Christian History
The material below has been obtained from CT Newsletters | Christianity Today
The material below has been obtained from CT Newsletters | Christianity Today
Your donation will help to maintain Pilgrim People’s sound worship and preaching
April
April 5, 1811:
Robert Raikes, founder of English Sunday schools in 1780, died. Raikes built his Sunday schools not for the respectable children of believers, but for "the multitudes of wretches who, released on that day from employment, spent their day in noise and riot." In 4 years, 250,000 students were attending the schools and by 1831, 1.25 million.
April 6, 1528:
Albrecht Durer, German painter, engraver, and designer of woodcuts, died. Famous for his religious scenes, he may have been so influenced by Luther that he converted to Protestantism. His most popular work is Praying Hands.
April 6, 1801:
The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church recognised the new African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). Blacks who were denied membership and/or recognition within white Methodist churches, particularly in Philadelphia and New York, formed the original AME
Robert Raikes, founder of English Sunday schools in 1780, died. Raikes built his Sunday schools not for the respectable children of believers, but for "the multitudes of wretches who, released on that day from employment, spent their day in noise and riot." In 4 years, 250,000 students were attending the schools and by 1831, 1.25 million.
April 6, 1528:
Albrecht Durer, German painter, engraver, and designer of woodcuts, died. Famous for his religious scenes, he may have been so influenced by Luther that he converted to Protestantism. His most popular work is Praying Hands.
April 6, 1801:
The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church recognised the new African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). Blacks who were denied membership and/or recognition within white Methodist churches, particularly in Philadelphia and New York, formed the original AME
March
March 20, 1852:
Abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, daughter of Congregational minister Lyman Beecher, published Uncle Tom's Cabin (which had been serialised in an antislavery newspaper). The book sold one million copies and was so influential in arousing antislavery sentiment that Abraham Lincoln is reputed to have said upon meeting Stowe in 1863: "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war!"
March 21, 1685:
German organist and composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany. Though largely unrecognised in his day and forgotten for years after his death, he has since become recognised as one of history's unequalled musical masters. But music was never just music to Bach. Nearly three-quarters of his 1,000 compositions were written for use in worship.
March 21, 1788:
Charles Wesley, brother of John and author of 8,989 hymns (including ‘Hark! The herald angels sing,’ ‘And can it be,’ ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing,’ ‘Love divine, all loves excelling,’ ‘Jesus, lover of my soul,’ ‘Christ the Lord is risen today,’ and "Rejoice! the Lord is King!"), died at age 81. March 21, 1844:
William Miller's first proposed date of Christ's return between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844 ended with little fanfare. Miller soon changed the date to October 22, 1844, but when that passed his followers became disillusioned and premillennialism experienced a massive setback. The Adventist churches grew from the Millerite movement.
March 21, 1871:
Journalist Henry M Stanley, on assignment for the New York Herald, began his search for David Livingstone in Africa. After he found him (and uttered the famous words ‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’), the Scottish missionary converted him. Stanley was persuaded to return to Africa years later to continue missionary work and exploration.
March 21, 1965:
Baptist minister Martin Luther King, Jr., lead more than 3,000 civil rights demonstrators on a march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery. By the time they reached their destination four days later, the group had expanded to 25,000.
March 24, 1816:
Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury, age 71, preached his last sermon. The sermon, delivered at the Old Methodist Church in Richmond, Virginia, lasted an hour—even though Asbury, weakened, spoke while lying on a table.
Abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, daughter of Congregational minister Lyman Beecher, published Uncle Tom's Cabin (which had been serialised in an antislavery newspaper). The book sold one million copies and was so influential in arousing antislavery sentiment that Abraham Lincoln is reputed to have said upon meeting Stowe in 1863: "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war!"
March 21, 1685:
German organist and composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany. Though largely unrecognised in his day and forgotten for years after his death, he has since become recognised as one of history's unequalled musical masters. But music was never just music to Bach. Nearly three-quarters of his 1,000 compositions were written for use in worship.
March 21, 1788:
Charles Wesley, brother of John and author of 8,989 hymns (including ‘Hark! The herald angels sing,’ ‘And can it be,’ ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing,’ ‘Love divine, all loves excelling,’ ‘Jesus, lover of my soul,’ ‘Christ the Lord is risen today,’ and "Rejoice! the Lord is King!"), died at age 81. March 21, 1844:
William Miller's first proposed date of Christ's return between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844 ended with little fanfare. Miller soon changed the date to October 22, 1844, but when that passed his followers became disillusioned and premillennialism experienced a massive setback. The Adventist churches grew from the Millerite movement.
March 21, 1871:
Journalist Henry M Stanley, on assignment for the New York Herald, began his search for David Livingstone in Africa. After he found him (and uttered the famous words ‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’), the Scottish missionary converted him. Stanley was persuaded to return to Africa years later to continue missionary work and exploration.
