Cloverdale Baptist Church

     During the time that I lived in Tillamook County, Oregon, I pastored at Cloverdale at different times for about seventeen years in all.   Also as an independent missionary I preached in school houses of the county, preaching at least once in most all of them.   I might say that I was a dependent missionary, for I depended only on the Lord.   I had many interesting experiences in my work there, but as I look back over it I do not want to travel over them again, and I am glad I will soon be at the end of my journey.

     Many of us on this coast have suffered and fought against the enemies of truth more than you might think.   We have been in a peculiar situation, having to oppose every heresy under the sun while at the same time opposed and ostracized by Convention Baptists.   I have gone to towns where they had a Convention church that was called Baptist and asked them for the use of the house to preach in, and they would refuse me the use of the house just for not cooperating with the convention, but at the same time they would let a Methodist or a Campbellite use their church house.

     In June, 1915, I started a little monthly paper called, "The Western Baptist," and published it for nearly two years.   Sickness of my wife and other difficulties caused us to suspend publication.   Then in November of 1921, we started "The Western Baptist" again until March of 1923 when we turned it over to "The Baptist Commoner," the editor allowing us a page in the paper for the Pacific Coast.   Through our page the true Baptists, of like faith, in the middle states became interested in our struggles out here, and in 1923 Elder Ben J. Smith, who was secretary-treasurer of the American Baptist Association, visited our field.   Up to that time we had never secured any help or sympathy in our struggles for the truth from Baptists of the South excepting as Brother Moore or I may have received a contribution from some friend.   After Brother Smith visited us and saw something of our needs and recommended that the American Baptist Association of churches help us we began receiving their sympathy and some help.

     In closing this article I wish to mention a few experiences and incidents in my work that have impressed me of God's special care over those who trust in Him.   I was once preaching for a church one Sunday a month, and they had agreed to pay me five dollars a trip.   One weekend I was starting for my appointment when my wife told me to be sure to bring back a sack of flour when I came home on Monday, for we were all out of flour.

     I did not have money for the flour, but I thought surely the church would pay me, so I went and preached as best I could.   Some of the church members there did not believe in taking up an offering, so it was left up to them to pay as they pleased, but when I went to leave no one of the church had given me anything for my preaching.   I would not be able to get that flour needed for my wife and children.   So I was feeling rather blue as I unhitched my horse, and I offered a silent prayer, "Lord, you know our needs."

     Just then, as I was about to get on my horse a stranger who had been in church that day came walking up to me and said, "Here is my contribution for today."   With this he handed me two dollars and a half.

     I thanked him and asked him his name and where he was from.   He said he was from Portland where he was a member of Grace Methodist Church.   He said he always put two dollars and a half in the offering at home, and since he had enjoyed my sermon he felt he should give me his Sunday offering.   He said he noticed that I did not take up a collection so he was giving it to me anyway.   I speak of this because I believe that God led him to give that to me.

     Many churches neglect to pay their pastor when perhaps his family is in great need.   Most churches have a few that are true, who are the life of the church, though.

     One time I held a ten day meeting for a church in which there were five or six professions of faith, and we baptized four.   The deacon had said several times, "I am going to get the church to pay you for this meeting."   I said nothing about pay, for that was not what I was preaching for, but I thought he would do as he said and I would receive something.   I closed the meeting and all I received was fifty cents, and a good old Methodist lady gave me that.   In a few years that church died, and that old deacon has gone to his reward.

     One time I heard Brother J. T. Moore preach a real great sermon as he often can do.   I took his text and outline and not long after that I preached it at another place.   At the close of the sermon one brother came and gave me a five dollar bill saying as he did so, "I give you this for that sermon."   Later I told Brother Moore about it, and he wanted me to give him the five dollars.   I guess it was at least in part due to him, but being selfish I kept it.

     I preached one Sunday in a meeting, and a brother preacher who was with me went home to preach to his church that night.   He told me later that he preached my sermon that night to his church, and they told him it was the best sermon they had ever heard him preach.   We often get our best sermons from someone else while listening to them preach.   One of my best I got from an outline in the "Baptist Progress" by Dr. H. B. Pender.   When we give a message we trust it will do good and go from heart to heart.   If it does one good we hope that that one will tell it to others.   We thank God for the help that brethren have been to us, and we rejoice also if God has used us to be a help to others.

