Birth: 15.08.1835
Home Calling: 24.08.1913
Homeland : America
Place of Vision: America
Edward McKendree Bounds was a renowned American evangelist who belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was born in 1835 and lost his father at the age of 14. He studied law and became a successful attorney. However, during the great spiritual awakening in America (1857-1858) he was moved by the Holy Spirit and committed his life to serve God. Quitting his law practice in 1858, he joined the Centenary Seminary in Missouri and was ordained as a pastor of the Monticello Methodist Church in Missouri.
During the American Civil War, Bounds was serving as a chaplain in the Confederate States Army. During the second battle of Franklin, he was arrested by Union Troops and was held in federal prison for more than a year. There he freely preached and helped the prisoners. After being released, he returned to Franklin (in Tennessee) to build up the spiritual state of the people and started weekly prayer sessions. A great revival moved the city and hundreds accepted Christ and many others renewed their lives. Bounds labored hard for God and as many as 8 churches flourished under his care. He also edited the Methodist journal ‘The Christian Advocate’ through which he encouraged the Christians to lead a life of personal piety and charity.
Bounds was a quiet man who relied on God to meet his every material needs. He lost his wife and two sons to illness within a span of 4 years and God was only his strength. He toiled endlessly in prayers for lost souls and backslidden ministers. A day in his exemplary life started with three hours of prayer early in the morning and several more hours in the evening. He preached with authority and condemned the liberal theology creeping into the church. He also authored several books, some specifically on prayer, which still continue to urge the Christians to attain the identity of Christ.