March 21, 1965:
Baptist minister Martin Luther King, Jr., lead more than 3,000 civil rights demonstrators on a march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery. By the time they reached their destination four days later, the group had expanded to 25,000.
March 24, 1816:
Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury, age 71, preached his last sermon. The sermon, delivered at the Old Methodist Church in Richmond, Virginia, lasted an hour—even though Asbury, weakened, spoke while lying on a table.
March 15, 1517:
Needing money to rebuild St. Peter's basilica, Pope Leo X announced a special sale of indulgences. A Dominican named Johann Tetzel led the way by promoting the sale in Germany and erroneously declared that indulgences would cover future sins (Leo's forgave all past sins). The teaching angered monk Martin Luther, who soon posted his 95 Theses in response.
March 17, 461 (traditional date):
Patrick, missionary to Ireland and that country's patron saint, died. Irish raiders captured Patrick, a Romanised Briton, and enslaved him as a youth. He escaped to Gaul (modern France) but returned to Ireland after experiencing a vision calling him back to preach. Patrick enjoyed great success there as a missionary, and only the far south remained predominantly pagan when he died.
March 17, 1780:
Thomas Chalmers, pastor, social reformer, and one of the founders of the Free Church of Scotland (FCS), was born. By his death in 1847, he had started missions in hundreds of poor urban settings, and he led a third of the Scottish clergy and a half of the laity of the church of Scotland into FCS in 1843. His chief concern throughout his life was the evangelisation of the urban poor.
March 18, 1861:
London's Metropolitan Tabernacle, the sanctuary of English Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, opened. Spurgeon had insisted that the enormous building employ Greek architecture because the New Testament was written in Greek—a decision that influenced church architecture throughout the world.
Needing money to rebuild St. Peter's basilica, Pope Leo X announced a special sale of indulgences. A Dominican named Johann Tetzel led the way by promoting the sale in Germany and erroneously declared that indulgences would cover future sins (Leo's forgave all past sins). The teaching angered monk Martin Luther, who soon posted his 95 Theses in response.
March 17, 461 (traditional date):
Patrick, missionary to Ireland and that country's patron saint, died. Irish raiders captured Patrick, a Romanised Briton, and enslaved him as a youth. He escaped to Gaul (modern France) but returned to Ireland after experiencing a vision calling him back to preach. Patrick enjoyed great success there as a missionary, and only the far south remained predominantly pagan when he died.
March 17, 1780:
Thomas Chalmers, pastor, social reformer, and one of the founders of the Free Church of Scotland (FCS), was born. By his death in 1847, he had started missions in hundreds of poor urban settings, and he led a third of the Scottish clergy and a half of the laity of the church of Scotland into FCS in 1843. His chief concern throughout his life was the evangelisation of the urban poor.
March 18, 1861:
London's Metropolitan Tabernacle, the sanctuary of English Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, opened. Spurgeon had insisted that the enormous building employ Greek architecture because the New Testament was written in Greek—a decision that influenced church architecture throughout the world.
March 7, 203:
Perpetua, a Christian about 22 years old, with her slave, Felicitas, and several others were martyred at the arena in Carthage. They were flogged, attacked by hungry leopards, and finally beheaded.
March 7, 1530:
Pope Clement VII rejected Henry VIII's request to divorce Catherine of Aragon. Henry eventually responded by declaring himself supreme head of England's church.
March 7, 1964:
At a Roman parish church, Pope Paul VI celebrated mass in Italian instead of Latin, a significant change of the Second Vatican Council—worship in the vernacular.
March 8, 1782:
Ninety-six Native Americans, who had converted to Christianity and were living peacefully in the Moravian Brethren town of Gnadenhutten (near New Philadelphia), Ohio, were killed by militiamen in "retaliation" for Indian raids made elsewhere in the Ohio territory.
March 8, 1948:
The US Supreme Court found religious education in public schools was in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
March 9, 320 (traditional date):
Roman soldiers left Christian soldiers naked on the ice of a frozen pond in Sebaste, Armenia. They placed baths of hot water around them to tempt them to renounce their faith. When one did so, a pagan guard—inspired by the fortitude of the remaining Christians—converted and joined the freezing Christians. They were all killed.
March 9, 395 (traditional date):
Gregory of Nyssa died. An outstanding thinker, theologian, and orator, he was very influential in developing the theology of the Trinity.
March 9, 1831:
Evangelist Charles Finney ended a six-month series of meetings in Rochester, New York. The meetings, which have been called "the world's greatest single revival campaign," led to the closing of the town's theatre and taverns, a two-thirds drop in crime, and a reported 100,000 conversions.
March 10, 1748:
John Newton was the captain of a slave ship. He converted to Christianity during a huge storm at sea. He became an Anglican clergyman, the author of the famous hymn ‘Amazing Grace’, and a zealous abolitionist.
