The forgotten Spurgeon
by Thomas Ray
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was the most influential preacher of the 19th century. His achievements are truly remarkable. In 1854, at the age of 19, he was invited to become the pastor of the historic New Park Street Baptist Church in London. The attendance at his first service was only 200 in an auditorium seating 1,200. Spurgeon’s preaching, however, electrified the congregation, and within weeks the building could not hold the crowds.
The church rented a larger facility and began construction on a new church building named the Metropolitan Tabernacle. They moved into their new home in 1861. The new auditorium would accommodate between 6,000 and 7,000. Amazingly, for the next 30 years Spurgeon would fill the great auditorium Sunday morning and night. Spurgeon’s vision was unlimited. The church had 19 preaching stations, 25 Sunday schools with 491 teachers, and an average attendance of 7,786. There were 17 almshouses for aged Christian men and women and two day schools that provided education for 400 students.
In 1856 he founded the Pastor’s College, which educated hundreds of future pastors and missionaries. That same year he established an orphanage that housed, fed, clothed, and educated between 500 and 600 boys and girls. His weekly sermons had a circulation of 25,000 and were translated into 23 languages. It is estimated that 10 million people heard Spurgeon preach, and 40 million read his sermons. He was also responsible for establishing approximately 200 Baptist churches.
When Spurgeon’s remarkable and unequaled life ended in January 1892, the question naturally arose, “Who will succeed the great man?” Spurgeon’s mantle would fall on his son, Thomas Spurgeon.
Thomas Spurgeon and his twin brother Charles Jr. were born in 1856, and both became Baptist preachers. Thomas’s health had always been fragile, and in about 1876 his parents sent him to Australia, believing the warmer climate would restore his health. The Australian sunshine and fresh air did wonders for Thomas’s health, enabling him to preach throughout the country. In 1881 he settled in Auckland, New Zealand, and accepted the pastorate of the Wellesley Baptist Church. The church prospered under his ministry and was required to build a new auditorium seating 1,200. They named it the Auckland Tabernacle. The church’s attendance during Thomas’s pastorate averaged 1,500.
In June 1889 his health forced him to resign. However, he did not remain idle. He began immediately engaging in evangelistic meetings. His father’s unexpected death took him back to London in 1892. In 1894 the Metropolitan Tabernacle called Thomas Spurgeon to become his father’s successor. Thomas would pastor the Tabernacle 14 years, years that produced great change and challenges. His greatest challenge occurred in April 1898 when fire destroyed the Metropolitan Tabernacle. The interior of the building was completely demolished; all that was left standing were the exterior walls. The church moved their services to Exeter Hall. It would take 29 months to rebuild the Tabernacle. New building and fire codes forced the church to reduce the seating capacity to 4,000. During the long and painful process many of the Tabernacle members scattered to other churches.
The Tabernacle reopened September 19, 1900, with almost 6,000 in attendance. The Tabernacle averaged approximately 4,000 on Sunday mornings and evenings during Thomas’s pastorate. In 1904 the church reported 3,253 active members, 20 missions to the poor, 22 Sunday schools with 524 teachers, and a regular attendance of 8,362. In March 1908 Thomas’s health had deteriorated to the point that he could no longer continue his pastorate. However, he remained as the head of the Pastor’s College and orphanage until his death in October 1917. Thomas Spurgeon deserves to be recognized and honored for his ability to continue the work of his remarkable father.