Charles Templeton facts for kids

Charles Bradley Templeton (born October 7, 1915 – died June 7, 2001) was a famous Canadian person who worked in many different fields. He was known as a media figure. In the 1940s and 1950s, he was a very popular Christian evangelist. Later in his life, he began to question his beliefs. He became an agnostic, which means he wasn't sure if God existed. After that, he worked as a journalist, on the radio, and as a writer.

Early Life and First Job

Charles Templeton was born in Toronto, Canada, on October 7, 1915. He went to Parkdale Collegiate Institute for high school. When he was 17, in 1932, he got a job drawing cartoons. He drew daily sports cartoons called "Chuck Templeton's Sportraits" for The Toronto Globe newspaper. This newspaper is now called The Globe and Mail. His cartoons became very popular. They were published in many different newspapers. This job helped him earn a good living.

Becoming a Preacher

While working as a cartoonist, Charles Templeton became a Christian. He decided to leave his cartooning job in 1936. He wanted to become a preacher instead.

Charles Templeton: The Evangelist

After leaving his first job, Templeton became a well-known evangelist. From 1936 to 1938, he traveled across the United States. He preached in 44 different states. He became a top evangelist, famous around the world. In 1941, Templeton started the Nazarene Avenue Road Church in Toronto. He was the main preacher there.

Learning More About Faith

Charles Templeton wanted to learn even more about Christianity. In the 1940s, he studied at Princeton Theological Seminary. Later, he received an honorary doctorate from Lafayette College. He also hosted a religious TV show called Look Up and Live.

Doubts and New Paths

Over time, Charles Templeton started to have doubts about his religious beliefs. He eventually decided he was an agnostic. This decision caused a lot of discussion among Christian groups. Templeton was a close friend of another famous evangelist, Billy Graham. They even helped start Youth for Christ International together. Even after Templeton changed his beliefs, they remained friends, though they became less close.

A Career in Media

In 1959, Charles Templeton left evangelism. He began a new career in media.

Working as a Journalist

In 1959, he was hired by the Toronto Star newspaper. He became its executive managing editor. He left this job in 1964 to try politics. He also started an advertising company called Technamation Canada. In 1967, CTV hired him as their director of public affairs. In 1969, he worked as an editor for Maclean's magazine for seven months.

Radio Work

Templeton also became an interviewer for a radio show called Close-Up. Later, he worked with Pierre Berton on another radio show called Dialogue. They worked together on this show from 1966 to 1984. He won two ACTRA Awards for his work in broadcasting. In 1992, he received the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal.

Becoming an Author

Charles Templeton wrote plays that were shown on television. His first novel, The Kidnapping of the President (1974), was a huge success. It was even made into a movie in 1980. He wrote several other novels too. In his book Farewell to God (published in 1995 or 1996), he explained why he became an agnostic. He also won the B'nai B'rith book award for his writing.

Charles Templeton in Politics

In 1964 and 1965, Charles Templeton was the vice-president of the Ontario Liberal Party. He ran for the leadership of the party. He came in second place in that election.

An Inventor's Mind

Templeton also tried to invent new things. He designed a child-resistant medicine cap. He also designed a cigarette filter and a pipeline. These designs were not successful. However, he designed a teddy bear that could stay warm for many hours. This teddy bear design was made and sold widely.

Family Life

While he was an evangelist, Charles Templeton married Constance Oroczy in 1939. She was also an evangelist and a singer. They divorced in 1957. In 1959, he married Sylvia Murphy, a singer he met while working on a TV show. They also divorced. In 1980, he married Madeleine Helen Stevens Leger, an author. They stayed married until he passed away. Charles Templeton had four children: Michael, Deborah, Bradley, and Tyrone.

Later Life and Death

Charles Templeton passed away on June 7, 2001. He died from Alzheimer's disease.