E. W. Kenyon

==Biography==
Kenyon was born on April 25, 1867, in [[Hadley, New York|Hadley]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. At age 17, he was converted in a [[Methodism|Methodist]] prayer meeting.<ref>{{cite web|title=Who was Kenyon?|url=http://www.kenyons.org/who.php|publisher=Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society|accessdate=5 September 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807080932/http://www.kenyons.org/who.php|archivedate=7 August 2011}}</ref> He became a church member in his early twenties and gave his first sermon at the [[Methodist Church]] of [[Amsterdam (city) New York|Amsterdam, New York]], where he served as a deacon.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bowler |first=Kate |date=2013 |title=Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel |page=16 |publisher=Oup USA |isbn=9780199827695}}</ref> Kenyon had a crisis of faith and left the faith for 2{{frac|1|2}} years prior returning to faith in 1893.<ref>{{cite web|title=Who was E. W. Kenyon?|url=http://www.kenyons.org/who-was-ew-kenyon.html|publisher=Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society|accessdate=6 January 2016}}</ref> 

Although desiring to be an actor, Kenyon earned a living as a piano and organ salesperson. In an attempt to hone his acting skills, Kenyon attended the [[Emerson College|Emerson School of Oratory]] in [[Boston]] for one year in 1892 studying acting.

Kenyon first married Evva Spurling. The two were married on May 8, 1893. Shortly afterward, Kenyon attended the services of [[Clarendon Street Baptist Church]] led by pastor [[Adoniram Judson Gordon| Adoniram Judson (A.J.) Gordon]].<ref name="atcross"/> At this service, Kenyon and his wife rededicated their lives to Christianity.
 
Later that year, Kenyon joined the [[Free Will Baptist]]s and became a pastor at a small church in [[Elmira, New York]]. In 1898, Kenyon opened Bethel Bible Institute in Spencer, Massachusetts, which remained in operation until 1923. He was its president for twenty-five years. 

The school later moved to [[Providence, Rhode Island]], and became Providence Bible Institute. It later became [[Barrington College]] and merged with [[Gordon College (Massachusetts)|Gordon College]], which was named after one of Kenyon's many mentors, A.&nbsp;J. Gordon. It is now known as Gordon College.

Evva Kenyon died in 1914. Subsequently, Kenyon married Alice M. Whitney and had a son and a daughter with her. In 1948, E. W. Kenyon died, and his daughter Ruth, with whom he was living, continued on with his publishing ministry.<ref>E.W. Kenyon: The True Story by Joe McIntyre</ref>