author
Charles Wesley Naylor
1874–1950
Raised in Ohio and West Virginia and long shaped by illness, this Church of God minister turned hardship into a steady stream of hymns, devotional writing, and pastoral encouragement. His work is remembered for its plainspoken faith and resilience.
1 Audiobook
Heart Talks
by Charles Wesley Naylor
About the author
Born in Athens County, Ohio, on January 8, 1874, Charles Wesley Naylor was reared in Ohio and West Virginia by his grandparents after his mother died when he was young. Sources agree that he was first connected with the Methodist church and later joined the Church of God at about age nineteen, eventually working with the Gospel Trumpet ministry and taking part in evangelistic work.
Naylor became known as a minister, hymn writer, and devotional author. Biographical sources describe a serious accident during his years in ministry that left him disabled for much of the rest of his life, yet he continued to write extensively. He is especially associated with the Church of God movement in Anderson, Indiana, and is credited in hymn and memorial sources with a large body of songs as well as books, articles, and columns.
He died on February 21, 1950, in Anderson, Indiana. What makes his story stand out is the way his writing seems to have grown out of endurance: again and again, readers have returned to his work not for polish or fame, but for warmth, conviction, and comfort.