Freed-Hardeman Connections
Researching the Restoration Movement in Mississippi and West Tennessee
Guy N. Woods
1908-1993
Guy N. Woods was born September 26, 1908 near Holladay, Tennessee. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. George E. Woods. His mother was Eula Stokes before her marriage. Guy is the elder child in a family of three. Earle, his brother is an able evangelist and is widely known for his work in middle Tennessee. His sister is Mrs. Glen Bawcum of Chicago. He spent much of his childhood and youthful days working around a saw mill and some on a farm near Holladay. He has always been attracted by debates and was an ardent literary debater in school. He finished High School in Holladay and spent two years in Freed-Hardeman College. On his 18th birthday, Guy preached his first sermon. As a gospel preacher, Bro. Woods has done an outstanding work He has done local work in Memphis, Tennessee, Tompkinsville, Kentucky, Post, Kirkland, Wellington, and Lubbock Texas. He was ever in demand for evangelistic meeting work. For the past several years he has given his full time to this type of work holding about 25 meetings each year. This work has been in Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado, Mississippi and Alabama. His forceful manner, explicit statements, and kind voice together with his thorough knowledge of the scriptures has crowned h s efforts to lead the lost to Christ with much success. He is a staff Writer for the Gospel Advocate and his articles are widely read and highly respected. He also writes Bible School literature. He is a member of the Texas and Tennessee bars, but has never engaged in the actual practice of law. Guy N. Woods is an outstanding debater. He is recognized in general by the churches of Christ as sound in the faith and able to uphold the truth. He has engaged in about fifty debates with Baptists, Methodists, Holiness, Adventists, Christadelphians, and Materialists. Some of the Baptists that he has met are: D. N. Jackson (twice), R F. Pepper (five times), A. U. Nunnery (twice), L. J. Crawford (twice), M. L. Welch (three times). Also, it may be of interest to note that he has met L. J. Crosswell, able materialist debater, six times. Bro. Woods has been successful as a debater for several reasons. One is his thoroughness. He never allows an argument of his opponent to go unnoticed. He makes his arguments in a forceful, intelligent, yet very simple manner. He does not become excited, nor does he allow his temper to show itself. He confines his remarks to the issues and not to personalities as can be plainly seen from reading this debate.
Baptized by Guy N. Woods
George David Tipps, 1937. Preachers of Today, Vol. 2, 440.
J. W. Grant
Guy N. Woods was baptized by J. W. Grant. Below is information about him provided by Terry Gardner:
Grant was born in 1856 and died in April 3, 1936. He seems to have spent most of his time in Alabama (living at Bridgeport in 1906 where he had founded what was known as the Alatenga Bible College) and in Nashville, Tennessee. He died in Nashville, but his body was shipped to Bridgeport, Alabama for burial. For a time Grant taught at Lipscomb's Nashville Bible School. He led efforts to raise money to support missionaries (especially in Persia -- a/k/a Iran). In the 1920s he was associated with the Central Church of Christ in Nashville (funeral services were conducted for Grant at Central). He strikes me as a quiet, unassuming, behind the scenes kind of guy who baptized people and established churches but didn't advertise his work. He baptized both Guy N. Woods and Guy's brother G. E. Woods. He also baptized C. E. W. Dorris.
A listing of death appeared in the April, 9, 1936 Gospel Advocate.