Gospel Meetings
I grew up in the world of “Gospel Meetings.” The denominations had revivals; we had gospel meetings.
Twice a year, we had preachers come in and speak every night for a week. The two who came most often to our church were Guy N. Woods, our unofficial pope, and Hugo McCord. I also remember Bobby Key, Bobby Dockery, and Walter Buchanan, three men whom I always liked to hear.
But we were hardcore. It wasn’t just our gospel meetings in Neosho; it was all the area congregations having their fall and spring meetings. We were always encouraged to “support XYZ church” in their gospel meeting. So we were known to travel to Hottel Springs, Seneca, or Joplin to support their revivals. I mean gospel meetings.
Here’s the funny thing: while I think there’s a part of that culture that is funny (not as in IDIOTIC funny but as in THAT’S MY FAMILY funny), those aren’t bad memories. While I probably wouldn’t have volunteered to go to worship every night for a week, there was a certain excitement about it. The Bible would be preached. Some wandering sinner might be saved. The song leaders were usually hyper-caffeinated. Afterward the middle-aged men I liked so much would gather outside for a smoke to talk about sports.
Now I’m wondering: what is it we’re doing now that one day will seem sort of funny to my kids, but that will be a fond memory as part of their faith formation?
Bill Calame! Master of the Jedi Counsel Room downtown.
Where’s your blog?
I remember all those gospel meetings, too. The irony to me is that in recent years, the CoC “gospel meetings” I went to were really REVIVALS–trying to revive the members there while the denominations across the street were having GOSPEL MEETINGS–preaching to the lost and dying of the world. About three years ago, our town had a city-wide tent meeting–and five different churches were represented–a different speaker each night–Baptist x 2, Methodist, CoC, and Assembly of God. Talk about a wall breaker. It was a very significant event in the history of our small town where denominational walls have been very high and fortified and the church of Christ NEVER participated with any other denomination for any reason. Hope some day we will just have one big congregation.
Remember those people who went around in RV’s and knocked on doors telling our Baptist friends they were going to hell? oh …. wait….
that’s still happening…..
yikes!
This happened at my fellowship just recently. Absolutely appalled me and I had to ask forgiveness for my apalledness (is that a word?)
The best explanation I heard(which got me past it) for those folks was this…..”think of it as that ‘crazy uncle’ who comes to your family reunions. you love him. you know he’s sincere in his beliefs. and he’ll go back home tomorrow or next week.”
We still have a ways to go. darn it.
LBC Amen, Amen & Amen to one congregation! My dream is to have Abilene church meet at least once a month in Shotwell Stadium–all believers, no denominations–just to glorify GOD and encourage one another. We can pray with faith for this very thing, knowing that the Lord GOD will grant His Son’s prayer (John 17). Pray knowing it is GOD’s will that we would be one!
YEA TEAM–YEA GOD!!!
Does anyone remember the 2 week summer meetings in Dallas? Must have been in the early 60′s The coc rented out Memorial Auditorium ( the American Airlines Center of the time). Jimmy Allen came and spoke each night. That’s when I memorized all 6 verses of “Just As I Am” and 4 verses of “Almost Persuaded.”
Yeah, Mike! They did it again!! CONGRATS!
If I have taken just a little bit of bread and only drink from a small cup is that to say my memory of the Lord and his death is inadequte ? Must I have a large slice of bead and drink from a large cup ? Either way it seems to me we are to ” proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. ” Do we have to have PowerPoint , praise teams and plexiglass pulpits before we can worship in spirit and truth. My concern is that we are moving into a time of reverse legalism.
A number of people heard the gospel for the first time when we had more gospel meetings. No it may not be the only method but much good was accomplished with gospel meetings / revivals.
I can remember as a child many good works in behalf of the hungry and the homeless. Cups of cold water. I can remember many preachers who preached with great passion about the cross and His blood. My mother who is 78 said she has always known we are saved by the grace of God.
Can we rejoice in the good works of the past generations and also rejoice in the current good being accomplished in the Kingdom ?
