Robert Chapman

Robert Cleaver Chapman (4 January 1803 – 12 June 1902), known as the "apostle of Love", was a pastor, teacher and evangelist.

Early days Chapman was born in Helsingor, Denmark, in a wealthy Anglican merchant family from Whitby, Yorkshire. Robert was educated by his mother whilst the family was in Denmark and later at a boarding school in Yorkshire, after the return of the family to England.

At the age of 15 Robert moved to London to work as an apprentice clerk in the legal profession.

Legal career Robert completed his 5-year apprenticeship and became an attorney in 1823. In the same year he became a Christian after listening to the gospel preached by James Harington Evans

In 1831 Robert visited Barnstaple on a holiday and helped out in preaching and other Christian work in the vicinity. On returning to London he became convinced that he was being called into full-time Christian work; he also increasingly felt that some aspects of his legal work sat uncomfortably with his faith.

In 1832 he was invited by the Ebenezer Strict Baptist Chapel in Barnstaple to be their pastor. In April 1832 he left the legal profession and moved to Barnstaple to become a pastor.

Pastoral career He accepted the post as pastor of a Strict Baptist chapel only on the condition that he would only be bound by what was written in the Bible and not by any denominational creeds or beliefs.

In regards to the timing of the rapture of the Church, an issue which became prominent within the brethren movement, Chapman held a partial rapture view with part of the saved being raptured before the Great Tribulation and a part of them after the Great Tribulation.

Charles Spurgeon called Chapman "the saintliest man I ever knew". Chapman became so well known that a letter from abroad addressed only to "R.C. Chapman, University of Love, England" was correctly delivered to him.

Selected sayings “God is love” (1 John 4:16). His children please Him only so far as they are like Him, and “walk in love” (Eph. 5:2). Humility is the secret of fellowship, and pride the secret of division. If we would wisely reprove the flesh in our brethren, we must first, after the Lord's example, remember and commend the grace in them.