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A Long Line of Godly Men Profile
The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey
The eighteenth century was a time of remarkable missionary activity. As the British Empire expanded around the world, Christian missionaries followed in the wake of merchants and explorers to bring the gospel to places where Christ had never before been named.
At the heart of this global missionary movement was William Carey. From humble beginnings in England, Carey journeyed halfway around the world to preach the gospel on the Indian subcontinent. Known as the founder of modern missions, Carey is often portrayed as a solitary trailblazer and pioneer. But that isn’t the full story.
In The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey, Dr. Michael Haykin explores Carey’s life and introduces us to the band of brothers who labored with him to spread the gospel on a global scale. As we follow their stories, we discover how God uses Christian friendship to advance His kingdom, and we’re encouraged to nurture Christ-honoring friendships in our own lives.
This book is part of the Long Line of Godly Men Profile series, edited by Dr. Steven Lawson.
At the heart of this global missionary movement was William Carey. From humble beginnings in England, Carey journeyed halfway around the world to preach the gospel on the Indian subcontinent. Known as the founder of modern missions, Carey is often portrayed as a solitary trailblazer and pioneer. But that isn’t the full story.
In The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey, Dr. Michael Haykin explores Carey’s life and introduces us to the band of brothers who labored with him to spread the gospel on a global scale. As we follow their stories, we discover how God uses Christian friendship to advance His kingdom, and we’re encouraged to nurture Christ-honoring friendships in our own lives.
This book is part of the Long Line of Godly Men Profile series, edited by Dr. Steven Lawson.
157 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2024
22 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Michael A.G. Haykin
219 books70 followersDr. Michael A.G. Haykin is the Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality and Director of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He is also the editor of Eusebeia: The Bulletin of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies. His present areas of research include 18th-century British Baptist life and thought, as well as Patristic Trinitarianism and Baptist piety.
Haykin is a prolific writer having authored numerous books, over 250 articles and over 150 book reviews. He is also an accomplished editor with numerous editorial credits.
He is also the editor of Eusebeia: The Bulletin of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies. His present areas of research include 18th-century British Baptist life and thought, as well as Patristic Trinitarianism and Baptist piety.
Haykin is a prolific writer having authored numerous books, over 250 articles and over 150 book reviews. He is also an accomplished editor with numerous editorial credits.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 7, 2023
If you're looking for a shorter, readable survey of William Carey's life, this is a great choice. It has everything you would want to know about the major facets of Carey's life without getting bogged down in the details. This biography intentionally focuses on Carey's relationship (fellowship) with others around him, both at home and in the mission field.
I read parts of this and surveyed others.
I read parts of this and surveyed others.
December 26, 2020
Encouraging and devotional. Focuses particularly on Carey’s friendships in ministry—both in England and India. Really appealing and persuasive picture of how the Christian life and ministry is best served through deep, trusting, doctrinally thick friendships.
Leaves much of Carey’s life uncovered, but a great supplement to fuller biographies of his life.
Leaves much of Carey’s life uncovered, but a great supplement to fuller biographies of his life.
August 25, 2020
One of the better biographies I’ve read on Carey. Definitely a good one to introduce him. It isn’t exhaustive and is quite selective. Haykin’s overarching goal was to show the role of Carey’s friendships in his life, and he sticks to this goal well.
January 7, 2019
Man! So heartening.
February 11, 2022
Great insight to how friendship is important for gospel ministry and just Christian life in general.
November 19, 2024
Un libro corto pero muy poderoso e inspirador. Nadie puede llegar tan lejos solo.
January 2, 2019
In the latest book in the Long Line of Godly Men series, Michael Haykin profiles William Carey, known as the founder of modern missions. He writes that the goal of this book is to display the way that friendship was central to Carey’s life.
Carey was born to poor parents in 1761 in a tiny village called Paulerspury in the county of Northamptonshire, England. In 1781, he was among the founders of what would eventually become Hackleton Baptist Church. Shortly after this, he married Dorothy Plackett, a marriage that was to end sadly.
