Part 1 of this series, besides challenging elders to start preaching whenever possible, gave the biblical background for preaching and the factors which affect the preacher’s credibility with the congregation. In Part 2, we will look at the great Protestant preachers and evangelists—from George Whitefield, who began his ministry in the early 1700s, to Billy Graham, who turned the world upside down in the twentieth century. Theirs and the other ministers discussed in this section will inspire the aspiring elder.
GREAT PREACHERS OF THE PAST
Once you have decided to start preaching, you will be encouraged
to know something about some of the great preachers of the past and
present. A number of them were unprepared to preach, just as
you may be, but once they made their decision, God took
possession of their lives and led them to become
mighty preachers of the Gospel.
John Stott, a renowned British Christian
leader and Anglican clergyman of the
twentieth century, was noted as a leader
of the worldwide evangelical movement,
and he wrote 50 books on religious matters.
He said, “Scripture comes alive in
the congregation only if it has come alive
in the preacher first.” All preachers, be they
formal ordained pastors or ordained elders,
should always bear this in mind.
During the Dark Ages, there was no public
preaching by non-Catholic Christians,
since these groups—Huguenots, Albajenses,
Waldenses, and others—were either
underground or hiding in the mountains.
Evangelism, however, was being carried
out, but on a personal, one-on-one level
and in secret cottage meetings.
However, by the early 1700s, when the 1,260
years of papal persecution were drawing to an end, the way was opened for public evangelism and formal preaching
to take place in the cathedrals and other places of worship
in Europe. In Europe, the way had been opened by John
Wycliffe, Martin Luther, John Huss, Jerome, and others. Because
of their courage, their keen sense of freedom of religion,
and their holy inspiration, they paved the way for other great
preachers to follow. The following is a brief survey of several of
the most successful preachers, Adventist and non-Adventist,
who were used mightily by God.
George Whitefield (1714–1770) was a Church of England
(Anglican in the USA) preacher and evangelist and later the cofounder
(along with John and Charles Wesley) of the Methodist
movement. He preached his first open-air sermon in England
in 1738, and then he began a series of open-air revivals in the
USA in 1740 that ushered in The Great Awakening. He was
a powerful preacher. As he traveled through the colonies, he
preached nearly every day for months. He drew crowds of
20,000-30,000 people and was called the Trumpet of God.
The Lord used him mightily.
John Wesley (1703–1791) was an Anglican cleric and
Christian theologian who was the principal founder of the
Methodist Church. At a place called Aldersgate, he felt his
heart “strangely warmed,” and that’s when he began his serious
ministry and later began to take over the open-air preaching
started by George Whitefield. Wesley was a brilliant organizer
and formed religious societies throughout England,
Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. He divided his societies further
into classes and bands for intensive accountability and religious
instruction. His great contribution was to appoint itinerate
(unordained) preachers who traveled widely to evangelize
and care for those societies.
Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) was a British Baptist
preacher who is still known as the “Prince of Preachers.” In
his lifetime, Spurgeon preached to a total of around 10 million
people, and once he preached to 23,654 people; he often
preached up to 10 times a week in different places. His sermons
have been translated into many languages. Today, there
are more writings and books by Spurgeon than by any other Christian writer. He was plain-spoken, usually with poor grammar,
and used direct appeals to the people, using the Bible to
provoke them to consider the claims of Jesus Christ.
Robert Murray McCheyne (1813–1843) was a Scottish
poet, writer, preacher, pastor, and great man of prayer. Although
he died young, he had a powerful influence on Christianity
in his own country and in England. A deeply spiritual man
who never married, he is remembered for his statement “My
people’s greatest need is my personal holiness.”
Billy Sunday (1862–1935) was an American athlete and
religious figure who, after being a popular outfielder in baseball’s
National League during the 1880s, became the most celebrated
and influential American evangelist during the first two
decades of the twentieth century. With his colloquial sermons
and frenetic delivery, he became the nation’s most famous
evangelist. He would swing his arms, jump up and down, and
run around the platform. He was said to sometimes jump up
on the pulpit and shout his sermons from there. Sunday was
welcomed into the homes of the wealthy and influential. Perhaps
more than one million people came forward at his invitations,
and he may have personally preached the gospel of
Jesus Christ to more people than any other person in history
up to that time.
Billy Sunday (1862–1935) was an American athlete and
religious figure who, after being a popular outfielder in baseball’s
National League during the 1880s, became the most celebrated
and influential American evangelist during the first two
decades of the twentieth century. With his colloquial sermons
and frenetic delivery, he became the nation’s most famous
evangelist. He would swing his arms, jump up and down, and
run around the platform. He was said to sometimes jump up
on the pulpit and shout his sermons from there. Sunday was
welcomed into the homes of the wealthy and influential. Perhaps
more than one million people came forward at his invitations,
and he may have personally preached the gospel of
Jesus Christ to more people than any other person in history
up to that time.
(To be continued).
Lamar Phillips is a retired minister and church administrator who
served for 39 years in six world divisions.
