The Overflow
Not Pentecostal
Coming up through Southern Ohio the other day we saw a nice looking church building with this name prominently displayed: "Holiness Church of God, Not Pentecostal." It brought to memory the blooper some brethren made out in Oregon a few years ago. Many of the digressive churches out there call themselves "Church of Christ," and usually put (Christian) in parentheses underneath and in smaller letters. Some brethren thought they would counteract this encroachment on "our" name, so put them up some highway signs giving the location of the: "Church of Christ — Not Christian."
As Pullias Saw It
"A great apostasy, maybe, is being planned unawares in the various things the local churches are doing under the eldership. Institutionalism is dangerous because it is a departure from the apostolic way. Human societies to do missionary work is wrong, but no more so than some human organizations to take care of the orphans or old people or even the young folks. Happy is the man that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth. Why not take care of all the work of the Lord as in New Testament times? Do you say times have changed? Then the church is not sufficient, eh? Look out for a great fall!" — Life & Works of C. M. Pullias, p. 577.
On Schedule
Work on the biography, "J. D. Tant — Texas Preacher" continues on schedule. We have had an enormous amount of mail about it, far more letters than we can ever hope to answer. We thank each one who has written. The incident you have related may, or may not, find its way into the book. We just could not use all the material. But the help of so many has been a real inspiration.
Debates at Colleges
We think it a very healthy and promising sign that in several of the Christian colleges the young gospel preachers have been engaging in formal debates on "Benevolent Societies" and "Federalized Cooperatives." This is helpful to the boys doing the debating, and is helpful to all who are interested in studying. It shows a good attitude on the part of the colleges by their encouraging such. We sincerely hope there will be no "quarantines" by any college administration against any boy whose convictions happen to be contrary to those of some dean, professor, or president. We've had more than a hint that such is happening in a few places!
The Social Gospel
Evidences multiply that many of us may have been missing the real point in the "orphan home, centralized control, recreational programs, college in-the-budget" controversies. It begins to look like all these things may be but SYMPTOMS of a deeper and more malignant trouble — liberalism, and the "social gospel." It is not without significance that the growing threat of modernism is most in evidence among the "sponsoring" and "promoting" brethren. Those who make ship-wreck of the faith going into denominationalism are coming from this group, not from the ranks of those who oppose institutionalism.
He Is Convinced
He is a humble gospel preacher whom we met for the first time a few weeks ago. He told us he had been a life-long subscriber to the Gospel Advocate but had about made up his mind not to renew when his present subscription expires. He does not take any other paper, and all he knew about the Gospel Guardian was what he had read about it in the pages of the Advocate. His reason for dropping the Advocate? Well, he said they were too bitter in their condemnation of their brethren — and were becoming much, much too liberalistic in their promotions of things other than the church.
From Cookeville, Tennessee
From Cookeville, Tennessee, Brother Dudley Ross Spears sends us a newspaper article written by a man who describes himself as "Pastor, Antioch and Knight's Chapel Freewill Christian Baptist Church of Christ." Well, why not?
The Chemise — Comments
Two - time presidential candidate, Adlai E. Stevenson recently told a group of Democratic women in Washington that the sack dress might be a Communist plot "to spread discontent and hostility among us." Floyd Thompson, preacher for the Berrydale Church in Santa Ana, California, says "they remind me of too many sermons I have heard; they cover everything and touch nothing." Politician Stevenson and Preacher Thompson are out of step with the times. The editor of the Guardian pronounces the sack dress altogether chic, charming, and slightly crazy. What could be more appropriate for this generation?
Vacation Bible School?
We remind you again that Vacation Bible Schools can be a truly effective way of spreading the kingdom if they are that — Bible schools. We have the full supply of the Marian White Series, a line of VBS material that has been tried and tested in hundreds of churches, and with uniformly satisfying results. Why not send today for a sample kit of literature. It can be returned for credit if you decide not to use it.
Thanks
We have had several friends lately to send in fine clubs of subscriptions. Check your own label for the expiration date on your subscription, and when you renew, send in a club. Regular rate is $3.00; but in clubs of six or more the rate in $2.50 each.
Mail to Lufkin
The editor is changing his residence from Abilene, Texas, to another city. Until his new address is established, will all correspondents please send your articles and letters to Box 980, Lufkin, Texas. Mail addressed to us there is forwarded daily by airmail to whatever part of the nation we happen to be in.
Frugal Preachers
Some of the brethren attending the Birmingham debate last fall overheard some of the porters at the Bankhead Hotel complaining at the meager tips the preachers were handing out. It reminded us of the sad comment made by a Chicago waiter some years ago following a convention of clergymen in that city. Said the waiter to his wife, "Dem gentlemen arrived wid a ten dollar bill in one hand and de ten commandments in de udder — and neither wuz broken when dey left!"
Those Hollywood Marriages
A young Hollywood citizen, son of a movie star, was telling a couple of friends about the new papa his mother had just brought home to him. "Oh, you'll like him," said his little friends. "We had him last year, and he's real nice." Then there is the one about the two Hollywood lads who got into an argument, which came to a head with the usual boyish taunt, "My father can lick the daylights out of your father." "Don't be silly," the other boy retorted. "Your father is my father."
Wrong Spirit!
He is one of the rankest, stoutest, strongest, hardest, bitterest "anti" preachers in California — "anti"-Gospel Guardian, that is. A friend asked him a while ago, "If I can show you something in the Gospel Guardian that is absolutely taken right from the Bible itself, will you accept it?" "No! I will not," fumed the "anti" brother. "Even if it's in the Bible, the Gospel Guardian crowd would have the wrong spirit in their teaching of it, and I'll not accept anything they advance!'