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Francis August Schaeffer IV was born January 30 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. He was the only child of Francis August Schaeffer III and Bessie Williamson Schaeffer.
Edith Rachel Merritt Seville (Francis Schaeffer's future wife) was born in Wenchow, China on November 3. She was the fourth child of missionaries, George Hugh Seville and Jessie Maude Merritt Seville.
Francis Schaeffer accidentally recieved a book on Greek philosophy from the library. It raised all of the questions of life. However, being a church goer, but not really believing that the Bible was true, he decided to give it a fair reading. So at the age of eighteen, after reading the Bible all of the way through starting at Genesis, Schaeffer came to the conlusion that it "answered the questions" and became a Christian.
Francis Schaeffer leaves for Hampden-Sydney College to study for the ministry against his father’s wishes. He father agrees to pay for the first half year.
Francis met his future wife on June 26 at the First Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Pennsylvania in the defense of the faith. During a youth meeting where the leader was preaching on "How I know the Bible is not the Word of God." both Francis and Edith stood up to make rebuttal. Each noticed the other from across the room. Upon meeting and hearing that Edith had a date to walk her home, Francis flatly replied, "Break it!" They would be inseperable therafter.
Edith enters Beaver College for a degree in home economics.
Francis Graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in June.
Fran was second in his senior class and graduated magna cum laude. His father was pleased and impressed by his hard work.
Francis Schaeffer and Edith Seville are married on July 6.
Francis enters Westminster Theological Seminary in September.
The Schaeffer's first daughter, Precilla, was born on June 18.
Schaeffer leaves Westminster Theological seminary during the church split between the Presbyterian Church of America (now the Orthodox Presbyterian Church) and the Bible Presbyterian Church. Schaeffer would be instrumental in assisting in the founding and coordinating of classes of the new seminary.
Francis Graduated from Faith Theological Seminary on Willmington, Delaware.
Francis is ordained as the first pastor of the Bible Presbyterian Church denomination.
Francis began serving as senior pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Grove City, Pennsylvania.
Francis is elected moderator of the Great Lakes Presbytery of the Bible Presbyterian Church.
Francis began serving as associate pastor of the Bible Presbyterian Church in Chester, Pennsylvania.
The Schaeffers' second daughter, Susan, was born on May 28.
Francis began serving as the senior pastor of the Bible Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri.
Several months after arrival, the Schaeffers founded Children For Christ which in a very short time would develop into an international ministry.
The Schaeffers' third daughter, Deborah, was born on May 3.
Francis traveled throughout Europe for three months to evaluate the state of the church in Europe as a representative of the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions and as the American Secretary for the Foreign Relations Department of the American Council of Christian Churches. His observations would inspire a lot of the future content for the book and film series How Should We Then Live? nearly 30 years later.
The Schaeffers meet a young doctor that would later become the Surgeon General of the United States, when he diagnosed their daughter Priscilla with a rare ailment that the previous doctor was unable to cure. They would later collaborate on Whatever Happened to the Human Race?
The Schaeffers move to Lausanne, Switzerland with their three daughters to be missionaries to Europe. Working on Children for Christ ministry, and the formation of the International Council of Christian Churches.
Moved to Chalet des Frenes in the mountain village of Champery, Switzerland.
Francis Schaeffer accompanied four other theologians (Young, Buswell, Bennet, Stam) to a meeting with Karl Barth in August.
Francis delivers an address to the International Council of Christian Churches on Barth and the new modernism.
Schaeffer went through a spiritual crisis in the winter months. During this time, Schaeffer recognized that something was deeply wrong and he carefully reconsidered his Christian commitment and the priorities of life. Schaeffer emerged from this experience with a new certainty about his faith, and emphasis on sanctification and the work of Holy Spirit. This crisis will be the catalyst for the studies he writes for lectures in 1953-54, which will later be the basis for his book True Spirituality.
Francis August Schaeffer IV - “Franky” was born on August 3.
Schaeffers return to the US with family on furlong.
During 1953 and 1954 Schaeffer traveled across the country speaking 246 times during 515 days about the deeper spiritual life. During this time Schaeffer first presented the talks which grew out of his spiritual crisis and later became the basis for his book True Spirituality many years later.
