Ralph G. Turnbull (1901-1985) served the Word of God as pastor and preacher, teacher and writer. Born in Scotland, he served churches in Great Britain, Canada and the United States, the last being First Presbyterian Church of Seattle. Prior to taking up labors in Seattle, he taught homiletics for a decade at Western Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh. In "retirement" he was Professor of Religion in Residence at Warner Pacific College, Portland, Oregon, and Adjunct Professor of Preaching, Bethel Theological Seminary, San Diego, to name but two of his many involvements.

Turnbull is perhaps best known as a prolific author of books useful to ministers, chiefly evangelicals. This busy pastor edited numerous books in the fields of New Testament study and practical theology, and he authored a number of books and articles of his own. While some of his writings went through his pulpit first, others started as lectures at various conferences for ministers.

The title of one of his books, The Preacher's Heritage, Task, and Resources, can guide our overview of his career. We understand a man best when we discover what he loves most. Turnbull loved the preacher's heritage, task, and resources.

1. Turnbull was a lover of the preacher's heritage. His appreciation of and expertise in the history of preaching are evidenced in what he called a labor of love, namely, the completion of Edwin Charles Dargan's History of Preaching. Dargan published the first two volumes of this massive undertaking in his lifetime, covering the history of preaching from its origins through the nineteenth century in Europe. Turnbull contributed a third volume which picked up where Dargan left off, covering preaching's history in the twentieth century and in the United States from the colonial period to the present. The breadth of this work is amazing, especially when we recall Turnbull did the research and writing while continuing to serve as the pastor of a busy city church!

Within the history of preaching Turnbull's favorite subject was Jonathan Edwards. As soon as Turnbull arrived in the United States, he made a special study of Edwards in an attempt to learn more about American preaching. In 1958 he produced Jonathan Edwards the Preacher, a book analyzing Edwards' preaching methods. References to the man of Northampton and Stockbridge appear throughout Turnbull's other works as well. Though he had a particular affinity for Edwards, he also made constant appeal to John Wesley.

Along the way it was Turnbull's desire to be used of God to keep alive the memory and message of key servants from other years who have yet something of value to offer moderns. This desire motivated him to do work of two kinds. He read the sermons of favorite luminaries of the past, selected representative messages and edited them into what he called treasuries. Working in this way he brought out volumes on Alexander Whyte, Andrew Murray, Dwight Moody, Campbell Morgan, and Graham Scroggie. He also labored to reissue important but out of print books, often supplying new introductions. Such emphases indicate how Turnbull lovingly worked to keep the present nourished by the past.