Jackie Pullinger at Harvard

This year from March 26^th through March 29^th a gathering called Faith & Veritas 2026 was held at Harvard University. The official website for this conference (https://faithandveritas.law.harvard.edu/) says that the participants in this conference include: “Harvard alumni, faculty, chaplains, and students.” Many noteworthy speakers were brought in for this multi-day event.

One of the speakers was of particular interest to me, the veteran missionary, Jackie Pullinger. If you are not familiar with her, she is from Britian and has served in Hong Kong for 60 years. Her story is told in the book Chasing the Dragon: One Woman’s Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong’s Drug Dens. As the back cover of the book points out, she has labored among drug addicts, prostitutes, and gang members. There is also a DVD about her work called “The Law of Love.” The Faith & Veritas 2026 website says that she founded St. Stephen’s Society (www. https://faithandveritas.law.harvard.edu/schedule).

On Friday, March 27^th, Jackie had an hour and 15-minute session in the conference. As she began speaking she shared some words of knowledge that she and her assistant had for various individuals. She went on to say that they would be willing to pray with these people after she spoke. The title of her message was “Stirred, Shaken, and Poured Out.”

I found a number of statements in the course of her address striking. A brief summary of them follows. She told those who were present that she hoped that all would go somewhere. I understood her to mean that all should go out in service for the Lord. Also noteworthy was her statement that some people are praying for a move of God (and she agrees that is a good thing to do), but she thinks that God is waiting for a move of man, that is, that Christians, would go out and do what we are supposed to be doing. In addition, she mentioned that Christians give good advice but what people need is good news. Regarding the Lord’s people she said that God has great things for believers, but the enemy wants us to believe the opposite.

Jackie Pullinger shared some of her own story. She said that she was called to missions by a dream, a vision, and by tongues and interpretation. One thing that is clear about her is that what we typically call the charismatic ministry of the Holy Spirit is very important to her (remember the words of knowledge mentioned above). In the book Chasing the Dragon she wrote about how praying in tongues in a more intentional way helped her in her work. In her session at the conference, she also shared that she had only been a Christian for a few months when she went out on mission. And when she did go out, she had no support and no return ticket. Speaking about her work she said that she does not have a ministry, she has a life, one which she has invested in serving others. The poor are of great concern to her, and she said that they are on God’s heart. She shared some moving accounts from her work. She said that the people she served did not need sermonizing, they needed to be loved. She also said that unbelievers are not listening, but they are watching. She cited one case she knew about in which the weeping of a Christian minister opened the way for the preaching of the gospel. She encouraged the people in her session to go and be poured out.

Jackie Pullinger speaks with authority because she has walked the walk. She has served others over the long-haul, persevering in circumstances that are less than ideal. I am happy to have heard her and met her. I would dare say that she is one of the most respected missionaries in the world today, and rightly so. Hearing her at Harvard was likely a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. I am glad that I was able to take this opportunity. Only eternity will reveal what seeds she planted or watered in that session or what fruit came from her words spoken on the campus of Harvard Law School.

 

Tags: harvard, Hong Kong, Jackie Pullinger, mission

Category: Ministry, Spring 2026