E. M. Bounds

Edward McKendree Bounds (1835-1913) known as E. M. Bounds was an American author, attorney and member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South clergy. He wrote 11 books, 9 on prayer, but only 2 were published before his death.

Edward was born on 15th August 1835. His parents were Thomas and Hester Bounds. It is surmised he got his middle name from the evangelist William McKendree. He was the fifth of 6 children, 3 boys, 3 girls.

His father was the first Justice of the Peace in Shelby County. As County Commissioner in 1940 he advanced the building of the First Methodist Church. He died in 1849 of tuberculosis

Edward, now aged 14, joined relatives in a trek to Mesquite Canyon in California following the discovery of gold. After 4 unsuccessful years they return to Missouri. He studied law at Hannibal Missouri. Aged 19 he became the youngest practicing lawyer in the area. Although apprenticed as an attorney he felt a call to the ministry during the Third Great Awakening. Following a brush outside revival meeting by evangelist Smith Thomas he closed his office and moved to Palmyra to enroll in the Centenary Seminary. 1859, aged 24, he was ordained and named pastor of Moticello, MIssouri Methodist Church.

12th April 1861-9th May 1865 the American Civil War.
Edward lived in the north, but did not support slavery so he was held with other non-combatants in a Federal prison in St. Louis for 18 months. He was then transferred to Memphis and released in a prison exchange.
On his release he became chaplain in the Confederate States Army. During the second battle of Franklin he suffered a sever forehead injury and taken prisoner.
On28th June 1865 he was released upon taking the oath of loyalty to the United States.

He felt compelled to return to war torn Franklin where he became the pastor of Franklin Methodist Episcopal Church. He was regionally celebrated for leading spiritual revival in Franklin. He eventually began an itinerant preaching ministry across the USA.

He served served important churches in St. Louis. He became editor of the St. Louis Christian Advocate for 8 years. Then assistant editor of *The Nashville Christian Advocate * for 4 years.

The trial of his faith came to him while in Nashville, and he quietly retired to his home without taking a pension.
His principal work in Washington was rising and praying from 4 am to 7 am.
He filled a few engagements as an evangelist during the remaining 18 years. While on speaking engagements he did not neglect his early morning time in prayer. No man could have made more melting appeals for lost souls and backslidden ministers then did Bounds. Tears ran down his face as he pleaded for us all in that room.Not a foolish word did we ever hear him utter.

The Rev. Claudius Lysias Chilton Jr., an admirer of Bounds, worked on preserving and preparing his collection of manuscripts for publication. By 1921 Homer W. Hodge completed additional editorial work. ( see ‘Published works’)