A Tribute To Mom Dad
A faithful group of brethren now meets for worship in Pocahontas, Ark. Glen Shaver (largely supported by other churches) works with this new church and sufficient progress has been made that work has already started on a new meeting house.
The existence of this faithful church is due to the stand for the truth made initially by Brother and Sister J. V. Starling. Liberal brethren in the area proposed to build a Children's Home and proceeded with the tactics of a "begging campaign" plus "pressure." The small church for which Brother Starling preached near Pocahontas was made up of a good many brethren that would not bow down to the "idol" of these brethren. As a result Brother Starling was "railroaded" out of the work with this small church. Then he and other brethren that believed in doing God's work in God's way began meeting in a rented store building in Pocahontas.
Institutional brethren in Pocahontas did almost everything imaginable to intimidate, vilify, and harass Brother and Sister Starling. They boycotted his grocery business, refused to speak and did everything possible to "pressure" him to line up with their denominational schemes. Faithful brethren from nearby towns came to aid in the spread of the simple gospel of Christ. Preachers such as Lowell Blasingame, James Yopp, Ross Saunders, Bob Craig, Eugene Britnell (and many others) came and preached — did radio work, etc. Brother Starling spent money he could not afford to put preachers on the radio to teach the truth on present day church problems.
How refreshing to find those that love God's truth and will not be swayed by the vilification of false brethren. How encouraging to see brethren willing to lose everything they own rather than compromise with false doctrine. Only eternity can tell all of the good accomplished by this faithful group of brethren. My "hat is off" to this good church in its efforts to spread the pure gospel of Christ.
The writer of these lines has a more than casual interest in the efforts of these brethren. Brother and Sister J. V. Starling happen to be my Mother and Daddy — and how proud I am of their efforts in defense of the truth. May the blessings of Heaven continue to be with them and all others like them.
— San Antonio, Texas