He writes about the friendship of Andrew Fuller, whose friendship was particularly important to Carey: Fuller was his chief supporter in England, and Fuller’s theology lay at the heart of Carey’s missionary vision. Carey had been helped in his early Christian life by the friendship of strong Christians including John Warr, Thomas Chater, and Thomas Scott. Carey’s relationships with these men were relatively short lived, but by his own testimony, the impact they had on him was long lasting.
In 1786, Carey was formally ordained to the ministry of the gospel, and accepted his first pastorate at Baptist church in Moulton. Ryland, Fuller and Sutcliff were pillars of the Baptist Missionary Society (BMS) that sent Carey to India. Hyper-Calvinism was a major challenge with which Carey and his circle of Baptist friends had to contend. Carey was a Calvinist, an evangelical one, similar to John Bunyan, Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. The author tells us that without understanding Carey’s consistent delight in Calvinism throughout his life, we cannot understand the man, his motivation, or eventually the shape of his mission.
Between 1783 and 1789, Carey made three significant friendships. First, with John Sutcliff, who was his pastor for a period of time during these years. Second, with Andrew Fuller, who may well have been his closest friend in the years that followed. Third, with John Ryland Jr., who baptized him as a believer. These friendships helped Carey mature as a Christian and brought to bear on his life a treasured tradition of Christian literature, especially the writings of Jonathan Edwards. When Carey sailed to India, among the few books he took with him was a volume of Edwards’ sermons.
The author writes about key steps in Carey’s path to mission in India: two sermons from Sutcliff and Fuller, as well as Carey’s 1792 tract An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians, to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens. Carey would provide leadership for what was an unprecedented step among Calvinistic Baptists—the formation of a missionary society, which would become known as the Baptist Missionary Society.
The story of Carey’s wife Dorothy is certainly a sad one. She was initially unwilling to go to India. Once in India, Dorothy began to lose her grip on reality when one of their sons died. Over the next few years, Dorothy reached the point where she was completely delusional. She would die shortly after giving birth to a daughter who would live less than a month. After Dorothy’s death in 1807, Carey married two more times. In 1808 he married a Danish Christian Charlotte Rumohr. Charlotte was extremely frail, however, and died in 1821. A year later, Carey married Grace Hughes who cared for the aged missionary in his final days.
Carey spent five years in the remote village of Mudnabati, a time of isolation and great trial. During the lonely days in Mudnabati, Carey drew solace from the letters that came from his friends, most of whom were in England. These letters usually took at least six months to reach India, but were received with much joy, none more so than the letters from Samuel Pearce. In the midst of Carey’s discouragements, Pearce sought, by means of his letters, to shine a ray of hope and light.
In late 1799, Carey moved with his family to Serampore, a Danish colony about a dozen miles from Calcutta. There he linked up with two new missionary friends who had recently arrived from England. The first, William Ward, was a printer, who would become the best preacher at Serampore. The second, Joshua Marshman, would assume the role of apologist for the mission. The Serampore Mission was based around the partnership of these three men, a partnership that the author writes has few parallels in Christian history.
Carey’s principal contribution to the Serampore Mission was through his remarkable linguistic ability. His deep conviction was that the Word of God had to be available to the various peoples that he was trying to reach. By the time he moved to Serampore, Carey had acquired an extensive knowledge of both Bengali and Sanskrit. The Bengali New Testament was published by 1801. In 1808, the New Testament in Sanskrit was published. Carey believed that a translation should be geared as much as possible to the grammatical structure and wording of the original Hebrew or Greek. Unfortunately, because of this belief however, his translations failed to make the Scriptures effectively communicate in the living language of the people of India.
The author writes of the many conversions at the mission at Serampore, including the first convert, Krishna Pal, who would go on to be one of the finest preachers of the Serampore Mission.
During the entire time that Carey was in India, from 1793 till his death over forty years later, he regularly pleaded with God in prayer for the destruction of slavery. The slaves were finally freed in 1833. He also began a garden and started researching ways to improve the agricultural lot of Bengali farmers, which would eventually result in Carey’s becoming a leader in agricultural reform.
