The following is from the very first issue of the Baptist Bible Tribune. It is rerun here in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the BBFI. This article was written by the BBC President, G.B. Vick.
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Because so many of our good friends, pastors in our Fellowship, were not present when these matters were discussed by Dr. Norris and myself, from my intimate knowledge of developments, I shall try to calmly and fairly state the issues as I see them, so that each may judge for himself.
A little over two years ago, I was urged by Dr. Norris to consider accepting the presidency of the Bible Baptist Seminary. I had no desire to do so. I never coveted the position but after several months of continued insistence on the part of Dr. Norris and that of many other pastors of the Fellowship, I consented. In fact, after two months of prayer and consideration, on April 9, 1948, I wrote Dr. Norris as follows:
“I have been earnestly seeking to know the will of the Lord about the Seminary Proposition. Certainly, I realize that this could be the most pivotal decision of my life since 1936 when I very definitely felt the leadership of the Lord to come to Temple.
“I believe that all of us can say that time and events have proved that such was His will, and I am anxious to know just as definitely in this present decision as I did then.
”To save my life, I can not see why you or anyone else can ever seriously consider me for such a proposition. I am not a school man. I do not know anything about running a school, and never dreamed of any such remote possibility.
“As I told you the last day you were here, one of the main considerations from a human standpoint would be that I would have unquestioned liberty to run the Seminary in my own way and in accordance with my own ideas.
”There would, of necessity, inevitably be some changes that would want to make, and if there should be any objections to such changes, I would want to know in advance so I could make my decision accordingly.
“Then you mentioned working through one man as far as the financial end of the school was concerned. I think that would be very necessary. I would want that one man to have entire charge of the finances and be responsible for the Seminary. I think the man you have there, and whom you so highly regard, Verle Ackerman, is well qualified and entirely dependable.
“However, I would want him to be entirely responsible for the finances from the time the mail reaches Fort Worth; opening the mail, depositing the money in the bank and issuing checks.
“Then as you say, I could get regular daily reports on the receipts and disbursements. He could, of course, also supervise the keeping of the financial records and the acknowledging of individual gifts. I feel that all of this is very vital inasmuch as a year or so ago you and I tried to get from the Seminary records the total amount of money that the Temple Baptist Church had given to the Seminary within a certain year. You will recall that we got three different sets of figures, widely divergent and none of them correct. Where one person receives the money and deposits it, another person acknowledges it and another person keeps the records, it is absolutely impossible to hold any one individual responsible for the efficiency and correctness of financial records. Neither by correspondence nor by personal inquiry a few weeks later when I was down there at a Fellowship meeting, could I get heads or tail of their records. I would try to run the finances of the Seminary just like we try to administer the finances of the Temple Baptist Church, having a monthly meeting of the trustees during the week out of the month that I would be in Fort Worth, and going over every financial item with the trustees and getting their personal approval thereof just exactly like I deal with our finance committee here at Temple. I would also want the directors of the Fellowship as well as the trustees of the Seminary to receive monthly report.
“Everything that I can possible think of that would beget confidence and keep the work of the Seminary before our Fellowship I would do. Those reports keep people in touch with the needs of the Seminary as well as keeping them informed concerning the victories won and the work accomplished.
“Verle Ackerman could issue the regular routine checks each week but the checks that are not of routine nature would have to be held up for approval.
“I am writing thus in detail so that there can be no possibility of misunderstanding for one of the first requisites would be a thorough understanding and cooperation in every possible degree between you and me. In other words, if I know that I would be just as free to carry out my plans and follow what I consider the leadership of the Holy Spirit in every degree in the Seminary just exactly like I have been here in Temple Baptist Church — that might be the deciding factor in my decision.
“Please let me know immediately your reaction to these suggestions, because if you would not agree to them for perfectly good reasons of your own, then I would want to know immediately and make my decisions accordingly, I would much prefer a clear-cut, unequivocal understanding now rather than for these things to have to be thrashed out later.
“Let me hear from you.
“Sincerely yours,
“Beauchamp.”
***
I wrote that to Dr. Norris on Friday, April 9, 1948. On Sunday morning, April 11, he called me over long distance saying that he had just received my letter and that it just exactly suited him and that he was entirely in agreement with everything. Then on April 13, which was Tuesday, Dr. Norris wrote me as follows:
“Dear Beauchamp:
“As soon as I got your letter Sunday morning, I called you and expressed my profoundest satisfaction.
