Philipp was a German Lutheran theologian who essentially found what woudl becme known as Pietism. He was later named ‘Father of Pietism’. After a brief time at the grammar school in Colmar he moved on to Strasbourg in 1651. He studied philology, history and philosophy. He became the private tutor to the princes Christian and Charles of the Electorate of the Palantinate. He also lectured on philology and history at the university. From 1659-62 he visited various universities and commenced a study of Heraldry - which he pursued throughout his life. He returned to Strasbourg where he was appointed preacher without and pastoral duties. in 1666 he became the chief pastor in the Lutheran church at Frankfurt. A prolific writer here he published his two main worksIn his most famous work Pia Desideria (1675) Philipp assessed contemporary orthodoxy’s weakness and advanced proposals for reform. He gave 6 proposals. (Read ‘Theology’ paragraph to see 6 proposals and also ’ Heart desire’). In 1680 he wrote Allgemeine Gottesgelehrtheit and began the form of pastoral work which resulted in the movement called Pietism. In 1686 accepted invitation to the first chaplaincy at Dresden. In 1691 he became rector of St. Nicholas in Berlin with the title of counsellor of the Marcher Consistory. Philippe died aged 70, on 5 th February 1705. After Philipp the leadership of German Pietism passed to August Hermann Francke. Pietism emphasized personal faith against the main Lutheran church’s perceived stress on doctrine and theology over Christian living. ( See notes) Sources wikipedia Christianity Today Britannica Online Encyclopedia

Ulrich Zwingli has been called the third man of the Reformation; third behind Martin Luther and John Kalvin. Ulrich was a scholar, priest and reformist. Ulrich born a couple of months after Martin Ulrich graduated from the University of Basel in 1506. and became the parish priest in Glarus. From the beginning he took his priestly duties seriously. The feeling of responsibility motivated him to show an increasing interest in the Bible. He bought a copy of Erasmus’s New Testament Latin translation He began to teach himself Greek and bought Erasmus Greek N.T. and started to memorize long passages. Privately he started to challenge the customs of medieval Christendom he thought were unbiblical. Ulrich moved to Zurich in 1518 just a year after Martin Luther began the Reformation in Germany with his famous 99Theses. Ulrich had his own equivalent the 67 conclusions. He struggled with celibacy. He secretly married in 1522. In January 1523 he was ready to share his ideas. Before the Zurich City Council he gave the what is now called the FIrst Disputation. The second Disputation happened in October. The reforms which followed were the removal of images of Jesus and Mary, saints removed from churches, the Bible to have preeminence. In 1524 he was publicly married. In 1525 he and others convinced the city to abolish mass and replace it with a simple service that included the Lord’s Supper but only as a symbolic memorial. Under the leadership of Ulrich the Swiss Confederation was creating a parallel movement to what Martin Luther was creating in Germany. The German Prince Philip of Hesse saw the potential of an alliance between Ulrich and Martin. In 1529 they met at his castle - now known as the Colloquay of Marlburg . The two movements agreed on 14 points of doctrine, the 15th point they disagreed over the Lord’s Supper. Luther preached consubstantiation - actual body and blood of Christ, Ulrich said it was only representative and memorial. It was evident no alliance was going to work. Ulrich died two years later in a battle defending Zurich against Catholic forces. Under Heinrich Bullinger, Ulrich’s successor, this unique branch of the Protestant Reformation continued to blossom.

Phoebe Palmer was an American Methodist evangelist and writer who promoted the doctrine of Christian perfection. She is considered to be one of the founders of the Holiness movement withing Methodist Christianity. Phoebe was born Phoebe Worrall in New York City. Her father Henry was a a devout Methodist who during the Wesleyan Revival in England had a religious conversion before immigrating to the U.S.A… Phoebe’s mother was Dorethea Wade Worrall. Phoebe married Walter Palmer, a physician and devout Methodist in 1827. They became interested in the writings of John Wesley, especially his doctrine of Christian perfection - a belief that a Christian can live a life free of sin. 26th July 1837 Phoebe experienced an ‘entire sanctification’. Other members of her family later also experienced this ‘sanctification’. They felt they should teach others about how to have it for themselves. Phoebe often preached at Methodist church and camp meetings. Palmer’s sister, Sarah Lankford, began having weekly meetings with Methodist women. 2 years later Phoebe was leading these Tuesday meetings. They became referred to as the Tuesday Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness. They always had the meetings at someone’s home. From 1839 men were also allowed to attend. These meetings eventually influenced the Methodist Church nationwide. The Palmer’s worked as a team and received invitations to speak at churches, conferences and camps. Phoebe was better known than her husband Walter. Sources wikipedia Britannis Online Encyclopedia

