Dixon Edward Hoste (23 July 1861 – 11 May 1946) was a British

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

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 ...

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 ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and the longest lived 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 ...

. He became the successor to

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

as General Director of 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 ...

, (from 1902 to 1935).

Life

Hoste was born in 1861 as the son of Major General Dixon Edward Hoste. He was educated at

Clifton College Clifton College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in the city of Bristol in South West England, founded in 1862 and offering both boarding school, boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18. In its early years, unlike mo ...

and the Royal Military Academy at

Woolwich Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...

, and at the age of 18 was commissioned as a lieutenant in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

. In 1882 he experienced a Christian

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under the influence of Dwight Lyman Moody. Cambridge Seven

In 1883 he became interested in the work of the

, and was the first of the

to apply to work with this mission, and after some delay he was accepted, sailing for

in 1885. He was sent to Küwu (presumably

Quwo Quwo County () is a county under the administration of Linfen city, in southern Shanxi Province, China. The county has spans an area of 437 square kilometers, and has a population of 230,000 as of 2013. History From 745 to 677 BC Quwo was a stat ...

), to the south of

Linfen Linfen () is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Shanxi province, People's Republic of China, China, bordering Shaanxi province to the west. Linfen City is located in the southern part of Shanxi Province, with the remaining branches of T ...

in Southern

Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...

. In 1886, he was ordained as a pastor by Hudson Taylor, and moved to Hungtung (now Hongdong or Hongtong) to work with

Stanley P. Smith Stanley Peregine Smith (19 March 1861 – 31 January 1931) was a British Protestant Christians, Christian missionary to China. Early life Stanley Smith was the son of Henry Smith F.R.C.S., and his wife Alice Underwood, of 13 John Street, Berkele ...

(Peregrine) who had opened an

opium Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...

refuge there at the invitation of Pastor Hsi. He worked under Hsi, wore Chinese clothes, ate Chinese food, and tried to get an insight into the Chinese mind. Hoste is credited with making the Chinese churches apply the indigenous principles of self-government, self-support, and self-propagation. In 1893, he married Gertrude Broomhall, daughter of CIM General Secretary Benjamin Broomhall and his wife Amelia, (Hudson Taylor's sister). Because of ill-health Mr Hoste visited England in 1896 and then spent some time in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

before returning to China. During his appointment as general director of the China Inland Mission, he was based in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

, and after

internment Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...

there by the

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from 1944 to 1945, returned to England, where he died in 1946 at the Mildmay Nursing Home. He is buried in

Islington Cemetery St Pancras and Islington Cemetery is a cemetery in East Finchley, North London. Although it is situated in the London Borough of Barnet, it is run as two cemeteries, owned by two other London Boroughs, Camden (formerly St Pancras) and Isling ...

, London.deceasedonline.com. His wife had died in Shanghai on 12 April 1944.

Works

* 36 Steps to Christian Leadership (1999) * If I am to Lead (1968) * The Insight of a Seer: Selections from the Writings of Hudson Taylor's Successor * Why I Have Joined the Bible Union of China (1921)

Life

Works

Quote

References

Further reading