Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 1
December 22, 1949
NUMBER 33, PAGE 8

News

-W. E. Brightwell-

Clyde P. Findlay, 304 Pierce St., Houston, Texas: "Excellent preaching and hearty cooperation of other congregations marked the meeting at Pierce and Baldwin, with B. E. Lemmons of Dallas speaking. One seventy-year old man was baptized, and the church was greatly strengthened and inspired."

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J. T. Marlin, Dickson, Tenn.: "We have had four baptisms during the past three Sundays. We broadcast Monday through Friday each week, over W. J. Z. M., Clarksville, Tenn., 1400 K- C. The time is 11:15 to 11:30 a m-"

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George T. Jones, Nacogdoches, Texas: "During November a fine lady who had been a Baptist was baptized. Five made confessions of unfaithfulness, and three were identified with this congregation. Our Bible school attendance averaged 176 per Lord's day and the regular contributions averaged $254.70 per Lord's day. There are 167 members here."

Claude B- Holcomb, 633 W. Collin, Corsicana, Texas, December 6: "We have recently moved from a very pleasant work with the Welsh Street Church in Denton, Texas, to begin with the Fifth Avenue Church in Corsicana. The people here are very gracious and willing to work, therefore the prospects are bright."

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THE PEACOCK-LILLY DEBATE M- F. Manchester John F. Lilly, of Comanche, Texas, met Howard Peacock of Graham in a four nights debate at Gardener's Chapel, about nine miles north of Rising Star, on the class method of teaching the Bible. The debate was November 22 to 25. Brother Lilly is well qualified to meet the anti-class brethren, because he preached for them fifteen years, and knows every argument they make and how to meet it. He quit them some three years ago. He is a fine speaker, and knows how to make a point, and then make it stand out. If you are being troubled with this question, and want someone to debate, call Brother Lilly. You will not lose ground; you will gain it.

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John L. Davis, Box 146, Kenedy, Texas, December 6: "Just received my first copy of The Gospel Guardian. Have read it's contents, and can heartily approve it's entirety. I shall as a committee of one, try to encourage the brethren here to subscribe for this gospel paper.

The work here moves along in a nice way. Peace and harmony dwell among all of us. We are striving to carry the gospel to the lost of this city. Last Sunday we had many new faces in, our audience. Some of them had never before attended services here, and promised to come more often. One remarked that he did not know that we preached that kind of gospel. One family placed membership. Just finished a daily radio program over K. I. B. L. at Beeville, from November 28 to December 2, much good being accomplished by this program.

We begin this week with a nightly program with the colored people in this city. We hope that in a short time we will be able to get a regular colored preacher to locate here to carry on this work."

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DEBATE ON CLASS QUESTION PLANNED Jimmy Wood Arrangements have been completed for a debate on the Bible School question to be held here in Brownfield. As usual the Non-Bible School group were the challengers, and as usual their building is too small to accommodate the crowds that will attend. Rather than allow the debate to be held in one of the public buildings in Brownfield, we have agreed that it be held in the Crescent Hill Church building. The time of the discussion is to be Tuesday, January 10 through Friday, January 13.

L. W. Hayhurst and Logan Buchanan are to represent us in the discussion. Both of these men are well qualified, and will do a good job in representing us, and presenting the teaching of the word of God on the subject. Alva Johnson and Van Bonneau are to represent the Non-Bible School group. Propositions have not yet been agreed upon, but we should have them in the next few days. Jimmy Wood, minister of the Crescent Hill Church, and J. L. Pritchard, minister of the Non-Bible School Church, are to act as moderators.

A different procedure is to be followed in the debate. The affirmative speakers are to be allowed two twenty-minute main speeches, two ten-minute rebuttals, and a five-minute rejoinder. The negative speakers are to be allowed two twenty-minute main speeches, and two ten-minute rebuttals. Each disputant will speak each evening. We believe that this arrangement will eliminate a lot of the hedging that is usually present in a debate.

The Non-Bible School Church here in Brownfield has signed an agreement to have the debate published. Since we do not have a recent debate with these brethren published, we thought that it would be profitable to publish this one. We would like I to hear from some of you brethren in this regard. All are invited to attend the discussion, and we will try to have a place for all out-of-town visitors to stay during the entire four nights.

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More Overflow

—Getting church loans Nearly all banks and insurance companies are extremely reluctant to make any kind of a church loan —from bitter experience. But there seems to be one exception: Churches of Christ are preferred risks. We have run across numerous examples of this lately, the most recent being in Wichita Falls, Texas. There the Floral Heights Church of Christ and the Lamar Avenue Baptist Church both applied for loans from the same insurance company on the same day. The loan was made to the Floral Heights Church and was rejected to the Lamar Avenue Church, both with out investigation. When asked about it, the representative of the insurance company said, "The churches of Christ are among the best investments we have; they have a record with us of meeting their obligations. Ordinarily we don't like to make church loans; but we have found these people absolutely dependable."

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Too busy Some of the church bulletins that come our way are of high quality; others ought never to be mailed. One that is always fresh, newsy, and instructive is the one sent each week by Albert Sweet, who preaches for the church in San Benito, Texas. Every issue of this little sheet carries the punch line: "If you are too busy to come to church, you are too busy!"