March 16, 1895 - John Albert Broadus Dies

John Albert Broadus Portrait of John Albert Broadus (19th century). Public domain.

John Albert Broadus, often called the “Prince of the Pulpit,” died on March 16, 1895. A leading figure in nineteenth-century Southern Baptist life, Broadus combined pastoral ministry, academic leadership, and denominational influence.

He pastored in Charlottesville, Virginia, and served as a professor at the University of Virginia before co-founding the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1859. Originally located in Greenville, South Carolina, the seminary later relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. Broadus taught there for more than three decades, shaping generations of ministers.

During the Civil War, he served as a chaplain in Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. After the war, he played a critical role in sustaining the seminary during financially precarious years.

Broadus was especially known for his work in homiletics. His textbook On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons became a standard guide for Baptist preaching. His influence extended beyond institutional leadership to the formation of preaching style and theological education in the American South.