W. Ian Thomas was an evangelist, Christian evangelical writer, theological teacher and founder of the Torchbearers Bible school. He gave his life to Christ as a teenager but he had approached things in the wrong way relying on his own energy. One November night, in despair, having tried to do it his way for seven years, he knelt in prayer. He needed to realise that God wanted to live through him. This changed his whole philosophy. I got up the next morning to an entirely different Christian life. I have used Wikipedia for information about his life and the founding of Torchbearers

John Hyde (1865-1912) became known as Praying Hyde - he gave great emphasis to prayer. He went as a missionary to India. He was partially deaf and he had problems initially in learning the native languages. He struggled initially to find converts but through prayer he began leading his fellow missionaries in intercession for India. He formed the Punjab Prayer Union. He put forward five pointers to help other leaders to pray At one of his meetings where he was supposed to be leading the talk he spent more time in prayer than in speaking. I thank God, He has given me no message for you today Thereupon the chairman added, The Holy Spirit is the leader of this meeting. Towards the end of his life he visited England. He took up the burden o prayer to help John Wilbur Chapman to succeed in Shrewsbury. My sources are Wikipedia, Ambassadors for Christ, The Christian Broadcasting Network and They Found the Secret by V. Raymond Edman.

Billy Sunday (1892-1935) was a baseball player who became the most celebrated and influential American evangelist at the beginning of the 20th century. In either the 1886 or 1887 baseball season, while in Chicago, he went with several of his team mates into town. They listened to a gospel preaching team from the Pacific Garden Mission. He started to attend services and after a struggle decided to become a Christian. After his conversion he changed his behaviour and shortly afterwards began speaking in churches. In 1893 he became the full-time assistant to John Wibur Chapman, a well known evangelist. When Chapman unexpectedly returned to the pastorate in 1896 Billy struck on his own. For 12 years he preached in 70 communities. Taking advantage of his reputation as a baseball player he generated advertising for his meetings. He became the nation’s most famous evangelist with his colloquial sermons and frenetic delivery. Sunday was a supporter of Prohibition and played a significant role in the adoption of the 18th amendment. Wikipedia main source for this information

John Wilbur Chapman (1859-1918) was one of the best known evangelists in the USA . Chapman was well educated and was a meticulous dresser. He took on several pastorates before shifting to the evangelist circuit . He began preaching with the legendary D.L. Moody in 1893. In the same year Billy Sunday, a former baseball player, became his full-time assistant. In 1904 he began work on an evangelistic campaign to maximize the efforts of his 51 evangelists. In 1907 he launched the Chapman-Alexander Simultaneous Campaign with the gospel singer Charles McCallon Alexander. In 1909 the world wide campaign include Australia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China and Japan. These campaigns continued until 1918. In his life time he wrote at least 25 books (see list). Wikipedia was main source for this information

Victor Raymond Edman was an American minister and author who served as the fourth President of Wheaton College in Illinois from 1941 to 1965. H e spoke in various countries around the world and wrote 19 books. In his book They Found a Secret , under the title of A Personal Epilogue, he wrote about three crisis in his personal life. Crisis one happened after the Armistic on Novemer 11th, 1918. He was ill and exhausted but he had been assigned the task of taking 4 men of the B Company of the 28th Infantry to C. Company. He found a quiet place and prayed for guidance .He became aware of a presence beside him who said I will go with you.When he arrived at his destination he was well cared for. (pages177/8). The second crisis happened 5 years later when he was stricken down with typhus fever in the Andes of Ecuador… He knew he was dying. His new wife dyed her wedding dress black and a native coffin ordered. But there were others praying, with urgency in their petitions thirty-five hundred miles away, in Newton, Massachusetts on his behalf (p 178/180). The third crisis happened one August morning of 1928. He was on board a freighter bound for New York City. Once again he was ill - 'my physical condition kept me confined to the stateroom, except for brief occasions.' He was perplexed -and uncertain what to do. Quoting from the book. ‘The answer to his prayer was startling. By the small voice of the Holy Spirit there came the question Are you willing to go any where for me?’ (p 182). I have included Wikipedia’s information about V. Raymond Edman and the last four pages of his Personal Epilogue.

