The New York herald., 1922-04-03
TORNADO WARNED
OF WATERLOO HERE
Doesn't Think He'll Meet
1t, Though, as Friend
Prophesied.
FINDS FAITH APLENTY
All New York Needs Is
Somebody to Stir 1t
Up, He Says.
CROWDS TURNED AWAY
That Doesn't Impress Him, as
He Shuts Door on Thou
sands in Texas.
CROWDS TURNED AWAY

stake my advice Frank, and steer
clear of New York. You'll meet your
Waterloo. preached there two years
ago, and they walked out on me-"
That's the advice the Rev. j. Frank
Norris got from fellow preacher who
had occupied the, very pulpit during
a revival meeting some time ago from
which the Texas Tornado" is thun-
dering daily.
"Well, Bill" ! said, Il don't think
I'll meet my Waterloo New York's
got the faith and the vision-all they
need is somebody to stir them up. and
I'm going to see what I can do"
The Rev. Norris said yesterday in his
quiet. low toned Southern voice that
gives no hint Of the whirlwind orator
he Is said to be, that the response his
meetings at the Calvary Baptist Church
had received was very encouraging"
and fellow couldn't ask any more than
to be turning them away every night.
II say that with perfect modesty," he
added, because I'm accustomed to shut
ting the doors on about a thousand
people every Sunday in my church down
at Fort Worth and New York crowds
don't impress me very much But the
plowing and the dynamiting that Straton
has been doing here is now bearing fruit
and II the churches would follow with
religion on big scale thered be a real
revival of Christianity right here In
New York.
Would Merge Churches.
'The churches ought to be bigger
that's my point. They ought to combine
the churches the way they did the rail-
roads and have one great colossal center
that would radiate religion into all
stratas of society and give the Christian
religion rightful place of prestige.
The Rev. Norris hasn't asked anybody
vet to hit the trail after the fashion of
Billy Sunday. but he said the converts
were coming in voluntarily in satisfac-
tory numbers and within few days he
IS going TO make a public appeal. AL
though he has been called the most ef-
fective revivalist in the South and has
held successful meetings from Boston to
Los Angeles. he does not like to be
known as a professional revivalist."
even though he spends about half the
year preaching throughout the country.
First of all he is the pastor of what
is said to be the largest Protestant
church In the world in Fort Worth.
Texas. II has a membership of 5.400
and Sunday school attendance of over
5000 We have five buildings down
there' he said. ''one of them devoted
exclusively TO the young people. and
"hen you get as big a membership as
we nave in town of 10000 peonle
religion is something to be reckoned
with"
Had EvoIutionists Ousted.
The Tornado is particularly proud OF
ihe tact that through his influence the
ucan OF the Southern Methodist Uniyer-
az dallas was removed and another
a}roIessor at the Bailey University was
.prced TO resign after both of them had
hublished treatises favorable to the the |
~ of evolution.
We Just had an invitation, to take |
.i'e OF the churches in Chicago" he said |
,iiu u It's great temptation A COM !
f't%ee calIeo on me a short time ago |
r. asked me to consider the proposal. |
~ I've got everything fixed up so
'ifsiy down in Fort Worth that hate |
30 There's more religious spirit In |
N'Rt6h liaH any place In the 1
-9AAtry Take for instance the Moody |
hurch. That's the wsrmest church |
" ever pi cached in"
call for conversions is going To be |
issued by the Tornado within a few davs
and repeated daily at his meetings. He |
expects to be here two weeks longer. "I
think they'll begin to come in" he said.
rhe Christian layman is all right. IT'S
the ministers who are backslldng."
"Too Many Dictators.-
In conformity with this opinion he
iapeled his sermon yesterday why the
Present Day Protestant Churches Should
30 Into the Hands of a Receiver" He
said:
The church Of to-day has left the
simple life Of the New Testament and
ouilt up topheavy ecclesia stical ma
rhine with too many prelates. bishops.
leaders and religious dictators. Tho |,
Shurch has sold It's birthrght for a mess I
bf pottage. Too often the slogan OF our
treat denominational gatherings IL not K
How many souls were saved but How
many millions were raised? p
why is there great chasm between
me church and the masses-the laboring
classes? They are not fools. They have
reen the church bow down to Mammon
and have lost faith In its sincerity Even
much OF our modern evangelism Is out
for numbers and for a big purse I'm
agine the Apostle Paul conducting a
meeting In great city and having IL
published over the world that he re-
ceived 100000 for his personal SER
vicesl"
The subject OF his sermon al the
Calvary Baptist Church tonight will be
What Happened When Met the Pope"