VOL 14 , NO . 1 SPRING 1994 First in 8 Series
Parental Assemblies of God Influence on AlG Leaders Waldo and Bea TRASK
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SPRING 1994 VOL. 14, NO. I
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5 STILL LEANING ARCHIVES STAFF-WAYNE E. WARNER, EDITOR AND ARCHIVES DIRECTOR; JOYCE A retired military officer returns to Truesdale, Iowa, where he once LEE, ASSISTANT ARCHIVIST; GLENN was a small boy in his father's church. By Robert B. Robeson GOHR, ARCHIVES ASSISTANT AND COPY EDITOR; CINDY GRAY, SECRETARY. AR 6 WALDO AND BEATRICE TRASK CHIVES ADVISORY BOARD-CHAIRMA N GEORGE O. WOOD, J. CALVIN IIOLSING· The general superintendent's parents lead by word and example. [R, GA RY B. McGEE , CHARLES CRAB By Wayne Warner TREE. 10 WALKING BY FAITH ... NOT BY SIGHT Assemblies of God Hen/age is published Blinded by an illness at 18 months, Fred Henry overcame his hand quarterly by the Assemblies of God Archives, icap and was in demand as pianist for Aimee Semple McPherson, \445 Boonville Ave.. Springfield. Missouri 65802-1894. This magazine is frec 10 mcmbers of Raymond T. Richey, and many others. By Glenn Gohr the Assemblies of God Herilage SocielY. Yearly memberships are available for $10; lifetime 14 A MIRACLE OF HEALING memberships are $100. Membership fees arc Given up to die in 1928, this woman prayed for God's will-and used to publish the magazine and suppon for His glory. She lived 2 months beyond her I DOth birthday and Ihe Archives. died in 1985. A 1930 reprint from thePentecosta{ Evangel. By Elva Assemblies of God Heritage is indexed in Religion Index One: Periodicals. published by K . Stump the American Theological Library Associalion, 820 Church Street, Suite 300, EvanS(Qn, IL 16 MEMORIAL DAY 1994 60201. This index is pan of the ATLA Religion A photo feature. Remembering some of the pioneers who Database. available on Ihe Wilson Disc CD-ROM from H. W. Wilson Co. and online via Wilson charted the way. Line, BRS lnformalion Technologies, and DIALOG information Services. FIRE IN THE PINES 18 Microfilm of Heritage is available from Concluding part of the Mississippi District's origin and Theological Research Exchange Network development. By' Gary D. McElhany (TREN). S420 N.E. Glisan, Portland, OR 97213. Persons wishing 10 donate historical matcrials 24 THEOLOGY to the Archivcs-such as corrcspondence, photo The development and preservalion of Assemblies of God graphs, recordings, films, magazines. books, minUles. diaries, etc., arc urged to write 10 the theology since 1914. Concluding part. By Gary B. McGee above address or call (417) 862-2781. Informa lion about Ihc Archives Building Fund is also DEPARTMENTS available on request. Copyright C 1994 by The General Council of Ihe 3 Heritage Letter-The Value of Books Assemblies of God, 1445 BoonviHe Ave .. Spring 15 Archives Activities field. Missouri 65802-1894. 23 From Our Readers ISSN 0896-4394 30 Time Frame-40 Years Ago POSTMASTER: Send address changes 10 Heritage, 1445 Boonville Ave., Springricld, MO 65802-1894. COVH: Blind muskhm ~ Henry, Mrs. Henry, and two of their children, Virginia IlDd /IIevln, at radio station KVOO, Tulsa, In 19JOs. Thl' \\'omall £mllgelisl Within "econd~ on the screen came The Value of Books my book! SlOred a~ a reference tool In the Cal-Poly Library. Through the OCLC lenninal (Online Computer Library Cen t every opportunity I encourage districts. churches. and ter) at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. I also A individuals 10 preserve their written and recorded his learned thai the book is In some 250 librarie~ lOry and then either write the stories themselves or secure So even though the high price keeps The Woman £\'On wrile~ to put the stories in book foml. ge/isl from popular circulatIon. It has found a place of per In this way the inspiring record of God's dealings ""ith manence In librarie<; around the country. (My next project people can be placed in onc of the most convenient edu is to rewrite the book for the popular market.) cational and preservation forms ever invented-a book A And !.peaking of Maria B Wood,-,orth-Etter and libraries magazine which tells a panicular story may have wide initial reminds me of a \%It I made to the University of Illinois circulation, but is generally a poor reference work and often library in the early 1980s. She had written several autobio discarded after a few days or weeks. Even if It is preserved. graphie~ beginning in the 1880~ but only the later ones the magazine format is nOI nearly as convenient and lasting showed up on the OCLC as a book,' I knew from her later rcport~ and newspaper stories that Have you noticed the magical qualille~ of a book? These ~he had conducted meetings 10 the Champaign area in the qualities cause the owner to preserve II. give it away. or late 18805. so out of curio~ity I searched the card catalog. sell it to another. Even the most outdated textbooks can be You can imagine my delight when I found one of her books found at the Salvation Anny Thrift Store or 10 used boo~ which 1 did not know existed. Titled Life and Experiences stores. Simply because people do not want to throw them of Maria B. Woodworth. and published in 1885. the slim away. 80-page volume was Mored 10 this renowned university Ii· I know because my family is concerned that someday brary. I wish you could have been with me as I took that they'lI be given the responsibility of disposing of the many rickety and squeaking cage of an elevator to the 10th Hoor books I've collected from sources coast to coast. and then walked through the long stacks to that rare volume. And even though a book may go out of print for lack of The newspapers of the 1880s reveal that the evangelist sales. many of them are given a lasting place in libraries was a victim of verbal and written abuse when she preached and private collections worldwide. in Champaign a hundred years ago. but wouldn', she be Eight years ago my biography of Maria B. Woodwonh pleascd to learn that her book is still in the universIty library. Etter. The Woman Evangelist, was produced by a library Maybe one of the angels will pass the word to her about publisher. I was pleased that a publisher accepted the man (he little book she published 109 years ago. 2 uscript but disappointed with the high price and limited I like what Helen Keller said about the joy she found in circulation (Scarecrow Press, $37.50). reading her braille books: "Each book is as a ship that bears But there is a positive side. us away from the fixity of our limitations into the movement While researching in the Yale University Library 3 years and splendor of lifc's infinite ocean." ago I was pleased to note that The Woman Evangelist was Books preserve ideas: they record the bad with the good. in their collection. The same ~hing happened al the Uni failures with successes; they ensure that stories of individ versity of Oregon library in Eugene while I was searching uals. churches. institutions. and nations are protected against for family history. Mrs. Pavelich. my Oregon high school loss: they educate. entertain. inspire. and spread the Word English teacher would be proud. And more than a little of God. This is the reason totalitarian governments ban or surprised. bum books that dIsagree with their evil philosophies. Then recently my brother Ellis and his son Bryan dem We'lIlook at four books 10 this column which have just onstrated for me a mind-boggling computer at their Ontario. come off of the presses: a biography. the story of the As Cali fornia home. Bryan. who is an economics major at Cal semblies of God in Singapore. the reprint of Azusa Street Poly in Pomona, explained. "Among other thi ngs, this mo Mission papers. and a study of modem revivals. dem gives me access 10 the college library. What do you want to check?" Aimee Semple McPhersoll , Everybody's Sister, by Edith L. 6lumhorer. Wm . B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, Photographs With more than a little vanity. I suggested he search for and index. Has 48 photllS, index, 431 pages. Hardcover, 524.99; paper, 514.99. If you were to select the three best-known 20th-century evangelists in Nort h America. you would have to include Aimee Semple McPherson ( 1890- 1944). The other two are Billy Sunday and Bill y Graham. Sunday and McPherson "U)'M £ War .... ' is were contemporaries, and Graham's ministry began about d""CfiH of''''' JIG the ti me of McPherson's unti mely death at the age of 54. Ar~M\'tJ and ,duw of Htnla,t Contlnutd on pilat ..
AlG HERITAGE. SPRING 1994 3 gapore and the ~1alay Penin~ula). Thu~ they be_came the tir ... 1 A~-.emblies of God missionaries to the Straits Settle ment From thaI pIoneering cffon came new churc~es .under Jackson's leadershIp. Later more U.S misslonanes .JOined the Jacks(ln~ before World War II. mcludmg Came An derson. bther Johnson. Kathenne Clause. Lula Ashmore (later BaIrd). and Mr. and ~1r~. Lawrence O. McKinney. In 1936 Esther Johnson and Arthur Sandahl-another mis Nobody will ever collect all of the articles and boob siona!) in Chma----were mamed and continued 10 serve m wnlten about the glamorous and co n trove r~ial Pentecostal Singapore before and after the war evange li st and church planter. Aimee Se mple McPherson. Author Fred Abeysekera wa!; a small boy in 1 935.w h ~n Much of the coverage given to McPherson was negative. hiS famliy united with the Assemblies of God MISSion 10 and she IS slI lI the target of many Jokes even though she Singapore. He was an eyewitness to the rapid growth be~o re died nearly 50 years ago. the war. the trag ic e ...·e nts durmg the Japanese occupation. Leav an g Canada an 1910 with her husband Robert Se mple. and then the recovery of the Singapore church and its place Aimee became a misMonary to Chana, but withi n 3 mo nths of prominence today. He record.s that story. in this fi rst the 19-year-old woman wa!; a widow when Robert died of complete history of the Asse mblies of God m that s m~ 1I malaria_ A month later she gave birth to their daugh ter island country wh ich today has its own General CouncIl. Roberta in Hong Kong. Scores of photographs enhance this book which is ~ h ock The traumatic experience shook the young Aimee Sem full of mformat ion and in!;pirational accounts of behever.; ple. but she returned to North Amenca and won became who have often paid a high price for their fai th. an evangel ist in Canada and in the eaMem Untted States. When Cecil and Edith Jackson arri ved m Singapore from A second marriage fai led, bu t the detennined evangelist Chi na on cal)ter Sunday 1928. they were the on ly Assem continued preachang on her own -in 19 18 selili ng In Lo!; bl ies of God members there. The 1992 stat istics show 37 Angeles where she bUi lt Ange lus Temple. began Lighthouse churches. a Teen Challenge . a Bible institute. many other fo r International Foursquare Evange li sm (L.1. F.E. Bible mini stries to the country. and some 16,000 people who College), the International Church of the Foursquare GO!; attend Su nday services-all made possible because of God's pel , and many ot her church-related ministries. dedicated missionaries. national ministers. and lay mem While many wnters foc us on the reported kidnappi ng and bers. other questionable event !; In Sister's I1fe. Blumhofe r pre One of the national ministers fo r more than 30 years is sents a balanced view of one who-<1espite her fa ull So-gave author Fred Abeysekera . He and his wi fe have given their herself to Christ and His church. Many will agree with Grant lives to mini ster in rural areas. the jungles. and the large Wacker, professor at Duke Div inity School: " Thi!; biog cities of the Far East. They are now offering young Bible raphy Will stand for years as the siandard treatme nt of one school graduates on-the-jOb lraming as evangelists in rural of the most heralded-and lea!;t understood-religious ce mini stry. Their many hour.; of labor on this volume wi ll be lebrities of the twentieth century ... appreciated for years to come. Early ASM! mblies of God members appreciated Sister's ministry in their cities because her mass meetings produced converts and helped start many asse mblies. (She held cre dentials with the AJG. 19 18-21). Today Sister's Four~ uare Church and the Assemblies of God are fraternal Pentecostal organizations. 1 The Azusa The History of the Assemblies of God of Singapore 1928- Street Mission Paptl'll, 1906·08 1992, by .'red G. Abeysekera. Hardback, photos, 536 pages, $25, postpaid. Can be ordered rrom the author, Assemblies or God or Singapore, P. O. Box 35 Towner Road, Singapore 9132, or FAX (65) 241 -3953. A limited number or the books are available at the same price rrom Ihe Assemblies or God Archives, 1445 Boonville, Springfield, MO 65802. Uke as of Fire, The MAR Press, P.O. Box 6021, Wash After sensing a miss ionary call to the Far East. Cecil ington, D.C. 20005. Can be ordered rrom the publisher at Jackson left Southern California and sailed for Canton in $16.95 plus $3 postage. February 1926-when the Assemblies of God was only 12 years old. Later hi s fiancee. Edith Pearson, joined him in The laic Fred Corum owned one of the few collections China where they were married.· available of The Apostolic Faith. the Azu sa Street Mission Because of the communist terror in Canton. the Jacksons paper ( 1906-08). which he received from his aunt, Rachel fled for Hong Kong in 1928 and eventually located in the Sizelove. a participant in the revival. (The Corum family Straits Settlement (a British colony that once included Sin- Continued on paRe 29
4 AlC HERITACE. SPRIIlriC 1994 Still Leaning __ Reflecting on the Faith of a Small Iowa Congregation
