Henry was a prominent liberal U.S. Congregational minister whose oratorical skills and social concern made him one of the most influential Protestant speakers of the mid to late 19th century… Though never distinguished as a scholar he became a superior speaker and popular leader. He came to believe that a sermon succeeds by focusing on the single objective of effecting a moral change in the change of the hearer. In 1847 he accepted a call to Plymouth Church (Congregational), Brooklyn. N.Y., where he drew a weekly crowds of 2,500 by the early 1850s. Abraham Lincoln said no one in history had so productive a mind was in the audience at one point. Mark Twain said, sawing his arms in the air, howling sarcasms this way and that, discharging rockets of poetry and exploding mines of eloquence, halting now and then to stamp his foot three times in succession to emphasize a point Henry’s fiery preaching style led to his becoming editor of several religious magazines including * Christian Union * Among his many books is Evolution and Religion. He became one of the most influential figures of his time. He supported the Free Soil political candidates and later the Republicans. On the out break of of the Civil war his church raised and equipped a volunteer regiment. In a highly publicized scandal he was accused of committing adultery with a friend’s wife. His wife supported him throughout the ordeal.The board of inquiry exonerated him twice but the debacle split his family. Henry died of a cerebral hemorrhage in March 1887.

John Knox was an ordained minister successively for 3 Christian churches - Roman Catholic, Church of England and Church of Scotland. And for 19 months he was a galley slave. John in turn became a tutor, preacher at St. Andrews, galley-slave in French bondage and chaplain to the young English king- Edward VI. In the 1540s John came under the influence of converted reformers… He became the bodyguard for fiery Protestant preacher George Wishart. In 1546 Cardinal David Beaton had Wishart arrested, tried ,strangled and burned. 3 months later Beaton was murdered by Protestant conspirators. John was not ‘privy’ to the murder but did approve of it. In 1547 the occupants of St. Andrew Castle, including John, were put under siege. Some occupants were imprisoned; John was sent to the galleys as a slave. Released after 19 months he spent 5 years in England where his reputation for preaching quickly blossomed. During the reign of Mary Tudor (1553-8),when England reverted back to being Roman Catholic, John was exiled in Europe. Whilst there he helped originate the Puritan tradition and worked on an English version of the Bible. In 1559 he returned to Scotland to be proclaimed an outlaw by the Roman Catholic queen regent. The English ambassador, Randolph said, The voice of one man is able in one hour to put more life in us than 500 trumpets continually blustering our ears. Queen Mary arrived in Scotland in 1561. . When Mary was contemplating Don Car;os of Spain John sounded the Protestant alarm bell. John was charged with treason but the privy Council refused to convict him. Aged 50 John married 17 year old Margaret Stewart a distant relative of the queen - that completed the queen’s ‘cup of bitterness’. The Reformation finally came to Scotland. John laid down the right foundations. He aimed at support for the poor, equality of men before God and the advancement of education by having a school in every parish. He and his fellow ministers went to great pains to establish sound doctrine. Parliament ordered John and 5 colleagues to write a Confession of faith, the First Book of Discipline and *The Book of Common Order * . He ended up as preacher in Edinburgh church where he wrote History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland His power as a preacher lay in his capacity to fuse reason with emotion and to be a passionate logican in the pulpit. He was considered one of the most powerful preachers of his day. John was a minister of the Christian gospel who advocated a violent but bloodless revolution.He was a key figure in the formation of modern Scotland. Sources used *Great Leaders of the Christian Church editor Woodbridge content by J.D. Douglas Britannica Online Encyclopedia Christianity Today

Philipp was a German Lutheran theologian who essentially found what woudl becme known as Pietism. He was later named ‘Father of Pietism’. After a brief time at the grammar school in Colmar he moved on to Strasbourg in 1651. He studied philology, history and philosophy. He became the private tutor to the princes Christian and Charles of the Electorate of the Palantinate. He also lectured on philology and history at the university. From 1659-62 he visited various universities and commenced a study of Heraldry - which he pursued throughout his life. He returned to Strasbourg where he was appointed preacher without and pastoral duties. in 1666 he became the chief pastor in the Lutheran church at Frankfurt. A prolific writer here he published his two main worksIn his most famous work Pia Desideria (1675) Philipp assessed contemporary orthodoxy’s weakness and advanced proposals for reform. He gave 6 proposals. (Read ‘Theology’ paragraph to see 6 proposals and also ’ Heart desire’). In 1680 he wrote Allgemeine Gottesgelehrtheit and began the form of pastoral work which resulted in the movement called Pietism. In 1686 accepted invitation to the first chaplaincy at Dresden. In 1691 he became rector of St. Nicholas in Berlin with the title of counsellor of the Marcher Consistory. Philippe died aged 70, on 5 th February 1705. After Philipp the leadership of German Pietism passed to August Hermann Francke. Pietism emphasized personal faith against the main Lutheran church’s perceived stress on doctrine and theology over Christian living. ( See notes) Sources wikipedia Christianity Today Britannica Online Encyclopedia