John Hus or Huss was a pre-reformation reformer. In 1360 the king of Bohemia (similar in size to modern Czechoslovakia) invited Conrad of Waldhausen to come and preach to the corrupt church. From that time there was a national reform movement in Bohemia.John stood firmly within that tradition. John lived during the time of the Great Schism when Europe was divided between 2 or 3 Popes. It was the Council of Constance which brought the Schism to an end and resulted in John’s martyrdom at the stake. John studied theology at the University of Prague. He became a preacher at the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague. In his church the services were conducted in Czech and not Latin, the Bible readings and sermons were also in the common language. He preached actively against the worst abuses of the Roman church of his day-the low morality of the clergy, the Bible read in Latin, sale of indulgences, Pope infallibility. (See The Movarian Church for the full 4 main factors). His criticisms and call for reforms were seen as a stumbling block to reconciling the divided Church. He was excommunicated. Promised safe conduct by Sigismund, the Holy Roman Emperor, he went to the Council of Constance. He was imprisoned (1414-8). He was accused of being a Wycliffe. He was not allowed to defend himself or his beliefs. He refused to recant his beliefs and was called a heretic. On 6th July 1415 he was burned at the stake. Aftermath - Hussite Wars. The Hussites won 4 crusades against them ( Read how his followers rebelled) John was an important member of an ongoing movement which would become a national movement of reform. Martin Luther, many years later, came across some of John Hus sermons. I was overwhelmed with astonishment. I could not understand for what cause they had burnt so great a man, who explained the Scriptures with so much gravity and skill. Sources used Great leaders of the Christian Church edited by Woodbridge contribution from A.N.S. Lane Christian history wikipedia

Henry, on his 21st birthday, wrote in his diary to live preaching and to die preaching; to live and die in the pulpit;to preach to perishing sinners till i drop down dead The combination of the entrepreneurial Guinness spirit on his father’s side and the Cramers creative, magnetic qualities on his mother’s side was an irresistible combination. 1856 Henry entered New College in London under a tutor called Dr. Harris. In 1857, whilst still a student he began to preach. He became an independent evangelist of the second Evangelical awakening. He spent 15 years travelling and preaching in Britain, Europe and North America. In 1870 he married Fanny Fitzgerald. To be the wife of an itinerant evangelist’s wife was not an easy one. She travelled with him also became a well known speaker. In 1872 because of their age, they were turned down for chance of being missionaries in China by their friend James Hudson Taylor. Undeterred they moved deliberately to East London, a poor and unsavory area. In 1873 they moved to Harley House in Bow. where they established the East London Institute for Home and Foreign Missions. ( closed in 1918) In 1878 they founded the Livingstone Inland Mission. In 1889 they founded the Congo and Balolo Mission which became the Regions Beyond Missionary Union. Also in 1878 Henry started to write the first of many Christian books. Which resulted in him speaking about biblical prophecy. Fanny, ‘Mother of Harley’, and mother of their 6 children died in 1898. He married Grace Hurditch in 1903. Together they travelled widely for 5 years before settling in Bath. In 1910, following a visit to the Congo, Henry died. He was an Irish Protestant Christian preacher, evangelist and author. He was responsible for training and sending 100s of faith missionaries all over the globe. He was the great evangelist of the Evangelical awakening Four of his surviving children from his first marriage worked as missionaries overseas, For further reading read The Guinness Family in Ambassadors for Christ. Sources wikipedia History of Missiology Ambassadors for Christ ( publ. 1994)

