10 influential preachers, speakers and authors of the 20th century

In 1913, Aimee Semple McPherson began her ministry by touring Canada and the U.S.She started holding tent revivals in 1915, traveling up and down the east coast, and across the country.The revivals she held were often standing room only. She was only the second woman to receive a broadcast license.She has been noted as a pioneer in the use of modern media becoming very popular on the radio. Her weekly sermons had a growing appeal in the U.S. Billy Sunday was a National League baseball player who was popular in the 1880s.History tells us that on a Sunday afternoon in Chicago during the 1886 or 1887 baseball season, Sunday and some teammates were enjoying their day off in town.When they passed a street corner, a gospel team was preaching the word of God. Sunday heard the message and after much struggle in his soul, he accepted Christ.Sunday became an evangelist and held campaigns in America’s largest cities during the early 20th century.His revivals drew large crowds, the biggest of any evangelist before there were any electronic sound systems. There were some questions about his income, but despite this, no scandal ever touched him. Gladys Aylward was a British missionary who traveled to Yuncheng, China. She worked with an older missionary, Jeannie Lawson the founder of The Inn of the Eight Happiness.Alyward for a short time served as an assistant to the Chinese government as a “foot inspector.” She toured the countryside of China to help enforce a new law prohibiting the practice of foot binding. She had great success in a field that was usually met by much resistance, even violence against inspectors.She became a Chinese citizen in 1936, and she was revered by many of her new countrymen. She would take in orphans and adopted some herself. She risked her life many times, when China was invaded by Japanese forces she led over 100 orphans to safety over the mountains, despite being wounded herself. View the list »
Billy Graham is an American Christian evangelist, who was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister.He has been a spiritual adviser to several United States Presidents. He was closest to Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon.Since his ministry started in 1947, he has held over 400 crusades in 185 countries and territories on six continents.His first crusade was on September 13, 1947, and lasted until Sept. 21. It was in the Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s reported that 6,000 people attended. Graham was 29 years old.

Western Religions newsletter

In the New Testament, we see the ministry of Christ was in service to God and mankind. He set the pattern, of how we are to serve one another, in love and obedience to God's word.

Related topics

Advertisement

All of us, that are Christians, have a ministry God has foreordained for us to complete. The word ministry is from the Greek word diakoneo.

It means to serve another as a slave would do. The word of God commands us in Matthew 28:19-20 and it says, “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We should all be ministering to people's needs with love and humility on behalf of our Savior. The men and women on this list certainly spent their days fulfilling this commandment. This list is not meant to be a top 10 or best of, it’s just a list of some influential men and women of the 20th century.