Ulrich Zwingli has been called the third man of the Reformation; third behind Martin Luther and John Kalvin. Ulrich was a scholar, priest and reformist. Ulrich born a couple of months after Martin Ulrich graduated from the University of Basel in 1506. and became the parish priest in Glarus. From the beginning he took his priestly duties seriously. The feeling of responsibility motivated him to show an increasing interest in the Bible. He bought a copy of Erasmus’s New Testament Latin translation He began to teach himself Greek and bought Erasmus Greek N.T. and started to memorize long passages. Privately he started to challenge the customs of medieval Christendom he thought were unbiblical. Ulrich moved to Zurich in 1518 just a year after Martin Luther began the Reformation in Germany with his famous 99Theses. Ulrich had his own equivalent the 67 conclusions. He struggled with celibacy. He secretly married in 1522. In January 1523 he was ready to share his ideas. Before the Zurich City Council he gave the what is now called the FIrst Disputation. The second Disputation happened in October. The reforms which followed were the removal of images of Jesus and Mary, saints removed from churches, the Bible to have preeminence. In 1524 he was publicly married. In 1525 he and others convinced the city to abolish mass and replace it with a simple service that included the Lord’s Supper but only as a symbolic memorial. Under the leadership of Ulrich the Swiss Confederation was creating a parallel movement to what Martin Luther was creating in Germany. The German Prince Philip of Hesse saw the potential of an alliance between Ulrich and Martin. In 1529 they met at his castle - now known as the Colloquay of Marlburg . The two movements agreed on 14 points of doctrine, the 15th point they disagreed over the Lord’s Supper. Luther preached consubstantiation - actual body and blood of Christ, Ulrich said it was only representative and memorial. It was evident no alliance was going to work. Ulrich died two years later in a battle defending Zurich against Catholic forces. Under Heinrich Bullinger, Ulrich’s successor, this unique branch of the Protestant Reformation continued to blossom.

Thomas Cranmer was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1533- 1556. He was the archbishop responsible for successfully getting HenryV111 's divorce from his first wife , Catherine of Aragon. (He also married his next 5 wives.)Henry then declared himself Supreme head of the English church- Thomas became the first Protestant Archbishop of England. (For this piece of work iI have used two main sources Great Leaders of the Christian Church (GL of CC) Britannica Online Encyclopedia (B.O.E) Thomas was born on 2nd July 1489 in Nottinghamshire. He went to Jesus college, Cambridge and received a fellowship in 1523. Early on he rejected the claims that the Pope had supremacy over the ruler of each country. (read Cranmer the Erastian - GL of CC). In August 1529 a plague known as the sweating sickness swept the country and Thomas went to stay at his father’s house in Waltham, Essex. HenryV111 was visiting the area and two of the king’s councillors met Thomas - they discussed the future divorce. The king called Thomas for an interview. Thomas agreed to create a treatise. (Read* Entry into Royal Service* - B.O.E.) When William Warham, the aged archbishop of Canterbury died in August 1532, a replacement was needed. Stephen Gardiner, the obvious candidate was out of favour. Thomas, now chief adviser on ecclesiastical matters, was chosen. In March 1533 he was consecrated and instituted at Canterbury. In May he declared the marriage to Catherine of Argon void and pronounced the marriage to Anne Boleyn valid. He did as he was told with regards to the other marriages that followed. With regard to church matters he created the Book of Common Prayer in the language of the people - English replaced Latin. He provided the church with one book containing all services for daily, Sunday and occasional use, as well as a Book of Psalms. In the year Henry V111 died, 1517, and Edward V1 became king,Thomas published a Book Of Homilies which was designed to meet the notorious grievance that the unreformed clergy did not preach enough. He was also influential in fixing the doctrinal anchors of the reformed Church of England. The 42 articles of !553 became the 39 articles in 1571. These articles anchor the church in the scriptures , the creeds and Reformed catholicity. On the death of Edward V! and the short 9 day ‘reign’ of Lady Jane Grey - who Thomas had supported Mary1 became queen. Mary was Roman Catholic and wanted Thomas to recant his beliefs on oath. Refusal meant he would be martyred. He briefly agreed but was still burnt at the stake- March 21st 1556 - he made sure his right hand which had signed the paper was first in the fire. Thomas was the leader of the English Reformation and was responsible for establishing the basic structures of the Church of England. He died as a martyr for the English form of R The Britannica Online Encyclopedia article on Thomas Cramner is excellent. .

Saint Thomas Aquinas was recognized as the greatest theologian of his age. He was one of the most influential medieval thinkers of Scholasticism and the father of the Thomistic school of theology. Before he was born a holy hermit predicted to his mother that her son would enter the ‘Order of Friars Preachers’ and become a great learner and achieve unequaled sanctity. Aged 5 he was sent to the Abbey of Monte Cassino. Aged 13 the political climate forced him to return to Naples. He stayed 5 years at the Benedictine house. In about 1239 he went to the local university. In 1243 he secretly joined an order of Dominican monks, receiving the habit a year later. When his parents found out they were so annoyed at his betrayal they held him captive -kidnapped him- for a year in the fortress of San Giovanni at Rocca Secca. On his release in 1245 he returned to the order and stayed with them until 1252. Ordained in 1250 he then earned his doctorate in Theology. he was an exemplary scholar. On completing his education he devoted his time to travelling, writing, teaching, public speaking and preaching. Institutes yearned to benefit from the wisdom of ‘The Christian Apostle’. For his ‘Theology and Philosophy’ please read relevant paragraphs. He wrote nearly 60 known works. Handwritten copies were distributed to libraries across Europe! (Read ‘Major Works’) During the feast of Saint Nicholas in 1273 he had a mystical vision which made him think writing was unimportant. Father Reginald of Piperno urged him to write but he never wrote again. In 1274 Thomas decided to walk to the Second Council in Lyon, France. He fell ill on the way and stayed at the Cistercirn monastery of Fossanova in Italy .He died at the monastery on March 7th 1274. If the Lord wishes to take me away, it is better that I be found in a religious house than in the dwelling of a layperson. *Thomas provided the Roman church with reasoned statements of its interpretation of Christian faith. H. Dermot McDonald Thomas was canonized by Pope John XX11 in1323. Sources used Life, Philosophy & Theology- Biography Great Leaders of the Christian Faith Woodbridge contirbution by H. Dermot McDonald

Henry V111 wish to divorce Catherine of Aragon. He decided to remove the Church of England from the authority of Rome. The 1534 Act of supremacy recognized Henry as 'the only Supreme Head on earth of the Church of England.

Phoebe Palmer was an American Methodist evangelist and writer who promoted the doctrine of Christian perfection. She is considered to be one of the founders of the Holiness movement withing Methodist Christianity. Phoebe was born Phoebe Worrall in New York City. Her father Henry was a a devout Methodist who during the Wesleyan Revival in England had a religious conversion before immigrating to the U.S.A… Phoebe’s mother was Dorethea Wade Worrall. Phoebe married Walter Palmer, a physician and devout Methodist in 1827. They became interested in the writings of John Wesley, especially his doctrine of Christian perfection - a belief that a Christian can live a life free of sin. 26th July 1837 Phoebe experienced an ‘entire sanctification’. Other members of her family later also experienced this ‘sanctification’. They felt they should teach others about how to have it for themselves. Phoebe often preached at Methodist church and camp meetings. Palmer’s sister, Sarah Lankford, began having weekly meetings with Methodist women. 2 years later Phoebe was leading these Tuesday meetings. They became referred to as the Tuesday Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness. They always had the meetings at someone’s home. From 1839 men were also allowed to attend. These meetings eventually influenced the Methodist Church nationwide. The Palmer’s worked as a team and received invitations to speak at churches, conferences and camps. Phoebe was better known than her husband Walter. Sources wikipedia Britannis Online Encyclopedia

