In the 4th or 5th century in Britain, while the British Isles were still Orthodox, there was a kingdom in the north which straddled the Solway Firth, which now marks the border between England and Scotland. The ruler of this British kingdom had a son, who was baptised as an infant, because the people were nominally Christian, having become so during the period of Roman rule. He grew up a godly youth, but was dissatisfied with the state of the Christian community in his times and in the place where he lived. He left his father's court and travelled to Rome where he was welcomed, and placed in the care of those who could teach him the fulness of the Christian faith.
After some years, having proved himself to be devoted to the Christian life, he was consecrated to the episcopate by the Pope of Rome and was sent back to his own homeland as an apostle to his own people. He travelled north through Gaul and was blessed to spend some time with St Martin of Tours, one of those saints who introduced the practice of monasticism to the West. St Ninian asked that he might be allowed to take some stone masons with him which St Martin readily assented to.
It is written in the life of St Ninian that,
Upon his return to his own land a great multitude of the people went out to meet him; there was great joy among all, and wonderful devotion, and the praise of Christ sounded out on all sides, for they held him for a prophet. Straightway that active husbandman of the Lord proceeded to root up what had been ill planted, to scatter what had been ill gathered, to cast down what had been ill built. Having purged the minds of the faithful from all their errors, he began to lay in them the foundations of faith unfeigned; building thereon the gold of wisdom, the silver of knowledge, and the stones of good works: and all the things to be done by the faithful he both taught by word and illustrated by example, confirming it by many and great signs following.
He settled at a place called Whithorn, where there are still the remains of a monastic foundation, and the masons who had travelled with him built a stone Church which was called the White Church and was famous because until that time Churches had been built of timber. He was not content to establish a monastic community in his homeland, nor only to restore the fulness of the Christian faith, but he also travelled beyond his father's kingdom and preached among the Southern Picts, a people who had never known Christ. His success is measured by the number of church dedications bearing his name, both in the West where his Church of Whitchurch was found, and in the East, especially in the Kingdom of Fife.
The life of St Ninian can be read in its entirety here - Life of St Ninian by Aelred - but there are several lessons we can immediately learn as Orthodox concerned with mission.
i. It seems to me that a missionary is someone who is dissatisfied with the way things are, and especially with the spiritual state of his own people, or those people who have been placed on his heart as a burden.St Ninian was not content to see his own people living with less than the fulness of the Christian life which God desired for them.
ii. The missionary begins by seeking to perfect his own spiritual life before setting out to engage in a particular ministry. He is aware of those defects in his own spirituality, his lack of holiness, his lack of devotion, his lack of understanding, and he is determined to address these, even if it means leaving behind the comfort of his home and family. St Ninian travelled to Rome, a city almost an unimagineable distance away from his home and he stayed there for many years until he was himself prepared for his ministry.
iii. The missionary has a strong sense of being called to a particular people, whether the people of whom he is a part, or some other people that do not know Christ. In the first place this is an interior call, but it is confirmed by the authority of the Church. St Ninian travelled to Rome because he wished that his own people come to a fulness of faith, but he returned with the commission of the Church.
iv. The missionary builds a local community, a base from which his missionary activities can be conducted. St Ninian did not work alone, although he was sent alone. He travelled with companions, and taught with other members of his missionary band, and he belonged to a community.
v. Even while concerned with a particular people, the missionary is always looking for opportunities to extend the kingdom of God even further. St Ninian was not content to remain in the security of his own people once they had received for themselves the fulness of faith, but he went beyond his father's kingdom to the Picts, a fierce people who had never known Christ, and saw success in his preaching among them.
A short blog post is not the place to elaborate on the life of this wonderful early missionary to the British Isles, and his Life is well worth studying. But we can learn many lessons, even from the briefest overview.
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