What Happened To The "Blytheville Orphans"?
(Note: The elders have asked me to write an article for publication setting forth the answer to the above question. The following was read by them and has their endorsement. J.M.K.)
It is quite generally known over a rather wide area that the church in Blytheville accepted temporary responsibility of some unfortunate children in August of 1957 As to what was done with these children seems to be a matter of undue concern to a great many people, not only in this area but even as far away as Texas. We have received mail from people whom we have never met, and who, so far as we know have never been in Blytheville, asking about these children. Some of the requests have been rather demanding, as if we were "responsible to the brotherhood" for an answer. We do not feel that we are obligated to make this information known to anybody except the members of the Blytheville church. After all, this was a matter that concerned this church only and it was and is nobody else's business save the Lord's, and we are quite sure he has all the information. But since some openly inquisitive brethren have been in one way or another prying into the business of the church here, we feel it expedient to answer the question, "What Happened to the Blytheville Orphans?"
First of all, however, we want to set the record straight as to the status of these children. They were not orphans in any sense of the word. They lost their mother true, but their father is still very much alive.
When the mother entered the hospital three weeks before her death we took the children (four in number) into our homes to care for them until she should be released and well enough to once again carry on her work and look after the children. The ages of these kiddies were 11, 8, 6, and 4. At this time the father was under the treatment of a physician and had been told that it would be necessary for him to enter the Veteran's Hospital in Memphis, for what he thought would be a prolonged stay. After the mother entered the hospital here she learned that she could not recover. After a talk with her husband, they requested that the elders of this church and I do what we could to have the children adopted into the homes of Christian people. This was the decision of both, and both made the request. Consequently, after the death of the mother certain necessary legal steps were taken by the father to relinquish guardianship of these children so that we could go forward in accomplishing that which was desired. After this the father entered the hospital in Memphis for what was feared would be a long road to recovery.
Then Brother Yater Tant, editor of the Gospel Guardian, ran an editorial in that paper entitled "Do You Want a Family," in which he set forth the facts in the case and the request of the dying mother and sick father. As a result of that editorial nine families applied for adoption of all four children. Many others wanted one or two of the children; but in keeping with the request of the parents we accepted applications only from those who wanted all four children. They had requested that the children remain together if possible. From the applications we received from Christian people who wanted all four children, we could have placed Thirty-six "orphans" in units of four. What a wonderful response! Here are people who wanted to open their homes to unfortunate children — Christians who wanted to practice "pure and undefiled religion" by opening their homes to these kiddies and give them the care and privileges of normal boys and girls instead of sending them away to a cold and formal institution where they could never receive the personal love and attention that is so essential to normal growth and development, and to which they are entitled by every right both human and divine.
Then came the processing of the applications; letters had to be written — many of them, and answers evaluated as to the suitability of prospective parents. But then in December, while still in the process of screening the applications and letters of reference, the father of these children was released from the hospital and pronounced cured by his physician. He returned to Blytheville under vastly different circumstances than when he left to enter the hospital. Now, he was well, and as would be natural with any father, he wanted his children. He made a request to have guardianship returned to him. Having no right morally or legally to keep these children we proceeded through the necessary processes of law to return them to him. This was the wishes of all concerned, both the father and the children; and we could not have kept the children and consummated the original desire and request had we wanted to do so, which we certainly did not. Therefore, on December 16 guardianship was legally returned to the father. But even before this two of the children had already been returned to him and were at the time living with him, and had been for two weeks.
So there you have it. The above is the answer to the question, "What Happened to the Blytheville Orphans?" This church had a responsibility that was temporary in nature and it fulfilled that responsibility. It could have endeavored to keep these children against the wishes of the father as some of "our Benevolent Institutions" have unsuccessfully tried to do in the past, but we had no right. Or, we could have shipped them off to an institution and thus have washed our hands of an obligation which was ours, but we kept them where the responsibility was; and we gave them the personal care and attention which is the God-given right of every child. Furthermore, had we desired to send them to one of our "orphan homes" they wouldn't have taken but three of them; one of the children was bed-fast with rheumatic fever and the "benevolent" institutions won't take this kind. So even had we been otherwise disposed we would have had to keep this one anyway.
Since the case was closed some of our institutional brethren have been snooping around in Blytheville endeavoring to uncover something irregular which could be processed through the propaganda mills of institutionalism and be used against us in a way so as to belittle the Lord's church at this place. They have come into town like vultures, have busied themselves in trying to uncover something that stinks. All such have stooped beneath the dignity of the Christian calling; and it is just as well that they have their institutions for their unfortunate children. Such people are not fit guardians of innocent children and are not capable of instilling into them the principles of integrity and common decency. We realize that to some of the "sweet-spirited" brethren this sounds unchristian; but to some our Lord's denunciation of the hypocritical Pharisees, and Stephen's speech to the "stiff-necked and uncircumcised" Jews who were also religious hypocrites sounds "unchristian." A man is known by the fruit of his life; and the fruit of these we are forced to deal with is rotten.
For the information of all who may be concerned, we have the photostats in our files at the church office of every legal procedure consummated relative to these children. There is no need of snooping around under cover trying to find out something. Just be man enough and Christian enough to come to the church office and ask and all the information will be made available. This way first hand information can be had and anyone won't have to depend upon what someone else heard or thinks concerning the matter.
In the meantime this church in Blytheville, under the overseership of its God-ordained elders will continue to do its own work in a way befitting the principles of New Testament teaching without the help of some "super" church or "super" eldership. We here have every facility God gave the church to do such work, and that work we will do without the lean-tos of institutionalism. And if some of our hopeful brethren think this church isn't one-hundred percent behind the elders let them take a trip to our city and get their eyes opened.