FIFTEEN MILES FROM HEAVEN

Moses E. Lard, the well-known gospel preacher ofthe nineteenth century, kept a preaching appointmentat Richmond, Missouri, in 1853. As he was hitching hishorse near the meetinghouse, a black man named Dick,a brother in Christ, approached him and introduced himself. He told Lard that he once belonged to the church at a place called Stanley's, where an "old brother Warrinner" used to preach, but that after Warrinner's death, the church there ceased meeting,depriving Dick for a long time of the privilege of assembling with the saints. Yet, his faith in Christ had remained steadfast. "I have come fifteen miles todayto hear you preach," he said, "and I have brought withme my young master, Thomas. ... I think he wouldbe a Christian if he knew how.

After being introduced to Thomas, Lard went intothe house to begin to services. He strongly believed indivine providence and wondered to himself if God'shand were in the presence of Dick and his master. Theaudience was large, but not a Christian there had comefifteen miles, a considerable distance in that day. Buthere was a bondservant who, after having worked hardall week, had traveled that far to attend the meeting.

Lard was still thinking about Dick's words as he entered the pulpit to begin his lesson. "Thomas wasin the congregation—a circumstance which I determined not to forget for the next hour and a half,"he later recalled. And through his speech, he keptsteadily in mind "a plain honest boy of sixteen." Thesimple sermon, deliberately delivered in the "plowman's phrase" that had been Lard's early dialect, accomplished its purpose. When the invitation was extend

ed, Thomas went forward and gave the preacher his

hand.

"Poor Dick was as near Heaven then, as he will ever

be again, till he reaches that blessed abode. He could

not sit, he could not stand, he did not shout, but

clapped his hands; while tears ran over those toil

worn cheeks. He meekly occupied a distant corner of

the house; and I felt, if angels delight to gather around

the heart that is full of gratitude to Christ, surely

they must have a strong pleasure in folding their

wings in that corner just then." Thomas was

baptized into Christ that evening.

A little more than two weeks later, at the request ofDick and Thomas, Lard went to the community neartheir home to preach for two days in the shade of somelarge trees. There a modest stand and some crude seatshad been erected to accommodate the services. Resolved to make the most of the limited time, the first day Lard preached two and a half hours to a largeaudience of "an honest, agricultural people, blessed with pertinent common sense and sound hearts." Thesermon made a favorable impression on most of thosepresent. The next day the audience, undiminished insize, gathered again to hear another equally longsermon. At the close, four men came forward to confessChrist. Excitement was such that Lard thought itwould be unwise to leave the people in their presentmood in order to meet another appointment wherenothing might be accomplished. So he decided to stay.

The third day eight more confessed their faith inChrist; and before the meeting closed, forty had beenbaptized for the remission of sins. Furthermore, thosewho remained of the old Stanley's church came to takeseats in the assembly of the saints. On the Lord's Day,the brethren, old and new, met at a convenient place amile distant to organize a New Testament church.They invoked the protection of God and resolved to befaithful in his service. "A table was then spread, andon it were placed the emblematic loaf and cup. Thesupper was then eaten in memory of the Master, a song sung, and the services of the hour closed." (Lard's Quarterly, September 1863, pp. 23-25.)

The church, known as South Point, was located inFay County, Missouri. It came into existence primarily because a chattel slave who was also a bondservant of Christ loved both of his masters enough

to travel fifteen miles to hear the gospel. That

journey may have been the difference between

heaven and hell for Thomas, and for many others as

well. God, in the exercise of his providence, very

often uses what to us may seem to be an

insignificant act of faith to accomplish his purpose.Heaven indeed may sometimes by just "fifteen miles" away.

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Searching The Scriptures

Volume 21 June, 1980 Number 6

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AN EXEGESIS OF 1 COR. 11:1 -16

by James W. Shear

With a Review of the tract by Hiram Hutto entitled "Command or Custom?"

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APPRAISING "A REAPPRAISAL AND A WARNING"

Elsewhere in this issue appears an article coauthored by Ed Harrell and Tommy Poarch entitled"The Philippines — A Reappraisal and a Warning."We urge you to give it a careful reading beforecontinuing with this article. Their article grew out of a two month trip around the world during which timethey spent two weeks in the Philippines. We print their article for two reasons: (1) We have carried (ashave other papers) considerable information about thePhilippine work; (2) These are good and worthybrethren whose views deserve to be heard. With many of the views expressed by them we are in accord.However, we take exception to some of their comments and feel duty bound to devote some spaceto a response.

That there have been unworthy brethren in the Philippines, none could deny. We have some in thiscountry. There has been a weeding out of such menover a period of time and that certainly ought tocontinue as long as brethren in this country supportmen there. Some of this has been made possible bymen of integrity in that nation who have gathered andpresented undeniable evidence for the benefit of churches here in forming a judgment as to their future involvement with such men. The work in the Philippines has been going on since the late 1920'sand has survived Premillennialism, World WarII, institutionalism and unworthy men. There are somemen still at work who have been faithful all through the years with or without American support. We arefully convinced that should all American support bestopped immediately, such men would continue to work as they have in the past. While such cessation ofsupport might greatly hinder the fruitful labors ofsome good men, it would certainly further identify anywho work only for the loaves and the fishes.

The Nature and Extent of Their Trip

Brethren Harrell and Porch spent a total of two weeks in the Philippines and came away with the assessment that "sporadic visits" cannot give us accurate information. Well, gentlemen, that places your assessment in doubt, doesn't it? Faithful brethren have been in touch with the Philippine workfor a number of years now. American service menstationed there have had a close-up view for a longtime and their stays could not be described as "sporadic". Additionally, several visits have been made to the islands by members of such churches asthat composed of ser

vice families on Okinawa who supported preachersthere. Since the late 1960's there has been much contact with that work. Beginning in 1970 and everyyear thereafter, teams of American brethren havemade trips which have taken them to most of theislands where congregations exist. These include RoyCogdill, Cecil Willis, J. T. Smith, James P. Needham,Dudley R. Spears, Earl Robertson, Larry Hafley,Leslie and Roy Diestelkamp, Jady Copeland, FrankButler, Keith Burnett, William Battles, Wallace Little, Arnold Granke, Paul Casebolt, Jim Puterbaugh, Hiram Hutto, Leo Plyler, Ben Shropshire, Bob Buchanon, Harold Trimble and possibly othersinadvertently omitted. The writer has also made twosuch trips and is personally acquainted with all the others who have been. There has been a wide exchangeof information among the various brethren who havegone. I know about 400 native preachers by face. Ihave personally preached on the islands of Luzon, Mindoro, Tablas, Cebu, Palawan and Mindanao. Overthe past ten years I have corresponded with many ofthe brethren and have a filing drawer full of suchcorrespondence. I have traveled with them by plane,boat, horse-drawn conveyance, motorcycle, bus, taxi, jeep and by foot. I have stayed up nearly all night withmany (after being in services all day and half the night) studying the Bible. I have laughed with them,cried with them, baptized some of them, rebukedsome, apologized to some, exhorted and encouraged. Ihave traveled and worked for days at a time withsome of the abler preachers among them. I have seenthem under all sorts of situations. I have slept in theirhouses and eaten their foods. I have made it a point tostay in touch with the other men who have made suchvisits. Very frankly, I am much more disposed to trustthe accumulated information and impressions of these 23 or so brethren who have gone to travel and laboramong the churches (some making several trips) forperiods ranging from one month to a full year than Iam the appraisal of two brethren who spent two weeks,saw very few of the brethren and assessed the matter from that vantage point together with an accumulation of reports from various sources beforegoing.

Brother Harrell did some academic lecturing whilethere. Neither of them went to Mindoro where there are many congregations and where the Philippine workactually began. They did go to Davao City on Mindanao but they did not visit the two provinces onthat island where most of the congregations are found(Cotabato and Zamboanga). They did not venture outinto the rough mountain areas near Davao City wherethere are many churches which were largelyestablished and nourished by the late Ruben Notarte.Several American brethren have gone among thosechurches and they can tell you how "accessible" transportation is into that region. Ask Paul Casebolt,Leslie Diestelkamp or Ben Shropshire. They did not goto the remote island of Palawan where there are now many churches. They did not visit the Visayas wherethere are churches multiplying. How do I know this? Iasked them face to face.

They spent some time in Manila, worshipped twice with the Pasay church, flew down to Davao City and back and brother Poarch made a trip up to Baguio Citywhere he met with a preacher whom he had been askedto see. While he made a visit to Philippine BibleCollege and talked with the president, he did not seeAndrew Gawe or any of the faithful brethren in that area. They talked with at least two men who havepersonal axes to grind. It was one of these who reported that the late Romulo Agduma said he thought there might be $1,000,000 a month supportgoing into the Philippines. Not only do I not believethat this figure is anywhere close to reality, I don'teven believe that Romulo Agduma said any suchthing and have good reason to suspect the motive ofthe one who is said to have reported this to thesegood brethren. Their estimate of» how much American support goes over there ranged from $150,000 to $1,000,000 a month. That is a wide variance and only underscores the incompletenessof their actual knowledge of the situation.

