CHARLES SPURGEON

Called by God at the age of just 16 to preach the Gospel of Christ, Charles Spurgeon rose to be recognised as one of the most dynamic and popular preachers of the Victorian era.

     Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born at Kelvedon in Essex, England, in 1834. The son and grandson of independent ministers, Spurgeon grew up against the backdrop of the Nonconformist Tradition. In 1850, Spurgeon stepped into a Methodist church to seek shelter from the cold and a preacher challenged the 15-year-old to read a text from the book of Isaiah. On leaving the church, Spurgeon experienced the reality of God’s grace and subsequently was converted to Christ. On being baptised, he joined the Baptist church and almost a year after his conversion, he first preached the Gospel at Teversham, and regularly preached at a congregation at Waterbeach.

      Not yet aged 20, Spurgeon became pastor of New Park Street Chapel, Southwark in London. With a growing congregation, he was forced to preach at Exeter Hall while renovations to enlarge the church took place. He went on to preach at the hired Surrey Gardens Music Hall to further cater for the large crowds - a move which drew criticism from people who felt the secular activities the building was utilised for was hardly conducive to the conducting of a church service.

     TONY TOWNSEND takes a look at the life of English preacher Charles Spurgeon... | more...|

JOHN NEWTON

The life of John Newton, wretched sinner that he was, clearly demonstrates that no matter how deep in sin you have gone so far, God’s grace is still so far greater. God’s Amazing Grace is all sufficient regardless of whosoever you are in this world and whatsoever you’ve done with your life.

      Newton, an only child of John Snr. and Elizabeth Newton, was born on 24th July, 1725, in London, England. Thirteen days before his seventh birthday, his devout mother died of tuberculosis. His father, a commander in the Mediterranean trade, remarried the following year. At the age of 11, the young boy was taken on his maiden sea voyage. Over the next seven years he made several more trips.
       At the age of 18, Newton - a confused adolescent - was press-ganged on board HMS Harwich, a man-of-war. Unable to hold up under its rigid discipline and unwilling to handle its daily routine, the defiant sailor deserted ship. He was sought and found, stripped and flogged. Filled with bitter rage and full of black despair, the demoted midshipman was eventually discharged from the British Royal Navy and dispatched onto a slave trading ship.

     Ahead of the release of Amazing Grace - a new film celebrating the life of Englishman William Wilberforce and his campaign to abolish slavery, PETER RAHME takes a look at the life of one of the men who helped to empower Wilberforce, John Newton, in this, the bicentenary of his death... | more...|

POPE GREGORY THE GREAT

Against the backdrop of a tumultuous time, which saw barbarians conquer the seemingly invincible Roman Empire, emerged Pope Gregory the Great, a man who, according to church historian Bruce Shelly, was an “unlikely candidate for greatness” yet is seen by some as ushering in the start of the Middle Ages.

      Gregory was born around 540 AD into a family characterised by its wealth, imperial service and religious piety. He boasted a papal ancestry - not only was his great-great grandfather Pope Felix III, Gregory was also related to Pope Agapetus.

      Seeking a career in the public service, Gregory rose to become the mayor of Rome by the age of 30. His time in public service, however, proved short with Gregory resigning and pursuing a call as a monk. His inherited wealth lent itself to him establishing seven monasteries as well as financing the needs of the poor.

     TONY TOWNSEND takes a look at the life of one history's most influential popes, Gregory the Great... | more...|

WILLIAM J. SEYMOUR: PART 1

Los Angeles’ Azusa Street Revival, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in April 2006, is recognised as one of the key events which gave rise to the Pentecostal Movement at the beginning of the twentieth century. The revival would go on to have global ramifications for the Christian church. The outstanding figure of this revival was William J. Seymour, seen as one of the most influential and respected early Pentecostal leaders.
      Early Life
      Raised in an environment of poverty, Seymour was an African American born to former slaves in Louisiana, United States, in 1870. Dr Larry Martin, of River of Revival Ministries, describes the abject poverty of the Seymour family, noting that in 1896 "the family’s possessions were listed as one old bedstead, one old chair and one old mattress”, and going on to say that Seymour’s mother’s personal possessions were worth no more than about fifty cents.

