Peter Sillence Fleming (November 23, 1928 – January 8, 1956) was a

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 ...

who was one of five missionaries killed while participating in

Operation Auca Operation Auca was an attempt by five Evangelicalism, Evangelical Christianity, Christian missionary, missionaries from the United States to bring Christianity to the Waorani people, Waorani or Huaorani people of the Amazon Rain forest, rain for ...

, an attempt to evangelize the

Huaorani The Waorani, Waodani, or Huaorani, also known as the Waos, are an Indigenous people from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador (Napo Province, Napo, Orellana Province, Ecuador, Orellana, and Pastaza Provinces) who have marked differences from other e ...

people of Ecuador.

Early life

Fleming was born in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

. At Queen Anne High School, Fleming earned letters in

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

and

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

and graduated as valedictorian of his class. He also won a citywide oratorical contest. In 1946, Fleming entered the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

as a philosophy major. He was very driven in college, working part-time and dedicating much time to prayer and Bible study, as well as keeping up on his classes. He was also elected president of the UCA at his college, and received a master's degree from there in 1951. Fleming met

Jim Elliot Philip James Elliot (October 8, 1927 – January 8, 1956) was an American Christian missionary and one of five people killed during Operation Auca, an attempt to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador. Early life Elliot was born in Portla ...

during many conferences and mountain climbing expeditions arranged by a large Christian organization. They were good friends and once spent six weeks preaching together across the country. Elliot had a great deal of influence on Fleming and was largely responsible for his becoming a missionary and for his decision to (temporarily) break off his engagement to Olive Ainslie, a childhood friend, so that he might serve without the responsibilities of home life at least for the first year of missionary service.Elliot, Elisabeth, Through Gates of Splendor, Harper & Brothers:New York, c.1957, p.22. According to reports, Fleming was speared while desperately trying to speak friendly phrases to the Woadani in the Woadani language as they approached them with weapons. Fleming was the second of the Missionaries to be speared, the youngest in the missionary group at 27 years old and the only of the 5 missionaries without any children.

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fleming, Peter 1928 births 1956 deaths People murdered in 1956 20th-century evangelicals 20th-century Protestant martyrs American evangelicals American missionaries in Ecuador American people murdered abroad American Plymouth Brethren Evangelical missionaries Operation Auca People from Seattle People murdered in Ecuador Protestant missionaries in Ecuador Victims of anti-Christian violence