A Great Church
One member of this church accompanied me to a meeting where 85/90 people were assembled. Comment: It s good to visit a large church. But I miss the close warm feeling of a smaller group. There are five members where this saint worships.
I cant publish a picture of their building — they meet in an abandoned Legion Hall. One man, his wife, his widowed sister. another widow, and a faithful woman whose husband does not attend. They compose a great church.
The man works for Santa Fe. his wife operates a small motel, his sister is part-time motel worker. the other married woman operates a motel. These are working people. the elder widow lives on a pension. yet they have for years assisted in the support of various Evangelists. Years ago they supported me in a meeting in a place where faithful brethren were hard pressed. A one-night debate developed, and they added $50.OO to my check in genuine appreciation.
This year they supported a meeting in Ashfork, and the four women drove over 50 miles each night to attend. (The man was away, working on a farm) Then, they supported me in a one week Special Study In 0.T. but we had to have this each morning — no night services — for they had used up their free time in the earlier meeting. They plan to continue a weekly home study of the outlines and notes used in the Special Study, and to follow-up contacts made with non-members. In their community of ca. 600, with a high percentage of Indian and Spanish railroad workers, contacts are very hard to make: but these saints have a good reputation among white-collar and cover-all workers alike.
One Sunday I returned from a meeting elsewhere to learn that the four women had had a visitor — a transient who asked for assistance. (I think town-people send such cases to them, knowing their compassion.) The ladies talked it over (the man, out-of- town) and decided they could not use church funds for this doubtful need: but they offered the man $10. to chop the weeds and clean the Legion property where they met. I returned in time to check the job, and pay off for them.
Bro. Ted Bollier drives 400 miles once a month to preach for them, and they pay his expenses. Young men come down from Flagstaff (73 mi. ) now and then to practice on this appreciative (and critical) audience: and sometimes a fine Christian woman from Flagstaff. who is an excellent Bible student and teacher, comes down for a study with the ladies.
They are currently helping in the support of a preacher in Mexico, and take great interest in reports of his work among his people. They heard of my proposed trip to Australia (1971) and began to discuss how they might help with this. But if you think they are a soft touch you had better think again. They are fiercely independent, with an autonomy born of hard Bible study and circumstances.
Worshipping with these faithful five is an experience not soon forgotten. I believe the Seligman. AZ. church is GREAT in Gods sight