William was born in Kentucky near Burksville. His family were so poor he wore his winter coat in the classroom because he had no shirt. At an early age he heard a voice say Do not drink or smoke or defile your body in any way, for when you are older I’ll have work for you to do. This frightened him so much he ran away as fast as he could. He struggled with what to do. His brother Edward died and he began to seek Him. He was seriously ill in hospital when he heard the same voice say 3 times I called you would not go. William replied, if you let me live I’ll preach the gospel. The next day he felt better. After he left hospital he looked for a church. He found a disciple church which believed in the baptism of the Spirit. He was anointed and instantly healed. He was now on fire. For 6 months he cried out for baptism of the Holy Spirit. God’s presence came upon him in a mighty way. He felt called to preach and to heal. Aged 24 he began to hold tent meetings. Many people were converted. He had visions about the rise of Nazism, Facism and Communism. He built an independent Baptist church in Jeffersonville, Indiana. These were happy years, he got married and they had 2 children Things started to go wrong. He turned down the chance to become a travelling evangelist withe Pentecostals. The church began to fail. Tragically his wife and one of their daughters were killed in the Ohio River flood of 1937. He worked as a game warden and a logger and occasionally preached. He married Meda and they had 3 children. 7th May, 1946 he had a visitation from an angel . He was told he was a seer prophet in 2 ways - he would be able to detect illness and to see sins in their life they need to repent of. William immediately started his healing ministry. He started in St. Louis and it would eventually spread all over the USA. Jack Moore took William to several churches across the USA. Gordon Lindsay became his campaign manager. The meetings were so dramatic they began the magazine and organization named The Voice of Healing. F.F. Bosworth joined them. These meetings kicked off the healing revival that began in 1947 and continued throughout the 1950s. William was the first and best known but A.A. Allen, Jack Coe and Oral Roberts played their part. William took international trips abroad. In 1955 things started to go wrong again. William lived an extremely simple life but the IRS settlement showed he owed $40,000 in back taxes. By 1957 an exhausted William refused to do large meetings. Some of his teaching was being regarded as heretical., In the last years of his life he ministered in Arizona to support his family In 1965 William died 5 days after a fatal, head on collision, on 24th December. I have included a definition of Voice of Healing Revival Sources used A Man Sent by God Healing and Revival Press Evangelical times Believe the Sign wikipedia

Gregory K. Beale, also known as G.K. Beale was born in Dallas, Texas, USA He studied at Southern Methodist University, Dallas Theological Seminary and the University of Cambridge. He worked at Grove City College (1980-4), Gordon- Conewll Theological Seminary (1984- 2000), Wheaton College (2000-10). Currently he is Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary (2010+). He is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Gregory has made a number of contributions to conservative biblical hermeneutics especially in the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament. He served as the president of the evangelical Theological Society in 2004. 2013 he was elected to be the first occupant of the J. Gresham Machen Chair of New Testament by the Westminster Theological Society. Definitions hermeneutics -the science of interpretation, especially of scripture the branch of theology that deals with the principles and methodology of exegesis exegesis - explanation or critical interpretation of the text

Maria Buelah Woodworth- Etter was an American healing evangelist . Her ministry style was a model for Pentecostalism. Her parents were not Christians until they joined the Disciple church in 1854. Her father died of sunstroke in 1857 leaving his wife Matilda with 8 children no support .This meant Matilda, and the children old enough to work,had to support the family. Aged 13 she heard the call of God and immediately dedicated a life to the Lord. *I heard the voice of Jesus calling me to go out in the highways and hedges and gather in the lost sheep. This confused her because the Disciple church did not allow women . She thought if she married a Christian man they could do missions work together. In 1863 she married Philo Horace Woodworth.They had 6 children, 5 died young. The farm they bought failed. She still felt called to preach to the lost. She spoke at a Friend’s meeting where she had a vision of a pit of hell and people not knowing the danger. She wanted to study but had a vision where souls were perishing and she had to get started. She finally started in her local area and began to see many conversions. The power of God would fall and sinners would run to the front in repentance. She held 9 revival meetings and started 2 churches. Maria and Philo decided to start a travelling ministry. In 1885 she began to pray for the sick believing that those with sufficient faith would be healed. The Holy Ghost would ’ fall’ on the people and they would lay on the floor in a trance like state - on recovering they reported of having profound spiritual experiences. Evangelism and healing went hand in hand as 1000s were won for Christ as a result of seeing others healed. She preached throughout the USA, her reputation grew, leading to her buying an 8,000 seat tent. 1890-1900 were tough years. In Framingham she was arrested for claiming people were being healed - testimonies from those healed saw her released. Local psychiatrists filed charges of insanity. A person called Ericson prophesied a tidal and earthquake would shortly happen -it happened in 1906. In 1891 she divorced Philo for infidelity. He remarried and died within a year of typhoid fever. In 1902 married her second husband Samuel Etter. They worked together until he died in1914. In 1912 she joined the young Pentecostal movement and preached widely in Pentecostal circle until her death in 1924, having founded the Assemblies of God in 1914 In 1918 Maria founded Lakeview Church (Temple) of Indianapolis, Indiana. Maria, the Mother of Pentecost, died on September 16th, 1924. Her inscription reads Thou showest thousands lovingkindness Definition Pentecostal churches emphasis the need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit like the disciples were on the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after Christ’s resurrection. Those baptized are said to be ‘born again’. Acts ch 2 v 1-4 ) Sources wikipedia Revival Library Healing and Revival

