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Introduction Marshall Keeble came preaching and churches sprang up all over the South. G. P. Bowser came preaching and Southwestern Christian College sprang up. That walking-Bible, R. N. Hogan, came preaching and churches sprang up in Texas, Oklahoma, and California. —Eugene Lawton, Fasten Your Seatbelts, Turbulence May Be Ahead The renowned black preacher Eugene Lawton succinctly captured the impact and import of three of the preeminent evangelists in the history of African American Churches of Christ—Marshall Keeble, George P. Bowser, and R. N. Hogan—when he spoke of their preaching and church building .1 Lawton acknowledges that Keeble, more than any other person, drove the emergence of black Churches of Christ across the South. While such men as Bowser and Hogan contributed significantly to the rise of black Churches of Christ in the northern and western parts of the United States, neither matched Marshall Keeble’s impressive work in the South and beyond . Almost like some divine magician, Keeble seemed to speak black congregations into existence. A careful examination of his singular career reveals what made him the most successful evangelist in the history of African American Churches of Christ, the complex ways in which he accomplished this, and how white Christians played roles in the origins and expansion of black Churches of Christ. Beyond these matters, such a study uncovers the contributions of Keeble’s converts—his “sons”—in the stabilization of African American congregations in the South. Finally, it reveals to what degree altruism or racism supplied the impetus for the rise of black Churches of Christ in the southern states. At one point during the throes of the Great Depression, white leaders in Churches of Christ gathered in southern California to celebrate and question Marshall Keeble. During a three-week evangelistic effort in Los Angeles , California, several white ministers, enthralled with Keeble’s ability to transform people’s lives, arranged this meeting at the Central Church of 2 / introduction Christ with the black clergyman from Tennessee and begged him to reveal the secrets to his extraordinary success as an evangelist.The crowd of mostly white preachers implored: “‘Show us how you do it,’ like the magician is called on to do sometimes by a few on the ‘inside’ of the ring.”The inquirers assured Keeble that they did not wish to “steal his power”; they only wanted “to know just how he does it.” In the minds of the white leaders, Keeble seemed almost a godly wizard with mysterious powers and abilities to mesmerize and sway his listeners to obey what he called the “pure gospel.”2 According to E. N. Glenn, a white leader who attended the gathering, Keeble happily listed seven reasons for his achievement as an evangelist. First, he said his devoted wife, Minnie, was at the “bottom of his preaching career.” Next, his father-in-law, Samuel W. Womack, had encouraged him and taught him the “gospel plan of salvation.” Keeble then developed a “burning desire to preach the Word” full time. Fourth, white leaders S. H. Hall, F. B. Srygley, and N. B. Hardeman encouraged him; Keeble especially singled out A. M. Burton, who “recognized his ability and helped along in a financial way.” In order to gain the support of white benefactors, however, Keeble assiduously “kept his place,” scrupulously complying with the New South’s Jim Crow mores, circumspectly working “never to bring reproach upon the Cause by his conduct,” trying always “to keep himself good and humble.” He realized the “importance of ‘staying in place’” while in those parts of the nation “where the racial feelings were quite prominent.”3 Keeble also attributed his power to “secret prayer.” Before meeting with the white preachers at the Central congregation, Keeble had been “‘on his knees’ four times in secret prayer.” Additionally, Keeble seasoned his sermons with “spice”—wit, humor, and keen logic—which endeared him to both white and black Americans. “The white folks hear him just as gladly, and usually there are as many or more in the audience than his own race. No wonder that his many hundreds of converts have been led to the Lamb of God by the power of the Gospel in the hands of this man!”4 Keeble’s comments not only opened the eyes of the California gathering , but they also provide insight for students of his life today. He attributed his preaching success to a supportive spouse, skillful tutelage, personal zeal, white philanthropy, a mild disposition, constant prayer, and homiletical skill...

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