It is the third method of
spreading the gospel during the ‘campaigns’ conducted by brethren that I want
to mention concerning the numerical growth of the church. As early as the 1950s I remember brethren conducting
these ‘campaigns’ which were really what we call ‘gospel meetings’ but instead
of one congregation having them, several area churches would cooperate in the
moral and monetary support of such efforts. That was true in the city of Montgomery. The
congregations united together and would select an evangelist like Jimmy Allen
of Harding College (University), V. P. Black or
Harvey Starling to do the preaching. It was beautiful how brethren worked
together for a common cause, the proclamation of the gospel of Christ. These
‘campaigns’ would be held in large buildings like the civic center in downtown Montgomery as well as in
other mutual facilities. It was wonderful to witness the unity among brethren
during those years. I love the passage in Psalm 133:1: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity” (KJV). Oh, how I long for the return of such unity as was found
among us in such worthy causes during that era of time.
ABBEVILLE, ALABAMA
I want to mention some of
the ‘campaigns’ that I worked in with the cooperation of other gospel preachers
and interested brothers and sisters in Christ. I don’t recall the exacts dates
of the one that was conducted in Abbeville, Alabama but Roger Dill (who was
preaching in Opp) and I drove over daily to assist in this good work. Perry
Lucas was the local preacher. The town is located in southeast Alabama. The
congregation was relatively small as were most of the congregations in the
rural area of the state. We knocked on doors and set up Bible studies as we had
opportunity. The fellowship with our brethren was wonderful. One day while all
the workers were sitting in the living room of the preacher’s house where the
Lucas family lived, brother Dennis Hines got his ruler out and began to measure
the length of the picture widow. That rather excited Perry and he asked, “What
are you doing”? Brother Hines replied, “I’m measuring for curtains because I am
going to ‘roll you for your job”. That really caused everyone to enjoy a hearty
laugh. Of course brother Hines was only joking with Perry but I still retain
memories of the good times we had while working together.
ALBANY, GEORGIA
In September, 1964, Charlie Boddy, preacher for the College Avenue, Enterprise,
AL, and I worked in a
‘campaign’ in Albany, Georgia. Harvey Starling was
preaching under his tent that would seat about 1200 people. This campaign was
well advertized because it seemed that every home we visited the people had
heard of it. During the week, Charlie and I conducted three home Bible studies.
We used the Jule Miller filmstrips that gave us the opportunity to study the
Bible with the individuals. We were showing the fourth film, GOD’S PLAN FOR REDEMING
MAN to a very nice lady when suddenly she asked us to stop the film. She then
declared that she had been saved because Jesus had appeared to her one night
and she was sure that as a believer she was saved. I kindly asked her to permit
us to continue viewing the film and she gave us permission to do so. When the
film ended she quietly said, “I now know I should be baptized”. She was one of
the three we taught that week and were immersed for the remission of sins.
We also had the privilege of
setting up a home Bible study with a widow who lived in a ‘well to do’
community. Her home was very lovely and I remember how expensive looking her
furniture was to this poor preacher.
There the three of us were sitting in her very nice living room and
watching a filmstrip when all of a sudden there appeared a large South Georgia roach on the wall near us. It is amazing how
that the nice lady, Charlie or I never saw that roach. It was as if it was
invisible to all of us. For sure I was not going to say, “Hey, look there’s a
roach!” Well, the story ended with the lady being immersed into Christ.
There was a sister in Christ
who was a Christian but her husband, who was in the Air Force, had never obeyed
the commands of the gospel but he agreed for us to study the Bible in their
home. Following our study with him, he expressed his desire to give his life to
the Lord and was immersed. Thus, this couple was united in Jesus Christ. It was
indeed a happy occasion. Here is “The Rest of the Story” (Paul Harvey). I was
spoke at the church of Christ in Arab, Alabama
on Sunday night, October 19, 2008. While visiting with brethren in the foyer of
the building and getting acquainted with them, a gentleman, James M. Norris,
and his wife walked up to me and he asked, “Where were you on Tuesday night,
September 23, 1964?” My mind began to work overtime trying to remember if I had
performed their wedding or what. He then informed me that I was in his home
showing the Jule Miller filmstrips and studying the Bible with them. He said
that he had been preaching for years since leaving the Air Force. I could
hardly believe what I was hearing. That event occurred 44 years ago during the ‘campaign’ in Albany, Georgia.
