Cadman, Samuel Parkes
1864-1936

An eminent American preacher, he was born at Ketley, near Wellington, Shropshire on 18 December 1864 and nurtured in Ketley Brook Primitive Methodism. Encouraged by Bayley, John, founder of Wrekin College, he was accepted for the WM ministry in 1886 and was trained at Richmond College, where Dr Beet described him as the student who 'showed the greatest promise'. Encouraged by Bishop J.F. Hurst, he left in 1890 for New York, which enabled him to marry immediately in defiance of WM regulations. He had a highly successful career as a Methodist minister at Metropolitan Temple, New York and from 1901 at Central Congregational Church, Brooklyn, though retaining his MEC membership; also as the first 'radio pastor', and as a prolific journalist, lecturer and author. His books included The Three Religious Leaders of Oxford and the Lyman Beecher Lectures, Ambassdors of God (1920).

He was President of the Federal Council of Churches, 1924-1928. He travelled regularly to Geneva as an envoy to the League of Nations and maintained his links with the Lawley Bank WM chapel, Shropshire, returning to the county regularly to preach. He died on12 July 1936.

Sources
  • F. Hamlyn, S. Parkes Cadman (New York, 1930)
  • Methodist Recorder, 16 July 1936
  • F. M. Ridge, Samuel Parkes Cadman (1936)
  • Henry Smith Leiper and Edward Daniel Staples, S. Parkes Cadman, Great Churchman and Christian (1967)
  • John Churm, 'The Rev. Samuel Parkes Cadman, DD, LLD, pioneer of broadcast preaching' in Carol Thompson, ed., Giants of Dawley… (2010)

See also

Entry written by: JHL
Category: Person
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