Henry Allen Ironside

Henry Allen “Harry” Ironside (1876-1951) was a Canadian-American Bible teacher, preacher, theologian, pastor, and author who pastored Moody Church in Chicago from 1929 to 1948. He was one of the most prolific Christian writers of the 20th Century, with more than 100 published books, booklets and pamphlets. Born on January 15, 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, to John and Sophia (Stafford) Ironside, who were both active in the Plymouth Brethren, the family moved to Los Angeles, California in 1886. There Harry started and taught at his own Sunday school at age 11, with attendance averaging 60 children, and a few adults, each week. He graduated from the eighth grade and worked at a photography studio. He preached at Salvation Army meetings at night and became known as the “boy preacher.” At age 16, he became a preacher full-time with the Salvation Army and was commissioned a Lieutenant. He moved to San Francisco in 1896, where he met and married pianist Helen Schofield, daughter of a Presbyterian pastor. In the early 1900s, he began his career as a writer, publishing several Bible commentary pamphlets. In 1914, he rented a storefront and established the Western Book and Tract Company until the late 1920s. From 1916-1929, he preached almost 7,000 sermons to over 1.25 million listeners. In 1924, he began preaching under the direction of the Moody Bible Institute, and he was a frequent visiting lecturer at the Dallas Theological Seminary from 1925-1943. After preaching a series of sermons at the Moody Church in Chicago, he served as official pastor from 1930-1948. He continued to preach in other U.S. cities and began traveling abroad in 1932. In 1942, he became president of the missionary organization, Africa Inland Mission. Ironside died in Cambridge, New Zealand on January 15, 1951, aged 74, and was buried in Purewa Cemetery, Auckland, New Zealand.