Pioneering in the Danger Zone (more history)

[Sam]

The article below, “Pioneering in the Danger Zone” is from the October 1974 Pentecostal Herald, pages 5 and 18. It tells how the Gospel came to a small isolated area in the Ozarks and what its effects were. The man used to bring the Gospel to those folks was Samuel C. McClain (1889-1969).

I recently read Bro. McClains’ autobiography which is titled, “Seek First the Kingdom.” It has a copyright date of 2005 and is distributed through the Pentecostal Publishing House. Back in the 1960’s A.L. Clanton was doing some research for a book which he later published as “United We Stand.” Bro. McClain had sent him some hand written material of recollections of his ministry and included a hand written autobiography which had been filed away and not published. Robin Johnston discovered the manuscript years later (after Bro. McClain’s death) and developed it into the book “Seek First the Kingdom.”

In his autobiography, Bro. McClain tells that he was saved at the age of 14 and joined a local Baptist church and was called to preach at the age of 16. On May 25, 1912 he received the Holy Ghost baptism at a revival meeting in a school house. He then preached about that experience in school houses and brush arbors and was ordained by Bro. Howard Goss in August, 1914. The account below, which appeared in the 1974 Pentecostal Herald is adapted from pages 33-37 of the book and happened soon after his ordination. It was about a year and a half later (January 16, 1916) that Bro. McClain was baptized in Jesus’ Name. This story reads like an account in the Book of Acts.

Pioneering in the Danger Zone
by Samuel C. McClain (deceased)

In September of 1914 Brother Clarence T. Craine heard that the people in a valley beyond Blue Mountain of the Ozarks greatly needed the gospel. He went there to plan a revival, but was informed that no preacher was allowed to let the sun set on him in that community.

After I finished a revival in southern Arkansas, I happened to meet my brother Lee, who had moved into this isolated community to graze his cattle on the grassy slopes of the mountains. He told me of the needs of the people for the gospel, and I consented to go there and preach. He informed me that unless I carried out his instructions, I could not get in there.

On September 10, 1914, following Lee's instructions, I took my father and mother in a two horse wagon, and went to visit him. I had put on some worn clothes, an old hat, and scuffed shoes. This was so I would not appear "stuck up" to the people. This worked fine. The people liked Lee because he enjoyed hunting, and went along with them. And they liked me, because I was not "stuck up." But I was a preacher!

Lee said to the leader, Billy Johnson, "I have not heard Sam preach in a long time. Suppose we make a party line call, and ask everyone to come to the school house tonight and hear Sam preach." The house was full. I closed by saying that my father and mother would be visiting Lee over the week-end, and, since I seldom missed a night preaching, I would be preaching every night. Everyone was invited to come.

The men had not expected this. After service they immediately went into counsel. "What can we do?" they asked one another. "Sam is Lee's brother, and we can't run him out." They decided that all the men would go deer hunting, every man taking his wagon, so the women would have no way to get to church. But in the first service the women had become
interested. So they simply walked to church, starting early in order to make it on time. They walked from two to four miles. One wagon had been left, so they used it; along with my wagon and my brother's, to bring the children in. A nice crowd of women, children, two elderly men, and my own folks attended. In preaching, I told of a deaf-mute being healed in South Arkansas, of other healings, and of the Holy Ghost Baptism.

A Wonderful Healing
A widow had a four-year-old son who was very low with double pneumonia. On Thursday the doctor told her that there was no chance for the boy to live. Several of the women who had heard me preach advised the widow to bring the child to the meeting. That night, before we began the service, they brought the child to me on a bolster, carried by a strong mountaineer woman. They said, "Sam ( everyone there was called by his first name), we want you to heal this child." I asked, "Do you believe that God will heal the child?" They answered, "Sure; God can do anything."

When we prayed, great drops of perspiration popped out on the child. Several of the women had promised one another, "If the child is healed, I am going to pray, and get the Holy Ghost baptism." I had been out in the woods a few times praying, "Oh, Lord, send those men back at any cost." I knew that there were some very tough men in the community. Lee had told me that Billy Johnson was the leader, and that his word was final. Lee took me up the road and showed me a shoe nailed to a tree. He said, "A man wearing nice clothes came into the community, and would not tell his business." He added, "There is his shoe, and that is his grave under that walnut tree." In spite of this, I knew that the Bible said, "He that believeth on him shall not be afraid."

The First Altar Call
On Friday night I felt led to give an invitation. To my great surprise, it appeared that half of the adults came forward for prayer. There was no one but my wife and me to pray for them. But they needed little help. They really prayed. Two received the Holy Ghost, and nearly all the others had their sins forgiven. They all seemed very happy.

God answered prayer; on Saturday, here came the men. They had to come in to care for the deer meat, and for the honey they had taken from wild bees. They had agreed, however, "If that preacher is still there, we will not stay one night." But every woman was telling about the revival, and about the child being healed and going out to play the next day. Billy Johnson's wife, Mary, and John Spear's wife (also named Mary) were the two who had received the Holy Ghost. The men decided to stay one night, and that was all that God needed. The women did not come to seek the Lord that night, for fear of their husbands, but the two Marys came forward fearlessly and prayed for their husbands. This praying continued for about two hours.

