Robert Sumner

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Robert Sumner Christian author, and editor of The Biblical Evangelist newsletter. He has also attended many Christian conferences and lectures. In 1959, he created the non-profit Sumner Evangelistic Foundation. In 1965, he was on the Council of 14 (now Council of 18) of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches, and he changed the name of his foundation to Regular Baptist Evangelism. In May, 1966, this group launched a newsletter called The Regular Baptist Evangelist, which 9 months later became just The Biblical Evangelist. In November, 1980, The Biblical Evangelist stopped publication and Sumner began writing for another Christian newsletter, The Sword of the Lord. In 1982, Sumner left The Sword after a dispute with the editor that was mediated by pastor Jack Hyles. After the ordeal, Sumner complained that he was left "without an editorial voice", so he re-started The Biblical Evangelist by sending letters to former subscribers asking them to resubscribe.^[1]

Sumner received some attention when he criticized Hyles in 1989 when he wrote a story in The Biblical Evangelist called, "The Saddest Story I've Ever Told," which accused Hyles of sexual scandals and financial misappropriation.^[2] These charges were refuted by Hyles who deemed them "lies".^[2]

Sumner has now published a total of 37 books including his latest, HEBREWS: Streams of Living Water, a 37-chapter, 546-page expository and evangelistic commentary about the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. He is also the official biographer of John R. Rice.[1] As of 2006, The Biblical Evangelist is sent out for free to all that request it.

[edit] Books and tracts by Sumner

HEBREWS: Streams of Living Water -- Biblical Evangelism Press (2003) 546 pgs. ISBN 0-914012-36-3
Mormonism -- Sword of the Lord Pub. (1981) 47 pgs. ISBN 0-87398-559-1
Biblical Evangelism in Action -- Sword of the Lord Pub (January 1, 1966) 344 pgs.