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.
James served as a Southern Baptist pastor, theologian, author, seminary professor and founder and first president oft the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS).
He was born at Charleston, South Carolina. James was educated at Brown University under Francis Wayland, whose evangelical sermons contributed to James conversion.
James served as editor of the Southern Baptist when he graduated.
In 1849 he then went to Princeton Theological Seminary under Charles Hodge who led James to appreciate Calvinistic theology. He completed the 3 year course in 2 years.
He then served as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Columbia, South Carolina until 1855 when he was offered the chance to join the faculty at South Carolina’s Furman University (SCFU) as professor of theology.
James enjoyed teaching at SCFU but he wanted to begin a Baptist seminary for southerners. In his famous 1856 inaugural address on Three Changes in Theological Education he presented his educational philosophy for a theological school.
With the help of fellow southern Baptists he brought his vision to life - Southern Seminary (SS) opened in Greenville in 1859. For nearly 30 years years he served SS 's as defacto president. He proved himself to be a skillful fund-raiser and administrator. He finally took the title in 1888- the year he died.His talent as an executive fostered competition for his talents but he stayed at SS.
He taught theology from 1859 until 1888. He wrote a catechism and a book Abstract of systematic Theology (1887). The book was used for many years in the department.
He led a Sunday School class at Broadway Baptist church and served as president for Southern Baptist Convention (1872-9 and 1888).
In 1888 he became ill and he took the opportunity to recover in Europe. His heart lifted when he met Charles Spurgeon. Reports indicated James was suffering from gout and while travelling his condition worsened and became fatal. He died in Pau, France on 28th December 1888.
James’ legacy lives onto this day through the seminary he devoted his life to establishing and preserving. - Our Presidents
Sources used
Amazon
Southern Seminary
wikipedia
Samuel Rodriguez Jr. ( born 29th September 1969) is an Evangelical Christian evangelist. He is a pastor, author, television personality, civil rights activist and movie producer. He is the founder and pastor of New Season Christian Worship Center. He is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC.
His parents are Puerto Rican but he was born in the USA.
Aged 16 he delivered his first sermon and quickly grew to be a leading and acclaimed evangelical preacher.
He gained a MA for Organization Leadership form Northwest University.
In 1992 he became an ordained minister in the assemblies of God, a Pentecostal fellowship. In 2000 he founded and is currently the president of NHCLC.
NHCLC is the largest Hispanic Evangelical organization in the world with 40,118. Latino Evangelical churches as members. It helps to cultivate a network of Latino leaders in the Christian community.
As a spokesperson for the Hispanic evangelicals he has featured as a speaker in the White House and congressional meetings.
In 2017 as president of NHCLC he was pleased to release the statement that the organization was pleased President Trump had decided ’ to return power to states to withhold federal funds from abortion providers’
( Read statement)
Samuel currently serves on the board for the National Association of Evangelicals
He is an author and his book You Are Next (2019) is a publishers weekly bestseller. In 2019 he was the executive producer of the film Flamin Hot.
In 2013 he was nominated for Time Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People.
In 2015 he was named as one of Newsmax’s Top 100 Christian leaders in America.
In 2020 he was recognized as one of Israel’s Top 50 Christian Allies.
Samuel is now in his early 50s and still has a great deal to offer to the Latino Christian Community and beyond.
Sources
NHCLC
Wikipedia
Luis Palau Jr. is one of the world’s leading international Christian evangelists and lives in the Portland area of Oregon, USA. He was born in Argentina and moved to Portland in his mid-twenties to enroll in a gradate program in Biblical studies. For many years he had a long and close relationship with Billy Graham.
Luis was born on 27th November 1934 in Maschwitz, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has 5 younger sisters and a step brother. His father, a construction executive, died when Luis was 10. The family were left nearly destitute and he had to leave his British-run boarding school to work in a bank as the sole provider.
Aged 12 he was ‘born again’- devoting his life to Christ.
Luis first heard Billy Graham in 1950 on the radio when he was still in Argentina.
Billy inspired Luis.
1960 Luis came to Portland to attend a graduate program at Multnomah Bible college. He met and married his fellow student Pat, a Beaverton kindergarten teacher in 1961.
1962 he became a US citizen. The Palaus spent the next 8 years as missionaries in Mexico and Colombia.
He worked for Billy as a Spanish interpretor and as an evangelist and in 1970. Billy contributed the ‘seed’ money( $100,000 in 4 quarter payments of $25,000) for Luis to start his own ministry, which he based on Billy’s model. In the 1970’ s he worked to build up his ministry
In 1975 he shared the Bible Expositor post with Bishop Festo Kivengere at Eurofest ‘75 which was held in Brussels’ Belguim and the Palais du Centenaire and the Heysel Stadium and sponsored by the Billy graham organizasion.
October 1978 Luis Palau Evangelistic Association LPEA) was ‘incorporated’. Since then Luis has held large scale evangelistic festivals and gatherings around the world.
