GEORGE MÐLLER

Man of Faith

At the age of sixteen, George M¸ller landed in jail. He had wasted his father’s money by drinking and gambling. When his father heard the news, he was angry. George had been born in Kroppenstadt, Germany, on September 27, 1805. His father paid for his education, hoping he would become a Lutheran minister. But when George went away to school, he became a playboy.

Jail did not reform him. When he got out, he went back to his wild life. Then one day a friend convinced George to attend a prayer meeting and Bible study. There M¸ller gave his life to Jesus.

In 1829 he moved to England and settled in the country. There he joined the Plymouth Brethren church and became a preacher. M¸ller was so effective that the little congregation soon grew from eighteen members to 227.

M¸ller came to believe the Lord wanted him to pray for the money he needed and not to ask people for it.

In 1835, M¸ller opened an orphanage in the city of Bristol for common children. Until then, only rich children were accepted in England’s few orphanages. Poor children were left on the streets or sent to cruel workhouses.

M¸ller had two reasons for establishing the orphanages: He wanted to care for the children, and he wanted to show that God would supply anyone’s needs who prayed and trusted only in Him.

When the house in Bristol became too crowded, M¸ller used money God supplied to purchase some out-of-town property, known as Ashley Downs. There he built five great houses that finally housed two thousand children at a time.

The drama of God’s miraculous provision of everything from food to money for construction was an almost daily occurrence.

During his life, which ended on March 10, 1898, M¸ller housed, educated, and trained over ten thousand boys and girls.

© 1996 Dave and Neta Jackson, Hero Tales, Vol. I