Birth1665
Home Calling: 10-09-1717
Native Place: Angiers
Country: France
Place of Vision: South Carolina. United States of America
Francis Le Jau was one of the earliest missionaries who served on behalf of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG) in South Carolina. He was born into a devoted French Huguenot family. The Huguenots were a religious group of French Protestants. When intense persecution of Huguenots took place in the late 16th century, Francis fled to England. After he graduated from the Trinity College, Dublin, he was sent to Christopher Islands, where he served among the native tribes for a brief period.
In 1706, Le Jau was sent to South Carolina for missionary work. He settled down in Goose Creek, where he found the church to be severely misled by the false prophets. Moreover, the colonialist who claimed to be Christians in no way lived an example of Christ’s love but were engaged in the cruel slave trade. Hence, Francis’s first priority was to evangelize among the oppressed Native Americans. He worked tirelessly against the brutal slave owners and preached the Gospel to everyone irrespective of their social status. Despite several setbacks and hindrances from his own people, Francis committed himself to establish churches that preached and practiced equality within and outside the church.
Francis believed one could only be called a Christian if his faith is expressed in his acts. Despite the self-complacency of the other ministers, he made his church take up social responsibility and provide relief to the poor and sick. Amidst numerous war outbreaks, he stood firm in his missionary call and continued his labors for the spiritual and physical welfare of the Negro slaves.
From the beginning of his missionary work, he was attacked several times by Malaria, which gradually weakened his body. Francis, a man of many accomplishments and great zeal, went to be with the Lord after a bout of severe Malaria in 1717.
