Birth 15-02-1842
Home Calling : 21-03-1914
Native Place: New Jersey
Country: United States of America
Place of Vision: Syria
The Bible is our primary way of knowing Christ and is the most essential weapon against sin. Along with it, other Christian literature helps us grow deeper into spiritual maturity. The spiritual books have enlightened the gentiles, encouraged the believers, and united the missionaries in several ways. God used many of his servants in the literary ministry, and one among them is James Shepard Dennis.
Dennis professed his faith in Christ when he was fourteen. He was a highly educated man, yet with a burden to win the souls for Christ, he went to train at Princeton Theological Seminary and was ordinated in 1868. The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions sent him to its mission in Sidon near Beirut. There he served as a principal and professor of theology at the newly established Beirut Theological Seminary. He not only learned Arabic but also wrote three textbooks in Arabic for use in seminary classes.
Owing to family circumstances, he had to resign from his missionary appointment in 1892. However, he was determined to serve the missionary cause by literary work. After returning to America, he spent significant time corresponding with more than 300 other missionaries worldwide. Then he published the book ‘Christian Missions and Social Progress’ in three volumes. The book is considered to be the most remarkable ode to the missionary work. It has served as a valuable resource and encouragement to the later missionaries.
Dennis spent his own money in preparing and publishing his books and took no financial returns. He wrote many Christian articles that were used in missionary work among Arabic-speaking people. His writings were used as guiding material in missionary meetings which brought closer cooperation among different missionary agencies worldwide.
He went to his heavenly abode in 1914. Still, his literary works remain enlightening, encouraging, and uniting different groups of people around the world even today!
