May 22 in Christian History

May 22, 2009 02:27 PM EDT

1541 - In Germany, the Ratisbon (Regensburg) Conference ended, its mission to reunify the Catholic Church having failed. From this time on, the Protestant movement became permanent.


1740 - English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter: 'We must all have the spirit of martyrdom, though we may not all die martyrs.'


1868 - Birth of William R. Newell, American clergyman and devotional writer. He published expository works on the Bible, and is remembered today as author of the hymn, "At Calvary" (a.k.a. "Years I Spent in Vanity and Pride").


1944 - The Gospel Mission of South America was founded by William M. Strong in Concepcion, Chile. An interdenominational Protestant missions agency, its headquarters moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1975.


1967 - The General Assembly of the Southern Presbyterian Church (PCUS) adopted the Confession of 1967. It was the first major declaration of faith adopted by this branch of Protestantism since the Westminster Confession of 1647.

© 1987-2009, William D. Blake. Used by permission of the author, from

Almanac of the Christian Church