G. Campbell Morgan (1863—1945)

Today is the birthday of George Campbell Morgan, born December 9, 1863 in Tetbury, England. Dr. Morgan was one of the preeminent preachers of the first half of the 20^th Century. Because of his excellence in expository preaching he was well-known and in much demand on two continents, gaining prominence as a schoolteacher and later as a preacher. Morgan pastored several churches in England before making his first trip to America, where his fame spread. By the time he returned to England he had gained international status as an expositor of the Word. He further extended his ministry through the approximately 60 books he wrote.

The son of a Baptist minister, Morgan used to “play at preaching” to his older sister and her dolls. However, his beloved sister died at an early age, which deeply affected the young Morgan. It was probably experiences like this that taught him the sympathy with others that bleeds through in so many of his sermons. Morgan came to faith in Christ early in life and preached his first sermon at age 13, deciding on a life in the ministry a few years later.

Campbell Morgan probably had no idea of the usefulness and esteem for which he was destined when he preached his trial sermon for Methodist ordination. He was rejected. The young preacher felt devastated and sent a one-word telegram to his father, “Rejected.” His father replied, “Rejected on earth. Accepted in heaven.” Morgan soon began serving Congregational churches in England and honing his craft of studying and expounding the Bible. Many years later the internationally-acclaimed expositor preached to some of the same men who had once rejected him.

Morgan traveled extensively in England and North America. In the United States he served at times as a pastor, itinerant preacher, Bible college president, and director of D.L. Moody’s Northfield Bible Conference. But he is probably best known as the pastor of Westminster Chapel in London, where he served two pastorates, from 1904—1919 and again from 1933—1943, when he retired. During his first pastorate at Westminster Chapel Morgan began his famous Friday night Bible study, which thousands attended each week, Bibles and notebooks in hand. His sermons from this period were collected and published in the ten-volume Westminster Pulpit (now published complete in five volumes). After guiding the Chapel through World War I he sailed the Atlantic for more ministry in America.

When Dr. Morgan was in his early seventies, Westminster Chapel extended a second invitation to him to become pastor. He accepted, but because of his advanced age he desired to have a co-pastor, who would eventually succeed him. In 1938 he invited a young Welsh preacher, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, to be that co-pastor and successor. Morgan’s foresight provided Westminster Chapel with three more decades of the expository preaching of the Word of God.

Having guided the church through most of the Second World War, Morgan retired in 1943 and died on May 16, 1945. In his eulogy at the memorial service Lloyd-Jones highly commended G. Campbell Morgan as the man that God appointed at the right time to teach the many young Christians converted through the ministry of evangelist D.L. Moody.

G. Campbell Morgan continues to teach believers through the many Bible studies he wrote. Some of his books, which had been out of print for years, are now showing up in bookstores again. As the Lord extended Morgan’s ministry a hundred years ago, may He do so again through the reprinting of more of his very helpful books.

Some online resources on G. Campbell Morgan:

Jason’s review of In the Shadow of Grace: The Life and Meditations of G. Campbell Morgan, which contains links to other helpful resources and a link to Jill Morgan’s excellent biography of her famous father-in-law.

A Complete Chronological Listing of the Published Writings of G. Campbell Morgan compiled by my friend, Tim Leaman, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Taylorsville, MD.

Dr. Sam Horn’s thorough biographical sketch of Morgan, which was recently reprinted on SharperIron, along with some helpful comments from readers of Morgan (Part 1 and Part 2).

G. Campbell Morgan (1863—1945)