March, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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vibrate with the singing of the old battle hymn, “ Faith of Our Fathers, Living Still,” he undoubtedly would have experienced no sense of embarrassment, for it was his Sovereign, and not himself, to whom glory was being given. Likewise, when other Biola leaders are specially recognized in the future, it will be the Lord and not the individuals who shall be extolled. Torrey Day was a wonderful day at Biola. In the will of God, the plan to honor Torrey was conceived in the heart of the President o f the Institute, Paul W . Rood; and in the development of its details, Dr. Rood’s prayerful, gracious, and aggressive spirit led forward to success. He brought to the platform men and women who had known R. A . Torrey and Lyman Stewart intimately: A . B. Prichard, one of the earliest leaders in the Institute; Mrs. Stewart, widow of Lyman Stewart; Mrs. Ralph C. Norton, Director of the Belgian Gospel Mission; W . E. Edmonds, pastor o f the Glendale Presbyterian Church, Glendale, Calif.; Louis T. Talbot, Vice-President of the Bible Insti tute and pastor o f the Church o f the Open Door, Los An geles; John H. Hunter, pastor of the Mayflower Congre gational Church, Pacific Grove, Calif. ; Duncan A . Mor ton; Nathan Newby and Hugh B. Evans, Christian busi ness men; and Elbert L. McCreery, John A . Hubbard, and Herbert G. Tovey, Institute faculty members. Dr. Rood presided at the memorial service in the auditorium and also at the dedication ceremony outside, when a bronze plaque honoring Torrey was unveiled, and when the south wing o f the Institute building was named Lyman Stewart Hall. With between 700 and 1,000 people gathered about him— filling the sidewalk and part of the street—-Dr. Rood said: “ W e are here in response to the commandment of G od : ‘Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of G od : whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.’ Today we honor, first of all, the memory of Lyman Stewart, who had the vision o f this great institution, and who put his heart and his time and his energy and his money into it. W e dedi cate this building as the Lyman Stewart Hall, in the name o f the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory for me. E mphasis on Y outh E vangelism
Torrey Day was followed by one of equal significance and far-reaching value, though the subject of this day’s ‘discussion was totally different. From morning till night, experts in the field o f child evangelism laid before their hearers the tragic necessity for winning boys and girls for Jesus Christ. With the burden o f these speakers, doubt less Dr. Torrey would have been in full sympathy; for while his own ministry centered largely in adult teaching and evangelism, he was ever thorough and tender in the presentation of Christ to the little ones of his own house hold, and to others with whom he dealt. The spiritual situa tion in America, so far as the nation’s childhood is con cerned, is far more acute than it was in Torrey’s day. With 27,000,000 children in our land with no personal knowledge whatever o f the Word of God and o f the.Saviour of the world, wherein is there hope that America, in the next gen eration, shall return to Pilgrim faith in Jehovah? The awful reality o f a virtually Christless America gripped the hearts o f speakers and hearers alike. J. Irvin Overholtzer, whose carefully tested method of reaching and teaching boys and girls is being used in scores of churches, spoke with authority on the subject: “ Child Evangelism-Sis It Scriptural ?” He was followed by Rich ard W . Lewis, who has given a lifetime to work among children, a pioneer in the field of teaching with objects. Later, with the aid o f stereopticon slides, Frank W . Dell, General Superintendent of the Friends Church, discussed “ The Psychology o f Child Evangelism.” The atmosphere was electric with interest when Mrs. W . A . Low, of Modesto, Calif., Mrs. C. A . Brainerd, o f Sail Jose, Calif., and Miss Claire Weirmuller, o f Huntington Park, Calif., attacked— each from a different angle— the stupendous problem of the Sunday-school: how to win and hold the boys and girls. In the evening, Frank A . Miller, a veteran in the field of child evangelism, added to the spoken word
Today we are also remembering the contribution to this\ work made by Reuben Archer Torrey, who said to his wife one day, ‘I put in twelve of the best years o f my life in that institution.’. We recognize him as the succes sor of D. L. Moody, as the man in whom Moody saw qualities that led to the choice of Torrey as the superintendent o f the Moody Bible Institute and the pastor o f the Moody Church. And we are announcing to the world that the Bible Institute of Los Angeles stands, doctri- nally and spiritually, for the things for which Lyman Stewart and R. A . Torrey stood. W e are praying that the same spirit of evangelism, the same missionary enthusiasm, and the same loyal ty to the faith of our fathers that were in Torrey and Stewart shall characterize us also.” The response of the great crowd of listeners was wafted heavenward in the hearty sing ing of Gabriel’s “ Glory Song” :
the visual presentation of truth by means of blackboard and chalk. Th e C h ristian youth o f America — and indeed o f the world — were represented by two ,young men, J. Edwin Orr, from the north o f Ireland, and Clifford W . Lewis, who is Presi dent of the Young People’s Fellowship Club o f America, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tenn. Alert, consecrated, and m a n ife s tly S p ir it -le d , these young men spread the conta gion o f their own enthusiasm. In age, both are in their early twenties. His needs miracu lously met in answer to prayer and faith, Mr. Orr has traveled around the world, winning souls and helping Christians to desire and to enter into the joy of heaven-sent revival. Through out the conference, he spoke daily, and the influence of his life and messages will long be felt at Biola. [Continued on page 119]
H ave Y ou R eceived Y ou r TORREY MEDAL? The Torrey Memorial Association, represented by those who have received a beautiful Torrey Memorial Medal struck by the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, now reaches from coast to coast and num bers more than a thousand members. The number is increasing every day. Membership in the associa tion involves neither the payment of dues nor the at tendance at meetings, but the possession of the medal shows that the owner is in sympathy with the evangelistic spirit of Dr. Torrey and is a supporter of the Bible Institute programs in which he was so deeply interested. Contributions to the Torrey Me morial Fund are used exclusively for student training at the Bible Institute. If you have not received your Torrey Medal, a donation of $1.00 or more sent to the Bible Institute with the request that the medal be sent to you, will secure for you not only the medal but also a beautiful portrait of Dr. Torrey, suitable for framing.
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