author
Thomas Champness
1832–1905
A bricklayer-turned-Methodist evangelist, he became one of the best-known revival preachers of his day and wrote widely from his years in ministry. His life joined energetic preaching, missionary service in West Africa, and a lasting commitment to training evangelists and reaching ordinary readers.
1 Audiobook
Broken Bread, from an Evangelist's Wallet
by Thomas Champness
About the author
Born in Stratford, East London, in 1832 and raised in Manchester, Thomas Champness began working life as a bricklayer before a religious conversion in Stockport changed his course. He was called to preach in the 1850s and went on to become a Wesleyan Methodist minister and evangelist known for plain, lively preaching.
His ministry included service in West Africa, where illness nearly cost him his life, after which he returned to Britain and continued evangelistic work with unusual energy. He was closely associated with revival efforts, village missions, and the encouragement of lay evangelists, and he also helped support training for Christian workers.
Champness was a prolific writer and editor as well as a preacher. Among his best-known books is Broken Bread from an Evangelist's Wallet, and he was involved in producing popular religious reading aimed at everyday people. He died in 1905, remembered as a practical, warm-hearted communicator who brought faith to wide audiences without losing its directness.