James served as a Southern Baptist pastor, theologian, author, seminary professor and founder and first president oft the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS). He was born at Charleston, South Carolina. James was educated at Brown University under Francis Wayland, whose evangelical sermons contributed to James conversion. James served as editor of the Southern Baptist when he graduated. In 1849 he then went to Princeton Theological Seminary under Charles Hodge who led James to appreciate Calvinistic theology. He completed the 3 year course in 2 years. He then served as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Columbia, South Carolina until 1855 when he was offered the chance to join the faculty at South Carolina’s Furman University (SCFU) as professor of theology. James enjoyed teaching at SCFU but he wanted to begin a Baptist seminary for southerners. In his famous 1856 inaugural address on Three Changes in Theological Education he presented his educational philosophy for a theological school. With the help of fellow southern Baptists he brought his vision to life - Southern Seminary (SS) opened in Greenville in 1859. For nearly 30 years years he served SS 's as defacto president. He proved himself to be a skillful fund-raiser and administrator. He finally took the title in 1888- the year he died.His talent as an executive fostered competition for his talents but he stayed at SS. He taught theology from 1859 until 1888. He wrote a catechism and a book Abstract of systematic Theology (1887). The book was used for many years in the department. He led a Sunday School class at Broadway Baptist church and served as president for Southern Baptist Convention (1872-9 and 1888). In 1888 he became ill and he took the opportunity to recover in Europe. His heart lifted when he met Charles Spurgeon. Reports indicated James was suffering from gout and while travelling his condition worsened and became fatal. He died in Pau, France on 28th December 1888. James’ legacy lives onto this day through the seminary he devoted his life to establishing and preserving. - Our Presidents Sources used Amazon Southern Seminary wikipedia

Charles Hodge was a leader of the ‘Princeton School’ of Reformed or Calvinist theology, and the principal of Princeton Theological Seminary (1851-78). He was a conservative American biblical scholar and one of the greatest defenders of historical Calvinism in the USA during the 19th century. His theology was based on traditional beliefs. Charles spent most of his adult life at Princeton University. Time Line 1812 Charles matriculated from College of New Jersey (now Princeton University (PU) 1814-5 Revival came to the PU in the winter 1815 he graduated and made a public profession of faith by joining the Presbyterians 1816 entered the theological seminary in PU. 1820 appointed teacher at PU in May 1821 he is ordained into the ministry 1822 became professor of Biblical and Oriental Literature 17th June marries Sarah Bache 1825 founded the * Biblical Repertory * 1826-8 abroad attending lectures in Europe 1840 chair of exegetical and didactic 1851-78 principal of PU 72 24th April Jubilee and Celebration of 50 years with PU 78 died 19th June Charles wrote copiously from the beginning to the end of his theological career, His master work, the 3 volume Systematic Theology was an unashamed defence of the tenets of the Presbyterian church. (See ‘Thought and works’) He founded the Biblical Repertory ( later the Biblical Repertory and Princeton Review) in 1825 and remained editor and principal contributor for 43 years - the year he died. He contributed nearly 150 articles to the journal. In the 1830s he had supported slavery; by 1846 he became convinced that slavery was wrong. He publically deno He educated more than 3,000 ministers of the Gospel. He achieved distinction as a teacher, as a critical interpreter, preacher, and systematic theologian At conferences he spoke with clearness and logical precision but with spontaneity and tenderness. At the 1872, 50 year Jubilee celebrations 400 of his own pupils, colleagues and representatives from various theological institutes assembled to honour him. Congratulations arrived from across the globe. Devotion to Christ was foremost in his experience, and it was the test by which he judged the experiences of others. Charles died on 19th June 1878 in Princeton. He had enjoyed old age surrounded by his children and grandchildren. To his daughter he said, Dearest don’t weep. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. To be with the Lord is to see him. To see the Lord is to be like him. Source used American Theology

Merrill Chaplin Tenney was an American professor of New Testament and Greek and author of several books. He was general editor of the Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary and served on the original translation team of the New American Standard Bible. Merrill was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts. He earned diploma (1924), Th.B (1927), A.M. (1930), and a Ph.D. (1944). He married Helen Margaret Jaderquist (1904-78) in 1930. He served as pastor of Storrs Avenue Baptist Church, in Braintree, Massachusetts (1926-8) at the same time as teaching at Gordon College while he was still a student there. He joined the faculty after graduation and was professor of New Testament and Greek until 1944 when he moved to Wheaton College. From 1947-1971 he was dean of the graduate school. In 1951 he became the second president of the Evangelical Theological Society. In 1975 a volume of essays entitled Current Issues in Biblical and patristic Interpretation was published in his honour. He retired in 1977 but continued teaching as professor emeritus until 1982. Under Selected Works 8 books are mentioned and under Articles and Chapters 8 are mentioned. Merrill died in Wheaton on March 18th, 1985.