     In the first of a two-part special on the Azusa Street Revival, TONY TOWNSEND looks at what is known of the early life of one it's key figures, William J. Seymour... | more...|

WILLIAM J. SEYMOUR: PART 2

The spiritual soil was already being prepared prior to William J. Seymour’s arrival in Los Angeles on 22nd February, 1906, with a thirst and hunger for a spiritual awakening very evident at the turn of the 20th century. The Azusa Street Centennial website quotes Frank Bartleman, a man who had sought after this spiritual awakening.

      Bartleman writes: “It would be a great mistake to attempt to attribute the Pentecostal beginning in Los Angeles to any one man, either in prayer or in preaching...‘Pentecost’ did not drop suddenly out of heaven. God was with us in large measure for a long time before the final outpouring.”

      Reports coming back from the Welsh Revival (1904-06) had proved a major inspiration for prayer meetings to be birthed within Los Angeles with the view of seeing a similar move of God. Church history professor Cecil Robeck cites the response of one Baptist pastor, Joseph Smale, who returned from Wales. According to Robeck, Smale said that “upon returning from Los Angeles he began to preach a message that encouraged people to be open to the work of the Holy Spirit", adding that Seymour "organised his church into smaller home prayer groups and began a series of meetings for fifteen weeks".

     In the second of a two-part special on the Azusa Street Revival, TONY TOWNSEND looks at William J. Seymour's role in the Azusa Street Revival and its wider impact... | more...|

MARY MAGDALENE

Mary Magdalene is one of a number of Marys who are attested to following and supporting Jesus in His ministry, as recorded in the New Testament. The name “Magdalene” seems to find its origin from the town Magdala (meaning “Tower”) located in the region of Galilee.

      Scriptural references

      There about nine references made about Mary by the four Gospel writers with the majority of these references centring around both the crucifixion and resurrection accounts (see Matthew 27:55-56, Mark 15:40, Luke 24:10, John 20:10-18).

      Luke is the only author to make mention of her outside the context of these significant events in where reference is made to her being delivered from demonic possession (see Luke 8:1-3).

     TONY TOWNSEND takes a look at what we know of the real Mary Magdalene... | more...|

ST JEROME

Recognised as an outstanding Biblical scholar of his time, the influence of Jerome’s writings can still be felt in much of the Western church today.

      Born in the Italian town of Stridon in 340, Jerome’s parents were wealthy Catholics and he was sent to Rome for his higher education, embracing the works of classical Latin authors.

      With a love for travel, Jerome journeyed through Gaul (modern France) where he converted to an ascetic form of Christianity (which includes an approach of extreme self-denial) and lived in an ascetic community at Aquilia in Italy. It was here that Jerome would have a life changing experience.

     TONY TOWNSEND on a man who dedicated much of his life to Bible translation... | more...|

DR MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR

The year 1955 heralded a defining moment in the civil rights movement, and in King’s own life, when African-American Rosa Parks refused to move to the black section of the racially segregated bus and was taken into custody.

        In response, King initiated a bus boycott which lasted a staggering 381 days. His actions proved successful, resulting in the de-segregation of buses. The incident launched King onto the national and international stage as a key figure in the push for social justice.

     TONY TOWNSEND recalls the life of a man who became renowned around the world as a champion of civil rights... | more...|

COUNT VON ZINZENDORF

When he was just 15, Nikolaus von Zinzendorf and school friends made a solemn promise that they would seize every opportunity to confess Christ and seek the conversion of all people no matter what their background in life was. But his family did not want him to become a missionary, instead desiring that he enter the service of the government. In obedience to their wishes, Zinzendorf studied law for three years (1716-1719) at the University of Wittenberg and entered the service of the Government of Saxony.
    A defining moment for Zinzendorf came in 1719 while he was on a trip through Europe. He was moved by a painting showing Christ wearing a crown of thorns in an art gallery at Dusseldorf. Written on the inscription was: “This is what I did for you. What do you do for me?”. The painting and its inscription made a lasting and profound impact on Zinzendorf and it was following that experience that he offered himself for Christ’s service instead of service to the state.

      TONY TOWNSEND writes of the life of the founder of the Moravian Church...| more...|

TONY TOWNSEND takes a look at the life of the theologian Tertullian whose influence reaches down the ages to us today... | more...|

TONY TOWNSEND explores the story of St Valentine... | more...|
  

TONY TOWNSEND looks at the life of William Wilberforce... | more... |

DAVID ADAMS reports that there's more to the life of St Patrick than simply being patron saint of all things Irish... | more... |