“I think that it is simply nothing short of a miracle that two very busy men like you and I have thus been able to work so happily together. When I put you in charge up there in Detroit (Dr. Norris has been making much of the fact that he recommended me to the Temple Baptist Church as superintendent in April, 1936. I greatly appreciate his confidence in me even then, and want to publicly express my appreciation for him placing me in the high and responsible position as Superintendent here at Temple when the Sunday School average for the preceding year was 761 in attendance). – but Dr. Norris’ letter continues,
“When I put you in charge up there in Detroit, I trusted you implicitly and all these years have onIy confirmed my confidence… I felt that you were responsible and responsibility must carry with it liberty of action.
“I want you to know fully that; your judgment is absolutely sound on Verle Ackerman. No one will ever know the anxiety and worry I had in keeping things, beginning with Entzminger, and you know how—well, no use for me to say anything of Entzminger’s methods and finances. Then Roy Kemp was no better. I have often thought the devil owed me a debt and paid me off with the fellows I turn the finances of the Seminary over to.
“The sum of all I want to say is, you have place of first responsibility and with it, absolute freedom.”
(Signed) “J. Frank Norris.”
It was with that understanding that I accepted the presidency of the Bible Baptist Seminary, and in my acceptance speech, I re-emphasized the fact that I needed the prayers of all the Fellowship for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and for His empowerment.
I re-emphasized also, the fact that I would be compelled to make my own decisions. While I needed the council of all the brethren, yet in matters regarding the administration of the Seminary, if I thought that the Lord was leading a certain way, no matter who, even if Dr. J. Frank Norris thought that something else was better, I would have to do what I would consider right and best and the will of the Lord. With that clear-cut understanding, I began my two years of administration.
Record of Two Years
The record of those two years is well known. The school grew numerically. We divided the classes and instead of having all the students, first, second and third year classes sit together in the same class room, we separated the classes and had the first year students taught separately and also the second and third year students, as it should be done in any well organized educational institution.
At that time the Bible Baptist Seminary owed more than a quarter of a million dollars; to be exact, $253,086. Not only so, but up to that time, the debt was steadily mounting month by month as is well known.
During the two years of my administration, we not only increased the number of classes from 15 class periods a week to approximately 40, but we also decreased the salaries of the Seminary some $250 per week. We have not only met the running expenses of $1200 to $1300 per week but we have reduced the indebtedness by approximately $115,000 or more than $1000 per week, besides paying the heavy interest on such a large debt.
For these things I do not claim any credit; but the blessings of the Lord seemed to be upon the work and the brethren and the pastors and churches of the Fellowship cooperated wonderfully. They sent in their money, they paid off this large amount of debt on the buildings of the Bible Baptist Seminary located at Fort Worth. The present indebtedness on the Bible Baptist Seminary dormitory building can thus practically amortized or paid of by the rentals which have be coming in from the students.
Now, could it be that because the tremendously improved financial condition of the Seminary that Dr. Norris wanted to wrest control out of the hand of the duly elected president and the duly elected trustees of the Seminary? Did he want it back? Did he want to have sole authority now that the Seminary is on comparative easy-street?
One of the recent events which seemed to indicate to me that such was the case was a telegram which I received from Dr. Louis Entzminger on Monday morning April 3, 1950, as follows:
“G.B. Vick, Temple Baptist Church, Detroit. Since Reg informed me you intended to reduce my salary, I could not retain myself respect and continue with the Seminary. Am glad to have aided Dr. Norris in getting our approval.
(Signed) “Louis Entzminger.”
Just a few hours after that – on the same day, April 3 – I received a telegram signed by nine Seminary students as follows: “We the student body of the Bible Baptist Seminary by unanimous vote emphatically reject the resignation of Dr. Louis Entzminger and move he be retained as professor at not less than present salary for life.”
I learned to my surprise that Dr. Entzminger had given his telegram of resignation to Dr. Frank Godsoe, another faculty member, and that Dr. Godsoe had taken Dr. Entzminger’s telegram of resignation to the platform and read it to the students and made quite a rabble-rousing speech, in which he was joined by Dr. Norris and the students who signed the telegram. The gist of their remarks seemed to have been that it was a great pity that this old, faithful soldier who had established the Seminary, and who had labored so long and faithfully should thus be kicked out and that I was mistreating Dr. Entzminger and was cutting his salary, etc., etc.
It is an easy matter to enflame a student body and to give them the wrong impressions and arouse them to defense of one whom they know and love.
