BTJ’s newest book is NOW AVAILABLE!
Read about the life and ministry of the legendary missionary who inspired pioneer missionaries like Karl Gutzlaff, Hudson Taylor, and David Livingstone.
Johannes Theodore Van Der Kemp was one of the first protestant missionaries sent to Africa and perhaps one of the most controversial. This book tells the unbelievable true story of one of the most extraordinary missionaries to ever live and one of the most groundbreaking trials in South African history.
Once a soldier, an adulterer, and a man who openly raised a child out of wedlock, Van Der Kemp spent much of his early life as an outspoken atheist. He was, without a doubt, one of the most unlikely candidates for missionary work in the 19th Century.
However, the true problematic nature of his life didn’t start until after he arrived as a missionary in Africa. Against every order from the missionary society, he pioneered his way deep into the African bush and began doing what no other missionary had done before—he lived among the African tribes in order to reach them with the gospel. Dr. Van Dr Kemp labored for many years in Africa, bringing entire tribes to Christ and his influence is still felt across the continent today. In doing so, his missionary work forever transformed the trajectory of slavery in Africa.
During his time, Van Der Kemp saw the cruel treatment of Africans by the colonists who claimed to be Christians. He was horrified and demanded justice. He insisted that those responsible, even if they were white, should be tried for their crimes. At his request, the first-ever trials against white colonists were held in Africa.
This book is a tribute to the complicated people God calls. May it speak to the hearts of those who have failed miserably in life and give hope.
You can find it now on Amazon:
