7 0 -1 5 ,0 1 2

COON, Roger W oold rid g e, 1 9 2 7 THE PUBLIC SPEAKING OF DR. WILLIAM A. FAGAL
OF "FAITH FOR TODAY": AMERICAS FIRST NA
TIONAL TELEVISION PASTOR. CVOLUMES I AND I I I .
M ich igan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , P h .D ., 1969
Speech

U niversity M icrofilms, A XEROXC om p an y, A nn Arbor, M ichigan

Roger W ooldridge Coon

1970

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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THE PUBLIC SPEAKING OF DR. WILLIAM A. FAGAL OF "FAITH FOR TODAY'

AMERICA'S FIRST NATIONAL TELEVISION PASTOR
VOLUME I

By

Roger W ooldridge Coon

A THESIS

Su b m itted t o
M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y
in p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t o f th e req u irem en ts
f o r th e d eg ree

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department o f Speech

1969

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PLEASE NOTE:
N ot o r i g i n a l c o p y . Some
p a g e s have i n d i s t i n c t p r in t .
Film ed a s r e c e iv e d .
UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS

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ABSTRACT
THE PUBLIC SPEAKING OF DR. WILLIAM A. FAGAL OF "FAITH FOR TODAY":
AMERICA'S FIRST NATIONAL TELEVISION PASTOR
By
Roger W ooldridge Coon

The purpose o f t h i s s tu d y i s t o d e s c r ib e , a n a ly z e , and e v a lu a te

th e p r e a c h in g o f Dr. W illia m A. F agal on b o th th e " F aith fo r Today"
t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a st and th e p u b lic p la tfo r m .

W ithin th e frame o f

r e f e r e n c e o f c l a s s i c a l r h e t o r ic a l th e o r y , as a m p lifie d by 20th Century

r h e t o r ic ia n s e s s e n t i a l l y w ith in th e c l a s s i c a l t r a d i t i o n , t h i s stu d y
se e k s, s u c c e s s iv e ly ,

(1 ) t o d eterm in e th e b io g r a p h ic a l and p e r so n a l

f a c t o r s w hich accou n t f o r D r. F a g a l's s u c c e s s as a sp ea k er; (2) t o tr a c e

th e h i s t o r y o f th e " F a ith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t and c o r p o r a tio n c r e a te d by
th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t church t o su p p o rt i t , exam in in g, in p a s s in g ,
th e form at and o b j e c t i v e s o f t h i s in t e r n a t io n a l r e l i g i o u s b r o a d c a st;

(3)

t o d e s c r ib e , a n a ly z e , and e v a lu a te th e r h e t o r ic a l th eo r y and p r a c t ic e o f
Dr. F agal; and (4 ) t o e s t im a te th e e f f e c t o f h i s p r e a ch in g upon h is
t e l e v i s i o n a u d ien ce and upon a " liv e " a u d ito riu m a u d ien ce .
C hapters I and II a re b io g r a p h ic a l in n a tu r e , th e f i r s t chron
i c l i n g th e e v e n ts o f D r. F a g a l's l i f e

from b ir t h through c o lle g e y e a r s ,

and th e seco n d h i s c a r e e r i n th e g o s p e l m in is t r y , w ith s p e c ia l em phasis

upon h is work in t e l e v i s i o n .

T o g e th e r , th e y r e v e a l th e background,

t r a i n i n g , e x p e r ie n c e s , b e l i e f s , p h ilo s o p h y , kn ow led ge, and o th er p e r so n

a l i t y f a c t o r s o r p r in c ip a l e v e n ts which have shaped Dr. F a g a l's l i f e and
h i s p r e a c h in g .

Data was o b ta in e d p r i n c i p a l l y through p e r so n a l i n t e r

v ie w s w ith Dr. F agal and members o f h i s fa m ily and c o r p o r a tio n s t a f f ;

p e r so n a l in t e r v ie w s and corresp o n d en ce w ith h i s form er h ig h sc h o o l and

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Roger W ooldridge Coon

c o l l e g e te a c h e r s and c la s s m a t e s , and w ith d e n o m in a tio n a l le a d e r s ; and
o f f i c i a l S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t church l i t e r a t u r e .

An h i s t o r i c a l backdrop

f o r th e p e r io d under s tu d y i s d e r iv e d from th e works o f r e c o g n iz e d s o c i a l

h i s t o r i a n s o f our day.
C hapter I I I d e s c r ib e s th e " F a ith f o r Today" t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a s t,
r e h e a r s in g th e major d evelop m en ts i n th e h i s t o r y o f th e t e l e c a s t and c o r
p o r a tio n .

S ou rces p r i n c i p a l l y c o n s u lte d w ere o f f i c i a l m in u tes o f v a r io u s

church b o d ie s and th e t e l e c a s t ' s board o f d i r e c t o r s , and T e l e - n o t e s - m onthly news m agazine f o r " F a ith f o r T oday's" v ie w e r s .
C hapter IV o u t l i n e s th e r h e t o r i c a l th e o r y advanced by W illia m A.
F agal as r e q u i s i t e t o e f f e c t i v e p r e a c h in g , and exam ines r e f l e c t e d p a r
a l l e l i s m s in th e F agal th e o r y in term s o f contem porary h o m il e t i c a l
th o u g h t, w ith d a ta b e in g o b ta in e d p r i n c i p a l l y th rou gh p e r so n a l in t e r v ie w s
w ith Dr. F a g a l.
C hapter V i s a su r v e y a n a ly s is o f te n s e l e c t e d serm ons ( f i v e from
t e l e v i s i o n , f i v e from p u l p i t ) as t r a n s c r ib e d from o r i g i n a l sound ta p e
r e c o r d in g s and f ilm sound t r a c k s .
(1)

I t co n cern s i t s e l f , s u c c e s s i v e l y , w ith

th e s p e a k e r 's method o f sermon p r e p a r a tio n ,

(2) th e s p e a k e r 's method

o f sermon c o m p o sitio n ( in term s o f th e t r a d i t i o n a l r h e t o r i c a l canons o f

in v e n t io n , arran gem en t, and s t y l e ) ; and (3) th e s p e a k e r 's method o f s e r
mon d e liv e r y , i n th e s t u d io and on th e p la tfo r m .
C hapters VI and V II s u r v e y , r e s p e c t i v e l y , th e r e sp o n se made t o
Dr. F a g a l's t e l e v i s i o n and p u l p i t p r e a c h in g , as found in r e g u la r " F a ith
f o r Today" m a il r e s p o n s e , and from r e s p o n se s t o two q u e s t io n n a ir e s :

(1 )

one s e n t t o management p e r s o n n e l o f more th a n 200 TV s t a t i o n s c u r r e n t ly

o r r e c e n t ly c a r r y in g th e t e l e c a s t ; and (2) one d is t r ib u t e d t o 3 ,0 0 0 o f
a p p ro x im a tely 1 0 ,0 0 0 p e r so n s who a tte n d e d a camp m e e tin g s e r v i c e a t w hich
Dr. Fagal was th e p r in c ip a l sp e a k e r .