Carl F. H. Henry was a leader of American Evangelism. He was a Baptist minister. He wrote 35 books. He helped establish Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He was the editor-in- chief of** Christianity Todayfounded by Billy Graham. He taught as a visiting professor across the world He gave his life to Christ when he was aged twenty. Christ has been real to me in a vital way ever since June 1933. it was a blinding experience. I know he was real. He’s alive. he is the Risen one. i’ve never , even in the most serious crisis of life, doubted that The evangelical movement is deeply indebted to both Carl and his wife, Helga. I have enclosed Wikipedia data and a picture of him sitting with Billy Graham.

Jonathan Goforth,the** flaming preacher**, a Canadian and his wife Rosalind,from England, spent 46 years criss-crossing China in order to preach, teach and make disciples. The Goforths were sent to pioneer the North Henan mission in 1888. They were there during the Boxing War in 1900. Jonathan nearly lost his life - he survived having his head, neck and back being hacked by a long bladed sword when he acted as spokes person for his group. He was very fortunate not to lose his life .They returned to Canada, for a year, for him to convalesce. 1906 Jonathan, whilst preaching, felt he had to reconcile a difference with a Christian colleague. He stopped and promised the Lord he would solve the problem. Instantly the atmosphere changed- people became receptive, the meeting opened in prayer - confessions and repentance spread through the tearful congregation Wherever they ministered unbelievers became Christians. Local people were trained to evangelise, teach the Bible and make disciples. When they left they had 61 full-time Chinese evangelists and Bible teachers, two resident mission stations and 1000s of baptised and disciple converts. My sources for this information are Wikipedia and Ambassadors for Christ. There is an excellent biography of Rosalind Goforth on the wholesome words.org/missions site

Pandita Ramabai was born into the highest caste of Brahmins in India but she spent her early life in poverty. In 1876/7 there was a famine and she lost her father, mother and sister. In 1880 her brother died and she married Biipin Behart Medhvi, a lawyer froma lower caste. They had a daughter Manorama. Her husband died in 1882. She moved to Pune and founded Atya mahila Samaj - a women’s society to help widowed women. Girls were getting married at a very early age -as early as 3 years of age, often to elderly men, who died. She estimated in 1880 there were 23 million widows in India She became very much involved in women’s rights. She battled for the care of widows and the prohibition of child marriages. She came to England in 1883 for further training at Cheltenham Ladies College. She was baptised that year. She then spent time in the USA. In 1887 the Ramabai Association was formed in Boston. She returned to India in 1889 and opened Sarada Sadan , the Home of Wisdom. She had very strong opposition although she agreed to no open proselytizing - no talk of Christianity. In 1993 leading Hindu reformers resigned from her board and she was able to openly invite students to follow Christ. In 1896 there was another sever famine. With limited resources 100’s arrived. Then cholera swept the town. She moved 30 miles away and built Muki Sadan -Place of Salvation. Her legacy is in the lives of people she helped to transform. She hoped her daughter would carry on but she died in 1921. Paandita was broken hearted - she was now almost deaf. She died on April 6th 1922. The work of the mission continues - Muld Sadan is now called the Pandita Rambai Muti Mission in honour of her memory. My sources for this information are Wikipedia, Mukti Missions and Ambassadors for Christ. I have included a picture showing the origins of caste.

Frances was an English religious poet and hymn writer. She was affectionately called ‘Fannie’ by her family and friends. She was the youngest of 6 children. Her father, William Havergal, was an Anglican clergyman. Her hymns were published either during her life time or after she had died of peritonitis at the young age of 42 . The glow of her testimony continues to reach Christian hearts everywhere. The glory and peace of the exchanged life is beautifully stated in her triumphant hymns . V. Raymond Edman in They Found a Secret. My sources for this information are Wikipedia, stempublishing.com and They Found a Secret.

