Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
In 1989 I first sensed the missionary call to spend my life for the glory of Christ among the nations. Along the way, the life and piety of Adoniram Judson has challenged and inspired me to be devoted for life. It was a great honor to study and learn from his inimitable missionary spirituality and make it available to strengthen those missionaries and ministers who have suffered long in the cause of Christ. I am above all else eternally thankful for the sustaining and empowering grace of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
First, this project would not have been possible without the sweet and selfless encouragement of my lovely bride, Kristie. Her genuine enthusiasm for this book has made every sacrifice seem bearable. I hope a historian will someday write her biography and highlight how she has joyfully stood by me and how she has faithfully served her sovereign Lord through untold sacrifice and adversity. She is a treasure that I do not deserve. The future is as bright as the promises of God.
Second, I want to thank my father, Dan. All of my life, he has relentlessly stood by me in sickness and adversity. He has earnestly encouraged me to spend and be spent for Christ’s gospel. And to my mother, Linda, I am grateful for her tender and strong love. She has been a humble example of how to suffer well. And to my sister, Emily, I am grateful for her endless love and laughter. Both Mike and Mindy have also been so gracious and encouraging, of which I am undeserving. All members of my immediate and extended family have been incredibly supportive. I love you all. We shall meet in that blessed world where the loved and the parted here below meet ne’er to part again.
Third, to those who loyally support and stand with us in the gospel, we are forever grateful for your partnership. I am grateful to Pastor Ben Mosier, my longest standing friend, whose loyal friendship and unending admiration throughout my life have been more than I deserve. I am thankful for all those brothers from Moody who were awakened with me in a God-centered flame of missionary zeal, and I am unworthy of those brothers around the world with whom I have served for years. Yet, their biographies will remain unwritten this side of heaven. Let us stay devoted for life.
Fourth, I am humbled by the kindness and grace of my mentor, Michael Haykin. His evangelical spirituality and his ardent love for Jesus have been contagious for me. I have felt immensely privileged to know him and to study under his tutelage. His keen eye for detail, his passion for truth, and his bold evangelical scholarship have been so instrumental for this project. I am also thankful to Don Whitney and David Sills, whose biblical teaching and warm friendships have indelibly marked my spirituality and my missiology. And to Greg Wills, I am grateful for his wisdom, encouragement, and scholarly advice for this book. I am thankful for Jason Duesing’s scholarship and his valuable feedback.
Fifth, I would like to acknowledge and thank those who have given me advice about resources and materials for this book. I am grateful for those emails and meetings with Judson enthusiasts: Rosalie Hall Hunt, Benjamin Brandenburg, Jack McElroy, William Brackney, Allen Yeh, and Chris Chun. I am also grateful for the hospitality and expertise of the scholars at the American Baptist Historical Society: Jan Ballard, Deborah Van Broekhoven, and Janet Winfield. I am grateful for the assistance of Taffey Hall at the Southern Baptist Historical Society and Archives, for the help of Diana Yount at the Trask Library of Andover Newton Theological School, and for the assistance of Ben Ruppert and Kevin Hall at the Boyce Library. I am also grateful to Joe Harrod for his advice and to Jordan Edwards for his logistical help. I am thankful for Kyle Schwahn’s helpful feedback on the original manuscript. I wish to thank Jake Porter for first encouraging me to pursue this project. And, I am grateful to Jim Blumenstock and the rest of the Asia Biblical Theological Seminary faculty for their gracious support during my research and writing. I also want to thank Rob Wiggins and Western Seminary for their kind encouragement and support for my writing.
This project would not be comprehensive if I had not providentially discovered some of Judson’s Burmese tracts that no one had ever translated into English. A qualified Burmese translator, April T. T. Aye, was instrumental in translating two of Judson’s untranslated tracts: A Digest of Scripture and The Septenary, and a Burmese biography of Judson, Sketch of the Life of Dr. Judson, by Melvin Jameson. I am indebted to her superior translation skills and command of the English language. I am also thankful to my seminary students in Burma and to the Burmese pastors who have shared with me their esteem for Judson and for his translation.
Finally, to my sons, Elijah and Isaiah, I love you. I am so proud of you because of your love for Jesus and your desire to preach the gospel. You both will grow up to be great men of God. Keep straight forward, and trust in God.
Evan Burns
Chiang Mai, Thailand
May 2015