This Is a "Miracle" Church See Story Beginning on Page 2
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October 28, 1969 OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE LAKE UNION CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS Volume LXI Number 4 This Is a "Miracle" Church See story beginning on page 2 tik takkp tiE13AL Meet Merritt Crawford, Vol. LXI, No. 42 October 28, 1969 Miracle Worker for God GORDON 0. ENGEN, Editor by Ernest N. Wendth JOCELYN FAY, Assistant Editor MRS. SUE HENSON, Circulation Services He is small, slender, quiet, and unassuming. But in the minds of those EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: F. W. Wernick, Chairman; W. F. Miller, Vice-Chairman; Gordon Engen, Secretory. with whom he has worked, Merritt R. Crawford looms large and com- CORRESPONDENTS: Estop Allen, Illinois; M. D. Oswald, Indiana; Xavier Butler, Lake Region; Ernest Wendth, manding as a miracle builder for God. He not only builds schools, Michigan; Melvin Rosen, Jr., Wisconsin; Mrs. Lois Zach- ary, Hinsdale Sanitarium and Hospital; Horace Shaw, churches, and hospitals for the denomination, but he builds within the Andrews University. NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS: All articles, pictures, obitu- congregations with whom he works a stronger faith in God. aries, and classified ads must be channeled through your local conference correspondent. Copy mailed directly to "It can't be built for that price," is the common remark of hard- the HERALD will be returned to the conference involved. MANUSCRIPTS for publication should reach the Loke headed businessmen sitting on church building committees with Merritt. Union Conference office by Thursday, 9 a.m., twelve days before the dote of issue. The editorial staff reserves the His answer is a quiet smile and a request to "reach out to the Lord for right to withhold or condense copy depending upon space available. help." This reaching out is the first step toward a new church and a ADDRESS CHANGES should be addressed Circulation De- partment, Lake Union Herald, Box C, Berrien Springs, larger faith. Mich. 49103. Always give full name, old address, and new address. If possible, send address label from on Merritt Crawford and his wife Doris call Chico, California, home. Since old issue. Please allow at least two weeks for change to become effective. 1949 he has worked on 42 different Adventist building projects, includ- NEW SUBSCRIPTION requests should be addressed to the treasurer of the local conference where membership ing churches, schools, and hospitals. Consistently he has saved 25 to 50 is held. per cent of normal building costs. Conference Directories It was while constructing the mission hospital at Monument Valley LAKE UNION CONFERENCE Box C, Berrien Springs, Mich. 49103 that Merritt discovered "reaching out" brought miracles. Untrained (616) 473-4541 Indians had to be taught how to build and supplies had to be hauled to President F. W. Wernick Secretary-treasurer W. F. Miller the remote and difficult-to-reach site. Through a series of "faith happen- Auditor E. J. Gregg Associate Auditor Arthur Opp ings" too numerous to mention here, the $300,000 hospital was built Educational Secretary G. E. Hutches Loy Activities Secretary I A. W. Bauer for $138,000. Sabbath School Secretary Ir Public Affairs Secretory Building comes naturally to this dedicated Seventh-day Adventist, who Public Relations, Radio-TV Gordon Engen Religious Liberty, Ind. Rel. learned his lessons from his father, James M. Crawford. "Dad," at 76, is Publishing Secretary J. W. Proctor Missionary Volunteer Secretory Ed H. Webb still building. Right now he is working on a church at Lancaster, Califor- Notional Service Organ Secy. Medical Secretory nia. Half of the projects Merritt worked on were with his dad. He also Temperance Secretary J. P. Winston A.S.I. Secretory trained his own son Donald in the traditions of the family. Don has ILLINOIS: W. A. Nelson, president; Elton Dessain, secre- worked full time with his dad for the past three years and helped with tory-treasurer. Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Office Address: 3721 the building of the Hartford church. He is now "on loan" to Michigan Prairie Ave. Mail Address: Box 89, Brookfield, Ill. 60513. Phone: (312) 485-1200. to build the new church at Oxford. INDIANA: R. L. Dole, president; Larry Davis, secretary- treasurer. Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:00 a.m.-12,00 But let's talk about the miracle church at Hartford. Much of the story p.m.; 1-5:30 p.m.; Fri., 8 a.m.-12 noon. Office and Mail Address: 1405 Broad Ripple Ave., Indianapolis, Ind. was told by Mrs. Geraldine Palmer of Loma Linda University, a former 46220. Phone: (317) 251-9292. LAKE REGION: C; E. Bradford, president; M. C. Van Hartford . member, who read the history of the church at the opening Patten, secretary-treasurer. Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-5:15 p.m.; Fri., 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Office and services. Mail Address: 8517 S. Stat., St., Chicago, III. 60619. Phone: (312) 846-2661. When local building suppliers heard that Adventists were planning on MICHIGAN: R. D. Moon, president; J. L. Hayward, secre- tory; L. G. Wortzok, treasurer. Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., building, for about $85,000, a church valued at $200,000 they wanted 8:00 a m..-5:15 p.m.; Fri., 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Office Address: 320 W. St. Joseph St. Mail Address: Box 900, no part of it. Lansing, Mich. 48904. Phone (517) 485-2226. However, Mr. Crawford reached out to the Lord for help. As a result WISCONSIN: K. .1. Mittleider, president; G. H. Crumley, secretary-treasurer. Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 7:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.; Fri., 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Office Address: he came away from one supplier, who at first had no enthusiasm for the 802 E. Gorhom St. Mail Address: Box 512, Madison, Wis. 53701. Phone: (608) 257-5696. project, with a promise of a 15 per cent discount below wholesale costs! The supplier would even check the billing personally to make sure the Entered as second-class matter in the Post Office, Berrien Springs, Mich. Printed weekly, discount was given! 50 times a year (omitting the weeks of July 4 and December 25) by the University Press, Ber- How did it happen? Crawford, in "reaching out," found the conversa- rien Springs, Mich. Yearly subscription price, $4.00. Single copies, 10 cents. tion turning toward Indian lore, a favorite subject of the supplier. When Postmasters: Send all notices to Lake Union he heard of our work among the Navajos of Arizona and what Crawford Herold, Box C, Berrien Springs, MI 49103. had done in building the hospital there his attitude changed. Another time, the prohibitive cost of the desired stained glass windows was being discussed. When it seemed the congregation couldn't afford COVER them, Crawford decided that they could make their own! It was con- sidered impossible for untrained people to 'do this, but Crawford put the This color photograph of the youth chapel of the Hartford, Michigan, church members to work, knowing his God was still able to help. The church was taken by John Freeman Hartford congregation today worships in the warm glow of their stained of Berrien Springs. glass windows, as well as stained glass light fixtures which pick up the colors of the windows. In telling about it, Crawford smiled as he said the manufacturers he 2 LAKE UNION HERALD Members of the new Hartford church made their own stained glass windows to save a large portion of their costs. William Hamberger, left, and Joseph Turner fit precut pieces of colored glass into metal frames, which were then soldered together to make the tall windows. At the right are packages of the colored glass which church members cut to size according to predetermined patterns. Women of the church apply adhesive to the joints of the stained glass windows. When they brushed off the excess adhesive, it polished the glass and frame. October 28, 1969, Vol. LXI, No. 42 3 contacted indicated one of their biggest shop expenses was band-aids for the cuts of their glass workers. With the Hartford church members, however, few band-aids were needed. It was early in the construction that the faith of the Hartford members began to grow, and they started to understand Merritt's vision. When the laminated arches were delivered to the plot, the original estimate for erecting them called for special equipment at a price of $350. However, the local suppli- er of concrete, already on the job, had a small boom and felt he could do the job for $50. Church members and the supplier went to work to set the arches in place. Somehow, things wouldn't work. Using all the tricks of the trade, they tried and tried, but the boom was a couple of feet too short. Hope and joy faded with the day, and as dusk came the weary group of workers and well-wishers gave up. The concrete supplier planned to move his crane in the morning, and the larger, more expensive crane would have to be brought in. The following morning, as the supplier was preparing to leave, Merritt asked him to give it another try. The crane operator agreed. When asked to pause a moment while prayer was offered for Divine help, the operator hesitated, then, guessing it wouldn't hurt, bowed his head. A few minutes later the miracle which changed doubts into faith took place. A little more effort, an- other try, and the first arch slipped in place. By noon all arches were up, $300 was saved, and the faith of the church members was greatly enlarged.