John Bowering (1792 to 1872)
Unitarian
Did he believe what he wrote?
Birth of John Bowering. Although he was a Unitarian, he wrote the hymn "In the Cross of Christ I Glory." He said he was "nearer to orthodoxy than the radical wing" of his denomination. A man of high intellect, he claimed to understand 200 languages and speak 100 of them. As a politician he was active in Parliament.
Herbert Howells (1892 to 1983)
Church of England
Artistic church music.
English composer Herbert Howells, known for his "classical" church music, pieces such as his Christmas carol "A Spotless Rose" and Hymnus Paradisi was born on this day in 1892. He taught music composition for fifty years.
Robert Hall Glover (1871 to 1947)
Protestant
Mission: missions!
Robert Hall Glover was born in Leeds, Quebec. He went to China as a missionary in 1895. From 1921 to 1924 he directed Moody Bible Institute's Missionary course. Two outstanding books from his pen were Progress of World Wide Missions and Bible Basis for Missions. At one time he was director of the China Inland Mission; later he became president of the International Foreign Missions Association. You could say his mission in life was gospel missions.
Vance H. Havner (1901 to 1986)
Protestant
38 often-witty books.
Birth of Vance H. Havner. He began preaching at age twelve and was ordained at fifteen. In his seven decades of ministry, he preached more than 14,000 sermons. Colorful illustrations and pointed truths were the hallmark of this man. He authored thirty-eight books filled with wit and wisdom. Typical Havner: "If I were a non-Christian and dropped into the average church during a so-called 'Revival' meeting and saw the handful of members trying to enlist recruits into the army of the Lord when most of their members were AWOL (absent without leave) I would conclude that either Christianity is not what it is supposed to be or Christians have been innoculated with a mild form of the faith and immunized against the real thing."