Bear in mind that all of this was done in my absence while I was 1300 miles away trying to attend to the duties of a busy pastorate and trying to win souls. Bear in mind also, that these three men implicated, Dr. J. Frank Norris, Dr. Louis Entzminger, and Dr. Frank Godsoe had, individually and collectively, promised to give me one hundred percent backing and cooperation if I would accept the Seminary presidency. All of the speeches made against me and in Dr. Entzminger’s defense before the student body were taken down by electrical transcription, though that particular class period was supposed to be for the teaching of Elements of Music. I wonder if all instruction in the elements of music are thus recorded?
Dr. Norris so informed me later that every word had been taken down and he said that he would have a stenographer transcribe it and send it to me, every word that was spoken. He said that there was no collusion between him and Dr. Entzminger and Dr. Godsoe and in that statement, Dr. Godsoe joined emphatically. I asked Dr. Norris, if instead of having the stenographers transcribe the proceedings of the morning when Entzminger’s telegram was read to the student body by Dr. Godsoe if he would send me the disk record, the electrical transcription so that I could get every word, and even the tones in which every word was spoken. He agreed do so. I waited some two weeks and when I did not receive the electrical transcription, I wired him asking him to send it and reminded him of his promise.
Up to this hour, I have never yet received that record, and many of the brethren at the “Fellowship” meeting in Fort Worth expressed a desire to hear that record.
The so-called “resignation,” I felt, should never have been taken before the student body. I felt that that was a matter between a faculty member and the president or, to say the least, between the faculty member and the trustees, the legal governing body of the Seminary. I did not think then, nor do I feel now, that such a matter should be presented to the students, but that that was a matter of administration between the duly constituted authorities of the Seminary—the president and the trustees.
***
Did Dr. Entzminger truly mean to “resign”? Was he sincere in his “resignation”? I did not answer his telegram of resignation Monday afternoon nor Tuesday; but on Wednesday morning, April 5, I tried, to get Dr. Norris about four times over long distance telephone and he would not answer. He later told me that he knew I was mad and therefore he did not want to talk to me. I wonder how he knew that I was mad— or should I say angry? Personally, I think he knew I had a right to be angry and indignant.
I tried to call Dr. Norris that morning because he did try to call a meeting of the trustees on short notice and without my knowledge. One of the trustees so informed me. I understand that the meeting was held on a few hours notice but that the only duly elected authorized trustees to be present were Dr. J. Frank Norris and Dr. Godsoe. One or two of the trustees informed me that Dr. Norris tried to get them to wire him their proxy to vote in this sudden meeting which proxy they refused to give.
I ask again, did Dr. Entzminger intend to “resign” and leave the Bible Baptist Seminary?
On that memorable Wednesday morning, April 5, before Dr. Entzminger heard one word from me, the then president of the Seminary, as to accepting or rejecting his “resignation,” he took Rev R.O. Woodworth, another faculty member, to an eating place to have a cup of coffee, and while there he made a very interesting statement. Let Reg Woodworth speak for himself:
“While we were sitting at the table early that Wednesday morning Dr. Entzminger said to me, ‘Reg, you had just as well forget all about Detroit. You had better forget all about Beauchamp Vick. Dr. Norris is taking over and I am going to Dean’.”
(Signed) “R. O. Woodworth”
Dr. Norris Refused to Talk
Meanwhile, I was trying to get Dr. Norris on the telephone. Upon his refusal to talk, I contemplated sending a telegram but because of the subject matter I did not want to embarrass Dr. Norris before any outsiders, knowing that in the Western Union office Dr. Norris might have some enemies who would be glad to roll as sweet morsel under their tongue any idea of a controversy in the Bible Baptist Seminary and in Fundamental Baptist ranks. Because of this, I called over long distance, asked Mr. Woodworth to listen on one line and to get a competent stenographer at the other end of the line to take down a statement which I should dictate to Dr. Norris. I asked the stenographer, Miss Mozelle Williams, to give this message from me to Dr. Norris, and also to give a copy of it to Dr. Entzminger, Dr. Godsoe and Bro. Woodworth. My message to Dr. Norris was as follows:
“Dear Dr. Norris: I consider Entzminger’s so-called resignation to the student body a childish, foolish blunder as well as an unethical, dishonorable and deliberate stab in my back.
“I cannot conceive of his going before the student body on such a matter without your knowledge and consent. Moreover I was greatly surprised to learn that in my absence you would go before the student body and even on the radio and leave the impression that I had mistreated Entzminger.