The title of ’ * Sensational Evangellst of Britain and America* ’ is given to George Whitefield by *Christianity Today. * The magazine goes on to say that he is probably the most famous religious figure of the 18th century. He was an English Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of the Methodist and evangelical movement. As a boy he enjoyed reading plays and skipped school to practice for his performances. Later in life he may have repudiated the theatre but in his sermons he portrayed biblical characters with a realism by crying, dancing and screaming - he took the theatre to the pulpit. It brought the crowds ‘out’- most of his sermons were preached outside. He went to Pembroke college, Oxford as a servitor, the lowest rank of undergraduate - his tuition was free but he acted as a servant to his fellow students. He was part of the ’ Holy Club ’ with John and Charles Wesley. An illness plus Henry Scougal’s book The life of God in the soul of Man influenced him, He had a religious conversion and became a passionate preacher. The week after his ordination he preached in his home town of Gloucester. In 1738 he went with the Wesleys to Georgia in the USA as a priest. He decided he wanted to build an orphanage for black children - this became central to his preaching. He came back to the UK to raise money. In 1940 the construction began. He had a theological disagreement. The building bought by the Moravians is today called The Whitefield House. He preached nearly every day for months to crowds in their thousands with his big booming voice. Benjamin Franklin attended a meeting in Philadephia and estimated George could be heard 500 feet away. On horseback he travelled from New York to Charleston, South Carolina - at the time the longest distance by a white man in North America, Back in the UK he was met by similar size crowds. The Church of England did not assign him a pulpit so preached in parks and fields. This itinerant preacher’s career was divided between the American colonies and the whole of the UK. In 170, aged 55,he made this comment I would rather wear out than rust out. He preached his last sermon from the top of a large barrel in a field in the colonies. The next morning he died. Thomas S. Kidd summarized George’s life in the title of his book *George Whitefield America’s Founding Father * 2014 (For full summary read Veneration and legacy.) Sources wikipedia Britannic Online Encyclopedia Christianity Today

Steve Green is an American Christian singer noted for his tenor vocal range and flexible solo style. He is also noted fo rhis evangelistic mission to bring others to Jesus through his songs. I have put the wikipedia information first because this is what the general public would want to known. His continued success as a singer and a list of the songs he has recorded. I have put the information about his upbring second. This information can be found in Ambassadors for Christ. Here Don Wyrtzen tells us about Steve being brought up in a Christian household and him accepting Christ into his life when he was only 8 years of age. He goes on later to tell us that many years later, after he was married, he had to recommit himself to Christ after he had a heated disagreement with his brother. The disagreement resulting in him throwing himself upon the mercy, love and grace of Jesus. It resulted in him facing up to his hypocritical life and there is now a revival in his heart that burns brightly and consistently to this day. Sources used Ambassadors for Christ wikipedia

Saint Malo or Saint Machutus was a sixth century saint. He was the founder of Saint-Malo, a commune in Brittany, France. He was one of the seven founding saints of Brittany. Malo was baptized as an adult by Brendan the Navigator and became his student… I have included a synopsis of his* Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot*. he was the first bishop of Aleth - now modern Saint-servan in France. There are two stories/legends about Saint Malo and seaweed. In one story he laid down on a heap of seaweed at low tide and fell asleep. Having searched on the beach he was found floating on the sea on a mass of seaweed. The second story he was cut off by the sea and miraculously floated to safety on a bed of seaweed. ( Dates are not clear - wikipedia dates on sheet do not agree) Sources used wikipedia The Church’s Year by Charles Alexander Encyclopedia of Saints by Howard Loxton

Saint Martin was born in Hungary to heathen parents. He became a Christian catechumen - person ready for baptism - when he was 10. Aged 15 he joined the Roman army and was stationed at Amiens in Gaul (France) According to his biographer -Sulpicius Severeus he petitioned the emperor, Julian the Apostate, to be released form the army.’ I am Christ’s soldier: I am not allowed to fight.’ Charged with cowardic he offered to stand in front of the battle line only with the sign of the cross. He was imprisoned but was soon discharged. Legend has it that on a freezing night he cut his cloak in half to share it with a beggar. He dreamt that Jesus wore the other half. When he woke up his cloak was restored. Following the vision and apparent miracle he finished his religious studies and was baptised aged 18. ( After he died his cloak was carried into battle and Mass said in the tent where it was placed. Later replaced by a ‘forked’ blue banner) Aged 20 Saint Martin left the army and joined Saint Hilary of Poitiers, together they founded the first monastery in France. He became a missionary in the provinces of Pannonia and Illyricum -now Balkan Peninsula. He went to Italy and to the island of Gallinaria. In 360 he returned to Poitiers. He then founded a community of hermits at Liguge - the monastery in Gaul. Saint Martin became bishop of Tours in 371. He founded the Marmoutier monastery from which apostles spread Christianity throughout Gaul. He was an active missionary in Touraine and the country districts. Saint Martin in 384/5 became involved in a conflict at the imperial court in Trier, France. It resulted eventually in bishop Priscillian of Spain being executed by the Roman authorities… His involvement caused him to fall into disfavour with Spanish bishops. He died in 397 at Candes. During his lifetime Saint Martin gained a reputation as a miracle worker and became one of the first non-martyrs to be publicly venerated as a saint. He was the patron saint of France, father of monasticism in Gaul and the first great leader of Western monasticism. In England there are over 150 churches dedicated to him. Sources used Britannica Online Encyclopedia * The Church’s Year* by Charles Alexander

