William Sunday Is Estimated To Have Spoken To Over 100M People

William Ashley Sunday, the colorful evangelist of the early 20th century, stormed across the United States calling people to forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ.
Born in Ames, Iowa, in 1862, his mother was left a widow after his father died while serving in the Civil War. He had a tough growing up and finally ended up in Marshalltown (my home town) working for an undertaker and playing for the local baseball team. Cap Anson was the manager of the Chicago White Stockings (his father founded Marshalltown) and received word from his aunt that they should take a look at “Billy.”
He boarded a train and headed to Chicago where he was given a tryout and made the team winning a foot race (barefoot) against their fastest man. Sunday played from 1883 to 1890 and could run the bases in 14 seconds.
During that time, he found Christ as His Lord and Savior and felt a call to ministry. He left baseball and went to work for the YMCA. He then went into evangelistic work and finally struck out on his own, calling people to “hit the sawdust trail.” He and his wife, Helen, finally moved to Winona Lake in 1911 as they continued campaigns across the United States and lived there till his death in 1935.
It is estimated that Sunday spoke to over 100 million people before sound systems and radio but always emphasized that salvation only comes through Jesus. He once said, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile!”
He also noted, “I am an old-fashioned preacher of the old-time religion, that has warmed this cold world's heart for two thousand years.”
Billy spoke 100 years ago about the need for revival at the height of and after World War I. That same message goes out today, to this cold world, that our only hope is found in Jesus! Pray for revival and trust in Him today!
Ken Locke is the retired corps administrator of The Salvation Army in Warsaw and director of the Greater Warsaw Ministerial Association. Have ideas for this column? Go to www.gwma.info.