Frederick Brotherton Meyer (8 April 1847 – 28 March 1929), a contemporary and friend of
D. L. Moody
Dwight Lyman Moody (February 5, 1837 – December 26, 1899), also known as D. L. Moody, was an American evangelist and publisher connected with Keswickianism, who founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Massa ...
and
A. C. Dixon, was a
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
pastor and evangelist in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
involved in ministry and inner city mission work on both sides of the Atlantic. Author of numerous religious books and articles, many of which remain in print today, he was described in an obituary as ''The Archbishop of the Free Churches''.
Introduction
Frederick Meyer was born in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. He attended
Brighton College
Brighton College is an independent, co-educational boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 3 to 18 in Brighton, England. The school has three sites: Brighton College (the senior school, ages 11 to 18); Brighton College Preparatory Sc ...
and graduated from the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
in 1869. He studied theology at
Regent's Park College
Regent's Park College (known colloquially within the university as Regent's) is a permanent private hall of the University of Oxford, situated in central Oxford, just off St Giles', Oxford, St Giles'.
Founded in 1810, the college moved to it ...
.
Meyer was part of the
Higher Life movement
The Higher Life movement, also known as the Keswick movement or Keswickianism, is a Protestant theological tradition within evangelical Christianity that espouses a distinct teaching on the doctrine of entire sanctification.
Its name comes ...
and preached often at the
Keswick Convention
The Keswick Convention is an annual gathering of conservative evangelical Christians in Keswick, in the English county of Cumbria.
The Christian theological tradition of Keswickianism, also known as the Higher Life movement, became popularised ...
. He was known as a crusader against immorality. He preached against drunkenness and
prostitution. He is said to have brought about the closing of hundreds of
saloons
Saloon may refer to:
Buildings and businesses
* One of the bars in a traditional British pub
* An alternative name for a bar (establishment)
* Western saloon, a historical style of American bar
* The Saloon, a bar and music venue in San Francisc ...
and
brothels
A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub ...
.
While in York in the early 1870s F. B. Meyer met the American evangelist
Dwight L. Moody
Dwight Lyman Moody (February 5, 1837 – December 26, 1899), also known as D. L. Moody, was an American evangelist and publisher connected with Keswickianism, who founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Massa ...
, whom he introduced to other chapels, churches, and ministers in England, and by exchange was invited to make several trips to minister in America. The two preachers became lifelong friends.
Meyer played an important part in the beginnings of the Welsh revival, holding Keswick meetings in Wales in 1903 at which
Evan Roberts, among others, pledged to spend at least one day a month praying for revival.
In 1908, Meyer and his wife made a tour of South Africa, where they met Mohandas Gandhi spending several days with him in May. Meyer expressed a cautious sympathy with Gandhi's movement of passive resistance.
In June 1916, together with Hubert Peet, a
Quaker, he visited British
conscientious objectors
A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to objecti ...
in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, to report upon their position in the light of news that 42 resisting men had been forcibly transported there. The visit took place shortly before 35 of the men were court-martialled and formally sentenced to death, but immediately reprieved.
F. B. Meyer wrote over 75 books, including Christian biographies and devotional commentaries on the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
. In 1918, Meyer, along with seven other clergymen, was also a signatory to the London Manifesto asserting that the Second Coming was imminent.
An illustrated biography of his life was published in 1929, with a new edition a few years later. 2007 saw the release of a new biography of Meyer, ''F.B. Meyer: If I had a hundred lives'', written by Professor Bob Holman and published by
Christian Focus Publications
Christian Focus Publications (CFP) is a conservative, evangelical publishing house in the United Kingdom.
CFP was established in the early 1970s, and is located in Fearn, Ross-shire
Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county ...
.
Associated chapels
Meyer began pastoring churches in 1870; his first pastorate was at Pembroke Baptist Chapel in Liverpool, his second at Priory Street Baptist Church in York, 1872. Other chapels and churches he pastored were:
*Victoria Road Church in
Leicester (1874–1878)
*Melbourne Hall in Leicester (1878/80-1888) - founded by Meyer
*Regent's Park Chapel in London (1888–1892) and (1909–1915)
*
Christ Church in London (1892–1909) and (1915–1921)
Of these, Melbourne Hall and
Christ Church are perhaps most closely associated with his independence of approach.
Melbourne Hall, Leicester :
Melbourne Hall has been described as F. B. Meyer's ''abiding monument''; it was initiated in 1878 as a 'Church of Christ' with a small band of believers who fund-raised for, built, and opened the premises in 1880. As an entirely new, independent venture, designed to evangelise the people lying outside ordinary Christian agencies as a local mission, with every member a 'worker' active in the local community, it was decided not to name it a 'chapel' or a 'church', nor a 'tabernacle', and not the old nonconformist term of 'meeting house'; but simply a 'hall'.
Meyer's mission centre attracted great interest - visitors included national figures such as
Hudson Taylor
James Hudson Taylor (; 21 May 1832 – 3 June 1905) was a British Baptist Christian missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM, now OMF International). Taylor spent 51 years in China. The society that he began was respons ...
as well as local people; ''Melbourne Hall became a centre as well as a sphere. All sorts of people visited... it became, in fact, the Church of the Cordial Welcome, and as a consequence a place of pilgrimage and a centre of evangelical and missionary influence in Leicester and far beyond.'' His 'Farewell Meeting' in 1888 was presided over by the Mayor of Leicester.