Awarded honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in May by Highland College in Long Beach, California.
Returned to Champery, Switzerland in September. Franky Schaeffer contracted polio on the boat en route to Switzerland.
After receiving notice from the Swiss government on February 14 that they must leave Switzerland permanently within six weeks. The Schaeffers moved into Chalet Les Melezes in Huemoz, Switzerland on April 1 after receiving the money for the the first month's rent on Chalet Les Melezes through a series of miraculous circumstances. Their resignation from the Independent Board of Presbyterian Foreign Missions on June 4, marked the informal beginning of L'Abri Fellowship.
English L'Abri founded after Schaeffer gave lectures at Oxford and elsewhere in England.
Lectures given at Wheaton College, originally titled, "Speaking Historic Christianity into the Twentieth Century." These lectures would later become the basis of The God Who Is There and several of his early works. The lecture transcript would be organized into a book and sent to him.
Escape From Reason is Published (The second book of Schaeffer's Trilogy).
The God Who Is There is Published (Intended to have been published first. It is the first book of Schaeffer's Trilogy).
Edith publishes her first book, L'Abri.
Death in the City is published.
Pollution And The Death Of Man is published.
The Church At The End Of The Twentieth Century is published.
The Mark Of A Christian is published.
Edith's second work, The Hidden Art of Homemaking: Creative Ideas for Enriching Everyday Life is published.
Dr. Schaeffer, receives the Doctor of Letters degree in June from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts.
The Church Before The Watching World is published.
True Spirituality is published.
He Is There And He Is Not Silent, the third book of the Trilogy, is published.
Basic Bible Studies is published.
Genesis In Space And Time is published.
The New Super Spirituality is published.
Back To Freedom And Dignity is published.
Art And The Bible is published.
Everybody Can Know is published. Written by Francis and Edith.
No Little People is published.
Two Contents Two Realities is published.
Introduction to Francis Schaeffer: Study Guide to a Trilogy is published.
Ash Heap Lives is published.
Christianity is Jewish is published by Edith.
Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History is published.
No Final Conflict is published.
What Is A Family is published by Edith.
How Should We Then Live? is published and will be followed up by a film series and tour the following year.
A Way Of Seeing is published by Edith.
How Should We Then Live? film series and tour transpires.
Affliction is published by Edith.
Lifelines is published by Edith.
Whatever Happened To The Human Race? is published and would include a film series by the same title.
A Christian Manifesto is published.
The Tapestry is published by Edith.
The Complete Works Of Francis Schaeffer is published.
Common Sense Christian Living is published by Edith.
Who Is For Peace? is published (Schaeffer contributed).
The Great Evangelical Disaster is published (Assisted by Lane T. Dennis).
Who Is For Life? is published (Schaeffer contributed).
Dr. Schaeffer passes away in his home in Rochester, Minnesota on May 15, 1984, he was 72.
The Letters of Francis Schaeffer is published (compiled by Lane T. Dennis).
Forever Music is published by Edith.
The Art Of Life is published by Edith.
With Love, Edith. The L'Abri Family Letters 1948-1960 is published by Edith.
Dear Family: The LAbri Family Letters 1961 to 1986 is published by Edith.
The Trilogy is published. Published after Schaeffer’s death with the understanding that Schaeffer viewed these three works as foundational to all the rest.
The Life Of Prayer is published by Edith.
My Life With The Great Pianist is published by Edith, written with Franz Mohr.
A Celebration Of Marriage: Hopes And Realities is published by Edith.
10 Things Parents Must Teach Their Children: And Learn Themselves is published by Edith.
The Finished Work Of Christ is published by The Francis Schaeffer Foundation.
Corruption vs. True Spirituality is published by Vishal Mangalwadi (add-on to Schaeffer's classic book, True Spirituality).
Mei Fuh: Memories from China is published by Edith.
A Celebration of Children is published by Edith.
Edith moved to Switzerland to live with her daughter Debbie and husband Udo Middleman.
Edith passes into eternity to be with Fran and her Lord Jesus.
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