J. H. McConkey

James Henry McConkey (1858-1937) graduated from Princeton in 1880 as the president of his class, with a degree in law and was later admitted to the bar. He was influential in the early days of the YMCA and in the founding of the Africa Inland Mission, speaking to his tremendous love for the lost.

McConkey accepted Christ as his Saviour when he was 20, and although he had grown up in church, it was around this time that he truly began to study the Scriptures. God began to deal with him on the issue of surrender, and he surrendered his life to the service of his Lord. He went on to write numerous volumes on a variety of Christian topics, some of the most popular being The Three-Fold Secret of the Holy Spirit and The Surrendered Life.

By a tremendous step of faith, James McConkey never sold his books. When the copies were dwindling, God always provided the funds to order another printing. As his ministry grew and staff was hired, he always paid every worker a decent wage. Despite his ailing health, he himself never collected a salary, and God always provided for all his needs.