Ignatius was born Inigo Lopez to a noble and wealthy Basque family. He went to the Spanish court to become a page. He joined the army. In the battle with the Frehch for the town of Pamplona, Spain, he was hit by a cannon ball the size of a fist. The 5 feet 2 inch Inigo five was helped back to Loyola by French soldiers. he underwent surgery but he was left with a limp in his right leg. During the 7 weeks of recovery he began reading spiritual books and visions. By the time he had recuperated he had resolved to live a life of austerity to do penance for his sins. In February 1522 he left for Montserrat, a pilgrim site in N.E. Spain. He confessed his sins and hung up his sword and dagger, donned sack cloth and lived like a beggar. He attend mass daily and spent 7 hours in prayer, often in a cave near Manresa. There he sketched the fundamentals for Spiritual Exercises - a guide to convert the heart and mind to a closer following of Jesus Christ After a pilgrim a to the Holy Land he headed for Europe. He went to Alcala (now Barcelona) to study for 12 years where he acquired followers. Still not ordained he became distrusted by the church hierarchy. 1534 Ignatuis and his followers took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 1537, in Venice, they were ordained. 1540, gained Pope’s approval and named Society of Jesus. 1541 Ignatius, aged 50, elected superior general of his new order. The vision and disciplines of the * Jesuits* caught the imagination of Europe. These zealous monks were successful in checking the forces of Protestantism in parts of Europe. They gained a wide spread reputation for their fanatical willingness to do almost anything to advance the cause of the Roman Catholic church. Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises have been in constant use for nearly 500 years. The Constitution of the Society of Jesus was probably the most important work of his later years. There is no doubt that friend and foe alike saw Ignatius and the Jesuits as a key factor in reviving and strengthening the Roman church after 1550. In 2013 Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina became Pope Francis, the first Jesuit to be elected pope. Sources used Christianity Today Great Leaders of the Christian Church Woodbridge contribution from Robert D. Linder Britannica Online Encyclopedia wikipedia

John Hus or Huss was a pre-reformation reformer. In 1360 the king of Bohemia (similar in size to modern Czechoslovakia) invited Conrad of Waldhausen to come and preach to the corrupt church. From that time there was a national reform movement in Bohemia.John stood firmly within that tradition. John lived during the time of the Great Schism when Europe was divided between 2 or 3 Popes. It was the Council of Constance which brought the Schism to an end and resulted in John’s martyrdom at the stake. John studied theology at the University of Prague. He became a preacher at the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague. In his church the services were conducted in Czech and not Latin, the Bible readings and sermons were also in the common language. He preached actively against the worst abuses of the Roman church of his day-the low morality of the clergy, the Bible read in Latin, sale of indulgences, Pope infallibility. (See The Movarian Church for the full 4 main factors). His criticisms and call for reforms were seen as a stumbling block to reconciling the divided Church. He was excommunicated. Promised safe conduct by Sigismund, the Holy Roman Emperor, he went to the Council of Constance. He was imprisoned (1414-8). He was accused of being a Wycliffe. He was not allowed to defend himself or his beliefs. He refused to recant his beliefs and was called a heretic. On 6th July 1415 he was burned at the stake. Aftermath - Hussite Wars. The Hussites won 4 crusades against them ( Read how his followers rebelled) John was an important member of an ongoing movement which would become a national movement of reform. Martin Luther, many years later, came across some of John Hus sermons. I was overwhelmed with astonishment. I could not understand for what cause they had burnt so great a man, who explained the Scriptures with so much gravity and skill. Sources used Great leaders of the Christian Church edited by Woodbridge contribution from A.N.S. Lane Christian history wikipedia

