James H. Brookes

Born in Tennessee in 1830, James Hall Brookes was the son of a Presbyterian pastor and church planter. His father passed away when James was just three years old. He saved his money and applied to West Point. Although he was approved, he surrendered to preach the gospel and headed off to prepare for the ministry at Princeton in New Jersey. He worked his way through school, met his wife Susan, and went off to his first pastorate in Dayton, Ohio.

James Brookes pastored for 39 years in the same city of St. Louis, built a strong church, and stood for the truth. He preached around the country, and for years headed up the fabled Niagara Conferences that historians recognize as being the forerunner of the Fundamentalist movement in America.

He was also convinced of the pre-millennial coming of Christ, during a time when very few people held to such a view. This view was not drawn from the teachings of any man, but by a careful study of the Scriptures. It was the Bible that was his teacher, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Dr. Brookes spent considerable time and money defending the Authorized Version. He resisted the English revision committee and proved himself ahead of his time in venerating the King James and warning about the coming confusion concerning translations. In his magazine, The Truth and Testimony of Jesus Christ, Dr. Brookes freely exposed the errors of modernism, compromise, and clergy unbelief. He gained both a cherished, worldwide following and an astonishing amount of opposition. Dr. Brookes authored several books and between 250 to 300 tracts and pamphlets, and he continued to publish his magazine until the time of his death on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1897.