Charles Edward Fuller was an American Baptist minister, a radio evangelist - known for his Old Fashioned Revival Hour and one of the co-founders of Fuller Theological Seminary. Charles was born in Los Angeles into a devout Methodist family. As a youth he showed little interest in religious matters. In 1910 he graduated from Pomona College as a chemist and married his high school sweetheart Grace Payton. Between 1910 and 1918 he worked in his father’s citrus packing business in California. He was converted in 1916, under the preaching of Paul Raderand and began to teach an adult Sunday school at Placentia Presbyterian Church in Ls Angeles. He then entered the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (BIAS) (now Biola University) -where he eventually became chairman. He was initially a Presbyterian but in 1925 he was ordained as a Baptist minister and pastored a group named Calvary church. He held revival meetings down the West Coast of the USA and soon began using radio as a method to get his message out. In 1928 he was drafted in by BIAS as vice-president to find a new dean and president. By 1930 he was regularly broadcasting Calvary Sunday school services as well as Bible programmes in the local area. In 1933 he resigned his pastorship because the time he spent on the radio was in conflict with the time he spent with his church.He formed a nonprofit Gospel Broadcasting Association to support hie radio evangelistic efforts. The Old Fashioned Revival Hour (TORH), (1937-68) a weekly Sunday broadcast. on which he acted as both host and speaker, gained him serious recognition. The first national broadcast was on the Mutual Broadcasting System on 3rd October 1937. The broadcasts were noted for the music, TORH choir, a quartet, an organist and pianist.Those who tuned in heard great hymns sung by a quartet followed by a short message from Charles. Aided by his wife Grace it created a family-like atmosphere . By 1942 he had attracted an audience of !0 million listeners worldwide.In 1951 the programme was carried by ABC Radio network on 650 radio stations. Since 2015 re-broadcasts of TORH are streamed weekly on the Internet. Charles with Harold Ockenga, the pastor of Park Street Church in Boston, founded the Fuller Theological Seminary in 1947. The founders sought to reform fundamentalism’s separatist and sometimes anti-intellectual stance during the1920s-40s. Charles envisaged the seminary would become a* Caltech of the evangelical world * His seminary work was incremental and thoughtful. Charles died on March 18th 1968 shortly after his last TORH. Kraphol and Lippy said his legacy was not appreciated at the time Yet, his organizational skill, his masterful use of the radio medium, his vision for Christian higher education and his willingness to moderate the more divisive aspects of his own fundamentalism background made him a significant force in the development of modern American evangelical ethos.

Samuel Rodriguez Jr. ( born 29th September 1969) is an Evangelical Christian evangelist. He is a pastor, author, television personality, civil rights activist and movie producer. He is the founder and pastor of New Season Christian Worship Center. He is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC. His parents are Puerto Rican but he was born in the USA. Aged 16 he delivered his first sermon and quickly grew to be a leading and acclaimed evangelical preacher. He gained a MA for Organization Leadership form Northwest University. In 1992 he became an ordained minister in the assemblies of God, a Pentecostal fellowship. In 2000 he founded and is currently the president of NHCLC. NHCLC is the largest Hispanic Evangelical organization in the world with 40,118. Latino Evangelical churches as members. It helps to cultivate a network of Latino leaders in the Christian community. As a spokesperson for the Hispanic evangelicals he has featured as a speaker in the White House and congressional meetings. In 2017 as president of NHCLC he was pleased to release the statement that the organization was pleased President Trump had decided ’ to return power to states to withhold federal funds from abortion providers’ ( Read statement) Samuel currently serves on the board for the National Association of Evangelicals He is an author and his book You Are Next (2019) is a publishers weekly bestseller. In 2019 he was the executive producer of the film Flamin Hot. In 2013 he was nominated for Time Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People. In 2015 he was named as one of Newsmax’s Top 100 Christian leaders in America. In 2020 he was recognized as one of Israel’s Top 50 Christian Allies. Samuel is now in his early 50s and still has a great deal to offer to the Latino Christian Community and beyond. Sources NHCLC Wikipedia

