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.

She was born Francecesca Cabrini in a village near Milan in Italy. She was a sickly child and had frail health for the rest of her life. She found disappointment and difficulties with every step. She wished to join the Daughters of the Sacred Heart but was told she was too frail for their life style. But this did not deter her from founding 67 institutions ( orphanages/schools/hospitals) all over the world over a period of 35 years. In 1877 she went to Rome to seek permission to work in China instead Pope Leo XIII sent her to America. In 1909 she became a naturalized American citizen As a child she was frightened of drowning but she crossed the Atlantic 30 times. There is a great deal of information on the wikipedia web site. I have chosen to include work from Historica’s Women, Church Pop and 8 interesting facts plus franciscanmedia.

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**.

Oswlad Chambers was an early 20th century Scottish Baptist and Holiness Movement evangelist and teacher. He is best known for his devotional ** My Utmost for the Highest** which his wife transcribed from her shorthand and published for the first time in 1927 - ten years after his untimely death from pulomary hemorrhaging whilst in Cairo, Egypt. He had gone to Egypt during the First World War - he was buried with full military honours. I have included a picture, wikipedia notes, notes from V. Raymond Edman’s book They Found the Secret which tells of Oswald’s baptism of the Holy Spirit around 1900 whilst tutoring philosophy at Dunoon College, plus a comment from Christianitytoday.

John Allen Wood’s teaching and testimony have been retained for us in his writings. Principally in the volume entitled Purity and Maturity, also Perfect Love. He was converted at the age of 10 but It was not until the tenth year of his ministry that he received the Second Blessing. I have concentrated on the Second Blessing- the blessing of the Holy Spirit and how it changed his life. V. Raymond Edman in his book They found the Secret in detail looks in detail at the blessing and the results of having the blessing.

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

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.

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.

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 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.