Geoffrey Bull

Geoffrey Taylor Bull (1921–1999) was a Scottish Christian missionary and author.

Bull was born into a family with conservative evangelical beliefs. At 15 years old, he was baptised and received into the fellowship of a group of Christians meeting in "New Testament simplicity". This group was of the Plymouth Brethren persuasion. His original ambition for a career was to enter banking, but by 1941 he became absorbed with missionary work in Central Asia.

It may be that Bull was inspired by the ministry of George W. Hunter, who died in 1946 after long years of isolated missionary labours in China.

After World War II, the elders in his Brethren assembly agreed to commend him to work full time in Central Asia. In March 1947, Bull and George N. Patterson went to China, travelling deep into the interior up to the border area shared with Tibet. Here, for three years, they studied Mandarin and Tibetan. Bull witnessed the last days of Tibetan independence and was imprisoned on the pretext of being a spy. At first, he was kept in solitary confinement, but later underwent a re-education and thought reform programme—his captors tried brain-washing, but he claimed that his "faith in Christ kept him from mental breakdown". This captivity lasted for three years and two months before he was released to the British authorities in Hong Kong.

On his return, he married, and subsequently served in Borneo in the late 1950s to early 1960s. Bull also had a worldwide Bible teaching ministry in Brethren assemblies and beyond. He died following the Breaking of Bread service in his local Brethren assembly in Brisbane Hall, Largs, and was buried in Scotland. He was survived by his widow, Nan, who died in May 2009.

Publications

Bull wrote a number of books. The first three form an autobiographical trilogy on his prison experiences in China.

• Bull, Geoffrey Taylor (1955). When Iron Gates Yield. London: Hodder & Stoughton. OCLC 252091057.
• Bull, Geoffrey T. (1959). God Holds the Key. London: Hodder & Stoughton. OCLC 2899216.
• Bull, Geoffrey T. (1965). The Sky is Red. London: Hodder & Stoughton. OCLC 9059607.
• Bull, Geoffrey T. (1969). A new Pilgrim's progress: John Bunyan's classic imagined in a contemporary setting. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-10651-8. OCLC 59141367.
• Bull, Geoffrey T. (1962). Coral in The Sand. London: Hodder & Stoughton. OCLC 2112367.
• Bull, Geoffrey T. (1972). Love-song in harvest: an interpretation of the Book of Ruth. London: Pickering and Inglis. ISBN 978-0-7208-0219-1. OCLC 641311.
• "The Anguish in the Long Grass"
• "The City & The Sign" (on the Prophet Jonah)
• "'Tibetan Tales" issued in the USA as "Forbidden Land, A Saga of Tibet"
• "Treasure in My Sack"
• "The Rock and the Sand" this was his last work and was published by Chapter Two, London.

Children's board books

Bull also wrote a series of illustrated board books for children, the text being in rhyming verse and retells various Bible stories:

• Bull, Geoffrey T. (1977). I wish I lived when Daniel did. London: Pickering and Inglis. ISBN 978-0-7208-2249-6. OCLC 16360438. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Bull, Geoffrey T. (1977). I Wish I Lived When Esther Did. London: Pickering and Inglis. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Bull, Geoffrey T. (1977). I Wish I Lived When Gideon Did. London: Pickering and Inglis. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)ISBN 0-87508-889-9

References

• Private Brethren Archive at Chapter Two, London SE18
• McKay, Alex (2003). The history of Tibet. London: Routledge. p. 498. ISBN 978-0-415-30844-1. OCLC 50494840.
• Dreisbach, John A. (3 June 1999). "Bull, Geoffrey T. (1921-?)". Gospel Fellowship Association Missions. Retrieved 13 June 2009.