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"Mr. Baptist"
A Biography of Clarence Walker
By Evangelist Bill Beeny, 1955

CHAPTER FIVE
MR. BAPTIST AN EVANGELIST

      One doesn't have to be around Clarence Walker long to find out that his greatest desire is to lead men and women to a saving knowledge of Christ. This one motivating factor through the years has driven him week after week in his search for the lost. He believes men without Christ are LOST — ETERNALLY CONDEMNED TO A LITERAL HELL. Because of the zeal for the souls of men God has given him a fruitful ministry of souls.

      The Ashland Avenue Baptist Church through the years has been a great lighthouse of evangelism. The church has consistently through the years baptized between, 150 and 200 people every year. In every service somewhere the plan of salvation has been made plain to lost sinners. In an earlier chapter we mentioned the letter of commendation from L. R. Scarborough, then president of the Southern Baptist Convention, commending the Ashland Baptist Church on the fine spirit of evangelism which they have had.

      But his evangelistic labors have not been confined to his own church. For many years Brother Walker averaged ten revival meetings a year in addition to carrying on his pastoral duties. I have taken some excerpts from some old A.A.B. papers which give the color of some of these revival meetings in which Brother Walker was the evangelist. Even though the most of these meetings were confined to relatively small churches, many of them rural churches, it was evident that the mighty power of God was upon them, by the great crowds which attended and the conversions of hundreds of lost souls.

MT. CARMEL REVIVAL — 1917

      "During the first two weeks of August, we helped Brother Levi Vincent in a meeting with his church, Mt. Carmel in Franklin County. We certainly had a great revival. The crowds were immense from the start. Many souls were converted and the church greatly revived."

(Sept. A.A.B., 1917)

LUSBY MILL REVIVAL — 1922

      "One of my greatest joys is to do the work of an evangelist. For sixteen years now I have been holding from eight to twelve revival meetings a year. I have seen hundreds converted and baptized into the churches. And my, what a great meeting the Lord gave us at Lusby Mill."

(July A.A.B. 1922)

OUR CROWN AND JOY

      The pastor's heart was made glad the other day when Brother Burnett stopped on the road to Harrodsburg to buy some gasoline and a young man stepped up to the machine and said, "Is this Brother Walker?" I replied, "Yes it is." "Well, you don't remember me, but I can never forget you. Years ago down in Franklin County you led me to Christ". I would rather have the hour of joy such as that as to own the world. A few days ago a group of young people stopped me and said, "You led all of us to Christ." Oh, the joy! But what will it be in heaven when those you led Christ gather about you. Paul said, "For what is our hope, our joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. For ye are our glory and joy." (

(A.A.B. Aug., 1922)

GREAT REVIVAL AT MT. HEBRON — 1923

      Smaller samples of Pentecost and its revival spirit broke in some of the rural areas where Brother Walker held revivals. In the Mt. Hebron Baptist Church in 1923, God certainly undertook for the people in this country church. Great crowds came there was no place to put them. People stopped their work and crowded into the church for the day services until there was no room left. One Monday Brother Walker spoke to just the children and over 400 were present. At the close of the meeting the Pastor, Brother I. W. Manley, baptized in the Dix River near Danville.

ORMSBY REVIVAL — 1924

      It is always a joy to go back to the church where you found the Lord. And thus it was in the Ormsby Baptist Church that Brother Walker went for a meeting in December, 1924. The spirit of God was manifested in a mighty way, great crowds came for the meeting and 50 were approved for baptism, and many others who were saved united with other churches.

      To the modern mind it does not seem possible that such mighty revivals could be had in rural districts. At the old fashioned camp meets which would last for weeks and weeks, the crowds, to number two or three thousand people, came night after night for weeks when the spirit of the Lord was poured out upon the meetings. In one meeting in Mercer County at the close of one of the great camp meetings, over 100 people were baptized in the Kentucky River near the Brooklyn Bridge. Many estimated that the crowd at this baptizing would number nearly 25,000 people. In this baptismal service was one man 100 years old and his daughter 75 years old. Services would be held in the day time, the churches could not hold half the crowds that would leave their work and come in the middle of the day to hear the word of God. Walter Walker would often go with Clarence and work especially with the young people. It seemed that the Lord had especially gifted him for this.

