This story begins with a Sunday school teacher named Edward Kimball. In 1858, Mr. Kimball led a young shoe clerk to give his life to Christ. He reported, “I determined to speak to him about Christ and about his soul, and started down to Holton's Shoe store (the place of Moody's employment. When I was nearly there I there I began to wonder whether I ought to go in during business hours
"But I pushed on finding Moody in the back part of the building wrapping up shoes. I went up to him at once, and putting my hand on his shoulder, I made what I afterwards felt was a very weak plea for Christ. I simply told him of Christ’s love for him and the love Christ wanted in return. That was all there was. It seemed the young man was just ready for the light that then broke upon him, and there, in the back of that store in Boston, he gave himself and his life to Christ” (p. 41).
That young shoe clerk consequently became the popular American evangelist, Dwight L. Moody. Travelling to England, the now popular American evangelist awakened an evangelistic zeal in the heart of Frederick B. Meyer, pastor of a small Baptist church in England. Meyer became a spokesman for public righteousness with a world wide ministry based in London. He held pastorates at some of London’s largest free churches, and conducted his moral crusades from that city.
Meyer applied Christian principles to social ills such as drunkenness, prostitution, unmarried mothers, and unwanted children. One of his best crusades occurred in 1911 when he successfully stopped a prize fight that was to be held at Earl’s Court between Jack Johnson of the United States and a British contender. Meyer endured scorn for his efforts: a London newspaper called him “Meddling, Maudlin Meyer.”
Meyer involved himself in the Blue Ribbon movement (prohibition); the Purity, Rescue, and Temperance work of the Central South London Free Church Council (which closed brothels and counseled prostitutes); and the Homeless Children’s Aid and Adoption Society. He served as president of the National and World Sunday School Unions, president of the National Union of Christian Endeavor, and founder of South London Missionary Training College. He was also the author of more than seventy books. He preached around the world and Spurgeon said he preached as if he had seen the face of God.
