Travel Notes
Lebanon, Indiana, is one of the quietest and cleanest little cities one could picture. Twenty-eight miles north east of Indianapolis, it is located in the midst of a beautiful farming section, where the percentage of farmers tilling their own land is one of the highest in the nation. Prosperous, middle-class people make up the majority of the 8,000 population of this county seat.
The church in Lebanon started some eight or nine years ago when A. G. Hobbs, then working with 40th and Capitol Church in Indianapolis, held a meeting here. The progress for several years was extremely slow, and the work would likely have died had it not been for the heroic efforts of Dr. 0. C. Jaquith of Indianapolis. Meetings were held by several fine gospel preachers: F. B. Shepherd, Joseph Cox, Earl West, and Charles Campbell among them. Wilson Wallace preached some on Sunday afternoons while he lived in Indianapolis.
About three years ago new life was injected into the little group when two or three new families moved into the Lebanon area and began to worship with them. A splendidly located lot was purchased, and by real sacrifice and hard work the old dwelling house on it was converted into a very neat and attractive little meeting house. It will seat about 125 people, has a baptistery and four class rooms.
The Del Rio, Texas, congregation supported me in a meeting here last year; and Houston and Pease Streets Church in Vernon is helping me in this meeting. There are now about 35 members of the congregation. Brother. J. D. Parker, a graduate of Freed-Hardeman and of Butler University is doing a splendid work as their preacher. He is staying at a real sacrifice.
One unusual feature of this little congregation is the number of babies present. The 35 members of the church have a combined total of 17 babies under school age—about five of them under one year old! I think all 17 were visible (and vocal) every night of the meeting. But the parents did a magnificent job of soothing, shushing, and switching. And I gave forth with enough vigor and volume of voice to convince anybody that I deserve to be called "young," and a lovely time was had by all!
I will return to Lebanon next summer for another meeting with this fine little congregation.