Smith Wigglesworth
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| Smith Wigglesworth | |
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 Smith Wigglesworth
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| Born | June 8, 1859 Menton, Yorkshire, England |
Smith Wigglesworth (1859 - 1947), was a British religious figure and an important figure in the early history of Pentecostalism.
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[edit] Early life
Smith Wigglesworth was born on June 10, 1859, in Menston, Yorkshire, England, to an impoverished family. In his childhood, Smith worked in the fields pulling turnips alongside his mother.
Nominally a Methodist, he became a born-again Christian at the age of eight, and according to some reports, could help others do the same even at such a young age. His grandmother was a devout Methodist, following the teachings of John Wesley, but his parents, John and Martha, weren't Christians themselves although they took young Smith to Methodist and Anglican churches on regular occasions.
Wigglesworth married Polly Featherstone in 1882, and under her tutelage he learned to read. They had one daughter, Alice, and four sons, Seth, Harold, Ernest and George. Their marriage lasted for thirty-one years, until Polly's death in 1913.[1]
[edit] Ministry
Wigglesworth left his job as a plumber to become a faith healer.[2] He was an early Charismatic theologian and minister, who wrote a number of works on tongues and other gifts of the Holy Spirit. (More precisely, these books are transcripts of his spoken sermons.) He is considered one of the most influential evangelists in the early history of Pentecostalism and is also credited with helping give it a large religious audience. He defended and gave arguments for many of his beliefs in his book Ever Increasing Faith.[3] Wigglesworth continued to minister up until the time of his death on March 12, 1947.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Bickle, Michael, Smith Wigglesworth Biography.
- ^ Benny Hinn Ministries, "About Smith Wigglesworth."
- ^ Wigglesworth, Ever Increasing Faith.
[edit] References
- Bickle, Michael. Smith Wigglesworth Biography (HTML). Retrieved on 2006-05-18.
- Wigglesworth, Smith (1924). Ever Increasing Faith. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
- Benny Hinn Ministries. "About Smith Wigglesworth." Retried 2006-12-13.
[edit] Further reading
- Wigglesworth, Smith. Faith That Prevails. 1938. Biblioteca di eVangelo.
- Wigglesworth, Smith. Ever Increasing Faith. (PDF) 1924. Zao Ministries International.
- McGee, Gary B. "The Revival Legacy of Smith Wigglesworth." Assemblies of God USA Enrichment Journal.
- Smith Wigglesworth, Spiritual Leader Bio. Cedar Rapids, IA: Wind and Fire Ministries.
- Melbourne Colin. Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947). Born Again Christian Info.
