Aelred of Rievaulx was an English Cistercian monk, abbot from 1147 until his death (20 years later) . He best known as a writer. Both Anglicans and Catholics regard him as a saint. His early education was probably at the cathedral school in Durham. From about the age of 14 he spent time at the court of King David I of Scotland in Roxburgh, rising to the rank of echonomus (steward or master of the Household)… He left the court aged 24, in 1134, to enter the Cistercian abbey of Rievaylx in Yorkshire. He was the son of Eilaf, a priest, so he was forbidden, when he became an adult, by the 1095 Council of Claremont, ordination as a priest so he became a monk. ( This was done in part to prevent the inheritance of benefices.) In 1142 he travelled to Rome. On his return he became novice master at Rievaulx. In 1143 appointed abbot of the new Ravesby Abbey. 1147 elected abbot of Rievaulx, a position he held until his death in 1167. All of Aelred’s works have appeared in translation, most in English and French. ( See Writings) David Knowles, a historian of monasticism in England , describes him, for efforts in writing and administration, as the St. Bernard of the North, a singularly attractive character, no other English monk of the twelfth century so lingers in the memory.

AElfric was an English abbot and student of AEthelwold of Winchester. He was a prolific writer in the Old English of hagiography, homilies, biblical commentaries and other genres. He wrote 2 sets of 40 homilies and then wrote 3 works to help students learn Latin - the Grammar, the Glossary and the Colloquy. A third set ,* Lives of Saints* dated from 996-7. AEthelwold asked him to translate from the Old Testament the beginning of Genesis from Latin into Old English. This was the very first time the Old Testament was translated into Old English. Rather than translate it verbatim he translated it by its meaning. In 1005 he moved to AEthelwold’s new monastery in Eynsham where he was the monastery’s first abbot. He died in 1010… He left careful instructions to future scribes to copy his work carefully. He did not want it marred by the introduction of unorthodox passages and scribal errors. AElfric was the most prolific writer in Old English.His main theme was God’s mercy. In 2022 a blue plaque was unveiled in Eynsham in recognition of his work. According to Claudio Leonardi he represented the highest pinnacle of Benedictine reform and Anglo-Saxon literature. Source Wikipedia

Adrian IV, originally Nicholas Breakspear, was born in Abbot’s Langley, Hertfordshire. he was educated in Franceand became ab Augustine monk and abbot in 1137. While on a trip to Rome he was retained in papal service and elevated to cardinal (c1150). He went on various diplomatic missions to Catalonia, Scandinavia and Sweden. He was appointed bishop of Alano around 1140. He became pope in 1154 on the death of Pope Anastasius IV. For unknown reasons, probably at the request of his predecessor, he was elected pope by the other cardinals. He was unable to complete his coronation service due to the state of politics in Rome. Afterwards he decisively restored the papal authority. He crowned Frederick I (Barbarossa) Holy Roman Emperor. They had a stormy relationship - it started badly and got progressively worse. His relationship with England seemed to have remained generally good. He showered St.Albans Abbey with privileges and granted Henry ll policies where he could. Sources Wikipedia *The Hodder & Stoughton Book of famous Christians * by Tony Castle

Pierre Abelard, born Pierre ie Pellet, was a French scholastic, philosopher, leading logician, poet, composer and musician of the 12th century. He is considered a forerunner of Rousseau, Kent and Spinoza. He is sometimes credited as a chief forerunner of modern empiricism. He is considered to be the most significant forerunner also of the modern self-reflective autobiography - The History of my Calamities -his publicly distributed letter. In history and popular culture he is best known for his passionate and tragic love affair with his brilliant student and eventual wife, Heloise d’Argenteuil. They had a son, Astrolabe, before he was castrated by her uncle Fulbert’s men. In shame he embraced the monastic life. Afterwards both went into monasteries. In Catholic theology he is best known for his development of the concept of limbo, and his introduction of the moral influence theory on Atonement. He wrote a number of books and modern editions and translations of his work are available. (See List) Pierre is considered one of the founders of the secular university and pre-Renaissance secular philosophical thought. Sources Wikipedia Britannica

