Arthur Tappan Pierson was born in New York City on March 6, 1837. He began his ministry as a Presbyterian minister, and pastored in Binghamton and Waterford, New York; Detroit and Philadelphia.
Although he could have demanded large salaries, he refused, considering carefully the financial needs of the family and then choosing an amount that would free him up to put all his energies into the ministry, and still cover expenses, but not leave extra to squander. In hopes of attracting him, the John Wannamaker’s church and Sunday School offered him $5,000 a year in salary on June 27, 1883. The church membership was 1,500 and the Sunday School membership was 2,500. Pierson replied that he would spend at least a week in prayer before deciding. A month later he wrote to the committee:
I have a divine assurance that I should come to Bethany and have decided to accept the call but not the $5,000 a year. That would be too much more than the average income of the members and would prevent me from getting as close to them as a pastor should. I will come for $3,000 a year. We can live nicely on that and still give our tenth to the Lord.
The work was very difficult, but one that he threw himself into. The first year he made 2,000 pastoral calls, and set about dealing with seven huge hindrances to the work: the greatest being retiring the mortgage! The members were very poor, and so combined with a series of messages on the importance of giving to the Lord at least a tithe, he worked out a plan where he could also help the members learn to give up their money stealing vices. He set up groups where he asked that people in each group give up a dime’s worth of their vice to the Lord each week. For instance those who used tobacco products were in one group; those ladies that bought candy, ribbons and other decorations were in another. There was even an anti-tobacco group, for those that did not use tobacco, since they certainly should be able to spare a dime a week!
The result was that in just four years, the church was able to burn the impossible mortgage of $47,000 without cutting into their regular expenses. Pierson then had a funeral service for it, and the following notice was sent out:
Notice. Died, after a lingering illness, by violent collapse, Bethany Mortgage, last survivor of the church debt. As his life was only a curse, his death is only a blessing. Consequently there are no mourners. The funeral ceremonies will be observed as an occasion of thanksgiving and congratulation.
The notice created a great deal of ridicule by the newspapers, and even more ire from the banks, but Pierson did not sway to public opinion, but instead carried out the funeral in quite a stirring way, and gave a clear message against indebtedness.
In 1889 he went on a missionary tour of England, and met C.H. Spurgeon. In 1891-2, he lectured on missions at Edinburg, and in 1891, Spurgeon became too weak to continue preaching, so Pierson filled his pulpit. Spurgeon died soon afterwards, and Pierson remained in his pulpit till 1893. In 1896 he officially declared his change to being a Baptist. He was editor for the Missionary Review of the World periodical for 23 years. He was also a consulting editor for the Scofield Bible and the author of several books, including the biography of his friend, George Muller.
Among his many activities, he was an outspoken defender of the fundamentals of the faith, lectured at Moody Bible Institute and at the Keswick movement meetings.
Dr. Pierson attended the Keswick Convention in England, more often than any other speaker from America, attending regularly from 1897 to 1909. He dominated the Convention with his unique abilities and spiritual and intellectual power. Thousands listened with intense interest for help and instruction and were never disappointed.
He was lithe, tall, stern, and even severe person in appearance, with the burning eyes of a prophet. But behind his formidable appearance, was a heart of concern and prayer. When he spoke a hush fell over all in the tent, and the convicting work of the Spirit was felt. One example was when he preaching his sermon, “Habitual Unbelief” at a Keswick meeting. He left a young visitor, W. Graham Scroggie, spellbound, oblivious to the fact the congregation had left, until suddenly looking about and noticing he was left alone in the large tent!
His favorite Bible verse was Philippians 4:19, and he gave away over 50,000 bank “checks” that were engraved with “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
He died June 3, 1911.
Sources
Frederick Barton, Favorite Scripture Texts of Famous People (Redding, California: Pleasant Places Press, 2005) page 195.
Delevan Pierson. Arthur T. Pierson: a Biography (Redding, California: Pleasant Places Press, 2010), pp. 165-181.
Herbert F. Stevenson. Keswick’s Authentic Voice (Redding, California: Pleasant Places Press, 2009), pp. 26, 27, 405, 406.
