From Bedford to Bethlehem via China

Article by

Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org

The author of Pilgrim's Progress, which has sold more widely than any book in history except the Bible, was a Baptist pastor in the same town where David Adeney was born—Bedford, England.

So what?

Well, I was just thinking. . . We owe Pilgrim's Progress to the imprisonment of John Bunyan. And China seems to owe 30,000,000 converts to the oppression of Communism. 

The work of God
Is often odd.

The fruit of God's providence in Bunyan's life is available in every bookstore. But the fruit of God's providence in China is stored up in the heads of people like David Adeney.

So he is coming to Bethlehem with this story!

David Adeney received his M.A. from Queens College, Cambridge. He worked with China Inland Mission, planting churches in Henan Province, 1934-1941. After that he worked with Inter-Varsity in China. From 1956 to 1968 he served as Associate General Secretary of International Fellowship of Evangelical Students for the Far East, living in Hong Kong and visiting Asian universities. The next eight years he spent as Dean of the Discipleship Training Center of Overseas Missionary Fellowship in Singapore. And since 1979 he has been the Coordinator for the China Program of OMF, making numerous visits to China.

Dr. Adeney will lead the China Awareness Seminar at Bethlehem November 15-16, Friday evening 7-9pm and Saturday morning 9-12am. He will speak in the Saturday evening, Sunday morning and Sunday evening services November 16-17. Child care is always available, and there will be a special program for kids on Friday night.

One billion people live in China.
Out of all living persons one in four is Chinese.
Of every three non-Christians in the world, one is Chinese.

What has God done? What is he doing? What is he about to do (through Bethlehem!)?

Come, let us remember his wonders of old.
Let us muse on his mighty deeds!

Pastor John