Reuben Archer Torrey | |
|---|---|
 Evangelist, pastor, and writer | |
| Born | (1856-01-28)28 January 1856 Hoboken,New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | 26 October 1928(1928-10-26) (aged 72) |
| Education | Yale University Yale Divinity School |
Reuben Archer Torrey (28 January 1856 – 26 October 1928) was an Americanevangelist,Congregational pastor, educator, and writer. He aligned withKeswick theology.[1]
Torrey was born inHoboken, New Jersey, the son of a banker. He was graduated fromYale University in 1875 and fromYale Divinity School in 1878, following which he became aCongregational minister inGarrettsville, Ohio. In 1879, he married Clara Smith, and they subsequently had five children.
After further studies intheology atLeipzig University andErlangen University in 1882–1883, Torrey joinedDwight L. Moody in his evangelistic work inChicago in 1889, and became superintendent of the Bible Institute of the Chicago Evangelization Society (nowMoody Bible Institute). In 1894, he becamepastor of the Chicago Avenue Church (now theMoody Church).[2]
In 1898, Torrey served as achaplain with theYMCA at Camp Chickamauga during theSpanish–American War. DuringWorld War I, he performed similar service atCamp Bowie (aPOW camp in Texas) and at Camp Kearny.
In 1902–1903, he preached in nearly every part of the English-speaking world and with song leaderCharles McCallon Alexander conductedrevival services in Great Britain from 1903 to 1905. During this period, he also visited China, Japan, Australia, and India. Torrey conducted a similar campaign in American and Canadian cities in 1906–1907.[2] Throughout these campaigns, Torrey used a meeting style that he borrowed from Moody's campaigns of the 1870s.
In 1912, Torrey was persuaded to build another institution like Moody Bible Institute, and from 1912 to 1924, he served as Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (nowBiola University) and contributed to the BIOLA publication,The King's Business. Beginning in 1915, he served as the first pastor of theChurch of the Open Door, Los Angeles. Torrey was one of the three editors ofThe Fundamentals, a 12-volume series that gave its name to what came to be called "fundamentalism".[3]
Torrey held his last evangelistic meeting inFlorida in 1927, additional meetings being canceled because of his failing health. He died at home inAsheville, North Carolina, on October 26, 1928, having preached throughout the world and written more than 40 books. He was 72 years old. He was buried on the grounds of MontroseBible Conference inMontrose, Pennsylvania, which he founded in 1908.[4]
In 1907, he accepted an honorary doctorate fromWheaton College. Torrey-Gray Auditorium, the main auditorium at Moody, was named for Torrey and his successor,James M. Gray. At Biola, theTorrey Honors Institute honors him, as does the university's annual Bible conference.
Evangelist D.L. Moody was a proponent of the Kewsick movement along with others, including Hannah Whital Smith, whose bookA Christian's Secret of a Happy Life is still read today by thousands. R.A. Torrey, an associate of Moody whose influence was rapidly increasing, championed Keswick's ideals and utilized the term "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" in reference to the experience.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Torrey, Reuben Archer".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
