John Roach Straton
1875 - 1929

"The story of Christianity changed the world once, and if Christianity had not been sidetracked, the world would have stayed changed and would never have reverted to the paganism in which we find ourselves today. The simple story of Christ can change the world again. We must forget everything else and tell only that story-Christ and Him crucified."

In 1875 in Evansville, Indiana, John Roach Straton was born into a pastor's home. Although he was reared by godly parents, he did not become a Christian until he was a teenager. Under the revival preaching of James Hawthorne, Straton accepted Christ as Saviour.

Straton spent most of his adult life as pastor of several churches in four major cities: Chicago (1905-1908), Baltimore (1908-1913), Norfolk (1914-1917) and New York City (1918-1929). It was this final pastorate of the Calvary Baptist Church in New York where he achieved his greatest successes and public attention.

Calvary Baptist was the first church in the country to make regular use of radio to broadcast their services. The church seated some 2,500 people and was filled to capacity for nearly every service.

Straton played a prominent role in the debate then raging between the fundamentalists and the modernists. His series of four debates with Unitarian minister Charles Potter drew thousands in person, while tens of thousands more listened on the radio.

In 1926 Straton led his church to withdraw from the increasingly liberal Northern Baptist Convention. He and his close friend W. B. Riley traveled the country encouraging fundamental Baptists to stay true to the Faith. Although Riley remained in the convention, they continued to work together till the end of Straton's life.

During the 1928 presidential campaign, Straton, along with Riley and J. Frank Norris, rallied support against the Catholic candidate of the Democratic Party, Al Smith. In keeping with his strong opposition to the liquor traffic, Straton was one of the first to label Smith "the candidate of rum, Romanism and rebellion."

His health was broken by his intense schedule during the campaign, and in 1929, Straton suffered a fatal stroke.

Numerous books of his sermons were collected and published. His striking pulpit style makes them interesting reading to this day.