Thomas Becket is one of the most famous men in English History. Henry11 asked, ‘Who will rid me of this traitor?’ Four of his knights took at his word and went to Canterbury Cathedral and in front of the high altar murdered Thomas. Henry 11 and Thomas had been friends. Henry 11 had appointed him to be his royal chancellor. He performed his duties very capably and became the king’s trusted servant and friend. On the death of of Archbishop Theobald of Canterbury Henry11 appointed Thomas his successor. He believed Thomas would serve the state as well as the church. On appointment Thomas changed his allegiance and his life style. He abandoned his worldly materialistic ways and became a saintly soul living a disciplined , pious and austere life. He steadfastly resisted all efforts to impose the royal will on the church. Discord developed over how the church and state dealt with clerics convicted of crimes. Following a quarrel Thomas, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was forced into exile in France (1164-1170). On his return to England in 1170 he met with his death. Henry11 when he heard the news was distraught - what he had said in anger he now regretted. Henry was forced to do penance because there was such an outpouring of rage from the public Thomas was sainted in 1173 and became the most popular saint in English History. His Legacy is enormous. In the ‘Canterbury Tales’ by Chaucer a group of pilgrims are on their way to worship at his shrine. (Read Legacy) Sources used Great Leaders of the Christian Church - Woodbridge contribution from Robert G. Clouse wipedia BBC History

Henry, on his 21st birthday, wrote in his diary to live preaching and to die preaching; to live and die in the pulpit;to preach to perishing sinners till i drop down dead The combination of the entrepreneurial Guinness spirit on his father’s side and the Cramers creative, magnetic qualities on his mother’s side was an irresistible combination. 1856 Henry entered New College in London under a tutor called Dr. Harris. In 1857, whilst still a student he began to preach. He became an independent evangelist of the second Evangelical awakening. He spent 15 years travelling and preaching in Britain, Europe and North America. In 1870 he married Fanny Fitzgerald. To be the wife of an itinerant evangelist’s wife was not an easy one. She travelled with him also became a well known speaker. In 1872 because of their age, they were turned down for chance of being missionaries in China by their friend James Hudson Taylor. Undeterred they moved deliberately to East London, a poor and unsavory area. In 1873 they moved to Harley House in Bow. where they established the East London Institute for Home and Foreign Missions. ( closed in 1918) In 1878 they founded the Livingstone Inland Mission. In 1889 they founded the Congo and Balolo Mission which became the Regions Beyond Missionary Union. Also in 1878 Henry started to write the first of many Christian books. Which resulted in him speaking about biblical prophecy. Fanny, ‘Mother of Harley’, and mother of their 6 children died in 1898. He married Grace Hurditch in 1903. Together they travelled widely for 5 years before settling in Bath. In 1910, following a visit to the Congo, Henry died. He was an Irish Protestant Christian preacher, evangelist and author. He was responsible for training and sending 100s of faith missionaries all over the globe. He was the great evangelist of the Evangelical awakening Four of his surviving children from his first marriage worked as missionaries overseas, For further reading read The Guinness Family in Ambassadors for Christ. Sources wikipedia History of Missiology Ambassadors for Christ ( publ. 1994)

Saint Brice or Brictius (Latin) of Tours was a favourite of Saint Martin of Tours. According to legend Saint Brice was an orphan who was rescued by Saint Martin and raised in the monastery in Marmoutier. He became a monk and later archdeacon to Saint Martin. Apparently he was disliked by the other monks because of his rudeness and worldly ways. Saint Martin when asked to send the trouble maker away replied ’ If Jesus could come to terms with Judas, then I can certainly come to terms with Brice.’ When Saint Martin died in 397 he became bishop; he became a new man and ruled the monastery well. In the thirteen year of his episcopate a nun, a washer woman, had a child. The rumour was that Saint Brice was the father. He submitted to ritual of carrying hot coals in his cloak, showing the unburned cloak as proof of his innocence. They still did not believe him. It was only after he had travelled to Rome and been absolved by the Pope did he return. Having spent 7 years in voluntary exile Saint Brice return to find that those who had replaced him had died. He then served with such humility that on his death, 7 years later, he was venerated as a saint. He was buried beside Saint Martin. In some pictures he is shown either with glowing coals in his robe or holding a baby in his arms as a result of the rumour. Sources used wikipedia The Church’s Year* by Charles Alexander

