Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1916-11-24
mo PREACHING
TO HIS SOLDIERS
General Funston Refuses Per-
mission to Baptist Preacher to
Hold Services I'm Mexican Bor-
der Camps.

The Baptist denomination, or a par
of it, at least, arc having small mi.
up with General Funsten on the Mex.
lean border, which has caused some
sensations and protests, etc.
The facts as gathered from the
State papers and the New York
World are about as follows:
DR.. Gambrell, prominent Baptist
minister of Texas, living near the
border, and perhaps other Baptist
ministers Of Texas, requested Gen
| eral Funston's permission to hold re-
vivals among the soldiers Mt the
front. The request was refused, it
seems, by General Funsten, who stat
ed, according to dispatches, that he
did not want the soldiers stirred up
and excited by being told that they
were lost and going to hades- that
it frustrated discipline in camp and
that a general religious excitement
among the troops would cause troub-
lie and in the interest of "good gov
ernment," the request of the minis
ter to hold revivals in camp was re-
spectfully declined, and right there
General Fred started something.
The matter got into the papers in
Texas. There was protest against
the interference Of General Funston.
He was forbidding the right of min
listers in the exercise Of freedom of
conscience and religious liberty"
guaranteed by the constitution of the
United States. The news was wired
10 New York. A Baptist minister in
that city turned himself loose in q
sermon from his pulpit, advising the
soldiers to whom the right and priv
ilege of the gospel were denied, to
resign Immediately from the army
and come home. The New York
World, editorially, took the minister
to task, and said he was, putting it
mildly, "seditious," and condemned
his course severely Other Baptists
ministers were interviewed and said
they had no criticism to offer against
General Funsten's order. and that no
official notice was likely to be taken
Of the matter by the New York min
listers.
The Baptist in Norfolk Convention
Send Protest to the President.
The action of General Funsten was
taken notice of by the Baptist Gener-
al Association of Virginia, at it's an
nual meeting held last week in Nor
folk. The correspondent of the Rich
mond Virginian reported to that pa
per that several warm speeches were
made by the brethren condemning the
course Of General Funsten, and that
resolutions were adopted, providing
for the appointment of committee
to call on President Wilson and lay
the matter before him. a committee
of three was accordingly appointed,
one of whom is the Rev. r. H. Pitt,
editor of the Religios Herald, Of Rich
mond.
In this connection it will be re-
called, that, during the civil war
great revivals were held among the
soldiers in camp. Instead of object
ing the commanding officers were
urgent that these revivals be held as
often as possible.
There were large number of
chaplains in the Southern army, thru
whose influence thousands of soldiers
were converted, out of which num-
Der of converts number of men en-
tered the ministry and others return
ed home to become useful members of
the churches.
If General Funsten is correctly re-
ported, he no doubt thought he had
good cause, but it is about the first
time in history that it was ever
claimed that religion would interfere
with or was inimical to military dis
cipline, says the protests.
Rev. Mr.. Campbell, who attended
the Baptist state convention at Nor
folk, last week, was asked about the
matter and said he heard very little
said about it.
The following appeared in yester-
days Lynchburg News:
TO CARRY PROTEST HIGHER.
Dallas, Texas, Nov. 22.-Dr. J. B
Gambrell, corresponding secretary OF
the Baptist General Association in
Texas, issued a statement in reply to