The two Peters were father (Sr) and son (Jr). Peter Sr. was born in in Belarus. With his parents he immigrated to Chicago USA in 1913/4 where he worked in a machine shop. He was brought up in the Russian Orthodox Church. He was born again in 1920 at a Moody Memorial Church. He graduated as valedictorian from the Moody Bible Institute in 1925. God ignited a fire in him to witness to anyone who would listen, especially Russians. He found many Russians across USA and Canada. His animated style and intensity earned him the nickname ’ Peter Dynamite ’ Peter Sr returns home to Russia to evangelize his own people and works in Latvia and Estonia as field secretary for the All Russian Evangelical Union. Peter Sr married Vera Demidovich in 1926. and Peter Jr was born in 1931. January 1934, with 3 other men a committee is created to support his work. The Russian Gospel Association is founded in 1936 ( since 1949 called Slavic Gospel Association (SGA)). SGA over the years has help provide missionary radio for the Russian people. Russian pastors said that missionary radio was instrumental in the conversion of many Russian families. The story of the 2 Peters begin to overlap. Peter Jr . accepts Christ at home during grade school years. He graduates from Wheaton College in 1953and a M.Div at Northern Baptist Seminary in 1957. The SGA send him to numerous countries between 1955 and 1965. He becomes Assistant director (1966-3) and then president of SGA from 1975-1991. Between 1976-1989 the Soviet Government rejects 10 visa requests from Peter Jr and his wife Anita. For 13 years they were denounced frequently in publications. While they waited Peter Jr and his colleagues translated about 100 book titles. They were printed in the West and imported in limited quantities . He engaged in radio ministry. Russians received his pastoral training materials with enthusiasm. Finally when glsnost (openness) and peresroika (restructuring) developed they received a visa February 1989. They moved to Moscow in January 1991. By this time Peter Sr had died. He died in 1987 having dedicated his life to the ministry of evangelism despite the dangers and persecution under the Soviet regime. His biography is called ’ Twice Born Russian ’ In 1991 Peter Jr became president of the Peter Deyneka Russian Ministries 1991-2000). Peter Jr. died on 23rd December 2000. He had been diagnosed with lymphoma cancer earlier in the summer. The sources I have used includes Peter Jr. Deyneka’s writing in *Ambassadors for Christ * (published in 1994) The Christian faith, hidden, but vibrant for many years was allowed to flourish All of my past was preparation for these past seventeen months Peter Deyneka Jr. Sources used Ambassadors for Christ East-West Church Ministry report

Henry Parry Liddon, also known as H.P. Liddon was an English theologian. He was one of Britain’s greatest preachers. He was Dean Ireland’s Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford. The son of a naval captain he was born at North Stoneham in Hampshire G.B. he was educated at King’s College school and at Christ Church Oxford. He was first vice-principal at Cuddesdon theological college (1854-9) and then vice-principal at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford. In 1864 Walter Kerr Hamilton , the bishop of Salisbury, appointed Henry ar as prebendary (canon) of Salisbury Cathedral. In 1866 he delivered his Bampton Lectures. on the doctrine of the divinity of Christ. His fame as a preacher was established. Henry was praised for his grasp of subject, clarity and lucidity, use of illustration, vivid imagination, elegance of diction, and sympathy with the intellectual position of those he addressed. 1870 made canon of St. Paul’s Cathedral. His preaching attracted 1000s. Sermons normally held in the choir stalls were instead preached under the dome. 3000-4000 used to gather to hear his sermons. Being dean at Oxford and canon at St. Paul’s gave him extensive influence over the Church of England. In 1882 he resigned and travelled to Palestine and Egypt. In 1886 returned to St. Paul’s as chancellor. He declined more than one offer of a bishopric. Henry, with his friend Lewis Carrol, visited Russia to make closer links with the C. of E. and the Russian Orthodox clergy. Henry died on the 9th of September 1890 at the height of his reputation. He had nearly completed the biography of Edward Bouvirie Pasey, who he admired. (work completed by J. O. Johnson and R. Wilson) after his death. Henry’s influence during his life was due to his personal fascination and his pulpit oratory rather than his intellect. He was the last, but one,(John Charles Ryle) of the classical pulpit orators of the English church. He is buried in the chapel of the Order of the British Empire in the crypt of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Source wikipedia

