Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 3
February 28, 1952
NUMBER 42, PAGE 15

News

Eldred Stevens, 609 Husband Street, Stillwater, Oklahoma, Feb. 21: "The interest in my forthcoming debate with a Catholic priest is even greater than I had reason to expect, and the letters that I have received from all parts of the United States are greatly appreciated. The date for the discussion has been definitely set as May 13-16. Brother 0. C. Lamber has agreed to serve as my moderator. The Catholics are very confident of victory and assure me that they consider Doctor Erie Beevers one of their top men in this state. In view of the difficult task ahead, I covet your prayers that the truth may not suffer during the encounter. Meetings for this year take me to Nashville, Tenn. (College Church); Albuquerque, N. M. (Northside); San Augustine, Texas; Dallas, Texas (Elmwood); Ralls, Texas; Saratoga, Arkansas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Capitol Hill); Lindsey, Oklahoma, and Bozeman, Montana. The work here at home progresses. Our student membership is less than it has been since I have been here, but the enrollment in our Religious Education 0- Arley E. Moore, 841 Flanagan Ave., Coos Bay, Oregon: "The interest in the gospel and the growth of the church at this place has far exceeded our fondest expectation. Since a year ago the first of last June the membership has grown from six to forty, and attendance during that time has increased from seven to 118. Fifteen have been baptized (two since last report), and a number restored and placed membership. One placed membership last Sunday. For the past three Sundays we have successively broken all previous attendance records. Last Sunday we had 105 in Bible study and 118 for the morning service. Almost all of these were local people. We are now operating a bus on about a ten mile run every Sunday morning providing free transportation for all who wish to attend our morning services. Thirty six rode the bus last Sunday. We continue to get good results from our radio work. A fine young man and his wife were baptized recently as a result of this work, and some are now attending who became interested by this means. I speak every Sunday morning on the Coquille station (KWRO, 1450 kc) at 9:15 and on the Coos Bay station (KOOS, 1230 kc) at 11:15. I quit working at the First National Bank here January 1st and am now devoting full time to the work of an evangelist. This is really bearing fruit, we believe, as reflected in the recent increase in interest and attendance. There is lots of work here during the spring and summer months and wages are good. If you are a faithful Christian and work for a living we would like for you to look this field over with a view of locating and help build the church. We are still in need of a good song leader. If you know of the presence of Christians in this area please send me their names and addresses."

—O—

"The $200 Text"

This is the story of a most unusual debate. Mr. David F. Smith, Seventh-Day Adventist, ran a newspaper advertisement offering to pay $200 for one text stating that the weekly sabbath was abolished. Via the same medium brother Gene Frost replied that 2 Corinthians 3 says the law written on stones (of which the sabbath commandment was a part) was "DONE AWAY" to claim the $200. Out of this exchange grew a written discussion for which each of the two disputants obligated himself in writing to submit four articles of four thousand words each. Smith affirmed the proposition: "The Bible dearly teaches that the fourth commandment of the decalogue—viz., 'Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy'—is binding on Christians under the new covenant." Brother Frost's work in the negative was so effective that his opponent was forced into some remarkable admissions and self-contradictions and, finally, a complete abandonment of the debate when it was three-fourths through.

Now it is proposed to publish this discussion, and it should have a wide circulation. It combines ample length for treatment of issues with necessary brevity for popular reading. Every interested adventist should be handed a copy, and certainly every member of the church ought to read it. The congregation in Napa has ordered fifty copies for free distribution. It is hoped that many others will do likewise. Publication depends upon receipt (by March 81) of enough paid orders to defray expenses thereof. Prepublication price of the book is forty cents a copy in orders of fifty or more, (fifty copies for twenty dollars). Cloth bound copies, pre-publication, are one dollar. Send all orders to Gene Frost, 109 Fourteenth Street, Vallejo, Cal. In the event that not enough orders are received to justify publication, all money sent in will be promptly refunded.

Signed:

A. L .Harbin 0- Floyd A. Decker, 2811 Creswell St., Shreveport, Louisiana, Feb. 18: "I am to meet James J. Brown of Ferriday, La., in a six nights public discussion beginning March 17th. The debate will be held in Ferriday. Ferriday is ten miles west of Natchez, Miss., and on the main highway. Our work here at Creswell in Shreveport is meeting with considerable encouragement. The Cause of Christ in the Shreveport area is improving. We are now on the air daily Monday through Friday at 7 a.m. over KCIJ, 980 on the dial. It is a 5,000 watt station. Brother Joe A. Johnson is associated with me in this good work and is a most excellent yoke-fellow. Next meeting is to be at Winnfield, La., then to Foley, Ala., beginning April 7th."