Best Missionary Books: What 10 Years in Ghana Taught Me

I remember standing in the hot sun, staring at a stack of Bibles we’d just managed to get into a new village in Ghana. There were so many blank faces, so many eager hands, and a whole lot of questions I didn’t yet have the words for in their language. In those moments, I often thought back to the best missionary books I had read, wondering if I’d absorbed enough wisdom to handle what was right in front of me.

Before Laura and I ever stepped foot in West Africa, I spent years devouring every book I could find about missions. I wanted to learn from those who had gone before. I wanted to understand the challenges, the victories, and the plain, hard work of reaching people for Christ. These books weren’t just stories; they were blueprints. They were warnings. They were encouragement when the path ahead looked impossible.

If you’re reading this, you probably have a heart for missions, or at least you’re curious about it. Maybe you’re even looking for some of the same answers I was. That’s why I wrote my own books, like Missionary on Fire, to share what I’ve learned. You can find out more about what I’ve written and how it might help you on our books page. Today, I want to share some of the most impactful missionary books that shaped my life and ministry.

Books That Built My Foundation for Missions

My journey into missions didn’t start with a grand vision; it started with a conviction. I knew God had called me to share the Gospel, and I needed to understand what that looked like overseas. The early books I read laid the groundwork, showing me the sheer scale of the task and the simple, profound commitment it required.

One of the first books that truly grabbed me was a biography of Hudson Taylor. It wasn’t just about his accomplishments; it was about his absolute dependence on God. He went to China with nothing but faith, and God provided. That kind of bold trust was something I knew I needed. It showed me that the God of the Bible was still working miracles, still calling ordinary men to extraordinary tasks.

Another foundational text for me wasn’t a missionary biography at all, but Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest. I know, I know. It’s a devotional. But the way Chambers cuts through the fluff and gets straight to the heart of surrender and obedience? That’s mission field training right there. It taught me that personal holiness and a yielded will are not just good ideas for pastors; they are essential for anyone who wants to serve God effectively, especially far from home.

I remember reading Chambers one morning in Ghana, sitting on our porch as the sun came up, and feeling like he was speaking directly to my soul. The mission field clarifies things quickly. It removes the padding. There are no stage lights and no weekly affirmation that you are doing well. There is only the work. You study again. You visit again. You preach again. You forgive again. You trust God again. The mission field does not reward drama. It rewards endurance.

Books That Taught Me Resilience and Perseverance

Life in West Africa is not for the faint of heart. There are challenges you just can’t prepare for in a classroom. The heat, the sickness, the constant logistical puzzles, the spiritual warfare—it all adds up. I needed books that taught me how to keep going when every fiber of my being wanted to quit.

Elisabeth Elliot’s books, especially Through Gates of Splendor, were a powerful lesson in enduring loss and still trusting God. Her story, and the story of the other missionary wives, showed me a kind of strength that only comes from deep faith. It wasn’t about avoiding suffering; it was about walking through it with God. That went about as well as you would expect when I first tried to explain it to some of our new converts, who just wanted to know why God let bad things happen. But the truth of it stuck with me.

“There are over 7,000 unreached people groups in the world today, representing more than 3.2 billion people who have little to no access to the Gospel.”
International Mission Board

I also found great encouragement in reading about the lives of early Baptist missionaries, like Adoniram Judson. His story is one of incredible hardship, imprisonment, and loss, yet he persevered for decades. He kept translating the Bible. He kept preaching the Gospel. His resilience was a stark reminder that God’s timing is rarely our timing, and often, the greatest work is done through the longest suffering. You can read more about what we’re doing on the field and how God is working through our challenges by visiting our blog.

The Bible itself, of course, is the ultimate missionary book. Paul’s letters are filled with stories of shipwrecks, beatings, and betrayals, but also with unwavering faith and joy. He wrote, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). That’s a verse I’ve clung to more times than I can count when a plan fell apart or a friend let me down. It reminds me that God is always at work, even when I can’t see it.

Books That Shaped My Strategy for Church Planting

Knowing why you’re on the mission field is one thing; knowing how to actually plant a church in a foreign culture is another. I needed practical guidance, not just inspiration. These were the books that helped me figure out how to put feet on the Gospel.