George Abbot was an English divine who was Archbishop of Canterbury form 1611-1633. He was a translator of the King James Version of the Bible. He also served as the fourth chancellor of the University of Dublin from 1612-1633. He was a conscientious prelate , though narrow in view and often harsh towards both separatists and roman catholics. He wrote a large number of works and was one of the translators of the 1611 King James version of the Bible. George accidently shot a gamekeeper in 1621. A commission met to consider whether he was fit for the primacy- King James exercised his vote in his favour. Gustavus Paine notes that George was both translator of the 1611 Bible and the only Archbishop Canterbury to kill a human being. He was born and buried in Guildford. His legacy there is a hospital, a secondary school, a pub and a statue in the High Street. Source Wikipedia

Jacob Knapp was a popular Baptist preacher of the 19th century. In 1821 he entered a theological college at Hamilton, New York (now Colgate University) He began active work at the Baptist church in Springfield, New York and managed a farm. He moved to Watertown where he became both pastor and manager of a large farm. In 1832 he experienced a deeper religious impression which he called his second conversion. He applied to the New York Sate Baptist convention to become a missionary. They hesitated and he began preaching as an evangelist on his own responsibility. He preached at first in school houses and obscure churches but he was soon sought after by larger churches and distinguished parsons. In Baltimore, Boston and New York vast numbers attended his preaching to the extent protection by the civil authorities was necessary. His preaching was stern and terrible, yet cultivated. 1000s believed they were converted under his ministry. In 1845 he published a collection of hymns The Evangelical Harp: A new Collection of Hymns and Tunes Designed for Revivals of Religion and For Family and Social Worship Jacob lived to the age of 74; he died on 2nd March 1874. During his lifetime 1000s had heard him preach and many were converted.

Jean Guillaume de la Flechere was a Swiss born English divine and Methodist leader. He emigrated to England in 1750 and began to work with John Wesley. He became a key interpreter of Wesleyan theology in the 18th century and one of Methodists first great theologians. he became a fervent supporter of the Evangelical Revival. He was devoted to the Methodist concern for spiritual renewal and revival but maintained a never wavering commitment to the Church of . He spent 25 years (1760-1785) working in the humble industrialising parish of Madeley in Shropshire. He believed the methodist model model functioned best within the parochial system and implemented his own brand of methodism in his own parish. John Wesley chose John to lead the Methodist movement on his death but John Fletcher died first! He worked with unique devotion and zeal. His wife Mary on his iron tomb gave this epitaph -unexampled labours. Source Wikipedia

Lorenzo Dow was an eccentric itinerant American evangelist. His wife, Peggy, (1780-1820)was almost as eccentric as her husband, He is said to have preached,over 30 years, to more people than any other preacher of his era. He became an important figure and a well known writer. His mannerisms in public speaking were like nothing ever seen before. He shouted, he screamed, he cried, he begged, he flattered, he insulted, he challenged people and their beliefs. He often preached before open-air assemblies of 10,000 people or more and held his audience spellbound all over the USA and Great Britain. Read the paragraphs * Missionary travels * and Travelling preacher. He was unkempt- rarely washed and only had one set of clothing. His long hair and beard were described as never having met a comb. He was a fierce abolitionist and occasionally forcibly ejected from towns. His autobiography* The Stranger in Charleston or the Trial and Confession of Lorenzo Dow* (1822) was at one time the second best selling book in the USA exceeded only by the Bible. Source Wikipedia

Isobel Selina Miller Kuhn - Belle - was a Canadian Christian missionary to the Lisu people of Yunnan Province, China and northern Thailand. She served with the China Inland Mission, along with her husband John , as a Bible translator, church planter, Bible teacher, evangelist and author of 9 books about her experiences. Rainy Seasons Bible Schools was opened by Isobel. During the dry season her ‘pupils’ worked hard on the land. When the floods came they were able to study. From 1930-1954 Isobel and John were missionaries in China. Their missionary work was put on hold from 1950-2 because of the Chinese communist revolution. In 1954 Isobel was diagnosed with cancer and she concentrated on writing her books. Her first book By Searching is an autobiography of her early life in a Christian home and her eventual conversion, aged 20, to being a born again Christian. ISBN 978-0853639111 Irene Howat in her book Gold from Dark Mines looks at Isobel 's searching and 5 other well known Christians and their build-up to their conversions. Isobel died on March 20th 1957 with her John at her side. Her funeral was held at Wheaton College Church. When I get to heaven they aren’t going to see much of me but my heels, for I’ll be hanging over the golden wall keeping an eye on the Lisu church! Isobel Kuhn (Note Her father was a roentgenologist - a person who uses x-rays in the diagnosis of illness an disease.) Sources Wikipedia 4 excellent pages of notes Gold From Dark Mines Irene Howat ch7 p173-p203 (ISBN 1 -85792-943-8)

