Sir George Williams, founder of the YMCA

How many today realize that George Williams was the Billy Graham of the 19^th Century? Whenever he crossed the Atlantic Ocean, he made a point of personally sharing Christ and giving out literature to everyone on the ocean liner.  

Powerful movements, especially those touching youth, can usually be traced to one visionary individual who sets the “genetic code” of the future movement. Lord Baden-Powell did that for Scouting. Sir George Williams, at age 22, also did that in 1844 as founder of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). Sadly, many today have no idea what the “C” in YMCA even means.  Williams was a leading proponent of the Muscular Christian movement, which sought to holistically integrate body, mind and spirit. Basketball and volleyball were both invented and popularized by Williams’ YMCA movement.  The YMCA motto “That They All May Be One” is taken from the Gospel of John 17:21.

Williams was the youngest of the eight sons of Amos & Elisabeth Williams, of Ashway Farm, Dulverton, in the county of Somerset, England. He was born on October 11th, 1821.  Williams represented the massive 19th century shift from the rural to the burgeoning English cities.

Williams said, “I entered Bridgewater a careless, thoughtless, godless, swearing young fellow.
But the town of Bridgewater where he first learned the draper(clothing-goods) trade had a lasting impact on him. “I first learned in Bridgewater,” said Williams, “to love my dear Lord and Saviour for what He had done for me…I was on the downward road…I said, cannot I escape? Is there no escape? They told me in this town of Bridgewater how to escape – confess your sins, accept Christ, trust in Him, yield your heart to the Saviour. I cannot describe to you the joy and peace that flowed into my soul when I first saw that the Lord Jesus had died for my sins, and that they were all forgiven.”

From that moment on, Williams’ motto became: “It is not how little, but how much we can do for others.” J.E. Hodder said: “it was impossible to resent his cheerful, unaffected sincerity; his manly directness; his courageous simplicity.”

For many Canadians, the name “Sir George Williams” stirs a memory of the former name of Concordia University in Montreal. The very first YMCA in North America was started in Montreal on November 25, 1851 (two weeks before the American YMCA began in Boston). 

Paul Dampier, who wrote the Centennial book Courage and Conviction about the Vancouver YMCA, comments that his great grandfather used to visit Sir George Williams…when he travelled from London, Ontario to England. On one of these trips, Dampier’s great-grandfather took along his son, to whom Sir George presented a small pocket Bible inscribed with a prayerful hope that the promises of this book may be His joy.

In the first Annual Report of the Vancouver YMCA, activities included Bible classes, Sunday afternoon Gospel meetings, and street meetings. Before each gym class began, a five-minute prayer service was held.

Williams not only shared about Jesus Christ, but also fought for improved conditions for labour. The lives of the 150,000 London shop assistants in 1841 were still little removed from that of a slave. They were penned up in the unhealthy atmosphere of the shop from six or seven o’clock in the morning until ten or eleven o’clock at night. Everywhere men were looking for a leader. The success of the early-closing movement owes much, not only to the support Williams gave, but also to the example he afterwards set as an employer. Queen Victoria so appreciated his Christian impact that she knighted him in 1894.

Williams was a keen and brilliant businessman, who understood the art of delegation and ongoing accountability. From his growing and prosperous clothing-goods business, he regularly gave away two-thirds of his income, in order to help others. Williams once said: “What is my duty in business? To be righteous. To do right things between man and man. To buy honestly. Not to deceive or falsely represent or colour.”

Williams notably prayed: “Oh Lord, You have given me money. Give me a heart to do your will with it. May I use it for you and seek to get wisdom from you to use it aright.”

In Williams’ room hung a framed card illumined with the words “God First.” George Williams had learned from Dr. Charles Finney that everything worth doing needed to begin with, and end with prayer. His very last words, which he spoke while at the 1905 World YMCA Jubilee, were: “…if you wish to have a happy, useful, and profitable life, give your hearts to God while you are young.”

He was then carried to his room and died.

Our prayer for those reading this is that the muscular example of Sir George Williams may inspire each of us to make a difference in someone else’s life.