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CAMPAIGN FOH STOUGHTON’S TASLTNACLE
Amid the Rejoicing Ober His Decision to Stay in America an Enthusiastic Effort is Reing Made to Gibe Einancial Ereedom
to His Great Work —Let Golden Age Readers Help.
HE announcement that Dr. Broughton
has turned down London for America
and his great work in Atlanta has caus
ed a widespread rejoicing that is taking
substantial shape. Hon Fred L. Seely,
editor of The Atlanta Georgian, who is
always ready for every good word and
work, has inaugurated a campaign for
the financial liberation of Dr. Brough-
T
ton’s great Tabernacle enterprises, and in the same
issue the following graphic story which will hold in
terest for our readers everywhere, was told:
To raise $75,000 to complete the new Tabernacle
church, now partly under way, and aid it to continue
the great work it has done for Atlanta and Atlan
tans.
“That is the problem before the Tabernacle. That
the sum can be raised, now that Dr. Broughton has
decided to remain in Atlanta, there is no doubt. At
lanta has never permitted a good cause to go un
heard and there is no Atlantan but realizes the good
work the Tabernacle movement is doing—not for its
members only, not for merely the Baptists of the
city, but for all Atlanta.
For weeks there has been pending the call extend
ed to Dr. Broughton, founder and builder of the Tab
ernacle, a proposition to go to London to head a
great church there. It was an offer to tempt any
man. The work was attractive, the field broad and
inviting. Dr. Broughton gave it deep consideration,
wrestled with it, prayed over it —and on Sunday
night decided his duty lay with Atlanta and his home
people.
Now what will Atlanta do for him?
The public generally has not had a clear idea as to
the work and aims and needs of the great Tabernacle
movement. There is at present a lack of correct in
formation on the position of the institution. The
infirmary—open to rich and poor, Jew, Catholic or
Protestant, with pay or without —is fully paid for and
is almost self sustaining. It is the new building for
the main tabernacle, the auditorium, which is espe
cially in need of funds. The building, begun a short
time ago on Luckie street, has reached the first floor
—there are three stories yet to be completed and the
money must be raised lest the worK stop.
Work At a Standstill.
“It is at a standstill for lack of funds,” said Rev.
J. W. Ham, assistant pastor of the tabernacle. “It
will take $75,000 to put us in the new building so
that we may be in a position to entertain large audi
ences and do the institute work which forms so large
a share of the Tabernacle enterprises, and which in
cludes night schools, Bible schools and various
branches of science.
“Our congregation feels that the burden now is to
get into the new building and then to begin the plan
of erecting the girls’ dormitory, ’which is a part of
the institutional idea.
“The daily prayer of the Tabernacle congregation
is to be able to hold the next annual Bible Confer
ence, March next, in the new building. Campbell
Morgan and other great men are to be the speakers
—we want our new building to be ready for them.
“Every nerve and energy is being directed toward
this date, when it is hoped to be able to dedicate
the new auditorium, free of debt. The congregation
is doing all it can to bring this about, yet the re
quired amount is so large we need the assistance of
friends outside the church and irrespective of creed.
“Any friends who may find it in their hearts to
help this work may make their wish known to H. A.
Etheridge, the bonded treasurer of the Tabernacle
enterprises, who has offices in the Atlanta National
bank building.”
Story Os Beginning.
The work of the Baptist Tabernacle has been one
of the leading influences for good in Atlanta since its
beginning twelve years ago. Dr. Len G. Broughton,
at the time pastor of the Jones Avenue Baptist
church, began the movement for a church along
broad institutional lines. Six months from the in
ception the present building on Luckie street was
begun and in its shell the congregation, growing rap
idly, began worship. The property was purchased
without a penny by the brave men and women who
felt sure of its ultimate success. It outgrew its quar
ters and was enlarged to a seating capacity of 3,400.
It was not long before even this was outgrown, and
Dr. Broughton and his people secured the lot further
up Luckie street, where the corner-stone of the new
building was laid several months ago.
It was not long after the building of the first Tab
ernacle that Dr. Broughton made known through
practical means that his creed was the New Testa
ment Christianity. He began an old woman’s home,
with but a few inmates and even less room. This
effort at “practical Christianity” grew into the work
ing girls’ dormitory, which now has a capacity of
thirty-five young 'women, who work during the day
and find a home there at a reasonable price. Side
by side with this began a small infirmary, accommo
dating eight patients. It now has seventy-five beds,
thirty trained nurses, three regular house physicians
and a visiting staff of thirty prominent physicians.
It is conducted on the pay, part-pay and free sys
tems. No sufferer is ever turned away if there is
an empty corner to accommodate him. There is no
denominational line drawn—you may find Methodists
and Presbyterians, Jew and Catholic, believer or ag
nostic, in the little white beds there.
This is a part of the work the Tabernacle is doing.
It has a greater field before it. It is up to Atlanta to
say how it shall be encouraged.
