BILLY SUNDAY
A Courageous Man of God Who Preached THE TRUTH!!!
“I tell you that the curse of God Almighty is on the saloon.” —Billy Sunday
Information compiled and narrated by David J. Stewart
Billy Sunday (1862-1935), was a professional baseball player from 1883 to 1891 for Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia teams. He was converted through the street preaching of Harry Monroe of the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. He left a $5,000 a year salary as a baseball player for $84 a month in a ministry position with the previously evangelistic YMCA. From 1893 to 1895 was associated with J. Wilbur Chapman. He was an evangelist from 1893 to 1935. It is estimated that over 300,000 people walked the “sawdust trail” to receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. (Adapted from “The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church,” page 387, Elgin S. Moyer, 1982, ©Moody Press, Chicago, IL).
For more information about Billy Sunday, please visit the Christian Biographical Resources for many links, pictures, and articles about this great evangelist.
Billy Sunday was saved because a soul-winner wasn't afraid to go out onto the street preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ! You'd be shocked how many Christians get upset when other Christians go street-preaching. I remember street-preaching in downtown Chicago at State and Rush Streets one night years ago. I was standing up on a fire-hydrant with my Bible in hand preaching and a taxi-cab driver pulled up in front of me. Tears were just running down his face and he wanted to be saved. I witnessed to him concerning Christ. You just don't forget moments like that. I also remember when a friend of mine had a bag of flour throw at him while preaching. Then came the tomatoes. There is nothing like street-preaching! I was younger then and didn't know any better to stay off the fire-hydrants, but I wanted to reach people for Christ.
Billy Sunday was hated for his strong stand against alcohol, gambling, and dancing.
“I've stood for more sneers and scoffs and insults and had my life threatened from one end of the land to the other by this God-forsaken gang of thugs and cutthroats because I have come out uncompromisingly against them.” —Billy Sunday
I love everything about Billy Sunday. He reached millions of people for Christ in his lifetime. Billy Sunday didn't pass out menus at his revival meetings, he told it like it was! You heard the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! I was saddened the first time I realized that Frank Sinatra mocked Billy Sunday in the song “Chicago.” Though Sinatra himself didn't write the song, his voice has made the wicked song a legendary world-renowned performance. The song is evil. I hate that song because it attacks God's man. In so doing Frank Sinatra attacked God. I've written an article on Frank Sinatra's lousy song... Chicago!
Billy Sunday is extra special to me because he used to preach at the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. He was also saved because of the mission's emphasis on evangelism. Many preachers over the years have preached from the pulpit of the Pacific Garden Mission. My father also preached once a week at the mission for many years. He often brought me with him. Often my mother would come with and play the piano (she was close friends with Lucille Becker who played the organ on “Unshackled” since it began in 1950). Lucille went to be with the Lord in 1999 and my mother in 2001. It's a good feeling to know that we were a part of the ministry that God used to lead Billy Sunday to the Lord. Although Billy Sunday graduated into Heaven in 1935, his spirit lives on within the hearts of soul winning, sin-hating, sinner-loving Christians.
Pastor Harry Saulnier (1902-1990) was faithful director of the Pacific Garden Mission for nearly half a century, 46 years. In 1945 he used to preach a 15 minute message on the radio called: “Doorway To Heaven.” That little sermon time eventually inspired the radio drama series, Unshackled, which began in 1950 and still continues until this day. Unfortunately, younger neo-evangelicals have crept into the mission, bringing in the Devil's heresy of Lordship Salvation into the mission and popular radio series. Dear reader, Lordship Salvation is not the Gospel of free grace. What is Lordship Salvation? It is the false teaching that faith in the Gospel is not enough to be saved. In addition, they say you must also be willing to turn away from your old sinful ways, and make absolutely surrender to Jesus as “Lord” to be saved.
It is tragic that PGM has adopted a false gospel that cannot produce regeneration (i.e., the new birth). You don't get saved by “inviting Jesus into your heart,” nor by “repenting of all your sins,” which is the junk theology taught on Unshackled nowadays. Repentance is simply acknowledging THE TRUTH that one is a guilty sinner in need of redemption (2nd Timothy 2:25; Romans 3:19-20). A man is saved when he is persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Who died on the cross for his sins, was buried, and resurrected three days later (John 20:31). That is the Gospel (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Anyone who believes (places their confidence in) the Gospel is immediately and forever saved. Until Pacific Garden Mission stops preaching another gospel of Lordship Salvation, God's curse will remain upon their organization and labors (Galatians 1:6-9). They have moved away from the hope of the Gospel.
