He began to preach in his teens. Eventually he applied for admission to the ministry of the Methodist Church. He failed his ‘ trial ‘sermon. One hundred and fifty candidates applied, one hundred and five failed. Only seventy-five people sat in a church designed for a thousand. His courage failed
After he became famous he remarked “Always, I would rather address a thousand people than one. For me an ideal existence would be a house buried in the woods, a quite transit to a crowded church, and — back home to the woods!”
Undaunted, and without training in Theological College he preached all over England. His missions attracted and impressed thousands of people. Later he was called to and ordained 1889 in a small Congregational church in North Staffordshire. Other callings included churches in Birmingham, London, and America.
Dr. Campbell Morgan was first and always a preacher. When it was said to him, “You can preach and you know it,” he replied, “I have no hesitation in affirming I can preach. I do not know anything else under the sun of which I am willing to make a similar affirmation. I am sure I dare not say I can sing, and no friend of mine would suspect me of saying I can play golf. I can preach. It is the one thing l want to do and cannot help doing. I would do it as a recreation if I were not permitted to do it as vocation.”
In the pulpit Campbell Morgan’s tall gaunt figure was transformed with an uncontrollable energy; he preached with every fibre of his being. You could see how he was dominated himself, — and the preacher who is gripped by his own message does not fail to grip his hearers. He fed his people and hearers on strong meat, quantity as well as quality. Gripping ministry with a very definite and practical application.
Asked how he prepared his sermons, he replied two things are vital: first, personal first hand work on the text; then all scholarly aids available.
“l never look at a commentary or reference book [or internet site — FR.] This method ensures I have the benefit of first hand work.” Dr Morgan says, “We make a mistake, when a text has gripped us, or better, has found us; and turned to commentaries first. To do that is to create a second-hand mentality. The first thing to do is to work on the text itself,”
Another sound piece of advice he gave to preacher’s was: There is a sense in which preaching is a conflict, a conflict with your hearers. The preacher is not merely asking a congregation to discuss a situation, and consider a proposition, or give attention to theory. We are out to storm the citadel of the will, and capture it for Jesus Christ. Whether evangelizing or teaching does not matter. The appeal is the final thing. l have always felt, that the work of preaching is not that of debating difficulties, or speculating, or considering philosophies, but of proclaiming the Word of God.”
From first to last Dr. G. Campbell Morgan was a Biblical preacher. His aim was that of an expositor, and he consistently maintained a teaching ministry. A master of the grand manner of pulpit oratory, above all he was a ” Preacher of the Word.”
It would be difficult to assess the supreme value of his work and ministry in helping to rediscover the English KJV Bible to thousands of men and woman of this great nation of ours, and multitudes abroad.
I recommend all the writings and works in the many books published by the great Doctor.
Colours of the Trinity 