Report of Meetings

[Page 94]

     The Grassy Church of Christ, near Arab, Alabama, is a congregation of free men and women with a sense of commitment to the restoration of unity among all sincere believers. I addressed a full house there for three nights in March, and conducted an open forum question period each morning which was attended by eager students who drove many miles to be present for the occasion. It was my privilege to speak at a luncheon meeting in Huntsville and reply to queries from those present. The meetings were characterized by fervency of spirit.

     On March 28, I spoke to many high school and college young people in the auditorium of the Hartford, Illinois, schoolbuilding. I shared the program with more than a hundred students constituting the Roxana group of "Up With People." The young people deserve commendation for their behavior and interest in the message of Christ for our day.

     From April 3-5 I was with the Prairie Young Peoples Association in a meeting at Missoula, Montana, where four hundred high school and college students assembled from four Canadian provinces and four northwestern states. The first meeting was held at Snow Bowl Ski Lodge in the mountains, and other meetings were conducted in the large ballroom of the Florence Hotel. The news media gave excellent coverage, and the radio station broadcast one of my speeches alive and aired an interview with the station manager. The young people passed a Christian proclamation to be sent to the president of the United States and to the prime minister of Canada.

     During the week of April 13, I conducted a study in depth at Mountain View Church of Christ, Phoenix, Arizona, where Hubert Burris labors. The meetings brought together many from the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ in an outstanding study in depth. In addition to meetings each night, and a two hour question period each morning, I spoke to a group of area preachers at a breakfast, and a college-career group at a dinner meeting.

     The Christian Unity Forum held at the Indiana State Teachers Association Building in Indianapolis brought together brethren from many different segments of the restoration movement. Speakers from the Disciples of Christ included Lester McAllister, George Earle Owen, Richard Lauer, Dan E. Huff, and Mrs. Joseph Smith. Those from the Independent Christian Churches included Richard Laue, Warren Robins, James Smith, Kenneth Arnold and Dennis Fulton. From the Churches of Christ came David Bobo, Ivory James, Earl West and myself. It was my privilege to address four sessions of the meeting, as well as to deliver a devotional message at the Missions Building of the Disciples of Christ, with George Earle Owen presiding over the service.

     Following each speech the audience was given fifteen minutes for questioning, after which small groups formed for further investigation of the implications of the speeches. In spite of the wide divergency of views represented by the speakers and audience, the decorum was excellent, and there was not one untoward incident to mar the occasion. There was a great deal of interest in having another meeting of the same kind at a later date.