Anthony Norris Groves (February 1, 1795 - May 20, 1853), has been described as the "father of faith missions". He launched the first Protestant mission to Arabic-speaking Muslims, and settled in Baghdad, now the capital of Iraq, and later in southern India. His ideas influenced a circle of friends who became leaders in the Brethren or Plymouth Brethren. Among these were J. N. Darby, J. V. Parnell, (Lord Congleton), and George Müller, who had married Groves's sister Mary. February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... The Brethren are any of several Christian denominations, most of which are Anabaptist-Pietist. ... The Brethren are a Christian Evangelical movement that began in Dublin, London, Plymouth, and the continent of Europe in the late 1820s. ... John Nelson Darby John Nelson Darby, (November 18, 1800 - April 29, 1882) was an Anglo-Irish evangelist, an influential figure among the original Plymouth Brethren, and considered the father of modern Dispensationalism. ... John Vesey Parnell, 2nd Baron Congleton (16 June 1805 - 23 October 1883) was the son of Sir Henry Brooke Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton (born 3 July 1776, died 8 June 1842) and Lady Caroline Elizabeth Dawson-Damer (died 16 February 1861). ... George Müller (September 27, 1805 – March 10, 1898), a Christian evangelist and coordinator of orphanages in Bristol, England, cared for a total of over 100,000 orphans in his life. ...

The significance of A. N. Groves lies in his desire to simplify the task of churches and missions by returning to the methods of Christ and his apostles described in the New Testament. As a missionary, his goal was to help indigenous converts form their own churches without dependence on foreign training, authorisation or finance. His ideas eventually found wide acceptance in evangelical circles.

Biography

Early life

Groves was born in Newton Valance, Hampshire, England. Having trained as a dentist in London, he set up practice in Plymouth, at the age of 19. Two years later he married his cousin Mary Bethia Thompson, and moved to Exeter. Newton Valance is a tiny village in Hampshire, England situated between the A32 and the B3006 about five miles south of Alton. ... Hampshire, sometimes historically Southamptonshire or Hamptonshire, (abbr. ... X-rays can reveal if a person has cavities Dentistry is the practical application of knowledge of dental science (the science of placement, arrangement, function of teeth) to human beings. ... Plymouth is a city of 243,795 inhabitants (2001 census) in the south-west of England, or alternatively the West Country, and is situated within the traditional and ceremonial county of Devon at the mouths of the rivers Plym and Tamar and at the head of one of the world...

Call to missionary work

In 1826, whilst continuing his dentistry in Exeter, he enrolled as an external student of theology at Trinity College, Dublin, with a view to ordination in the Church of England and appointment with the Church Missionary Society. His study of the New Testament led him to believe that the practices of the early church should be considered a model for every age and culture, and this caused him to withdraw from Trinity college, from the CMS, and from the Anglican communion. He met with other Christian believers in private houses for study of the apostles' doctrine, and for fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer, as was the custom of the early church (Acts 2:42), without requiring the presence of any ordained minister. It was here that he met J. N. Darby and others who were later to become prominent leaders in the Brethren movement. Trinity College, Dublin TCD,corporately designated as the Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I, and is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ... The Church Mission Society (formerly the Church Missionary Society) is a voluntary society working with the Anglican Church and other Protestant Christians around the world. ... John Nelson Darby John Nelson Darby, (November 18, 1800 - April 29, 1882) was an Anglo-Irish evangelist, an influential figure among the original Plymouth Brethren, and considered the father of modern Dispensationalism. ... The Brethren are any of several Christian denominations, most of which are Anabaptist-Pietist. ...

Missionary to Baghdad

In 1829 Groves and his wife Mary set out for Baghdad, together with their two young sons, Henry and Frank, and accompanied by several Christian friends, one of whom was John Kitto. A second party set out to join them the following year, including Francis William Newman and John Vesey Parnell. In March 1831 Baghdad entered upon a year of intense misery, with civil war, plague, floods and famine, in which Groves suffered the death of his wife and a recently born baby daughter. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... John Kitto (1804 - 1854), biblical scholar, son of a Cornish stonemason, was born at Plymouth. ... Francis William Newman (June 27, 1805 - October 7, 1897), the younger brother of Cardinal Newman, was an English scholar and miscellaneous writer. ...

Missionary to India

At this time, a revised charter granted to the East India Company opened the way for unrestricted Christian missionary work in India. On invitation from Colonel Arthur Cotton, in 1833, Groves visited widely among missionaries in India, and found open doors for the gospel in many parts of the country. In 1834 he accompanied the Scottish missionary educator Alexander Duff from Calcutta to Scotland, nursing him slowly back to health. Duff probably owed his life to Groves's attentions, as indeed did Arthur Cotton on an earlier occasion. The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was the first joint-stock company (the Dutch East India Company was the first to issue public stock). ... A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ... Dr. Alexander Duff, D. D. LLD. (1806-1878), was the founder of what is now known as Scottish Church College or the Scottish Church College, Calcutta. ...

