Charles Thomas Studd, often known as C. T. Studd (2 December 1860 – 16 July 1931), was a British

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

, a contributor to ''

The Fundamentals ''The Fundamentals: A Testimony To The Truth'' (generally referred to simply as ''The Fundamentals'') is a set of ninety essays published between 1910 and 1915 by the Testimony Publishing Company of Chicago. It was initially published quarterly i ...

'', and a

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

er. As a British

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

to China he was part of the

Cambridge Seven The Cambridge Seven were six students from Cambridge University and one from the Royal Military Academy, who in 1885, decided to become missionaries to China through the China Inland Mission. The seven were: * Charles Thomas Studd * Montagu ...

, and later was responsible for setting up the Heart of Africa Mission which became the Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade (now

WEC International WEC International is an interdenominational Christian mission, mission agency of evangelical tradition which focuses on evangelism, discipleship and church planting, through music and the arts, serving addicts and vulnerable children, through Chri ...

). As a cricketer, he played for England in the 1882 match won by Australia, which was the origins of

The Ashes The Ashes is a Test cricket series played biennially between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, '' The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, ...

. A poem he wrote, "Only One Life, 'Twill Soon Be Past", has become famous to many who are unaware of its author.

Faith

Studd was a son of retired merchant Edward Studd.Boston University website, ''Studd, C(harles) T(homas) (1860-1931)''
/ref> Edward became a Christian during a Moody and Sankey campaign in England, and a visiting preacher to the Studd home,

Tedworth House Tedworth House, also known as South Tidworth House, is a 19th-century country house in Tidworth, Wiltshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. The house and its grounds were in Hampshire until 1991, when the county boundary was redrawn ...

in Wiltshire, converted C.T. and two of his brothers to the faith while they were students at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England *Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States *Éton, a commune in the Meuse depa ...

. According to his

conversion narrative Broadly speaking, a conversion narrative is a narrative that relates the operation of conversion, usually religious. As a specific aspect of American literary and religious history, the conversion narrative was an important facet of Puritan sacred ...

, the preacher asked him if he believed God's promises to give believers eternal life, and as Charles would only go so far as to profess he believed Jesus Christ died, the guest pressed the point, and Charles then believed on the Lord Jesus for salvation. Charles later recalled the moment: "I got down on my knees and I did say 'thank you' to God. And right then and there joy and peace came into my soul. I knew then what it was to be 'born again,' and the Bible which had been so dry to me before, became everything." Studd continued from Eton to

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

, where he graduated in 1883. In 1884 after his brother George was taken seriously ill Charles was confronted by the question, "What is all the fame and flattery worth ... when a man comes to face eternity?" He had to admit that since his conversion six years earlier he had been in "an unhappy backslidden state". As a result of the experience he said, "I know that cricket would not last, and honour would not last, and nothing in this world would last, but it was worthwhile living for the world to come." Studd emphasised the life of faith, believing that God would provide for a Christian's needs. His father died while he was in China, and he gave away his inheritance of £29,000, specifying £5,000 to be used for the

Moody Bible Institute Moody Bible Institute (MBI) is a private evangelical Christian Bible college in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Historically, MBI has maintained positions that have identified it as ...

, £5,000 for

George Müller George Müller (born Johann Georg Ferdinand Müller, 27 September 1805 – 10 March 1898) was a Christianity, Christian Evangelism, evangelist and the director of the New Orphan Houses, Ashley Down, Bristol, Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol ...

mission work and his orphans, £5,000 for George Holland's work with England's poor in Whitechapel, and £5,000 to Commissioner Booth Tucker for the

Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

in India. For the rest of his life, he lived as a ‘faith missionary’, with no fundraising. Studd believed that God's purposes could be confirmed through providential coincidences, such as a sum of money being donated spontaneously at just the right moment. He encouraged Christians to take risks in planning missionary ventures, trusting in God to provide. His spirituality was intense, and he mostly read only the Bible. Another work that influenced him was

Hannah Whitall Smith Hannah Tatum Whitall Smith (February 7, 1832 – May 1, 1911) was a lay speaker and author in the Holiness movement in the United States and the Higher Life movement in the United Kingdom. She was also active in the women's suffrage movement ...