Luis Palau Jr. is one of the world’s leading international Christian evangelists and lives in the Portland area of Oregon, USA. He was born in Argentina and moved to Portland in his mid-twenties to enroll in a gradate program in Biblical studies. For many years he had a long and close relationship with Billy Graham. Luis was born on 27th November 1934 in Maschwitz, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has 5 younger sisters and a step brother. His father, a construction executive, died when Luis was 10. The family were left nearly destitute and he had to leave his British-run boarding school to work in a bank as the sole provider. Aged 12 he was ‘born again’- devoting his life to Christ. Luis first heard Billy Graham in 1950 on the radio when he was still in Argentina. Billy inspired Luis. 1960 Luis came to Portland to attend a graduate program at Multnomah Bible college. He met and married his fellow student Pat, a Beaverton kindergarten teacher in 1961. 1962 he became a US citizen. The Palaus spent the next 8 years as missionaries in Mexico and Colombia. He worked for Billy as a Spanish interpretor and as an evangelist and in 1970. Billy contributed the ‘seed’ money( $100,000 in 4 quarter payments of $25,000) for Luis to start his own ministry, which he based on Billy’s model. In the 1970’ s he worked to build up his ministry In 1975 he shared the Bible Expositor post with Bishop Festo Kivengere at Eurofest ‘75 which was held in Brussels’ Belguim and the Palais du Centenaire and the Heysel Stadium and sponsored by the Billy graham organizasion. October 1978 Luis Palau Evangelistic Association LPEA) was ‘incorporated’. Since then Luis has held large scale evangelistic festivals and gatherings around the world. In 1999 it was noted in the Portland weekly newspaper that he assembled an 80,000 member audience in the nation’s least churched major city. In 2003, 3 of his 4 sons were working for his ministry. He hosted 3 daily radio programs- an English show carried by 900 stations and 2 Spanish programs carried by 880 stations in 25 countries. November 2005 visited Beijing, China. In 2007 it was estimated that he had shared the message of Jesus Christ with 25 million people in 70 nations. At his headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon he employs 70 and another 25 around the world. March 2008 Luis addressed 500 Christian pastors in the build-up to the August event. 22-23August 2008 held a festival in Portland which focused on volunteerism to support the homeless - over 2 days 140,000 attended. This was organized by fellow evangelicals and the Portland commissioner Erik Sten. He called the effort* Season of Service*(Please read notes) In 2015 he hosted an event City-Fest for 60,000 in Central Park, New York City For over 70 years Luis has been committed to the Word of God On Thursday, January 18th, 2018 Luis shared on Facebook he had stage 4 cancer. ( Read update on Luis’s heath on 14th October 2020 PBS wikipedia

Rueben Archer Torrey was an American evangelist, pastor, educator and writer. He was a superintendent at the Bible Institute of the Evangelization Society (BIES) (now Moody Bible institute). He later became their second president. Reuben was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, the son of a banker. He graduated form Yale University in 1875 and Yale Divinity School in 1878. Rueben in the same year became a minister in Garrettville, Ohio. In 1879 he married Clara Smith (Swift?) and they had 5 children. He studied Theology at Leipzig and Erlangen Universities from 1882-3. In 1889 he joined Dwight Moody in his evangelistic work in Chicago and became superintendent of BIES (1889-1908). (For information about the Moody Bible Institute see notes) In 1894 he became pastor at Chicago Avenue Church (now the Moody Memorial Church) (1894-1906). In 1898 Reuben served as chaplain with the YMCA at camp Chickamauga during the Spanish American War’ 1902-3 he preached in nearly every part of the English speaking world. 1903-5 with Charles McCallon Alexander, a song leader, he conducted revival services in Great Britain and visited China, Japan, Australia and India. 1905-7 campaigned in American and Canadian 1908 Reuben founded the Montrose Bible Conference i Pennsylvania. Many well known Christian leaders frequently gathered at the 3,000 seat tabernacle. He remained a guiding hand of the conference for the rest of his life. (What started as a 10 day summer Bible has expanded into a a year round multi- faceted conference, camp and Retreat center 1912-1924 he served as Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (BILA)( now Biola University) where he was recognized as a leader in the field of Christian education. He contributed to the BIOLA publication The King’s Business. ( See ’ History and Heritage’ and ‘Forgotten Founder’) In WW1 he acted as chaplain at Camp Bowie - a POW camp in Texas. 1915-24 he served as the first pastor of the Church of the Open Door, Los Angles. He was one of the 3 editors of the The Fundamentals which gave its name to ‘fundamentalism’. (Read excerpt from ’ The Untold Story of the Fundamentals’) The church and BILA both grew rapidly under Reuben’s leadership. After 12 years at BILA he became restless to devote his time fully to evangelism. He resigned his positions to hold evangelistic meetings and to speak at conferences throughout the USA. Reuben held his last evangelistic meeting in Florida in 1927. Additional meetings were cancelled because of his failing health. He died on 26th October , 1928 at home in Ashville, North Carolina. Reuben had preached throughout the world and written 40 books. He was 72 when he died. ( 'Torrey's Life Timeline' shows important dates and events ) Sources Biola University Moody Bible Institute Wikipedia

Rodney Lee Parsley (born 13th January 1957) is a prominent American Christian minister, author, television host and evangelist. He is the senior pastor of World harvest Church, a large pentecostal church in Canal Winchester, Ohio, Columbus. He is the founder of a number of organizations. Rodney’s Breakthrough -a media ministry -covers 8 areas of ministry ( in alphabetical order) Bridge of Hope Center for Moral Clarity started 2004 founder and president City Harvest Network started 2017 Harvest Preparatory School founded 1986 Joni’s Journal written by his wife Valor Christian College founder and chancellor World Harvest Church Columbus started 1977 with 17, now 12,000 members World Harvest Church Elkhart (See separate sheet for further information on each heading) This is besides The Women’s Clinic of Columbus His television program Breakthrough with Rod Parsley is aired daily on the several networks. RODPARSLEY. TV is a 24/7 online streaming channel. Brief biography of Rod. Born in Cleveland, Ohio. Raised as a Free Will Baptist. Enrolled at Circleville Bible college- left after 2 years. As youngster influenced by Lester Sumrall who became his mentor and traveling companion. Became pastor at World Harvest Church (1977-present. Married Joni Parsley in 1986. Children - boy & girl- now adults. (See separate article on Lester Sumrall) In 2015 Rod was treated for cancer of the throat, but has since recovered. I have concentrated on Breakthrough. I have included information from Wikipedia about World harvest Church, Political activism, Writings and Criticism of Parsley Breakthrough is a worldwide soul winning ministry that is reaping the end time harvest and reviving the life of God in the hearts of humanity, With a fresh anointing on Rodney in this new millennium of ministry 1000s all across the world are being healed, saved and delivered by the power of God. Sources Breakthrough now daystar.com Ministries The center for Moral Clarity Wikipedia

Phillip Jensen is an Australian cleric of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and the former Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral. He founded the Australian Christian publishing house Matthais Media. He founded the Christian magazine The Briefing in 1988. He authored the Gospel tract The Two Ways of Living. He also created the Ministry Training Strategy (MTS). He was chairman of the Katoomba Youth Convention (KYC) (1974-1991) & Convention Council (1983-91). Phillip spent his early years living at Bellevue Hill, a suburb of Sydney. His first public statement of faith came at a Billy Graham crusade in 1959. From 1967-70 he studied theology at Moore Theological College. He married his wife Helen in 1969. On graduation he worked at St. Matthew’s Manley and at the Department of Evangelism (now Evangelism and New Churches). In 1975 he became Anglican chaplain to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) In 1977 or8 he became rector of St. Matthias’ Centennial Park. His university ministry was based around expository preaching and ‘walk-up evangelism’. There were many conversions and large student gatherings at UNSW. The congregation at St. Matthias grew from 20-30 in 1977 to over a 1,000 by the mid 1990s. His work at UNSW included the creation of the Ministry Training Strategy (MTS) which trained young people in practical ministry skills, preparing them for church ministry, ordained or otherwise. After over 30 years he resigned as Chaplain for the UNSW in 2005. From 1974-91 he led the reinvigoration of the Katoomba Christian Convention - an interdenominational ministry providing evangelical Biblical preaching to Christians. ( See notes on ’ Katoomba Christian Convention’) 1988 founded *The Briefing* an evangelical Christian magazine published by Matthias Media . It had a distinct Sydney Anglican slant. (See notes 'The Briefing' - closed in 2014 He promoted lay administration of the Lord’s Supper and is an opponent of the ordination of women. In 2003 he was appointed Dean of Sydney’s St. Andrews Cathedral and Director of the Sydney Diocesan Ministry Training and Development (MT&D)(2003-12). During his time there he changed many things. Peter Phillips, the Tallis Scholars’ director, accused him of ‘vandalising’ Anglican culture, ( Read 3rd para on ‘Views’) In 2014 he announced he was resigning as Dean at the end of the year. Phillip commenced work on Two Ways Ministries* (TWM) at Moore Theological College. TWM seeks to serve people by proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus through teaching people the Bible Phillip currently accepts invitations to preach and to speak at inter/national conferences. Sources twowayministries

Harry R. Jackson Jr. is an American Christian preacher and Pentecostal bishop who serves as the senior pastor at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland. founded the Christian Hope Center. He is the Presiding bishop of the International Communion of Evangelical Churches (ICEC) He is the founder and chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition(HILC) and also co-founder of the Reconciled Church initiative (RCI). Harry was raised in Cincinnati. He became involved in political activism as a child with his mother Essie. I was a black kid at Country Day who stayed in the houses of wealthy white people. He attended Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts where he played football. He had a tryout with the New England Patriots but did not make the team In 1973 his family moved to Washington D.C. area and eventually settled in Silver Spring, Maryland. After graduating from Williams College with a B.A. he got a high level executive job at Republic Steel and admitted to Harvard business school (MBA). He married his wife, Michele, in 1976. The death of his father caused Harry to become a Christian minister The family moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he preached in the inner city. He took a job at Corning Glass (now Corning Incorporated) and preached in his spare time. He founded the Christian Hope Center. *We really broke racial barriers for a black man pastoring white people in 1981 His work in Corning attracted attention and he was recruited to Bltsville, Maryland to take over Hope Christian Church. He is now the presiding bishop of ICEC which *seeks to offer a clear, concise, and uncompromising voice to address the most pressing issues of our day primarily those relating to righteousness & justice. The founder and chairman of (HILC) which is composed of ministers who actively promote socially conservative causes. Plus the co-founder of RCI. which seeks to bring racial healing to the church and America. He states firmly that same-sex marriage and abortion are morally wrong. In the late 1990s he gained national recognition through his columns in Charisma magazine in which he frequently wrote about abortion and gay marriages ( See ‘Activism’) He has authored several books. One of his recent books is *Personal Faith Public Policy (See middle para of SHOP the WORD for more title). He has appeared on many television channels and been featured in the newspapers and other media outlets. He shares a weekly message on Praise 104.1FM and a daily radio program The Harry Jackson Show on a stream. Bishop Harry Jackson has two grown-up daughters and resides in Maryland. Sources Harry Jackson Ministries The Harry Jackson Show SHOP the WORD.com Wikipedeia

