Jerry McAuley—Evangelist to the Down and Out

Jerry McAuley—Evangelist to the Down and Out: From River Thief to Rescuer of the Lost on Water Street

Personal recollections by A. S. Hatch, James Talcott, Mrs. E. M. Whittemore, Mrs. Spencer W. Coe, Rev. John Calvin Knox, and contributions by J. H. Wyburn, James A. Richards, and others.

With an Introduction by Rev. S. Irenaeus Prime, D.D.

In the summer before he died, Jerry McAuley planned to write a detailed account of how God worked in and through his life. He wanted to wait for cooler weather to begin writing. Sadly, he passed away before he could start. Because of this, we have lost many stories about God’s grace at work in both the Water Street and Cremorne Missions.

Thankfully, enough stories remain, and you’ll find them in these pages. They are sure to touch the hearts of Christians. These stories remind us that God’s grace is available to everyone, without exception. Just as the most beautiful jewels are often found in the most unlikely places in nature, God’s grace brings forth shining examples of His love from even the darkest corners of society.

We also see that God often uses unexpected people to accomplish His purposes. At first, Jerry seemed like an unlikely candidate for God’s grace, but God saved him anyway. Even after his conversion, Jerry didn’t appear to be a particularly promising Christian leader. Ministers and others involved in mission work didn’t encourage him to believe that he was called to that kind of work. But God had indeed called Jerry, and He blessed Jerry’s work in ways that no one could have imagined.

This is a clear reminder that we are just fragile humans carrying a precious treasure – the message of God’s love. The true glory belongs to God alone.

I am deeply grateful to the friends who helped make this book possible. The first three chapters come from “Transformed,” a book edited by Mrs. Helen Brown. There are also three special chapters with personal memories of Jerry and his work, written by A. S. Hatch. These are some of the most powerful parts of this book and make it much more valuable. Mr. Hatch also carefully reviewed every word in the book, suggesting changes when needed. He knew Jerry for a very long time and very well, so he could do this better than anyone else.

I also want to thank the Rev. S. Irenaeus Prime, for the introduction. His memories of Jerry are written with such kindness and emotion that they will make readers eager to learn more about his life in the rest of the book.

My part in this project was small. I simply gathered existing material that best showed Jerry as someone who was rejected, then changed, and finally became a successful helper of others. I prepared the content for printing without trying to make the facts sound fancy with extra words. The work was simple, but I enjoyed it. It’s an honor to help tell the story of God’s grace as seen in Jerry McAuley’s life, and I am truly thankful to God for this opportunity.

I sincerely hope that God is honored by this story as much as He was honored by Jerry’s life. May Christians who read these pages be encouraged to work for the salvation of the most outcast among their fellow beings! May many of those who are as yet unsaved be led by these records to seek the Savior of Jerry McAuley, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Of that blessed Redeemer, it is written in God’s Book, the Bible, “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them”. His own words are: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.