Preaching like Jeremiah

G. Campbell Morgan considered the work of every faithful God-called preacher to be like the work of Jeremiah the prophet:

“His business is to create a sense of shame in the souls of men, so to place their corruption before them as to compel the hot blush to their faces.”

Jeremiah 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.

The Work of the Ministry

I had seen a few times a reference to a sermonizing quote by William Henry Griffith Thomas (reproduced in slightly different ways). 

“Think yourself empty, read yourself full, write yourself clear, pray yourself keen—then enter the pulpit and let yourself go!”

I did some research on the quote and here is some of what I found.

“Two generations ago, W. H. Griffith Thomas offered young preacher the following formula:

“Think yourself empty, read yourself full, write yourself clear, pray yourself keen; then into the pulpit and let yourself go!” 

James Innell Packer, Truth & Power: the Place of Scripture in the Christian Life, Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1996, p. 174

“It was my privilege in crossing the ocean in the summer of 1903, to become acquainted with Rev. W. H. Griffith Thomas, an Episcopalian clergyman of London, England, who was the author of a number of books on Bible Study and has spoken at Northfield and elsewhere in our county. Before separating from him on landing he gave me these lines, which bear upon the subject of this chapter—

“Think yourself empty.

“Read yourself full. 

“Write yourself clear.

“Pray yourself hot.”

Marion Lawrence, How to Conduct a Sunday School (7th Edition), New York, NY: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1005, p. 91

Ultimately, I found the original source in The Work of the Ministry, William Henry Griffith Thomas, London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1910, pp. 210-212.

(a) We must ‘think ourselves empty.’ By this is meant that we must take our text and proceed to ponder its meaning. Our thoughts should be jotted down as they come, on a sheet of paper, without any attempt at arrangement, but only with an endeavour to elicit for ourselves every aspect of the meaning and message of the text. This effort to think for ourselves will prove of the greatest possible value, and whether it takes a long or short time to ‘think ourselves empty,’ we ought not to approach any outside help to sermon preparation until we are conscious that to the best of our ability we have exhausted for the time our own mental possibilities.

“(b) Then we must ‘read ourselves full.’ After thinking out for ourselves the bearings of the text, the mind is in the proper state to approach the views of others who may have commented, or otherwise written on the passage…”

“(c) The we must ‘write ourselves clear.’ After thinking and reading it is essential to put our thoughts into proper order…These are the three great principles which are usually emphasized in all books on sermon preparation, and it will be seen that they refer exclusively to the purely intellectual aspects of the sermon. For this reason we venture to add a fourth principle to the foregoing.”

“(d) We must ‘pray ourselves keen.’ When the intellectual work has been done, or rather, all through the process of intellectual acquisition, our work should be steeped in prayer, and then when the preparation is over we must commit ourselves and our work to God in order that our delivery, when the time comes, may be ‘in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.’”

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Note: “Let yourself go” is from a quote of W. T. Stead on page 244. It does not appear to be part of the original points of Griffith Thomas, unless this was written differently in another place.

How long, O, How long?

Q. How long should you study in preparation for preaching? How long should a sermon last?

A. Many preachers and seminary professors are quick to weigh in with their two cents on how long a preacher should spend preparing a sermon, how many minutes the sermon should last, and so on. Some may be know-it-alls, while most probably have good intentions of trying to guide and help young preachers. Nevertheless, we too much have reduced preaching to a formula of “do it this way,” “put in this much time studying,” “preach for this many minutes,” etc. – this is the right way (or only way) to preach. Conspicuously, seldom does the advice come with references to Scripture. There must be more acknowledgment that every preacher is different, every sermon is different, and every congregation is different. One size does not fit all. The preacher spends a lifetime of study of the word of God. A sermon is over when it is over.

The following series might prove helpful:

• https://baptistsearch.blogspot.com/2013/09/true-new-testament-preaching-7-questions.html
• https://baptistsearch.blogspot.com/2013/09/alliterated-sermons.html
• https://baptistsearch.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-kinds-of-sermons.html
• https://baptistsearch.blogspot.com/2013/09/3-evangelistic-sermons.html
• https://baptistsearch.blogspot.com/2013/09/3-church-sermons.html
• https://baptistsearch.blogspot.com/2013/09/answering-7-questions-from-monday.html
• https://baptistsearch.blogspot.com/2013/09/preaching-differences-and-similarities.html

Preaching voices, code switching, and naysayers

On the 28th of March, one of the clown princes of the Baptist Board posted a weird comment About the worst Baptist preacher I ever heard.[i] There are several interesting takeaways.