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Roger W ooldridge Coon

Chapter V III c l o s e s t h i s work by b r in g in g i n t o f o c u s , by way o f
summary and c o n c lu s io n s , th e e n t i r e stu d y o f Dr. W illia m A. F agal a s a
r e lig io u s sp eak er.

The f o llo w in g c o n c lu s io n s ten d t o emerge as a c o n s e

quence :
(1) With v i r t u a l l y no form al t r a i n i n g in p u b lic s p e a k in g , W illia m
A. F agal has n e v e r t h e le s s m arkedly d em o n stra ted a h ig h d e g r ee o f p r o
f i c i e n c y as a sp e a k e r b oth on th e p u b lic p la tfo r m and on t e l e v i s i o n , th u s
perhaps in d ic a t in g th a t sp e a k e r s may be "bom " as w e ll as "made."
(2) Judged on th e b a s i s o f r e s u l t s , h i s m in is t r y has b een h ig h ly
e f f e c t i v e in r e a c h in g m il l i o n s o f p e o p le and in h e lp in g them in s p i r i t u a l
m a tter s.

He i s perhaps among th e to p f i v e m in is t e r s o f h i s church in

term s o f t o t a l a c c e s s io n s o f members as a r e s u l t o f h i s p e r so n a l m in is t r y .
(3) W illia m Fagal e x e m p lif ie s i n a h ig h d eg ree C a to 's id e a l o f "a
good man sp e a k in g w e ll." He i s p e r c e iv e d by h i s in tim a te a s s o c i a t e s , as
w e ll as by te n s o f th ou san d s o f church members and n o n -A d v e n tist t e l e
v ie w e r s , as a man o f God, o f exem plary c h a r a c te r and h ig h d eg ree o f d e d i
c a tio n t o th e m in is t r y o f th e g o s p e l o f J e su s C h r is t.
(4) H is r h e t o r i c a l th e o r y and p r a c t i c e , in a s t a t e o f e v o lu t i o n ,
as a r e s u l t o f o b s e r v in g " feed -b a ck " from l i s t e n e r s , dem on strate a co n
t in u a l c o n s c io u s e f f o r t a t s e lf-im p r o v e m e n t in p u b lic sp e a k in g ; and in
term s o f a r t i s t i c c r i t e r i a , h i s perform ance shows marked and c o n tin u in g
im provem ent.
(5) The m ajor s i g n i f i c a n t w eakness p e r c e iv e d i s t o be found in
th e manner o f d e liv e r y o f th e t e l e v i s i o n serm on, where Dr. F a g a l h as
d ev elo p ed a r o le s t e r e o t y p e in h i s p r e a c h in g o f t h a t o f a " c o u n s e lo r a d v ise r " r a th e r th an t h a t o f an " o r a to r -p r e a c h e r ," t o h i s p e r s o n a l d i s
advantage .

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Fig. 1 A m eric a's First N ational Television Pastor.

iii
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DEDICATION

To my form er s tu d e n ts a t th e A d v e n tis t C ol
le g e o f West A f r ic a , whose i n s a t i a b l e i n t e l l e c t u a l
c u r i o s i t y , unquenchable t h i r s t f o r t r u t h , and seem
in g l y l i m i t l e s s c a p a c ity f o r warm C h r is tia n f e llo w
s h ip tr a n sc e n d in g b a r r ie r s o f r a c e and n a t i o n a l i t y
were more than ad eq u ate recom pense f o r 12 u n fo r g e t
t a b le y e a r s in N ig e r ia .

The memory o f men "in

C h rist"
where th e r e i s n e i t h e r Greek n o r Jew, c i r
cu m cisio n n or u n c ir c u m c is io n , B arb arian,
S c y th ia n , bond o r f r e e : b u t C h r is t i s a l l
and in a l l (C o lo s s ia n s 3 :1 1 )
w i l l e v e r rem ain an en d u rin g i n s p i r a t i o n and an
a b id in g jo y .

R.W.C.

iv
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PREFACE

Of making many b o o k s, th e r e i s no end; and much

r e a d in g i s a w e a r in e ss o f th e f l e s h . . . .
There i s no new th in g under th e su n .
. . . B eh old, a l l i s v a n it y and
v e x a tio n o f s p i r i t . E c c l.
12:12b [m a r.]; 1 :9 c , 14b.
A dvice to P erso n s About to W rite H is to r y D o n ' t .
Lord A cton t o Mandel [ l a t e r B ish op ] C reighton-1-

The work which f o llo w s i s an attem p t a t- -a n d th e r e f o r e p u rp o rts

t o b e -- a n h i s t o r i c a l - c r i t i c a l s tu d y in r h e t o r ic and p u b lic a d d r e s s.
As su c h , i t ow es, h o p e f u lly , somewhat more t o th e d e f i n i t i o n s o f
h i s t o r y o f C a r ly le (" th e h i s t o r y o f th e w orld i s b u t th e b io g ra p h y o f
g r e a t men" ] and o f Emerson (" th e r e i s p r o p e r ly no H is to r y ; o n ly B io g 3
raphy" ) than to th a t o f O scar W ilde (" h is t o r y i s mere g o s s i p , and
4

sc a n d a l i s g o s s ip made te d io u s by m o r a liz in g " ) !

In so s a y in g , h ow ever, I am n o t w i l l i n g to b e bound by th e
r a th e r narrow l i m i t s im posed by th e " hero-w orsh ip" p h ilo s o p h y o f the
form er.

York:

1Quoted by George S e ld e s (c o m p .), The G reat Q u o ta tio n s (New

L yle S t u a r t , 1 9 6 0 ), 36.
2

Thomas C a r ly le , "The Hero as D iv in i t y ," Heroes and Hero-W orship

[1 8 4 1 ], c i t e d by John B a r t l e t t (c o m p .), F a m ilia r Q u o ta tio n s (1 3 th ed.
r e v .; B oston:
L i t t l e , Brown and Company, 1 9 5 5 ), 475.
^Ralph Waldo Emerson, " H is to r y ," E ssa y s ( 1 s t s e r i e s [ 1 8 4 1 ] ) ,
q u o ted in i b i d . , 5 0 1 .
^The Im portance o f B eing E a r n e s t, e d . V in cen t F. Hopper and
G erald B. Lahey (G reat Neck, N. Y .:
B arron 's E d u c a tio n a l S e r i e s , I n c .,
1 9 5 9 ), 9 .
v
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In t h i s s tu d y th e r e w i l l be ''b io g r a p h y ," n o t o n ly b e c a u se sp e ec h
i s one o f th e d i s t i n c t l y unique a t t r i b u t e s w hich d is t i n g u is h e s th e human
from th e r e s t o f G od's c r e a t io n , b u t a l s o b e c a u se man i s ,

a fter a ll, a

v a s t l y more i n t e r e s t i n g f i e l d o f s t u d y -~ a t l e a s t f o r m ost o f h i s f e llo w

m en--than any o th e r s u b j e c t .
And th e r e w i l l be " m o r a liz in g " (a lth o u g h , one h o p e s , no " g o ssip "
- - n o r te d iu m !), f o r e v e r s in c e th a t day when Cato d e fin e d th e I d e a l Ora
t o r as "a good man sp e a k in g w e l l , " 1 ( t o w hich s u c c e s s i v e "amens" were
added by C icero and Q u i n t i l i a n ) , th e f i e l d o f sp e e c h has i n s i s t e d upon
making th e p r o v in c e o f e t h i c s p e c u l i a r l y i t s own.

