Christian

Edith Mary Brown

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Missionary Biography

Full Name: Edith Mary Brown
Date of Birth: March 24, 1864
Date of Death: December 6, 1956
City: Cumberland
Country: England
Place of Vision: India

Early Life:
Edith Mary Brown was a British medical missionary who dedicated her life to serving the people of India. She lost her father at a very young age, and her family later moved to London. There, she studied at Girton College, Cambridge, and showed great talent and determination in her studies.

Inspired by her sister, who was also a missionary, Mary developed a deep desire to serve God through medical mission work. She joined the London School of Medicine in Edinburgh and graduated as a Doctor of Medicine in 1891.

Call to Missionary Work:
Feeling God’s call for challenging service, Mary joined the Baptist Missionary Society and was sent to India in 1891. When she arrived, she saw the great suffering of Indian women who had no access to medical care, especially because of the Purdah system, which kept many women hidden and away from male doctors.

Mary realized that the best way to help was to educate Indian women to become nurses and doctors themselves. She worked for a short time with other missionaries, providing medical help in the villages of Delhi and Punjab.

Edith Mary Brown’s Ministry in India:
With a clear vision and strong determination, Mary organized a Medical Missionary Conference in Ludhiana to promote the training of Indian women in modern medicine. She soon began a medical school in a rented building in Ludhiana.

In 1894, she officially founded the North Indian School of Medicine for Christian Women, the first medical training institution for women in Asia. This school became a place where Indian women could study medicine and become doctors and midwives, trained in modern Western methods.

The school, which began with only four students and four teachers, later grew into the Women’s Christian Medical College, and eventually developed into the world-renowned Christian Medical College (CMC), Ludhiana — offering medical education to both men and women.

Mary served people of all religions and backgrounds with great love and humility. She often said, “My work is for a King,” meaning she worked for Jesus Christ, the King of Kings. Through her tireless service, countless women found healing for their bodies and salvation for their souls.

Legacy:
Dr. Edith Mary Brown’s life is a shining example of faith, compassion, and dedication. Her vision transformed healthcare and education for women in India and continues to bless generations even today.

Emil Richter

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Missionary Biography

Country: Germany
Place of Vision: India

Life & Calling:
Emil Richter was a refugee from East Prussia who worked in Frankfurt, Germany. He had suffered great personal loss when his only son, who served in the German Army, died during the Second World War.

In 1957, Emil Richter attended a sermon by Pastor P. M. Samuel, an Indian Christian. During the message, Pastor Samuel shared about the suffering and poverty of many Indian children. Hearing this deeply touched Richter’s heart. He was moved with compassion and decided to help the poor and orphaned children of India both spiritually and materially.

At first, he shared part of his own income with the Indian pastor to support children in need. Later, during his wife’s birthday celebration in 1957, he felt led by God to do even more. He began to organize prayer meetings and encouraged other Christians in Germany to show the love of God through action.

Richter strongly believed that the Gospel of God’s love is the only true solution to the world’s suffering and need. His passion inspired many believers in Germany and Switzerland to join hands in helping the poor children of India.

Emil Richter’s Ministry in India:
As more people came forward to help, Emil Richter, along with Erwin Klinge, founded the “Christian Missions Service (Christlicher Missionsdienst – CMS)” in 1957 in Frankfurt, Germany.

In the beginning, CMS supported orphaned and destitute children in India through local Christian groups and churches under a “Foster Children Scheme.” Over time, CMS began to establish its own child care centers and orphanages across many rural areas of India.

For over 64 years, this ministry has transformed the lives of more than 50,000 children, regardless of their caste, creed, or religion. The children were not only cared for but were also encouraged to grow in the love of Christ and to live disciplined, meaningful lives.

Today, the Christian Missions Service (CMS) continues to express Christian faith through Children’s Homes, Homes for the Specially-Abled, Training Centers, and Schools in six Indian states and in several other countries.

Through his compassion and obedience, Emil Richter became a shining example of what it means to love others as Christ loved us — bringing hope and a better future to thousands of children in need.

Rosa Lee Oxer

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Missionary Biography

Bible Verse:
“Whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” – Proverbs 14:31

From her college days, Rosa Lee Oxer lived this truth. She never allowed inconvenience or hardship to stop her from serving people in need. With a heart full of compassion and faith, she honored God through her kind actions.

While studying in college, she was very active in Student Volunteer work and worked to form the “Student Volunteer Alliance” among students from four medical colleges in Cleveland.

Biography:
Birth: –
Home Calling: 1918
Native Place: Ohio
Country: United States of America
Place of Vision: India

Personal & Ministry Life:
Rosa Lee Oxer was a wise leader and a talented Christian woman. While studying at Hiram College, she developed a deep desire to serve as a missionary in India.

One day, she received a special call to help eighty orphans in Mahoba, India. The missionaries there were struggling and needed support. Without delay, Rosa Lee Oxer and her friend Miss Frost committed themselves to this work and left for India in November 1896.

When she arrived, the missionaries saw her as a tower of strength to the Mahoba Mission. Dr. Oxer was an excellent doctor — intelligent, careful, loving, and full of compassion. The orphan children loved her deeply, and the missionaries trusted her completely. During her short time in Mahoba, she performed many wonderful medical treatments, earning the respect and confidence of the local people.

