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Autobiography of Elder Jacob Knapp

Year

2023

Language

ENGLISH

Publication Information

Braunfell Books

Summary

For many years, Elder Jacob Knapp was an ordinary pastor. He preached, counseled, encouraged, and shepherded a small congregation in upstate New York. But something was gnawing at Knapp that would not go away. While the Presbyterians had Finney, Knapp lamented that there was no one man who stood forth as the champion and exemplar of revival measures" among the Baptists. One day, Knapp felt God calling him to be that man. So in 1833, Knapp quit his pastorate of eight years. As he traveled from place to place, Knapp perfected Finney's techniques. He eventually published a complete record of his work and methods in his 1868 autobiography. Once he hit the road, he was an immediate success. By 1840, Knapp was "almost as well-known as Finney." In fact, one contemporary claims that it was only through Knapp's influence that "Protracted meetings, as a system of measures, had acquired a permanent place" in the life of Baptist churches. By the time of his death in 1874, Knapp claimed to have converted 100,000 persons at over 150 separate revivals.