Church News.

It was a peaceful Sunday evening, shortly before service. Just in time for David to start the choruses, a thunderous and sadly familiar din of bass guitar and drums filled the sanctuary. Our neighbors behind us were having a party and, though we weren’t invited, they were polite enough to ‘share’ their music with us.

Certainly they weren’t conscious of our meeting times, yet alone aware if it were even Sunday. Randy Jackson and I went over to introduce ourselves and ask them if they wanted to join us for evening service. After turning us down, we asked them to turn down their stereo. I’ll give them some credit—They were friendly to us and they did turn down the volume. Only by about 5 decibels, but it was technically quieter. (Still annoying, though.)

From what I can gather from the previous generations, there was a time in America when people respected the privacy of others: When you could sleep at night without being awakened by an african-esque car stereo system or a flatulent hot-rod muffler, when you could walk down a sidewalk without 15 dogs cursing your every step, or when folks respected the right of a church to peacefully assemble for a few hours per week and the only disruptive sound before worship were church bells. During this morning’s service, I heard another neighbor’s lawn mower buzzing.

There is a positive note to this problem: Each time I heard a neighbor carelessly disrespecting our solemn assembly, I began to feel COMPETITIVE. I was singing louder, shouting AMEN enthusiastically, and a heightened feeling of brotherhood swept away any differences I had with my Christian brethren. Could it be that competition makes us stronger? Why is it that the Church must be persecuted before a revival begins? Am I not wise enough to be enthusiastic in times of peace and tranquillity? Those distractions we keep hearing are the drum-beats of Satan’s army approaching to destroy Texas and America as we know it. Are we to idly sit by until somebody PHYSICALLY invades our service? I draw the line right here! From this day forward, everybody I know will hear the good news of Jesus Christ, competition or not.

God commands us to love our neighbors, and I plan to do just that. I have met many of the people on our street and have found them to be outgoing and cordial. However, if I would have ignored the loud stereo, or just called the police, I would have never felt the drive to become more evangelical. To those innocently loud neighbors who may read this newsletter, I say, "Thank you"! I am stronger today for hearing your opinion of the Church. And by the way, a BIG party is going down soon when Jesus comes back. You’re all welcome to join! Come visit some Sunday and we’ll show you how to RSVP with Christ. (If you think your sound system is cool, wait until you hear the angels in full chorus!)

The EMC had our Mid-States District Conference in Duncanville this year. Except for a very hot and humid opening ceremony, the convention went well without a hitch. Missionaries John and Paula Gentry asked for further donations, for their ministry and for other missionaries, as they spread the good news to the outer reaches of the earth. Reports were given by each church in the District, and every officer gave his report. Dr. Ed Williamson, EMC General Superintendent, presided over the conference, getting things off to a start with the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the conference. What impressed this writer the most was seeing the stand our preacher Charles Mulholland took at the opening service. He was sometimes the lone voice calling for prayer. And for that, I am pleased to have him as our Pastor.

Do You Know Your Bible?

Now, not everyone is going to get all the questions right. Some questions are easier than others, and some are almost obscure. But hopefully, this multiple choice quiz will be both fun and informative for you. Don’t be afraid to use your Bible or other references to answer the questions!

1.) The Exodus delivered ______ Hebrews from Egypt.

a.) 5,000

b.) 30,000

c.) 100,000

d.) more than 500,000

2.) The language Jesus spoke was

a.) Latin

b.) Old English

c.) Greek

d.) Aramaic

3.) The phrase, "Robbing Peter to pay Paul" originates from

a.) Matthew

b.) II Peter

c.) II Maccabees, in the Catholic Apocrypha

d.) Just an old saying

4.) After raising the 12-year-old daughter of Jairus from the dead, Jesus said, "_________"

a.) Don’t tell anyone.

b.) All who believe can be resurrected.

c.) It was unjust that a good child should die so young.

d.) Is this not proof that I am the Son of God?

5.) Melchizedek, a figure who appears in the Old and New Testaments, was

a.) a Babylonian king.

b.) a high priest of the tribe of Levi.

c.) an angel

d.) a minor prophet who spoke of the coming Messiah.

Answers to appear in the next newsletter! The answer to the last newsletter’s "Who Am I" game, is the prophet Daniel.

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARRIES

Sharon Shellis celebrated her birthday on the 25th of April. One day later, Charlotte Sparks celebrated a birthday too, the 26th.

