Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 12
March 23, 1961
NUMBER 45, PAGE 9,13c

Disavowal

I. C. Nance, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

In the May 26, 1960, issue of the Gospel Guardian, my name is linked conspicuously with that of G. K. Wallace. While at the time referred to I was happy to be associated with G. K. in 1939, things (mostly brother Wallace) have changed, and I no longer desire to be linked with the present doings and positions of G. K. Wallace in 1961.

I am not a "Guardian man" or anybody's man as to that matter, save the Lord's, nor will I be a party to any party among us. However, amidst the other major papers among "us" the Guardian seems to be the only one which rates recognition with the Restoration Movement. I find Yater Tant's editorial policy to be manifestly fair. I'm confident that if brother Wallace wants to answer what is here said, Tant will give him space and kind opportunity to do so.

In 1938, the elders of the old Military Park church of Christ in Oklahoma City selected me to be their "minister" and I left 10th and Francis to do so. For their spring meeting in 1939 these same brethren selected G. K. Wallace as the visiting evangelist. My lovely young wife and I were host to brother Wallace for the entire two weeks of that meeting. G. K. was a most interesting guest and did a wonderful job in the meeting.

During this meeting I took brother Wallace over to visit O. James Sowell in the University Place Christian Church here. Well, he jumped on Sowell like an alley toy bulldog surprising a sophisticated show dog and challenged Sowell to a debate. Sowell just laughed at him in spite of G. K.'s all but insulting remarks. Later, I got with Sowell and worked out an agreement for Wallace to speak in their building on the subject of "The Difference Between the Christian Church and the church of Christ." (This recorded speech was the one referred to by brother Charles M. Campbell in his article of May 26, last year.) G. K. did a nice job and took a strong and safe position at that time.

However, brother Wallace no longer occupies such a strong position in principle. He has vacillated, agitated, and prevaricated! He has changed so much that he NOW occupies the same unenviable position that Sowell held in digression back in 1939. He cannot NOW defend his position any better than Sowell could defend his practices back in 1939. He has become the "champion" of an indefensible and lost cause (that of inexcusable digression).

In 1955, I wrote brother Wallace and invited him to meet me in Birmingham, Alabama (he was living in Tampa, Florida) for a scriptural discussion. He had his keep and more than standard pay to do so, guaranteed. His excuse was that he did not engage in "personal" challenges and debates. This sounded strange and empty to me when I had heard him personally challenge Sowell, besides his personal challenge and debate with Jack Charles Jessup here in Oklahoma City. G. K. has the imaginary notion that the "issues" have been debated and that all the arguments (against his and the Advocate's digression) have been made and worn out. In June, 1955, I went to Temple Terrace in Tampa looking for him. He was nowhere to be found.

He had written a friend of mine in Birmingham that "Brother Nance used to be a faithful gospel preacher until he took up the vagaries of Carl Ketcherside." The foregoing quotation from G. K. is an absolute falsehood. I have never taken up the "vagaries" of Carl Ketcherside any more than I have taken up the vagaries of G. K. Wallace. As far as I am concerned the names of G. K. Wallace and Carl Ketcherside should be linked together because both of them are a "country mile" from God's truth. However, as all who have heard them in a debate can testify, Ketcherside is a gentleman and G. K. Wallace is not. I repudiate any tie between brother Wallace and myself.

It is with deep regret that one must acknowledge that digression has caused such a rift between brethren and old friends. I have tried to correct G. K. but he is bullheaded and won't listen to truth or reason. Gervias is sold on his own Wallaschism!