“If he doesn’t straighten out the whole matter before the students immediately, most certainly he will be out, and I shall tell the student body, trustees, and whomsoever else I deem necessary exactly what I objected to in the financial set-up that Entzminger desires.
“When I was elected president I learned from both you and Verle Ackerman that Entzminger was paid an extra $25 a week more than any other faculty member, provided his meetings brought in that amount to the Seminary.
“You will recall that I told all the faculty members that their financial status would carry right on as before.
“The last two years, although he has brought in practically nothing to the Seminary, yet he has regularly received the $25 week extra even though other faculty members have had to teach his classes repeatedly.
“Many times the Seminary has had to pay visiting speakers to fill in his place in his classes while Entzminger was away. Yet he received his full $125 weekly.
“I agreed upon his and your request that Entzminger would be allowed to hold outside meetings, and that he would be allowed to take up money for a proposed building project to house students, even though the Seminary would not own the proposed dormitory, nor would they collect rent on the same.
“I agreed to that until I found he was raising money, leaving the impression that it was for the Seminary. Is it true that he got 50 percent of what he raised on your building program?
“I objected to him raising money for that purpose while he made pastors and churches think that it was for the Seminary.
“I also objected to his taking money which the churches already had in their treasuries for the Seminary and Entzminger asked pastors to divert this, to the proposed building project in which he and you were interested.
“Both Reg and I told him and I told you that such a procedure would deheart our Seminary offerings and was affecting them adversely.
“It was in that connection that reference was made to his receiving an extra $25 a week. Nothing has been said, to my knowledge, for weeks about any change in his financial remuneration from the Seminary except that Entzminger himself suggested that his salary be cut and he would not teach so many classes.
”Meanwhile he has not failed to receive the full check of $125 a week. Why then this sudden irresistible urge to ”resign” to a body of students who had not hired him, if it was not grandstand play for sympathy and an attempt to prejudice them against me?
“I have been there on two trips since this discussion of his financial status was made. Why did he not resign to me?
“The only way he can make this right is by a sweeping retraction before the same students to whom he ‘resigned.’
”He should say that he was entirely in error in the information that he repeated, and that he was also most unwise to make a thing like that public, and that he was sorry he had done so.
“I want a complete stenographic report of his statement to the student body exactly as he makes it. It must be sent to me.
“I repeat, I consider the whole affair foolish and stupid, and calculated to harm me, and that as a result, it will harm both the Seminary and the Fellowship.
“I had no desire to become president of the Seminary. You repeatedly urged that I do so. But as long as I am president, I intend to exercise all prerogatives of that office.
“G. Beauchamp Vick.”
Entzminger’s “Resignation” No. 1
Some of the students made this statement: “We’re confused if Dr. Entzminger was not mistreated, then why did he resign? Evidently he thought that he was being mistreated or there was some basis for his resignation.” To this I replied, “Dr. Entzminger has resigned three or four times in the two years that I have been president of the Seminary.”
Immediately, Dr. Entzminger denied this and said that it was not so.
Let the record speak for itself. Dr. Entzminger resigned” just about as soon as I was elected president or within a few weeks thereafter. I have a letter from Dr. Norris dated July 16, 1948 in which he quotes my letter to Dr. Entzminger dated June 28 concerning Entzminger’s first “resignation” after I became president. Dr.Norris’ letter reads:
“I have just read for the first time your letter of June 28, 1949.I asked for all the correspondence and this was in it. I think your statement: ‘Therefore your resignation is most emphatically declined and I trust that you will continue on at the same financial rate as heretofore is clear enough.
“As I have told you personally and repeatedly, any plan that you work out with any member of the faculty is satisfactory to me. I have told all of them that and most of them have come to realize it. That whole matter is in your hands and I believe, in fact I know that you are capable of handling it I am going into these matters so you may know my position and what I am saying is just to confirm what I have said heretofore. Anything you do with any member of the faculty is absolutely satisfactory to me. I am giving Entzminger a copy of this letter so that he will know my position—and any other member of the faculty will.
“The sum of the whole thing is, I have got to do one of two things, either give up the First Baptist Church and retire or get relief from these ten thousand things which come up.
“You have been such a gentleman and sought to relieve me in the years of my association that I love you more and more for it and you have never been a burden.
“Yours devotedly,
“J. Frank Norris.”
“I dictated this in Entzmingers’s presence. He gets nervous over nothing. I told him so.”
Now that was Dr. Entzminger’s “resignation No. 1”.
