The Ohio Independent Baptist, November 1955

I • I • l . I I 'CllE 0 1110 INDEPiNDEN'l' BAP'rIS'r Novcmher 1955 ----- Tl1c Call d Him 'Machine Gun' Richard 1I " hatl 1) 'Cll in a11 <.l ot1L of jail . o 111a n,· tin1e:-. tl1at his facr ,yas • n fan1ilinr 011t' to hotl1 tl1r j11clge a1<.l tl1c 1)ri:011 g\1c1rtl ·. lli · r e1)- 1 tatio11 ,Yas aL'O 1~110,Y11 to 11ia11)- 0 11 t lie · · ot1t ·itle, ' ' a11cl }1(.l hatl be– t'Olll<' 1~110,Y11 a · · · ~laehi11 '.\ g·t t11· · ... a11tl for a , ·e r)" goocl r ea.-011: l1 c l1acl 011e a11cl k11e,Y 110,Y to 11:e it. l l .. l1a tl l)ee11 bor11 i11 a '" '11-to-clo C' l1i11P,"'e fa111il,T. ll c l1acl e, rer , ~al- • • , ·a11tage l)11t ,Ya. the · blac;lt .-l1ee1) ' · of tl1e fa111il,-. II<.:) ,ro11l cl to111e i11 • late ,Yithot1 t a11}- ex p l a11a tioJ1 a. to '" l1e re lie l1ad bee11 aucl of te11 ,Yol1l tl a ·k for 1no11e,T e,·eu threatenin o· ~· b his 111otll<."'r if , 11 "' clicl 11ot eo111pl)r ,,·itl1 l1i ,Yi. lie · . Iu cle.-peratio11 the)· 1)11t l1in1 in a Ro111a11 ;at11oli<' . el1ool. ho1)i11g that it , r ot1ld h cl1) hi 111 ht1t the J)rie t. 0111)" e.x1)cllecl l1im a being ' ' i11cor rigible. ' ' Tht1 it ,,a: that he ,,·e11t f r o111 bacl to ,,or e. 0011 li e '"a co11, ·ictecl a11cl ~·er\'etl tin1e for t l1 e po e ion of illegal firear111." cl11<l robber)·. 11cl :o it ,,·e11t : ot1t one cl a}T, i11 tl1e 11ext. 'harlie Iloga11 ,,·a · · · i 11 · 0 11 that S11ncla,r after110011 t,Yo , rear ' a O'Q . . ..... ,,he11 a go:p el t eam of }'ou11g n1e11 fr on1 the Fir ·t Bapti: t 1 hurch li eld a O'O ·1)el ·er ..vice in t l1e I a11ila l ' it,,. Jail. ~ 1 1111da,· after > t111cla,· thi L go ·p el t ean1 stand · l)efore th"e hio-h ,,·ire gate \Yaiti11g· for tl1e :ig– ual t o . ot11icl tl1at ,,-ill Ol )P tl the o·ate a11c1 admit tl1en1 t o cell bloclc ~o. 1. !11 eon11>au~T ,Yith a mi. . io11ar),. ad– ,·i ·er , tbe:e )·on11g J)eOJ) le holcl forth tl1e ,,,..ortl of I1ife to the ·e 1ne11 ,,·ho are 11ot onl}·· i11 pri. on b11t al o i11 the pri ·011 hot1. e of ·in. Tl1eJ– ha, ·e approxi111atel)r 30 mi11ute 1 i11 ,Yhich ti111e theJ' pre. e11t the ,va)'" of . al,·atiou a11cl t each the 1l1e11 go p el ')0 11g · a11cl r h or t1. e. . Thesr pr intecl i11 lJig-, l)olc1 letter the wor cls to tl1r~e ~011g. 011 large heet . of 1 e,,··· pr i11t , ,Yl1i<·h are the11 bo11ncl toget l1er to n1ake llp the pag·e of t l1eir . 011g : t' r oll. A hort 111e :age i t he11 gi, ·e11 11}' 011e of tl1e >·01111g– me11. Tl1er e i ~ 11ot 111t1e h oppor– tt111 it.'- to clo J> f>l'. 011al ,,~o rk amo11g thP J)l'i . Oller , b1 t Opl)Ol'ttlllit3r to ask <1ue tion i gi ,·e11 t o anJ· who ,,·ot1ld like to clo o aft er tl1e c lo. r of tl1r er ,· iee. ~o it \Yas tl1at on this after110011 ( 1 l1arli, l1ear(l the g·o8pel pre entecl . ll(l hacl bcrn l1ro11gh t 11 11 a Ro1na11 ( 1 atl1oli<; b11t lie k·11e,v tl1at l1e hacl11 't fot111d :ati. f actio11. I t l1acl clo11e 11othi11g· to t l1ar1gc hi: l1ea rt a11cl 111al<e l1i111 ,ya11t to :tay 011t • of trouble. 111at afte r110011 afte r t11e D'Q pel ,'ervice, 011e of tl1e yol111g· 111e11 hacl the l)rivilege of leac1i11g 1 l1arli<:' to the Lortl . Did it make a differe11 ·e? I.Jet ( 1 harlie '. life . 1)ealc for it. elf. • 1 hortlv· after hi · eo11,·er .·io11 he .., ,Ya relea ·eel £ro1n jail. H e began atte11cli11g cl111rch er, ·i.ce . both 1101·1 ing a11e,l e\·e11i11g a ... \Y 11 a. the )Tot111g l)eo1 le '.· n1eeting ·. 