Andrew Murray (minister)


Andrew Murray was a South African writer, teacher and Christian pastor. Murray considered missions to be "the chief end of the church".

Early life and education

Andrew Murray was the second child of Andrew Murray Sr., a Dutch Reformed Church missionary sent from Scotland to South Africa. He was born in Graaff Reinet, South Africa. His mother, Maria Susanna Stegmann, was of French Huguenot and German Lutheran descent.
Murray was sent to the University of Aberdeen in Scotland for his initial education, together with his elder brother, John. Both remained there until they obtained their master's degrees in 1845. During this time they were influenced by Scottish revival meetings and the ministry of Robert Murray McCheyne, Horatius Bonar, and William Burns. From there, they both went to the University of Utrecht where they studied theology. The two brothers became members of Het Réveil, a religious revival movement opposed to the rationalism which was in vogue in the Netherlands at that time. Both brothers were ordained by the Hague Committee of the Dutch Reformed Church on 9 May 1848 and returned to the Cape.
Murray married Emma Rutherford in Cape Town, South Africa, on 2 July 1856. They had eight children together.

Residence in Utrecht

In 1846 they lived in the Minrebroederstraat.
From 1847 to 1848 they lived at the Zadelstraat 39.

Religious work in South Africa

Murray pastored churches in Bloemfontein, Worcester, Cape Town and Wellington, all in South Africa. He was a champion of the South African Revival of 1860.
In 1889, he was one of the founders of the South African General Mission, along with Martha Osborn and Spencer Walton. After Martha Osborn married George Howe, they formed the South East Africa General Mission in 1891. SAGM and SEAGM merged in 1894. Because its ministry had spread into other African countries, the mission's name was changed to Africa Evangelical Fellowship in 1965. AEF joined with Serving In Mission in 1998 and continues to this day.
Through his writings, Murray was also a key "Inner Life" or "Higher Life" or Keswick leader, and his theology of faith healing and belief in the continuation of the apostolic gifts made him a significant forerunner of the Pentecostal movement.
In 1894, Murray was visited by John McNeill and Rev. J Gelson Gregson, the ex-British Army Chaplain and Keswick convention speaker.

Death

Murray died on 18 January 1917, at age 88. He was so influenced by Johann Christoph Blumhardt's Möttlingen revival that he included a portion of Friedrich Zündel's biography at the end of With Christ in the School of Prayer.

Works

A bibliography compiled by D. S. B. Joubert estimates that Murray published over 240 books and tracts; this number includes about 50 books, many of them authored in both Dutch and English, including:Abide in Christ Like Christ The New Life With Christ in the School of Prayer How to Raise Your Children for Christ The Spirit of Christ Wholly for God Be Perfect Jesus Himself Let Us Draw Nigh Power of the Blood of Christ Why Do You Not Believe? The Believers Full Blessing of Pentecost The Master's Indwelling Eagle Wings The Spiritual Life The Power of the Spirit Have Mercy upon Me Absolute Surrender Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness Waiting on God The Divine Indwelling Lord Teach Us to Pray, or, The Only Teacher The Mystery of the True Vine The Lord's Table The Ministry of Intercession Money The Dearth of Conversions The School of Obedience The Fruit of the Vine The Two Covenants Pray without Ceasing Divine Healing Thy Will Be Done Out of His Fullness Working for God! The Key to the Missionary Problem The Inner Chamber and the Inner Life Aids to Devotion The State of the Church The Prayer Life Back to Pentecost
  • ''God's Will: Our Dwelling Place''

The "Secret" series

Andrew Murray had originally decided to publish a series of twelve pocket books, one for each month of the year. As only four were published during his lifetime, his family ultimately decided to release an additional eight pocket books based on various sermons and writings remaining at the time of his death. In order of publication, the "Secret" series was:The Secret of Intercession The Secret of Adoration The Secret of the Faith Life The Secret of Inspiration The Secret of the Abiding PresenceThe Secret of United PrayerThe Secret of FellowshipThe Secret of the CrossThe Secret of Brotherly LoveThe Secret of Power from on HighThe Secret of Christ Our Life
  • ''The Secret of the Throne of Grace''