During his time in Britain, Groves married for a second time. His wife was Harriet Baynes. The wedding took place on 25th April 1835 at St Mary's Church, Great Malvern. She accompanied Groves when he returned to India in 1836. Groves was accompanied by John Kitto, Edward Cronin and John V Parnel (2nd Baron Congleton). Rejoined by his sons and others from Baghdad, he established a missionary team in Madras supported largely through his dentistry, and later a farm and mission settlement in Chittoor. He recruited a number of missionaries to assist existing efforts in several parts of India, and to pioneer new ventures, notably in the Godavari Delta and Tamilnadu. Year 1836 (MDCCCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Image:Chitoor. ... The Godavari River, adjacent to the town of Kovvur This article is about Godavari River in India. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ...

Groves advocated the adoption of the New Testament as a manual of missionary methods. As a primitivist among missiologists, he predated the more celebrated Roland Allen by eighty years. One of Groves's Indian disciples was John Arulappan who adopted his principles. As a full-time evangelist, Arulappan lived "by faith" and stimulated the creation of a network of indigenous Indian fellowships. Groves's ideas were later taken up in India by descendants of Arulappan associated with Bakht Singh, and, in a Chinese context, by Watchman Nee. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      For other usages, see... Missiology, or mission science, is the area of practical theology which investigates the mandate, message and work of the Christian missionary. ... Roland Allen (1868 - 1947) was born in England, Allen was the son of an Anglican priest but was orphaned early in life. ... The indigenous peoples of Asia are the various groups identified as indigenous peoples within the region, as per the modern definition of that term. ... Bakht Singh (1902-2000) was an Christian evangelist in India and other parts of South Asia. ... Watchman Nee (倪柝聲 pinyin: Ní TuòshÄ“ng;, 1903-1972) became a Christian in 1920 at the age of 17 and began writing in the same year. ...

Groves continued preaching and teaching in India until ill health forced him back to England in 1852. He passed into the presence of his Master in May 1853 in the home of his sister's husband George Müller. He considered his life a failure, and did not live long enough to see the worldwide impact of his ideas and example on a new generation of "faith missions" springing from the 1859-60 Revivals. George Müller (September 27, 1805 – March 10, 1898), a Christian evangelist and coordinator of orphanages in Bristol, England, cared for a total of over 100,000 orphans in his life. ...

Influence

Author

In 1825, Groves wrote a small booklet Christian Devotedness, expounding Jesus's teaching concerning stewardship of material possessions. He exhorted all Christians to live economically, trusting God to supply their needs, and devoting their income to the cause of the Gospel. This booklet had a major impact upon George Müller, and through him on James Hudson Taylor (who soon after conversion attended the Kennington meeting where Edward Cronin was local) and many other significant Christian leaders. Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Groves's early journals (journey to & residence in Baghdad) were edited by A.J. Scott and published by J.Nisbet, London in 1831 & 1832. After his death, his memoirs were published in 1856 by his widow Harriet Groves, under the title Memoir of the late A.N. Groves, containing Extracts from his Letters and Journals.

Letters

Throughout his life, Groves corresponded with several prominent leaders of the early Brethren movement. His letters are a notable primary source for historians of the Plymouth Brethren. In historical scholarship, a primary source is a document, or other source of information that was created at or near the time being studied, by an authoritative source, usually one with direct personal knowledge of the events being described. ...

Father of faith missions

The biography by R. B. Dann shows that Anthony Norris Groves may be rightly regarded as the "father of faith missions". By his example, he challenged much of previous thinking about the missionary task through his journeys to Persia and India which he undertook without the backing of the State or Church. Instead, he put into practice the Biblical principle of trusting God alone to supply his needs. A missionary is traditionally defined as a propagator of religion who works to convert those outside that community; someone who proselytizes. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... It has been suggested that Ecclesia (Church) be merged into this article or section. ...

References

• Dann, Robert Bernard, Father of Faith Missions : The Life and Times of Anthony Norris Groves, (Authentic Media, 2004), ISBN 1-884543-90-1
• Dann, Robert Bernard, The Legacy of Anthony Norris Groves, (International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Vol.29, No.4, Oct. 2005)
• Dann, Robert Bernard, The Primitivist Ecclesiology of Anthony Norris Groves: A radical influence on the nineteenth-century Protestant church in Britain, Trafford Publishing, 2007, ISBN 1-4251-0374-X
• Dann, Robert Bernard, The Primitivist Missiology of Anthony Norris Groves: A radical influence on nineteenth-century Protestant mission PhD thesis, University of Liverpool, 2006; Trafford Publishing, 2007, ISBN 1-4251-1001-0
• Groves, A. N., Christian Devotedness [1]
• Groves, Harriet, Memoir of the Late Anthony Norris Groves, ISBN 0-9656519-4-0
• Lang, G. H., Anthony Norris Groves: A Combined Study of a Man of God and of the Principles and Practice of the Brethren, reprint, 1988, Schoettle Publishing Company

Video

• Anthony Norris Groves - the Quiet Trailblazer [2], (2004), Christian Television Association for Echoes of Service

External links

• Christian Devotedness — transcribed from chapter V of Anthony Norris Groves, Saint & Pioneer by G.H. Lang. London, Thynne & Co. Ltd. 1939.
• Anthony Norris Groves (1795-1853) — has some brief biographical data plus a bibliography relating to A. N. Groves, that includes a modern reprint of his Memoirs.