13th February: Today in Christian History

13th February, 1200

On this day in Christian History, Venerable Stephen, the Myrrh-gusher, dies. As king of Serbia, he had united Serbian groups and striven for the political independence of Serbia from the Byzantine Empire. In his old age he became an ascetic monk. His remains are supposed to have exuded the fragrant odor of myrrh.

13th February, 1236

On this day in Christian History, Jordan of Saxony, died by drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. During his lifetime, he was a noted Dominican preacher who had written a biography of St. Dominic and whose sermons moved Albertus Magnus to join the Dominican order. 

13th February, 1413

On this day in Christian History, a national synod was convoked in Bohemia to discuss John Wycliffe’s teachings. Jan Hus, the chief exponent of Wycliffe’s teachings, was not present, having been exiled. The synod was adjourned without coming to agreement.

13th February, 1728

On this day in Christian History, Cotton Mather died in Boston. A New England minister, he was a strong advocate of smallpox vaccination and a prolific author, but became notorious for his strong support of the Salem witch trials.

13th February, 1793

On this day in Christian History, Christian F. Schwartz, “Apostle of India”, died in Tanjore, India,

13th February, 1866

On this day in Christian History, Devadasen [a.k.a. Nilakanda Subbiar] and three other Indian converts were ordained at the Nagercoil Church, the first ordinations of the Travancore Mission in India. Devadasen was of the Brahman caste and Brahmans used to beat him severely for preaching the Christian faith.

13th February, 1888

On this day in Christian History, Jean Baptiste Lamy, the first archbishop of Santa Fe, died in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

13th February, 1904

On this day in Christian History, a pioneer Lutheran missionary, Theodore Karl Naether, died in Krishnagiri, India. He died from bubonic plague.

13th February, 1914

On this day in Christian History, King George V received Wilson Carlile - head of the Church Army - at Buckingham Palace, and expressed his sympathy for the vagrants and criminals the Army was trying to reclaim. Carlile had founded the organization in 1882 and had worked with the Church of England approval since 1883.

13th February, 1936

On this day in Christian History, the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, organized an Armed Services Commission to assist Lutheran chaplains.

13th February, 1949

On this day in Christian History, Minnie Cumming Watson, died in Dundee, Scotland. She was the first female missionary of the East Africa Scottish Mission. She had established a system of Christian schools for the Kikuyu people of Kenya.

13th February, 1985

On this day in Christian History, Death of Ji Zhiwen, who had conducted a notable evangelistic work in China. He established the Bethel Evangelistic Band in Shanghai, followed by the Chinese Evangelization Society and an orphanage (also in Shanghai), and, when driven from mainland China, founded churches in Taiwan. He had extended his ministry to Southeast Asia, founding kindergartens, orphanages and day care centers, and had developed a Christian press before retiring to Los Angeles.

13th February, 2001

On this day in Christian History, Vietnamese authorities arrested Father Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly again because of his calls for religious freedom. He had been arrested many times before. 

13th February, 2011

On this day in Christian History, Police raided a Baptist church service in Gomel, Belarus, and detained Pastor Nikolai Varushin for trial for “holding an unauthorized religious service.”