Timothy J. Keller is an American pastor, theologian and Christian apologist. He is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (RPC) in New York City. He is the chairman and co-founder of Redeemer City to City , which trains pastors for ministry in global cities. He is co-founder of The Gospel Coalition* and founder of Hope for New York. He is also author of some of The New York Times bestselling books. Tim was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He has degrees from;- B.A. Bucknell University (BN) 1972 M.Div Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) 1975 D.Min Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) 1981 Tim became a Christian while studying at BN through IVC Fellowship and became a staff member. He was ordained by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). He served as a pastor at West Hopewell Presbyterian Church, Hopewell, Virginia for 9 years. At the same time he was director of church planting for PCA and on the faculty at WTS where he and his wife, Kathy, were involved in urban ministry. The church planting involved looking at the needs of New York. Although working at WTS he continued to commute to New York and joined the prayer meetings at RPC. Tim was recruited by PCA to start RPC in 1989. He lacked experience but succeeded after 2 others had turned it down. His congregation of 50 in 1989 grew to over 5,000 each Sunday by 2008. This led to some calling him the most successful Christian Evangelist in the city Over the next 28 years RPB exploded in size and influence! In 1992 RPC founded Hope for New York. its mission was to mobilize volunteer and financial resources to support non-profit organizations serving the poor and marginalized in New York City Tim is co-founder of The Gospel Coalition (2005) a group of reformed leaders from around the USA. He is chairman and co-founder of Redeemer City to City (CTC) which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for ministry in an urban environments. For 28 years he led a diverse congregation of young professionals that grew a weekly attendance of over 5,000. (Read the 5 pages Redeemer History - Redeemer Churches and Ministries) On 1st July 2017 Tim stepped down from his role as senior pastor of RPC to concentrate on CTC . This will enable him to teach and mentor church planters and seminary students full time in a joint venture with Reformed Theological Seminary’s (RTS) , the City Ministry program June 2020 Tim was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Tim will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians. * Christianity Today* Sources Hope for New York Wikipedia

Edwin Masao Yamauchi is a Japanese-American historian, a Christian apologist, editor and academic. He is Professor Emeritus of History at Miami University where he taught from 1969-2005. He is a former president of the Institute for Biblical Research (IBR) . He is a founding member of the Oxford Bible Fellowship church in Oxford, Ohio. He has written books on Christian History and often contributes articles to Christian periodicals, He was raised as a Buddhist. He was educated at Iolani Episcopal school. He was first exposed to evangelism in 1952 when he was invited by a classmate to attend Kalihi Union church. In his senior high school year he worked on a missionary farm called Christian youth center. He studied languages at the University of Hawaii before transferring to Shelton college, Ringwood, New Jersey to study Biblical languages - earned a B.A… He then went to Brandeis University to earn a M.A. and Ph.D. He immersed himself in 22 different languages including Arabic, Akkadian, Coptic and Hebrew. He taught for a time at Shelton College before becoming an Assistant Professor of History at Rutgers University. He the received his professorial appointment at Miami University in 1969 where he stayed until his retirement in 2005, 36 years. Throughout his career he has been a supporter of the Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship, especially on the University campus in Miami. He is a founding member of the Oxford Bible Fellowship (0BF) church in Oxford, Ohio. The dream of OBF is to be a church where every person can experience real change. (Read OBF * Our Culture *) He has given presentations of the Easter Story in various universities including Cornell, Yale and Princeton. He is a member and official of the Institute for Biblical Research (IBR). It an organization of scholars devoted to the research of the Bible. For 6 years he was president of IBR (1983-9) He has written a number Biblical books and essays and contributed material to Christianity Today . He contributed commentaries on the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the * Expositor’'s Bible Commentary and in the NIV Study Bible.* His expertise includes Ancient History, O.T. and N.T., Early Church History, Gnosticism and Biblical Archeology. He has written about the relevance of the discovery of, and the controversial claims, about the Dead Sea Scrolls, for New Testament studies. (See ‘Select Bibliography’) In the 1970’s he was a prominent critic of the late Morton Smith’s interpretation of an Apocryphal text known as the Secret Gospel of Mark. For his work he has been rewarded with 8 fellowships. Edwin has also appeared in various television documentaries concerning the life of Christ. He is a modern day Christian academic of the highest order. Sources used. Amazon Oxford Bible Fellowship Miami University Wikipedia

