News
W. Earl Mansur, 241 E. Arlight, Monterey Park, Calif., July 14, 1954: "Brethren: I will be with the Liberty congregation near Conway, Arkansas in a ten-day meeting beginning August 1st and with the church in Comanche, Oklahoma, August 13th through 22nd. If you are in this area. worship with us at 536 N. Popular, Montebello".
Vernon Ripley, Briggs, Texas, July 14, 1954: "The church here has just completed a 10 day meeting. Brother M. F. Manchester of Comanche, Texas doing the preaching. Visible results were 9 baptisms and one restoration. The church here recommends Brother Manchester as speaking that which befits sound doctrine, and condemning denominationalism with a "thus saith the Lord."
I am to begin work with the church in Ropesville, Texas the 15th of July. To our many friends, if you are through there, visit with us."
Gorin Rutherford, 11619 Jackson, Loveland, Colorado, July 13, 1954: "Brethren: Two were baptized and two renounced the Christian Church here July 11.
July 12 was the beginning of a vacation Bible school to continue for two weeks. Forty-nine was the enrollment for the first day.
August 4-11 will be the dates of a meeting here with Bill Humble of Kansas City, Mo. doing the preaching. Many visitors are in attendance from many sections of the country during vacation. If you are in this section of Colorado, worship with us at 730 Grant."
Carl Vernon, 407 Main St., El Campo, Texas, July 12, 1954: "Three were baptized in a recent meeting here with the El Campo congregation. Brother Robert L. Craig did a very good job of preaching the gospel in this effort. The work moves along in a fine way with this congregation. I just finished a good meeting with the congregation at Lockhart, Texas, where Brother Guss Eoff is the preacher. Brother Don Boring directed the singing in this meeting in a fine way. Three were added by baptism. My next meeting work is to lead the singing in a meeting in Maury County, Tennessee, with Brother J. B. Hudson doing the preaching August 4th, beginning."
W. C. Anderson, Scottsville, Ky., July 12, 1954: "Seven were immersed during a meeting at Van Dyke near Paris, Tennessee."
Murray Marshall, 2711 Reagan, Dallas 19, Texas, July 5, 1954: "We are in a fine mission meeting at Pine City, Minnesota, sent by Oak Lawn church of Dallas where I work. Yesterday attendance records were broken at the Sunday morning services. The congregation is about four years old and has been in their new small building less than a year. Truly this is a mission field. Scores of Counties without a congregation. Ten congregations scattered over the state in about one-tenth of the counties; nine-tenths of the counties without the truth. Yet the brethren are zealous and anxious to grow further, though they are yet small in number. Membership here as Pine City, a dozen or less. Their example is inspiring. Fifty were present yesterday morning."
Preacher Available Clifton B. Willis, 454 Winter St., Adrian, Michigan, July 16: "I have resigned this work, effective October 16. I will be glad to hear from a church in any place where my services would be desired. I have attended FreedHardeman College for almost three years. I am twenty-three years of age, married, and have one child. I have been preaching for five years."
J. T. Marlin, 4th and Elm, Sweetwater, Texas. July 17, 1954: "I am preaching in a meeting at Merkel, Texas, this week. Six have responded so far. Roy Culley is doing a good work here. I will begin a meeting at Paytonville, Tennessee. August 2. Our meeting with George W. DeHoff of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, preaching will begin August 22."
Work Growing In Northern Indiana Doyle F. Earwood, 1517 Stevens Ave., Elkhart, Indiana, July 3, 1954: "I have recently completed my first year with the new congregation at Elkhart after laboring six years with the Fifth Ave. congregation in Terre Haute, The congregation recently constructed a new building here without calling for any outside help although they are a new congregation. Several brethren from the South Bend congregation donated labor and money which was encouraging. Brethren Thompson and McBride from South Bend come over on Lord's day and help in various ways in the worship service. We recently installed new upholstered pews. The Mentone congregation donated new pulpit furniture and sent brother Leslie Grant, their minister, to hold us a meeting which resulted in three baptisms and one to place membership. Brother Grant was an encouragement to us. We had 100 in attendance last Lord's day morning and our contribution was $292.50 for our new baptistry.
Brother Dean Hoggatt who formerly worshipped with us was instrumental in helping start a new congregation at LaGrange and they recently had 45 on Sunday morning. The Mentone congregation is remodeling their building after helping new congregations build new buildings in this area. The LaPorte congregation recently moved into their new building. Tom Harris is leaving the South Bend congregation after four years of labor there. He will be sorely missed in this area as he has been an encouragement to the work in northern Indiana during the last four years. The congregation with which he labors now has two services each Sunday morning."