The “style” of the “worst Baptist preacher” who is referenced might be referred to as chanting or intoning. It was once much more common than it is today. We Baptists share this style as part of the heritage from our Separate Baptist ancestry, in my opinion (though subject to revision if new information of which I am unaware is revealed).[ii]

The original post and many of the comments judge that preacher and his preaching by their personal opinions rather than the content of the message. (Only the original poster has actually heard him; everyone else was commenting gratuitously). Rather than hearing the message and searching the scriptures whether these things are so, the preaching is outright dismissed because the hearers do not approve of the way the preacher talks. As far as I can tell, the scriptures teach us to judge a message by its conformity to the word of God. The preached word is the word to the extent that it agrees with the living Word (Jesus Christ) and the written word (the Bible). (Cf. e.g. Romans 10:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 4:2.)

Additionally, there is the judgment of the heart of the message bearer based on observing externals. “I believe he’s quite a sham.” “Deliberately using poor grammer & pronunciation is a sham…People in this area don’t talk that way…And the grunting every few words is certainly a sham…All phony as a $3 bill…he only does it when he preaches, which is LESS-THAN-HONEST, & anyone preaching should be honest as possible.” One confirms, “it’s still a pretense. They should talk the same on Sunday as they do the rest of the week, without putting on a show with their language.” Another chimes in “My wife and I all the time laugh at people who have preacher speak.”

There is little doubt that some preachers “put on a show.” That is not confined to a particular “style” of preaching, or to preachers who speak with a different accent, grammar, or vocabulary. The naysayers do not take into account several possible factors.

There are different views on what constitutes proper decorum in the pulpit (much based on pragmatism rather that biblical precept and example). There is both taught and learned behavior in preaching (i.e., how one preaches, stylewise). There is no doubt that some of us have beneath the surface “learned behavior” that is considered our “normal” when it comes to preaching. There is room for discussion of whether it is actually good or bad without calling it a sham, dishonest, put on, a performance, or a show. I honestly do not think a majority of preachers “talk the same on Sunday as they do the rest of the week” – whether for good or bad or indifferent reasons. Preaching is readily viewed as different from “normal” speech, as well as different from “normal” oratory. It is speaking on behalf of God and his word.

The naysayers may have it backwards! This man’s preaching may reflect his innate grammar and vocabulary, and what is his “normal” way of speaking.[iii] His “other” speech may reflect his learned behavior – a way to get along in a culture distinct from his church culture. People who move in two different “cultures” may have two ways of speaking. I work in an education industry setting, and when I am around administrators, I may speak differently than I do around my family, my friends, and the people I work with on a daily basis. If any of it is a “put on” or a “sham” it would actually be when I am apprehensive and make an effort to sound a little more intelligent than I figure I usually sound, on average.[iv]

I likely have a family voice, a work voice, a preaching voice, and even a writing voice.[v] More times than not, I try to write a little more “scholarly” than the sound of my voice and the patterns of my speech! However, when the occasion warrants, I may bring out the voice (or part of it) that reflects the way I grew up speaking, like Who You Gonna Believe?[vi] I ain’t gonna apologize for it when I do.

Sending conflicting and contradictory messages is deceitful. Speaking with “different voices” in different contexts is not. It is a “normal” part of human interaction. Yes, some preachers may put on a show. If you are familiar with the case and know what you are talking about, that can be one thing. If not, don’t assume or presume that you have some grand gnostic knowledge that, like a rabbit’s foot, lets you know that a certain “style” of preaching that you do not like is showmanship, and that the preaching “style” you like is the real deal. It’s simply not that simple, and you may be displaying some of your own ignorance.

