In Stonington, Connecticut, on June 8, 1830, Trumbull entered the world. He endeavored to further his education by attending Williston Seminary, Yale, and the University of New York. Though ordained a Congregational minister, Trumbull never pastored a church. He involved himself in Sunday school programs and served as the state missionary of the American Sunday-School Association before becoming the New England secretary of the American Sunday-School Union. During the Civil War he worked as a chaplain for the Tenth Connecticut Regiment and in Confederate prisons.
Trumbull's desire to bring souls to Christ set him apart. No one before him had expressed such a desire to win souls to the Lord and then written down his beliefs. Personal evangelism wasn't a field Trumbull chose to enter; he pioneered the field by emphasizing friendship, tact, faith, and prayer. Not pushing a person to lose his doubts, Trumbull instead encouraged one to focus on what he knew and accepted. By then reading the Bible, he may lose his doubts and disbelief as he gained strength through what he believed to be true. Trumbull's evangelism helped open the door for R. A. Torrey, who would also become famous for his principles of personal evangelism.
Trumbull showed respect to each individual he encountered. His personality and love of the Lord appealed to a great many people. They listened to him or read his words, for Trumbull penned 38 books, including
Friendship the Master-Passion,
How to Deal with Doubts and Doubters, and
The Blood Covenant. A traveler as well, Trumbull visited Egypt, Arabia, and Syria, identifying the Biblical site of Kadesh-Barnea. Busy, full of energy, and happy to speak about the Lord, Trumbull lived his life to help others. This pioneering soul-winner passed away on December 8, 1903, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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