George Muller, a former sinner turned Christian evangelist, dedicated his life to establishing orphanages and providing care and education for thousands of orphans. Starting with just a rented house, Muller and his wife took in orphaned girls, eventually expanding their work to include boys and smaller children. Despite facing complaints from neighbors, Muller’s unwavering faith in God led him to establish separate buildings for the orphanages, miraculously never falling short of funds or finding himself in debt. A devout Christian, Muller’s deep belief in prayer and reading the Bible guided his actions, and he even traveled the world as a preacher during his missionary tours.
Quick Facts
- German Celebrities Born In September
- Also Known As: Johann Georg Ferdinand Müller
- Died At Age: 92
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Mary Groves (m. 1830–1870), Susannah Grace Sanger (m. 1871–1894)
- Father: Johann Friedrich Müller (Oct 1768 – 20 Mar 1840)
- Mother: Sophie Eleonore Müller (nee Hasse)
- Siblings: Friedrich Johann Wilhelm (1803 – 7 Oct 1838)
- Children: Elijah (19 Mar 1834 – 26 Jun 1835), Lydia (17 Sep 32 – 10 Jan 90)
- Born Country: Germany
- Quotes By George Muller
- German Men
- Died on: March 10, 1898
- Place of death: Bristol, England
- Notable Alumni: Martin Luther University Of Halle-Wittenberg
- Founder/Co-Founder: The Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad
- More Facts
- Education: Martin Luther University Of Halle-Wittenberg
Childhood & Early Life
George Muller was born in a village in the Kingdom of Prussia. His father was a collector of taxes. He lost his mother when he was just 14 years old.
As a teenager, he acquired the bad habits of lying, stealing, and drinking. In fact, he was out with his friends indulging in his vices while his mother was dying. He lacked a conscience and stole government money from his father.
His father sent him to the cathedral classical school at Halberstadt so that he could study to become a clergyman, a lucrative profession during those times. Later on, he went to the University of Halle to study divinity. There he started attending Christian prayer meetings and began reading the Bible regularly.
After having realized the power of God and prayer, he left behind his life of sin and asked God to help him in his life. He now sincerely wanted to become a missionary and began preaching in nearby churches.
Later Life
He went to London in 1829 to work with Jews in England through the London Society for promoting Christianity amongst the Jews. However, the society did not allow him to preach, and he went to Teignmouth and preached there. He was asked to become the minister of the Chapel of Ebenezer Chapel on a salary of £55 per annum.
He became a preacher for serving the people and not for monetary gains. Thus he renounced his regular salary. He also put an end to the practice of renting church pews.
He moved to Bristol in 1832 to work at Bethesda Chapel. He founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad for aiding Christian schools and missionaries in 1834.
There were five branches of this organization, each dealing with a distinct area. These included Bible schools for children and adults, Bible distribution, missionary support, book distribution, and care for orphans.
In 1836, he began to get deeply involved with orphans. He along with his wife began taking in orphaned girls into their rented house. Soon more houses were being used for the purpose of housing orphaned boys and smaller children.
As the number of orphans grew, he decided to build a separate orphanage for the kids. The orphanage at Ashley Down, Bristol was opened in 1849. There were five houses built for accommodating over 2,000 children.
Constructing the homes and providing for the children required a large amount of money. However, he never felt the need to request others for financial support—he only prayed to God to provide him the necessary funds, and it came to him from unsolicited sources.
The architect who built the houses did so without taking any fees, and several members of the church pooled their funds to help the orphans. Donations also came in kind in the form of bread, milk, clothes, etc.
The children at the orphanage were provided with a high standard of living. They were well-fed and educated, and Muller made efforts to get the children gainful employment as apprentices and professionals when they were old enough to leave the orphanage.
Major Works
He is most respected and remembered for establishing the Orphan Houses at Ashley Down, which could accommodate around 2,000 children at any one given time. Children in the orphanage were well cared for and educated. He cared for over 10,000 children during his lifetime.
Personal Life, Legacy & Death
He married Mary Groves in 1830. He was very devoted to his wife, and the two were perfect partners in establishing the orphanages and caring for the children. She died in 1870.
He married Susannah Grace Sanger in 1871. Together with her, he traveled all over the world, covering 42 countries to give sermons.
George Muller died of natural causes on March 10, 1898. He was 92.