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[i] Its oddity is reflected in the first reply, “Ummm ok? we have no idea what you are talking about, nor whom?” In addition, the original poster hoodwinks the readers by writing, “I can excuse his being KJVO.” This person is all over the internet opposing both the King James Bible and King James Version Onlyism, putting a bold question mark on his faint claim.
[ii] I am not aware that this style of preaching has a consistently common or regular name. It has been referred to a chanting, intonation, singsong preaching – as well as many less than complimentary terms. Stephen Garrett has copied several good quotes in his blog titled Singsong Preaching. H. B. Charles and Ralph D. West refer to the black experience of this preaching as the Celebrating, Whooping, Intoning Tradition. You can hear a bit of this style in this sermon closing of H. B. Charles, Jr., pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church at Jacksonville/Orange Park, Florida.
[iii] I searched and found radio messages by the unnamed preacher in question. Yes, his style may seem unusual to those unfamiliar with folks who preach this way. Most preachers I know do not preach in this style. On the other hand, I am quite familiar with it. To me, his preaching does not sound at all contrived or dishonest. It is just a man preaching the way he knows to preach. Dislike it if you will, but do not charge him with fakery on that account.
[iv] The speaking voice we use when we are comfortable and uninhibited is most likely our “normal” voice (though speaking of a “normal” voice in most cases may be a bit misleading). Many urban people think that rural-sounding speakers are not as educated as they are. Accent does not equal education level. However, some people adapt their speech patterns consistently to what they think should reflect their levels of education. Others do not care. Additionally, I know a person from England living in East Texas who learned and changed speech patterns in order to avoid the accent’s constant calling attention to itself.
[v] The online article “Appalachian Code Switching” gives an interesting perspective about how, when, and why people might change their speech patterns. “An Expert Explains Why Your Voice Changes in Different Situations” is also interesting, discussing how people use different voices to achieve different interactions. In addition “Finding the Right Tone of Voice in Communication” discusses how we use different tones of voice in different situations, such as motivation, humor, questioning, etc. (This latter article is about training oneself to use the “apt” tone, but we nevertheless learn and practice much of that subconscious through experience.)
[vi] I originally wrote that back in the 1980s, and (if I remember correctly) actually adapted some (much?) of the speech of the article “up” a bit when I posted it on my blog in 2016.

The “Qualifications” of a Bishop

Having been reliably informed that the requirements for the office of bishop set forth in I Timothy 3 “are the requirements for a perfect preacher,” I embarked on an in-depth Bible study to find out to which qualifications the churches could refer for the less-than-perfect preachers who are currently available. I thought I might have found it in Titus 1, but then realized it sets forth the same requirements as I Timothy 3, obviously for the perfect preachers. So, I dug deeper. After a diligent search, I finally found the requirements in Judas’s seldom-read epistle to the Laodiceans. For your benefit, I share it here.

Laodiceans 3:1-8

1. Having failed in my efforts to collect the funds to come to you (the bag being empty): these things I write unto you, that you mayest know how you oughtest to behave yourselves in the church of Laodicea.

2. This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a well-paying position with the bestowal of great honour.

3.  A bishop then must be shameless, the man of one wife, more than one, or none; possessing a good education and appropriate credentials; willing to move quickly when hostility rises; apt to leech;

4. Not given to dry and lengthy speech, but eloquent, concise, and funny; deserving of a valuable salary package; well-dressed, not threatened by deacons;

5. One that driveth a fine chariot, is schooled in kissing babies, and apt to fool old women;

6. Even so must their wives be mothers of several children, while looking as if they never had any; apt to flatter, play the piano, organize the women’s auxiliary; full of zeal and zest;

7. Moreover let the bishop be photogenic, having an impressive resume, not a novice (for there are small insignificant churches for others), recommended by seminary leaders. Moreover he must have a good report of wealthy businessmen; all these qualifications, lest he be an embarrassment to the rich and prospering church in the thriving metropolis of Laodicea.

8. Finally, my brethern and sistern, though I write in the tongue of men and angels who use gendered pronouns, let nothing be construed as meaning any persons cannot serve in the office of bishop in the church. Progress be with you. Fare ye well.

No more shall there be a problem finding someone to meet the necessary requirements. We need not look for Paul’s perfect preacher. Judas’s recommendations will work just fine!

* Note: Count bard Ehrmandorf stumbled across the fragment containing the third chapter of the epistle to the Laodiceans, handwritten in Greek on a tanned skunk hide, while browsing a garage sale at the St. Baden-Gooden monastery on Mount Tübingen.

I Found Him! C. R. Powell

On Thursday the 11th, I wrote and posted C. R. Powell: Where He Comes From and Where He Goes, Nobody Knows. I was quite frustrated that, despite every effort I made, I could not find out when and where he was born, who were his parents, where he went and what happened to him after he was in Little Rock in the 1910s. All I had hinting a family was the death of his little girl Oma in 1904.