March 10, 1898:
George Mueller, English philanthropist and evangelist, died. In his 93 years he helped more than 10,000 English orphans.
March 10, 1913:
Harriet Tubman, known as ‘Grandma Moses’ for her work rescuing slaves and guiding them to the north on what was dubbed the Underground Railroad, died. Her 19 rescues (of about 300 slaves) were successful, she said, because God showed her the way.
Perpetua, a Christian about 22 years old, with her slave, Felicitas, and several others were martyred at the arena in Carthage. They were flogged, attacked by hungry leopards, and finally beheaded.
March 7, 1530:
Pope Clement VII rejected Henry VIII's request to divorce Catherine of Aragon. Henry eventually responded by declaring himself supreme head of England's church.
March 7, 1964:
At a Roman parish church, Pope Paul VI celebrated mass in Italian instead of Latin, a significant change of the Second Vatican Council—worship in the vernacular.
March 8, 1782:
Ninety-six Native Americans, who had converted to Christianity and were living peacefully in the Moravian Brethren town of Gnadenhutten (near New Philadelphia), Ohio, were killed by militiamen in "retaliation" for Indian raids made elsewhere in the Ohio territory.
March 8, 1948:
The US Supreme Court found religious education in public schools was in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
March 9, 320 (traditional date):
Roman soldiers left Christian soldiers naked on the ice of a frozen pond in Sebaste, Armenia. They placed baths of hot water around them to tempt them to renounce their faith. When one did so, a pagan guard—inspired by the fortitude of the remaining Christians—converted and joined the freezing Christians. They were all killed.
March 9, 395 (traditional date):
Gregory of Nyssa died. An outstanding thinker, theologian, and orator, he was very influential in developing the theology of the Trinity.
March 9, 1831:
Evangelist Charles Finney ended a six-month series of meetings in Rochester, New York. The meetings, which have been called "the world's greatest single revival campaign," led to the closing of the town's theatre and taverns, a two-thirds drop in crime, and a reported 100,000 conversions.
March 10, 1748:
John Newton was the captain of a slave ship. He converted to Christianity during a huge storm at sea. He became an Anglican clergyman, the author of the famous hymn ‘Amazing Grace’, and a zealous abolitionist.
March 10, 1898:
George Mueller, English philanthropist and evangelist, died. In his 93 years he helped more than 10,000 English orphans.
March 10, 1913:
Harriet Tubman, known as ‘Grandma Moses’ for her work rescuing slaves and guiding them to the north on what was dubbed the Underground Railroad, died. Her 19 rescues (of about 300 slaves) were successful, she said, because God showed her the way.
February
February 27, 280:
Constantine, the first Roman emperor converted to Christianity, was born on this day, although some scholars question the authenticity of Constantine's conversion.
February 27, 380:
Roman emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official law of the land. ‘It is our will,’ he decreed, ‘that all the peoples we rule shall practise that religion that Peter the Apostle transmitted to the Romans.’
February 28, 1944:
Nazi soldiers arrested Dutch Christian Corrie ten Boom and her family for harbouring Jews. The Jews hiding in her house escaped. Corrie was the only member of her family who survived internment in concentration camps.
February 29, 1528:
Patrick Hamilton, a follower of Martin Luther who had returned to his native Scotland to preach the Reformation, was burned at the stake on orders from Cardinal David Beaton. In retaliation, Protestant nobles assassinated the cardinal. This event effectively began the Scottish Reformation.
February 29, 1692:
The Salem witch trials in colonial Massachusetts began when Tituba, the female Indian servant of Reverend Samuel Parris, and Sarah Good were accused of witchcraft. Parris initiated the hysteria. By the time calm was restored, 19 suspected witches had been hanged and 150 imprisoned.
Constantine, the first Roman emperor converted to Christianity, was born on this day, although some scholars question the authenticity of Constantine's conversion.
February 27, 380:
Roman emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official law of the land. ‘It is our will,’ he decreed, ‘that all the peoples we rule shall practise that religion that Peter the Apostle transmitted to the Romans.’
February 28, 1944:
Nazi soldiers arrested Dutch Christian Corrie ten Boom and her family for harbouring Jews. The Jews hiding in her house escaped. Corrie was the only member of her family who survived internment in concentration camps.
February 29, 1528:
Patrick Hamilton, a follower of Martin Luther who had returned to his native Scotland to preach the Reformation, was burned at the stake on orders from Cardinal David Beaton. In retaliation, Protestant nobles assassinated the cardinal. This event effectively began the Scottish Reformation.
February 29, 1692:
The Salem witch trials in colonial Massachusetts began when Tituba, the female Indian servant of Reverend Samuel Parris, and Sarah Good were accused of witchcraft. Parris initiated the hysteria. By the time calm was restored, 19 suspected witches had been hanged and 150 imprisoned.
Your donation will help to maintain Pilgrim People’s sound worship and preaching