In 1999 it was noted in the Portland weekly newspaper that he assembled an 80,000 member audience in the nation’s least churched major city.
In 2003, 3 of his 4 sons were working for his ministry. He hosted 3 daily radio programs- an English show carried by 900 stations and 2 Spanish programs carried by 880 stations in 25 countries.
November 2005 visited Beijing, China.
In 2007 it was estimated that he had shared the message of Jesus Christ with 25 million people in 70 nations. At his headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon he employs 70 and another 25 around the world.
March 2008 Luis addressed 500 Christian pastors in the build-up to the August event. 22-23August 2008 held a festival in Portland which focused on volunteerism to support the homeless - over 2 days 140,000 attended. This was organized by fellow evangelicals and the Portland commissioner Erik Sten. He called the effort* Season of Service*(Please read notes)
In 2015 he hosted an event City-Fest for 60,000 in Central Park, New York City
For over 70 years Luis has been committed to the Word of God
On Thursday, January 18th, 2018 Luis shared on Facebook he had stage 4 cancer. ( Read update on Luis’s heath on 14th October 2020
PBS
wikipedia
Rodney Lee Parsley (born 13th January 1957) is a prominent American Christian minister, author, television host and evangelist. He is the senior pastor of World harvest Church, a large pentecostal church in Canal Winchester, Ohio, Columbus.
He is the founder of a number of organizations.
Rodney’s Breakthrough -a media ministry -covers 8 areas of ministry
( in alphabetical order)
Bridge of Hope
Center for Moral Clarity started 2004 founder and president
City Harvest Network started 2017
Harvest Preparatory School founded 1986
Joni’s Journal written by his wife
Valor Christian College founder and chancellor
World Harvest Church Columbus started 1977 with 17, now 12,000 members World Harvest Church Elkhart
(See separate sheet for further information on each heading)
This is besides The Women’s Clinic of Columbus
His television program Breakthrough with Rod Parsley is aired daily on the several networks. RODPARSLEY. TV is a 24/7 online streaming channel.
Brief biography of Rod.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio. Raised as a Free Will Baptist. Enrolled at Circleville Bible college- left after 2 years. As youngster influenced by Lester Sumrall who became his mentor and traveling companion. Became pastor at World Harvest Church (1977-present. Married Joni Parsley in 1986. Children - boy & girl- now adults. (See separate article on Lester Sumrall)
In 2015 Rod was treated for cancer of the throat, but has since recovered.
I have concentrated on Breakthrough. I have included information from Wikipedia about World harvest Church, Political activism, Writings and Criticism of Parsley
Breakthrough is a worldwide soul winning ministry that is reaping the end time harvest and reviving the life of God in the hearts of humanity, With a fresh anointing on Rodney in this new millennium of ministry 1000s all across the world are being healed, saved and delivered by the power of God.
Sources
Breakthrough now
daystar.com
Ministries
The center for Moral Clarity
Wikipedia
Phillip Jensen is an Australian cleric of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and the former Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral. He founded the Australian Christian publishing house Matthais Media. He founded the Christian magazine The Briefing in 1988. He authored the Gospel tract The Two Ways of Living. He also created the Ministry Training Strategy (MTS).
He was chairman of the Katoomba Youth Convention (KYC) (1974-1991) & Convention Council (1983-91).
Phillip spent his early years living at Bellevue Hill, a suburb of Sydney. His first public statement of faith came at a Billy Graham crusade in 1959.
From 1967-70 he studied theology at Moore Theological College.
He married his wife Helen in 1969.
On graduation he worked at St. Matthew’s Manley and at the Department of Evangelism (now Evangelism and New Churches).
In 1975 he became Anglican chaplain to the University of New South Wales (UNSW)
In 1977 or8 he became rector of St. Matthias’ Centennial Park.
His university ministry was based around expository preaching and ‘walk-up evangelism’. There were many conversions and large student gatherings at UNSW. The congregation at St. Matthias grew from 20-30 in 1977 to over a 1,000 by the mid 1990s.
His work at UNSW included the creation of the Ministry Training Strategy (MTS) which trained young people in practical ministry skills, preparing them for church ministry, ordained or otherwise.
After over 30 years he resigned as Chaplain for the UNSW in 2005.
From 1974-91 he led the reinvigoration of the Katoomba Christian Convention - an interdenominational ministry providing evangelical Biblical preaching to Christians. ( See notes on ’ Katoomba Christian Convention’)
1988 founded *The Briefing* an evangelical Christian magazine published by Matthias Media . It had a distinct Sydney Anglican slant.
(See notes 'The Briefing' - closed in 2014
He promoted lay administration of the Lord’s Supper and is an opponent of the ordination of women.
In 2003 he was appointed Dean of Sydney’s St. Andrews Cathedral and Director of the Sydney Diocesan Ministry Training and Development (MT&D)(2003-12). During his time there he changed many things. Peter Phillips, the Tallis Scholars’ director, accused him of ‘vandalising’ Anglican culture,
( Read 3rd para on ‘Views’)
In 2014 he announced he was resigning as Dean at the end of the year.
