Born: York, Union County, Ohio, April 6, 1873.
Died: 1957.

Here is a man who sees the universe exactly the size of his workshop. In other words his universe is measured by his responsibility, and his responsibility is measured by just the size of his opportunity. Within this universe to know the unknowable; to see the invisible, and to do the impossible, is the limit of Christian endeavor.

P. H. Welshimer was born on a farm near York, Union County, Ohio, April 6, 1873. At the age of nine his parents moved to West Mansfield in an adjoining county where they still live. There he was reared and attended the public schools. He graduated at Ohio Northern University at Ada in 1894 and from Hiram College in 1897. Spent five years in his first pastorate at Millersburg, Ohio. January 1, 1902, he took the pastorate at Canton, Ohio, where he still resides. The church at Canton in this time has grown from a membership of less than four hundred to a resident membership of 3,400 with a non-resident of seven hundred. The Bible school has grown from less than two hundred to be the largest in the world. The enrollment in the attending school is above 5,000. Cradle Roll and Home Department bring the total enrollment to nearly 6,000. May 15, 1900, he was married to Miss Clara Hornig, of Vermilion, Ohio. They have three children--Helen, Mildred and Ralph, whose ages are 16, 14 and 10.

Mr. Welshimer possesses a winning personality, though he is shy of using it for popular ends. He impresses one with the idea that he holds within himself an immense amount of reserve force. While his achievements for any day are great, he makes one feel that ne plus ultra has no place in his outlook. His tomorrow is always bigger than his today.

What are the chief elements of his phenomenal success?

(1) An overmastering faith. He believes something and this something is definite. He does not attempt all things that by all means he may do nothing. He plans his work, and this is wisely done.

(2) But he knows the plan is nothing, if it is not vitalized by personality.

(3) He is himself the battery which energizes every part of the machinery. Without Welshimer the work at Canton would cease to be a wonder. But this is the fate of all great personalities. Spurgeon was a great personality, and also a great organizer, but since his death his work has dwindled. A steam engine is worthless without the steam. An army may be a power for weakness if it has not a competent and inspiring leader. Napoleon was more than all his men. Welshimer is more than all his organizations, and yet without these organizations, he could not do the great work he is doing. His great success is owing to personality wisely adjusted to well considered plans for work.

What he can do, cannot others do? We answer, No. Right here is the danger of what is called method. David could not wear Saul's armor, but he could do even a greater work than Saul could do. Everyone must plan and work out his or her own methods. Schools for Methods and lectures on Methods, may do much harm, if not wisely qualified. Mr. Welshimer's church and school would be a white elephant in the hands of some men of even more talent than he has, but of an entirely different kind. Every man has his place, but Welshimer's place is not for every man.