View the list
  • Billy Graham is an American Christian evangelist, who was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister.He has been a spiritual adviser to several United States Presidents. He was closest to Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon.Since his ministry started in 1947, he has held over 400 crusades in 185 countries and territories on six continents.His first crusade was on September 13, 1947, and lasted until Sept. 21. It was in the Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s reported that 6,000 people attended. Graham was 29 years old.
  • Gladys Aylward was a British missionary who traveled to Yuncheng, China. She worked with an older missionary, Jeannie Lawson the founder of The Inn of the Eight Happiness.Alyward for a short time served as an assistant to the Chinese government as a “foot inspector.” She toured the countryside of China to help enforce a new law prohibiting the practice of foot binding. She had great success in a field that was usually met by much resistance, even violence against inspectors.She became a Chinese citizen in 1936, and she was revered by many of her new countrymen. She would take in orphans and adopted some herself. She risked her life many times, when China was invaded by Japanese forces she led over 100 orphans to safety over the mountains, despite being wounded herself. 
  • Billy Sunday was a National League baseball player who was popular in the 1880s.History tells us that on a Sunday afternoon in Chicago during the 1886 or 1887 baseball season, Sunday and some teammates were enjoying their day off in town.When they passed a street corner, a gospel team was preaching the word of God. Sunday heard the message and after much struggle in his soul, he accepted Christ.Sunday became an evangelist and held campaigns in America’s largest cities during the early 20th century.His revivals drew large crowds, the biggest of any evangelist before there were any electronic sound systems. There were some questions about his income, but despite this, no scandal ever touched him. 
  • In 1913, Aimee Semple McPherson began her ministry by touring Canada and the U.S.She started holding tent revivals in 1915, traveling up and down the east coast, and across the country.The revivals she held were often standing room only. She was only the second woman to receive a broadcast license.She has been noted as a pioneer in the use of modern media becoming very popular on the radio. Her weekly sermons had a growing appeal in the U.S. 
  • William Joseph Seymour was an African American minister, and an initiator of the Pentecostal religious movement.He began to preach his doctrinal beliefs from Azusa Street. He rejected the racial barriers and fostered a unity in Christ during his meetings.One revival meeting lasted from 1906 and went until 1909, which is known as the Azusa Street outpouring. The resulting movement from this revival was widely known as the Pentecost movement.It’s reported that manifestations, of the spirit, like what happened in the first two chapters of Acts took place during the Azusa Street outpouring. 
  • A.W. Tozer came from a small farming town in western La Jose, PA. He converted to Christianity as a teenager in Akron, OH.It’s said that while he was on his way home from work one evening, he heard a preacher say, “if you don't know how to be saved just call on God."When Tozer made it home, he immediately crawled into his attic and promptly heeded the preacher’s advice.Five years after receiving Christ, he accepted an offer to pastor his first church in 1919. He accomplished this despite no formal theological training. 
  • C.S. Lewis was raised by a family that attended church in Ireland. He was an atheist at the age of 15, stating his reason was being angry with God for not existing.It’s said he truly started to embrace Christianity because of arguments he had with an Oxford colleague and friend J.R.R. Tolkien.Supposedly, Tozer still fought against his conversion fiercely. He once said that he was brought into Christianity “like a prodigal, kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape."He’s perhaps best known for his novels, "The Pilgrim’s Progress" and "The Chronicles of Narnia."
  • Leonard Ravenhill focused on the subjects he taught, which were prayer and revival.He was an English Christian evangelist and author that challenged the modern church to compare itself to the early Christian church in the book of Acts.His best book, “Why Revival Tarries” has sold over a million copies worldwide. He was close friends with A.W. Tozer.Ravenhill often addressed through his teaching and books the dissimilarities, he noticed between the New Testament Church and the Church in his time. He called for an adherence to the principles of biblical revival.
  • Peale was raised as a Methodist and ordained as a minister in that denomination in 1922.In 1932, he changed his affiliation to the Reformed Church in America. He became pastor of the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan for 52 years.During his days there the membership grew from 600 to over 5000. Peale became one of New York City's most famous preachers.His best known literary work was perhaps The Power of Positive Thinking. He also started  a Christian faith-based non-profit organization founded in 1945. This organization was called Guideposts and was started by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Raymond Thornburg, and Peale's wife, Ruth Stafford Peale. They publish the popular devotional called "Daily Guideposts." Billy Graham said at the National Council of Churches on June 12, 1966, that "I don't know of anyone who had done more for the kingdom of God than Norman and Ruth Peale or have meant any more in my life for the encouragement they have given me.”  
  • Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie is a Presbyterian minister who had an nationally syndicated radio and television ministry called "Let God Love You."This ministry ran for 17 years, and his daily radio broadcast ministry went on for 10 years.The show was recorded and broadcast from the First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood, CA.On January 24, 1995; he was elected as the 61st Chaplain of the United States Senate. His tenure began on March 13, 1995.His duties included opening the Senate every day in prayer, counseling and provided spiritual care for the Senators, their families and staff. At the time of his duties he was responsible for around 6,000 people.
View the list

, Dothan Christianity Examiner

Joseph has been writing for 33 years from the heart, he draws from his life's experiences to help others learn from his successes and failures. In 2008 Joseph received a diploma from SMTI, an institute with high standards that develop and train helps ministers for work in the ministry. In early...

Advertisement

Today's top buzz...