Carey gave explicit instructions that apart from his date of birth and death, nothing was to be inscribed upon his tombstone but these words from a hymn of Isaac Watts: “A wretched, poor, and helpless worm, On Thy kind arms I fall.”
Carey was born to poor parents in 1761 in a tiny village called Paulerspury in the county of Northamptonshire, England. In 1781, he was among the founders of what would eventually become Hackleton Baptist Church. Shortly after this, he married Dorothy Plackett, a marriage that was to end sadly.
He writes about the friendship of Andrew Fuller, whose friendship was particularly important to Carey: Fuller was his chief supporter in England, and Fuller’s theology lay at the heart of Carey’s missionary vision. Carey had been helped in his early Christian life by the friendship of strong Christians including John Warr, Thomas Chater, and Thomas Scott. Carey’s relationships with these men were relatively short lived, but by his own testimony, the impact they had on him was long lasting.
In 1786, Carey was formally ordained to the ministry of the gospel, and accepted his first pastorate at Baptist church in Moulton. Ryland, Fuller and Sutcliff were pillars of the Baptist Missionary Society (BMS) that sent Carey to India. Hyper-Calvinism was a major challenge with which Carey and his circle of Baptist friends had to contend. Carey was a Calvinist, an evangelical one, similar to John Bunyan, Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. The author tells us that without understanding Carey’s consistent delight in Calvinism throughout his life, we cannot understand the man, his motivation, or eventually the shape of his mission.
Between 1783 and 1789, Carey made three significant friendships. First, with John Sutcliff, who was his pastor for a period of time during these years. Second, with Andrew Fuller, who may well have been his closest friend in the years that followed. Third, with John Ryland Jr., who baptized him as a believer. These friendships helped Carey mature as a Christian and brought to bear on his life a treasured tradition of Christian literature, especially the writings of Jonathan Edwards. When Carey sailed to India, among the few books he took with him was a volume of Edwards’ sermons.
The author writes about key steps in Carey’s path to mission in India: two sermons from Sutcliff and Fuller, as well as Carey’s 1792 tract An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians, to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens. Carey would provide leadership for what was an unprecedented step among Calvinistic Baptists—the formation of a missionary society, which would become known as the Baptist Missionary Society.
The story of Carey’s wife Dorothy is certainly a sad one. She was initially unwilling to go to India. Once in India, Dorothy began to lose her grip on reality when one of their sons died. Over the next few years, Dorothy reached the point where she was completely delusional. She would die shortly after giving birth to a daughter who would live less than a month. After Dorothy’s death in 1807, Carey married two more times. In 1808 he married a Danish Christian Charlotte Rumohr. Charlotte was extremely frail, however, and died in 1821. A year later, Carey married Grace Hughes who cared for the aged missionary in his final days.
Carey spent five years in the remote village of Mudnabati, a time of isolation and great trial. During the lonely days in Mudnabati, Carey drew solace from the letters that came from his friends, most of whom were in England. These letters usually took at least six months to reach India, but were received with much joy, none more so than the letters from Samuel Pearce. In the midst of Carey’s discouragements, Pearce sought, by means of his letters, to shine a ray of hope and light.
In late 1799, Carey moved with his family to Serampore, a Danish colony about a dozen miles from Calcutta. There he linked up with two new missionary friends who had recently arrived from England. The first, William Ward, was a printer, who would become the best preacher at Serampore. The second, Joshua Marshman, would assume the role of apologist for the mission. The Serampore Mission was based around the partnership of these three men, a partnership that the author writes has few parallels in Christian history.
Carey’s principal contribution to the Serampore Mission was through his remarkable linguistic ability. His deep conviction was that the Word of God had to be available to the various peoples that he was trying to reach. By the time he moved to Serampore, Carey had acquired an extensive knowledge of both Bengali and Sanskrit. The Bengali New Testament was published by 1801. In 1808, the New Testament in Sanskrit was published. Carey believed that a translation should be geared as much as possible to the grammatical structure and wording of the original Hebrew or Greek. Unfortunately, because of this belief however, his translations failed to make the Scriptures effectively communicate in the living language of the people of India.
