Hello and welcome to episode 65 of the Giants of the Faith podcast. I'm Robert Daniels and I'm the host of this show where we look at Christians that have done great work for the Kingdom of God. In today's episode we're continuing the faith march toward Billy Graham. In the last episode we looked at Edward Kimball, the humble Sunday School teacher who led DL Moody to the Lord, and today we're focused on Moody himself. Moody was an American evangelist and publisher who founded the Moody Bible Institute, the Moody Church, and several other ministries that still impact millions of people today. Before Moody's story begins I just want to let you know that he was involved in a lot, and I mean a lot, of projects. I certainly didn't capture them all here and, as many of them overlap in terms of time (especially in and around the Civil Wat), it was a little difficult to form a direct narrative. So I ask for a little forbearance as you listen.
With that out of the way - D.L. Moody was born on February 5, 1837, in Northfield, Massachusetts, as the seventh of nine children born the Edwin and Betsy Moody. His father was a small farmer and stonemason who died when Dwight was only four years old, leaving his mother with nine children to raise by herself. His childhood was a poor one. He and his siblings had to carry their socks and shoes to church to save wear and tear on them. Therefore, Dwight had to work from an early age to help support his family and he received very little formal education. He only attended school until the fifth grade, and he never learned proper grammar or spelling. He and a brother left home at age 10 to go and work in another town. This broker his mother's heart but the family had few other options. Despite the hard times, Moody loved Northfield and often returned there to recuperate after completing missions work.
When he was 17, Moody moved to Boston to work in his uncle's shoe store. His uncle required him to attend the Congregational Church of Mount Vernon, where he met his Sunday school teacher, Edward Kimball – who I covered in detail in episode 64. Kimball was a faithful Christian who cared for his students and prayed for their salvation. He committed himself to taking a personal interest in the faith of each of his students and, so, one day, he visited Dwight at the shoe store and shared with him the gospel of Jesus Christ. Dwight was deeply moved by Kimball's words and decided to give his life to Christ.
Kimball later had this to say of Moody: "I can truly say, and in saying it I magnify the infinite grace of God as bestowed upon him, that I have seen few persons whose minds were spiritually darker than was his when he came into my Sunday School class; and I think that the committee of the Mount Vernon Church seldom met an applicant for membership more unlikely ever to become a Christian of clear and decided views of Gospel truth, still less to fill any extended sphere of public usefulness."
God had great plans for Dwight Moody. He soon felt a strong desire to serve God and share his faith with others. He moved to Chicago in 1856, where he started a successful shoe business and became involved in various Christian ministries. He had joined the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in 1854 back in Boston. He became its president in 1861. This is when the C in YMCA meant something. Before they became just another liberal social institution completely divorced from its roots. The YMCA was an important part of Moody’s ministry. He used the YMCA as a platform to reach out to young men, especially during the Civil War, when he served as a chaplain and a missionary for the U.S. Christian Commission of the YMCA.
The U.S. Christian Commission was an organization that furnished supplies, medical services, and religious literature to Union troops during the American Civil War. It was founded in 1861 by the National Committee of the YMCA in New York City. It had more than 5,000 volunteers who served as chaplains, missionaries, nurses, teachers, and counselors. It also organized devotional meetings, prayer groups, Bible classes, and revival services for the soldiers and civilians. It distributed more than $6 million worth of goods and supplies, including food, clothing, blankets, medicines, books, newspapers, and stationery. It also distributed more than 30 million pages of religious tracts and more than 1.5 million Bibles and Testaments.
Moody also organized and hosted several conferences and conventions for the YMCA at his Northfield campus, where he invited prominent speakers and leaders to share their insights and experiences. One of these conferences led to the genesis of the Student Volunteer Movement, a movement that mobilized thousands of college students to serve as missionaries around the world. Moody saw the YMCA as a strategic partner in his vision to spread the gospel and train Christian workers.
Moody's saloon Sunday school was one of his first ministries in Chicago. He started it in 1858 in a rented saloon in the North Market Hall, where he taught the Bible to the poor and uneducated children of the city. He had a passion for reaching out to the neglected and forgotten souls, especially those who were not welcome in the traditional churches. He used creative methods to attract and retain his students, such as offering them free meals, prizes, games, music, and even pony rides. He also visited them in their homes and workplaces, and showed them genuine love and care. I can't help but think that he thought of Edward Kimball as he invested in his own students. His Sunday school grew rapidly and soon had hundreds of students every week and had to be relocated multiple times to accommodate everyone. It also led to the formation of his own church, the Illinois Street Church (now The Moody Church), in 1864, as parents of the children became involved in the school. The church burned down in the Great Chicago Fire but was rebuilt and thrives today.
