C. T. Studd
Charles Thomas Studd (1860–1931), known as C. T. Studd, was a man who gave up wealth, fame, and comfort to serve Christ on the mission field. His life was marked by daring decisions, deep conviction, and a passion to make Christ known wherever His name had never been heard.
Studd was born into a wealthy English family. His father, Edward Studd, had made a fortune in India and later came to faith through the ministry of the evangelist Dwight L. Moody. C. T. and his brothers were educated at Eton College, one of England’s most prestigious schools, and he quickly became a celebrated athlete. At Cambridge University, Studd rose to national fame as one of England’s best cricket players—he even played in the famous “Ashes” series against Australia. By his early twenties, he was a sports hero and heir to a comfortable fortune.
But God was at work. When Studd heard the evangelist D. L. Moody preach, his heart was stirred. Around the same time, the death of his brother George made him realize how short life is and how empty fame could be. Studd later wrote, “I know that cricket would not last, and honor would not last, and nothing in this world would last, but it was worthwhile living for the world to come.”
In 1885, at age 25, Studd shocked the British public by giving up his fame and fortune to become a missionary in China with the China Inland Mission led by Hudson Taylor. He was one of the famed “Cambridge Seven,” a group of elite young men from Cambridge University who surrendered their promising futures to serve God overseas. Studd’s decision inspired thousands of others to consider missions.
In China, Studd adopted local dress and customs, living simply among the Chinese people. He married fellow missionary Priscilla Stewart, and together they endured sickness, poverty, and hardship as they raised four daughters while sharing the gospel. After years in China, they returned to England briefly before serving in India for several years, where Studd pastored a church for British soldiers.
Yet his restless missionary spirit drove him further still. In 1910, at age 50, he felt God calling him to take the gospel to the heart of Africa. Many thought he was too old or sickly for such a journey—but he went anyway. He founded the Heart of Africa Mission, which later became the Worldwide Evangelization Crusade (WEC International), an organization that still operates globally today. In the Congo (modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo), Studd lived among tribal peoples, preaching, planting churches, and translating Scripture until his death in 1931.
C. T. Studd’s passion was summed up in one of his most famous sayings: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”
He left behind no worldly fame, but a lasting spiritual legacy. Studd’s life challenges every generation to trade comfort for conviction, luxury for love, and temporary glory for eternal reward.