I am a retired teacher who wrote 7 photocopiable books for Teachers and one book for children Union Jack Colouring Book.
The 7books covered Geography, History (Medieval/ Tudor/ Stuart), Travel and Transport, Myself and Events (this included diaries), Race Against Time Stories (SATS based), Church Dates for Children plus Nature and Seasons (including Sport). These 7 books have been mainly broken into a number of segments.
Challenging the Physical Elements, my Geography book, is complete.
I am a retired teacher who wrote 7 photocopiable books for Teachers and one book for children Union Jack Colouring Book.
The 7books covered Geography, History (Medieval/ Tudor/ Stuart), Travel and Transport, Myself and Events (this included diaries), Race Against Time Stories (SATS based), Church Dates for Children plus Nature and Seasons (including Sport). These 7 books have been mainly broken into a number of segments.
Challenging the Physical Elements, my Geography book, is complete.
Saint Leonard of Noblac was a Frenchman born about 485. He is a Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint Leonard-de-Noblat, in Haute-Vienne, in Limousin region of France.
It is very difficult to separate fact from legend.
Traditional biography
He was a Frankish noble in the court of King Clovis 1, founder of the Merovingian dynasty. He was converted along with the king at Christmas 496, by Saint Remigius, Bishop of Reims. He was granted the right to liberate prisoners he thought worthy of it.
He did secure the release of prisoners -he is the patron saint for prisoners.
He would have prayed for them, converted some of them and tried to raise money for their ransoms.
Tradition suggests he became a monk , then became a hermit living in the forest of Limousin. As a hermit he then gained some friends, who recognizing his holiness, wanted to live with him - the result a monastery. One source suggests he became the abbot.
Legend ? -King Clovis 1 was his grandfather or godfather. (Sources differ)
Legend ?- he prayed for the queen , who was ill, before she gave birth to a son .
Legend ?- that during a losing battle the queen asked him to pray. He prayed and King Clovis 1 was victorious.
Legend? - as a way of saying thank you the king gave him royal lands at Noblac.
Legend? -prisoners who invoked (called ) his named saw their chains break off.
He died of natural causes around 559. There are churches all across Europe dedicated to his name. In England 177, In Italy almost 225 churches. Former prisoners used to hang their chains in churches dedicated to him.
There has to be truth in the legends.
Peter Paul Jonannes Beyerhaus was a German pastor, theologian, missionary scholar and academic teacher.
Peter was ordained as a pastor by the bishop of Berlin in1955. He served with the Berlin Mission society in Transvaal and Natal in South Africa from 1957-65.
He did not want to leave but his daughter Karolina became ill and realised it was time to move on.
From 1966-77 he was the professor of missionary theology and ecumenical theology at the university of Tubingen. He lectured around the world.
In 1872 he was elected president of the Theological Convention of Confessing Fellowships in Germany.
In 1988 he fell out with his faculty. The liberals in his faculty wanted to honour the Dalai Lama with the Lucas Prize for Peace. (Read Standing for truth)
In 1989 he became honorary rector of Kornal Graduate School for Mission.
Peter was a man who would speak uncompromisingly and yet be concerned for the individuals involved. A man with a mission to keep the church on course and growing healthily.
On the 5th October 2018 the Society of Peter Beyerhaus was founded in his name in South Korea.
He died on 18th January this year -2020 aged 90
Sources used * Ambassadors for Christ contribution from Elaine Rhoton
wikipedia
Kukimn Daily
Saint Dionysius, the Areopagite, is only mentioned once in the New Testament. Acts 17 v33/4 reads That ended Paul’s discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman called Darnaris and others with them.
Dionysius was called Areopagite because he was a member of the Areopagus or Upper Council of Athens.
He was one of the first Athenians to believe in Christ.
Tradition holds that when he was a boy and visiting Egypt he experienced. on the day Jesus was crucified, From noon until three the afternoon darkness came over all the land . The same darkness that happened in Jerusalem.
After meeting Saint Paul he was converted.and he became the first bishop of Athens. He suffered a martyr’s death by burning.
Christian historian Eusebuis of Caesarea, preserved the Dionysius’ story in his Ecclesiastical history.