The author writes of the many conversions at the mission at Serampore, including the first convert, Krishna Pal, who would go on to be one of the finest preachers of the Serampore Mission.
During the entire time that Carey was in India, from 1793 till his death over forty years later, he regularly pleaded with God in prayer for the destruction of slavery. The slaves were finally freed in 1833. He also began a garden and started researching ways to improve the agricultural lot of Bengali farmers, which would eventually result in Carey’s becoming a leader in agricultural reform.
Carey gave explicit instructions that apart from his date of birth and death, nothing was to be inscribed upon his tombstone but these words from a hymn of Isaac Watts: “A wretched, poor, and helpless worm, On Thy kind arms I fall.”
December 26, 2020
A helpful intro to Carey’s life and ministry with a particular emphasis on the role that Carey’s friends played in his mission to India.
November 19, 2018
In my experience books about the lives of Christian missionaries tend to fall into three camps. There are those that thrill and inspire with tales of daring but are less academic, and those that tend towards more academic with many names and dates which although interesting in themselves can interrupt the flow, and there are those that fall somewhere in the middle. This book falls in the last category, for me anyway, it's somewhere between inspiring and academic, probably verging towards the academic.
The main stated aim of the book is I think to correct the view of William Carey as effectively a solo missionary blazing a trail by himself (a view I admit I had) and to highlight the role his friends and family played in his missionary endeavours. It certainly succeeds in this, presenting Carey's missionary life as the product of the prayers, sacrifices and efforts of a group of close friends rather than with little or no help.
The author (Michael Haykin) provides much evidence from source material and there are plenty of end notes to each chapter should you wish to examine this further yourself. It's obvious (to me) that a lot of effort has gone into the research for this book.
Haykin also seeks to correct a view of Carey's wife as unhelpful to his mission endeavours and although this doesn't form a big part of the book it is intriguing in its own right and would I think be a topic worth pursuing itself. Again there are end notes which will help for further reading.
One thing I found curious was that the book ends with Carey providing details for how he would like to be remembered when he dies, rather than with his actual death. We only learn of his death in the first Appendix on the timeline of his life after the final chapter. It's not a big issue just a curious one.
There are three Appendixes: one with a timeline (as mentioned above), a second with a transcript of The Leicester Covenant of 1790, and a third a transcript of The Serampore Form of Agreement 1805. Sections of the latter two are quoted in the book itself and while they are an interesting study in themselves I wouldn't say it's necessary to read through them (although I did) if you've already read the book (presumably why they are included as Appendixes!).
All in all the book is a worthwhile overview of William Carey's life both before and during his missionary endeavours in India with a focus on his achievements being the product of the input of a group of lifelong friends rather than a solo endeavour.
Review via NetGalley/Reformation Trust Publishing ARC.
The main stated aim of the book is I think to correct the view of William Carey as effectively a solo missionary blazing a trail by himself (a view I admit I had) and to highlight the role his friends and family played in his missionary endeavours. It certainly succeeds in this, presenting Carey's missionary life as the product of the prayers, sacrifices and efforts of a group of close friends rather than with little or no help.
The author (Michael Haykin) provides much evidence from source material and there are plenty of end notes to each chapter should you wish to examine this further yourself. It's obvious (to me) that a lot of effort has gone into the research for this book.
Haykin also seeks to correct a view of Carey's wife as unhelpful to his mission endeavours and although this doesn't form a big part of the book it is intriguing in its own right and would I think be a topic worth pursuing itself. Again there are end notes which will help for further reading.
One thing I found curious was that the book ends with Carey providing details for how he would like to be remembered when he dies, rather than with his actual death. We only learn of his death in the first Appendix on the timeline of his life after the final chapter. It's not a big issue just a curious one.