Others Have Warned

All of the brethren who have gone over there inrecent years have warned brethren in this country todo as much checking as possible before agreeing tosupport any preacher there. Reports have been published in this paper as to how much a schoolteacher is paid, a carpenter, and other lines of employment. We are indebted to these brethren forupdating this information to current times. That should prove a useful guideline for brethren in making their decisions. I have had a part in locating support for several preachers in that nation. With fewexceptions, these men have worked well. It was mypractice always to urge the brethren who supported them to require a regular and frequent report of their work and a full disclosure of total support received.I have consistently advised brethren not to continuesupport to any man who was unwilling to do that.Others have offered the same advice. It is a fact that some men have collected names and addresses from periodicals which have fallen into their hands and have sent out blanket appeals to many differentplaces. It was consistently my practice (and that ofothers I could name) not to recommend any man for support who had left denominationalism or liberalismwithin the last two years prior to considering suchsupport. Others can speak for themselves, but thiswriter personally resents, not only on his own part,but on behalf of many good American brethren, to saynothing of faithful men in the Philippines, anystatements about "buying converts" with promises of support.

Churches Need To Move Toward Self-Support

We agree with what they have said about the importance of developing churches which support their own men and work. There have been some churches in the Philippines which have had a part insupporting native men. On the last visit this writermade to the Philippines, Romulo Agduma urgedthat several sessions be devoted to discussing with alarge number of preachers the urgency of teachingbrethren to give as prospered and to assume as muchof their own preacher support as possible as soon aspossible. That was in 1975. At his suggestion I spokethree evenings and fielded questions from brethrenfor a long time

each night. While we rejoice in the good work done forso long by good men in South Africa, a work whichthese brethren heartily recommended, it should be saidthat American brethren have been working there forabout 30 years on support from American churchesand there are also some native men receiving Americansupport now. Most of the sound churches in the Philippines have been developed within the past twelveto fifteen years and many of them are less than fiveyears old.

Respecting Bible Principles

Whatever sociological presuppositions and personaljudgments may be involved as to how best to developself-supporting churches, there are certain Bible truths which must not be ignored. (1) It is scripturalfor a congregation to send a preacher elsewhere to helpanother congregation (Acts 11:22-24). (2) It is scriptural for a congregation to send to meet a preacher's needs while he labors elsewhere (Phil. 4:1516). (3) It is scriptural for a plurality of churches toprovide wages for a preacher to labor elsewhere (2 Cor.11:8-9). (4) It is scriptural for brethren to uphold thehands of those who preach the gospel on the strengthof recommendation from those who know them (consider the closing verses of several of Paul's letters). Personal opinion about specific cultures andabout the best way to encourage self-sustaining churches should not be allowed to over-ride these Bible truths. The nationality or culture of the man being sent, or receiving support does not enter thematter unless it is intruded by the personal opinion of some.

Cure Worse Than The Disease?

While these good brethren have sounded timely warnings about "paternalism" in foreign evangelism, it is difficult for me to see that their suggestedremedy is any better, and, indeed, may be far worse.While there have been, and yet are, dangers in whatthey have called the "recommending" system, there are also dangers in their suggestion that "a morepermanent American presence in the area" should beworked out. My question is a simple one. Why areAmerican workers permanently needed in a countrywhere there are over 600 native preachers? What would be their role? Would they be there to evangelize that country? Native men are already doing that. Many of them are well educated,experienced and frankly, many of them can preachbetter than some of us can. Would their role be that of supervisors? Is this not the essence of their suggestion? If so, then that is paternalism gone toseed. Is it not good old American arrogance to evensuggest it? Is a work not to be counted worthy or validunless there are Americans on hand to oversee it?

Further, while all agree that amends should be madein any case where a brother is receiving far too muchsupport, we question the right of any two brethren tofix an absolute amount which covers all men in all cases regardless of family size or place of work, anamount fixed by men who live 10,000 miles from the scene they seek to regulate. Further, they have nottaken into account the fact that some men in the Philippines have bought radio time, printed tracts,paid travel costs, bought Bibles, rented meeting placesand other expenses from the total amount received which brethren in other countries (some in South Africa, for instance) have counted as a "working fund"and from which such expenses are deducted from whatis considered family living expenses. What is sauce forthe goose in South Africa ought to be sauce for it in thePhilippines. These brethren need to write some more"Reappraisals and Warnings."

Personal Talks

The writer spoke with brother Harrell about this bytelephone soon after receiving this article and wasrecently in Birmingham where he met with bothbrethren Harrell and Poarch and said personally tothem most of what is in this article. We are not out of sorts with each other. Both of them, as they stated,have a keen interest in the work of the Lord world-wide and both have had a part in such work in the past withfuture plans in that direction. All of us can learn fromtheir experience and their warnings. Regardless ofthat, we felt some things needed to be said from a different vantage point. They do not, nor do I, want tosee a running battle among brethren over this. Readit, study it, then use it as you think best. If either or both of these brethren think our remarks have been inaccurate or unjust, then reasonable space will beprovided from them to say so.

We have just returned from a two-month trip whichhas taken us collectively to nine countries includingthe Philippines, Australia, Singapore, South Africa, Argentina, Italy, and England. We preachedextensively and visited with many brethren who arereceiving support from American churches. We wantto report that we are thrilled by much of what we saw.Among others, we visited with Rollie McDowell inAustralia, Phil Morr and Brownie Reeves in London, Gardner Hall and Tommy Holly in Beunos Aires; andJimmy Lovell, Gene Tope, Piet Joubert, Paul Williams, Ray Votaw and others in South Africa. Ineach of these places we found the work to be vigorousand in need of additional workers. We hope to writesome more specific reports about these impressions inthe near future.

We feel compelled by conscience, however, to first write a serious warning about the dangers which webelieve exist because of the tremendous flow of American money into the Philippines. We do this only after serious reflection. It would be much easier to say nothing. We know that some good people will beseriously offended by our conclusions. But we ask everyone to study the facts and to react with reason.

The clear truth—and one difficult for Americans to understand—is that American money can do harm aswell as good. What is at stake is not simply the possibility that much American money is beingwasted, but rather that the cause of Christ in the Philippines is being injured by the support that isbeing sent. If that is the case, and we believe it is, the only solution is to begin to stop the money. We havemade a full set of recommendations at the end of this article; the import of them is that this is the only shortterm solution to the many problems in the Philippines.We know that this is a drastic recommendation and we urge you to read the remainder of this article objectively to determine whether it is justified.

One further point of introduction. We are not thefirst American visitors to reach this conclusion. Others who have been to the Philippines—and somewho have worked in other underdeveloped areas (andother countries must surely at some point bear thesame kind of scrutiny)—have long believed that theLord's cause is not served by wide-scale support offoreign preachers with American money. Even the strongest advocates of support for native preachers,including brother Wallace Little, admit that there areserious problems in such efforts. We believe it is timeto face these perils directly, and we stand ready toanswer any questions that are raised. We hope thatthe discussion that follows will reflect the dignityand honesty that the subject demands.

Not a Condemnation of Foreign Work

We want it clearly understood that this is not anattack on foreign work. Nor is it a defense of everything that is done in America. We both have astrong interest in seeing the gospel preached abroad.We have both lived abroad in the past and we bothare making plans to go overseas again to try toestablish the cause of Christ in Asia. We both work with congregations that have strong financialcommitments to foreign work. Those who opposeinstitutional orphan homes supported by churches haveoften been accused of opposing relieving the needy; wehope this article will not meet with that type of emotional misrepresentation. If we are wrong, it isnot because we oppose preaching the gospel abroad.

Not a Condemnation of Native Preachers

We do not believe that all Filipino preachers are dishonest and all American preachers are honest. Wedo believe that American churches are generally betterable to judge the honesty and quality of Americanpreachers and Filipino churches are better able tojudge Filipino preachers. The difficulty of judging moral credentials and making sound financial decisions increases proportionately with the distanceof the culture from America. For instance, in the casesof men like Rollie McDowell in Australia, Piet Joubertin South Africa, and Arrigo Corazza in Italy, it hasbeen relatively easy for Americans to judge the qualityof the men and the extent of their financial needs.

Underdeveloped societies present quite different kinds of problems. Money has a particularlycorrupting influence in underdeveloped cultures;it attracts the avaricious; and it has the potential todo great harm to the cause of Christ. It may be that small amounts of money, used with great discretion and care, can help the cause in such countries. For instance, in South Africa there are growing and impressive churches among the Africans, coloreds, and Indians. These churches have grown slowly and solidly, based largely on thepreaching of committed

native Christian men who asked no financial reward for their labors. After years of testing, a few natives have been given support. In each case, themen have been recommended and partially supportedby their own brethren, receive support equivalent toothers in their society, and work in close associationwith the more mature preachers of the country. Webelieve that the wisdom of the South African brethren is apparent in the strength and stability of the nativechurches.

The Philippines presents an entirely differentscenario. Literally hundreds of preachers are receivingsupport from America (probably over 500); many ofthem are taking huge sums of money in the context oftheir culture; almost all are working without anyFilipino support or any sustained association withmature American preachers. The essential ingredientsfor knowing the moral character of these men arealmost completely lacking—we do not believe that sporadic visits can accomplish this purpose. We believethat it will be clear from the facts presented here thatAmerican churches have not been supplied withadequate and correct financial information.

In New Testament days churches supported menwhom they knew and trusted. Questions about moralcharacter, proper financial support, and general trustworthiness did not arise when congregationssupported Paul, Barnabas and Silas. We believe thereis an obvious wisdom in this. While such direct relationships may not always be possible, they areclearly highly desirable. American churches can actwith confidence when they support those whom they trust. And, when people are converted in underdeveloped areas, they can act with confidence insupporting those that they know and trust. Only withgreat care can American churches escape both theaccusation and the reality of buying converts withpromises of support.

Not a Condemnation of the Philippines

We do not call into question the integrity or theaccomplishments of those who have worked in the Philippines in the past. Although we sharply disagreewith the methods of brother Wallace Little, we arenot questioning his good intentions. Nor is this acondemnation of all Filipinos. We are confident that there are fine Christians in the Philippines.