's ''The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life''. Although he believed that God sometimes healed physical illnesses through prayer and the anointing of oil, he also accepted that some ailments were chronic. Studd also believed in plain speaking and

muscular Christianity Muscular Christianity is a religious movement that originated in England in the mid-19th century, characterized by a belief in patriotic duty, discipline, self-sacrifice, masculinity, and the moral and physical beauty of Athletics (physical cultur ...

, and his call for Christians to embrace a "Don't Care a Damn" (DCD) attitude to worldly things caused some scandal. He believed that missionary work was urgent, and that those who were unevangelised would be condemned to

hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

Cricketing career

Studd gained fame as a cricketer representing England's

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, Gentlemen of India and

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

. Charles was the youngest and best known of the three

Studd brothers The Studd brothers, Sir John Edward Kynaston Studd, Kynaston, George Studd, George (GB) and Charles Studd, Charles (CT), were Victorian gentleman cricketers, educated at Eton College, Eton and University of Cambridge, Cambridge. These three broth ...

who played for Eton, Cambridge University and Middlesex. By the time he was sixteen he had started to excel at cricket and at nineteen was captain of his team at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

; after school he went to

, where he was also recognised as an outstanding cricketer.

Ashes, 1882

Studd played in the original Test against Australia where the

Ashes Ashes may refer to: * Ash, the solid remnants of fires. Media and entertainment Art * ''Ashes'' (Munch), an 1894 painting by Edvard Munch Film * ''The Ashes'' (film), a 1965 Polish film by director Andrzej Wajda * ''Ashes'' (1922 film), ...

were first named and was one of the last two batsman in. When Studd went in, England needed a mere ten runs to win but an eccentric performance by his batting partner

Ted Peate Edmund Peate (2 March 1855 – 11 March 1900) was an English professional cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the English cricket team. Overview Born on 2 March 1855 in Holbeck near Leeds in Yorkshire, Peate's career, wh ...

led to the match being lost. A week later, the relevant edition of the ''

Sporting Times ''The Sporting Times'' (founded 1865, ceased publication 1932) was a weekly British newspaper devoted chiefly to sport, and in particular to horse racing. It was informally known as ''The Pink 'Un'', as it was printed on salmon-coloured paper ...

'' included a mock obituary which has assumed iconic status: :IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE :OF ENGLISH CRICKET :WHICH DIED AT THE OVAL, 29 August 1882, :DEEPLY LAMENTED BY A LARGE CIRCLE OF :SORROWING FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES ::R.I.P. :N.B.-THE BODY WILL BE CREMATED AND THE :ASHES TAKEN TO AUSTRALIA. Studd's fame lives on though through the inscription preserved on the Ashes urn to this day, which reads, :When Ivo goes back with the urn, the urn; : Studds, Steel, Read and Tylecote return, return; :The welkin will ring loud, :The great crowd will feel proud, :Seeing Barlow and Bates with the urn, the urn; :And the rest coming home with the urn. Soon after, some lady supporters in Melbourne jokingly presented the English captain with an urn which they said contained the ashes of a cricket bail; this gave rise to the name of ‘The Ashes’.Christian Medical Fellowship website, ''Hereos and Heretics: CT Studd'', article by Alex Bunn
/ref>

Missionary work

Studd became an evangelist, and among those he influenced were

Wilfred Grenfell Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell (28 February 1865 – 9 October 1940) was a British medical missionary to Newfoundland, who wrote books on his work and other topics. Early life and education He was born at Parkgate, Cheshire, England, on 28 F ...

and

Frederick Brotherton Meyer Frederick Brotherton Meyer (8 April 1847 – 28 March 1929), a contemporary and friend of D. L. Moody and A. C. Dixon, was a Baptist pastor and evangelist in England involved in ministry and inner city mission work on both sides of the Atla ...

. As a result of his brother's illness and the effect it had upon him, he decided to pursue his faith through missionary work in China. Of his missionary work, he said:

China

Studd was one of the "

", a group of former Cambridge students who offered themselves to

Hudson Taylor James Hudson Taylor (; 21 May 1832 – 3 June 1905) was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China and founder of the OMF International, China Inland Mission (CIM, now OMF International). Taylor spent 54 years in China. The society tha ...

for missionary service at the

China Inland Mission OMF International (formerly Overseas Missionary Fellowship and before 1964 the China Inland Mission) is an international and interdenominational Evangelical Christianity, Christian missionary society with an international centre in Singapore. It ...

