Charles H. Spurgeon Biography

b. June 19, 1834, Kelvedon, Essex, Eng.
d. Jan. 31, 1892, Menton, France

CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON English fundamentalist Baptist minister and celebrated preacher whose sermons, which were often spiced with humour, were widely translated and extremely successful in sales.

Reared a Congregationalist, Spurgeon became a Baptist in 1850 and, the same year, at 16, preached his first sermon. In 1854 at the very young age of twenty he became the pastor of New Park Street Chapel in London. He remained pastor of this church for 38 years until 1892. The church in this time changed its name and venue. He married in 1856 to Susannah his life long spirtitual partner.

Such were the powers of his preaching the church building was inadequate for the throngs of people who flocked to hear. As result larger accomodation had to be found and during 1855 and 1856 the Exeter Hall in the Strand was a venue. From 1856 to 1859 the Royal Surrey Gardens Music Hall was used to accomodate the 10,000 strong congregation.

In 1856 disaster struck. “Fire” was shouted from the back of the hall by unbelievers intent on spoiling the sermon. The congregation panicked and in the resulting throng trying to escape a number of people were crushed to death on the stairs. Spurgeon was greatly affected by this dreadful event and was unable to preach for a number of weeks.

The editor of a monthly magazine, Spurgeon also founded a ministerial college (in 1856) and an orphanage (1867). His sermons, which he published weekly, ultimately filled more than 50 volumes in the collected edition. An ardent fundamentalist, he distrusted the scientific methods and philological approach of modern biblical criticism and in 1887 left the increasingly liberal Baptist Union.

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