BIO:Robert Pierce Shuler

1880-1965
Robert Shuler was born August 4, 1880, in the foothills of 
the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. At the age of nine, 
kneeling between his mother and his preacher-uncle in "the 
meetin' house" at Comer's Rocks, he received Christ to be his 
Lord and Saviour. His primary education consisted of a three-
month school, where he mastered the McGuffey's Readers. In 
1897 he entered Emory and Henry College as a sub-freshman, 
and was graduated in 1903. Two years later he married Nelle 
Revees, and the same year entered the Holston Conference of 
the Methodist Church.
        Endowed with a good mind and an even better wit, he 
was an excellent extemporaneous speaker. In addition to this, 
his great courage, coupled with his conservative theology and 
evangelistic fervor, prompted him to ever preach with the al-
tar call in view.
        In 1920 he became pastor of the Trinity Methodist 
Church of Los Angeles, a position he occupied until his 
death. He began with a depleted congregation and saw it grow 
to 5,000 in the 1930s. In 1929, he was given a radio station 
which was housed in the tower of his church. It became a 
strong voice against crime and corruption in Southern Cali-
fornia. His life was threatened many times, his church was 
bombed, he was sued and put in jail. He ran for United States 
Senator on the Prohibition ticket in 1932 and lost by only 
50,000 votes.
        His writings included The Methodist Challenge, What 
New Doctrine Is This?, Some Dogs I Have Known, and I Met Them 
on the Trail. Three of his sons followed him in the ministry.

