In the words of Madeline Peña, William Carey (1761 – 1834) was described as follows: “Known as the Father of Modern Missions, William Carey was the first missionary to India who served for forty-one years translating the entire Bible into Bengali. He is also known for being a shoemaker, pastor, founder of the English Baptist Missionary Society, botanist, cultural anthropologist, educator, author, social reformer, and the first to bring the printing press to India.”1
It has been two centuries since Carey stepped foot in India and the impact he has made on this billion-plus population is still being felt throughout the country. Not only that but his impact on world missions is truly monumental and transformational. As a pioneer missionary, Carey, perhaps more than any single individual, sparked a missions movement that has continued up until the present day.
Born in England, Carey had no formal education past the age of twelve. However, he was an avid reader who loved the outdoors and adventure. Carey became an apprentice shoemaker at age fourteen and gave his heart to the Lord at age seventeen. His consuming desire to see lost souls saved started almost immediately after his conversion. For years, while still living in England, Carey became a pastor and when confronted by a neighbor who felt he spent too much time preaching to the neglect of his shoe business, he replied, “My real business is to preach the gospel and win lost souls. I cobble shoes to pay expenses.”2
According to Madeline Peña: “After his conversion, William began to study the Bible while he worked on leather shoes. Having a natural gift for learning new languages and eager to know exactly and fully what the Scriptures said in its original language, he taught himself both Hebrew and Greek. Before he was thirty-one, he was able to read the Bible in seven languages including Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, French.”3 This gift of languages became instrumental in Carey’s future work several years later when he felt called to become a missionary to India.
The more Carey preached the more he felt called to share the great commission with the heathen in other parts of the world. It was this burning desire that led him and a few close friends to form the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen, which later was called the English Baptist Missionary Society. Their goal was to raise funds and train missionaries. When a doctor named John Thomas returned from working in India to England to raise funds he met with Carey and his newly formed missionary society. When Doctor Thomas told Carey about the millions of lost souls in India, Carey felt instantly led to go himself – and the rest is history. In 1793 Carey and his family sailed for Calcutta, India to set-up a mission’s station. For the next 41 years, until his death in 1834, Carey tirelessly preach the gospel, translated the Bible into several Indian dialects, planted churches, and led many to Christ. Carey’s work formed what we now call the modern missionary movement.
According to Galen B. Royer a full day of work for William Carey looked like the following: “Up at 5:45, reading a chapter in the Hebrew Bible, “private addresses to God,” family prayers with the Bengali servants, reading Persian till tea, translating Scriptures in Hindustani from Sanskrit, teaching at the college from ten till two, correcting proof sheets of Bengali translating of Jeremiah, translating Matthew into Sanskrit, spending one hour with a pundit on Telinga, at seven collecting thoughts for a sermon, preaching at 7:30 to forty persons, translating Bengali till eleven, writing a letter home, reading a chapter from the Greek New Testament and commending himself to God as he lay down to sleep, is a sample of one day’s work.”4
For this precious servant of God translating the Scriptures into different Indian languages was only part of his mission in India. In 1801 he was appointed Professor of Sanskrit and Bengali at Fort William College in Calcutta. Carey was instrumental in having the church refuse caste distinctions so common in India back then. Carey helped improve the quality of life for thousands of Indians by partnering with English businessmen and establishing factories. He also founded the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India, whose goal was to improve farming methods. In addition, Carey founded Serampore College to encourage the use of Indians to become missionaries to their own people.
William Carey, was a humble servant of the Lord to the very end. Nearing death in 1834 Carey told a friend: “You have been saying much about Dr. Carey and his work. After I am gone, please speak not of Dr. Carey, but rather of my wonderful Savior.”5
1 William Carey: Pioneer to India & Father of Modern Missions (bethanygu.edu)
2 William Carey Baptist missionary India – Giants of the Missionary Trail by Eugene M. Harrison (wholesomewords.org)
3 William Carey: Pioneer to India & Father of Modern Missions (bethanygu.edu)
4 https://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/bcarey3.html
5 William Carey: Pioneer to India & Father of Modern Missions (bethanygu.edu)
This is very interesting Curt…I didn’t know it all before reading it here. Thanks!
Elaine