Years have passed since Dr.
Charles L, Allenheld a series of
services at New Bern's Cente
nary Methodist church, but the
impact of his soft-sell mes
sages is still felt there.
Unlike many other evange
lists, some of them successful,
the widely beloved Atlanta
pastor passes up the gusty sort
of delivery aimed at shouting
sinners into repentance. He
talks quietly and earnestly, in
much the same manner that
Jesus of Galilee must have
spoken to those around Him.
Allen's columns for the At
lanta Jounal-Constitutlon, the
best of them now in book form,
are as simply done as his ser
mons. They reflect the per
sonality of the man, who has
been credited with combining
the qualities of Edgar A. Guest,
Dwight L. Moody, Will Rogers
and St. Francis.
A fellow columnist describes
him rather accrately as a
“tall, angular, country-looking
fellow with a lot of Abraham
Lincoln's whimsicality and
wit.'' Here is writing that is
both humble and spiritual, as
piercing as a sunbeam in a
darkened room.
In “Roads To Radiant Living"
Dr. Allen says, “One of the most
thrilling and glorious facts of
life is that you existed in the
mind of Gf>d before you w(‘r«'
born. No per.son Is here by
accident and it ought to flatter
you to realize that, as God
thought of alt Iht* people He
wanted to be on this earth. He
decided that He wanted you-
So He made you.
“fclverything God lias made
has its own persoiiid identity.
There are billions of leavesImt
no two have ever liet'ii atike-
No two raindrojis ever have
been identical- And no other
person has evei’ lietm ni.ide or
will t'ver be made* exactly like
you. Ilie print of your finger
is different; you think differ-
entlv, and you look different
from any other person that
ever lived.
“One day a .sixth - grade
teacher asked iter class,“What
is here in the world today
that was not here fifteen years
ago?" She expected the class
to tell her of some of the new
inventions and discoveries.One
little boy held up his hand.
“All right .Johnny," .she said,
“what is here that was not
here fifteen years ago?" He
said, “Me.".
“That was a wonderful an
swer. When the boy was born
something brand new came into
the world. It should lift any
one of us to a new sense of
importance to know that,among
all the billions of people, there
has been but one of me or of
you. Bach of us can do some
things that no otlier person
has ever been able to do. Bach
can make some special contri
bution to the life of the world.
“Robert Louis Stevenson
once said to be what we are,
and to be what we are capable
of becoming, is the only end of
life. Jesus put it this way:
As my Father has sent me,
even so send I you. (John 20:-
21). That is, there is a pur
pose for your life. Bach one
has something special to live
for.
“Stamp that thought firmly
In your mind and it will drive
(Continued on page 8)
Nmt linMIriiM
The NEW BERN
PUBLISHID WBBKLY
IN THI HIART OP
'•▼BRN NORTH
^0 r y.
VOLUME 11
NSW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1968
NUMBER 11
SUCH IS THE KINGDOM—Each year it brings us
delight to publish a class picture of the latest Christ
Church kindergarten group. As always the beloved
teachers, Celia Ferebee and Anna Gilfikin, had them
smiling their cutest when they posed for John R.
Baxter, whose role as cameraman for the youngsters
is a tradition. First row, left to right, are Barrie Hen
derson, Reid Sharp, Tracy Teachey, Michelle Parrott,
Michael Glover, Brad Allen, Lisa Mallard, Jay Huff
and Karen Tripp. Second row, Karen Haddock, Greg
Leister, Jimmy Petrakis, Grace Wall, Elizabeth Elam,
Lori Ann Stephens, Celia Hearren, Becky Foss, Maria
Oates, Mollie Byrd, and Katey Proctor. Third row,
Sylvia Hobson, Jean Lancaster, Jay Morris, Kevin
Burton, Brad Latham, Lavon Ainsworth, Joyce Sand
lin, Woody Boyd, Floyd Gaskins, Tay Koonce, Jeff
Bell, and Johnny Walston. Fourth row, Michele Creel-
man, Gray Ballard, Susan Clark, Paul Sumrell, Deb
bie Woodruff, Greg Nelson, Brenda Phipps, Franklin
M. Grady, III, June Venters, Martha Rankin, Eliza
beth Evans and Todd Phillips. It is a matter of record
that graduates of the kindergarten usually do well
later in school, and a number of those who were mem
bers of past classes have achieved distinction in col
lege. Like Tennyson’s brook, it promises to go on
and on, and wtih Celia and Anna at the helm, we
can’t think of a nicer setting for happy childhood.
4“