No. 2
On June 27, 1948 Dr. Norris wrote Dr. Entzminger and sent me a copy. Among other things it contained the following:
“Beauchamp and I had a very fine and satisfactory talk about you and your work and he certainly wants you and there is no mistake about that. Nobody has any idea and certainly Beauchamp hasn’t of you getting any less than you have heretofore, and Verle will be the only one you report to on your expenses.
(Signed) “J. Frank Norris.”
Now Dr. Entzminger’s “Resignation No. 2”
No. 3
I quote again a letter from Dr. Norris to me dated November 3, 1948:
“Dear Beauchamp: I have just had a talk with Entzminger and he says he has written you that he is going to resign. I think it best to accept it. He has been in such an unsettled state of mind and we can’t go on that way forever.
“He went over everything with me, none of which I can seem to do anything with. He has that peculiar super-sensitiveness that comes to all old preachers. I guess I may have it but I hope somebody will knock me in the head if I get a bad case of it, that I may get over it or have my funeral.
“He went over once again that he was not ever invited to preach again in the Temple Church.”
(Signed) “J. Frank Norris.”
Still another time Dr. Entzminger got nervous and excited and wanted some statement from the trustees as to his position there at the Seminary and willing to humor him, I recommended to the trustees that they pass a resolution stating that it was our desire and prayer that Dr. Entzminger would be spared to us yet many more years in which he could teach at the Bible Baptist Seminary, and it was also our desire and prayer that he should teach there as long as he was able. However, that action was not to give him a lifetime contract but to express the attitude of the president and the trustees toward him and his work.
No. 4?
Was that resignation No. 3 or No. 4? Then on April 3, 1950, Dr. Entzminger “resigns” again but two mornings later, before he had received an acceptance or rejection of his resignation from the president, or before any action has been taken by the trustees, he states to Reg Woodworth: “You just as well forget Detroit and Beauchamp Vick. Dr. Norris is taking over and I am going to be dean”
Although I have not seen the new catalog of the Bible Baptist Seminary for 1950, yet I understand that it shows Dr. Louis Entzminger as dean.
Following Dr. Godsoe’s eloquent and fiery presentation of Dr. Entzminger’s “resignation” before the student body, I am informed that three members of the faculty, Dr. J. Frank Norris, Dr. Louis Entzminger and Dr. Frank Godsoe subjected the students to a constant barrage of inuendoes and attacks upon me, though they did not call my name. This was very evidently a planned, sustained, attack and attempt to incense the student body against me, and yet Dr. Frank Godsoe says there was no “collusion” and that he is willing to take the entire responsibility for presenting this to the students. He is like Horatius at the Bridge or perhaps like the boy that stood on the burning deck whence all but him had fled. To substantiate this, ask any of the approximately 300 students who were present in the Baptist Bible Seminary the latter part of last term.
Middle of May: By-Laws
So things continued in my absence until about the middle of May — just a few weeks ago Dr. Norris went before the student body and read a set of by-laws which I had never seen until a few days previous, which, had never, as far as I had been able to ascertain been published in The Fundamentalist and which the then president of the World Fundamental Baptist Missionary Fellowship, Dr. W. E. Dowell, did not recall having seen, and which none of the trustees of the Seminary nor the directors of the Fellowship with whom I talked, could recall ever having seen before. This new set of by laws presented by Dr. Norris to the student body was entirely different from the by-laws which appeared in the 1948-49 catalog of the Bible Baptist Seminary, and which catalog was gotten out under the supervision of Dr. Entzminger, and which was submitted to Dr. Norris for his approval before it was published.
When I asked Dr. Norris at the recent “Fellowship” meeting at Fort Worth if these different by. laws had ever been published in the “Fundamentalist,” he replied,”Yes”. I asked him, “When?” and he replied, “1945”. He stated this before the entire body of perhaps 1,500 people present on Tuesday morning, May 23, 1950.
Since that time, I have had several people carefully go through the files of the “Fundamentalist” for 1945 and not one of them could find any trace of those by-laws. I had one of my most trusted and efficient workers, Mr. Joe Wade, and other trusted, efficient members of the Temple Baptist Church office force go through the files of the “Fundamentalist” and examine about 10 years of past issues of the “Fundamentalist” and they did not find any trace of these by-laws which Dr. Norris said were published in the Fundamentalist in 1945.
Now it may be that they overlooked them. It may be that they are wrong, but if they are wrong, then I should greatly appreciate it if Dr. Norris, or Dr. Entzminger, or Dr. Godsoe would inform the Fellowship and inform me as to what issue of the “Fundamentalist” contained those by-laws up until May, 1950.