George Haliburton Hume- better known as George Basil Hume. He took the name Basil, when aged 18, he took his final vows as a monk in1945 He was a surprise choice to be named a cardinal in 1976. He proved to be** an outstanding popular Archbishop of Westminster whose sincerity and expertly judged public pronouncement strengthen both the reputation and the self confidence of Roman catholics in England and Wales** Daiiy Telegraph.

Donald Oliver Soper, nicknamed Dr. Soapbox became a peer of the realm in 1965- Baron Soper. Donald was a methodist minister who loved to preach to large congregations - he preached in the open air. From 1926 until well into his 90s he preached at London’s centres of free speech - Tower Hill, and from 1942 Speaker’s corner in Hyde Park His combination of’modernist theology, high sacramentalism, and Socialist politics, expressed with wit and unapologetic elan, thrilled his audiences (congregations!), delighted admirers and greatly annoyed his opponents. What he said was often controversial. He was a pacifist - he did not agree with wars. He was lead campaigner against nuclear disarmament. In his last years, when crippled with arthritis, and in a wheelchair, he continued to preach and make public appearances. He died on 22 December 198, aged 95.

Saint Agnes of Bohemia (1205 - March 6th 1282) was born a princess. Her parents were queen Constance and King Ottakar I of Bohemia When she grew up she decided she wanted to live a religious life. She could have been queen of either of Germany or England , or empress of Rome. With the help of Pope Gregory IX she was allowed to choose marriage to God, the King of heaven. She built a hospital for the poor and a residence for the friars… She financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague. She lived a life of piety. She was appointed abbess of the convent. She inspired other privileged women to become Poor Clares Devotion to her happened soon after her death. She was finally canonized in 1989.

Evangeline Booth, born in 1865, was the seventh of eight children to be born to William and Catherine Booth. William founded the Christian Mission in 1865 which was renamed the Salvation Army in 1878. In 1934 she became the first female international Salvation Army chief. She showed signs of being a gifted public speaker and preacher at an early age. In 1887, aged 21 she became the officer of the corps in Marylebone , West London. She appointed Field Commissioner in Great Britain from 1888 - 1891. In 1896 she was appointed Commander of the Salvation army in Canada. In 1904 she returned as Commander of the USA an held the post for 30 years Having been elected General in 1934 she travelled extensively during her five years in office but never lost the zeal or enthusiasm of the early years. The salvation Army greatly prospered under her leadership. She retired in 1939 back to America but continued to be a public servant. She died aged 1949 aged 84… Evangeline Booth’s father, William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, put Evelyne on her birth certificate. Her mother, Catherine Booth wanted Evangeline. Only years later, when in the USA, that she was called Evangeline.

John and Betty Stam are Christian martyrs. They died at the ruthless hands of the Chinese Communists on December 8th, 1934. They had gone out to china as missionaries for the China Inland Mission. After their deaths hundreds of volunteers, of all ages, gave their lives to the Lord for missionary service. I have included the wikipedia information plus the opening page, on their lives, from Ambassadors for Christ.

William P. Nicholson was a preacher born in Bangor, County Down, Ireland. He was nicknamed the Tornado of the Pulpit. He wielded the Sword of the Spirit with a fury.His favourite themes were 'God’s 'love and 'God’s hell. His father took him to sea when he was only 6 years old. Aged 15 he became an apprentice seaman. A near disaster, where the ship he was sailing in, got caught in a tempest (see Sheet 1) resulted in them all being ‘saved’ from the sea. May 22nd 1899 he was really saved. Seven months later, when the Salvation Army h came to his town, he was persuaded to walk ‘down the street with two wee girls and a fool’,this was when he lost his reputation (sheet2). That same year he began to preach the Gospel March 1909 following training and testinghe joined Dr. Wilbur Chapman and Charles M. Alexander on a campaign down to Melbourne , Australia. In 1923 a stranger walked into his church in Los Angeles - Percy B. Crawford. That day he was saved and went on to establishing his radio and television ministry. One of thousands led to Christ by William (sheet 3). My main source was They Found the Secret by V. Raymond Edman (still available from Amazon) plus www sermomindex.net.

