Letters
Dear Brother Tant:
We here at Pearl and Bryan didn't know that brother Smith needed any help. We knew that he was giving out messages through his paper, inviting sympathy through-birthday anniversaries, etc., and that he has been trying to sell stock in his printing business, and has had various projects from time to time to get money out of the people. But your note in the Guardian was the first intimation we, had that he might be hungry. He and sister Smith have had membership at Pearl and Bryan for some months, but last moved their membership to Oak Cliff, where W. B. Andrews is the preacher...
There are over fifty congregations in Dallas now; so many, in fact, have started in residence districts that many Pearl and Bryan members are attending the church nearest them. Some of these churches were started by Pearl and Bryan. All of the churches in the city seem to be doing pretty well right now. Anti-class and premillennialism are here, but don't seem to make much headway...
Dr. A. T. Harris, Dallas, Texas
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"The Gospel Guardian gets better all the time. And my impression' that it is filling a distinctive need among the brethren grows with every issue."
— Dr. C. B. Billingsley, Fort Smith, Arkansas
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"I appreciate all of your publications, and I believe you know that they exactly represent my stand on all of the vital questions of the day. I want to commend especially the very fine defense of the autonomy of the church. I feel that institutionalism is perhaps the greatest threat inside the church today.
— 0. C. Lambert, Knoxville, Tennessee Answer to Bonner Dear Brother Tant:
This is to advise you that I have read very carefully the file of your correspondence with brother E. J. Bonner, Union Avenue Church, Memphis, Tenn. I have searched, but in vain, to find a specific charge upon which he bases his claim of misrepresentation of facts on my part concerning the Japanese work. He makes a general charge of misrepresentation, but gives no specific example. There is, therefore,' nothing in his correspondence for me to answer.
Due to the fact that a portion of his letter charging me with misrepresentation was printed in the Gospel Guardian some time ago, I am requesting that you print this letter. .
I have misrepresented nothing which I have written concerning Union Avenue and the Japanese work. I have documentary proof of every statement made. I hereby challenge brother Bonner to-produce a single misrepresentation on my part. If he cannot do it, he should at least be man enough and Christian enough to retract his charge.
Faithfully James W. Adams Your editorials in the Guardian continue to refresh and stimulate. I fail to see how anyone can question your motive and attitude. They are the spirit of our Lord if I have read my New Testament with any profit. I am glad to subscribe to one magazine that gives both sides of the issue. Only in this way can readers ever know the truth.
— James C. Bays, Smyrna, Tennessee I appreciate the Guardian and the firm stand it is taking against the errors that confront the church. The question of institutionalism is really alive here and disturbing the churches in this section. More power to you.
— Lindsay A. Allen, Alabama More power to you in these critical and perilous times. Am thankful for men who are not afraid to take a stand for that which is right in the sight of God.
— J. A. Pitts, Blackwell, Oklahoma.
I want to express my appreciation for the way you and the other staff writers of the Guardian have been conducting the discussion of the question of sponsoring missionary work. I am especially glad that you have manifested the best possible spirit in all of your opposition to what certain congregations are doing, or, rather, the methods they are employing. I am also glad that the adverse criticism and the appeal of friends have not caused you to turn from your course. Do not think for one moment that you are standing alone. Some of the most faithful brethren I know are with you, and love you for the firm stand you are taking. Keep it up.
— K. L. Yancey, Fort Worth, Texas
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Brother Cogdill's article "A Missionary Rally" in the -issue of November 16 was the best I have seen and to the point.
— W. D. Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas
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Just a few lines of commendation for your very fine and worthwhile paper and its splendid fight against innovations as well as other dangerous tendencies which are beginning to take shape in the church today. I shudder to think of what or who might have been depended on to take up the cudgel had it not been for the Guardian. The Firm Foundation and the Gospel Advocate are good papers no doubt, but they have no fight left in them; they have let the years and possibly some of the brethren weaken them until they are ineffective insofar as combating the dangerous tendencies which are in the church today are concerned...
— Merle Weiss, San Diego, California
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The Gospel Guardian has been coming to us for some time. None of us liked the tone of the paper for a while. I hesitated to send in my renewal because I wanted a paper free enough from sarcasm and ridicule that I could hand it on to outsiders or weak members. However, your write-up of the "Missionary Rally" in Houston decided me, as I think you did it in a nice way. And, the editorial in the November 23 issue was fine too. I lived in Lubbock for 23 years and know brother Gatewood and others concerned to be above doing any thing they think is wrong. But that will not keep them from getting off on the wrong foot. Keep your paper on a high plane and no one can object to it, even though he may not agree with everything in it. Yours for peace.
