Richard C. Halverson was a minister of the former United Presbyterian Church in the USA. He served as the chaplain of the United States Senate for 13 years. He had originally hoped to make it big in Hollywood but instead following his conversion he became a pastor. I have taken quotes from V. Raymond’s book They Found a Secret (pages 78-86) to show what the ‘three crisis’ - his words - had on his life. They about the growing influence of the Holy Spirit on his life

Bob Gass, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was a Christian with a mission. He was told on his wedding day, to Debbie, that he would reach more people through his writing than his preaching. From small beginnings of 3,5OO copies in 1994 of Word for Today to MILLIONS today. He died earlier this year leaving a legacy of Word for Today, plus several years of Word for Today in note form to be used for several more years.

Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, original name Marie-Bernarde Saubirous, a miller’s daughter, was the eldest of nine children. Her visions led to the founding of the shrine at Lourdes which today has 5 million visitors and tourists every season. I have included some brief information about Saint Bernadette and the shrine at Lourdes found on wikipedia and britannica websites.

Handley Carr Glyn Moule was a former Bishop of Durham. He became the the first principle of Ridley Hall, Cambridge. Although he was ordained in 1867 it was not until 1884, after he had become principle at Ridley college, that he received fully the gift of the Holy Ghost. ( See and read pages 104/5 from V. Raymond Edman’s book They Found the Secret. ) Following on from his ‘crisis’ the enrollment at Ridley hall was augmented and with the increase there came problems that were triumphantly faced. His principalship started in 1880 continued until 1899. In his lifetime he wrote over 60 theological books and pamphlets,he also published at least two volumes of poetry.plus a number of hymns. (see incomplete list)

Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899), was an evangelist and publisher, who has had a stunning impact stretching across generations and classes. He had boundless energy, natural shrewdness, self-confidence and eternal optimism. Reading his school report it is hard to believe the person he became. he was a young shoe clerk in Boston when he was converted. I have include a number of extracts from V. Raymond Edman’s book They Found the Secret. From humble beginnings he presented the claims of the Gospel to large audiences in both America and the UK. Early in his ministry he was told to honour the Holy Spirit in all his preaching. Two old ladies, who prayed for him said, ’ You need power’. he received the full measure of the Holy Spirit. The great fire of Chicago changed his sermons - originally it was his personal drive now it was the dynamic of the Holy Spirit. He talks about three classes of Christian- makes interesting reading. He remained a humble man. Read about his five secrets as described by Dr. C. L. Scofield at his funeral.

Charles G. Trumbell was a key factor in the formation of the Victorious Life Testimony which sponsors the American Keswick in New Jersey, USA. he was a spirit filled Christian journalist and leader. His testimony is retained in an excellent pamphlet The Life That Wins. He grew up in New Mexico and was educated at Yale and Notre Dame University. He held editorial and publishing positions at the National Academy of Science, Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty and Encyclopedia Britannica. I have included sections from V. Raymond Edman’s book They Found the Secret**** to illustrate how the Holy Spirit had a profound effect on his life His dates are born February 20th 1872; died January 13th 1941, aged 68.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria is one of the most popular Christian martyrs. Her feast day is November the 25th. She is also remembered on November 5th, Firework Night, because one of the fireworks - the Catherine Wheel - has been named after her. Very little is actually known about her. She is not mentioned in writing, until the 9th century, so it is only through memory and traditional stories, that we know anything about her. It is believed she was born of noble birth, probably a princess. She became a Christian aged 14 years old following amoving vision of Mary and the infant Jesus. She spoke to emperor Maxentius about his cruelty to Christians. Initially, rather than her executed, he summoned 50 orators and philosophers to debate with her. She was so eloquent in her defence of her faith that several pagans were converted. Unable to intimidate her to give up her faith he ordered her to be tortured and imprisoned. He decided to have a killed. She was tied to a water wheel fitted with spikes. Somehow she survived this form of torture. Eventually he had her beheaded. I have included pictures of Saint Catherine and listed meaning of her name. Sources used The Church’s Year, britannica, catholic org/saints and nameberry.

