John Paton
John Gibson Paton (1824–1907) was a Scottish missionary whose life reads like an adventure story mixed with deep faith. Born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, Paton grew up in a poor but devout Presbyterian family. His father, a simple stocking-maker, gathered the children every morning and evening for prayer, and those times shaped John’s lifelong passion for Christ. Though money was scarce, Paton received enough education to work as a teacher and later as a city missionary in the slums of Glasgow, where he served the poorest of the poor.
Paton’s heart burned for the unreached, especially after hearing of the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), a chain of islands in the South Pacific. At that time, the islands were infamous: the native tribes practiced cannibalism, and earlier missionaries had been killed and eaten. When Paton announced his desire to go, friends warned him he was signing his own death sentence. Paton’s reply became famous: “Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave and there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms.”
In 1858, Paton and his young wife Mary sailed for the island of Tanna. What followed was almost unbearable. Within months, Mary gave birth to a son, but both she and the child soon died of fever. Alone and heartbroken, Paton continued his work, learning the language and preaching as best he could. The islanders, suspicious of outsiders, often threatened him. More than once, Paton faced a mob with clubs and muskets ready to kill him. On one famous occasion, he climbed into a tree to hide while warriors hunted for him below. He later said that in that tree, with death so near, he felt the presence of Jesus more strongly than ever before.
Eventually, constant danger forced him to leave Tanna, but Paton did not give up. He returned years later with his second wife, Margaret, and settled on another island, Aniwa. There, through patient work, he and Margaret slowly won the trust of the people. They translated the Bible into the native language, taught literacy, and introduced practical helps like building wells. Most importantly, the Aniwans turned from idol worship and embraced Christianity. Paton witnessed an entire island transformed by the gospel.
Beyond his direct mission work, Paton traveled widely, especially in Britain and Australia, to rally support for missions. He raised funds, recruited workers, and inspired countless Christians with his testimony. His autobiography, The Story of John G. Paton, Missionary to the New Hebrides, became a missionary classic, stirring generations to consider overseas service.
John Paton died in 1907, but his legacy lives on. His courage in the face of danger, his perseverance after heartbreaking loss, and his unwavering faith that the gospel could reach even the most resistant peoples mark him as one of the great missionary pioneers of the 19th century.