D. L. Moody

QUICK FACTS

  • Dwight Lyman Moody was among the most well-known Christian evangelists of the 19th century, traveling widely and preaching in the United States and abroad.
  • D.L. Moody was born in Northfield, MA, on Feb. 5, 1837, in a house that still remains on the campus of Northfield Mount Hermon School. Moody died on Dec. 22, 1899, and is buried on a hill called Round Top on the Northfield campus.
  • Moody was raised in a poverty-stricken family of nine children and received limited formal education.
  • Moody left home at age 17 to work as a shoe salesman in Boston. He later moved to Chicago.
  • Around 1855, at the age of 18, Moody started Sunday school classes for Chicago children and the local Young Men’s Christian Association.
  • During 1857 to 1858, Moody became more active in the YMCA. In 1860, he left the business world to enter full-time ministry.
  • Moody’s Sunday school classes began to flourish as he reached out to the most-needy children in the city. As the classes grew, Moody was encouraged to start his own church.
  • In February 1864, Moody opened the Illinois Street Church, now called The Moody Church.
  • At the height of his ministry, Moody traveled to Belfast, Ireland in September 1874 to preach to thousands in some of the country’s largest venues. In October, his services were offered by admission ticket only, and it was reported that thousands became Christians.
  • In November 1874, Moody, who was at the climax of his crusade, preached in Liverpool, England to an estimated 2.5 million people. Shortly after, Moody sailed back to America. He returned to England several times during the course of his life to preach to the masses.
  • In 1879, Moody opened the Northfield Seminary for Young Women, and soon after he created the Mount Hermon School for Boys. The goal of the schools was to provide educational opportunities for the poor, including minorities.
  • In 1886, Moody founded the Chicago Evangelization Society, now known worldwide as the Moody Bible Institute.
  • Moody’s evangelistic ministry had a major influence on Korea, encouraging the conversion of Korean Christians and the founding of Korean churches even into the 21st century.

For more information about D.L. Moody, please visit www.moody.edu.