Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 1
February 16, 1950
NUMBER 40, PAGE 6

News

W. E. Brightwell

M. Lloyd Smith, 608 Pearldale Lane, Longview, Wash., January 11: "An eight-day meeting at Aberdeen started January 1, and we had a deep snow on Friday. It rained, froze, and snowed all during these meetings. Brethren thought it impossible to have any success since the weather was, as they said, 'so bad.' I told them that it was the Lord's meeting and his weather, but our part to show our faith that works by love. They were also reminded that lukewarm members were lost, that evergreen trees can be seen better in the winter because all other trees were dead. Anybody can have meetings when the weather is right and all things run smooth, but it takes wide-awake, live members to put one over during the winter weather.

From the beginning attendance began to increase and continued to the last service, chairs were arranged to take care of the increased crowds which came. While waiting one night for the brethren to get a place to baptize, some Pentecostal members began to ask questions, which resulted in three of them obeying the gospel. All together there were seven baptisms, and three restored. The friction that had been existing ceased and the contribution jumped from an average of about $15 to $43. Brethren are looking for greater things to happen. Remember this church in your prayers. They are few in number and worship in a rented hall.

I'd like to book a meeting or two, somewhere in the South, before or after the A. C. C., lectures, which begin February 19."

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Twelfth Street Church in Bowling

Green Kentucky

Attendance, contribution, interest, and, we trust, spirituality, have steadily increased for a number of weeks in the Twelfth Street Church in Bowling Green. Extra chairs were used for the eleven o'clock service Sunday, January 15. Three hundred thirty-five attended Sunday morning Bible classes. The contribution was $543.00. This is a 74 per cent increase over the average contribution for 1949. Perhaps some of these figures are record breakers. Four have been baptized recently, four have placed membership, and two have been restored. Richard Rivers was secured the latter part of last November to teach two classes a day for eight days in music appreciation. The interest was good. The night attendance ranged about 175 to 300. Brother Rivers is head of the music department in Florida Christian College.

The attitude in the congregation seems to be one of love and unity with a sincere desire upon the part of all to advance the cause of Christ. This fine spirit also exists between Twelfth Street Church and Park Street Church. Leroy Miller is the able minister at Park Street, and B. G. Hope began working with Twelfth Street Church the first of November.

The preacher's home has been partially redecorated recently; the upstairs has been finished into a beautiful large room. A new study and church office has been built in the church annex. A gas heating system has been installed in the church building together with a heater to heat water as the baptistry is filled. Many of the classrooms have been equipped with blackboards, some with tables and all with material that the teachers desire. A room has been equipped as a nursery. A public address system has been purchased for the auditorium, and there will be one speaker in the nursery.

The church plans to continue its support to the Lebanon, Kentucky, congregation, and in addition will aid in the support of the congregation in Hartford, Kentucky. The colored church in Bowling Green is included in the plan and also a contribution to foreign work.

The church will continue its distribution of tracts and will use every available means to take the gospel to as many local people as possible. This will include a radio program, a vacation Bible school, a school in music appreciation, and two meetings for the year, with Fred Chunn and I. A. Douthitt preaching, and Brethren Sewell Hall and Richard Rivers have been invited to conduct the school in music appreciation.

We are looking forward to the best year in the history of the church, in spite of the fact that it lost a very efficient elder when H. A. Brandon died a few weeks ago. The congregation feels the loss.

W. L. Foshee; W. B. Pence; C. C. Tatum ELDERS

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Eston Macon, 226 East Church, Anderson, S. C., January 24: "1949 was a good year for the church, with eight baptized, and two restored. Many improvements were made on the building. Will W. Slater, Fort Worth, Texas, will begin our singing school, March 7. This will be Bro. Slater's first work in South Carolina. We had two gospel meetings last year, and plan a fall meeting in October. Come over into South Carolina, and help us."

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L. D. Underwood, 4378 Durbin Ave., Salem, Oregon: "I enjoy the paper very much and after I have read it, pass it on to others.

M. C. Cuthbertson, of the Central Congregation, comes out to the church at Kiezer and speaks for us almost every Wednesday evening. We do not have a minister at the present, and certainly appreciate the help that Bro. Cuthbertson gives us.

On New Year's day, three people came forward to be baptized and Bro. Cuthbertson was kind enough to do the baptizing for us. Bro. Cuthbertson preaches the word as it is written, with all sincerity, firmness, and kindness. He is a constant source of encouragement to us, and we recommend him highly as one who stands for the truth at all times."

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Voyd N. Ballard, 363 Santa Fe St., Lindsay, Calif., January 23: "My work here in Lindsay has started in a good way. Two were baptized, and two restored at the morning service yesterday. We had an increase of fifteen over the Sunday before in Bible classes.

Rue Porter will begin a meeting here, February 15, to 26. All are invited to attend. The church building is located at 400 East Hermosa St. Our telephone number is 12145-Y."

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Fred W. McClung, Anson, Texas, January 30: "Our attendance and contributions have been steadily increasing since I started work With the church in Anson. Recently three have been restored, four placed membership, one Baptist lady, and an 86 year old Methodist man have been baptized.

Among the funerals lately was little Francis May Steel, who died of Leukemia. The foundation has just been poured for our new church building. It was decided yesterday to install a radiant heating system in the floor of the new auditorium to make the floor uniformly warm and pleasant. We will also use the forced air heating system in the auditorium and class-rooms."

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Thomas Allen Robertson, Box 175, McLean, Texas, January 31: "The work here at McLean, Texas, continues to move forward. Recently we have had three to place membership, and one restored. Because of a cancellation I have time for a meeting the last half of October."

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Perry B. Cotham, 625 Lamar Ave., Paris, Texas, February 1: "Our work here continues to grow in a very nice way. Eight were added during January—five baptisms, and three identified. We are in our third year of broadcasting our Sunday evening service over our local station KPLT, 1490 kc. We plan a teacher's training course, March 6-10. Paul Epps will assist us in our two weeks vacation Bible school, the last of June; and Cleon Lyles will preach in our summer meeting, July 9-19. We are spending more on mission work at home and abroad this year than any previous year. Our Bible school average for last month was 338, the highest average for January for any year."

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Clarence C. Gobbel, 311 W. Sola St., Santa Barbara, Calif., January 31: "J. R. Rothwell preached in a good meeting here, which closed Thursday night, the 19th with the best attendance of any meeting in years, and visible results of three baptisms, and one confession of faults. Work is in good shape, and contributions averaged over $105 per week for January, with only an average of 60 per Sunday in attendance."