Freed-Hardeman Connections
Researching the Restoration Movement in Mississippi and West Tennessee
John R. Williams
JOHN R. WILLIAMS (1851-1927): A TRUE MISSIONARY IN WEST TENNESSEE
Sam E. Hester
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
John R. Williams was born within two miles of Lewisburg in Marshall County December 30, 1851 of poor and humble parents. Because the Civil War was breaking out when he was of school age, he did not get to attend school. He only spent about fifteen months in the classroom as a pupil. At the age of eighteen he moved to Obion County and two years later married Mollie R. Moultrie. One of his sisters led the way for the family in her obedience to the gospel and encouraged John to do the same. He was baptized by J. H. Raul on July 30, 1876, just a few days after the American centennial.
In April of 1883 he was licensed to practice law before the county court and in July of 1885 committed himself to preach the gospel. In November of the same year he was licensed to practice law in all the courts of the state, but made the decision to give his full energy to preaching. In his seventieth year he wrote, "From that day to the present I have been a poor man-made no money, therefore have none now. I managed to feed, and clothe my family, after a manner, and give to each of my children, now living, a practical education and taught them how to work."
Williams did most of his preaching in Obion and surrounding counties and for several years wrote a popular report for the Gospel Advocate entitled "Notes from West Tennessee." By his seventieth birthday he had baptized about 2500 people, established 18 congregations, revived 4, and had encouraged the building of about 13 church buildings. Most of his work was spent in evangelizing new areas. During the years 1885-1925 no one preached more tent meetings in West Tennessee than John R. Williams.
During his work up to 1921 Brother Williams held fourteen public discussions. Seven were with Missionary Baptists, two with Primitive Baptists, two with Seventh Day Adventists, and three with Methodists. In 1906 he held a joint gospel meeting with the famous Baptist preacher, I. N. Penick.
AS A PREACHER
Williams was constantly pressing forward the missionary work in West Tennessee. During the years when the Christian Church was emphasizing the society method of evangelizing, Williams was holding many tent meetings. During a week when the Tennessee Christian Missionary Convention was in session at Union City, Williams asked: I wonder if it will send some man and a tent to any of the destitute places in West Tennessee. Would it not rather send a man to some old, word of God?'
In 1906 a sister wrote him from Lynnville: "After all the talk about mission work in West Tennessee, I see you are the true missionary." Williams helped churches move forward in their work, but he also helped the churches through the trying times of the separation from the Christian Church and the Disciples of Christ. He noted in 1906 that the "clouds of war" were lowering and that the churches of Christ were "strengthening" their forces. He felt that the future looked bright for the faithful churches, but he longed for people would stand only on the Word of God.
Williams kept his sermon outlines in a small leather loose-leaf notebook. When closed the volume looked like a thin Bible. Scriptures were pasted into the beautifully handwritten outlines. Some of the sermon titles were: "What Should the Love of Christ Do for US?" "The Holy Spirit-Present in All Beginnings," "Is There a Third Party in Salvation?" "Worldly Fashions," "Opinion, Faith, Knowledge," "Is Heaven Gained Without Effort?" "What God Says Do, He Says Do It Now."
AS A PARENT
It is interesting to note the spiritual progress of one of the nine children of John R. Williams during the year 1903. Len D. Williams had entered Georgia Robertson Christian College at Henderson, a school whose literary work Brother Williams considered "second to none." After Len had been at the school a short while he wrote home and expressed his intention to preach the gospel. Brother A. G. Freed also wrote Brother Williams and reported that Len was "succeeding well in his home congregation at Hornbeak. Thereafter, the church gave him an appointment to preach on every second Sunday.
In August of that year Len preached his first two gospel meetings. In the second meeting eighteen responded and fourteen were baptized. His first convert was a seventy-nine year old lady who had been a Baptist for fifty years. In October Len became involved in an unusual meeting. His dad tells he story: The congregation at Hornbeak had decided to have another meeting some time this fall and had written to one or more preachers of renoun (sic); but all were busy, could not come. Last Sunday (September 13) was the day for my son to fill his regular appointment at Hornbeak.