Francis Jane Crosby caught a cold when she was just 6 weeks old, she had inflamed eyes. Their usual doctor was unavailable. The stand-in doctor unwittingly prescribed a hot mustard poultice - Fanny was blinded for life. Sometime later she said she had forgiven the man and that on her death the first person she would be see would be her saviour, Jesus. Fanny’s father died when she was 10 months old. Her mother , Mercy, remarried. Her grandmother Eunice became Fanny’s eyes, she described to her the wonderful colours of nature and everything she was missing. She patiently taught how to memorize parts of both the O.T. and N.T. of the Bible. At the age of 8 she wrote her a poem about her blindness (See notes) Aged 15 she entered the New York Institute for the Blind (NYIB. She was there for 7 years as a pupil and 11 as a teacher. She learned to sing and play a number of musical instruments. She became a noted harpist. Fanny was the first woman to speak before the Senate and the House of Representatives. Her poetry and winning personality resulted in her becoming friends with presidents and staying at the White House. her poems appeared in the Saturday Evening Post and other newspapers and magazines. She wrote 3 volumes of poetry and 2 of autobiography. In 1958, aged 38 she married Alexander Van Alstyne, a blind scholarly accomplished musician. He insisted she kept her maiden name; for legal documents she used her husband’s surname. The baby they had died. 20 years after her first poem she wrote Rosalie,the Prairie Flower. George Frederick Root set it to music. It sold in 10s of 1000s and she earned $3,000 dollars in royalties - a lot of money in those days. In 1864 William Bradbury suggested she should devote her talent to writing hymns. She never wrote another secular song. She eventually wrote between 5,500 and 9,000 hymns. using many pseudonyms -( as many as 200, according to some sources) these were employed to preserve her modesty . Her husband wrote many of the tunes to accompany her words… In 1868 musician Doane knocked on her door - in 45 minutes he was to catch a train. He hummed a tune - the result - Safe in the arms of Jesus. Fanny began a second career in her 40s. She worked in the Bowery distict slums of New York City. In 1875 she visited William Doane. Enjoying the sunset the hymn *I am thine o Lord *was born. Fanny and Alexander became estranged, apart, but stayed married. Alexander died in 1902. Fanny died in 1915 aged 94 in Bridgeport. Near her grave is Bing Crosby’s -one of descendants. When Fanny had a session of writing she always started with a prayer. It seemed that without a prayer the words would not flow. A hymnal without her hymns is considered incomplete. Her blindness the good Lord, in his infinite mercy, by this means consecrated me to the work that I am permitted to do Sources used Christianity Today Britannia Online Encyclopedia

Henry was an Anglican clergyman who is recognized as one of the foremost Protestant missions strategists of the 19th century. He was an outstanding administrator who served as the honorary secretary of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) (1841-73) for 32 years Henry was born into a leading evangelical Anglican family. His grandfather Henry Venn (1725-97) was an outstanding pastor evangelist. His father John Venn (1759-1813) was also a pastor who presided over the formation of the CMS (1799) and helped found the *Christian Observer * (1802). Education He matriculated at Queen’s College, Cambridge (1796). He graduated with a B,A. (1818). He was elected a Fellow of his college (1819) . He graduated with an M.A, (1821) and B,D. (1828) He was ordained deacon of Ely (1819) and priest (1820). He became curate of St. Dunstan- in -the-West (1820-4). He became a proctor, a lecturer, a teacher. In 1826 he moved o Kingston upon Hull. In 1829 he married Martha. They had 11 unusually happy years together. She died in 1839 leaving Henry to look after their 3 young children. He then accepted the living of St. John’s, Holloway and was here for 12 years. He became a canon at St. Paul’s Cathedral. He resigned from St. John’s in 1846 and devoted himself, now aged 45, to CMS. He had become a member in 1820. In 1838/9 he had suffered a near fatal heart disease. He spurned medical advice to lead a quiet life, he learned to pace himself. His 6,000 official letters in the CMS archives and the 230 items in his biography bare testimony to his capacity for disciplined work. Henry was a mission theorist. He expound the basic principles of indigenous Christian missions. A church was seen as indigenous when it was self-propagating, self-financing and self governing. Henry developed his theory of missions in a series of pamphlets and policy statements written in the years 1846-65. He saw the CMS grow. In 1841 there were 107 European and 9 African and Asian missionaries. By 1873 there were 230 European and 148 African and Asian missionaries. During those 32 years 498 were clergy. Henry was twice appointed to Royal commissions to represent this tradition (1864 and 1867). Henry’s father had founded Christian Observer . He had regularly contributed articles. In 1869 he 'temporarily assumed editorship. Through the magazine he pronounce vigorously on various theological issues before the church. Henry Venn, at his funeral, was remember for his warm hospitality and irrepressible humour. Brief History of CMS included Sources used Dictionary of African Christian Biography CMS wikipedia

