Frederick Brotherton Meyer died on March 28, 1929, at the age of 82. This well-known preacher ministered worldwide, although his pulpit was in London.
Meyer was born in London on April 8, 1847 and became a Baptist pastor and English evangelist
While pastoring at Priory Street Baptist Church in York in 1872 Meyer met American evangelist Dwight L Moody, whom he befriended and promoted to other churches in England.
In 1895 Meyer took the pulpit at Christ Church in Lambeth. Within two years he grew the congregation from 100 to over 2,000 regularly attending. After fifteen years in that pulpit he began to travel and preach at conferences and evangelistic services.
Evangelistic tours took him to South Africa and Asia and he visited the USA and Canada several times.
From 1904-1905 he served as president of the National Federation of Free Churches.
He crusaded for temperance work, for homeless children, and other social problems. He was president of the World Sunday-School Unions, president of Christian Endeavour, and founder of a missionary training college. He is credited with closing nearly 500 brothels and he worked to rehabilitate former prisoners.
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Many a time he spoke at Keswick conventions. In 1923 he visited Australia (met in Melbourne by Dr F W Boreham), where he preached to crowded meetings.
Alexander Gammie describes him as “a lightweight evangelist”- no pulpit thumping, no raised voice, no wild gestures, no dancing around the platform – but he quietly, yet powerfully “held aloft a winsome Saviour. Everything was intimate, tender and appealing.”
Through his 77 books, F B Meyer led a multitude of believers into a closer walk with the Lord. Whilst no great pulpit orator, his saintly life gave power to the message.
The day prior to his death he said: “I ought to be in Heaven now. I have settled all my affairs and there is nothing to wait for. I can’t understand it.” And thus he departed to be with Christ, which is far better.
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This post is based on notes by my late friend Donald Prout. I have updated these historical posts with information gleaned from other sources. I am indebted to Don for awakening in me an interest in Church History. Don’s notes can be found at: www.donaldprout.com