BIO:Gaylord Ford Porter

1893-1976
Ford Porter was born in Ottawa County, Michigan, on February 
5, 1893. The influence of the family altar and the godly 
lives of his parents contributed to Ford's decision to re-
ceive Christ to be his Saviour at the age of 11. A year 
later, he spoke to a group of junior boys and girls, at which 
time his pastor remarked that Ford could then quote more ver-
ses of Scripture than any other person in town.
        As a young man, Ford served as a Sunday School 
teacher, and later assisted Dr. Ernest Reveal at the Evans-
ville, Indiana, rescue mission. On July 6, 1919, he answered 
God's call to preach, after which he studied at the Moody Bi-
ble Institute in Chicago under Dr. Kenneth Weist and Dr. 
James M. Gray. In the years that followed, Ford Porter served 
several churches in Indiana, and was used of the Lord in var-
ious ministries.
        In 1947 he launched the Berean Gospel Ministry, now 
Lifegate, Incorporated, which has become worldwide through 
the printing and distribution of Gospel tracts. The Berean 
ministry included Bible conferences, evangelistic campaigns, 
radio broadcasts, children's Bible crusades, Camp Berean, Va-
cation Bible Institute, Gospel films, and the Indiana Baptist 
College.
        The most far-reaching ministry of Ford Porter was the 
Gospel tract, God's Simple Plan of Salvation, which he wrote 
in 1933. This tract has been printed in more than 90 lan-
guages and Braille. The worldwide distribution of over 
310,000,000 copies has resulted in the salvation of thousands 
of people.
        Ford Porter went to be with the Lord on November 20, 
1976, at the age of 83 years.

