Baptist Seminary: New Charles Spurgeon Library Is a 'Sermon in Stone'
The legacy of 19th century Baptist preacher Charles H. Spurgeon has found a permanent home, thanks to a Missouri seminary that has opened a library dedicated to the late theologian, which includes approximately 6,000 books owned by him.
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Christian academic institution located in Kansas City, completed The Charles Spurgeon Library in October.
A spokesperson for MBTS provided The Christian Post with comments by Spurgeon Library curator Christian George, who dubbed the library "the fulfillment of a vision to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the academy, for the church, and for the glory of God."
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"The library is designed to foster a deeper appreciation of Charles Spurgeon's life and legacy through books, letters, photographs, sermons, art, and artifacts," continued George.
"In attitude and architecture, the aim of the library is to create a visual memory — a sermon in stone — that calls for reflection on what God has accomplished in the past and anticipation for what God will accomplish in the future."
Born in 1834 in Essex, England, Spurgeon was a renowned Baptist preacher who gave his first sermon in 1850 at age 15. Not very long thereafter his sermons were published in a series called the "Penny Pulpit."
Some of those sermons, including ones on topics like liberal theology and infant baptism, sold hundreds of thousands of copies.
At his 1892 funeral, it was estimated that more than 60,000 mourners passed by his casket at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London.
About a decade after Spurgeon died, his family sold his personal library — the 6,000 some odd works would eventually find a home at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri.
A century later the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary purchased the collection, which includes not only books but also a desk used by Spurgeon and a replica of his pulpit at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London.
"When I was elected here three years ago, I immediately began to have plans, desires, and prayers for what we could do with the Spurgeon Library," said MBTS President Jason Allen in a statement shared with CP.
The homepage of the Spurgeon Center for Biblical Preaching's website encourages visits to the new library, with the hopeful expectation that the historic materials will encourage people to learn from Spurgeon's ministry.
"The Spurgeon Library is something to be visited; something to be accessed; and something to be engaged in at both the academic and ministerial levels," Allen added.
"This collection and space will not only serve as a relic to the past, but as a living instrument to serve the church and to equip pastors and preachers of God's Word."