Billy Johnson was sitting near a pallet on which his three children lay asleep. He was so angry that his face and neck were red. His thoughts on what he was going to do to his wife and to "that" preacher had him so occupied that he failed to realize his baby was sick with a high fever. He took the fretting child up, but kept a close watch on his wife as she so earnestly prayed. When she finished praying, and went to her husband, he said sharply, "Get those kids, and let's get home." She replied, "Why, Billy this baby is sick; take it up and let Sam pray for it." He answered, "I don't believe in no such; let's get home." But she said, "I will, then." We prayed, the child was healed, and started perspiring shen she handed it back to Billy. "See, it is healed," she said. From his pocket Billy pulled a large red handkerchief and wiped perspiration from the child's face.

Billy told me later how he fussed at Mary. "What made you act as you did tonight?" he asked her. She answered, "I was praying for you, and if you don't get right with God, you are going to hell."

Well, Billy couldn't sleep. He knew his wife was praying, and he knew the baby had been healed. He said to himself, "She said I was going to hell, and I guess I am. Maybe I had better get right with God." The remainder of the night found Billy at the barn praying. He was our only seeker at the altar Sunday morning at the close of the service.

Billy owned a "moonshine" still, and made whiskey. This stood between him and God. I had called for a men's prayer meeting, under a certain tree. I think that every man in the community was there, with the exception of Billy and one more man. They had gone with axes to destroy the still and the barrels of whisky.

Lee and Billy Pray Through
I had planned that after the grove meeting with the men, I would spend an hour alone with God before the evening service. But Lee was under conviction, and followed me. Soon he prayed through, and we both were shouting and jumping. We did not know that Billy Johnson had destroyed his still, and was praying only two hundred yards below us. But about the time we started shouting, Billy prayed through. He came up the mountain side, leaping over huckleberry bushes and shouting to the top of his voice. Lee ran to meet him, and what a shouting time they had together!

The revival had started! The leader and his wife were on the Lord's side, and nearly everyone was under conviction. We baptized seventeen in the first baptismal service, and twenty-seven in the second, including my brother Lee and his wife. One or more had the Holy Ghost in every home except four. We had to take my father and mother home, and then conduct a revival in the Methodist Church in Summerfield, Louisiana, so we announced another revival, to begin thirty days from that time. Billy Johnson was appointed leader, and exhorter of the Word. The last I heard of him he was preaching in the backwoods of the Rocky Mountains.

[helen_febus]

Originally Posted by Sam

The article below, “Pioneering in the Danger Zone” is from the October 1974 Pentecostal Herald, pages 5 and 18. It tells how the Gospel came to a small isolated area in the Ozarks and what its effects were. The man used to bring the Gospel to those folks was Samuel C. McClain (1889-1969).

I recently read Bro. McClains’ autobiography which is titled, “Seek First the Kingdom.” It has a copyright date of 2005 and is distributed through the Pentecostal Publishing House. Back in the 1960’s A.L. Clanton was doing some research for a book which he later published as “United We Stand.” Bro. McClain had sent him some hand written material of recollections of his ministry and included a hand written autobiography which had been filed away and not published. Robin Johnston discovered the manuscript years later (after Bro. McClain’s death) and developed it into the book “Seek First the Kingdom.”

In his autobiography, Bro. McClain tells that he was saved at the age of 14 and joined a local Baptist church and was called to preach at the age of 16. On May 25, 1912 he received the Holy Ghost baptism at a revival meeting in a school house. He then preached about that experience in school houses and brush arbors and was ordained by Bro. Howard Goss in August, 1914. The account below, which appeared in the 1974 Pentecostal Herald is adapted from pages 33-37 of the book and happened soon after his ordination. It was about a year and a half later (January 16, 1916) that Bro. McClain was baptized in Jesus’ Name. This story reads like an account in the Book of Acts.

Pioneering in the Danger Zone
by Samuel C. McClain (deceased)

In September of 1914 Brother Clarence T. Craine heard that the people in a valley beyond Blue Mountain of the Ozarks greatly needed the gospel. He went there to plan a revival, but was informed that no preacher was allowed to let the sun set on him in that community.

After I finished a revival in southern Arkansas, I happened to meet my brother Lee, who had moved into this isolated community to graze his cattle on the grassy slopes of the mountains. He told me of the needs of the people for the gospel, and I consented to go there and preach. He informed me that unless I carried out his instructions, I could not get in there.

On September 10, 1914, following Lee's instructions, I took my father and mother in a two horse wagon, and went to visit him. I had put on some worn clothes, an old hat, and scuffed shoes. This was so I would not appear "stuck up" to the people. This worked fine. The people liked Lee because he enjoyed hunting, and went along with them. And they liked me, because I was not "stuck up." But I was a preacher!

Lee said to the leader, Billy Johnson, "I have not heard Sam preach in a long time. Suppose we make a party line call, and ask everyone to come to the school house tonight and hear Sam preach." The house was full. I closed by saying that my father and mother would be visiting Lee over the week-end, and, since I seldom missed a night preaching, I would be preaching every night. Everyone was invited to come.

