Henry Havelock was not a pastor or missionary, but in the midst of doing other things he did represent his Saviour.
Henry was born in 1795. His mother regularly gathered her six children together to read the Bible and pray, so he grew up with serious considerations for his soul. But those were the days of Napoleon and the War of 1812, and young Henry grew up wanting to become a soldier. A month after the Battle of Waterloo, Henry enlisted, after which he was sent to India as a second lieutenant in a rifle brigade.
During his voyage to India, another lieutenant presented the gospel to him, and Henry came to the full assurance of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1823, during the first British war with Burma, he was stationed in Rangoon. While there he visited the Shway Dagong Pagoda which he found filled with both worshipers and tourists. Surrounded by statues of Buddha, he was moved in much the same way as Paul while in Athens, and he began to publically declare Christ. Following that, over time, he gathered approximately a hundred Christian soldiers around him, and they earned the nickname “Havelock’s saints.” Henry and his men became one of the best fighting forces in the region, risking their lives on many occasions. On one occasion during the Indian Mutiny of 1857 he led 2,500 men against 50,000 Sepoy troops, successfully saving the lives of a large group of English women and children. For this and other acts of bravery he was promoted over and over again, and eventually a statue was erected to his honour in Trafalgar Square in London.
While still in Burma and before rising in rank and privilege, Brother Havelock was invited to dine with Sir Archibald Campbell, the British general, at which was the American missionary Adoniram Judson. The two Christians became friends, and through Judson, Havelock became a Baptist. Also through Judson, Havelock met Joshua Marshman and his family. On this day in 1829 Henry Havelock married Miss Hannah Marshman.
After many successful years in India and Burma, Henry’s health began to fail. In his last moments, he said to Sir James Outram, “For more than forty years I have so ruled my life that when death came I might face it without fear. I am not in the least afraid; to die is gain.”
God does not place all His people in the same calling, except as saints. It’s our responsibility to be the best witness for Christ we can be, wherever we are, so that He might be glorified through us.