Coming up is our own pastor, Charlie Mulholland’s birthday on the 5th of June. He will be in Ireland on that day, so we’ll have to tell him when he gets back. Audrey Walker, daughter of Lisa Walker, has a birthday on the 21st of June. Andy Hogue will have his birthday on June 27th.

The Birthday list could use some updating. If you would like your birthday or anniversary added to our list, please pencil it in on the ‘Friends & Family’ directory near the phone in the Gerald Ferris Fellowship Hall. You don’t have to be an official church member to be listed.

The History of the EMC

"O Lord, if this movement be of Thy will, bless it and prosper it; but Lord, if not of Thy will, then let it die here and now"

A bold and sincere prayer given by the man who served as our first General Superintendent, Dr. J.H. Hamblen. Indeed, the brave saints who had the courage to stand up to the United Methodist Church and the approaching ‘all religions lead to heaven’ teachings had several options: Should they have stayed with the United Methodists, working to purify their teachings from the inside-out? Should they have left, to join other denominations as each individual chose? Or should they have reorganized as renewed Methodists, eager to bring back the Holiness Movement to the public’s mind? A brief history of Methodism is submitted here, for your convenience and encouragement.

Early "Methodism" The ideas of pure Bible Christianity have been around at different times and in different degrees in all branches of Christianity. But there comes a time when, if a particular denomination sinks too far into man-made opinions and traditions while abandoning the Word of God, that true believers must stand up against the powers that be. In 1729, John Wesley and his brother Charles began reading the Bible for themselves—A rare practice for non-clerical young me at the time to engage in. They saw that they could not be saved without holiness, followed after it, and encouraged others to do so. In 1737, they realized that one must be sanctified by the Holy Spirit before they are justified. Their mission became clear.

The Wesleys, along with evangelist George Whitfield, led a group of students at Oxford University to come together for both intellectual and spiritual improvement. Their ‘systematic’ way of living encouraged their fellow students to call them Methodists.

On the evening of May 24th, 1738, John had underwent a spiritual awakening. Of the experience he recalled, "I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ alone for salvation; and assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." Wesley went on to form what were known as Societies, from people who would come to him to ask sincere questions about redemption and forgiveness. These Societies were voluntary associations of people who wanted to improve their individual lives as well as their local churches. They typically met on Thursday evenings. During these meetings, they would share advice for living, confess sins, and conclude in earnest prayer. All Society members were still in the Church of England and were faithful to the denomination. These volunteer Societies, without the aid of the government, helped to spark a great revival which swept through the British Kingdom-- Awakening the lost to a sense of God and duty.

Methodism in America After the rise of the United Societies in Europe, Phillip Embury (a preacher from Ireland) began to preach Wesleyan-style sermons in New York City. Many soon followed, including Francis Asbury, whom many Methodist churches today are named after. Wesley ordained Dr. Thomas Coke as a Superintendent (equivalent to a Bishop, re-titled to avoid conflict with existing churches) with the authority to ordain Asbury as a Superintendent as well. Under their supervision, Methodism grew to 80 traveling preachers and roughly 15,000 members, divided into 6 circuits. The first circuit, the Carolina Circuit, between 1777 and 1778 gained 1,800 souls.

After these United States gained recognized independence from England in 1783, Church of England members were, according to Wesley, "Totally disentangled both from the state and from English hierarchy." He continued, "They are now at full liberty to follow the Scriptures and the primitive (1st Century) church, and we judge it best that they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has so strangely set them free." Methodist societies began to meet as their own church bodies. Many splits and alliances have occurred over the years (See chart). While Methodism has become one of the most divided branches of Reformed Christianity, it is still one of the largest denominations in existence today.

Methodism in Texas We as Texans should not forget the profound effect the Methodist Movement has had on us. If it weren’t for Methodism, Texas may today still be part of Mexico. A young settler named Sam Houston, a devout Methodist, came to the Tejas territory to seek his fortune on the frontier. He was undistracted by Mexican atrocities and treaty violations. It wasn’t until the Mexican Empire demanded all settlers convert to Catholicism, that Houston became vocal about Texas independence. According to Mexican record, Houston joined the Catholic Church. But he rarely attended Mass-- Mr. Houston met in secret with other Methodists in the area! General Sam Houston, as you probably should recall, went on to organize the fight for Texas to become its own Nation.

