Talk:William Chalmers Burns

Revival meeting - inappropriate link
The two links to revival meeting are somewhat inappropriate. Burns' approach to spiritual revival differed profoundly from that advocated by Charles G. Finney. Both Burns and M'Cheyne were Calvinists who viewed genuine revival as the sovereign work of God, not something subject to the will of man and not a result of this or that particular methodology. For a useful treatment of this subject (albeit on a different continent), refer to the book Revival and Revivalism by Iain Murray. DFH 19:55, 12 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Thank you for this clarification. I'm glad to see other input on Burns, especially from the British roots--there is considerable more to say about his 1845 trek to Canada (Canada East=Quebec, Canada West=Ontario); despite his Uncle Robert (nae the bard!), the Free Church in Canada was influenced by these Burns' -- his cousin (Robert's son), Robert F. Burns took leadership to a later generation in the Presbyerian Church in Canada (Moderator 1887). There are a number of Burns Churches named in various Ontario communities; I'll eventually list a few congregations definitly named after WCB.
 * There's also a story that he held infant George Leslie Mackay (1844-1901) on a western trek from Toronto to Zorra in the 1845 Deputation; Mackay later went to Taiwan in 1871, the first Foreign Missionary from the Canada Presbyterian Church, although Burns was also treated as their missionary. Perhaps his Memoirs (cited) contain more of these meetings.
 * Bacl-presby 20:28, 13 December 2006 (UTC)


 * The author/editor of God's Polished Arrow (cited) is Associate Professor of Church History at MBTS. I'm sure that he will be interested in any new details that come to light. DFH 19:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Anachronistic link
The link named 'Anglo-American religious revivals' actually links to the Second Great Awakening which is dated 1800–1830s. Burns participation in religious revival in Scotland and Canada came later (in 1839 & 1845 respectively), so the wikilink is an anachronism. Moreover, he never visited the United States. DFH 19:37, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Don't count on that last comment yet...The Presbyterian Church of Canada in Connection with the Free Church of Scotland actually had a witness in border communities in Canada East and Canada West Including Detroit, and Waddington NY (opposite Morrisburg ON)....agreed, however, his Canada visit was with regards to The Free Church; American Presbyterianism wasn't too affected by the Edinburgh Disruption; the US had the Old School/New School split to deal with.... Bacl-presby 00:36, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

American Presbyterian
I just saw a change to this entry, noting Burns as an AMERICAN Presbyterian. I question this here, as noted above, Burns NEVER got into the USA (except for a quick visit at the Canadian Border--Niagara Falls?)...I'm going to revert the entry for that reason; nor would I classify him as a Canadian Presbyterian.... Bacl-presby 19:42, 9 January 2007 (UTC) For the record....In Memoirs, pp 280 + 282, the account (prepared by his Uncle, Rev. Robert Burns, DD of Toronto), noted TWO US visits; Fort Covington NY (near Montreal), and Detroit, MI. Bacl-presby 00:59, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

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Where born
The infobox states that he was born in Dun, Forfarshire (which is now Angus) and the article is in Category:People from Angus. Yet the opening of the article states he "originated from Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire." Obviously one of these places has to be wrong. As these places are 80 miles apart it is not the case that this could be simple confusion about the locality. Dunarc (talk) 15:04, 20 June 2020 (UTC)