William was born at the very beginning of the 20th century. He was never taken to a place of worship until he was 8 years old. Aged 12 a sensitive Sunday school teacher asked him if he wanted to become a disciple of Jesus.* I spluttered out my little prayer. I had one merit . I meant it.* In his autobiography he wrote * I believe I was born to be a minister I felt the pressure of a directing hand upon me from my tenderest years. * He fought in the WW1. Army life tested him and deepened him. He did a 4 year course at college. After he was ordained he ministered in Bognor, Colwyn Bay Liverpool and Scarborough attracting large congregations in each place. In 1936 he became the minister at Brunswick Church, Leeds. The out break of WW11 found him senior minster at Westminster Hall, the cathedral of Methodism. The hall held 3,000 and was full, mornings and evenings for the next 16 years to listen to him preach his 30-45 minute sermons. The basement became an air raid shelter. His family for 5 years lived on the hazardous ground floor - they slept nightly in the smelly men’s washroom. 450,00 found refuge in the basement. In 1949 William was elected president of the Methodist Conference of Great Britain. His two fold agenda was evangelism and spiritual deepening. In 1955 he was appointed head of the Home Mission Department of the Methodist Church. He wrote and published 3 invaluable books on preaching The Craft of the Sermon, The Approach to preaching, Power in Preaching Numerous engagements on behalf of International Methodism took him around the world and several times to the USA. While lecturing In Texas he had difficulty swallowing and walking. He was diagnosed with progressive muscular atrophy. Towards the end it was even difficult to lift the finger of his right hand. After a two year struggle he died on May 24th 1960. His life had been to serve one passion *O let me commend my savior to you * William was one of the top 10 preachers of the 20th century. Sources used The 10 Greatest preachers of the 20th century Michael Duduit Preaching.com oChristian .com WikiTree EThos e-theses online sevices

Saint Faith or Saint faith of Conques was said to be a girl or young woman of Agen in Aquitaine. She was the daughter of Christian parents. She was arrested during the persecutions of Christians by the roman Empire. She was told she must sacrifice to the pagan goddess Diana or be executed. She replied she was a Christian and so could not sacrifice to a pagan god. She refused even under torture. Saint Faith was tortured to death with a red hot brazier. Date of death c.300 AD. Her behaviour was so brave that it is said several of the onlookers were converted thinking Christianity must be a religion worth dying for if a young girl like Saint Faith could face death with so much courage. Saint Faith’s life and martyrdom has been recounted in several verse narratives and martyrdoms.

The Revd. Dr. George Campbell was called by many * the prince of espositors . He helped influence the shape of evangelical preaching on both sides of the Atlantic. He was brought up in Wales. He was unwell as a child and was tutored at Home. D.L. Moody came to England when George was 10. His ministry and the dedication of his parents, father had become a Baptist minister, impressed the young George. Aged just 13 he preached his first sermon: aged 15 he was preaching in country chapels during his Sundays and holidays. In 1883 he was teaching in Birmingham. In 1886 he devoted himself to preaching and Bible exposition. 1890 saw him ordained as a Congregational minister. The skilled expository preacher served several English congregations. His reputation grew as a preacher and Bible expositor throughout Britain and spread to the USA. Moody in 1896 invited him to lecture to his students at his Bible Institute. This was the first of 54 visits to the USA to preach and teach. George’s sermon method was to read the text. Read the text 25-50 times in context The whole book. In context. Only then will you understand the text and be able to preach it. In 1899, after the death of Moody, he became director of the Northfield Bible Conference. After 5 years he returned to the UK in 1904 to become pastor of Westminster chapel in London (1904- 1919 and 1933-1943). His preaching and weekly Friday Bible classes were attended by 1000s. The church experienced unparalleled growth growth under his leadership. Between 1919-1933 he taught at Biola, Los Angeles. USA. Where he conducted an itinerant preaching and teaching ministry. George was also a prolific writer. He wrote about 80 works in his lifetime. There is also a 10 volume set of sermons - The Westminster Pulpit. He even wrote commentaries on the entire Bible. (See list for early of writings) George retired in 1943. He died aged 81 on the 16th of May 1945 . Preaching was the supreme passion of his life Martyn Lloyd Jones. (Incredibly George was rejected for formal ministry because his preaching showed so little potential. In those dark days that followed his father remind him * rejected on earth accepted in heaven.* He put aside all his books except the Book - the BIBLE) He is regarded as one of the top 10 preachers of the 20th century. Sources The 10 Greatest Preachers of the 20th century - Michael Duduit wikipedia

