Dwight L. Moody
A shoe salesman turned powerhouse preacher who built a sprawling evangelical empire, reaching millions with his plainspoken, urban revivalism.
1837–1899 (age 62)·American evangelist·Birthday: February 5
Biography
D.L. Moody was a force of nature with a fourth-grade education, a man who believed God’s message should be delivered with the urgency of a breaking news story. After finding success in Chicago’s shoe trade, he abandoned commerce for a different kind of venture: saving souls. Moody was no fire-and-brimstone orator; his style was direct, conversational, and relentlessly practical, focusing on God’s love over judgment. He revolutionized evangelism by taking it to the people, preaching in railroad yards, saloons, and massive urban tabernacles. His 1873–1875 campaign in the British Isles drew staggering crowds, cementing his international fame. Moody funneled that energy into institution-building, founding a church, a publishing house, and schools that prioritized educating women and the underprivileged. His legacy is not just in the sermons he gave, but in the durable, modern machinery of evangelism he constructed.
#1 When Dwight Was Born
The biggest hits of 1837
Dwight's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1837Born
1842Started school
1850Became a teenager
1853Could drive
1855Could vote
1858Turned 21
1867Turned 30
President: Andrew Johnson
1877Turned 40
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1887Turned 50
President: Grover Cleveland
1897Turned 60
President: William McKinley
1899Died at 62
President: William McKinley
Key Achievements
- Founded the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, a cornerstone of evangelical education.
- Conducted massively successful international revival tours, most notably in Great Britain from 1873 to 1875.
- Established the Northfield School for Girls and the Mount Hermon School for Boys, pioneering in cross-class education.
- Founded Moody Church in Chicago and created Moody Publishers, a major religious publishing arm.
Did You Know?
He was functionally illiterate until a Sunday school teacher taught him to read using the Bible.
During the Civil War, he served with the U.S. Christian Commission, ministering to Union troops without taking a salary.
He once preached to a crowd of over 20,000 people in the open air at the historic Haymarket in London.
His famous Northfield conferences inspired the founding of the Student Volunteer Movement for foreign missions.
“Faith makes all things possible... Love makes all things easy.”