— (Name withheld by request)
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I want you to know that as a reader of the Guardian I commend you very highly for the bold stand you are taking in defending the truth and condemning error that is slowly but surely creeping into the church. It makes me shudder to see the word of God trampled under foot by some of our "big" preachers and "big" churches when the Bible is so plain that any God-fearing man can understand it and follow its teachings. I have been a gospel preacher for more than forty years:
— D. B. Whittle, Palmetto, Florida
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I appreciate the paper for the firm stand it takes on the work of the church, and the fight against innovations that constantly are bobbing their heads up for recognition. I believe that firmness in the spirit of love will be far more conducive toward, teaching people the things they should know.
— John F. Lilly, Comanche, Texas
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I think the Guardian is wonderful, and I only wish there were more men in the, church who would take the same firm stand in defense of the right.
— Roscoe G. Enzor, Sr., Topeka, Kansas
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To tell you that I appreciate what you brethren are doing is to make a mild statement. Those of us who stand for the truth must stand together. I suppose all will favor that sort of cooperation.
— George W. DeHoff, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
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I am going to solicit other subscriptions for the good Gospel Guardian, but am sending my renewal immediately so as not to miss a single issue. Keep guarding the purity of the ancient gospel!
— R. Richard Weaver, Hapeville, Georgia
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The Guardian is a much needed paper to stem the tide of digression.
Quentin McCoy, Opp, Alabama
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May I commend you in your efforts to spread the gospel through your paper. I am especially concerned with the manner in which, you discussed the "missionary" topics that have been in the Firm. Foundation. I want you to please send me another copy of the paper having in it the fine article in answer to brother Gatewood's "Missionary Rally in Houston.
— Charles M. Kelley, Jr., Donna, Texas
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I have enjoyed reading the Gospel Guardian very much, and look forward to receiving each copy. May you ever stand firmly for the truth, regardless of the opposition encountered. We need more all over the land who do not let public opinion guide them in their preaching.
— Albert L. Henderson, Fairview, W. Va,
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The "Guardian" gets better all the time—and it was good to start with! Keep Up the good work. I wish every preacher of the gospel in the north could—and would—read it. I am sorry to have to say too many preachers up here can't "take" the strong medicine in the Guardian. The entertainment racket (in the church buildings) has found too many advocates in northern pulpits lately.
— Leslie Diestelkamp, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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When you brethren first warned that some of the churches might be exceeding their authority in the way they were doing "missionary work," two of the doctors among us—Grover Cleveland Brewer and James D. Bales --took issue with you and argued that the churches had scriptural authority for the thing you condemned. Now; I notice, they are denying that the churches are doing what they at first argued they have authority to do!
— C. D. Crouch, Manila, Arkansas
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Please step me up a year in my subscription so I can keep the record straight and see what is going on in the world religiously. I am behind you brethren one hundred percent. You are doing a good work. Keep it up.
— W. H. Skaggs, San Marcos, Texas
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After reading the account of the Houston "Missionary Rally", in the November 16 issue, I am disposed to write you a few lines. Your mention of brother Gatewood's speech as sounding like it might be coming from a Christian Church missionary is just where it should be counted. I know for I was raised under the teaching and organizations of the Christian Church . . . How many scriptures can brother Gatewood or any other man produce to sustain the argument for any institution other than the church to do Christ's work? How can we expect to have the New Testament church complete as God intended it if we tolerate or endorse in any way any other organization to do the work of the church?
— William J. Hensley, New Castle, Indiana
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This is the "most private-est" letter you ever read; but I do wish to say through the Guardian that the church in Alamogordo will not make a contribution to any work that cannot show a clean slate regarding "sponsoring churches and eldership alliances." We sent to Africa until the same thing happened there. We sent to Greece until we found the Catholic church (Greek) was taking our gifts. We will help again and forever if there is no abuse seen in the work and no perversion of God's word...
— Tice Elkins, Alamogordo, New Mexico
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I enjoy every issue of the paper. I'm confident it is doing much and lasting good. Enclosed find check to send the paper to the names listed here.
— Louis J. Sharp, Little Rock, Arkansas
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