Charles Simeon became a leader among evangelical churchmen and was one of the founders of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1799. He also helped found the *London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews * (LSPCAJ) in 1809. He also established what is now the *Charles Simeon Trust. Simeon was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1759 and baptized the same year. He studied at Eton College and was an undergraduate from 1779 at King’s College Cambridge. One Easter, while at King’s, he experienced a Christian conversion In 1782 he became a Fellow of King’s College and was ordained a deacon and graduated B.A. in 1783. He began as a minister as deputy to Christopher Atkinson at St. Edward King and Martyr, Cambridge. He then received the living of Holy Trinity, Cambridge in 1783. Technically it was a curacy. He was appointed, under the age of 23, as a curate-in-charge for the bishop. Initially John Hammond was preferred by the congregation. Services were disrupted and he was insulted in th e streets. But Simeon stayed (1783-1836) there for the rest of his life and eventually had a crowded church. He gained influence among the under graduates of the university. He taught, young priests in training Theology and preaching technique, at discussion parties hosted in his College room in the Gibbs building. They were inspired by his dynamic preaching at St. Edward’s, Great St. Mary’s and Holy Trinity churches. They used his published 100s of sermons ,or skeleton of sermons, when drafting their own- to some an invitation to clerical plagiarism! He became a leading evangelical churchman and was one of the founders of the Church Missionary Society ( now called Church Mission Society -see notes). He also help found LSPCAJ) (now known as the Church Ministry Among Jewish People (CMJ - see notes.) He established the Charles Simeon Trust to encourage perpetuate evangelical clergy in the Church of England parishes. It continues to operate to this day. ( See notes- sorry about poor print). In 1809 the British East India sought his advice of choice of Chaplains for India. His main piece of work was a commentary on the whole Bible -Horae homileticae. Charles died on 13th November 1836, aged 77. He was buried on the 19th in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge. His influence and authority extended to the most remote corners of England. His real sway over the Church was far greater than that of any Primate… Thomas Macaulay- historian *One of the greatest and most persuasive preachers the Church of England has ever known * John Stott- evangelist Sources used King’s College Cambridge Simeon’s Trustees and Hyndman’s Trustees Wikipedia

Charles Frazier Stanley is Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church (FBC) in Atlanta, Georgia, having been senior pastor for 50 years. He is the founder and president of In Touch Ministries (ITM) which broadcasts his sermons through television. He has served 2 one year terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) from 1984-6. Charles was born in Dry Fork, Virginia on 25th September 1932 His farher died 9 months after he was born. He grew up in Dry Fork. Aged 12 he became a born again Christian. 2 years later he began his life’s work in Christian ministry. Degrees BA from University of Richmond MD from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Fort Worth MT & DrTh. Luther Rice Seminary in Florida (now in Lithonia) He joined the staff at FBC in 1969 and became senior pastor in 1971. The book Think and Grow Rich served as a motivational book over many years. In 1972 launched a half hour religious television program The Chapel Hour The Christian Broadcasting Network began televising it in 1978. In 1982 he founded In Touch Ministries . It uses tools like radio, television, magazines and digital media to advance the Gospel as quickly as possible. Television *The Breakfast Club 1983-5. In Touch with Dr Charles Stanley 1990-present * 1989 ’ In Touch’ named by NRB as Television Producer of the Year 1999 ‘In Touch’ named radio program of the year In the USA it is broadcast on approximately 500 radio stations, 300 television stations and several satellite networks. He is a an avid photographer and many of his photographs appear in the In Touch magazine, ( Called In Touch becomes it comes from a Living Bible he owned) In 1984-6 he was elected president of the SBC. He has authored more than 60 books and has hit the New York Times Best Seller’s List several times. He developed 30 Life Principles that have guided his life and helped him grow in his knowledge, service and love of God. His grandfather gave him this principle - Obey God and leave all the consequences to him. He was married to Anna J. Stanley for more than 40 years. They had a son, Andy and a daughter Becky. They divorced on 11th May, 2000. Anna died on 10th November 2014. On 13th September 2020 he announced his retirement as senior pastor. He is now pastor emeritus. Charles does not believe in retirement so he continues to work, now aged 88, at In Touch ministries *It is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives * Dr Charles F. Stanley Sources used Meet Dr. Charles Stanley Wikipedia

