He Went Forth

He Went Forth

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6, KJV).

THESE WORDS of Zechariah were the motto of Jonathan Goforth, and his life illustrated their truth. One of eleven children, Goforth was born on a farm near London, Ontario, in 1859. His spiritual pilgrimage began at the age of eighteen as he was struggling to finish high school. A Presbyterian pastor named Lachlan Cameron visited the school frequently to hold Bible studies. Goforth took a liking to the pastor and decided to visit his church. On his third visit Goforth felt as if the pastor were preaching directly to him. At the end of the sermon Goforth privately bowed his head and yielded himself to Christ.

Some time later when visiting his brother Will’s farm fifteen miles away, Will’s father-in-law gave Goforth a copy of The Memoirs of Robert Murray M’Cheyne. On the ride home in his horse and buggy, he started reading the story of the Church of Scotland pastor and soul winner. He became so engrossed in it that he tethered his horse to a tree and read until the sun was about to set. Captivated by M’Cheyne’s burden for evangelism, Goforth resolved to devote his life to leading the unsaved to the Savior.

While still in high school, Goforth heard a missionary to the Far East express his heartbreak that he had not been able to find any young men to carry on the work that he had begun. Goforth heard the Lord asking, “Who will go for us and whom shall we send?” and he answered, “Here am I; send me.” That hour marked the beginning of Jonathan Goforth’s missionary career.

While attending Knox College in Toronto, he spent much time visiting the city’s slums. It was in connection with his mission work in Toronto that he met Rosalind Bell-Smith, whom everyone knew as Rose, a member of a wealthy Episcopalian family and more important, a born-again Christian. Upon meeting him Rose noticed the shabbiness of his clothes but couldn’t help being taken by the shining purpose in his eyes. A few days later she was able to sneak a peek at his well-worn Bible and found it filled with notes from cover to cover. She decided that this was the man she wanted to marry. Jonathan felt the same way, and they were married in October 1884. Four months later they sailed for China.

In China Jonathan and Rose and their growing family traveled from place to place doing evangelistic work. His ministry was truly blessed by God, and many hundreds came to know Christ through his preaching. But the hardships of missionary life cost them dearly—five of their eleven children died in China.

Goforth went to Korea to see firsthand the results of the revival of 1907 that occurred there. He returned to China with some Koreans who had participated, and together they brought the revival to China.

When nearly seventy years old, Goforth pioneered a new work in Manchuria and in a short period of time won thousands to Christ and trained over seventy evangelists to carry on the work. Even after going blind, he stayed on ministering for another year.

Returning to Canada in 1934, Goforth was much in demand as a speaker. Although in his mid-seventies and now blind, he spoke at 481 meetings in eighteen months.

His last Sunday in Toronto he spoke four times. Then on October 7, 1936, he traveled forty miles to give what would be his final address. The next morning Rose woke early, thinking Jonathan was still sleeping, but then she realized that he had passed into the land that is fairer than day.

A few weeks earlier he had said that he rejoiced to know that the first face he would see upon dying would be his Savior’s, and now he saw him face-to-face.

Reflection

God took a Canadian farm boy and by his Spirit made him one of the most productive missionaries of all time. His secret was that he was wholly committed to God and trusted that he would work through him by his Spirit. What can you learn from Jonathan Goforth’s life?

When the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8