Selina Shirley was born into a ‘distinguished’ dysfunctional family. Troubles had followed the Shirley family for generations. her grandfather, Sir Robert had died in the Tower of London. Her father, a second Robert, was born shortly before his father was imprisoned. In 1671, aged 20, he married Elizabeth Washington. They had at least 11 children in 22 years of marriage. Elizabeth died in 1693 leaving 9 motherless children. Robert quarreled with all his children. In 1699 he married again and had 6 more children who survived childhood. The first girl in this second marriage, Elizabeth, had Queen Anne as her godmother. Selina was born in 1707. Aged 10 she learned her father had been left a derisory £20 in her grandfather’s will (others in the family had £5,000). In 1728, aged 20, she married Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon, who was 12 years older than Selina. In the first 10 years of their 18 years of happy married life they had 7 children, 6 survived. Theophilus died in 1746. On 21st April 1730 she one of the 21 aristocratic women who supported Thomas Coran in establishing the Founding Hospital. In 1739 she joined the first Methodist society in Fetters Lane, London. In July she was converted. From her bed, she lifted up her heart to the Saviour with this important prayer and immediately all her distress and fears were removed, and she was filled with peace and joy believing. Gold from Dark Mines p98. From 1746 she became a financial supporter for the Methodist movement led by John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield. George became her chaplain. She was responsible for founding 64 chapels and contributed to the funding of others. She also founded Trevecca ministers’ college near Talgarth in Mid Wales ( since 1972 the United Reformed Church). She played a prominent part in the religious revival of the 18th century and the Methodist movement in England and Wales. Selina was a woman who allegedly suffered from poor health. She visited Bath to ‘take the waters’ on a number of occasions. After her conversion in 1739 her health improved dramatically, Sources Gold from Dark Mines by Irene Howat ch2 pages 77-108 Wikipedia

Girolamo Savonarola or Jerome Savonarola was an ascetic Italian Dominican friar from Ferrara and was a preacher active during the Renaissance in France. He was known for his prophecies of civic glory, the destruction of secular art and culture, plus his calls for Christian renewal. he denounced clerical corruption, despotic rule and the exploitation of the poor. In 1495 when Florence refused to join Pope Alexander VI’s Holy League against the French he was summoned to Rome. He disobeyed and further defied the pope by preaching when banned . May 1497 he was excommunicated. A trial by fire was proposed and popular opinion turned against him. On 23 May,along with two other monks who supported him, they were condemned, hanged and burnt in the main square in Florence. Savonarola 's devotees , the Piagnomi, kept his republican freedom and religious reform alive well into the next century,

William Trewartha Bray was the eldest of three children He was born in the village of Twelveheads, Cornwall, England. After leaving school he became a miner in Cornwall for 7 years. He was a drunkard and prone to riotous behaviour. In 1821 he married Joanna, a lapsed Methodist. They had 9 children -two were orphans In November 1823, following a close escape from a mining accident, he was converted* *after reading John Bunyan’s Visions of Heaven and Hell. He became well known as an unconventional Cornish preacher - his sermons were enlivened by spontaneous outbursts of singing and dancing. His biographer, F.W. Bourne, quoted Billy as saying If they put me in a barrel, I would shout glory out through the bunghole! Praise the Lord about people who complained about his enthusiastic singing and shouting. He generously gave help to other people. He raise enough funds to build three new Methodists chapels. The one in Kerley Downs was nicknamed 'Three Eyes ’ because it had three windows and was later dedicated to him in 1984. In 2012 Michael Bentley wrote a children’s book about Billy.

