Champion of The Faith
Training and education for the ministry were considered essential by Smith. He himself read and was influenced by many of the great men of the church: Wesley, Luther, Spurgeon, Moody, and especially Finney and Brainerd, the "man of prayer." Others, in turn, were encouraged by him and his single minded focus.
When Smith died on January 25, 1986, the accolades poured in. For example, Billy Graham said:
"I've lost a dear friend, the man who had more impact on my life than any other - a great preacher, a great songwriter, a man who stands equal with Moody and Torrey. As a Missionary Statesman he stands alone. There was no equal."
Also, the Revell Company said:
"There is fire in his bones. Those who have heard him have seen fire in his heart, his eyes, his speech - a fire which has lept out to set them afire."
Read more about this topic: Oswald J. Smith
Famous quotes containing the words champion of, champion and/or faith:
“Let’s not quibble! I’m the foe of moderation, the champion of excess. If I may lift a line from a die-hard whose identity is lost in the shuffle, “I’d rather be strongly wrong than weakly right.””
—Tallulah Bankhead (1903–1968)
“But now Miss America, World’s champion woman, you take your promenading self down into the cobalt blue waters of the Caribbean and see what happens. You meet a lot of darkish men who make vociferous love to you, but otherwise pay you no mid.”
—Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960)
“To exist is equivalent to an act of faith, a protest against the truth, an interminable prayer.... As soon as they consent to live, the unbeliever and the man of faith are fundamentally the same, since both have made the only decision that defines a being.”
—E.M. Cioran (b. 1911)