Charles Templeton

{{short description|Canadian writer, editor, former Christian evangelist (1915–2001)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name                      = Charles Templeton
| image                     = 
| alt                       = 
| caption                   = 
| birth_name                = Charles Bradley Templeton
| birth_date                = {{Birth date|1915|10|07}}
| birth_place               = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| death_date                = {{Death date and age|2001|06|07|1915|10|07}} 
| death_place               = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| nationality               = 
| other_names               = Chuck
| education                 = [[Parkdale Collegiate Institute]]<br/>[[Princeton Theological Seminary]]
| alma_mater                = 
| years_active              = 
| employer                  = 
| organization              = 
| occupation                = Evangelist, journalist, radio commentator, author, politician, inventor, cartoonist
| known_for                 = 
| notable_works             = ''Farewell to God''
| style                     = 
| title                     = 
| term                      = 
| boards                    = <!-- board of directors -->
| spouse                    = Constance Oroczy 1939–1957<br />[[Sylvia Murphy]] 1959–1976<ref name="G&M-Sylvia-Murphy" /><br />Madeleine Helen Stevens Leger 1980–2001
| children                  = Michael, Deborah, [[Brad Templeton|Bradley]], and [[Ty Templeton|Tyrone]]
| footnotes                 = 
}}

'''Charles Bradley Templeton'''<ref name="globemail"/><ref name="obit"/> (October 7, 1915&nbsp;– June 7, 2001) was a Canadian media figure and a former Christian [[Evangelism|evangelist]]. Known in the 1940s and 1950s as a leading evangelist, he became an agnostic and later embraced atheism after struggling with doubt. Afterwards he worked at various times in journalism, radio and writing.

== Early life ==

On October 7, 1915, Charles Templeton was born in [[Toronto]], Canada. He attended the high school [[Parkdale Collegiate Institute]].<ref name="globemail">{{cite web |url=http://www.templetons.com/brad/globeobit.html | title=Canada's man of many parts | publisher=[[The Globe and Mail]] | date=June 8, 2001 | access-date=September 13, 2020 | author=Downey, Donn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228035044/http://www.templetons.com/brad/globeobit.html|archive-date=February 28, 2020}}</ref>

== Cartoonist ==

In 1932,<ref name="globemail"/> he was hired to draw "Chuck Templeton's Sportraits", a daily sports cartoon, at age 17 for ''[[The Globe (Toronto newspaper)|The Toronto Globe]]'' (now ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''),<ref name="nyt1954">{{cite news|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|title=Heads Evangelism Unit Of Presbyterian Board|date=May 29, 1954|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/112883906|url-access=subscription|via=[[ProQuest]]|page=16|id={{ProQuest|112883906}} |quote=Dr. Templeton once was a sports cartoonist for The Toronto Globe. He was 17 when he began. He syndicated a daily drawing as 'Chuck Templeton's Sportraits.'{{nbsp}}}}</ref> leaving high school. His work became syndicated and earned him a comfortable living. He converted to Christianity while working as a cartoonist, quitting his job in 1936 to become a preacher.<ref name="globemail"/>

== Christian evangelist ==

After he quit his first job, Templeton became a mass [[Evangelism|evangelist]]. From 1936 to 1938, he toured the US and preached in 44 states.<ref name="globemail"/> He was a top evangelist, internationally renowned.<ref name="globemail"/><ref name="cbc"/><ref name="obit"/> In 1941, Templeton started the [[Church of the Nazarene|Nazarene]] [[Avenue Road Church]] as its preacher, renting a building that formerly housed a [[Presbyterian]] church.<ref name="globemail"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Avenue Road Church|url=http://heritagetoronto.org/avenue-road-church/|website=heritagetoronto.org|date=March 7, 2014|access-date=September 13, 2020|language=en-CA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207014023/http://heritagetoronto.org/avenue-road-church/|archive-date=7 December 2017}}</ref> In 1955, he became the [[Presbyterian Church in the United States]]'s secretary of evangelism.<ref name="globemail"/>

Wanting to learn more about Christianity, Templeton attended [[Princeton Theological Seminary]] in the 1940s,<ref name="ctv">{{cite web|title=Charles Templeton dead at 85|publisher=[[CTV Television Network]]|date=June 7, 2001|url=http://www.ctvnews.com/asp/content/newsstory_view.asp?NewsStoryID=15512&StoryTextID=17430&SectionName=&SectionID=0&feature=0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010809034416/http://www.ctvnews.com/asp/content/newsstory_view.asp?NewsStoryID=15512&StoryTextID=17430&SectionName=&SectionID=0&feature=0|archive-date=August 9, 2001|access-date=September 13, 2020}}</ref><ref name="cbc"/> later receiving an honorary doctorate from [[Lafayette College]].<ref name="globemail"/>

He hosted the religious television show ''[[Look Up and Live]]''.<ref name="globemail"/><ref name="obit"/>

Charles Templeton struggled with doubts about his religion. He eventually became an agnostic,<ref name="globemail"/> causing a wide backlash from Christian communities.<ref name="obit"/>

