Cecil Henry Polhill, formerly Cecil Henry Polhill-Turner (23 February 1860 in

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

– 9 March 1938 in

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) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

leader and

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

Early life

Cecil Henry Polhill was born on 23 February 1860. His father was Frederick Polhill-Turner. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

and

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes fr ...

, before taking a commission as a

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in the

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. In 1885 he and his brother, Arthur Twistleton Polhill, became affiliated with the

China Inland Mission OMF International (formerly Overseas Missionary Fellowship and before 1964 the China Inland Mission) is an international and interdenominational Evangelical Christian missionary society with an international centre in Singapore. It was founded i ...

as part of the Cambridge Seven missionary band. In 1897, Polhill along with other four CIM missionaries established a missionary station in Tatsienlu, west of Szechwan, which paved the way for the future construction of the Gospel Church. He returned from China in 1900 in the wake of the Boxer Uprising.

Christian evangelism

Upon his return from China, Polhill inherited a fortune, and spent much of his life donating to missionary causes. In 1908 Polhill visited

Azusa Street The Azusa Street Revival was a historic series of revival meetings that took place in Los Angeles, California. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African-American preacher. The revival began on April 9, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915. O ...

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, where he had a

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

experience. Before returning to England Polhill wrote a cheque for £1500 to pay off the mortgage on the Azusa Street building. After returning to England Polhill attended Alexander Boddy's first Sunderland Convention, and helped Boddy fund his Pentecostal periodical ''Confidence''. Polhill became the first President of the Pentecostal Missionary Union (PMU), and administered it along China Inland Mission lines. In 1925 the Executive Council of the PMU voted to merge with the British Assemblies of God, and so Polhill, an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

, resigned aged 65. He maintained friendly relationships with the PMU, and missionaries in the field.

Personal life

In 1888, he married Eleanor Agnes Marston, and their marriage produced six children, three daughters and three sons.A.W. Marston, ''With the King: Pages from the Life of Mrs Cecil Polhill'' (London: Marshall Brothers, c.1905), 120, 141, 154, 178, 184 and 200 for each child respectively.

Death

He died on 9 March 1938

References

External links