pray about various matters of mutual concern and in a short time the Christian Business Men’s Committee of Chicago, the first of its kind, was organized. Dr. Paul Rood was President of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles 1935-1938. It was during that time that the Inter national Child Evangelism Fellowship was organized at the Bible Institute by Irvin J. Overholtzer. Another one of Dr. Rood’s presidencies included this organi zation. Dr. Rood declares, “ If I had my life to live over, I would specialize in child evangelism. One can deal with twenty adults and win one— but with twenty children and win nine teen.” In 1928, while pastor of the Turlock, California, Covenant Church, Dr. Rood was elected to succeed Dr. W. B. Riley, Minneapolis, Minnesota, founder of the Christian Fundamentals Association and its first president. That night Dr. Rood could not sleep. He tossed in the aware ness of his own inadequacy. But God gave him James 1:5—“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and up- braideth not; and it shall be given him,” and he accepted the position. In 1938 he left his other work to devote all his time to this ministry. Dr. Rood has written extensively, editing the quarterly magazine, The Christian Fundamentalist, books, tracts and pamphlets. Two of his books, “ Let the Fire Fall” and “ Can We Expect a World-Wide Revival?” definitely serve to emphasize his deep spiritual concern for the world and the church. Dr. Rood has ample reason to be proud of his children. His sons, Woodrow and Don, are ministers; one son, Rodney, until recently, was field secretary to the mayor of Los Angeles, and is now asso ciated with the State Republican organi zation. It may be that it will be his lot to see the fulfillment of his father’s
dreams politically! Dr. Rood’s two daughters, Bonnie and Pauline, are Christian mothers, serving God in that capacity. So often Christian servants are so oc cupied winning others that they neglect the spiritual welfare of their own chil dren. This has not been true in the Rood home. Four of his children testify that though they decided for Christ in evan gelistic campaigns in their father’s church, they realize his consistent Chris tian living and consecrated prayer life prepared them for such decisions. “ Dad led me to Christ when I was only eight years old,” Pauline the young est relates. “When I was just a little girl, I loved to go into his study and have long talks with him. Often I found him on his knees in prayer. It was at one such time that Dad made plain the necessity of my accepting Christ per sonally. Together we knelt and I received Him into my life.” Some time ago Dr. Rood suffered a slight stroke, from which he miraculous ly recovered. But because of his impa tience to be about the Lord’s work, he began filling his engagements too soon and was again laid low. This time his throat was affected so that he has had difficulty eating and speaking. Though he is able to eat normally now, he is still not able to speak audiby. Abiding faith and trust in Christ continue to emanate from his life. Isaiah 26:3 has become especially precious to him during these months of trial. Because of his continued illness and the difficulty of finding a successor to Dr. Rood, the World Christian Funda mentals Association has merged with the Slavic Gospel Association. In appraising the life of this modern Paul, the entire Christian world joins in saying, “He has fought a good fight, he has kejit the faith!” and “ Because of him . . . many believed on Jesus.”
Dr. Paul Rood and Swedish Evangelist John Carlstig
is a charming woman, who in a real sense has shared her husband’s ministry in that so often she has had to be alone while he was in some distant land preaching the gospel. Dr. Rood held successful pastorates in Covenant churches in Ogden Park, Chicago, South Chicago, Broadway, Min neapolis, Seattle, Turlock, California and in Lakeview, Chicago. It was in the office of the Lakeview Church that the Slavic Gospel Association was founded by Peter Deyneka. Dr. Rood was present and was elected president of the organization. Mr. C. B. Hedstrom, the first presi dent of the Christian Business Men’s Committee International, liked to refer to Dr. Rood as the grandfather of that movement. Two years before the World’s Fair in Chicago, Dr. Rood called a group of business men together to discuss the evangelistic challenge the fair afforded. The men continued to meet together to
National Conference of Örebro Missionary Society at Rattvik Sweden
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