Paul Rader

PAUL RADER
1879 - 1938

Rader was one of the most powerful evangelistic preachers of the early 20th Cen­tury. He de­scribed him­self as an “ex-bellboy, ex-cowboy, ex-prospector, ex-football player, and ex-pugilist.” He pas­tored Moo­dy Church in Chi­ca­go, Ill­i­nois (1915-1921), and fol­lowed found­er Albert Simpson as pre­si­dent of the Christ­ian and Mis­sion­ary Al­li­ance (1920-1923). Rader found­ed the Chi­ca­go Gos­pel Tab­er­na­cle in 1922 and pas­tored it for 11 years. He wrote ma­ny Gos­pel song lyr­ics and a few tunes, and was in­stru­ment­al in the found­ing of the Tabernacle Pub­lish­ing Com­pa­ny.

His radio broadcasts were heard on various Chicago stations as well as the CBS Network. He was instrumental in sending scores of missionaries to countries all over the world in addition to influencing hundreds of young men to enter the ministry.

Rader was al­so a pi­o­neer of Christ­ian broad­cast­ing. In the ear­ly 1920’s, the be­gin­ning days of ra­dio, sta­tion WBBM in Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois, closed ev­ery Sun­day. Ra­der re­ceived per­mis­sion to use the stu­di­os, and for sev­er­al years, he ran a 14-hour Christ­ian program every Sunday. Rader called his sta­tion-within-a-station WJBT (“Where Jesus Blesses Thousands”).

While walking near Times Square in New York City, God spoke to him through an illuminated sign. He rented a room nearby and fell on his face before the Lord where his life was changed. He left his business and entered the ministry.

His pastorates included Congregational Church in Boston; Christian and Missionary Alliance Tabernacle in Pittsburg (1912-15); Moody Memorial Church in Chicago (1915-21); Chicago Gospel Tabernacle (1922-33); and, Gospel Temple in Fort Wayne, Indiana (1936-37). He served as President of the Christian and Missionary Alliance from 1921-23.