Menu

alt

I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
               Sonya Contreras

Expect Great Things from God. Attempt Great Things For God.

William Carey, known as the “father of modern missions,” lived a full life.
Possessing a natural gift for language, he taught himself Latin as a child.

While apprenticed to a local cobbler, he learned of the Dissenters, who challenged the Church of England’s doctrine. He became converted and an active supporter.
Borrowing a Greek grammar book, he taught himself New Testament Greek.

He married Dorothy Plackett.

When his master died, William acquired the cobbler’s business. A cobbler’s life brought poverty.
During those years of making shoes, he taught himself Hebrew, Italian, Dutch and French.

He was appointed schoolmaster for another village and served as assistant pastor.
At a ministers’ meeting in 1781, Carey challenged the Christian thinking of the time stating the Christians’ duty was to spread the Gospel throughout the world.
John Collett Ryland, a leader at the time, retorted: “Young man, sit down; when God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid and mine.”

By 1792, Carey had written his missionary manifesto, An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens. This book justified missionary activity on the basis of the Great Commission, retelling the missionary history from the early church to David Brainerd and John Wesley. He compiled tables and statistics of populations and religions for the world. He answered his critics objections to sending missionaries: learning the language and danger to life. In the final book’s chapters, he constructed a Baptist denomination missionary society with practical means of its support.

Preaching from Isaiah 54:2-3, his missionary sermon, Carey used his now famous epigram
“EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD. ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD.”

By 1792, he and his colleagues had founded the Baptist Missionary Society World Mission.
Carey applied his mission’s sermon. He would go to India, accompanying a medical missionary.
Dorothy, his wife, was expecting their fourth son, had already lost two daughters in infancy and resisted going with him.
John Thomas, the missionary doctor, coerced Dorothy to come, eliminating William’s need to later return to England for his family.

Missionary work was illegal under the British-controlled areas.
When they moved to another area of India, controlled by the Danish, William preached legally.

He joined William Ward, a printer. William translated and printed the Bible, in whole or in parts into 44 languages and dialects.
Carey founded the Serampore Mission Press, the only press credited who “thought it important enough that costly fonts of type be cast for the irregular and neglected languages of the Indian people.” William printed textbooks, dictionaries, and literature to serve the primary and college-level children and general public.
Carey’s work on the printing press standardized Bengali. A total of 212,000 items came off the presses in 30 years in 44 different languages. He focused on Bible translation and printing.
With such progress, England critics charged them with fraudulent reporting their accomplishments in Bible translations.
The church historian John Foster said. “During the first eighteen centuries of Christian history, the Bible was rendered into some thirty languages and then, in the first third of the 19th century, by the work of Carey and his co-workers in Calcutta and Serampore, that number was doubled.”

Carey started a Sunday School to teach children how to read the Bible.
He opened, at his own expense, the first primary school in India, which included girls, in a time educating the female was unthinkable.
By teaching India’s culture, he contributed to the birth of Indian Nationalism.

Carey’s formative books helped found the Baptist Missionary Society. Today it supports more than 350 missionaries in 40 countries.

Striving to reach India with the Gospel, he fought social issues in India, including infant sacrifice and suttee, widow burning (sati) and assisted suicide. The ban of sati elevated women’s status in Indian society.
Carey worked against the mistreatment of lepers, motivated after seeing a leper burned to death.

Carey formed the Formation of an Agricultural and Horticultural Society in India He introduced new drainage procedures, better crop rotation, and fertilizing.

Carey overcame obstacles most of us would be stopped by. He entered India when missionaries weren’t allowed. He withstood poverty and suffering most of us would never experience.  He became a professor in a government college as a nonconformist without a college education.

His mission could count only 700 converts from India’s millions, but he laid the foundation for Bible translations, education and social reforms.

William never left India, even for furlough. He lived there for 41 years.

Carey’s great passion, never wavering over the years, was to reach the heathen with the gospel of Jesus Christ. His greatest legacy was inspiring the worldwide missionary movement of the nineteenth century. He laid the foundation for future missionaries like David Livingstone, Hudson Tayler, Adoniram Judson, among thousands of others with his saying, “EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD. ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD.”

But William Carey did not excel at everything, as we will see next week, when we meet Dorothy Carey, his wife.

