David Alfred Doudney: An Unsung Hero of the Christian Church

The Substance of a Lecture delivered at Salem Strict and Particular Baptist Chapel, Portsmouth by James E North. The article is copyright James E North. The article is freely available to any who wish to circulate it providing that this is done without any charge to the recipient and Mr. North is acknowledged as the copyright holder.

When writing to the Hebrew Christians on the subject of faith the Apostle Paul, in Hebrews chapter 11 make reference to some of the giants of a past era. He makes reference to Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph and others. He also makes reference to those who we could describe as some of "the unsung heros of the faith." "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again; and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had trail of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens of the earth" (Heb. 11:32-38).

Today, when we consider church history and some of the characters in history, we invariably consider those whose fame is well known.

When looking at the times of the Reformation, we consider Luther, Calvin, Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, Tyndale &c. When considering the Puritan period we look at the likes of John Owen, Thomas Manton, John Flavel, John Bunyan &c. When considering the 18th century Awakening, we look at the lives of men such as George Whitefield, John & Charles Wesley, Howell Harris, or if we have regard to the Particular Baptists we consider the lives and ministries of John Gill, John Brine &c. Likewise in the 19th century, we have a tendency to consider the great men, men such as C H Spurgeon, J C Ryle, J C Philpot, George Muller, Hudson Taylor &c. Men whose praise is in the churches. But there are myriads of men and women who have served the Lord faithfully in their generation and passed into the glory of heaven. Their names, by and large are now unknown, the work they undertook is by and large forgotten, but they are none the less heroes of the faith, unsung heroes of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ.

David Alfred Doudney is one of those unsung heroes who is, by and large forgotten by the Christian Church today, and I want, with the Lord's help for us to consider something of his life, experience and ministry.