Gregory A. Boyd has been listed as one of the top 20 most influential Christians of the 20th century. As a child he went to a Roman Catholic school where he was taught by nuns. In his testimony he thinks the nuns tagged him as ’ a demon child’. In June, shortly after his 17th birthday, he went to a revival meeting. A young female student, after her sermon, did a timid altar call. *I rushed forward, It was then that I finally surrendered my life to Christ. * Degrees He received from the University of Minnesota a B.A. (1979). From Yale Divinity School he received his M. Div. (1982). From Princeton Theological Seminary he received his Ph,D (1988) For 16 years he was professor of theology at Bethel University there he received the Teaching Excellence Award and Campus Leadership Award. In 1992 he co-founded Woodlands Hills Church (WHC, an evangelical mega church in St Paul’s Minnesota. He is senior pastor there and weekly speaks to 1000s . In 2000 he founded Christus Victor Ministries (CMV) , a non profit organization that promotes his writing and speaking ministry outside WHC Greg is an internationally recognized theologian, preacher, teacher, apologist and author. He has authored or co-authored 22 books and numerous academic articles. His best selling book is Letters from a Sceptic. He has appeared on the front page of The New York Times. He has been heard on the radio and seen on the television. His main vision is to help the Church become the Kingdom of outrageous loving servants God called it be, and for non-believers to discover the transforming power of Jesus Christ. In 2010 Greg was listed as one of the 20 most influential * living* scholars. I have include part of Greg’s testimony - page 1 school, page 10 conviction (For full testimony go - reknew.org/ 2007/12/testimony/Greg Bond) Sources used REKNEW The work of the People wikipedia

Granville Oral Roberts was born in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, USA. He was a Choctaw American Charismatic Christian televangelist ordained in both the Pentecostal Holiness and United Methodist churches. He is recognized as the godfather of the charismatic movement and was one of the most recognized preachers in the USA at the height of his fame. He founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association (OREA) and University (ORU). He was the fifth and youngest child of Revd. Ellis Melvin and Claudia Priscilla Roberts. He was of Cherokee descent. He began life in poverty and nearly died of tuberculosis aged 17. He a conversion experience in 1935 He studied for 4 years, 2 at Oklahoma Baptist University, 2 at Phillips University. In 1938 he married Evelyn Lutman Fahnestock -they were married for 66 years. He left college without a degree and became a travelling faith healer. He made a name for himself by using a mobile tent which sat 3,000 on metal folding chairs. (TIME magazine 1972) Oral spent 12 years as a pastor in several towns in the South and built up his own organization, the Pentecostal Holiness Church (PHC). 1947 was a turning point. He read *I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth * 3 John v 2 . He resigned from PHC to found OREA. He conducted evangelistic and faith healing crusades across the USA and around the world, claiming he could raise the dead. Through the years he held over 300 crusades on 6 continents and personally laid hands on more than 2 million people. At its peak he was leader of a $120 million a year organization, employing 2,300 people In 1963 he founded OTU in Tulsa.First students arrived in 1965. Prayer Tower opened in 1967 Oral was a pioneer televangelist. The radio in 1947, the television in 1954 Golden Eagle Broadcasting was founded in 1996. By 1957 The Abundant Life reached 80% of the USA. In 1977 Oral had a vision of a 900 foot Jesus to build a hospital. The City of Faith Medical and research Center opened in 1981. Losing money it closed in 1989. Today the orthopedic Hospital of Oklahoma operates on the site. Oral fund raising was controversial. In 1987 he announced to a televison audience that God would ‘call him home’ - he would die - if he did not raise enough money. Jerry Collins as a result denoted $1.3 million. Oral died of complications from pneumonia, in 2009 aged 91, He had semi-retired and was living in Newport Beach, California. Oral was one of the most well known American religious leaders of the 20 th century.His preaching emphasized seed-faith His ministries reached millions of followers world wide. According to one authority his ministry’s influence was second only to that of Bill Graham. Source wikipedia New York Times

