by Thomas Ray
Justus Vinton was born February 17, 1806, in Ashford, Connecticut, and converted at the age of ten. Believing God had called him to preach the gospel, he enrolled at the age of 20 in the Hamilton Institute in New York. While studying the Karen language (a language in what was then known as Burma), he met fellow student Calista Holman. They were married April 9, 1834, and sailed to Burma July 1834.
Vinton, a committed soul-winner, was determined to win the ship’s officers and crew to Christ. He began to pray, witness, and conduct worship services where he would preach and use his marvelous singing voice to minister to the crew and passengers. Before the five-month voyage ended, the captain and several officers and crewmembers had publicly confessed Christ as Savior.
The Vintons landed December 1834 at Maulman, which was to be their future base of operation. Having previously learned the Karen language, they wasted no time in beginning their ministry. Within a week, they were going from village to village preaching and singing the good news of God’s redeeming love. Their first tour was extremely successful, and the invitations from other Karen to visit their villages was so great that the Vintons decided to divide their efforts — a plan they would successfully follow for the next 25 years.
During the rainy seasons when jungle travel was impossible, Vinton concentrated his efforts upon the British soldiers at Maulman and worked on his commentary or his translation of the New Testament. During one of those rainy seasons, he personally distributed 8,000 tracts in just six weeks. When war broke out between the British and the Burmese, the oppressed Karen supported the British hoping they would deliver them from the tyranny of the Burmese. The Burmese retaliated against the Karen with a viciousness that defies description. They burnt every village and destroyed all the crops within 50 miles of Rangoon. They tortured and killed men, women, and children with unspeakable brutality. Two Karen Baptist preachers were crucified, others were slowly cut to pieces, suffering for days until death released them from their pain. Disease and starvation were daily destroying the homeless Karen.
Baptist missionary Engelio Kincaid, who was stationed at Rangoon, was overwhelmed by the enormous need. Seeking assistance, he asked Justus Vinton to join him. Vinton responded by immediately going to Rangoon. The missionaries established two hospitals to care for the sick. The hearts of the Karen people were softened by their suffering and Kincaid reported every week was a Pentecost and large numbers of Karen were baptized each Lord’s day.
Vinton, moved by the suffering of the Karen, began to distribute rice, lest they die of starvation. He was overwhelmed by their needs and his small reserve of rice was soon exhausted. Unwilling to allow the Karen to perish, he went to the rice merchants and said, “Will you trust me for a ship load of rice? I cannot pay you now, and I do not know when I can pay you; for I have received no remittance from America for more than a year. If you will let me have it, I will pay you as soon as I am able.” They answered, “Take all you want.”
Some of Vinton’s friends said, “You are ruining yourself, you do not even know half of the people you are feeding. How will you collect what they owe you?”
Vinton answered, “God will see to that.” He was not mistaken. The Karen loved and venerated Vinton and would later refer to him as “the man who saved our lives.” You would think Justus Vinton would have been declared a hero, but the mission society in Boston was incensed that he had left his post at Maulman without their permission. The board even sent a delegation to Burma to investigate Vinton’s actions. Vinton refused to defend himself, choosing to quietly withdraw from the missionary society. Although the board condemned his actions, time would eventually justify his decision. In 1858, after returning from a successful preaching tour, he was stricken with jungle fever and the hero of Burma entered into his rest March 31, 1858. He was but 52 years old.