Six Lovely Halls In Piedmont Section Of North Carolina LOI 1946-7

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Raleigh

The work here was begun about twenty years ago by Sam McEwen and W.G. Smith. In 1931 Lester Wilson located there and spent three years in the area. On June 11, 1939 the above Hall was opened. Today there is a fine assembly in Raleigh with over seventy-five in fellowship. Local gift is the best of the meetings in this section. The Raleigh brethren are capable and active.

They have good gospel meetings on Sunday night with strangers constantly coming and quite frequently souls are saved through these brethren. The Raleigh Sunday School is a credit to them with an attendance of 150 or more. There is a branch work at Six Forks, 9 miles away opened up by Lester Wilson in 1932. They remember the Lord and have a nice Sunday school.

Winston-Salem

Four or five Christians met in a home occasionally when Lester Wilson went there in the spring of 1934. After five years' labor in this city the above chapel was built with an assembly of about 90 meeting in it. A nice growing Sunday school was also conducted. In May 1939 brother Harold Mackay moved to Winston-Salem, relieving brother Wilson for more new work.

Bro. Mackay remained in Winston for 4 1/2 years, contributing greatly to the establishing and growth of the work. Some forty were added to the testimony during brother Mackay's stay, as well as the Sunday school being organized and built up. After brother Mackay left, brother Gordon Reager spent a few months in Winston and saw a few saved. Bro. Bousfield then located in Winston and labored for nearly two years contributing to the work. He is now in Siler City and the local brethren are doing fine. The Sunday school is over 200.

Greensboro

"This work was opened up in the spring of 1939. Bro. Wilson found the going tough the first year but got a good hold the second. The above building (LOI 1946-7 photo) was a vacated Baptist church with large auditorium and 17 Sunday school rooms. With about 25 young Christians Mr. Wilson bought this building on easy terms. The work then grew rapidly. Bro. Ernest Gross joined brother Wilson in Aug. 1941. Within 15 months of taking this building the assembly tripled and the Sunday school reached 267 in attendance. A steady radio program was carried on in connection with this work.

In Jan. 1943, brother Bill Brown moved to Greensboro and remained until about August, when he moved to Asheville. Bro. Mackay then moved to Greensboro and is still there. The work has continued to grow under his care and today over a hundred are in fellowship, with a Sunday school over 300. A five-morning-a-week radio program is carried on with this work. There is a real gift developing here. A branch Sunday school at Halburg, that opened up when brother Gross was here, is carried on by local brethren.

Burlington

In July 1942, brother Wilson rented a big warehouse in Burlington and started meetings assisted by brother Gross. At the close of this six week series a few souls were saved and some nice Christians contacted. A temporary tabernacle was built and another series held, and more were saved. Bro. Gross cared for the work until he left for South Carolina in June, 1943. Bro. Wilson held three more campaigns in Burlington and on July 29, 1945 the above chapel was opened.

Around fifty are in fellowship, a nice Sunday school is carried on that has reached 170 since the building opened. Also a radio work is maintained. Bro. Mackay has helped out in this work when occasion permitted, also bro. Welcome Detweiler. Bro. W.G. Smith located there in February of this year and the work is growing under his steady care. Some local gift is developing here.

Siler City

In Oct. 1943, Mr. Wilson held his first series in Siler City. A temporary tabernacle was built and God saved a number of fine souls. Some nice Christians seeing the unscripturalness of sectarianism, and having heard brother Wilson over the radio urged him to come to Siler City, gave the work an early start by their solid testimony. After another series, Breaking of Bread started. Bro. Frank Detweiler assisted in these meetings by leading the singing and later he and brother Bousfield had a series out in the country in a tent, and some were saved. Bro. Bousfield also had a series alone later and two or three more got saved. Bro. Mackay had a series on the Tabernacle.

On April 7th of this year, the above fine new brick building was opened, followed by a series of meetings by Mr. Wilson, assisted by Welcome Detweiler in the song service. There are about fifty Christians in Siler City who carry on a nice Sunday school work. Bro. Bousfield is now helping to care for this work.

Durham

In Jan. 1944, Mr. Wilson started Bible readings in homes in Durham and on the 13th of the month started a special series of meetings in a large, rented store building. Interest was good from the start, a good number were saved and some fine Christians contacted. Bro. Welcome Detweiler joined Mr. Wilson in this series, conducting a hearty song service. After another series later on, in which more were saved, a new building was decided upon. Bro. Detweiler, by now, had moved to Durham, and with the local brethren, worked hard on the building.

This front view does not reveal the size of this large building which the balcony will seat nearly 400. A large basement is ideal for the growing Sunday school of around 150. There are around fifty Christians identified with the work in Durham, and in two or three years when the work is really established, it should prove a strong, energetic testimony. A radio program is carried on in connection with the assembly. Bro. Wilson had a fruitful series there recently. Bro. Detweiler is taking good care of the work. The new building was opened June 3rd, 1945.

Postlude

This is the big Easter Conference at Greensboro each year, Thanksgiving Conference at Durham and a monthly get-together of the young folks in one of the places each month. Bro. Wilson is anxious to open up two new places as soon as he is free from the places already opened. New work must be cared for until local gift develops and sometimes this takes ten to fifteen years. The large Sunday school effort in these centers should produce more rapid gift later on.

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