Stanley Jones Accomplishments

On January 3, 1884 Eli Stanley Jones was born in Baltimore, Maryland. There is little recorded information about his childhood and family. As a teenager, Jones was involved in a dangerous street gang. One night, his band of rebels decided to interfere with an event where a traveling evangelist was speaking. However, the message Jones heard during the service that night would alter the course of his life. Upon hearing the Gospel, Jones’ eagerly accepted the invitation to follow Jesus and his life was dramatically transformed.
Jones began his higher education as a student of Law at City College. Following his brief studies there, he moved to Wilmore, Kentucky to attend Asbury College Considering his persuasiveness for the cause of Christ, he

Stanley Jones exhibited a plethora strengths throughout the 70 years he spent traveling. First and foremost, he displayed an unmatched passion for sharing the transformative power of the Gospel. He lived out his convictions, studied the scriptures and boldly proclaimed biblical truths. Another strength that greatly impacted his successes, was Stanley’s appreciation and honor for culture and tradition. He sought to connect with Indian peoples by adapting to their cultural norm. (Many photographs show him in traditional Indian dress). His infamous Ashrams were a Christian take on Indian practices. “Very early in his career, E. Stanley Jones urged Indian Christians to remain within their Indian culture. He was convinced that Christianity could be truly indigenous in India, as well as anywhere else in the world” (Mathews-Younes). E. Stanley Jones made it his mission to understand the worldview of others and participate in beneficial conversation with religious leaders outside of Christianity.
In addition, to Jones’ profound curiosity in culture he was skilled in relating to people and building friendships. His interpersonal communication skills allowed him to influence great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Billy Graham, and Franklin D. Roosevelt to name a few. His kind disposition and authenticity truly reflected the character of Christ and drew people to the Gospel. Moreover, Jones’ possessed an acute ability to clearly articulate his message. He both

Stanley Jones contains an innumerable amount of lessons applicable to missiology. (1) His obedience to the call of God on his life and promptings of the Holy Spirit remains truly admirable. (2) Jones' also set a precedent of openly sharing the Gospel with people of other religions without watering-down the truth. This lesson has increasingly become more relevant in the current era that celebrates relative truth. (3) Next, he contributed a legacy of authentic Christianity. He spoke out against becoming judgemental and making the Gospel seem exclusively for Western Christians. Thus, Jones’ work in contextualizing the Gospel and supporting insider movements as contributed significantly to missiology. (4) Moreover, Jones’ exhibited how to advocate for reconciliation. His work encourages us to strive to be at peace with everyone. (5) Finally, the prayer-filled life he displayed throughout his lifetime serves as a beautiful reminder of the importance of acting in accordance with God and displaying Christlikeness whenever we are given the opportunity to serve others. Prayer should be in the forefront of everything. The privilege of communicating with and co-laboring with God is a practice essential to fruitful work as a