Meyer nevertheless decided to move on to other pastorates in London - Regent's Park Chapel and Christ Church.
Christ Church, London :
In 1892,
Christopher Newman Hall
Christopher Newman Hall (22 May 1816 – 18 February 1902), born at Maidstone and known in later life as a 'Dissenter's Bishop', was one of the most celebrated nineteenth century English Nonconformist divines. He was active in social causes; sup ...
was due to retire from the
Christ Church complex in
Lambeth, and invited Meyer to leave the Baptist's Regent's Park Chapel and its wealthy church-going district, to become his successor at the non-denominational institution, the successor to
Rowland Hill
Sir Rowland Hill, KCB, FRS (3 December 1795 – 27 August 1879) was an English teacher, inventor and social reformer. He campaigned for a comprehensive reform of the postal system, based on the concept of Uniform Penny Post and his soluti ...
and
James Sherman's Surrey Chapel from where many welfare societies and services operated for the largely working class and slum district. Meyer wrote to his people at Regent's Park Chapel ''Shall I devote the remaining years of my manhood to the service of a section of the Church of Christ, or accept a position that is equally in touch with all sections of Evangelical Christians ? '' and after careful consideration, and successfully negotiating that a Baptistery would be provided, he decided to take on the role. Meyer left Regent's Park Chapel and entered upon his new charge in September 1892.
This being the year that
Charles Spurgeon
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher.
Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers". He wa ...
died, leading to unrest at the nearby baptist
Metropolitan Tabernacle
The Metropolitan Tabernacle is a large independent Reformed Baptist church in the Elephant and Castle in London. It was the largest non-conformist church of its day in 1861. The Tabernacle Fellowship have been worshipping together since 1650. ...
, Meyer was able to attract a considerable number of its former members to migrate to
Christ Church. Frederick Meyer stayed there until 1902, when Dr A. T Pierson was asked to undertake his duties during two prolonged periods of travel abroad. Returning from his sabbaticals to Christ Church, Meyer continued as its pastor until 1909. In September of that year he returned to Regent's Park Chapel for nearly 6 years, coming back to Christ Church as sole minister from May 1915 until 1921.
Final days
Frederick Meyer spent the last few years of his life working as a pastor in England's churches, but still made trips to North America, including one he made at age 80 (his earlier evangelistic tours had included
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
and
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, as well as the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
). A few days before his death, Meyer wrote the following words to a friend:
I have just heard, to my great surprise, that I have but a few days to live. It may be that before this reaches you, I shall have entered the palace. Don't trouble to write. We shall meet in the morning.
Following F. B. Meyer's death in 1929, an English newspaper, ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
'', described him as ''The Archbishop of the Free Churches''. Across the Atlantic, he had earlier been described in ''
The New York Observer
''The New York Observer'' was a weekly newspaper printed from 1987 to 2016, when it ceased print publication and became the online-only newspaper ''Observer''. The media site focuses on culture, real estate, media, politics and the entertainmen ...
'' as a man of ''international fame'' whose ''services are constantly sought by churches over the wide and increasing empire of Christendom''. In 2007
Stephen Timms wrote of him as a man with ''enduring popularity'', dubbed ''virtually a Christian socialist''.
[ Holman (2007), p.ii & p.7]
Works
*
The Way Into the Holiest: Expositions on the Epistle to the Hebrews' (1893)
*
' (1896)
*''A Good Start'' (1897)
*''Saved and Kept: Counsels to Young Believers and Christian Endeavourers'' (1897)
*''A Castaway, and other addresses'' (1897)
*
' (1898)
*
' (1888)
*''Israel: a Prince with God - The Story of Jacob Re-Told'' (1887)
*''Elijah and the Secret of His Power'' (1888)
*''John the Baptist'' (1890)
*''Abraham: The Obedience of Faith'' (1890)
*''The Prophet of Hope: Studies in Zechariah'' (1890)
*''Moses: The Servant of God'' (1893)
*''Joshua and the Land of Promise'' (1893)
*''Christ in Isaiah'' (1895)
*''Samuel: The Prophet'' (prior to 1924)
*''David: Shepherd, Psalmist, King'' (1895)
*''Paul: A Servant of Jesus Christ'' (1897)
*''Love to the Uttermost'' (1897)
*''Tried by Fire'' (1900)
*''Back to Bethel: Separation from Sin, and Fellowship with God'' (1901)
*''Jottings and Hints for Lay Preachers'' (1903)
*''Peter: Fisherman, Disciple, Apostle'' (1919)
*''The Gospel of John'' (1950?)
References
Sources
*
*
*
External links
Biography of F.B.Meyer by Bob Holman (pub. 2007)The Life and Works of F. B. Meyer- listing of over 50 of Meyer's books
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meyer, Frederick Brotherton
1847 births
1929 deaths
Clergy from London
Alumni of Regent's Park College, London
English Baptist ministers
English evangelicals
English tax resisters
People educated at Brighton College
Evangelists