As a young boy, missionary biographies greatly shaped and challenged me. They were exciting and made Christian living come alive with purpose. My hope is that the biographies of the faithful in the past may challenge my children as well. I recently borrowed the youth biography of Gladys Aylward produced by YWAM as a part of their Christian Heroes: Then and Now series. My intention is to begin to introduce my children to some of the same missionary heroes which have inspired myself. As we read through the biography I read several other articles and resources on my own to get a fuller picture of Gladys Aylward’s story.
Gladys’ story is a remarkable one. After sensing a call to China, she enrolled in a China Inland Mission (CIM) training school only to be informed that she was not qualified to serve as a missionary due to her educational challenges. Determined that the Lord had called her, she saved her meager wages and self-funded a treacherous journey across Europe and Asia. Once arriving, she came across relational challenges with fellow missionaries and rejection from the Chinese people. But, in faithful service, dedicated commitment, God’s grace, and hard work she began making headway in the rural Chinese region of Shanxi. Her faithfulness opened doors and she became a trusted partner with the regional magistrate even inheriting the role of Official Foot Inspector, as she worked to enforce and eradicate the ancient Chinese practice of foot binding, all the while sharing the gospel.
During the Japanese invasion of China mid-20th century she faced her most difficult challenge. In her obedience and compassion, she had unwittingly opened an orphanage, and the ravages of war only compacted the orphan problem. When the Japanese were at her doorstep, she managed to travel hundreds of kilometers by foot with 94 children, with almost no food or resources. After rescuing the children she was evacuated from China (like most other missionaries at the time) and spent years sharing her story around the world before returning to Asia where she spent her last days, again caring for orphans and ministering to the lost.
An honest evaluation of Gladys’ missionary experiences reveals some of her strengths and weaknesses as a missionary. Because her victories and strengths have been often highlighted, I’d like to begin with a few weaknesses before mentioning the strengths:
Weaknesses:
Gladys set out from London with a train ticket and only what she imagined would be enough to get her to her location. She didn’t have an organization or a support base to mention at home. She was extremely ill prepared and regularly depended on other missionaries for the early portion of her missionary endeavor to assist her. In fact, she wouldn’t have made it to her final destination were it not for the gifts of other missionaries. While her faith and the giving of others is commendable, it does show a severe lack of preparation, planning, and involvement from a home church. The question rises, who was Gladys Aylward sent by? I found not one mention of her home church in England apart from a church member mentioning a CIM missionary whom she initially served alongside. To her credit, she did attempt to go through CIM, but after failing out of missionary training school she appeared to be a lone ship on a completely independent voyage.
Her lack of preparation is also seen in the results of her work. While she was quite effective at making a social impact she was less effective at nurturing lasting disciples and churches. Gladys did make converts, however I found very little indication that churches were formed where strong discipleship, Bible teaching, and leaders were equipped. While she seemed to glean some strategy from local missionaries in Shanxi, she was very ill equipped to establish a lasting church. By the end of the war there was no indication of the existence of any lasting spiritual fruit.
Strengths:
There is also much to be admired about Gladys Aylward and her ministry. None could argue that Gladys lacked dedication to her calling. Despite every door closing for her to go to China she was determined; determined enough to work long hours as a domestic servant while saving every penny, and live simply and sacrificially to make her way to China. She endured through extreme hardship in her initial travels and throughout her time in China.
Despite some poor decisions in her travels and her ministry, Gladys was street smart. What she lacked in formal education she made up for in her ingenuity, wit, and hands-on style of learning. She failed out of Missionary Training School because of her inability to learn Chinese, yet she learned Chinese quickly when she arrived and lived among the people, and a local dialect in rural China at that. She had a knack for finding resources and avoiding danger. Many missionaries were killed during the Japanese invasion, while Gladys not only herself survived, but rescued an entire orphanage.
Sacrifice was no stranger to Gladys, she knew what it was to give and she gave sacrificially at every corner. She sacrificed convenience, luxury, food, and comfort. Although not a CIM missionary herself she rubbed shoulders with many of them and followed the CIM model of completely assimilating into the culture. She adopted Chinese dress, food, living, cultural manners, and language. She earned her paycheck from the Chinese government and worked hard to serve the community. Gladys walked in faith, believing God for every need. She demonstrated faith as she bought (adopted) her first child from a human trafficking ring. Faith was demonstrated when she stepped into a rioting prison, and faith was evident when she trekked hundreds of kilometers with 94 children to evade the brutal Japanese. Even in her old age, Gladys could have died in a comfortable British apartment in worldwide fame. But instead, she chose to return to Asia and pick up a life of sacrifice. Gladys died with an abandoned infant by the side of her bed and many who called her mother. Truly spiritually a rich and satisfied woman. Despite the weaknesses mentioned herein, there is much to be gleaned from the life of Gladys Aylward. A woman who loved people and served the Lord faithfully to her dying breath.