As far as I have been able to ascertain, these by-laws, under whose provisions Dr. Norris sought to dominate and absolutely control the Bible Baptist Seminary, had never been published had never been approved or voted upon by the World Fundamental Baptist Missionary Fellowship which owns the Bible Baptist Seminary, had never been voted on and approved by the trustees of the Bible Baptist Seminary. I say, as far as I have been able to ascertain this is true. I should like to be informed otherwise if I am in error.
Dr. Norris presented these bylaws, which I believe he “cookedup” for the occasion, to the student body about the middle of May, and after he very eloquently remarked thereupon, he asked them to vote their approval of these by-laws.
Incidentally, it seems rather peculiar to me that a body of I students should be asked to vote upon by-laws by which that institution should be run. I should have thought that was a matter to be passed upon by the Fellowship as a whole and certainly by the trustees, the legally governing body of the Seminary.
After Dr. Norris had read these “cooked-up” by-laws to the student body and after making one of his famous speeches to them, he asked them to stand, approving his by-laws.
Of course, most of the students stood. They did not know all that was involved and what lead up to it. However, some of them did not stand—among them 15 or 20 students from Temple Baptist Church, Detroit.
“You’ll Be Expelled”
When they did not vote, Dr. Entzminger and Dr. Godsoe took very careful note of those not voting. A few hours thereafter, Dr. Norris went to the Sweet Memorial Dormitory and told some of the Detroit students (Ask Ed Saunders, Gene Milioni and others) that if they didn’t vote approving those by-laws they would be expelled.
Several of them immediately called me by long distance telling me of Dr. Norris’ threats. I told them, “You don’t have to vote for anything you don’t believe in. Just sit steady in the boat. I’ll be down there next week.”
The next day when they still refused to vote, he expelled about 15 or 20 Temple Baptist students, some of the finest, most consecrated young people who ever laid their lives upon the altar of service left homes, good jobs and friends to prepare themselves for a greater soul-winning ministry.
What crime had these young people committed? They had refused to vote as Dr. Norris wanted them to vote. Having heard me constantly vilified for weeks by unmistakable innuendoes they said, “There is something behind all this that we don’t understand. We’ll not vote for nor against until we know more.”
Upon being expelled and publicly humiliated they, within few hours, received the following notice:
“Mr. ____________________
“This will notify you to vacate your room in the dormitory of the Bible Baptist Seminary immediately.
“Yours sincerely,
Frank Godsoe
“Chairman of the Faculty.”
In spite of the housing short. age and difficulty in finding a roof to cover the heads of themselves, their wives and their little children, they were told to “vacate immediately.”
Lovely Christian spirit, wasn’t it?
And, incidentally, Dr. Godsoe had never been appointed or elected “Chairman of the faculty” by me, the president, nor by the trustees, the legal governing body of the Seminary.
But perhaps Dr. Norris appointed him.
Speaking of the Christian spirit, a few days later two of these fine young ladies from Temple Baptist Church were coming down on the elevator. They had as yet, not found living quarters elsewhere but had been assured by legal authorities that they could not be kicked out of the dormitories “immediately.”
Dr. Godsoe got on the elevator with them and furiously spoke to the girls after this gentlemanly fashion: “I wish to God you’d hurry up and get out of here so we can get a breath of good clean air. In my opinion you’re nothing but a bunch of low-down dirty, contemptible rats.”
A nice, brave thing to say to young ladies who, with high hopes had left Detroit left their sheltered homes, their and friends to go to Fort Worth to prepare to serve Christ here in the homeland or on foreign mission fields.
I wonder if Dr. Godsoe would have spoken thus to some of our husky young men student?
However, the girls never answered a word. They, at least, were ladies. (For more information about this, write “Miss Anna Ruth Burnette, Baptist Bible College Box 106, Springfield, Mo.”)
Immediately upon hearing that our Temple students had been expelled I wired Dr. Norris just as strong a protest as my Christian vocabulary could frame.
For that, I made no apology then and I make none now. What other pastor could have done otherwise?
Incidentally, tho some students from other churches did not vote for Dr. Norris’ “cooked-up” bylaws, yet not one of them was expelled—only Temple students.
I am told that one young former Army captain from San Antonio, Texas, told Dr. Norris, “I didn’t vote for your by-laws, why don’t you expel me too?” Dr. Norris asked, “Where are you from?” Upon being told that he was from Claude Bonam’s Church in San Antonio, Dr. Norris said, “That’s all right, I’ll see you later” or words to that effect.