John Robert Walmsley Stott was an English Anglican priest and theologian. He founded the Langham Partnership International (1974) and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (1982). John was ordained a deacon in 1945. he went from being a school boy at All Souls Langham Place C.of E. school to becoming first a curate (1945-1950), then rector (1950-1975) at All Souls Langham Place. John remained at the church and was appointed rector emeritus. He was one of the authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974 which had a major influence on how to bring the Gospels to 20th century men. (see notes) He wrote 50 books - some in Chinese, Korean and Spanish -he had studied modern languages at trinity College, Cambridge. In 2005 the Time magazine ranked John as being among the top 100 most influential people in the world. He has also been ranked in the top 10 preachers of the 20th century. When he died tributes came from across the world. His close friend Billy Graham said The evangelical world has lost one of its greatest spokesmen, and I have lost one of my close personal friends and advisors . I look forward to seeing him again in heaven. They had known each other for over 50 years. John and Billy’s joint work on the Lausanne Covenant established a movement that became a watershed for evangelicals. I have included the titles for the 15 Lausanne Covenants. Sources used - wikipedia and lausanne.org

Saint Ignatius was bishop of Antioch when he was sentenced to death in the arena of Trajan. For some reason instead of being executed in his home town of Antioch he was escorted to Rome, in chains, by a company of 10 Roman soldiers. The ship taking him to Rome hugged the coast and Saint Ignatius, in chains, was received with honour by Christians at each port of call. He wrote 7 letters on his route to Rome to various committees containing instructions on marriage and theology. It is from these letters, which still exist, that we know what happened to him. Saint Polycarp befriended Saint Ignatius and collected the letters together and sent them to the church of Philippi. At some point a single Latin version , based on the original text, was made in England in the 13th century. Saint Ignatius fate was that he was eaten, by lions, in the Colosseum in Rome. He was probably alive during Jesus’ life time. There was a tradition in the early church that when he was a boy sat at the feet of Jesus. Whoso shall receive one such a little child in my name receiveth me Saint Ignatius is considered to be one of the three most important Apostolic Fathers. Sources used The Church’s Year by Charles Alexander wikipedia Britannica Online Encyclopedia The Encyclopedia of Saints Howard Loxton*

According to apocryphal texts Saint Lucy was a virgin who came from a wealthy Sicilian Family. A suitor who she refused to marry told the Roman authorities she was a Christian. The authorities first of all sentenced her to be placed in a brothel and forced into prostitution. This order, according to legend, was thwarted by divine intervention She was next condemned to death by fire - but she proved impervious to flames. Finally her neck was pierced by a sword and she died. Lots of images show her with a sword in her neck. Other images focus on her eyes. There are two legends. The first she was tortured by having her eyes torn out. Secondly she removed her own eyes and sent them to her suitor. There are many images showing her eyes on a dish.When she was buried her sight is restored. Saint Lucy is the patron saint of Syracuse (Sicily), for virgins and sight. She was one of the earliest Christian saints to achieve popularity. In Sweden St. Lucy’s day marks the beginning of the Christmas celebrations. The eldest daughter wears a white gown and a crown wreath studded with candles. Source Britannica Online Encyclopedia

