November 24, 1999

1940-1949: Baptists journey
from despair to growth
___By Kelly Pigott
___Picture the faithful Old Testament widow Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, trudging back to Judah. They were poor, destitute and harbored little hope for the future. They were stunned by their circumstances. But in Ruth's case, at least, there was a resolute trust that God would somehow take care of them. Naomi was not so sure.
___In a similar way, Texas Baptists began the 1940s, stunned by the Great Depression and anxious over world events as Nazi Germany rattled its sword. At the state convention in 1940, R.C. Campbell, secretary of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board, stated: "We meet in an ominous day. Hatred, greed, selfishness, ill-will have thrown their blackness across the world's horizon. ... The cataclysm of a second world war has blasted the hopes, aspirations and ideals of another generation."
___The following year, W.W. Melton took over leadership of the convention. He moved his staff from rented facilities to a new Baptist Building in Dallas, which was shared with the Southern Baptist Relief and Annuity Board. The move to a permanent home sent a message across the state--despite circumstances, Texas Baptists are here to stay.
___Across the state, churches were in survival mode, doing everything possible to keep paying the bills. On his 43rd anniversary at First Baptist Church in Dallas, Pastor George W. Truett spoke in a melancholy tone, "We had expected a better world. ... We have all forgotten God. Our nation had a great part in that. We have forsaken altars that never should have been forsaken and lowered standards that should never have been lowered." His sentiment was echoed by many Texas Baptists, who believed the shadow looming over the country was due in large part to moral failure.
___But then everything changed on Dec. 7, 1941--Pearl Harbor Day. Thousands of Texans joined the armed services, including pastors and ministerial students, and the nation's economy was rejuvenated. Focus shifted from Texans' plight to supporting the war effort. Churches displayed silver stars for each man and woman from their congregations involved in the war. Texans rationed resources, and to this end the Southern

HUNDREDS OF TEXAS BAPTIST MEN turned out for a laymen's Rally at First Baptist Church of Dallas March 17-18, 1941. (Photo: Texas Baptist Historical Collection)

Baptist Convention canceled annual meetings, including a centennial celebration scheduled for 1945.
___When the war ended, the mood in Texas was akin to the festive atmosphere at the marriage of Boaz and Ruth. Thousands of military personnel returned home to a robust economy, ready to settle down and get married. Historians refer to the era as the baby boom. But babies weren't the only thing booming. Texas Baptists, who had long delayed needed building programs because of a lack of money in the 1930s and a lack of resources during the war, now had plenty of both.
___Thus, in 1946, church and denominational leaders implemented the "if-you-build-it-they-will-come" strategy. And it worked.
___At the helm of the BGCT for this new era was a man who couldn't have been better suited for the job--J. Howard Williams. Under his leadership, Texas Baptists fulfilled the prophecy Williams uttered at his acceptance speech when he said he could "feel the pulsebeat of thousands of Texas Baptists who in my judgment are ready to go forward."
___His "move-forward" enthusiasm was not shared by all. One concerned pastor wrote: "In the '30s and the early '40s, Texas Baptists paid a $6 million debt. ... Our laymen said: 'We will pay you out this time, but do not do it again. If you do, we will not come to your relief.' But Texas Baptists are in the act of going into debt again in the millions. So sure as they do, they will have to pay them in the depression that is almost sure to hit in the '50s."
___But Williams was determined never to look back. In 1948, a five-year plan was adopted to advance the convention on six fronts--evangelism, missions, Christian education, benevolence, hospitals and finances.
___Williams capitalized on several forces driving a new momentum in Texas. As the war ended, revivals broke out, especially among the youth. Veterans like Buckner Fanning returned home and joined a growing army of evangelists who preached youth revivals all over the United States.
___Billy Graham became famous with his evangelistic crusades and later made his home at First Baptist Church in Dallas, where he felt a kinship with another emerging evangelist-pastor, W.A. Criswell.
___Williams quickly created a new department of evangelism in 1946 and appointed C.E. Matthews as its head.
___Another force was caused by the swell of new students enrolling at Baptist colleges and universities as veterans took advantage of the G.I. Bill. By the end of the decade, enrollment at all the Baptist schools increased to more than 14,000. Coupled with this increase was a move to expand campuses and build new buildings. Many of the educational institutions vied for money for these projects, and Texas Baptists gave generously. A clear, underlying motivation for Christian education was the belief that it would protect the world from another war.
___A final notable force concerned social issues. As news trickled out of the atrocities committed against the Jews, a new awareness and concern about racism was born. Williams put together a Committee of Seven to look into this and other social concerns. The group included A.C. Miller, head of the department of ministry with minorities, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary ethics professor T.B. Maston, who already had a controversial reputation for his outspoken critique of the way African-Americans were treated. His book, "Of One" (1946), fueled debate on the issue. The committee resulted in creation of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission.
___As the decade came to a close, Texas Baptists, like Naomi and Ruth of old, considered themselves greatly blessed and were motivated to be good stewards of these blessings.
___Statistical records reveal just how much their efforts paid off. In 1944, baptisms numbered 37,523. A sharp increase the following year was maintained, peaking in 1949 at 50,773.
___More startling was the giving. In 1945, the total for church gifts in Texas was just under $19 million. In 1949, this grew to more than $34 million, and Texas Baptist membership broke the 1 million mark--a fitting, happy ending to the decade for a generation so willing to sacrifice for their country and for the kingdom of God.
___Kelly Pigott is pastor of Springbrooke Baptist Church in Abilene
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