Nuggets of Gold

Reuben ＂Uncle Bud＂ Robinson (1860-1942), was a Methodist Episcopal evangelist, who would later become a part of the Church of the Nazarene. Known for his folk wisdom and colorful phrases, his preaching focused on the message of entire sanctification. His father made whiskey and ran a bar in the hills of White County, Tennessee. ＂Uncle Bud＂ grew up in a poor family, one of thirteen children, and did not get an education. After his father’s death, his mother moved the family to Texas, where he fell into a wild life of drinking and gambling. In 1880, he attended a tent revival, was converted, and then joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was a Sunday school teacher who taught him how to read at 20 years of age. In the 1890’s he studied at Southwestern University and would become a major influence in the emerging Church of the Nazarene. He experienced the call to preach at his conversion, and despite a bad stutter remained an active evangelist for 60 years. He is estimated to have preached over 33,000 sermons and witnessed more than 100,000 conversions. He died in 1942 at 82 years of age, but remains one of the most colorful folk evangelists in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. An example of one of his well-known prayers is when he asked God to ＂help me sign the contract to fight the devil as long as I’ve got a fist, and bite him as long as I have a tooth, then gum him till I die.＂ First Fruits Press is proud to present this collection of the sermons and writings of this pioneer evangelist for a new generation to appreciate.