Then suddenly, on November 17, God dropped it all in place. I contacted the Marion County Historical Commission wondering whether Oma is buried at Jefferson, Texas. Mitchel Whitington went over and above, not only checking records to confirm that Oma is buried there, but also going to the Oakwood Cemetery to see whether her grave is marked, even taking a picture of the section in which her unmarked grave resides. With this encouragement and excitement, I decided to go back to the censuses to see if I might find Oma Powell in 1900. (I had heretofore searched and searched for Charles Powell in the 1900 and 1910 censuses without results – even though I knew he lived in or around Little Rock, Arkansas in 1910.) Lo and behold, this time the first record result in Ancestry was little Oma with her family living in Red River County, Texas! From there other links fell into place – who were Charles’ parents, who he married, his other children, when he died, and where he is buried. I have added his information to Find-A-Grave. There is still more to learn about him, but I am so pleased to know more than I knew. Now we know where he came from and where he went!

With that in mind, I have rewritten “Where He Comes From and Where He Goes, Nobody Knows” as C. R. Powell: the Landmark Leader who Left.

C. R. Powell: the Landmark Leader who Left

Charles Robert Powell was a son and the oldest child of George Dietz Powell and Tennessee “Tennie” French of Henry County, Tennessee – born in August of 1877 in Kentucky. It seems the Powell family came to Texas by 1893, settling in Red River County. Tidie Powell, a daughter of George and Tennie, died in 1893 and is buried in the Bluff Cemetery at Bagwell in Red River County, Texas. In 1900 George and Tennie’s family, as well as the newly minted Charles Powell family, were all living in Justice Precinct 2 in that county.

Charles “Charlie” Powell married Joe Etta (Josephine) Vann on January 5, 1898 in Red River County, Texas. They had at least five children, but probably six.

• Oma Powell (1898-1904)
• Jack Earl Powell (1901-1988)
• Clarence Powell (1905-aft. Jan1920)
• Child Powell (aft. May 1900-bef. May 1910)
• Mabel Powell (1907-1923)
• Ruth Juanita Powell (1910-1970)

In his valedictory in the Sword and Trowel, Charlie Powell says that he was “born into the Kingdom and called into the ministry in Texas sixteen years ago last August.”[i] His Christian and preaching life thus begins about 1896 in Texas. He further notes that at the end of the fourth year of ministry (circa 1900), he entered Baylor University. This was possibly in the fall of 1900.[ii] Later, being ostracized as a “church party” Baptist at Baylor, he left before completing his studies and took up the Landmark banner.[iii] Powell went to the First Baptist Church of Jefferson, Texas as pastor in 1904 upon the recommendation of S. A. Hayden, who had been a former pastor there.[iv] Powell left the church in Jefferson in 1905, going into evangelistic work. The Jimplecute discloses in January of that year, “Rev. C. R. Powell and family moved to Jacksonville this week.”[v]  While in Jefferson, the Powells lost their little daughter Oma to typhoid fever August 11, 1904. She lies at rest in an unmarked grave in “Old Section L” at the Oakwood Cemetery at Jefferson, Marion County, Texas.[vi]

Powell’s foray into newspaper work began during his time at Jefferson. While at Jefferson, he bought half interest in the Baptist Echo, then owned by E. A. Puthuff and J. M. Newburn.[vii] He participated in organizing the General Association of Baptists in the United States of America in 1905. In this capacity, he later became editor of the Arkansas Baptist. The Arkansas Baptist had merged with the Baptist Flag after the death of J. N. Hall, then reestablished itself in April 1906, with W. R. Cross, president, and C. R. Powell, editor and business manager (recently come to Arkansas from Texas).[viii]  “Powell was a good editor” but “In three years Powell became dissatisfied and the company [Baptist Publishing Company, rlv] accepted his resignation.”[ix] According to Powell, he was dissatisfied with the “bossiness” of W. R. Cross. About this time, Powell served as treasurer of the General Association and became editor of the Baptist Mission Bulletin.[x]

In Arkansas, C. R. Powell actively participated in the Anti-Saloon league. He was elected Field Secretary of the Arkansas Anti-Saloon League in 1909.[xi] That year he debated Socialist Colonel Dick Maple (a nom de plume of Robert Seth McCallen).[xii] He seems to have been a popular and respected minister and editor in the Landmark movement, as least up until 1912. When Powell started the Sword and Trowel, J. B. Sellman wrote, “The paper is the best I have seen in some time, and C. R. Powell is by far the best paper-man I know. It seems as though God had made him specially for newspaper work. He is wise in thought, bold in expression, and honest in purpose.”[xiii]

