On the Day March 5 1834

Müller Sticks It Out for God

Khen Lim




Image source: desiringgod.org

We Christians think we understand faith when we come across it but on March 5 1834 when George Müller and Henry Craik decided to start up a new society, they would act on their faith in a way that still makes us shake our heads in bewilderment today. 

Called ‘The Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad’ (or SKI in short), the initiative was so startlingly bold because they offered no start-up capital, neither did they accept any gifts from unbelievers nor take on any debts whatsoever. This was yet another highly daring stride forward in the life of faith that Müller had embarked on.

Henry Craik (Image source: npg.org.uk)

The Müller Foundation’s website tells us that the partners received £167 within about the first half of their inaugural year but by May 1894 – sixty years later – their kitty had increased to as much as half a million pounds. A century later, in 1997, over £300,000 was sent out to support mission work at home and abroad. And in all that time, the foundation remained unchanged and the same principles continue to be practised, with the monies coming from donations channelled through from individuals, trusts and church bodies.

Born in 1805 in the Prussian village (now Germany) of Kroppenstaedt, Müller’s life, however, was never as spiritually pristine from the beginning. Although as a young man, he was introduced to Christ’s salvation by his father who wished him to become a clergyman, his life did not reflect it. He did study theology at the beginning but sin gripped his life so tenaciously that he was, for most parts, not only drunk but he was also into thievery, cheating and lying. 

He even stole government funds from his own father. When he began to fear gaol time for all the fraud he committed, he made promises to reform that he knew he could never fulfil. In fact when his mother died in 1819, Müller was out playing cards at a tavern with his friends and spent much of the next day drinking and blissfully unaware of anything. Two years later, he spent five weeks in jail for unpaid hotel bills only for his father to eventually bail him out.

While at Halle University in 1825, a friend called Beta brought him along to a prayer meeting at Herr Wagner’s home. Although he did not formally invite Christ into his life, he encountered an unusual peace of mind, saying, “…all our former pleasures are as nothing in comparison with this evening.” 

A year later, he made up his mind to become a missionary, devoting his time to sharing with others about his new-found faith while he renounced his former life of sin. His father was upset that he would throw away the opportunity of being a financially secure clergyman. Knowing he couldn’t therefore accept money from his father, his prayer for funds was perfectly met when one of his lecturers approached him to teach four Americans how to read and speak German.

Nursery at New Orphan Homes, Bristol, c.1905 (Image source: childrenshomes.org.uk)

Even while on the mend, Müller took a few falls along the way. In his reliance on lottery, he thought that he could find God’s will there. He did apparently win but God sent him off in a different direction where he would occasionally become depressed enough to return to his drinking ways. 

Whenever he found himself at the bottom of the bottle, he got down on his knees and sought God again. And then he found himself attracted to a girl who had no belief whatsoever in Christ and spent time indulging in a prayer-less life. It wasn’t until he gave up the relationship that he finally found peace return to his life.

In 1829 following his graduation from university, Müller left for London to do his missionary training but because he fell ill, he had to go to Teignmouth, Devon where he met and struck a life-long friendship with Henry Craik that would forever change their lives. A year later, he married Mary Groves while he was serving at the Ebenezer Chapel. 

Despite the obvious material needs, Müller renounced his salary, preferring that church members give from their hearts and not out of obligation. He also banished pew rentals, using James 2:1-9 to justify his reason that rentals gave unfair advantage to the rich. And when he travelled, he would not tell others but left it to God to supply him with the needed funds. In fact he and his wife sold most of their belongings and left with them only the bare minimum, giving whatever they could to the poor.

The Muller Orphanage in Bristol, Gloucestershire (Image source: childrenshomes.org.uk)

In 1832, the Müllers together with Craik relocated to Bristol where they became pastors to the Gideon and Bethesda Chapels. It was then two years thereafter that the SKI was established by the two to accomplish five aims namely, the provision of not just missionary support both at home and abroad but also inexpensive Bibles and tracts as well as to provide Day Schools and Sunday Schools to adults and children and the setting up of orphan homes.

Almost two hundred years later, the SKI has not ceased to flourish, supporting 160 individuals and organisations including especially orphanages in addition to a monthly transmission of £105,000 worldwide to spread the Gospel and care for the needy.              

For someone who didn’t even know that his mother had died while he was drinking and gambling, none of this makes a whole lot of sense, which, of course, is normally how God works.