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Heroes of Faith: Billy Sunday

Writer's picture: FeatureFeature

By John Hill, Editor & CEO


"Nowadays we think we are too smart to believe in the Virgin birth of Jesus and too well educated to believe in the Resurrection. That's why people are going to the devil in multitudes."


William “Billy” Ashley Sunday, was born near Ames, Iowa, into a family with deep roots in both German and American heritage. His father, William Sunday, was the son of German immigrants originally named Sonntag, who anglicized their surname to "Sunday" after settling in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. A hardworking bricklayer, William made his way to Iowa, where he married Mary Jane Corey, the daughter of "Squire" Martin Corey, a farmer, miller, blacksmith, and wheelwright.



 

Tragedy struck the family early. William Sunday enlisted in the Iowa Twenty-Third Volunteer Infantry on August 14, 1862, during the Civil War. Sadly, he died of pneumonia just four months later at an army camp in Patterson, Missouri, leaving Mary Jane a widow with three young sons, including William Ashley Sunday—born only weeks before his father’s death.

 

In the years that followed, Mary Jane and her children moved in with her parents. Billy formed a close bond with his grandparents, especially his grandmother. Mary Jane eventually remarried, but her second husband abandoned the family, leaving them in difficult circumstances.

 

When Billy was ten, his struggling mother sent him and his older brother to the Soldiers' Orphans Home in Glenwood, Iowa, and later to the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home in Davenport. Life at the orphanage was a turning point for Billy. There, he developed discipline, received a basic education, and discovered his athletic talent.

 

By the age of fourteen, Billy was on his own, supporting himself. He worked for Colonel John Scott, a former lieutenant governor, in Nevada, Iowa, tending Shetland ponies and helping with farm chores. The Scotts provided him with a stable home and the chance to attend Nevada High School. Though he never earned a diploma, by 1880 Billy was better educated than many of his peers.

 

In 1880, Billy moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, where his athletic abilities earned him a spot on a fire brigade team. While in Marshalltown, he took on various odd jobs, competed in fire brigade tournaments, and played for the town’s baseball team—an experience that would later launch his career as a professional athlete.

 

Billy Sunday’s professional baseball career began in 1883 when Cap Anson, a future Hall of Famer and Marshalltown native, recommended him to the Chicago White Stockings. Despite a rocky start—striking out in his first few games—Sunday’s speed and athleticism quickly became his standout traits, earning him a spot as a part-time right fielder. In 1885, he demonstrated his speed by winning a highly publicized race against Arlie Latham, the fastest runner in the American Association.

 

Sunday’s engaging personality and reliable demeanor made him a fan favorite and a trusted teammate. He was promoted to business manager, overseeing team finances and travel logistics. By 1887, he became Chicago’s starting right fielder but was sidelined by an injury. The following year, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, where he played full seasons as a center fielder and excelled in stolen bases, despite the team’s poor performance.

 

In 1890, Sunday faced a labor dispute that created a new league, but he chose to honor his contract with Pittsburgh, earning respect for his integrity. As team captain, he was their star player, but the struggling franchise eventually traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies. There, Sunday played well but left professional baseball in 1891 after requesting a release from his contract.

 

Though not a stellar hitter, with a career batting average of .248, Sunday was renowned for his thrilling base-running and fielding, often making spectacular catches. After retiring, he remained a lifelong baseball fan, umpiring games, attending events, and sharing his insights on the sport. His love for baseball persisted until the end of his life, attending a World Series game just months before his passing in 1935.



 

During a day off in the 1886 or 1887 baseball season, Billy Sunday and his teammates stopped to listen to a gospel team from the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. Drawn by hymns his mother had sung, Sunday began attending the mission and, after some inner struggle, decided to become a Christian. He joined Jefferson Park Presbyterian Church, near his home and the ballpark.

 

Though never a heavy drinker, Sunday renounced drinking, gambling, and swearing after his conversion. His transformation impressed teammates and fans, leading him to speak at churches and YMCAs, beginning his journey into Christian ministry.

