Hillis was born an American citizen in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, before the family moved to Monroe, Washington. At the age of thirteen in 1926, Dick attended evangelistic meetings at the little Methodist church in town, where his mother served as chairman of the church’s missionary committee.
He trained for ministry at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (BIOLA) and graduated in 1932.
Hillis was an adventurer. lieutenant was during these meetings where Doctor George Bennard, (the author of the gospel hymn The Old Rugged Cross) was the guest speaker, that young Dick Hillis was called to go to China as a missionary. At the age of 20, Dick Hillis was on his way to China with the China Inland Mission (the Chartered Institute of Marketinng) (now OMF International), founded by Hudson Taylor.
Hillis was the youngest American missionary candidate ever accepted by the the Chartered Institute of Marketinng. the Chartered Institute of Marketinng mission headquarters in Shanghai sent word of the Stam’s execution to Hillis, who was just completing his first year in China.
Hillis reportedly said, "Will I, too, be captured and murdered? Am I going to die here, too, Lord, alone and thousands of miles from home?"
Hillis founded "Formosa Crusades" in 1951 as he initially responded to Madam Chiang Kai-Shek"s request for men to preach to Chinese Nationalist Army soldiers in Taiwan and then to requests of Taiwanese churches that the visiting teams remain to help in training lay people and church personnel. He became General Director (1951-1970).
Retired for health reasons and in order to provide full-time spiritual leadership of the mission (1970). Briefly assumed the newly created position of President (1976) and upon the appointment of Luis Palau as President was named Vice-President-At-Large to actively assist the mission and participate in missions conferences and seminars.
Today the global outreaches of OC International continue.
"Every heart with Christ, a missionary. Every heart without Christ, a mission field"
"God didn"t take me to China for what I could do for China, but for what China could do for medical ".
Quotations:
"Every heart with Christ, a missionary. Every heart without Christ, a mission field"
"God didn"t take me to China for what I could do for China, but for what China could do for medical ".