In an a b s o lu t e ly d e l i g h t f u l " In tr o d u c tio n " to a new e d i t i o n o f

The Great C rash, 1929, John Kenneth G a lb r a ith , in h is own in i m it a b ly
w h im sic a l manner, comments upon a te m p ta tio n w hich v e ry few a u th o rs seem
a b le (o r w i l l i n g ) to r e s i s t :
That i s to t e l l , w ith t h a t co m b in a tio n o f d e p r e c a to r y m odesty
and e v id e n t s e lf - a p p r o v a l o f w hich Som erset Maugham was p e r
haps th e m a ste r , j u s t how t h i s good th in g came to be don e.
And I have n o t ic e d t h a t a u th o rs who are a t r i f l e ashamed o f
th e s e e x e r c is e s in s e l f - a p p r e c i a t i o n b e g in them w ith an a p o l
ogy and th en go r ig h t ahead anyway. And perhaps we s h o u ld .
W ritin g i s a lon g and lonesom e b u s in e s s ; b a c k o f th e problem
in th o u g h t and c o m p o sitio n h o v er alw ays th e aw ful q u e s t io n s :
I s t h i s th e page th a t shows th e empty s h e l l ?
Is i t h e r e and
now th e y f in d me out? S o, l i k e th e p o l i t i c i a n when th e
r e tu r n s are in and th e p r i z e - f i g h t e r when h i s g lo v e i s r a i s e d ,
perhaps we sh o u ld be a llo w e d our l i t t l e moment. Perhaps I
can be a llo w e d m in e.^
And perhaps I mine?

'*'Cited by L e s te r T honssen and A. C raig B a ird , Speech C r it ic is m

(New York: The Ronald P r e ss Company, 1 9 4 8 ), 181.
^Cf. Karl A. W a lla c e , "An E t h ic a l B a sis o f C om m unication," The
Speech T each er, IV ( J a n ., 1 9 5 5 ), 1 -9 .

B oston:

^John Kenneth G a lb r a ith , The G reat C rash, 1929 (S e n tr y e d .;

Houghton M if f li n Company, 1 9 6 1 ), i x .

vi
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A cu r so r y ex a m in a tio n o f th e T ab le o f C ontents o f any h a lf -d o z e n

d o c to r a l d i s s e r t a t i o n s in sp eech ch osen a t random w i l l p ro b a b ly r e v e a l
th e r a th e r s in g u l a r ly u n iform o m is s io n from th e volume o f a " P reface"
such as t h i s .
The r ea so n may n o t be f a r t o s e e k :

i t i s n o t sim p ly t h a t

"nobody e v e r read s them anyway" (th e f a v o r i t e r e t o r t , by th e way, o f

some t e l e v i s i o n n etw orks to c o m p la in ts th a t to o l i t t l e
way o f i n t e l l e c t u a l f a r e ) .

i s b r o a d c a st by

I t i s , r a t h e r , t h a t t h e s e s c u s to m a r ily must

be "defended" b e fo r e o n e 's d o c to r a l com m ittee i n an ex a m in a tio n w h ich ,

one grad u ate s tu d e n t s u g g e s te d , s a v o r s both o f th e m ed iev a l " S tar Cham
ber" o f I n q u is i t io n days and o f th e poro s e c r e t - s o c i e t y b u sh -s c h o o l
p u b erty r i t e s o f th e Vai trib esm en o f S ie r r a Leone^th e tra u m a tic m eta
m orphosis by means o f w hich a boy i s tu rn ed i n t o a man y e t tod ay in
modem West A fr ic a .
D o cto ra l c a n d id a te s , who are r e s p o n s ib le f o r e v e r y word th e y s e t
down in p r i n t , q u it e u n d e rsta n d a b ly ( i f s u b c o n s c io u s ly ) see k t o m in im ize
th e s i z e o f th e t a r g e t , t o p r o v id e as l i t t l e

as p o s s i b l e to s h o o t a t

beyond "th e w h ite s o f t h e i r e y e s ."

It is ,

th e n , w ith r e c o g n iz e d r i s k th a t I thus d ep a rt from what I

p e r s o n a lly view t o be an u n fo r tu n a te p r a c t i c e - - a l i t e r a r y s in o f o m iss i o n - - t o s e i z e th e o p p o r tu n ity (d e n ie d me in th e rem ainder o f t h i s work)

to speak in th e f i r s t p e r s o n , to be m ost t r u ly my own s e l f , and t o t e l l ,
b r i e f l y , why t h i s stu d y was begun.
In so d o in g , I may perhaps answ er a few q u e s tio n s i m p l i c i t in
the mind o f a r e a d e r who, c a s u a lly o r d e l i b e r a t e l y , happens to p ic k up

"''Mark H. W atkins, "The West A fr ic a n 'Bush' S c h o o l," E ducation

and C u ltu r e A n th r o p o lo g ic a l A pp roaches, ed . George D. S p in d le r (New
York: H o lt , R in eh art and W inston, 1 9 6 3 ), 4 2 6 -4 3 .
v ii
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t h i s volume on some l a t e r day from under an in c h -d e e p la y e r o f d u st in

th e Second F lo o r S ta c k s o f t h i s u n i v e r s i t y ' s lib r a r y where such unread
tomes are s p le n d id ly in c a r c e r a t e d in s o l i t a r y co n fin em en t.

Two Q u e stio n s

In th e d o c to r a l o r a l e x a m in a tio n two q u e s t io n s , among o t h e r s ,

are i n e v i t a b l y ask ed by th e p r o f e s s o r s w h ic h , when red u ced to s im p le s t
term s, come o u t som eth in g l i k e t h i s :
The rem ainder

"Why him ?" and "Why you?"

>f t h i s volume (more p a r t i c u l a r l y i n th e " I n tr o

d u c tio n ," under " S ig n if ic a n c e o f th e Study:

I n t r i n s i c M erit") i s my

la b o r e d attem p t to answ er th e form er q u e s t io n .

And th e degree to w hich

I s u c c e e d in m eetin g th e demands o f th e q u e s t io n e r m u st, o f n e c e s s i t y ,

be d e c id e d by him r a th e r th a n me.
But th e q u e s tio n r e m a in s--a n d i t i s a f a i r one "Why you?"

Why

sh o u ld y ou , r a th e r than someone e l s e , u n d erta k e t h i s p a r t ic u l a r stu d y ?

How (and why) are you p a r t i c u l a r l y q u a l i f i e d f o r t h i s ta sk ?

And, s in c e

you happen to be a S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t m i n is t e r , w r it in g about a

f e llo w c o lle a g u e o f th e same r e l i g i o u s p e r s u a s io n , how can you h o n e s t ly
cla im t o be o b j e c t iv e in t h i s stu d y ?
These are good q u e s t io n s .