The mission is located in downtown Chicago on State Street. Unfortunately, the city of Chicago confiscated the land and forced the mission to relocate. It's a shame that the city of Chicago will grant “landmark status” to homosexual Henry Gerber's home, but then deny such a status to the Pacific Garden Mission (that has helped millions of needy Chicagoans over the past century). Howbeit, the mighty works which have been done in Jesus' name over the past century are a testimony to the grace of God and the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Chicago's Infamous '666 Lounge,' Next Door to the Pacific Garden Mission
I always enjoyed seeing the tall sky-scrapers on the way to the mission. My father would preach, and I would quote a Bible verse. I remember My father leading men into the prayer room after the service to show them how to be saved. At the time, I was too young to really appreciate what was going on; but today I look back with warmth in my heart knowing that I was watching history unfold before my eyes. I was there! I was at the Pacific garden Mission where Billy Sunday preached! I thank God for those memories.
The picture below shows the front of the mission. Those signs are the same signs I remember seeing back in the 1970's and 80's. One thing is noticeably different though (and you're not going to believe this, but it's 100% true). There used to be a tavern next to the mission under the Romans 6:23 sign called the “666 Lounge!” I'm not kidding. What's even more amazing is that the actual address of the bar was 666 South State Street! There was a big sign on top of the bar advertising the “666 Lounge.”
Above: the original Pacific Garden Mission
My father was a Skidrow minister for over 40-years. Amen! My dad grew up in an orphanage in Escanaba, Michigan. He had eleven brothers and sisters. I never met anyone from my father's side of the family. My father was adopted by a Christian couple at age 15 and went to live and work on a farm, but he ran away. Through much hardships and being on his own struggling through life, he eventually found the Lord and became a minister years later. As a boy and teenager, my dad took me with him regularly to preach at Pacific Garden Mission, Olive Branch Mission, Christian Industrial League and others. One man can do much for God. The Bible says that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth (accomplishes) MUCH (James 5:16).
My dad eventually became the director of the Chicago United Mission at 34 S. Desplaines for 15 years and then relocated to Chicago's gang-infested West Side for another 20-years. Hundreds of men (and a few women) found shelter at the mission, sleeping on clothes tossed unto the floor during the winter months when it was below zero outside. They'd receive a hot bowl of soup, bread and butter, preaching, counseling if they wanted it, and hope.
Chicago's urban development shut the missions down, giving a $40 fee to the homeless to relocate. Many of them died in the cold while intoxicated. The city might as well have put a gun to their head. While a homosexual's home (Henry Gerber) from the 1930's received landmark status, the legendary Pacific Garden Mission where baseball player Billy Sunday and thousands of others were saved did not. The city drove them out. Landmark status would have prevented the city from doing so. Chicago is a wicked, evil city.
I remember one afternoon while my father and I were walking into the front door of the mission that we saw an 18-wheeler beer truck. The beer truck was parked right in front of the mission and said on the side in giant letters, “Pure brewed from God's country.” I always hated that hypocrisy of the beer companies, that is, talking about God while being His enemy. The “666 lounge” stood right next door to the mission. Of course, the beer was going to the lounge and not the mission. What irony! Booze is the very reason for which so many men ended up on Skidrow. I tell you, booze is pure brewed from the Devil's country! The 666 lounge was eerie enough without seeing a beer truck blaming God for men's drunkenness. Billy Sunday hated booze because of what is did to families. I also hate alcohol, having grown up around Skidrow and seeing what booze does to people. Booze destroys!
Read “The Hellishness of Beer” article which I have written, and “Gambling is a Sin.” Also visit “Hellivision and Movies.” In fact, look at my whole website...lol. By the way, thank you for allowing me to share the truth with you, it is truly a privilege to help others in the Lord. I am just a sinner saved by God's grace, trying to finding my way through life as the Lord guides (Proverb 3:5-7).
