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William Borden: no reserve, no retreat, no regrets

When the death of William Whiting Borden (1887-1913) at age 25 of meningitis was cabled from Egypt, almost every newspaper in America carried the unusual story of his selfless devotion to Christ and zeal for missions. The story of his life echoed around the world. The Princeton Seminary Bulletin wrote that no man had ever "given more to the service of God and humanity." He willingly, even enthusiastically, gave his wealth and life for the gospel, counting it a privilege rather than a sacrifice. He unflinchingly put his whole life into doing the hard things, the difficult tasks.

William Borden was born into affluence along Chicago's Gold Coast. His family had made their millions producing milk and dairy products and in real estate. As a boy he had loved hunting and fishing, and especially sailing. He loved the sea. Vacations during his student years were spent in Camden Maine living on a white-sailed yacht, the Tsatsawassa. Most of all, however, he loved doing hard physical work.

His mother became a Christian when William was seven, and began taking him to the Moody Church in Chicago. He soon responded to the gospel preaching of Dr. R. A. Torrey, turned to Christ, was baptized, and joined the Moody Church. From then on, prayer and Bible study became hallmarks of his life.

Borden began attending the Hill school in Chicago at age 14. When he was 16 he traveled around the world.

He entered Yale University in 1905, graduating from that prestigious school in 1909. While at Yale he was active in the Y.MC.A. and the Student Volunteer Movement, and volunteered at the Yale Hope Mission.

Borden developed a life-long friendship with Kenneth Latourette, the Yale missions professor, who would later write a definite history of Christian missions. Latourette later spoke of Borden, "...his courage to carry the gospel to unreached fields is a constant rebuke and inspiration to me. He had the Pauline spirit. I recall how he quoted him, about not wanting to build on another man's foundation (Romans 15:20-21). The steadfastness of that purpose of Bill's had no small part, I am sure, in bringing the largest Volunteer Band in Yale's history into the days of his college life."

Borden often led the student volunteer meetings and mission conferences. He also maintained keen interest in his family's business, and read the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times regularly.

During his first year at Yale, Borden started a Bible study, with his roommate, which grew to 150 freshmen. By his senior year the Bible study involved 1,000 of the 1,272 students. It was also while at Yale, that he attended a student missions conference in Nashville, where he was challenged by Dr. Samuel Zwemer to dedicate his life to reaching Muslims for Christ

At Princeton Seminary he distinguished himself as a scholar. He enjoyed the ongoing study of languages like Arabic, Aramaic, and German. He and another student were, in their spare time, doing work on an Arabic concordance of the Bible.

Borden's extra-curricular activities were indeed numerous and demanding: assisting in the family business; hosting missionaries, lay leaders, and students at the family home at Princeton; and involvement in many Christian organizations. He also found time for tennis, and tried to exercise an hour a day.

While at Princeton he stayed involved with Y.M.C.A. and Student Volunteer meetings, taking his turn at leading the devotional messages. He continued to go to New Haven monthly to assist the Yale Hope Mission.

Borden fulfilled obligations as a trustee at Moody Bible Institute, as a director of the National Bible Institute of New York City, and as a member of both the American Committee of the Nile Mission Press and the American Council of the China Inland Mission. He was the youngest delegate of the 1910 Edinburgh Missionary Conference in Scotland.

Borden signed the Princeton Pledge as a result of his call to missions and the influence his mentor Samuel Zwemer. Zwemer was to become the most influential and scholarly modern-era missionary to Middle East Muslims. Borden gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars for world missions, while at the same time refusing the luxury of owning an automobile. Borden also wrote of the need to find someone theologically trained who might replace Dr. Zwemer, who was beginning his first year of missionary service in Egypt, a replacement who could "keep the student movement pure, strong, and evangelical."

After graduation from Princeton, Borden followed Dr. Zwemer to Cairo. Borden was to do more intensive language study there in preparation for missionary work in China. He was to go on to remote northwest China to work with China Inland Mission in reaching the unreached Muslims with the gospel.

In Cairo, Borden enthusiastically rode his bike around the streets, distributing evangelistic tracts. Shortly, he developed meningitis, and ended up at the Anglo-American hospital for two weeks battling for his life. Just before his sister and widowed mother arrived in Cairo, Borden died. He had lived for only several months in Cairo.

Samuel Zwemer preached a moving sermon at the memorial service in Cairo, based on the Scripture passage in II Timothy 4:7-8, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith." Memorial services were also held in New York City, Chicago, New Haven, and Princeton, and around the world in India, Korea, Japan, and South Africa.

Two of Borden's addresses to young men were put into Arabic by Zwemer. A sketch of Borden's life prepared by Dr. St. Clair Tisdale was published in English and Arabic and later translated into Hindustani, Farsi, Dutch and Chinese. The Borden story was the first free Christian literature prepared for Muslims in China. About 35,000 copies were distributed there.

Sketches of Borden's life were also written by Dr. Charles Erdman and by Borden's classmate, Charles Campbell. Dr. Erdman's biographical sketch was in The Missionary Review of the World, and later was also published by itself.

Borden had truly given his all for Christ and for gospel missions. Found at the hospital handwritten on a piece of paper were his words: no reserve, no retreat, no regrets.

Further study:

Broomhall, Alfred J., Hudson Taylor and China's Open Century, Volume 7, Hodder & Stoughton, 1989. Section entitled: "It is Not Death to Die."

Campbell, Charles Soutter, William Whiting Borden: A Short Life Complete in Christ, ca. 1913.

Erdman, Charles Rosenbury, An Ideal Missionary Volunteer: A Sketch of the Life and Character of William Borden, London: South Africa General Mission, N.D., ca 1913.

Taylor, Mrs Howard, Borden of Yale '09, Philadelphia:China Inland Mission,1913. Reprinted by Moody Press as: William Borden: A Life and Fortune Dedicated to the Cause of the Gospel, 1980.

Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, The Billy Graham Center there has an archive on Borden.

 

 

 

About the Author

Physician whose passion is glorifying God in living a world Christian lifestyle. Involved in mission mobilization and community health evangelism. Supports pro-life issues and opposes ongoing genocides . What does the Lord require of me but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God (paraphrasing the Bible prophet Amos).