      Clarence Walker was a Spirit-gifted evangelist. There was no loud speaking system needed when he spoke. He would thunder with the roar of thunder when picturing God's hatred and the blackness of sin in the human heart. In practically every message he would be careful to point men and women to Calvary. There he would paint the picture of the Saviour's suffering so vividly that none could mistake the great truth that "Christ died for our sins."

      God not only used Mr. Baptist in the rural areas of Kentucky but in many states as a revivalist. Great revival fires were kindled in Texas during his visits there. Hundreds were blessed in Michigan and Canada during his visits to the North country which he had to visit to escape the plague of hay-fever.

      I hare taken the liberty of extracting some excerpts to show something of the revival spirit that was felt in some of the communities in which he preached.

PORT ARTHUR TEXAS REVIVAL — 1926
—THE REVIVAL—

      It came from God.
      "Praise His Blessed Name."

      For the glory of His only begotten Son, He in His gracious gave the victory. God the Holy Spirit, "even the Spirit of truth who proceed from the mouth of the Father," testified to the saving power the blood.

      A real revival is a time of prayer — of confession.
      Turning from sin.
      Preaching the word.
      Conviction for sin.
      Repentance toward God.
      Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
      Adding to the church.
      Baptizing.
      Giving.
      Continuing steadfastly in the doctrines.
      (For proof see the first of Acts.)
      God the Holy Spirit does these things.
      It is He who convicts of sin.
      Who draws God's people closer to Heaven and near one another.
      Who regenerates the sinners.
      Who adds to the church.
      Who if yielded to, will lead unto all truth.
      In the Port Arthur meeting these marks were clearly seen.

      That blessed fellowship of God's people was made sweeter and the sinners came to the Heavenly Father through the merits of Lamb, slain on Calvary's cross and wooed by the Holy Spirit was there two weeks and one day. There were 125 added, of which 28 came at the last service. The revival will continue on in the life of the church for God who does the work does not drop it when the preacher leaves. Let God's people thank Him for this great blessing but beloved, pray — pray — that these little drops shall become drenching rains.

(A.A.B. — 1926)

AN INTERESTING SIDELIGHT
PASTOR PRAYS FOR FAILING VOICE AND IT IS RESTORED

      Visitors at Central Baptist church Tuesday night were convinced, they said, that all the miracles performed on this earth were not confined to the early history of Galilee.

      Rev. Clarence Walker, Lexington, Ky., evangelist, was conducting a revival service; his voice became hoarse and his auditors were straining forward in their seats to hear him. The minister ceased preaching and prayed that his voice would be strengthened that he might continue his sermon.

      "And then the miracle came to pass," one visitor, speaking of the incident today said, "and his voice rang out as clear as a bell."

—Port Arthur News.

GOD MOVES MIGHTILY IN GATLIFF REVIVAL — 1927

      I begin these notes for the A.A.B. at the close of the Lord's Day. It has been a wonderful day in His service. For two weeks I have been in Gatliff preaching two or three times each day. With those who came tonight there have been 102 additions to the church — 90 or more for baptism. I spoke first this morning before the Men's Bible Class with 113 present. It was an inspiring sight to see those fellows studying the Word of God. Brother Jones is their teacher — and a fine teacher he is. Then I preached at 11 o'clock on "Sanctification," bringing out these three points — Sanctified by the blood — sanctified by the spirit and sanctified by the Word. At 3 p.m. I spoke to a great crowd of men on "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery." At night, "Seeing Jesus."

GOD DOES IT AGAIN AT PORT ARTHUR — 1928

Port Arthur, Tex., April 8, 1928
Rev. Walter Walker,

808 Aurora Avenue,
Lexington, Ky.,

Dear Walter:—
      Closed meeting tonight with ninety additions. Brother and Sister Cannedy's work with Central church goes on gloriously. Will visit Houston and Galveston tomorrow; start home Wednesday.

      My subject Sunday will be: "UNCONVERTED BAPTIST CHURCH MEMBERS" and at night. "A TRIP TO TEXAS."

     Hope to see everybody out Sunday.