 

In 1886, Billy Sunday met Helen Amelia "Nell" Thompson, the daughter of a wealthy Chicago dairy business owner, at Jefferson Park Presbyterian Church. Despite mutual romantic entanglements and her father's disapproval—seeing baseball players as unreliable—Sunday was determined to win her over. Nell’s mother supported the match, eventually persuading her husband to accept the relationship. Sunday often joked that he would have adopted any faith to marry Nell, as he was “hot on her trail.” The couple married on September 5, 1888, beginning a lifelong partnership that greatly influenced Sunday’s ministry and personal life.

 

In 1891, Billy Sunday left his baseball career, declining a $3,500 contract to take a $83-per-month position at the Chicago YMCA as an Assistant Secretary. Though the title sounded administrative, his work was deeply ministerial. Over three years, Sunday visited the sick, counseled the troubled, prayed with the suicidal, and even ventured into saloons to invite patrons to evangelistic meetings—practical preparation for his future as an evangelist.

 

In 1893, Sunday became a full-time assistant to J. Wilbur Chapman, a prominent and polished evangelist known for his strong voice and sophisticated presence. As Chapman's advance man, Sunday traveled ahead to organize prayer meetings, choirs, and logistical details for upcoming revivals. When tents were used, Sunday even helped set them up.

 

Through constant exposure to Chapman's sermons, Sunday gained a hands-on education in preaching. Chapman critiqued Sunday’s early attempts, teaching him how to structure effective sermons and emphasizing the power of prayer. This mentorship reinforced Sunday’s commitment to conservative biblical Christianity and laid the theological and practical foundation for his future success as one of America’s most renowned evangelists. This formative period shaped Sunday’s dynamic preaching style and prepared him for the national stage.

 

By the eleventh year of Billy Sunday’s ministry, both he and his wife, Nell, were emotionally strained. Billy struggled with feelings of inadequacy during long separations, while Nell juggled household duties, four children (including a newborn), and supporting her husband’s ministry. In 1908, they entrusted their children to a nanny so Nell could focus on managing his growing revival campaigns.

 

Nell’s leadership turned Billy’s loosely organized ministry into a nationally recognized phenomenon. She hired a team that, by the 1917 New York campaign, included 26 paid staff members. The team featured musicians, custodians, advance men, and Bible teachers who led daytime sessions in schools and workplaces to draw attendees to evening services.

 

Key team members included Homer Rodeheaver, a gifted music director who worked with the Sundays for nearly 20 years, and Virginia Healey Asher, who led women’s ministries and focused on evangelizing young working women.

 

With his wife, Nell, expertly managing the campaign organization, Billy Sunday was free to focus on delivering his fiery and unforgettable sermons. Homer Rodeheaver, the charismatic music director, would warm up the crowd with lively congregational singing, massive choir performances, and music from the staff. Once the atmosphere was just right, Sunday would leap into action—literally.


Billy’s preaching was as dynamic as it was unconventional. He’d sprint across the platform, stand on the pulpit, mimic sliding into home plate, and even smash chairs to drive home his points. His energy electrified audiences, making his messages impossible to ignore. His sermon notes were printed in oversized letters, allowing him to grab a glimpse as he dashed past the pulpit.


When addressing groups of men on sensitive topics like sexual sin, Sunday didn’t shy away from being strikingly bold for the time. His vivid, relatable style ensured his messages resonated deeply, making each revival a memorable experience for attendees.

As Billy Sunday’s popularity grew, he often drew crowds too large for rural churches or town halls. To accommodate them, he began using rented canvas tents, personally handling much of the labor, including pitching the tents, securing them during storms, and even sleeping in them for safety. It wasn’t until 1905 that he could afford to hire an advance man to assist with preparations.

