News

Garnie Atkisson, Lovington, New Mexico, Dec. 31: "Two baptized and two identified here yesterday."

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M. A. Mansur, Lawton, Oklahoma, Dec. 28: "I just returned from North Carolina. While there, I preached in a gospel meeting for the church at Kannapolis, N. C. It was a good meeting and well attended by this fine congregation of loyal and faithful brethren. I also had the pleasure of preaching for the church at Durham, N. C., where my son, Donald, is the local minister for this fast growing congregation of faithful disciples. Last Lord's day I preached for the church at Raleigh, N. C. This splendid little congregation is now meeting in the Bamboo room of the Johnson Hotel, while they are in the process of constructing a new building. The Carolina's are indeed a great mission field, which has long been overlooked; there is a great work to be done in Carolina."

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M. C. Cuthbertson, 1220 Elden Ave., Los Angeles, Calif., Dec. 28: "The year is closing in a nice way with us at Central, 12th and Hoover, Los Angeles, California. Four have been baptized so far in December and three memberships, two of whom were also restored to fellowship of the Lord. Our plans for 1952 are for an even greater work than in 1951. We have worked with the church in San Bernardino, in the support of brother John Wilson, in evangelistic work among smaller churches on the west coast. He has done good work and the churches have been helped to stand more firmly for the truth. Our best wishes for your work in 1952."

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J. R. Braswell, Steele, Missouri, Dec. 27: "December 13-14 I moderated for brother H. F. Sharp in a debate at Damascus, Arkansas. He met Mr. Jim Balch, Missionary Baptist of Balch, Arkansas. Brother Sharp did a wonderful work in defense of the truth. Propositions discussed were the Bible Plan of Salvation and Possibility of Apostasy. When the Possibility of Apostasy was discussed, Mr. Balch was forced to take the Hardshell's position of total depravity. Brother Sharp is no doubt one of the best and most able defenders of the truth."

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Porter-Abercrombie Debate

H. A. Fincher, 913, S. Church St., East Point, Georgia, Dec. 31: "In his debate with Cecil Abercrombie on Bible Classes and Women Teachers, December 4-7, Curtis Porter did his usual good job of upholding truth against the divisive teaching of anti-class brethren. At no time did he take a position simply to serve the hour. He showed that classes were merely an arrangement for teaching, and that when women teach classes of women and children they are doing so by divine authority and are not violating any restriction placed upon them. I shall not take the space here to cite passages used in the various arguments, but will say that the discussion was representative and could profitably be distributed in book form. The speeches are being transcribed and perhaps publication announcement will be made later. Abercrombie was most evasive and the cry of "irrelevant" was ever on his lips as brother Porter kept before the audience his inconsistent stand. It was a good debate."