Francis & Edith Schaeffer

Two years after Francis Schaeffer’s conversion in 1932, Francis and Edith would both separately attend a youth meeting at Francis Schaeffer’s home church. During the meeting, a former member who was now a Unitarian, was presenting openly on the topic of "How I know that Jesus is not the Son of God and how I know that the Bible is not the Word of God.” Fran and Edith, who did not yet know each other, would both stand up to give rebuttal at the meeting and immediately noted each other from across the room. It was in this climate that their deep common bond with Scripture, ministry, and each other would begin to be realized. As they each spoke, both of them began inquiring about each other with their respective friends, "Who's that boy?" and "Who's that girl?" Fran would push his way through the crowd to approach Edith thereafter.

In their rebuttals to the speaker, Fran who was still young in his faith, replied on conviction, while Edith replied with arguments of Old Princeton apologetics, quoting Dr. Gresham Machen and Dr. Robert D. Wilson (faculty of Westminster Seminary nearby). Edith was the stronger theologically, but Fran was deeply passionate. So it is no surprise what happened next. Young Fran would ask Edith if she had anyone to walk her home. Thus, Edith would inform Francis that she already had a date. Fran was undeterred and quite tenacious, thus he boldly replied...simply, “Break it!” The rest, as they say, is history. Fran and Edith would look back on this event as a moment of "meeting on the battlefield," one that sealed their relationship and also forecasted their future. Francis Schaeffer did in fact walk Edith home that night. In Edith he had found a lifelong partner and ally against Religious Liberalism with a heart for standing for Truth and the integrity of Scripture. The two would later be married on July 6th, 1936 (80 years ago) and begin their life of ministry together.

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