W. E. Sangster (June 5, 1900 – May 24, 1960) William Edwin Robert Sangster was a British Methodist minister, preacher, and theologian whose ministry revitalized Methodism through powerful evangelism and a focus on Christian holiness. Born in Shoreditch, London, to Anglican parents—a cardboard box cutter and a homemaker—he was raised in humble circumstances, leaving school at 15 to work as an office boy. Drawn to Methodism through Radnor Street Mission, he converted at 13 in 1913, preached his first sermon at 16, and became a local preacher by 17. After serving in World War I, he trained at Handsworth and Richmond Colleges, was ordained in 1926, and married Margaret Conway, with whom he had twins, Paul and Margaret. Sangster’s preaching career included pastorates in Liverpool (1929–1932), Scarborough (1932–1936), Leeds (1936–1939), and, most notably, Westminster Central Hall, London (1939–1955), where he drew 3,000 weekly, many queuing for hours, even during World War II bombings when the church’s crypt served as an air raid shelter. Elected president of the Methodist Conference in 1950, he championed scriptural holiness and supported Billy Graham’s crusades. A prolific writer, he authored books like The Craft of Sermon Construction, The Pure in Heart, and Why Jesus Never Wrote a Book, emphasizing Wesleyan doctrines of salvation and perfection. In 1957, he was diagnosed with progressive muscular atrophy, losing his voice by 1959, yet he wrote movingly of his faith, famously noting on Easter 1960, “How terrible to wake up on Easter and have no voice to shout, ‘He is risen!’” He died in Wandsworth, London, leaving a legacy as a “prince of preachers” whose sermons and writings continue to inspire.