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

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16 He Liz-'ed 17 or Ofh6I'.i 'j blessed again when another son, Charles j. Davis, was given to the proud parents by Him who giveth every good and perfect gift. The pleased parents had much to tell the world about their boys. Those were happy days for the Davis family, yes, and for the community too. A Christian Endeavor society was soon organized and functioned successfully. On one occasion, thirty men were welcomed into it. Glorious times were continually experienced. Its membership was one hundred. One hundred boys and girls constituted the junior Christian Endeavor society. These or- ganizations had joyful and important parts in the church activities. They stood loyally by the pastor. They had the honor of being the largest of like groups in Susquehanna County. The Hallstead Fire Company invited similar com- panies from Binghamton and other towns to join in a celebration and parade at Hallstead. They came in large numbers in fine uniforms and with brass bands. Both the Senior and junior Christian En- deavor societies were ready for them. When march- ers halted long enough to be served with lemonade by the hustling Seniors, the juniors invaded the ranks with dainty buttonhole bouquets, each attached with ribbon to a card with a Scripture passage written thereon. The boys and girls did quick Work to make sure each fireman had one pinned on his uniform. It meant much work for these societies to gather and prepare all the flowers and cards, but the deep im- pression made on the firemen was assurance that all V the work was amply rewarded by the joy and bless- ing given. The following quotation is from a booklet, en- titled History of the First Baptist Church of Hall- stead, Pennsylvaniaf' During Mr. Davis' pastorate he spent much time in evangelistic work in other fields. In September, 1899, he tendered his resig- nation, in order that he might devote all of his time to this special work to which he felt the Lord had called him. Women, children and strong men wept at the service when he announced his resignation, yet none would have asked him to remain against the leading of the Holy Spirit. November 26, 1899, both morning and evening, large audiences attended the farewell services for Pastor Davis. The morn- ing text was I Cor. 2:1-4 iAnd I brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power', the evening text was I Samuel 12:24 'Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you.' He moved to Binghamton to give full time to his evangelistic work in which he became re- nowned. Be it known that some of his best and most blessed work was at Hallstead. DO THE WORK OF AN EVANGELISTW II Timothy 415. After five years of successful work as a pastor in Hallstead, Pa., Mr. Davis felt the call of God to do the work of an evangelist, so in his implicit obedience to the will of God, he resigned his pas- torate and embarked on a course of evangelism which for brilliancy ranks with that of the greatest evan- gelists of the present century. We believe that Mr. Davis was one of those of whom Paul was speaking in the fourth chapter in his letter to the Ephesians when he said, and He gave some, apostles, and some, prophets, and some, evan- gelists, and some, pastors and teachersf' Truly, Mr. Davis was a God-ordained evangelist doing a God- ordained work in many, many places where the Spirit of God led. God's seal of approval upon this humble ambas- sador's work can be traced into every field of service where he ever held a campaign. He has been in- strumental in leading many thousands of souls out into the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ. His aim was for a million souls for Christ in eter- nity! He came very close to his aim, how close, only eternity will reveal. It would be an impossibility to give an account of all the campaigns which Evangelist Davis held. It would be impossible even to list the places where he has been privileged, under God, to present the Glad Tidings to hungry hearts. We wish that more space might be available to reiterate some of the won- derful works, wrought by the Holy Spirit through the life of this unassuming, unpretentious servant. However, we shall try to touch on a few of the larger campaigns in order to give an idea of how the cam- paigns were conducted and the manner in which they were generally received. To many fields, Mr. Davis was recalled two, three, and even as many as seven different times. Asso- ciated with Mr. Davis, as singer, was Mr. Fred A. Mills, a man with a rich baritone voice and Spirit- given ability, both as a soloist and as an inspiring chorus leader. Davis and Mills were names known in the evangelistic field comparable with those of the 'Yield to the pruning knife or expect the axe

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He Lived IJ or Ollaerru 15 drink and gamble away the support for their families, the church, and payments due on their debts. What was done to prevent their yielding to such tempta- tions? PRAYER. Mr. Davis believed in helping to answer such prayers. Groups of ladies gathered at homes and earnestly prayed for the new-born babes in Christ, for many of the men were such. They prayed for others who had not yet entered the Hock of the Shepherd of souls. While the ladies were thus engaged, Mr. Davis would go to meet some of the railroad men who might be tempted of Satan to be led astray. Many a night did he walk the streets with them, linked arm in arm until the men reached home safely with their money still in their pockets. Evangelism was carried on in various ways. Mr. Davis inspired others, he urged all to go on to victory. Conviction was strong that each person, young and old, should have some part in both the worship and activities of the church. One who took school house or a distant church for religious meet- ings. In those days a Gospel wagon was kept busy to convey singers and speakers to distant localities for services. The choir was accustomed to meet for prayer and praise previous to each service and to in- vite those whom they wished to win for jesus Christ to be present! A credit to all concerned was the strong missionary spirit that prevailed among the church members. Mr. Davis had ambition to launch out into deeper waters for souls, but how could his presence be spared? Easily answered. God says in Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hearf' To prepare for such contingencies, Mr. Davis had certainly been divinely led in the early days of his ministry to take to himself an ardent Christian wife, a tactful, sweet-spirited, energetic, young lady with musical ability. Mrs. John A. Davis was warmly welcomed by all, and proved herself to be a most -Y -W V . , ,-7e,-.... ..,. ,..... .. -W . , ,ev W, ,W Y , , l l I THE HALLSTEAD CHURCH AT THE CLOSE OF REV. DAVIS' PASTORATE no part in prayer-meeting felt conspicuous. One lady said: A person told me that I would soon go back to my former lifeg but what is there to go back to? Nothing but husks compared to the joy and friendship of my Saviour and His followers. Thrill- ing reports were given in these services of divine power and grace to overthrow Satanis allurements. The baby organ was an important factor, for it seemed to say: I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord, I'll do what you want me to do. That meant going into various homes with groups of enthusiastic young people for praise and prayer services, Bible study, and personal work. Again the organ accompanied zealous young Christians to a helpful pastor's assistant, She took his place in the pulpit when he was led of the Holy Spirit to go into other vicinities to conduct evangelistic cam- paigns. Then again some of the members would hold a platform service, or someone would preach a God-given soul-stirring sermon from his heart. Progress was marked in every department of the work of the church and with blessed results. How the parish and village was stirred one day as a young man ran his bicycle at top speed, that he might proclaim to his friends and neighbors the news of a new arrival in town, and at his home! A baby boy named Gordon C. Davis, a love-gift from God, had begun his life at the Baptist parson- age. Later this young child, and the home was But to us there is but one God, the Father, . . I Cor. 8:6.

