The Torchlighters: Heroes of the Faith

This is the story of one of the brave Torchlighters who lost his life that fateful day. Jim Elliot spent his youth preparing to share the Gospel with those who'd never heard it. But nothing could have prepared him for the dangers and challenges he would face in the jungles of Ecuador. The remote Auca tribe was suspicious and antagonistic toward even the friendliest gestures from outsiders.

After translating Bible scriptures into English for the benefit of common people -- an act King Henry VIII's government has declared illegal -- William Tyndale begins living as a fugitive. But is his devotion to bringing God's word to every man, woman and child really a crime? This animated episode of "The Torchlighters" series follows William as he spends his life in hiding, pursued by the king's bounty hunters and aided by helpful Christians.

John Bunyan spends his days in prison, separated from his wife and children. Living in the cold, stone cell is the price he pays for going against the established state religion. If only he would agree to stop preaching, John could walk out a free man! Why does he choose to stay in jail, and how will he serve his Lord in this wretched place?

Eric Henry Liddell was a Scottish athlete, rugby union international player, and missionary, who chose his religious beliefs over competing in an Olympic race held on a Sunday. From Olympic champion to missionary, here is the rest of the story beyond "Chariots of Fire."

Gladys Aylward offers help to hundreds of Chinese orphans as the Japanese sweep through China in 1940. With war raging about her and soldiers closing in, the wounded missionary Gladys Aylward (as portrayed in the movie, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness) sets out on the most difficult journey of her life a 100-mile trek over the mountains to a safe haven, all for the safety and well being of 100 orphaned children in her care.

In order for churches to receive government protection in war-torn Romania, they must pledge allegiance to the Communists in control; Pastor Richard Wurmbrand chooses to speak up for Christ and it lands him in prison, where his faith is tested.

It is the year AD 203 in Carthage, North Africa. Perpetua, an affluent young mother, is charged with converting to Christianity and is sent to prison. But her freedom can be secured easily. All she has to do is offer one pinch of incense in honor to the Roman gods. What will her decision be?

As little Preena is snatched away from the most gentle woman she has seen in months, she wonders how she will ever again find a way out of the temple, where she is held against her will. How will she find the missionary known as Amy Carmichael, the one who wears a cross and serves a different sort of God? Meanwhile, Amy is also consumed by the awful truth she has learned about the plight of the "temple girls." Will Amy's faithful determination be enough to free Preena from the powerful customs and superstitions that keep her hostage?

Introduce children to the action-packed story behind The Salvation Army. William Booth is determined to bring life-changing Gospel to London's most troubled neighborhood, the East End. Thugs with clubs and rocks want to chase preacher William Booth out of town; armed only with bibles, William and his salvation army battle to win hurting souls for God.

The African youth who inspired a generation. Young Prince Kaboo knows his fate is sealed. Since his father can no longer meet his captors' ransom demands, Kaboo is to be tortured until death. But a bigger plan is about to unfold!

Introduce children to the story of Augustine, who rejected fame and fortune to become a voice for truth. Augustine thinks his mother's religion is foolish and his intellect, instead, will guide him; he flees his home and sets off for a new life in the city of Rome, where he later rejects fame and fortune to become a voice for truth.

The story of Corrie Ten Boom, who helped protect Jews from the Nazi regime. As World War II sweeps through Corrie Ten Boom's city, her family use their faith to try to protect a baby and others to keep them from harm's way. An amazing story of courage, sacrifice, and forgiveness.

As a boy, John Wesley is miraculously saved from his family's burning home. He later refers to himself as a 'brand plucked from the burning.' His mother believes God has spared the boy for a special purpose. As a man, Wesley tries to live out that special purpose on his own strength and good works, but it only brings frustration and failure. Finally, after years of struggle, Wesley embraces saving grace! But his new message is not welcome in the established churches. Will John break all the rules and take his message outside the church walls to the needy and outcast? Find out in this action-paced episode of The Torchlighters, featuring the founder of the Methodist movement.

The Bible smuggler who brought light into the dark kingdom of Korea. Young Robert Jermain Thomas is a promising Welsh minister with a gift for new languages. For Robert, there is no doubt God wants him to use his abilities to bring the Gospel of Jesus to the Far East. But when he suffers tragedy in China, Robert loses direction and hope.