They d e s e r v e e q u a lly good a n sw ers.

In d eed , "Why you?"

S t . P a u l, in d e fe n d in g h im s e lf a t C o r in th , on one o c c a s io n f e l t
o b lig e d to " b o a st m y s e lf a l i t t l e . " *
demands a s im ila r r e j o in d e r .

P erhaps th e p r e s e n t q u e s tio n

At th e r i s k o f th e od io u s s p e c t a c le o f

ap p earin g to t o o t o n e 's own h o rn , I m igh t p erh ap s c o u n te r t h i s p r e s s in g

q u e s tio n as S o c r a te s m ight h a v e , by a s k in g a n o th er:

" W ell, why n o t me?"

*11 C o r in th ia n s 1 1 :1 6 .
v iii
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If,

in la r c e n y , i t ta k e s one t o c a tc h o n e , perhaps i t i s n o t

s t r e t c h i n g th e a n a lo g y to o fa r t o s u g g e s t th a t in p r e a c h in g , a l s o , i t
ta k e s one to know o n e !
I have n o t alw ays been a m in is t e r , b u t I can n e v e r remember a
tim e when I was n o t d e c id e d ly i n t e r e s t e d in p r e a c h in g .

My p a te r n a l

g r a n d fa th e r was a la y -p r e a c h e r ; and in my f a t h e r ' s fa m ily , f i v e o f e ig h t

s o n s in c lu d in g my dad --w ere o r d a in e d m in is t e r s o f th e g o s p e l.
E very man ought to have a hobby.

Mine i s " p r e a c h e r -w a tc h in g ."

As e a r ly as h ig h s c h o o l d a y s, I formed th e h a b it (n e v e r s in c e s u c c e s s
f u l l y " k ick ed " ) o f g o in g to h ea r famous w ell-k n o w n clergym en w henever
th ey spoke i n nearby c h u r c h e s .
With v i v i d r e c o l l e c t i o n I y e t remember my e n c o u n ter w ith th e
f i r s t "name" p r e a ch er I e v e r heard:

Aimee Semple McPherson, a t h e r

fa b u lo u s A n g eles Temple ( " la r g e s t un su p p orted dome w e st o f th e M i s s is

s ip p i" ) on G len d ale B oulevard in n o r th er n Los A n g e le s .
L a te r , as a f l e d g l i n g m in is t e r m y s e lf, I a tte n d e d B i l l y Graham's
n o w - h is t o r ic Los A n geles campaign in 1949, h e ld in a g ig a n t ic c ir c u s
t e n t a t W ashington and H i l l , w hich, w ith th e h e lp o f W illia m Randolph
H e a r s t's m u c h -p u b lic iz e d memo to th e c i t y e d i t o r o f h i s Los A n geles
Examiner (" p u ff Graham"), h e lp e d c a ta p a u lt B i l l y i n t o in t e r n a t io n a l
prom inence.
(I was to h ea r B i l l y a g a in i n th e e a r ly 1960s one s u l t r y , t r o p i
c a l e v e n in g a t an ou td oor r a l l y on th e r a c e -c o u r s e o v a l a t L agos,
N ig e r ia , accom panied by a h a lf -d o z e n o f my h o m ile t ic s s tu d e n ts from th e
A d v e n tis t C o lle g e o f West A f r ic a , whom I had b ro u g h t a lo n g t o h e a r some
" rea l" p r e a c h in g !)

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

D uring my fo u r - a n d -o n e - h a lf- y e a r m in is t r y in Southern C a lif o r n ia ,

b e f o r e g o in g to A f r ic a , I was p r i v i l e g e d t o h e a r , s u c c e s s iv e ly :

Bryan G reen, o f th e t r a d i t i o n a l l y s t a i d Church o f England

(and canon o f Birmingham C a th e d r a l), th en r ep u te d to be
B r i t a i n s "top e v a n g e l i s t ," who came t o th e v a s t ,
v a u lt e d cavern th a t i s th e E p is c o p a l C ath ed ral o f Los
A n g e le s , a f t e r drawing some 6 ,0 0 0 n i g h t l y d u rin g a
w eek -lo n g m is s io n in New Y orkl and more than 10,000
n i g h t l y in a n in e -d a y cru sad e in B oston

j]
1

I
;j
;
i
\
'i

<
!

--G yp sy Sm ith, J r . , d e c r e p it in frame b u t rau cou s o f v o ic e

( i t s f o g - h o r n - lik e q u a l i t y b e in g ca u sed by to o much o u t
door p r e a c h in g in e a r l i e r days w ith o u t b e n e f i t o f m icrop h o n e ), accom panied th a t n ig h t i n San Marino by v e te r a n
s in g in g e v a n g e lis t Homer R odeheaver w ith h i s u b iq u ito u s
trom bone, b o th in s p le n d id form;
L ouis H. E vans, th en p a s t o r o f th e w o r ld 's la r g e s t P resb y
t e r ia n Church (th e H ollyw ood " F ir s t " ) , w here, w ith each
new 1 ,0 0 0 members th e y added a n o th er f u l l - t i m e clergym an
(th e y had s i x in 1 9 5 1 ); and who, b e c a u se o f th e lim ite d
c a p a c ity o f h i s sa n c tu a r y , c o u ld p rea ch to a l l th e mem
b e r s o f h i s c o n g r e g a tio n a l l a t th e same tim e o n ly once
y e a r ly when th e y r e n te d th e 2 0 ,0 0 0 - s e a t H ollyw ood Bowl
f o r t h e i r 11 a.m . w orsh ip s e r v ic e on E a ste r Sunday
m orning;^ and
- - C l o v is G. C h a p p ell, grand o ld man o f Sou th ern Methodism
w ith some 40 t i t l e s o f sermon volum es to h i s c r e d i t ,
chosen as one o f th e " ten m ost e f f e c t i v e m in is t e r s in
America" s e v e r a l y e a r s ago by s u b s c r ib e r s o f The C h ris
t ia n Century P u l p i t ,^ and whose id e a o f " retirem en t"
was to p reach an avera g e o f 2 0 0 -300 sermons a y e a r
around th e n a t io n .^
^"A nglican E v a n g e lis t ," Time, Dec. 13, 1948, 6 4 -6 5 .
^ "E vangelism ," Time, Nov. 1 3 , 1 9 5 0 , 6 1 .
^"Twelve G reat P r e a c h e r s ," L i f e , A p r il 6 , 1953, 1 2 6 -2 7 . C f. a ls o
J u a d in a Brock S t a l l i n g s , "A B io g r a p h ic a l and R h e to r ic a l Study o f th e Pub
l i c A ddress o f Dr. L o u is H adley Evans" (u n p u b lish e d Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n ,
D ept, o f S p eech , U n iv e r s it y o f Southern C a lif o r n i a , 1 9 5 7 ).
^Program N o te s , "Two Sermons by C lo v is G illham C happell" ("G reat
Sermons S e r i e s ," lo n g - p la y in g phonograph r e c o r d W-6105-LP; Waco, Texas:
Word R ecords, I n c . , [ n . d . ] ) , album c o v e r .
^On A p r il 2 8 , 1962, Dr. C happell (th en a t th e age o f 80 y e a r s )
w rote me th a t he had p reach ed e x a c t ly 100 serm ons th u s f a r th a t y e a r , from
J a n . 1 to th e d a te o f w r it in g , a p e r io d o f fo u r m onths. I f he k e p t th e
same p r o p o r tio n a te volume th e r e s t o f th e y e a r , i t would be 300 serm ons!
x