1 Ie ,,·a ofte1 i11 pra)·e r 111eetinµ: 011 ,,r ec1- 11e claJ~ e, 1 e11iug. A bot1t 011e year late r a: he c;a1u e to a fl1ller 11nder – :ta11cli11g of the \\,.. orc1, h e ,va11tec1 t o be ba1)tize 1, a11cl i11 April 1954: he ga,·e te:tin1011),. to hi · faith i11 the Lor el .J e. 11 i11 the ,vater. of har)ti ·ru . A he h i111. elf te tified: ' ' Befo r e) I trn ·t ecl the I1ord J e 11s ( 1 l11·i:t as lllY' ~,a,· io11r I \"\ra . i11 a11cl • 011t of ,jail n1an~? ti1nr. : ·i11ce lJecom- i11g· a C 1 l1ri,·t ia11 l l1a,·e 11ot bee11 i11 jail once, 11or ha,·e ] been i11 troL1ble once. ' Bt1t 11ot 'O lo11g· ago I 11oticed that harlie had not been i11 the Pl1t1r ·11 ·erYice for so111e tirne. \\rhe1 I <111e.-tio11ec1 011e of t be )'Ot111g· J11e11 0 11 the g·o ·1)el t ea111 he 111for111ecl 111e tl1at ( 1 harlie ,va. bacl< i11 jail. 13t1t he c1t1icl<l},. adc1ecl: ' ' 11ot l>ec·a1t. ·e 0£ a11)' t h i11g he has clo11e ·i11ce l)ec:01n ing· a 1 l1ri. t ia11. · Befor e ]1e had beco111e a 1 h ri t ian 11e l1acl ])ron1i eel to ' lo·ve a11cl cl1 er i. h ' ' 11ot .ju. t one bt1t t,vo )~ottng l ac1ie. . 1 J1arlie \Ya: a big·– a1ui t. ,Vhe11 I ,·i. ite l him at the cit.)· jail, hi olc1 fa1niliar J1a1111t, I dicl 11ot fi11cl hi1n cl i. cot1raged , c1o,Ynheartecl 11or . ·ad. Ile ltne" · that l1e wa. a 'hri t ia11 a11c1 t hat 1 l1r i. t ,·ya fa ithful lj· ltee1)ing· hin1 e, ·e11 i11 thi , tin1e of g r eat te ting. 'harlie tol cl 111 e h o,Y th at ver v· • n1orni11g : e·veral of hi · Ron1a11 ( 1 a tholir i11n1ate l1acl co1ne to l1i111 ,ya11ti11g to k11ow 111ore of tl1e ,vor c1 of (}ocl ancl of the ,vay of life. lle had read to them f r o111 the Bihle, ancl hacl te. tified to the1n, Rose i11 l1is O\.\' ll i11111le ,,·a~' of , al– ,·atiOJl i11 1 hri t. Thes J)ri:oner<.; ,vcre r eacly to beco111(l ' ' ]>rotes– ta11 t: a: a r est1lt of his te. timo11,·. Ile al. ·o told me that \vhe11e, ,~r a 1110, 'ie i: ho,, 7 11 i11 hi . cell block l1e c1oe 11ot atte11d b11t rather get · Ol1t his Bible a11cl read: it . After J1i · third ab en ce fron1 tl1e 1uovie. the g11ard a ·keel 011e of the pri ·011- er : abot1t l1i. 11nust1al c..:011c1 uct a11cl ,Ya. tolcl t h a t 1 harl ie ,,,a a 1 hri. - tia11 a1id that that little l)ool< he \Ya.· reading wa a Bible. The g11ard · onl),. reply ,vas : ' · I thot1ght so.' ~ 1 0 e,·en thot1gh ,harlie i. exp eriencing that on e . i11: are . t1r e to fi11d hin1 Ollt he i al. o r e. ti11g· i11 tJ1e fini l1 ecl ,vorl< of 1 hri t , a11tl i : t1 ing the oppor– t t1uit}- to be a real ,Yitne. . for hr i t. ,ha rlie 11eecl.- yot1r prayer ... . I-Ii tri al i co111lllo· t1p very oon n ov;, a 11c1 I belie,,e he r eal ly ,,rant, to • be fa ithf11l to the Lord a11d l1a,·e Hi ,vill done. Pra},. that 1'' hatever the ot1t ·01ne i t he Lorcl tT e t1 1night co11ti1rt1e to l)e g·lorif iecl tl1rot1gl1 hi life. 'I'he 01)en Door Bapti t ht1rcl1, D elpl10 hio, r ecently r ecei,·ed i11- to t he fello,v hip of hio A · ·ocia– tio11, i i11 the 1 roce .· of er ecti11g a 110,v 11011 e of ,,·or l1ip ac ·ordi11g to tl1e pa ·tor Re,T. Do11alcl P eltier. The ,vorl{ ,vill be co1npletecl i11 the earl)~ :pri11g·. Rev. R obert .J. Re·v11l101 t r ere11t- ~ }3r atte11ded a 11atio11al .. tlncla)· ~ "chool 1 011,..ent ion i11 Pro·vicle11ce, Rhod e I la11d. ~Ir. R ey11bo11t i '"' • . p e ializi110· i11 .. '1t111c1ay r hool ,York and i: ·011. ta11tl)" 0 11 the alert for 11e,Y te 1 l11 i c1t1e ,vl1icl1 ,vill be pa ed alo11g to a . ociat ecl churc11e thrtl the pag·c-. of thi. 1r1agazi11 e. Prompt r en ewal of your su bscrip tion will be appr eciated by ou r Circu lation Departmen t.