On Thursday 18 May 1843 the Rev. Dr. Thomas Chalmers walked out of St. Andrew’s Church in Edinburgh, along with two hundred and two other ministers and elders. These men were leaving the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly for the last time and within a few hours, Chalmers would be appointed as the first moderator of the newly constituted Free Church of Scotland.”

Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) stood at the centre of events that would change the face of the church in Scotland. Without his vision, organizational skills, and his ability to mobilize opinion, it is unlikely that the Free Church would have come into existence. Through his preaching the light of the gospel shone forth, and through his schools and work for the poor, lives were changed.

This new and updated biography tells the story of visionary thinker, minister, and preacher Thomas Chalmers and the many years of struggle for the spiritual independence of the Church of Scotland. It traces his journey from his childhood in a small fishing community to his academic prowess and calling into active gospel ministry. Discover the unforgettable story of the man who Thomas Carlyle called the “chief Scottish man of his time”.

This volume contains most of the material that appeared in the original Bitesize Biographies, but with additional details to flesh out some areas Thomas Chalmers life and an entirely new chapter on his preaching and pastoral leadership.