The Nashville News, July 20, 1910, page 4

In late 1912, C. R. Powell became editor of the Sword and Trowel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Western Publishing Company (of which Powell served as secretary and manager) owned and published the Sword and Trowel. It was conceived as a denominational and promotional organ of the Baptist Missionary Association of Oklahoma.[xiv] The BMA of Oklahoma churches associated with the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas and the General Association of Baptists in the United States of America (Landmark). The Sword and Trowel paper was a neat production of 16 pages (except what was possibly the last issue, having eight pages), but died an early death – spanning from its first issue in September until Powell resigned in December. In the December 19 issue, Powell uses nearly 4-1/2 pages of eight pages explaining that he has changed his alignments and has “fought my last battle for we have been calling Landmarkism.”

“My readers must allow me to be tedious and lengthy in my last article in a Landmark Baptist paper.”[xv]

Sword and Trowel, December 19, 1912, page 4

He scores Landmark leaders Ben M. Bogard and J. A. Scarboro as assassins of character, liars who must rule or ruin, and says that the only thing the General Association leaders permit “is a fight on Conventions.”[xvi] While generally excoriating the behavior of leaders of the General Association, there was a specific and current problem. At the Association’s meeting at Bay Springs, Mississippi in December 1912, Powell defended missionary I. N. Yohannan against what he perceived as abuse at the hands of Corresponding Secretary J. A. Scarboro.[xvii] Pitted against Bogard and Scarboro, Powell failed to accomplish his goal. He thereafter despaired of the “Landmark” work. Landmark leaders possessed strong convictions, and were passionate about them. In establishing these new associations, it was inevitable that these leaders would, like rams vying for dominance, butt heads. Powell does not indicate what he would do in the future, though he suggests he might look for a home among the Convention Baptists.[xviii] G. W. Crawford of Oklahoma describes the Sword and Trowel paper and its editor this way:

A paper was launched. C. R. Powel was the editor of this paper and its name was “The Sword and Trowel.”

This paper was owned by a bunch of stockholders. I give a few names here of the stockholders of this paper: R. V. Thompson, Bob Thompson, C. R. Powell, Uriah Farthing and myself. There were others, but I do not have their names at hand. This was the breeziest paper I ever saw. It lived for awhile and then died. I will not mention the cause of its death, and its nature.

Poor Charley and the paper went down but we went right on with our work.[xix]

After his return to Arkansas from Oklahoma, Charlie Powell served on the board of trustees of the Anti-Saloon League in 1915.[xx] His name appears in the Little Rock, Arkansas city directories. He lived at 3206 Wright Ave through 1915. The 1916 city directory records “Powell, Rev Chas R moved to Halstead Ark.”[xxi] His life and stay in Halstead was brief. Dr. L. L. Marshall of Little Rock certified that he attended Powell from July 25 to August 4, 1916. On August 4, at 8:40 a.m. Friday morning, Charles Robert Powell lost a battle with “pernicious malaria” and succumbed in the sleep of death.[xxii] His remains were laid to rest in the Halstead Cemetery, Sunday, August 6, 1916. At the time of his death, Powell was a Mason, a member of the Magnolia Lodge F. & A. M.[xxiii]

Arkansas Democrat, August 5, 1916, page 3

It is not known where Charlie Powell was living when the 1880 census was taken, though probably still in Tennessee. He appears in the 1900 census at Justice Precinct 2 in Red River County, Texas, and the 1910 census at Brodie Township, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Each of these censuses lists him as a farmer, indicating that he labored as a bi-vocational minister. His death certificate gives his occupation as “Farming & Stock Dealer.” Probate records indicate at the time of his death Powell owned 5 hogs, 1 horse, 3 cows, 1 Jersey milk cow, and 10 goats.[xxiv]

