Practical Bible Training School - Theologue Yearbook (Johnson City, NY)

Page 9 text:

MRS. JOHN A. DAVIS Jlflofffafz U cwii And God is able to make all grace abound toward vou: that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work. II Cor. 9:8. MOTHER DAVIS, AS WE KNOW HER By Rav. LILLIAN BURTCH fozvss My first acquaintance with Mrs. John A. Davis was more than twenty years ago when I was a student in P.B.T.S. She was then Superintendent of Women and was very active in the school. My favor- ite memory of that time was her conduct- ing of the girls' fellowship meetings. What a blessing they were! I do not now recall a thing that she told usg but she met the needs of our lives, she touched the prob- lems that were of vital concern to us. MRS. CLARENCE ,IONES A Long-Time Friend of Mrs. john Davis and a Graduate of the Class of 1925 During the last of our senior year Mrs. Davis suffered a physical break-down, which necessitated her giving up much of her work in the school. We all felt that this was a real loss to the school. Mrs. Davis, however, has never lost her contact with the students or the alumni. Through the years the fellowship has been close and precious. Mrs. Davis has the rare faculty of en- tering into the problems and interests of others. In many ways Mrs. Davis is like Stephen. We read of him that he was full of faith, full of the Holy Spirit, full of grace, full of power, full of light, full of the Scriptures, full of courage, and full of love. I am sure that all would say that these characterize Mrs. Davis. Full of Faith. How difficult has been the way for her! What spiritual burdens she has carried! What financial problems she has faced. Yet a walk-step by step -depending upon God has been her life. Mrs. Davis has been full of faith, and thus there has been no room for doubt or fear. CContinued on Page 145 Page Seven

Page 8 text:

REV. JOHN A. DAVIS, D. D. oun at of this Practical Bible Training School For the Lord God will help meg therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7. U Uzausfscf gofin. Barrie This evangelist has a spiritual power I never saw in any other. Better come and hear him. That was my reply to a query of Rev. Wallace E. Brown, Clater elected Bishopj concerning John A. Davis, whom I was assisting as song leader. A union of leading Ithaca Churches follow- ed, which developed into a mighty revival that profoundly stirred the city. So great were the crowds that the Lyceum Theater was required for certain special meetings. It was the beginning of my work with Mr. Davis-evangelist extraordinary! I was then student pastor in the First Meth- odist Church of Ithaca, was teaching a class in vocal music in the Conservatory of Music and taking some special gradu- ate courses in Cornell Universityf This was in the winter and early spring of 1906. That summer Mr. Davis invited me to assist him at Emory Grove Camp Meeting near Baltimore. This was a moribund or- ganization that had lost almost all its religious vitality and had become a mere Page Six By FRED A. MILLS summer resort. Its spiritual resurrection was a miracle! The enthusiasm aroused proved so contagious that crowds came the eighteen miles from Baltimore to see the parades of worshipers, to hear the rousing singing, and share in the joyous fervor that captivated saint and sinner alike. So fContinued on Page sb FRED A. MILLS The Great Soloist and Chorus Leader Who Worked With EVANGELIST DAVIS For Many Years.

Page 10 text:

successful was this summer campaign that the evangelists were invited to return to Northeast Baltimore and conduct a revival with fifteen churches uniting-five denomi- nations in all. At its close the altars of the churches were filled with converts uniting in membership, and God's bless- ing fell upon the whole city. THATS 'I-'YNI4 vmzv rnzv, 'l'EiA1-TK. YOU That autumn our party of evangelists visited Saginaw, Michigan, and saw a fine church revived, the pastor stirred to a greater work for the Lord, and many con- verts, among whom was the Chief of Po- lice of Saginaw. Then began a series of campaigns in Brooklyn, New York, that brought Davis, Mills and Carr into high standing among evangelists of the period. The meetings began with a Watch Night service at Sum- ner Avenue Baptist Church in December 1906, the Embury Methodist Church unit- mg. Within a week the spirit of The Old Time Religion caught fire in the Stuy- vesant Heights section of the city. It spread rapidly until its influence and power were felt over in Manhattan. Dele- gations attended from many distant churches and communities. The daily papers devoted columns in descriptions of the unique methods of Mr. Davis, of strik- ing and unusual incidents Cof which there were manyl, and the spiritual fervor and enthusiastic singing of the people. Bibles appeared, carried by attendants of the services, and Bible study became popular. A Bible famine in the stores was reported! A New York Sun reporter is said to have asked, Why do we hear the people sing- ing, humming and whistling gospel hymns here in Brooklyn instead of the popular coon songs? His friend replied, Go to Sumner Avenue Baptist Church and find out at the Davis-Mills meeting! He came, and next morning in a prominent column of the New York Sun appeared a delight- fully written column describing the meet- ing. Colonel Sellers, Religious Editor of the Brooklyn Eagle, saw the article and decided he had better investigate person- ally. Thereafter, for many weeks he missed scarcely a meeting, writing glowing de- scriptions of the progress of the cam- paigns. These papers were distributed nation wide. For sixteen weeks the meetings continued in Brooklyn in a succession of churches- Sumner Avenue Baptist, Asbury Meth- odist, Janes Methodist, Washington Ave- nue Baptist, Simpson Methodist, and Han- son Place Baptist. God alone knows the numerical or spir- itual results of these marvelous meetings, for Mr. Davis did not believe in statistics, nor the signing of convert cards. Near the close of a campaign a pastor anxiously inquired, Mr. Davis, I do not have the names and addresses of all these new people, how shall I look them up after the meetings? John Davis replied confident- ly, Brother, they will look you up! And they did! They kept coming, oftimes many months after the close of the campaigns. One pastor, who had vigorously opposed our coming, relented and confessing his mistake announced publicly, A friend asked me today what I thought of Davis and Mills, and I replied, 'Well, Davis and Mills are a success, and you can't argue with a success.' One night, being in com- plimentary mood, he described us thus: Davis is a spiritual wizardg and Mills is a musical corkscrew! Our work called us back to Brooklyn and Manhattan for three successive years, as well as to many other cities, such as A man's greatness is measured by his capacity to be humble. Page Eight