Fred Sheldon Donnelson Grave

Fred Sheldon Donnelson

“Thousands of lives were touched by his ministry in both times of peace and war. As a prisoner of war … he displayed … that he never expected of others a price any greater than he himself was willing to pay.”
(Anonymous)

Early Life and Call to Service

Fred Sheldon Donnelson was born on November 16, 1897, in Missouri Valley, Iowa. Raised in a devout Christian home, he professed faith at age 12—during a revival meeting led by famed evangelist Billy Sunday. After finishing high school, Donnelson served two years in the U.S. Army’s Coast Artillery division during World War I.

Gripped by a missionary vision, he pursued higher education. In 1928 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College and then went on to complete further theological training at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Missionary Service in China

In 1933, Fred Donnelson, along with his wife Effie and their small children, boarded the ship Empress of Canada for China and arrived in Shanghai before moving on to Hangzhou (Hangchow). Their call was bold: to leave possessions behind, cross the ocean with minimal support, and take the Gospel to China. Once in Hangzhou, Donnelson rapidly began to learn the Chinese language and began evangelistic and church‐planting work. Within six months of arrival he preached his first sermon in Chinese. He also poured himself into training young Chinese men for ministry, and established multiple preaching stations in rural villages.

His time in China was not without profound hardship. During the Japanese invasion and World War II, Donnelson and his family were interned in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp for approximately 18 months. Even in the confinement of the prison camp, Donnelson’s steadfast faith and leadership shone: he refused to ask others to endure what he would not himself.

In 1949, with the rise of Communist rule in China, Donnelson and his family were forced to evacuate, yet the church‐planting efforts and disciple‐training initiatives they had established continued under Chinese leadership.

Stateside Leadership: Missions Director & Educator

Following their return to the United States, Donnelson’s life entered a new phase of leadership and influence. In 1951 he became the first Missions Director of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International (BBFI) and served as Professor of Missions at the affiliated Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri.

In this dual role, Donnelson shaped the missions philosophy and training of a generation of independent Baptist missionaries. His nickname—“Mr. Missions”—reflected both his personal service and the esteem in which he was held. He regularly emphasized that missions must be the “strong right arm” of the fellowship.

Character, Convictions and Approach

Fred Donnelson’s ministry was marked by several major themes:

• Sacrificial commitment: From selling possessions before going to China, to enduring internment in war, he lived what he preached—that the Gospel demands cost.
• Faithful training of nationals: He believed that indigenous leaders were key to long-term work. From his earliest days in China, he trained young believers to take the Gospel in their language and culture.
• Missions as institutional priority: As missions director and educator, he helped create systems, doctrine, and training that would enable sustained missionary efforts—not just on his field, but globally.
• Enduring optimism: Even when forced out of China, he pressed forward with faith that the Gospel would advance, often using his experience to inspire others.

Legacy and Continuing Impact

Fred Sheldon Donnelson passed away on February 9, 1974. His legacy, however, has several enduring strands:

• Pioneer missionary to China: His ministry in Hangzhou and surrounding villages, under war conditions and later communist upheaval, stands as a pioneering example of twentieth-century Baptist mission to China.
• Founding architect of independent Baptist missions: Through his leadership at BBFI and Baptist Bible College, Donnelson helped lay the foundation for the missions‐orientation of that fellowship—training, endorsing and sending missionaries globally.
• Church‐planting and discipleship model: His work in ministry training, church extension, national leadership in China created a model still referenced by mission leaders.
• Inspirational testimony of suffering and service: The POW years, the evacuation from China, and his continued service despite hardship draw admiration and serve as an inspiration for faith under trial.
• “Whatever it takes” ethos: Donnelson’s philosophy of “Go Forward” (as the historical note says)—seeing every obstacle as an opportunity—continues to resonate in mission circles.

Practical Lessons from His Life

For missionaries, pastors, church leaders, and those considering overseas service, Fred Donnelson’s life offers practical lessons:

• Go prepared yet go dependent: Donnelson’s training at Wheaton and Northern Seminary equipped him, yet his first overseas venture was accompanied by very little financial guarantee.
• Invest in national leadership: He didn’t just bring missionaries; he trained national believers to lead in their own context.
• Expect cost, but trust the call: The internment years and the eviction from China demonstrate that mission often involves risk—but Donnelson trusted God through them.
• Build for the long term: As missions director and missions educator, he looked beyond immediate wins to sustained strategy, giving his efforts enduring structure.
• Lead by example: He refused to ask others to suffer more than he would; his integrity built trust and legacy.

Conclusion

Fred Sheldon Donnelson was more than a missionary—he was a visionary, educator, leader, sufferer, and advocate for global Gospel outreach. His early call in Iowa, his transformation into a missionary in China, his resilience through captivity, and his later institutional leadership in America showcase a life lived for what he believed.

While the scene of his missionary service—China in the mid-20th century—is now closed for many Western workers, the foundational work that Donnelson engaged in continues through national churches, missionaries trained under his influence, and a missions philosophy still active in independent Baptist circles.

In an era when many talk of “missions strategy,” Donnelson’s life reminds us that mission is more than strategy—it is sacrifice, obedience, and faith. His legacy endures in the lives changed, the churches planted, the missionaries sent, and the training delivered. For those who seek to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth and to do it with integrity and passion, Fred Sheldon Donnelson remains a timely example—one of those who truly “went forward,” and helped countless others to do the same.