After her first furlough, Dr. Oxer served for four months in Rath, leading the women’s ministry, and later was transferred to Jhansi. In 1907, she was appointed to the women’s home in Kulpahar, where she served faithfully until 1910.

Following the words of 1 Peter 4:10, she used her gifts as a faithful servant of God’s grace to help and heal others. She continued her mission work in India until 1910, after which she returned to America in 1916.

Even after returning home, Dr. Oxer continued to serve by visiting churches and speaking about her experiences in India, inspiring many others to join missionary work.

Finally, in 1918, Rosa Lee Oxer went to be with her Lord, having spent her life healing bodies and touching hearts through the love of Christ.

Green Lawrence Wharton

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Missionary Biography

Full Name: Green Lawrence Wharton
Birthplace: Indiana, United States of America
Date of Birth: June 17, 1847
Date of Death: November 4, 1906

Personal Testimony:
Green Lawrence Wharton was one of the first pioneer missionaries from the “Disciples of Christ” organization to serve in India. He was born into a humble farming family in Indiana, with very few chances for formal education. Even as a young man, Wharton was deeply zealous for God. Before finishing college, he began to preach about Christ with great passion. Later, he joined Bethany College to receive ministry training and afterward served as a pastor in Buffalo.

During that time, two Christian mission societies — the Foreign Christian Missionary Society and the Christian Women’s Board of Missions — were planning to send missionaries to India. Wharton felt a deep burden for the people of India and offered himself to go as a missionary representing the “Disciples of Christ.”

In 1882, he and his wife arrived in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. Later, they moved to Harda, a town in central India, where they started their first mission station. They rented a small house to live in and spent their early days studying the local language. Wharton quickly learned Hindi and began preaching the Gospel in that language.

At first, many people came to him seeking medical help, which opened doors for evangelism. Wharton often went to busy market streets, loudly reading and explaining Bible verses, and sharing God’s love with the crowd that gathered around him. His preaching, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, touched many hearts, and several people turned to the true living God.

Wharton and his wife also distributed tracts in the local language and were very active in village evangelism. They started many Sunday Schools for children so that they too could learn about Jesus. As their ministry grew, new mission centers were established in Mungeli and Bilaspur.

Wharton also worked hard for the social development of the local people. He started schools for children and helped in establishing a hospital for leprosy patients. Wanting to train more local workers for ministry, he founded a Bible Training School in Harda in 1893 and later established a Christian Bible College in Jabalpur in 1905.

Green Lawrence Wharton lived as a true disciple of Christ. He faithfully served God with all his strength until his last breath, leaving behind a strong legacy of faith, love, and service in India.

Richard Wurmbrand

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Missionary Biography

Full Name: Richard Wurmbrand
Birthplace: Bucharest, Romania
Date of Birth: March 24, 1909
Date of Death: February 17, 2001
Wife’s Name: Sabina Oster
Salvation Experience: Accepted Christ at the age of 15

Ministry Work:
Richard Wurmbrand boldly preached the love of Christ in Communist-ruled areas filled with fear and persecution. He led many people to Jesus and started a mission called “Love in Action” to help those in need and to support suffering believers.

Personal Testimony:
Richard Wurmbrand was born in Bucharest, Romania, into a poor Jewish family. He lost his parents early and lived as an orphan. As a young boy, he worked hard just to survive. By the age of 14, he had become an atheist. However, through the prayers and witness of a Christian carpenter, Richard heard the Gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. The holy life of Jesus made him realize his own sin and unclean heart. He repented deeply and was saved through faith in Christ.

In 1945, when Russian soldiers occupied Romania, Communism spread across the nation. Richard continued to preach about Jesus — both openly and secretly — even under great danger.

One day, Communist leaders organized a large meeting with around 4,000 pastors and Christian leaders. They wanted all churches to support Communism. Many pastors stood up and said that Christianity and Communism could work together. They even praised Communist leaders who had persecuted Christians.

Richard and his wife Sabina were sitting in that meeting. Sabina whispered to him, “Stand up and wipe away the shame being thrown on Christ.” Richard replied, “If I speak, you will lose your husband.” She said, “I would rather have a man who stands for Christ than one who is a coward.”

Richard then stood and boldly declared that “Jesus Christ alone is the answer for this world — not Communism.” His words were broadcast across the nation through radio.

Soon after, in 1948, the Communists arrested him. He was kept alone in a small cell for three years and tortured cruelly. His wife Sabina was also arrested and forced into labor for three years. Altogether, Richard spent 14 years in Communist prisons, suffering beatings, starvation, and pain — yet he never denied Christ.

During this time, their young son was left alone and suffered greatly. After her release, Sabina continued the secret church ministry.

In 1964, through God’s grace and international help, Richard was released. Later, a Christian organization paid a large amount of money to free him completely, allowing him to leave Romania.

After escaping, Richard shared his story around the world — speaking for those who were still suffering for Christ in Communist countries. He founded “Love in Action” (later known as The Voice of the Martyrs) to support persecuted believers and spread the Gospel through radio, literature, and aid.

Despite many hardships, Richard remained faithful to Jesus until his last breath. On February 17, 2001, he peacefully went to be with the Lord.