Truth To Wonder: Mini Biographies of Evangelicals

D.L Moody (1837-99)

Dwight Lyman Moody, was born into poverty (as many a man of God is) in Northfield, Massachusetts. USA, on February 5th, 1837. Dwight received little formal education, leaving school at a young age to work on the family farm. Dwight quickly became bored of this work and left for Boston at the age of 17, looking for employment.

Dwight was something of a rebellious youth, making finding work difficult. He eventually was given a job at his uncle’s shoe shop, on the condition that Dwight would attend church at Mt Vernon Congregational Church.

At Mt Vernon, Dwight became part of the Sunday School, where the class teacher, Edward Kimball, would be the man to lead the difficult youth that was Dwight, to faith in Christ Jesus. It wasn’t long later, that Dwight moved to Chicago to start his own shoe business. Whilst in Chicago, Dwight began the Mission Sunday School class for the children of Chicago, joining forces with the YMCA. 

The Mission Sunday School flourished, with Dwight’s desire to reach and teach the poor children of Chicago becoming immensely popular. The numbers attending the Mission meant that new premises were needed to accommodate the crowds. It was clear to all involved that God was blessing Dwight’s endeavours, and so fellow ministry leaders of Dwight encouraged him to open a church (now The Moody Church).

When the American Civil War descended on the nation, Dwight took the chance to witness to the Union Army troops stationed at the nearby Camp Douglas. This began Dwight’s preaching outreach during the war, as he took every opportunity to witness to soldiers on both sides of the conflict. He did this all whilst maintaining the Mission Sunday School programme.

After so many years of blessed work, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, brought much of Dwight’s work crashing down in a terrible blaze. Losing nearly everything that he had built up over the years, Dwight reconsidered his ministry, making a renewed commitment to preach the Word of God.

It was in 1872, that Dwight made his first preaching trip to the UK. Dwight’s simple, Gospel based preaching drew huge crowds wherever he preached, and his disinterest in denominational divisions meant he was received by often disputing Christian groups with equal gratitude.

Returning to America in 1875, Dwight immediately set about preaching across the Midwest and Atlantic coast of the USA. It was in 1879, however, that Dwight felt a burden to train young Christian workers. So, it was in 1879 that Dwight opened the Northfield Seminary for Young Women, with the aim of giving women a strong understanding of the Bible. He also established the Mount Hermon School for Boys, a school set up to teach those in poverty.

In 1886, Dwight and other ministry leaders, came together to found the Chicago Evangelisation Society (now known as the Moody Bible Institute).

Dwight Moody was a man who lived for the power and simplicity of the Gospel. God used this once rebellious young soul, born into poverty, to reach hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives with the hope of salvation in Christ Jesus. Dwight’s desire was simple; to reach those many were happy to leave to wither away and die, with the hope of the Gospel. He cared little for church politics, looking only to reach the lost with the good news of life eternal, through repentance of sin and the placing of faith in Jesus Christ. 

God took this fiery man and wielded that potent spirit wonderfully; yet drew a tenderness of heart out of Dwight, that meant he always found time for his family and loved ones. D.L Moody, went home to glory on December 22nd, 1899, surrounded by his family, leaving behind an enduring testimony of just how much God can do with one seemingly unremarkable man.