July 22 - A Different Kind Of Missionary: The Case Of George King

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, . . .so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isa. 55:10, 11, RSV.

George King wanted to be a preacher. He had nonly one problem-he couldn't preach. His stumbling speech and lack of education convinced James White that he had no gift for preaching. But Ellen White, with her mother's heart, convinced Richard Godsmark, a farmer near Battle Creek, to take him in for the winter so that he could have a trial run in the spring.

With Godsmark's encouragement, young King spent his time preaching to the empty chairs in teh parlor. Then came the time for the trial sermon in public. "Disaster" is the only word for experience. At that point Godsmark suggested to King that he preach in a different sort of way-by selling books door to door. As a result, he began peddling small books and subscriptions to Signs of the Times. His first week, with sales totaling 62 cents, wasn't exactly a shining success. But King liked the work.

On the other hand, this colporteur who wanted to preach desired to see the entire three angels, messages placed before the people. Thus in the fall of 1880 he convinced the managers of the Adventist publishing house in Battle Creek to bind Uriah Smith's books on Daniel and Revelation in one volume so that he could sell them. If such a volume included dramatic illustrations of the beasts and the other symbols that it treated, he was sure he could easily market the book.

The managers weren't so sure, but they bound up a few copies. King's success astounded everyone. The next year the publishing house put out a handsomely illustrated new edition of Daniel and the Revelation.

Given King's growing success and his enthusiastic recruiting abilities, soon others entered the filed. And with that a new Adventist career came into being.

Colporteuring became one more way that God's last-day message began to reach people around the world. They bought the books, read them, and joined the church. Truly God's promise to Isaiah was being fulfilled. As He sent the rain to bless the crops and feed earth's peoples, so the printed word went out and converted the minds and hearts of people around the world. Before closing, I should note that I bought my every first Christian book from a colporteur.

The moral of George King Story? Just because we can't preach doesn't mean that God can't use all of us.