Charles William Gordon, CMG (September 13, 1860 – October 31, 1937), also known as Ralph Connor, was a Canadian novelist, using the Connor pen name while maintaining his status as a church leader, first in the Presbyterian and later the United Church in Canada.
Gordon was born in Glengarry County, Canada West. He was the son of Rev. Daniel Gordon and Mary Robertson Gordon. His father was a Free Church of Scotland Missionary in Upper Canada. While at Knox College, Gordon was inspired by a lecture given by Superintendent Robertson about the challenges in the West, leading him to pursue his summer mission work there, and ultimately to spend his life on reform and mission work in Western Canada."Charles William Gordon (Ralph Connor): Archives & Special Collections : Libraries." University of Manitoba. Accessed March 29, 2018. http://umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/archives/collections/complete_holdings/ead/html/gordon.shtml#tag_bioghist . Gordon's views were largely shaped by Robertson, who believed that the settlers' lax attitudes towards irregular church services and lukewarm spirituality could only be remedied by missionaries. Gordon felt called to be one of these missionaries and establish not only churches, but Christian social and moral reform in Western Canada. To this end, Gordon completed his theological training in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he was even further affirmed in his desire to bring the church to Western Canada.Marshall, David Brian. Secularizing the Faith Canadian Protestant Clergy and the Crisis of Belief, 1850-1940. Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press, 1992. pg. 218 The theological atmosphere in Scotland during the 1870s and 1880s was increasingly liberal. This movement towards harmonizing traditional Christian doctrine with modern advancements, such as science and evolution, greatly appealed to Gordon. He became an influential proponent of social reform in the West, as well as for the union of the churches. The union, which resulted in the formation of the United Church of Canada in the 1920s, was a response to the increasing liberalization and secularization growing in prevalence especially in Canada.
Gordon's views of Western Canada were intricately connected to his views of religion and Christianity. His social and reform work were rooted in his call to ministry and his desire to see Canada united both in faith and in Nation.
The difficulties on the mission fields of the Canadian West were motivating factors for his fiction writing, and he successfully had many of his writings published and sold.
Personal life
Family history Charles William Gordon's parents were Rev. Daniel Gordon (1822–1910) and Mary Gordon (née Robertson; d. 1890).Wilson, Keith. Manitobans in Profile: Charles William Gordon. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1981, 1.
Glengarry County, Ontario, where Charles would be born, was backwoods country, situated on the St. Lawrence River, and composed of Scottish immigrants. It was characterized by the Scottish virtues of religion, hard-work, and stern Calvinism, but with the addition of wry wit and a passion for theological debates. It was these theological debates that led to the division of the Presbyterian Church. In 1843, dissenters in the established Presbyterian Church of Scotland (the Auld Kirk), seceded and formed the Free Church of Scotland. It was this new Free Church that upheld the goal to send missionaries to Canada. The dissension affected several Presbyterian congregations in Glengarry County, most prominently the Free Church congregation at Indian Lands (named for the original land tracts which were leased from St. Regis Mohawk Tribe), led by Rev. Daniel Gordon since 1853.Wilson, Keith. Manitobans in Profile: Charles William Gordon. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1981, 2. Rev. Daniel Gordon had a reputation as a fiery Highland preacher who inspired both fear and awe with his sermons on sin and the final judgement. Daniel Gordon's passion was animated by his very strong belief in the spirit world, but his greatest passion was the "Love of the Cross."Gordon, Charles W. Postscript to Adventure. New York: Ferris Printing Company, 1938, 6. As Charles said of his own father, "Not one of all the great preachers I have known could ever thrill my soul as could my father when I was a little lad."
A strict disciplinarian, Daniel Gordon ruled with respect and rarely had to resort to punishing his children. His frequent absences, however, as he traveled to other Parishes, meant that the duty of discipline fell to his wife, Mary. In his autobiography, Charles Gordon remembered that his mother's discipline was mild but never failed to fill him with remorse: after chastising, she would make her children kneel in prayer with her. As Gordon described, "no matter how filled with anger my heart might be, before the prayer was ended the love and grief in her voice and the tears in her eyes never failed to break me up."
The Indian Lands church, where Charles was born, shared a building with an Auld Kirk congregation. Conflict eventually boiled over, causing the Auld Kirk congregation to lock the doors, barring Daniel Gordon's congregation out. In response, Daniel kicked the doors in and proceeded with his service. He was brought up on charges, though never convicted, and the Free Church congregation was forced to find a building of their own.Wilson, Keith. Manitobans in Profile: Charles William Gordon. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1981, 2-3. Daniel Gordon also had a sense of humour and was both liked and respected. Charles Gordon drew much inspiration and virtue from his father for his strong yet loving personality and skill as a preacher.
