Heart After God Ministries Erin and Rory Wolff

We would also like to remember a few great men and women of God who have gone on before us and who we were very blessed to be able to quote and cite in “A Heart After God”…Corrie ten Boom, John G. Lake, and Smith Wigglesworth.

Smith Wigglesworth was a man of boldness! He was born in 1859 in Yorkshire, England to a poverty stricken family who had four children. He began working when he was only six years old for a nearby farmer, pulling and cleaning turnips. When he was seven years old he picked up a second job in a woolen mill. Because he worked from morning until night, he only had a few school lessons here and there and so he grew up illiterate.

Smith worked from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. six days a week, but on Sunday’s his grandmother would take him to the Methodist church where John Wesley had preached the century before. “At the age of eight Smith was attracted to these simple Yorkshire folk who enjoyed their worship without inhibitions. They thought nothing of time; in fact, in spite of the long working days of the week, they were to be heard in their little chapel at seven o’clock on a Sunday morning singing praises to their Lord.” (“The Life of Smith Wigglesworth A Pioneer of the Pentecostal Movement” By Jack Hywel-Davies) It was on one such occasion, that Smith gave his life to the Lord at the tender age of eight.

In 1882, Smith married Polly Featherstone. “At the time of their marriage, she was a preacher with the Salvation Army… They had one daughter, Alice, and four sons, Seth, Harold, Ernest and George…

Wigglesworth learned to read after he married Polly; she taught him to read the Bible. He often stated that it was the only book he ever read, and did not permit newspapers in his home, preferring the Bible to be their only reading material.” (Smith Wigglesworth- Wikipedia-The Free Encyclopedia)

“Heavily influenced by the Salvation Army, Wigglesworth became a zealous soul winner. When the Pentecostal Movement made its way to England in the early 1900s Wigglesworth was mightily baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Gifts of the Spirit began to function through his ministry almost immediately. Within a few years the demand for his ministry was in such demand that he was forced to give up his lucrative plumbing business. Smith Wigglesworth lived a life of total devotion to the Word of the LORD. His faith became the stuff of legend. There were between 17 and 22 confirmed cases of someone being raised from the dead under his ministry. He was bold and relentless in his faith toward GOD.” (Smith Wigglesworth- Empowering Faith Ministries- http://www.empowering-faithministries.org/smith-wigglesworth.html)

“Smith Wigglesworth, often referred to as ‘the Apostle of Faith,’ was one of the pioneers of the Pentecostal revival that occurred a century ago.
Without human refinement and education he was able to tap into the infinite resources of God to bring divine grace to multitudes.

Thousands came to Christian faith in his meetings, hundreds were healed of serious illnesses and diseases as supernatural signs followed his ministry.

A deep intimacy with his heavenly Father and an unquestioning faith in God’s Word brought spectacular results and provided an example for all true believers of the Gospel.” (http://www.smithwigglesworth.com/)