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American pastor and author From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aiden Wilson Tozer (April 21, 1897 – May 12, 1963) was an American Christian pastor, author, magazine editor, and spiritual mentor.[1] For his accomplishments, he received honorary doctorates from Wheaton and Houghton colleges.
Aiden Wilson Tozer | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | April 21, 1897 La Jose (now Newburg), Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 12, 1963 (aged 66) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupations |
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| Spouse | Ada Cecelia Pfautz |
| Children | 7 |
Tozer hailed from the tiny farming community of La Jose in Western Pennsylvania. He was converted to Christianity as a teenager in Akron, Ohio: While on his way home from work at a tire company, he overheard a street preacher say, "If you don't know how to be saved ... just call on God, saying, 'Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.'" Upon returning home, he climbed into the attic and heeded the preacher's advice.[2]
In 1919, five years after his conversion and without formal education in Christian theology, Tozer accepted an offer to serve as pastor of his first church. That began 44 years of ministry associated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), an Evangelical Protestant denomination, 33 of those years serving as a pastor in several different congregations. His first congregation was a small storefront church in Nutter Fort, West Virginia. Later, he served thirty years (1928 to 1959) as the pastor of Southside Alliance Church in Chicago; the final years of his life he spent as pastor of Avenue Road Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Observing contemporary Christian living, Tozer felt that the church was on a dangerous course toward compromising with "worldly" concerns.
Born into poverty, Tozer was self-educated and taught himself what he missed in high school and university.[3]
Tozer began writing in 1931 for the denominational magazine of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Alliance Weekly (now Alliance Life),[4] which became the platform from which his writing career emerged. He later wrote the monthly column “There's Truth in It” (1936–37) and “A Word in Season” (1944–46). In May 1950, he became the editor of the Alliance Weekly, a position he filled until his death in 1963.[5]
At the urging of David W. Fant, publications secretary of the C&MA, Tozer wrote biographies of A. B. Simpson (1943) and Robert A. Jaffray (1947).[6] It was the publication of Tozer's third book, The Pursuit of God (1948), that made him a household name among evangelicals.[7] In addition to the 12 books he published in his lifetime, more than 40 other books have been compiled from his magazine features, editorials, and transcribed sermons.
During his lifetime, Tozer's works were published by Christian Publications, Inc., the denominational press operated by the C&MA. The publishing house declared bankruptcy in 2006 and was purchased by WingSpread Publishers of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.[8] In November 2013, Moody Publishers acquired Wingspread from parent company Zur Ltd., a transaction that included more than 60 Tozer books and pamphlets.[9] Some of Tozer's works are now in the public domain and have been issued by multiple publishers.
Tozer had seven children, six sons and a daughter.[10] Living a simple and non-materialistic lifestyle, he and his wife, Ada Cecelia Pfautz, never owned a car, as he preferred bus and train travel. Even after becoming a well-known Christian author, Tozer signed away much of his royalties to those who were in need.
Tozer's work, however, led him to neglect his family. His biographer, James L. Snyder, notes,[11]
The scope of Tozer's ministry militated against a wholesome family life. Speaking engagements meant that he was away more than he was home. When he was actually in the house, he was in his bedroom study reading or writing.
Tozer died on May 13, 1963, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, after suffering a heart attack. He was buried in Chicago, and later the family had his remains reinterred at Ellet Cemetery, Akron, Ohio. A simple marker reads: A. W. Tozer—A Man of God.[12] The Alliance Weekly ran a memorial issue with numerous tributes and excerpts.[13] The same issue also featured “God's Greatest Gift to Man", a transcription of his final sermon. A few months prior to his death, Tozer had submitted the manuscript for The Christian Book of Mystical Verse, which was released in 1964 as his final book. His official publisher, Christian Publications, released many titles after his death, based on his magazine articles and sermon transcriptions. These continue in print with Moody Publishers. Several other publishers have released his public-domain works.
In 2000, The Pursuit of God was named to Christianity Today's list of 100 “Books of the Century.”[14] In 2006, Knowledge of the Holy was named in “The Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals”.[15] Contemporary Christian music artist Lauren Barlow of BarlowGirl later published a compilation of stories told by 59 artists, writers, and leaders about A.W. Tozer's personal inspiration.[16]
Books written or compiled by A. W. Tozer during his lifetime:
Booklets, undated:
Compilations published after his death:
A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A. W. Tozer
The Life of A.W. Tozer: In Pursuit of God
A.W. Tozer: A Twentieth-Century Prophet
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