Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 20
December 19, 1968
NUMBER 33, PAGE 10-13

Gospel Guardian Tell-Al-Gram

Elvis Bozarth, 536 N. Poplar, Montebello, Calif. 90640: "My meeting work for 1968 has now ended with meetings as follows: 74th Street, Chicago, Illinois, Clairemont Mesa, San Diego, California, Montebello, California, Northside, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Beatrice, Nebraska, Engelwood, Chicago, Illinois, Sioux City, Iowa, Macon, Missouri. Due to the health of my wife, my meeting work away from home will be curtailed in 1969 and subsequent years. This step is taken with reluctance because there is more need for preachers to get out into the fields than ever before. Of the eight churches named above, only three had fulltime preachers when I was with them. With experienced preachers increasingly going into secular work, fewer young men giving their time to full time work for the Lord, and the additional churches being established and salvaged from liberalism, the preacher shortage is likely to get worse before it gets better. It is hoped that those now supported full time will circulate more and work harder to save souls and build up the brethren."

Ad For Preacher: "The Church of Christ meeting on the Tenaha Highway, Center, Texas is looking for a man to work full time with the congregation here. If interested please write to: The Church of Christ, P. O. Box 602 Center, Texas, 75935."

DEAN BULLOCK: "After two and a half pleasant years with the Matthews Street congregation in Bay City, I am moving to Houston to work with the church in Greens Bayou. The church there has moved into a fine building and to a new location (1020 Maxey Road, one block off Interstate 10 East). Exit at Federal Road. Note my home and mailing address: 12402 Mylla, Houston, Texas 77015."

Fred A. Shewmaker, 230 S. Watt St., Wilmington, Ohio 45177: "The Indiana Prairie Farmer has a feature entitled 'Readers Say'. Under the heading 'Political Terms' in the July 6, 1968 issue the following reader's contribution appears: 'SOME TIME AGO someone asked what you meant by liberal and conservative. Here is a pretty good definition of both I recently came across: Liberal — people who want to spend other people's money. Conservative — people who have the money liberals want to spend. Vanderburgh County, Ind. R.P.' Politics may not hold a monopoly on these definitions. They may be just as accurate when applied to liberal and conservative members of the church."

MAX OGDEN: "About two weeks ago, brother Max Ogden suffered a tight stroke. Since that time he has been in Norton's Infirmary in Louisville, Ky. We are happy to report that he is doing well at this time, and should be returning to his home at Rt. 1, Horse Cave, Ky. very shortly."--Loveland Heights, Ohio bulletin.

ROY E. GULLEY 1340 East Ah St. Tulare, Calif: "On Oct. 1, I began my 4th year with the Pioneer Drive congregation in Bakersfield. During the year there were 13 baptisms and 4 restorations. Since Oct. 1 this year there has been 3 baptisms and several additions by transfer of membership."

George T. Eldridge, P. O. Box 96, Hilliard, Ohio 43026: "The work with the congregation is Bible. Improvement has been made. The church is providing NOW every cent of my wages and house & utility allowance except $67.00 per month of wages from the church at 3361 W. Broad in Columbus, Ohio. This church could provide only $81.00 per week ($350.00 per month) when I moved here August 28,1968. Bible improvement is still necessary for the church and all Christians in order to meet God's approval. Give God the glory, honor and praise for any improvement that has taken place in this congregation and in the lives of the members (Christians)."

FROM 10th and Francis, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - "The Gospel Visitor": "This congregation, seeing the need for moving to a better location, has under way the proposed purchase of a new building lot in the northwest section of this city. Tenth and Francis has been at this location for many years, but the years have taken their toll on the work. Urbanization of Oklahoma City is partly responsible for the dwindling of our membership. People being transferred to other cities answers for more. Internal problems have also taken their toll of our members and each problem that we have had leaves the congregation smaller numerically.

"Thus, after much deliberation and prayer, the elders have authorized the proposal for purchase of an excellent building site. It is located one block west of the intersection of Portland and N. W. 36th Street. We suggest that you drive by it at your convenience and look it over. Plans call for sale of our present building and a new building that will seat in the neighborhood of 350 to 400 people comfortably and appropriate class room space. The elders solicit your prayers in this important endeavor and if you have questions about it, please contact them."

NEWS FROM ABILENE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE: "Dr. Bill J. Humble, associate professor of Bible, will become dean of the college." "Dr. Walter H. Adams, dean since 1932, will become vice president for academic affairs for one year ...After the 1969-1970 year, Dr. Adams, reaching retirement age, will relinquish the vice presidential post and become dean emeritus."

FIVE NEW DEACONS APPOINTED AT IMHOFF AVENUE, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS: Leroy Ensey, Hal Lister, Walter Miller, Jerry Reed, and Bernard O. Wright. Men already serving as deacons are Melvin A. Dohrmann, Curtis A. Hammock, W. H. McGrew, Jr. and John A. Rusche.