Two saints have been given the name of Dionysius. I have concentrated on the Saint Paul converted.
wikipedia
The Church’s Year by Charles Alexander
Benjamin was a Particular Baptist preacher and author in London whose name was given to the Keach’s Catechism. As a prominent nonconformist leader and prolific writer, he helped shape the theological development of the Particular baptists as they struggled through persecution and finally emerged under legal toleration near the end of the 16th century.
Benjamin was born in Buckinghamshire and in his early years worked as a tailor.
Aged 15 he was baptized and began to preach at 18. His first congregation was in Winslow. In 1668 he became the pastor at Horsleydown, Southwark where he remained for 36 years.
Benjamin or William Collins wrote a Catechism which became known as Keach’s Catechism. It was written to clarify the theology of the Second Baptist Confession that was written in 1677 and published in 1689 as The Baptist Confession of Faith…
He wrote 60 books of which his Parables and Metaphors of Scripture may be the best known. (See ’ Works’ for list 12 of his books)
The Child’s Instructor (1664) resulted in him being persecuted, fined and pilloried (put in stocks) in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. *The people, contrary to custom had no words of mockery for the good, persecuted minister and no offensive missile was thrown at him. (See picture)
Around 1673 he was amongst those leading a campaign to introduce congregational hymn singing. This left to public discourse on whether or not singing was appropriate in worship, and if so what types of song were acceptable. Benjamin’s hymnbook, published In 1691, provoked heated debate in the 1692 Assembly of Particular Baptists.
For many years Benjamin preached powerfully to a large congregations in a building which had to be enlarged several times. His congregation later became the New Park Street Church and then eventually moved to the Metropolitan Tabernacle.
Sources
GotQuestions.org
Metropolitan Tabernacle
Theopedia
wikipedia
Saint Etheldreda. or Audrey. was a princess. Her father was Anna, King of East Anglia.
Saint Etheldreda wanted her to become a nun but her father insisted she married Prince Tondbert in 652. The prince was persuaded to allow Saint Etheldeda to respect her vow of perpetual virginity. He died 3 years after they were married.
Saint Etheldreda was then asked to marry Ecgfrith of Northumbria, who was a young teenager,for political reasons, in 660. When Ecgfrith became king in 670 she told her wish to become a nun. One account relates that he initially agreed to letting her remain a virgin but then appealed to Wilfrid, bishop of York, to enforce his marital rights.
The final outcome was that Saint Etheldreda, with 2 nuns, fled to the Isle of Ely.
She arrived at a headland - Colbert’ Head, jutting into the sea. A high tide, which lasted for 7 days persuaded the king to give up the idea of compelling her to come back. He returned home realizing there was a power greater than his at work.
In 673 Saint Ethedreda built a large double monastery. Wilfred never lost sight of her - he made her abbess and gave the veil to her first nuns. She ruled the monastery for 7 years setting a great example of piety and abstinence and other monastic virtues. She lived a life of austerity - wearing only coarse garments - denied herself a hot bath. She had a bath at the four great festivals - using the same bath already served by the other nuns.
She died of quinsy - a throat infection on 23rd of June 679. She is the patron saint for throat sufferers…
wikipedia
The Church’s Year Charles Alexander
EBK: St. Etheldreda, Abbess of Ely
John Perkins is an American Christian minister, civil rights activist, Bible teacher, best selling author, philosopher and community developer.
Despite having been a third -grade dropout he made it Into the Ambassadors for Christ book with recognized for his work for Christ with 16 honourary degrees.
John was born in 1930 in rural Mississippi into a family of Sharecroppers. He lived in a world which said to be black was less than whole;maybe about half.
In 1957 God showed him how to be truly whole through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God told him to go and share his love with his people in Mississippi. In June 1960 they migrated back to the south. He helped found a nationwide movement called Christian Community Development. The 3 Rs came to the fore- Relocation to a community in need. Reconciliation between the Races and Redistribution of the economic base.
In the mid 60’ John was caught up in issues for rights for blacks. The KuKlax Klan were in involved. On February 7th 1970 it exploded. (read build-up in Evangelicals and Justice)
John Perkins was arrested and assaulted (read Brutality) He recovered but 5 months later had a heart attack. Whilst recovering he wanted reconciliation this gave rise to Voice of Calvery Missions in 1975.
10 years, to the day of the beating,he was honoured by the governor of Mississippi by being named outstanding religious leader of the year.
