Can you name the first American foreign missionary?
You've probably never even heard the name George Liele.
Yet, he was America's FIRST foreign missionary. And he was a black man!
"George Liele (1750–1820) was an African American and emancipated slave who became the founding pastor of First Bryan Baptist Church and First African Baptist Church, in Savannah, Georgia (USA)."
...and now wait for it.....
"He became the first American missionary, leaving in 1782 for Jamaica...
this is thirty years before Adoniram Judson left for Burma. He became the first Baptist missionary in Jamaica."
While I am not a fan of Identity Politics or Black History Month, let's remember and honor this dear man, George Liele. May he be an example to many blacks today in American, a demographic that makes up about 13% of the US population but are very rare on the foreign mission field. In fact, out of the Southern Baptist convention's 4,900 international missionaries, only 27 were black (That is about half of 1% if I calculated correctly)
It is time to remember Pastor George Liele and emulate his heritage. I am praying for a new wave of missionaries from the US.
May he be a great role-model for many Americans, both black and white, in this generation!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg...4JbdK0rfYlei7awnGMhVAgl0JruIb6IsxNIqYCtQLdf3M
https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/201...zJOgkg7SWY3hR0E1K8V7Lj0_SHS4_HRTf6EIMnUhwc3DQ
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg...J2BSpixWyxoZrBJcbo5PHiBisVOfsHRD7Ag8qiJxLj3Zg
You've probably never even heard the name George Liele.
Yet, he was America's FIRST foreign missionary. And he was a black man!
"George Liele (1750–1820) was an African American and emancipated slave who became the founding pastor of First Bryan Baptist Church and First African Baptist Church, in Savannah, Georgia (USA)."
...and now wait for it.....
"He became the first American missionary, leaving in 1782 for Jamaica...
this is thirty years before Adoniram Judson left for Burma. He became the first Baptist missionary in Jamaica."
While I am not a fan of Identity Politics or Black History Month, let's remember and honor this dear man, George Liele. May he be an example to many blacks today in American, a demographic that makes up about 13% of the US population but are very rare on the foreign mission field. In fact, out of the Southern Baptist convention's 4,900 international missionaries, only 27 were black (That is about half of 1% if I calculated correctly)
It is time to remember Pastor George Liele and emulate his heritage. I am praying for a new wave of missionaries from the US.
May he be a great role-model for many Americans, both black and white, in this generation!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg...4JbdK0rfYlei7awnGMhVAgl0JruIb6IsxNIqYCtQLdf3M
https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/201...zJOgkg7SWY3hR0E1K8V7Lj0_SHS4_HRTf6EIMnUhwc3DQ
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg...J2BSpixWyxoZrBJcbo5PHiBisVOfsHRD7Ag8qiJxLj3Zg