By Robert B. Robeson from field~ across the road. But tho:;e and often more-wh ich equated to simple, yet profound. messages of over half the town's populat ion. grace and hope did touch my young Dad's ministerial beat (he was born t was 1948, and I was 6 years old, life. They became the foundalion upon and raised on an Iowa fann before at I when the photo of our Truesdale, which my fa ith has rested for as long tending Bible college) consisted of a Iowa , church congregation was taken as I can remember maze of backwoods dirt roads pri after a Sunday morning service. I dis Though th is church was so small it marily populated by individuals who covered it while rummaging through resembled a Holiday Inn room that'S worked the land for a livi ng. Their old sc rapbooks at my parents' home been through a compactor, each Sun rural isolation fostered a feisty inde- in Lebanon, Oregon . It brought back day it was fill ed with 70-80 people, Continued on page 28 a fl ood of nostal gic memories of days long past and reminded me how God can be manifested in the lives of those who place their faith and trust solely in Him. Truesdale, then, was a tiny hamlet of approximately 150 people tucked away in the all-encompassing embrace of adj oining com fields 7 miles from These good Iowa people learned to lean on God's everlasting arms. Stann Lake . Even road maps barely bothered to notice it. This sleepy little town 's main street consisted of one block of stores and businesses. [ first became aware of the spiritual aspects of life in that country church , surrounded by people who lived their faith on a 7-day week. At 6 years of age- and being a high-energy kid- it Abo.-e, the Truesdale, Iowa, Assembly of God was difficult sitting still for 45 minutes congregation in a ISl48 Sunday morning photo· graph. Author Robt>rt Robeson is stated {left} on on hard wooden pews li stening to my the sidewalk. His brother Jerry is circled near father preach during sun-baked sum the center; Pastor D. D. Robeson is circled near mer Sunday sennons with flie s and the top. and Winnifred (Mrs. D. D. ) Robt>son Is circled on the left. Courtesy of B. B. and Win bugs buzzing overhead and the sweet nifred Robeson. aroma of hay and freshly cut grass wafting through open church windows Right, the author stllnd~ bt>fore the former church building 45 )'ears after the abo~e photo was laken. Although the building is now a storage center, Robert B. Robeson retired from the U. S. Anny the sign in front stlll carries II messllge, "Prllist as a lieutenant colonel and now is a free ·lance the Lord ," proclaimed there by many genera writer. During his Vietnam lour ( 1969-70). he tions of bt>lie~ers. Photo by )'hyllis Robeson. flew 987 combat medical evacuation missions. evacuating 2.533 patients. He lost seven hel icopters to enemy fire, was twice shol down. earned 35 medals in combat and has been dec orated eight times for valor. He also com manded a helicopter ambulance detachmem in West Germany_ He now lives in Lincoln, Ne braska. () Copyright 1994 by Rnbt>rt B. Robe!;lln Waldo and Beatrice Trask General Superintendent's Parents Lead by Word and Example
By Wayne Warner
• • • • • • • • • ...... , . •
• • • obody in Barnum. Minnesota. IFirst in a Series lists. and pasto~ -but did not ha\'e the I Ncould have guessed that the devil· \i~ibility _of their well-known ~ns. Ho";,! may-care Waldo Trask would grow up Parental Influence on did they Influence their children? Each of' and become a Pentecostal minister and Assemblies of God Leaders the ,on, will gi\e honor .... here honor IS raise three children who would follow duc in this o,eries beginning "'lfh Waldo him into the ministry. O" important is the parental influ and Beatrice Trask. the only livmg parents ence in the home? Heritage will an l\f (he officer. Even though Waldo's mother sent H s"cr that que~tion" Ith artide~ on the par Waldo and Beatrice Trask are retired him to the Presbyterian Sunday ents ot' the current c'(ecutlve leader\. Assemblie, of God minis(e~ "ho li\'c in school-where he had perfect atten General Superintendcnt Thomas E. Tra~k. Brainerd. Mmnesota_ In addition to their dance between the ages of 7-11-lhe A,>,~istant General Superintendent Ch
AlG HERITAGE, SPRING 1994 7 she was wonderfully saved and deliv· ered from cigarettes thai night. The fir.:;t unsaved person 10 hear her lestimony was Waldo later that night. But it was not the response for which Sea had hoped. For more than 10 years he had not attended church, and he was not nearly as excited about what happened at Brainerd Gospel Taber· nacle that night as Bea was. "Oh, you gal religion, did you?" he said angrily. "If you've gal reli· gion, I want no part of this!" And he grabbed a suitcase and began packing his clothes, ready to leave. Now a distressed Bea Trask didn't know what to do. She followed him grundchlldren, and one ''''''-'''"'',h';1d to the door, pleading with him. wedding anniversary in 1983. "Waldo, please stay for the sake of the boys. Please stay. The boys need a father." Trask was unconverted and living a wild lifestyle, but he knew she was The children grew up memorizing witness and testimony how she had telling the truth. Ray and Thomas did their father's conversion story. Thomas changed from her animosity and dis· need a father. He turned back into the obviously enjoyed relelling it recently: dain to a love for the Word of God apartment and went to bed. But a more "About halfway through the Lord's and love for Jesus." miserable night he had never spent. Prayer all heaven broke upon him, and On Bea's side of the family, Grand· Before her conversion Bea Trask he was gloriously saved." mother Stith remained a Catholic and was a chain smoker, needing a ciga· The Bminerd Gospel Tabernacle had did not want to discuss religion with relic before or during breakfast. That seen about 50 conversions during the her daughter and son-in· law. "To her, first morning after her conversion was 1938 revival but no couple had made Mother was an outcast," Thomas said. different. A disturbed Waldo Trask sat "She looked at Mother as one who across the table cursing the preachers The Trask children saw a had abandoned her faith, as lost." and the church, all the time blowing dedication in their parents smoke into Bea's face. But she never ft er his conversion, Waldo gave noticed. Never felt an urge to light up. that they wanted to A up drinking, smoking, and even It wasn't just the cigarettes. Waldo emulate. bowling. Now he began to pour his was beginning to see thai Bea was not time and energies into the church. Later the same woman he had married. any greater change and a deeper com· under the ministry of R. D. E. Smith Christ Jesus had changed her. It wasn't mitment than Waldo and Bea Trask. he became a board member of the just religion, she had experienced a Waldo and Bea's parents knew church and served as the church trea personal relationship with the Lord. something had happened 10 their chil· surer. * And he began preaching part· That day was a Saturday, and Waldo dren but wanted no part of the new· time at the Northern Pacific shop, Trask went off to his job at the meat found Christian experience. After where he had once worked with his market just like he always did. But Waldo and Bea had entered the min- father, and wherever else he had op· this time he was under deep convie· iSlry and were pastoring in Thief River portunity. tion. Unknown to him , Bea and a Falls, Minnesota. Thomas remembers BUI God had something more for Christian woman were praying for him. the disruption his Grandmother Trask the former bartender. That night he came home confused, caused. "She'd get under such con While working in the meat market, angry, and under conviction for what viction that at the close of the service Waldo Trask sensed a call into the had happened to his wife. He finally she would interrupt mother who was ministry. Just as he yielded his heart fell on his knees. praying with people at the altar. 'Bea,' to the Lord the night he was saved, he Bea's prayer was about to be an· she would say, 'I want 10 go home. eagerly responded to the preaching swered. Take me home.' " call. "Our Father who art in heaven," The children and grandchildren, Waldo never had an opportunity to Waldo Trask began to pray as he re· however, saw the day that Grand· attend a Bible school, but Tom re membered what the godly Presbyter· mother Trask was saved. "She liter· members the many hours he saw his ian Sunday school teacher had taught ally wore out her Bible," Thomas re· father studying on his own. "Early I him . "Hallowed be Thy name. " called. "And it was a marvelous could go into the living room ... and
8 AlG HERITAGE, SPRING 1994 find Dad reading the Word of God. over the years was usually Into situ call of God as a result of that revival studying the Word of God. and pray ations that were difficult or were small meeting." And he also met and mar Ing. or had problems: they would go into ried Shirley Burkhart, a student from When the Bemidji church needed a those places. believing God for revival Toledo. Ohio. pastor. someone suggested sending and to found a good work." In those early years following their Waldo and Bea Trask. At first it was Waldo and Bea's Minnesota min 1956 graduation from North Central, a series of meetings, but then the istry took them into Grand Rapids. Thomas and Shirley were close to his church asked him to stay as pastor. It Duluth. Minneapolis, Albert Lea. and parents and continued receiving strong wasn't much of a building. only a Pine Island. In addition, Waldo con encouragement and support. For a basement church, but Waldo and Bea ducted revival meetings in 118 of while Waldo and his two sons pas Trask knew that God wanted them Minnesota's 138 churches. tored in the same section: Waldo at there. They had accepted salvation by And they lived what they preached. Glad Tidings. Duluth: Ray at Inter faith. and now they were willing to "1 never heard one thing from the pul national Falls; and Thomas at Hib follow God's leading to the mythical pit that I didn't see lived out in the bing. Paul Bunyan's city. home." Thomas recalled, "And that The Hibbing congregation changed As was common in the early days doesn't mean they were perfect. But four times during the time Thomas and of the Pentecostal movement. perse I'm talking about standards of holiness Shirley pastored there because of the cution wen! with the territory. A church and righteousness and godliness. and uncertain conditions in the pit mines. neighbor who was under conviction the priorities of family worship .. , When the mines closed, which they used to sit in his yard on warm summer And discipline. did periodically, the workers moved nights and squ irt water through a base The future general superintendent on to other employment. ment window and onto the worship will never forget the last physical dis- "It was tough." Thomas remem ers. Ruffians would roll boulders onlo bered while silting behind the general the low roof and tear the tar paper. "Early in the morning I superintendent's desk. "Dad encour causing the roof to leak. could go into the living aged us to just hang in there. His sec The Pentecostal kids often took ver room ... and find Dad tion and Glad Tidings were supportive bal abuse from their peers. "We were and had grocery showers for us." And called ' holy rollers,' ., Thomas re reading the Word of God, they prayed, worked hard, and rebuilt called. "Kids would ask, 'Well, did studying the Word of God, the congregation with new converts. you hang from the chandeliers last and praying. "-Tom As a successful pastor, Michigan night in your church?' Or, 'Did you Trask District superintendent, general trea roll the aisles?' " surer, and general superintendent, Despite the persecution. the Trask cipline his father inflicted on him when Thomas Trask continued relying on children saw a dedication in their par he was 16. But he does not regret it, the cou nsel of hi s parents-who are ents that they wanted to emulate. They rather believing that it was needed. now in their 80s. But at one critical saw their parents under fire and ad Along with the correction came intersection in his life he did nOI fol mired their poise. "Pentecostals were strong encouragement for Ray. low his father's advice. not accepted then as we are now," Thomas. and Patricia (Mrs. Mel While Thomas pastored Detroit's Thomas explained. "The persecution, Holmquist), which helped them in their Brightmoor Tabernacle, one of the though, did not hurt the church. That own ministries. And the encourage strongest churches in the Assemblies only gave fervor and tenacity and more ment and prayer support from Waldo of God, General Superintendent G. determination. . it pUI some steel in and Bea Trask continues to this day. Raymond Carlson called and asked our spiritual bones." him to consider accepting the position The Bemidji church. led by a for homas was not serving the Lord of general treasurer. Raymond Hud mer unchurched bartend er, would T when he enrolled at North Central son had retired, and the executive serve the Lord no matter what people Bible College in the early 19505. When presbytery was looking for someone said or did. "The congregation re asked how leaders at North Central to fill his unexpired ternl. He would acted in love," Thomas remembers would have responded if someone had give it some thought and much prayer, fondly, "and reached out to the peo predicted that Thomas Trask would Trask told Carl son. pIe. " Today two churches can be someday become general superinten And he would talk with his father. found in Bemidji, made possible in the dent, he laughed, "They would have At the time Waldo Trask thought early years by pastors such as Waldo said 'We've got to believe in mira his son had left his senses to even con and Bea Trask. cles!' .. sider the change. It would be leaving One does not talk with the general But a stirri ng student revival meet the ministry, he argued. Why would superintendent long before parental ing during his freshman year changed he leave Brightmoor Tabernacle where pride shows through. And in this case, the young man who was more inter souls were being saved every week? a deep respect for the man and woman ested in sports than what North Cen Why leave a church that was alive, who led by example, often in places tral stood for. " I got back to God. where be lievers were baptized in the nobody else wanted. "Dad's ministry Marvelously saved and received the Continued on page 31
AlG HERITAGE. SPRING 1994 9 Right, the Henry family In a Miami. Flor. Ida, meeting In 1938. From the left, Nevin, Virginia, Fred, Etta (Mrs. Fred Henry), Esther, Bnd IUlton. Three months later Nevin Wa5 killed In a car accident.
A Henry Family Photo Fred trying a new baritone In 1924. Album
PHOTOS COU RTF..sV 0.' Above, Fred and Etta singing during an Idaho church VIRGINIA IIENRV KUSROW service in 1963.