Don Richardson’s Peace Child was a game-changer for understanding cultural dynamics. It showed me how God has prepared every culture with “redemptive analogies” that can be used to explain the Gospel in a way that resonates. We’ve seen this principle at work in Ghana, finding local stories and customs that, while not perfect, can point people toward the truth of Christ. It taught me to look for bridges, not just barriers.

I also spent a lot of time with books on discipleship and leadership development. Many of them focused on American contexts, so I had to learn how to translate those principles for a Ghanaian context. You can’t just drop a cookie-cutter program into a village and expect it to work. You have to build relationships. You have to teach patience. You have to model what it means to follow Christ daily. I tell stories about this in my book, That’s My Goat!, about the everyday absurdities and profound lessons of living and ministering in West Africa, which you can find on our books page.

Back home in Texas, problems were fixed through systems: forms, policies, and departments. But in Africa, systems do not run things; relationships do. I had to stop being a customer and become a friend. The cable did not get installed because of pressure. It got installed because of breakfast. The same goes for spreading the Gospel. It’s about building trust, sharing life, and letting people see Christ through your actions, not just your words.

Books That Kept My Heart Right on the Field

The mission field can be a lonely place. The spiritual attacks are real. It’s easy to get discouraged, to burn out, or to lose your focus. I needed books that spoke to my soul, that reminded me of God’s love and sovereignty, and that helped me guard my heart.

For me, anything by A.W. Tozer was like a spiritual reset button. His emphasis on the holiness of God and the importance of worship always brought me back to what truly matters. He didn’t sugarcoat anything. He just laid out the truth about God and man, and that was exactly what I needed when I felt adrift. Sometimes you just need someone to tell it to you straight, without all the frills.

I also found myself returning to biographies of men and women who lived lives of deep prayer. George Müller’s story, for instance, of caring for thousands of orphans purely through prayer and faith, was a constant challenge and encouragement. It reminded me that God truly hears and answers prayer, even for the smallest details of life. When our truck broke down three hours from home with no spare parts in sight, I may have praised the Lord loud enough for the whole building to hear when the right part magically appeared. Prayer works, y’all.

We believe deeply in the power of prayer. If you want to join us in praying for our ministry in Ghana, please connect with us and sign up for our prayer letters. We would be grateful for your support.

The Bible: The Best Missionary Book of All

While all these other best missionary books were incredibly helpful, none of them compare to the Bible itself. It is the ultimate guide, the ultimate source of truth, and the ultimate inspiration for missions. Every lesson I learned from other books was ultimately tested and confirmed by the Word of God.

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 is not just a suggestion; it’s a command: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” That’s the marching order. It’s clear. It’s comprehensive. And it comes with a promise.

I spend time in the KJV every single day. It’s my anchor. It’s my weapon. It’s the living Word that cuts through cultural barriers and speaks directly to the heart. When I’m trying to explain a complex theological concept to someone who has never heard it before, I don’t turn to a commentary first. I turn to the Bible. It has the answers. You can find excellent resources for studying the KJV online, like the Blue Letter Bible, which has helped me immensely over the years.

The most effective missionary isn’t the one who has read the most books, but the one who has absorbed the most of God’s Word and allowed it to transform their life. It’s about letting the Bible shape your worldview, your methods, and your heart for the lost.

Someday I’ll serve more. Someday I’ll witness more. Someday I’ll surrender fully. But someday is a thief. It steals years politely. It smiles while it does it. It doesn’t take your whole life at once. It just shaves off a little obedience here and a little urgency there until you wake up older than you planned. The Word of God helps us live today, not someday.

Choosing Your Own Missionary Reading List

So, where do you start? My advice is to pick books that challenge you, inspire you, and give you practical tools. Look for biographies of missionaries from different eras and cultures. Read books on discipleship and cross-cultural communication. Most importantly, spend time in the Bible, allowing it to be your primary guide.

The goal isn’t just to accumulate knowledge. It’s to be transformed and equipped for service. Whether you feel called to the foreign mission field, or to be a missionary right where you are, these books can help you prepare your heart and mind. They can give you perspective on what God is doing around the world and what He might be calling you to do.

Ultimately, the best missionary books are the ones that lead you closer to God and His will. They equip you to fulfill the Great Commission, whether that’s in Ghana or your hometown. If you’re looking for more insights into practical missions work, or if you want to read my own stories and lessons from the field, I encourage you to visit our books page. There, you’ll find resources specifically designed to encourage and equip you for a life on fire for God.

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