Charles Edward Fuller Grave

Charles Edward Fuller

“To know the Word of God, to live the Word of God, to preach the Word, to teach the Word, is the sum of all wisdom, the heart of all Christian service.”
(Charles Edward Fuller)

Early Life and Conversion

Charles Edward Fuller was born April 25, 1887, in Los Angeles, California, into a family engaged in citrus-grove and fruit-packing business. Raised in a Methodist home, Fuller initially showed little interest in ministry. After graduating from Pomona College in 1910 with a degree in chemistry, he went into his father’s citrus business and in 1910 married his high‐school sweetheart, Grace Payton.

In 1916 (or 1917) Fuller experienced a genuine conversion under the preaching of Paul Rader at the Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles. That turning point led him to leave business and enroll in the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now Biola University), where he deepened his theological convictions and was shaped by the leadership of Reuben A. Torrey. This combination of conversion, theological training, and a fresh sense of calling would define Fuller’s trajectory.

Pastoral Ministry and Entry into Radio

After his studies, Fuller served as pastor of a small church at Calvary Church in Placentia, California. In 1925 he was ordained a Baptist minister and dedicated himself to revival work. From early on he sensed the potential of radio. By 1925 he had begun broadcasting locally, using the emerging medium to reach beyond the walls of his church.

In 1933 Fuller resigned his church pastorate to concentrate fully on broadcasting. His vision was that the simple gospel message (“Jesus saves”) could be heard by those who could not attend church—those in hospitals, prisons, remote camps, and homes. With this conviction he formed the Gospel Broadcasting Association and began to extend his radio outreach.

The Old-Fashioned Revival Hour and Media Influence

The major turning point came October 3, 1937, when Fuller launched the weekly radio program Old Fashioned Revival Hour (OFRH) via the Mutual Broadcasting System. In the early 1940s, the broadcast was on over 600 stations nationwide, and thousands gathered for live broadcasts, especially at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium (1941–58) in California. The program combined preaching by Fuller, a large choir, quartet, music, and a participatory invitation for listeners to respond. The format endeared it to millions—estimated at 20–30 million listeners weekly at its peak. Fuller’s use of mass broadcasting marked him as a pioneer of Christian media. He not only preached but shaped how the Gospel was communicated to a broad, increasingly secularizing America.

Educational Vision – Founding Fuller Theological Seminary

In 1947, alongside Harold Ockenga and others, Charles Fuller co-founded Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. The seminary’s aim: to train Christian workers who combined evangelical fervour with intellectual engagement, able to impact modern culture while remaining rooted in Scripture. In many ways Fuller sought to transcend aspects of rigid fundamentalism and address its intellectual gaps, ushering a wave of “neo-evangelicalism.” Under Fuller’s board-leadership and vision, the seminary grew substantially and became one of the leading evangelical graduate schools. His influence thus extended beyond his own preaching into the formation of Christian leaders and educators.

Character, Themes and Convictions

Fuller’s preaching style was straightforward, warm, and invitational. He held firmly to a high view of Scripture, the centrality of the Gospel and evangelism, and the urgency of the soul’s need. He believed that the Gospel must be heard widely and that modern communication ought to serve that end. Although rooted in fundamentalist Baptist conviction, Fuller showed an openness to cooperation across denominational lines—particularly through the seminary project. His willingness to moderate some of the separatist inclinations of his background earned him respect among the next generation of evangelical leaders. His personality was described as humble, focused, and strategic.

Legacy and Continuing Impact

Charles E. Fuller died on March 18, 1968, in Pasadena, California, after broadcasting till late in life. His legacy is multi-dimensional:

• Media Evangelism: The Old Fashioned Revival Hour left a lasting imprint on Christian broadcasting. The archives of his sermons and music continue to be re-broadcast and studied.
• Education: Fuller Theological Seminary remains a major institution in evangelical graduate education, shaped by the vision he helped found. Thousands of pastors, missionaries and scholars trace their training to that institution.
• Evangelical Identity: Fuller’s blend of evangelical zeal, media savvy and educational vision helped shift mid-20th-century evangelicalism from the defensive posture of 1920s fundamentalism to engagement with culture and ideas. Scholars note that his significance in “post-war neo-evangelicalism” was under-appreciated in his day.
• Gospel Reach: At its height the radio broadcast reached tens of millions across continents. The architecture of his ministry—broadcast, local church influence, institution building—shows how one ministry could multiply beyond its immediate locale.

Practical Lessons from His Life

Several lessons emerge from Fuller’s life that remain relevant:

• Embrace new communication tools: Fuller didn’t wait for tradition to validate radio; he used it early to reach the unreached. In our day, media continues to evolve.
• Small beginnings, grand vision: He moved from citrus business to local pastor, to radio preacher, to seminary founder—showing how faithfulness in small places often precedes greater influence.
• Balance conviction with cultural engagement: Fuller held firm to Scripture and the Gospel while engaging culture via media and education—showing that Christian ministry need not retreat from the world.
• Invest in multiplying structures: The seminary he helped found, the broadcast archives, the training materials—his ministry was designed to outlast him.
• Evangelism remains central: Above all his strategy, Fuller never lost focus on the core message: the person of Jesus Christ and the call to faith. His sermons and invitations emphasised conversion, not just information.

Conclusion

Charles Edward Fuller stands as a significant figure in the history of American evangelicalism—a man whose life crossed business, broadcast, church and academy. His contribution lies not only in his own preaching voice but in his capacity to harness new media, build institutions, and shape a generation of Christians to engage the world with the Gospel.

While every leader has complexities—and Fuller was no exception—his core legacy remains: faithfully proclaiming Christ, using the tools of his time, and equipping the next generation. For those who ask how to make a lasting impact in evangelical ministry today, his life remains instructive: clear in message, broad in reach, deep in institutional fruit.