Below, II few months before fred's death, the Hen rys at the organ In their ';?Ie«< ... home In Seattle. During their 58 years of marriage, Fred and Ella traveled REV. JOHN PEEL across the U.S. and Canada In evangelistic meetings. VAO,COO"ilI, .. e. Paslol' and Youth Leader Sunday, Sept. 18th, to Oct. 2nd
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" A_"-' T """...,...... 1'1!c> _-_ __ KtMI. .- ...... II .." 'h, "'~" ~ '", h•. ' ht.n ,.".u .... , ;n ~ob<." /:;pI'M', "/1,1' .... ·, " "' \~t.H "AT_ KINGSTON TABERNACLE The Story J)fBlind Musician Fred Henry Walking by Faith • • • Not by Sight By Glenn Gohr hile Fanny Crosby, a blind mu month~ old. he showed hi~ love for Fred's unusual musical talent and W sician. has been called the music by escaping from his mother unique personality \ "Queen of Gospel Hymnody" be and groping his way down a hillside Tullar Invited him to sing in the re cause she wrote more than 8,OClO gos to a point 200 yards from the hou~e vival meetigs he was conducting. And pel hymn texts, and Herbert Buffum 10 Ibten to some songs and instru there was not a dry eye In the place ha1> been termed' 'The King of Gospel mental music that he heard. At age 4 as Fred sang. "Face to face shall J Song Writers" with some 10.000 he could play several chords on either behold Him. I shall see Him by songs to his credit. Fred Henry's tal piano or organ. while at the same time and by ," ents at (he keyboard likely outshined Spontaneously Tullar stood up and any other gospel mu sician of his time. I said, "Friends, I think any boy who He had a repertoire of more than Blind from 18 months, can sing like that ~hou ld have a 3,000 gospel and classical selections Fred Henry became an chance." This was followed by a memorized and has been singled out outstanding musician, hearty .. Amen" from the congrega as a blind musici an who could play memorizing 3,000 gospel tion. and in a few Ilunutes. several every band instrument. He was even hundred dol1ar~ were collected to help featured in Ripley's "Believe It Or and classical selections and give Fred a " chance .. ,. Not." I playing the piano, organ, After the meeling. Tullar asked the Who was this child prodigy? What and every band parents if he could act as the boy's obstacles did he face before achievi ng instrument. He could even guardian and enter hi m in the Stale international fame for his God-given Line School for the Blind at Jackson talents? work on the family car. vi ll e. Illinois. to cu lti vate his musical William Fred Henry was born in the talents. Although Fred was on ly 7 Smoky Mountains near Maryville. singing the song or hymn. By the age years old. after sOllle consideration. Tennessee. on October 21, 1890. He of 5 he was playing hymns on an old the parents consented. His musical was the son of George Washington fashioned organ in the Methodist abilities developed qu ickly as he and Lina Jane (A merine) Henry and Church. and he sang "Peace. Won learned to read music through the also a descendant of Patrick Henry of derful Peace" at the opera house in brai lie method. and a year later. at age Revolutionary fame. When he was 18 Tulsa, Indian Territory. where the 8. he composed words and music for months old, a terrible affliction called family had moved in 1894. 2 "When We Meet With Joyful Song." dengue, or break-bone fever, wa s Then one day Grant Colfax Tullar, copyrighted in 1899.~ sweeping through the countrysi de, a composer and evangelist from Chi leaving many children crippled. cago, held meetings in Tulsa. He hap Catching the dreaded fever, he bauled pened to walk past the Henry home ft er completing a 3-year course at with it for weeks. And when the fever and heard Fred singi ng a hymn. At A Jacksonville. Fred attended the subsided, he was found not to be crip tracted by the sweetness and rich qual Nashville Institute in Tennessee and pled-but totally blind. ities in the boy's vo ice, he inquired as the Conservatory for the Blind in il Even though he was sightless from to who this was. Dr. C. W. Kerr, pas linois. Undoubtedly he had a "pho infancy, thi s did not deter him from a tor of the First Presbyterian Church in tographic" memory, for he learned great calling and ministry. Tul sa, was with him and explained, things quickly and eas il y remembered Early in life , Fred showed an affin "That is Fred Henry, a blind boy." things he had only heard once. In ity for music and began to develop hi s Together they visited the Henry home sc hool he was an athlete and some God-given musical talents. At just 22 where the composer was charmed by what of a daredevil. He excelled in AlG HERITAGE. SPRING 199411 pole vaulting and the high jump, al though music was his main course of study . ~IP1.9'S He later took a postgraduate course in music at the Oklahoma State Schoo l for (he Blind at Fort Gibson, Okla Believe It homa. His instructors there asked him . " Fred, why are you here? You know orNotl more music now than we do." Upon completing hi s schooling, Fred decided that the theatrical world held out a fair reward for hi s years of study. But after 3 years of vaudeville and some months in musical comedy , he Ix!came disgusted and turned hi s thoughts toward God and the sacred songs he loved. He rejected many tempting offers to Ix! accompanist for opera singers. One concert singer offered him $1 50 'T\II.'5A,OOILA a week if he would be her accompa Bl.l'IDfRDl"l I'lfr\Jll(Y-CAN PlAY ALL SAND 1~1ITS nist. He declined all offers , going into WrTH A REPERTtlIRf Of 3000 SElZcnONS concert work alone. A secular audl~nce Inrllftl of Fred !lenry's mU!ilcal Ilbilitie!i ",-Ith the publishing of lhili 11142 Then came romance! Of course! Riplry'5 "Bell e ~e II or Not " newspaper feature'. 0 ''''2 Rq:I 12 AlG HERITAGE, SPRING 1m Fred many Engli sh choruses as they Some of the evangelists who used his talents included ~ wended their way back to the hOiel At the 1926 camp meeting. not only Aimee Semple McPherson, Uldine Utley, Charles Shreve, I did people fl ock to hear Smith Wig Willa Short, Charles Price, A. A. Wilson, Watson Argue, I glesworth's messages on faith and and Billy Sunday. heal ing. but they were aSiounded by the music of blind Fred Henry who played piano for the services. One nenmacher used to say , "There's not blyofGod. Ren ton . Washmgton U At night he surprised the audience by another man 10 the world who could age 82, he memorized all the song.s playing a trombone and piano duet all accompany me like Fred Henry." and played organ for the church by himself! 10 This feat was a carry And he could tune a piano w IIh Chri~tmas cantata at Renton and then over from hi s vaudeville days. He speed and accuracy Rachel Farley made a \"isitto Tulsa After Christmas would rest the bell of the trombone on Perry of Roma. Texas, remembers the he ","as diagnosed With cancer and flew his knee and play the accompaniment Fred Henry fa mi ly musicians. " In the back to Seattle. He died a few weeks 1 with his [eft hand. At other times he late 30s they were at Woodston Camp later at his home on January 26, 1973. ' ski ll fully played a trumpet and accor in Kansas. He tuned Ihe piano each Etta Henry passed away in 1983. dion duet or simultaneously played the time before service when he was to At Fred's memorial service, a tel bari tone in conjunction with a pi ano pl ay," egram fro m the Executive Presbytery or organ. was read: "Fred H enry'~ life and mu Fred 's musical talents eventually led ragedy struck In 1938 while the sic left an IOspin ng and lastmg ben him to travel in gospel music circles T Henrys were evangelizing in Vir ed iction to us all May songs of res throughout the United States and Can gini a. One Saturday night. Nevin was urrection and reunion fi ll the heans of ada. He could play virtually every mu killed in an automobtle accident. He all left by hi S homegoing'" He was sica[ instrument, and he often gave hi s was riding with a man whom he had buried at Rose HI li Cemetery, Tul sa. life story at meetings and would sing. been witnessing 10. It was a great loss. Oklahoma. His wife and chi ldren formed a mixed but the Henrys determined to continue qua rtet and accompanied him with on thei r way to be wi th A. A. Wilson red lived life to the fu llest Be other instrumen ts. in a camp meeting in Canada. F sides his musical interests. Fred And that's not all. So from 1938- 1942 the Henrys enjoyed fi shing and repairing all types While li ving in Tulsa he played in loured the dominion of Canada. When of clocks. He also mastered the chal services fo r such notable evangelists Pearl Harbor was bombed , they were lenge of electrical wiring and doing as U[dine Utley, Aimee Semple holding services in Toronto. After the repair work on his car He would McPherson, Smith Wigglesworth , Dr. conducting a meeting at Vancouver. Charles A. Shreve, Willa Short , and British Columbia, they intended to re even Bi[ly Sunday. He al so was pi lurn to Tulsa. But because of gas ra "There's not another man anist for the Watson Argue campaign tioning during the war, they were only in the world who could in Tu[sa in [935; fo r A. A. Wilson's able to go as far as Seattle. Two of accompany me li ke Fred campaigns both in Kansas City and at the chi ldren, Vi rginia and Hilton, Henry."-Joseph Braeside Camp near Paris, Ooltario, found work with Boeing Aircraft. and Canada; and for Charles S. Price's the Henrys made Seattle their home . Wannenmacher, violinist meetings in Tulsa, California, and After the war, Fred and Etta trav Washington. II eled throughout the U. S .. evangeliz grind the valves and kept his motor 10 He had a great knowledge of hymn ing on their own . One high light of excellent condition. He could even arrange ments, and he often spoke of their travels was an organ duet they drive a car! " keeping gospel music out of a ru t. .. played in the early I 940s. The unique Hi s daughter Virginia confides, He did Ihis through his own techn ique thing about it was that they played on " Father used to dri ve the car from the of combining classical with the hymns. two organ consoles con nected to only back of the house to the front. He And he al ways gave God the credit, one set of pipes. 12 ta ught my mother how to drive a Model for much of his music and anthems Fred received ordination wi th the T Ford. and he taught every one of us came to him in the middle of the nighl. Northwest Di strict. and duri ng the four kids how to drive." While others slept, he would play the 1950s he appeared on local te levision When driving in town or across piano and put words and notes on a couple times, but he preferred radio country. Fred and Etta together op braille paper. lest it be lost the next broadcasts. When he preached, he erated the car. day. quoted Scriptures by memory . but it One ume Charles Shreve was in the Fred accompanied musicians and was always interesting for his audi back scat He walclled as Mother steered and applied lhe bl1lkes. Dad's rOO( was singers in any key on instant notice ence to feel the brai lle notes he took on the d utch and he shined the gears and was able to follow. He accom with hi m to the pulpi t. also. Dr. Shreve remarked, " Now that 's panied soloist Einar WaemlO and vi In later years, he served as fu ll-time wh:1I I call cooperation." They drove olinist Joseph Wannenmacher. Wan- organist and pianist at Renton A s se m ~ COIl llnllfll on paae JI AlG HER ITAGE. SPRING 1994 13 A Miracle of Healing By Elva K. Stump MI"5 EI~a K Stump at age 98, visiung tile HtrilaRt uhlbll al the 1983 General Coooctl. Anaheim. California She died 10 1985 after n:achlng 100 he early part of 1928 my phy~ical My suffering was vcry intense. On to be ushered into His presence. Thealth became impaired; paralysi~ Wednesday, May 23, many came \0 Thursday evening the treatment was started In my left fool and gradually to see me, and as they left the sick very severe and I really prayed it would affected my lert side. and there were room I could hear lhe sobs outside Ihe be the last one. During the suffering sy mptoms in my right foot. May I ~ay door. for they thought it would be the the Lord was speaking to me from His here. for It needs to be sa id to under last time Ihey would see this mortal Word. and reminded me of John 15 :2, stand what is said later. that al this body-the ties of Christian love are "Every branch that bearelh fruit, He time we had charge of Maple A venue strong and true. purgeth it, that it may bring forth more Mission in Canlon. Ohio, which wa~ At II 0 'clock that night two doctors fruit." I said to my good Christian about 2 years old. The Lord had held consultalion. All had been done nurse. " Is this something like the blessed wonderfully; 37 had been bap that human skill could do. I was purging process?" She answered so tized and most of them had a real bom anointed twice, my friends in Christ sweetly. "God moves in a mysterious agam expencnce. way His wonders to perfonn, He plants May 14, 1928, I was put In bed at " I could hear the sobs His footsteps in the sea. and rides upon thehomeofMr. Bradley, 1711 Wood outside the door, for they the storm." How mysterious and yet land Ave .. N.W., Canlon, for I needed how glorious if we walk in His way! special care which cou ld not be given thought it would be the About 6:30 I was left alone in my in my home. In the meantime I had last time they would see room. I put my partially paralyzed left been examined and was under the care this mortal body." hand across my chest with my right of four doctors and had been X-rayed hand. Then I took hold of the Lord's by two. All agreed thai it was a spe were praying. the mission converts promise: I believed every word of Hi s ciall