Commissioning at Newark (June 12, 1744)

On June 12, 1744, David Brainerd—only 26 and already wasting under severe illness—was ordained and commissioned for missionary service among Native Americans, aided by the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge. In Newark, New Jersey, he was set apart not as a man of outward strength, but as one constrained by love for Christ and compassion for perishing souls. His equipment was plain: a Bible, a message of repentance and faith, and a life disciplined by prayer.

The Man Behind the Moment

Brainerd’s heroism was not the triumph of a healthy body, but the steady courage of a suffering servant. He walked long miles, endured loneliness, and labored through weakness with a conscience captive to God. His journal reveals a heart often weighed down, yet repeatedly lifted by the nearness of Christ. In him many have seen the lived meaning of, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Ministry Among the Delaware (Lenape)

His work among the Delaware peoples pressed into the ordinary hardships of frontier life—travel, weather, limited supplies, and the slow work of learning, listening, and patiently teaching. Brainerd preached Christ with earnestness, catechized in simple ways, and pleaded for the Spirit’s help. When fruit appeared—conviction of sin, repentance, and visible change—it was not credited to technique, but to God’s mercy answering prayer. Brainerd’s pattern was to seek God first, then speak; to suffer quietly, then continue; to love people personally, then preach publicly.

Lasting Witness Through a Journal

Brainerd’s brief ministry left an enduring testimony through his journal, later preserved for the church. Its pages have stirred generations toward missionary obedience, reminding believers that God often advances His work through frail instruments who depend wholly on Christ. His life encourages the church to pray and to send: “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:38).