The problem is that the work in the Philippinesapparently has attracted dishonest leeches because of the huge sums of American money going into thecountry. Everyone admits this. Nearly every Filipinopreacher we talked to told us horror stories of corruption. Brother Little agrees that there has beenstealing and open misrepresentation about support.Filipinos are no different from Americans. If Americans were paid huge salaries (say $100,000 peryear) to preach, the result would be corrupting.

We believe that the recommendations made at the conclusion of this article (which generally urge thecessation of support for Filipino preachers) will have ahealthy effect in the Philippines. This is the only way we see that the bad element—an element that can onlyhave a devastating effect on the spread of truereligion—can be winnowed out of the work. The realChristians in the Philippines will remain faithful without support—as they have in the past in the United States and as they are now doing in South Africa. Perhaps somewhere down the line a more discriminating judgment can be made about what the American role should be in encouraging Filipinos. We shall have more to say about that at the conclusion of thisarticle.

The Question Is How

The question, then, is not whether we should supportforeign work, but how we should go about it. We believe there is no substitute for sending good men topreach, and we want to urge brethren to think both about going and sending. The South African work provides a good alternative about how to proceed in poor cultures. In short, there are other ways. We are not bound simply to send money to places we do not know, to people we do not know, in amounts that we do notunderstand. The reports may be less spectacular than inareas where American money flows freely, but neither willone find the problems and perils that come with mixingmoney and conversion.

General Problems in the Philippines

We believe that several general problems pervade thework in the Philippines. We do not intend to explore theugliest details. We do have considerable material in hand that deals with each of these problems and we would behappy to share this information on request. Please feel freeto call either of us if you wish to discuss the matter further: Ed Harrell: 205-967-4804; Tommy Poarch: 205798-4789.

1. The Magnitude of the Problem. A very largeamount of money is going from conservative churches inthis country to the Philippines. No one knows how much. We estimate the amount to be in excess of $150,000 per month. Perhaps that much more is being sent byindividuals. Before he died, brother Romulo Agdumareportedly estimated the amount to be around $1,000,000 per month. This does not speak to the thousands of dollars that have been raised in the yearly"benevolent" campaigns that have been sup ported by Americans. Nor does it consider the constant "special" pleas for typewriters, motorcycles, auto repairs, and countless other personal appeals which most everyAmerican church has received. At the very least, the sizeof this undertaking deserves serious and calm review. Perhaps as many as a hundred preachers could be supported in foreign work with this kind of support. Weneed to look dispassionately at the alternatives.
2. Over-support and Its Attendant Problems. The main thrust of this article will be simply to demonstratethat the native preachers in the Philippines have beenconsistently over-supported and that they have come toexpect and demand such treatment. We believe that the facts on this point are absolutely un deniable; in thenext section of this article we present some examples ofthe extensive evidence we gathered. On the face of it, suchmerchandizing of the gospel is wrong. There is absolutely no excuse for paying a preacher two to fivetimes what he could earn in a good job in his society. NoAmerican church would pay a preacher $50,000 to $150,000 per year. And no honest man would take thatkind of compensation to preach

the gospel. The evil that undergirds such a system isreadily apparent.

The first evil is the tendency to attract outrightfrauds and rascals with exorbitant salaries. Who would expect otherwise? We can not judge individual preachers on the basis of a brief visit (nor do we believeothers can on the basis of occasional visits), but therecan be no doubt about the immorality of the system.And we can tell you that stories of corruption areeverywhere in the air in the Philippines—stories ofadulterers, drunkards, liars, and preachers threateningmayhem and murder against those who oppose them.We can tell you that we have received letters frompeople in the Philippines who plead for anonymity lestthey be murdered by those receiving support from theUnited States. It is unthinkable that such a system should be encouraged. One sure way to identify thewicked men is to ask them to work for the Lord from conviction. The time has come for a period of provingin the Philippines. We do not believe there will be anend of such charges until a purification takes place.

An additional form of corruption in the Philippinesinvolves the deceptive solicitation of money. Manypreachers in the islands receive more money than theyreport. Some of them make openly fraudulent reports.This practice is a matter of open discussion in thePhilippines—preachers label these funds "undercovermoney." Some of brother Wallace Little's closest friends and advisers are guilty of precisely this practice. It is hard to label this practice anything less than lying—and apparently it is epidemic in the Philippines. Undercover money" isprobably an inevitable consequence of supporting unknown men in a remote and little understood society. Nor is it a problem that can besolved by occasional and transient visits. Men's characters can not be judged so easily; we believethat brother Little's experience in the Philippines forcefully illustrates that point.

It must also be noted that the benevolent relief that has been sent to the Philippines has been subject tomisappropriation. Again, some of this has been madepublic and verified, but the feeling among some in thePhilippines is that scandal goes deep into every sucheffort that has been made. Clearly, some Filipinos haveenriched themselves off the generosity of Americansaints.

A final, and more far reaching, problem with over-support is that it undermines the independence andintegrity of native churches. When a preacher is supported from America at a level far above that ofothers in his society, it clearly undermines the desireand ability of others to support their own work. There islittle evidence of any effort on the part of Filipinochurches to become self-supporting. The church in Manila (Pasay City), where two preachers are beingsupported at a level of probably around $1500 permonth, reported in December, 1979, an averageattendance of 64 per Sunday and a contribution ofabout $21.25 per week. But, even if Filipino Christianshad the very best intentions and gave liberally, thereis no likelihood that they could ever support theirpreachers at near the level they are now receivingfrom the United States. The discussion of wage levelsthat follows will

make that apparent. And so, what is left is a permanent dependence, a paternalistic relationshipin which the native churches have little control over their own works (we know of a number of churches thathave repudiated the preachers being supported from the U.S.) and have little incentive to support themselves.

3. The "Recommending System" as Denominational Organization. Perhaps the most destructive feature of the present system of support inthe Philippines is the "recommending system" that isused. We believe that the problems discussed here arepervasive, though they are difficult to document. Butit seems to us that such problems are inherent in anybroad system in which support is sent on the basis ofsecond and third-hand recommendations, or when oneman, such as brother Little, tries to assume a broad role as a "recommender."

We believe that many Filipinos understand this aslittle more than a denominational hierarchy. And therehas been some reason for them to so perceive it. Forinstance, we were sent a copy of a letter written by brother Little to a Filipino seeking support whichstated: "Third, I need letters from (three Filipinos)who together represent me in your nation there, tomake recommendations as to who should be supported, and who should not." It is hard for meto believe that this represents brother Little's practice, and surely not his convictions, but I believeit is a framework that many of the Filipinos understand. They talk openly of those who have "recommending powers" in their districts, and there have been repeated charges of "extortion" being practiced by those with such "powers." We believe the error and treachery of such a system is tooobvious to demand further discussion.

Over Support—The Facts

While one may be dismayed by the apparentpresence of wide-scale scandal in the Philippines, it istrue that each man must be judged individually and one might be inclined to try to bear with the confusion until the multitude of charges could beinvestigated. And while the "recommending" systemas it has developed in the Philippines is shot throughwith dangers, one might bear with it until some morepermanent American presence in the area could beworked out. It will take some men of great wisdom andlong experience in the Philippines to sort out all ofthose problems.

What can be demonstrated beyond any doubt is thatmany Filipino preachers (including some of brotherLittle's close associates) have solicited and acceptedexorbitant salaries, sometimes with brother Little's assistance. To say that some of the Filipino preachershave misrepresented their needs is a grossunderstatement. To say that they do not deserve theconfidence of American brethren is a simple fact.

The facts are these. It is virtually impossible to tell what most Filipino preachers are receiving because ofthe practice of soliciting "undercover" money.However, it is common for preachers to report incomesof $300 per month and most we talked to in thePhilippines blandly asserted that one needed $300 to$500 to live. As early as 1977 brother Little solicited $500 per month for two of his close friends. We do notknow what many of those preaching in the Philippinesare receiving, but we do know that one of the abovementioned men was reporting $700 monthly income in1979 and receiving at least $50 more that was notreported. Some of those receiving over $300 havereported themselves in dire financial straits, as havesome of those making much larger incomes. There areprobably many preachers in the Philippines who arereceiving much less, but it is impossible to tell whothey are. What we do know is that it is common to askfor, plead as a matter of necessity, and receive sumsranging from $300 to $750 and perhaps more. And inthis category are most of the men most trusted byAmericans.

Here are the facts about Filipino wage scales at the beginning of 1980.

1. Wages in the Ministry of Labor in Manila (From List of Positions in the Ministry of Labor With theCorresponding Upgraded Range and Minimum SalaryPer National Budget Circular No. 305)

Nurse $ 61.75 per month

Electrician $ 53.25

Mason $ 43.62

Auto Mechanic $ 53.25

Bookkeeper I $ 79.25

Economist $115.25

Trial Attorney $137.00

Clinic Physician $151.37

Ministry Budget Officer $214.37

Chief Legal Officer $261.62*

*(This is the highest paid job in the Ministry of Labor aside fromthe Bureau heads who are appointed by President Marcos)

2. Current Pay Scales for Public Education Systems. Secondary School Teachers with Masters Degrees $ 79.25 Jr. College Instructors with Masters Degrees $101.62

Jr. College Instructor III with Doctor's Degree $118.00

Highest Pay for School Principal $151.37

Highest Paid School Administrator $175.62

Top Pay for School Division $204.00

Superintendent

We have a staggering amount of statistical materialwhich comes out at the same place. A few jobs in the Philippines probably pay better than these. The topprofessors at the highest paying university in Manila,De La Salle University, earn slightly over $300 permonth; their job is comparable to that of a Harvardprofessor who makes $60,000 a year. Some peopleworking as business executives probably make considerably more money, as do business executives inthe United States. But the evidence is overpowering;one who makes $100 per month in the Philippines hasa good job; the category at $150 per month includesdoctors, lawyers, professors, and other professionalpeople.