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He Lived For Otberf' 17 generation before- Moody and Sankeyf' To this day the names 'iDavis and Mills' are remembered by thousands upon thousands of the older generation. In looking over some of the newspaper clippings of the great Brooklyn campaigns held in the year 1907, we were thrilled by accounts with head-lines such as the following: 72,500 People Attend Davis- Mills Meetings, l'1,20O Men at Single Mass Meet- ing, Revival Meetings Fill Two Churchesf i'Evan- gelist Davis and F. A. Mills, His Singer, Arouse Great Enthusiasm, i'Lively Time at Revival in Brooklyn, Evangelist Davis of Binghamton and His Singers Stir Up Things, Davis and Mills Asked to Return Next Yearf' There is much that we might say concerning the work of Evangelist john A. Davis in these campaigns. He was held in very high esteem by pastors through- out the entire city of Brooklyn. The following ar- ticle concerning the coming campaign which Davis and Mills were to hold in the Washington Avenue Baptist Church appeared in the Sunday Bulletin dated March 3, 1907. The long expected coming of these powerful evangelists is about to be realized, for Davis and Mills begin special Gospel meetings next Sunday and continue with us two weeks. It is positively cer- tain that their coming will be of immense benefit. They are masters along the line of their specialty- the arousing of the conscience in allegiance to jesus Christ. Their work is thorough. Their appeals are tremendous. Their business is to make converts to jesus Christ, of members of the Church as well as the world, of which our Lord will not be ashamed, and they know their business. They are unique in the revival field, for they are first, midst and last, men of action. Other evangelists preach and sing. These men act, and infiuence the people to act with them. They are generals with a plan of campaign mapped out in advance, and you find yourself fol- lowing their lead. However sluggish you were yes- terday and indiierent, when they command, you arouse yourself and follow. This is because they command so sweetly and appealingly that you cannot help loving them. and before you know it you are loving the Christ they proclaim. The writer spent last Wednesday evening from 8 to 11 o'clock at one of their meetings and found it hard not to go again Thursday night. They held my attention from start to finish. How can they continue a meeting for two and a half hours and hold the crowds? As Philip said to Nathaniel, Come and seef, In that throng of people I saw nobody asleep, but I did see people laugh and weep, and less than a hundred went out before the close. The evangelist took less than thirty minutes for his sermon, and sermon it was, all right, preached with the picturesqueness and vividness of a Talmadge, and the power of a Moody. True, it lacked the homiletical form of a college trained, theo- logically dried sermonizer. It did not satisfy the intellect. It came near offending the intellectual demand. In fact it may be said, as I look back upon it, to have dethroned the intellect, and after the giant lay there cast down, Davis was cruel enough to stand upon him and reach out after your heart. He suc- ceeded in boring into the conscience, in grappling the heart, in stirring the phlegmatic propriety of spiritual indifference to the depths, in honoring jesus and making Him seem more indispensible to Christian work and living than before seemed to be necessary. These youngsters, for they are very young men as years go, though veterans in the spirit, possess a charm hard to define, and the best of it is, the charm lingers with you after the meeting is over, and next day, and you feel uneasy until you go again. We are told we heard the evangelist at his best in preaching and the conducting of the after meeting, which by the way is never conducted two evenings the same. Even so, I cannot conceive of his second-best being uninteresting and tiresome. I imagine someone ask- ing if less than thirty minutes were taken up with the sermon, how in the name of all that is good and great could the rest of the long evening be made not to drag? A detailed answer would take too long, so again I must answer, as above- come and see. The following account appeared in the 'lNew York Herald of May 7, 1907, giving an account of the closing night of the Brooklyn campaigns. A most re- markable demonstration of the deep hold Evangel- ists Davis and Mills have secured upon the religious element of this city during their four month's cam- paign was strikingly given in the closing service held in the largest available building, the Janes M. E. Church Sunday night. Tickets were issued, but not- withstanding, hundreds crowded before the doors singing the old familiar hymns learned during the campaign, while waiting for admittance. The crush at the front filled the great auditorium in a moment after the opening of the doors and overflow meet- ings were quickly arranged for in nearby churches. The sight inside was a most inspiring one, as 500 singers in the great union chorus crowded the plat- form and galleries, and when Mr. Mills waved his baton as the signal to begin, those who heard will never forget the enthusiastic melodious response, the deep spiritual fervor, as from song to song the hun- dreds swung in unison and with great accord. Shortly after the song service Evangelist Davis took charge. He was given an enthusiastic greet- ing, men and women from all the walks of life and social positionswprofessional, businessmen, mechan- ics, rising to their feet again and again to express their appreciation of the great work done. Mr. Davis in characteristic form and with unique power, after prayer led the great congregation into testimonies of benefits received. The pastors first telling how great blessings had come and saying they had never ex- 'But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom. 5:8.