J. Wilbur Chapman (1859–1918)

J. Wilbur Chapman (1859–1918) was a Presbyterian pastor and evangelist who preached powerfully the gospel in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Indiana he was trained at Oberlin College and Lane Theological Seminary and held pastorates in Indiana, Ohio, Philadelphia and New York. Strongly evangelistic in his preaching, his pastorates were marked by consistent decisions for Christ and church and Sunday School growth—most notably at Bethany Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia in the late 1800s. Encouraged to pursue the evangelistic ministry, Christian leaders underwrote campaigns in the United States which bore tremendous spiritual fruit in cities across America. Teaming with Charles M. Alexander as song-leader, Chapman undertook several overseas evangelistic tours in England, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. Chapman served as vice-president of Moody Bible Institute and spearheaded the development of Bible conference ministries at Winona Lake, Indiana, Montreat, North Carolina and at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York. The author of more than twenty books, Chapman also was the author of several beloved Christian hymns—One Day, Our Great Savior and 'Tis Jesus.