It is a monstrous thing that has happened to us. Preachers are receiving two, three, four, five times asmuch as upper-middle-class wage earners. It is clearthat the gullibility of American churches has madethem subject to profiteers. The Filipinos have known itfor a long time—it is time we found out.

What possible excuse could there be for this enrichment of a few men in the Philippines? Is itbecause they have great expenses that go with theirpreaching activities? Travel is cheap and readily available. But perhaps they are helping others withthis vast excess of funds. Who will believe that a man who takes money under false pretenses will be so kindhearted. And what of the Scriptural implications ofsuch an argument. Is that a Scriptural plan for benevolence? Are a preacher's "wages" to include whatever "assumed" financial responsibilities he decides to undertake? Everyone knows the answers tothose questions.

And there is ample evidence that the excess moneyhas never been intended for such purposes. That is notthe way the solicitations have been represented. Americans have been told repeatedly that thesesalaries were needed in order to live in the Philippines.One brother reported each quarter that he needed $300 per month to feed his family, and much more to pay hisrent, educate his children, etc. One wonders how all ofthe doctors and lawyers—much less electricians andcarpenters— have survived.

Recommendations

We humbly and sincerely offer these recommendations as the best short term plan to follow:

1. Under no circumstances should Filipino preachers be supported above the levelof $150 per month.
2. Support should be STOPPED TO ALL those who have been receiving excessive salaries in the past.
3. No church should send money to the Philippines unless it isconfident of the moral integrity of the man receiving the supportand unless it is certain that he is reporting his total income accurately. Frankly, we do not see how that assurance is possibleunder the present circumstances.
4. Under any circumstances, American churches should initiate aplan for the regular reduction of support (perhaps over a three yearperiod) which would encourage the transfer of responsibility toFilipino churches.

We hope that in the long term, when better conditions have developed in the Philippines, otherpossibilities may arise. It may be that a careful use ofAmerican money at some point in the future might behelpful. Here is an assessment written by a deeplyconcerned Filipino brother:

THERE ARE THREE PROPOSALS that may giveSOLUTION to the major problems in the Philippinework—Itemized as follows: 1) TO CUTOFF ENTIRELY all Filipino preachers' support fromAmerican churches and CHECK WHO IS THE MOST FAITHFUL. Comment: Number 1 is too drastic; the INNOCENT ONES will be included to suffer. 2) TO WEDGE OUT/PURGE OUT THE UNWORTHY ONES and Continue the supports(moral and financial) to faithful, worthy Filipino preachers. 3) TO RECOMMEND ABOUT TWO TO

THREE AMERICAN FAMILIES TO HELP AND STAY IN THE ISLANDS. To this, a close supervision to teaching and edification can be worked out among Filipino preachers and brethren in the churches.

There is much wisdom in what the brother says. Wehope that the day will come soon when items two andthree can come about. But we see no alternative at the present time to the recommendations we have made.We sincerely hope that some good men will undertaketo live in the Philippines in the near future. In the meantime, we are convinced that American churchesare only hindering the ultimate stabilization of thework there by the continuation of present financialpolicies.

QUESTION: (In an effort to justify the "SponsoringChurch Arrangement," the following argument based upon Phil 4:15 was submitted for review in SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES and forwarded to me by Brother Adams.—MEP)

1. No church had fellowship with Paul inthe matter of "giving and receiving" but Philippi. Other churches may have had fellowship in other matters, but not in "giving and receiving."
2. "Giving" and "receiving" are action verbs tied together with a copulative conjunction evidencing that they are of equal import. Since the Philippian Churchwas the subject of this action, they both"received" and "gave."
3. Since Paul "robbed other churches,taking wages of them" (2 Cor. 11:8), whichwas supplied by the brethren which camedown from Macedonia (vs. 9), and the churchin Philippi is in Macedonia, the wages musthave come from Philippi. But it came from a plurality of churches.
4. However, Philippi was the only churchthat had fellowship in the matter of "giving" and "receiving" with Paul. Now since Philippi both "received and "gave,"they must have "received" from other churches this was their "receiving," then theysent to Paul which was their "giving."
5. So, you see how clearly the Scripturesteach a "Sponsoring Church" and the proposition is proved.

ANSWER: One weakness of the above argument isthe impossibility of connecting Phil. 4:15, involvingthe "Communication" between Philippi and Paul, with2 Cor. 11:8, 9. While some scholars say that Phil. 4:15probably refers to 2 Cor. 8,9, they offer little or no supportive evidence. This means, in the final analysis, their evidence is mere assumption. Other scholars take issue with this assumption; expose itserror, and offer evidence to the contrary. This they doby carefully analyzing the grammatical construction of the passages and with a careful exegesis of the verses involved. Note the following onPhil. 4:15:

MACKNIGHT'S TRANSLATION: "Now to shew you how seasonable your presentwas, and that I honoured you be acceptingit, Know ye also, O Philippians, that after I first preached the gospel to you, when I

went forth in Macedonia to preach, nochurch communicated with me in the matter of giving me money, and of my receiving money from them but ye only; I received money from no church but yours."

MACKNIGHT'S COMMENTS; "When I went forth in Macedonia. ... In our Bible this is translated, 'When I departed fromMacedonia.' But that translation is wrong,as appears from ver. 16. where the apostlesaith, the Philippians sent once and again tohis necessity in Thessalonica. For, Thessalonica being the chief city of Macedonia, their communicating with himin the matter of giving and receiving, wasnot after he departed from Macedonia, butwhilst he was in that country."

R.C.H. LENSKI: ". . . the clause 'when I left from Macedonia' does not mean 'when I had left" or after I had left.' It simplynotes the time, and there is no need to insiston the imperfect: 'when I was leaving.'

"note (translated 'when — MEP)—at thetime when I left, before I got entirely away. For Thessalonica is located in Macedonia,and there the two gifts that were sent fromPhilippi reached Paul. That is why kai, 'even' is added: 'even in Thessalonica, 'before I actually got farther away. Two points are stressed: 1) the Philippian churchhad just been founded yet, infant churchthat it was, sent gifts to Paul; 2) it did thisimmediately, when Paul left Macedonia,while he was in Thessalonica, before he gotany farther away from Philippi...

"Because of its simple aorist some thinkthat 'when I left from Macedonia' intends to point to II Cor. 11:9. . . This idea is unacceptable here where the two gifts that were sent to Thessalonica follow (v. 16), agift that was sent to Corinth cannot precede." A. T. ROBERTSON: "No otherchurch opened an account with Paul. Of giving and receiving (doseos kai lempseos). Credit and debit. A mercantile metaphor repeated in verse 17 by eis logonhumon (to your account). Paul had to keepbooks then with no other church, though later Thessalonica and Beroea joined Philippi in support of Paul's work in Corinth (II Cor. ll:8f). But ye only (ei me humeis monoi). Not even Antioch contributed anything but good wishes andprayers for Paul's work (Acts 13:1-3).

"16. Once and again (kai hapax kai dis). 'Both once and twice' they did it 'even in Thessalonica' and so before Paul went to Corinth. See the same Greek idiom in 1 Thess. 2:18."

DEAN HENRY ALFORD; "By this (Phil.4:15) is not meant, as commonly understood, the supply which he received at Corinth (2Cor. 11:9). . . . for even in Thessalonica (which was an earlier stage of my departure

from Macedonia) before the departure was

consummated."

In the light of the above it is obvious that theexpression in our common version "when I departedfrom Macedonia" identifies the time when Paul was supported by Philippi only. "When" means at the time —Not months later. Furthermore, it does notrequire scholarship on the part of a careful reader tosee the difference between when I departed from Macedonia and after I got to Corinth! The former is in the Bible, the latter is assumed by men.

I have no doubt that the support Paul received atCorinth (2 Cor. 11:8,9) came from churches in Macedonia (1 Thess. 1:8; 3:6-8; Acts 18:5), however, toconclude that such support was sent through the church at Philippi is unwarranted! This supportwhich he received after he got to Corinth cannot bethe support received when he departed from Macedonia.

Another error in the argument of our querist is thefalse premise found in the following statement: "Sincethe Philippian church was the subject of this action,they both 'received' and 'gave." The action under consideration is identified by the word "communicated." Paul says, "No church communicatewith me." Notice the expression "with me." This expression makes clear with whom the church at Philippi communicated, namely, Paul. This also makes clear that the action in the verse involved two—not one (Notice again, "with me"). But the action (communication) involved the matter of "giving and receiving." In the light of these facts, it does not take a scholar to determine who did the "giving" and who did the "receiving". This conclusionharmonizes with the "supportive evidence" of the scholars cited above. To affirm that this action was all on the part of the Philippian church—that this churchboth "received" and "gave"—is to ignore and contradict the facts of divine revelation and affirm a position which rests wholly on assumption.

