November 4, 1928 • Tozer Began His Long-Lasting Chicago Ministry

 W. Tozer tossed the letter into the trash. A church on the South side of Chicago wanted him as their pastor, but he was not interested. Nothing in his spirit said to leave Indianapolis where he was a happy and successful pastor. He threw away more letters from Chicago, but the people wrote again. And again.

Finally, Tozer agreed to preach one Sunday for the persistent congregation. His topic was "God's Westminster Abbey," the faith chapter, Hebrews 11. After the service, people whispered to the church's leaders, "Don't let him get away!"

The leaders were of the same mind. Here was a man who had obviously spent time in God's presence. They asked Tozer to pastor them, but he replied, "I do not choose to run."

That evening, he preached on the resurrection of the dead. More than ever, the congregation wanted A. W. Tozer as their pastor. Despite his firm rejection, they continued to ask him.

Tozer visited them again. This time, he was a little more open to their advances. Finally the persistence of Chicago's Southside Gospel Tabernacle paid off. Still uncertain about the move he was making, Tozer accepted the invitation. Elated church leaders announced his decision.

On this day, November 4, 1928, A. W. Tozer became pastor of Chicago's Southside Gospel Tabernacle. Born in rural Pennsylvania, with little formal education, he nonetheless became a notable writer. His pithy sayings found their way with increasing frequency into denominational publications.

Now a bigger field opened before him. The location of the Southside church was ideal. Chicago was booming. Professors and students from the city's Christian colleges found that Tozer challenged not just the heart but the mind. His ideal was to have a church where the Spirit of God was noticeable when one merely stepped through the door, and this seems to have been achieved. More than prayer and study went into Tozer's sermons: he kept a supply of balloons to blow up so that he could strengthen his lungs, because his speaking voice was not strong.

Tozer preached on all of the major doctrines and through entire books of the Bible--spending three years on the Gospel of John, for instance. He read great literature and his own writing became like what he had read. Eventually, he was asked to give sermons on the radio. He remained at South Chicago church for thirty-one years, becoming one of the best-known Christian and Missionary Alliance pastors.

During his life, he wrote nine books and compiled a tenth. After writing two biographies, he drafted in The Pursuit of God one night on a train, while his heart was bursting to overflowing with the need of men to find "personal heart religion." After his death, editors gleaned other books were from his editorials and taped sermons. In all, there are over forty titles, teeming with profound Christian conviction and pithy truths: "Apart from God, nothing matters. We think that health matters, or knowledge, or art or civilization. And but for one insistent word, they would matter indeed. That word is eternity."

Bibliography:

1. Mitchell, C. W. "Tozer, A. W." in Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2003.
2. Snyder, James L. In Pursuit of God; the life of A. W. Tozer. Camp Hill, Pennsylvania: Christian Publications, 1991.
3. Tozer, A. W. Renewed Day by Day. Daily devotional readings compiled by Gerald B. Smith. Camp Hill, Pennsylvania: Christian Publications, 1980.

Last updated June, 2007