Robert was born at 14 Dublin Street, Edinburgh, on 21st May 1813. He died at the young age of 29, during an epidemic of typhus. but he left a massive legacy in Dundee, Scotland. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh and at the Divinity Hall of his native city. He spent a year in the parish of Larbert and Dunipace, near Falkirk. He then served as minister at St. Peter’s Church (1836-43) until he died. In 1838 it was suggested, due to poor health, he should have a break So In 1839 with two senior ministers he went to Palestine. The reportNarrative of a Visit to the Holy Land and Mission of Inquiry to the Jews led to the establlshment of missions to Jews by the Church of Scotland. While he was in Palestine a great revival broke out in his homeland and swept through Scotland. In his absence William Chalmers Burns, with his powerful preaching, had ran the church. Robert rejoiced in an other man’s work. Robert exercised a remarkable fruitful ministry in Dundee while in constant demand to minister in other places. In 1843 Robert prepared his congregation for the coming Disruption. he died before it happened. (See History for explanation of disruption) Robert was a preacher, pastor, poet and a man of letters. He was also a man of deep piety and a man of prayer He will always be remembered as a man of prayer. Heroes of the Faith is a beautiful piece of writing. The sexton tells the visitor as he walks him around the church t o -Sit down here. Now put your elbows on the table. Now let the tears flow.Put your elbows on the pulpit. Put your face in your hands. Now let the tears flow. That was the way Mr McCheyne used to do it. (See writing by Albert Hull) Robert’s frail body was laid to rest at the North West corner of St. Peter’s burying ground. On the day of his burial, business was suspended. His friend Andrew Alexander Bonar edited Robert’s biography and some of his manuscripts. *The Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray M’chyne went into many editions. It has had a lasting influence on Evangelical Christianity worldwide. Farewell we say to one of Scotland’s brightest warriors, until the day dawn and the shadows flee away Albert Hull Sources used Banner of Truth UK Free Church of Scotland wikipedia

Delman having graduated with BA (1995), M.Div. (1998)- the year he was also ordained, MPhil (2002) and Ph,D (2006) has been honoured by many magazines since. In 2008, TAAP honoured him as one of the 20 to watch In 2012 The Root named him as one of of their 100 African American achievers and influencers In 2013 The American Civil liberties Union honoured him for his commitment to advancing civil rights and liberties for all In 2013 the Ebony magazine selected Delman as one of their *Power 100 * Delman has been the senior pastor at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church since 2004. It is a megachurch located in Clinton, Maryland. In these 16 years the congregation has grown to nearly 10,000. October 2009 Outreach magazine named Mt. Ennon as one of the fastest growing congregations in the USA. It has grown so fast because Delman has initiated and revitalized ministries, expanded the church’s ministry campus and land holdings, and incorporated the Mt. Ennon Development Corporation. Delman is founder of the New Abolition Campaign . He is founder and president of the Black Church Center for Justice and Equality. (BCC). He is a board member of the Parents Television Council and the National Action Network. He is a member also of other organizations. He’s had a number of a large number of articles, plus sermons published. ( See* Career* and published articles) His ministry, messages, and social activism spans a variety of media platforms. He has appeared on and been profiled in the national media. He is featured in the documentary The New Black. Rev, Dr. Delman L, Coates obviously lives an extremely busy, rewarding life serving our Lord. He is obviously a man to watch. Where will the magazines place him in 2020? Sources used Meet Our Pastor/ mt Ennon Baptist Church wikipedia

Time in 2004 named Warren as one of the *leader who mattered most Time in 2005 named him as one of the *100 Most influential People in the World * U.S. News and World Report 2005 named him as one of America’s Top 25 leaders Newsweek in 2006 named him one of 15 people who make America Great Richard Duane Warren is an American Baptist evangelical Christian pastor and author. He has a B.A., M.D., and DrM. In November 1973, aged 19, he and a friend skipped classes to drive 350 miles to hear W.A. Criswell preach. Rick waited to shake Crisell’s hand. Instead Crisell I feel led to lay hands on you and pray for you. He was then called to full time ministry. Rick founded Saddleback Valley Community Church in 1980 when he was just 26 years of age. To many he is Papa Rick - a voice of wisdom, hope, encouragement and vision. Saddleback , which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention in Lake Forest, California. is the sixth largest megachurch in the USA and regularly has nearly 20,000 people in attendance each week Rick has published a number of Christian books. *The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life *. The second book sold 30 million copies . What followed was the Purpose Driven Network, a global alliance of pastors from more than 160 countries and 100s of denominations who have been trained to be purpose driven churches. Following a trip to Rwanda he changed his trajectory. God gave him a vision for the PEACE plan - a mission to fight the 5 giants of spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, pandemic disease and illiteracy. that has devastated the lives of people around the world. During the 2008 presidential elections Warren hosted the Civil Forum with John MvCain and Barack Obama. Warren gave the invocation at the presidential inauguration in January 2009. Rick and Kay, his wife, consider it is their life’s work to empower local churches and local leaders to create sustainable change that gives voice to the voiceless and help to the helpless. Sources used Saddleback church wikipedia

