A Man Called Peter - Softcover

A Man Called Peter is one of the most popular books ever written. A biography of a Man of God, it tells of a common man who came to America as an almost penniless immigrant from Scotland, worked as a common laborer and rose to become pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. This was an important position because the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church is located just four blocks from the White House. Presidents, Congressmen and Senators often went there. Marshall was a powerful speaker which explains his rapid rise to the top, from a common ditch digger to pastor of one of the most important churches in America. He was called "that charming young Scot with the silver tongue". The church pews were full whenever he preached. His sermons sometimes influenced pending legislation. Audio tapes of some of his sermons are still available. He was then appointed as Chaplain of the United States Senate.

Peter Marshall was born on May 27, 1902 in Coatbridge Scotland. His father died when he was only four years old. Peter had to go to work when he was only 14. By age 25, Peter was working in a Tube Mill in Glasgow, Scotland and had no money. He was staked by a cousin named Jim to go to America. Arriving in Ellis Island in 1927 with barely enough money in his pocket to pass the immigration inspectors, Peter got a job as a common laborer in Elizabeth, New Jersey. This fact helped make him popular as a preacher later on, as he would often cite his common origins in his sermons. Not successful as a ditch digger in New Jersey, he was invited by friends from the Old Country to go to Alabama. When it was learned that he wanted to become a preacher, some members of his church offered financial support. He earned enough money to work his way through Columbia Theological Seminary, a theological institution located in Decatur, Georgia, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. He graduated in 1931. His first assignment was to a small church in rural Georgia. In 1933, he was given a bigger church in Atlanta. In 1937, Peter Marshall became pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. In 1946, he was appointed as U.S. Senate Chaplain, serving from January 4, 1947 until his sudden death of a heart attack on January 26, 1949. He was 46 years old.