Missionaries, Evangelists & Pastors

Most missionaries aren't household names, at least in non-Christian households. Unfortunately, many of them haven't been heard of in Christian homes, either, which is precisely why we've dedicated an entire category to them. The Bible is obviously our guide to holy living, but we need to hear the stories of other Christians as well, to be encouraged in our own pursuit of Christ as much as to see that God is still working in His people to spread and glorify His name throughout the world.

We've opted to carry only missionary and evangelist biographies from a Christian perspective. It's important to understand the lives of these men and women in the context of the people of God, not simply in a human context, and while secular writers could certainly offer the latter perspective they wouldn't be able to offer the first. Also, the focus needs to be on the spread of the Gospel; the character of God's servants, while important, is still less important than the work He has led them to do.

There are few things in the Christian life more important or more valuable than to follow Christ's command to make disciples. We read about those who have been faithful in order to emulate them. It's important to help kids remember this—while many godly Christians have led adventurous lives (everyone from Amy Carmichael to Eric Liddell to Hudson Taylor), the essential part isn't the exciting times they had but the way they overcame trials and difficulties in order to take God's Word where it hadn't yet gone, or how they remained pure in the midst of wicked cultures.

It's good to have heroes, but we need to pick them carefully. For Christians, the best heroes (really, the only heroes) are those who've given their lives to Christ's service and maintained lives of faithfulness. Because it's so important for our children to have those kinds of heroes, we encourage you to give them biographies of missionaries and evangelists whose exemplary lives are worthy of imitation. And, because many of them were really fascinating people, you should have no problem getting even reluctant readers interested.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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'But Now I See': The Life of John Newton
by Josiah Bull
from Banner of Truth Trust
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Agape Leadership
by Robert L. Peterson and Alexander Strauch
from Lewis and Roth Publishers
for Adult
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$4.50 (1 in stock)
Autobiography of Charles G. Finney
by Charles G. Finney
from Bethany House
Autobiography for 9th-Adult
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Between Worlds
by Marilyn R. Gardner
from Doorlight Publications
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Billy Sunday
by Elaine Cunningham
from A Beka Books
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Billy Sunday (old)
by Elaine Cunningham
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Born Again
by Charles Colson
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Bruchko
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Biography for 10th-Adult
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Bruchko
by Bruce Olson
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Bruchko and the Motilone Miracle
by Bruce Olson
from Charisma House
Biography for 10th-Adult
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Charles Spurgeon: The Prince of Preachers
Heroes of the Faith
by Dan Harmon
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
David Livingstone
Heroes of the Faith Series
by Basil Mathews
from A Beka Books
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$9.50 (1 in stock)
Dayuma
by Ethel Emily Wallis
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Father to Nobody's Children
by David E. Fessenden
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$3.00 (2 in stock)
Five Pioneer Missionaries
by Various
from Banner of Truth Trust
Biography for 9th-Adult
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$11.05 $4.20 (1 in stock)
For God and Country
by John Riddle
from Barbour Publishing
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From Akebu to Zapotec
by June Hathersmith
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George Whitefield
by Arnold A. Dallimore
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God's Adventurer
by Phyllis Thompson
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Biography for 5th-8th grade
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Granny Han's Breakfast
by Shelia Groves
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Granny Han's Breakfast
by Shelia Groves
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Heart Strangely Warmed
by Louise A. Vernon
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$9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Heavenly Man
by Brother Yun, Paul Hattaway
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Hero Tales Volume I
by Dave & Neta Jackson
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Biography for 3rd-6th grade
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Heroes of the Holy Life
by Wesley L. Duewel
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Hiding Place - Young Reader's Edition
by Corrie Ten Boom, abridged by Lonnie Hull DuPont, illustrated by Tim Foley
from Chosen Books
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
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$7.50 (1 in stock)
I Dared to Call Him Father
by Bilquis Sheikh & Richard H. Schneider
25th Anniversary from Chosen Books
Biography for Adult
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In My Father's House