St. Cecilia lived during the 3rd century AD in Rome, Italy. She is one of the most famous Roman martyrs of the early church and historically most discussed. When she was forced to marry her husband Valerian, a pagan nobleman, she sat apart singing to God - for that she was later declared the saint of musicians. She retained her virginity by telling her husband that an angel of the Lord was watching over her. The husband asked to see the angel. She told him to be baptised by Pope Urban I. After the baptism he saw an angel standing beside her. She suffered martyrdom along with her husband and his brother Tiburtius, at the hands of prefect Turcius Almachius in the reign of emperor Marcus Aurelius between 176-180 AD. The legend about her death is that she was struck on the neck by a sword three times and lived for three days. She asked the pope to turn her home into a church. She was later beheaded. Her body when moved in 1599 from the Catacomb of Callixtus to the church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere was found to be still incurrupt, seemingly to be a sleep. Over the years a lot of music has been dedicated to her name by many famous composers - see list enclosed. *A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day * by John Dryden included My source for information was Wikipedia - a very well thought out source. Point of information Cecilia can also be spelt Cecity

She was named Charlotte Digges Moon but everyone called her Lottie. Initially she was indifferent to her Christian upbring but following a revival meeting in 1858 she experienced an awakening. She spent nearly 40 years as a Southern Baptist missionary in China. She wanted to go out and evangelis on the streets but initial she spent her time in the classroom. female missionaries realised that they could communicate with the Chinese women better than the men She was impatient with the usual restraints and deliberately moved her Chinese mission out of reach of male authority. She asked for missionaries. Woman’s Missionary Union collected the Christmas offering to give to the Foreign Mission Board. She wanted more than anything to have gender equality. In 1893 she wrote, ’ What women have a right to demand is perfect equality’.

Karl was born in Pyritz, a province of Pomerania in Prussia. His first job was as an apprentice saddler in Stettin. He was one of the first Protestant missionaries in Bangkok, Thailand (1828) and Korea (1832). He was the first Lutheran missionary to China and he also wore Chinese clothing. He wrote a number of books and served as interpreter for British diplomatic missions. In Macau and later in Hong Kong he worked on a Chinese translation of the Bible. He also published Chinese language magazine* Eastern Western Monthly Magazine.* In 1840, he was one , of a group of 4, who translated the Bible into Chinese. The Bible translation was a version in High Wen-Li - correct and faithful to the original. He also founded in 1844 a school for ‘native’ missionaries when the Chinese government were unwilling to allow foreigners into the country. Nearly 50 were trained during the first four years. His book **** Appeal to the churches of Britain and America on behalf of China**** influenced Dr. David Livingstone to become a medical missionary but David ended up in Africa rather than China, because of the First Opium War in China. He founded the Chinese Evangelization Society. Hudson Taylor said Karl was the grandfather of the China Inland Mission. Source used : wikipedia

Just three short pieces of information about the hermit Saint Antony of Egypt who is remembered on January 17th.

Saint Wulfstan lived in the time of the Normany invasion of 1066. He was the last surviving English holder of a bishopic after the Norman conquest. Through his uncle’s influence he studied at monasteries in Evesham and Peterborough and joined the Benedictine monastery in Worcester as clerk. Noting his reputation for dedication and chastity his superiors urged him to join the priesthood. In 1038 he was ordained and joined a monastery of Benedictines at Worcester. He became the bishop of Worcester in 1062. He stayed bishop until his death, from a protracted illness, on 19th January 1095. William the Conquer thought he, was a fool, probably because he did not speak French, and tried to deprive him of his bishopic. At an inquiry, held at Westminster, he was vindicated. He was noted for his preaching and personal asceticism (denial). William noted that pastoral care of his diocese was Wulstan’s principle interest. Together with Lanfranc, the Archbishop of Canterbury, they stopped the trading of English people being captured and transported from Bristol to Ireland as slaves. He also helped with the compiling of the Domesday Book. He frequently served as adviser to King William ll Rufus. Wulfstan founded the Great Malvern Priory. He also undertook large rebuilding work including cathedrals and a number of churches.He also helped consecrate a number of bishops. On 14th May 1203 he was canonized by Pope Innocent lll My sources are Wikipedia, Britannica and The Chuch’s Year by Charles Alexander.