The famous hymn *What a friend we have in Jesus was written by Joseph Scriven -read the story below Sunday 15th September, 2019 Banbridge , in County Down, celebrated the bi-centenary of Joseph’s death. The Anglican Bishop Henry Scriven, the great-great nephew attended the 6.30.pm service and a stained glass window dedicated to Joseph. Joseph was born in Banbridge, County Down, Ireland. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1842. In 1843, the day before he was due to marry, his fiancee accidentally drowned. He migrated to Canada in 1845 to escape from the religious influence of the Plymouth Brethren who were estranging him from his family. He became ill and returned to Ireland to join the Royal Dragoons and spent time in the Middle East. He returned to Canada in 1947. In 1855 he received news that his mother was seriously ill. He wrote her a poem to comfort her Pray Without Ceasing. It was later set to music and renamed by Charles Crozat Converse and became the hymn What a friend we have in Jesus. Joseph had no idea when he wrote it that it would be published and become a favourite among millions of Christians. In 1857 he moved to Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. He again fell in love. He became engaged to Catherine Roche but in August 1860 she died of pneumonia. She had contracted it after a baptism in icy waters. They were due to get married in a few weeks time. Joseph devoted the rest of his life to tutoring, preaching and helping others. In 1869 he published a collection of 115 hymn sand other verses. In 1886 Joseph, aged 66, died by drowning. It is not known whether it was accidental or suicide since he was in a serious depression at the time. We left him about midnight. A friend found his room empty and with other friends went to search for him. It was not until the afternoon that his body was discovered in the water nearby, lifeless and cold in death, He was buried with Catherine in Bewdley. Ontario In many respects he led a tragic life. His many hymns will continue to be sung. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bare! What a privilege to carry everything to God in Prayer. Amen Memorials tall obelisk over his grave, a plaque on the POrt Hope-Peterborough Highway, a monument on Downshire place and a stained glassed window in Banbridge church. Lucas media L.L.C, released a full length documentary Friends in Jesus, The Stories and Hymns of Cecil Francis Alexander and Joseph Scriven, in 2011. Lasts 45mins. - details his life and influence on popular hymns. Sources used BelfastTelegraph.co.uk Hymnary.org wikipedia

Deborah in i2018 became the Executive Director of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (IM4HI). IN4HI is a Californian organization that connects clergy and people of faith to the work of social justice. From 2009 until 2018 she served as the Program Director for the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. In that role she built up the immigrant Justice program of the organization, engaging dozens of congregations in Northern California to become Sanctuary congregations to respond to the wave of migrant youth and families and the detention and deportation crisis. Deborah has worked at the intersection of faith and social justice in many areas for over 25 years. She has consistently sought to strengthen the voice and role of faith communities in today’s social movements. She has been part of the founding, development and running of numerous organizations:- Women for Genuine Security Network for Religion and Justice for API- LGBTQ people Institute for Leadership Development and Study of Pacific Asian North American Religion Pilgrimages to Manzanar and the Sacramento River Delta Her work has been recognized as innovative and impactful. In 2019 she received the Yuri Kochiyama Impact Award from Advancing Justice -Asian Law Caucus. She has received recognition from other organizations. Deborah sees the task of IM4HI to make the criminal justice system more just and the immigration system more fair and humane. Sources used Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity

Gleason was a biblical scholar, theologian, educator and author. He was born in Norwell, Massachusetts and became a Christian at a young age through the influence of his mother, Elizabeth. He received an LL.B from Suffolk Law School in 1939 and the same year admitted to the Massachusetts bar. Gleason Archer Sr. was the founder of the school. He attended both Harvard University (BA.,M.A., PhD) and Princeton Theological Seminary (BD). His first pastoral role was at Park Street Church in Boston (!945-8). He then became Professor of Biblical Languages at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena (1948-65) He then served as Professor of Old Testament and Semitics at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois (1965-86). He became an emeritus faculty member in (1989-91). The reminder of his life was spent researching, writing and lecturing. At Princeton he studied Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic. He taught languages at Suffolk University in Boston. Some have estimated that he spoke about 30 languages which must have helped when he was translating. He was also an assistant pastor at Park Street church in Boston and assistant dean of the Boston Evening School of the Bible. In the Netherlands he was the visiting Professor of the Old Testament at Tyndale Theological Seminary. In 1971 he was one of the 50 original translators of the New American Standard Bible (NASB). He also worked on the New International Version (NIV) in (1978). A number of summers were spent translating. His family went with him on these trips which took him to Scotland, Greece, Spain and Belgium. Gleason did a great deal of other translations, wrote a number of books and had many articles published in magazines. ( See para. 5 of Memorials and Books) He was the 57th charter member of the Evangelical Theological Society - joined 28th February 1950- president in 1986. Gleason passed into the presence of the Lord on 27th April 2004, aged 87. He was buried beside his wife Sandra at the Willow Lawn cemetery in Mundelein, Illinois. Sources Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society wikipedia Amazon

