John Angell James

John Angell James was born on June 6, 1785, in Blandford Forum, Dorset, England. His father was a man in a modest way of business, and the family was Nonconformist. His early life was one of poverty and hardship. He was apprenticed to a draper at the age of fourteen and soon came under the influence of the local Congregational church. He was converted when he was about fifteen, through the preaching of a minister, and he felt a call to the ministry. He studied for a short time at Gosport, under the direction of David Bogue, an influential teacher of missionaries, and was then ready for work.

At the age of twenty, in 1805, he was called to be pastor of Carrs Lane Chapel, in Birmingham, a congregation of about two hundred. He was young and untried, but he was determined. He remained there for fifty-four years, until his death. Under his leadership, the church grew greatly, and the building was enlarged several times. By the middle of the century, it was one of the largest Nonconformist congregations in England. He was a strong preacher, with a warm style and a talent for pressing the truth home on the heart.

He was an important leader of the Congregational churches. He was a founder of the Birmingham Church Union and helped to establish the Congregational Union of England and Wales. He also was among the founders of the London Missionary Society, and he served on its board. He was active in the cause of the abolition of slavery and in other good works. He supported the Bible Society and the Sunday school movement. His church sent out many missionaries. He lived in a city that was growing quickly, and he gave himself to its needs.

He was also one of the most popular authors of his time. His books were read by hundreds of thousands. His best known work was The Anxious Inquirer After Salvation, published in 1834, which was a guide to those who were concerned about their souls. It sold over a million copies in many languages. It was warm and plain in style, with a pastoral concern for the individual. Other works include The Christian Father's Present, Female Piety and The Church in Earnest. His writings were a model of nineteenth-century devotional literature.

He was a man who cared for his people. He visited the sick and the poor, and he took pains with every person who came to him. He was also a family man, and he was devoted to his wife and children. He sought to give his hearers a sense of the importance of daily duties and the Christian home. He was a plain and practical preacher, and he was sometimes criticized for his lack of depth.

He struggled with his own limitations, and he was often anxious about his work. He suffered from periods of depression and nervous exhaustion. He lost several children and also his first wife. He met these losses with faith. He also took some stands that were unpopular, such as his support for the Evangelical Revival in Birmingham and his opposition to the Tractarians.

He died on October 1, 1859, at the age of seventy-four. His funeral was attended by thousands. His life shows the effect of a steady and faithful pastor who remains in one place for decades and gives himself to the people. The church at Carrs Lane survives to this day.