In 1982 he founded the Harambee Christian Family Center (now Harambee Ministries. In1989 He founded the Christian Community Deveopment Association. On death of his son he established the Spencer Perkins Centre,
In 20i6 John became President Emeritus of the John and Vera Mae Perkins foundation their 3 daughters were co-presidents.
John continues to call for making real Jesus’ sermons.
Sources
I have used the chapter ’ Jesus’ Transforming Power ', written by Christine Weerts in ’ Ambassadors for Christ ’ as my main source for John’s first 65 years.
wikipedia for the last 25
Saint Clement of Alexander also known as Titus Flavius Clemans was a Christian theologian and philosopher who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexander.
He was converted to Christianity by his last teacher Pantaenus. He was ordained into the priesthood by Pope Julian. Saint Clement succeeded his mentor as head of the school in about 180. For the next 20 years he was the intellectual leader of the Alexandrian Christian community.
The Roman emperor Severus in 201/2 persecuted the Christians in Alexandria so Saint Clement left and sought sanctuary in Palestine with Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem, a former student.
Origin, his young and gifted student , took his place in Alexandria.
In 211 Alexander wrote a letter commending him to the Church of Antioch which could suggest that saint Clement was living in either Cappadocia or Jerusalem at that time. The date and location of his death are unknown ( c. 215 ?).
Saint Clement left many writings which are still studied with care. He had views on many different topics -for wealth he wrote The Discourse Concerning the Salvation of Rich Men. Three of his major works have survived in full. They are called the Trilogy - the *Protrepticus, Paedagogus and Stromate. *
( information only given on the first one).
Saint Clement is usually regarded as a Church Father; he is venerated as a saint.
Sources used
wikipedia
The Church’s Year by Charles Alexander Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
James Stuart Stewart was a minister of the Church of Scotland.
He taught New testament Language, Literature and Theology at the University of Edinburgh.
Preaching Magazine*
ranked him Number 1 best preacher of the twentieth century. It said James was committed to expository preaching and preached with an earnestness and energy that was warmly welcomed by his listeners. His sermons were erudite without being stuffy , eloquent though not ornate, moving but not cheaply emotional, eminently practical, often conscience-piercing and above all, God exalting.
He was an acclaimed preacher both in his native Scotland and in America.
He wrote a number of books. It said his books * have inspired tens of thousands of preachers to strive for greater effectiveness in their effectiveness i the proclamation of God’ s Word *
He wrote with H.R. Mackintosh the standard English translation of Friedrich Schleiermacher’s influential book work,* The Christian Faith* .
He said the* Church must first and fundamentally and all the time a world missionary Church,*
I have included the full commendation written by Michael Duduit.
Sources
10 Greatest Preachers of the 20 th century
wikipedia
Saint Lucien was one of those who went with Saint Denis to teach Christianity to the French. He made Beauvais (previously known as Caesaromagus) his centre and made missionary journeys round the countryside, living poorly and eating only fruit and roots.
According to Rolandus , the author of the Acta Santi Luciani he retired to
the mountains near the city living as a hermit on grass and water. There he acquired fame for mortifications (self denial) and penances.
He made many converts and as he grew older many young men came to carry on his work. Saint Denis was his great friend and apparently he wore a track to the door of his hut by his frequent visits.
Saint Lucien preached against the Roman gods. According to one account he converted 30,00 people to Christianity with the assistance of his two disciples.
His good life angered the local rulers and he was seized, accused of being a Christian and martyred about 290 . His * Passo* assigned him two disciples, Maximian and Julian, they also were decapitated on the hill of Montmille. They were martyred during the 3rd century during the Diocletian persecution.
Odo, bishop of Beauvais, in the 9th century was the first writer to designate Lucien as the first bishop of Beauvais.
The church of Beauvais attempted to claim apostolic origins for itself by saying that Saint Lucien was converted to Christianity by Saint Peter 200 years earlier!!
George Butterick was an English born , American based Christian preacher, author and lecturer.
He was born in Seaham Harbour, England and went to Victoria University in Manchester.
He emigrated to the USA and for nearly 30 years was pastor at New York’s Madison Avenue Presbyterian church. From that distinguished pulpit he began a teaching career at Union Theological Seminary and then preacher to the University of Harvard. He wanted his preaching to lift up Christ. He believed that only preaching centred on the cross would impact eternity.
He had a brilliant career in homiletics - the art of preaching and of writing sermons. His most popular courses had to do with the outling of sermons.
