America 250 Semiquincentennial Bible Celebration

LISTEN NOW (7 minutes):

PODCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Today on Celebrate the Bible, during a period in American history that ran from the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s, a preacher named Billy Sunday attracted the largest crowds! This was before the age of sound systems. Sunday would speak to thousands of people, assembled in specially constructed tabernacles, using just his own voice.

Sunday, was born in the year 1862 (born: November 19, 1862 – died: November 6, 1935). He was a popular American and National League baseball player. He played for the Chicago White Stockings from 1883 to 1887. He also played for the Pittsburgh Alleghenies from 1888 to 1890. In 1890, he played in 31 games for Philadelphia.

He then became a preacher. He also became the most celebrated preacher of the first half of the 20th century.

He had a frantic preaching style. He would run back and forth across the stage. This was no doubt due to reporters dubbing him the fastest ball player of the 19th century. It is said that he once stole second, third, and home, on consecutive pitches, to win a game.

While running back and forth across the stage, he was also shouting out the perils of drink and the sinful life. He was a staunch supporter of the Christian Temperance and Prohibition movements.

He had a unique way of beginning many of his sermons. He would slide onto the stage, much like sliding home to score a run. His high energy and antics were very successful. When he died in 1935, The New York Times printed that Sunday was “the greatest high-pressure and mass-conversion Christian evangelist that America has ever known.”

As a collector, Billy Sunday’s authenticated collectibles are on the expensive side. But, if you keep looking, you can find items that are relatively affordable.

As as example, here is a baseball card of Billy Sunday playing for the Pittsburgh Alleghenies. Although it is a replica, this card itself has an interesting history: 500 of these cards were issued in 1987. It was designed and manufactured by disabled Vietnam veteran Dave Stewart of San Francisco, California. All of his cards featured an American Flag. They also showed a POW/MIA Flag with “Support Disabled American Veterans” printed on the back. You would receive a card in return for giving a donation.

If you are listening to this as a podcast, and would like to see photos of the items included in this episode. Please go to celebratethebible250.com. Just type “Billy Sunday” into the search box and the page link will come up.

Next are two items. I am just beyond belief that I was able to add them to my collection. They are stereo view cards. The first is of one of Billy Sunday’s wooden tabernacles. This one was built in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and the date given is November of 1913. This particular card is most likely a one-of-a-kind stereo photo taken by an independent stereo photographer. I have not seen anything like it offered since. Stereo photography of Billy Sunday is extremely rare. Back in 2019, I wrote the following: “I am hoping to add an actual shot of Sunday himself one day — although I have never heard of any existing.”

Well, lo and behold, only a short time ago, this second Billy Sunday stereo view card was offered on Ebay. I nearly fell over. It was taken by photographer Ed Tangen, who called himself “The Pictureman”, in Boulder, Colorado. The card states, “When we all get to Heaven, sung by 400 people. Billy Sunday’s farewell, Boulder, Colorado, October 5, 1909.“

There is also another stereo photo card of Sunday on the train with the crowd waving. So I’ll have to keep looking for that one.

Next — and I’ll close with this one — here is a newspaper page from the Los Angeles Examiner dated September 2, 1917 with the headline: “Sunday Opens War on Satan Here Today”. Other headers read “Billy is Human Dynamo of Evangelism, Predicts Biggest Meetings Ever Known”; also “Big Religious Harvest in L.A. Foreseen”, and “How Evangelist Maintains His Fighting Trim”.

This was an 8-Week crusade. He styled himself as an “Attorney for the Lord, in the case of Heaven vs. Hell”. 15,000 volunteer workers representing 226 churches were prepared for the onslaught. Seventeen individual departments were needed for event coordination.

Before closing out, I should also mention that the tabernacles that were built for Billy Sunday’s crusades were later dis-assembled. The lumber would be donated to local charities. These charities would then go on to build shelters and other Christian services.

So, until we meet again, and for celebratethebible250, this is Francis Douglas.

If you would like me to give a presentation, at your church, school, gallery, or organization, let me know. I will also provide tabletop displays.

The topic I cover is the History of the Christian Holy Bible in America.

Your group will not only learn about it. They will also see, on display, pages from the most significant Bibles in American history.

See my contact information below to inquire. We’ll then set a date and discuss which items you would be interested in for a display.

I will be available for Southern New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania, and Northern Delaware.

CONTACT (for presentation inquiries only please):

Available for Southern New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania, and Northern Delaware.