Ordinary People in the Global Church

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Written By: Kristen Hewines & Sierra White | September 17, 2026

Throughout history, God has worked through broken people to reveal Himself to the world. God is still at work today, helping Christians everywhere “…make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19).

Read on for a peek at ordinary people throughout Church history who furthered the Great Commission simply because they wanted others to know the love of Jesus.

The Early Church
Approximately 60 – 100 AD¹

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit spoke through the Apostle Peter (a former fisherman), leading thousands of people from different nations to believe in Jesus. A few years later, an intense persecutor of Christians converted to Christianity. Today, we know him as the Apostle Paul, and he spent his remaining years sharing the Gospel. Their lives prove that God can work through anyone to help people see Jesus.

Athanasius of Alexandria
296 – 373 AD

An Egyptian theologian and national leader, Athanasius served as a deacon and secretary under Bishop Alexander of Alexandria. ³ He spent the majority of his life fighting against Arianism, a spreading ideology that denied the full divinity of Christ. ² When he was later elected to succeed the bishop, he remained a vocal advocate of Christ’s divinity. ³

Jerome
Approximately 340 – 420 AD

Jerome converted to Christianity while studying in Rome, and eventually worked as a secretary under Bishop Damasus the First. At his urging, he translated the Scriptures into Latin with help from a noblewoman and her daughter, producing the Latin Vulgate (a leading Bible translation for centuries in the Christian West). ⁴

Maewyn Succat
Approximately 300 – 400 AD

Kidnapped as a teenager in England and sold into slavery in Ireland, Maewyn (more commonly known as Saint Patrick) ⁵ spent many years tending sheep in captivity. After converting to Christ, he had a vision from the Lord and escaped slavery, returning home. After another vision, he went back to Ireland and shared the Gospel with the nation that had held him captive. ⁶

Boniface
Approximately 675-750 AD

Boniface was a teacher who became a missionary in pagan mainland Europe. Although his original missionary journey failed, he eventually returned to spread the Gospel in Germany. His boldness brought about major reform in what is now the Church of France, and God worked through him to bring many Europeans to faith. ⁷

Cyril and Methodius
800s AD

Responding to a plea from Prince Rastislav of Great Moravia, brothers Cyril and Methodius traveled there from Greece to preach the Gospel, build up local churches, and create the Slavic alphabet. Through the alphabet, they translated the Gospels, Church doctrine, and other important texts into the Slavic language, allowing the Slavic people to worship together in their common tongue. ⁸

Francis of Assisi
1181-1226

Born into the Italian merchant class and baptized at a young age, ⁹ Francis of Assisi gave away many of his possessions as he pursued a relationship with Christ. ¹⁰ He dedicated his life to the Gospel, stewarding God’s creation, and caring for the sick and poor. He also launched the Franciscan order of monks, which was paralleled by the order of St. Clare for nuns. ⁹

William Tyndale
Approximately 1490 – 1536

Armed with the belief that all people should be able to read Scripture in their own language, linguist William Tyndale translated the Bible from its original Greek and Hebrew into English, eventually smuggling the translations across the English Channel. Though faced with enormous opposition, Tyndale was an integral part of the Protestant Reformation and worked to reshape the Church around scriptural authority. ¹¹ 

Martin Luther
1483 – 1546

After surviving a lightning strike in 1505, law student Martin Luther dedicated his life to serving the Church. He saw that Catholicism was in desperate need of reform, and tried to direct the Church back to the Scriptures. He insisted that salvation is dependent on grace and faith alone, and his Ninety-Five Theses became the backbone of the Protestant Reformation. ¹²

Rebecca Protten
1718-1780

Born into slavery and taken to St. Thomas, Rebecca Protten gave her life to Christ while working for a Dutch family. After gaining her freedom, Rebecca shared the Gospel in St. Thomas, Germany, and West Africa, becoming a leading member of the revival that marked the beginning of the Afro-Caribbean church. ¹³

Lottie Moon
1840-1912

After working as a schoolteacher during the Civil War, Lottie Moon was one of the first unmarried women sent abroad by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) as a missionary. She spent 40 years evangelizing to Chinese women and children, and her writings back home helped raise millions for foreign missions work. ¹⁴

Amy Carmicheal
1867-1951

Born in northern Ireland, Amy Carmicheal shared the Gospel with women and girls working in poor factory conditions before becoming a missionary in India. There, she established the Dohnavur Fellowship, and made it her life’s mission to save children dedicated to Hindu temple gods. Amy helped establish multiple ministries and facilitated the rescue of thousands of children. ¹⁵

