"Billy" Sunday, the Man and His Message: With his own words which have won thousands for ChristEllis, William T. (William Thomas)
Religion
"Billy" Sunday, the Man and His Message: With his own words which have won thousands for Christ
Ellis, William T. (William Thomas)
Baseball players -- United States -- Biography; Evangelists -- United States -- Biography; Sunday, Billy, 1862-1935
This is nearer to effective organization than the Christian forces of
the country commonly get. This form of propaganda did not bulk large in
the public eye, but it created a splendid undercurrent of sentiment;
for Banker Jones could say: "I have it straight from Banker Smith of
Pittsburgh, whom I know to be a level-headed man, that Sunday is all
right, and that he does nothing but good for the city."
Still more novel than this was the expedition sent by a great daily
newspaper to hear the evangelist in Scranton. There is no parallel
in the history of Christian work for the deputation of more than
two hundred pastors who went to Scranton from Philadelphia. These
went entirely at the charges of the Philadelphia _North American_,
being carried in special trains. The railroad company recognized the
significance of this unusual occasion, and both ways the train broke
records for speed.
While in the city of Scranton the ministers were the guests of the
Scranton churches. They had special space reserved for them in the
Tabernacle and their presence drew the greatest crowds that were
experienced during the Scranton campaign. Of course thousands were
turned away. Nobody who saw and heard it will ever forget the way that
solid block of Philadelphia pastors stood up and sang in mighty chorus
"I Love to Tell the Story."
Between sessions these Philadelphia ministers were visiting their
brethren in Scranton, learning in most detailed fashion what the
effects of the Sunday campaign had been. Whenever they gathered in
public assemblies they sounded the refrain, which grew in significance
from day to day: "I Love to Tell the Story." Billy Sunday fired the
evangelistic purpose of these pastors.
When this unique excursion was ended, and the company had de-trained at
the Reading Terminal, the ministers, without pre-arrangement, gathered
in a body in the train shed and lifted their voices in the refrain "I
Love to Tell the Story," while hundreds and thousands of hurrying city
folk, attracted by the unwonted music, gathered to learn what this
could possibly mean.
A new militancy was put into the preaching of these clergymen by their
Scranton visit; and many of them later reported that the largest
congregations of all their ministerial experience were those which
gathered to hear them report on the Sunday evangelistic campaign. Not a
few of the preachers had to repeat their Billy Sunday sermons. Needless
to say, an enthusiastic and urgent invitation to Sunday to come to
Philadelphia to conduct a campaign, followed this demonstration on the
part of the daily newspaper.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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