Phillip commenced work on Two Ways Ministries* (TWM) at Moore Theological College. TWM seeks to serve people by proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus through teaching people the Bible
Phillip currently accepts invitations to preach and to speak at inter/national conferences.
Sources
twowayministries
Timothy J. Keller is an American pastor, theologian and Christian apologist. He is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (RPC) in New York City. He is the chairman and co-founder of Redeemer City to City , which trains pastors for ministry in global cities. He is co-founder of The Gospel Coalition* and founder of Hope for New York. He is also author of some of The New York Times bestselling books.
Tim was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
He has degrees from;-
B.A. Bucknell University (BN) 1972
M.Div Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) 1975
D.Min Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) 1981
Tim became a Christian while studying at BN through IVC Fellowship and became a staff member.
He was ordained by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
He served as a pastor at West Hopewell Presbyterian Church, Hopewell, Virginia for 9 years. At the same time he was director of church planting for PCA and on the faculty at WTS where he and his wife, Kathy, were involved in urban ministry.
The church planting involved looking at the needs of New York. Although working at WTS he continued to commute to New York and joined the prayer meetings at RPC.
Tim was recruited by PCA to start RPC in 1989. He lacked experience but succeeded after 2 others had turned it down. His congregation of 50 in 1989 grew to over 5,000 each Sunday by 2008. This led to some calling him the most successful Christian Evangelist in the city
Over the next 28 years RPB exploded in size and influence!
In 1992 RPC founded Hope for New York. its mission was to mobilize volunteer and financial resources to support non-profit organizations serving the poor and marginalized in New York City
Tim is co-founder of The Gospel Coalition (2005) a group of reformed leaders from around the USA.
He is chairman and co-founder of Redeemer City to City (CTC) which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for ministry in an urban environments.
For 28 years he led a diverse congregation of young professionals that grew a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
(Read the 5 pages Redeemer History - Redeemer Churches and Ministries)
On 1st July 2017 Tim stepped down from his role as senior pastor of RPC to concentrate on CTC . This will enable him to teach and mentor church planters and seminary students full time in a joint venture with Reformed Theological Seminary’s (RTS) , the City Ministry program
June 2020 Tim was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Tim will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.
* Christianity Today*
Sources
Hope for New York
Wikipedia
Charles Simeon became a leader among evangelical churchmen and was one of the founders of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1799. He also helped found the *London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews *
(LSPCAJ) in 1809.
He also established what is now the *Charles Simeon Trust.
Simeon was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1759 and baptized the same year. He studied at Eton College and was an undergraduate from 1779 at King’s College Cambridge.
One Easter, while at King’s, he experienced a Christian conversion
In 1782 he became a Fellow of King’s College and was ordained a deacon and graduated B.A. in 1783.
He began as a minister as deputy to Christopher Atkinson at St. Edward King and Martyr, Cambridge.
He then received the living of Holy Trinity, Cambridge in 1783. Technically it was a curacy. He was appointed, under the age of 23, as a curate-in-charge for the bishop. Initially John Hammond was preferred by the congregation. Services were disrupted and he was insulted in th e streets. But Simeon stayed (1783-1836) there for the rest of his life and eventually had a crowded church.
He gained influence among the under graduates of the university. He taught, young priests in training Theology and preaching technique, at discussion parties hosted in his College room in the Gibbs building.
They were inspired by his dynamic preaching at St. Edward’s, Great St. Mary’s and Holy Trinity churches. They used his published 100s of sermons ,or skeleton of sermons, when drafting their own- to some an invitation to clerical plagiarism!
He became a leading evangelical churchman and was one of the founders of the Church Missionary Society ( now called Church Mission Society -see notes).
He also help found LSPCAJ) (now known as the Church Ministry Among Jewish People (CMJ - see notes.)
He established the Charles Simeon Trust to encourage perpetuate evangelical clergy in the Church of England parishes. It continues to operate to this day.
( See notes- sorry about poor print).
In 1809 the British East India sought his advice of choice of Chaplains for India.
His main piece of work was a commentary on the whole Bible -Horae homileticae.
Charles died on 13th November 1836, aged 77. He was buried on the 19th in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge.
His influence and authority extended to the most remote corners of England.
His real sway over the Church was far greater than that of any Primate…
Thomas Macaulay- historian
*One of the greatest and most persuasive preachers the Church of England has ever known * John Stott- evangelist
Sources used
King’s College Cambridge
Simeon’s Trustees and Hyndman’s Trustees
Wikipedia
Charles Frazier Stanley is Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church (FBC) in Atlanta, Georgia, having been senior pastor for 50 years. He is the founder and president of In Touch Ministries (ITM) which broadcasts his sermons through television. He has served 2 one year terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) from 1984-6.
