Thursday, August 25, 2011

Hubert Mitchell, Man of Prayer


As soon as I read this devotional from Oswald Chambers I immediately thought of one person.  Since reflecting on it longer I think of more but I want to just write a little about the amazing man who impacted my life because of his prayer life.  I'm speaking of Hubert Mitchell.

Hubert has a wonderful history of serving the Lord with all his heart. Through his son, Daniel, I have part of Hubert's history to share with you.

Hubert was born in 1907.  He married Helen Pomeroy in the 1930's.  They met in Bible school.  They worked together for Paul Rader, an evangelist in the Midwest.  Hubert was the music director, played the accordion and piano and led the music.  He and Helen sang duets together and Helen, solos.  

In 1934, Hubert and Helen made the decision to go to Indonesia as missionaries to the Kubu Tribe of south Sumatra.  It as also at this time of decision that Hubert saw words on a pastor's wall plaque and wrote the hymn, "He Giveth More Grace".

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase,
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men,
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half-done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/nt/723#ixzz1W1wVwCgu

  In 1940 Helen died three days after giving birth to Jean.  This left Hubert with 4 children in a very remote area of Indonesia.  Daniel says that the words to this hymn gave great comfort to Hubert during those days.

In 1942, Hubert heard from his brother in law, David Morken, that Pearl Harbor had been attacked.  This was followed with the news that the Japanese Imperial Army was marching down the Malayan Archipelago.  R.A. Jaffery, the head of the Missionary Alliance Mission left the decision whether to leave to be made by each missionary serving there.  Hubert with the children and a group of other missionaries decided to evacuate....reluctantly.

From 1942-1944 Hubert ministered as Chaplain with the Victory Service Club connected with the Union Rescue Mission.  He started Saturday Night Jubilee at Church of the Open Door.....a future Youth for Christ group.  He remarried to Rachel in 1944.

1946 he left Saturday Night Jubilee with David Morken and others and moved to Karwi, India where Rachel had lived for 20 years.  Here he started India Youth For Christ and worked with that until 1951. He worked at the head office of Youth For Christ in Wheaton, Illinois from 1952-1954 and then left to start Inter-Church Ministries in Chicago with Bible Studies and early morning prayer groups in business offices in Chicago's Loop and other places.

Finally in 1965, Hubert moved to Los Angeles again to help his mother who was running a sending mission organization, Go Ye Fellowship.  This you will remember is the mission organization that sent me first to Vietnam in 1971.  Hubert continued his life of reaching out to people for the Lord and started an organization that was renamed, Christians in Government, in Los Angeles and worked with this group from 1971-1992.   Hubert died in 1995 and went home to be with the Lord.

As I write an abbreviated history of Hubert's life I marvel that God had our lives intersect.  I am sure Hubert prayed about my going to Vietnam and prayed for me while I was there.  When Bryan and I were married in 1976, Hubert was the pastor that we asked to officiate for that event.  I remember when he told the homily he really got into the story of my leaving Vietnam, "with one baby under each arm"....artistic license....but delightful....  We had the privilege of hearing him sing his song, "He Giveth More Grace" at the Bible study in my parent's home on more than one occasion....and I was unaware of how this hymn had lifted him in the dark days of his life following the Lord.

When Bryan and I were first going out to work with World Vision in Indonesia, we met with Hubert at his home and he prayed for us and sent us with his blessing.  It was there that I learned about his prayer closet...where he and Rachel would go at different times during the day and pray for those God laid on their hearts.  It was such an encouragement to know that as we left together for life in a new place, they were not going to forget us and pray for us to remain where God wanted.... doing what He had planned for us.....  

Oswald Chambers writes, "Having a secret stillness before God means deliberately shutting the door on our emotions and remembering Him. God is in secret, and He sees us from “the secret place”— He does not see us as other people do, or as we see ourselves. When we truly live in “the secret place,” it becomes impossible for us to doubt God. We become more sure of Him than of anyone or anything else."   This is how Hubert Mitchell walked with the Lord and because of this, he has left a lasting legacy in many places around the world.....that bring glory to God even today. What joy there is in the lives of many because he trusted God and went wherever he was sent.



























14 comments:

  1. You seem to imply that Mr. Mitchell wrote both words and music of "He Giveth More," when you say he "wrote the hymn." The text was a poem written by Annie Johnson Flint (1866-1932). Hubert Mitchell has given us a fine tune that fits it (with the third stanza being used as a refrain).