Probably raised on a farm, Charlie Powell likely spent a lifetime with some relationship to farming. As a minister of the gospel, he gave approximately twenty years – 1896 to 1916. He spent most of it in the “Landmark movement.” These Baptist churches hoped to reform the denominational structure of the Southern Baptist Convention and its related state conventions. Those hopes dashed, they created their own organizations. The Baptist Missionary Association of Texas (1900). The State Association of Missionary Baptist Churches in Arkansas (1902). The General Association of Baptists in the United States of America (1905). The Baptist Missionary Association of Oklahoma (1912). Powell worked in all four of these Landmark bodies that were organized in his lifetime. He participated in organizing the General Association of Baptists at Texarkana in 1905. He remembers himself as the first person to point out the inconsistency of “supporting the Southern Baptist Convention while we fought the [Baptist] General Convention of Texas…I suggested a general association patterned after the B. M. A. of Texas.”[xxv] Powell became a prominent leader in the Landmark movement in the first decade of the 20th century. He labored in evangelism, editorial work, and denominational activities. He served as a financial agent for the Buckner College in Huntington, Arkansas.

At this time, it is not clear whether Powell pastored any other churches after leaving the church at Jefferson in 1904. After his fateful and vocal departure through the Sword and Trowel, he may have become something of “a man without a country.” Whatever transpired, his life was not spared long. The final years of his ministry are still somewhat shrouded in mystery. In the second decade of the 20th century, Charles Robert Powell ceased to be an influence among the Baptists – because of his conflict with Elders Bogard and Scarboro, and certainly because of his death. Almost any Landmark Baptist will know the name Ben M. Bogard. Few will recall C. R. Powell. Nevertheless, as with every servant “to his own master he standeth or falleth.”

And now at the least we know where C. R. Powell came from and where he went!

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[i] “Powell Quits and Explains,” Sword and Trowel, Thursday, December 19, 1912, p. 1. On page 4, he refers to “15 years in the ministry.”
[ii] In June of 1900, the family lived in Justice Precinct 2, Red River County, Texas. 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Red River County, June 1, 1900, Dwelling 14, Family 14, Sheet 1.
[iii] In a letter to The Standard, November 7, 1903 (Vol. 51, No. 10, p. 13), Walter E. Tynes of Houston, Texas explains that the (white) regular missionary Baptists of Texas “are divided, not about their articles of faith or local church government, but about the proper administration of their associational or general denominational affairs, such as missions, education, care of old ministers, orphans, etc.” Tynes classified those divisions under three headings, the board party, the church party, and the Gospel Mission churches. His explanation of the difference between the board party and the church party is that the first held to board supremacy in denominational matters, while the church party held “the doctrine of church sovereignty over the convention.” (By the time of this writing by Tynes, the churches had already divided and operated in different denominational organizations.)
[iv] S. A. Hayden pastored First Baptist Jefferson approximately, 1878-1883.
[v] Jefferson Jimplecute (Jefferson, Texas) Saturday, January 6, 1905, p. 5.
[vi] Jefferson Jimplecute, August 13, 1904, p. 5. 140 Years Interment Data, Marion County, Texas, Annette Lemmon, et. al., 1987.
[vii] He apparently bought Newburn’s interest, since Puthuff remained as an owner and editor.
[viii] The Life and Works of Benjamin Marcus Bogard, Foreman and Payne, Little Rock, AR: Seminary Press, 1966, p. 202; Western Christian Advocate, Wednesday, April 18, 1906, p. 3.
[ix] Life and Works of Bogard, p. 202.
[x] Baptist and Reflector, Thursday, June 24, 1909, p. 9.
[xi] The Arkansas Democrat, Saturday, April 17, 1909, p. 3. This article describes him as former editor of the Baptist Advance, which is incorrect. It was the Arkansas Baptist, as we note above.
[xii] Baptist and Reflector, March 4, 1909, p. 12; The Daily Arkansas Democrat, June 10, 1909, p. 9.
[xiii] “From J. B. Sellman,” Sword and Trowel, Thursday, September 26, 1912, p. 10.
[xiv] See, for example, Sword and Trowel, Thursday, September 26, 1912, p. 9.
[xv] “Powell Quits and Explains,” Sword and Trowel, December 19, 1912, p. 1.
[xvi] “All Landmarkers are not mean as the leaders whose names I have mentioned.” Sword and Trowel, December 19, 1912, p. 4.
[xvii] Sword and Trowel, December 19, 1912, pp. 3-4. Powell had previously written, “If Bro. Scarboro is guilty of trying to boss Yohannon there are those in the Baptist General Association who will take care of the matter and avenge the missionary…” Sword and Trowel, October 31, 1912, p. 1.
[xviii] Incidentally, his signature at the end of the article gives his location as “Little Rock, Ark.” not Oklahoma City as in the masthead. One of the stockholders wrote, “Bro. Powell has taken no advantage of us in any way, and the above statement goes in with my permission and regrets.” “A Statement,” Uriah Farthing, Sword and Trowel, p. 5.
[xix] My Fifty Years of Gospel Ministry: an Autobiography, G. W. Crawford. Riverbank, CA: Missionary Baptist Press, 1949, pp. 18-19.
[xx] The Arkansas Gazette, Wednesday, January 20, 1915, p. 10.
[xxi] Little Rock and Argenta City Directory, Vol. XIV, 1916, Polk’s Southern Directory Co., Pubs. (available on Ancestry.com)
[xxii] https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/pernicious+malaria
[xxiii] “The Rev. Charles R. Powell,” Arkansas Democrat, Saturday, August 5, 1916, p. 3.
[xxiv] Arkansas probate records at Ancestry.com. [Jersey milk cow is my interpretation of what appears to be “Jearsey Mail, rlv.]
[xxv] “Powell Quits and Explains,” Sword and Trowel, December 19, 1912, p. 1.

