PURPOSE IN PRAYER
Edward M. Bounds.
INTRODUCTION
Edward McKendree Bounds was born in ShelbyCounty, Mo., August 15, 1835, and died August 24,1913, in Washington, Ga. He received a commonschool education at Shelbyville and was admittedto the bar soon after his majority. He practicedlaw until called to preach the Gospel at the age oftwenty-four. His first pastorate was Monticello,Mo., Circuit. It was while serving as pastor ofBrunswick, Mo., that war was declared and theyoung minister was made a prisoner of war becausehe would not take the oath of allegiance tothe Federal Government. He was sent to St. Louisand later transferred to Memphis, Tenn.
Finally securing his release, he traveled on footnearly one hundred miles to join General Pierce’scommand in Mississippi and was soon after madechaplain of the Fifth Missouri Regiment, a positionhe held until near the close of the war, whenhe was captured and held as prisoner at Nashville,Tenn.
After the war Rev. E. M. Bounds was pastor ofchurches in Tennessee and Alabama. In 1875 hewas assigned to St. Paul Methodist Church in St.Louis, and served there for four years. In 1876he was married to Miss Emmie Barnette at Eufaula,Ala., who died ten years later. In 1887 he6was married to Miss Hattie Barnette, who, withfive children, survives him.
After serving several pastorates he was sent tothe First Methodist Church in St. Louis, Mo., forone year and to St. Paul Methodist Church forthree years. At the end of his pastorate, he becamethe editor of the St. Louis “Christian Advocate.”
He was a forceful writer and a very deep thinker.He spent the last seventeen years of his life withhis family in Washington, Ga. Most of the timehe was reading, writing and praying. He rose at4 a. m. each day for many years and was indefatigablein his study of the Bible. His writingswere read by thousands of people and were in demandby the church people of every Protestantdenomination.
Bounds was the embodiment of humility, with aseraphic devotion to Jesus Christ. He reached that