by Corrie Ten Boom
Book Club Edition from Power Books
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
In Search of the Source
by Neil Anderson, Hyatt Moore
from Wycliffe Bible Translators
Missionary Biography for 9th-Adult
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$8.00 (3 in stock)
Jason Lee
Sowers Series
by Charles Ludwig
from Mott Media
Biography for 7th-9th grade
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John Bunyan
by William Deal
from Christian Liberty Press
Biography for 6th-9th grade
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Johnny Appleseed
Sowers Series
by David Collins
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Jonathan and Sarah
by Edna Gerstner
from Soli Deo Gloria
Biography for 9th-Adult
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$10.00 (2 in stock)
Joni
by Joni Eareckson Tada
from Zondervan
Biography for 8th-10th grade
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Kidnapped by River Rats
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Kisses from Katie
by Katie J. Davis
from Howard Books
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$18.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Living on the Devil's Doorstep
International Adventures
by Floyd McClung
from YWAM Publishing
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Lords of the Earth
by Don Richardson
Reprint. from Regal Books
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$3.60 (2 in stock)
Man Called Peter
by Catherine Marshall
from Evergreen Farm
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Marriage to a Difficult Man
by Elisabeth D. Dodds
from Audobon Press
Biography for 9th-Adult
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Martyn Lloyd-Jones: From Wales to Westminster
by Christopher Catherwood
from Christian Focus Publications
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Mission to Cathay
by Madeleine Polland
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
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$7.50 (4 in stock)
My Heart in His Hands
by Sharon L. James
from Evangelical Press
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$11.00 (1 in stock)
On Call
Jaffray Collection of Missionary Portraits
by David C. Thompson, MD
from Christian Publications, Inc.
Biography for 8th-10th grade
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Peace Child
by Don Richardson
from Regal Books
Biography for 10th-Adult
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$4.50 (1 in stock)
Pigtail and Chopsticks Man
by Jim Cromarty
2010 Printing from Evangelical Press
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Shadow of the Almighty
by Elisabeth Elliot
from HarperCollins
Biography for 10th-Adult
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Shadow of the Almighty
by Elisabeth Elliot
from Harper & Row
for 10th-Adult
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Something Beautiful for God
Lives of Faith
by Malcolm Muggeridge
from HarperCollins
Biography for
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South Sea Island Rescue
CF4Kids Trail Blazers
by Kay Walsh
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
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$4.50 (2 in stock)
Spurgeon
by Ernest Bacon
from Christian Liberty Press
Biography for 7th-10th grade
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$11.75 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Susanna Wesley
Sowers Series
by Charles Ludwig
from Mott Media
Biography for 6th-8th grade
in Sowers Biographies (Location: BIO-SOW)
$5.00 (3 in stock)
Tales of Persia
by William Miller
from P&R Publishing
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in History of Missions (Location: XCH-MIS)
$11.99 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Teresa of Calcutta
Sowers Series
by D. Jeanene Watson, illustrated by Robert E. Lawson
from Mott Media
Biography for 4th-6th grade
in Sowers Biographies (Location: BIO-SOW)
$8.99 $5.00 (3 in stock)
These are the Generations
by Mr. and Mrs. Bae, as told to the Rev. Eric Foley
from Voice of the Martyrs
for 10th-Adult
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
They Shall Be Mine
by John Tallach
from Banner of Truth Trust
for 3rd-6th grade
in Church History Overviews (Location: XCH-OVE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Through Gates of Splendor
by Elisabeth Elliot
from Tyndale House
Biography for 8th-Adult
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$16.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Tommorow You Die
International Adventures
by Reona Peterson Joly
from YWAM Publishing
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$7.50 (2 in stock)
We Died Before We Came Here
from NavPress
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$7.00 (1 in stock)
Wigglesworth
by George Storemont
from Harrison House
for 10th-Adult
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$3.50 (1 in stock)
William Bradford, Pilgrim Boy
by Bradford Smith
from Beautiful Feet Books
Biography for 3rd-5th grade
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$10.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
With Daring Faith
by Rebecca Davis
from Bob Jones University Press
Biography for 5th-8th grade
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$6.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
World of William Penn
by Genevieve Foster
from Beautiful Feet Books
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
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Worlds Apart
by Marilyn Gardner
from Doorlight Publications
for Adult
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$11.00 (1 in stock)