Saint Vibia Perpetua was a married noblewoman, 22 years of age with an infant. Felicity was a slave and pregnant . Together with three men they were imprisoned. Perpetua, in prison, is said to have had a dream. She saw a ladder which led from her cell up to heaven. A dragon guarded the foot of it. She spoke to the dragon and he moved his head so she could climb. On reaching the top she found a shepherd with his flock and 1000s of people dressed in white. When she woke up she realized the day of her martyrdom was close, but unafraid, because she would soon be with the shepherd, Jesus in heaven. They were taken to the amphitheatre in Carthage. Perpetua was tossed and gored by a wild cow and afterwards beheaded. The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity tells of their deaths. Perpetua was a catechumen - a Christian instructed in the faith but not yet baptised. The group were executed at the military games in celebration of Emperor Septimius Severus’s birthday. Sources wikipedia The Church’s Year Charles Alexander

Clarence Edward Noble Macartney was born in Pennsylvania, USA in 1879. His father, John, was a pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. Clarence went to the university of Denver (1897-1901) and majored in English Literature. He spent a year in Europe visiting England, Scotland and France. He enrolled at Yale Divinity School but after a term moved on to Princeton Theological Seminary. he graduated in 1905 and opted to seek ordination in the Presbyterian Church USA. He became the pastor at Paterson, New Jersey (1905-1914). In this struggling downtown congregation he breathed new life. He next became the pastor at Arch Street Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia (1914-1927). He soon began to broadcast his sermons on the radio and eventually became Philadelphia’s foremost preacher. He also began to give a weekly lecture on homiletics ( creating and delivering sermons) at his former college. In 1919 Clarence crossed swords with Harry Emerson Fosdick over how the soldiers, when they returned from war, would not be able to accept traditional doctrine Clarence argued that Christian truth was unchanging. A more famous exchange happened in 1922 between Clarence and Fosdick. Fosdick preached and published * Shall the Fundamentalists Win?* Clarence responded with Shall Unbelief Win? ( Read relevant paragraph (1914-17)) He next became pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh (1927-1953). Here here the congregation was regularly 1200-1600 in the morning, 900 in the evening on the Sunday, plus a Wednesday evening service. Clarence regularly preached five times weekly. His sermons were turned into books - Things Most Surley Believed -1930 and *What Jesus Really Taught - 1958. He wrote a vast number of books -see bibliography. Clarence was a frequent preacher on college campuses and delivered a number of important lectures. His sermons were painstakingly prepared and delivered with directness and evangelical fervor. He was noted for his imaginative illustrations and his keen insights into the human heart. He was committed to preaching without notes. Clarence died on 19th February, 1957 at Geneva College. Michael Duduit refers to Clarence as being a * true homiletical giant . It is little wonder he puts Clarence in his top 10 of the greatest preachers of the 20th century. Sources used wikipedia The 10 Greatest Preachers of the 20th century. Michael Duduit - The Preacher

Robert Green Lee was born in a South Carolina sharecropper’s cabin. he grew up working on a farm. His school, a primitive one room, was a 3 mile walk away. Brought up in a Christian home and through regular Sunday school and church he came to know the Lord. He briefly worked on the Panama canal. he entered Furman University and graduated with honours in 1913. He married Bula Gentry. He was offered a teaching post but selected the pastorate instead. *That’s good! God never meant you to dig around Latin roots. He meant you to be a preacher * - Bula His first ministry was in Lima S.C… As he became widely known larger opportunities arose. After 3 more ministries he end up in 1927 at Believue Baptist Church of Memphis, Tennessee and stayed for the next 33 years. In 1960 he became pastor emeritus. In his ‘retirement’ he travelled the world - 100,000 miles a year, Robert’s sermons/messages were written in longhand on legal pads. He special attention to his opening statement to make it as effective as possible. His secretary would type out these pages. He would then read the manuscript frequently to master the content. He preached extemporaneously for up to 90 minutes in a white suit. His most famous sermon PayDay, some Day he preached 1,275 times (See included extract) He was offered a number of ’ jobs’- presidency of a seminary and a university-he stayed at Believue. He did do 4 terms as President of the Tennessee Baptist convention and 3 as head of the South Baptist convention. On his last day, 20 th July 1978 his friends sang hymns as he died. ( read R,G, Lee’s ascent to Glory). During his memorial service outstanding leaders paid tribute to the* peerless pulpiteer / Mr Southern Baptist*.