Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE NEWBERRY SUN, NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1965 1218 College St., Newberry, S. C. 29108 PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY 0. F. Armfield, Jr., Owner Second-Class Postage Paid at Newberry, SoutU Carolina. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $2.00 per year in ad vance :Six Months $1.25. AN APPEAL . . . (continued from page 1) period. The shift in personnel at that moment in production caused the bibliography to get by without checking. The first time anyone was aware of the error, therefore, was after it had appeared in print. “The mistake was discovered too late to make correction in the quar terly, but it was discovered early enough to alert the Baptist Book Store managers. In this way, none of our stores stocked the inappro priate books, and would-be purchasers could be informed of the mis take. “This incident was reported in full to the elected Sunday School Board members in July. They approved our strategy of dealing with the problem with the overall objective of NOT getting the book read and NOT publicizing the author. In the light of that objective, we handled th ematter in local areas where problems might arise as a result of the book list. We are glad to report that while the quarterly was current, relatively few churches in a very limited geographical area even knew of the error. Few were affected by it. Most of the ado came after the quarter was over and after the quarterlies themselves had been discarded. The latter stir was created primarily by political- minded persons who seemed to want to involve us some way in the presidential campaign and wanted to make political mileage out of an unfortunate occurence. “The Sunday School Board has a long and distinguished record of speaking out against inappropriate literature. Our regret and em barrassment over (this) situation has led us to renewed dedication to our changeless purpose in providing outstanding examples ofChrist- ian literature and church education programs. “Pray for us ir the work and come to see us whenever you can. “Sincerely, James L. Sullivan (signed Those who have been in a position to know the facts have accepted Dr. Sullivan's explanation and have sought to do what they could to build confidence in the administration of the personnel of the Sunday School Board. The members of the elected Sunday School Board made the following statement which appeared in our own state Baptist paper, “The Bap tist Courier,” dated February 12, 1965. “The members of the elected Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Nashville on January 25 and 26, 1965, have been fully advised by the administration of the agency regarding the unintentional error listing certain inappropriate books in the Training Union Quarterly for young people seventeen through twenty- four years of age in the third quarter of 1964. “This elected Board has also been fully advised regarding the steps taken concerning involved personnel and procedures responsible for permitting such a situation to arise. We have been further fully ad vised concerning the information that has been made public by the ad ministration in response to inquiries. In addition, we have been shown that every individual letter written on the subject in earnest inquiry has had a reply. The situation was previously reviewed with us in our July, 1964, meeting, and in subsequent Executive Committee meetings. “This Board joins with Dr. James L. Sullivan of the administration and with involved personnel of the agency in expressing deepest re gret over the occurence, recognition that the error was unintentional, satisfaction that appropriate steps have been taken to prevent a re currence, and understanding that the books at issue have never been stocked in Baptist Book Stores. “We also reaffairm our confidence in the administration and in the personnel of the Sunday School Board as to their dedication to God's task and to the objectives of the agency as stated by the Southern Baptist Convention. We appreciate the magnitude of the publication and education tasks of the agency, and the multitude of possibilities for misunderstanding and mistake. Through the years, there have been remarkably few significant errors. For this we art thankful to God and grateful to careful and proficient personnel. It is our prayer that future publications and educational programs will continue inasmuch as is humanly possible with the help of the Holy Spirit to.be free from flaws, to be Biblically based, doctrinally sound, and always honoring God.” - It is regrettable that after almost a year now, there are still those, many of whom are themselves Baptists w,ho would seek to use this un fortunate incident to hurt our denomination. The newspaper article referred to earlier closed with these words: Of course the Baptist Convention gave all sorts of excuses—it was list a mistake; but by thn the damage had been done. “ It is my personal opinion that the damage done by the listing of tnproper books has not been near as great as the