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In 1857, the California gold rush was in decline. The railroad bubble peaked in July. Business failures began in August. The fashionable churches were moving north, but Jeremiah Lanphier lived in the nonreligious lower part of the city. Lanphier never married, and had no formal schooling to prepare him for ministry, but he was commissioned as a lay missionary of Read more...
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The story of John Gano and First Baptist Church in the City of New York offers a vivid glimpse into the growth of Baptist life in colonial and early American history. Together, they represent both the spread of evangelical religion in the northern colonies and the role of faith during the founding era of the United States. John Gano was Read more...
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Frederick Muhlenberg, son of the “father of the Lutheran Church in North America,” Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, was the pastor of Christs Church, also known as the Old Swamp Church. On July 2nd, 1776, Muhlenberg left the city. Following the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, sources say the church burned, likely during the Great Fire of New York City. Read more...
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Fanny Crosby remains one of the most beloved figures in American hymnody, and her life is closely tied to the New York Institution for the Blind, where she spent many formative years as both a student and a teacher. This institution played a crucial role in shaping her intellectual, spiritual, and creative development, ultimately helping to prepare her for a Read more...
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From Daytonian in Manhattan: Three blocks to the north, on Ninth Avenue between 33rd and 34th Street, the New York Asylum for the Blind had stood since 1831. In 1839 it had taken in a 19-year old student, Franny J. Crosby, who quickly was recognized for her talent in writing poetry and hymns. Fanny had been blinded by an incompetent physician at Read more...
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The story of Jeremiah Lanphier and the North Dutch Church in New York City is closely tied to one of the most remarkable religious awakenings in American history, the 1857–1858 Prayer Revival. At a time of economic uncertainty and social anxiety, a quiet layman’s simple initiative helped spark a movement that spread across the United States and beyond. Lanphier’s life Read more...
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Robert Lowry March 12, 1826 – November 25, 1899 Born in Philadelphia, Robert Lowry was converted at seventeen and received into the membership of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia. Active in Christian service from his youth, he soon recognized the Lord’s call to the ministry. He entered school at Lewisburg, Pennsylvania—now Bucknell University—where he distinguished himself academically, graduating in Read more...
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Hymn History: Take the Name of Jesus with You Author: Lydia Baxter “I have a very special armor. I have the name of Jesus. When the tempter tries to make me blue or despondent, I mention the name of Jesus, and He can’t get through to me anymore.” (Lydia Baxter) The Origin of the Hymn “Take the Name Read more...
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Hymn History: Must I Go, and Empty-Handed? Author: Charles Carroll Luther “Years ago … my parents had friends we visited quite often … On one occasion … that represents the way in which we can encourage and bless our friends with unexpected gifts, tokens of our appreciation for them. … ‘Must I go, and empty-handed, thus my dear Redeemer Read more...
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Hymn History: Only a Sinner Author: James Martin Gray “Dr. Gray was a man of vision … the school grew under his able administration. He was a conservative theologian, a fine scholar and excellent Bible teacher, but his interests went far beyond mere academics.” (Robert Cottrill) The Origin of the Hymn “Only a Sinner” Among the many gospel Read more...
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Hymn History: Rise Up, O Men of God! Author: William Pierson Merrill “Unless you give yourself to some great cause you haven’t even begun to live.” (William Pierson Merrill) The Origin of the Hymn “Rise Up, O Men of God!” Among the many hymns that have inspired the Church to action and spiritual maturity, few ring with such Read more...
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Rodney “Gypsy” Smith “There are no sad saints. A gloomy Christian is a contradiction.” (Rodney “Gypsy” Smith) Rodney “Gypsy” Smith: Evangelist to the World Rodney “Gypsy” Smith (1860–1947) was one of the most beloved evangelists of his generation. Born in a gypsy tent on the outskirts of London, uneducated and poor, Smith rose to international renown as a preacher Read more...
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Hymn History: Our Great Savior Author: John Wilbur Chapman “Anything that dims my vision of Christ, or takes away my taste for Bible study, or cramps me in my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult, is wrong for me, and I must, as a Christian, turn away from it.” (John Wilbur Chapman) The Origin of the Hymn “Our Read more...
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John Wilbur Chapman was a prominent Presbyterian evangelist and hymn writer who lived at 631 West End Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, while he was actively conducting revival campaigns across the United States. This apartment was where he maintained a home base in New York City while traveling extensively to preach and lead revival meetings. It was from this residence Read more...
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The Billy Sunday Tabernacle in Manhattan was a massive temporary wooden structure built for a 10-week revival in 1917, located at 168th Street and Broadway on the former site of Hilltop Park. It seated 16,000–20,000 people, featured sawdust-covered floors, and hosted over a million attendees, marking a high point in Sunday’s evangelical career. _____ Image Source/Credit: • The Voice in the Read more...