The Papers of evangelist Noble Tester were donated to the Disciples of Christ Historical Society in 2005 by his daughter, Mary Nell Tester Hogg and his son, Eugene Tester.

They include a number of particularly fine examples of Sermon Charts, painted and lettered by an artist known only by the initials on one of the charts – P.E.M.  The signature is accompanied by the date 8-47.  It appears that the works were created primarily in the 1940s.

The charts give us an excellent opportunity to observe the structure and use of sermon charts in the mid-twentieth century. Browse the online collection of Sermon Charts.

The collections of the Historical Society contain a number of illustrated publications describing and encouraging the use of sermon charts.  The evangelist Noble Tester listed his topics and allowed prospective church groups to be polled for their preferences.  The selected chart was mounted on nails driven though a rod suspended before the audience. 

The use of illustrated charts as a homiletic aid dates back at least to the nineteenth century.

The history of Christianity was a popular topic, and the charts could become quite detailed.  This theme was used more than once by Noble Tester in his gospel meetings, and he used a variety of approaches, though his charts always emphasized the triumphant flowering of the Restoration Movement, resulting from layers of the Protestant Reformation.

As an evangelist, Noble Tester employed a variety of eye-catching methods to get the attention of revival audiences.  In his charts, he used humor, pathos, encouragement and even threats to make his points and motivate his listeners.  The images shown here reach the viewer with straightforward messages, vivid colors, and memorable, if sometimes primitive, images.