There is no proof in Phil 4:15, or elsewhere, of thesponsoring church arrangement. Desperate efforts ofable men have and continue to fail of such objective.Even if such proof were found, it would contradict theplain divine limitations of the following verse: "Feedthe flock of God which is among you, taking theoversight thereof, not be constraint, but willingly; notfor filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; (1 Pet. 5:2). Thisverse teaches that elders are limited in their oversight to the congregation where they are. This means thatthey cannot oversee any work beyond the ability of the congregation where they are and to which other churches are equally related. When elders oversee anywork or project for two churches, they oversee toomuch to be scriptural elders. Faith in this divine limitation makes me know that proof for the sponsoring church arrangement has not been found nor indeed will it be.

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In this our fifth article on this subject, we come nowto question six and the answer:

"6. 'Is it necessary to be a Baptist in order to besaved?' No. Jesus saves, not the church. The blood ofJesus washes away the stains of sin, not baptism (IJohn 1:7). Men become children of God by faith inChrist (Gal. 3:26; John 1:12), not by the natural birth(Rom. 9:8; John 1:13), nor by obedience (Rom. 5:19), nor by works (Rom. 4:5), nor by joining the church(Acts 2:47). Men are born into the family of Godby the new birth, but men are not born into thechurch. Luke says the Lord added to the churchdaily 'those who were saved.' Salvation first, thenbaptism and church membership."

We are learning some interesting things, aren't we? Now we are told that one does not have to be a Baptistin order to be saved. Then why be one? Is it necessary for one to be a Christian to be saved? I believe that we have proven that one must be, therefore Christians and Baptists must not be the same.

He says that Jesus saves, not the church. The question was not who saves, but rather what must onebe to be saved. It is true that Jesus saves, but whatdoes he save? The Bible says that he is the Saviour of the body, the church (Eph. 5:23).

We are told that the blood of Christ washes awaysins, not baptism. First John 1:7 tells what washesaway sins, but Acts 22:16 tells when this takes place:"arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins,calling on the name of the Lord."

It is true that we become children of God by faith inChrist, but not by faith only nor at the point of faith. The verses given do not prove his argument. Galatians

3:26 is a statement of fact, present tense. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Butlook at the next verse. It begins with the word "for"(from the Greek "gar" which means to give a reason for a preceding statement) and says: "For as many ofyou as have been baptized into Christ have put onChrist." So by faith they were baptized into Christ. Issalvation in or out of Christ? Is one in Christ before being baptized into Christ? John 1:12 does not say thatthe believer IS a child of God. It says the believer isgiven the power of right TO BECOME a child of God,proving that other acts of obedience are necessary. Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall besaved" (Mark 16:16).

Taylor contends that one is not saved by the naturalbirth, or obedience, or works, or by joining the church.Well, that's a mixture of truth and error. Certainly one does not become a child of God by natural or fleshly birth. We are not saved by works of the old law ofMoses or the meritorious works of man, or even by"joining" the church. We are saved by obedience to theLord's commands and our works of faith. We are told that Jesus saves those who obey him (Matt. 7:21; Heb.5:9) and will come to condemn those who do not obeythe gospel (2 Thess. 1:8). James says, "Ye see then howthat by works a man is justified, and not by faith only"(James 2:24). See also Acts 2:40; 10:35; Phil. 2:12 andRevelation 20:12. If we are not saved by works, why isGod going to judge us "according to" our works?

He says we are born into the family of God by the new birth, but not into the church. Does he not knowthat the church is the family of God? The church iscalled the "house of God" (I Tim. 3:15), meaning thefamily of God.

We are told that the order is "Salvation first, thenbaptism and church membership." That is not whatActs 2 teaches. The truth is: the people heard andbelieved the gospel preached by the apostles. At thepoint of faith, being "pricked in their hearts" or minds,they asked what to do. Peter did not tell them thatsince they were believers they were saved and shouldjoin the church. He told them to "Repent, and bebaptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christfor (unto) the remission of sins ..." (Acts 2:38). Whenthey did that they were saved and added by the Lordto the church. By the same process and at the sametime that one becomes a Christian he becomes a part ofthe church, the body of the saved. One cannot be saved out of the body of which Christ is the head and saviour. So the true order was hearing, faith,repentance and baptism, and the result was remission of sins or salvation and membership in the body of Christ.

"7. 'If so, which kind of a Baptist—there are about adozen different Baptist denominations?' No kind at all. A sinner is saved by the blood of Jesus before andwithout baptism, if saved at all. In Exodus 12:13-28,the blood was applied in Egypt; they were not baptizeduntil three days after at the Red Sea (Ex. 14:22; I Cor.10:2). In Romans 4:1-25 Paul shows that Abraham and David were justified by faith without works; and thatAbraham's faith in a crucified and resurrected Christ was the same faith that we have today. You ask howcould Abraham's faith be in a crucified and resurrected Christ before His birth? Read Romans 4:17 where Paul says on that very question: 'Even God who quickeneththe dead and called those things which be not asthough they were'."

Our friend dodged the point of the question on thedifferent kinds of Baptists. The truth is, there are agood many more than a dozen, including some who profess to keep the sabbath and worship on Saturday. And his arguments are wrong again.

The blood which was applied to the houses in Egyptwas not for the salvation of Israel, but rather was tospare the firstborn of the families of the obedient. Asto when the people were saved from bondage, we shalllet the Bible, not a Baptist, give the answer. It says: "Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the handof the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians deadupon the seashore" (Exodus 14:30). What day was that? Was it the day or night when the blood wasapplied to the houses? Was that when the Egyptianswere dead upon the seashore? No! That was the daythey crossed over and were saved by the waters of theRed Sea. If this be denied, then I ask, what would havehappened had the people of Israel refused to cross theRed Sea? They would have perished, and so will the one who rejects the counsel of God (Luke 7:30; Mark16:16) by rejecting baptism.

He does not understand the kind of works under consideration in Romans 4. In Romans 5:1 the same apostle says that we are justified by faith in Christ. Then in the next chapter he says that we are baptizedinto Christ and "raised up" to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4). Does that contradict what he said inchapter four? Certainly not! It is true that God callsthings which are not as though they were, for God cansee the future, but God does not call upon one tobelieve something as an historical fact before it occurs.The gospel is God's power to save us (Rom. 1:16), andPaul defines the gospel as the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (I Cor. 15:1-4). How couldAbraham, David, the Corinthians, or anyone todaybelieve these facts before they happened?

Let us remember that James says that Abraham was"justified by works" (James 2:21). Does he contradictPaul in Romans? No. Paul was speaking of thecovenant God made with Abraham and James is speaking of the acts of obedience by which the scriptures were fulfilled which declared that Abraham believed God (Rom. 4:3; James 2:23). Weare commanded to "walk in the steps of that faith ofour father Abraham" (Rom. 4:12). When does Abraham become our spiritual father? Let the Bibleanswer: "For as many of you as have been baptizedinto Christ have put on Christ . . . And if ye beChrist's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Gal. 3:27, 29.)

(To be continued)

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By William Hendriksen The author of the New Testament Commentary is anoutstanding Bible student, lecturer, and ableauthor.

Dr. Hendriksen is a master linguist and painstaking scholar. He is a knowledgeabletheologian who has retained an unwaveringfaith in the divine inspiration and infallibility ofthe Bible

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Page 12

REMINISCENCE of W. A. CAMERON (No. 3)

(Author's Note: William Alan Cameron, about whomthese lines are written, is the great uncle of the writer.Upon the death of his first wife, Maude, he courted andmarried the youngest sister of my paternal grandmother, Alberta Westbrook. Sis. Cameron made herhome with her daughter and son-in-law, Mary and BobStoner, living at 6164 34th Avenue N., St. Petersburg,Fla. 33710. On January 5, 1980 she was 96 years old. OnFriday, January 18th she died peace fully and in hope ofmeeting the Lord whom she served all her adult life.While I had hoped she might have the joy of reading these lines, since she was alive and doing well as webegan writing these articles, death has decreed not.Nevertheless, it is my hope these lines will bring fondremembrance of her as well as Uncle "Billy" and cause our readers, their friends and ours alike, in remembering a faithful and valiant preacher of yesteryear to resolve to serve more diligently that wemay be numbered together finally. Like Abel of old,bro. Cameron "being dead, yet speaketh").

Mr. W. A. Cameron Perhaps you have forgotten some of the accomplishments of those fruitful preaching years,Uncle Billy, though I doubt it since you seem to be arather meticulous record keeper. Any way, I take theliberty of comparing notes with you for a bit. 1897 to1908 you traveled nearly 30,000 miles without theaid of automobiles and airplanes or other modern inventions. 1,930 sermons were preached in 56 different places, 806 were baptized and 19 churcheswere established. The next 16 years, from 1908 to1924, was when you were in your prime, 38 to 52years old, now don't take offense, I know you thinkyour prime lasted a lot longer than that, Largo, Florida was home for most of this period and the records say you preached 4,127 sermons at 35 different places and baptized 888. During this periodyou established 12 churches. While we both recognizethe Lord is not keeping box score, there is some valueto the rest of us in noting the record. These recordswitness to sacrificial and zealous efforts and attest the truthfulness of the Lord's promise and its fulfillment, "my word shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and itshall prosper in the things whereto I sent it" (Isa. 55:11).Uncle Billy, I remember it being said that when you

first came to Florida there were no paved roads in theCentral and Gulf Coast areas. Of course the main artery, U.S. #1, from Miami was paved, but in thissection oyster shell and sand was the paving. At theturn of the century there were only three small congregations of the church east of ApalachicolaRiver. Today there must be well over a 100 in this area.You must indeed feel a sense of justifiable pride whenyou realize at least an appreciable number of these isthe direct result of the Lord's labor through you andprobably half of them have sprung from the seed of thekingdom you planted during this time.