damage done by those rho weeks, and even months later have sought to capitalize on this aistake for whatever be their reasons. Let us be realistic about it for . moment: I dare say that 99 per cent of you never even knew the ttcident occurred until three days ago. Moreover, if you would ask any ne of our young people about it you will no doubt find that they did tot know of it either—or even where the book list is to be found—or perhaps even what a quarterly is. I appeal to you, therefore, to weigh carefully the facts and to make judgment on this matter upon the basis of all the facts, rather on the basis of partial information or on the basis of what you If want to believe. [y, I appeal to you to be extremely careful in your criticism f what others are attempting to do for the cause of Christ. Dr. m and others, including myself, would be quick to admit that are human too—that Baptists make mistakes—that Baptist and policies may need improving—but we are also able to improvement can come only from those whose intentions are ictive, not destructive. I shall always remember the statement of one of my seminary pro- “You have no right to tear down something even if you be- be bad, unless you have the solution for replacing it with In recent years Baptists have sustained much criticism from our fellowship, but too few of these have been of any helpful nature and have had any intent of being constructive. I am reminded of the school teacher who held up a piece of white poster board with a small dot in the middle. She asked her class what they saw. Every child, except one, said all they saw was a black dot. The final child with a wisdom seldom found even in adults, said, “I see a whole lot of white space.” People see what they have a mind to see. Because of human frailty w have a tendency to see only the black dot, when actually the good things usually outweigh the bad. As one of our deacons is fond of saying, We must constantly be on our guard “not to throw out the baby with the bath water!” I am fully cognizant of the fact that many will try to take what I have said this morning as a blanket endorsement of all Baptists do and say. This will be a wrong conclusion. I am not as the monkey who can see no evil, hear no evil, or speak no evil. I am just as much aware of our failings as the next man. But whatever may be our mistakes as Southern Baptists, I believe that God is using Southern Baptists today as never before. With over 10 million members we are reaching into some 55 different countries with the message of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through our free co-operation with some 33,000 other Baptist churches we are supporting over 4,000 missionaries at home and abroad. Added to these facts, is the fact that during 1964 Southern Baptists won to Christ over 19,000 more converts than in 1963. It is easy to see the “black dot,” but I appeal to you this morning to look long enough to see the “white spaces.” For I believe the white spaces for out-weigh any black dots. Our hope is that God will take us in all of our weakness as we sur render our wills unto His and use us in these trying days to the end “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” I thank God for Southern Baptists! I thank God that through the ministry of a local Baptist church I met the Saviour face to face. I thank God that through the educational ministry of Southern Baptists I was provided a college and seminary education, second to none in the world. I thank God that through the ministry of the Baptist denomina tion I have the supreme privilege of proclaiming the saving message of Jesus Christ from this pulpit. My Christian friends, I am not blind to evil. I am not always pleased with everything Southern Baptists do or say—but I say to you this morning without and reservations, I AM PROUD TO BE A SOUTH ERN BAPTIST! COMMENTS ON SERMON (By Doris A. Sanders) .1 The article in By-The-Way consisted mostly of quotations from a Resolution adopted by the Citadel Square BAPTIST church in Char leston. There was no intimation either in my remarks, or in the reso lution, than any portion of the books was quoted in the Quarterly. 2. The Quarterlies were apparently in the hands of the churches by July. Why were the pastors not notified before November 5 that the Baptist School Board did not recommend the material? 3. The Board says the books did not get to Baptist Book Stores. Do they think young people do not know how to use a public library? And if they knew it soon enough to keep the books out of Baptist book stores, did they not also have time to alert churches to remove the offensive materials before issuing the Quarterlies to young people? 