Will our children remember that we always acknowledge the sacrifices and efforts of each generation and rejoice that Christ was proclaimed , souls were saved , compassion to all was extended , and the church was edified ?
Now is 70 years later for me and I remember walking down the hill through the hollow up the hill to the gravel road that took us to the paved road that went down the hill to a little country church called Englewood. It had 2 front doors, one on the left and one on the right and homemade pews from undressed lumber.
I don’t remember a preacher, but we had Sunday School in the corner with our little Gospel Advocate cards while the grown-ups had a class up front. Mammy (grandmother) made the communion bread that we carried with us and the wine (real stuff) was bought across the road from Henry Wade.
Sometimes we didn’t have a man who could lead singing and Pappy would stand up front and call a number and then say to his niece on the front row, “Ethel, start the singing.”
For a little girl about 5 years old this was a long way to go and Pappy would let me eat the rest of the communion bread on the way home.
One time a lot of people were baptisted in the creek in front of church. I remember thinking … I’ll never do that. The water was deep and you couldn’t see the bottom and all the people had on black clothing and it was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen when they were laid back and covered in water.
Later I remember this and asked Uncle Earl how did the water get deep enough in that shallow creek to baptize someone. He said they dammed it up before a “protracted meeting.” Protracted means 2 weeks or longer.
And one time we had that. On Sunday there was a big dinner on the ground and I mean literally on the ground mostly on handmade quilts. The food was served from a board set between trees.
Pappy hitched up the wagon and Mammy went, too, because she couldn’t walk so far … and we had food to carry.
We went one night, Pappy and me, in the wagon with a kerosene (except it was coal oil back then) lantern to light the way. All the men carried lanterns and they were hung on wires hooked to the ceiling for out light.
The building is gone, but not my memories … The Church of Christ owned the land and the building, but the Cumberland Presbyterians owned the land and creek next to the road. So a few years ago the two got together and decided to donate both tracts to “Habitat for Humanity” because neither piece of land was any good without the other.
I wish I could go back one more time and see the initials carved in the backs of the seats … EK + TR, my aunt and uncle and many more … and see the green oat meal glass that was used to serve the wine … and most of all, I guess, just to experience the smell of the building. It was the same the last time I was there as it was when I was a child.
And just to let you know, I was immersed, twice, the first time at age 12 or 13, I was so frightened that I fought the preacher and my head really didn’t go under the water … so when my boys were baptized I did it again.
That’s what I remember.
Church buildings may become a thing of the past. Our grandkids will log in, sing, pray, “worship” without even leaving their home.
I am a preachers daughter and definitely grew up in the world of gospel meeting. I live a rural community and gospel meetings are still predominate here. I’m not sure how much good they do, but they do attract a lot of visitors from outside congregations. However, the majority of people who attend gospel meetings are those who are actively involved in the church. People who are unfaithful in church attendance and non christians generally aren’t going to waste a week of their time in attending church. I’m not saying that they are a thing of the past but they don’t do the job they once did.
Is it possible that the problem with “Gospel Meetings” is that people really don’t want to hear the word of God spoken clearly and distinctly anymore? Is it possible that we don’t “get the word out” because we are ashamed and afraid that someone might actually preach a lesson that convicts? Is it possible that we use “cheap xerox” copies as flyers because our giving is not enough to afford better (well not and have our multi-million dollar facility)? Is it possible that we should be having “Gospel Meetings” every Lord’s day? Is it possible for us to cut jokes at those of us who want to have unity, but realize the biblical fact that such unity can not come through diversity, but through speaking the same things? Oh it’s obviously possible…
Please stop making fun of the church. Please stop belittling all the honest souls out there who are doing there best. Please from the depths of my heart, love the word of God, because you can not love Jesus without loving his word. Fact is many religious people do not follow the teachings found in the Bible. I wish that were not the case, but we do nobody any good by succumbing to the preasures around us. We would do much more by Living our lives as we should live, Loving souls as we should, and Teaching the truth as we should.
thank you for allowing this comment.