C. R. Powell: Where He Comes From and Where He Goes, Nobody Knows

Where He Comes From and Where He Goes, Nobody Knows

In studying the history of the Baptist Missionary Association of Oklahoma, I came across an enigmatic figure in the person of Charles R. Powell. Powell seems to have been a prominent minister among the Landmark Baptists and in the General Association of Baptists in the United States of America – yet I have only found information on him covering roughly two decades, 1896-1916. I cannot find him in any census, thus do not know when or where he was born, where he comes from. I cannot locate him after he exits the stage from Little Rock, Arkansas in 1916, thus not knowing where he goes. Posting here today, I hope I might find that “nobody knows” is inaccurate, that somebody knows who he was, where he came from and where he went.

Powell’s connection to my study was that I found him in late 1912 as editor of the Sword and Trowel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Sword and Trowel was published by Western Publishing Company (of which Powell served as secretary and manager), and in connection with the reorganized Baptist Missionary Association of Oklahoma.[i] The paper was a neat production of 16 pages (except what was possibly the last issue), but died an early death – spanning from its first issue in September until Powell resigned in December. In the December 19 issue, Powell uses nearly 4-1/2 pages (of eight pages) explaining that he has changed his alignments and has “fought my last battle for we have been calling Landmarkism.” “My readers must allow me to be tedious and lengthy in my last article in a Landmark Baptist paper.”[ii] He scores Ben M. Bogard and J. A. Scarboro as liars who must rule or ruin, and says that the only thing the General Association leaders permit “is a fight on Conventions.”[iii] While generally excoriating the leaders of the General Association, the specific problem lies in his defense of missionary I. N. Yohannon against J. A. Scarboro at the meeting at Bay Springs, Mississippi beginning December 3, 1912 .[iv] (Which defense was unsuccessful.) Powell does not indicate what he might do, though he suggests he might look for a home among the Convention Baptists.[v] G. W. Crawford describes the paper and editor this way:

A paper was launched. C. R. Powel was the editor of this paper and its name was “The Sword and Trowel.”

This paper was owned by a bunch of stockholders. I give a few names here of the stockholders of this paper: R. V. Thompson, Bob Thompson, C. R. Powell, Uriah Farthing and myself. There were others, but I do not have their names at hand. This was the breeziest paper I ever saw. It lived for awhile and then died. I will not mention the cause of its death, and its nature.

Poor Charley and the paper went down but we went right on with our work.

Powell (in my knowledge) first crops up in Jefferson, Texas in 1904, where he was pastor of the First Baptist Church. In his swan song in the Sword and Trowel, Powell says he was “born into the Kingdom and called into the ministry in Texas sixteen years ago last August.” His preaching thus begins about 1896 in Texas. This suggests he might be from Texas, but does not say so. He further notes that at the end of the fourth year of ministry (circa 1900), he entered Baylor University. Later, being ostracized as a “church party” Baptist at Baylor, he left before finishing. Powell went to Jefferson upon the recommendation of S. A. Hayden, who had been a pastor there.[vi] He left in 1905, going into evangelistic work. The Jimplecute says, “Rev. C. R. Powell and family moved to Jacksonville this week.[vii]”

