Brightwell Added To Our Staff
It is with genuine pleasure that we add the name of W. E. Brightwell to our Gospel Guardian force. Widely experienced in both secular and religious publications, he will contribute greatly to the worth and effectiveness of this journal When Foy E. Wallace, Jr., became editor of the Gospel Advocate in 1931, he set about at once to try to secure W. E. Brightwell as a helper in that undertaking. Brother Brightwell was at that time Circulation Manager of the Temple (Texas) Daily Telegram, having worked for fourteen years with that newspaper. He edited a daily column in the Telegram under the caption, "The Preacher Says." This column dealt with a variety of topics, political as well as religious, and was one of the most widely read features of the paper.
It was not until 1938 that Brightwell left his secular newspaper work to come to Nashville as News Editor of the Gospel Advocate. Under the capable team-work of Wallace and Brightwell, the Gospel Advocate soon rose to the highest circulation it had ever enjoyed up to that time. It is generally agreed, too, that during these years the journalistic standard of the Advocate was at the highest peak it has known since the days of Lipscomb and Sewell.
For seventeen years Brother Brightwell continued as News Editor of the Advocate, frequently contributing material of his own to its columns. His writings carried always a clarity, a simplicity, and a "punch" that showed unmistakably the professional background of a trained newspaper man. His work also revealed the careful and analytical thinking of a conservative and very able Bible student.
In a recent issue of the Gospel Advocate there was a reference to Brother Brightwell's leaving that paper "to preach for a church in Lufkin, Texas." His primary purpose in leaving the Gospel Advocate was to assume a place with the Gospel Guardian as News Editor for us and "to preach for a church" at Herty, a small town on the outskirts of Lufkin.
Readers of Gospel Guardian may look forward to a new and worthwhile treatment of the news of the churches. His long years on the Advocate staff have given our News Editor the background and the experience to make him invaluable to us. On many occasions he took the whole responsibility of editing the Advocate, putting the paper out week after week, right on time, and with never a hitch.
The Gospel Guardian goes forward with a renewed impetus now that both Brother Brightwell and Cled E. Wallace will be living in Lufkin, where they can work together. With the loyal support of our thousands of readers, and with each one making a diligent effort to secure other subscribers, we promise you a better and more interesting paper. The future shall witness some real progress.