Evan Roberts
1878-1951

Born in Wales, Evan Roberts dropped out of school at age eleven and worked in coal mines to support his family. He then trained as a blacksmith, all the while devoting himself to Scripture and prayer. Desiring to help people see Jesus in Wales, Evan helped begin the Welsh Revival (1904-1905), which saw over 150,000 people come to Christ. ¹⁶

Billy Graham
1918 – 2018

After encountering Christ through a traveling evangelist, dairy farmer Billy Graham dedicated the rest of his life to sharing the Gospel with the nations. Throughout his life, Billy helped over 200 million people see Jesus through evangelistic crusades in more than 185 countries, not counting the millions that grew their faith through his television and radio programs. ¹⁷

Asbury Revival
2023

In the winter of 2023, a group of students continued worshiping after a routine chapel service at Asbury University. ¹⁸ Their impromptu praise session caught the attention of college students locally and globally, resulting in a 16-day Christian revival. ¹⁹

Woodside Bible Church
1955 – Present Day

Since 1955, Woodside has been a church dedicated to helping people see Jesus. Founded originally by Pastor Harold Moran, the congregation established its first multi-site location and was renamed Woodside Bible Church in 2005. Today, Woodside is one church with 14 campuses that believes people are looking for Jesus and He’s closer than they think.

How is God calling you to help people see Jesus?

SOURCES

¹ ZA Blog. “When Was Acts Written.” Zondervan Academic, Zondervan Academic, 12 Jan. 2018, zondervanacademic.com/blog/when-was-acts-written.

² “Who Was Athanasius of Alexandria?” Bible Hub, Bible Hub, biblehub.com/q/who_was_athanasius_of_alexandria.htm. Accessed 6 July 2026.

³ Reeves, Ryan. “Who Was Athanasius and Why Was He Important?” The Gospel Coalition, The Gospel Coalition, 9 May 2016, www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/who-was-athanasius-and-why-was-he-important/.

⁴ Rees, Neil. “Who Was Jerome and Why Was He Significant? – Christian Today.” Christian Today, Christian Today, 30 Sept. 2025, www.christiantoday.com/news/who-was-jerome-and-why-was-he-significant.
⁵ Who was Saint Patrick? (n.d.). Positive Action for Christ. https://positiveaction.org/blog/who-was-saint-patrick/

⁶ “Who Was St. Patrick?” History, History, 14 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/articles/who-was-saint-patrick.

⁷ “St. Boniface.” FaithND, University of Notre Dame, faith.nd.edu/saint/st-boniface/. Accessed 6 July 2026.

⁸ Rees, Neil. “Who Were Saints Cyril and Methodius?” Christian Today, Christian Today, 14 Feb. 2026, www.christiantoday.com/news/who-were-saints-cyril-and-methodius.

⁹ Rees, Neil. “Who Was Francis of Assisi and Why Is He Important? – Christian Today.” Christian Today, Christian Today, 4 Oct. 2025, www.christiantoday.com/news/who-was-francis-of-assisi-and-why-is-he-important.

¹⁰ “St. Francis of Assisi.” FaithND, University of Notre Dame, faith.nd.edu/saint/st-francis-of-assisi/. Accessed 6 July 2026.

¹¹ “William Tyndale / William Tyndale Was the Theologian and Linguist Who First Translated the New Testament into English.” Christianity, Christianity, www.christianity.org.uk/article/william-tyndale. Accessed 6 July 2026.

¹² “Martin Luther and the 95 Theses.” History, History, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/articles/martin-luther-and-the-95-theses.

¹³ Allen, Sarah. “Rebecca Protten.” Evangelical Magazine, Evangelical Magazine, 2024, www.evangelicalmagazine.com/article/rebecca-protten/.

¹⁵ “Amy Carmichael.” GFA Missions, GFA Missions, gfamissions.org/amy-carmichael/. Accessed 6 July 2026.

¹⁶ Graves, Dan. “Evan Roberts: The Coal Miner Who Led the Welsh Revival.” Christian History Institute, Christian History Institute, christianhistoryinstitute.org/dailystory/permalink/evan-roberts-the-coal-miner-who-led-the-welsh-revival. Accessed 6 July 2026.

¹⁷ “Billy Graham.” Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, billygraham.org/billy-graham. Accessed 6 July 2026.

¹⁸ Willingham, AJ. “A Nonstop Worship Gathering at a Kentucky School Echoes an Old Christian Tradition.” CNN, 18 Feb. 2023, www.cnn.com/2023/02/18/us/asbury-revival-christian-what-is-cec. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

¹⁹ “The Outpouring Story of Revival | Asbury University.” Asbury.Edu, 15 Jan. 2025, https://www.asbury.edu/about/revival-history/outpouring/. Accessed 6 July 2026.