Praise be to God
In your second paragraph you mentioned five men. Religiously, where would you stand with these same five today?
hi pastor ,
> i,m samuel an evangelist from christ apostolic
church nigeria ,
i have serve there as a station evangelist for 2 years
.
i,m now looking to fix in with any ministries
ro church to further the gospel work of christ
pls.
i have my diploma / doctorate degree in theology from
west africa theological seminary here in nigeria , i,m
fit for the ministry work conside r me pls .
i,m a nativ e of enugu state in nigeria
> with the inerest to minister with you , pls
> i want you to host me in your church
> programes , both for revival crusades ,
> campmeeting , convention and other .
i,m interested to minister together with you fulltime
in the gospel outraech work pls.
pls invite me to come over and minister togehter wwith
you pls
> pls call me on , and give
> me the phone number tha t i will use to call
> you .
i,m looking for a ministry or church , wherre
i will minister in fulltime service for my god
pls .
i have a poor famliy background , there is none to help me , i,m the only son in family , i have 2 sisiter,s my mother is alive , but dad is late , i,m like jabez in the bible , pls help me to be come a better fellow in god,s vine yard , pls do all you can for me to ensure that i fet in with your ministr and work , cos i now that wiluse&nb sp; you people to bring me to a hight in the life yout the service that i will render to him in the ministry , ,m beging you to help me out pls .
.i,m in lesotho
and i wantr to be your representative or
cordinate your church& direct or manage your branch of ministry or church her in lesotho or south africa. pls , i have a
poor family background pls help me to come over
, be come who god wand me to be his ministry
work pls , there is none to help me , but
god
i want to be your representative pls.
i have a poor family abckground there is
nione to help me sir pls .
we are three in number , i have 2
sister,s and i,m the only son in family ,
theere is no body to help me , pls in
any way you can he lp me to become who
god want,s me to be pls do .
i have suffered in this life , but
there is no help for me , pls i will not
let you down , do all you can for me i,m
serious looking for a ministry and a church
where i will work and serve my god pls ,
i,m like jabez in the bible , and i hpoe
that god will use your to bring me to my
goal in life as we team up to build his
kingdom .
i,m now in lesotho , so pls tellmethe step that i need to take , how i will start my ministerial work with your church pls , i want to be your represenstative here there in souith ,pls invite me to join your outreach team pls.
that i will become a joing hand with your ministry oganisation to reach out the lost for christ and win souls for him in to the kingdom pls.
pls invite me and send me invitaion letter for call me on i,m now in maseru lesotho pls call me on 26663212213 pls, waiting to meet you soon .
> i,m a young guy of 26 years , i wait to
> minister with you in your church soon .
> thank,s
> your,s in him
> samuel
> evangelist/ apostle
26663212213
Hi ! I have been desperately looking for the gospel song lyrics to: “Cups Of Cold Water (given in Jesus name). If anyone can help me, e-mail me. Thanks, God Bless…. jimmc42@sbcglobal.net
i want to be trained by you and work with you,for your church and jesus christ church development.
I also need to have the lyrics of “Cups of Cold Water” by J.W. Peterson, for his Cantata “Love and Kindness.”
I too went to gospel meetings as a child. I very vaguely remember one when I was four when my father told me the preacher was named N.B. Hardeman. I also heard Guy Woods and a host of others. I remember sitting in congregations where Christians expected someone to come down the aisle for baptism. I confess that I took my infant daughter to two gospel meetings in the first month of her life. Reuel Lemmons held her in his arms; Guy Woods shook her little hand. I know about the RVers who sacrifice their time and give it to the Lord. I was part of a congregation last year that though known as a progressive church regressed in having them and had more baptisms that week than in the rest of year: people who weren’t going to church anywhere, who came from very different economic strata, and were of various races. Those gospel meetings of my youth, if nothing else, added to my knowledge of the God’s word, and to my love for congregational singing, and to my awareness that there are people in the world who truly are lost, who need an excuse and a venue to hear good news, who sometimes are the people who are there every time the church door opens, looking for a crumb of gospel. Let’s look for the grace of God at work in our churches and our history.
I am pastor Joshua from Kenya, and i have arranged conference on April 2012. So i welcome you to preach.