This ebook by Howard Culbertson is a biography of Rev. Paul McGrady, pastor, evangelist and professor of evangelism. These seven chapters (including the Foreword/Preface) contain the story of his life and one of his sermons. Mr. Evangelism was originally published by Pedestal Press of Kansas City
by Charles Hastings Smith
I will never forget my friend, Paul McGrady,
Nor the captive persuasion of his smile .. .
I cannot escape the clean, contagious sunshine
That he scattered here a little while.
Only a few men are born to walk in greatness;
He was one of that rare, historic breed .. .
And he bore within his soul a strange obsession
It was this: "Shout the gospel; sow the seed!"
Sometimes he stood alone like John the Baptist
(Heart aflame and hands ready, big and tough),
Crying, "The time is now"-always preaching in a hurry,
As though the days were never long enough.
He tolerated the lazy and the lukewarm;
Was always reaching for the distant stars.
He was always in the battle ... fighting front-side
With drawn sword ... oblivious to the scars.
He died bravely ... as though he would have ordained it ...
Out there amid the traffic and the din.
And the heavens opened... as they did for Stephen...
And my gallant young friend went sweeping in.
Paul McGrady lives on.
He lives on in the lives of many who found the Lord under his ministry. They responded to the message he preached and to the personification of the love of Christ which they saw in his life. They will not forget the man who led them to the Lord, and their witness will be a continuation of his own.
Paul McGrady lives on in the lives of his students who were awakened by the things that he taught them in the classroom and who also felt the impact of his consuming passion.
No one will understand why the fruitful life of this man should end so suddenly. But all do rejoice that others have picked up the torch that fell from his hand and will carry it for many years to come. This volume tells briefly the story of Paul McGrady's life and gives something of his message. It will be a means of continuing his influence.
My personal relationship with him was much deeper than a mutual interest in horses. We shared many things on a deep spiritual level and our hearts were bound together by strong cords of Christian love. My earnest prayer is that the work to which he gave his life will be carried on at what is now Southern Nazarene University and in the lives of many serving elsewhere. May all be inspired through the ministry of the same Spirit that lived in him and motivated his labors.
— G. B. Williamson
I first met Paul McGrady in the Nazarene parsonage in Guthrie, OK. He had come from Bethany to conduct a weekend evangelistic meeting. That weekend he talked a lot about soul-winning and personal evangelism. Later in the year my father, who was the pastor, had one of the McGrady calling teams for two weekends. The following year, as a college freshman, I went out with one of those calling teams ... an experience had by most of the ministerial students at least once during their four years at the school.
For three years I sat in Paul McGrady's classes. Eight of the credit hours on my college transcript were taught by that enthusiastic, whirlwind instructor in "Introduction to Preaching," "Introduction to Religious Education," and "Mass Evangelism." However, he did far more for me than teaching me mere textbook content. There was something contagious about his spirit. When Paul McGrady spoke, you sat on the edge of your seat, tingling with excitement.
Then came the awful news of that summer. We had just finished supper in my fiancée's house in Colorado Springs when the telephone rang. It was a fellow student. Paul McGrady was dead.
Stunned, I sat down and worked for a couple of hours on a statement concerning what Paul McGrady had meant to me. Then I crumpled the sheets of paper and threw them away.
Months passed, and one spring evening, Jean McGrady called to ask if I could write a book on her husband. Through hundreds of letters, interviews, telephone calls, and hours of recorded material, I've walked through Paul McGrady's life. And it's been a blessed experience!
May God use this brief story of his life to extend Paul McGrady's ministry beyond that rainy August afternoon in1967.
My thanks go both to Mrs. Paul McGrady and to my fiancée, Barbara Reed, for their patience and understanding. Also, a word of appreciation to Mrs. Sidney Banz and Mrs. Harlan Gilbert, who have typed reams of paper, and to the many, many friends of Paul McGrady who have spent hours giving me helpful information. Without their help, this book would not have been possible! . . . [ more ]
— Howard Culbertson,
 | It looked like Paul McGrady was going to single-handedly turn a college campus into a major evangelistic force and then came that tragic trip through Tulsa toward a youth camp. . . . [ read more ] |