Today’s Leader of Faith
EDWARD MOTE
Home Call : 13 Nov 1874
Pastor, Hymn Writer
Edward Mote (1797–1874) was well known for his hymn “The Solid Rock.” He was born in London, England, on January 21, 1797, to pub-owning parents, who often left him to his own devices to play on the streets. Young Edward grew up without knowledge of the Bible or the loving presence of Christ. He was eventually exposed to the Christian gospel and was baptized at the age of 18. He trained as a cabinet maker and worked in London for 37 years.
At the age of 55, in 1852, Mote answered God’s call and became a Baptist preacher. He served as pastor at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Horsham, Sussex. He was well liked by the congregation, and they even offered him the church building as a gift. Mote refused, saying, “I do not want the chapel; I only want the pulpit, and when I cease to preach Christ, then turn me out of that.”
In 1834, while Mote was walking in Holborn, London, something inspired him to pen a popular gospel hymn, “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand,” which refers to the parable of the wise and foolish builders. The hymn was published two years later, in 1836. A collection of approximately 100 of his hymns was later published under the title Hymns of Praise.
He died at the age of 77 in 1874 and is buried in the churchyard at Rehoboth Baptist Church.