 

https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-36/dorothys-devastating-delusions.html
https://lexioiz.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/dorothy-carey-and-the-cost-of-mission/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Carey_(missionary)
https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/missionaries/william-carey.html
Beck, James R. Dorothy Carey: The Tragic and Untold Story of Mrs. William Carey. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1992.

Displaying 1 comment

Makes me want to read more about Carey. I've read about him long ago, but want to do so again. Thanks for sharing. Now I'll read the second half!

Women's Roles
Find other articles about women's roles here:
The Sacrifice of Obedience
Why Boys Fight? And Is that Good?
Is Your Family Different?
Created for Him reprint
Gender Differences Backed by Science
What Should Men Do? reprint
Where Are the Men? reprint
What Is Man? reprint
Man VS Woman: Making Man Act Like a Woman
Man VS Woman: Is It Eqality We Seek? reprint
How Do You See Sin?
Marriage Is a Covenant before God
Are You Precious?
What's a Mother-In-Law To Do?
A Promise Is a Promise
Happily Ever After
Point Lobos, Monterrey
Where You Go, I Will Go
Protecting Our Men
What Makes a Marriage Work?
And the Two Shall Be One
Do You Let Your Husband Love You?
An Added Resource for You
Is Jezebel in Your Midst?
Can You Say, "No"?
Are You Losing Your Mind?
Expect Great Things from God
The Making of a Man part 4
The Making of a Man part 3
The Making of a Man part 2
The Making of a Man
What Kind of a Crown Are You?
Do You Like Your Husband?
Is Your Husband a Pushover?
Did You Marry a Crazy Man? 
Is Your Husband Crushing You?
Are You Dependent?
Male vs Female: Is It Equality We Seek?
Are You a Nag?
Do You Have a Picky Eater?
A Way to a Man's Heart Is through His Stomach
Are You Challenged by Your Man's Challenges?
Happily Ever After
Are You Appreciated?
Do You Feel Loved?
Valentine's Day: A Day for Love?
Valentine's Day: Help Your Husband Out

Submission
Created for Him
Do You Help Your Husband?
Made To Conquer

Women Working
How Much Does It Cost for Moms To Work?
How Much Does It Cost for Moms To Stay at Home?
Margaret Thatcher, She Changed the
    World, But What about Her 
    Family?

Biblical Manhood
Find more articles about Biblical Manhood here:
What Is Man?
Where Are the Men?
What Should a Man Do?

Biblical Womanhood
Find more articles about Womanhood here:
What Is Your Choice?
Letting Him Protect
Are You a Friend?
Who Controls the Money?
The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving: How 
   To Make Your Husband Love You

The Power of a Smile: How To 
    Make Your Husband Love You

Control
Superwoman: Is She Believable?

