Matthew Bolton
Matthew Bolton grew up in very multicultural surroundings. Son of an American mother and British father, he
spent most of his childhood in Leicester, one of Britain’s most diverse cities. Visitors from every populated
continent had signed the family guestbook by the time he was ten. This upbringing instilled in him a fascination
with the world and its peoples, which has guided his life and work ever since. Matthew has worked for several
international humanitarian agencies, including Outreach International (founded by Charles Neff), on five
continents. Many people have lived his travels vicariously through his weekend column on international affairs and
living overseas in
The Examiner (Eastern Jackson County, Missouri).
Matthew first gained his interest in Community of Christ history as a small child, listening to bedtime stories
read from the travelogues of missionaries adventuring in far-flung lands. This interest continued in his
undergraduate education; the final paper of his undergraduate degree in history and religion at Graceland
University (Lamoni, Iowa) looked at the effect of Neff’s work in Asia upon the church.
At the time of publication, Matthew was doing a doctorate in government at the London School of Economics and
Political Science, where he has also earned a master of science in development studies (research).
John Whitmer Books by Matthew Bolton
Apostle of the Poor: The Life and Work of Missionary and Humanitarian Charles D. Neff
