William Y. Fullerton

William Young Fullerton was born on March 8, 1857 in Belfast, Ireland, and was a true Irishman.

When young, on a Sunday he decided to start a Christian life. To do so, he decided he would stop sinning, read his Bible, pray, and repent, hopefully with weeping. He felt things were going well on Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday, he was making some serious failures. Thursday and Friday were even worse. So he decided to restart the Christian life on Sunday, knowing where he failed, and endeavoring to make sure he carefully guarded himself from failing again. Things went well on this second attempt, and he shed many tears, some of them being hidden tears. He felt his repentance was deep and sincere. But on Sunday, he heard a new visiting pastor that proclaimed that all that had to be done was to accept the gift of God and express thanksgiving for it. That afternoon, the young man thanked God for the gift of the Christian life and quit trying to work his way into becoming saved. He went on to become a powerful evangelist and pastor.

He was a student of C.H. Spurgeon, and later assisted in preparing Spurgeon’s sermon manuscripts for publication. He also wrote several biographies including ones on C.H. Spurgeon, his pastor and teacher; his friend, F.B. Meyer; and John Bunyan. He wrote several hymns as well.

He became the pastor of Melbourne Hall Baptist Church, the F.B. Meyer started, and thousands of people made professions of faith under his ministry.

He was the secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society.

He was tall and hand an air of authority. He was very approachable and kind.

He spoke at the Keswick Conferences in 1908, and took a prominent part in them in 1913 and afterwards. He would stand to speak with a small Bible in his hand, and turn from passage to passage, explaining and expounding in a very personal and fascinating way.

He died in August 17, 1932 at Bedford Park, Middlesex, England, at the age of 75.

Sources

John C. Carlile, The Story of the English Baptists (Roger Williams Heritage Archives, 1905; 2003), page 251.

Walter B. Knight, 3000 Illustrations for Christian Service (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1952), p. 583.

Frederick Brotherton Meyer, The Bells of Is (Redding, California: Pleasant Places Press, 2005), page 27.

Marshall Shelley, editor. Christian History Magazine: Charles Spurgeon: England's "Prince of Preachers" (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 1991). Issue 29.

Herbert F. Stevenson. Keswick’s Authentic Voice (Redding, California: Pleasant Places Press, 2009), p.  407.