J. Edwin Orr

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J. Edwin Orr (full name: James Edwin Orr), (January 15, 1912-April 1987) was a Baptist minister, lecturer and author.[1].

Of him, Billy Graham wrote: "Dr. J. Edwin Orr, in my opinion, is one of the greatest authorities on the history of religious revivals in the Protestant world.[2]

He was influential in the Campus Crusade for Christ and was one of the five original board members of that organization.[3]

He wrote numerous books, many of them histories of evangelical revivals, and authored a number of hymns. One of them, Cleanse Me, was selected for inclusion in "Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions"[4] and "The One Year Great Songs of Faith".[5] The words of Cleanse Me are based on Psalm 139; it is set to the tune of a Maori folk song (Po ata rau). It was written in 1936 when Orr was at an Easter revival meeting in Ngaruawahia, New Zealand, where he heard and was enchanted by the Maori Song of Farewell.[6] Cleanse Me has been recorded numerous times, with performances by Bill and Gloria Gaither, Irene Bridger, Kenon D. Renfrow, Lloyd WIlliams, the El Paso Wind Symphony, and Nick Reynolds and Tom Parsons available from one online music store[7]

He was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, the American Geographical Society, the Royal Historical Society, and the Royal Society of Literature.[1]

Professor Orr was passionately committed to Jesus Christ and dedicated his life to understanding and furthering the work of God - especially in revival and spiritual awakening.

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[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2004, document H1000075036
  2. ^ Orr, J. Edwin (1951). Full Surrender. Edinburgh: Marshall, Morgan, and Scott. ; introduction by "William Frankland[sic] Graham," p. 3, subscribed "Billy Graham" at end, p. 4 Online pdf
  3. ^ The Original Five. (The other board members were Henrietta Mears, Billy Graham, Dawson Trotman, and Dan Fuller)
  4. ^ Kenneth W. Osbeck (2002). Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Kregel Publications. ISBN 0825434483. 
  5. ^ Robert Kevin Brown; Mark R. Norton, William J. Petersen, Randy Petersen (2005). The One Year Great Songs of Faith. Tyndale House Publishers. ISBN 0842350721.  p. 271
  6. ^ Kenneth W. Osbeck (1985). 101 More Hymn Stories. Kregel Publications. ISBN 0825434203. , p. 59
  7. ^ the Apple iTunes Store