For 5 years (1955-1960) he was Plummer professor of Christian Morals and preacher at Harvard University. he went on to lecture in many of the USA universities.
He described his voice* as odd sandy voice, the voice of an old nurse* but he was forceful in the pulpit. He became a master at sermon construction and orderly, powerful discourse.His sermons abounded with literary quotations. His teaching influenced all sorts of notable pulpiteers. Twice he delivered the prestigious Lyman Beecher lecture on Preaching at Yale.
George also wrote a number of books (see biography list). In 1952 he was the Commentary Editor for * The Interpreter’s Bible* a 12 volume set.
George’s poignant love of communication and his devotion to biblical truth, was his gift to preaching in the 20th century. Calvin Miller
According to the Liber Pontificalis Fabian was a noble Roman and his father’s name was Fabius. Nothing more is known about his background
The story is told that he lived out in the country and came to Rome to see the election of the new Pope. Fabian walked Into the church where the papal elections were taking place . For 13 days they had been considering names of several illustrious and noble churchmen. A dove landed on Fabin’s head. Those present took it as a sign that the Holy Spirit had made the unexpected choice and he was immediately proclaimed bishop by acclamation… This ’ legend’ was recorded by the 4th century writer Eusebius of Caesarea in Church History V!. 29
During Fabin’s 14 year reign there was a lull in the storm of persecutions. His papacy was characterized by amicable relations with the imperial government.
According to the 6th century historian, Gregory of To
urs ,he sent seven apostles/bishops to Christianiseparts of Gaul in AD 245.
The Liber Ponticalis says the he divided Rome into 7 diaconates (areas run by deacons) and appointed secretaries to collect the record of the martyrs.Little is known about his work but It is thought he did much to teach and help the early church.
Saint Pope Fabian was martyred in 250 at the beginning of the Decian persecution, probably by prison rather than execution. Saint Cyprian said that his honourable end corresponded to the uprightness of his administration.
The Greek inscription on his tomb in the catacomb of Callixtus in Rome reads Fabian, Bishop, Martyr
( The Coptic orthodox Church teaches that Fabinus was martyred twice in the same week)
Sources
wikipedia
The Church’s Year* Charles Alexander
Justin was born about AD 100 in Neapolis - modern Nablus- in Samaria. Justin was an uncircumcised Gentile rather than a Samaritan.
He was probably one of the earliest and most important, of the Apologists - a spokesmen who gave a reasoned defence of Christianity- in the second century.
Raised by pagan parents he sought to find life’s meanings in the philosophies of his day. This only brought disappointment until in about AD 130 he had a conversation with an old man. His life was transformed. I fell in love with the prophets and these men who had loved Christ.
Numerous works of Justin have been preserved including a remarkable dialogue with Trypho and 2 apologies.
In Ephesus he had a disputation with Trypho. The 3 main points being: the Old Covenant is passing away to make way for the New; the Logos (Word) is the God of the O.T.; and the Gentiles are the new Israel.
( read Dialogue with Trypho and Justin and the O.T.) .
Justin moved to Rome where he founded a Christian school and wrote 2 apologies. The one which has gained most attention resembles the order of a church service. (read A picture of worship)
In about AD 165 Justin, along with 6 others/disciples, were arrested for their faith. When the prefect threatened them with death he replied *If we are punished for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, we hope to be saved. *
They were taken out and beheaded.
Justin’s impassioned defence of the Christian truth greatly influenced many other Christian Fathers. Modern scholars have been impressed by Justin’s modesty, honesty and courage.
Sources used
Christianity Today
Great Leaders of the Christian Church edited by Woodbridge
Leslie was an English Christian theologian in the liberal Protestant tradition.He was noted for his preaching ministry at City Temple in London and for his books
He trained at Richmond Theological college in south west London. WW! cut short his training and he became Methodist minister at Farnham,in Surrey.
After serving in India, Manchester and Leeds he became minister at City Temple , a Congregational Church on Holborn Viaduct in London. He served ‘there’ from 1936 until his retirement in 1960.
On April 17th 1941 the church was destroyed by bombs. THe congregation worshipped in 8 different buildings, including the near-by St. Sepulchre-without- Newgate church, until the new City Temple was opened in 1958 in the presence of the Queen Mother. John D. Rockefeller was a major contributor. Today it is called the United Reformed Church.