In a world ruled by the church, all it took was one little nail, one well-written scroll, and one sharp-tongued monk to turn everything upside-down! Martin Luther didn't mean to spark the Reformation with his 95 Theses, but his realization that salvation comes through faith and not works ignited the revolution that changed the world.

Adoniram Judson and his wife Ann were the first missionaries from the United States. The young couple set out for Burma where they worked to reach souls in a land where professing Christ would mean certain death. When treacherous religious leaders falsely accuse Adoniram of spying, Burma’s ruthless king throws him into prison, leaving Ann and her unborn child to struggle alone. Will Adoniram escape death and reunite with his wife and child? Will their Bible translation, the only one of its kind, be lost forever?

Does God answer prayers? Young Harriet Tubman prayed ceaselessly that she and her family would be set free from the oppression of slavery. Little did she know, God would use her and her resolute faith in Jesus to rescue not only her own family, but hundreds of other enslaved African-Americans as well in what would come to be called The Underground Railroad. Discover the incredible story of faith, perseverance, and prayer.

George Müller lives on radical prayer, depending on God to supply all his needs without asking for a cent from anyone—not even the congregation he pastors! When he discovers that Bristol's workhouses force desperate orphans into unpaid labor, George and his wife, Mary, open the first orphanages supported entirely by prayer. God miraculously provides for their every need, but enemies of their work devise a plan to shut down the orphanages for good. Will George’s trust in God remain strong in the face of cunning opponents and desperate circumstances?

Far from home and at the mercy of the pirates who kidnapped him, young Patrick spends his days tending sheep and fighting off wild animals. That is, until he calls out to the God of his youth. Long days spent aching for home become long days talking with Jesus. After six years as a slave, Patrick hears the Holy Spirit urging him to make a daring escape from the Irish tribe and the druid priest who controls their ways. Once back home, Patrick becomes a priest and then a bishop, but he soon makes a stunning announcement: He will return to his kidnappers as a missionary!

The bold Scottish missionary Mary Slessor went deeper into the Nigerian jungle than any other, bringing with her medicine, education, and the life-changing message of the Gospel. When a young mother arrives on her doorstep in the dead of night with newborn twins, Mary receives a fresh call from God: go bring peace and Good News to the Okoyong people, where a powerful witch doctor is terrorizing the most vulnerable. In spite of strong warnings from Brits and Nigerians alike, Mary follows Christ even farther into the jungle. With the Okoyong people’s chief near death and the lives of more innocent people on the line, can Mary’s Savior save them all?

How could a man guilty of selling Africans into slavery compose one of our most beloved hymns? Irreverent, foul-mouthed John Newton was as a deserting sailor, then became a slave, and finally a slave trader. He shamelessly transported kidnapped Africans across the Atlantic Ocean in his ship. But after a dramatic conversion, John begins to comprehend the great evil of slavery. After returning to England, John becomes a respected pastor and writes hymns and sermons that change the world. John hopes to forget his slaving days, but when his friend William Wilberforce begs him to join the fight to end the slave trade, John must make a choice. Will he confront the terrible sins of his past and speak out to end the injustice of slavery?

Born into slavery before the American War of Independence, young Richard Allen believes his future is hopeless. But after becoming a Christian as a young man and then seeing his master also come to faith, Allen buys his freedom. As a free man, he serves God first as circuit riding preacher and then as a pastor in Philadelphia. Even so, Allen cannot completely leave the injustice of his past behind. When the White senior pastor tells Allen and other Black congregants to “know their place,” —which is in the balcony, away from White parishioners—Reverend Allen must make a decision. How will he stand up for his people? When an epidemic strikes Philadelphia, will he risk his own life to help those who treated him as a second-class citizen?

William Carey has an established career as a Baptist minister in England, but the spiritual condition of those who have never heard the gospel haunts him. His strong conviction drives him to do the impossible: leave everything he knows to share the good news in India. In faith and with little else, Carey and other missionaries arrive in Calcutta. Soon, Carey finds himself in the midst of family sorrows, financial struggles, and deep cultural opposition. Despite his faith in God’s call, nothing seems to go well. But when a high-caste Indian has a chance encounter with the missionary group, Carey sees a glimmer of hope. In a place so hostile to Christ and his messengers, will someone finally believe? Join Carey on his journey as he learned to “expect great things” from God, and discover the father of modern missions in this episode of The Torchlighters.