Avis Marguerite Burgeson Christiansen

Avis Marguerite Burgeson Christiansen was an American gospel hymn writer born in Chicago in 1895. Her maternal grandmother encouraged her childhood interest in devotional poetry, and a Presbyterian pastor, Henry Gross, was an important early spiritual influence. After high school in 1915 she became closely involved with the Moody Tabernacle and Moody Church. Hearing Harry Dixon Loes and his sister sing one of his songs helped convince her to devote her poetic gift to Christian song. Daniel B. Towner soon set and published some of her earliest texts.

In 1917 she married Ernest Christiansen, a Moody choir tenor who later became a vice president of Moody Bible Institute. Both attended the institute’s evening school, and Avis credited that biblical training with strengthening her writing. She sometimes published under her maiden name and under pseudonyms including Christian B. Anson and Constance B. Reid. Her collaborations included work with Loes, Haldor Lillenas, Wendell P. Loveless, Lance Latham, Merrill Dunlop, and John W. Peterson.

Christiansen wrote thousands of poems and gospel texts. Besides “Blessed Redeemer,” her better-documented songs include “Love Found a Way,” “Precious Hiding Place,” “Only One Life,” and “Fill All My Vision.” In a 1981 interview she recalled that Loes created the tune and title of “Blessed Redeemer” before she supplied the words.