The Overflow
Floyd H. Horton
News of the death of Brother Floyd H. Horton came as a shock for which we were quite unprepared. This writer held a short meeting with him at the Central Church in Los Angeles only last winter, and rejoiced with him at the time in the prospect we thought we both had of many years more of service to Christ. Brother Horton died in the midst of a gospel meeting which he was conducting in Birmingham, Alabama. Gentle in speech and manner, Floyd Horton was a man both beloved and respected. We cannot conceive that there is a soul living who will rejoice at his death. We sorrow — but not as those who have no hope.
Properly Descriptive!
Brother Charles E. Crouch of Baltimore, Maryland, sends us the whimsical name of a church in his town: it is listed as "Alpha Omega Pentecostal Church of America, Inc." That "alpha" "omega" suggests that this is the first and last of that kind. But maybe they are like that discouraged couple who pridefully named their first-born "Alpha," then hopefully called their second-born "Omega," and then chose less suggestive names for the next eight.
Slight Accident
The late and lamented h. Leo Boles was visiting in the editor's home in Chicago a few years ago, and told of the maneuvering and political wire-pulling by which a certain group of brethren in Tennessee were trying to dislodge a certain brother from the presidency of a college in order to put their own man in his place. They finally managed it; but at that particular stage of the game (it was about 1941), their machinations had back-fired on them in a particularly embarrassing and distressing fashion. Chuckling over their discomfiture and chagrin, Brother Boles was reminded of the man who had a sick horse. He went to the veterinarian, who gave him some evil-smelling powder, told him to put this medicine in a long tube, insert the tube into the horse's throat, and blow. He did. But the horse blew first!
Press Agent
Comes word to us now that one of our highly glamorized young gospel preachers, who has catapulted into international notice the last couple of years, actually has a salaried, professional "press agent" to keep his name and his work properly publicized! Papers throughout the brotherhood (as well as many other media of public information — radio programs, newspapers, magazines such as TIME and others) are kept constantly supplied with the usual "press agent" publicity, including pictures, quotations from sermons and lectures, interviews, etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseam. Those antiquated antediluvian brethren who have put an "advertisement" in the News Reports now and then are hopelessly out of the running! Even reporting all your meetings and baptisms three times (which some do) can't compete with this.
We've Got It — And How!
Like everybody who deals in "words" the writer of this page is always thrilled by the discovery of a new one. Well, we ran across one last week. Maybe you reel it off casually and let it trip lightly off the tongue now and then; but it was brand-new to us. The word is gynecoagophobia, and it means "fear of women automobile drivers." We've not only got the word, we've got the trouble too!
Free Tracts
"I would like for you to announce in the Gospel Guardian that from now on, my tract, entitled Justice and Reconciliation will be sent free to those who write for it."
Wilbur Hunt 417 Sixth Ave. Palmetto, Florida
Humiliating!
We see where the Baptists are building a wonderful recreation camp in the mountains of New Mexico. It will have an artificial lake, and many other attractions on the 2,000 acre site. The project will be finished in 1956 at a cost of approximately $7,000,000.00. Steak-fries, horseback riding-hiking, and hymn-singing will be among the items which will annually attract thousands of young Baptists to this enchanted spot. Does it not make you hang your head in shame and humiliation to see what others are doing and then see how pitiably small and insignificant is our effort? If the Church of Christ folks would just give up their snuff and chewing gum we could make this Baptist camp look like a pig sty. We could easily put up a camp costing fifteen million dollars — maybe thirty million. Or forty. Who knows? What about it, brethren? Do you believe in the Great Commission? Who will be the first fine group of elders to sponsor this great camp where the gospel of Christ can be preached to so many multiplied thousands? We ought to hang our heads in shame when we compare our efforts with the efforts of Baptists and other spiritually minded people.
Not Too Optimistic
He is one of the most prolific writers in the brotherhood. At a lectureship last winter he asked a brother preacher, "Have you read my last article in the Gospel Advocate?" To which the brother responded fervently, "I hope so," and then added pessimistically, "but I doubt it."
Bulwarks Of The Faith
Once again we have in stock the two priceless volumes of sermons by Brother Foy E. Wallace, "Bulwarks of the Faith." The set is $6.00 and it is a "must" for the library of every gospel preacher. Dealing with the errors of denominationalism in one volume, with a close analytical study of the fallacies of Catholicism in the other, the two books are simply invaluable to the serious student. Ordered singly, the books are $3.00 each.
Sponsoring Church — Texas Style
Not all our "sponsoring" churches are trying to sponsor a church across the seas. We know of one right here in Texas which a few years ago "sponsored" a new congregation in their own city. Now the new congregation has about 300 members, but is still under the control (and we do mean control) of the "sponsoring" church. They say they are going to continue their "oversight" until the new congregation can develop and appoint properly qualified elders — and the "sponsoring" church will itself determine whether or not the suggested elders are scripturally qualified!