Robert Sumner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Sumner
Sumner in 2003
Born	August 3, 1922 Norwich, New York, United States
Died	December 5, 2016 (aged 94) Lynchburg, Virginia, United States
Occupation	Baptist Christian Evangelist

Robert L. Sumner (born August 3, 1922 – died December 5, 2016) was an American Christian writer, pastor, and evangelist. He was also the editor of a newspaper called The Biblical Evangelist.

Robert L. Sumner's Early Life

Robert L. Sumner grew up in an educated family in Upstate New York. He finished high school at Norwich High School. Later, he graduated from Summit University, which was then known as Baptist Bible College & Seminary. He also received special honorary degrees from Bob Jones University and Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary. Robert Sumner was related to the famous car racer, Hector Honore, who was his brother-in-law. Sumner passed away in December 2016 when he was 94 years old.

Robert L. Sumner's Ministry Work

Sumner served as a pastor in many Baptist churches. These churches were located in different states like Illinois, California, Texas, and Ohio.

In 1959, he started a non-profit group called the Sumner Evangelistic Foundation. A few years later, in 1965, he joined a group called the Council of 14. This group is now known as the Council of 18. Because of this, he changed the name of his foundation to Regular Baptist Evangelism.

In May 1966, this group began publishing a newsletter. It was first called The Regular Baptist Evangelist. About nine months later, its name was shortened to The Biblical Evangelist. Sumner also went to many Christian meetings and gave talks.

In November 1980, The Biblical Evangelist stopped being published for a while. Sumner then became the managing editor for another Christian newspaper. This newspaper was called The Sword of the Lord. He had worked for The Sword of the Lord before, starting in 1954. John R. Rice was the publisher of this newspaper.

In 1982, Sumner left The Sword of the Lord. He had a disagreement with the editor at the time. After this, Sumner felt he no longer had a way to share his ideas. So, he decided to restart The Biblical Evangelist. He sent letters to people who used to subscribe, asking them to sign up again. Sumner continued to be the editor of The Biblical Evangelist until 2016. He published the very last edition just two months before he died.

Robert L. Sumner as an Author

Robert L. Sumner wrote a total of 43 books during his life. His last book was called Favorite Editorials. It was a collection of his favorite articles he had written over the years. This book was 304 pages long and was published in 2015. Sumner also wrote the official biography of John R. Rice.

Today, The Biblical Evangelist newspaper is no longer published. Most of its articles are not available online anymore. However, one specific story, The Saddest Story, can still be found.