Robert Morrison — First Christian Protestant Missionary to China

September 7, 2007

Robert Morrison (born January 5, 1782 in Bullers Green, near Morpeth, Northumberland; died August 1, 1834 in Guangzhou) was a Scottish missionary, the first Christian Protestant missionary in China^[1]. After twenty-five years of intense work he translated the whole Bible into the Chinese language and baptized ten Chinese believers.Morrison was buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery in Macau. The inscription on his marker reads:

Sacred to the memory of Robert Morrison DD.,
The first protestant missionary to China,
Where after a service of twenty-seven years,
cheerfully spent in extending the kingdom of the blessed Redeemer
during which period he compiled and published
a dictionary of the Chinese language,
founded the Anglo Chinese College at Malacca
and for several years laboured alone on a Chinese version of
The Holy Scriptures,
which he was spared to see complete and widely circulated
among those for whom it was destined,
he sweetly slept in Jesus.
He was born at Morpeth in Northumberland
January 5th 1782
Was sent to China by the London Missionary Society in 1807
Was for twenty five years Chinese translator in the employ of
The East India Company
and died in Canton August 1st 1834.
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth
Yea saith the Spirit
that they may rest from their labours,
and their works do follow them

Posted in China, Missions, Robert Morrison