Paton was born into a humble home in southern Scotland on May 24^th, 1824. Although his parents were poor, they were rich in the things of God. John’s father was a weaver of stockings by trade; but he was known as a godly man of prayer. By the time of his death, he was one of the most respected elders in the region, regularly sought for counsel or called on to pray with the sick, dying, or hurting. The piety of John’s parents left a deep mark on his life.

There were three major phases to John Paton’s ministry. In each phase, he did more for Christ than most of us will do in a lifetime. Ministry began for him in Glasgow, where he worked as a mission worker, spreading the gospel and visiting the sick and hurting. During this phase of his life, he saw great victories, but also experienced harsh persecutions. Both things prepared him for his life’s work as a missionary.

The second phase of Paton’s life was his work in the New Hebrides Islands, known today as Vanuatu. The natives on these islands were notoriously violent and cannibalistic. Every missionary there knew martyrdom was a real possibility. John went to replace a missionary who had been killed.

Initially, John labored on the Island of Tanna, whose natives were some of the most violent and aggressive in the New Hebrides. John labored there for several years to no lasting effect. John’s time on the Island of Tanna is a constant story of courage for Christ, Divine intervention to preserve John’s life, and the rejection of the gospel by the natives. Finally, when it became evident that the natives would not receive the gospel but were bent on killing John and all who helped him, he decided to leave the Island. John narrowly escaped with his life.

The story of his harrowing escape of the island produced my favorite line in the book. Paton said I am a committed Calvinist, but I am no fatalist. Once he knew that all hope of reaching the Tannese with the gospel was lost, only then did he turn his attention to escaping the island alive.

Eventually, Paton would move to the Island of Aniwa, whose people were less violent. Here John saw God convert most of the island’s residents over time. With it came the transformation of a hopeless, depressed, and violent culture into one of joy, peace, and contentment. Here, as on Tanna, God also showed Himself powerful in response to John’s prayers.

The third phase of John’s life was that of a missionary recruiter. He travelled Australia, the British Isles, and America recruiting missionaries and raising funds for the work in the New Hebrides. Everywhere he went, he touched lives with the gospel and motivated Christians to imitate his sacrificial service for their Savior.

It is easy to get caught up in the thrill of Paton’s story. He miraculously escaped death many times, saw God do amazing things in response to his prayers, and changed the world’s perspective of the Aboriginals in Australia. To this day, the well he dug and lined with corral from the sea is a powerful testament to this man’s trust in God. But his life is more than a thrilling story. It is a testimony to the life and culturally transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His story is sure to deepen your trust in and sacrifice for our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.