1. Griffith John was a Welsh Christian missionary and translator in China.
11 Facts About Griffith John
1. 2.
Griffith John was born on 14 December 1831 at Swansea, in south Wales.
3.
Griffith John was brought up as a Christian in the Congregational tradition, and in 1840 at the age of eight was admitted to full membership of Ebenezer Congregational church, Swansea.
4.
Griffith John would serve in China for 55 years, chiefly in Hubei and Hunan.
5.
Griffith John was among the first to begin Christian missionary work in the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, and Sichuan.
6.
Griffith John set up schools, hospitals and training colleges, with a permanent base at Hankou in Hubei.
7.
Griffith John trained numerous Chinese evangelists and wrote numerous Christian tracts and served for many years as chairman of the Central China Tract Society.
8.
In 1874, Griffith John met and married Mrs Jenkins, a missionary's widow.
9.
Griffith John published a New Testament in 1885, using Classical Chinese.
10.
Griffith John would continue translating other portions of the Old Testament into Mandarin Chinese, such as Psalms and Proverbs by 1890.
11.
Griffith John was buried at Bethel Chapel on Carnglas Road, Sketty in Swansea following a funeral service in Ebenezer Chapel.