Collection 460 Oral History Interviews with Phyllis E. Taylor

Collection

Identifier: CN 460

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Oral history interviews with Phyllis Evelyn Taylor in which she discusses her childhood and conversion to Christianity; education at Wheaton College; her experiences as a Christian and Missionary Alliance teacher and evangelist among the Bantu people in the Belgian Congo from 1952-1966; her work in Taiwan from 1968 as an independent missionary; and teaching English as a means of evangelism. Other topics discussed include attending Nyack Missionary Training Institute; memories of the 1950 revival at Wheaton College; the difficulty of language study; reflections on the CMA’s history in the Congo; animism among the Bantu people; relationship with Roman Catholic missionaries; independence movement in the Belgian Congo in 1960 and the evacuation of Western missionaries; relocating mission work to Taiwan; Taiwanese attitudes toward mainland China; Taylor’s book The Master and its influence in evangelism; the role of singleness in missionary life; and comparison of Christ, Buddha, and Sun Yat-sen. The time period covered by the interviews is 1924 to 1992.

Phyllis Taylor was interviewed by Paul Ericksen in August 1992 at the Billy Graham Center Archives at Wheaton College.

Dates

Created: 1992

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection

Biographical Information

Full Name: Phyllis Evelyn Taylor

Birth: April 23, 1924, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States

Family:

Parents: Lloyd B. and Minnie Simmons Taylor

Siblings: 3 brothers. Phyllis was the third of four children

Marital Status: Single

Conversion: September 9, 1935

Education:

1941 - Graduated high school

1941-1944 - Graduated Nyack Missionary Training Institute, New York

1944-1945 - High Point College, North Carolina

1946-1947 - Graduated Wheaton College, Illinois, BS in Education

1949-1950 - Graduated Wheaton College, Illinois, MA in Christian Education

Career:

1945-1946 - Nine months of leading children's meetings for the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) near Milaca, Minnesota

1946 - Worked as a secretary at the Oak Ridge atomic facility in Tennessee

1947-1948 - Taught elementary school in Villa Park, Illinois

1948-1949 - Taught elementary school in Nyack, New York

1950 - Received appointment as missionary of the CMA

1951-1952 - Attended French language school for missionaries in Belgium

1952-1966 - Served in the Belgian Congo at Maduda, Kikonzi, Lukula, Boma, Vungu. After a brief time teaching missionary children, she taught in and directed African schools, led Bible and Christian education conferences, and led evangelistic meetings in villages. Most of her time was spent with the Bantu people.

1954-1955 - Furlough in the United States

1960-1962 - Prolonged furlough in the United States because of the civil war in the Congo

1966-1967 - Taught in the Christian Education Department at Canadian Bible College in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

1967 - Resigned from CMA

1967-1968 - Taught at elementary school in Pleasantville, New Jersey, to raise funds for her mission work in Taiwan

1968-1970 - Taught at Christ's College in Tanshui, Taiwan. Taught English grammar and composition, psychology, set up and taught several Christian Education courses, planned and directed a Christian Education Conference for the churches in the area, planned and directed a missionary program with five students and traveled around the Island giving the program in various churches during summer vacation

1970-1972 - Taught elementary school in Atlantic City, New Jersey to raise funds for herself and mission work in Taiwan.

1972-1980 - Taught at Taipei American School in Taiwan as part of her self-supporting missionary activities, such as newspaper evangelism, and teaching Sunday School and serving on the council of the United States Navy Support Chapel. She also did prison ministry among foreign inmates and led Bible studies for women and medical students. In addition, she taught English classes for the staffs of the Hilton Hotel, the American Express Bank, the American Shipping Line, Johnson's Wax.

1982 - Self-published The Master, an explanation of the plan of salvation, which has since been translated into Chinese, African, and Indian languages. These have usually been distributed free to Christian workers in several countries. Ms. Taylor also over the years prepared many evangelistic audio tapes, video tapes and booklets

2001 - Trained teachers in India for two months

December 2001 - Retired and returned to the United States to live in Kissimmee, Florida

Extent

5 Audio Tapes

213 Minutes

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Accruals and Additions

The materials in this collection were given to the Archives of the Billy Graham Center by Phyllis E. Taylor in August 1992. Accession: 92-101

January 14, 2003

Robert Shuster