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George Mueller

George Müller (1805–1898). Born on September 27, 1805, in Kroppenstedt, Prussia (now Germany), George Müller was a Christian evangelist and orphanage director known for his faith-driven ministry. A rebellious youth, he was imprisoned for theft at 16 before converting to Christianity in 1825 at a Moravian prayer meeting in Halle. He studied divinity in Halle and moved to England in 1829, pastoring a chapel in Teignmouth and later Ebenezer Chapel in Bristol. Rejecting a fixed salary, he relied on prayer for provision, a principle that defined his life. In 1836, he founded the Ashley Down Orphanage in Bristol, caring for over 10,000 orphans across his lifetime without soliciting funds, trusting God alone. His meticulous records, published in Narratives of the Lord’s Dealings, documented answered prayers, inspiring global faith. Married to Mary Groves in 1830 and later Susannah Sangar after Mary’s death, he had one surviving child, Lydia. Müller preached worldwide into his 80s, dying on March 10, 1898, in Bristol, and said, “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”
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Sermon Summary
George Müller emphasizes the significance of Christian literature in spreading the Gospel, detailing his commitment to distributing Bibles and tracts since founding SKI in 1834. He established a Bible Warehouse and Bookshop in Bristol, which evolved over the years to meet the growing demand for Christian resources. Despite challenges, including the destruction of the original shop during World War II, Müller’s faith led to the opening of a new building in 1957, which expanded to additional locations. The shops not only provided literature but also supported missionaries and supplied Bibles to those in need. Müller's legacy continues as the shops transitioned to other Christian booksellers, ensuring the ongoing availability of Christian literature.
Christian Literature
George Müller was a staunch believer in the power of Christian literature. With the setting up of SKI in 1834 George Müller became committed to the distribution of Bibles and tracts, not only in English but also in other languages. In that same year he founded a Bible Warehouse and Bookshop in Bristol and as the need increased it became necessary for this part of George Müller's work to be moved to separate premises. Therefore, in 1852, the Bible and Tract Warehouse, and Bookshop, was opened in Park Street, Bristol. The work carried on from these premises for nearly ninety years until the Second World War, when the shop was destroyed by fire. The work was then transferred temporarily to other premises. These were in an area of Bristol which was away from the mainstream of city life and therefore the shop for many years occupied an unimportant role. After much prayer and waiting upon God, a new building was purchased in Park Street near the original site. This shop was opened in 1957, under the title 'Evangelical Christian Literature'. Subsequently two other branches were opened in Bath (in 1974), and in Weston-super-Mare (1984). Yet another example of the faithfulness of God. The shops carried a very wide range of Christian books and other literature, and every need was catered for from the general reader to the serious student. The fourth object of SKI is 'To aid in supplying the wants of Missionaries and Missionary Schools'. A proportion of the profits from the bookshops were sent to support missionaries in other countries and provided Bibles for people in countries where they are in short supply. As a result of the increasing sophistication of the Christian bookselling market, it was decided in the early 1990's to sell the shops to other Christian booksellers; the business in Bath was sold to Scripture Union and the businesses in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare to an arm of Operation Mobilisation, "Send the Light". Since then, STL has taken over the SU bookshops and all three are part of STL trading under the name Wesley Owen Books and Music. The properties in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare remain under the ownership of the Müller Homes.
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George Müller (1805–1898). Born on September 27, 1805, in Kroppenstedt, Prussia (now Germany), George Müller was a Christian evangelist and orphanage director known for his faith-driven ministry. A rebellious youth, he was imprisoned for theft at 16 before converting to Christianity in 1825 at a Moravian prayer meeting in Halle. He studied divinity in Halle and moved to England in 1829, pastoring a chapel in Teignmouth and later Ebenezer Chapel in Bristol. Rejecting a fixed salary, he relied on prayer for provision, a principle that defined his life. In 1836, he founded the Ashley Down Orphanage in Bristol, caring for over 10,000 orphans across his lifetime without soliciting funds, trusting God alone. His meticulous records, published in Narratives of the Lord’s Dealings, documented answered prayers, inspiring global faith. Married to Mary Groves in 1830 and later Susannah Sangar after Mary’s death, he had one surviving child, Lydia. Müller preached worldwide into his 80s, dying on March 10, 1898, in Bristol, and said, “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”