Faith and mission

Hudson Taylor

1832 to 1905 · Britain and China

Hudson Taylor (1832 to 1905) was a British missionary who gave more than fifty years to bringing the gospel to inland China. Breaking with convention, he adopted Chinese dress and customs to remove needless barriers, and founded the China Inland Mission in 1865 to reach provinces no missionary had entered. By his death the mission had hundreds of workers and had deeply shaped the modern missionary movement.

Life and context

Taylor was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, in 1832, converted as a teenager, and trained in medicine before sailing for China in 1853 at twenty-one. He learned the language and, unusually for his day, wore Chinese clothing and settled among ordinary people rather than in foreign enclaves, believing the messenger should not put needless obstacles in the way of the message. In 1865 he founded the China Inland Mission to reach the vast interior, trusting God to supply its needs through prayer rather than public appeals, and welcoming ordinary workers, including single women. He endured great hardship and loss, including the deaths of his wife Maria and several children, and the killing of many mission workers in the Boxer Uprising of 1900. He died in China in 1905.

What he taught and lived

Taylor’s method was as important as his message: adapt to the people, depend on God, and go where no one else has gone. He is remembered for a deep, restful trust he called ‘the exchanged life,’ learning to rely not on his own effort but on Christ living in him. His example inspired generations of missionaries after him.

What his witness points us to

Taylor points to a Christ worth crossing the world for, and to a love that will lay down comfort, status, and safety to reach the unreached. He took Paul’s words to heart, becoming all things to all people so that some might be saved.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Hudson Taylor?

Hudson Taylor (1832 to 1905) was a British missionary who spent over fifty years in China. He founded the China Inland Mission in 1865 and pioneered adapting to local dress and customs to share the gospel in the interior.

What is the China Inland Mission?

The China Inland Mission, founded by Hudson Taylor in 1865, was a mission to reach the inland provinces of China. It relied on prayer rather than fundraising appeals and welcomed ordinary workers, including single women.

Why did Hudson Taylor wear Chinese clothing?

Taylor adopted Chinese dress and customs so that his foreignness would not become a barrier to the gospel, believing the messenger should remove needless obstacles between people and the message of Christ.