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Phoebe Palmer

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Phoebe Palmer was a famous Methodist writer and preacher. She lived during the 1800s in New York City. Many people call her a founder of the Holiness movement. This movement grew from Methodist Christianity. She was born Phoebe Worrall on December 18, 1807. Her father, Henry Worrall, was a very religious Methodist man. He moved from England to the United States.

Phoebe taught a very important idea. This idea was called Christian perfection. It is the belief that a person can live a life free of sin. She felt she experienced this in 1837. This event was called entire sanctification. She wanted to teach others how to have this experience too. She often spoke at large church meetings and camp meetings.

Phoebe led special prayer meetings in her own home. Her sister, Sarah Lankford, started these meetings in 1835. At first, only women attended them. Phoebe became the leader two years later. These were called the Tuesday Meetings for the Promotion of Holiness. By 1839, men could join the meetings too. Many important church leaders and bishops attended them. The meetings grew so large she had to enlarge her house.

Phoebe and her husband, Walter Palmer, traveled to share her ideas. They were itinerant preachers, which means they traveled to different places. They visited Canada in 1857. In 1859, they went to the United Kingdom. They stayed there for several years. Phoebe also edited a magazine called The Guide to Holiness. She bought it in 1864 from Timothy Merritt.

Phoebe used her ideas to help people in real life. She helped start the Five Points Mission in 1850. This mission was in a poor area of New York City. She also wrote many books. One was called The Way of Holiness, published in 1843. Another was The Promise of the Father in 1859. Her daughter, Phoebe Knapp, wrote music for hymns. One famous tune was for "Blessed Assurance." Phoebe Palmer died in 1874.

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