Cherry Sink is one of these congregations whichmust remember you with gratitude. When you came tothat community in September 1902 there was a handful of brethren, but with no place to meet. It wasfrom the Baptist that a meeting house was borrowed inwhich to hold a meeting. Between then and December18th the brethren built a rough frame house and youheld their first meeting before the year ended. Yourecord eighteen consecutive meetings held at CherrySink during the last week of December. The close ofthat first meeting in 1902 also marked the completionof your first year as a full time preacher. That year youtraveled 4,000 miles, preached 278 sermons, andbaptized 102 souls into Christ. For the years work theledger notes you received the sum total of $545.19. Outof this all expenses were paid as well as providing foryour family. In this age of inflation and high prices wewonder how you did it. 1902 to 1955 records 56meetings held with the Cherry Sink church.

Gilchrist County has many members of the Lord'sbody and there are three other churches in that areawhich stand as monuments to your work of faith andlabor of love. These are Midway, Bethel and Trenton.Six meeting houses were built during these years forthese four churches. Besides preaching nearly 800sermons and teaching hundreds of Bible classes youbaptized 180 people. It would be hard to find anothergroup of people that has benefited more or beenblessed more richly from your labors than these of thiscounty.

As the records show, your move to St. Petersburgwhich was to become home was in 1924. It was on the 20th of January the first assembly of New TestamentChristians is noted when you and three others of likeprecious faith came together. Just one month later 39others, upon learning of this, joined with you to makethe 43 names to be known as the Lord's church in St. Petersburg, Florida. From then on you seemed to befairly content to largely confine your labors to thisarea. It ii a thrill to know local obligations in theLord's kingdom did not completely curtail protractedmeeting work. As I note the next 30 years plus, fromthe time you were 54 to nearly 87, you preached 4,800sermons, baptized 400 and established 5 churches. Iowe you a debt of gratitude for the careful recordkeeping which in these lines of reminiscence in invaluable.

Disston Avenue congregation and W. A. Cameronare inseparably joined in history. The congregation was organized Wednesday evening, November 6,1929.

After such a long tenure there this date must havealmost faded from you along with the circumstanceswhich saw 43 members in a store building at 201 Disston Avenue South where they met until January 30, 1939 when they moved to 901 Disston. About 35years preaching for the same congregation must besome Kind of record and one which I am sure you can look back on with satisfaction in the accomplishmentsalong with sadness in the disappointments.

I am going to leave my reminiscence here where youended an illustrious life of service to our Lord. Surelyyou will tolerate a brief summary as I have the notations. 65 years a Christian and actively preachingthe glorious gospel 60 of those years. That 60 years ismade up of labors and activities which stagger theimagination. You preached more than 11,000 sermons, baptized over 2,000 souls into Christ,traveled something like 110,000 miles and establishedsome 36 churches. There are unquestionably manymore churches which you helped plant and scores ofothers which you watered to thereby encouragespiritual growth and development. My hat is off toyou, I am encouraged to continue to the very endbecause of what you have done and meant to mepersonally. All the while I know you would give God the glory, honor and praise, even as we reverently do.

Such labor of faith and love as here remembered can but bring a sense of comfort and security when itcomes time to cross the chilly waters of death. To die inhope is the only comfort one can have, a hope based onhaving served the Lord, and in whatever measure,large or small, accomplished his will for us, mustindeed be the aim of all. Rest in peace, dear kinsman,until in the morn of the resurrection we shall see Him and hopefully be with Him eternally.

Your brother in the Spirit and nephew in the flesh,

Julian R. Snell

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EVIDENCES — THE RESURRECTION #2

In our last article we noted all the precautions thatwere taken both by God (in His providence-havingJesus placed in a new tomb, hewn out in the rock) andby the Jews who were afraid His disciples would stealthe body, making the removal of Jesus' body by manall but impossible. However, the thing that we observeas we read the Scriptural account is that no amount ofprecaution could have kept Him in the tomb, for He was (is) the Son of God.

Let's notice the sequence of events that took place inMatthew 28:2-6. "And, behold, there was a greatearthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended fromheaven, and came and rolled back the stone from thedoor, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fearof him the keepers did shake, and became as deadmen. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus,which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, ashe said..." According to the apostle Paul in I Corinthians 15, there were over 500 witnesses to theresurrection, with the "greater part" (which would have been more than 250) still alive at Paul's writing (I Cor. 15:6). Thus it was not a matter of someone,somewhere thinking that he MIGHT have seen theLord. No, for Paul said hundreds of witnesses still lived when he wrote the Corinthian letter.

Another interesting thing about these circumstances, and the one to me that is the mostconvincing, is the fact that the place where the bodyJesus was buried was only a "stone's throw," as it were, from the place where the apostles preached in Jerusalem. On the first pentecost after the resurrection of Christ, having been seen of them for40 days, according to Acts 1:3, those who had witnessed Christ after His resurrection stood up andpreached to the multitudes gathered in Jerusalem. Ifever there was a group of people in the position toknow whether or not the resurrection was a hoax, surely they would have known.

When Peter and the rest of the apostles preached tothem that". . . this same Jesus, whom ye havecrucified, God hath made Him both Lord and Christ"(Acts 2:36), about 3,000 of them believed the apostles' statement, and were baptized. Then in Acts chapter 4,more than 5,000 believed the apostles' preaching. I askagain, were not these people in the best position of

Page 14

anyone to know whether or not Jesus' body had beenstolen or whether the apostles were telling the truth?Surely they were!

I therefore, conclude that with all the precautionsthat were taken to keep him in the tomb, none weresuccessful. And I, along with the 8,000 people whoheard the testimony of the witnesses, believe that Godhas made Jesus both Lord and Christ.

If you believe that testimony of the apostlesconcerning the Christ, and believe you are a sinnerthat needs to be saved by the grace of God but havenever acted on your belief, why not do as those onPentecost did and ask, "What do I need to do?" Thenlet Peter answer as he did in Acts 2:38, "Repent, andbe baptized every one of you in the name of JesusChrist for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive thegift of the Holy Spirit."

I would like to make a few observations on the B. G. Hope I knew and loved, as a gospel preacher, familyman and as a very dear friend. I will leave the historyof his work for someone qualified to write.

I feel that I knew bro. Hope in a "special way". Iworked in the office with him for eight years in the publishing of the church bulletin and as his personalsecretary. I first met bro. Hope in 1950, shortly afterhe moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky to work withthe 12th Street congregation there. It wasn't until the fall of 1968 that he moved to Beaver Dam to work with the church here, that I really got to know him.

Bro. Hope had the reputation of going to the aid ofchurches when they were having problems. We wereexperiencing some at that time, some that are normalto most churches at one time or another. So bro. Hopewas invited to come and work with us. Although he was 65 years old at the time, handicapped with crippling arthritis and knowing that problems existed,he still accepted the call and started his work in October, 1968. After looking the situation over hestarted writing and preaching on the subjects: Attitudes, Attitudes, and Attitudes. After a few weeks or maybe months, we began wondering if heknew any other subject. If my memory serves me right, he hadn't been here much over a year until you could see the attitudes of the members changing andmore love towards one another was being manifested. He knew how to bring out the best in people. His lessons were plain and easy to be understood. He wasthe best Bible class teacher I have ever sat under,

Bro. Hope was known throughout the brotherhoodfor his gentle and wise counseling. Young gospelpreachers were continually knocking on the office doorseeking his advice. They were always welcomed. Heencouraged and helped many young men to startpreaching the gospel. He was happiest when he washelping someone else.

He was a devoted husband and father. His familywas closely knit together. I have been in his homemany times when the family was gathered together,children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and sisters. You could feel the presence of the great lovethey had for one another. Because of a visual defect, hewas unable to drive a car in his later years. Mrs. Hopehad to be ready at all times to drive him wherever dutycalled. She was a "jewel" and still is. She never complained but it bothered him that he had to disrupther activities. He would more than make it up to herdoing extra's around the house.

My husband and three daughters shared the closeness that I felt toward bro. Hope. He gave myhusband and me sound and much needed advice in the rearing of the girls while they were still teenagers. Heeither said the ceremony or participated at each oftheir weddings. He was and still is — a source of inspiration to all our family. We each loved him dearlyand our fond memories will sustain us and influence us throughout our lives.

In our working together we shared many happy moments discussing the work of the church and discussing our families and their needs. We also wenttogether when some of those moments were of a saddernote.

Bro. Hope was a very sensitive man. He was gentle, kind, considerate, courteous, a gentleman in every senseof the word. He always esteemed others better thanhimself. He was a lover of good poetry and he had hisfavorite poem, "The Bridge Builder", framed and hanging on the office wall. The words of this poem bestportray the kind of man he wanted to be and reallywas. I don't know when in time this poem was writtenbut it could truly have been written to depict his life.

THE BRIDGE BUILDER

An old man going a lone highway Came at the evening, cold and gray, To a chasm vast and wide and steep,With waters rolling cold and deep.The old man crossed in the twilight dim,The sullen stream had no fears for him;But he turned when safe on the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide."Old man", said a fellow pilgrim near,"You are wasting your strength with building here. Your journey will end with the ending day,You never again will pass this way. You've crossed the chasm, deep and wide, Why build you this bridge at eventide?"The builder lifted his old gray head."Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,

"There followeth after me todayA youth whose feet must pass this way.

The chasm that was as nought to meTo that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;He, too, must cross in the twilight dim--Good friend, I am building this bridge for him."

