Lionel Bale Fletcher – Australian Evangelist and Pastor

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This is the day that … Lionel Bale Fletcher was born, in 1877, at Maitland, New South Wales.

“He was an evangelist,” wrote Dr F.W. Boreham.  “He burned with a passion for Christ and was never so happy as when leading his fellowmen to the feet of his Lord.”

Lionel was born the eighth child of a Methodist lay preacher and was nearly named Octavius by his father, John Fletcher, but a last minute change of mind had him christened “Lionel Bale Fletcher” (“Bale” was his mother’s maiden name). All seven sons of John Fletcher ended up as preachers, three as ordained Methodist ministers.

At the age of 10 “he ran away from school and home” … and by the age of 16 he was sailing through Sydney Heads on the SS “Macquarie”.  It was the beginning of “two years before the mast” which took him to England and back.

On his return to Australia … and the bush he was the “black sheep” in the devout Christian family, On his brother’s property, 250 miles from Sydney, the memories of his godly upbringing and the faithful witness of a godly minister brought him to a place of conversion.  “The next morning,” says the biographer, “Lionel Fletcher made the bush ring with shouts of praise and joy” (Twelve Hours in the Day, by C. Malcolm, page 37).

On 2 February, 1898, he conducted his first church service;  on 24 January, 1900, he was married to Maud Basham – and in 1905 he began to pastor Congregational churches, in NSW, South Australia, Cardiff, Wales, and Auckland, New Zealand.

Invitations came for him to speak overseas – and before long his itinerant evangelist ministry took him around the world. He led great meetings in England and South Africa.
He wrote a number of books, including his autobiography, Mighty Moments, and titles on evangelism, including The Effective Evangelist, Conquering Evangelism and Youth & Evangelism.

Lionel Fletcher died in Mosman, Sydney, after a short illness on 19 February, 1954, survived by his wife and a son and daughter.

Lionel is yet further indication of the call of God passing down through a family and empowering children to go on to greater ministry than their parents could.

Donald Gee – Pentecostal Pioneer

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This is the day that …Donald Gee was born in London, in 1891.

He was converted at the age of 14, under a Welsh revival preacher, Seth Joshua, who also influenced the young Evan Roberts. When a missionary lady asked him if he would be a missionary when he grew up he was troubled by the question of total surrender to God.

He attended Pentecostal prayer meetings and there met a Baptist minister in need of an organist. Gee offered his services and enjoyed seven years of tutoring under this man of God. During the first world war he had opportunity to preach in a country hall. He promoted the Second Coming of Christ and the Pentecostal experience, which people “tarried” for in those days.

At the age of 29 he became pastor of a Church in Edinburgh, and in 1924 was “one of the 15 foundation members of the Assemblies of God in Great Britain”.  Eventually he was chairman of its board.

His Bible teaching ministry took him around the world.  He founded and edited World Pentecost magazine on behalf of the global Pentecostal movement.

Initially seeing no need for “teachers” in the Pentecostal experience he later came to realise the deep need for clear doctrine and effective instruction. In 1951 he was appointed principal of the A.O.G. Bible College in Surrey, England, where he practiced his conviction on a new generation of ministers. He did much to promote the ministry gift of ‘Teacher’ among Pentecostals.

The Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements describes him as “renowned for his judicious counsel and the thoughtful care with which he avoided extreme positions on issues of contention within the Pentecostal movement”.  He was known as “The Apostle of Balance” (pages 330-1).

Lester Sumrall, who knew him personally, tells how Dr Gee “often said, ‘What we need is balance’” (Pioneers of Faith, page 77).

This man of God died in a taxi on 20 July, 1966 – returning home from the funeral of one of his best friends.

At his own funeral John Carter, his friend for over 40 years said, “A gifted writer has laid down his pen. An eminent Bible expositor will teach no more. A distinguished editor has vacated his chair. A renowned author has concluded his last volume. A veteran leader has left our ranks. A great warrior has fought his last battle. Our friend Donald Gee has fallen asleep.” (from Pentecostal Pioneers Remembered by Keith Malcomson)

Warren Wiersbe

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This is the day that … Warren Wiersbe was born in Chicago, in 1929.

As a lad he dabbled in stage magic (rabbits out of hats and all that sort of thing), and “the greatest literary event” was when he was introduced to the “Sherlock Holmes” stories and developed “a life-long interest in good detective fiction” (Be Myself, by W. Wiersbe, pages 26-27).

On 12 May, 1946, we find him handing out hymn-books at a Youth for Christ rally.  A relatively unknown Billy Graham preached. 

“Right where I stood I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and save me, and He did.  I didn’t raise my hand for prayer, I didn’t fill out a card.  I didn’t even go forward when the crowd sang “Just as I am”, but I did trust Christ and became a child of God” (page 56).

Later Warren Wiersbe was to become a staff worker for Youth for Christ (1958-61), then pastor of various churches including the Moody Memorial Church, Chicago (1971-78).  After some years of itinerant Bible teaching, he accepted a position as General Director of the Back to the Bible Broadcast (1982-1990).

Weirsbe has devoted much of his life to writing – including his “Be…” series, which form a commentary on the Old and New Testament.  The Old Testament “Be” Series runs to 27 volumes. 
Billy Graham wrote of him that, “He is one of the great Bible expositors of our generation.”

George Truett

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This is the day that … George Truett was born in 1867.

He entered the pastorate of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, when it had 700 members – and concluded his pastorate in the same Church 47 years later with 7,800;  the largest Baptist Church at that time in the world.

“All evangelical preaching points to Christ,” he wrote.  “The primary work of the Church is to point people to Him Who saves” (Prince of the Pulpit, biography of G. Truett, by J. Burton, page 16).

He had been converted at the age of 19 and ordained to the ministry 11 years later. Interesting anecdotes of this pulpit giant abound.  He was out of his pulpit “40% of the time” each year.  He consulted none of his Church officers about “what or when he was to do anything”.  It is estimated that he preached 17,000 sermons, an average of one a day for 47 years.

And, oh yes, he shot the Dallas Chief of Police!  It was during a hunting trip together that Truett moved his gun from one shoulder to the other and the gun discharged.  Captain J.C. Arnold, his close friend, died a few days later.

For a while he determined to give up preaching.  But when he returned to the pulpit, we are told there was “a new tenderness, a new depth of sincerity and a new power.  The legend grew, however, that he never smiled again” (Tales of Baptist Daring, by B. Browne, page 133).

Dr Truett died on 7 July, 1944.