Albert Benjamin Simpson (1843-1919)

Albert Benjamin Simpson, also known as A.B. Simpson was a Canadian preacher, theologian, author and founder of the Christian and Ministry Alliance (C&MA) which has an emphasis on global evangelism.

He was born in Bayview, near Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada and raised in a strict Calvinistic Scottish Presbyterian and Puritan tradition.

His conversion began under the ministry of Henry Gratton Guinness, a visiting evangelist from Ireland during the revival of 1859.

He received his training at Knox College, University of Toronto. After graduating in 1865 he was ordained into the Canadian Presbyterian Church (CPC) - after he left for the USA it became the largest Presbyterian group.

Aged 21 he accepted a call to the large Knox PC in Hamilton, Ontario.

December 1873 he left Canada to take the pulpit of the largest Presbyterian church in Louisville, Kentucky- Chestnut Street PC. It was here he first thought of building a tabernacle so he could preach to the common man. He was successful at Chestnut Street but they reluctant to embrace a wider evangelist endeavour.

1880 moved to 13th Street PC in New York City where he immediately began reaching out to the world. In 1881, after two fruitful years, resigned from 13th Street to begin an independent gospel ministry to the many new immigrants and neglected masses of NY City.

In a Sunday morning service in 1882 he declared * I am not interested in being a respectable Christian. * He left his church to start a school in which people could train to take the Good News of God. That school was the Missionary Training Institute - now Nyack College - which had a major influence on the Pentecostal movement, its pastors and missionaries .
( Read ‘Influence on Pentecostalism’ and ’ A Little History’ )

He proceeded to hold evangelical meetings on Sunday afternoons. These grew into camp meetings and revivals in other locations along the East -coast, the beginning of C&MA.

In 1882 he published the first missionary journal The Gospel in All Lands. Also founded and began to publish The Word, Works and World. By 1911 known as the Alliance Weekly, then Alliance Life - the official publication of C&MA.

In 1889 Albert moved his church to the corner of 44th St. and 8th Av - the New York Tabernacle.

His disciplined upbringing and his natural genius made him an effective communicator of the Gospels. He preached a unique Gospel of Jesus which became known as the Fourfold Gospel -
Jesus our Saviour,Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King
it’s at the heart of what Alliance people believe about Jesus
(Read ‘Fourfold Gospel’ notes for full information)

Albert even found time to write lyrics for 120 hymns and 101 books.

He died aged 75.
The Gospel of the Kingdom, we
Must preach in every land The Missionary Cry by Albert

Sources
The Fourfold Gospel
wikipedia