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    1. Robert, We know the text/poem was written by AJF and the music written by Hubert Mitchell. There doesn't appear to be any implication he wrote both. He saw the plaque of the poem on the Pastors wall in Kansas as my parents were wrestling with going out as young missionaries to a very primitive part of the world. It so ministered to him, the tune came to him as he sat at the piano. The story speaks for itself. It is the only tune that he wrote that is published. The hymn has ministered to many folk since then. Enjoy!

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  2. my name is john, I'm from Indonesia and lived in jambi. I just discovered the tomb of the wife hubert mitchell in jambi, I hope to meet with children from hubert mitchell to deliver the news. because the tomb may be landslides age. please help me. in order to meet them. sorry my english language is not good.

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  3. I'm currently reading a book written by a friend who was a missionary in Indonesia in the 1960's. In it he mentions Hubert Mitchell. I've other friends who are currently missionaries (in China) and their biggest gripe is that travel, for them, is a ten hour train ride or that the supermarket doesn't sell cheese or butter. After reading my friends book and learning about the conditions they lived in, in Indonesia, the days of trekking by foot they had to do to get to villages, the months away from home and or family while they did the Lord's work, their lack of food, the health issues they suffered or died from, etc, missionaries today have it easy! My hat goes off to anyone, like Hubert Mitchell and my friend, who went into the wild or braved Moslem and Communist rule to spread The Word.

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  4. My name is Janet and I had the privilege of knowing both Hubert and Rachel Mitchell in the 70s. Two of the most gracious and humble people I've ever known and the most powerful spiritually. I ministered with Rachel in the downtown LA government offices. Do you know the story of how they met? Truly remarkable.

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  5. I grew up in Chicago and Dan Mitchell was my Sunday School teacher in the early 1960's when he was a student at Moody Bible Institute. I'd love to get in touch with him as after one of his lessons I made a public profession of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

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  6. I had the privilege of knowing Mama Mitchell and hearing Hubert play his accordian when he would minister at Faith Center in Glendale in the mid sixties. I was privileged to minister to Jean Mitchell toward the end of her life. The Mitchell family had a deep impact on my life. I loved reading this.

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  7. I had the privilege of knowing Mama Mitchell and hearing Hubert play his accordian when he would minister at Faith Center in Glendale in the mid sixties. I was privileged to minister to Jean Mitchell toward the end of her life. The Mitchell family had a deep impact on my life. I loved reading this.

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  8. My name is Marty short for Martha Jean. I have been reading through The Pioneer newsletters that are on the Christian and Missionary Alliance website of missions in Indonesia. My mother, Ruth Presswood Hutchins was married to William Ernest Presswood. They were both interned by the Japanese. My mother wrote a book "No Sacrifice Too Great".

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  9. My mother is now 108 so I am trying to find out more about her being in Indonesia. That is how I came across Hubert Mitchell's name but they rarely give wife's name in The Pioneer. Glad to find more history of their family and journey.

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  10. My mother is 108. I have been trying to learn more about her time in Indonesia. That is where I came across Hubert Mitchell in The Pioneer but they rarely gave the wife's name then. I appreciate your short bio of the family.

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  11. Hubert Mitchell wrote "Footprints in the Sand" when in India, correct? I had the privilddge to interpret for the Michells and Aunt Nelly in Belo Horizonte Brazil when they visited my missionary parents John and Joy Roth.

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  12. I am Andreas Christanday from Indonesia, graduated from Indonesian Bible Institute, I met Mr. Hubert playing his accordion and ever visited his field in Kubu Anak Dalam. I still remember his testimony refusing the call to Kubu
    because could not stand the smell of them caused by skin disease and the spoiled meat in their house. But the Lord said: "Hubert I have smelt them hundreds years ago, but you just smell them now..."

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  13. Though I never met Hubert Mitchell, the Lord used him to make a huge impact on me and my family. My mother accepted Christ as a teen in the early 1940's while attending a camp at Mt. Hermon. Hubert Mitchell was the speaker that week, who the Lord used to reach my mom with the gospel. She went on to marry my dad, who became a pastor for many decades. My sisters and I are walking with the Lord, as are many of our children. Praise God for this brother who was faithful to preach the Good News!

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