Leslie was a preacher of the first order. His sermons had sound form, logical progression of thought and clear illustrations. He was an expert in arousing great feelings. His eyes fascinated the hearer and his hands played a great part in delivery. For Leslie the pulpit always came first. Leslie had the remarkable ability to ‘hide’ himself while he was preaching so that God might speak to the people.
His great friend W.E. Sangster said, If I was to put the secret of his power into one word, I would use the word ‘caring’. He cares for people honestly, personally and in a most costly way.
His careful, painstaking, preparation was so he could introduce them to Jesus.
The 3 books sermon books Leslie considered his best were *That Immortal sea, Over his Own Signature and Key Next Door. * He wrote 55 books in total.
( See incomplete bibliography)
Despite opposition he was elected President of the Methodist Conference for 1955/6. He was highly contraversial figure on account of his questioning some of the central tenets of the Christian faith. John Taylor said he was a great man but remains an enigma.
He retired to live at Bexhill -on-Sea.and died in 1976
Sources used
wiipedia
preaching.com
.
Alexander was an English non-conformist minister of Scottish origin.
Alexander was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father, David, was a merchant and a Baptist lay preacher. While his father was away in Australia (1837-41) he was converted and baptized into the Hope St. Baptist Church aged between 11-13,
He was educated at the Glasgow High school and University. When his father returned they moved to London he entered Stepney College in 1842 aged 16. Dr. David Davies, an eminent Hebrew scholar was a major influence. He took his degree at the university of London before he was 20 winning prizes in Hebrew and Greek.
He began his ministry in Portland chapel, Southampton. (1846-58). His first congregation was 20 with seating for 800. During the 12 years he was there it steadied and grew. By the time he left he had developed a reputation as an attractive and powerful preacher.
He accepted an invitation to pastorate at Union Chapel in Oxford Road, Manchester where he stayed until his retirement 48 years later. When he retired in 1903 he was made pastor emeritus and retired from active ministry. He then under took the task of writing a 31 volume pastoral commentary entitled Expositions of Holy Scripture.
He had only one ministry- preaching. He started a log with his first sermon when he was 17 - recording sermon number, location, text and date. The very last sermon in his log read 6860, November 21, 1904. -almost 61 years after his very first.
Maclaren was first and foremost a true expositor of Scripture. He never used a manuscript, preferring just sketchy notes. Yet his sermons recorded by stenographers were masterpieces of compelling, vivid and elegant language.
(It is all beautifully explained in * Preaching )
Incredible to believe but after his sermons he suffered after every one -thinking each was a failure. He could only face the awful responsibility of preaching because he so wanted the message to be heard.
F.B. Meyer, another prominent preacher of his day, said *As an expository preacher none of them equalled Maclaren of Manchester, and no other sermons were so widely read the world around… Dr. Maclaren is said with truth to have changed the whole style of the British pulpit, and to have influenced it more (than ) any of his predecessors .
He died on May 10th 1910. His ashes were buried under a cross he had placed on the family plot years before. The cross bore these words
in Christo, in pace, in Spe in Christ, in Peace, in Hope
Donald Grey Barnhouse was a USA Christian preacher, pastor, theologian, radio pioneer and author.
He was born in Watsonville, California, USA. After graduating high school he went to the Biola Institute in 1912. He studied at the University of Chicago and Princeton Theological Seminary. He enlisted in the army in 1917 before Completing his studies at Princeton. Ordained in April 1918.
He was pastor at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1927 until his death in 1960, a total of over 30 years.
.C. Everett Koop, a former US Surgeon General, a regular at the church for 20 years said His authoritive voice held my attention, his physical appearance was arresting, and his preaching was of the highest intellectual order…I always marvelled at the simplicity of the faith of this very intelligent and learned man
He was a pioneer in preaching on the radio. The Bible Study Hour was the name of the programme. The programme still continues today on the air as Dr. Barnhouse & the Bible.
From 1931- 1950 he published Revelation - which contained his sermons etc…
In 1950 he founded Eternity a monthly magazine
In 1949 he ran a weekly in depth study on Romans which he continued until his death in 1960 of a large malignant brain tumour.
Eternity did a memorial issue tribute to its founder for March 1961
Source
wikipedia
Frederic was C. of E. clergyman, school teacher and author.