There are three Appendixes: one with a timeline (as mentioned above), a second with a transcript of The Leicester Covenant of 1790, and a third a transcript of The Serampore Form of Agreement 1805. Sections of the latter two are quoted in the book itself and while they are an interesting study in themselves I wouldn't say it's necessary to read through them (although I did) if you've already read the book (presumably why they are included as Appendixes!).
All in all the book is a worthwhile overview of William Carey's life both before and during his missionary endeavours in India with a focus on his achievements being the product of the input of a group of lifelong friends rather than a solo endeavour.
Review via NetGalley/Reformation Trust Publishing ARC.
January 7, 2019
The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey
by Michael A.G. Haykin
Reformation Trust Publishing
Christian
Pub Date 14 Nov 2018
I am reviewing a copy of The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey Through Reformation Trust Publishing and Netgalley:
The eighteenth century had been a remarkable time for Missionary activity. As the British Empire was expanding around the world, missionaries followed in their wake to bring the gospels to places where Christ was not known.
William Carey was at the heart of this global Missionary movement. William journeyed from his humble beginnings I’m England to places half way across the world to preach the gospels. Carey is known as the founder of modern missions and was a trailblazer.
I give The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
October 27, 2022
There are some really great things about this book, but it’s so small that it just feels limited as a biography. I think it would be great in an expanded edition, but there are many biographies of Carey already.
The unique thing that Haykin contributes (and you can tell through the book’s title) is showing Carey’s friendships that spurred and gave fuel to his ministry in India. Carey was a pioneer, but he was not a maverick. I’d love to see even more from his letters to Fuller, Sutcliff, Ryland, and Pearce.
The appendices are also nice additions, showing Carey’s reformed theology and commitment to the local church through his own church covenant and showing his missiology through the “Serampore agreement”.
The unique thing that Haykin contributes (and you can tell through the book’s title) is showing Carey’s friendships that spurred and gave fuel to his ministry in India. Carey was a pioneer, but he was not a maverick. I’d love to see even more from his letters to Fuller, Sutcliff, Ryland, and Pearce.
The appendices are also nice additions, showing Carey’s reformed theology and commitment to the local church through his own church covenant and showing his missiology through the “Serampore agreement”.
January 23, 2022
This book, like the subtitle suggests, focuses on the importance of friendship to ministry. In fact, much of Dr. Haykin’s work picks up on that aspect in the ministry. I think many are not used to thinking about friendship primarily in the context of the local church / associations of local churches, but Carey, Fuller, and their friends did. Because of their confessional unity and warm love for one another in the truth, their friendship was both deep and sweet. I hope this book leads those who read it to think intentionally about the importance of doctrinal unity to deep friendships, which I believe is something that is particularly neglected today.
June 3, 2021
A wonder book about a remarkable missionary! Michael Haykin has provided a great book of insight into the life and ministry of William Carey. Read how God used this man to take His word to the Indian sub-continent. This book is part of the series "A Long Line of Godly Men Profiles." Although a brief book, it is a scholarly book with many footnotes if you want to dig deeper. The Index is helpful for study. Reformation Trust and Ligonier Ministries has provided a great book.
August 24, 2022
The focus of "The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey" is the koinonia expressed through the life and work of Carey and his "band of brothers," both in India and those "holding the rope" in Britain. This little book does an excellent job in this regard, as well as serving as an introduction and biography of the English Baptist (1761-1834) who is known as the "father of the modern mission movement." I cannot recommend Michael Haykin's study enough. Five-star treatment and reading.
October 27, 2025
While this is not a traditional biography of William Carey, it is nonetheless encouraging and challenging.
Michael Haykin is a trusted historian and theologian (both of these aspects come out in the book). Haykin has given us a unique biography on William Carey, that weaves in and out of Carey’s life and ministry, true Gospel friendship.
If you are looking for a book to teach you about friendship, missions, and living for the glory of God, then this book is for you!
Michael Haykin is a trusted historian and theologian (both of these aspects come out in the book). Haykin has given us a unique biography on William Carey, that weaves in and out of Carey’s life and ministry, true Gospel friendship.
