Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 20
May 30, 1968
NUMBER 5, PAGE 7-8a

From Where I Stand

Fanning Yater Tant

Reaction favorable. I've had a big pile of letters commenting on Bill Wallace's forthcoming connection with the Gospel Guardian. All thus far seem to think it's a good idea. Typical of the lot was a comment from John Bullock of Dallas, "I think your move to take William Wallace into the Guardian Company was a wise one." Others use such expressions as "glad to see Wallace in Texas," "a highly commendable move," this will really help the Guardian," and "we are all the gainers by this action." I think so, too.

Oral and the Pentecostals. Well, it does look like Oral and the Pentecostals have come to a parting of the ways. When Roberts left them to join the Methodists a few weeks ago he immediately became "persona non grata" to a great number of his former associates and co-workers. Why, we ask? Don't they all think "one church is as good as any other"? Or has that been only "campaign oratory" (to borrow a phrase from Wendell Willkie) through the years.

Coming up soon. Among the many papers coming into the Guardian office none is more stimulating to me than the "Baptist Bible Tribune" edited by Noel Smith. He is a solid "down to earth" Baptist of the old, old "Bible believing" strain. Shortly we intend to publish a long editorial that Noel Smith wrote on the occasion of the Martin Luther King assassination. He says so clearly and so plainly what so many millions of us most surely believe — that the "political hay" made out of the King murder by self-seeking politicians was nauseating in the extreme to most intelligent Americans. But I'll let Smith say it in his own words. Look for the editorial soon on these pages...

That Arlington meeting. I continue to get a great many articles, both pro and con, on "that Arlington meeting." I'll publish some of them from time to time; but want to keep reminding our readers that these men "represented nobody but themselves." They understood that and repeatedly stated it. If others want to have a meeting to talk things over, have at it! Nobody is stopping you. Big trouble seems to be that most conservative brethren are finding it practically impossible in many locations (like Nashville, for instance) to get non-conservative brethren (we used to call them "liberals," and I find it hard to find any other more appropriate term!) to the conference table. Maybe LBJ can give some suggestions along this line — he had his problems with Ho Chi Minh.

Johnson's preference. I don't indulge in politics very much, but did see a list of "Johnson's choice for president" the other day that set me chuckling. It said that Johnson would prefer the following men, in this order, if he were allowed to choose his own successor in the White House: Hubert Humphrey, Nelson Rockefeller, Eugene McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Ho Chi Minh, and Robert Kennedy! The Bobbysox crowd will love that!!

Hollywood marriages. Maybe we ought to quit calling them Hollywood marriages and just call them American marriages. Anyhow, the teacher told the Hollywood actor's son, "Tell your mother to come to our PTA meeting next month." "I can't tell mother," replied the boy. "Don't you know where she's going to be the next month?" And the boy replied, "I don't even know who she's going to be next month."

Oh, to have unity again! Did you see Gayle Oler's nasty little sarcastic bit in his Boles Home News telling how HE thinks the "antis" who (as he sees it) split the church ought to be made to crawl back in penitence and confession of sins! Well, don't get too hot about it. This is obviously Oler's effort to see that unity does NOT come about; for he is doing quite well as things are, thank you, and who knows? if brethren got things ironed out and were united once again, it just might be that he wouldn't be living as high on the hog as he is now. By the way, have you seen him lately?

If you no have, please send. Seems like half our time at the Guardian office is spent in trying to find some unheard of book (unheard of by us, at least) that a customer wants to buy. Reminds me of the letter a publisher once received from a recent arrival from Tokyo: "Sir or Lady: To look for of see to make me a dictionary of thirty thousand words in double from Japenese to English. If no in your book warehouse, I have great need for he now, so interest another warehouse deposit please and see with price how to cost. If no is nowhere twenty five thousanth you give and to you send money in check of bench. Inrespectfully yours " [sic]

Thanks. Those G.G. subscription clubs have been coming very nicely, thank you! Glenn L. Shaver, Box 43, Pochantas, Arkansas, adds this note with the list of fifteen he sent in: "I quit 'full time' preaching last summer and moved back here to help the small, struggling group of Christians meeting here. My father died quite suddenly in February; my wife had had surgery in January, and will be facing another operation soon. She is not doing too well. I preach seven radio sermons each week and twice on Sunday here. Incidentally, I can get away for a meeting now and then if anybody is interested .. Keep the good work going with the Guardian!"