Daniel Paul Rader (August 24, 1879 – July 19, 1938) was an influential evangelist in the

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

area during the early 20th century and was America's first nationwide radio preacher. He was senior pastor of the renowned

Moody Church The Moody Church (often referred to as Moody Memorial Church, after a sign hung on the North Avenue side of the building) is a historic evangelical Christian (Nondenominational Christianity) church in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illi ...

from 1915 to 1921 and was also the second president of the

Christian and Missionary Alliance The Alliance World Fellowship is the international governing body of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (The Alliance, also C&MA and CMA). The Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within the Higher Life movement of Christianity ...

. In 1925, Rader, who had been holding revival camp meetings in Tower Lakes, IL, bought 367 acres there, with plans for summer cottages, a radio station and a tabernacle that could accommodate 5000 hearers. But he sold the land the next year to a residential developer after building only a few cottages. He also started a Tabernacle in Los Angeles, California, in 1929. The daily Tabernacle radio broadcasts featured singers accompanied by pianist

Rudy Atwood Rudolph Atwood (December 16, 1912 – October 16, 1992) was an American Christian music pianist, known primarily for his years as accompanist on the long-running ''Old Fashioned Revival Hour'' radio program led by Charles E. Fuller from 1937 to ...

. Rader wrote several hymns during his lengthy career, one of which was " Only Believe", a personal favorite of singer

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. Presley recorded the song in 1970 for his album ''

Love Letters from Elvis ''Love Letters from Elvis'' is the fourteenth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released in 1971. The album was critically panned upon release, and failed to crack the top 20 of the Billboard album charts but did reach ...

'' and it was subsequently released as a single in 1971, where it spent two weeks on the chart, peaking at #95.Elvis sings Gospel
/ref> "Only Believe" was also the theme song of

William Branham William Marrion Branham (April 6, 1909 – December 24, 1965) was an American Christian minister and faith healer who initiated the post-World War II healing revival, and claimed to be a prophet with the anointing of Elijah, who had come t ...

's campaigns as well as a favorite of

Smith Wigglesworth Smith Wigglesworth (10 June 1859 – 12 March 1947) was a British evangelist who was influential in the early history of Pentecostalism. Early life Smith Wigglesworth was born on 10 June 1859 in Menston, Yorkshire, England, to an impoverished ...

. Rev. Rader also published a novel, '' Big Bug'', which was about Hollywood as the sin center of America. Rader's great-nephew, also named

Paul Rader Paul Alexander Rader (born March 14, 1934), is an American religious leader, who was the 15th General of the Salvation Army from 1994 to 1999, and was the President of Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, from 2000 to 2006. Biography Born in N ...

, served as General of

the Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...

, and President of

Asbury University Asbury University is a private Christian university in Wilmore, Kentucky. Although it is a non-denominational school, the college is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The school offers 50-plus majors across 17 departments. In the fal ...

. Rev. Rader attended

Hamline University Hamline University is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1854, Hamline is known for its emphasis on experiential learning, service, and social justice. The university is named after Bishop Leonidas Lent Hamline ...

, where in 1901 he helped found the Beta Omicron Sigma Kappa social fraternity, or the Brotherhood of Scholarly Knights. This went on to become the Alpha chapter of

Beta Kappa Beta Kappa () was a Social Fraternity founded at Hamline University in 1901, which merged with Theta Chi in 1942. Development Beta Kappa was formed at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota on with the name The Knights of Beta Omicron Sigma ...

fraternity, which after the merger with

Theta Chi Theta Chi () is an international Fraternities and sororities, college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 at Norwich University then-located in Norwich, Vermont, and has initiated more than 200,000 members and currently has over 8,700 c ...

fraternity became Beta Kappa chapter of Theta Chi.

Biography

Paul Rader Portrait of an Evangelist (1879-1938)

References

Rader, Paul. Big Bug. Fleming H. Revell Co.: New York, 1932.

External links

Cyber Hymnal BiographyRev. Paul Rader's Life Story in His Own Words
1879 births 1938 deaths Evangelists American evangelicals {{US-Christian-clergy-stub Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)

Biography

See also

References

External links