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– MISSIONARY TO CHINA  -
(1859 – 1936)

Fired by his zeal for foreign missions, Goforth went to churches to plead the cause of China.  To enforce his message, he used various methods – Scripture, charts, pictures, logic. 

"He often closed an address by a powerful illustration from the feeding of the five thousand. He pictured the disciples taking the bread and fish to the hungry people on the first few rows, then going again and again to those same people, leaving those on the back rows hungry and starving. Then he would ask a burning question, ‘What would Christ have thought of His disciples had they acted in that way, and what does He think of us today as we continue to spend most of our time and money in giving the Bread of Life to those who have heard so often, while hundreds of millions in China are still starving?’

Some years later, when Goforth was home on furlough and speaking in a Presbyterian church in Vancouver, the minister who was introducing him said, ‘This man took an overcoat from me once.’  He went on to explain how he had gone to Toronto to buy a new overcoat and how, at a missionary meeting, he was stirred as never before upon listening to the impassioned appeal of Jonathan Goforth.  ‘My precious overcoat money went into the missionary collection,’ continued the minister, ‘and I returned home wearing my old coat.’” – “Wholesome words”

Hardships

Jonathan and Rosalind were married on 25th October 1887.  After a memorable farewell service in the historic Knox church of Toronto, the Goforths sailed for China in February 4, 1888, under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church of Canada.  Their commission was to pioneer the remote North Honan Province.

Before reaching Honan, Goforth received a note from Hudson Taylor, telling him of the great obstacles ahead and reminding him of his need of divine help. “Brother, if you would enter that province,”  Taylor wrote, “you must go forward on your knees.”   Goforth heeded the kindly counsel.    Not a  day passed  but that circumstances and events caused him to recall his life text and to rely on its promise, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 4: 6).

The Goforths’ early years in China were marked by piercing sorrows and heartaches.  They had only been in China a short time when their hut burned down with all their possessions including their wedding presents and photographs.  Comforting his wife, Jonathan said: “My dear, do not grieve so.  After all they’re just things.”  The fire meant little more to Goforth than a temporary hindering of his language study… but to Rosalind, it meant the burning of the bridges behind her … and the beginning of her ministry to the Chinese women. 

One of their greatest trials was adapting to the culture and the primitive conditions as they moved frequently during their pioneering ministry.  To add to their hardships, they had to endure the hostility of the heathen, long periods of separations from each other, and the burials of five of their eleven children.

But through all their afflictions, they pressed forward, trusting the Lord who had called them, never doubting His faithfulness, love, and care.  When little Gertrude died, Rosalind’s devotional reading that day included the words:  “It is the LORD:  let Him do what seemeth Him good” (I Sam 3:18);  “The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1: 21).  The sad father wrote home: “We pray that this loss will fit us more fully to tell these dying millions of Him Who has gained the victory over death.” 
 
Mastery of the Chinese language

One of Goforth’s struggles was in the study of Chinese.  Weak in languages, Goforth, made little progress in the study of the language, although he applied himself to the task with great diligence.  Often, when he was trying to preach, the Chinese would point to another missionary, who had reached China a year after he did, and say, “You speak. We don’t understand him.” Undeterred, Goforth said: “The Lord called me to China, and I expect His Spirit to perform a miracle and to enable me to master the language.”  Picking up his Chinese Bible, he went to the chapel, and as he began to preach, a miracle happened; the fluent Chinese that poured forth from the lips of the foreign missionary astounded his hearers.  From that day, his mastery of the Chinese language was acknowledged everywhere.  Two months later, he received a letter from Knox College telling of a prayer meeting in which the students prayed “just for Goforth.”  Looking into his diary, he found that the prayer meeting was at the very time his tongue gained such sudden mastery over the Chinese language.
(to be continued next week …)