Albert Benjamin (A. B.) Simpson (1843-1919) was called to pastor the prestigious 13th Street Presbyterian Church in New York in 1879. Waves of new immigrants were pouring into the city through Ellis Island in the quest for jobs to support the burgeoning Industrial Revolution. A. B. quickly recognized that local churches were failing in their responsibility to minister to new arrivals. He began his pioneering work with immigrants in the Manhattan area of the city where his church was located. He led one hundred Italian immigrants to Christ and invited them to become members of 13th Street Church. His elders balked, suggesting other churches would be more appropriate. In truth, they were fearful the church would become overwhelmed with immigrants and poor people. A. B.’s heart was broken, and he resigned to begin a new ministry.
A while after that, he joined seven others to start a mission in a poorly heated dance hall. They held evangelistic meetings, preached at local jails, and eventually built the Gospel Tabernacle to accommodate the growing need. They opened orphanages, soup kitchens, homes for unwed mothers, and a missionary training school.
A.B. later founded the Christian and Missionary Alliance with two objectives: to explore the deeper life of Christ and carry the gospel to all nations. When discussing his works, A. B. often remarked, “I am no good unless I get alone with God.”
A close friend described him this way, “His practice was to hush his spirit and literally cease to think, then in the silence of his soul, he listened for the ‘still, small voice [of God].’ We join A.B. in praying: