I Shall See the King

William Charles Poole (1875–1949) was a dedicated American Methodist minister and a prolific hymn writer whose spiritual lyrics reached millions of believers. Born and raised on a rural farm in Maryland, Poole grew up in a devout Christian household. His parents were deeply committed members of the Methodist Church, embedding a strong foundation of faith and music in him from his earliest childhood years. He pursued his higher education at Washington College, graduating before answering a formal call to pastoral ministry.

Upon his ordination, Poole spent the majority of his ministerial career serving congregations in the Wilmington, Delaware area. He successfully pastored several prominent local churches, including McCabe Memorial Methodist Church and Richardson Park Methodist Church. Beyond his local pastoral duties, Poole was a passionate advocate for social reform and community welfare. In 1913, his leadership abilities and moral convictions led to his appointment as the superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League of Delaware, a role in which he actively campaigned for temperance. This specific chapter of his life even influenced a few of his unique, socially conscious song texts like "Poor old booze is losing all his friends" and "The liquor dealer once was boss."

Despite his heavy administrative and pastoral responsibilities, Poole discovered a deeply creative outlet in poetry. Over the course of his lifetime, he wrote approximately five hundred gospel hymns. For Poole, the process of writing verse was never a stressful commercial obligation, but rather a form of personal recreation and a peaceful diversion from the daily pressures of his ministerial work. Whether preaching a sermon from the pulpit or composing a chorus at his desk, his singular, overriding goal was always to help and comfort everyday people.

Poole’s hymns became staples of early twentieth-century gospel songbooks, frequently collaborating with major composers and publishers of the era. Among his three hundred surviving text authorities, his most universally recognized and widely published masterpiece is the comforting hymn, "Just when I need Him, Jesus is near" (often paired with the chorus "Just when I need Him most"), which appeared in well over one hundred major hymnals. Other highly successful pieces from his pen included "I shall see the King Where the angels sing," "When you count the ones who love the Lord," and the global missionary anthem "Christ shall be King of the whole wide world." Through these simple, encouraging lines, the Maryland farm boy turned Delaware pastor achieved his lifelong dream of providing spiritual strength to countless individuals long after his death in 1949.