Robert was an American Baptist minister and relief worker. He is best known as the founder of the international charity organizations Samaritan’s Purse (1970) and the World Vision International founded 20 years earlier (1950 Robert was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He went to Pasadena Nazarene college and studied for the ministry. For 3 years (1937-1940) he spent his time working as an evangelist across California. 1940 ordained minister and became involved with the Los Angeles branch of WW11 era ’ Youth for Christ’ movement. After WW11 he went to with the Youth for Christ movement to China. H e was very successful with youth rallies and evangelical campaigns. It was evident that the grace of God was powerful upon his life. It was heady stuff for a young evangelist. H e was just as successful in Korea. He rose at 6.30 am, worked through the day and preached at 7.30 pm. In a single day he would speak to 4-6,000 people and see 100s committed to Christ. He witnessed the destruction of hospitals, schools. churches and homes. While there,in 1950, he met Tens Hoelkeboer. She presented him with a battered and abandoned child and asked, What are you going to do about her? Robert gave her his last 5 dollars and agreed to pay the same amount monthly. Deeply affected a compassion and concern for orphans burned powerfully through him. He founded World Vision International (WVI) in 1950. An organization that focused on the physical needs of the poor in third world nations. Between 1955-64 he became one of the top 10 . He resigned from WVI in 1967. In 1970 he founded Samaritan’s Purse which was modelled on the early WVI. Robert died in 1978 from leukemia, four days after a last family reunion. Today WVI is active in nearly 100 countries, with revenue through grants, product and foreign donations of $2 billion (2017). Today Samaritan’s Purse, now headed by Billy Graham’s son Franklin through its Operation Christmas Child has delivered 135 million shoe boxes with gifts for needy children is ranked number 4 in the world of charity. Sources used *Man of Vision * written by his daughter Marilee World Vision International Spirit of Grace Ministries wikipedia

Frederick Fyvie Bruce, usually referred to as F. F. Bruce, is known world wide as the ‘Dean of Evangelical Scholarship’. F.F. Bruce was born in Elgin, Moray, Scotland .His father was a Christian Plymouth Brethren preacher. He was educated at the University of Aberdeen, Gonvilla and Caius, College Cambridge and the University of Vienna. F.F. Bruce was in Christian fellowship at various places during his life , but his primary commitment was to the Open brethren among whom he grew up. He began his career by teaching Greek at the Universities of Edinburgh and Leeds. He then became Head of the Department of Biblical History and Literature at the University of Sheffield in 1947. In 1959 he moved to Manchester University to become Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis. There he stayed until he retired from teaching in 1978. F.F. Bruce wrote over 40 books and served as editor of both the The Evangelical and Palestine Exploration Quarterly. His first book New Testament Documents: Are they Reliable? (1943) was voted in 2006, by Christianity Today , as one of the top 50 books ‘which have shaped evangelicals.’* He was a scholar on the life of Paul the apostle and wrote several studies. Paul: Apostle of the Free Spirit, in the USA Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free, is the best known. He wrote commentaries on many of the books in the New Testament. He also wrote popular works on the Bible. J.I. Packer said - No Christian was ever more free of narrow bigotry , prejudice and eccentricity in the views he held and the way he held them; no man did more to demonstrate how evangelical faith and total academic integrity may walk hand in hand. F.F. Bruce, a British biblical scholar, who supported the historical reliability of the N.T., was one of the most influential evangelical scholars of the second half of the 20th century.

Bruce was an American scholar, Bible translator and textual critic, He was for many years the professor of Princeton Theological Seminary(PTS). He served on the board of the American Bible Society and United Bible Societies. At Princeton Theological Seminary he gained a ThB (1938), M.A. (1940), PhD (1942). His PhD. was for Studies in Greek Gospel Lectionary (Greg. 303) On 11 th April 1939 he was ordained in the United Presbyterian Church of North America - now Presbyterian Church (USA) In 1944 he married Isobel Elizabeth Mackay and he was promoted to Assistant Professor. 1948 Associate professor. 1954 Full Professor. 10 years later he was named George L. Collard Professor of New Testament Language and Literature. In the 1970s he became president of a number of Societies. In England he was the visiting fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge(1974) and Wolfson College. Oxford (1979). In 1978 he had been elected corresponding fellow of the British academy- the highest distinction for a non resident of the U.K… An eminent authority on translating the New Testament from the original Greek he was best known for directing 30 scholars for over 10 years on the new Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible. Archaic language was removed/eliminated. In 1990 this replaced RSV of 1952. In 1984,aged 70, after 46 years teaching at PTS he retired as Professor Emeritus. He continued to receive honorary doctorates after his retirement. He continued to write for many years, his last book was published in 2006. Shortly after his 93rd birthday Bruce died - 13th February 2007. He died in Princeton, New Jersey. Bruce was one of the most influential new testament scholars of the 20th century. Sources Theopedia Princeton Alumni Weekly wikipedia