 

A turning point came in 1906 when an October snowstorm in Salida, Colorado, destroyed Sunday’s tent, leaving him without a venue or income from the revival. After that, Sunday required towns to build temporary wooden tabernacles at their own expense. Though costly, the lumber could often be salvaged and resold after the meetings. These tabernacles not only provided more stability but also served as a powerful promotional tool, as townspeople came together in a community effort akin to a barn raising.

 

Tabernacle floors were typically covered with sawdust to reduce the noise of shuffling feet, keep down dust from dirt floors, and add a pleasant scent. Over time, responding to the preacher's invitation to come forward became known as "hitting the sawdust trail." The phrase first appeared during Billy Sunday’s 1910 campaign in Bellingham, Washington.

 

Originally, the term "hitting the sawdust trail" came from loggers in the Pacific Northwest, who used trails of sawdust to find their way home through uncut forests. Nell Sunday embraced this imagery, describing it as a powerful metaphor for moving from "a lost condition to a saved condition." The phrase remains a vivid symbol of spiritual transformation in Sunday’s revival campaigns.

 

Billy Sunday was a passionate and conservative evangelical preacher who embraced fundamentalist doctrines. He fervently taught biblical inerrancy, the virgin birth of Jesus, substitutionary atonement, the bodily resurrection, a literal devil and hell, and the imminent return of Christ. At the dawn of the 20th century, these beliefs were widely accepted across Protestant denominations. Sunday insisted on holding revivals only in cities where the majority of Protestant churches and clergy welcomed him.

 

Though ordained by the Presbyterian Church in 1903, Sunday’s ministry was nondenominational, and he was not a strict Calvinist. He emphasized personal responsibility in salvation, teaching that individuals must believe in Christ’s sacrifice and accept Him as Savior. Converts, or “trail hitters,” received a four-page tract affirming this shared responsibility in salvation.

 

Despite never attending seminary, Sunday had an impressive knowledge of the Bible and was well-informed on the religious and social issues of his time. His down-to-earth preaching style connected with audiences, who found themselves entertained, challenged, and inspired. Sunday described himself as "an old-fashioned preacher of the old-time religion," delivering straightforward sermons about a personal God, salvation through Jesus, and living by biblical principles. While some critics viewed his theology as simplistic, it resonated deeply with mainstream Protestantism and the public of his era.

 

Billy Sunday’s popularity declined after World War I as audiences turned to emerging entertainment options like radio and movies. Despite dwindling crowds and reduced staff, the Sundays continued their rigorous schedule of revivals, even as their health began to fail.

 

Sunday’s later years were marked by personal tragedy. His three sons became involved in behaviors he often preached against, leading to scandals that the Sundays worked to keep quiet by paying blackmail. In 1930, their longtime housekeeper and nanny, Nora Lynn—considered part of the family—passed away. Two years later, their daughter, the only child Nell had personally raised, died from what was likely multiple sclerosis. In 1933, their eldest son, George, took his own life after being financially rescued by his parents.

 

Despite these hardships, Sunday continued preaching with passion, even as his audiences grew smaller. In early 1935, he suffered a mild heart attack, and his doctor advised him to rest. Undeterred, Sunday delivered his final sermon, “What Must I Do to Be Saved?” just a week before his death on November 6, 1935. His unwavering commitment to sharing the gospel, even in the face of personal and professional struggles, defined his life to the very end.


References and Continued Study


Audio Recording of Billy Sunday

 

Lyle Dorsett. Billy Sunday and the Redemption of Urban America. (Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, Michigan) 1991.

 

William Ellis. Billy Sunday: His Life and His Message. (John Winston Co: Philadelphia) 1914. Archived at https://www.moodypublishers.com/mpimages/Marketing/WEBResources/ProductExcerpts/9780802488527-TOC-CH1,2.pdf

 

William McLoughlin. Billy Sunday Was His Real Name. (University of Chicago Press: Chicago) 1955. Archived at https://openlibrary.org/books/OL6174229M/Billy_Sunday_was_his_real_name.

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