Robert Pierce Shuler

Robert Pierce Shuler

Robert Pierce Shuler
1880-1965
Robert Shuler was born August 4, 1880, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. At the age of nine, kneeling between his mother and his preacher-uncle in “the meetin’ house” at Comer’s Rocks, he received Christ to be his Lord and Saviour. His primary education consisted of a threemonth school, where he mastered the McGuffey’s Readers. In 1897 he entered Emory and Henry College as a sub-freshman, and was graduated in 1903. Two years later he married Nelle Revees, and the same year entered the Holston Conference of the Methodist Church.

Endowed with a good mind and an even better wit, he was an excellent extemporaneous speaker. In addition to this, his great courage, coupled with his conservative theology and evangelistic fervor, prompted him to ever preach with the altar call in view.

In 1920 he became pastor of the Trinity Methodist Church of Los Angeles, a position he occupied until his death. He began with a depleted congregation and saw it grow to 5,000 in the 1930s. In 1929, he was given a radio station which was housed in the tower of his church. It became a strong voice against crime and corruption in Southern California. His life was threatened many times, his church was bombed, he was sued and put in jail. He ran for United States Senator on the Prohibition ticket in 1932 and lost by only 50,000 votes.

His writings included The Methodist Challenge, What New Doctrine Is This?, Some Dogs I Have Known, and I Met Them on the Trail. Three of his sons followed him in the ministry.