith. In the following months: Taylor published “China’s Spiritual Need and Claims”, a passionate appeal that stirred thousands in Britain to missionary concern. In 1866, he gathered a group of 16 missionaries, including his wife Maria and their children, and sailed aboard the Lammermuir to China—this group became known as the Lammermuir Party. The CIM was now active on the field, not just in idea, but in action—with missionaries spreading throughout China’s interior.

The Beginning of a Legacy

Though CIM began with almost no resources and only a handful of missionaries, by the time of Hudson Taylor’s death in 1905, it had: Over 800 missionaries in China. Hundreds of local Chinese workers and evangelists. Dozens of mission stations and outposts across the interior. Tens of thousands of Chinese who had come to know Christ.

Hudson Taylor had not just founded a mission—he had sparked a movement rooted in faith, humility, and cross-cultural love.

A Living Testimony

Taylor’s legacy through CIM is perhaps best summarized in one of his most quoted lines:

“All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on Him being with them.”

The China Inland Mission was not born out of human strength, wealth, or prestige—but through the deep conviction that the gospel is worth any cost, and that God will provide for those who step out in obedience.

He understood that faith is not a feeling, but a decision to trust God even when the path is hard.

The China Inland Mission was not born from resources or reputation but from brokenness, boldness, and burning love for a people he had never stopped praying for.

Legacy and Death of Hudson Taylor

Final Years: A Tireless Servant

Despite aging and enduring decades of illness, heartbreak, and trials, Hudson Taylor’s zeal for the mission never waned. From the 1880s to the early 1900s, he continued to make frequent journeys between China and Europe, recruiting missionaries, speaking in churches, and promoting the urgent need for gospel workers in Asia.

He often addressed audiences not only in England, but across the United States, Australia, Canada, and other parts of Europe, pleading for believers to consider their role in global missions. His speeches, marked by simplicity, passion, and unwavering faith, stirred thousands to action.

Though his body weakened with age, his spiritual fire grew brighter. Even as his eyesight failed and his steps grew slower, his mind remained sharp, his prayers unceasing, and his love for China unchanged.

In 1905, at the age of 73, Taylor made what would be his eleventh and final journey to China. He traveled to Changsha, Hunan Province, a region once closed to foreigners, but now home to many Christian converts and churches—some of them the fruit of CIM’s long labor.

On June 3, 1905, just a few days after arriving, Hudson Taylor peacefully passed into the presence of the Lord, surrounded by the people he had given his life to reach. He was buried in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, beside his beloved first wife Maria, who had died in 1870. His body rested in the very soil where he had sown with tears and toiled with joy for the sake of the gospel.

Impact and Legacy

1. A Missionary Model for Generations

Hudson Taylor redefined what it meant to be a missionary. His life and ministry became a model that challenged many of the prevailing assumptions of his time. He championed cultural immersion—becoming one with the people rather than imposing foreign customs. He taught and lived radical faith, relying not on salary or institutional support but on God’s provision through prayer. He never lost sight of the unreached, even when easier and more comfortable fields were available. These principles have influenced countless mission movements and continue to shape cross-cultural ministry today.

2. The Enduring Influence of China Inland Mission

The China Inland Mission (CIM), which he founded in 1865, did not die with him. Under the leadership of others who carried on Taylor’s vision, the mission: Grew to become one of the largest and most influential missionary agencies in the world. Continued operating in China until missionaries were expelled during the Communist Revolution in the mid-20th century. Later reformed itself as the Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF International), which still operates today throughout East and Southeast Asia, carrying forward the same spirit of faith-based, cross-cultural, unreached-focused ministry.

3. Inspiration to Countless Missionaries

Hudson Taylor’s story became a rallying cry for global missions. His life inspired a new generation of missionaries, including: Amy Carmichael, who served in India for over 50 years. Jim Elliot, who gave his life bringing the gospel to the Auca people of Ecuador. Elisabeth Elliot, who continued the work after her husband’s martyrdom. And many others who saw in Taylor’s example the cost and glory of a surrendered life. To this day, biographies of Hudson Taylor are used in mission training, churches, and Bible colleges around the world.

4. Written Works That Still Speak

Though not known primarily as an author, Hudson Taylor and his family left behind a rich legacy of letters, journals, and spiritual reflections. Perhaps the most famous and widely read is the biography:

“Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret”,
written by his son Dr. Howard Taylor and daughter-in-law Geraldine Taylor.

This book captures not only the history of Taylor’s mission but the heartbeat of his relationship with Christ. It presents the “secret” of his strength—not his personality, planning, or perseverance, but his daily, intimate dependence on Jesus.

Spiritual Emphasis: A Life of Faith and Prayer

More than a great organizer or strategist, Hudson Taylor was a man of deep spiritual devotion. His days were marked by early morning prayer, long hours in the Scriptures, and quiet communion with God. He once said:

“Do not work so hard for Christ that you have no strength to pray, for prayer requires strength.”

He believed that faith must be lived, not just professed. His favorite saying became the foundation of his ministry:

“God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”

Even when faced with shipwreck, starvation, rebellion, disease, and death, Taylor clung to God’s promises with unshakable confidence.

A Life Well Lived

Hudson Taylor’s legacy is not just the record of achievements, but a life of surrendered obedience, unwavering faith, and relentless love. He did not set out to become famous. He simply followed God’s call—step by step, often through the dark.

Through his obedience, millions heard the gospel, the church in China was strengthened, and the modern missions movement found its compass.

His epitaph could easily be the words he lived by:

“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.” (Zechariah 4:6)