Charles was born in Dry Fork, Virginia on 25th September 1932 His farher died 9 months after he was born. He grew up in Dry Fork. Aged 12 he became a born again Christian. 2 years later he began his life’s work in Christian ministry.
Degrees BA from University of Richmond
MD from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Fort Worth
MT & DrTh. Luther Rice Seminary in Florida (now in Lithonia)
He joined the staff at FBC in 1969 and became senior pastor in 1971. The book
Think and Grow Rich served as a motivational book over many years.
In 1972 launched a half hour religious television program The Chapel Hour
The Christian Broadcasting Network began televising it in 1978.
In 1982 he founded In Touch Ministries . It uses tools like radio, television, magazines and digital media to advance the Gospel as quickly as possible.
Television *The Breakfast Club 1983-5.
In Touch with Dr Charles Stanley 1990-present *
1989 ’ In Touch’ named by NRB as Television Producer of the Year
1999 ‘In Touch’ named radio program of the year
In the USA it is broadcast on approximately 500 radio stations, 300 television stations and several satellite networks.
He is a an avid photographer and many of his photographs appear in the In Touch magazine,
( Called In Touch becomes it comes from a Living Bible he owned)
In 1984-6 he was elected president of the SBC.
He has authored more than 60 books and has hit the New York Times Best Seller’s List several times.
He developed 30 Life Principles that have guided his life and helped him grow in his knowledge, service and love of God. His grandfather gave him this principle - Obey God and leave all the consequences to him.
He was married to Anna J. Stanley for more than 40 years. They had a son, Andy and a daughter Becky. They divorced on 11th May, 2000. Anna died on 10th November 2014.
On 13th September 2020 he announced his retirement as senior pastor. He is now pastor emeritus.
Charles does not believe in retirement so he continues to work, now aged 88, at In Touch ministries
*It is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives
*
Dr Charles F. Stanley
Sources used
Meet Dr. Charles Stanley
Wikipedia
Philip Ryken is an American theologian, Presbyterian minister, and academic administrator. He is the eighth and current president of Wheaton College in Wheaton , Illinois.
He was born on the 29th September 1966.
Degrees
B.A. for English literature and Philosophy from Wheaton College 1988
M.D. for Divinity Westminster Theological Seminary 1992
D.Ph. in Historical theology University of Oxford 1995
Philip joined the pastoral staff of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia in 1995 and was promoted to senior pastor in 2000 on the death of James Boice.
February 2010 Wheaton College of Board of Trustees announced his selection as their 8th president. He took office on 1st July 2010 and formally inaugurated on 17th September 2010 at Edman chapel.
He is on the council of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals which features his preaching on its weekly radio and internet broadcast Every Last Word
(See information on ACE and Every last Word Radio).
He serves as a board member for the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, the Gospel Coalition, the Lausanne Movement and the National Association of Evangelicals.
He maintains a full schedule of speaking engagements on and off campus.
He has written over 50 books on a variety of Christian subjects.
He has also co-authored a series of commentaries on individual books of the Bible with R. Kent Hughes.
Together with his father Leland and James Wilmoit they wrote Ryken’s Bible Handbook.
He met his Lisa while they were students at Wheaton The couple have 5 children.
I have included information about Wheaton College.
Sources used
Amazon
Wheaton College
Wikipedia
Nicholaus Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Zinzendor und Pottendorf was a German religious and social reformer, bishop o the Moravian Church, founder of the Herrnhuter Bridergemeine, Christian mission pioneer and a major figure of 18th century protestantism.
Aged 6 he wrote love letters to Jesus. Once written he would climb to the castle tower and toss them out of the window where they scattered around around the courtyard like innocent prayers.
His school days were spent at Franke Foundations at Halle. In 1716 he went to the University of Wittenberg to study law to be ready for a diplomatic career. 1719 he travelled in the Netherlands, France and parts of Germany
During a visit to an art Museum he experienced the Holy Spirit upon viewing Ecce Homo by Domencia Feti. He was convicted.
I have loved him for a long time, but have never actually done anything for him. from now on I will do whatever he leads me to do.
In 1721, at the wedding of Count Henry XXiX Ruess he met Erdmuthe Dorothea, He married her in 1722.
He decided to become a landowner and bought Berthelsdorf from his grandmother, Baroness von Gersdorf. His intention was not to found a religious organization but a Christian association. In 1722 he had the opportunity to offer asylum to a number of persecuted wanderers from Moravia and Bohemia to build the village of Herrnhut on a corner of his estate.
As the village grew it became known as a place of religious freedom and attracted individuals from a variety of persecuted groups. But conflict broke out so Nicolaus took indefinite leave from his court commission in Dresden and moved back to his estate to devote himself full time to reconciliation of the conflict.
On 12 May 1727 The Manorial Injunctions were signed by the community
( now *The Moravian Covenant for Christian Living) . ( See notes for TMCCL)
The leadership of these people consumed his considerable energies for the rest of his life.
