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Convention Chronicles By T. C.H.
D HE gathering was at Ft. Worth, a growing Texas city. We had not seen the place for seventeen years and were surprised at its development. The portals of the First Baptist Church were thrown wide open to welcome us and the pastor, Rev. J . Frank Norris, had his arms out to re– ceive us. Were you to visualize the man you would see a typical Southern gentle– man, tall, slim, cheery and courteous, free from conventionalities. You would receive from him a cordial reception and would soon be impressed with the fact that Frank Norris ls not only a pastor but a practical Christian business man. Adjoining his modest office you would see a large room with an office force hard at work with the details of a great religious institution. Dr. Nor– ris is molding a model for the Church of Christ well worthy of imitation. He knows men and methods and has had long experience with the ecclesias– tical machinery. He is possessed with a vision and is producing something new and worth while. Writing from the privileged stand– point of fifty years' experience in church and Sunday School life, we are prepared to say that Fort Worth has something worth the pilgrimage of any church official to see and copy. God never duplicates. Dr. Norris is
unique. God has seen fit to use him to reveal the possibility o! a primitive church gathering in this Twentieth Century. On the last Sunday o! our stay there were gathered In the church buildings 4,640 Sunday School scholars, young and old, all studying the same lesson from the same book. With one accord, in one place, with one pur– pose,-a sight to stir the blood and arouse the latent aspiration o! any Christ-loving believer. It was with difficulty that Dr. Norris was prevailed upon to address the Con– vention, but he did finally consent to speak upon two occasions, and in the course of his remarks gave the key– note of the success of the First Baptist Church, as follows: "The three requisites of a successful Sunday School are study of the Bible, prayer and personal work. There can not be prayer and personal work with– out Bible study, and there can not be personal work without study of the Bible and prayer. Most of our churches and Sunday Schools are suffering from over-organization." In his address "How to Receive the Holy Spirit" Dr. Norris said: "A min– ister should be so filled with the Word of God that he woud be like a bottle corked up, so that when he reached the pulpit he could pull the stopper and the message would flow out." We wish we could give our readers
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN The outstanding layman leader of the Fundamentalists of the United States in their fight in defense of the Old Bible and the Whole Bible. In a recent personal letter to the editor of The King's Business, Mr. Bryan, speaking of the results of the recent meeting of the Presbyterian General As– sembly, said: "We defeated the Fosdick supporters, and in so doing re-affirmed the church's position, declaring the Infallible Bible, the Virgin Birth, the Atone– ment, the Bodily Resurrection, and the Miracles, as not only true hut essential doctrines of the ch urcb." We plead with our friends that they will continually bold this man of God up in their prayers that he may be preserved, and that his efforts may he abund– antly owned of God.
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