Asa Alonzo Allen was born in Sulphur Rock, Arkansas on 27th March 1911. His parents were alcoholics and he grew up in dire poverty. For extra money he would busk on the streets. Aged 14 he ran away. He tok rides, hopped freight trains and did odd jobs. IN 1934, now in his early 20s , he heard joyous singing, as he drove by the Onward Methodist Church in Miller, Missouri. Curious he went in to hear a woman evangelist preaching. He went the next night and committed his life to Jesus. He began to turn his life around. He met and married Lexie Scriven in 1936. He came in contact with Pentecostalism and during a home meeting became filled with the Spirit. He decided he wanted to become a minister and affiliated with the relatively new Assembly of God. He chopped wood to make enough money to travel to small towns and preach. This was the time of the Depression - money came in very slowly. Holly, Colorado was his first pastorate. He was officially ordained a minister of the Assembly of God. He prayed and fasted and God met him. He was given 13 things he needed - many of them focused on total consecration on God. He left Colorado and began to hold meetings as a singing,healing evangelist. In 1947 he became pastor at Corpus Christi, Texas - he wanted to settle down with his wife and 4 children. The church blossomed. He wanted a radio ministry- it was turned down. In 1949 he went to an Oral Robert’s tent healing revival .He knew that was what God had called him to do. 1950 left his pastorate and began having evangelistic meetings. People were being healed, as he preached, where they sat. 1951 he bought first tent. 1953 on the radio in USA and beyond. 1955 stopped for drunk driving - was he drunk? Local church wanted him to pull out for a while -he resigned. A.A. Allen continued as an independent minister. He started his own * Miracle Magazine* by the end of 1956 there were 340,000 subscribers. Started the Miracle Revival Fellowship aimed at ordaining ministers and supporting missions. His style which had always been aggressive became increasingly . Healing ministries began to pull back. He was donated land and dubbed it Miracle Valley and in 1960 built a 4,000 seat church on the land. He also built Miracle Valley Bible College and planted more than 400 churches, He helped pioneer revival in the Philippines where he repeatedly preached to more than 50,000 people during each service. In the year he died he wrote his autobiography titled Born to Lose, Bound to win with co-author Walter Wagner. A.A. Allen was only 59 when he died. He was found dead,sitting in a chair in front of the TV, in San Francisco on 11th June 1970. They called A.A. Allen the Miracle Man. His Holy Ghost rallies would see 12,000 people receive baptism of the Holy Spirit in a single service. Sources healing and Revival The New York Times wikipedia

Phineas was the primary founder member of the Church of the Nazarene and the founding president of Point Loma Nazarene University. Phineas was born on a farm in Franklin, New York. Aged 18 he was converted to Christianity in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) in Davenport and gave his first sermon. In 1857 he helped his family move to Iowa and he entered the ME ministry. In 1860 he married Maria Hebbard (they had 6 children). He was pastor in Iowa for 25 years (1857-83), He had been a pastor for 10 years including being a circuit preacher. station pastor and presiding elder when, as he preached, he experienced a fresh fire in his soul. He had a close encounter with the Holy Spirit and sanctified wholly, It changed his life -his doubts frustrations/disappeared and were replaced with a heart filled with love and desire to wholly live through the Holy Spirit. In 1883 he relocated to the Southern California Conference on the West Coast, where he ministered in 4 churches in the Los Angeles area and served as presiding elder. At the First methodist Church in Los Angeles he found a small group of active holiness people - this is where his work as a special force to promote scriptural holiness began. 4 years later in Pasadena he held special meeting featuring holiness evangelists When he became Presiding Elder of the Los Angeles district he promoted a holiness revival through out the area…Opposition stirred. The bishop was not a holiness man. Phineas was sent to smaller less influential churches. He saw the churches were doing nothing for the the ‘needy’ .people. He was invited to help organize an independent mission, Penial Mission Phineas proposed that the Conference made it a regular appointment or let him remain at the mission as a methodist leader… Proposal was rejected and he left with 'almost unbearable sadness’- the leaders thought it would hurt the image of the church. After 37 years, in 1894, he withdrew from the MEC to serve as pastor to the Peniel Mission, an independent ministry to the homeless in Fort Street Methodist Church, Los Angeles. A rift developed between Phineas and the Peniel founders, Rev. T.P.Ferguson and his wife. Phineas wanted a church that ministered to the whole family; they wanted to focus on the ‘down and out’. October 1895 Phineas, with Dr. Joseph Pomeroy Widney , joined with numerous lay people to form a new church. Widney suggested 'Church of the Nazarene (C.of N.) - because it identified the ministry with the toiling masses of common people for whom Jesus lived and died. News of the C of N spread across the USA. Phineas -General Superintendent (20 years). October 13th, 1908 C of N official opening. A car accident in 1900 slowed him down!! In 1915 he died and went home. The Church of Nazarenes now includes congregations in more than 160 countries. The 30,000 Nazarene churches around the world now has has a total membership of more the 2.5 million. wikipedia Britannia

