Journal: Central Bible Quarterly
Volume: CENQ 21:2 (Summer 1978)
Article: If Riley, Shields, Norris And Straton Were Living In 1978?
Author: George W. Dollar

CenQ 21:2 (Summer 1978) p. 3

If Riley, Shields, Norris And Straton Were Living In 1978?

George W. Dollar

Central Baptist Theological Seminary

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Introduction

The first half of the twentieth century saw the rise of several outstanding figures in what has come to be called Fundamentalism. Among them were William B. Riley (1861–1947) of First Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Thomas T. Shields (1873–1955) of Jarvis Street Baptist Church, Toronto, Canada; J. Frank Norris (1877–1952) of First Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas; and John Roach Straton (1874–1929) of Calvary Baptist Church, New York City. Each one held a commanding place as pulpiteer, defender of the Faith, crusading preacher, and brave soul to expose the sins of ecclesiasticism and Society. What could they do in 1978 were they here? Could they stem the strong tides of indifferentism, amusements, and personal selfishness? Would they lose heart as they saw the vast national scene of debauchery, money-mania, and faintheartedness on the part of preachers and people? In this brief answer, something of their possible attitudes are explored—not as a condemnation of them and their rockribbed ways, but an encouragement to those called to the ministry who have set their faces as a flint to serve the Lord no matter how bad things are or get.

Oftentimes when you read about these men and read what they said and did, a question comes up. I have never seen this question written on before and I thought I might address myself

CenQ 21:2 (Summer 1978) p. 4

briefly to it and discuss it for you. The question is this: “What would these men think if they were with us today?”

Of course, all of them have passed on to their eternal reward, but what would they think if they were here today? What would John Roach Straton think if he came to New York and saw the conditions there? What would J. Frank Norris think if he came to Fort Worth, Texas, and also to Detroit, Michigan, where he had a church? What would William Bell Riley think if he came back to Minneapolis, and visit, for instance the First Baptist Church, knowing, of course, full well, the long, long ministry he had there before he passed off the scene. What would T. T. Shields think if he came to his beloved Jarvis Street Church in Toronto, Canada? Well, I think there are four things that are quite possible and even probable; in fact, these things seem to me to be the attitudes these men would have to have if they came back.

Loneliness

First, I believe they would be very, very lonely men. Now this may be something of a surprise that they would come back and be lonely. So many of those that they knew and loved and with whom they ser...