The title of ’ * Sensational Evangellst of Britain and America* ’ is given to George Whitefield by *Christianity Today. * The magazine goes on to say that he is probably the most famous religious figure of the 18th century. He was an English Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of the Methodist and evangelical movement. As a boy he enjoyed reading plays and skipped school to practice for his performances. Later in life he may have repudiated the theatre but in his sermons he portrayed biblical characters with a realism by crying, dancing and screaming - he took the theatre to the pulpit. It brought the crowds ‘out’- most of his sermons were preached outside. He went to Pembroke college, Oxford as a servitor, the lowest rank of undergraduate - his tuition was free but he acted as a servant to his fellow students. He was part of the ’ Holy Club ’ with John and Charles Wesley. An illness plus Henry Scougal’s book The life of God in the soul of Man influenced him, He had a religious conversion and became a passionate preacher. The week after his ordination he preached in his home town of Gloucester. In 1738 he went with the Wesleys to Georgia in the USA as a priest. He decided he wanted to build an orphanage for black children - this became central to his preaching. He came back to the UK to raise money. In 1940 the construction began. He had a theological disagreement. The building bought by the Moravians is today called The Whitefield House. He preached nearly every day for months to crowds in their thousands with his big booming voice. Benjamin Franklin attended a meeting in Philadephia and estimated George could be heard 500 feet away. On horseback he travelled from New York to Charleston, South Carolina - at the time the longest distance by a white man in North America, Back in the UK he was met by similar size crowds. The Church of England did not assign him a pulpit so preached in parks and fields. This itinerant preacher’s career was divided between the American colonies and the whole of the UK. In 170, aged 55,he made this comment I would rather wear out than rust out. He preached his last sermon from the top of a large barrel in a field in the colonies. The next morning he died. Thomas S. Kidd summarized George’s life in the title of his book *George Whitefield America’s Founding Father * 2014 (For full summary read Veneration and legacy.) Sources wikipedia Britannic Online Encyclopedia Christianity Today

Bud in his lifetime challenged 100s of 1000s students to give their lives to serving Christ in the ’ foreign field '. Bud survived an accident with an axe before he was two. His mother prayed for his healing and dedicated her son to Jesus. In the dream that followed she saw children from all countries coming to her son’s side. Jon Hinkson, his son, in ’ Ambassadors for Christ ’ , tells us a great deal about his father’s ministry, especially behind the Iron Curtain. from his birth to his final cycle ride to heaven. I have based this article on the headings he used. (See full text) Memory Harvest. He was gifted with an incredible memory. His godly grandmother laid down the foundations of his Scripture memory. Years later Shirley Milligan, his future wife, wrote a list entitled * The man if I marry*. Bud memorized it and would remind her when he fulfilled a trait. Together they shared most of Bob’s adventures. The University Ambassador Team Bud remembered in Luke 10 where Jesus sent out 70 in pairs - the result was the University Ambassador Team. This team came to the UK. The watchword was Win, Build , Send and they were blessed with a lasting harvest. There were many foreign students. Bud spent a whole year in Africa. But they were drawn to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. *** Behind the Iron Curtain*** Bud with his wife and two children headed for Vienna with their passports inaccessible in the van. On the Romanian border a guard saw Shirley’s Bible. He got away with it by gaining the guards sympathy by saying his wife was a religious fanatic. Bud’s ministry involved the whole family. He began the Campus Crusade for Christ ministry in Poland in 1975. 20 years before the Berlin Wall fell Bud was all over the Soviet Block quietly organizing one of the greatest missionary endeavors of the twentieth century. Opportunities and adversaries In 1990 while teaching the scriptures in a secluded Czechoslovakian hayloft he was invited to deliver 5 lectures on Christianity at the Soviet Academy of Science. In 1992 , on his last trip to Russia, he taught 400 students from across the former Soviet Union Filled with joy and peace he literally radiated God’s love to those around Him He died as a result of head injuries sustained in a cycling accident in Germany. Bud was 58. The New Life Christian School in Moscow in 1992 was renamed Hinkson Christian Academy in memory of Bud. Sources * Ambassadors for Christ * contribution from his son Jon Mission Poland History of Hinkson

With Florence Nightingale hospitals being created in a number of locations I have enclosed some information about the Florence Nightingale Museum. The museum is obviously closed at the present time but on their web site there is information about Florence.

