Ernest A. Kilbourne

By the age of 14, Kilbourne was employed in a telegraphy job, and while still in his teens, he left Ontario to work with the Western Union in the United States.

Once back in the U.S., he began working as a telegraph operator in Virginia City, Nevada, where he met and fell in love with Julia Pittinger.

One day, Cowman, who had recently become a passionate Christian, approached Kilbourne at work and evangelized to him for half of an hour.

However, much to Charles’ surprise, Ernest entered the workplace the following day and announced, "I went home last night after our conversation and did just what you told me.

[1] Kilbourne joined the Grace Methodist Church and also began night classes at the Moody Bible Institute.

He began to witness to friends and coworkers, and he and Cowman would even place tracts in mailboxes on their walks home from work.

Simpson’s message about missions gave the men the opportunity to have their minds and hearts opened to missionary work.

A year later, his debt had been repaid, and Kilbourne set out for Japan with his family, which now included Esther Lois, Ila and Edwin (Bud) Lawson.

On March 23, 1901, the first student appeared at the door of their newly founded Bible institute, and on April 2, they opened Central Gospel Mission.

In less than six years, Cowman and Kilbourne reported having 12 branch missions and 22 Japanese pastors, wives and "Bible women."

Kilbourne said, of handing out the Christian literature, "It is not an unusual thing for us to pass out 50,000 or more tracts in one afternoon’s work among the dense crowds gathered at some temple on a festival day in Tokyo, where hundreds of thousands of people are participating," (Page 55).

Friend, Paul E. Haines recalled that Ernest’s "pen frequently seared deeply into the soul consciousness of many a faulty reaper, causing them [sic] to rise, shake the dust of indifference from their sluggish feet and hasten to the battlefront, an aroused soldier of the cross," (Page 22).

Launching a venture similar to the Great Village Campaign in Japan, they began an Every Creature Crusade in Korea, which resulted in three-fourths of the 30 million Koreans hearing the Gospel.

Kilbourne recalled the importance of that conference, "That day in 1907, in a hotel in Shanghai, Brother Cowman and I were definitely called to that field.

In No Guarantee but God, Edward and Esther Erny show the way in which Kilbourne and his team were regarded by the fleeing missionaries.

"A veteran missionary, speaking to some 20 Christian workers who were housed temporarily in a YMCA washroom, expressed what many were thinking.

Kilbourne lived his life by these words, "Every soul it is my joy to lead to Christ, I see as a potential Christian worker.