News
Choice L. Bryant, 165 South 15th Street, Salem, Oregon February 4: "There have been three baptisms and two w confess wrongs in Central Church in Salem since the firs of the year. I am now teaching a singing school in Albany Oregon, and am scheduled to teach a singing school is Snyder, Texas, February 26 - March 27."
R. Ervin Driskill, 1604 West 43rd Street, Birmingham Alabama, February 2: "We began work with the Belview Heights Church the last of August. The work is making some progress. Seven have been baptized (most of them young people), four have been restored, and two haw identified with the church. The church is working together and we hope to do more for the cause in '54. Our work with Rose Hill, of Columbus, Georgia, was one of the most pleasant of my life. May God continue to bless them."
Joe H. Morris, 2707 Kentucky Avenue, Paducah, Kentucky February 4: "The work at Clements Street continues to progress with every phase of the work growing. Five have been added since the first of the year. Brother C. H Woodruff, Tuscumbia, Alabama, will begin a ten day singing school here at Clements Street on February 8 We hope to accomplish much under his capable direction Our Monday through Friday broadcast over Radio Station WPAD continues to produce results."
Successful Work
Judson Woodbridge, Mulvane, Kansas We have a report from the Norwick, Kansas, congregation in which the success of the work at that place is revealed. There are many encouraging things about the beginning and growth of this group. First, this congregation is teaching the gospel and baptizing people. Three were baptized the first month of this year. Second, these brethren are doing all they can to support themselves. In December thirty six members contributed $310. Third, this work was begun and carried on without a "sponsoring" or "overseeing" church. As we understand it, the church at Anthony, Kansas, learned of an opportunity and made arrangements for two preachers to go there for a meeting. This was the beginning. Other congregations began to send support, but none took the "oversight." These brethren oversee their own work, which is the scriptural way to do things. No eldership has any right to oversee anything (not even the preacher) outside their own flock. (1st Peter 5:2) From the beginning a number of congregations have sent directly to these brethren, which has made if possible for them to keep a preacher and secure a building. We can point to the New Testament and find an example for this way of taking the gospel to the lost. (Philippians 4:15-17) The church at Mulvane has a little part in contributing to this effort. and we rejoice in the loyalty and success of these brethren Brother Smith Kite is preaching at Norwich. We commend this as an example of a successful, scriptural work.
Ross O. Spears, Bolivar, Missouri, February 4: "Four have been baptized since our last report — a man who was a Lutheran, his wife who was a Methodist and their two children a son in the army and a daughter of the home Truly this was a household conversion and a cause of much encouragement. The work here is gradually making some progress. We plan to hold several mission meetings around Bolivar this year."
Judson Woodbridge, Mulvane, Kansas, February 3: "The church in Mulvane. Kansas. made a substantial growth in 1953. Attendance increased and a number were baptized. A new addition to the building was also completed. We are now planning for a gospel meeting, February 24 - March 7. with Brother O. C. Lambert of Decatur, Alabama. Brother Lambert has not been in this section before and I am sure we will be benefited by his messages. Brother Smith Kite of Norwich, Kansas, is to direct the singing."
Willis G. Jernigan, 1401 Ash Street, Commerce, Texas, January 31: "Much was done by the Lord's church in Commerce during 1953. The month of January in the new year is no exception. During the month two were baptized and four placed membership. The Bible School continues to grow. Our spring meeting is scheduled to begin March 15 with Brother Ira Sandusky as preacher."
A New Work In Canada
John Bullock, Lewisville, Texas Brother Roy Cogdill of Lufkin, Texas, preached the gospel of Christ in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, a city of 20,000 people, for the first time in seventy-five years during a gospel meeting in October 1953 in the City Hall Auditorium of that Canadian city. Five souls responded to the gospel invitation during this meeting, four for baptism and one to be restored. These five together with three other members of the Lord's body living in Owen Sound began to meet regularly in a rented hall to worship.