CLARENCE WALKER

COUNTRY SIDE STIRRED IN HORSE CREEK REVIVAL
—1931—

      Saturday night I closed the meeting on Horse Creek in Clay County, Kentucky. The Church takes its name from the creek on which it is located and is called the Horse Creek Baptist Church. Brother H. G. Sizemore is the loved and honored pastor, having been there as pastor for the last 18 months. He is a real missionary pastor among the people where he was born and has lived all his life except six years spent in the army. He goes about continually holding revival meetings and strengthening the weak churches as he bears the good news of redemption to the people of the hills.

      The Lord gave us a wonderful manifestation of divine grace during these two weeks. Nearly seventy were added to the church. All but about ten coming by baptism.

      Men and women with families were converted. There will be a number of men with their wives baptized together.

      One brother united with the church who was 90 years old. Two women were 82, another woman 72. The power of God is not dead — it still saves when the Christ is lifted up. There was one thing that I tried to make plain in the very start of the meeting and that was, the work of grace with which God begins the Christian 1ife is a birth of two elements — the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Depending entirely upon the spirit to apply the Word to the hearts and consciences of men and women. He added to his church many new born souls — praise and glory be unto his Holy Name.

      In some ways the Horse Creek meeting was one of the greatest the Lord has ever given me. The crowds and the interest did not cease for a minute. The last night there were twenty to accept the invitation — eighteen of them for baptism and two young men came before the church confessing their backsliding before God and the people and were restored to fellowship. Only the power of the Spirit can create and sustain such a work of grace in any place.

FIRST CAMP MEETING AT HARP'S CORNER
GREAT SUCCESS — 1931

      "And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord." — Acts 12:21

CAMP MEETING CLOSES; OVER 2000 HEAR PASTOR
WALKER ON SUNDAY NIGHT; 55 ADDITIONS

      When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
      Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
      The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
      Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.
      They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
      He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. — Psalms 126.

      Sunday night we closed our first annual camp meeting at Harp's Corner. It was truly a God-Given revival.

      From the start the crowds surpassed any thing we have ever dreamed about — going over 2000 on Sunday night. It was said over 100 automobiles tried to find parking places but could not and went away.

      There were 55 additions to the churches, 15 coming to Athens and 40 for Ashland Avenue.

      We had an out-of-doors baptizing at 6:30 o'clock for those who desired thus to be baptized. It was indeed a most beautiful sight to see the thousands watching the holy burial as the candiates pictured the gospel of Our Lord in Baptism.

GREAT REVIVAL AT SECOND CAMP MEETING — 1932
CAMP MEETING TO CLOSE SUNDAY NIGHT

      The Lord has been gracious.

      Souls have been saved. The word has been sung and preached. Without any special advertisements the crowd, we believe, has gone over 1,000. Sunday night we are expecting between 2,000 and 3,000 people.

      Among those converted was Brother Levi Harp. We have known Brother Harp for many years and prayed much that he might come to the Saviour — How happy everybody is that he has come to Christ with these others.

      The mother and father and wife of the two men killed in Jack's Creek neighborhood some time ago have come and will be baptized Sunday night. We are happy for everyone who has come.

      We pray that many more may come before we say the last "Amen" Sunday night.

      The Lord willing, we shall baptize those who desire to be baptized, out in the open Sunday just before the night service.

      Then on Monday night we shall have a baptizing service in the church. This will be my last service before I go to Michigan — as we leave on Tuesday. Pray.

ASHLAND AVENUE REVIVAL
GREAT CROWDS — NEARLY 100 ADDITIONS
—1937—

      Brother Gibson Preaches Last Sermon Sunday Night; Brother J. W. Porter Speaks at 3 p.m. Sunday; Nearly 100 Additions to Church; A Welcome to Visitors; Every Member Expected to Come.

      We are in the fifth week of the Ashland Avenue revival meeting. The interest and the crowds continue unabated. We are thankful to Almighty God. The Holy Spirit has taken the word of truth and has revived the Lord's people and has convicted many sinners of sin, causing them to turn in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. He has abundantly saved all who have come to Him.

_____________

CHAPTER SIX
MR. BAPTIST — CRUSADER FOR THE FAITH AND THE PEOPLE




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