He did so, expecting to leave for Henderson on Monday morning for another year in school, when, to the astonishment of the congregation, the meeting started itself. Up to this (Thursday morning eight persons have been baptized and two have been reclaimed. I suppose that the brethren will not send for the big preacher now, but will let the meeting held by the little preacher suffice for the present in the way of accession. Brother Williams felt that no greater duty or obligation rested upon parents than that of bringing up their children in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord." As he put it: "proper instruction, influence, and safeguards given to children around the home fireside will result in good."
CONCLUSION
Brother Williams made a good impact for the gospel in his day and even after his death. Several living today look back to him with appreciation and admiration. He was an important man of the church in an important time for the church.
Footnotes
John R. Williams, "Notes from West Tennessee." Gospel Advocate 45 (October 18, 1903). 669.
John R. Williams, "Notes from West Tennessee." Gospel Advocate 48 (March 18, 1906). 170.
John R. Williams. "Notes from West Tennessee," Gospel Advocate 48 (October 1, 1903). 635.
Hornbeak Cemetery - GPS N 36* 19.939' W 089* 17. 408'
Conversion of a Methodist School Teacher
I was leading the singing in a meeting with Bro. Williams at Cardwell, Missouri, in June 1911. ... There was a young man, M. S. Mason, teaching school there, who began attending services towared the end of the first week of the three-weeks meeting. He indicated rather keen interest from the beginning. Such subject as "A Way that is Right and Cannot be Wrong" full supported by inspired Scripture as opposed to human theories of uninspired men was so convincing that M. S. Mason responded, denouncing his Methodist affilication for "A Way that is Right."
When Bro. Williams lifted Mason out of the water, he said, "I baptized you for a gospel preachers" and truly he was indeed.
Ealon V. Wilson, Life and Ministry of John R. Williams
Marshall S. Mason filled-in at Freed-Hardeman for brother N. B. Hardeman when he preached in the Tabernacle Sermons in Nashville. When he was killed in 1930, a young preacher student, Hugo McCord, organized the raising of funds to dedicate a room in Old Main at Freed-Hardeman in honor of M. S. Mason. The room is on the west wing of the first floor of Old Main. Brother Mason is buried in Springfield, Mo.
JOHN R. WILLIAMS (1851-1927): A TRUE MISSIONARY IN WEST TENNESSEE
Sam E. Hester
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
John R. Williams was born within two miles of Lewisburg in Marshall County December 30, 1851 of poor and humble parents. Because the Civil War was breaking out when he was of school age, he did not get to attend school. He only spent about fifteen months in the classroom as a pupil. At the age of eighteen he moved to Obion County and two years later married Mollie R. Moultrie. One of his sisters led the way for the family in her obedience to the gospel and encouraged John to do the same. He was baptized by J. H. Raul on July 30, 1876, just a few days after the American centennial.
In April of 1883 he was licensed to practice law before the county court and in July of 1885 committed himself to preach the gospel. In November of the same year he was licensed to practice law in all the courts of the state, but made the decision to give his full energy to preaching. In his seventieth year he wrote, "From that day to the present I have been a poor man-made no money, therefore have none now. I managed to feed, and clothe my family, after a manner, and give to each of my children, now living, a practical education and taught them how to work."
Williams did most of his preaching in Obion and surrounding counties and for several years wrote a popular report for the Gospel Advocate entitled "Notes from West Tennessee." By his seventieth birthday he had baptized about 2500 people, established 18 congregations, revived 4, and had encouraged the building of about 13 church buildings. Most of his work was spent in evangelizing new areas. During the years 1885-1925 no one preached more tent meetings in West Tennessee than John R. Williams.
During his work up to 1921 Brother Williams held fourteen public discussions. Seven were with Missionary Baptists, two with Primitive Baptists, two with Seventh Day Adventists, and three with Methodists. In 1906 he held a joint gospel meeting with the famous Baptist preacher, I. N. Penick.
AS A PREACHER
Williams was constantly pressing forward the missionary work in West Tennessee. During the years when the Christian Church was emphasizing the society method of evangelizing, Williams was holding many tent meetings. During a week when the Tennessee Christian Missionary Convention was in session at Union City, Williams asked: I wonder if it will send some man and a tent to any of the destitute places in West Tennessee. Would it not rather send a man to some old, word of God?'
