Get to know about the famous preachers of the 20th century and their major accomplishments. It is without a doubt that the famous preachers of the twentieth century were greatly moved by the mighty hand of God. Many of these preachers left behind actions that are inscribed in our hearts. That’s why we can’t simply forget them. Many dedicated their whole lives to serving God and men. Their accomplishments are still being narrated in most churches till the present date. They demonstrated a mighty love for God and the spread of the gospel. Many are aware of Jesus Christ today thanks to their works. These soldiers of Christ contributed to preserving the gospel which we have today.
Coming up with the full list of famous preachers of the 20th century is quite challenging if not impossible. The 20th century was full of so many great men and women of God that we can’t write about all of them. These great men and women of God were spread all over the world. Although the were not out for fame, God made them popular. And it is without a doubt that the world has lost records of many. However, those that do not feature on our list are in no way less important. We carried out research that led us to present the following as the most famous preachers of the 20th century.
Famous preachers of the 20th century
James S. Stewart (1896 – 1990)
James S. Stewart comes at the top of our list due to his great accomplishments. He was well known to be a preacher who focused more on the salvation brought by the teachings in the New Testament. For those who do not know, he was a Scottish gospel preacher whom God anointed for greater purposes. Records hold that he taught the New Testament at the University of Edinburgh. He also served as chaplain to the queen in Scotland. In addition to this, James S. Stewart also served as a moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. James made an intense commitment to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Records hold that he preached with earnestness and authority that moved the hearts of his congregants to love him. James and his preaching approach were warmly received by his listeners.
Today, we can say without a doubt that James is one of the major preachers who influenced the growth of the gospel in America. He did this through his amazing sermons and writings. His books entitled “A faith to proclaim” and “Heralds of God” have brought a plus to the lives of tens of thousands of preachers. These books have greatly encouraged them to strive for greater effectiveness in preaching the Holy Gospel. James Stewart was born in the year 1893 to a renowned preacher in the YMCA movement. He happened to follow the footsteps of his father in preaching the gospel. Records hold that most of his preaching was carried out in Scotland and America. In addition, James served as a pastor of three Church of Scotland congregations. He joined the faculty of New College which was the Divinity School of the University of Edinburgh.
Billy Graham (1918 – 2018)
The chances are very high that you’ve heard Billy Graham preaching. He is one of the famous preachers of the 20th century who taught the scriptures with remarkable authority. Billy Graham turns to be one of the most popular televangelists that the world has ever known. Records hold that through the televising of mass crusades, he reached out to more persons than any other televangelist. Through his preaching, he became a national chaplain for Americans and world citizens at large. Billy’s preaching approach was quite simple and straightforward. Each time that he stepped out to preach, his message was directed to winning more souls for Jesus Christ. Graham’s work did draw hundreds of thousands to the true teachings of Christ. That’s why we can’t afford to omit him from the top position on our list.
Billy Graham counts himself among those who were heavily anointed and blessed by God with a long life. He exploited this long life in God’s service and went further to building a Christ-centered organization. This organization promotes and sponsors mass evangelistic crusades. In addition, they promote the gospel through movies, television channels, Christian books, social media, and radios. Records hold that Billy Graham stands as one of the gospel pillars in America. In addition, he also contributed much to the world in terms of extending the gospel. He preached across churches, trailer parks, cathedrals, and stadiums. Millions of people have listened to and appreciated his teachings. He went up to personally preaching to many presidents. Although a few found in him things worth criticizing, he was generally loved by the majority of his listeners.
Martin Luther King, Jr (1929 – 1968)
Almost all if not all Christians have heard the name, Martin Luther King. Might be we’ve over-limited ourselves by referring to only Christians. He’s also widely known among pagans and those of other regions. Martin Luther is the man who prophesied so many years ago that a black man will rule America. His prophecy came to pass when Barack Obama won the American elections of being a president. This brought back the name of Luther to the mouth of every folk. He was a highly anointed and gifted African-American preacher of the holy gospel. He was also a civil rights leader whose personal activism and appeals for justice helped in changing the course of American life. King was recognized as a recipient of the Noble Peace Prize due to his prophetic words and actions. Unfortunately, this great man of God was tragically assassinated in 1968.
It would be a mistake for us to omit Martin Luther from our list of famous preachers of the 20th century. He consecrated his life to God’s service even-though he had lots of opportunities to make a wealthy living. Luther was a man of great devotion, passion, humor. However, his humorous side seems to have been drowned by modern reporters of his adventures. Martin Luther King stands today as one who breathed life back into many preachers of the gospel. He acted as a motivator and comforter to many who were about to abandon their faith. Records hold that he brought back life to those parts of the church which were neglected and almost dead. With such accomplishments, we can only class him as one of the famous preachers of the 20th century. He revived the faith of many in his days.