4. Any publisher or printer will be the first to acknowledge that errors will occur but it is almost too fantastic to believe that an ERROR of this magnitude could occur in a RELIGIOUS publication house. True, whoever prepares the Sunday School lessons has no control over incoming mail; but does it not stand to reason that any person know ledgeable enough to prepare a Sunday School lesson, listing these books as resource material, should know the name, and question the works of James Baldwin? So, the first question is, why didn't the “tentative list”—wherever it came from (and that we still don't know —end up promptly in the trash can where it belonged? Surely there is an editor who checks religious material before pub lication, even when the publishing house is in turmoil as it apparently was at the time. If the bibligraphy wasn't edited, how about the re mainder of the Quarterly^—and other materials published during the same period? Could it be possible that this is the ONLY item which escaped editing? Then there is the typesetter. Anyone who reads the daily papers or looks at news reports on TV must have some idea about the con troversy swelling around James Baldwin, or certainly Martin Luther King. Of course the typesetter’s job is to set what he is given—but wouldn’t a reasonable person be prone to inquire about this? And the proof reader. Did he or she not wonder about thisbiblio- graphy? Who corrected the galley proofs? And finally the printer. Perhaps he didn’t pay attention to the cold type, so he might be ex cused. The point I’m trying to make is that a thing of this kind passes through many hands. Could so many in a religious publishing house be so unquestioning? And why didn't the long letter of explanation tell WHO was responsible, WHO compiled that “tentative” list to be used as resource material in a study of the “Christian and Race Problem”? Why should Mr. Sullivan make the claim that the stir “was created by political-minded persons . . . Does he, for instance, refer to the Citadel Square BAPTIST church? As another critic has said about this fiasco, “All Baptists should ‘stir' violently at the thought of “Another Country,” (one of Baldwin's books) being recommended by an official agency of their church.” Please bear in mind that appar ently few knew it was NOT recommended by the Baptist Sunday School Board until November. Mr. Bass refers to the Baptist Courier of February 12. I read the Baptist Courier, too. It is among the church publications I read reg ularly. Ordinarily the Courier sticks to the business of religion and straight reporting on activities within the S. C. Baptist Convention. However, it did publish the statement mentioned by Mr. Bass. Mr. Bass thinks the incident should not have been brought up at this late date. But it was the Sunday School Board of the Southern BAPTIST Convention which made the statement quoted by Mr. Bass, after January 25-26 of THIS year. It was the BAPTIST Courier which printed the statement in February this year which aroused curiosity. Mr. Bass believes that 99 per cent of his Sunday congregation knew nothing of the incident “until three days ago.” Is this to say that Young People do not study their quarterlies, and that the good Bap tists do not read the Courier? It is difficult to believe that only one per cent of that big congregation knows what is going on within its organization. Mr. Bass would have his congregation make judgments on the basis of facts. That is quite proper and I wish he would stress that delegates to the State Baptist Convention do the same. I have in mind that on at least two occasions the State Baptist Convention passed resolutions condemning Sunday National Guard drills. How many of those dele gates knew the FACTS before they voted? How many knew that wor ship services are ALWAYS held during Sunday drill periods and that if a guardsman chooses, he may have time off to go to his own church? Were these not actions by the State Convention based on partial information? Contrary to Mr. Bass’ belief, my criticism was meant to be con structive, not destructive. It was meant to alert Baptists (since ap parently no one else had alerted them) to what CAN happen. Since Rev. Bass mentions seminaries, I will branch out just a little. A member of a committee to secure a minister for a ‘Baptist church told me recently of the careful screening job the committee was doing —because of the ‘too-liberal” (at least for their church) attitude of many of the young seminary graduates. I had not heard that Baptist Seminaries were yet affected by liberalism so I checked with a Bap tist minister of my acquaintance. His answer? “I’m afraid so, some of them.” This opinion was supported only yesterday by a member of First Baptist church. Let me say that I have the highest respect for Rev. Bass and other Baptist ministers I know. I join him in thanking God for the Southern Baptists because I sincerely believe that if ANY church can keep on the right track in the face of such a barrage of propaganda, it is the Southern Baptist church. Just today I read a letter telling of an in cident which occurred in a Baptist church in a nearby state. During the services, anyone wishing to give personal testimony was asked to do so. An old missionary stood up and said “The Lord led me to this church when it got to the place that I couldn’t go back to my own Presbyterian church.” So I say again to Rev. Bass and all of my good Baptist friends: I offer no apologies. What was published in my column was in no way intended to hurt the denomination; rather it was intended to help— and I’m sure those Baptists who have know nme and read my column over the years will know this to be true. ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS NEWBERRY COUNTY—Air- pert Improvements, Newberry Mu nicipal Airport, Newberry, South Carolina; Newberry Airport Com mission, Owner; Davis and Floyd Engineers, Inc., Post Office Box 428, Greenwood, South Carolina, Engineer. Bids are due 2 p.m., June 1 ,1965, Newberry County Courthouse. Plan deposit $30.00 - $15.00 refundable. Bid Security 5 per cent. Work consists of: Clear ing—10.4 acres; Excavation 21,000 Cubic Yards; Sand-Clay Base — 9,200 Cubic Yards; Asph altic Paving—2,600 Tons; Com plete Low Intensity Lighting Sys tem and Related Work. Bidders attention is invited to Section 90 of Standard Specifica tions relative to revised Labor Provisions and Equal Employment Opportunity. Plans available — Associated Contractors, Greenville, South Carolina; F. W. Dodge, Columbia, South Carolina May6-2tc Scout Promotions Troop 66 promotions: Van Cuthbertson Ge,ne Smith and Eddie Porter, Second Class; Bobby Davis, Eagle. Troop 66 Merit Badges: Mike Bryan, marksmanship; Arthur Connelly, electricity, marksmanship; Bobby Davis, camping, safety; John Fraser, personal fitness; Sandy Fretwell, public health; Sammy Price, soil and water conservation; Eddie Rodelsperger, nature. Building Permits Building permits for repairs or additions, totoling $3470, were is sued by the City last week to: Mrs. Maude Bannister, Charles St.; Mrs. Boozer, 1307 Main St.; Ernest Ward, 1310 Drayton St.; Alvin Donaldson, Crosson St.; Furman Kyzer, 414 O’Neal St.; Mr. Smith, 1512 Wheeler; R. L. Hilley, 1307 Fourth; M. B. Thom son, 1400 Main; Mrs. Clara Wertz, 923 Main; H. B. Kirkegard, 2100 Nance (addition); Mrs. Clark, 2511 Fair Avenue. TO ATTEND GREENVILLE MEET An estimated ten delegates of Jehovah’s Witnesses from New berry will join more than 700 fel low Witnesses May 7-9 at a three- day circuit assembly in Green ville. Miss Bernice P. Brown, spokesman for the group, said the theme is “Willingly Fulfill your Ministry.” The Newberry group will be one of 18 cities represented from South Carolina and Georgia. NEWBERRIAN NAMED Louis Brossy Jr., son of Dr. and Mrs. L. E. Brossy, 1113 Cal houn St., was elected reporter of Los Eruditos at Newberry College this week. Los Eruditos is an or ganization for students who main tain a high scholastic average in Spanish. •Brossy is a freshman at New berry College. PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL • Mrs. Nancy Amick and Baby Girl, Prosperity. Miss Annie Bynum, City Harold Cromer, City Mrs. Reba Coleman and Baby Boy, Clinton Mrs. Marie Cronk, City Miss Fannie Mae Carwile, City J. W. Counts, City Wilbur R. Frick, Little Mtn. Mrs. Cora Fellers, Prosperity Mrs. Gertrude H. Guy, Kinards Fred E. Goff, Saluda Mrs. Levie Hill, City Mrs. Bessie P. Hendrix, City Mrs. Elizabeth Hill and Baby Boy, Rembert Miss Dianne Livingston, Pom- aria Wilson Leavell, City Mrs. Gussie B. Miller, City Master Tom William Murray, Chappells Charles N. Martin, City Baby Girl Norris, City Mrs. Florence L. Nobles, City Mrs. Florence Puckett, City Grady Boyd Rose, Jr., Pomaria Mrs. Docia Rankin and Baby Boy, Prosperity Walter Regnery, City Holland Ruff, City Mrs. Dorothy Senn, Silverstreet Mrs. Martha Sligh, Prosperity Robert Simmons, City Mrs. Mary Shealy, Little Mtn. James Fred Thomas, City Miss Ora Wilson, City Mrs. Maggie Willingham, City Henry Wike, City Mrs. Myrtle Brown, City Mrs. Henrietta Beatties, City Mrs. Myrtle Cook, City Hiram Dawkins, Whitmire K. C. Dorlay, Little Mountain Mrs. Marie Jones, City Andrew Maybin, City Mrs. Sophie Y. Miles, Saluda Mrs. Queen Esther Ruff, Pros perity PROPERTY TRANSFERS Newberry No. 1 Ruth T. Armfield to John Willie Robinson, one lot on Lincoln Court, $5.00. James M. Swindler to Whisper ing Pines Investment Co., Inc., 6.1 acres and two lots on Havird St., $6.00. T. E. Wilkes to Ralph E. Wat kins Jr. and Clara S. Watkins, one lot on Amelia St., $5.00. Whitmire No. 4 Outside Newberry Federal Savings and Loan Association to Wallace Roch ester and Leila B. Rochester, one lot, $100. Pomaria No. 5 Virgil B. Graham to E. Otto Leightsey, 3.20 acres, $320. Carrie Ellesor Hawkins to Faye E. MacArthur, 32 1-2 acres, $5.00 love and affection. John L. Metts to John L. Metts and Sudie Mae Metts* 62.54 acres, $5.00 love and affection. Beulah F. Widker Crumpton to Edith F. Stack and Wade H. Stack, one lot, $5.00, love and af fection. J. D. Berley to James M. Berley 2.98 acres, $500. Little Mountain No. 6 W. K. Swygert and H. B. Shea ly to Frederick D. Cortner, one lot, $5.00. Mrs. Cora Hamm Amick, et al, to Trustees of the Exchange Club of Newberry, 1.7 acres, $5.00. Proaperity No. 7 Mrs. Cora S. Fellers to Rhett S. Fellers, one lot, $5.00 love and af fection. Carl M. Nelson and Judy Carter Nelson to Robert Lee Gtrel, one lot and one building, $12,400. W. M. Harris to Herbert E. Brunson, one lot, $1950. 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