The men had not expected this. After service they immediately went into counsel. "What can we do?" they asked one another. "Sam is Lee's brother, and we can't run him out." They decided that all the men would go deer hunting, every man taking his wagon, so the women would have no way to get to church. But in the first service the women had become
interested. So they simply walked to church, starting early in order to make it on time. They walked from two to four miles. One wagon had been left, so they used it; along with my wagon and my brother's, to bring the children in. A nice crowd of women, children, two elderly men, and my own folks attended. In preaching, I told of a deaf-mute being healed in South Arkansas, of other healings, and of the Holy Ghost Baptism.

A Wonderful Healing
A widow had a four-year-old son who was very low with double pneumonia. On Thursday the doctor told her that there was no chance for the boy to live. Several of the women who had heard me preach advised the widow to bring the child to the meeting. That night, before we began the service, they brought the child to me on a bolster, carried by a strong mountaineer woman. They said, "Sam ( everyone there was called by his first name), we want you to heal this child." I asked, "Do you believe that God will heal the child?" They answered, "Sure; God can do anything."

When we prayed, great drops of perspiration popped out on the child. Several of the women had promised one another, "If the child is healed, I am going to pray, and get the Holy Ghost baptism." I had been out in the woods a few times praying, "Oh, Lord, send those men back at any cost." I knew that there were some very tough men in the community. Lee had told me that Billy Johnson was the leader, and that his word was final. Lee took me up the road and showed me a shoe nailed to a tree. He said, "A man wearing nice clothes came into the community, and would not tell his business." He added, "There is his shoe, and that is his grave under that walnut tree." In spite of this, I knew that the Bible said, "He that believeth on him shall not be afraid."

The First Altar Call
On Friday night I felt led to give an invitation. To my great surprise, it appeared that half of the adults came forward for prayer. There was no one but my wife and me to pray for them. But they needed little help. They really prayed. Two received the Holy Ghost, and nearly all the others had their sins forgiven. They all seemed very happy.

God answered prayer; on Saturday, here came the men. They had to come in to care for the deer meat, and for the honey they had taken from wild bees. They had agreed, however, "If that preacher is still there, we will not stay one night." But every woman was telling about the revival, and about the child being healed and going out to play the next day. Billy Johnson's wife, Mary, and John Spear's wife (also named Mary) were the two who had received the Holy Ghost. The men decided to stay one night, and that was all that God needed. The women did not come to seek the Lord that night, for fear of their husbands, but the two Marys came forward fearlessly and prayed for their husbands. This praying continued for about two hours.

Billy Johnson was sitting near a pallet on which his three children lay asleep. He was so angry that his face and neck were red. His thoughts on what he was going to do to his wife and to "that" preacher had him so occupied that he failed to realize his baby was sick with a high fever. He took the fretting child up, but kept a close watch on his wife as she so earnestly prayed. When she finished praying, and went to her husband, he said sharply, "Get those kids, and let's get home." She replied, "Why, Billy this baby is sick; take it up and let Sam pray for it." He answered, "I don't believe in no such; let's get home." But she said, "I will, then." We prayed, the child was healed, and started perspiring shen she handed it back to Billy. "See, it is healed," she said. From his pocket Billy pulled a large red handkerchief and wiped perspiration from the child's face.

Billy told me later how he fussed at Mary. "What made you act as you did tonight?" he asked her. She answered, "I was praying for you, and if you don't get right with God, you are going to hell."

Well, Billy couldn't sleep. He knew his wife was praying, and he knew the baby had been healed. He said to himself, "She said I was going to hell, and I guess I am. Maybe I had better get right with God." The remainder of the night found Billy at the barn praying. He was our only seeker at the altar Sunday morning at the close of the service.

Billy owned a "moonshine" still, and made whiskey. This stood between him and God. I had called for a men's prayer meeting, under a certain tree. I think that every man in the community was there, with the exception of Billy and one more man. They had gone with axes to destroy the still and the barrels of whisky.

Lee and Billy Pray Through
I had planned that after the grove meeting with the men, I would spend an hour alone with God before the evening service. But Lee was under conviction, and followed me. Soon he prayed through, and we both were shouting and jumping. We did not know that Billy Johnson had destroyed his still, and was praying only two hundred yards below us. But about the time we started shouting, Billy prayed through. He came up the mountain side, leaping over huckleberry bushes and shouting to the top of his voice. Lee ran to meet him, and what a shouting time they had together!

The revival had started! The leader and his wife were on the Lord's side, and nearly everyone was under conviction. We baptized seventeen in the first baptismal service, and twenty-seven in the second, including my brother Lee and his wife. One or more had the Holy Ghost in every home except four. We had to take my father and mother home, and then conduct a revival in the Methodist Church in Summerfield, Louisiana, so we announced another revival, to begin thirty days from that time. Billy Johnson was appointed leader, and exhorter of the Word. The last I heard of him he was preaching in the backwoods of the Rocky Mountains.

_____________________
Thanks for all the Pentecostal History.
I really do love it and will be printing it out for my Mother and My Aunt. This story especially, will be such a blessing to them.

God Bless you for sharing.
Helen Febus