y unpromising case. and diag were still holding on by faith. In fact, Word to be true. nosed it as spinal infection which on Thursday from noon until prayer As I thought of these facts I spoke would tenninate, most likely, in spinal meeting time in the evening, the saints in an audible though weak voice these meningitis o r brain tumor, which went to the prayer room of the mission words, " Jesus, Your will be done. You would mean death. Of course they did and read from the Word, and prayers are the same today as You were yes not tell me all of this. but being a from lhe depths of their souls as terday. You can heal my body. I am graduate nurse from the Episcopal cended to God. They went in relays not asking You to heal me for my Hospital, Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. of twos. and in sweet unity of spirit fr iends. my fam il y, or the mission, but I realized my condition. they prayed. only for Your glory and honor." This testimony is a reprint from the June 2 1. There was one condition I had been For a few moments He let me live 1930, PtnltCOJIa! El'llngti. G. F_ Lewis. pas· tryi ng to meet and I did meet it; that almost in Hi s presence by faith in His tor of Bethel Tabernacle. Canton. Ohio. althe was submission. I said from my heart. Word. It became trul y a "light o n my time of Mrs_ Stump's healing, endor..ed the ;'Thy will be done." A peace and calm pathway." Precious moments! The pubhshed tesllmony. Mrs . Slump began her which I can never describe came inlo paralytic who was borne of four, the ministry as an evangelist and ministered in the mountains of West Virginia . She died July 20. my soul, even with the intense suf man with the withered arm, Peter's 1985. about 2 months after her 1DOt h blnhday. fering. Yes, I was ready to meet Jesus. wife's mother, and that woman who Her son John pastors in Ferndale. Washington. Indeed I was not only ready but eager passed through the crowd and touched 14 AfG HERITAGE. SPRING 1994 Ihe hem of Hi ~ garmenl~ AI that mo men! I stretched ou t my right hand and ARCHlYES ACTI\lTIES said, " J esu~, You can do the \arne for me. You are just the ~ame today" Patricia Pickard: nll'<:ellJoc()us Pcnte,""" \1, ...--.J..'1l . '\-ictor Smith; txltJ"let, 'From the o glory! At that moment what a wi magazme,. 1912. 1919. 19.n. 19.m. [I}.t". Sull to tnc Pulpil •• b) W Vanzant Mary touch I had , affectmg my whole body and mf('nnatil>n nn .\1attic CrJv. hnd and the lIamb): Sourh,,.'sIrrtt Saml. Apnl 100 M4) Unltcd Pent';~'()5t~1 Council H. C. lIarljen~: IQ.lR Ed",ard E. Helton: ph(ltu~. rcvwal I cannot explain how He did it but I II i~'Ul" uf h.ia of HrallllK tI9~O.. I%J,. ptl,kr.., prayer cards. and 1lCV.' clips rrom old know He healed me It was supernat \tar) I-'ranl.s: photos of 1911} Brid~.;purt. ,cnipl'otltl" Dt-'M: phO\()C\IP)' of "lboo~ht, on ural. Immediately I raised my head. TC~J'. \:.mlp m.:etlilg. und \IT. and \Ir"ll. ·\n:h the E\·an~dILaII,.n (110ma" ItIM3>. b) H(lv. took my left hand and ran it down my P Collin,. Pat Sandidg~: Roman CJtholk· ~rd C Osglltld. Pcnte\:u,tal Dialoj!:u.; ml,\:dl~lI~'ous colic.: spine-no pain! I threw back the co\' ~ LoIs lIodge~: ptK,tos. book,. nameplat.;" ers with my left hand and fool. and ti\ln llf pcriodl\:ab and b"",l.leh ('",n.;d b\ the and (ired; 1c'icun. ov.nc:d by Mehin L I;ltc Dr Je~ Sandidgc. E. T. Quanabu,h: H,ltIgc5. l)oroth) Johns: matcriab rctallng to moved every toe on that foot-some booklet. "QUI.;t \\'aten anti Grecn Pa'lurc~ . [ .. btem Blhle In,tHut.; ("The Great ViSitallllO thing I had not done for month\. I got pr.cms. and Christmas Icttl'r. Stephen 8~ .. III God in u\tcm Blhle In'tHutc. 1950-:'i1"): out of bed and walked to the bath dan: nc"'~papcr dipping 01 ,\branath;! Par" cf'nstitution Jnd l'OffC"pl.lodcnce on Elim T atl room, walking heavily to see if sen building razing John F. Mahr). Jr.: l· J .;mack IR,-.·hcMel. '<'v. Y\lrk>; phu",.. of sation was really in my feel again. 0 D;lboc)\ boo" Whut II.HI·,m.! mPrm rhr.mgh. R(xh,-,ter Blhle Tnunmg School; and mmi~· First Assembl). Jamesto",n, ~orth Dal.ota: t';T1al ccrtillealc, fnr her parcnh. G A"'ld and glory to God! Praise Hi s name! There 50lh Annll·trl AJG HER ITAGE. SPRI NG 1994 15 A waiting the j MEMORIAL DAY 1994 Remembering Some Who E. N. Ikll, fint (hllrman or thc AJMm. Have Charted the Way blln or God. Maple Park Cemetery. Springfield, MWourJ. By Wayne Warner Roy Ind Ola Scott, mwlonarlts to Egypt. pastor, 5uptrinttn· All of us have walked through cemeteries look cltnt of the ok! West Ccntnl District. Fairvitw Cc meter) ntar ing for the marker of a loved one And curiosity Prlnctton, Missouri. has caused us 10 wonder aboulthe lives of the other people buried there-what they did. when:: they lived. why this one dLed 81 such a young age, or the secret of lhose who reached the century mark. ... ,-' . '.' ~ .. . '. We've also wondered aboullheir relationship with " ,.,.,...... , 'lUI""":' - the Lord. - ~- ... ''''', ,. We'll walk through more cemeteries on Me "., morial Day . Maybe you'll see some of the markers • • pictured on these two pages-only representative • of unlold numbers who died In the service of the ~.>.:..: -:; , ...... ,,;., -- ... ~,~" .-..'10"'''' I lJ King and having the blessed hope of the resurrec _~~~:!--J. tIOn . Annl Tom~k, missionary to IndiM. Grfl'nlawn Myer Puriman, Central Bible ColI'lt instruc· And as we walk between the markers we might Cemetery, Sprlnglltld, Missouri. tor, author. Grttnla\O'n Cemetery, SprinRfield, even Imagine the resurrection day when the graves Missouri, will be opened. IIere's how the apostle Paul de scribed thot great day: Two unusual markers in the Midwest, uf't. Charles }', and " \ would not have you to be ignorant, brethren. Sanh Parham (p ut pit with Bib le), a rounder or tht Pen tecostal movel'Mnt ; City Ctmdery. Baxter Springs. KanSll. Iklow. concerning them which are asleep. that ye sorrow Wi lliam M. Branham. evangelist. Eastern Cemetery. JdTer· not. even as others which have no hope. For if we $Onv llle-. Indiana, believe thai Jesus died and rose again. even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring wilh him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unlO the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. wilh the voice of the archangel. and with the trump of God: and Ihe dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meel the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another wilh these words" (I Thessalonians 4: 13·18). PICTURE CREDITS. John #Wdut:: R ~ rt Stmplt. Glton Gohr. E. N, Bdt, Anna Tomuedl. Mytr Ptariman. Victor Ind Ruth Plymlre, William Ind HUdl E"lns. Wesley and Ruth Stttlbtra. Wayne Warne'r : Roy Ind Oil Scott. Willil m Sty· mour. Chalin and Sarah Plrham. William Branham. Al!'red and Blanche Trolltr 16 AlG HERITAGE, SPRING 1994 Resurrection Alfred N. and Blanche Garlock TroUer; mlssionarlti, pastors. evangelists. Rose' Hili Cemelery. Billings. Missouri. Robert Stomple. mi~lonllry, fint husband or AIrnet' ~mple McPherson. llapp} Valley C"mtln}" lIong Kong. (Yes. "lead" should be " led. ") Above, missionaries 10 China and Tibet, Victor and Ruth Weidman Plymlre. Note InstriptiOIl5 on Mu. Plymire's stone: "Faithrul Com· panlon" and "No RegrelS." His Inscription. now difficult 10 relld. William J. ~Jmour. pastor or the Azusa Street Mwlon, says, "To Do Thy WIII.·' Gr~nlawn Cemelery, Springfield. Missouri. l"os Angtles. };Hrgrtt'n Ctmtlny. Los Angeles. RighI, William I. and Hilda [vans: he ,.-as an instructor and dean III Central Bible College. Gneniawn Cemetery, Springfleld. Misseluri. Btlow, Wesley R. lind Ruth Stttiberg: pll.'o1or, gerltra! supnintendent or the Assemblies of God. Greenlawn Cemelery. Springfield. Missouri. AlG HERITAGE, SPRI NG 199417 The Origin and Development of the Mississippi District By Gary D. McElhany he call for a General Council at nouncement made no mention of the December 15 to 20 in Meridian, Mis T Hot Springs, Arkansas. in April new movement, but the meeting no sissippi .2'I 1914. attracted seven delegates from doubt allowed discussion of the recent Apparently no documentation of the Mississippi. including W. B. Jessup events. H. G. Rodgers. who had been meeting remains, but leaders appear who represented the slate on the con appointed representat ive of the Gen to have divided the region into what ference committee. eral Council to the Southeastern stales; became the Southeastern District, Although six other delegates also W. B. Jessup; Jasper L. Slay; Alex. which included most of Alabama, anended the meeting. few of the state 's Broadus; W. G. Mizelle; Milton T. Georgia. and Florida. and the Mi ssis churches appear to have allied them Hays; and J. M. and C. R. Rowe in sippi Distri ct. which encompassed selves at that lime. The following Sep vited others to join them for a "Gen Mi ssissippi , southeast Louisiana. and tember an encampment of th e eral Council of Pentecostal Saints and that portion of Alabama naturally sep Churches of God in Christ mel near Assemblies of God. of [he Southern arated by the Tombigbee and Alabama Mobile at Semmes, Alabama. The an- States." The meeting was called for rivers. In the early years of the Move- Gary D. McElhany is the plIStor of Aberdeen First TIll' Mississippi District oftire Assemblies olGod Assembly of God. ill east Mississippi. This 2-part has /77 chl/rches, Officers are Walter L. Davis, series is all excerpt from his Mississippi State Uni sllperimelldell1: Norman E. Hartshorn, assistant versity master of arts thesis. "Fire in the Pilles: sllperinrendell1: PeltllS T. Palmer. secretary-trea A History of the Assemblies of God in Mississippi. surer. Tire district office is ill Jackson, /9 18 AlG HERITAGE, SPRING 1994 ment these boundarie~ were ~eldom ie~ and hamlet~ proclaiming their four cu~sion regarding the fonnation of a enforced and held little real meaning. fold me~~age of ~ahallon. healing. .'1ISMS~IPPI Di~tnct Council may al~ Ministers often visited octween the two Spirit bapti!'om. and the <'e,ond coming have been on the agenda. for Savell districts and were usually allowed to of Christ announced a bU~lOess meeting. "the vote and even hold office In whichever Itinerant ministf)·. b) nature. re nature of whIch will be of special 10- council they happened to attend. I() quired a large measure of optmmm terest to all those composing this diS Although the Missis~ippI DiMrict Few preacher~, ho ..... ever. could rival trict ., Clearly. a decision regarding Council did not officially begin at the William M Redid], an evangeli~t from organization wa~ reached either at th is second Meridian meeting in Decem Union, MIssissippi. for magnttude of meeting or to the next 2 months for ber of 19 14. the process was ~et In v·ision. Unable to travel a., much as he on October 1. 1916. the FirM Annual motion. Within 6 months Rodge~ re considered nece~~ar)". Redd "rote to Camp Meeting and Convocation of the ported to The Weekly £rangel that he the Weekly Emll.lwl in March 1915 As\Cmblie~ of God convened to BI had . 'just returned from the ~outh loxi. of> eastern part of Mississippi and Mobile The Mls~isslppi District continued Co .. Ala .. where we met Brothers Jes to add churches. L. D. Wells char su p. Slay and others. helping them to tered the Oak Street Assembly of God group the Assemblies and call pas In Biloxi on June 2.1917, and under tors. " The area corresponds roughly the leader~hip of H H Mizelle. the to the area that became the Mississippi As~embly of God of Leaf. Missis District Council.·11 ~IPPI, "as chartered 8 days later Al Jessup had already begun to coor vin and Tom King began works to dinate ministerial placement in Ala Oklaholla and Purvis. whi le M. E. bama and Mississippi. As early as De Madison. a woman. camed the mes cember 12, 1914, he wrote to the sage to Lumberton. In 1918, First As Christian Evangel encouragi ng those sembly of God, Gulfport. and Straight called to pastoral work or those unable Bayou Assembly of God Joined the to trave l on the evangelistic fi eld, be growing number of "set In order cause of fa mily obligations. to contact churches." n him regarding a pastoral charge. J2 Ap Reports from the 1919 meetings parentl y organization was not univer came from several new locations and sally accepted fo r Jessup's report to .seemed to place greater emphasis on The Word and Wimess in May 1915 ~ ..·ty P. Holkl .. a}, pastor. t ,·angtll.st, and Mis the physical manifestations observed gave clear evidence that opposition re sissippi Dislrkt suptrintmdtnt (192.5-29). lit laur in the services. Eugene F. Smith wrote mained . Yet he stated that progress pastom FiDt Assem bl). Otlth.nd. Ohio. that in Iiouston. MissiSS ippi. the altars had been made and many of the bar we re full to every service and "at one riers removed . requesting a coworker to share his bur li me thirteen lay under the power and Some of the brethren have not under· den. In glowing terms he ex tolled the eight came thru with the witness of stood one another nor the wo rk being virt ues of ministry in the piney woods. speaking in tongues." George Hicks done by the Church in general. bul God . 