Templeton was a close friend of, and shared billing with, fellow evangelist [[Billy Graham]], with whom he co-founded (along with [[Torrey Johnson]]) [[Youth for Christ International]].<ref name="globemail"/><ref name="obit"/> After Templeton became an agnostic, they remained friends but became more distant.<ref name="globemail"/>

== Media ==

=== Journalist ===

In 1959, he quit evangelism and entered a media career. He was hired by the ''[[Toronto Star]]'' in the same year as its executive managing editor, quitting the position in 1964 to enter politics. Furthermore, he founded the advertising company Technamation Canada, working there until [[CTV Television Network|CTV]] hired him as director of public affairs in 1967. In 1969, he got another job as editor of ''[[Maclean's]]'' magazine for seven months.<ref name="globemail"/><ref name="ctv"/><ref name="cbc"/><ref name="obit"/>

=== Radio ===

Templeton became an interviewer for the radio show ''Close-Up''.<ref name="globemail"/> He later worked with [[Pierre Berton]] on the radio show ''Dialogue'' from 1966 to 1970 on [[CFRB]] and from 1970 to 1984 on [[CHKT|CKEY]] where Templeton also served as morning news reader.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/personalities/berton-pierre|title=Pierre Berton (1920–2004)|first=Gord|last= Landsdell|date=August 2001|publisher=[[Canadian Communications Foundation]]|access-date=September 15, 2020}}</ref><ref name="globemail"/><ref name="ctv"/><ref name="obit"/>

He won two [[ACTRA Award]]s for broadcasting.<ref name="globemail"/><ref name="ctv"/> In 1992, he won the [[125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal]].<ref name="ctv"/>

=== Author ===

Templeton wrote plays performed on television. Templeton's first novel, ''The Kidnapping of the President'' (1974), was a bestseller and was adapted into a [[The Kidnapping of the President|1980 film]].<ref name="cbc"/> He wrote several other novels.<ref name="globemail"/><ref name="ctv"/> In ''Farewell to God'' (1995 or 1996), he described his conversion to agnosticism and his reasons for doing so.<ref name="globemail"/><ref name="cbc"/> He won the [[B'nai B'rith]] book award.<ref name="ctv"/>

== Politics ==

He came second in an election for the leadership of the [[Ontario Liberal Party]],<ref name="globemail"/><ref name="cbc"/><ref name="obit"/> although he was its vice-president in 1964 and 1965.<ref name="ctv"/>
 
== Inventor ==

Templeton made his own unsuccessful designs of a [[Child-resistant packaging|child-resistant]] medicine cap, a [[cigarette filter]] and a pipeline.<ref name="globemail"/> His design for a teddy bear that could stay warm for many hours was widely manufactured.<ref name="obit"/>

== Personal life ==

While he was an evangelist, Templeton married evangelist and singer Constance Oroczy in 1939. In 1957, they divorced. In 1959, he married singer [[Sylvia Murphy]], whom he met while producing a television drama; they also divorced.<ref name="obit"/> In 1980, he married author Madeleine Helen Stevens Leger, staying married until he died.<ref name="globemail"/> He had four children: Michael, Deborah, Bradley, and [[Ty Templeton|Tyrone]].<ref name="globemail"/>

== Death ==

On June 7, 2001, Charles Templeton died from [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref name="ctv"/><ref name="cbc">{{cite web|title=Journalist, evangelist Charles Templeton dies|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/journalist-evangelist-charles-templeton-dies-1.255162|publisher=[[CBC News]]|date=June 8, 2001|access-date=September 13, 2020}}</ref><ref name=obit>{{cite web |url=http://www.templetons.com/brad/cbt.html |title=Charles Templeton (1915–2001) | website=templetons.com | last=Templeton |first=Brad|author-link=Brad Templeton |access-date=October 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228033036/http://www.templetons.com/brad/cbt.html|archive-date=February 28, 2020}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em
|refs=

<ref name="G&M-Sylvia-Murphy">{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-popular-singer-sylvia-murphy-found-a-national-audience-on-1950s-tv/ |title=Popular singer Sylvia Murphy found a national audience on 1950s TV |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |first=Martin |last=Morrow |date=March 4, 2021 |access-date=March 5, 2021}}</ref>

}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [http://pic.templetons.com/brad/photo/cbt/ Photo archive] curated by Brad Templeton
* [https://www.templetons.com/charles/memoir/ ''Anecdotal Memoir''] (1982) by Charles Templeton, online version

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Templeton, Charles}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:Artists from Toronto]]
[[Category:Canadian agnostics]]
[[Category:Canadian editorial cartoonists]]
[[Category:Canadian male novelists]]
[[Category:Canadian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Ontario Liberal Party candidates in Ontario provincial elections]]
[[Category:Canadian evangelicals]]
[[Category:Christian writers]]
[[Category:Members of the Christian and Missionary Alliance]]
[[Category:Former Protestants]]
[[Category:Canadian former Christians]]
[[Category:Canadian television evangelists]]
[[Category:CTV Television Network people]]
[[Category:Canadian radio personalities]]
[[Category:Toronto Star people]]
[[Category:Maclean's writers and editors]]
[[Category:Writers from Toronto]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian male writers]]
[[Category:Canadian male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Writers about religion and science]]
[[Category:20th-century non-fiction writers]]