Harry was an American pastor who became a central figure in the Fundamentalist - Modernist-controversy within American Protestantism in the 1920s and 1930s. He was one of the most prominent liberal ministers in the early 20th century. He graduated from Colgate University in 1900. He became an ordained Baptist minister in 1903 and left Union Theological Seminary in 1904. First Baptist Church, Montclair, New Jersey was his first ministry (1904-1915). In 1917 he volunteered as an Army chaplain serving in France. He also taught at Union Theological Seminary (1908-1946). In 1918 he moved to the First Presbyterian Church. On May 21st, 1922, he delivered his famous sermon Shall the Fundamentalists Win?. He presented the Bible as a record of the unfolding of God;s will not as the literal ‘Word of God’. This caused an uproar. Fundamentalists regarded it as rank apostasy and a investigation followed. At a formal trial in 1924 he escaped censure. Harry resigned and was immediately called to Park Avenue Baptist, later renamed Riverside Church. (1925-30, 1930-1946). John D.Rockefeller Jr. funded the building of the famed ecumenical Riverside Church in Morningside heights, Manhattan. Harry opposed racism and injustice. His sermons won him wide recognition.His 1933 anti-war sermon The Unknown Soldierultimately led to the founding of the Peace Pledge Union His radio addresses were broadcast nationally. Many of his sermon collections are still in print and he wrote many books. (See ‘Works’) He had a major influence on Martin Luther King Jr. who said Harry was the greatest preacher of the century.

Wallie Amos Criswell was an American pastor, author and a twice elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) from 1968-1970. He became widely known for his expository biblical preaching. He is regarded as a key figure in the late 1970s’ Conservative Resurgence’ within the S BC. W. A. Criswell only gained his first names until some years later. He was registered at birth as W.A.Criswell. Government officials wanted first names for his passport-he was given his father’s names of Wallie Amos… He grew up in poverty. His father was a cowboy -barber and barely earned a living. After learning to read books and ideas came to interest and excite him. Aged 10 he was converted and became an evangelical Baptist. Aged 12 he was ‘called’ to the ministry. He studied at Baylor University in Waco, Texas He continued his ministry training at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in theology. While studying he ministered at 4 churches. He took his first ministry roll, at Chickasha, Oklahoma (1937). He moved on to Muskogee in1941. He moved on to the First Baptist Church (FBC) in Dallas ( 1944 -1993) to replace George Washington Truett. In the next 50 years the membership grew from 7,800 to 26,000. Sunday School attendance was 5,000+. The church expanded to multiple buildings- it became the largest Southern Baptist church in the world. Billy Graham joined the church in 1953. W.A. was an early pioneer of the modern mega church phenomenon. ( See First Baptist Church of Dallas paragraphs). The most significant impact of W.A/ preaching was to foster expositional preaching within the SBC and beyond. In 1946 he began an expository preaching tour through the whole Bible beginning with Genisis and ending with Revelation- it took 17 i/2 years. When he announced his intention there were many ‘nay sayers’ but the church expanded and the ministries flourished. ( See Preaching para 2) W.A. published 54 books ( See ‘Selected works’) In 1988 W.A. requested a search party to find his replacement- he was approaching 80. In 1900 Joel C. Gregory became pastor, W.A. took the title ‘Senior Pastor’. It did not work out - Gregory resigned in 1992. In 1993 O.S. Hawkins was appointed and W.R. entered semi-retirement. He kept himself busy around the church for the next 7 years. He died at the home of a long time friend, Jack Pogue on January 10th 2002, aged 92. His death made national headlines -the city of Dallas closed off the U.S. -75 for the celebrated pastor’s funeral cortege. In his book The Purpose Driven Church , pastor and author, Rick Warren describes Wallie Amos Criswell as the greatest American pastor of the twentieth century. ( See ’ Influence’) Sources used Preaching Baptist History Homepage wikipedia