Bro. Hope worked with the church at Beaver Damfor eight years. He moved to Glasgow, Kentucky inOctober 1976 to start a new work at the age of 73.We

hated to see him go. He saw the church at Beaver Dambecome scripturally organized. While he was here our contribution grew so that we were able to help in thesupport of several gospel preachers away from home. When he left, we were at peace with one another andstill are. I doubt that he ever did a better work anywhere, but it is beyond our ability to determine theextent of the good done. His influence lingers on and for years to come we will continue to profit from hislabors here. May we follow him, as he followed Christ.

Mrs. Frances Haven

Cromwell, Kentucky 42333

What, then, had transpired during those 90 yearsbefore Nehemiah arrived? First, the new temple hadbeen rebuilt under Haggai and Zechariah. It was smalland inferior to the first one and had taken some 21 years to complete. The remnant laid the foundation on their return, only to turn aside and build their ownhomes while God's house was forsaken. Finally, after16 years, Haggai and Zechariah moved the people torebuild.

Then, some 60 years after the completion of thetemple, Ezra found the spiritual condition of Jerusalem in total moral decay. Inter-marriage of the princes, priests, rulers, and Levites with the pagan nations around Jerusalem threatened to destroy the bloodline of the Messiah. Possibly, between the death of Zerubbabel and the coming of Ezra, (458 B.C. — Ezra 7-10), the level of spiritualitysank into the mire of the swine. Ezra accepted thechallenge with good, but short-lived, results. The batonwas now to be passed to Nehemiah. The good of Ezra's reform was now dissipated, and God's peopleonce again returned to the mire of sin. The city wasstill in a state of disrepair and spiritual Jerusalemhad forgotten God. A bleak and tragic picture? Yes, it was. But before we become two pious, consider thehistory of the church in North America. Our nation isbarely over 200 years old, and there have been at leasttwo major apostasies concerning church organization, the Missionary Society and the sponsoring church, in that brief period. Each apostasywas followed by reform and restoration, but it didn'tlast long.

Nehemiah returned to the city with its walls in ruinsand gates of charred ashes, to be a leader of reform.That makes HOW he worked, what he SAID and whathe DID important to us in modern America. We haveseen in our last issue our need to rebuild and restore. Nehemiah faced opposition in almost every form, yetthe walls were rebuilt. Then the spiritual reform of the people which was to follow was even a greater feat ofleadership than the physical rebuilding of the wall.Therefore, we will, in these studies, take this period ofhistory and this great man of God, Nehemiah, andopen God's word on the subject of leadership. The needfor spiritual leadership has been discussed in previousarticles on Haggai, which ought to be reviewed if thereis any doubt as to the power of dynamic leadership.The qualifications for God's leaders are so demanding because the function of God's leaders is so determinative. So many souls, so many lives, depend on the leadership in God's cause that it makesthe responsibilities of an FFA Air Traffic Controllerseem like child's play by comparison. Of course, that is not to minimize the responsibility of one who watches the radar screen and literally holds in hismind the lives of hundreds of people each moment.One mistake and L-1011 will collide with an A-300 Air Bus and as many as 700 people could die in the air.Yet, that is still pale when compared with the manwho holds the eternal destiny of his brethren in Christin his hands. This destiny is eternal in nature because a mistake on his part will doom the churchto a split, souls to hell, and all of it totally and completely irrevocable for eternity.

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In our study together from the Old Testament prophets, we have noted both the power and the relevance of their message. Out of the many lessons wediscussed, one theme keeps recurring as an especiallymeaningful and needed one, which was the lesson onHaggai on leadership in the church today. Therefore, itis beneficial that we open the pages of Divine writ tothat subject again.

This time we will examine the subject of leadershipfrom the aspect of Nehemiah's work in rebuilding thewalls of the city of Jerusalem.

Many people are concerned with the high cost of living today. However, few have paid any attention to the high cost of discipleship. Even many, who are the disciples of the Lord, have given very little thought to the cost for the privilege of being Hisdisciples. One major reason for this unconcern is that many are unaware of the demands the Lord has placed upon His disciples. In our efforts to convert others, we emphasize the wonderful privileges that aChristian enjoys. However, we have failed to point out, with equal fervor, the great responsibilitiesimposed by the Lord upon those who would becomeHis disciples. We have failed to present the completepicture. This ought not to be!

It seems to be a trait of mankind to want something for nothing. This is particularly true in thereligious realm. We want the joy of wearing thename, "Christian", our sins washed away, fellowshipwith the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, prayer, havingthe hope of receiving the "crown of life", etc. Yet, wedon't want to accept the responsibilities that go alongwith such highly esteemed blessings.What is the high cost of discipleship? The Lord hasanswered this question very clearly and emphatically.We must permit His answer to impress itself deeplyupon our hearts that we may examine ourselves tosee if we are paying the cost, and so we can teachothers what the Lord expects of them should theydesire to become His followers. The Lord wants us to inform others of the cost. He did (Luke 9:57-62).

HERE IS WHAT IT COSTS TO BETHE LORD'S DISCIPLE

1. We must place the Lord above everyone."If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his ownfather, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, hecannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26). No one is permitted to come between the Lord and our worshipand service to Him, He demands, and deserves, first place in our lives (Matthew 6:33; 22:37). We must not allow our parents to hinder our obedience to Him.We cannot permit our husband, wife, or children tointerfere with our faithful service to Him (Matthew 10:37). Many have allowed others to keep them fromobeying the Lord and becoming His disciples. Some,who have become Christians, are not worthy to be the Lord's disciples for they have allowed others to hinderthem from doing their Master's will.

1. We must sacrifice worldly pleasures, desires, passions, and life for Him! "Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man would come after me, lethim deny himself, and take up his cross, and followme." (Matthew 16:24). It is hard to practice self-denial, but we must. We must put to death our oldman of sin (Romans 6:6; Galatians 5:24). Paul was a wonderful child of God because he had accomplished this difficult task (Galatians 2:20). We must crucify our fleshly desires if Christ is going to live, and reign, within us. Our first thought, in every situation, should always be, "What would Christ want me to do?" Having discerned His will in the matter, we should proceed to do it. The cross we are called on to bear, is an emblem of sacrifice. Christ sacrificed His life on His cross for us. What are we sacrificing on our cross for Him? When we refuse toassemble with the saints because we are too tired,have company, the weather is bad, or we want to gosomewhere else, are we practicing self-denial? No! When we look at some filthy picture at the theatre, ontelevision, or in a book, are we practicing self-denial? No! You can make further application of thisprinciple.
2. We must renounce all that is ours for Him! "So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not allthat he hath, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33). Paul said, " . . . I count all things to be lossfor the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesusmy Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things,and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ .. ." (Phil. 3:8). This is the precise attitude every disciple must possess towards his worldly attainments and possessions if he is to be a worthy disciple. With this attitude, we will not permit the pursuit of worldly riches, knowledge, or fame, to come above our service to the Lord. Nothing on this earth is as valuable as the Lord's approval of us. Wemust be willing to give up anything that hinders usfrom putting "on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 13:14).
3. We must continually abide in His Word! "Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him, If yeabide in my word, then are ye truly my disciples." (John 8:31). We must not go beyond the teaching of Christ (II John 9). This means that we have book, chapter andverse for everything we believe and practice. The silence of the Lord is prohibitive. If what we are doing cannot be found in His Word, we are not His truedisciples.

Are You Paying the Costs of Discipleship?

Examine yourself and see. If you are not, don't expect the Lord to reward you. If you are paying thecost, you should not feel that you are earning the "crown of life" (Luke 17:10). However, because youare doing your part, God through His grace, will give itto you (Ephesians 2:8,9). If you think the cost is

too great, then think about the consequences of refusing to pay (II Thessalonians 1:7-9). Please Renew Promptly

THE NEWS LETTER REPORTS

"... They rehearsed all that God had done with them .. ."—Acts 14:27 Send all News Items to: Wilson Adams, 317 Trinkle Ave., N.E., Roanoke, VA 24012

A GOOD MAN IS GONE

We are saddened to report the death of Bro. Mitchell L.Clair. His son Garreth L. Clair writes: "My father, Mitchell L. Clair has gone to face the final Judge of all men. Itis my belief that after about 50 years of faithful service hewill receive the crown that he so diligently sought in thislife. Dad began his labor for the Lord about 50 years agoserving congregations in Lothair, KY; Brown's Fork, KY;Welch, WV; Iaeger, WV; Chicago, IL; Glendale, AZ; and Paradise Valley, AZ." Services were conducted on February 28,1980 in the Chapel of the Chimes at Phoenix, AZ. Our sympathy is expressed to the family.

PREACHERS NEEDED STAMPING GROUND, KY — The Caesarea church of Christ is looking for a middle aged man with experience. Anyone interestedmay call Tommy Curtis at (502) 535-6886.

LOUISVILLE, KY — The Oak Grove church needs a full time preacher. Attendance is 45. We can furnish most of the support. Atwo bedroom house with full basement as well as payment ofutilities is provided. Please contact Russell E. Smith, 9503 Slay ton Ct., Louisville, KY 40229. Phone: (502) 968-9880.

MERRITT ISLAND, FL — The congregation on Plumosa St. inMerritt Island is looking for someone to work with us. We are asmall congregation of about 75 in number. We have a three bedroomhouse in a good neighborhood. Some outside support will be needed.We are located in the central Brevard County area referred to as theSpace Coast Area. Central Brevard has a population of 50,000. Ifinterested please write to the church at P.O. Box 591, Merritt Island, FL 32952 or call Cloyce D. Walden at (305) 636-8255 or

(305) 636-4361.

