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Vol. IX—No. 4
POWELL’S POWERFUL PERSONALITY
NEW PASTOR OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, CHATTANOOGA, MAKES NOTABLE BEGINNING—GENIUS LINKED TO
t “OLD TIME RELIGION’’ BRINGS SPEEDY VICTORY IN TENNESSEE METROPOL S.
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F “the greatest battle of the 19th cen
tury was religion,” according to the
brilliant Edwin M. Poteat —the con
quest of vital Christianity over effete
systems of folly and philosophy as well as
over the selfish hearts of sinful men —even so
the most newsworthy “happenings” of the
20th century are not the triumphs of captains
of finance nor the masteries of artisans and
engineers, but they are the true stories of the
victories of love and labor in the redemption
of men and women.
During my recent visit to Chattanooga—the
third generous invitation in about a year to
address the Y. M. C. A. in that great and
growing city—l heard much of the notable
success attending the new pastorate of Wil
liam Francis Powell at the historic First Bap
tist Church.
This gifted and deeply consecrated young
Carolina-Virginian had just come December
Ist from seven years of remarkable success at
Calvary, Broughton’s old church in Roanoke,
and yet in some seventy days of service, with
out any “protracted meeting” there had been
about fifty conversions and seventy additions
to the church.
So wisely had the new pastor builded tow
ard a great day of decision in the church and
Sunday School that forty-two of these conver
sions had come on the Sunday that I spent in
Chattanooga (February 15th)-
Superintendent and Pastor—A Rare
Combination.
H .D. Huffaker, president of the Interstate
Life and Health Insurance Company, who
thinks religion during his six days of business
and talks it and works at it “every day and
Sunday, too,” is the wide-awake superinten
dent of the Sunday School, and hand in hand
and heart to heart with his pastor he had
sought to lead all hearts toward that wonder
ful hour. Then the new pastor took hold.
Talk about fascinating employment —the
most fascinating thing on earth is “throwing
the net,” winning the individual —winning the
multitude to Christ. Powell is deft and dar
ing, winsome and wonderful as a fisher of
souls —and children in their tender years, and
grown-ups in the beauty and glory of their
STARTLING FOLLY OF AN ALABAMA LAWYER—Page 4
ATLANTA, GA., MARCH 19, 1914
By WILLIAM D. UPSHAW, Editor.
young manhood and womanhood, pressed into
the Kingdom in that blesed hour when “the
bottom of Heaven fell out” on that glorious
. scene.
Building On a Firm Foundation.
Seldom does any new pastor find himself
more fortunate in a predecessor than W. F.
Powell in Chattanooga—for he followed on our
•■Georgia giant,” Jasper C. Massee, and Mas-
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DR. W. T. POWELL.
see, himself a great soul winner, is also a co
gent preacher of foundation verities, and be
fore he left to lead the First Baptist Church
at Dayton, Ohio, he planted seeds of truth
and sanity and deep spirituality which make
it all the easier for a constructive leader like
Powell to enter with wisdom and conquest into
the harvest of a master builder.
He Fascinates “Young America.”
One of W. F. Powell’s strongest faculties is
his ability to fascinate “Young America" into
the highest enthusiasm for the things of God:
and righteousness- He can tell a baseball story
with such masterful genius that, before the
boys know it, they are up on their feet shout
ing “nine rahs” for some hero of Christian
manliness.
And yet this same “little man” of tact and
versatility can walk into the fellowship of such
stalwart num as Senator Newell Sanders, Hon.
George W. Chamlee, or R. 11. Hunt, the fa
mous architect, who are active members of his
church, and impress them at once with that
calm clearness of judgment and that humble
simplicity which true greatness always re
veals.
How Roanoke Loved Him.
A prophecy of what W. F. Powell will mean,
under God, to Chattanooga, is found in the
following story from The Roanoke Times con
cerning Dr. Pjwell’s leaving the Virginia city:
Dr. Powell Accepts Call to Chattanooga.
Evidences tis the affection and love for their pastor
was shown last night when a large number of the
congregation of the Calvary Baptist Church assem
bled at 8, o’clock in the Sunday School room of th©
church ‘for th regular Wednesday night business
meeting, received, with tears and sobs, the resigna
tion of their pastor of seven years past, the Rev. Dr.
W. F. Powell, who resigned his charge here to take
effect December 1, when he will accept a call to
the First Baptist Church of Chattanooga, Tenn., the
call being received in a telegraphic message by him
early this week.
But a few of those at the meeting last night knew
that Dr. Powell had decided to resign, following the
receipt cf the call. The resignation was submitted
by him at the close of the business meeting. In a
few simple words he told his people that during
his seven years’ stay in Roanoke among so many
he loved and whose friendship he cherished, he al
ways had attempted to eliminate the personal side
of his office as pastor of Calvary from all his deal
ings concerning the church.
“Tonight,” he said, “I must be more personal and
say something of myself. I feel that in going to
the Chattanooga church I am doing God’s will and
am going into a field where there is work for me
and where I must do the same work that I have
done here with you. When I came here, you ac
cepted me with the knowledge that the work 1 was
to do is not simply for you here alone but is a
field which extends everywhere; for God’s work must
extend everywhere; and I ask you to release me with
the same spirit that you accepted me seven years
ago.”
ONE DOLLAR AND FIFTY CEWTf
A YEAB :: FIVE CENTS A t*Ft