Powell’s foray into newspaper work began during his time at Jefferson. While at Jefferson bought half interest in the Baptist Echo, then owned by E. A. Puthuff and J. M. Newburn.[viii] He participated in organizing the General Association of Baptists in the United States of America in 1905. In this capacity, he became editor of the Arkansas Baptist. The Arkansas Baptist temporarily merged with the Baptist Flag after the death of J. N. Hall, then reestablished itself in April 1906, with W. R. Cross, president, and C. R. Powell, editor and business manager (recently come from Texas).[ix] “Powell was a good editor…” but “In three years Powell became dissatisfied and the company [Baptist Publishing Company, rlv] accepted his resignation.”[x] According to Powell, he was dissatisfied with the “bossiness” of W. R. Cross. About this time, Powell served as treasurer of the General Association and became editor of the Baptist Mission Bulletin.[xi]

In Arkansas, C. R. Powell actively participated in the Anti-Saloon league. He was elected Field Secretary of the Arkansas Anti-Saloon League in 1909.[xii] After his return to Arkansas from Oklahoma, he served on the board of trustees of the Anti-Saloon League in 1915.[xiii] After 1916, he disappears from my sight. Though I have not yet found him in any census, he does appear in some of the Little Rock, Arkansas city directories. He lived at 3206 Wright Ave through 1915, and then the 1916 city directory has “Powell, Rev Chas R moved to Halstead Ark.”[xiv] After than point, I do not know where he goes.

This little piece well exhausts what I know about C. R. Powell – except that he debated Socialist Dick Maple in 1909, and that he lost his six-year old daughter to typhoid in 1904.[xv] He seems to have been a popular and respected minister and editor in the Landmark movement, as least up until 1912. When Powell started the Sword and Trowel, J. B. Sellman wrote, “The paper is the best I have seen in some time, and C. R. Powell is by far the best paper-man I know. It seems as though God had made him specially for newspaper work. He is wise in thought, bold in expression, and honest in purpose.”[xvi]

It is my hope that someone who knows where C. R. Powell came from and where he went will see this, and inform us more about this man of whom I currently know so little.

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[i] See, for example, Sword and Trowel, Thursday, September 26, 1912, p. 9.
[ii] “Powell Quits and Explains,” Sword and Trowel, Thursday, December 19, 1912, p. 1.
[iii] “All Landmarkers are not mean as the leaders whose names I have mentioned.” Sword and Trowel, December 19, 1912, p. 4.
[iv] Sword and Trowel, December 19, 1912, pp. 3-4. Powell had previously written, “If Bro. Scarboro is guilty of trying to boss Yohannon there are those in the Baptist General Association who will take care of the matter and avenge the missionary…” Sword and Trowel, October 31, 1912, p. 1.
[v] Incidentally, his signature at the end of the article gives his location as “Little Rock, Ark.” not Oklahoma City as in the masthead. One of the stockholders wrote, “Bro. Powell has taken no advantage of us in any way, and the above statement goes in with my permission and regrets.” “A Statement,” Uriah Farthing, Sword and Trowel, p. 5.
[vi] S. A. Hayden pastored First Baptist Jefferson approximately, 1878-1883.
[vii] Jefferson Jimplecute (Jefferson, Texas) Saturday, January 6, 1905, p. 5.
[viii] He apparently bought Newburn’s interest, since Puthuff remained.
[ix] The Life and Works of Benjamin Marcus Bogard, Foreman and Payne, Little Rock, AR: Seminary Press, 1966, p. 202; Western Christian Advocate, Wednesday, April 18, 1906, p. 3.
[x] Life and Works of Bogard, p. 202.
[xi] Baptist and Reflector, Thursday, June 24, 1909, p. 9.
[xii] The Arkansas Democrat, Saturday, April 17, 1909, p. 3. This article describes him as former editor of the Baptist Advance, which is incorrect. It was the Arkansas Baptist, as we note above.
[xiii] The Arkansas Gazette, Wednesday, January 20, 1915, p. 10.
[xiv] Little Rock and Argenta City Directory, Vol. XIV, 1916, Polk’s Southern Directory Co., Pubs. (at Ancestry.com)
[xv] Baptist and Reflector, March 4, 1909, p. 12; The Daily Arkansas Democrat, June 10, 1909, p. 9; Jefferson Jimplecute, August 13, 1904, p. 5.
[xvi] “From J. B. Sellman,” Sword and Trowel, Thursday, September 26, 1912, p. 10.