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During th a t same p e r io d I a ls o heard E. S t a n le y J o n e s , r e d o u b t

a b le M eth od ist m is s io n a r y and p r o l i f i c au th o r o f c o u n t le s s books
( in c lu d in g th e famous Road s e r i e s ) , sp e a k in g one n ig h t from L ouis E v a n s
H ollyw ood p u lp it in a s e r v ic e b r o a d c a s t o v e r r a d io s t a t i o n KFWB.

s t i l l remember h is t e x t n e a r ly two d ecad es l a t e r ("A g r e a t e r th an th e

tem ple i s h e r e " ) .

And I have had o c c a s io n more than o n ce s in c e to pon

d er w hether perhaps a t l e a s t one t e s t o f a " g rea t" p r e a ch er m ight n o t be

h i s a b i l i t y to im p rin t upon th e mind o f h i s h e a r e r h i s sermon t e x t so
th a t lon g a f t e r th e words o f th e sermon are th e m se lv e s f o r g o t t e n , th e
te x t lin g e r s .
S u c c e s s iv e fu r lo u g h s from m is s io n s s e r v ic e in West A f r ic a
e n a b le d me to v i s i t v a r io u s churches in New York and W ashington, and to
h e a r such men as Norman V in cen t P e a l e , 1 who ( a f t e r th e manner o f Henry
Ward B eecher and T. DeWitt Talmage in an e a r l i e r day) p rea ch ed to h i s
c o n g r e g a tio n , a t Marble C o lle g ia t e Church, sans p u l p i t ; and Ralph W.
Sockman,

m in is t e r a t C h r is t Church M eth o d ist fo r 36 y e a r s , who t h r ic e

tu rn ed down b is h o p r ic s in order to h o ld th e "higher" o f f i c e o f p r e a c h e r !

In th e n a t io n 's c a p it a l I g a in e d an in v a lu a b le f ir s t - h a n d le s s o n
on th e im portance o f making th e sermon a p p ro p ria te t o th e s p e c i f i c o c c a
s io n and a u d ien ce (an d, in th e b a r g a in , a d em o n stra tio n o f h o m ile t ic
a r t i s t r y par e x c e lle n c e ) from th e l a t e Josep h R. S iz o o ,
o f George W ashington U n iv e r s it y .

th en c h a p la in

At th e c lo s i n g c h a p e l e x e r c is e o f th e

1958-1959 academ ic y e a r , t h i s aged b u t am azingly e n e r g e t ic man o f God

^"Twelve G reat P r e a c h e r s," 129. C f. a ls o A lle n R. B ro a d h u rst,

"A Them atic A n a ly s is and R h e to r ic a l Study o f th e Sermons o f Dr. Norman
V incent P ea le" (u n p u b lish e d Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n , D ept, o f S p eech , M ich igan S t a te U n iv e r s it y , 1961) .
2"Twelve G reat P r e a c h e r s," 128.

3I b i d . , 131.

S
i

xi

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to o k f o r h i s t e x t th e words o f Exodus 2 :1 1 ("And i t came to p a ss in

th o s e d a y s, when Moses was grow n, th a t he went o u t u n to h i s b r e th r e n ,

and lo o k ed on t h e i r b u rd en s.
|

He a p p lie d t h e s e words to th e

p u rp ose o f h ig h e r e d u c a tio n , as he saw i t - - t h e making o f young men and

women s e n s i t i v e to th e n eed s and burdens o f mankind, to th e p o in t where

th e y would go o u t and <to som eth in g c o n s t r u c t iv e to a l l e v i a t e th e
s itu a tio n .
S iz o o was th e p r e d e c e s s o r o f th e l a t e P e te r M arsh all^ i n th .
p a s t o r a t e o f th e h i s t o r i c New York Avenue P r e s b y te r ia n Church i n Wa
to n (where Abraham L in c o ln was wont to w o r s h ip ).

Ing-

I n t e r e s t i n g l y , M arsh all

h im s e lf w ent on to become a c h a p la i n - - o f th e U n ited S t a t e s S e n a t e .

It

was d u rin g my own sem in ary days in W ashington, in 1959, t h a t I d i s

c o v er e d P e te r M a r s h a ll's p o w e r fu lly p o t e n t p r e a c h in g , by means o f a
com m ercial phonograph r e c o r d in g o f two o f h is serm ons d e liv e r e d in th a t
c it y s e v e r a l years e a r lie r .
Most in s p i r in g o f a l l , h ow ever, was th e u n p a r a lle le d o p p o r tu n ity
o f p e r s o n a lly in t e r v ie w in g , in th e q u ie t o f t h e i r r e s p e c t iv e s t u d i e s ,
such renowned p u l p i t " g r e a ts" as H. M. S . R ichards
n ia ,

(G le n d a le , C a li f o r

1 9 4 7 ), Josep h R. S iz o o (W ashington, 1 9 5 9 ), C lo v is G. C happell

(W averly, T e n n e sse e , 1 9 6 2 ), and, e s p e c i a l l y , Harry Emerson F o sd ick

'*'Cf. Gordon Mahlon Hyde, "A Case Study Approach to th e R h e to r ic a l

A n a ly s is o f th e W ashington P r e a ch in g o f Dr. P e te r M arsh all" (u n p u b lish e d
Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n , D ep t, o f S p eech , M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s i t y , 1 9 6 3 ).
^Cf. " J u st W ait, B r o th e r ," Time, Jan. 2 6 , 1953, 6 0 , 6 2 ; a ls o
W ilber A lex a n d er, "A R h e t o r ic a l A n a ly s is o f th e S p ea k in g o f H. M. S.
R ichards in C on n ection w ith th e 'V o ice o f P ro p h ecy 1 Radio B ro a d ca st o f
th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church" (u n p u b lish ed Ph.D . d i s s e r t a t i o n , D ept,
o f S p eech , M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , 1 9 6 2 ).
^Cf. Edmund H o lt L in n , "The R h e to r ic a l Theory and P r a c t ic e o f
Harry Emerson F osdick" (u n p u b lish e d Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n , D ept, o f S p eech ,
S t a te U n iv e r s it y o f Iow a, 1 9 5 2 ).
x ii
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( B r o n x v ille , New Y ork, 1 9 6 2 ), who, a t th e age o f 8 4 , g ra n ted me th e

u n fo r g e t ta b ly s t im u la t in g 9 0-m in u te in t e r v ie w on th e s u b j e c t o f sermon
p r e p a r a tio n methods a t h i s R iverm sre Apartment r e s id e n c e .
A d d it io n a lly , i t was my p r i v i l e g e o f knowing in t im a t e ly , and to
spend hours d is c u s s in g p r e a c h in g w it h , men o f my own fa ith --m e n acknow
le d g e d as p o w erfu l o r a to r s in th e p u lp it by t h e i r f e llo w A d v e n tist
p r e a ch er s--m e n such as Roy A lla n Anderson

and George E. Vandeman.