George Buttrick (1892 – 1980)
Buttrick is one of the famous preachers of the 20th century who taught the gospel with determination and passion. His teachings were centered around winning more souls for the kingdom of God and helping Christians to live as God wants. George Buttrick was an English-born congregational preacher who consecrated his life to serving God and men. Records hold that he served about 30 years as a pastor of New York’s Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church. Pastor George Buttrick succeeded Henry Sloane Coffin whom we also consider as one of the famous preachers of the 20th century. George’s life path is quite amazing. He started his teaching career at the Union Theological Seminary. Not very long, he became a preacher to the university at Harvard. George exerted an intense influence on a generation of preachers in America.
He is an author of several books and articles which are all centered around Christ and the holy gospel. History recounts that pastor George delivered twice the prestigious Lyman Beecher Lectures on preaching at Yale. Everything on his preaching, he focused on uplifting Christ and his power to redeem the world through his death on the cross. George Buttrick was highly solicited during his lifetime. Three generations of preachers solicited him for his deep knowledge of the scriptures. His teachings greatly influenced all sorts of noble listeners. He brought the light of biblical understanding to the lives of many as God directed him. Most of his popular courses were centered around the outlining of sermons. He believed that the architecture of a sermon is worth your effort and perfection. George taught that a sermon should be orderly arranged in a pleasant and informative manner.
Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878 -1969)
It won’t be just for us to omit Harry Emerson from our list of famous preachers of the 20th century. His ministry coincided with the growth of the radio. This is what actually contributed to his national prominence. Harry Emerson worked as pastor of New York’s River Side Church. He was a minister to the Rockefellers and other prominent civic and business leaders. Many people perceived him as an advocate of social change. Highly loved by his generation as a knowledgeable preacher, he greatly influenced the way preaching is executed in America.
It’s almost impossible for us to talk about the pillars of the gospel in America without mentioning Harry Emerson. He consecrated his life in God’s service. Harry taught the gospel in a clear and understandable manner that many who listened to him were willing to come again and again. This is how he grew a large following. God was with him and blessed his activities. In short, we’ll say that he was gifted with the ability to unravel scriptural mysteries and make them understandable to his listeners. His teachings were centered around winning more souls for Christ through the announcement of the Holy Gospel. He focused on preaching while allowing the Holy Spirit to touch and change the hearts of the people. In this light, many were convicted of their sins and turned to God for mercy and salvation.
William Edwin Sangster (1900 – 1960)
William Edwin Sangster was a powerful evangelical Methodist preacher whose contribution to the gospel can’t be forgotten. That’s why we hereby class him among the famous preachers of the 20th century. William Edwin served as pastor for 16 years to London’s Westminster Central Hall. While in this Christian congregation, he preached weekly to about 3,000 congregants. History holds that during World War II, William had the largest Sunday-evening congregation. In addition, he opened a bomb shelter to welcome all those who were in need. William Edwin succeeded two famous preachers of the 20th century by names Leslie Weatherhead and Dinsdale T. Young. At some point in time, his ministry was concluded as head of the home mission department of the Methodist church.
Edwin Sangster came from a working family and was educated in London and Birmingham. Worth noting is that he served in the army during World War I. Before being appointed as pastor in 1939 to Westminster Central Hall, he had previously served several churches. He was a man of the people who was highly loved by his congregants. In addition to this, he was more of the faith practicing type. In other words, he loved teaching his congregants through actions. He centered most of his teachings on the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. In this light, he taught of the rewards that were reserved for those who will obey and follow God’s instructions.
Clarence Macartney (1879 – 1957)
Clarence Macartney is one of the famous preachers of the 20th century who taught the gospel with authority and confidence. He was a lifelong bachelor and avid student of scripture. Clarence happened to be a champion of theological orthodoxy. In addition, he stood in opposition to Fosdick’s liberalizing influence. He had a topical preaching style which was mostly biographical. He paid attention to the architecture of his sermons and carefully prepared them to be pleasant and informative. Clarence delivered his sermons with directness and confidence. His congregants credited him for the powerful imaginative illustrations he regularly used during sermons. He was highly committed to preaching without notes.
Clarence dedicated his life to God’s service and did not compromise his decision until the last day he had on Earth. He faithfully served God and men all through his life. Many preachers were greatly influenced by his teachings and gospel approach. Macartney was highly loved and appreciated by his followers who couldn’t afford to miss his deep insight sermons.