He had learned that I was to preach for the church in Arab and he and his wife had
travel several miles to see me. I was moved emotionally and I informed the
congregation of this incident before delivering my sermon. I also told my
co-worker, Charlie Boddy about
meeting this brother after such a long time. I had unspeakable joy in my heart
and I thanked God and praised the Lord Jesus Christ that we had the wonderful
privilege of teaching this good man the gospel of Christ.
WEST
MONROE, LOUISIANA
It was during the week of
May 3, 1965 that Charlie Boddy and I
travelled to West Monroe, LA to work during the first week of a
campaign with Harvey Starling doing the preaching. We stayed in the home of a
Christian family. The gentleman was a successful business man who died years
later in an airplane crash along with other Christians. I remember him saying
to us not to get lost in the city while working. I thought to myself, if I can
find my way around his small mansion we would do just fine driving in West Monroe. The first week of a campaign seemed to me
the most difficult. It was very hard to find people who were interested in
studying the Bible with us in their home. We knocked on one door and the man
told us to come in. There the gray haired man sat cross way in a large chair.
He said that previously they have to take him to the “horsepital in an anvil.”
Out of pure meanness in order to see the reaction of Charlie, I asked him to
repeat what he had just said. Later Charlie asked me why I did that and I told
him why. Charlie said he had enough trouble in refraining from laughing the
first time and there I had to ask him to repeat his statement.
‘Dog days’ came early that
year – literally. I have never seen so many dogs that were set on causing us
bodily harm. Charlie and I had to practically walk back to back to ward off the
canines that were attacking us. Doing personal work can be hazard to your
health in some cases.
A tent meeting often
attracts people from various backgrounds. There was one man who came frequently
to the nightly meetings dressed in his cowboy suit. Everyone who knew him
called him “Tex”.
He suffered from a mental problem, they said. Well one night, Charlie and I saw
a couple walking toward the tent with Bibles in their hand and I thought about
what Philip ask the nobleman in Acts 8, “Do you understand what you are
reading?” so I approached the couple and asked if we could study the Bible with
them in their home and they consented for us to visit with them. So, Charlie
and I went to their home the next night and when we arrived we found that Tex was present also. We
learned that they were members of a denomination that immersed people like we
did but not for the same reason. It came down, in our discussion, as to why
people ought to be baptized. It was then that Tex said in a halting voice, “I know.” He
said that the answer was in Acts 2:38. I thought to myself, The Lord is going
to use this mentally handicapped person to reveal the truth. I told Tex to inform us what
the passage said. He then began to quote Acts 2:18, “Then Peter said unto them,
repent and be…be..be…believe.” I nearly dropped my Bible. We then learned that
he was a member of the same denomination where the couple we were studying with
attended and had been taught the same doctrine like they had been instructed.
One morning we were given a
card with the name of a woman who might be interested in studying the Bible
with us so we began to locate this person. We finally found the two story
apartment where she lived on the second floor of the building. Before we reached
the location you could see the screens on the windows and the porch had been
damaged and the place looked unkempt. We knocked on the door of one apartment
and the woman who lived there told us that the person we were looking for lived
upstairs so she called very loudly the woman’s name. This woman came down to
meet us and when she did I observed her appearance without prejudice. In
kindness I say that she looked ‘a mess’. When she curled her toes over the
steps I could see the rust between her toes. Mind you, poor people need the
gospel like everyone else but this woman looked physically unclean and
unconcerned about her spiritual needs. I thought, back then you buy a bar of
soap for very little money and there was the river running nearby and so forth.
We asked her about studying the Bible with her and her interest was about like
the wall in front of me. When we got back in the car, Charlie…well let me tell
you that Charlie was/is so sincere and serious about matters…and he looked at
the card that requested us to write our impression about this person and he
asked me with a long sigh, “What are we going to write?” I replied, “Let me
have the card” and I wrote, “Dirty, dirty, dirty!”
It was not until the last
day we were working during the campaign that we met a young college student who
had studied the Bible and possessed a good knowledge of the Word that we
finally had a decent discussion with her. The campaign continued for a total of
about three weeks. I don’t remember the number of conversions that occurred
during that time but I do remember the first week was like plowing new ground.
We were very tired when we returned to our homes in Elba and Enterprise. Experience can be a good teacher.
