Timelines of evangelical history generally mark 1792 as the birth of the â??modern missionary movement.â? That year, catalyzed by the exhortations of William Carey, one if its members, the Northampton Ministerâ??s Association birthed the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen. Thankfully, it most often went by its shorthand name, the Baptist Missionary Society. The following year (1793), the BMS sent John Thomas, a medical doctor, and William Carey, to India. Although they may not admit it (publicly), most Baptists take proud in the fact that these first modern missionaries were Baptists.
However, this narrative skews the story of modern missions. In reality, another English-speaking Baptist minister left his homeland, travelled across the ocean (albeit not as far), and ministered to â??foreignersâ? ten years before William Carey and John Thomas set sail for India.
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