Articles

Building a Culture of Evangelism

February 20, 2024

Spurgeon’s vision for the church was of an army engaged in the same fight that he was in, namely, proclaiming the gospel and pushing back the dominion of Satan through the salvation of sinners. But how did Spurgeon mobilize his church for evangelism? How can we build a culture of evangelism in our churches? In …

Principles from Spurgeon’s Sermon Prep Process

February 1, 2024

Known as the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon preached thousands of sermons over forty years of pastoral ministry. But preaching was only one part of his ministry. He also pastored a church of 5,000+ members, led his elders and deacons, performed membership interviews, chaired church meetings, gave oversight to two orphanages and the Pastors’ College, …

Preaching Advice for Busy Pastors

January 18, 2024

C. H. Spurgeon, maybe more than any pastor, knew how busy pastoral ministry can be. In addition to preaching four times a week, he led his elders and deacons in caring for a church of five thousand. Together, they visited members, interviewed membership applicants, led prayer meetings, chaired congregational meetings, pursued non-attenders, and much more. …

“The Glorious Work”: Spurgeon’s Letter to the First College Missionary

January 2, 2024

From the beginning, Spurgeon’s vision for the Pastors’ College was the training of pastors. But with the expansion of the British empire in the 19th century, along with advances in travel and communication, new opportunities for global missions arose. Spurgeon would never justify the violence and oppression of imperialism for the sake of missions. Still, …

The Great Difference in the Two Advents of Christ

December 22, 2023

Spurgeon lived during a time when the doctrine of the incarnation was being challenged. With the growth of German higher criticism, the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture were increasingly being questioned. The translation of David Strauss’ The Life of Jesus into English in 1846 led many to adopt a rationalistic understanding of the Gospels, stripping …

Sermon of the Week: “As Thy Days, so Shall Thy Strength Be.”

June 26, 2023

“As thy days, so shall thy strength be,” Deuteronomy 33:25 Introduction As a preacher who struggled with periods of depression, Spurgeon proclaimed the power and grace of God amid spiritual darkness. This strange paradox enabled him to declare, “How much reason have we to bless God for nights! for if it were not for nights how much …

The Queen of Preachers?: Spurgeon, his Sister Eliza, and Women Preachers

June 6, 2023

Baptists these days are once again debating the Bible’s teaching on women preachers. But this is not an entirely new phenomenon. In Charles Spurgeon’s day, he saw the growing popularity of women preachers, particularly among the Salvation Army and Quakers. Such a practice was largely unheard of among Baptists. But there was one notable exception: …

Spurgeon’s Associationalism after the Downgrade Controversy

October 25, 2022

Throughout his ministry, Spurgeon was a champion of Baptist associationalism. While he believed in the congregational autonomy of each local church, Spurgeon gladly partnered with other Baptist churches for the cause of missions, evangelism, and church planting. So he reinvigorated the London Baptist Association, often hosting and chairing meetings. He became active in the Baptist …

Soul Winning: C. S. Lovett vs. C. H. Spurgeon

April 5, 2022

In 1959, C. S. Lovett, pastor of Baldwin Park Baptist Church, published his guide to personal evangelism, entitled Soul-Winning Made Easy. In it, he describes “the controlled conversation technique,” which “ignores excuses and complete side-steps the explosive area of religious debate.” Instead, Lovett focuses on Revelation 3: Jesus knocking on the door of our hearts …

The Pastor’s Private Prayer

March 21, 2022

So far in this series on pastoral character, we've considered the role of the pastor's piety and the pastor's holiness upon his ministry. Those articles have largely been cautionary, warning pastors against the particular temptations that come in ministry. But what should a pastor cultivate positively in order to grow in pastoral character? Spurgeon's first …