The Ohio Independent Baptist, April 1953

THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST ----= A STORY OF GOD'S GRACE ll f•t'( .\Ir. ' l'lt <) tll}) " t111 rt\latPs 11is (),1)<'r1r11c·t's i11 c·t> 1111t1<'ti<)11 ,,,itl1 ,1 fa111il.v· 111 il1e , 1 i<·i11it.,, <>f' t}1p 11il,1 l\li,,i()ll l~a})ti~t t ~l111 r el1, <)f ,,·l1il'l1 11c' is tll <' (),l~tc> r , fllst> l'C'J)t>rts thr rcl cli<> 111i11i"itr~r. 'I l1is f•11tt'I' l)risi11g 11nsto1· l1cl. org·c111iZ('Cl tl1rC't' 13a1>tist ( 1 hl1re }1 p:--;, a11 of ,vl1iel1 <lre 11c),,. i11 fplJo,vsl1ir> ,, i111 ( l1io ... \s~ocic1tio11. ( "BJ litc)I' ) l ~ 11 l lsl la I e i r e 11111 s t a l l l' es tl f- f cr 111111~ 11a l OPl)o1·t1111i ties t}1<1t 1·e.._ 11lt i11 111111.·11c1l bl e. - l si11gs. p1·0,·ide l t 11 1·e is ~ 0111e 111111s11al l11·i. tia11 t l1e 11Rell i11 tl1e ei1·cl1111tta11 e. It i ,\·011cle1·f11l t l1a t roc1 allo,,,. l11111. l1al circ11111. ta11ce. i11 01·– de1· tl1at . l1cl1 g1·eat ble.. in!t. n1ig·l1 t 1·e.. t1l t t}1p1·ef1·on1. 'l'r11- l, ·, Hi ,,·a,... a1·e a bo,·e 0111· ' . ,, ..a,· . a11d \\'e 11e, ..er rea e to • 111ar,.. el at hi, lo\·e a11d ~r1·aee. ,, ... e of the BilJle ili io11 Bapti. t llllI' 11 or D1 ..e. d e11, l1io. an a1)preciate tl1e a– l)o,e pa1"ag1·ap]1; ,,rherea. , 111an, ... a1·01111d ll ca11not e11- .. te1· into the vvo111 er of tl1i. a the}· k110\\ 1 nothino· of the ·ircl1n1 ta11ce. ,,.,.he11 ,,.. e . ee f <)lll' little gi1 .. l a11 l a e1·tai11 l11·i. tja11 · ' )Iother ·' ol11· ]1ea1·t ar·e liftecl a11cl "·e p1~ai e :rocl. To the e11cl that the 1~eader . of Tl1 e Oh1·0 I11 clepe1'l– dP;tf Bapti t 111ig·ht e11ter a bit i11to the e ble · i11gl we g·ive '\"Oll a fe,,T of the 1111l1 llal ci1·c11m. ta11ce. . ' Tl1 e Bach·gro llJlCl iO l)a 'k ,,rith 11 a f e,,T . ]101--t }·ear to 1949 a. ,,--e go 011 t to clo ome calling· i11 the on1n111nit~.... 111 the col1r. e of the 1a,T a fa111il,T • • b,· the 11ame of Rt1cl{er ,va. 011- .. tacted on their far111. There " 7 e 111et )Ir'". Oral Rl1cker l\Iell,,.ille 1 . Joan 11, Dolo1·e. 9, Do1111a 3, a11d Pa11la ag 1. )Ir. . Rt1 ·ker \,·a. 11ot at l1ome, 1 ..ather, .'he " Ta.. in a 1 oll1m– b11~ ho. f)itaJ . the1--e bei11g t1~ea tecl for ca11 ·er. ,,Te .,a,,? a ve1·~.. 11nhap– J)~T famil~v.-. ,,~ith a ,vorriecl cli - col1rag·ecl father·. t111able to 111eet the gro,vina l10. pital a11cl cloctor bill. , a11cl the ·a1 ..e. of n1aintai11i110· the }1ome, a11cl the indebtecl11e.·s 011 th Jj ttle far111. ....\. . ho1~t ti111e late1· :\I1-. . Rl1cl{e1 .. can1e home a11cl .·0011 rec-ej,·ecl the Lo1~c1 J e. 11. ,l1ri~· t a · l1er J)er . 011al . ·a,~io11r. The11, i11 .J l1l,· of 194-9 • : lie ,,·a co11fi11e l to her })eel a11cl r e111ai11ec1 i11 co11. ta11t . tifferi11g 1111til .... \. ll£Yll t 21. ,,·he11 llncler the 111er .,. of OUl.. Lo1 .. cl . 11e ,,ra., tal{ell .. l1on1e. Tl1i. g1 ..eat .-ho ·l{ to the fa1n- il,p ,,·a aclclecl to . ho1~tl,· ,,.he11 the • • co11 tantlJT cle po11cle11t fat h e 1· • • Llez, elly11 Th(JJJllJ. 011 f 01111cl hin1 elf l111able to lo11g·e1· bea 1· the b111 .. d n a11c1 tool{ hi o,vn life. D11ri11 o· th . e tr3"i11g· " reek. a11cl 111011th. ,,,e had ome to kno,v tl1e f an1ily q11ite well a11cl l1acl beco111e a Cll tomecl to eei11{l: J oa11 11 year old l{eepino· ho11~ e. V\ e felt tl1e l)t1rde11 ,,rith tl1e1n a11cl 1·ealizecl tl1e (}REAT 11eecl for so111ebod1" to • come to thi ho111e ancl care fo1· the phy.·ical a11 l J i1·it11al 11eecl~ of tl1e~ e c l1il lre11. \\' e clicl 'l <>t ltnow at the time that ( l ocl ,v·a i11 tl1e ·r 'l111t1. ·11al circt1m. ta11ce:." p 1· ov i di 11 g· the ' 1111l1. 11al opportl111itje.· ' ' t11at were to 1·e. lllt i11 ' ' tt11- ll l1al ble. i11g· . ' ' Ho"'·e,Te1·. God al,,ray. ha tl1e 1·ight per 011 for.. a Di,ri11ely ap– poi11ted ta k. V\r e callecl by telephone f 01-- i\I1--. . 'f e11e,,.a tott a ki11g· whetl1 e1· 01· 11ot he could come £01"' a hort time. ome three yea1.. pre– ,·iot1 l)" he1" h11 ba11d had died in a11 al"ffi)" 110 pi tal i11 1r e,v J er ey. M1'. . ~ tott 1·e– cei,,ing a n1ocle t pe11 io11, came, and ha · 110,,,. bee11 thet"e fo r mor ..e tha11 fot1r 3"ea1· ,,Tithot1t fina11cial ·om1)e11- atio11. )Ir-- . tott ,,a well c1l1ali– fiecl to not 0111,.. 111i11i. te1" to the .. J)llJ" ical 11eecl of the fa111il)r, bt1t t }1e p i1·i tllal 11eed , a ,, 1 ell. It vva at the time of the pa i11g of the fa the1· tl1at ,,?e a lrecl tl1e c·l1ilcl1 .. e11 ,,.,hether the3T ,vol111 p1·e– fe 1· to li, 1 e ,, 1 it 11 1·elati, 1 e ' or. to . tay 2.t J101ne. "\'\Titl1 011e acco1 .. cl tl1e,y- ex- • p1·e.. cl a cle. i1·e to :ta}" at l10111e illrs. totts ancl tlL e cliilclre1i