D uring t h e s e y e a r s , b u t b e fo r e u n d e r ta k in g grad u ate s t u d ie s in

h o m ile t ic s , r h e t o r i c , and p u b lic a d d r e s s, I g r a d u a lly came t o form a
rough y a r d s tic k by w hich I m y s e lf o f t e n m easured th e " g r e a tn e ss" o f a
preach er.

A d m itted ly g r o s s ly s u b j e c t iv e (ar J s a v o r in g r a th e r much o f

th e " R e su lts" c r i t e r i o n i s o l a t e d and i d e n t i f i e d by James H. McBumey and

E rn est J . Wrage ) , i t was sim p ly t h i s :

I f , a t th e c o n c lu s io n o f th e

m in is t e r 's d is c o u r s e , I_ f e l t l i k e jumping up im m ed ia tely to p rea ch in

th e man's now-empty p u l p i t , why, th e n , t h a t was a g r e a t serm on!^

*Cf. George S h eld on S t e v e n s , "A Study o f th e H o m ile tic a l Theory

o f Roy A lla n Anderson" (u n p u b lish e d Ph.D . d i s s e r t a t i o n , D ept, o f S p eech ,
M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , 1 9 6 8 ).

^Cf. Donald W W ilso n , "A R h e to r ic a l Study o f th e P rea ch in g o f

P a sto r George Vandeman" (u n p u b lish e d Ph.D . d i s s e r t a t i o n , D ept, o f Sp eech ,
M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , 1 9 6 6 ).
3
McBumey and Wrage o f f e r fo u r c r i t e r i a fo r e v a lu a tin g a sp e ec h
(and sp e a k e r ):
th e " R e su lts" th e o r y , th e "Truth" th e o r y , th e " E th ic a l"
th e o r y , and th e " A r t is t ic " th e o r y (G uide t o Good Speech [Englewood
C l i f f s , N. J .:
P r e n t ic e - H a ll, I n c . , 1 9 5 5 ], 1 1 -1 4 ) .

^This w r it e r r u e f u l l y adm its th a t h i s r a th e r s u b j e c t iv e c r i t e r i o n

i s u n com fortab ly c lo s e to th e r u le -o f-th u m b u se d f o r ju d g in g " g rea t"
m otion p ic t u r e s by th e l a t e Harry Cohn, p r e s id e n t and p r o d u c tio n head o f
Columbia S tu d io s (1 9 3 0 -1 9 5 8 ) and one o f th e l a s t g r e a t movie d e s p o ts .
A s s o c ia te d P r e ss c o rr e sp o n d e n t Bob Thomas q u o ted Cohn (King Cohn, Putnam,
1967) as t e l l i n g w r it e r Herman J . M ankiew icz: "When I'm a lo n e i n a p r o
j e c t i o n room, I have a f o o lp r o o f d e v ic e f o r ju d g in g w hether a p ic t u r e i s
good or bad.
I f my fanny sq u ir m s, i t ' s b ad .
I f my fanny d o e s n 't squirm ,
i t ' s good. I t ' s as sim p le as t h a t ."
(" Y es, S i r e ," Time, A p r il 1 4 , 19 6 7 ,
120. )
x iii
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As w i l l b e n o te d e lse w h e r e i n t h i s t h e s i s , t h i s immature r u l e - o f thumb t e s t has s in c e b een m o d ifie d c o n s id e r a b ly as a conseq uence o f

fu r th e r form al s tu d y in t h i s a r e a .

N e v e r t h e le s s , a l l th e s e men m entioned

in d iv id u a lly above d id have th e u n iq u e g i f t o f b e in g a b le t o s t i r t h e i r

h e a r e r s d e e p ly to a c t io n .

No one e v e r s l e p t w h ile th e y p reach ed !

What q u a l i f i e s a man to u n d ertak e an ex a m in a tio n o f , and to

ren d er a judgment o n , th e m e r its o f a sp ea k er o r p r e a ch er such as th e
man co n cern in g whose l i f e and work t h i s t h e s i s has been w r itte n ?

Cer

t a i n l y th e com b in ation o f sem inary and u n iv e r s it y s t u d ie s in h o m ile t ic s

and r h e t o r ic , p lu s th e o p p o r tu n ity o v er th e y e a r s t o exam ine a t f i r s t
hand th e sp e a k in g o f p u l p i t m a s te r s in s h o r t , th e m arriage o f th eo r y
w ith p r a c t ic e - - s h o u ld go a lo n g way in t h i s d ir e c t i o n .

P r e ju d ic e , B ia s , and O b j e c t iv it y

The q u e s tio n s t i l l rem a in s, o f c o u r s e , as t o w hether o r n o t I

can be t r u ly o b j e c t iv e in my r e s e a r c h and in my w r itin g :

f o r W illia m A.

Fagal and I are m in is t e r s o f th e same denom ination; and one m ight in a l l

f a ir n e s s presume t h a t I - - o u t o f d en o m in a tio n a l l o y a l t y , i f n o t p e r so n a l
fr ie n d s h ip --h a v e a v e s t e d i n t e r e s t i n making him " look as good as
p o s s i b l e ."
Such a p r o p o s it io n i s , h ow ever, a tw o-ed ged sw ord.

Were I , f o r

in s t a n c e , a n on -A d v e n tis t clergym an , i t m ight w ith e q u a l v ig o r be argued

th a t I was p r e ju d ic e d a t l e a s t , c o n s id e r a b ly b ia s e d --a g a in s t^ Mr. F agal!
A ll o f w hich le a d s us i n t o th e th orn y q u e s tio n o f p r e j u d ic e ,
b i a s , and o b j e c t i v i t y - - a v ery p r ic k ly s u b j e c t , in d e e d , e s p e c i a l l y in th e
w r it in g o f h i s t o r y - - a "rock o f o ff e n s e " a g a in s t w hich many a l i t e r a r y
s h ip has fo u n d ered , t o i t s

(and th e r e a d e r s ) u lt im a te l o s s .

x iv
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For Mark Twain th e m a tte r was s e t t l e d v e r y sim p ly :

"The v e r y

ink w ith w hich a l l h i s t o r y i s w r it t e n i s m erely f l u i d p r e ju d ic e ." *

He,

th u s, o b v io u s ly e q u a te d " p r e ju d ic e " w ith "bias" a n d /o r " p o in t o f v ie w ."

I , on th e o th e r hand, w ould te n d to draw a d i s t i n c t i o n .