He was born in Bombay, India. He was educated at King William’s college on the Isle of Man, King’s College London and Trinity College Cambridge. In 1856 he accepted an assistant mastership at Harrow school. He was archdeacon of Westminster (1883-94) and Dean of Canterbury Cathedral (1895-03).
He spent most of his career associated with Westminster Abbey. He was canon there, then rector of St. Margaret’s -the church next door, and then arch deacon of the Abbey.
He was an eloquent preacher.
Frederic was a classic scholar and comparative philologist - a historical linguist who applied Charles Darwin’s ideas of branching descent to the relationship between languages. It was on the recommendation of Darwin that he was nominated and elected to the Royal Society in 1866. When Darwin died in 1882 Frederic helped get the church’s permission for him to be buried in Westminster Abbey. He was one of 10 pallbearers at the funeral and preached the sermon.
Frederic was also an author. he wrote a number of religious books plus some fiction.
religious books included * Life of Christ Life of St. Paul*
fiction Eric or Little by Little was a school story (See Works)
He married Lucy Mary Cardew in 1860. They had 10 children, five of each. Maud aged 16 married Henry Montgomery - they gave birth to WW11 hero ’ Monty’ Field Marshall Montgomery. Frederic was Monty’s grandfather.
Joseph Parker was an English Congregational minister of the 19th century.
Aged 14 he was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a stonemason. He soon tired of it and went back to school. He managed to pick up a fair education which afterwards he constantly supplemented.
From the age of 14 he participated in local debates and boys’ meetings. Aged 18 he preached his first sermon on the village green and was enrolled as a lay preacher in the Methodist circuit. The family returned to the Congregational church and Joseph felt he was called into the Christian ministry.
Joseph wrote to Dr. John Campbell of Whitefield’s Tabernacle, Moorfields for guidance. He was invited to preach at his church for 3 Sundays. He left such an impression that Joseph became his assistant minister.
9 months later he accepted a call to the Congregational church in Banbury. he was ordained minister on 8th November 1853. His original congregation of 50 soon became so large a new church was built. He initiated open-air services on the cricket ground during the rebuild which causing consternation and some physical danger to himself.
On 10 June 1858 he became the minister at the prestigious Cavendish Street Congregational church. By 1863 there were 1000 members including many wealthy leaders of commerce and industry. 1,700 seats were full for the Sunday services.
On 19th September 1869 he became the minister at the oldest nonconformist church in London, Poultry Chapel, Cheapside. Under Joseph’s guidance it was soon flourishing. For the third time a new building was built -CIty Temple in Holborn Viaduct It became the most powerful centre of nonconformist influence in the city and beyond. His stimulating and original sermons, delivered with a ready command of vigorous English, made him one of the best known personalities of his time He was there until his death in 1902. For over 30 years he was minister of City Temple.
Joseph was a prolific writer and published more than 60 books.
Most of his sermons were extemporary which enticed him to make unexplained outbursts that both astonished and attracted hie congregations. His sonorous voice, with its surprising modulations, as well as his dramatic delivery, his humour, his use of dialect and his freshness combined to make his oratory unique in the London of his day. His transcriber commented that he was at his best when he strayed furthest from his loose outline
*Joseph’s chief legacy is not his theology but his gift of oratory.
Charles Spurgeon praised his originality. Dr. Parker’s track is his own and the jewels he lets fall in his progress are from his own casket.
Alexander Whyte He is by far the ablest man now standing in the English speaking pulpit *
Margaret Bywater * the most outstanding preacher of his time
Angus Watson no one had ever spoken like him
The person who wrote the source Introducing: Joseph Parker said Parker was a communicator of genius.
Other source use
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones was a Welsh protestant minister and medical doctor who was influential in the Reformed wing of the British evangelical movement of the 20th century. He was regarded as one of the top 10 preachers of the 20th century.
Born in Cardiff he attended a London grammar school from 1914-17. He then went to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and qualified as a doctor. After struggling for 2 years, with the sense that he had a call to preach, he returned to Wales in 1927. He married Bethan Phillips in the same year.
For 10 years he was minister at Aberavon. He returned to London at the beginning of WW11 to become associate pastor at Westminster Chapel, working along side G. Campbell Morgan. In 1943, on Morgan’s retirement he became sole pastor of Westminster Hall. He stayed pastor there for the next 25 years until his retired in 1968 following a major operation.