50 years after *The Chronicles of Narnia *by C.S. Lewis were published Natalie Gillespie wrote her book Believing In Narnia. Believing in Narnia is the author’s interpretation of and commentary on the C.S. Lewis’s set of 7 books. The author’s audience is meant to be older children/ young teenagers but all those interested in the Christian faith will find the commentary useful and thought provoking. The book has been divided into 7 keys. Key 1 shows the symbols she has used for the book. Key 2 is a two page summary of each of the 7 books - excellent Key 3 looks in detail at many of the good and bad characters (80 pages) Aslan, the lion is compared to the life of Jesus (7 pages) Each of the Pevensie children are given several pages) (see contents page) Key 4 looks at the props and their meaning (36 pages) - excellent Key 5 looks at the places visited (8 pages) Key 6 looks at further reading Key 7 is a brief biography of C.S. Lewis’s life The 7 books make more sense when the commentary is also used. The book gives you the impression that Natalie Gillespie first of all enjoyed reading the books as a child, then enjoyed sharing them with her children. The book is dedicated to Joshua and Justin, two of her children, and there are passages where they ask questions and Natalie gives them an explanation. The opening chapter This Book is for Brave Kids ONLY! (see contents) explains the book beautifully. Other authors have also written about the Chronicles

She became a nun and then for nearly 20 years a teacher before becoming a headmistress. In 1946 Mother Teresa experienced what she later called ’ the call within a call ’ when she travelled by train to the Loreto for her annual retreat. ’ I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them.’ She stayed and worked in Calcutta for the rest of her life. She was admired by many for her charitable work because by 1997 the 13 member Calcutta congregation had grown to 4,000 sisters who managed orphanges AIDs hospices and charity centres world wide. WOW!! On 4th of September 2016 she was canonised by the Roman Catholic church -she became Saint Teresa. I have include a brief biography, lots of detail about her missionaries for charity, information about her legacy, plus the two miracles needed to qualify her for sainthood. Wikipedia has been my main information source

Saint Polycarp was a Ist/2nd century Christian bishop. He is regarded as one of the three chief Apostolic Fathers because he was a disciple of John the Apostle, one of Christ’s original twelve disciples. John ordained him Bishop of Smyrna. He was born in the first century AD but lived to die a martyr’s in the second century. He was a wrote the epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians -his only surviving work. Polycarp was the bishop of Smyrna for nearly 50 years. He was an elder of an important congregation that was a large contributor to the founding of the Christian Church. He was much loved for his gentle and forgiving nature. Aged 80+ he went to Rome. On his return persecution of Christians began. 11 Christians were martyred in the amphitheatre and the people cried out for Polycarp. He was arrested and told his life would be saved if he would deny Christ. He is recorded as saying, Eighty and six years I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. He was burned at the stake and pierced with a spear He is mentioned in The Martyrdom of Polycarp which is considered one of the genuine accounts of a Christian martyrdom. Sources used wikipedia, TheChurch’s Year by Charles Alexander. I have included the definition of Apostolic Fathers.

Saint Agnes is a virgin martyr venerated as a saint by many churches. She is one only 7 women, along with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, to be commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass. She lived during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian. At the age of 12 /13 the Prefect Sempronius wanted her to marry his son. She refused and was arrested and accused of being a Christian. She admitted she was a Christian and condemned to death. On hearing her fate from the judge she commented ‘I may be a child but faith dwells not in years, but in the heart.’ It is not certain how she died - she may have been beheaded or stabbed in the throat. Her blood poured to the stadium floor. Her bones are conserved beneath the high altar in the church of St. Agnes, built by Emperor Constantine, in Rome. her skull is preserved in a separate chapel. She is the patron saint of young girls and many women organisations. Today, on her feast day, 21st January, lambs are blessed and their wool woven into vestments called the ‘pall’ or 'pallium - a sort of scarf -which Roman Catholic archbishops wear when they are invested by the Pope. My sources for this information are wikipedia and The Church’s Year by Charles Alexander. I have included the first 6 verses from John Keat’s poem The Eve of St. Agnes.

Saint John gained the name of Chrysostom (Greek for golden mouth) for his zeal and clarity of his sermons which appealed especially to the common people. His time as archbishop of Constantinople were difficult because he often preached on the misuse of money. This annoyed Eudoxia, the wife of the emperor Arcadius, and his rival archbishop Theophilus. He was banished from the city and he died in exile. Sorces use wikipedia and Britannica.