John Fullerton Macarthur Jr is an American pastor and author known for his internationally syndicated Christian teaching radio and television program** Grace to You. He has been the pastor/teacher of Grace Community Church (GCC) in Sun Valley, California for 51 Years (1969-2020). He notably edited the MacArthur Study Bible He is also the chancellor emeritus of The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, California and the Master’s Seminary in Los Angeles, California. John was born in Los Angles on 19th June 1939. His grandfather and father were both ministers. degrees and colleges Fundamentalist Bob Jones University (FBJU) 1957 B.A. Los Angeles Pacific College (LAPC) -1959 M. Div Talbot Theological Seminary (TTS) 1963 D.D. Grace Graduate School (GGS) 1976 D.D. Talbot Theological Seminary (TTS) 1977 In 1969 after graduating from TTS he came to Grace Community Church. (GCC). The emphasis of his pulpit ministry is the careful study and verse-by-verse exposition of the Bible with special attention to the historical and grammatical background behind each passage. During the early days of his ministry the church congregation doubled in size every 2 years. In 1971 The Family Center was built. In 1977 a new Worship Center. Today GCC two morning worship services fill the 3,000 auditorium to capacity. In the week several 1000s of members participate in fellowship and training programs. 2008 av. weekly attendance 8,258. In 1969 he founded the Grace to You ministry. He is both th chairman and featured host/teacher It is a nonprofit organization responsible for developing, producing and distributing John’s books, audio resources and the radio and television programs. The radio program is aired 1000 times a day. The television program is a weekly half hour slot on DirecTV in the USA. All of his 3,000 sermons are available for free on their website. ( See adverts for radio and TV) In 1985 John became president of The Master College (2016 The Master’s University) - a distinctly Christian accredited Liberal institution. In 1986 he founded The Master’s Seminary, a graduate school dedicated to training men for full-time pastoral or missionary work. He now serves as chancellor emeritus for both of them He has written 100s of study guides and books. Most notably ‘MacArthur Study Bible’ ( 1 million copies sold). (See 4th par of ‘The Master’s Seminary’ for partial list) Christianity Today acknowledged John as one of the most influential preachers of his time. Sources GCC Wikipedia

Philip Ryken is an American theologian, Presbyterian minister, and academic administrator. He is the eighth and current president of Wheaton College in Wheaton , Illinois. He was born on the 29th September 1966. Degrees B.A. for English literature and Philosophy from Wheaton College 1988 M.D. for Divinity Westminster Theological Seminary 1992 D.Ph. in Historical theology University of Oxford 1995 Philip joined the pastoral staff of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia in 1995 and was promoted to senior pastor in 2000 on the death of James Boice. February 2010 Wheaton College of Board of Trustees announced his selection as their 8th president. He took office on 1st July 2010 and formally inaugurated on 17th September 2010 at Edman chapel. He is on the council of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals which features his preaching on its weekly radio and internet broadcast Every Last Word (See information on ACE and Every last Word Radio). He serves as a board member for the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, the Gospel Coalition, the Lausanne Movement and the National Association of Evangelicals. He maintains a full schedule of speaking engagements on and off campus. He has written over 50 books on a variety of Christian subjects. He has also co-authored a series of commentaries on individual books of the Bible with R. Kent Hughes. Together with his father Leland and James Wilmoit they wrote Ryken’s Bible Handbook. He met his Lisa while they were students at Wheaton The couple have 5 children. I have included information about Wheaton College. Sources used Amazon Wheaton College Wikipedia

Nicholaus Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Zinzendor und Pottendorf was a German religious and social reformer, bishop o the Moravian Church, founder of the Herrnhuter Bridergemeine, Christian mission pioneer and a major figure of 18th century protestantism. Aged 6 he wrote love letters to Jesus. Once written he would climb to the castle tower and toss them out of the window where they scattered around around the courtyard like innocent prayers. His school days were spent at Franke Foundations at Halle. In 1716 he went to the University of Wittenberg to study law to be ready for a diplomatic career. 1719 he travelled in the Netherlands, France and parts of Germany During a visit to an art Museum he experienced the Holy Spirit upon viewing Ecce Homo by Domencia Feti. He was convicted. I have loved him for a long time, but have never actually done anything for him. from now on I will do whatever he leads me to do. In 1721, at the wedding of Count Henry XXiX Ruess he met Erdmuthe Dorothea, He married her in 1722. He decided to become a landowner and bought Berthelsdorf from his grandmother, Baroness von Gersdorf. His intention was not to found a religious organization but a Christian association. In 1722 he had the opportunity to offer asylum to a number of persecuted wanderers from Moravia and Bohemia to build the village of Herrnhut on a corner of his estate. As the village grew it became known as a place of religious freedom and attracted individuals from a variety of persecuted groups. But conflict broke out so Nicolaus took indefinite leave from his court commission in Dresden and moved back to his estate to devote himself full time to reconciliation of the conflict. On 12 May 1727 The Manorial Injunctions were signed by the community ( now *The Moravian Covenant for Christian Living) . ( See notes for TMCCL) The leadership of these people consumed his considerable energies for the rest of his life. Hermhut, with its unique communal organization and economic self sufficiency became the center for the developing Moravian church, as it became known in the late 1740s. In 1735 his desire to receive Lutheran ordination finally happened. With the revival of the Brethren;s clerical orders In 1737 he became a Moravian bishop. The emergence of a new denomination saw him being banished from Saxony from 1736-47. He used this time to visit Moravian settlement and missions in Europe, England, West Indies and the USA The Moravians were granted religious freedom in Saxony in 1749. He returned in 1755 to spend his last days in Hernhut. His wife died in 1756. He married Anna Caritas Nitschmann, a friend, spiritual leader but a commoner Nicolaus write a number of books ( See Bibliography) Three years later, Nicolaus overcome with labours, fell ill and died. He died on 9th May 1760. Anna died 12 days after her husband. Sources used Enclopedia.com Wikipedia

