Freed-Hardeman Connections
Researching the Restoration Movement in Mississippi and West Tennessee
James Brooks Armor
J. B. Armor was born in Tennessee on July 12, 1829 and died May 8, 1903.
J. B. Armor is buried in the Old Hickory Flat Cemetery, near Hickory Flat, Mississippi.
"If God So Teaches, I Am Willing"
John Smith was a Primitive Baptist who lived in Indiana. He heard a gospel preacher speak about the importance of "Rightly Dividing the World of Truth." After hearing the sermon, he and his wife became "Christians only."
The Smiths had five daughters who were taught diligently by his fireside to read, understand, and obey the scriptures. They later moved to Hickory Flat, Benton County, Mississippi. Having five young daughters, they became the center of attention of the young men in the community. But before marriage the girls brought each man to the New Testament faith.
One daughter, Rachel, said to her boy friend: "Let us read the Bible together, hear our ministers fairly, pray while we study, and do what we believe to be God's will as revealed to us in his word." After a few months of reading, learning, and praying J. B. Armor became a Christian. He became a gospel preacher, as did his son Milton Hatley Armor who went to school under J. W. McGarvey. Both the father and son did much to bring the gospel to people in north Mississippi.
Brother M. H. Armor spoke on a lectureship, along with David Lipscomb in Henderson, Tennessee in 1892. Brother J. A. Thornton, a long-time gospel preacher and father-in-law of Ralph Gilmore who teaches at Freed-Hardeman, is named in honor of M. H. Armor.
The youngest daughter of John Smith, Mary Malvina, married W. A. Crum. They had no discussion of religious issues until the first baby was born. Eli Crum, father of W. A. Crum and a devout elder of the Presbyterian Church, urged his son to have the babe baptized. Mollie's reply was, "If God so teaches, I am willing. I have heard that there is neither command nor example for baptizing infants; but show me the scriptures for it and I will consent at once."
Eli went to his Presbyterian preacher for help in finding biblical authorization. In the meantime, William Crum began to study the Bible for himself, which lead to his obeying the gospel. He became one of the strongest preachers in the state of Mississippi during his time.
His son, William Eli Crum, was the first gospel preacher for the Beech Hill church of Christ where my wife was reared, where Carole and I were married, and where I preached my first sermon in 1968.
I wonder what would happen if all of us would read our Bibles and instill in our children the attitude: "If God so teaches, I am willing… Show me the scriptures for it and I will consent at once."
---Tom L. Childers
Background for this article came from History Of The Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) in Mississippi, compiled and written by M. F. Harmon.
J. B. Armor was born in Tennessee on July 12, 1829 and died May 8, 1903.
J. B. Armor is buried in the Old Hickory Flat Cemetery, near Hickory Flat, Mississippi.
"If God So Teaches, I Am Willing"
John Smith was a Primitive Baptist who lived in Indiana. He heard a gospel preacher speak about the importance of "Rightly Dividing the World of Truth." After hearing the sermon, he and his wife became "Christians only."
The Smiths had five daughters who were taught diligently by his fireside to read, understand, and obey the scriptures. They later moved to Hickory Flat, Benton County, Mississippi. Having five young daughters, they became the center of attention of the young men in the community. But before marriage the girls brought each man to the New Testament faith.
One daughter, Rachel, said to her boy friend: "Let us read the Bible together, hear our ministers fairly, pray while we study, and do what we believe to be God's will as revealed to us in his word." After a few months of reading, learning, and praying J. B. Armor became a Christian. He became a gospel preacher, as did his son Milton Hatley Armor who went to school under J. W. McGarvey. Both the father and son did much to bring the gospel to people in north Mississippi.
Brother M. H. Armor spoke on a lectureship, along with David Lipscomb in Henderson, Tennessee in 1892. Brother J. A. Thornton, a long-time gospel preacher and father-in-law of Ralph Gilmore who teaches at Freed-Hardeman, is named in honor of M. H. Armor.
The youngest daughter of John Smith, Mary Malvina, married W. A. Crum. They had no discussion of religious issues until the first baby was born. Eli Crum, father of W. A. Crum and a devout elder of the Presbyterian Church, urged his son to have the babe baptized. Mollie's reply was, "If God so teaches, I am willing. I have heard that there is neither command nor example for baptizing infants; but show me the scriptures for it and I will consent at once."
Eli went to his Presbyterian preacher for help in finding biblical authorization. In the meantime, William Crum began to study the Bible for himself, which lead to his obeying the gospel. He became one of the strongest preachers in the state of Mississippi during his time.
His son, William Eli Crum, was the first gospel preacher for the Beech Hill church of Christ where my wife was reared, where Carole and I were married, and where I preached my first sermon in 1968.
I wonder what would happen if all of us would read our Bibles and instill in our children the attitude: "If God so teaches, I am willing… Show me the scriptures for it and I will consent at once."
---Tom L. Childers
Background for this article came from History Of The Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) in Mississippi, compiled and written by M. F. Harmon.