Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-03-16
Great Throngs Continue to Hear the Evan
gelist Nightly. The Gospel Singing in
the Tabernacle Greatly Enjoyed.
The Children's Chorus Choir
Service is Inspiring
THE HOLY CITY WILL BE SUNG BY THE
CHILDREN SATURDAY UGH

The fifth week of the revival services of Ira Evans
Hicks at Wildwood is drawing to a close. Hundreds of
people regret that his engagement of E weeks is SO nearly
terminated. The Glory Barn is the most popular place
on the island. Mr.. Hicks, who was educated at the
Moody Bible Institute at Chicago, has done work in the
slums of Chicago and held meetings all over the Middle
West and South. Although young man, he has rubbed
up against the world and relates many interesting ex-
periences. He never was a down-and-outer, neither is
he a son of a preacher, but his father was a Tennessee
lawyer and he and his brothers were brought up to fear
God. Mr.. Hicks says that true Christians are not a lot
of mol1ycoddles. They are people with good red blood
in their veins.
The effect of the services has reached nearly every
street on the beach and many homes ofshore. His
preaching holds his auditors with undated interest night
after night.
The Saturday night children's services are an in
spiration and the choir of a hundred or more children's
voices draw people who perhaps would not otherwise at
tend the services. Charles Wesley Hicks, the leader of
~the singing, is most successful III training thefchi1dren.
He has them drilled in motioning with the singing,
which made a very pretty effect last Saturday night.
The children are now rehearsing the Holy City" which
will be sung Saturday night, March II, 1917.
Singer Hicks is showing the parents what their
children can do. This is a great opportunity. Nothing
like it has ever happened before in Wildwood.
Last Sunday nights meeting was one of great pow
er. 1t reminded one of the old fashion Methodist revi-
val, when the power of the Spirit came upon the people.
It was deeply interesting to look upon the sea of up
turned faces throughout the entire Sunday night service.
The singing and preaching and the earnest activity of
the churches to lead persons to take a stand for Christ,
all combined to reach a climax in the campaign. Men
we'll along in years, as we'll as young men and women
and youths pressed their way through the crowded aisles
to the front. 1t was almost impossible to keep aisles
clear SO great was the interest. Automobiles were stored
everywhere around the garage and by the Wildwood
station. One wondered if the interest would keep up or
subside by Tuesday night, there being no meeting on
Monday night; but on Tuesday night the Glory Barn
was filled to capacity. Many persons could not get seats.
At every service persons are deciding to live the Chris
tan life.
Wednesday night the Red Men and Daughters of
Pocahontas attended in a body. Last night the Masonic
lodge went in a body. The attendance of the Masons
was better than any other lodge, there being more than
sixty present. Latimer R. Baker, former Mayor of
Wildwood, was among the number, and there were many
members from offshore. Two of the Wildwood Commits
sioners, who are Masons, were not there, but the city
clerk was. 1t was one of the best meetings of the whole
series. Garner Hand, a local preacher from ~ofshore,
was present and made the opening prayer. During a
1ull in the meeting Mr.. Hicks warmed up and made a
pressing invitation to believers to come to the front, final
1y asking all who believed in God to come up front and
take him by the hand. Immediately there was a COM
motion and the aisles filled with people eager to reach
him. Hundreds of persons, men, women and children
grasped his hand. Quite a work is being carried on
among the colored people, and they are given a section
by themselves in the tabernacle. Prayer meetings
are being held at their homes and many have decided to
live a better life. Some of the good singing of the CAM
paign has been done by the colored people, when Singer
Hicks called upon them to sing alone.