'The State of Mississippi." he wrote. held a meeting in Pierce. Mi ssiss ippi. has rolled the cloud away and they ha \'e confessed to one another, embraced and "has hundreds, yes thousands of cit where. "The saints rejoiced. shouted . .... ept until the fires of God's elemallOH:! ies. towns villages and crossroads and talked to tongues. danced. and proph· have been kindled and all Sirife and mis rural districts where this Gospel of the esied." J. E. Spence of Mobile re understanding ha\'e been dissohed. " Kingdom can be preached. and doors ported a meeting in which. "Souls In the same report Jessup made h i~ are swinging wide open fo r the Word broke down in the ir seats and got position regarding the new organiza of God." In the fa ll 1915. reports of through to God. , .. nine got to the tion very clear. " I am fo r righteous meetings in Sturgis, Neshoba. and Lord night before last and a number ness, love, unity, fellowship. co-op Magnolia appeared in the pages of the got the baptism .. '18 emtion , and affiliation , Bible order and Weekly £\'(w gel, H The name of the district appears to government , local. di strict, nalional J. O. Savell announced the First have remained somewhat fluid . The and intern ational. , , , It is the will of Annu al Mississippi De lta Pentecostal Peflfecostal Evangel. December 27. God fo r us to be one in doctrine, fa ith Camp-Meeting fo r Jul y 8. 19 16. at 1919. announced the West Alabama. and government. ... " He concluded Landing. a small community in Shar Mississippi, and East Louis iana Dis by issuing a call for cooperation with key County, It is apparent fro m the trict Council while in 192 1 a short the General Counci l and the establish announcement that differences contin tenn Bible school met in conjunction ment of district confe rences. 101 ued to plague the new Fellowship. with the Mi ssissippi and West Ala While Pentecostal leaders patiently Savell stated plainly, " Meetings will bama Di strict Council. :W preached their message of cooperation be devoted entire ly to the salvati on of By the time the ninth annual Di strict and organi zation, evangelists afl ame souls and no controverted questions Council for Mi ssissippi and West AI with the gospel continued to visit cit- will be allowed to be discussed ." Dis- abmna was held in Meridian January AlG HERITAGE, SPRING 199419 23. 1922, churches had been opened and seems to have found favor with boro was set in order January 21, 1923, in Water Valley, Noxapater, Stone· the local business community. Strong with Ance Page as pastor. In the fall, wall , Shubuta, and Waller Ridge. A financial support allowed them to ob Canadian evangelist A. H. Argue he ld September rev iva l conducted by J. L. tain and refurbish a church building. a citywide crusade in Halliesburg at Slay gave birth to Central Assembly In his report August 1923 to The Pen· the Red Circle Audito ri um, and W. S. of God in Bi loxi. Slay baptized 75 recosral Evangel. the pastor. J. Mon· Montgomery held meetings in luka. converts in one afternoon. The church roe Graham, illustrated the pioneering Waynesboro gained a second church was set in order with 75 members, and spirit of many of his contemporaries. in 1924 when Antioch Assembly of work began on a church building. After describing the spirilUal and eco· God was set in order. Laurel West End Elsewhere Gulfport and Meridian were nomic success of the church and in· Assembly of God fol lowed in June. busy constructing the ir own build· The Mississippi District Council ings.40 Mississippi churches convened in Laurel November I, 1925, W. B. Jessup led the Mississippi became part of the and was well anended. Delegates were District from its fou ndation in 19 16 to Southeastern District, present from Alabama, Mississippi , 1922. Then at the Ni nth District Coun and the New Orleans area of louisi cil the mantle passed to J. O. Savell. which included most of ana. Since Savell , the chainnan, had In 1922, the church in Meridian hosted Alabama, Georgia, moved outside of the district bound the cou ncil , and as host pastor Savell southeast Louisiana, and aries, he was no longer eligible to serve not only allended his first council but Florida. in the offi ce. The Council elected D. also became chairman of the district P. Holloway, noted evangelist and In the fall. Savell issued the call for a dicating that the chu rch was on strong protege of W. B. Jessup , to fill the second district counci l in Merid ian. fooling , he concluded, " I think now vacancy. W. M. Stevens succeeded Curiously, the invitation wen! out to that I shall give up the work here in Samuel Noles as secretary . the Mi ssissippi, South Alabama, and the near futu re and again enter the W. M. Stevens acti vely did the work West Florida District Council of the evangelistic work. "42 of an evangelist. He had set the Yazoo Assemblies of God.41 Few reports of Pentecostal activity City Assembly of God in order during The work which had been opened appeared in 1923 or 1924. Mainor the prev ious summer, and when Pen in Sumrall , Mississippi , grew rapidl y Creek Assembly of God in Waynes- tecostal activi ty accelerated in louis ville in 1926, Stevens was there in the midst of it. Vernon Assembly of God and Fi rst Assembly of God, louis ville, were set in order during the sum mer, and both congregations called Steven s to serve as pastor. Vernon chartered with 116 members. H Mi nutes of the 1926 Di strict Coun cil suggest that the spirit of change conti nued. The chainnan had served as district evangelist from the begin ni ng, but the practice had not pro duced the desired results. The actions of the Cou ncil indicated satisfaction with the leadership , but a desire for a more aggressive evangeli stic pro gram. The old methodology of itinerant evangel ists ho ld ing meeti ngs, then deserting the converts had been dis appointing. Without an evangel ist or pastor, churches had fai led. Success demanded a more systematic ap proach. The Council returned Hollo way 10 office with no opposition , then proceeded to create the new office of W. Grady !'>fi ~e ll e being in· assistant chairman. Samuel W. Noles tenitwed by the editor, July was elected to the post and as such 1993, lIurlty, Misslsi ppl . H ~ served as Ihe district evangeli st. Under fa ther was one or the pi· o n~ r Pentecul>tal prea(hers the new plan, the district evangelist in Mississippi. selected a promising location and with 20 AlG HERITAGE, SPRING 1994 the support of the district ministers at tempted to establish a new "ork. He then remained with it until a pastor could be found. Ministers were asked to contribute $1.00 per month of their tilhe to support the assistant chair man." The 1927 District Council met In Meridian, but aside from the reelec lion of Holloway as chainnan and A. T. Hickman. the new pastor at WhiS tier, Alabama, as secretary it proved uneventful. It would seem that the po sition of assistant chainnan had been a failure. 4j The problem of effective evange lism had not been solved by the six teenth annual District Council August 14 , 1928. At Crichton, Alabama. the district launched a new home missions program to reach " new and neglected fields ... The body turned to the proven ministry of J. O. Savell to lead the effort. He was named field evangelist. It was hoped that si nce both Holloway and Savell were on the field new churches would be established.~ No doubt meetings were conducted in the following months, but no new Stephen Vandermerwe told of trying to conduct a tent meeting during a rain storm. High winds ripped the tent and later blew it Two Penterostal plonHn or the south. William B. McCafferty and H. G. Rodgers, at thf Magnolia down. "Offerings have Springs Camp Grounds, lIurle}, Mississippi, 1942. been very meager, but we ... have kept out of debt. " The body established a home mis entered Into his role of district evan churches were added in 1928. Pres sions fund to provide financial backing gelist with much zeal. In May he be sure increased, and the 1929 Council for evangelists working in new fields. gan meetings in Yazoo City. His own brought further revisions in the home The program was funded from 25 per words best describe the level of com missions policies. Previously, the cent of ministerial tithe. When doing mitment: Council had set forth expectations that evangelistic work in new fields the Very .... et weather, and high winds hin the chainnan visit each assembly dur district superintendent and other ap dered the first two. and part of the third ing the winter months and evangeli ze proved evangelists could draw on the week of our meeting. The high wind during the summer. The chairman had home missions fund. With approval of tore the tent one time. and btew II down previously received all of the minis the district officers they could draw a at another. Severat urnes it seemed IS if .... e ..... ere gomg to be defeated In our terial tithe fo r his services. In 1928 weekly allowance until the meetings n effons 10 get a meeting started. but the the salary of the chainnan was re became se lf-supporting.· Lord gave us grace to hold on. until structured and his title changed to dis In 1929 the Council chose Stephen finally the .... eather cleared. Several trict superintendent. The body re Vandermerwe. a native of South Af have been saved and some have been duced ministerial tithe su pport to only rica and new pastor of the Assembly baptized with the Holy Ghost Our of ferings have been very meager. but we 50 percent and required the superin of God in Hattiesburg. as district su thank the Lord that we have learned to tendent to make a monthly repon of perintendent. Vandermcrwc accepted economize. and live within our Income. his income to the secretary. the challenge of church planting and so we have done without several things AlG HERI TAGE. SPRING 1994 21 that we could have u\ed, and kept OUI ... outh of the Tombigbee River. and the evangels carried their message to the of debt." Southeast portion of Louisiana ~ lawns and villages of the central Gulf No sooner had the district adopted region. Churches were established and By year's end both the Penteco~tal A ... - It ... new name than the A labama Dis nurtured by men and women of low sembly of God Tabernacle in Mc trict petitioned the Central Gulf Dis estate and even after the losses through Comb and the Craig Springs As ... em trici to relea~ Its Alabama churches. redistrictIng, progress continued. bJ yofGod In Sturgis were set In order, The move met wIth sharp criticism. The churc he ~ had a combined mem, particularly Since the Alabama ,"Olt!i 29 Chrlltlan EWUlf(tl. 22 August 1914. 2: 13 bership of 60. Five additional churche~ churches in queMion preferred to re Oo.:tOOer 1914. 2 were added before the District Council main with the Central Gulf District. 30. Spen(;c. "V~ Years, 18, 4S. met in Prichard , Alabama, in 1930! 22 AlG HE RITAGE, SPRING 1m F ROM O~ READERS From the Donald Gee Centre meetings at Eureka Springs. Here are We have now established the Don selections. ald Gee Centre. The material contlO ues to grow at a pace. The most 1111- portant is the Pentecostal Missionary 1 was [at the 1934 camp meeting] Union Archives from 1908. These and every year from 1931-40. The first consist of many letters from and to Mrs. Cart Barnes died in 1938 [she Cecil Polhill. A. A. Boddy. Smith and her family are In the photo]. About Wigglesworth. etc. There are some 30 IV2 years later, Carl Barnes married hand-written letters by Wiggleswonh my long-\\idowed mother, Verona Last week I took some folks from USA Gre\le, and they worked together in Cella S"'lInlo: Lotridge.lett. ",·ith AnnJe "MotMr" to see Wiggleswonh's grave and his evangelistic work and in pastoral work Bamford, a' South",l'lItrm A.C BitHe School, ENd. house. for 18 years. A powerful preacher. Olo:lahoma. about 19.4. There needs to be a correction in Brother Barnes dropped dead in the David Dorries' anicle on Wiggles middle of a Sunday night e\langelistic etness fell on the audience. We sang wonh (fall 1992, page 8). A. A. Boddy sermon in Nassau, Bahamas, in 1957. another choir number A cloud from was not baptized in the Spirit in Oslo It was my understanding that the heaven seemed to fall over the people. but in Sunderland, in December 1907. city of Eureka Springs built the au It fell on me. .. I knew God wanted after Thomas Barratt had returned to ditorium to accommodate the Inter to use me But I was afraid Brother Norway. Although Wiggleswonh was state Camp Meeting, and they were Gee would leli me to Sit down. associated with Keswick in that he nOI very happy when it was discon I wished I could hide. but the Spirit probably attended the conventions (as tinued. grew slronger. I forgot the crowd, in thousands did), his holiness connec Another interesting incident at the cluding Brother Gee. and yielded to tion was with the Pentecostal League 1934 camp meeting was that my sis God. giving a message in tongues. of Reader Harris (see J. Ford. /" the ter, Mrs. Cyril (Ruth) Homer. re SrOlher Gee interpreted People Steps oj lohn Wesley. pages 90-95). ceived her baplism one night, and I shouted and shouted. I could only cry. Another misunderstanding should received mine the next night (sibling On the way home the editor said, be cleared up. Bowland Street Mission rivalry). I just talked with her on the "Just think, I traveled so far [to know [in Bradford. where Wigglesworth phone. and we reminisced about Eu more aboulthe gifts of the SPirit], and ministered] was never Pentecostal. It reka Springs. She is the mother-in-law the answer was In my car." Lillie did was a holiness work. Wigglesworth of Ray Rachels, district superinten he know that the answer wasn't in his was forced out in the autumn of 1920, dent of Southern California. Ruth at car: It came from heaven, from the and in 1932 the bu ilding was sold and tended Ihe 70th anniversary of First Spirit who comforts God's people. became a Catholic Cl ub, whic h it re Assembly, Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Celia Swank Lotridge mains today. It has a bar in the main which is our home church. Bakersfield, California room where they used to pray. I was Fred Greve there earlier this year, probably