Charles Simeon was born on September 24th, 1759, in Berkshire, England. He served as the vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge until his death in 1836—over 54 years. He held that his conversion, in 1779, was greatly influenced by Thomas Wilson’s writings. Simeon found a copy of Essay on the Composition of a Sermon . This book set the trajectory of Simeon’s preaching towards text-driven exposition. First, as a great expositor, he translated it into English and had it republished. He held a deep conviction to help the next generation of preachers towards textual faithfulness. This stands as the foundation of his major written work, Horae Homileticae —a twenty-one-volume sermon outline of exposition. He had some impactful accomplishments, including his role in founding the Church Missionary Society (1799) and establishing the Simeon Trust (1816). Charles Simeon’s entire ministry exhibited a “radical commitment to Scripture and a passion for preaching.” [1] Charles Simeon’s exam...
Life is messy, but God is not