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by Eva Marie Everson @EversonAuthor
Over the past few months, we’ve looked at stories of “humble beginnings,” specifically the stories behind the phenomenal success of Jerry B. Jenkins (The Left Behind series), the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, and the reading of a book titled When Choice Becomes God, which led a young, pregnant, unwed woman to choose life for her unborn child.
His name was Edward Kimball, and he was a Sunday school teacher of teenaged boys. One in particular, a 16-year-old named Dwight, tugged at the heartstrings of Mr. Kimball. The previous Sunday, Mr. Kimball had asked his students to turn to the Book of John, which everyone did easily. All but one . . . Dwight. Dwight was unfamiliar with the Bible, so finding the fourth gospel didn’t come naturally.
Mr. Kimball felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to reach out personally to young Dwight, who worked at a shoe store. At first, Mr. Kimball thought he shouldn’t interrupt Dwight’s workday—or possibly embarrass him—but the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let up. So, he went to the store. There, Mr. Kimball led the young man to the Lord.
Young Dwight went on to become one of the most influential evangelists of the church. We know him, fondly, as D. L. Moody, who—it is said—led over a million people to Christ in his lifetime.
Fast Forward
A few years down the road, D. L. Moody was preaching in England. In the audience sat another preacher, F. B. Meyer, who—by his own standards—had become lackadaisical in his zeal for the Lord. But hearing Moody that day kindled a spark that led Meyer to bring the gospel message back to the United States, where he regularly spoke in universities, something common in those days.
During one sermon, one particular student was moved to accept Jesus. His name was Wilbur Chapman.
Wilbur Chapman went on to preach extensively. Another common practice in those days was to bring Christian athletes to campuses where they would share their testimony and faith. Mr. Chapman employed a baseball player named Billy Sunday to work alongside him.
At some point, Billy led a revival in Charlotte, North Carolina. Because of that physical revival, spiritual revival broke out. But, like most good things, the physical revival had to come to an end—Mr. Sunday had other engagements and obligations to meet.
And Then Came Mordecai
Not wanting this good thing to come to an end, Charlotte’s businessmen went to Mr. Sunday and asked if he might suggest a replacement. His answer? Mordecai Ham.
Mordecai F. Ham Jr. might easily be described as a controversial preacher. He held anti-Semitic ideas but at the same time stated that Christians should never hate Jews because “through him came the Christ and your Bible. The best, the greatest and the only perfect man who ever lived on earth was a Jew by race.”
During his time in Charlotte, Mr. Ham didn’t draw the crowds or strike the enthusiasm as Billy Sunday had. He gave altar calls, but not a lot of people came forward. Then, one night—some say it was the final night of the revival—a young, lanky, local teenager—a dairy farm worker known to family and friends as Billy Frank—came to the meeting with a few friends. At the end of the sermon, Billy Frank made his way to the altar to give his life to Jesus.
Today, Billy Frank is known with the greatest of affection as the Reverand Dr. Billy Graham.
Dr. Graham preached for 55 years, spoke to 125 million people face to face and reached over two billion people through television and other forms of media. But his story didn’t begin that night listening to the sermon of Mordecai Ham. As far back as we can trace it, it began in a shoe store (or perhaps, you may say, a Sunday school room) in the middle of 19thcentury, Boston.
Who knows where it began before that . . .
Humble beginnings . . .
What about your story? Where does it begin? Who told you about Jesus? Who told that person? How far back can you trace it?
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