the Laguna Hi lls, California Some of our readers will remember fi rst Pentecostal preacher to go inside the writer as a sflldem and teacher at for 50 years. The man in charge was The writer is a retired proJessor oj Southwestern AIG Bible College when very interested [in the miss ion and Soml!ern C(dijornia College, Costa it was at Enid, Oklahoma. Wigglesworth ]. Mesa. Sending Heritage to a Friend Desmond Canwright, Director The editor of the Daily News, We thoroughly enjoy readi ng each The Donald Gee Centre fo r Ch ickasha, Oklahoma. my home issue of Heritage. It is a great blessing Pentecostal and Charismatic Research town, was interested in learning more to learn of our "roots" as a Pente Mattersey HalJ. Mattersey about the gifts of the Spirit. So he and costal movement and to also read about Un ited Kingdom his wife took Mrs. Burt McCafferty many of the brethren that we have per and me to Eureka Springs to altend sonally known, More on Eureka Springs the 1934 camp meeting. At the ti me Now, we want 10 share Heritage I was leaming to go deeper with God. with Anna du Plessis, David du Ples Editor's Note: We published a photo of I was in the choir. and after we sang, sis' widow. We just showed her our participants in the 1934 Interstate Camp Meeting (fall 1993). Se yeral people someone was talk ing from the pulpi t. fall issue, and she was interested. We wrote and helped identify people we did A woman burst out speaking in are also ordering back issues [ ava il ~ not know (see photo and identification tongues. Brot her Gee [Donald I said, able at $2.50 post paid], in winter issue). And we received re "Sit down. lady, you are out of or Paul C. Schoch Hections from readers who attended the der. " The service continued but a qui- Pleasant Hi lt, California AlG HERI TAGE, SPRING 1994 23 An excerpt from the new Systematic Theology CONCLUDING PART I The Pentecostal Movement and Assemblies of God THEOLOGY Development and Preservation Since 1914 By Gary B. McGee hen the General Council (an ab (termed general superintendent later). ination. Rather, the delegates simply W breviated title for [he General began hi s response by saying: adopted the proposed " Preamble and Council of the Assemblies of God) These assemblies are opposed [0 all rad Resolution on Constitution," depict came into being at Hot Springs, Ar ical Higher Criticism of the Bible and ing their concerns and containing sev against all modernism and infidelity in kansas, in April 1914, doctrinal con the Church. agamst people unsaved and eral important beliefs, chose officers. sensus already existed among the par full of sin and \\.orldhness belongmg to and approved incorporation. 37 ticipants. built on the historic truths the church. They believe in all the real Like other Pentecostals, Assem of the faith and embellished by Wes Bible truths held by all real Evangelical blies of God members have been char leyan Holiness and Keswickian churches .... acterized by five implicit values: per themes . When asked in 1919 what sonal experience. oral communication these Pentecostals believed. E. N. (also reflected in testimonials in church Bell, a member of the Executive Pres When the Oneness issue magazines, booklets. Sunday school bytery and the firsl general chainnan threatened to split the AfG literature, pamphlets. and tracts), in 1916, leaders drew up spontaneity. otherworldl iness. and This article 1.'1 an excerpt from chapler I of sc riptural authority. All of them are Systematic ThftllOBY. A Pentecostal Per· the "Statement of sp«th'e (02FG03J9, $32.95), a new Gospel observable in conceptions of leader Publishing House rtle&Sf'. Dr. Stanley M. Fundamental Truths." ship, life-style, worship, and church Horton is tbf: editor. lileralUre.38 These values define much of the uniqueness of Pentecostalism However, the first General Council had and explain why little emphasis has Photo abov .. : Ray Rocpkt. a 1948 Central Bible IDJlltute Rudtnt. studying P.C. Nelwn's Blblt not been convened to write a new creed been placed on the academic treatment Dodrlnft. or to lay the basis for a new denom- of theology. 24 AlG HERITAGE. SPRtNG 1994 Editors and writers, therefore, have a cohesive !lystematic theology. For produced periodicals, books, book example. the section titled' 'The Fall lets, tracts, and Sunday school curri of Man" naturally mentions that all cula to aid in maturing believers. They humankind has fallen into sin; at the have also illustrated the victorious life same time. however. It allows the by recording thousands of testimonies reader some liberty to decide the of answered prayers, physical heal meaning of original sin and the me ings, exorcisms, and deliverances from dium of its transmission from gener chemical addictions. From the very ation to generation. 42 beginning, the challenge to conserve In (he succeeding years. various ap the work of the Spirit has consumed proaches aided in the preservation of , substantial energies. For that reason, doctrine. Several reasons mOllvated their literature has always exhibited a these efforts. First, Christians must lay orientation, facilitated by many continue to advance in Spirit-filled liv authors trained in Bible institutes and ing to enhance their effectiveness as Bible colleges, witnesses for Christ. When the Ex ecutive Presbytery recognized [he PRESERVATION OF oocrRINE TO 1950 danger of the anti-Pentecostal anno When the Oneness issue threatened tations in the Scofield Reference Bible, to split the General Council at its gath they banned its advertisement in the ering in J 916. church leaders willingly PenTecostal Eval/gel for two years set aside the anticreedal sentiments of (1924-1926) before they were per~ the Hot Springs meeting by drawing suaded that the edifying commentary 4 1 doctri nal boundaries to protect the in outweighed the unedifying. . tegrity of the Church and welfare of Not surprisingly, the denomina ~'ormer Christian and ~~~~';~~ .~::~;;~,:;'::; the saints. Several leading ministers, tion's Gospel Publishing House in Isler D. W, Kerr draft~ the Fundamental Trllths" in 1916. He was Involvt'd led by Dan iel W. Kerr, drafted the Springfield, Missouri, produced a in three or the early Assemblies of God Bible Statement of Fundamental Truths; it considerable variety of popular books schools. contained a long section upholding the with doctrinal themes in addition to orthodox view of the Trinity . Sunday school materials. Examples But even in taking this stand, the from this period include The Phenom mans. Alice Re ynolds Flower, a authors qualified it (and themselves): ena of Penrecosr (1931) by Donald founding mother of the Assemblies of The Statement of Fundamental Trulhs Gee. Rivers of Living Warer (n.d.) by God, began writing Sunday school is not intended as a creed for the Church. Stanley H. Frodsham. and Healing lessons in the pages of the Christian nor as a basis of fellowship among Christians. but only as a basis of unity from Hea vel/ (1926) by Lilian B. Yeo- Evangel (later the Pelllecostai Evan· for the ministry alone. , The human gel).""' Over the course of time , the phraseology employed in such state valuable training opportunities af ment is not inspired nor contended for. The Oneness controversy erupled at the 1916 forded by Sunday schools gained more but the truth set fonh . . is held to be General Council in 51. Lou is when this "State attention. A textbook on the principles essential to a Full Gospel ministry. No ment of Fundamental Truths" was adopted. claim is made that it contains all biblical of biblical interpretation came in the II ST,\'rE~tENT OF' FUN!)II~I£NTAL. TrWTttS truth, only that it covers our need as to A!'l'HOVEll BY TIU: GENE!!\!. COUNCIL translation by P. C. Nelson of Eric these fundamental doctrines. ,., OF TIlE ASSEM!lLIES OF' GOD. Lund's Hermeneutics (1938), pro Oneness ministers subsequently left October Z to 7. 19!G. duced by the Southwestern Press, an 40 the Council en masse. Thl. S,... """ of '·v.d.. non'.' T>oIh, I. no' In,end"" affiliate of an Assemblies of God Bi ua <,~ 10' 'ho Ch.rch, '0' 0 •• bul. 0' [."..... b'~ >.mOn~ Apart from the lengthy explanation CO".U."•• bu, .n', '0 • b.. l• .,f .0"1 10' "" mlol"'7 ble institute in Enid. Oklahoma. .10>.0,1. ... ,h., ...." '''''k ,b.... m. 'bl.~. I C<." "'0; of the Trinity, other points (e.g., "Di A,,, ]"". To. b.m'n pO"_I.~ .",.'oyod I. ouch .,..... For those unable to attend Bible in "'.", I, 0.' '''r'«d nO' "''''ondod fO', bu, ,ho If.'" ... 'ofLb In ,uch "h'.... olo&' " hold ,., bo ..... 11.1 '0 ~ lull vine Healing," "Baptism in the Co ••• 1 ,n'"'''.,.. Nu c',I .. I, mod. 'bo, It ¢<>,tAln,.1I tnoth stitutes, the plan of redemption could In ,It. Olbl •• on'Y ,hu, It co.., .. OU' .r.,,"' ••O AlG HER ITAGE, SPRING 1994 25 those who produced material for this cording to his view, Christians would kind of instruction, Finis Jennings have to endure the entire seven years Dake was probably the mmt well of the Tribulation Period, particularly known PentecostaL in fac t, his many the last three-and-a-half years, the time publications, including printed lecture of the· 'Great Wrath," before Christ notes, books, and the later Doke' s An returned for His church. Although notated Reference Bible ( 1963), have some of the district presbyters em continued to mold the theology of braced a mid-Tribulation Raplure, many Pentecostals.4{I Bauer's view remained suspect de Anecdotal accounts of the spiritual spite his voluminous wrilten defense life came from the pens of Elizabeth of it. The 1937 General Council ap V. Baker, et aI., Chronicles of a Faith proved a motion noting its potential Life (2nd ed., ca. 1926); H. A. Baker, problems for Christian living in the Visions Beyond the Veil (1938); Rob present. since Christians might be er! W. Cummings. Gethsemane come complacenl if told that Christ's (1944); and Alice Reynolds Flower, The AlG relied largely on return was not imminent. However, u}\'e Overflowing (1928), to cite only Myer Pearlman's Knowing renecting the interest of early Pente a few . Poetry was also taken up as a costals in avoiding division and quib medium for sharing spiritual truths; the Doctrines of the Bible bling over fine points of doctrine, the among the best-known poets were Al (1937) as a doctrinal new bylaw allowed ministers to be ice Reynolds Flower and John Wright handbook. It is still lieve in a post-Tribulation Rapture, but Follelte. available from Gospel not to preach or teach it. (In the end, Not surprisingly, songwriters as Bauer did nOI receive credential s and sisted in conveying doctrine. Along Publishing House. remai ned outside the General Coun with old gospel favorites, congrega In the category "Eschatological Er ci I. ~2) tions were blessed by the songs of rors." found in Anicle VIII in the A third reason behind the preser Herbert Buffum, such as "The Love Constitution and Bylaws, several con vation of doctrine is that Pentecostals liness of Christ" and ''I'm Going demned teachings arc listed. For ex have struggled co balance biblical Through ...., The songs of African ample. the doctrine of the' 'resti tution teaChing with their religious experi American Oneness Pentecostals also of all things" originated ou tside the ence. Commilted to the Reformation found an audience, especially those of Assemblies of God. Charles Hamilcon principle of biblical authority ("only Thoro Harris (e.g., "All That Thrills Pridgeon, a we ll -k nown minister in Scripture") as the standard for faith My Soul Is Jesus," "More Abun Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. proposed in and practice, they have nonetheless dantly," and " He's Coming Soon") his book Is Hell Eternal; or Will God's experienced the temptation to elevate and Bi shop Garfield T. Haywood Plan Fail? ( 191 8) that hell was of lim personal revelations and other spiri (e.g., " Jesus. the Son of God" and ited duration for the purging of sins, tual manifestations to the same level. "1 See a Crimson Stream of Blood ").4H after which all humankind would ex This struggle is reflected in an early A second reason behind the pres perience the love of God. Pridgeon. a Pentecostal EI'aflgel report, describ ervation of doctrine is that believers former Presbyterian and advocate of ing the expectations of Frank M. Boyd require solid answers in the face of fa ich-healing, became Pentecostal in as an early Bible school educator and erroneous doctrine. When threats to the early 1920s and continued teach instructor at Central Bible Inst itute the faith arose after 1916, the General ing thi s form of uni versali sm. The (College afler J 965): Council moved quickly to resolve doc doctrine was sometimes referred to as I H Ie expected all the students to be more trinal questions. When the herme the ··reconciliation" of all things or filled with fire and love and zeal and neutical issue over speaking in tongues simply ··Pridgeonism," The General more filled with the Spirit when they as necessary evidence of Spirit bap Council condemned it as heretical in left than when they came. He said that tism resurfaced in 191 8, the General 1925, While it is unknown how many when men had the Word without the Spirit they were often dead and dull and Council declared it to be "our dis Pentecosta ls accepted Pridgeon's uni dry; and when men had the Spirit with tinctive testimony. " Furthermore, it versalism , the threat appeared to war ou t the Word there is always a tendency adapted Article 6 of the Statement of rant official condemnation. ~I towards fanaticism. But where men had Fundamental Truths to refer to tongues Another issue had to do with the the Word and the Spirit. they would be as the " initial physical sign" (em imminent return of Christ: Could a equipped as the Master wants Hi s min· is ters equipped.'J phasis added). 