One Man Control
Now we get to the heart of the whole matter—these new bylaws, new as far as I have been able to ascertain, and certainly entirely different by-laws from those published in the 1948-49 catalog of the Bible Baptist Seminary.
I repeat, to strip the matter of all its non-essentials, these bylaws upon which Dr. Norris insists, give absolute control, domination and dictatorship to the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas, or, as all of us know—to one man, J. Frank Norris.
Under the provisions of these “cooked-up” by-laws no faculty member can serve the Bible Baptist Seminary unless “approved by the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth.” No man, even if he has been elected president of the Seminary by the entire Fellowship, can act as president unless he is ”approved by the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth.” No trustee elected by the Fellowship can act as trustee of the Seminary unless he is “approved by the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth.”
In other words, they are asking all the rest of the churches of the Fellowship to pay debts and to send in the money and let us—the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth—control the whole works.
I stated publicly at the recent “Fellowship” meeting in Fort Worth that I had no quarrel with anybody who desired to continue supporting the Seminary thus controlled by one church—or one man—but that I did not intend so to do, and that, because of these things heretofore mentioned, I was presenting my resignation as president of the Bible Baptist Seminary.
Immediately, Rev. Wendell Zimmerman, pastor of the Kansas City Baptist Temple of Kansas City, Mo., arose and in his own inimitable way made a motion that the Fellowship refuse to accept my resignation as the president of the Bible Baptist Seminary and spoke very pointedly to his motion. Immediately, Bro. John Rawlings, at that time president of the Alumni Association of the Seminary, tried to obtain the floor to also speak on the motion as also were other brethren anxious to present their support of the motion. However, Rev. Bob Ingle of Jacksonville, Fla., obtained the floor and offered a substitute motion that this matter of the genuineness and legality of the by-laws be looked into by a committee of 11 brethren and that we could more intelligently act on the motion after hearing their report or findings.
To which Dr. Norris replied, after quite a conversation between him and me, that we didn’t need any such committee and that he didn’t want that motion to be voted upon, or words to that effect, that no matter how the people voted, no matter what any committee might find and report, those by-laws were going to stand, regardless, and that he would close the doors of the Seminary before they would be changed or kicked-out, or words that effect. In other words, the brethren whom I heard comment upon the subject seemed to gather from Dr. Norris’ remarks that if anybody didn’t like it they could get out. Many of the brethren decided to get out including myself, Dr. W. E. Dowell, the president of the Fellowship and the majority of the then legally elected trustees of the Bible Baptist Seminary.
Monday Morning—Early
Perhaps this will further clarify the matter. The pastors of the churches throughout the Fellowship who came from all over country to attend this meeting found upon their arrival in Fort Worth that before they had an opportunity to get there, on Monday morning, May 22, 1950, Dr. Norris had put through the so called “election” of Bro. Jack Troup as new president of the Seminary and a slate of trustees of the Seminary submitted by the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth. Although the meeting of the Fellowship as announced was from May 21 through May 28, yet on Monday morning, May 21 before the pastors of the Fellowship had time to arrive in Fort Worth, having preached in their respective pulpits on Sunday night, this so-called “election’ was held, and reliable parties present have said that there were not a half dozen out of town pastors of the Fellowship present at that time. In other words, it seems that it was practically the student body of the Bible Baptist Seminary that was present when this so-called, hurry-up “election” was held. The next day, Tuesday morning, May 23, when the pastors had had ample time to get there and Dr. Norris and I had this joint discussion of the issues involved, I asked the tremendously large crowd present— perhaps 1500—how many had been present the previous morning and had voted for the new president, Bro. Troup and the new slate of trustees presented by the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth. I asked all who had thus been present the day before and had voted for those trustees and the new president to stand and the magnificent sum total of 14 students stood; and as far as I recall, not a single out of town pastor among that number. I then congratulated those 14 on their wise choice of Bro. Troup, whom I consider a very fine man.
I have been attending Fellowship Meetings regularly since 1936 and I have never known an election of trustees, or directors, or president of the Seminary to be held before Wednesday or Thursday of the week of annual meeting. Other brethren of the Fellowship know that such has ever been the case heretofore.
I raise this question: Was that hurried-up, “election” an attempt to ascertain the desire and will of the brethren of the Fellowship, or was it an attempt to frustrate the will of the Fellowship and force through one more instance of one-man control, domination and dictatorship?