Hermhut, with its unique communal organization and economic self sufficiency became the center for the developing Moravian church, as it became known in the late 1740s.
In 1735 his desire to receive Lutheran ordination finally happened. With the revival of the Brethren;s clerical orders In 1737 he became a Moravian bishop.
The emergence of a new denomination saw him being banished from Saxony from 1736-47. He used this time to visit Moravian settlement and missions in Europe, England, West Indies and the USA
The Moravians were granted religious freedom in Saxony in 1749. He returned in 1755 to spend his last days in Hernhut. His wife died in 1756.
He married Anna Caritas Nitschmann, a friend, spiritual leader but a commoner
Nicolaus write a number of books ( See Bibliography)
Three years later, Nicolaus overcome with labours, fell ill and died. He died on 9th May 1760. Anna died 12 days after her husband.
Sources used
Enclopedia.com
Wikipedia
Andrew Purves is a Scottish theologian in the Reform tradition through the church of Scotland and later the Presbyterian Church USA. He is the Jean and Nancy Davis Professor Emeritus of Historical Theology at Pittsburgh Seminary
Andrew was born in 1946 in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1978 he moved to the USA and ordained by the Philadelphia Presbytery in 1979.
Degrees
Philosophy and Divinity at University of Edinburgh
Master of Theology form Duke Divinity School
Doctor of Philosophy from University of Edinburgh
He served as pastor at the Hebron Presbyterian Church in Clinton, Pennsylvania until 1983 when he began teaching at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS). He retired from PTS after 32 years (2015).
In addition to his academic work he has served the church and wider community though his work with the PC(USA) and lectureships around the world.
He has written a number of publications, both books and articles, academic and popular. His primary concerns surround Christology - the branch of Theology concerned with the person, attributes and deeds of Jesus Christ. Recontructing pastoral Theology; A Christogical Foundation and Exploring Christology and Atonement:Conversations are two of his books.
( See Amazon sheet and ‘Purves has along list of publications’)
He has become a leader of evangelical renewal in the Presbyterian Church of the USA (PC(USA) and is known for his conservative Christian views concerning the person and work of Jesus, ( See notes on PC(USA) )
He agrees with the withholding of ordination of self-avowed, practicing, unrepentant gays and lesbians.
Andrew is married to Catherine (Cathy) Purves. They had 3 children.
William Miller was an American baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid 19th century religious movement called Millerism.
William was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on 15th February 1792. in 1796 the family t moved to Low Hampton. New York.His mother educated him at home until he was 9. He then attended East Poultney District school. He is not known to have further education after he was 18, but he continued to read widely. He had access to several private libraries
In 1803 he married Lucy Smith and moved to Poultney where he took up farming.
In1809 he was elected to the office of deputy sheriff and later elected to be the Justice of the Peace
Shortly after arriving he rejected his Baptist heritage and became a Deist
( a belief in the existence of God based solely on natural reason, without reference to revelation).
At the outbreak of war in 1812 he raised a company of local men and acted as a recruiter. In 1814 promoted of captain. He had a miraculous escape when a bomb exploded killing one soldier. injuring 3 others and he survived without a scratch. On discharge from the army in 1815 he moved his family back to Low Hampton.
He took tentative steps to regain his Baptist faith. With the minister away he was asked to read the sermon. (Read his conversion comment in Religious Life.)
His Diest friends challenged him to justify his new faith. He started at Genesis 1 v1 - not moving until he felt the meaning was clear. He became convinced that post-millennialism ( the doctrine or belief that the second coming of Christ would be preceded by the millennium) was unbiblical and that Christ’s Second Coming was revealed in Bible prophecy.
He based his calculations on Daniel 8 v 14 Unto twp thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed
starting date 457 BC the year Artaxerxes I of Persia allowed the rebuilding of Jerusalem
A day represented a year. 2,300
Year of Second Coming 2300 - 457 = 1843 on/before (See charts)
October 22, 1844 became known as *The Great Disappointment *
William apparently never personally set an exact date for the Second Coming.
Millerism from 1840 was transformed from an 'obscure, regional movement into a national campaign. A key figure was Joshua Vaughan Himes, an able and experienced published who printed the 24 issues of*Signs of the Times from March 1840. (See sheet)
William died on 20th December 1849 convinced the Second Coming was imminent, Christians await the day 09/12/2020
Legacy
William Miller’s Home is a registered a National Historic Landmark and preserved as museum
Estimate number of followers 50,000- 500,000
After his death new heirs to his message emerged
Advent Christian Church 61,000
Seventh-day Adventists Church 19,000,000
Sources used
Logos Bible Software
Wikipedia
James Porter Moreland ( born 9th March 1948), better known as J.P. Moreland, is an American philosopher, theologian and Christian apologist - a person concerned with the defence and rational justification of Christianity. He currently serves as a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University in La Mirada, California,
He specializes in metaphysics - the system of first principles and assumptions underlying an inquiry or philosophical theory, philosophy of mind and Christian philosophy.