491n the next few ~ars , minister subscribe to a post-Tribula several cogent articles by Kerr ap tion Rapture? When Benjamin A. This challenge to instruct believers on peared in the Pentecostal EI'angel, Bauer applied to the Eastern District how to have a mature Spirit-filled life among other published responses. $(/ in the mid-1930s for credentials, the helps to explain the high priority given Without amending the Statement, presbyters refused hi s application. to publishing, the Council passed bylaws as another say ing that hi s view diminished the Detailed doctrinal handbooks, how way of addressing troublesome issues. nearness of the Lord's return. Ac- ever, did nOI appear until the 1920s 26 AlG HERITAGE, SPRING 1994 f law .. to the constitution or amendmg the Statement of Fundamental Troths. Beginning m 1970, with the publica tion of ·'The Inerrancy of Scripture" (wJlh its endo~ment by the General Pre .. bytery), over twenty such white paper"> ha"e been Issued Topics ha,'e mcluded dl\tne healing, creallon, trnn~endental meditatIOn. dl\'orce and remarriage. the inilial physical evi dence of SPirit baptism. abortion, the kingdom of Goo. and women 10 mm istry ~ In recent years, members of the denomination's Doctrinal Purity Commission. established 10 1979 to monitor theological developments. have prepared the paper"> Obviously. the use of poS ition pa per., has begun to broaden the confes sional identity of the Assemblies of God Resorting to position papers. however. has nOi been accomplished wlthom some disagreement. ~J The au thoritative weight of position papers 10 relation to that of the Statement of Fundamental Truths leaves room for di~cussion. FunhemlOre. at least one Bqinning In tbr, 19705, rhun:h ludtN rhost lhe publishing of position PlIPfi"S 10 add~ issu~ troubling paper could be IOterpreted as a shift tbe rhur<:h. Here .~ se>tn or the 22 IYlllablt (rom Gospel Pub'i'ihln~ lIoU5f. from an original understanding in the Statement when It mentions that some and 19305. One of the best known. panics in America. guided the General "have tried to set divine healing \0 Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible Counci l In articulating its theology and OPPOSition to or 10 competition with (1937), was compiled from the lecture strategy of world missions. She was the medical profession. This need not notes of Myer Pearlman, an inst ructor the fir ~t missiologist of stature in the be so. Physicians through their skill s at Central Bible Institute . Theologian Assemblies of God: her three anicles ha ve brought hel p to many." Fur Russell P. Spinier suggests [hal it is on Paul's mi ssionary methods In the them"lOre. Christians cannot reverse the "the theological jewel of classical Pentecosud Evangel in earl y 1921 pre physical effects of the Fall since "no Pentecostalism's middle period. "~4 pared (he way for the Assemblies of matter what we do for this body, no Other books having similar agendas God's acceptance of a detailed com matter how many times we are healed, appeared , such as S. A. Jamieson's mitment to mdigenous church princi if Jesus tarries we shall die. " ~. Pillars of Truth (1926), P. C. Nel ples: this occurred officially that year By the 1940s. many conservative son's Bible Doctrines (1934). and Er at the General Council meeting in Sep evangelicals realized that theological nest S. Williams' three-volume Sys tember. Luce. who received her the agreements with Pentecostal s out tematic Theology ( 1953 ; although ological traming at Cheltenham La weighed differences and began to wel organized as a systematic theology, it dies' College (Engla nd). also wrote come their fellowship and coopera is morc accurately a doctrinal manual several books. numerous articles in tion . The Assemblies of God's composed of the author's lecture notes both Spanish and English, lecture accepting membership in the National delivered at Central Bible Institute notes, and Sunday school lessons. ~~ Association of Evangelicals (NAE) at from 1929--1949). Specialized studies its founding in 1942 represented their on the Holy Spirit included Wlull y the 1970s. the Assemblies of entry into the mainstream of American Meanell! This? (1947) by Carl Brum BGod had become one of the major church life (which was furthered by back and The Spirit Himself( 1949) by denominations in the United States an upward social and economic mo Ralph M. Riggs. In a related devel linked to even larger fraternal conMit bility after World War II). The rela opmem, Boyd prepared books of doc uencies overseas. Facing new prob tionship became tenuous at times due trinal instruction for correspondence lems. church leaders chose the method to lingering suspicions about Assem courses. founding what is now Berean of publishing position papers to ad blies of God pneumatology and the College of the Assemblies of God. dress issues troubling the churches: in generally Amlinian nature of its the On another front. Alice E. Luce. a thi s way they continued to respond to ological anthropology . Nevertheless, missionary to India and later to His- issues. but without adding more by- the impact of evangelicalism on the AlG IIERITAGE. SPRING 1994 27 theology of Pentecostalism has been led to an im:rea_~lng reflection on the the Scriptures. theology, missiology, considerable. 'Iq distmctlveness of Pentecostal beliet\, and church hi~tory, therefore. consti· CONCLUStON Since World War II. evangelical in tutes an Important gift of the risen Pentecostalism emerged out of the terest In the biblical teaching on the Chmt to HIS church. -~~ nmeteenth-century Holine~s move kmgdom of God ha.<. enriched the ~tudy ment. The fonnulation of the full gos of doctrine In the Assemblies of God Extensile footnotes are al'ailable in the book. pel, concern for world evangelization The contemporary scene calls the Readers rna) request a photocoPl of the notes by ",riling to the Assemblies of God in the closing days of history, and 10- Church to consider anew its faithful Archhes. t445 800n\iIIe, Springfield, MO tense prayer for the outpouring of the ness to God and its mission in the 65802. Please Include $1 for COP) and han Holy Spirit precipitated the revivals at world Prayerful and exacting study of dling. Topeka. Los Angeles. and the many that followed. The Pentecostal and charismatic D Truesdale, Iowa/ from page 5 movements in this century have in pendence to In'e with 1I~ many trau In addition. these parents saw, in dicated that something of unusual sig mas. a capacity for friendship. and an extraordinary numbers. their sons and nificance has occurred at this point in ability to maintam joy amid general daughters called into various minis the history of the Church, God has climatic, physical. and oftcn financial tries and mission fields. As one ex been pouring out the Holy Spirit on hard_~hip. They were warm and canng ample, out of only seven families Christians everywhere who are seek people who grasped one of God' s par (Crouch. Fjordbak. Gute\. Hoferman, ing a Spint-filled life characterized by adoxical laws of love Real love ilium. Jenson, and Scott), 17 of their holiness and spiritual power Spirit doesn't come in limited, finite children went into the ministry. There baptism's divine empowerment be amounts. It can't be used up so there were many others. inclUding my stows in~ight mto the Spirit's activity is no more. Rather. in a manner which brother-Jerry Robeson-who be in the world, greater sensitivity to His defies the principles of physics. the came missionaries. A few became promptings. a new dimension of writers of Christian books and mag prayer. and ~piritual power to achieve azine articles, Others were involved their tasks in mission. Out of only seven families, in Teen Challenge and TV ministries, When Independent Pentecostals or 17 children went into the both foreign and domestic, which ganized the General Council in 1914. ministry. touched millions of lives, Some might they did so to expedlle their goal of think little can come from country winning the world for Christ The ur church congregations and common gency and problems of the hour diC more love they gave. the more it folk. And they'd be wrong. tated cooperation among the Spirit seemed they were able to give. How I often catch myself thinking of baptized, Church leaders recognized deep their river of life ran. those stalwart parents who raised their the importance of Bible study and doc It's been said that nostalgia is like kids in a biblically based, Christian trine to protect congregations from er a grammar lesson: you find the present atmosphere-surrounded by endless ror, but more significantly to equip tense and the past perfect. But the past comtields. chickens. pigs, and the bel ievers "for the work of the min wasn't perfect for members of this "sshwutlt-sshwuttC' of cows' milk ;Slry" (Eph. 4:12. KJV). congregation. Not by a long shot. It sloshing into a metal pail between their The development of doctrine in the never is. There were few of these peo legs. A majority of them are no longer denom ination has taken several fonns: ple who couldn't bear wi tness. first with us, having passed on to a better the Preamble, Statement of Funda hand, to the tests, tria ls and tribula life, But their legacy of love reaches mental Truths. bylaws, position pa tions of everyday life during that era. beyond their earthly span of time and pers. art icles and editori als in maga Yet. regardless of personal disasters continues to enrich those temporarily zi nes, tracts, books. Sunday school and difficulties. these people under left behind. curricula. songs, and poetry. From stood that all of our times are in God's My parents are both into their 8th Sunday school teachers to the song hand. even the difficult ones. decade of life. They're still singing. leader, pastor, and denominational of Now a baby step beyond the half playing their instruments, and preach ficer-everyone is called to proclaim century mark, and having lived and ing the same message of faith and love the good news of salvation, to share flown on three continents as a military as they did 4112 decades ago in Trues the compassion of Jesus Christ, and officer and aviator for 271/2 years, rve dale. They, and the people of that old, to disciple converts. gained a lillIe time-island in which to country church. have been a unique With the delay in the Lord's return step back and discover perspective on gift to me and to millions of others and the changing cultural context life. I remember this Assembly of God around ou r world. bringing ever new challenges to the congregation was continualty a leader Whi le in Vietnam in 1969-70, dur fa ith , scholarly responses to theolog in missionary giving each year far ing times of danger. destruction, and ical issues have gained grealer appre above the goals sel by hosts of larger death al [ around-when I often be ciation. Correspondi ngly, the growing churches in their district. They always lieved my life was coming to a quick identification with evangelicalism has had a vision beyond Truesdale. Iowa. and tinal end and nobody knew-I'd 28 A1G HERITAGE. SPRt NG t994 often reflect on the people 10 our little time. The former paf\onage he!>.ide the centered on earth. They were always congregation as a child I remembered church wa ... torn do" n long ago. but leaning on Goo's everlasting arms. them passionately singing that classic that familiar v. hite !>.truclure !>.Iil! ... Iand!>. Their deep and abiding faith has been hymn of the church "Leaning on the on the !;orncr ne~1 10 Ihe main road pas!>.ed from one generation 10 an Everlasting Arms." Then il would oc into town a!>. it alway~ dkl. Today It'!>. other cur to me there really was nothing to u!>.ed J!>. a 'Itorage center. Yet the !>.Ign I'm eternally grJtefullo those spe dread or fear as long as God is near. out!>.ide continue!>. to carry a mc!>. cial people for providing what every even when ex istence itself becomes a sage-· "Praise the Lord" - pro human heart seeks during both good test of faith . claimed there by many generation!>. of and bad times. whether a person is 6 believers. or 60: a cirde of love and acceptance ot long ago, I brought my wife of The dreams of tho!>.c people cap and Someone to look up 10. • • • N24 years to Truesdale for the first tured in that 1948 photo v. ere not ju!>.t o Heritage Letter/from page 4 donated the originals to the Assemblies of God Archives a few years ago.) Wishing to share the revival accounts with others. Corum self-published the collection. Later the Assemblies of God Archives prepared an index to the papers and ~old it llCp arately (which is still available from Gospel Publishlllg house). After Corum died, his widow and two sons-James and Kenneth--continued to market the collection until it went out of print. Then Myron Noble. founder and president of the Middle Atlantic Regional Gospel Ministries, Inc .. picked pioneering chapters on Great Britain, Norway. China. Latin up the project. He added a new introduction and more pho· America, and Canada." tos. Three of the contributors-Edith Blumhofer, David Now MAR has a th ird edition ready, and an improved Bundy, and Everett A. Wilson-have contributed articles one at that. It includes our index and a quarter page from to Herirage. The others are Randall Balmer, David Beb one issue which was mi ssi ng in previous editions. bington. Gerald F. Moran. John B. Boles. Richard Car If you are interested in reading first-hand reports from wardine, Frederick Hale. Daniel H. Bays, David Edwin the Azusa Street revival- plus reports from other cities Harrell , Jr., and George A. Rawlyk. Balmer'S book Mine you should get a copy of this unusual collection. This is a Eyes HllI'e Seell The Glory was produced in a 3-part video must book for your church library. Especially will it become on PBS . which he narrated. It has been my privilege to more interesting as we approach the centennial of that pow meet and share in conferences with seven of the contributors. erful revival. Hi story lovers everywhere owe a debt of gratitude to the Well . there you have it. A synopsis of four of the latest Corum fam ily and now to Myron Noble for keeping The books which will help you learn more about your evangelical Aposrolic Fairh papers alive. Thanks. friends. and Pentecostal heritage. You'lI appreciate having these volumes. and they' ll make wonderful birthday gifts or for Modern Christian Revivals, edited by Edith L. Blumhofer other occasions. and Randall Balmer. Uni versity of Illinois Press, 1325 South Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820. Index. 232 pages. Hardcover, NO"l'E,<;; $32.50; paper, $14 .95, plus $3 shipping. [I IS encouraging to learn that many of our ~u~ribcrs treat Htrlla~t [ikc yuu do a book Some of you M"C told mc thai you have $avcd all .so COpies. Anyone who has been praying for revival and is interested Bad. i'~uc, arc a'"ilablc at 52.50. mcludmg po\tage The Pnlltt'oswl /;;\'an~tl magallnc " a\ailable In annual bound ,"olulTlC' wilh Indexes. See the Gospel in study ing revivals, will benefit from the scholarly work PubJi,hmg Hool.C catalug or wnte to Ihe maga1;lne al 1445 BoonVIlle Ave. Spnng· presented by the 12 contributors of th is excellent work. The field. MO 65802 book had its origin in a conference at Wheaton College. 2. Later .... e bo"lrru .... ed the book through interlibrary loan and CopIed II for the Archivc, Another Wood .... orth·Encr book canle to us a few months ago from " Modern Christian Revivals: A Comparative Perspective, ,. longtime A G nlinl\ter Helen Wight who live, in Andover. Massachusens. Tilled sponsored by the Institute for the Study of American Evan L'ft utld txptrll'na. Indudln/{ Samons and Visions and pubhshed 111 1904, it IS gelicals. a boo\. thaI I had llC'"er '>Ce n. and II adds Infomlauon about EvangeliSI Woodworth Ener during a pn:viou,ly tlloughl ",itent"' period Mark A. Noll. au thor of A Hil'rory ojChristiallit)' in the J. For an excerpt of thl\ book and five photographs, see "Aunee Semple United States and Canada, has this to say about Modem McPhel'iOn and the Dcei,,\c Wichita MIXllOg ," HuilOF:t, spnng 1993. Christian Revivals: "Thi s book goes a long way toward 4 Adele Flo"cr Dallnn wroce " The Heart of Pahang," a story of C«il Jltek ",n', nnniMT)' to Ihe Sabl~ tnbc 10 "hat IS now MalaySIa (M/Jutllain MovtfS, charting the varied dimensions of revivalistic phenomena. OcIOOcr 1987, 101. There H tribc .... hich had llC,"cr heard an evangeli cal missionary Essays on the U. S. are superb, but no more so than the rc'pofIdcd tl) the go<>pei .... hich Jack'>l)J1 preached .'1 AlG 1It-;RI"I'AGE, S PRING 1994 29 T=FRAME 40 Years Agol-1954 In the Nation and the World Mi\~ionary Lester Sumrall reports many were healed and thousands re~ponded to the altar call for salvation. The Supreme Court ruled that public school segrega ("Revival in Manila," Pentecostal Evangel, March 21. tion is unconstitutIonal In the Brown vs. Board of Edu 1954. 8.) cation of Topeka. The U.S. Senate censured Wis consin Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (ollowing a 36-day televised heanng in a dispute with the U.S. Army ... RevivaItime on ABC Indochina War ended with the defeat of French forces at Receiving Good Reports Dien Bien; the country is divided into North and Soulh Vietnam. After only a few months on the ABC Network, the ReI/iva/lime live radio ministry is drawing positive mail from around North America. In addition, the program is A Look at the First 40 Years released on foreign broadcast stations by tape delay . In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the As .. A young lady, after hearing the program for the first semblies of God, the Pentecostal Evangel is publishing tllne," Delmar Kingsriter wrote, "accepted the Lord as a series of articles by C. C. Burnett. paslOf of the First her Saviour and now is attending our church regularly Christian Assembly. CinCinnati. "We Pentecostals of to and has been filled with the Holy Spirit." Kingsriter is day," Bumett wrote. "conscious of ou r presenl position a pastor In Lillie Falls. Minnesota. in a day of increasing recognition of the need for the Clifford A Crabtree. pastor of an independent Pen Holy Spirit's miniStry. should remind ourselves again of tecostal church in Bangor, Maine. wrote that a retired the humble, God-fearing origins from which we sprung." schoolteacher likens C. M. Ward's preaching to the return Burnell quoted from H. G. Rodgers. a leader in the of John the BaptIst. Crabtree added. "A Baptist minister South who wrote of a 1911 convention at Providence. mcet~ me each week and when he sees me he stans near Slocum Alabama: "Up 10 that lime we had n'!ver quoting part of your sermon . I want to congratulate you been in conference and knew nothing of parliamentary on preaching holiness." (Clifford Crabtree was father of law, We had no commillees-no resolu tion commillee David, Hazel Hosk ins (Mrs. Bob), Charlotte Carlson we did not need onc. All of us were living a life of faith (Mrs. Ray), and Charles, present assistant general su and preaching a gospel of love. It was inspiring to hear perintcndenl.j them give their reports. They had slept on the ground Thomas R. Brubaker, district superintendent of the and in stoc k barns. They had preached under trees in New York-New Jersey District , reports th aI 56 churches fronl yards and in brush arbors. They had lived on sar in the district are displaying the Revivaltime sign. Thir dines and vienna sausages ... had done without food teen stations wit hin the district are carrying the broadcast. for days to get a meeting started ... but God was with Nationwide, 700 churches have pledged to support the us. Several times we kneh around our table without a program and display the Re\'iva/time sign. (Pentecostal bite of food for wife and the children . . never one word E\'a"ce/, April 4, 1954, 18,23.) of compl aint oul of them about something to eat or to wear ... God supplied our needs." ("Forty Years Ago," Pentecostal E~'a "gel, March 28. 1954,3, 12-13.) Korea Offers to Help Build Churches Crusade and Church Arthur Chesnut, missionary to Korea, has written of opportunities in Pusan and Taega to build churches with Opening in Manila building materials which the Korean government will Evangelist Clifton Erickson conducted revival meet donate. All that is needed is $2500 to pay labor costs. ings in the newly opened Bethel Temple. Crowds were "We have gone ahead in fa ith and made application too great for the building, so the evening services were fo r construction of the church buildings," Chesnut wrote. conducted downtown in the open air. opposite the Manila Buildings are di ffic ult to find because many were bombed city hall. More than 15 ,000 people sat on the ground for beyond repair during the war which ended in 1953. a 3-hour Sunday service. A later crowd was estimated to ("Wonderful Building Opportunities in Korea," Pente be more than 30,000. costal Evangel, March 28. 1954,7.) 30 AlG HERITAGE. SPRING 1994 o Traskl from page 9 has ministry for people in administra going into the Council. I don' t know tive po~itions J\ well a ... the pa·\torate. what God ha .... in mind, but Just pray on the mission lield. on the evange ....Ith u .... that God's will would be done listic field. and In other area... In our Ih·e .... and for the General Coun· As~mblie\ of God history'" III re cil of the A .... <.,emblies of God " cord that at least once Thoma!-> Trask Unlike the earlier ti me when Waldo did not lake the Jd\-kc of hi .. wi~e was certain his .... on wa .... making a mis father. acceptmg the invitatIOn to mO\'c take to evcn consider the gener--dl trea 10 Springfield in 1988 v.here he be· surer pos ition, the old veteran prayed came general lJ'eiburer and was elected that Goo's will ..... ould be done. Hls to the same poSition in 1989 and 1991 lOry will sho..... that for the firit time a Last Augu .... t· -at the fir .... t General general treasurer was elected to the Holy Spirit? And for an administrative Council they ever attended-Waldo ofhce of general superintendent, position? and Bea Trask almoM .... aw the election And in Brainerd. Waldo and Bea " You can '( do that," Waldo Trask that placed their .... on Into the top ad· thanked God fo r ..... hat they believed lold his son. When Thomas asked why ministrati ve po .... ltion in the Assem wa .... Hi .... will during the elections and he coul d not. his father answered. blies of God. But Bea fell and wa .... then prayed Ihat their son would serve " Because there's no general treasurer hurt on the opening moming of the we ll Abovc all, that he would be sen in the Bible." Council and Waldo had to return her "' Ilive to the moving of the Holy Spirit. Thomas hu morously disagreed with to the ir retirement home In Brainerd An appreciative Thomas Trask could his father. reminding him of Judas who about 2 hour.; north of the com:ention a\k for no more. ~ - kept the money pouch fo r the disci· cenler. pies. But Waldo Trask was serious As he had done .... 0 many limes be· Oklf • katu~ 011 R 0 £ and Gokhc Smith ICC 'ball HI) Name: Together. by &bth Blumhofer. " You can't leave Brightmoor " fore, Thomas Trask called his fa ther Htnl<1.~t. \umme:r 1993. ROE. Sml\h, a f()l"mer Latcr Waldo would agree that God for prayer and counsel. "Oad, we're e\e.;ul1\C J>fe,hytcr dlCd March 5, 1994 o Blind Musician Fred Henry/ from page 13 all over this way, because he didn't want "Can you tell the differenl"C in the gospel musicians. But probably no one to Just SII thcre wi lh nothing to do. " sound?'" he ~aid. else would have quite the style or fl air Then t said. "Bul how did )"ou know One incident Fred liked to relate was Ihat made Fred Henry so popular the time he was riding at night with 1\ was an old car?" He told me to lean O\'er and ~mell throughout his life. several other men, and they had a fl at Then he !>aid, "Nolhmg ~mells like an 'otC!l tire. No one had a flashlight and it was old automobile." " very dark . Another lime Bert asked hi m, "Do I Bob Rlplcy"1 mlcmauonall,. known "Bcllc\c " Who needs a light?" said Fred. II Or No!" feltu~ Ill(: luded Fred Henry In I Dcll"Olt you ever make a mistake 10 your pl ay~ ne:"'~papcr()fl March 10, 1~2: "Fred Henry. Tulsa. " Just jack the car up, and I' ll take care ing?" Okla Blmd from mfanc)'-can pia,. III band In· of it." And to the amazement of his Fred ans wered him by saying. wuments With a ~ptno i ~ of JOOO scl«tiOlls'" 2. W I I ~ Art!uc:. "1l!c Gel Acqualnled Page." friends, he proceeded 10 change the " When you mean a mi stake, you must Tllr iAllrr Ro", £"oll~r/, Seplcmbcr 1935, p 13. tire. '6 realize a musician doesn't hit a wrong 3. Ibid Bert Webb, an evangelist and for chord . My mistakes sometimes are an 4 Gnlnt Colfu Tullar. WflltrIl8«au.t [Orangc, NJ. The Tullar 510010, n.d.), pp 85-93. Tullar wrote mer assislant general superintendent. interpretation .. . lilt musIC 10 "FI!;"C 10 FIItC ., was well -acquainted with Fred Henry. Richard Bishop. fornle rl y a pastor 5. "When We MCC1 With Joyful Song" [sheet In 1935, at a revival he held in Hope. in Seattle. Washmgton, recall s. mUSK). 6 Vlrgmll Henry Kusro ...·. Icltphonc InlCfl/It .... . Arkansas, Fred Henry was the guest During the 19505. v.-e had Fred Henry March 29. 1W4. Opal Fnll"ICCs Slevcrt, "Our PI· pianist and had a tremendous influence as the guest pianist for the United Full Inlst:' full Gospr/ t:wmge/, March 1930, p I on the meetings. He PUI on a 30- min ~ Gospel Felloy, shl p. II was a 3·week tent 7. IbId ute concert before each service, meeting sponsored by aoout SIX of the 8. IbId area chu rc hes. Fred Henry was a very 9. Virginia Henry Kusrow. le1cpbone Inlc role ..... Fred and I would walk back and fonh March 31. 1994 to the meetings. One night when we p1easanl pcrwn. He smiled. and he had 10. E. J Brulon. "T1lc Interstltc Camp:' Ptn· were returning. he suddenl y stopped and son of a 101" laugh. He walked With a I«OSIU/ EI'o n ~t1, ()(:Io!lcr 23, 1926. p. 12 said. " What"s that old car doing stopped brisk step Hts wife, of course. would I I Virginia Henry Kusro ..... Ic(\cr 10 author. Jan- there by the curb?" guide htm toward the piano. He played uary 30. 199-1 t said . " What do you mean?" in a livet)' manner. all from me mory. 12. Norrll ... tsr Mtsstngtr. January 1973. " Well . there is an old car over lhe re. He pta)'ed with the grealeSI of ease and 13. Ibid isn't there?" put a lot into hi s music." 14 W Fred Hcnry. mlmSlenal file 15. Kusrow InterolC W. March 31. 1994 I said. " Yes. but how did you know Although he was blind, no doubt 16. Arguc, p 13; Ben Webb, te lcphone Inter· thai?" Fred Henry 's God-given talents at the view, March 30. 1994 Fred stepped back and snapped hi s 17 Webb mtcrolcw fingers, then walked in front of the car piano and other instruments would 18. Ri chard W. BIShop, telephone: mtcro lcw. and snapped hi s fingers again . compare favorably with contemporary March 30, 1994 ,*. AlG HERITAGE, SPRING 1994 31 1445 Boonvill. A.... nu. Sprlngll.ld, Mlnourl 65802-1894 We remember • • • . Sunshlnt BaJl These Christian servants are representative of the many who have recently finished their course. See pages 16 and 17 for another Memori al Day photo fea ture.