Year: summer 1934
Jonathan Goforth 75 years old
Jonathan Goforth's Journal
In all the years I have been in Asia, I have never wanted to do anything else with my life than to tell the people in China and as it turns out, Manchuria, about the living God who loves them.
It is June. A letter came in the mail. One I was very sad to read. Even with all the news we've sent about the good happening here in Manchuria, the mission board had decided to slash funds supporting the pastors, missionaries, and churches here in Manchuria.
The Great Depression hit America and Europe. Funds were at an all time low. There just wasn't the money to send.
I have to admit, the news concerned me deeply. I thought I would have to tell all the pastors they would have to leave their churches and the doors closed. We wouldn't be able to support them any longer. Just thinking about what would happen to the forty churches we'd set up broke my heart.
But I had to tell the churches.
I went to the first church and during a service explained to the people that money would not be sent to pay for their pastor any longer. I honestly didn't know how they would respond. I was ready for the worst, whatever that would be.
Instead the people from the first church and the other 39 churches said they would pay for their pastor and the other expenses for their church. It was a huge responsibility for them with their limited income. By the end of 1934, not one pastor had to leave or go hungry, in fact, 966 new believers joined the churches.
I hadn't realized it at the time. But thinking back, I feel God wanted to test the faith of these Chinese people. Would they be willing to give some of what they had to support the church. The answer was an amazing yes.
Jonathan has many stories to share. Come back each Monday to find out what happened next.
Resources Used for This Series
Being, Janet, and Geoff Benge. Jonathan Goforth: An Open Door in China. Seattle. WA: YWAM Pub., 2001.Print
Doyle, G. Wright. Builders of the Chinese Church: Pioneer Protestant Missionaries and Chinese Church Leaders. Eugene Oregon: Pickwick Pub, 2015. Print.
Goforth, Jonathan, and Rosaline Goforth, Miracle Lives of China, London" Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1931, Print.
Goforth, Jonathan. "By My Spirit" Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1942. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Climbing; Memories of a Missionary's Wife. Chicago: Moody Pub, n.d. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How I Know God Answers Prayers; The Personal Testimony of One Life-time, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1921. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Jonathan Goforth. Minneapolis, MN: Bethan House, 1986. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How God Answers Prayer: The Mighty Miracles of God from the Mission Field of Jonathan Goforth. USA: Revival, 2016. Print Original copyright not stated.
Jackson, Dave, and Neta Jackson. Mask of the Wolf Boy: Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1999. Print.
McCleary, Walter. An Hour with Jonathan Goforth: A Biography. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1938. Print.
Meloche, Renee Taft., and Bryan Pollard. Jonathan Goforth: Never Give up. Seattle, WA: YWAM, 2004. Print.
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