Harvey Ben Kinchlow was an American evangelist best known for being co-host of The 700 Club from 1975-88 and again from 1992-6, He aslo other shows on the Christian Broadcasting Network such as Straight Talk and a radio show Taking it to the Streets. Ben was the son of a Methodist minister. He was raised by a strict , loving, church attending family, in Uvalde, Texas. He received his schooling at Nicolas school in San Antonio - it was the last segregated campus for the city’s black students. It operated exclusively for African-Americans from 1938-55 Ben served in the United states Air Force for 13 years and earned his MBA. He met and married Vivian bur soon their marriage was on the rocks. For a period he was a Black nationalist under the influence of Malcolm X and the Black Muslims. A white Christian named John. who radiated the love of Jesus, touched the angry hard cynical Ben. He discovered that Jesus was the key to John’s life. Twice, while Ben was testing tyres on a race track - that was his job , these words sprang to his My heavenly Father watches over me. On the second time he gave his life to Christ and wept. Ben changed and his marriage was restored. He became a born again Christian and was ordained as an African Methodist Episcopal Church minister in 1971. He became the executive director of a Christian drug and rehabilitation center He appeared on The 700 Club to speak about the people he saw coming to Christ through the centre. When Pat Robertson , the regular host, was in Israel, he stepped in. In 1975 he became The 700 Club’s Director of Counseling. In 1982 he became co-host and Christian Broadcasting Network’s vice-president for domestic ministries. In 1985 he was promoted to executive vice-president. He left CBN and The 700 Club in 1996 to pursue an independent ministry He was the founder of Americans for Israel and co-host of the Front Page Jerusalem radio show. He was president and co-founder of Brio TV launched in 2015. It isa subscription based streaming service with TV affiliates focused on providing positive, faith driven content for individuals and families. He hosted the platform’s flagship program Ben Kinchlow Real America. On the day Ben died, 18th July, 2019, aged 82, followers of Ben’s official Facebook page received a prayer alert asking for emergency prayers. Sources used CBN.com wikipedia

John Ankerberg is an American Christian television host, author and speaker. He is an ordained Baptist minister and has written or co-written more than 150 books an study guides. He is the producer and host of the international televised weekly program *The John Ankerberg Show The show was launched in 1980 on one net work in Kansas City, Missouri. Structuring the program with a debate-formate it quickly caught the attention of other networks. It was picked up by CBN and soon became a full time ministry. The television program is aired on Daystar, God TV and internationally in 10 languages with a potential of 4,5 billion viewers. In 1992 he won the National Religious Broadcasters award for television Program Producer. John is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Religious Broadcasters. This year, 2020, he became a member of the Board Class Source wikipedia

The Time Magazine ™ in 1961 said that Ralph was generally acknowledged as the best Protestant preacher in the USA. He had gained considerable prominence in the USA as the featured speaker on the weekly NBC radio program National Radio Pulpit (1928-1962) and as a writer of several best selling books… Back in 1946 the ™ pointed out that his radio program received 4,000 letters weekly ’ the number one protestant radio pastor of the US … rated by volume fan mail. ’ In 1950 the ™ listed a typical Sunday routine for then 60 year old Ralph. (Read marked margin). Ralph graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University and studied for the ministry at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He was initially called to be an associate minister (1916), but became the senior pastor (1917) at Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church. Later it was called Christ Church, in New York City. He stayed there for the next 44 years (1916-1961) and had a membership of 5,000. In Preaching it says he was called the 20th century 'circuit rider. He combined being a pastor, a radio pastor and a seminary lecturer. Why all 3? Ralph explained - For many years I have been convinced that the greatest need of the contemporary church is the strengthening of the local pulpit. Public speaking was his specialty. The article in Preaching goes into great detail about his style of preaching. Briefly -preparation began in the summer vocation. He wrote the sermon out in full. The preached sermon he spoke extemporaneously. (Read last para. of page 1 then pages 2,3 & 4 for full detail) He published 23 books G. Paul Butler called him the preacher’s preacher. To hear him preach is a spiritual event. Dr Sockman is one of the greatest preachers of our day Sources used Facebook Preaching.com The New York Times Wikipedia