A ccep t

in g Ambrose B ie r c e ' s d e f i n i t i o n o f p r e ju d ic e ("a v a g ra n t o p in io n w ith o u t

v i s i b l e means o f su p p o rt" ) ,

I b e l i e v e t h a t " b ia s" or " p o in t o f view "

are le g it im a t e p o s i t i o n s a t w hich one may h o p e f u lly a r r iv e a f t e r exam in

in g a l l a v a ila b le e v id e n c e and draw ing c o n c lu s io n s th erefro m .
A b so lu te o b j e c t i v i t y may, in my o p in io n , be d is m is s e d as b o th a
sn are and a d e lu s io n .

I t i s n e i t h e r p o s s i b l e n o r d e s ir a b le .

A s i n g u l a r l y v ig o r o u s d i s s e n t a g a in s t th e "myth" o f "the new s

paperm an's s a c r o s a n c t ' o b j e c t i v i t y ' " was te n d er e d as e a r ly as 1923 by
Time m agazine fou n d ers Henry R. Luce and B rito n Hadden.

In th e p r o s p e c

tu s announcing th e deb u t o f th e n a t i o n ' s f i r s t new sm agazine, Haddon and

Luce d e c la r e d t h a t " th e e d i t o r s r e c o g n iz e th a t com p lete n e u t r a l i t y on
p u b lic q u e s tio n s and im p o rta n t news i s p rob ab ly as u n d e s ir a b le as i t i s
im p o s s ib le ."

When Luce was u p b raid ed once by a c r i t i c fo r f a i l i n g to

p r e se n t "two s i d e s t o a s t o r y ," he c h a r a c t e r i s t i c a l l y r e p l i e d , "Are

th e r e n o t more l i k e l y t o be th r e e s i d e s , or 30 s id e s ? "
And some 44 y e a r s l a t e r , on th e o th e r s id e o f th e A t l a n t i c ,
B r it is h P r e ss Lord C e c il K ing, owner o f th e w o r ld 's la r g e s t d a il y new s
paper (L ondon's D a ily M irrorj c a s t i g a t e d contem porary American
j o u r n a lis t s f o r " l i f e l e s s w r itin g " w h ich , he d e c la r e d , was th e d ir e c t

* C ited in R u d o lf F le s c h ( e d . ) , The New Book o f Unusual Q uota

t io n s (New York: H arper S Row, P u b lis h e r s , 1 9 6 6 ), 2 99.
^ C ited in i b i d .
^"Henry R. Luce: End o f a P ilg r im a g e ," Time, March 1 0 , 1 9 6 7 , 28;
"He Ran th e C ou rse," i b i d . , 2 9 .
xv
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r e s u lt o f a " fe tis h fo r o b j e c tiv it y ."

R e p o r te r s, he h e ld ,

d iv e s t news o f i t s own in h e r e n t drama. They c a s t away th e

s u c c u le n t f l e s h and o f f e r th e r e a d er dry b o n e s , c o a te d w ith
an i n s i p i d s a u se o f s u p e r flu o u s v e r b ia g e . They r e j e c t th e
f la s h in g , illu m in a t in g p h r a s e , w hich can make an unknown
fo r e ig n sta tesm a n come v i v i d l y a l i v e , o r a dash o f w it
which may r e l i e v e th e tedium u n a v o id a b ly c o n ta in e d in much
im p ortan t n ew s.*
The p u b lic , o b v io u s ly , s id e s w ith King and Luce:

in th e y e a r

th a t th e B r i t is h p r e s s lo r d made h i s s ta te m e n t, th e D a ily M irror was th e

w o r ld 's la r g e s t new sp aper, w ith a c i r c u l a t i o n e x c e e d in g f i v e m i l l io n ;

w h ile in th e same y e a r Time had th e g r e a t e s t c ir c u l a t i o n o f any new s3

magazine ( 3 .4 7 m il lio n a t th e b e g in n in g o f 1967 j .
S c h o la r s , we q u ic k ly n o t e , h ow ever, o ft e n ten d to s n i f f somewhat
d is d a i n f u lly a t what th e y view as "pandering to th e p u b lic t a s t e , " or
"compromising tr u e o b j e c t i v i t y to g a in p o p u la r it y ."
s u b j e c t iv e w r it in g rea ch ed perhaps i t s

The p r o t e s t a g a in s t

z e n ith in th e 19th Century when

th er e a ro se a s c h o o l o f " s c i e n t i f i c " h i s t o r i a n s o f whom th e i n d is p u t

ab ly g r e a t L eopold von Ranke [1 7 9 5 -1 8 8 6 ] was both g o d fa th e r and c h i e f
a r c h ite c t --w h o s e s e l f - d e c l a r e d g o a l was sim p ly to " p resen t a l l th e
f a c t s ," t o m erely " l e t th e f a c t s speak fo r th e m s e lv e s ."
V e s t ig e s o f t h i s s c h o o l o f th ou gh t s t i l l s u r v iv e to d a y in th e
e x p r essed o p in io n s o f such men as A lb e r t J . B e v e r id g e , who h o ld th a t i t
i s not o n ly d e s ir a b le but e n t i r e l y p o s s i b l e fo r a t r u ly " o b je c tiv e "
h is t o r ia n to c o n tr ib u te n o th in g p e r s o n a lly to h i s c r a f t e x c e p t - - i n th e
words o f Carl L. B ecker "the s e n s i t i v e p l a t e o f h i s own m ind, upon

^C ited in " B r it is h D e p lo r e r ," Tim e, A p r il 2 8 , 1967, 88.

^Time, A p r il 2 8 , 1967, 88.
3
N. W. Ayer Sons D ir e c to r y : Newspapers and P e r i o d i c a l s , 1967
(P h ila d e lp h ia : N. W. Ayer & S o n s, I n c . ) , 774. C ite d h e r e a f t e r sim p ly
as Ayer D ir e c t o r y , w ith y e a r o f i s s u e .
xvi
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which th e o b j e c t i v e f a c t s w ould r e g i s t e r t h e i r own unim peachable

meaning.
B eck er, in conpany w ith p o s s i b l y m ost o f to d a y s p r a c t ic i n g
h i s t o r i a n s , h o ld s th a t t h i s n o t io n i s sim p ly " p r e p o s te r o u s , on a t l e a s t
two c o u n ts:

(1) i t i s u t t e r l y im p o s s ib le f o r an h i s t o r i a n to p r e s e n t

" a ll th e f a c t s ; and (2) "even i f you c o u ld , . . . th e m is e r a b le th in g s

w ou ld n 't sa y a n y th in g , would s a y j u s t n o th in g a t a l l .

As r eg a r d s th e f i r s t , Hans M ey erh o ff p o in t s ou t th a t no h i s t o r
ia n can d e s c r ib e th e p a s t as i t a c t u a l l y w as; he cannot p r e s e n t in i t s
e n t i r e t y any e v e n t as i t a c t u a l l y t r a n s p ir e d , e v en th e s im p le s t .

