I will go down, if you will hold the rope.
~ William Carey
William Carey started out as an uneducated shoe cobbler with an unshakeable conviction about the Great Commission’s obligation that all Christians “make disciples of the nations” (Matthew 28:18-20). Today he is generally referred to as the Father of Modern Missions. I studied his life and impact in seminary years ago, and was recently reminded of his ministry while looking ahead to the rest of 2018. In the second half of this year Taking New Ground will work in Uganda, El Salvador, Siberia, Thailand, the Philippines….and India, the nation William Carey served.
His life was a story of resilience, perseverance, and faithfulness in ministry, often through great personal sacrifice and loss. When Carey first pursued ministerial ordination he was turned down for being too boring. This did not stop him though, and he went on to preach one of the most influential sermons of all time, “Expect great things! Attempt great things!”
Carey was once rebuked during a denominational association meeting for suggesting they discuss whether or not the command in the Great Commission was binding on church leaders. He was told, “Young man, sit down, sit down! You are an enthusiast. When God pleases to convert the heathen, he’ll do it without consulting you or me.”1 Once again, Carey pressed on, helped form his own mission society, and became their first foreign missionary.
As this organization met to discuss where to go first, they began discussing the potential of India. They referred to it as a gold mine of opportunity for reaching people far from God. John Ryland, Carey’s friend and partner in ministry wrote of that occasion:
Our undertaking to India really appeared to me, on its commencement, to be somewhat like a few men, who were deliberating about the importance of penetrating into a deep mine, which had never before been explored, we had no one to guide us; and while we were thus deliberating, Carey, as it were, said “Well, I will go down, if you will hold the rope.” But before he went down… he, as it seemed to me, took an oath from each of us, at the mouth of the pit, to this effect—that “while we lived, we should never let go of the rope.”2
Carey lived and worked in India for almost 41 years. He translated the complete Bible into 6 languages, and portions into 29 others. His life, ministry, and legacy have inspired the mission movement for 100 years. His heart and conviction resonate with me. The hardships and challenges he faced show my complaints petty by comparison. His faith and perseverance inspire me.
Like Carey, I am enabled to do the work of catalyzing movements of reproducing churches in hard to reach parts of the world through the partnership, generosity, and commitment of those who share Carey’s conviction. I am continually humbled and grateful to those stepping forward to hold the rope for me. Together we will continue to Take New Ground for the Kingdom of God! The fruit of this ministry is yours.
I will go down, if you will hold the rope.
~ Matt Watson