James Gilchrist Lawson was a popular American Baptist evangellst Christian author and hymn writer of the early twentieth century. He wrote and compiled biographical sketches for Deeper Experiences of Famous Christians (1911) **** is a landmark text in Pentecostal and Charismatic history. ** Deeper Experiences is the one book , other than the Bible, that has most influenced me Professor Dallas Willard He wrote Greatest Thoughts about God the compiler of this volume is able to give to the world the very cream of religious thoughts concerning God James was also editor of The Marked Reference Bible Read the notes . Deeper Experiences ,over 100 years later, is still available in paperback

George- Antoine Bellecourt was a French Canadian, Roman Catholic diocesan priest and missionary. H e was ordained in 1827 and established missions in areas of Quebec and Manitoba… H e was assigned to Pembina, North Dekota where he established two missions in the 1840s to convert the local Ojibwe (also called Chippewa) and Metis to Catholicism. He left Pembina In 1859 for Quebec where he was quickly redeployed to North Rustico, Prince Edward Island. There he established the Farmer’s Bank of Rustico. He ’ retired’ in 1869 to New Brunswick but was recalled in 1871 to go to the Magdalen islands. May 1874 he became ill and retired and he died on 31st May 1872 in New Brunswick. The town of Belcourt , North Dakota, was named after him in honour of his efforts in the region. 1959 George was designated a National Historic Person by the Government of Canada. Source Wikipedia

Cornelis (Kees) Boeke was a Dutch educator, Quaker missionary and pacifist. He is best know for his popular book *Cosmic VIew* (1957) which presents a seminal view of the universe from the galactic to the miscroscopic scale -which inspired several films( See Legacy). Kees tried to reform education by allowing children contribute their ideas - a process he called sociocracy. He regarded schools as workshops with the pupils as workers and teachers as co-workers. While in England he became a Quaker. He married Beatrice (Betty) Cadbury. In 1912 the couple went as missionaries to Lebanon where Kees was headmaster at the Brummana School. He was a pacifist- he was against war. During WW1 he went to Germany and came back to UK and publicly said we should see Germans as our friends -for this he was deported back to the Netherlands. After WW1 he erected a large conference centre in Bilthoven- the Brotherhood House. Queen Beatrix as a child attended his school. In the late 1920s he started a school- in 1926 he founded De wekplaats (the workshop). He used Maria Montessori’s methods combined with Quaker ideals, plus his own ideas. He wanted the children to respect democracy. The children were treated as adults and on first name terms with their teachers. Kees died on 3rd July 1966 During WW11 he joined the Dutch resistance movement against the Germans. They sheltered Jews during WW11 and for this work they were later enshrined in Yad Vashem in 1992. Source used Wikipedia

Wilhelmina (Minnie) Vautrin was an American missionary, diarist, educator and president of Ginling College.She was a missionary in China for 28 years. Her mother died when she was only 6 and for 3 years was fostered before her father was allowed to look after her. She went to University, having to work to pay for the fees. She came out top of her class. A request was made by the Foreign Missionary Society for her to replace a teacher in China. She accepted the request and established in Hofei the San Ching Girl’s Middle School. In 1918 returned to USA to pursue a master’s degree in education. Ginling College, in China, approached her to serve as president for 1 year. She stayed for many years, with furlongs home, until 1940. During the time of the Nanking Massacre the college was a place of refuge for 1000s of refugees. In 1941, a year after returning to the USA , she committed suicide due to the extreme stress and trauma from the massacre. Minnie was postumously awarded the Emblem of the Blue jade by the Chinese government for her humanitarian work during the massacre.

Mary Geraldine Taylor, born on Christmas Day 1962, was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China. She was the daughter of Fanny and Henry Gratton Guinness who were revivalist preachers and authors. She became the author of many missionary biographies on the history of the China Inland Mission (CIM). Mary Geraldine Guinness married Frederick Howard Taylor the son of James Hudson Taylor the founder of CIM. Aged 22 she left London for China in January 1888 on board Kaisar-I-Hind. At Colombo they boarded S.S. Deccan for Shanghai. She arrived at Yang-chau on 23rd March 1888. After training in China she was eventually stationed in Honan Province. Mary wrote many biographies plus 20 other books (See Published works). She died on 6th June 1949 aged 86.

Marshall, at an early age, suffered poor eye sight - he was ‘blind’ in one eye, but was still able to write many books. He was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China with the China Inland Missions (CIM). He authored many books on the subject of Chinese missionary work . He is related to James Hudson Taylor -his mother was Amelia Hudson Taylor- the daughter of Taylor. In 1890 he was accepted as a missionary by CIM London Council. October 1890 he sailed to China. Florence Corderoy, his future wife, joined him in 1894. In 1900 the Boxer Rebellion broke out in China. The CIM had the greatest loss of life- 79 people were massacred including children… Marshall diligently sought out information to send home. He later wrote 2 memorable books documenting the harrowing stories of both the martyrs and the survivors. In 1900 he was appointed Editorial Secretary for the mission in London. In 1910 he took part in the Edinburgh Missionary Conference, In 1911/12 , after the founding of the Republic of China, he visited China and travelled extensively to obtain first hand, up to date information. This resulted in The Chinese Empire: A General and Missionary Survey being written. This book was constantly referred to by the commission to Carrying the Gospel to all ythe Non-Christian World, of which he was a member. In 1927, after 27 years, aged 61, he stopped being the Editorial Secretary but continued with his literary work. He became an expert at writing biographies. He also gave preliminary Chinese language lessons to CIM candidates. In 1936 he briefly edited the** China’s Millions** but ill health forced him to stop. On the 27th October 1937, aged 71 he died. His wife Florence died in 1957.

