Ye Olde History Snippets... April 13, 1881 - 141 years ago today.

John Wilbur Chapman is ordained in Cincinatti, Ohio. 

He will become a leading Presbyterian evangelist, working with world famous song leader and music vocalist Charles McCallon Alexander. You may recognize the name J. Wilbur Chapman because of his hymn “Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners”. 

​Rev. Chapman led several churches prior to his evangelical crusade; College Corner Presbyterian Church (Ohio) and Liberty Presbyterian Church (Indiana), 1882; Dutch Reformed Church (Schuylerville, NY), 1883-1885; First Reformed Church (Albany, NY), 1885-1890; Bethany Presbyterian (Philadelphia, PA), 1890-1892, 1896-1899; Fourth Presbyterian Church (New York City, NY), 1899-1902.  

Alexander and Chapman joined forces in 1907 as the "Chapman-Alexander Simultaneous Campaign." They established a large group of evangelists and song leaders in large city-wide campaigns in the US, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, India, and New Zealand.  Rev. Chapman sometimes preached up to five sermons a day. 

The Presbyterian General Assembly elected him Moderator in May 1918. His health declined rapidly and following emergency surgery, Rev. Chapman died December 25, 1918.