BILL CAVENDER, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS: Meetings for 1969 are scheduled as follows: Jackson Heights, Columbia, Tenn; West Main Church, Woodbury, Tenn.; Jamestown, Indiana; Franklin & Juniper Sts. Borger, Texas; Marrtown Road church, Parkersburg, West Va.; Westside church, Dyersburg, Tenn.; Ashland City, Tenn. and Westside church, Weatherford, Texas.

WHERE CAN HE GO? Robert H. Bunting, Lafayette, N. J.: "My son is moving to Connecticut, will you send the address of the nearest sound church?" In the four and one half years that I have been in the Northeast I have had many such requests from individuals moving to this area from the South or Midwest. Where can I attend in "eastern Pennsylvania", or "in New Jersey", "in the state of New York", in "Boston", and in "Rhode Island?" Like the weather, everyone talks about it but few are doing very much toward planting churches in the Northeast.

FIFTY-ONE MILLION - According to the 1960 census there are about 51 million people in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. I know of one church among the 18 million people of New York that stands opposed to the modern innovations (perhaps there are others, but I know of only one). As far as I know there are none in Massachusetts, a state of 5 1/2 million people. The most urban state in the nation, New Jersey, has five churches. There are nearly 3 million in the state of Connecticut, and no faithful church. There are fewer preachers preaching to the 51 million inhabitants of the Northeast than are preaching to the 600,000 in Birmingham, Alabama. There are fewer preachers preaching to the 51 million in the Northeast than are preaching to the 300,000 in Davidson County Tennessee. Right now I can think of only 6 sound preachers working fulltime with this 51 million people. Why are not more men preaching in the Northeast?

FOLLOWING THE MEMBERS - For the most part, those of us who preach have a tendency to "follow the members". How many of us have ever gone into a town for the specific purpose of planting a church? I'm afraid most of us go to a town because we have been invited by the church that is already there! I rather suspect the lack of churches in the Northeast is not because the people are too stubborn to listen, but rather we have not gotten around to preaching to them. It is pretty hard to have a church in a town if there is no one in that town teaching the truth. Why should we saturate a city of 600,000 in the south with the gospel, and let a city of 8,000,000 go to hell? Why should a county of 300,000 have gospel preaching and a state of 18,000,000 have none? But we ask, "Why should I move to the state of New York? I don't even know any churches up there." Precisely, so let's go plant some. The only way this can be done is through preaching, and a two-weeks gospel meeting won't plant a church in a city that has no Christians. It will take years. It will take several men to move to this area with the intention of planting churches where there are none. It will take the same attitude and resources employed when a man goes overseas. Good can be accomplished if we will stop neglecting the Northeast. For fourteen of the eighteen years I have been preaching, I have been in this business of planting churches and working with small congregations In that fourteen years I have never had as many opportunities to preach in homes as I have had here. In four and one half years we have seen two churches planted and twenty two baptized into Christ. I realize this is not a large number, but it does show it is not impossible to plant churches in this area. Many men do better than I have done. I hope they will come, and give these 51 million individuals a chance to hear the truth.

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT - Are you willing to give from three to five years of your life to the 18 million in New York or to the 5 million in Massachusetts? Elders, are you as willing to send a man to the 8 million in New York City as you are to send a man to the two thousand in the next town? Brethren, are you willing to give as God has prospered you so there will be the funds to send to preachers willing to go? Let us all become concerned about the lost everywhere.

Next month I will go back to 'following the members'. I will begin working with the brethren at University Heights in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It will be good to be able to again associate with so many strong and faithful Christians. But my heart and my prayers will be with the two fine men replacing me here in western New Jersey. Brother John Pickens will be working with the church in Sussex County. The church in Hueytown, Alabama will be fully supporting brother Pickens. Larry Bailey will be the preacher working with the church in Hunterdon County. Brother Bailey will be supported by the church in Midfield, Alabama. These men and the churches with whom they are having fellowship will do their best to see that more in this area have a chance to hear God's gospel. Who will come and, as fellow soldiers, help fight the good fight in the Northeast?

— Box 256, Lafayette, New Jersey.

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THE NEW "ZONDERVAN EXPANDED CONCORDANCE" has over 1800 pages, more than 250, 000 references. I like it better than any of the others. It includes key words from six modern Bible translations and the King James Version, presented in a convenient new format. It normally sells for $14.95 but is being offered for a time at $12.95. Order From The Gospel Guardian Company. wew

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Recently we advertised "Sermon Outlines and Charts" by Lloyd Moyer. We were in error - there isn't any such publication. We do have Sermons From The Psalms by Moyer. We do have also "Sermons Outlines and Charts" by Ralph D. Gentry. Both sell for $1.00.

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-BIBLE LAND TOUR: Those who plan on joining the 1969 Bible Land Tour advertised by The Gospel Guardian, to be led by Ferrell Jenkins and William Wallace in May of 1969, should send in their reservations soon. This is going to be a great trip. Send for information.