HARTFORD, ALABAMA
The brethren of the Hartford church had completed a new building and it seemed
a good time to conduct a ‘campaign’ in this small town several miles south of
the city of Enterprise and near the Florida state line. If
my memory serves me well (Brother Rex Turner,
Sr. used that expression many times), Paul Tarence was the preacher and several
other preachers and workers from different congregations came together to
‘knock on doors’ and set up home Bible studies. This was during the week of May
17, 1965. My family and I were living in Elba
at the time. I do not recall the results of our efforts to reach people with
the gospel of Christ but I do remember that the area churches of our Lord
supported this meeting.
OPP, ALABAMA
This ‘campaign’ was
conducted the week of July 5, 1965. My good friend Roger Dill was the preacher
for this fine congregation. He worked with the Opp church for some 51/2 years.
He and his good family were well respected by the community. Ray Humphries was
the preacher during this ‘campaign’. Ray was a former preacher for the Opp
church. A number of preachers, along with other brothers and sisters in Christ
worked diligently during this worthy cause. I had the pleasure of teaching and
baptizing Mrs. Herrington, age 85, during the week.
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA
The beloved Paul Simon was
the preacher for the East Gate church in this city. He called me while I was
living in Elba and asked me if I would come
down and direct the personal work during a gospel meeting. This was in the
month of July, 1966. I had the privilege of staying in the home of brother and
sister Simon. I remember seeing brother Simon early in the mornings working in
the flower garden. I do not remember the results of this effort. I learned on
Tuesday, February 9, 1971, that brother Simon had been killed in automobile
accident in Mississippi
while on the way to the Freed-Hardeman College Lectureship.
OGLETHORPE/MONTEZUMA, GEORGIA
This ‘campaign’ was
conducted during the dates of August 28-September 2, 1966. Jerry Humphries was
the preacher. Colin McKee and I
worked together in trying to set home Bible studies and inviting people to
attend the nightly worship assemblies. We were given a card containing the name
of a young lady who had shown interest by attending some of the assemblies of
the church. The card also contained her address so we went looking for her. We
knocked on her door and she came to the screen door and spoke to us and we informed
her who we were and why we had come to visit her. She was thankful for our
interest but she told us that her husband wanted everyone from the church of Christ to know they were not welcomed at
their home and that he had better not find us there. The young mother was very
kind and I could sense that she did not feel the same way that her husband did
relative to the church.
I had learned that there was
a colony of Mennonites located several miles north of the city of Montezuma so
I drove up to meet some of them. As I drove through their farms I could
perceive that they were very successful in their vocation. When I drove up to
one house I saw how neat the place and lawn were. An older gentleman with a
beard welcomed me into his home. In our pleasant conversation he told me that I
could grow a good beard and he even gave me a pamphlet that informed me that
the Bible teaches that I should do so. The house was immaculately clean and
there no radios, television sets to be seen anywhere. However I did see a water
cooler in one room. We discussed the Bible for sometime but I did not change
his mind concerning his understanding of the Word of God. The gentleman was
very cordial and I enjoyed my visit with him.
Now, back to the young lady
Colin and I visited the first of the week. Jerry spoke on the radio each
morning but he had to leave for home after the Friday night session so he asked
me to speak on the program on Saturday morning before I left for my home in Elba. I agreed and after the program, I decided in spite
of what this lady’s husband had said, I was determined to make one more visit
to her home and encourage her to obey the gospel. She had informed us that her
husband drove a ‘butane gas truck’ for some company. Well, while I was speaking
to her through the screen door I saw him drive by so I began to talk more
rapidly, encouraging her to obey the gospel. The husband came driving by the
second time and he stopped the truck and got out and was coming straight
towards me. I said a quick goodbye to the young lady and then I walked up to
him, extended my hand to shake his and I begin to say something like, “Sir, I
want to tell you that you are fortunate to have such a wonderful family and I
am glad to meet you but I am in big hurry to travel to home in Alabama” and
with that I said, “I’m sorry but I must leave now.” I immediately got in my car
and drove away. I did not give the husband time to say one word. My
confrontation with him lasted only a few seconds. I rejoiced to learn later
that this young wife/mother did give her life to the Lord and was immersed for
the remission of her sins.
ELBA, ALABAMA
Sunday, December 4, 1966,
the Elba congregation met in our new building
located on the Troy Highway
and across from the Elementary School. We had 425 people present for the special service that afternoon. Marvin
Bryant was the preacher during the ‘campaign’ that began that night and continued
through the following Sunday. We had 10 preachers and other brothers and
sisters who assisted us in ‘knocking on doors’ and setting up Bible studies in
various homes. During the ‘campaign’ there were 10 baptisms and 12 confessions
of sins and request for prayers.
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