Dr. Broughton’s decision and the struggle leading
up to it are described vividly by Rev. J. W. Ham,
assistant pastor of the Tabernacle.
Standing On Holy Ground.
“For sixty days I have stood on what I consider
holy ground,” he said. “I have watched the soul of
a great leader in its travail to ascertain the will of
God. I have watched him in prayer, in silent thought
■ HE
:
DR. LEN G. BROUGHTON.
and under the pain that brought tears, living with
him daily and nightly through the entire struggle,
and late last Saturday night the die was cast.
“The eloquence of these closing days leading up
to the decision is indescribable. I saw him write
out the decision that placed him in the position to
face an unknown future, with the struggle and trial
to bring to completion the ideals which were begun
in this city twelve years ago. Friends wanted to
come to this man prior to the decision, with plans
to give an opportunity for Atlanta to materially ex
press itself, hoping thereby to make it clear that
his life work would be here. He steadily refused
such advances, maintaining that there was a higher
plane on which to decide this great issue. He has
made the greatest sacrifice of his life from a per
sonal standpoint, and also from a preacher’s stand
point, in deciding to cast his life into the work
here.”
Golden Age Readers Can Help.
We are sure that many of our readers who have
so richly enjoyed Dr. Broughton’s glorious sermons
from week to week will be glad to have some part
in striking the chains from his faithful hands in this
great and anxious hour. While cash is needed now
it will be needed also along during this year and
next, and your subscription can be made in divided
payments. Send direct to Dr. L. G. Broughton, “The
Tabernacle,” Atlanta, Ga., and wrap your gift with a
cheering “God bless you.” Mrs. J. H. Low, a conse
crated Atlanta woman, headed the list with $5,000.
Eugene Callaway, a great-hearted Christian business
man, not a member of Dr. Broughton’s church, goes
down for $5,000. And James H. Anderson, a mer
chant prince of Knoxville, Tenn., who loves God and
humanity better than he loves his money, sent,
cheerily, the following telegram:
Knoxville, Tenn., May 25.
F. L. Seely, Editor Georgian, Atlanta, Ga.
Dr. Broughton’s work in Atlanta is \i a class all
The Golden Age for June 2, 1910.
to itself. No work in the entire Southland appeals
so strongly to me as a factor in the moral uplift of
our people.
Atlanta is crazy if she does not support the Tab
ernacle institutions—if for no other than a business
reason.
Put me down for $5,000.
JAMES H. ANDERSON.
Subscriptions Received.
Mrs. J. H. Low $ 5,000.00
J. H. Anderson 5,000.00
Eugene C. Callaway 5,000.00
S. C. Callaway (additional) 1,000.00
A. P. Stewart 2,000.00
John A. Darwin, Athens 1,000.00
Weston Bruner 500.00
A. S. Parker, Athens, Ga 500.00
E. G. Willingham 500.00
A Friend, Commerce 500.00
Another Friend, Commerce 500.00
C. W. Hatcher (additional) 400.00
T. M. Callaway (additional) 200.00
A Friend 200.00
Geo. Winship, Jr. (additional) 100.00
J. A. Willingham 100.00
W. A. Harris, Houston, Texas 100.00
Employees of Dougherty-Little-Redwine
Company 75.00
C. W. McClure Company 50.00
A Friend, Atlanta 50.00
Walker Dunson (additional) 50.00
A Friend, Atlanta 25.00
M. A. Hale 10.00
Mrs. W. J. Patterson 2.50
W. S. Witham 5,000.00
Geo. M. Niles 500.00
Dormitory Girls 100.00
Total $28,462.50
Do It Noiv.
Some time you mean to mend your ways,
Why don’t you do it now?
You hope to win the whole world’s praise—
Why don’t you do it now?
You’ve always read in prose or rhyme,
“The present is the golden time.”
If you are ever going to climb,
Why don’t you do it now?
In short, no matter what you’ve planned,
Why don’t you do it now?
If you have work right at your hand,
Why don’t you do it now?
Successful men are never late;
You’ll fail if you procrastinate;
If you have vowed to conquer fate,
Why don’t you do it now?
* H
Home Happiness.
Probably nineteen-twentieths of all the happiness
you will ever have you will get at home. The inde
pendence that comes to a man when his work is
over, and he feels that he has run out of the storm
into the quiet harbor of home, where he can rest in
peace with his family, is something real. It does
not make any difference whether you own your own
house or have one little room in that house. You
can make that little room a home to you; you can
people it with such moods; you can turn to it with
such sweet fancies that it will be fairly luminous
with their presence, and will be to you the very per
fection of a home. Against this home none of you
should ever transgress. You should always treat
each other with courtesy. It is often not so difficult
to love a person as it is to be courteous to him.
Courtesy is of greater value and is a more royal
grace than some people seem to think. If you will
but be courteous to each other you will soon learn
to love each other more wisely, profoundly, not to
say lastingly, than you ever did before. —Exchange.
Send sl.lO and get that beautiful
book Esther Ferrall's Experiment.
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