Ouachita Baptist University Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine Arkansas Baptist History 4-23-1964 April 23, 1964 Arkansas Baptist State Convention Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/arbaptnews Part of the Christianity Commons, and the Mass Communication Commons Recommended Citation Arkansas Baptist State Convention, "April 23, 1964" (1964). Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine. 117. https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/arbaptnews/117 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Arkansas Baptist History at Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. It has been accepted for inclusion in Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. For more information, please contact [email protected]. YESTERDAY I was the supply minis~er for V\7 ealdstone Baptist Church, London, which has been pastorless for nearly ·a year. I found the order of service about as different from what we have in the States as traveling by tube (subway) to get to the appointment differed from my usual modes of transport. As you know, the supply pastor in the States Arkansas Travelers usually has no part on tlie program but preach­ ing. But here I was in charge from the very start LONDON, April 13-As two of our British and the only part I did not have was the an­ friends were showing us through Westminster nouncements, which came after two hymns, two Abbey and we were viewing the tombs of many of prayers, and a ''children's address.'' It was dur-. the British monarchs, I reminded them facetiously ing the announcements, by a deacon, that I was that we Americans could claim as our rulers all identified to the congregation. the kings and queens back of King George III. To Order of service after the announcements in­ this our hostess replied vociferously, ''You can cluded: Offering; dedication of gifts; Scripture have them I'' reading; prayer; hymn; address (sermon l ; hyinn; benediction. Notes indicated communion at the morning INTERESTING sign across the front of a Lon­ (Continued on page 9) don shop (store) : ''Secondhand Bargains at Silly Prices.'' IN THIS ISSUE: . '"' SHOULD Baptists. say "amen F' during BECAUSE I had accepted a preaching en­ church services f The pros and cons are discussed gagement for yesterday in one of London's Bap­ by the editor in the lead .editorial 'on page 3. tist churches, I missed a chance to hear the great * * * A BAPTIST gospel leaflet fell into the hands of a Russian refugee in West Germany and start­ ed him on a long journey-a journey that led to Christ, to America and to a doctorate. Nikolai Alexandrenko 's .;tory is on page 5. TEENAGERS live in three social worlds, de­ - clares Rosali-nd Street on page 7: The world of his family, of his peers and of the lar:g·er adult group. Parents and their children. will find help- ful information here. ' MEMBER: lrhnR~ llplilt Southern Baptist •Pres,;. · Aoa'n Associated Church Preso ~ Evnngelical Press Ass'n April 23, 1964 Volume 63, Number 17 Editor, ERWIN L. McDONALD, Litt. D. Associate Editor, MRS. E. F. STO~ES Man:aging Editor, MRS. TED WOODS Field Representative, J. J. CossEY The Garrison family: tn Britain Secretary to Editor, MRS. HARRY GmERSON Mail Clerk, MRS. WELDON TAYLOR preacher-writer Leslie Weatherhead. Now official­ !101 West Capitol Little Rock, Arkansas ly in retirement Dr. Weatherhead was serving for · Published· weekly except on July 4 and December 25. Second-class postage paid at Little Rock, Arkans.,... this one Sunday, as supply pastor 'in City Temple, IndividWll subsct·iption, $2.25 per year. Church Budget, 14 cents per month or $1.68 per year per church family. Club plan (10 or more paid where he was the pastor for many years. If you annually in advance) $1.75 per year. Subscriptions to foreign address. $3.75' per year. Advertising rates on request. have not read his little book, The Will of God, you Articles carrying the author's by-line do not necellsarlly reflect . the editorial policY, . at the paper. should get it. AbbJ'I!viations used in crediting news items: BP Baptist Pre&~~; CB Church llulletin; DP Daily Press; EP Evan&"'lical Press. Page Two ARKANSAS BAPTIST ArlaRsa~ Baptist ---___:_-----EDIToRIALs ~ whole natton confirms a covenant or oath recited in their presence." It is also found at the close of a psalm or book of psalms ol', as in the New Test­ On saying (Amen!' ament, at the close of a prayer. ''Amen'' is ·found in the New· Testament at the close of all of the individual books but three: Acts, James, and 3 Joh;n, and is used at the close of THERE are not many '' amens" being shouted prayers. by individuals in Baptist public worship services In Revelation 5:6-14 the ritual of the installa­ these days. And we no longer have ''amen cor­ tion of the Lamb concludes with the amen of the ners'' in our churches, except in jest. four beasts and the four and twenty elders. It is Some think this is a sign of spiritual deterior­ also used after "Yea: I come quickly" (Revela­ ation. Once in a while a pastor or an evangelist tions 2 :20). will indicate that the lack of spontaneous and vig­ James Millar points' out in his article in The orously vocal '' amens'' is a sure symptom of a International Standa,rd Bible Encyclopaedia that I lack of spiritual depth. Cor. 14:16 seems to indicate that the lay brethren were expected to say amen to the address referred Should indlvidua.ls jtiining in public worship ser­ to. (Some may see in this a claim to scriptural vices be uninhibited in shouting "Amen!" to ariy­ backing for an amen any time it' a sermon or ad­ tbing and everything with which they agree? dress that a hearer feels the impulse to speak it.) Does this help or hinder a worship service? In our Baptist churches, each one has every If it is desirable or at least not objectionabl~, -right or privilllge that everyone else has. So if it just how many 'of the worshipers should indulge in it, is all right and desirable for one brother or sister and how frequently? ( to be hollering ''Amen'' all through a sermon it is all right for everyone else present to do like­ wise. These are only a few of the questions that might be asked. Baptists are not much at making rules against things, choosing· rather to be as free as possible. Perhaps as good approach as any would be to So your church or mine is not likely to pass a consider what ''Amen'' means and what light the ·"Thou shalt ·not holler 'Amen' " regulation. Bible itself has ~n its use. Hollering amen everytime the preacher says Pastors who like to hear a chorus of '' amens'' something good can get rather monotonous to the from their congregations sometimes quote, as the one doing the hollering, as well as to others, when call for such chorus, from 1 Chronicles 16 :36: just about everything/ the preacher says is good. ''And all the peope said, Amen!. '' Shouting amen, far from adding to the impaot According to The International Standard Bi­ of what has just been said, may actually detract ble Encyclopaedia, amen is for use in ritual speech from it, and focus the attention not on the truth and in singing, and it means "truly," or "verily" that has been spoken, but upon the one ~reaking in being derived from a verb meaning ''to be _firm'' to ''amen.'' · or ''to prop.'' One can say amen in one's heart without mak­ It occurs twice as a noun · in Isaiah 65 :16, ing it vocal. Necessarily, most of the thoughts and where the American Version and the Revised V er­ impulses that come to us in the worship experi­ sion of the scriptures translate it ''God of truth.'' ence must be kept within ourselves, or expressed in the congregational singing of hymns, respon­ There is no evidence of individuals shouting sive readings, etc. "amens" on their own as a part of the worship, in any of the New Testament references. And in the The public worship service always involves 'Old Testament, even in the reference already re­ others. The Christian whose spirit is right for ferred to, 1. Chr. 16 :'36, the "amen-ing" was not worship will not want ·to do or say anything that on a spontaneous free-wheeling, individual basis, would hinder the worship of fellow Christians. but was employed "when an individual or the -ELM APRIL 23, 1964 Page Thrt~e Gues editorial world that could accommodate such a joint meeting of Baptists in America and so is a logical choice for a meeting place. One wonders, however, if the 1814 a fl d. 19 6 4 contrast in the images of Philadelphia and Atlantic City may not also serve as a contrast between THE most historic and probably most significant Baptists of 1814 and those of 1964. meeting of Baptists in this generation is scheduled The official name of the 1814 group was the for May 19-24 at Atlantic City, New Jersey. This General Missionary Convention of the Baptist De­ is the celebration by Baptists in America of the nomination in the United States of America for third jubilee of organized effort. Foreign Missions. No wonder they called it the Interestingly enough the May 19 beginning of Triennial Convention (Sessions were held only the celebration this year misses by only one day every three years). Though the name was enough the exact date of the first session of the Triennial to kill it, this organization experienced growing Convention on May 18, 1814.