Mary Gordon came from a scholarly family and was granted the education that most girls were denied in this Victorian period. After completing her early education at Sherbrooke Young Ladies' Academy in Canada East, Mary went on to Mount Holyoke Ladies' Seminary in New England.Wilson, Keith. Manitobans in Profile: Charles William Gordon. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1981, 3. She excelled in English, mathematics, and philosophy; so much so that she was invited to be principal at the young age of 22. Although the position was a great honour, Mary ultimately decided not to accept the offer in favour of remaining at home in Sherbrooke. It was there that she later met and married the young Presbyterian minister Daniel Gordon. Together, Mary and Daniel moved to Indian Lands, where Charles was born and raised.
Early life and education Charles William Gordon was born in Glengarry County, Ontario, on September 13, 1860, the fourth son to Rev. Daniel Gordon (1822–1910) and Mary Gordon (née Robertson; d. 1890).
According to Keith Wilson, "The Christian warmth of his home, the surrounding forests of pine and balsams, the hard physical life of the settlers and the carefree gaiety of the youngsters were all integral parts of his education."Wilson, Keith. Manitobans in Profile: Charles William Gordon. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1981. pg. 1 His formal education began in the pine log schoolhouse at Athol. The schoolhouse itself represented the settlers of Canada West: sturdy yet poor. The education Charles received was strongly Scottish. The schoolmaster was both loved and feared, and always respected.Wilson, Keith. Manitobans in Profile: Charles William Gordon. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1981. pg. 4 It was during this time, as Charles grew into his love for learning, that the British colonies of North America were on their way to Confederation. Indian Lands was 25 miles from the nearest railway station. The community was isolated, and Charles had very little recollection of these political changes later in his life.Wilson, Keith. Manitobans in Profile: Charles William Gordon. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1981. pg. 5
In 1870, his father was called to Zorra in Oxford County, where the congregation was Highlander mixed with Lowland and English. This move brought Charles into proximity to more formal civilization, the village of Harrington being close by. It was here that Charles continued his elementary schooling, with an emphasis on preparing for admission into high school. Charles thrived under this new challenge and developed ambition in both scholarship and organized sports.
Charles attended high school at St. Mary's in Harrington, Ontario. Because it was a 10-mile drive, he and his siblings had to board in town during the week, returning on Fridays for the weekend and the "steadying influence of home." Schooling at this time in Canada West was expensive, and Daniel Gordon could not afford to send his boys on his own salary. The boys thus hired themselves out during the summers to local farmers and were able to help pay their own way. As Wilson summarizes, "Determination and hard-work became characteristic of young Charles, and these qualities assured his success at St. Mary's Collegiate Institute where he first met the challenge of classical scholarship." It was here that Charles developed a fervent appreciation for language through his studies of Latin and Greek poetry. In 1879, he completed his High school degree with first class honours in English, mathematics, and classics, giving him a firm foundation for his university career at the University of Toronto.
Like many other young men in the area, Gordon went to Toronto and received theological training at Knox College at the University of Toronto where he completed a B.A. and graduated with distinction in 1886. He then went on to study in Edinburgh, where he became deeply troubled by higher criticism and sought guidance from his mentors, A.B. Davidson, Marcus Dodds, Alexander Whyte, and Henry Drummond who all believed in a new attitude and views of the West.
Later life and family In 1890, the sudden death of Gordon's mother, who had been such a strong and positive influence in his life, was a life-altering event for Gordon.Wilson, Keith. Manitobans in Profile: Charles William Gordon. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1981, 10.
He met his wife, Helen King, while at college. He and his brother attended the church where her father, Dr. King, was minister during his college and university days in Toronto.Gordon, Charles W. Postscript to Adventure. New York: Ferris Printing Company, 1938, 413. Later, when Gordon had taken up the position offered to him in Winnipeg, he was reacquainted with Helen who had moved out West with her family when Dr. King was given the position of first principal of Manitoba College. They were married in Toronto in 1899. As Wilson has summarized, "With her strong convictions, efficiency and dedication, she was to prove a source of real strength to him."Wilson, Keith. Manitobans in Profile: Charles William Gordon. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1981, 18. Together, they had one son (J. King Gordon) and six daughters. All of their children graduated from the University of Manitoba, continuing on the strong scholarly legacy of their parents. Despite Gordon's many duties, he remained close to his family at all times.Wilson, Keith. Manitobans in Profile: Charles William Gordon. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1981, 50-51.
Gordon continued working right up until a few days before his death on October 31, 1937.Wilson, Keith. Manitobans in Profile: Charles William Gordon. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1981, 51. His passion for preaching, ministering to spiritual needs, and serving social reform never abated.
Career
Religion and ministerial career