SHIPPENSBURG, PA — The church in Shippensburg, PA isseeking a full-time preacher to begin work in early summer. We will be able to provide a house with partial support. The averageattendance is 45-50. Anyone interested can contact Dennis Adamsat 34 Eton Ct., Chambersburg, PA 17201. Or call (717) 263-4022.

CLEARWATER, FL — The Northeast church of Christ in Clearwater is seeking a good man to work with the church. We have beenmeeting for about 4 years at our present location at 2060 McMullen-Booth Rd., This is a new developing area that promises goodopportunity for growth. We are presently able to provide a goodportion of his support. Anyone interested may contact: Lee Phillips, 2226 Curtis Dr., So., Clearwater, FL 33516.

MONTI CELLO, KY — (Richard Megronigle) I have justcompleted four years work with the church here and Lord willingplan to move and work with the church in Corrigan, TX the firstof July. The brethren here have recently completed a new meeting house, are able to support a man full-time and have a very nicemodern 3-bedroom, 2 bath, brick home for the preacher and his family. Anyone interested should write to the brethren, church ofChrist, North Hwy. 90, Monticello, KY 42633.

NEW CONGREGATIONS LONDON, ENGLAND — (Sewell Hall, 33926 Beechnut, Westland,MI 48185). Visitors in London this year will have opportunity toworship with a new congregation south of the Thames River in theElephant and Castle area of the city. The church is presentlymeeting in Jubilee Centre Hall on Rockingham St., only fourminutes walk from the Elephant and Castle Underground Stations.The area is served by the Bakerloo and Northern Lines; buses feedinto the area from all over London, and it is less than one mile from the Waterloo and London Bridge railway stations. Phil Morr and Brownlee Reaves, supported primarily byEastside in Athens, AL, are working with the church. Althoughliving several miles from London, they are diligently evangelizing the area with encouraging results. Those planning to visit London should take these phone numbers: Morrs (0732) 355-940; Reaves(0892) 22-359. They can also give information about other congregations meeting in England.

CORINTH, MS — (Eric George, 121 Auburn St., Florence, AL35630) Anew congregation ofthe Lord's churchhas beenmeeting inthe Central community near Corinth, MS. This is only the secondnon-institutional church in this area, the other being the Second andMeeks congregation in Corinth, where most of the members at Central came from. Attendance averages about 30.

At the present Alan Kay, also from Florence, and I alternateSundays preaching. Two elders (Milton Grisham and Arnell Grisham) oversee the work at Central. We have just completed aweek-long gospel meeting and support from the community wasencouraging with 5 to 10 non-members visiting every night. Wealso rejoice in the baptism of a daughter of one of the members.

We are located about 3 miles north of Hwy. 72, between theStrickland and Farmington communities on Old Hwy. 72. If youare visiting in our area we would be happy to have you visit with us.Correspondence may be addressed to the Central church of Christ,c/oMilton Grisham,Rt. 3, Box457, Corinth, MS 38834.

D. R. BRIGHT, Box 24, Wickett, TX 79788. This is to reportthat Bro. Jack Kirby of Las Cruces, NM has just completed a sixday meeting with the church here. His lessons were outstandingand three precious souls were added to the Lord. We give thanks tothe power of the gospel and to Bro. Kirby who so ably set forththe terms contained therein.

MARK NITZ, 917 4th St., Cincinnati. OH 45215. I have recently begun work with the Lockland church here in Cincinnati. Thechurch is under the leadership of two fine elders with much foresight. The work looks promisingand I 'm enjoying it.

P. J. CASEBOLT, 313 S. 4th Ave., Paden City, WV 26159. Atpresent, I am still living in Paden City, and working with the CedarAve. church in Moundsville, WV. My meeting schedule for theremainder of 1980 is as follows: May 5-11, W. Main, Barnesville,OH; May (no date), Daugherty St., Charlestown, WV; Aug. 4-10,Chesapeake (Charlestown area), WV; Sept. 15-21, Macdale, WV;Sept. 29-Oct. 5, Beckley, WV; Oct. 20-26, Morgantown, WV; Nov. 39, Cambridge, OH; Nov. 17-23, Wallace, WV. In the past I havelimited my meeting schedule mainly to the Ohio Valley area. Myplans now are to expand my meeting work into other areas,especially during the winter months. Few congregations planmeetings from December to April, so if I can be of help to churchesin a warmer climate, preferably the Florida area, please contact me.

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STEVE POLKS, Kissimmee, FL. This is to announce that DannyGraham from Florence, AL will begin full time work for the churchmeeting in Kissimmee beginning in June of 1980. Danny is currentlyfinishing up his third year at Florida College. He and his wife (theformer Linda Clark) will be a tremendous boost to our efforts in this area.We are excited about the prospects.

E. RAY COATES, 800 Forest Hill Rd., Macon, GA 31204. The work carried on at the Women's Correctional Center in Hardwick, GA by David Fraser of Gordon and myself has progressed with goodinterest and attendance. On February 26, Dave delivered a good gospel message to the inmates there, and six women who had been studyingwith us previously obeyed the gospel. It made the job of bringing a baptistery (250 miles round trip) worth the time and expense. When thesewomen return to their homes we will contact the congregation nearest them. In the meantime those baptized are continuing in our study groupseach Tuesday evening. Dave is teaching classes each Tuesday in themen's prison and I soon will be starting another class there with him.Pray for us and our students.

SUPPORT NEEDED MIKE T. ROGACS, 4159 Mesa, Brookline Station, MO 65619. Having preached full-time for nine years I moved to SouthwestMissouri three years ago. I am presently working with a small church inRepublic, MO part time by also teaching in a nearby public school. Wehave decided that if possible I could devote my summer months offfrom school on a full time basis with the church helping to build up the work. To do so I need to raise $900 a month in support. As of thiswriting I have $350 a month committed. If any church can help with any amount for only the three month period of June through August itwould greatly help our efforts. Phone: (417) 883-1338.

HERB BRASWELL, Rt. 2, Box 358-D, Cedar Bluff, VA 24609. On July 1, 1980 I plan to move to Cedar Bluff, VA at which time I willhave completed 18 months of labor with the church here at Shippensburg, PA. We have come to love and appreciate the brethren herevery much. Several were baptized and the members have grownspiritually. The prospects for growth look good for the future of thiscongregation. In moving to Virginia I will be working with the brethren in Clintwood and with the church at Rich Creek, VA. We also plan to mail out a paper twice a month. Beginning July 11 will be inneed of additional support. Any brethren that can have fellowship with us and would desire more information please contact me. Until July 1my address is: 418 E. King St., Shippensburg, PA 17257. Until sufficient support is received I will continue to labor with my hands.Pray for us.

JIM HARTMAN, P.O. Box 317, Byrdstown, TN 38549. In the middleof May, I will be moving to work with the church here in Byrdstown,TN. I am in need of $1,000 a month in outside support. Referencescan be sent to all those who are interested in helping the Lord's cause here at this place.

DEBATE IN VIRGINIA

WILSON ADAMS, 317 Trinkle Ave., N.E., Roanoke, VA 24012.

This is to inform the readers that on June 24, 26, 27 Bro. Benton

Graves who preaches for the church of Christ in Ridgeway, VA will

have a discussion with Mr. Roger Hawley of the church of Jesus Christ

of Latter Day Saints. Mr. Hawley claims to be a Melchizedek priest and

thus is a fitting representative. The propositions read:

a) Resolved: The Bible is the all-sufficient Word of God for

man. There is no need for modern-day revelations. Affirm —

Benton Graves Deny — Roger Hawley

b) Resolved: The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is

the church restored in this day.

Affirm — Roger Hawley Deny — Benton Graves

c) Resolved: The church of Christ of which I am a member is of

divine origin and it's members are divinely authorized to ad

minister the ordinances of the gospel.

Affirm — Benton Graves Deny — Roger Hawley The discussion will be conducted in the Drewey Mason High Schoolauditorium. Housing can be arranged for most. Contact Benton Graves at 1-919-623-6725 or 1-703-956-3880 or write to 213 Dunn Sti, Eden, NC 27288.

THE SPANISH SPEAKING WORK LUPE M. ALVAREZ, JR., 3227 Weisenberger Dr., Dallas, TX75212. We started the month of February in a good way when one of ourregular visitors obeyed the gospel. I am now having a class at onebrother's house and it is really turning out well. We started with two Catholics, and now in only three weeks time we are having fourCatholics and one Baptist. I am really encouraged with this classbecause several questions are being asked which makes it that muchmore interesting. Also I have another class with a group of people whobelieve in keeping the Sabbath. We had 14 present at the last session. Ireported before about a couple I baptized at Galveston Hospital inPasadena. I recently found out that the man has died. I am so glad thatthe Lord permitted us to preach to him the gospel and giving him timeto obey. They lived at Morton, TX and I conducted the funeral along with Brothers Luis Trevino and Robert Spencer.

ENRIQUE DE CISNEROS, Apartado Postal #1306, Hermosillo,Sonora Mexico. More than a year and a half ago we arrived in the cityof Hermosillo, Sonora with the purpose of beginning a work for the Lord.Today there are 14 members of the church here. We do not have a building but are meeting in a special room in my home which will seat more than40 people. At the present we have an urgent need for a car. The busesare overcharging and are not dependable transportation. The membershave a hard time getting to the services on time. We are informed thatfor $2,000 we could buy a pickup which will greatly ease the problem.The brethren here have given beyond their capability and we not have$500. If you can help in any way with financial assistance it would beappreciated.

IN THE NEWS THIS MONTH

BAPTISMS 341

RESTORATIONS 132

(Takenfrom bulletins and papers received by the editor)