Ben Witherington III is an American New Testament scholar and writer. He is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, (1995- present), He is an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church. Ben was born on 30th December 1951 in High Point, North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1974 with a B.A. in English. He holds an M.D. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary-1977. He has a Ph.D. from Durham University in England -1981. 1982 ordained as a Methodist elder 1982/3 he was a faculty member of the Duke Divinity School and the High Point College. 1984-1995 he was Professor of New Testament at Ashland Theological Seminary. 1992 research fellow and member (1996) at the Robinson College, Cambridge University 1995- present Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary. Ben has presented seminars for churches, colleges and biblical meetings in 8 different countries and led tours in the Holy Lands, Italy, Greece and Turkey. He has appeared on the television channels including the History and Discovery channels. he was featured in the BBC and PBS special entitledThe Story of Jesus.** He has written over 60 books. His books *The Jesus Quest and The Paul Quest were selected as top biblical studies by Christianity Today. (See ‘Selected Books’) He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, Institute for Biblical Research and the Society for the Study of the New Testament. ( See notes) In his book Biblical Theology he shows a large coherent Biblical world view, one that progressively reveals the character and action of God. - Amazon Ben Witherington III is a prominent, current, evangelical Biblical scholar of the late20th/early 21st century. Sources Amazon Wikipedia

Richard Charles Sproul was an American Reformed theologian and ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA). He was the founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel. He was the founder and chairman of the Ligonier Ministries ( named after a valley just outside Pittsburgh). He was the first president of the Reformation Bible College. He was the executive editor of the magazine Tabletalk. He could also heard daily on the Renewing Your Mind radio broadcast across the USA and internationally. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a youth he was a keen supporter of both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates. Aged 15 he had to drop out of High school to support his family. In 1960 he married Vesta Voorhis -they had 2 children. BA from Westminster College, Pennsylvania 1961 M.Div from Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary 1964 Drs from Free University of Amsterdam 1969 PhD from Whitefield Theological Seminary 2001 He taught at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando Jackson, Mississippi Knox Theological Seminary in Ft. Lauderdale He was ordained as an elder in the United Presbyterian Church of the USA in 1965. Around 1975 he left the denomination and joined the P C A. Robert was co-pastor at Saint Andrew’s Chapel, a congregation in Sanford, Florida. He will be remembered by the church for the many ways he served the church. He was a gifted communicator, and his ability to make complex topics easy to understand was evident through his preaching of the Word of God, teaching and writings. He could he heard daily on his radio program* Renewing Your Mind.* The Ligonier Ministries (LM) began in 1971. Robert was one of the primary speakers. It has become an international Christian education ministry now located near Orlando. Tabletalk is the devotional magazine of LM. The LM would produce the statement on Biblical Inerrancy which would eventually grow into the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. ( See information on both) He wrote over 100 books. He was a council member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals (ACE). ( See Notes on Ace) He suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. On 18th April, 2015 Robert suffered a stroke. On 2nd December 2017 his respiratory difficulties were exacerbated by flu. He died on the 14th December, 2017 aged 78. the greatest and most influential proponent of the recovery of Reformed theology in the last century Sources used History & Identity Ligonier Ministries Tabletalk Why reformation Bible College Exists Wikipedia

Andrew Purves is a Scottish theologian in the Reform tradition through the church of Scotland and later the Presbyterian Church USA. He is the Jean and Nancy Davis Professor Emeritus of Historical Theology at Pittsburgh Seminary Andrew was born in 1946 in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1978 he moved to the USA and ordained by the Philadelphia Presbytery in 1979. Degrees Philosophy and Divinity at University of Edinburgh Master of Theology form Duke Divinity School Doctor of Philosophy from University of Edinburgh He served as pastor at the Hebron Presbyterian Church in Clinton, Pennsylvania until 1983 when he began teaching at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS). He retired from PTS after 32 years (2015). In addition to his academic work he has served the church and wider community though his work with the PC(USA) and lectureships around the world. He has written a number of publications, both books and articles, academic and popular. His primary concerns surround Christology - the branch of Theology concerned with the person, attributes and deeds of Jesus Christ. Recontructing pastoral Theology; A Christogical Foundation and Exploring Christology and Atonement:Conversations are two of his books. ( See Amazon sheet and ‘Purves has along list of publications’) He has become a leader of evangelical renewal in the Presbyterian Church of the USA (PC(USA) and is known for his conservative Christian views concerning the person and work of Jesus, ( See notes on PC(USA) ) He agrees with the withholding of ordination of self-avowed, practicing, unrepentant gays and lesbians. Andrew is married to Catherine (Cathy) Purves. They had 3 children.