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S.B. Shaw

S.B. Shaw (1852–January 31, 1943) was an American Methodist Episcopal preacher, historian, and editor, known for his work in documenting revival movements and promoting holiness theology. Born Solomon Benjamin Shaw in Illinois to Benjamin Shaw and Elizabeth Wood, he spent much of his life in the Midwest, eventually settling in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Raised in a Methodist family, Shaw married Etta Ellen McBride on September 26, 1878, in McBride, Michigan, and they had at least one child, Grace, born in 1880. His ministry was shaped by the late 19th-century holiness movement, and he labored on what he called an “undenominational line,” seeking a middle ground between denominational and independent factions. Shaw’s preaching career included active participation in holiness conventions, such as those in Cincinnati (1877), Jacksonville, Illinois (1880), Round Lake, New York (1882), and Chicago (1885, 1901), where he served as editor of the Michigan Holiness Record. He authored influential works like The Great Revival in Wales (1905) and Touching Incidents and Remarkable Answers to Prayer (1893), which chronicled spiritual awakenings and personal testimonies. Living in Chicago for a time before returning to Grand Rapids, Shaw died there on January 31, 1943, at age 90, leaving a legacy as a chronicler of revivalism and a voice for holiness within Methodism.