The congregation of Jordan, Ontario, sent their preacher, Brother Keith Thompson, to Owen Sound to preach for this new congregation. They have supported Brother Thompson since the close of the meeting held by Brother Cogdill in October. This has been quite a burden on the brethren at Jordan and they needed to be relieved of at least a part of this expense. So, the elders of the church which meets at Lewisville, being mindful of the great commission, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" and knowing of the zeal and the desire of the members of the church to expand our work of faith and labor of love into any field where the harvest is white, are beginning immediately to supply approximately one half of Brother Thompson's support.
Brother Thompson is highly recommended to us as a "true to the book" sound gospel evangelist with a great determination to preach the glorious gospel of Christ to a people who are hungering for the truth and are hearing it for the first time. We thank God for men who are capable, also who are willing to blaze new trails in carrying the lost the truth that saves. Brother Thompson, Brother Cogdill and many others demand the respect of all the brethren at home for such service they are rendering in distant points over the land.
The congregation here in Lewisville is happy over the fine new field which affords an opportunity to expand the borders of the kingdom and serve the Lord as we are taught. A member of the church 'who has lost the interest in others is lost himself. More congregations should seek new fields in which to help spread the message that frees men from bondage. You have never truly lived unless you have accepted the Devil's dare to snatch a doomed soul from his devilish grasp. To lose interest in another's salvation is to lose everything that makes a Christian life worth living.
W. S. Boyett, 1320 West 4th Street, Pecos, Texas, February 2: "The first month of 1954 has been a fine one for the church here. The Bible study attendance has averaged 230 per week, the largest attendance being 258, which was a record, with the exception of the opening day of our new building in April. There were 15 responses to the Lord's invitation during the month. The contribution averaged $486.51 per week. This is $34.63 a week more than our budget. The brethren have worked hard on our Bible study building and we hope that within a few weeks it will be ready. With the help of God we hope to do much more in the coming months."
Texas H. Stevens, 1815 Melbourne, Dallas, Texas, January 28: "The second week of January God granted us a twofold blessing: A gospel meeting with Brother Ira A. Douthitt preaching in his usual excellent way in our new auditorium, which has been under construction the past six months. There were five responses to the invitation, and many outsiders in the community came to view the new auditorium and some heard the ancient gospel for the first time. Brethren, pray for us that we will use God's great blessing in an appropriate way. Visit with the church in Elmwood when in Dallas."
Murray Marshall, 2711 Reagan Avenue, Dallas, Texas, February 3: "Our work here at Oak Lawn in Dallas moves along in a good way. The past five Sundays there has been at least one addition (to our working forces) each Sunday, or a total of eight during January — six restored, one placing membership, and one baptized, a young man from England. January 11-17 I was in Springlake, Texas, out west, in a good protracted meeting. Keith Marshall is the preacher there (no kin to me) (but a fine man); he is doing a good work there. In my meeting with them, we had two baptisms (one before I got there) and on restored — a good winter meeting a week long, with services twice daily. In the four and one-half months we've been at Oak Lawn, we've had five baptisms, 14 restored, and 10 placed membership. My first 11 days here, in September we were in a gospel meeting which I began on Sunday and Logan Buchanan preached the remaining 10 days. In that meeting two were baptized (one, the first Sunday), five restored, and nine placed membership. Oak Lawn is a small congregation but has a number of willing workers. We are handicapped by an inadequate meeting place: it is an old residence; however the small auditorium looks very nice inside. But the advantages and opportunities here outweigh the handicaps. Several here can preach good sermons and other young men are training. We have some excellent teachers. The elders and deacons are mighty fine men. The friendliness of this congregation is commented on widely. And the singing is just wonderful. The people "have a mind to work." When in Dallas, visit with us. You'll find a friendly welcome and an inspiring and scriptural service. The church building is at 2701 Reagan, two blocks off Oak Lawn Avenue in North Dallas, not far from Dal-Hi Stadium and near the Parkland Hospital (City-County Hospital), or about two miles north of the business center of downtown Dallas."