John Wilbur Chapman ( 1859-1918 )

Around the last 8 years of his life his success had diminished and Billy Sunday's had increased . Unlike Sunday and Sam Porter Jones Chapman was well-educated .

What I do not approve of is taking ministerial vows and going against them ( lying ) . Charles Finney is a prime example of that behavior . He was an ordained Presbyterian minister . You have to solemnly affirm to uphold the Westminster Standards . If a minister at some future point declares that he can not in good conscience support those vows , then he should remove himself from the Presbyterian ranks -- especially as a preacher ! But so many Fundamentalist-type men in the last years of the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries became hypocrites in that respect . Sunday was not alone in his oath denying .

Ed Reese puts out historical sketches of famous Christian men . Only 20% or so are Calvinistic . Most are of the Fundamentalist stamp . I would like to itemize the times that Chapman the revivalist was associated with the Presbyterian church according to Reese's booklet .

Chapman was ordained into the gospel ministry on April 13, 1881 by the Presbytery of Whitewater , Ohio .

In 1883 he accepted the pastorate of the Old Saratoga Dutch Reformed Church [ not Presbyterian -- but vows had to be administered --Rip ] of Schulerville , New York . In May of 1885 he began a ministry at the First Reformed church of Albany , New York were he stayed until 1890 .

Then came the call to Bethany Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia in January , 1890 . ... 400 new members were brought into the church , the majority of them making profession of faith . [ What about the minority ? They were allowed to be members without a profession of faith ? -- Rip ]... In late 1892 he submitted his resignation to Bethany because of numerous calls for his services .

In 1895 Moody called him the "greatest evangelist in the country ." [ At Bethany he was told that he was "not a very strong preacher" -- Rip ]

He accepted [ a call back to Bethany ] in 1896 and went back to the pastorship there until 1899 .

In March of 1899 Chapman accepted the call to the Fourth Presbyterian Church of New York City where he remained until 1902 .

In 1918 he served as the Moderator of the presbyterian General Assembly , elected to the post in May , 1917 in Dallas .