, leaving for there in February 1885. Cambridge Seven

While in China, he married a fellow missionary Priscilla Livingstone Stewart in a ceremony performed by a Chinese pastor, and four daughters were born. Studd believed that God had given him daughters to educate the Chinese about the value of baby girls.

America

On returning to England he was invited to visit America where his brother Kynaston had recently arranged meetings which had led to the formation of the Student Volunteer Movement. Here, he also influenced

John Mott John Raleigh Mott (May 25, 1865 – January 31, 1955) was an American evangelist and long-serving leader of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF). He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 19 ...

India

Between 1900 and 1906, Studd was pastor of a church at

Ootacamund Ooty (; officially Udagamandalam (), anglicized: Ootacamund , abbreviated as Udagai, ) is a town and municipality in the Nilgiris district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located northwest of Coimbatore, and is the headquarters of N ...

in Southern India. Although it was a different situation to the pioneer missionary work he had undertaken in China, his ministry was marked by numerous conversions amongst the British officials and the local community.

Africa

On his return from India, Studd met a German missionary named Karl Kumm, and he became concerned about the large parts of Africa that had never been reached with the

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

. At this stage he was 50 years old and suffering from ill health stemming from typhoid. Frontline Fellowship, ''C. T. Studd: Cricketer for Christ''
/ref> However, he decided to go against medical advice and work abroad again. In 1910 he went to the

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

with CMS missionary,

Llewellyn Gwynne Llewellyn Henry Gwynne (11 June 18639 December 1957) was a Welsh Anglican bishop and missionary. He was the first Anglican Bishop of Egypt and Sudan, serving from 1920 to 1946. Early life Llewellyn Henry Gwynne was born in Britain on 11 June ...

and was concerned by the lack of Christian faith in central Africa; out of this concern Studd was led to set up the Heart of Africa Mission. His speaking on the subject inspired

Howard Mowll Howard West Kilvinton Mowll (2 February 1890 – 24 October 1958) was the Anglican Bishop of Western China from 1925 to 1933, and Archbishop of Sydney from 1933 until his death in 1958. Biography Mowll was born in Dover and attended Dover ...

(Bishop of China, and later Archbishop of Sydney), Arthur Pitts-Pitts (of the

Church Missionary Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British Anglican mission society working with Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as ...

in Kenya), and Graham Brown ( Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem). As headquarters for the venture, the Studds chose 17 Highland Road in

Upper Norwood Upper Norwood is an area of south London, England, within the London Boroughs of London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, London Borough of Croydon, Croydon, London Borough of Lambeth, Lambeth and London Borough of Southwark, Southwark. It is north ...

, South London. Like Hudson Taylor, Studd believed that funds for the work should not be directly solicited. Finances were often tenuous, although he enjoyed the support of

Lord Radstock Baron Radstock, of Castletown in the Queen's County, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for Vice-Admiral the Honourable William Waldegrave. He was the second son of John Waldegrave, 3rd Earl Waldegrave (see Earl Wald ...

. Against medical advice, Studd first visited the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...

in 1913 in the company of Alfred Buxton, and he established four mission stations in an area then inhabited by eight tribes. Studd returned to England when Priscilla fell ill, but when he returned to the Congo in 1916 she had recovered sufficiently to undertake the expansion of the mission into the Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade with workers in South America, Central Asia and the Middle East as well as Africa. Supported by his wife's work at home, Studd built up an extensive missionary outreach based on his centre at Ibambi in Budu territory. Priscilla made a short visit to the Congo in 1928, which was the last time they met; she died the following year. Studd was joined in his work by his daughter Pauline and son-in-law

Norman Grubb Norman Percy Grubb Military Cross, MC (2 August 1895 – 15 December 1993) was a British Christian missionary and Evangelist, writer, and theological teacher. Biography Early life Grubb was born in Hampstead, England, the son of an An ...

, and his grandson Noel Grubb, who died on his first birthday, is buried at Nala, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Studd's daughter Edith married Buxton. On 16 July 1931, still labouring for the Lord at Ibambi at the age of seventy, Charles Studd died from untreated gallstones.

Legacy

Studd's vision for China, India and Africa was maintained by Norman Grubb, who spent some fifteen years in China and six in India on his missionary work. He devoted the rest of his life to spreading the Gospel message in Africa, founding the Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade (now

Family

Studd brothers The Studd brothers, Sir John Edward Kynaston Studd, Kynaston, George Studd, George (GB) and Charles Studd, Charles (CT), were Victorian gentleman cricketers, educated at Eton College, Eton and University of Cambridge, Cambridge. These three broth ...