     I will close by saying I haven't time nor space to write all the memories that rush into my mind of the work of the past 35 years.   I have just touched a few, but I do not care to dwell on the past.   I do not live in the past.   That is dead and gone.   We are living now, and I look ahead.   We are struggling on, so forgetting those things I press on.   My race will soon be run, and I want to be able to say at the close of my race as Paul did, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

     Yours in our blessed Lord, R. Y. Blalock.

     At the time my father, R. Y. Blalock, wrote the above article he was 62 years of age.   Six years later, in 1935, he left Idaho with his family for California to do mission work in that state.   During the next 13 years until he was 81 he worked harder, traveled more and preached more than ever before and established more new churches than he had during all of his previous lifetime.   Then the Lord made him rest by becoming bedfast, yet with a clear mind he continued to write for papers and to missionaries until after his 95th birthday, in which year the Lord took him home.

~~J. R. B.

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     We are all looking forward to the fellowship meeting at Cloverdale Baptist Church in Cloverdale, Oregon.   They hold this two day fellowship meeting every year in June.   The editor of this paper looks forward to this meeting every year.   For him it is like going home.   Pastor Randy Winesbourgh tells us this year the days are Thursday June 24th, and Friday June 25th.   The fellowship starts with lunch at noon on Thursday and ends with lunch at noon on Friday.   In between there will be preaching, special music, sleep Thursday night, breakfast Friday morning and even some testimonies.

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     We had a lovely fellowship meeting at Mountain View Baptist Church in Kelso last Friday.   Two groups of children of the church sang specials and then the Mattingly Family brought a program of gospel singing along with their testimonies that was a truly great experience.

     After that Brother Bo Smith, pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Waldport, Oregon, brought very stirring message.   A message that brought many to the altar as the Mattingly family sang an invitation hymn.

Letters To The Editor

     Yesterday I received a tract written by Pastor Robert W. Reed of Victory Baptist Church of Coden, Alabama.   Here is a portion of what he had to say:

     Children are an investment in the kingdom of God.   God alone knows our future; let Him plan our family.   We are not to play God in these matters.   Our duty is to bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1-2; Corinthians 6:20).   Birth control reveals the selfishness of our society.   Wives are looked upon by men as legal mistresses instead of the mother of their children.   May the Lord open our eyes to this important truth.   It seems as though all that churches are doing today is rearranging the deck furniture on the Titanic instead of dealing with real issues.   We must deal with the issue of birth control head on, or we will sink just as the Titanic did, because the damage is done and there is no one willing to take a stand to preach the truth by which the repairs can be made.   Satan loves birth control because it limits God's blessing for the Christian and is cutting off godly seed.

1. Loss of freedom:   This is a very selfish reason.
2. Finances:   God will never give more mouths than he can feed (Psalms 37:25).
3. Career minded women:   Women working outside of the home is a violation of Scriptures (Titus 2:4-5; I Timothy 5:14).
4. Poverty:   This is not an excuse, Jesus came from a poor family where there were at least seven children.
5. Fear of having too many children:   The average family is 2-6 children and really big families are the exception and not the rule.   For example, Sarah had only one child, Rachel had only two children, Noah and his wife had only three children.
6. Overpopulation:   This is not true.   Please get the real facts as to why there are people starving in other countries; you will be shocked..
7. Ignorance of God's Word.
     

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the flitty flighty nectar sipper

     This engaging little ornithological specimen is never part of any flock.   It shows up for special occasions and certain Bible Studies which it finds interesting.   It especially seems to like prophecy studies until the subject of judgment comes up.   This usually seems to startle this timid little creature and it flees.   Neither can it seem to stand being urged to become one of the flock.   If the church could have a series of lessons on subjects like, 'Does Satan have scales or fur?' it would probably be in the front row.   If some other group advertised something like, 'Come early and get the Mark of the Beast' this bird would be first in line.

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