Baptist Bible Fellowship
The next day, Wednesday, May 24, at noon between one and two hundred of those who had accepted Dr. Norris’ invitation to get out if they didn’t like those by-laws and the set-up under them, met in the banquet room of the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth and there was born a New Fellowship the BAPTIST BIBLE FELLOWSHIP, and there was organized a new school to begin in September, 1950, in Springfield, Mo., to be known as the BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE. A new paper was projected to be known as the BAPTIST BIBLE TRIBUNE.
We wanted a short name for our New Fellowship. We wanted it to be, not an inter-denominational, mug-wump, mother-hubbard affair, but we wanted it to stand for the time-honored Baptist faith which has come floating down to us upon the blood of our Baptist forefathers; therefore, it is a Baptist Fellowship. We wanted it to be a Bible Fellowship, because if it is “Bible,” it is world wide, for Jesus said, “The field is the world, and the good seed is the Word of God.” If it is a “Bible Fellowship” it is a Fundamental Fellowship. If it is a “Bible Fellowship,” it is a Missionary Fellowship. Therefore the BAPTIST BIBLE FELLOWSHIP.
As one humble but happy member of that new Fellowship, may I say that it is my desire and I believe the desire of the other brethren, my true fellow soldiers in the army of the Lord, that we shall not band ourselves together for the purpose of fighting anybody, but with malice toward none, with love for all, we have put our hands to the plough, and will not look back, and with the help of God, and under the smiles of heaven, we shall do the job that God has given us to do. We shall carry the blessed Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth.
God helping us, we can do no otherwise.
Not until after most all these matters took place, did I say one word to the Temple Baptist Church about them nor even to the board of deacons, even tho down in Fort Worth, Dr. Norris had been carrying on a sustained campaign against me before the student body and in his church, bringing in foul, low, innuendoes of a personal nature to which no gentleman, much less a Christian, should stoop. Nothing, mind you, against my character, but anything that he, in his pitiful desperation, thought would hurt me and those I love.
After Dr. Norris had said in the Fort Worth meeting before 1500 people, “This block isn’t big enough for Beauchamp Vick and me to work together, I replied, “That’s right.”
Upon returning home to Detroit, I gave the deacons the essential facts as stated above. A motion was made and seconded then and there that the deacons recommend that the Church recognize me as sole pastor and sever all relations with Dr. Norris. However, I asked them in all fairness to first give Dr. Norris an opportunity to present his side of the case. This they agreed to do upon my recommendation. Thursday night, June 1, was set and Dr. Norris came. He had been notified that it was upon my request that the deacons were inviting him to present his side. Then a day or so before the deacons’ meeting I received the following letter from Dr. W. E. Dowell:
‘Dear Beauchamp: I have just talked to Dr. Norris and he states to me that the deacons had rejected your proposition to be the sole pastor and invited him to come and present his side of it. I knew this was not true because I had just talked to you but thought I would write and tell you what he said.
“Sincerely yours in Christ,
(Signed) “W. E. Dowell.”
When every deacon present knew that Dr. Norris had entirely misrepresented the facts and that it was upon my recommendation that they gave him invitation to present his side! For further verification anyone may write Mr. Ralph Pew, chairman of deacons, Temple Baptist Church, Detroit, or any other of the 30 deacons.
Dr. Norris Comes
On Thursday night, June 1, Dr. Norris came.
When the deacons gave him opportunity to speak, the only issue he seemed to want to talk about was purely personal matters. Upon being reminded by 3 or 4 deacons to present his side of the issues involved, he said “Very well, gentlemen, I see that you already have your mind made up. I’ll not be a party to any secret meetings,” and he stalked out.
The deacons then voted 25 to 0 (26 deacons being present and one not voting) to recommend that the Temple Baptist Church sever all relations with Dr. J. Frank Norris and the Bible Baptist Seminary.
This recommendation was made to the Church, Sunday morning June 4 when the house was packed.
Three Thousand to 7
Immediately several made motion to accept the recommendation and a large number seconded the motion. Mr. Ralph Pew put the motion by standing vote. 3000 voted for the motion standing, and when the contrary vote was taken, voted against it.
Dr. Loys Vess preached for that day and a total of 41 came forward, 40 of them uniting with the Church.
Click here for a PDF of Baptist Bible Tribune, Volume #1, Issue #1.
Other articles in the 70th Anniversary series …
- The Split … the Fight … the Break – by Billy Vick Bartlett
- Reasons for the Baptist Bible Fellowship – by Noel Smith
- The BBFI: A History – by Keith Bassham
