George Muller

George Muller was a Christian evangelist who founded the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England and cared for over 10,000 orphans in his life. He was one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren movement and later became associated with the Open Brethren. He was born in Kroppenstedt, Prussia (now Germany) on September 27, 1805 to a tax collector father and a pious mother. He was a rebellious and sinful youth who lied, stole, and drank. He was sent to a classical school in Halberstadt to prepare for a career as a clergyman, but he continued his wicked ways. He was arrested and imprisoned for hotel fraud when he was 16. He was converted to Christianity in 1825 when he attended a prayer meeting at the University of Halle where he studied divinity. He felt the power of God and the peace of forgiveness and began to read the Bible regularly. He renounced his worldly pleasures and devoted himself to serving God. He moved to England in 1829 to work with Jews through the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews. He met Henry Craik, who became his lifelong friend and co-worker. He also married Mary Groves, the sister of Anthony Norris Groves, a missionary pioneer. He settled in Bristol in 1832 and became the pastor of Bethesda Chapel. He renounced his regular salary and trusted God to provide for his needs. He also abolished the renting of church pews and encouraged free-will offerings. He felt a burden for the poor and orphaned children in Bristol and decided to open an orphanage in 1836. He started with a rented house where he took in 30 girls. He soon expanded his work and opened more houses for boys and younger children. He never asked for donations or loans, but relied on prayer and faith to obtain the funds and supplies. He kept a detailed record of God's answers to his prayers and published annual reports of his work. He built five large orphan houses on Ashley Down between 1849 and 1870, which could accommodate up to 2,000 children at a time. He provided them with food, clothing, education, and religious instruction. He also established 117 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000 children. He was a man of prayer and Bible study. He read the Bible from cover to cover more than 200 times in his life. He was also a preacher and a missionary. He traveled around the world between 1875 and 1892, visiting 42 countries and preaching over 6,000 times. He married twice in his life. His first wife, Mary, died in 1870 after 40 years of marriage. They had two children: Lydia and Elijah. Elijah died in infancy, but Lydia survived and helped her father in his ministry. Muller married Susannah Grace Sanger in 1871, who was also a widow with three grown children. She died in 1894. Muller died on March 10, 1898 at the age of 92. He was buried at Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol. His funeral was attended by thousands of people who honored his legacy of faith and charity.