Today’s Leader of Faith
GEORGE MULLER
Home Call : 10 March 1898
Father of Orphans, World Missionary, Evangelist, Humanitarian, Author, Founder of Orphanages and Schools, A guiding light for global evangelists and many missionaries.
George Muller (1805–1898) was a Christian evangelist and the founder and director of Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England. He is best known for his unwavering faith in God’s provision, never soliciting donations directly but relying solely on prayer to meet the needs of thousands of orphans. Throughout his lifetime, Müller cared for over 10,024 orphans. He established 117 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000. He was one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren movement. Later during the split, his group was called the Open Brethren. He authored many books reflecting his faith in God. Charles Spurgeon, D.L. Moody, John Hyde, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, and many other influential evangelists and missionaries were inspired by his life, dedication, and prayer, which strengthened their faith and solidified their ministries. His life remains a testimony of faith, prayer, and trust in God’s providence. He travelled extensively as a missionary in his later years. Between 1875 and 1892, he journeyed over 200,000 miles to 42 countries including India, preaching and sharing his testimony of faith and God’s provision.
Muller was born on 27 September 1805 in Kroppenstedt, Kingdom of Prussia, Now in Saxony, Germany. In 1829, he joined the London Society in 1829 but left in 1830 due to doubts about its restrictions. He became a minister in Devon, married Mary Groves, and renounced a fixed salary, relying on faith-based giving. He moved to Bristol on 25 May 1832 to minister at Bethesda Chapel alongside Henry Craik. In 1834, he founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institution to support Christian schools, missions, and Bible distribution. By 1835, it had established five Day-schools. Relying solely on unsolicited donations, the organization raised £1,381,171 (around 1180 crore rupees today) by Müller’s death, funding orphanages, distributing over 285,000 Bibles, 1.45 million New Testaments, and supporting missionaries like Hudson Taylor. His work continues today. The work continues to this day.
Müller and his wife began their orphan work in 1836, housing 30 girls in their rented home in Bristol. As numbers grew, more houses were rented, accommodating 130 children. In 1845, due to space constraints and complaints from neighbours, he built a dedicated orphanage at Ashley Down, which opened in 1849. By 1870, five homes housed 1,722 children, with a total capacity of 2,050. He never solicited funds but relied on prayer and unsolicited donations. Many times, food arrived just in time, strengthening his faith. The five homes cost over ₹85 crore to build, yet he incurred no debt. Donations were carefully recorded, and receipts were issued for transparency. Each child received an education, a Bible, and a trunk with clothing upon leaving the orphanage. Müller’s work significantly impacted society, ensuring orphans had opportunities for apprenticeships and employment rather than being sent to factories or mines.
At 71, after the death of his first wife in 1870 and his remarriage to Susannah Sanger in 1871, George Müller embarked on 17 years of missionary travel. From 1875 to 1892, he visited numerous countries, including the U.S., Canada, India, Australia, China, and several European nations. He funded his travels through unsolicited gifts but meticulously recorded any expenses covered by others. Fluent in English, French, and German, he preached widely, with translations when needed. In 1892, Müller returned to England and passed away at the age of 92 at New Orphan House No. 3. His funeral at Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol was attended by 10,000 people, including 1,500 orphans.