Degrees
He received a B.S. in physical chemistry from the University of Missouri.
M.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Riverside
Th.M in Theology form Dallas Theological Seminary
Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Southern California 1985
For 10 years he served with the Campus Crusade. He planted 2 Campus Crusade works and planted 2 churches
James has spoken on over 200 college campuses and in 100s of churches.
He has authored, edited, or contributed papers to 95 books.
( See ‘Works’ and ‘Amazon’)
James has also published close to 90 articles
He has had his work published in journals such as *Metaphilosophy and American Philosophically Quarterly. *
He regularly contributes articles to Christianity Today, Faith and Philosophy, Philosophia Christi, and Philosophy Phenomenological Research.
James has been a frequent guest on the PBS television series Closer to Truth.
( See sheet on ‘Closer to Truth’)
He is a member of the Board of Advisers for the Center on Cultural and Civil Society (CCCS) at the Independent Institute. The purpose of CCCS is to bring together top scholars in their various fields to produce books, events and media programs for all to use. ( See notes on CCCS)
James has received many awards and honors ( See ‘Awards and honors’}
In 2016 J. P. Moreland was recognized by The Best Schools as being one of the 50 most influential living philosophers. A recognition well deserved.
Sources
Biola University
Discovery Institute
The Independent Institute
TV Episodes/ Closer to Truth
Wikipedia
Thomas Clark Oden was an American Methodist theologian and religious author. He is often regarded as the father of the paleo (variant)-orthodox theological movement. He was Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University in New Jersey from 1980 until his retirement in 2004, He remained faculty emeritus until he died.
Thomas was born on 21st of October 1931 in Altus, Oklahoma. He was the son of an attorney and a music teacher. As a youth he considered two vocations - lawyer or Methodist minister.
Aged 10 the family moved to Oklahoma City, In 1945 they moved back to Atlus. In High school he began his vocation of writing and speaking.
Thomas married Edrita Pokorny on 10th August 1952. They had 3 children.
Degrees
BA from the University of Oklahoma 1953
BD from Southern Methodist University 1956
MA from Yale University 1958
Ph.D. from ‘’ ‘’ 1960
Thomas lectured at a number of universities - Yale, Southern Methodist, Heidelberg, Lomonosov and Pontifical Gregorian in Rome, plus Princeton Theological Seminary.
In his writings he became a supporter of paleo-orthodoxy - an approach which relies on the writings of the early church. In the early 1970s he was influenced by his Jewish colleague, Will Herberg, He discovered an ecumenical orthodoxy interpretation of the New Testament which is universal and accepted by most Christian faiths.
Thomas suggested that Christians need to *rely upon the wisdom of the historical/early church, rather than on modern scholarship and theology which he thought was tainted by political agendas. *
He said his mission was to prepare the third millennium for the *careful study and respectful following of the central tradition of classical Christianity. *
Thomas was active in the Confessing Movement in America. He served on the board of the Institute on Religion and Democracy.
He had an Arminian theology which means he believes in the Christian Protestant doctrines of Jacobus Arminus (1560-1609)- the Dutch theologian. He wrote *The Transforming Power of Grace *
which according to Roger E. Olson ’ is one of the best expositions of Arminian theology '*
*
He wrote and edited many book, articles ,essays and speeches on a range of topics. He served as the architect and general editor of Ancient Christian Commentary on Scriptures(ACCS) which is a massive 30 volume series.
He was general editor of the Ancient Doctrine series and Ancient Christian devotionals. He was consulting editor of the Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity ( See ‘Works’ for list of books and Amazon notes on ACCS).
Thomas died , aged 85, on 8th December 2016. He is considered to be one of the most influential theologians of the late 20th/early 21st century.
He had* A Life time of Pioneering Theological Scholarship*.
Sources used
InterVasity press
Wikipedia
Richard Longeneck is a prominent New Testament scholar. For many years he taught at Wycliffe College University of Toronto., He was formerly Distinguished Professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario. He is now retired.
He received a B.A. (1953) and M.A. (19560 from Wheaton College He received a Ph.D from new College , University of Edinburgh
Wycliffe College honored him with a D.D.
He developed an international reputation teaching in several theological colleges for 40 years. He also lectured widely in North America.
He is the author of numerous books and published over 50 articles in scholarly and professional journals. (See 'Works for long list of books published over 45 years).
in 1994 a Festschrift (a collection of essays and learned papers) were published in his honor.
In 2016 his commentary on the epistle to Romans was published by Eerdmans in the *New International Greek Testament Commentary *series.
He has given significant contributions to the Institute for Biblical Research (IBR).Established in 1973 its vision is *to foster excellence in the pursuit of Biblical Studies within a faith environment. * (See notes on IBR)
Richard has also given outstanding leadership serving as president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC). Founded in 1964 It publishes *Faith Today which is a major evangelical magazine in Canada ( See notes on EFC)
Richard was born on 21st July 1930 which means he is now 90. The Epistle to the Romans was published when he was 86 - what an achievement. I am lost for words.