Kynaston Studd Sir John Edward Kynaston Studd, 1st Baronet (26 July 1858 – 14 January 1944), known as "JEK", was a British cricketer, businessman and Lord Mayor of London. Family Studd was born at Tedworth House, Tidworth, Wiltshire. He married, firstly, H ...

George Studd George Brown Studd (20 October 1859 – 13 February 1945) was an English cricketer and missionary. Studd was the second eldest of the famous Studd brothers, who dominated English cricket in the late 19th century. He played in four Tests with ...

Wife

In 1888, he married Priscilla Livingstone Stewart, and their marriage produced four daughters, and two sons (who died in infancy).

Daughters

*Salvation Grace Faith Studd (born 1889) married Martin Sutton and, after his death, LtCol David C D Munro *Dorothy Catherine Topsy Studd (born 1891) married the Rev Gilbert A Barclay *Edith Crossley Mary Studd (born 1892) married Alfred Buxton who worked in Ethiopia *Pauline Evangeline Priscilla Studd (born 1894), known as 'Ma Ru', married Lieut

Books and poems

Studd wrote several books, including *''The Chocolate Soldier, or, Heroism: The Lost Chord of Christianity'' (1912) *''Christ's Etceteras'' (1915) * ''Quaint Rhymes for the Battlefield'' GoodReads website, ‘’C. T. Studd’’
/ref> * ''Fool or Fanatic'' * ''Gentlemanliness'' * ''Lembo na kubikisa'' * ''Boys and Boys'' (contributor) Studd's essay, ''The Personal Testimony of Charles T. Studd'', became part of the historic collection '' The Fundamentals: A Testimony To The Truth'', R. A. Torrey and A. C. Dixon. Studd continues to be best remembered by some for the poem, "Only One Life, 'Twill Soon Be Past". Its memorable verse states: This poem inspired the song "Only One Life" written by

Lanny Wolfe Lanny Wolfe (born February 2, 1942) is an American Christian music songwriter, musician, music publisher, and music educator. He has written over seven hundred songs and fourteen musicals, and has recorded over seventy projects. He won two GMA ...

in 1973.

Influence

To this day, his name remains linked with the evangelisation of the Congo Basin, and in 1930 he was made a Chevalier of the

Royal Order of the Lion Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Ro ...

Albert I Albert I may refer to: People Born before 1300 * Albert I, Count of Vermandois (917–987) * Albert I, Count of Namur () * Albert I of Moha *Albert I of Brandenburg (), first margrave of Brandenburg * Albert I, Margrave of Meissen (1158–1195) *Al ...

King of the Belgians The monarchy of Belgium is the Constitutional monarchy, constitutional and Inheritance, hereditary institution of the monarchical head of state of the Kingdom of Belgium. As a popular monarchy, the Belgian monarch uses the title king/quee ...

. His biography, by

, was exceptionally popular, and some of his own writings are still in print. A song, Fearless (by

Building 429 Building 429 is an American Christian rock band from Fayetteville, North Carolina. The band's name refers to Ephesians 4:29, a Biblical passage that (in the New International Version of the Bible) reads: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come ou ...

) was created in memory of C.T. Studd's work as a missionary.

References

External links

''The Personal Testimony of Charles T. Studd''
– Studd's essay that became part of ''

'' * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Studd, Charles 1860 births 1931 deaths People from Spratton People educated at Eton College Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge English cricketers England Test cricketers Middlesex cricketers Cambridge University cricketers Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers I Zingari cricketers Gentlemen cricketers North v South cricketers Anglican missionaries in China Anglican missionaries in India Anglican missionaries in the Democratic Republic of the Congo English Anglican missionaries Royal Order of the Lion recipients Gentlemen of England cricketers British expatriates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo British missionaries in China Cricketers from Northamptonshire

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

Faith

Cricketing career

Ashes, 1882

Missionary work

China

America

India

Africa

Legacy

Family

Studd brothers The Studd brothers, Sir John Edward Kynaston Studd, Kynaston, George Studd, George (GB) and Charles Studd, Charles (CT), were Victorian gentleman cricketers, educated at Eton College, Eton and University of Cambridge, Cambridge. These three broth ...

Wife

Daughters

Books and poems

Influence

See also

References

Further reading

External links