William Carey paused to take a deep breath. It was happening again. Standing in front of the class, his students watched their teacher collect himself. Tears formed at the corner of each eye and rolled down his cheeks.
It was 1785, and twenty-four-year-old William was teaching a geography lesson in Moulton, England. He used a homemade map. Pointing at countries and sharing about the people who lived in these parts of the world touched his heart. He knew the name of Jesus had not been spoken among them even once.
William imagined what it would be like to be born in a place with no gospel witness. It moved him deeply, both in the classroom where he broke down and, in the bedroom, where he tossed and turned.
The Learning Adventure that Sparked a Missionary Movement
Though he’d been forced to drop out of school at age twelve, William was a motivated learner. As a young boy he read about the discoveries of Christopher Columbus and the adventures of Captain Cook. He was fascinated by books he discovered written in Latin and Greek and began teaching himself to read them.
The study of geography, cultures, and languages became more than a hobby when the opportunity came to teach in a school. But this wasn’t just an academic exercise. William Carey also studied the command of Jesus to make disciples of all nations. He was motivated by how God worked through others who had gone before him. He was moved by what still needed to be done. And he was convinced everyone could play a part in sharing Jesus with lost people around the world.
Encouraged by a friend, William Carey put his ideas on paper in a booklet. It served as a spark that motivated his peers to form a missionary band to support him. When he told his friends he would go to India as their first missionary his friend Andrew Fuller said, “Yes. Go! There is a gold mine of souls to be dug for in India.”
William responded saying, “I will go down the mine if you will hold the ropes for me.”
This was not a catchy phrase. It was a solemn commitment, and William’s three supporters knew exactly what he was asking. They gathered around their friend, looked him in the eye, and repeated one-by-one: I promise to support you, no matter what happens, until the day I die.
A Legacy of Impact
William Carey stayed in India for forty-one years, without ever returning to England. He translated the entire Bible into six languages, and portions of Scripture into twenty-nine. He is known as the Father of Protestant missions, with a legacy that includes botanist, entrepreneur, medical humanitarian, media pioneer, and moral reformer. William Carey contributed more to the transformation of the Indian subcontinent in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries than anyone before or after.
Becoming a Rope Holder
God is still sending his followers to cross cultures and participate in the Great Commission. Every Jesus follower has a role to play. You may not feel called to go, but you can hold the rope for someone else. We are developing a secure, user-friendly web and mobile experience that connects communities with frontline missionaries to show how God is at work around the world, what still needs to be done, and how everyone can be involved.
We want to connect frontline missionaries with the individuals, small groups and church communities that are holding the rope. We believe when people know how God is at work around the world they give more. When they understand more clearly what still needs to be done, they pray more. When they give and pray, they do more to advance the kingdom everywhere.
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