Sources used
Theopedia
Wikipedia
Mark Dever is the senior pastor of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church (CHBC) in Washington D.C. He is the co-founder and president of 9Mark which was created to build biblically faithful churches in America.
He earned a B.A. at Duke University, a M.A. in Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a M.A, in Theology form Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Dr of Philosophy from Cambridge University.
Mark grew up in rural Kentucky and was an avid reader, reading sections from encyclopedias by the age of 10. Based on his reading and thoughts he considered himself an agnostic. Later he reread the Gospel and seeing the change in the life of Jesus’ disciples led him to becoming a Christian.
In 1994 he became the senior pastor of CHBC. CHBC is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Mark believes that Baptist churches should be led by a plurality of congregational elders as opposed to a single elder.
In 1998 Mark founded The Center for Church Reform which eventually became*9Mark
The aim of 9Mark is to help Bible believing churches become more healthy by recovering a Biblical view of the church.
The 9 marks are:-
Expositional preaching
Biblical Theology
'' understanding of the gospel
'' '' '' '' conversion
'' '' '' '' evangelism
'' '' '' '' membership
'' church discipline
Promotion of Christian discipleship and growth
9 .Biblical Understanding of church leadership
( See About 9Mark)
Mark and CHBC also train church leaders an a small scale. Every year 12 interns pass through the church’s internship program that centers around ecclesiology. (See Notes for definition)
He is a member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals (ACE) where he leads the Alliance Forum. The ACE promotes the traditional doctrines of the Protestant Reformation especially Calvinism. (See Notes for more ACE info.)
Mark has become more widely recognized among conservative evangelicals as he has appeared at large nationwide conferences. He co-founded the Together for the Gospel conference.
Notes on
Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
Ecclesiology - definition of
Sources
Wikipedia
Howell Harris (1714-1773 was a Calvinistic Methodist evangelist.
He was one of the main leaders of the Welsh Methodist revival in the 18th century
along with Daniel Rowland and William Williams Pantyselyn.
Howell was born on the 23rd January 1714 at Trefeca, naer Talgarth, Wales.
He underwent religious conversion in May 1735 having heard Rev. Pryce Davies preach on palm Sunday on the necessity to take Holy Communion. After several weeks of self examination it reached a climax on Whit Sunday, May 1735, He felt convinced that he had received mercy through the blood of Christ.
He began immediately to tell others. He held meetings in his house to encourage others to seek the same assurance.
The Church of England were unwilling to accept him for ordination because of his ‘Methodist’ views so he became an itinerant preacher and travelled far and wide in Wales and England. He was tirelessly determined to spread the Word especially in Wales. His preaching led him into personal danger, persecution and hardship before he gained support. From 1738 Marmaduke Gwynne, a local squire and early convert, supported him.
Howell became friends with Daniel Rowlands in about 1737.
In 1750 he retreated to Trefeca after becoming the subject of a public scandal for his close friendship with ‘Madam’ Sidney Griffith. In 1752 he founded a religious community known as Teula Trefeca - The Trefeca family with himself as ‘Father’.
His friendship with Daniel broke down when Howell became involved with Motavian errors.
In 1763, 13 years later, friendship with Daniel renewed after reconciliation. They resumed their former activities.
Howell died 10 years later on 21st July 1773. 20,000 are said to have attended his funeral. he was buried close to his birthplace in Talgarth.
Howell Harris was effectively the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Wales, also known as the Calvinistic Methodist Church.
In 1811 - not without much heart searching- the Welsh Calvinist Methodists broke away from the Church of England.
He kept a detailed diary and filed letters sent and received. For years they gathered dust! These papers, some in Latin, offer a first hand account of the Welsh Methodist revival. In 2000 Howell Harris: From Conversion to Separation 1735-50 was published. ( Read ‘The papers of Howell Harris’)
William Grimshaw (1708-1763) is a name frequently missed when the 18th century revival is mentioned. William Romaine described him as the most indefatigable preacher that ever was in England.
He was educated in Blackburn before going to Cambridge University as a sizar.
(Sizars were given their education and keep free at the university in return for duties as servants to wealthy students, When they graduated they were ordained into the C. of E. and placed in outlying poor parishes.)
He began his ministry as a curate in Todmorden, Yorkshire in 1731. There he indulged in very earthly pursuits- card playing, fox hunting, shooting etc. He changed when his young wife died, saw a parishioner suffering from post-natal depression and having a mystical experience. He under went a profound spiritual change and became an ardent evangelical. He had been a curate for 10 years before his converted.
After his conversion in 1741 he moved to Haworth in 1742. When he arrived there was barely a dozen regular communicants, a year later there was nearly a 1000.