Mark is a missionary, evangelist, ordained minister of the International Ministerial Fellowship and the House of God. He originally wanted to pursue a career in politics and went to the University of Maryland to earn a degree in public relations. Upon graduation he began a career in Christian ministry and attended the Candler School of Theology at Emory University- this followed a supernatural experience in his youth -, a mandate from God calling him to be a preacher, and becoming a born again Christian.His wife Alison had a similar mandate for Mark. Mark became a pastor at Oak Grove Methodist Church in Woodstock, Georgia. December 1975 he was baptized in the Holy Spirit and experienced speaking in tongues at Atlanta, Georgia. This was a turning point in his life. He began preaching at revivals and conferences. His first mission was to Mexico in 1977. He began his missions in earnest in 1979 when he went to Ghana. This was followed by missions to Nigeria, India, Benin, Colombia , Peru, Thailand, Mexico and many other countries. He founded Trinity Foundations - now called Global Servants; and House of Grace (1988). In 1987 he became an associate pastor at Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta. In 1990 he took over a leaderless Calvary Assembly of God in Orlando and transformed it over the next 5 years. In 1999 he became the new president of struggling South Eastern University of God in Lakeland, Florida. Over the next 10 years it became a full university with a tripling of its enrollment (Read president of Southeastern University). In 2009 he became president of Oral Roberts University. He helped the enrollment numbers to increase form just over 3,000 to 6,500. In 2011 he announced he would leave ORU within two years- He would then be 64 years of age. He has remained active . He is the founder and director of the Institute on Christian Leadership, a one year educational programme for ministers and business leaders. He written 17 books (See Published works). Brief information about ORU included Source used Wikipedia

Edward was an American Maryknoll Catholic priest, missionary, relief/medical aid/educator worker. He worked in Kongmoon (now Jiangmen), Guangdong Province, China and Hong Kong in the mid 20th century. Together, with two other priests, he entered Hong Kong on October 15th 1941. He stayed in China throughout WWII. One story told is that he gave a crazy 15 year old boy 1 grain and 1 grain of calomel - a purgative . Within 3/4 days the boy was cured. The delighted father told the everyone the story - the accidental cure was worth 100’s of hours of preaching. In 1947 , suffering from tuberculosis he returned to the USA. In the USA he became Vice Rector at Mountain View (1919-58). In 1958 he returned to Hong Kong. In 1959 Edward, with Peter Alphonsus Reilly, were asked by the bishop to found a new parish in Kwun Tong - government planned satellite industrial town. They also set up a clinic in the poor neighbourhood to provide emergency treatment to injured workers - the Maryknoll sisters then took over the clinic and moved it to Lily House. A school for 24 primary children was also opened. In 1962 Kwun Tong became St. John the Baptist Parish of Kwun Tong -subdivided into 3 parishes in 1967. In Kai Liu, a 15 minute away, The Maryknoll Fathers negotiated with the government for more space. (Read ‘Later service in Hong Kong’)’ Edward and Peter were kept very busy launching various programmes. From 1966 - 1975 he worked as Auxiliary Chaplain in the Servicemen’s Guides’ Association. He offered more than 1,000 Sunday Masses on the ships. Early in 1975 he suffered from a blood clot in his left lung.and returned to the USA. He died on the 23rd June 1975. He was buried in the Maryknoll Cemetery in New York. In November 1975 the Maryknoll Hong Kong Chronicle wrote** the fruits of Fr. Frumpelmann’s efforts before his death. 62 tons of medical supplies arrived on the USS Niagara Falls with the cooperation of Operation Hanclasp.** Edward was active from 1941-1975. Over 20 years he worked tirelssly for the people of China.