David was well known for his style of preaching. His sermons drew crowds of several 1000s to hear him preach at the Sunday morning and evening meetings, plus talk (!) at Bible studies. In his book * Preaching and Preachers* he defined his style as Logic on Fire. The fire had to do with activity and the power of the Holy Spirit. He believed true preaching was always expository (set forth in argument/discussion). This means he believed that the primary purpose of the sermon was to reveal and expand the primary teaching of the scripture being studied.
*Never heard such preaching with the force of electric shock, bringing to at least one of his listeners more of a sense of God than any other man. J.I. Packer - theologian and preacher
David did a vast amount of writing during his life time.
( See the list - many not printed during his life time)
David preached his last sermon on 8th June at Barcombe Baptist Chapel. He died peacefully in his sleep on 1st March 1981, St. David’s day. He was buried in West Wales. A well attended thanksgiving service was held at Westminster Chapel on 6th April.
His tombstone reads
*For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him Crucified. * 1 Corinthians 2 v 2
The 10 things you should know about David Martyn Lloyd Jones, written by his eldest grandson Christopher Catherwood. is well worth a read.
Sources used
wikipedia
Crossway Articles 10 things you should know about Martyn Lloyd Jones
The 10 greatest preachers of the 20th century - Michael Duduit
Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield born near Lexington, Kentucky on 5th November 1851. Born into a wealthy family he was taught privately. He entered Princeton University in 1868 and graduated in 1871 with high honours in mathematics and science. While travelling in Europe he decided to theology to the surprise of his friends. He entered Princeton Seminary in 1873 to train to be a Presbyterian ministry. He graduated in 1876 and also married Annie Pierce Kinkead.
Together they went to Germany and Annie was struck by lightning - the result being she to a degree paralyzed. (see 10 thing you should know about B.B Warfield.)
In 1877 he became professor of theology at Princeton Theological Seminary (1877-1921). He was ordained on 26th April 1879. He served as the the last principal from 1886-1902 . On his death in 1921 Francis Landley Patton became the first president of the seminary.
In 1881 he wrote a joint article with A.A. Hodge about the inspiration of the Bible.
It drew attention because of the scholarly and forceful defence of the inerrancy ( infalliblity)of the Bible. This article presented basically the position that Benjamen was to defend and elaborate upon for more than 40 years.
From 1890 -1902 Benjamin was the editor of the * Presbyterian and Reformed Review.* His own contribution was articles and critical book reviews. He also wrote a number of books and his sermons were turned into 3 volumes. (See Warfield’s writings and Writings)
During his time his primary aim thrust was the authoritative view of the Bible. He went against the trend of modernist theology. He therefore preached and believed the doctrine of * sola scriptura * - that the Bible is God inspired and is sufficient for the Christians to live their faith
Some conservative Presbyterians consider him to be the last of the great Princeton theologians.
The 10 Things you should know about B.B. Warfield by Fred G. Zaspel makes for interesting reading.
Sources used
Great Leaders of the Christian Church editor John D. Woodbridge
contributor Roger Nicole
wikipedia
Crossways Articles
Henry was a prominent liberal U.S. Congregational minister whose oratorical skills and social concern made him one of the most influential Protestant speakers of the mid to late 19th century…
Though never distinguished as a scholar he became a superior speaker and popular leader. He came to believe that a sermon succeeds by focusing on the single objective of effecting a moral change in the change of the hearer.
In 1847 he accepted a call to Plymouth Church (Congregational), Brooklyn. N.Y., where he drew a weekly crowds of 2,500 by the early 1850s.
Abraham Lincoln said no one in history had so productive a mind was in the audience at one point.
Mark Twain said, sawing his arms in the air, howling sarcasms this way and that, discharging rockets of poetry and exploding mines of eloquence, halting now and then to stamp his foot three times in succession to emphasize a point
Henry’s fiery preaching style led to his becoming editor of several religious magazines including * Christian Union * Among his many books is Evolution and Religion.
He became one of the most influential figures of his time. He supported the Free Soil political candidates and later the Republicans. On the out break of of the Civil war his church raised and equipped a volunteer regiment.
In a highly publicized scandal he was accused of committing adultery with a friend’s wife. His wife supported him throughout the ordeal.The board of inquiry exonerated him twice but the debacle split his family.
Henry died of a cerebral hemorrhage in March 1887.