Gordon J. Pennock, 216 Hill St., Bismarck, North Dakota. "The work in Bismarck continues in an encouraging way. A young man in his twenties obeyed the gospel yesterday. Our continued effort at Lake Williams is stirring some interest among Adventists. I closed a meeting with the church at Mena, Montana recently and am to begin in a tent-meeting at Huron, South Dakota, July 14.
I also preached in Williston, North Dakota the last Sunday in June. A small group of brethren have been worshipping there for some time under the leadership of R. B. Vick who has now returned to Texas. There is a golden opportunity in Williston if only a sound gospel preacher can move there with adequate support to spend all of his time in teaching and preaching.
PREACHERS AND ELDERS, PLEASE DON'T JUST READ THIS AND FORGET IT. Williston is calling! Who will respond? Who will support the man who will go? For information re. this work you may contact V. A. Vick, Box 44, Lovelady, Texas, or the writer."
The Grider-Russell Debate Brother A. C. Grider met W. T. Russell in a six-night debate at Park Street Church of Christ June 28-July 3. The Establishment of the Church was the question. Mr. Russell affirmed that the Baptist Church was established during the personal ministry of Christ, for the first three nights, and Brother Grider affirmed that the Church of Christ was established on the first Pentecost after the resurrection, the last three nights.
The truth was upheld in a very fine way by Brother Grider. He knows the truth and knows how to defend it. He knows how to expose the dodges of his opponent.
Some expressions were made by some Baptists that make us think perhaps there will be some who will obey the gospel as a result of the debate. The brethren are well pleased with the work of Brother Grider. I consider him one of our best debaters.
— B. G. Hope M. F. Manchester, Comanche, Texas, July 13, 1954: "We helped the Southside church in Brownwood, Texas in a meeting the last two Sundays in June. One was baptized by Brother Cecil B. Douthitt, the local preacher on the first Sunday of this meeting. This was an enjoyable meeting. We also closed a very fine meeting at Briggs. Texas last Lord's Day evening. There were nine baptized and one restored. Brother O. V. Ripley was the local preacher there but is moving to Ropesville, Texas this week to work with the church there. He had done much to make the meeting a success. I begin next at Beattie near here and then to Greenland, Arkansas the 13th of August. The work here is moving along fine."
Dean Bullock, Durant, Oklahoma, July 3, 1954: "The church here has closed a meeting in which Ernest A. Finley did good preaching. Eleven were baptized, two confessed sins. Contracts have been let for improvement: on our building."
Vaughn II. Shofner, 1513 24th Place, Lubbock, Texas, July 7, 1954: "Next week closes my second work in Lubbock as I leave the church in Vandelia Village. Sunday morning Bible study has reached a high of 342, and our recent vacation Bible school averaged 308 per day. During our fifteen months with this church 40 have been baptized and 25 restored. Seven new classrooms are being built and will be used our last Sunday here. Brother Bobby Hoover has been chosen to work as preacher with this church. After July 15 my address will be 116 Prospect Avenue, S. W. Camden, Arkansas, and I will be working with the West Washington St. church in that city."
William R. Ward, 504 N. 4th, McGehee, Ark., July 7, 1954. We have just concluded a very fine vacation Bible Schoo in McGehee. The month of June was a fine season for the church in this locality; one was restored and three bap tized. We have but two more weeks with the church here. The work here is in good condition. Our stay ha: been one most enjoyable and successful. My new address in Long Beach, California is 1021 Termino."
William E. Wallace, 640 Thayer St., Akron, Ohio: "In June we conducted a combination Vacation Bible School — Singing School — Meeting for a period of one week. It was an experiment in a way, and it turned out to be e very successful program. In the morning we had Bible classes. I taught an adult class in "Church Issues' which proved to be well worthwhile. Brother T. A. Nicks of Nashville, Tennessee taught classes in the rudiment: of music and conducted song drills. Each evening we had a song drill conducted by Brother Nicks and a preaching service with a different speaker each evening. Brother Nicks did a superb job and was a great inspirational force throughout the program. A one-week effort of this type is tiresome but beneficial."
John B. Himelrick, 1319 Taylor Ave., Baltimore, Md., July 6, 1954: "The church in Essex, Md., a suburb of Baltimore is interested in obtaining information concerning Christians who have moved or are planning to move to this area. If you know of any who need encouragement write us. Address mail to Church of Christ, Essex, 423 Eastern Ave., Baltimore 21, Maryland."