If you are looking for a book to teach you about friendship, missions, and living for the glory of God, then this book is for you!
June 26, 2023
I throughly enjoyed this book. Haykin does an excellent job at outlining and explaining the workers who helped bring the Gospel to Serampore. Although I must say I did find Steve Lawson’s intro to be a bit overbearing and almost off topic. But Lawson didn’t write the book so I happily gave it 5 stars!
August 27, 2024
Not a comprehensive biography, but not meant to be. Haykin does a good job of getting to all the highlights of Carey's life, but centers much of it on the role loyal friendship played in sparking the modern missions movement. There is no sugarcoating or hagiography. A good read for elders, missions committees, and families of missionaries.
November 30, 2019
A good insight into Carey's friends ehich influenced and helped him from early days to setting up the missionary agency and to being sent out.
May 27, 2021
This book was very unique that it focused on the friendships of Carey. Michael Haykin is a true historian and it was inspiring to read this little book.
August 26, 2025
Haykin traces the theme of friendship through William Carey's ministry and draws lots of applications along the way.
November 28, 2018
We stand on the shoulders of great giants. These figures often remain hidden from our eyes but their hard work, faithfulness, suffering and prayer continue to shape us today in many remarkable ways. The gospel-centred evangelical world in general, and the modern mission movement, in particular, are indebted to the eighteenth century which gave birth to servant-hearted folk like William Carey.
This remarkable man is rightly known as “the father of modern missions”. He had a humble beginning in England. But his love, passion and zeal for mission compelled him out of England to travel thousands of miles for the sake of declaring the good news to the people of India. He dedicated his entire life to bringing the fragrance of Christ to different language groups in India. Amidst all the suffering, hardship and discomfort, he zealously persisted and toiled until the end of his life. His life is filled with God-glorifying lessons for us.
In The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin does an excellent job of unveiling William Carey’s life. Undoubtedly, one of the great strengths of this work is its clarity and readability. The author’s burden is to lay bare the enormous impact of Carey’s friends on his life and mission. Haykin repeatedly rejects the idea that Carey was a ‘solo’ missionary. He persuasively demonstrates that Carey was supported by strong pillars of friendship. This is encouraging for us today because we can see how God uses Christian friendship as a means of grace in ministry.
This short book is not meant to be an exhaustive biography of Carey but it can serve as a good introduction to his life.
So, would I recommend this book? Yes, without any doubt. This book has been a great encouragement to me.
I thank Reformation Trust Publishing for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.
This remarkable man is rightly known as “the father of modern missions”. He had a humble beginning in England. But his love, passion and zeal for mission compelled him out of England to travel thousands of miles for the sake of declaring the good news to the people of India. He dedicated his entire life to bringing the fragrance of Christ to different language groups in India. Amidst all the suffering, hardship and discomfort, he zealously persisted and toiled until the end of his life. His life is filled with God-glorifying lessons for us.
In The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin does an excellent job of unveiling William Carey’s life. Undoubtedly, one of the great strengths of this work is its clarity and readability. The author’s burden is to lay bare the enormous impact of Carey’s friends on his life and mission. Haykin repeatedly rejects the idea that Carey was a ‘solo’ missionary. He persuasively demonstrates that Carey was supported by strong pillars of friendship. This is encouraging for us today because we can see how God uses Christian friendship as a means of grace in ministry.
This short book is not meant to be an exhaustive biography of Carey but it can serve as a good introduction to his life.
So, would I recommend this book? Yes, without any doubt. This book has been a great encouragement to me.
I thank Reformation Trust Publishing for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.
March 2, 2019
This was a good look into the man who really started modern missions. I really enjoyed it’s historical background to shed some light on Carey’s life. I want to read the rest of the books in the series, now! I will say the section on friends read quite choppy to me due to so many names all over the place. I had difficulty keeping track of who was who. After that it was a very interesting book!
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. My opinions of the book are entirely my own.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. My opinions of the book are entirely my own.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews