TEXASTEXASBAPTIST HISTORY THE JOURNAL OF THE TEXAS BAPTIST HISTORICAL SOCIETY VOLUMES XXI - XXIII 2001 - 2003 EDITORIAL STAFF Alan Lefever Editor Michael E. Williams, Sr. Editor Wanda Allen Senior Editorial Assistant EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD 2001-2003 Ellen Brown Waco Karen Bullock Cleburne Richard Elam Cleburne Estelle Owens Plainview Robert L. Phillips Fort Worth Naomi Taplin Dallas William M. Tillman, Jr. Fort Worth Michael Williams Dallas TEXAS BAPTIST HISTORY is published by the Texas Baptist Historical Society, an auxiliary of the Historical CONTENTS Council of the Texas Baptist Historical Collection of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and is sent to all members of the Society. Regular annual membership dues in the Society are Volume XXI, 2001 ten dollars. Student memberships are seven dollars and family memberships are thirteen dollars. SECRETARY-TREASURER’S NOTE. i Correspondence concerning memberships should be Alan Lefever addressed to the Secretary-Treasurer, 333 North Washington, Dallas, Texas, 75246-1798. Notice of nonreceipt of an issue EDITOR’S NOTE. ii must be sent to the Society within three months of the date of Michael E. Williams publication of the issue. The Society is not responsible for copies lost because of failure to report a change of address. THE ACCIDENTAL HISTORIAN: Article typescripts should be sent to Editor, Texas Baptist Z. N. MORRELL . 1 History, 3000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, Texas 75211. Karen Bullock Books for review should be sent to Texas Baptist History, Dallas Baptist University. JUST ONE OF MANY HATS: The views expressed in the journal do not necessarily J. M. CARROLL THE HISTORIAN. 17 represent those of the Texas Baptist Historical Society, the William Storrs Historical Council, the Texas Baptist Historical Collection, or the Baptist General Convention of Texas. ROBERT A. BAKER: A TEACHER OF HISTORY. 29 Stephen Stookey US ISSN 0732-43274 ©2008 Texas Baptist Historical Society TEXAS BAPTIST HISTORICAL SOCIETY: 2000 ANNUAL REPORT. 47 Volume XXII, 2002 TEXAS BAPTISTS AND CHURCH-STATE CONFLICTS IN THE 1960S: THE DEBATE GOOD WILL RESPONDS TO THE OVER GOVERNMENT AID TO BAPTIST TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY OF ONCOMING TEXAS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES . 155 MILLIONS . 51 David Holcomb Wilma Taylor TEXAS BAPTISTS’ RESPONSE TO VIETNAM. 179 NO LOVE LOST: J. FRANK NORRIS AND TEXAS Terry Lindley BAPTISTS 1921-1925 . .71 Gwin C. Morris “NO MAN…HOLDS A WARMER PLACE IN THE MEMORY OF TEXAS BAPTISTS”: DIE IN THE PULPIT: W.A. CHRISWELL, J. FRANK I. T. TICHENOR AND THE HOME MISSION NORRIS, AND THE PROBLEM OF SUCCESSION BOARD IN TEXAS IN THE 1880S . 193 IN TWO MEGA-CHURCHES. 95 Michael E. Williams Barry Hankins TEXAS BAPTIST HISTORICAL SOCIETY TEXAS BAPTIST HISTORICAL SOCIETY: 2002 ANNUAL REPORT . 209 2001 ANNUAL REPORT. 111 Alan J. Lefever Alan J. Lefever Volume XXIII, 2003 ABNER SMITH AND EARLY PRIMITIVE BAPTIST WORK IN TEXAS . 115 Royce Measures TEXAS BAPTIST LEADERS IN THE 1960S: THEOLOGICAL CONSERVATIVES AND POLITICAL MODERATION . 133 David Chrisman A BRIEF WORD FROM THE SECRETARY-TREASURER If, as the ancient proverb states, “Patience is a virtue,” then the members of the Texas Baptist Historical Society are some of the most virtuous people on earth! As a result of numerous factors, Texas Baptist History, Journal of the Texas Baptist Historical Society, has been dormant since 2001. This volume is the first of three that will make the journal current by the end of 2009. Without the gracious assistance of Dallas Baptist University, host institution of the Journal, the production of this Journal would not be possible. For this reason, a special thank you must be given to Dr. Gary Cook, President of DBU, as well as to faculty members, Dr. Michael Williams and Dr. Stephen Stookey. Without their enthusiasm, energy and commitment to this Journal, this endeavor would not be possible. If you have received this Journal, you have been a member of the Texas Baptist Historical Society between the years 2000 and 2008. Many of you are current members. If you are not a current member of the Society, it is our hope that you will take this opportunity to reactivate your membership as we reactivate the Journal. Thank you again for your patience and loyalty. Alan J. Lefever Secretary-Treasurer Texas Baptist Historical Society i EDITOR’S NOTE It is my privilege to introduce this combined issue of Texas Baptist History. In the fall of 2007, the officers of the Texas Baptist Historical Society voted to accept the proposal of Dallas Baptist University to host the journal. While, as Alan Lefever has described, the journal has been dormant since 2000, DBU will be able to build upon the work produced by the TBHS in recent years and, before that, Baylor University in providing this journal. Those who had contributed during 2001-2003 to the production of this journal are listed as the Editorial Board. My special thanks to Naomi Taplin who provided the work that had already been done by her and these editorial board members. In the coming issues I hope to introduce various members of our DBU editorial team. I am most grateful to my colleague Dr. Stephen Stookey for his stellar cooperation in producing the proposal that was accepted by the TBHS officers. Moreover, I am especially grateful to DBU President Dr. Gary Cook. Dr. Cook is devoted to the preservation of Baptist history. It is his enthusiastic support and encouragement that have made it possible for DBU to serve as the journal’s host institution. This issue contains the combined articles from the 2001, 2002, and 2003 issues of Texas Baptist History. The 2001 issue of Texas Baptist History includes three outstanding papers given at the Spring 2001 joint meeting of the Texas Baptist Historical Society and the Texas State Historical Association. Karen Bullock’s article “The Accidental Historian: Z. N. Morrell” traces the life of Texas Baptists’ best known early preacher. In dramatic fashion Bullock sets the stage for Morrell’s life using the analogy of a great play in which Morrell acts, directs, and produces. In it she describes Morrell’s insightful iii and colorful methodology which, as she writes, “afforded groundbreaking work that she did in her book on the chapel his readers the opportunity to glimpse far more than perhaps railroad car ministry of the American Baptist Publication even Morrell ever intended.” Ultimately, Bullock states that Society, specifically that of chapel car Good Will that Morrell’s often first-hand testimony of events in Texas Baptist ministered in Texas in the 1890s. This chapel car was one of life “provides the only source for much of the information seven railroad cars employed by American (Northern) Baptists found in the work of subsequent Texas Baptist historians” to minister in countless communities and towns west of the such as Carroll and Baker, as well as the work of L. R. Elliott Mississippi. Taylor’s article demonstrates the tremendous and Harry Leon McBeth. concern that Baptists and other denominations had regarding Bill Storrs’s article “Just One of Many Hats: J. M. Carroll the burgeoning population of the American West, as well as the Historian” chronicles Carroll’s significant work as a the creative ways Baptists chose to address the spiritual needs Texas Baptist historian. While as Storrs’s title suggests, B. of those migrants. H. Carroll’s younger brother contributed to Baptist life in Gwin Morris provides a brief biography of J. Frank Norris and many ways, the focus of the article is upon his work as an then a summary of the ongoing attacks Norris launched against historian. Storrs argues that Carroll viewed history from “three the Baptist General Convention of Texas and Baylor University underlying perspectives. history is HIS story, history is story, as well as Tarrant Baptist Association and the Southern Baptist and history is his own story.” As with Morrell, one of Carroll’s Convention. Morris also draws eight conclusions about Norris key contributions to the preservation of Texas Baptist history was and “Norrisism,” ultimately concluding that Norris was “a recording first-hand accounts of history that he had observed. boil” rather than “a cancer” for Texas Baptists. Stephen Stookey’s article “Robert A. Baker: A Teacher of Next, Barry Hankins compares the long-term ministry of History” suggests that first and foremost, Baker was a teacher. Norris at the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth with the even Stookey designates Baker as the “Joe Friday of church history” longer ministry of W. A. Criswell at First Baptist Church of because of Baker’s extreme reliance on “the stuff” of church Dallas. He demonstrates that as difficult and visible as the history. Stookey also discusses not only Baker’s Blossoming transition of Criswell to his successors was, Norris’s refusal Desert, his specific contribution to Texas Baptist history, but to let go of the reins in Fort Worth was even more painful also briefly discusses his other works no mean task given and controversial. In conclusion Hankins draws at least three Baker’s prolific writing. Stookey argues that Baker’s writing, important historical lessons about the transfer of power from like that of so many professors, flowed out of his teaching. In long term pastors in mega-churches to their successors. turn, his research richly informed his teaching throughout the The 2003 issue is comprised of a wide scope of articles about years. Texas Baptist life from Royce Measures’ account of often The articles for 2002 include Wilma Taylor’s fascinating overlooked Primitive Baptist pastor Abner Smith, to three paper from the Fall 2001 TBHS meeting as well as the descriptions by David Holcomb, David Chrisman, and Terry Spring 2002 TBHS/TSHA joint meeting’s focus on aspects of Lindley of various aspects of Texas Baptists’ responses to the the controversial J.