Andrew Murray (9 May 1828 – 18 January 1917) was a South African writer, teacher, and Christian pastor known for his work in the Christian revivalist movement. Born in Graaff Reinet, South Africa, he was the second child of Andrew Murray Sr., a Dutch Reformed Church missionary sent from Scotland. His mother, Maria Susanna Stegmann, had French Huguenot and German Lutheran heritage.
Educated in Scotland and the Netherlands, Murray was ordained in 1848 and pastored several churches in South Africa. He was deeply involved in the South African Revival of 1860 and was a key figure in promoting missions, which he considered “the chief end of the church.” Murray also helped found two institutions of higher learning and served as the Moderator of the Cape Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church. Additionally, he was president of the YMCA (1865) and the South Africa General Mission (1888-1917).
Murray’s writings contributed significantly to the “Inner Life” or “Higher Life” movements and he was a forerunner of the Pentecostal movement with his theology of healing by faith and belief in the continuation of the apostolic gifts. His desire for a deeper spiritual life led him to write about living in Jesus, and after years of personal spiritual struggle, he experienced what he described as a continual abiding in God’s presence.
His legacy continues through his numerous writings and the institutions he helped establish, influencing Christian thought and practice well into the present day.