The Founder
In order to talk about The
Pocket Testament League,
it is useful to know something about the man who
was responsible for its spread world-wide - Charles McCallon Alexander.
Charles was born in October
1867, in East Tennessee, USA. His father, John, a good singer and violinist,
taught him to read music at a young age and to beat time with his hands. His
mother was also a great influence on his life, reading Moody's sermons and
talking much with him and his siblings. By the age of 9, he had read the
entire Bible. When he was 13,
he committed his life to Christ and made a
public profession of his faith. He studied music at Maryville University and
eventually became a Professor of Music.
His father's death had a
profound impact on his life. He said, "The night my father died, there
came to me, as never before, the worth of a human soul...I was not
absolutely sure whether my father was in heaven... I knew he was an elder in
a church... I cried to God, "If there is any way that You reveal Yourself to
people, whether by vision or voice or impression, give me the certainty that
my father is with You, and safe" and I promised Him that I would serve Him
all my life if He would give me the assurance. As clearly as anything I ever
experienced, the impression came to me, 'Your father is up here safe with
Me.' There and then I promised to serve Him all my life..."
He declared later that, at that
moment as he looked up at the stars, he felt the load lifted right off him.
In 1892, Charles went to the
Moody Bible Institute. Then for eight years, he did evangelistic work with
Mr. M. B. Williams, the State Secretary for the YMCA in Georgia, USA. He was
also the song leader for Billy Sunday, an evangelist in Chicago.
In 1902, he came to Australia as
song leader for Dr. Torrey's missions in Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney. There
was much revival. He then went to Britain with Dr. Torrey in 1903. There was
revival there too. In Birmingham in 1904, he met Helen Cadbury, daughter of
the late Richard Cadbury, a Christian philanthropist whose family had
founded Cadbury's chocolate. He married her later that year.
The Inspiration
Charles had been trying to find
an attractive and practical way of bringing the Bible into the lives of
people. During the Torrey-Alexander campaign in February 1906, he heard of
George T. B. Davis' "Testament Circles" in Philadelphia, whose members
pledged to carry a New Testament in their pockets. He decided in 1907 that
he would urge people to adopt that habit.
When his wife heard this, she
exclaimed, 'That reminds me of our old Pocket Testament League at the high
school". She told her husband and Mr. Davis, who was present, about what she
had done among her school mates after she became a Christian at the age of
twelve. She had carried a Bible to school and read verses from it to her
friends, with the result that many of them were converted. Later she invited
her friends to carry New Testaments in their pockets in the playground and
they called themselves, "The Pocket Testament League"
Charles immediately decided to
revive The Pocket Testament League. The most important change made was not
to confine it to Christians but seeking to enlist anyone who would carry a
New Testament and read a chapter a day. This led to many conversions.
The Launch
The Pocket Testament League (TPTL)
became a prominent feature in Charles' work. It was officially launched in
1908 during an evangelistic campaign with Dr. Wilbur Chapman in
Philadelphia.
It was begun in Melbourne, in
1909 when he, Davis and Dr. Chapman held a four month Australian campaign.
Mr. Davis, who spoke, said "We want the League to spread all over the land
which will bring the greatest revival this Commonwealth has ever known." It
did spread like wildfire throughout Australia and across the world with
thousands coming to know Jesus Christ.
The Ministry
Charles felt the need of a
headquarters for TPTL. In 1914, at his own expense, he rented a small room
in Paternoster Row in London, near St. Paul's Cathedral, which he and Helen
furnished. A. M. MacGill of Glasgow was the honorary secretary.
Not long after the establishment
of the headquarters, England faced war. Had it not been for the new office,
the work could never have developed in the marvellous way that it did.
Hundreds of British soldiers and sailors became Christians. Later news
reached the office that over nine thousand soldiers has signed the TPTL
pledge.
Promotion of TPTL ministry also
occurred in American camps during the war. Branches were formed all over
America.
Charles promoted TPTL until his
death in 1920. Inscribed on his tombstone was a verse of "The Glory Song":
When by the gift of His
infinite grace,
I am accorded in heaven a place,
Just to be there and to look on His face,
Will through the ages be glory for me.
Helen continued the work of TPTL.
At the first International Conference held in 1928 at "Tennessee"
(Helen's home) in Birmingham, it was affirmed that TPTL would be
"a world-wide movement uniting all those who make a regular habit of
reading the Word of God daily and of carrying a Bible of New Testament with
them wherever they go."
It was agreed that TPTL's aim
would be "to exalt the Word of God by inducing others to adopt the
same habit in order that Christians may be spiritually strengthened and
equipped as soul-winners and that the unconverted may be led to accept
Christ as their Saviour."
The Foundation of Belief, which
included the pledge, "I hereby accept membership in The Pocket
Testament League by making it the habit of my life to read a portion of the
Bible each day (at least a chapter, if possible) and to carry a Bible or New
Testament with me wherever I go" was adopted and signed by Helen,
The Founder and International President, and several people from other
countries.
Helen actively promoted TPTL for
many years. By 1936, there were 5 million members in TPTL. She died in 1969
at the age of 92, having seen millions of New Testaments carried in many
pockets.
Since those early days, TPTL has
spread to many parts of the world with many members continuing what Helen
began, and what she and Charles revived.
References
-
Alexander, Helen C and Maclean,
J Kennedy.
Charles M. Alexander: a romance of song and soul winning
Published by Marshall Brothers Ltd, London.
-
The Pocket Testament League
fact sheet
-
James, Leslie
The Quaker girl and her league
Exeter, Devon: Paternoster Press, 1986.
-
Fox, Simon
Helen Cadbury and Charles M. Alexander
London: Marshal Morgan and Scott Publications Ltd, 1989.
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