Thomas Allen Robertson, 2454 Belle St., San Bernardino California, July 3, 1954: "It has been some time since we have written a report to the Gospel Guardian but it ha. not been because we have been idle. The work of the Lord here in San Bernardino continues to progress. Since last report there have been seven baptisms, six have been restored and seven have identified themselves with this congregation. The church here puts the gospel of Christ on the radio three times per week. Sunday morning at 8:00 A. M. over KITO 1290 Kc. and Tuesday and Thursday at 8:45 A. M. over KRNO 1240 Kc. The response to this effort has been very pleasing so far. On June 20 it was our privilege to speak at the evening service of the Thayer St. church in Akron, Ohio while we were on a trip through the middle west. The Thayer Street church in Akron, Ohio is a fine congregation and Brother William Wallace is doing a fine work there. Brother Yater Tant is to be with the church here in a meeting August 1-11 and the church here is sending me to The Dallas, Oregon for a meeting August 18-29."
Thornton Crews, Route 6, Box 664, Pensacola, Fla., July 2: "May 11, 1954, I entered the Baptist Hospital of this city for observation, treatments, and transfusions and a major operation. I went to surgery on the 18th. Dr. Dale York, with assisting doctors and nurses removed one half of my colon, the appendix, and eleven inches of the small intestines. Dr. York is one of the best surgeons in the country today. So far as human knowledge can go: the operation is a complete success. The doctor has released me for full time work and for my meeting schedule of the summer. I am feeling better than I have felt since I had a slight break down in California, some six years ago. I have more blood than I have had for a long time and thus have more energy.
Thanks to our heavenly Father, to all my good friends and brethren who wrote in or offered in any way, a friendly gesture in my behalf. I would like to answer each card and letter but will not be able to do so. I am deeply grateful for all of them. Every one was so nice and encouraging. I am sure this made it possible for me to recover so rapidly. I hope now to have a number of my most useful years ahead.
I will begin my meeting schedule in Crews Town, Lawrence County, Tennessee, where I was born and reared. I helped to start the congregation there more than thirty-five years ago. I then will go to Gandy in the same county. It was there that I was baptized in October after my twelfth birthday. The first Lord's day in August, I will start a meeting at Pleasant Valley in Limestone County, Alabama. This will be my sixth meeting there. The third Lord's day, I will begin at Rogersville, in Lauderdale County, Alabama. This will be my third meeting there following four years local work. It was here that I did my first located work. Thus, I will be in territory that was one time very familiar to me. Most of the people that I knew and loved have joined that great host on the other side of life.
Our work in Bellview is looking up. Crowds are improving, contributions are good, and one has been restored very recently. A number seem to be on the verge of obeying the gospel. Since my last report, I have baptized one of my son-in-laws, and a number have placed membership with us. We recently closed, a fine Vacation Bible School. Brother V. P. Black will hold our annual meeting the last of September. We have much work mapped out for the fall and winter."
Allentown Church Meets For Second Sunday-20 Present The group of disciples in Allentown, Pennsylvania met first on June 20, as reported last week in our bulletin. On the 27th, they met for the second time, and 20 people were present for the morning service and twenty for the evening service. Brother Bob Scott, who is working with them and preaching for them, reports that they are so enthusiastic in the plans for further growth of the church that it is an inspiration. They are meeting temporarily in a private residence, but every effort is being made to locate a public hall which can be rented temporarily. We again want to ask that anyone who knows of any members in the vicinity of Allentown or Bethlehem contact Bob Scott, 356 Vassas Ave., Swarthmore, Penna. The Allentown metropolitan area lists 430,000 population, and we are certain that a strong church will soon be preaching the New Testament truth in this large city."
— Wendell Broom
"The church of Christ at Imperial Beach is now located at 1439 Coronado St., in their new building. God has indeed blessed us in that we now have our own building in which to meet and we are sure the work of evangelizing this community will be facilitated by having additional classrooms as well as larger quarters.
Twenty have been added by baptism in the last few months. We have just terminated a two weeks Bible study enrolling about 125 children and a class of adults also. From this beginning we have enrolled three weekly classes of children and hope to have at least three more organized in the near future. This work will be done by members and the classes held in the homes. We expect to garner much fruit for the Lord by this method.
We think it interesting to note that we have paid for our building from weekly contributions and have not found it necessary to have a building fund, pledges or notes to raise money. Our members have done most of the work on the building and all of this has been accomplished in about two years and a half. We are looking forward now to establishing the church in another community soon. We ask the prayers of Christians everywhere in our endeavors to plant the gospel amongst the unbelievers."