Dr. Walter Lewis Wilson (1881-1969) was never ordained but he led many to put their trust in Jesus. He was converted on December 21, 1896. He had always recognised the importance of God the Father and Jesus as the son of God, but had not held the Holy Spirit as being equal with the other two and the one sent to in place of the other two to help Christians in their daily life. Jjanuary 14th, 1914 ,listening to Dr. James M. Gray, some 18 years later,. he realised the real importance of the Holy Spirit. He went home with his father-in- law, each went to their own room, and he earnestly prayed that the Holy Spirit should take over his whole body. This impacted tremendously upon his life. I have photocopied the pages from They Found the Secret by V. Raymond Edman which shows the impact it had on his life and of others as a result. He founded the Central Bible Hall (now Central Bible Church) and Kansas City Bible College ( now Calvary Bible College) in Kansas City. He wrote 20 books. His best known probably being** Whose Body is Yours? ** When his father became ill he took over his tent making business and developed camouflaging and waterproofing for tents used during World War 1. He had a family of eight children with his wife Marion Baker Wilson They were married for 58 years. A year later he married Ruth Selders Wilson and they were together until his death on May24th, !969.

Romulo Saune (1953-1992) was Christian martyr from Peru . He was known as Deaf and Stupid One - as a child he had been kicked in the head by a horse and became deaf. No one thought he would amount to much. He helped the missionaries translate the whole Bible for the Quechus, his people. Now his work was bearing fruit. He along with 20 others was killed by terrorists called the Shining Path. September 5th 1992 Saute and other family friends were traveling to Ayacucho to visit his grandfather’s grave - who had been brutally murdered two years before. The Shining Path set up a road block and killed Saute and 20 others Terry Whalin wrote an excellent article in 2014 about the growth of Christianity in Peru. It which was published in the Christian History Issue #109 . This excellent article explains the excitement of receiving the Bible in their own language and then after the deaths of Romulo and his friends how it committed a whole generation to winning Latin America for Jesus . I have included the article .

Eugine Price qualified as a dentist but went back to her first love which was writing. She became an author of over 60 books after embracing the Christian faith in her early thirties. During the 1950’s she wrote many inspirational and devotional books for women and also spoke at many church and civic events. Her combined sales were in the millions. Genie had a crisis time on September 24th 1954 having just written her biography the Burden is Light. V. Raymond Edman , in his book They Found the Secret** writes and quotes Genie about the day the Holy Spirit takes control of her Life**.

Robert E. Nicholas was a twentieth century Saint Nicholas. He was a successful businessman who used his wealth to help others .Combining wealth and consecration he generously donated funds, usually anonymously to churches, philanthropic activities and mission agencies. He contributed money towards the building of Wheaton College. In 1967 the library was named after him. In V. Raymond Edman’s book They found the Secret, chapter fourteen entitled ‘The Satisfying Life’ we find that God had an appointment with Him. (See and read pages 122-125 ). R.E., as he was called, found his Model ‘T’ would only go in one direction! He missed a train and ended up going back to a church he had tried to avoid! He had to hear the wonderful sermon by Dr, W. B. Riley about the Second Coming of Christ. He began to learn that ’ our disappointments are God’s appointments.’ When he returned home his wife immediately noticed a change. In a few words he gave his testimony. Together they knelt in prayer and she also realised the fullness of the Holy Spirit. For 10 years he was president of the building and loan association. He helped to such a degree, during the depression, that they pulled though without a single default.

Yesterday, Sunday, 13th October 2019, John Henry Newman was canonised - he was declared a saint. I went onto Google and found some information about Cardinal John Henry Newman. There’s lots to be found -here are a few relevant pieces of information.