The Old Rugged Cross
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
George Beverly Shea recalls seeing George Bennard, author of this hymn, many times at Winona Lake Bible Conference in Indiana. "Though a preacher - a good one - he would sometimes sing," wrote Mr. Shea. "His voice was not trained or out of the ordinary, but he had great feeling and expression and could really put over any hymn. I remember how moved I was the first time I heard him sing his own "The Old Rugged Cross..' What a distinguished looking man - slight of build, short, with glasses, the most memorable thing about him was his long white hair." George Bennard was born in Youngstown, Ohio, shortly after the end of the Civil War. His father, a coal miner, moved the family to Iowa, and there George came to Christ through the ministry of the Salvation Army. He felt impressed to train for the ministry, but his plans were disrupted when his father's death left him responsible for his mother and sisters. He was sixteen years old. Instead of theological school, he worked by day and devoted his spare time to books. Eventually George's obligations lessened, and he was able to move to Chicago, marry, and begin in ministry with the Salvation Army. Later he was ordained by the Methodist Episcopal church and became a traveling evangelist. On one occcasion, after a difficult season of ministry, George realized he needed to better understand the power of the Cross of Christ. He later said, "I was praying for a full understanding of the Cross...I read and studied and prayed..."The Christ of the Cross became more than a symbol...It was like seeing John 3:16 leave the printed page, take form, and act out the meaning of redemption. While watching this scene with my mind's eye, the theme of the song came to me." It took several months for the words to formulate in his mind. As he preached through the Midwest, George would carry the words with him, working on them, polishing them, and sometimes singing them in his meetings. It always struck a chord with his audiences. At last, his hymn finished, George went to the home of his friends, Rev. and Mrs. L.O. Boswick, and sang it for them. After the last note, he looked at them and asked, "Will it do?" The Boswicks were so moved that they helped pay the fees to have it printed, and it soon began appearing in hymnbooks across America.
Excerpt from "Then Sings My Soul" by Robert J. Morgan
Thomas Nelson Publishers
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