Visiting preachers included the Wesley brothers and John Newton. In 1758 he built a Methodist chapel. 6,000 attended these meetings,
William was a very powerful preacher and often used broad dialect. He mixed authority with humour, bluntness with tenderness, condemnation with compassion. Being healthy and strong he preached alternative weeks on 2 circuits.
He was also a very good pastor. He regularly visited the housebound, elderly and sick and over seeing the education of the young.
On one occasion he was so angry with his congregation’s response to his sermon he put a donkey in the pulpit! He imposed a rigorously imposed Sabbath observance on the whole village.
By the time he died, 2i years later, there had been a major transformation in that bleak Yorkshire village.and the surrounding area. Drunkards had become sober, wasters had been changed into industrious family men and the Gospel flame spread far an wide.
Faith Cook - William Grimshaw remembered
William stayed until 1763 when he caught Typhus from a parishioner he went to visit. Realising he was about to die he asked his friend Henry Venn to preach at his funeral on For me to live is Christ and to die is gain - his personal beacon since his conversion.
William, aged 55, died on 7th April 1763. Hie final whispered words were
*I have nothing to do but step out of bed into heaven. I have my foot upon the threshold already.
William Grimshaw of Haworth was a remarkable character and a leading figure in the evangelical revival of the 18th Century.
Sources used
William Grimshaw remembered
The Revd. Willaim Grimshaw of Haworth (1708-17630
.
John Frith (1503-1533 was an English protestant priest, writer and martyr.
As his ministry progressed he took greater risks with his stance against the Roman Catholic teachings of Purgatory ( a temporary place or condition of suffering or torment) and Transubstantiation ( that bread and wine at Communion change to Christ’s body and blood).
John was born in 1503 in Westerham, Kent. The font where he was baptised is still in use today.
He went to Sevenoaks Grammar School. He then went to Eton (1520-20and Queen’s College, Cambridge. He received his degree from King’s in 1525. He became proficient in Latin, Greek and mathematics
After graduating he was called out of Cambridge to attend Oxford University by Thomas Wolsey who personally gathered young men who excelled in learning and knowledge (1525-8).
Met influential William Tyndale.
Married in 1528
Oxford was the first place in which John was apprehended and committed to prison under the suspicion of being in favour of Martin Luther’s doctrine and had books in his possession considered ’ heretical’. He was released roughly 6 months later and fled to Antwerp.
From Antwerp he travelled to Marburg where he translatedPlaces by Patrick Hamilton. In 1529 he translated other pieces. He also had *A Dispotacion of Purgatoryr, *published.
(See ‘Residence in continental Europe’)
The second place he was imprisoned was on a visit to Reading. in Berkshire. He went to see the Prior at Reading because he had run out of money. He was imprisoned as a vagabond and rogue, arrested and put in the stocks He was released with the help of Leonard Coxe, a local schoolmaster.
On His return to England, Thomas More, the Lord Chancellor, issued warrants for his arrest. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for about 8 months.While there he wrote his final book The Bulwark - his thoughts on the Communion.
John was tried before many examiners and bishops. He produced his own writing as evidence for his views but they were deemed as heresy. He was asked whether he believed in purgatory or transubstantiation he answered that neither could be proved by Holy Scripture.
23rd June sentenced to death as a heretic and moved to Newgate Prison.
4th July, 1533 publicly burned at the stake in Smithfield, London
Master Frith was a young man noted for his godliness, intelligence and knowledge. In the secular world he could have risen to any height he wished, but he chose, instead, to serve the church and work for the benefit of others and not himself.
Harold Chadwick
John’s works were posthumously published in 1573 by John Foxe
John Frith played an influential role in the Protestant Reformation
Saint Agatha of Sicily (c.231-251 AD) is a Christine saint. She was born in Catania or Palermo in Sicily.
According tot the 13th century Golden Legend by Jacbus de Voragine, Agatha, aged 15, from a rich and noble family made a vow of virginity.
She rejected the amorous advances and persistent proposals of marriage to the Roman prefect Quintianus.
This was during the persecutions of emperor Decius so he reported her to the authorities for being a Christian. In the first place, to force her to change her mind, He imprisoned her in a brothel but Agatha never lost her confidence in God.
He tried again. On being rejected he had her imprisoned and tortured - this included cutting off her breasts with pincers.
He then sentenced her to be burnt at the stake but an earthquake saved her from that fate.
Although her martyrdom is authenticated there is no reliable information concerning her death. She may have died in prison aged just 20. She is buried at the Badia di Sant’Agata, Catania.
Her patronage is wide -these are examples.
She is the patron saint of breast cancer patients and earthquakes
She is the patron saint of Catania, Malta, Molise, San Marino, Gallipoli and Zamarramala.
The tradition of making shaped pastry on the feast of St Agatha-5th February,
such as Agatha breads or buns Breasts of St. Agatha is found in many countries.
Saint Agatha of Sicily is one of the most highly venerated virgin martyrs of Christian history. She is one of several martyrs who are commemorated in the Canon of the Mass.