Edward the Confessor was a king who later became recognized as a saint He lived in the eleventh century . He died shortly before the Battle of Hasting between King Harold, his successor and William 1, William the conqueror. There are differences of opinion as to whether he was a weak or a strong king. Confessor reflects his reputation as a saint who did not suffer martyrdom. Wikipedia uses the work ’ nickname ’ to reflect the traditional image of him as unworldly and pious. He did reign for 24 years It is said because he was unable to fulfill a vow to go to Rome that he built a monastery. The monastery we call Westminster Abbey. He re-established the Abbey of Westminster on a site of a church built 400 years earlier. It was the first Norman Romanesque church in England. Building began in 1042 and consecrated on 28th December 1065. Edward unfortunately was too ill to attend the ceremony and died the following week - 5th January 1066. Edward was buried at Westminster Abbey. His body was exhumed a number of times and was finally given a centerpiece, in a magnificent tomb, in the new thirteenth century ( present day )Abbey. Edward can be seen on the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Edward the Confessor was for many years the patron saint of England until Saint George, during the time of the Crusades, replaced him. HIs feast day is 13th October. Westminster Abbey was finally completed in 1090 some 25 years after his death. In 1245, during the reign of Henry111, it was demolished and replaced by today’s present building.

Steve Green is an American Christian singer noted for his tenor vocal range and flexible solo style. He is also noted fo rhis evangelistic mission to bring others to Jesus through his songs. I have put the wikipedia information first because this is what the general public would want to known. His continued success as a singer and a list of the songs he has recorded. I have put the information about his upbring second. This information can be found in Ambassadors for Christ. Here Don Wyrtzen tells us about Steve being brought up in a Christian household and him accepting Christ into his life when he was only 8 years of age. He goes on later to tell us that many years later, after he was married, he had to recommit himself to Christ after he had a heated disagreement with his brother. The disagreement resulting in him throwing himself upon the mercy, love and grace of Jesus. It resulted in him facing up to his hypocritical life and there is now a revival in his heart that burns brightly and consistently to this day. Sources used Ambassadors for Christ wikipedia

Saint Malo or Saint Machutus was a sixth century saint. He was the founder of Saint-Malo, a commune in Brittany, France. He was one of the seven founding saints of Brittany. Malo was baptized as an adult by Brendan the Navigator and became his student… I have included a synopsis of his* Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot*. he was the first bishop of Aleth - now modern Saint-servan in France. There are two stories/legends about Saint Malo and seaweed. In one story he laid down on a heap of seaweed at low tide and fell asleep. Having searched on the beach he was found floating on the sea on a mass of seaweed. The second story he was cut off by the sea and miraculously floated to safety on a bed of seaweed. ( Dates are not clear - wikipedia dates on sheet do not agree) Sources used wikipedia The Church’s Year by Charles Alexander Encyclopedia of Saints by Howard Loxton

Saint Martin was born in Hungary to heathen parents. He became a Christian catechumen - person ready for baptism - when he was 10. Aged 15 he joined the Roman army and was stationed at Amiens in Gaul (France) According to his biographer -Sulpicius Severeus he petitioned the emperor, Julian the Apostate, to be released form the army.’ I am Christ’s soldier: I am not allowed to fight.’ Charged with cowardic he offered to stand in front of the battle line only with the sign of the cross. He was imprisoned but was soon discharged. Legend has it that on a freezing night he cut his cloak in half to share it with a beggar. He dreamt that Jesus wore the other half. When he woke up his cloak was restored. Following the vision and apparent miracle he finished his religious studies and was baptised aged 18. ( After he died his cloak was carried into battle and Mass said in the tent where it was placed. Later replaced by a ‘forked’ blue banner) Aged 20 Saint Martin left the army and joined Saint Hilary of Poitiers, together they founded the first monastery in France. He became a missionary in the provinces of Pannonia and Illyricum -now Balkan Peninsula. He went to Italy and to the island of Gallinaria. In 360 he returned to Poitiers. He then founded a community of hermits at Liguge - the monastery in Gaul. Saint Martin became bishop of Tours in 371. He founded the Marmoutier monastery from which apostles spread Christianity throughout Gaul. He was an active missionary in Touraine and the country districts. Saint Martin in 384/5 became involved in a conflict at the imperial court in Trier, France. It resulted eventually in bishop Priscillian of Spain being executed by the Roman authorities… His involvement caused him to fall into disfavour with Spanish bishops. He died in 397 at Candes. During his lifetime Saint Martin gained a reputation as a miracle worker and became one of the first non-martyrs to be publicly venerated as a saint. He was the patron saint of France, father of monasticism in Gaul and the first great leader of Western monasticism. In England there are over 150 churches dedicated to him. Sources used Britannica Online Encyclopedia * The Church’s Year* by Charles Alexander