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David Brainerd (1718-1747) died at age 29, but inspired missionaries such as William Carey and Jim Eliot. He was a struggling farmer but during the Great Awakening on July 12, 1739, “the Lord… brought me to a hearty desire to exalt him, to set him on the throne, and to ‘seek first his Kingdom,’ i.e., principally and ultimately to aim Read more...
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I left Wisconsin for a visit to Myanmar (ancient Burma), where throughout the entire country the legacy of Adoniram Judson (see Plymouth, MA) is visible. During my trip, I read the biography of Judson, To The Golden Shore. When it mentioned an individual with ties to Wisconsin, I had to learn more, and started digging thru the archives. Over a Read more...
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From FindaGrave: Hymn Composer. The author of over 2,000 hymns which are still available in print, he is remembered his widely popular songs “What a Wonderful Savior!,” “Enough for Me,” “Is Thy Heart Right With God?,” “Are You Washed in the Blood?,” “No Other Friend Like Jesus,” “Is Your All on the Altar?,” and “I Must Tell Jesus.” He also Read more...
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Hymn History: When the Roll is Called Up Yonder Author: James Milton Black “Well, I trust when the roll is called up yonder, she’ll be there.”(Spoken by James Milton Black when a girl was absent from his Sunday school class) The Origin of the Hymn “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder” The hymn When the Roll Is Read more...
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Reuben Archer Torrey, also known as R.A. Torrey, worked with Dwight L. Moody in Chicago, and became superintendent of what is now Moody Bible Institute, then-Chicago Evangelization Society. In 1894 he was pastor of Chicago Avenue (now Moody) Church. Heading to the West Coast, Torrey was dean of the Bible Institute Of Los Angeles (BIOLA), and in 1915 he was Read more...
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Although it is in a cemetery, this is not the grave of Phillip P. Bliss, rather his earthly remains are in the mass grave in Ashtabula, OH. However, because his home was in Rome, Pennsylvania, the cemetery features a cenotaph (a monument built to honor someone whose remains are elsewhere) to P. P. Bliss. Hymns by Philip Bliss found Read more...
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Milton Stewart (1838-1923) was described in the 1924 American Biography as: A Christian layman who gave the greater part of a vast fortune and the best thought of a keen and prescient mind to the advancement of the Kingdom to which he yielded devoted allegiance. Milton Stewart furthered great practical and religious projects in a manner distinctively his own, frequently Read more...
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On our road trip filming the first season of Our Christian Heritage TV, we had just interviewed a Philip Bliss impersonator, who shared the life and songs of the second most famous Christian hymnwriter. Philip Bliss (1838-1876), wrote many songs in our hymnals, including “Almost Persuaded,” “Wonderful Words of Life,” “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning,” “I am so glad Read more...
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Born in Kellyville, Texas, Stuart Hamblen made his way to Hollywood. A “singing cowboy” – he wrote the hit song “I won’t go hunting Jake (but I’ll go chasing women)” that placed #3 in the US for 1950. At Billy Graham’s 1949 Los Angeles Crusade, the “original juvenile delinquent” and alcoholic was converted, quit doing alcohol commercials, gambling, and horse Read more...
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J. Vernon McGee (1904–1988) was a widely respected pastor, theologian, and radio broadcaster whose voice reached millions through his long-running Bible teaching ministry. Known for his plainspoken style, firm doctrinal convictions, and deep commitment to Scripture, McGee became one of the most influential evangelical teachers of the twentieth century, particularly through his radio program Thru the Bible. Born in Hillsboro, Read more...
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James H. Brookes (1830–1897) was a prominent pastor, author, and conference leader whose influence helped shape evangelical thought in the United States during the late nineteenth century. Known for his careful study of Scripture, strong doctrinal convictions, and leadership in the emerging prophetic movement, Brookes played a significant role in both the pulpit and the broader religious life of his Read more...
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Frederick Muhlenberg stands as one of the steady, formative figures of Lutheranism in early America. Though he later became widely known for his service in public life, his roots were firmly planted in the church. As a Lutheran pastor in colonial America, he carried forward the spiritual and cultural heritage brought from Germany while helping shape a distinctly American Lutheran Read more...
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Hymn History: Bringing in the Sheaves Author: Knowles Shaw “His nickname was ‘The Singing Evangelist.’” (Graham McKay) The Origin of the Hymn “Bringing in the Sheaves” Few hymns capture the spirit of Christian labor and joyful harvest quite like “Bringing in the Sheaves.” Its simple, earnest call to sow in faith and reap in joy has encouraged countless believers Read more...
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Join Randy as we go on location to Princeton Cemetery, just outside of Princeton University, to the grave of America’s founding pastors. We’ll see the tomb of Aaron Burr, the graves of Jonathan Edwards (Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God), Samuel Davies (see Polegreen), and John Witherspoon. From Christian Hall of Fame: American theologian and philosopher, Jonathan Edwards, Read more...
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The life of Carrie Nation stands as one of the most striking and controversial chapters in the history of the American temperance movement. Known for her dramatic methods and uncompromising stance against alcohol, Nation became a national figure in the early twentieth century, symbolizing both the intensity and the division surrounding the push for prohibition in the United States. Born Read more...
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Thomas Hooker stands among the most influential early Puritan leaders in colonial New England. A gifted preacher, theological thinker, and community organizer, Hooker played a foundational role in the development of democratic ideas in America and in the founding of the colony of Connecticut. His life reflects the broader story of Puritan migration, religious reform, and the shaping of early Read more...
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John Eliot occupies a distinctive place in early American history as one of the first European missionaries to devote his life to evangelizing Indigenous peoples in New England. Known often as the “Apostle to the Indians,” Eliot’s work combined religious conviction, linguistic scholarship, and a deep—though historically complex—commitment to cross-cultural engagement. His life and legacy are closely tied to the Read more...
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At 26, Herbert G. Tovey wrote the song “Give Me a Passion for Souls” – out of 1,500 songs published under his Sacred Music Foundation, this was the most popular. 1 Give me a passion for souls, dear Lord, A passion to save the lost; O that Thy love were by all adored, And welcomed at any cost. Refrain: Jesus, Read more...
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From GFA Missions: On completion of his assignment at the leprosarium, Dr. and Mrs. Dreisbach returned to the U.S., made preparation to proceed on to Africa, and in 1948 began full-time missionary working in Nigeria, West Africa. In their early years in Africa, Dr. Dreisbach was superintendent of three large provincial leprosy hospitals in northern Nigeria. Being in an area Read more...
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Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899) was born in Northfield, Massachusetts, the seventh of nine children. The death of his father at age four hurt the family financially, and Moody was sent out to work. At 17 he worked for his uncle in his shoe store in Boston (turn back a few pages to hear how Edward Kimball paid him a visit Read more...