Live Coals of Fire (1899)

On October 6, 1899, evangelist B. H. Irwin began issuing Live Coals of Fire, the official paper of the Fire Baptized Holiness Association of America. At a time when many churches faced spiritual weariness and moral compromise, the paper offered plain, urgent counsel—calling readers back to repentance, steady prayer, and obedience that reached beyond outward respectability into the heart.

Printed words became a kind of traveling sermon. Carried to homes, class meetings, and holiness gatherings, the publication sought to warm cold affections and to awaken believers to the nearness of eternity. Its very title pointed to a faith meant to burn—not flash for a moment and fade.

B. H. Irwin

Irwin was known for insisting that Christian life should be marked by more than profession. He urged believers to seek the fullness of the Spirit’s work, not as a mere experience to boast in, but as power for purity, love, and witness. His labor in print alongside preaching showed spiritual courage: he risked criticism, fatigue, and misunderstanding to strengthen the saints when personal visits were impossible.

His message echoed the apostolic expectation of Spirit-empowered discipleship: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses…” (Acts 1:8). In that sense, publishing was itself an act of witness—public, costly, and persistent.

Fire Baptized Holiness Association of America

Organized the year before by believers from Methodist, Quaker, and River Brethren backgrounds, the association reflected a shared hunger for deeper devotion and disciplined holiness. These streams brought together fervent preaching, earnest simplicity, and a serious view of sanctification. In camp meetings and revival services across growing towns and rural communities, the movement pressed for a life “set apart,” expecting God to revive ordinary Christians for extraordinary faithfulness.

Themes and Legacy

Live Coals of Fire repeatedly returned to practical godliness: confession of sin, reconciliation, modest living, Scripture meditation, and courageous evangelism. It encouraged believers to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6), and to remember that holiness is not optional: “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15). Its enduring lesson is that God often preserves His people through humble means—steady teaching, brave testimony, and hearts kept burning in prayer.