Tularosa, New Mexico
Dear Brother Tant:
Tularosa is a small town with a population of approximately 2,000 people. About one-half of these are Spanish, and of course a large percent are Catholic. The following denominations have congregations here: Methodist, Baptist, and Nazarene. There is also a house here belonging to the Assembly of God people, but they are not holding services.
As you may well understand from the foregoing, the true church of the Lord is working here under difficulties and with many handicaps. However, we feel that progress is being made. Our first regular preacher has been with us for a little over a year now. He is a fine preacher of God's word, and faithful to the Book both in life and teaching. His name is Derrell Starling.
When Brother Starling came here our contribution was a little over $40.00 per Sunday. During the year of 1954 it averaged $65.65. Our membership is about 25; and the Sunday morning attendance, counting women and children, is about 40. As you can see we are not financially able to support a full time preacher.
Brother Starling came to us knowing that we could not support him. Shortly after he came here, we obtained some help from the congregation at Hollis, Oklahoma. Brother Lloyd Smith helped us find this support. Everything went fine for about six months and then Hollis withdrew their support. Evidently this was brought about by some internal difficulties of their own, and not because of any dissatisfaction they felt with the work here. For the past seven months Brother Starling has been pressing clothes in a cleaning shop for a living. As you can well understand, a gospel preacher can not do the work that he should do if he has to spend six days a week earning his living. We feel that much good can be done here and many souls brought to the truth if Brother Starling can have freedom to devote all his time to the task of preaching and teaching.
Yours in Christ, Frank Thompson
Box 601 Tularosa, New Mexico
We know Derrell Starling well, and know that he is a true and faithful preacher of the gospel of Christ. He formerly worked with one of the congregations in Mineral Wells, and was recognized by all as a most capable and effective teacher, and a hard-working, self-sacrificing servant of Christ. We receive letters from him occasionally, and have received two or three within the seven month period that he has been a "pants-presser" in the cleaning shop. Not once did he even hint to us that he was doing such work to provide for himself and his family. His letters had to do with the work of the Lord in Tularosa, and his plans and desires to further it.
This is the kind of man whom churches ought to support. In sheer hard hours of work they will get more returns for every dollar invested here than in nine places out of ten where they might send a dollar. The work in Tularosa will never be a "mush-room" affair. It may be several years before the little congregation there can be built to a place of self-sufficiency. But it certainly can be done. A good foundation has already been laid. These brethren show their willingness to sacrifice, and they are faithful to the truth of Christ.
Brother Thompson thinks we might know of some congregation willing to help. The best way we can think of right now to answer his request is to lay the matter before our readers in this public fashion, and let any who can take it from there. There are many congregations who can not give full-time support to a man, but who can send to a worthy preacher in a field like this. In comparison with the hundreds of thousands of dollars the brethren are spending in "big" projects, the needs of a place like this are insignificant. Who will help? We pray that some interested congregation may come to the assistance of Brother Starling, and by your support enable him to devote his time to a more fruitful work for Christ than the pressing of clothes.
— F. Y. T.