From Every Nation

The first volume of this book told the story of eight people from Asia and Africa. A Javanese teacher, an Indian scholar, a prophet from Liberia, a slave from Sudan, a Korean elder, a sadhu, a Chinese evangelist and an archbishop from Uganda. In this second volume eight more follow, and they come from even more countries.

A boy who was taken off a slave ship and became the first African bishop of his church. A Japanese student who went to live in a slum on Christmas Eve. A Korean pastor who refused to bow at a Japanese shrine. A Chinese writer whose books are read all over the world, while he himself spent twenty years in prison. A Sikh who tore up the Bible and then preached all over India. A bishop from Uganda who wrote a book called I Love Idi Amin. An archbishop in El Salvador who read out the names of the dead on Sunday. And a bank clerk from Argentina who would preach to millions.

THE SAME APPROACH

In this volume too, facts come first. After each chapter you will find what is certain, what is known only from someone’s own words or from later tradition, and what is uncertain or disputed. The sources are listed.

With some of the people in this volume the story is sensitive. Christians still disagree about Watchman Nee today. Óscar Romero lived in a civil war in which both sides had blood on their hands. Toyohiko Kagawa wrote and said things that also hurt his admirers. I have tried to show those things honestly, without taking sides and without leaving them out. People who follow God remain people.

The eight people in this volume belong to very different churches: Anglican, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, evangelical, and congregations they started themselves. Again, the order is that of time.

OF ALL NATIONS

John saw a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues (Revelation 7:9). It is good to remember that this multitude does not begin with us. When these people lived, many in Europe and America looked down on them, also in the church. Now we read their stories. Perhaps we learn more from them than we expected.