This school of evangelization and edification, in all the activities of Kentucky Baptists, was held on the campus of Bethel College in Russellville from July 15th to July 22nd. It was the judgment of all acquainted with its history that the last was, in all particulars, the most successful of the sessions ot the Assembly. The attendance was twice as large as the previous meeting due, in part, to the attractive program and also to the excellent accommodations provided by the trustees of the college in the new dormitory recently erected.A course in Christian history entitled the "Trail of Blood" was given by Dr. J. M. Carroll of Texas. These lectures, the result of half a hundred years of study, have been given at a number of Baptist institutes and assemblies in the west and will soon appear in book form. They show not only wide learning but discrimination and critical fairness in treating both the fundamentals and the origin and growth and nature of the various heresies developed through the centuries by the erring churches. Bethel College has always developed Baptist historians. Dr. Spencer was trained at Bethel and Dr. McGlothlin and Dr. John T. Christian, whose new book has already reached the second edition. Dr. Landrum, now occupying the chair of church history at the college, will use Dr. Carroll's chart together with the text books of the above named authors.
The "Twilight Hour" service, held on the steps of the administration building, was conducted by Dr. George Ragland of the First Baptist Church of Lexington. His messages were directed to the deepening of the spiritual life. They were most delightful expositions of certain miracles which have a present-day application to the consecrated servants of the Lord.
Every evening, in the spacious Athenaeum Hall, which was crowded at every service, Dr. F. F. Gibson of Walnut Street Church, Louisville, poured forth his soul in red hot evangelistic sermons. His thoughts breathed and burned themselves into the hearts and consciences of his hearers. A number of students of Bethel and ministers from all over Western Kentucky were given an opportunity to study the discourses and delivery of the foremost evangelistic pastor perhaps in all the State. Rev. John W. T. Givens professor of evangelism in the college was one of the most interested listeners. Dr. Givens taught in the assembly the course of study entitled "Winning to Christ."
Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, so widely and favorably known in connection with Sunday-school work, and Lyman P. Hailey of the B. Y. P. U. and Miss Mary Davies and Miss Jennie G. Bright together with Rev. Arthur Fox were members of the assembly faculty and taught interested classes with pleasure to themselves and profit to their pupils. Mr. George W. Card of Louisville led the singing in a helpful way. Very great joy was given the women of the assembly by the coming of Mrs. Janie Cree Bose whose health seems to be restored and the prayers of thousands on her behalf answered. Sermons on Sunday were delivered by Rev. C. A. Baker one of our missionaries to Brazil now pursuing special studies in the homeland with a view to making better our Baptist system of Christian education in the great republic where is his field of labor. These messages of Brother Baker were helpful and wonderously informing.
The women of the church at Russellville gave a reception to all visitors in Athenaeum Hall in which the college orchestra under the leadership of Prof. Homer Felts discoursed lively music to add zest to the refreshments.
One unusual and interesting feature of the assembly was the presentation to the Bethel College Hall of Fame of a picture of former president Noah K. Davis whose administration extended from 1867 to 1873. The picture was unveiled by President Dasher who read a letter from the daughters of Dr. Davis making the gift. President Davis was the pre-eminent Baptist philosopher at the time of his death being the author of the following works to wit: "Ethics," "Theory of Thought," "Inductive Logic," "Deductive Logic," "Psychology" "Juda's Jewels" and the "Story of the Nazarene." From Bethel he was called to the University of Virginia where he taught philosophy for nearly forty years. All this time he continued to be a meek and humble follower of the Lord Jesus accepting with-out question all the fundamentals of the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
The writer was a visitor at all the meetings being a pastor in Western Kentucky who is devoted to Bethel college and the assembly. Too much credit cannot be given to professor O. W. Yates, dean of the college and president of the assembly who with the other officers contributed so much to the most successful meeting ever held on the campus. The Christian fellowship was inexpressibly sweet and the presence of the Holy Spirit was manifest to all who have been regenerated by his power.
A Logan County Pastor. ======== [From Western Recorder, August 2, 1923, p. 11. Document provided by Ben Stratton, Farmington, KY. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall. ]
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