In 1906 a sister wrote him from Lynnville: "After all the talk about mission work in West Tennessee, I see you are the true missionary." Williams helped churches move forward in their work, but he also helped the churches through the trying times of the separation from the Christian Church and the Disciples of Christ. He noted in 1906 that the "clouds of war" were lowering and that the churches of Christ were "strengthening" their forces. He felt that the future looked bright for the faithful churches, but he longed for people would stand only on the Word of God.
Williams kept his sermon outlines in a small leather loose-leaf notebook. When closed the volume looked like a thin Bible. Scriptures were pasted into the beautifully handwritten outlines. Some of the sermon titles were: "What Should the Love of Christ Do for US?" "The Holy Spirit-Present in All Beginnings," "Is There a Third Party in Salvation?" "Worldly Fashions," "Opinion, Faith, Knowledge," "Is Heaven Gained Without Effort?" "What God Says Do, He Says Do It Now."
AS A PARENT
It is interesting to note the spiritual progress of one of the nine children of John R. Williams during the year 1903. Len D. Williams had entered Georgia Robertson Christian College at Henderson, a school whose literary work Brother Williams considered "second to none." After Len had been at the school a short while he wrote home and expressed his intention to preach the gospel. Brother A. G. Freed also wrote Brother Williams and reported that Len was "succeeding well in his home congregation at Hornbeak. Thereafter, the church gave him an appointment to preach on every second Sunday.
In August of that year Len preached his first two gospel meetings. In the second meeting eighteen responded and fourteen were baptized. His first convert was a seventy-nine year old lady who had been a Baptist for fifty years. In October Len became involved in an unusual meeting. His dad tells he story: The congregation at Hornbeak had decided to have another meeting some time this fall and had written to one or more preachers of renoun (sic); but all were busy, could not come. Last Sunday (September 13) was the day for my son to fill his regular appointment at Hornbeak.
He did so, expecting to leave for Henderson on Monday morning for another year in school, when, to the astonishment of the congregation, the meeting started itself. Up to this (Thursday morning eight persons have been baptized and two have been reclaimed. I suppose that the brethren will not send for the big preacher now, but will let the meeting held by the little preacher suffice for the present in the way of accession. Brother Williams felt that no greater duty or obligation rested upon parents than that of bringing up their children in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord." As he put it: "proper instruction, influence, and safeguards given to children around the home fireside will result in good."
CONCLUSION
Brother Williams made a good impact for the gospel in his day and even after his death. Several living today look back to him with appreciation and admiration. He was an important man of the church in an important time for the church.
Footnotes
John R. Williams, "Notes from West Tennessee." Gospel Advocate 45 (October 18, 1903). 669.
John R. Williams, "Notes from West Tennessee." Gospel Advocate 48 (March 18, 1906). 170.
John R. Williams. "Notes from West Tennessee," Gospel Advocate 48 (October 1, 1903). 635.
Hornbeak Cemetery - GPS N 36* 19.939' W 089* 17. 408'
Conversion of a Methodist School Teacher
I was leading the singing in a meeting with Bro. Williams at Cardwell, Missouri, in June 1911. ... There was a young man, M. S. Mason, teaching school there, who began attending services towared the end of the first week of the three-weeks meeting. He indicated rather keen interest from the beginning. Such subject as "A Way that is Right and Cannot be Wrong" full supported by inspired Scripture as opposed to human theories of uninspired men was so convincing that M. S. Mason responded, denouncing his Methodist affilication for "A Way that is Right."
When Bro. Williams lifted Mason out of the water, he said, "I baptized you for a gospel preachers" and truly he was indeed.
Ealon V. Wilson, Life and Ministry of John R. Williams
Marshall S. Mason filled-in at Freed-Hardeman for brother N. B. Hardeman when he preached in the Tabernacle Sermons in Nashville. When he was killed in 1930, a young preacher student, Hugo McCord, organized the raising of funds to dedicate a room in Old Main at Freed-Hardeman in honor of M. S. Mason. The room is on the west wing of the first floor of Old Main. Brother Mason is buried in Springfield, Mo.