I'd ask readers in advance to excuse the meandering nature of this week’s newsletter as it deals more with a special person than a specific topic.
A Legacy to Remember
Two Fridays ago, Reverend Donald Carlisle Hanna went to be with His Lord.
When I received the text message notification from a relative, I felt an odd sensation. Perhaps “surreal” is the best word. His passing shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone who had been tracking the retired missionary’s life. Brother Hanna (“Uncle,” as his Indian brethren called him) had dealt with deteriorating health for some time. Every update I ever received indicated that he was in great pain and discomfort. Seventy years of hard labor in India will do that to a body. And he was, after all, 93 years old.
Yet Brother Hanna had been a fixture in Free Will Baptist life (and my own) for so long that the finality of him being gone began to sink in.
As I’ve been lately browsing ONE Magazine and Contact archives, I’ve found no shortage of articles describing he and his late wife Marie’s contributions to God’s Kingdom. Having been attending National Association meetings since 1994, I feel that I’ve been present for every major milestone that Free Will Baptists have collectively commemorated. But there’s also another personal angle on this one.
Brother Hanna, like several Free Will Baptist pioneers and giants, hailed from my home state of South Carolina. In fact, he was born not more than a thirty-minute drive from the home where I was raised. Accordingly, our family not only heard a lot about him through the years. We knew him.
I don’t remember exactly when I first met him, but two or three memories surface first. First, I can clearly see him in my mind’s eye behind the august pulpit at Horse Branch, my home church. He had a rich, deep, sonorous voice. I was always impressed at how he spoke with great confidence and conviction, and an economy of words to boot.
Second, I recall the first time I ever boarded a plane. It was to the National Association, which was meeting in Fort Worth, Texas in 1996. I can remember being huddled in an airport terminal with a large group from my church. A bit of anxiety was in the air since news of a plane crash had recently been all over television. But someone reminded the group that we would be okay. After all, the Hannas were traveling with us. There’s no way God would let a plane crash that had them on it! Somehow, we all found that logic compelling, and so we relaxed.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, the Hannas were friends with my grandparents. They exchanged Christmas cards each year. My grandparents supported their work. I also knew that the Hannas had been at our home for Sunday lunch before. But the depth of love and friendship became more evident in the latter years of my grandfather’s life when Brother Hanna came to see him as he battled lung cancer.
The ministry to our family continued as Hanna was, providentially, stateside at the time of Grandaddy’s death and funeral. He not only attended (which meant so much to our family), but he gave remarks at the graveside. I gave the eulogy that day—an honor on its own, but to be a “co-officiant” with Brother Hanna was a high honor.
An Encourager from Afar
Brother Hanna was aware of me long before I was aware of him. The reason I know this is because I can remember being more intentional about trying to approach him and speak to him after the flight to the Convention. Though my memories are vague, it seems like every time I ever tried to introduce myself, reminding him of who I was, he would always cut in to say something kind about Elbert and Kay (my grandparents).
Eventually he learned that I was attending Free Will Baptist Bible College, preparing for the pastorate. He had many kind words for me in our fleeting, occasional interactions. In recent days I managed to resurrect an email from 2010 in which he encouraged me in my ministry and seminary studies. I even remember him once informing me that he had a great-grandson who shared my name.
It’s funny how the smallest of interactions with godly, great people leave such an impression. More than funny, it’s sobering.
An Example to Follow
The King James Version uses words like “grave” (dignified) or “sober” to describe godly men, especially older men, elders, and deacons. I don’t think this imposes a personality test upon ministry candidates. These words have more to do with character, temperament, and reputation. Truly, if Carlisle Hanna didn't exemplify gravity and dignity, who does?
One of the best summaries of Hanna’s ministry was written a couple of years ago by International Missions (IM) Director Clint Morgan. IM has released other resources commemorating his life in recent days. (I love this video!) Two of my favorite facts about Brother Hanna (besides his being from the same region of South Carolina as me) are his seventy years of service to India, and him being an Order of the Palmetto recipient.
On the first count, it has been noted more than once that IM’s careful consultations with many missions organizations have found no other appointed missionary who served in a single country for that length of time. He and Marie’s ministry, objectively speaking, had a historic quality to it. More on this in a moment.
As to the second, Brother Hanna’s service to India was recognized by South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges in 2000. He was presented with South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Palmetto. This is, if anything, surprising—maybe historic also! What Governor is bestowing civilian awards for missionary service?
I hesitate to play up these two facts too much. They don’t seem in keeping with the spirit of humility with which Brother Hanna fulfilled his ministry. Nevertheless, there is a truly historic character to his contribution. I think all North American-based missions organizations would have to acknowledge that. But when I say “historic,” there’s another, more important sense to this. I literally mean there are many formerly Hindu people in heaven now because God sent Carlisle and Marie to India in 1952. History has been altered because of their faithfulness to their Lord.
The Road Ahead
There’s much more to be said about the Hannas and the modern history of missions in India. I’ve written a little about one of the important precursors to the Hannas in India, Laura Belle Barnard. But researching that article taught me that there is a massive trove of wisdom and inspiration to be gained by digging deeper into Indian history. I leave this to the missiologists and historians who know best how to find those stories and tell them.
I can think of no more fitting way to conclude this week’s newsletter than mentioning four prayer requests.
First, we should obviously pray for the comfort and peace of the Hanna family.
Second, we should pray for the many believers, churches, and Christian ministries trying to operate in a country where outright hostility toward the faith is common.
Third, we should pray for Friends of India, the South Carolina-based ministry which oversees the works connected to Brother Hanna and his former colleagues.
Finally, we should pray that the next generation will see more Carlisle Hannas emerge—men and women who have a heart for the message, a nation, and God’s glory.
Follow-Up:
In last week’s newsletter I reflected upon older saints’ continual need for fellowship and community. Then I happened upon a recent interview with John Piper on the Afterword about his latest book on the Second Coming. One comment really grabbed my attention: “Loners are not going to be ready for the Second Coming.” The entire interview is interesting, so have a listen.
Also, I was pleased to see last week’s newsletter listed in Randall House/D6 Family Ministry’s weekly “Top Reads” eblast. You can see that email here, and also subscribe to receive future ones.
Currently (Re)Reading:
Kelly Kapic, You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News
Quote of the Week:
A few weeks ago, my friend Yuval Levin said something…that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind. He commented that most people think of the cynical as the opposite of the naïve—when really, it’s just another way of being naïve. The more I ponder his point, the more I think he’s right. The apostle Paul told us to “test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21, ESV). One type of person throws overboard the hard work of testing by just receiving everything—or, at least, everything preapproved by the person’s tribe or ideology or movement. That’s a lazy mindset that leads exactly where the Bible tells us it will—to inviting wolves who know how to exploit it. But cynicism exhibits the same kind of laziness. One need not do the hard work of testing the spirits if one rules everything as inauthentic from the outset.
Russell Moore, “Celebrating Revival in a Cynical Age” (newsletter)
Good words re: Carlisle Hanna, a missionary hero whose story would rank right up there with the stories of any missionary heroes we've ever read. I believe that, for the last several decades, he was the ONLY missionary in India who continued to be there on a missionary visa. His heart continued to be in India until his death, and I hope they can arrange for his body to be taken there for burial. There will be thousands at his funeral there. R. E. Picirilli