The Ecumenical Assault One of our own members, Mrs. Carol Ferris, noticed some frightening trends coming from deep within Methodism. A poster distributed by the Ecumenical Movement (a movement to join Reformed, Orthodox, and Catholic denominations together, which the Methodists had innocently joined) was to be posted near the front of every sanctuary. On it were drawn a series of roads, all leading to a common point with a cloud and rays of sunshine protruding. A representative of each religion was on each road, walking toward the cloud in the distance. The headline read, "All Roads Lead to Heaven". Satan’s insurrection had begun. Later, a church meeting at Southern Methodist University revealed the Dean of Seminary’s belief that "hell is only for a short while"—In strict violation of the words of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 25:46) Mrs. Ferris responded, "This may sound unbiblical, but I can stand anything for just ‘a little while’. What’s to stop me from doing whatever I please?" She risked loosing many friends by challenging his false humanist doctrine. But she wasn’t alone in her challenge. Others began to resist this trend of man-made belief entering Methodism.

The Evangelical Methodist Church With a firm realization that the gulf that separates Conservative thought (the ideas of universal right and wrong) and Liberal thought (truth being relative, according to the person) is an ever-widening chasm which can never be healed, the Evangelical Methodist Church (EMC) came into being. Its purpose was to preserve the distinctive doctrine of early Methodism, founded upon the Bible and the teachings of John Wesley. On May 9th, 1946, in Memphis, Tennessee, a small group of Christians met for prayer and consultation, trying to cope with the incoming apostasy of the Methodist Church. After long hours of waiting before God in prayer, they felt lead to organize the Evangelical Methodist Church (EMC, for short-- It is quite a mouthful!). Dr. John Henry Hamblen, of Abilene, Texas, was elected chairman of the group meeting. Later, he was to serve as the first General Superintendent of the EMC.

Alliances Dr. Ezequiel B. Vargas, superintendent of the Mexican Evangelistic Mission came to the first Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. He was a man known for his horse-back sermons, riding from church to church spreading the word of God. A very Wesleyan concept. According to Dr. Hamblen’s autobiography, "One morning a car stopped in front of my home…One of the men was Dr. E.B. Vargas, of Mexico. He placed his arms around me, with tears streaming down his face." He told Hamblen that his evangelistic group wanted to join the new Methodist movement. We have the Life and Truth Bible Training Institute in Mexico, to serve Torreon, and the rest of what is known as the ‘Mexican District’. We cooperate with world missions through World Gospel Mission and OMS International, and have 50 missionaries serving with them. The EMC is also aligned with The Holiness Partnership, Celebrate Jesus 2000, and other movements that seek to unify the Body without sacrificing our God-authored Bible doctrine.

Conclusion From an outsider’s perspective, the history of Methodism is a complicated and messy one. But has that not been the story of all those who have struggled for God’s truth? What about Moses, trying to remind Israel to keep faith? Think about Job’s trials and sicknesses. Remind others of the troubles Jesus had along the way, to ultimately die on a cross for you and me. The evil one does not want us to succeed. He will do anything he can to destroy the legacy of John Wesley’s call to Holiness. Even if the EMC should go astray from the Bible, may we as the remnant of the Methodist movement stand strong upon the Word, and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 3:14-15)

Information taken from:
"Discipline of the Evangelical Methodist Church, 1966-1970" EMC Headquarters, Wichita, Kansas

Hamblen, Dr. J.H. "A Look Into Life" Available from the EMC Headquarters, Indianapolis, Indiana

"History of the Alamo Website" http://www.thehistorynet.com/wildwest

Ferris, Carol Personal Interview

Some liberty was taken with the original wording of the Disipline’s historical statement in order to simplify the vocabluary and explain religious terms, with all respect to the author.

Schedule of Services

Sunday:

9:45am Sunday School

11:00am Morning Worship

6:00pm Evening Worship/ Interactive Discussion

Tuesday:

8:00am Men’s Breakfast

Wednesday:

6:30pm Powerhouse of Prayer

7:00pm Exploring Exodus

Mabel Ferris

A.D. 1906-1999

She lived from wagon trains to jet planes. The mother of Gerald Ferris, and a dear sister in Christ. A regular at our Vintage Ministry. She will be greatly missed. We look forward to seeing you again, over by the east gate. This issue is respectfully dedicated to her.