In 1862 Moody married Emma Charlotte Revell, and they had three children: Emma, William, and Paul. Moody's wife was his great helper and supporter in his ministry. She helped him with his Sunday school, church, and evangelistic work. She also wrote several hymns and books. William became a lawyer and a pastor, and he wrote a biography of his father. Paul became the president of the Moody Bible Institute after his father’s death.
During the Civil War, Moody served as a chaplain for the Union Army and ministered to thousands of soldiers in camps and hospitals. He also traveled across the country to hold revival meetings and evangelistic campaigns. He had a simple but powerful way of preaching that appealed to people from all walks of life. He used illustrations from everyday life, humor, anecdotes, and personal testimonies to convey biblical truths. He also had a great passion for souls and urged his listeners to repent and believe in Christ.
In 1867, Moody visited England for the first time and met several prominent Christian leaders, such as Charles Spurgeon, George Müller, and Henry Varley. He was impressed by their faith and devotion, and he learned from their example. He also heard Varley say: "The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him." Moody took this as a personal challenge and resolved to dedicate himself more fully to God's service. Moody returned to England in 1872 with his friend and music partner, Ira Sankey. Together they held a series of revival meetings that shook the nation. Thousands of people attended their meetings and many were converted. Moody's fame spread throughout Europe and he was invited to speak in Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, and other countries. He also visited Palestine and Egypt during this time.
Moody's ministry had a lasting impact on many people who later became influential Christians themselves. Some of them were C.T. Studd, Hudson Taylor, F.B. Meyer, R.A. Torrey, Wilbur Chapman, and Billy Sunday. We'll surely hear more about some of these men in future episodes – Lord willing. Moody also inspired many people to support missions and evangelism around the world.
Moody returned to the United States in 1875 and continued his ministry with renewed zeal and power. He held revival meetings in major cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. He also established several institutions and ministries that would carry on his vision and legacy. He founded the Northfield School for Girls and the Mount Hermon School for Boys in his hometown of Northfield, Massachusetts. He also founded the Chicago Evangelization Society, later renamed the Moody Bible Institute, to train Christian workers for home and foreign missions. He also started the Moody Church, the Moody Colportage Association, and the Moody Monthly magazine.
The Moody Colportage Association was an organization founded by Moody in 1894 to publish and distribute inexpensive Christian books. The word "colportage" means the activity of selling or distributing religious tracts and books. Moody's goal was to make evangelical reading materials available to everyone, including the poor and imprisoned. He had help from his brother-in-law, Fleming H. Revell, who was an established publisher. He published many books and pamphlets that contained his sermons, teachings, and testimonies. He also published the works of other Christian authors, such as Charles Spurgeon, Andrew Murray, George Müller, and Hannah Whitall Smith. He also collaborated with Ira Sankey to produce several collections of hymns and gospel songs that became very popular and widely used. The association was formally incorporated in October, 1899. In 1941, the name changed to Moody Publishers, which is still active today as a non-profit Christian publishing house that supports the Moody Bible Institute.
Moody was a humble and generous man who did not seek fame or wealth for himself. He gave away most of his income to support various causes and ministries. He also refused to accept any honorary degrees or titles from any institutions or organizations. He said: "I have more trouble keeping down than getting up."
Moody died on December 22, 1899, at the age of 62, after suffering from congestive heart failure. His last words were: "Earth recedes; heaven opens before me." He was buried in Northfield, Massachusetts, where his grave is still visited by many admirers.
Moody's life and ministry demonstrate what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. He was a man of faith, love, and action who touched millions of lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was a giant of the faith who left behind a rich legacy for generations to come. Our next episode will focus on Wilbur Chapman, who I briefly mentioned earlier. Chapman was converted by Moody and is the next link in the chain of faith we're following from Edward Kimball to Billy Graham. Thank you very much for listening. Until next time, God bless.
RESOURCES
Inspirational Christians: https://www.inspirationalchristians.org/evangelists/dwight-l-moody-biography/
Wholesome Words: https://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biomoody4.html
Christian History Institute: https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/life-and-times-of-moody
Moody Bible Institute: https://www.moody.edu/about/our-bold-legacy/d-l-moody/
Curiosmith: https://curiosmith.com/pages/bible-institute-colportage-association