Billy Sunday was a true man of God and cared enough about people to speak THE TRUTH. As a matter of fact, it was Billy Sunday's preaching that helped bring about the Prohibition Era (1919-1933).
Oh to God that America had ten thousand Billy Sunday's today!!!
“Listen, if I heard shrieks and cries coming from a house and I ran in there and I found a great big broad shouldered whiskey soaked Joe weasel, dragging his wife about by the hair, and over here, two children are unconscious from his blows and kicks and another one screaming in terror, do you think I would apologize for being there? No! I'd knock 7 kinds of pork out of that old hog.” —Evangelist Billy Sunday
“I am the sworn, eternal and uncompromising enemy of the liquor traffic. I have been, and will go on, fighting that damnable, dirty, rotten business with all the power at my command. I shall ask no quarter from that gang, and they shall get none from me.” —Evangelist Billy Sunday (from 'The Curse of Liquor!')
“They don't even give you the pure stuff. If ever there was a jubilee in hell, it was when lager beer was invented. Not 3 per cent of the beer sold is made exclusive from barley, malt, hops and yeast. Look at the breweries. What are those sidetracks for? Why, to bring in the carloads of gincose and sugar and other things they put into the stuff. Pure beer is dark in color and bitter in taste. You poor idiot, you never drank pure beer.” —Evangelist Billy Sunday (from The Curse of Liquor!)
I thank God for the Pacific Garden Mission and for Billy Sunday. I'm glad that I was able to tag alone with my father to the mission where he tried to reach the souls of men for Christ. Though the face of the crowd coming in from off the streets for help has greatly changed over the past couple decades, they are still people in need of Christ. Nothing else matters in life if you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. All the wealth, fortune and fame that this world has to offer cannot buy your way into Heaven.
You are a dirty rotten sinner in need of salvation (Romans 3:19). We are all sinners in God's eyes (Romans 3:23). If you don't get your sins forgiven, you will burn in hellfire and torment forever (Revelation 20:13-15; 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9)! Do you want to go to Heaven? If so, then you must be born-again (John 3:3-7). Only through faith in the name of Jesus Christ can anyone be saved (John 14:6l 20:31). Turning over a new leaf won't help you. God cannot be impressed with man's self-righteousness (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 10:3-4). Religion is useless! Doing good works is a sure road to Hell. Reforming your ways cannot save you. You need to have your sins washed away by the precious blood of Jesus (1st Peter 1:18-19. Note: All Scripture references are only to the inspired King James Bible). Won't you come to Christ now to be saved? Won't you come to Christ now to be saved? If you would like to be saved, click here. ~by David J. Stewart
Billy Sunday — Man of God!
Watch Billy Sunday Preach! (Windows Media Video)
Billy Sunday Burns Up The Backsliding World!!! (video from 1929)
Here's a powerful Billy Sunday quote...
“I have only two minutes more and then I am through. Bad temper. Abuse your wife and abuse your children; abuse your husband; turn your old Gatling-gun tongue loose. A lady came to me and said, 'Mr. Sunday, I know I have a bad temper, but I am over with it in a minute.' So is the shotgun, but it blows everything to pieces.
And, finally, you abuse the telephone girl because she doesn't connect you in a minute. Bad temper. I say you abuse your wife, you go cussing around if supper isn't ready on time; cussing because the coffee isn't hot; you dig your fork into a hunk of beefsteak and put it on your plate and then you say: 'Where did you get this, in the harness shop? Take it out and make a hinge for the door.' Then you go to your store, or office, and smile and everybody thinks you are an angel about to sprout wings and fly to the imperial realm above. Bad temper! You growl at your children; you snap and snarl around the house until they have to go to the neighbors to see a smile. They never get a kind word - no wonder so many of them go to the Devil quick.”
SOURCE: Billy Sunday, The Need for Revivals, From "Billy Sunday: The Man and His Message," by William T. Ellis, Philadelphia: John C. Winston Co., 1914
The
evangelist in his days with the Chicago White Sox in the 1880s.
Billy Sunday and his wife, “Ma” Sunday, in 1932, three years before his death.
Detroiters
line up outside the Masonic Temple for a Billy Sunday meeting.
Sunday's Detroit crusade “tabernacle” under construction in 1916.
The audience
listens raptly to Sunday inside the tabernacle. 