Faith
Find more articles about faith here:
What Were You Thinking?
Who Are You Watching?
Boundaries for a Better Life
God's Boundaries
Memories of a Hero Mom
The Ripple Effect
How Do We Think Like Jesus
Litany of a Waiting Woman
Ever Cook a Frog?
New Year's Reminders
They Galled Her Gammy
When God Speaks
A Russian Christmas Story
Be Thankful
Be Grateful
Are You Tired of the Same, Old Thing?
  (reprint)
Laughter—Why Laugh?
Mom
Are You Disturbed?
Unity of the Brothers
Encouragements To Declutter
Do You Have Too Much Stuff?
Too Much Stress
Getting Past the Noise—The Value of Silence
Are You Scatterbrained?
How Good Are You?
Looking for Something Good To Read?
A Cup of Cold Water
I Will Trust When I Cannot See
Encouragement—What Is It?
Being in God's Presence
"Einstein and the Professor"
When God Is Silent
Do You Crave Beauty?
Using Stories to Discipline
The Danger of the Wrong Story
Using Stories to Teach Lessons
God is in charge of the future
November Dare Joy Challenge
Ungratefulness
Developing an Attitude of Gratitude
Looking for Jesus
What Do Your Prayers Reflect?
Life's Little Pleasures
Daniel—Greatly Loved by God
Take Every Thought
Jars of Clay
What Do Your Words Reveal about Your Heart?
How Do You Get Strong Faith?
Too Busy for God's Word?
How Do You Think Like Jesus?
Reflections from a Mom
Pain—What's It Good For?
Why Marry?
Consider the Robin
One Life Who Made a Difference
What Day Are You Living In?
Interrupted by God
Is Jesus Really the Answer to Everything?
Are You Beat Up?
What's Your Hurry?
Are You a Manipulator?
Are You Salty?
Are You Condemned?
Trying to Understand?
Do You Expect Answers to Your Prayers?
Do You Eat Your Stress?
Need Focus?
Going through Trouble?
Immanuel—God with Us
Looking for a Relationship?
When God Says, "No!"
What Do You Do with Left-Overs?
How Great Is Your God?
Are You Needy?
How Do You See Sin?
What Do Your Words Mean?
Is Evil Overwhelming You?
Those Aha Moments
Is Your Soul Happy?
Are You Ignored?
Looking for the God Moment
Do You Know Truth from Almost Truth?
I Believe in Jesus—What Now?
Do You Have Your "Son"-Glasses On?
Less Is More
Singing His Praise
Are You Trying To Do It All?
What Do You Do with All These Prayer Requests?
Have a Problem?
Do You Know How to Pray?
Looking for God in Every Moment
Are You Receptive to God's Blessings?
Tell the Senate: Mothers Aren't Birthing People
Is Your Life Complicated?
How Do We Fight Evil?
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Giving Up or Taking Away
the Bible is simple
Are You a Dripping Faucet?
What's Your Testimony?
The Final Move
Be Careful What You Wish For!
Are Your Prayers Answered?
I Choose Joy
What Have You Learned from Your Hardship?
Who Are You Trying to Change?
What's Your Five-Year Plan?
The Danger of "Aloneness"
My Colors
Are You a Whiner?
Are Your Works Approved?
Do You Think You're Stressed?
Is Your Soul Feeling Ragged?
God Speaks to the Heart of the King
What about the Details?
Have You Felt the Long-Suffering of God?
How Does God Lead You?
Do You Have Enough?
Don't Carry More than You Need
Cast the Seed
God Is Faithful
Are You Deceived?
Are You Essential?
Are You Safe?
Are You Tired of the Same Old Thing?
Does the World Make Sense?
Have You Seen God's Majesty?
Do You Feel Judged?
If You Only Had One More Day To Live
Are You Understood?
Do You Long for the Word of God?
Slow Down and Smell the Dead Leaves
Are You Hospitable?
Our Heritage Is Bought by Blood
Are You Disturbed?
Are You Depressed?
I Did It My Way
Finding the Simple Life with Meaning
The Simple Life
Do You Have the Right Words?
Did Your Dream Die?
On the Other Side of the Fence
Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence
Confessions of a Desperate Mom
Saving for Tomorrow
A Wedding Remembered
Who Will Stand in the Gap?
Are You a Protector or a Ruler?
Who Are You?
Are You an Image Bearer or a Wad of Cells?
Are You a Watchman?
Where Do You Find Meaning?
The Lamb of God as Told by a Scribe
What Love Is This?
Remember: The Symbols of Passover Explained
Tea and Rest
Do You Have Peace?
What Makes a Marriage Work?
When Life Is Awful
Are You Strong Enough?
Rules
Seasons
Be Faithful through Suffering
Do You Know the Word?
Wake Up! Strengthen What Remains
Are You Spit in God's Mouth?
Is Jezebel in Your Midst?
Do You Stand Against Satan Himself?
Are You Tired of Being a Mom?
What in the World Is Happening?
It's Not My Story
How Would Your Faith Compare?
Are You Sinking?
Are You a Rule Follower?
Useful for Him
An Intimate Moment with Mary
The Worldview that Makes the
   Underclass

Thoughts to Ponder
What Does It Take To Know the
    Heart of God?

See the Story in the Stars
Do the Scriptures Burn You?
Being in His Presence
Contentment: It's Not for the Timid
How Secure Are You?
How Do You Respond To Stupid People?
The Earthworm Is My Hero
Heart Issues or Issues of the Heart
Things Aren't Always What They Seem
More faith articles are found here:
alt
under the Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Or here:
alt
under the Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Articles on Suffering can be found  here, 
alt
under Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Special Days
Remember: The Symbols of 
   Passover Explained
    

Aug 12, 2017 The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
July 4th, Freedom
What Is an American Soldier?
Valentine's Day: A Day of Love?
Memorial Day-A Day To Remember
Veterans' Day-To Honor Our Men
Fall Colors
First Thanksgiving Day
    Proclamation

Christmas: Stories behind the Songs
Christmas: Stories behind the Songs, part 2