|
A heart for ChinaThe gripping story of Benjamin BroomhallFaith and self-sacrificeA HEART FOR CHINA Chiefly for those interested in Mission, this book follows the life of Benjamin Broomhall, General Secretary of the China Inland Mission (CIM) for 20 years from 1875, in a readable, although sometimes disjointed, style The first and major part of the book deals with Benjamin’s life, work and marriage, and sheds new light on the early life of the well-known missionary Hudson Taylor (his brother-in-law) and the founding of the CIM and its subsequent growth after the first few hesitant years when it was known, belittlingly, as ‘the pigtail mission’. Benjamin Broomhall is seen as a devout man, who, although not without faults, was greatly used by God to further the work in China by his determined efforts in this country. His zeal and hard work are evident, but for me the overriding feature was the godly influence of himself and his wife Amelia on at least two more generations of his family, as detailed in the latter part of the book which deals with the involvement of his children and grandchildren in the work in China. There were one or two small instances when I felt that the author made more of certain issues (such as a woman preacher and ecumenism) than was necessary, leading me to question whether the author’s opinions were in view here, rather than the subject of the book. On the whole, however, I found it a welcome book, and once again I was amazed by the faith and self-sacrifice that the love of Jesus Christ can engender in a person’s life, enabling them to serve Him and others both at home and abroad with such passion and enthusiasm. Sue Barlow, © Evangelicals Now - September 2007 |