It is often said that missionary efforts by Western Christian churches did not really begin until the 19th century.

The article below explores the history of missions during the Reformation. It should be remembered that missions sometimes involved expeditions to new lands never before explored.

http://spindleworks.com/library/deddens/mission_ref.htm

One such example was the French Huguenot colony known as La France Anarticque which led to the founding of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1555. Calvin sent ministers from Geneva to preach the gospel to this first Protestant colony in the New World two years later and evangelize the native Indians. The colony ended in disaster when the leader reverted back to Romanism and put to death three men who became the first Protestant martyrs in the New World. Before they died they prepared the Martyr's Confession (February 1558), which is the first confession of faith written in the New World.

Calvin sent missionaries indeed throughout all of the Western World at great peril to their lives. They fanned out from Geneva to all sorts of places. John Knox may be said to be the most well-known of Calvin's 'missionaries' in that he left Geneva and returned to his homeland to become the 'father of Presbyterianism' in Scotland.

http://www.theology21.org/theology/calvin.htm

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/John_Calvin.htm

John Eliot (1604 - 1690) was known as the "Apostle to the Indians."

http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/164.html

P.S. This was posted by Andrew (aka 'VirginiaHuguenot').

[Edited on 1-16-2005 by HuguenotHelpMeet]

__________________
Jessica Myers
Joyful Wife to Andrew
Joyful Mother to Jackson, Katie & Sammy
Member: Presbyterian Reformed Church, Warrenton, VA
Home: Warrenton, VA

Ian Murray also speaks of the Puritan vision for Missions in The Puritan Hope:

http://www.revival-library.org/catal...tanhope/07.htm

__________________
Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"Let your Morning Thoughts, and your last Evening Thoughts, be what shall become of you to all Eternity." -- Matthew Poole

The Theology of Missions in the Puritan Tradition by Sidney Rooy

__________________
Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"Let your Morning Thoughts, and your last Evening Thoughts, be what shall become of you to all Eternity." -- Matthew Poole

The Reformation WAS a missions movement.


Over 1,000 churches started in France and Bible sneak all over Europe is pretty evangelstic...especially when you could face death.

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone

The Puritan Theology of Missions

The Puritans' Mission Theology of Preaching

John Calvin and His Missionary Enterprise

__________________
Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"Let your Morning Thoughts, and your last Evening Thoughts, be what shall become of you to all Eternity." -- Matthew Poole