The

h i s t o r i a n ' s w o r k -- t h a t i s , h i s s e l e c t i o n o f f a c t s , h is em p h a sis, h i s
o m is s io n s ,

h is o r g a n iz a t io n , h i s m ethods o f p r e s e n t in g - - b e a r s a r e l a

tio n to h i s own p e r s o n a lit y and th e age and c ir c u m sta n c e s in w hich he

4
liv e s .
And C h a rles A. B eard , in a s i m i l a r v e i n , remarks th a t t h i s
s e l e c t i o n and arrangem ent o f f a c t s

[ s e l e c t i o n and arrangem ent, we m ight

add, p a r e n t h e t i c a l l y , are m a tte r s o f as g r e a t i n t e r e s t and concern to

th e c r i t i c o f sp e ec h as t o th e p r a c t i c i n g h i s t o r i a n ] "a combined and
complex i n t e l l e c t u a l o p e r a tio n i s an a c t o f c h o ic e , c o n v ic t io n , and
in t e r p r e t a t io n r e s p e c t in g v a lu e s .
F a c t s , he g o e s on,
s e lv e s

. . . "

may be known; "but th e y do n o t s e l e c t them

o r fo r c e th e m se lv e s a u t o m a t ic a lly i n t o

any f ix e d scheme o f

"''Carl L. B ec k e r , "What a re H i s t o r i c a l F a c ts? " ; The P h ilo so p h y o f

H is to r y in Our Time, e d . Hans M ey erh o ff (Anchor Books e d .; Garden C it y ,
N. Y .: Doubleday 5 Company, I n c . , 1 9 5 9 ), 129.
2 I b i d . , 130.
3
Lord James (V isc o u n t) Bryce once s a i d , "The s e c r e t o f h i s t o r i
c a l c o m p o sitio n i s to know what t o n e g l e c t ." (C ite d in F le s c h , 161)
^The P h ilo so p h y o f

H is t o r y in Our Tim e, 139.

x v ii

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arrangem ent i n th e mind o f th e h i s t o r i a n .

by him as he t h in k s ."

They are s e l e c t e d and o rd ered

The p r o c e s s o f th e h i s t o r i a n i s n o t a t a l l u n lik e th a t o f th e
p h otograp h er; and t h a t w hich L ife m a g a z in e 's v e t e r a n , aw ard-w inning
1
1

cameraman C arl Mydans has w r it t e n , in an incom p arab le e s s a y f o r L i f e ' s

s p e c ia l e d i t i o n on p h o to g ra p h y , c o n c e r n in g h i s own c r a f t , c o u ld w ith

I
|

eq u a l a p p r o p r ia te n e s s have b een w r it t e n by (and f o r ) an h is t o r ia n :

One o f th e hackn eyed p h r a se s u se d about p h otograp h y i s

t h a t th e camera n e v e r l i e s . 2 The argument i s in te n d e d , o f
c o u r s e , t o be in d e fe n s e o f th e camera. But i t i s f a r from
t r u e . Once a man has been a tta c h e d to i t , th e camera
im m ed ia tely has a p o in t o f v ie w . And once i t has a p o in t
o f v ie w , we are a l l f r e e to q u e s tio n what i t s a y s . The
moment th e p h otograp h er s e l e c t s a p o s i t i o n from w hich t o
ta k e h i s p i c t u r e even by th e v e r y s ta n c e he c h o o s e s he
b e g in s th e p r o c e s s o f e x p r e s s in g h i m s e l f , w hich i s t o sa y
a l t e r i n g th e p ic t u r e .
The l i g h t i n g he may s e l e c t , th e tim e
o f day o r th e c o n tr iv e d a r t i f i c i a l il l u m i n a t i o n , h i s c h o ic e
o f le n s and, t h e r e f o r e , th e sco p e o f h i s p i c t u r e , h is
d ir e c t io n (th e tu r n in g o f a f a c e , o r th e p la c in g o f a su b j e c t h e r e or th e r e ) or th e mood he c h o o ses t o convey about
th e b a t t l e f i e l d , or th e c o r n f i e l d , or th e c o n fe r e n c e t a b le
o f a str ik e b o u n d in d u s tr y a l l th e s e e lem en ts r e f l e c t h i s
p e r so n a l p o in t o f v ie w .
In d e e d , he may u t i l i z e one o f th e

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"W ritten H is to r y as an A ct o f F a ith ," in i b i d . , 141.

Upon t h is p o in t , th e l a t e n o v e l i s t and c r i t i c James A gee, w rote

" . . . I t i s d o u b tfu l w h eth er m ost p e o p le r e a l i z e how e x t r a o r d in a r ily
s lip p e r y a l i a r the camera i s .
The camera i s j u s t a m achin e, w hich
record s w ith im p r e s s iv e and as a r u le v e r y c r u e l f a i t h f u l n e s s p r e c i s e l y
what i s in th e e y e , m ind, s p i r i t , and s k i l l o f i t s o p e r a to r s t o make i t
r e c o r d " --a p o in t o f v iew ech oed by th e e d it o r s o f L ife when th e y added:
"The image r e f l e c t s th e man who s n a tc h e s i t . . . . I t i s e n t i r e l y p o s s i b l e fo r a s k i l l e d p h otograp h er t o t w i s t tr u th t o h i s l i k i n g .
In t h i s
power to u se th e m ech an ical in g r e d ie n t s o f p h otograp h y t o m a n ip u la te , t o
m old, to change, to g iv e an in d iv id u a l v iew l i e s th e p h o to g r a p h e r 's
g r e a t e s t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . . . . Who w ould sa y th a t a p h o to g ra p h er sh o u ld
j u s t m irror l i f e and th a t photography i s j u s t a b u s in e s s o f c a p tu r in g
p e r fe c t r e fle c tio n s ?
And which man among us h o ld s th e one tr u e m irror?
. . . Men make p ic t u r e s a c c o r d in g t o t h e i r v a r y in g , human com prehensions
o f what th e y s e e or what th e y f e e l . . . . The c h a r a c te r o f th e p h o to g rapherh is p a s s io n s , h i s in n o c e n c e , h i s wisdom , h i s f e a r i s e tc h e d
w ith th e sh ad es o f l i g h t and dark on h i s f ilm ."
(From "The V o ic es o f
th e P h otograph," L if e , D ec. 2 3 , 1966, 7 .)

X V IX I

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

most e f f e c t i v e m ethods he knows to e x p r e s s h im s e lf: he maye l e c t to make no p ic t u r e a t a l l ! He p a s s e s up th e p h o to

graph w hich w ould p r e s e n t what h e does n o t want to p r e s e n t ,
or w hich i s a c o n t r a d ic t io n t o what he has b een p r e s e n t i n g .*
As w ith p h o to g ra p h y , s o w ith h is t o r y :

i t i s th e h i s t o r i a n , n o t

th e f a c t s , who s p e a k s , who im poses m e a n in g --a p o in t w hich le d h is t o r ia n

H enri P iren n e t o o b se r v e th a t " a l l h i s t o r i c a l n a r r a tiv e i s a t once a
s y n t h e s is and a h y p o t h e s is ."

I t i s s y n t h e s i s , f i r s t , in t h a t i t "com bines a mass o f known

f a c t s in an a cco u n t o f th e w hole"; and a h y p o t h e s is , s e c o n d ly , in th a t
" th e r e l a t i o n s i t e s t a b l i s h e s b etw een th e s e f a c t s are n e it h e r e v id e n t
nor v e r i f i a b l e by th e m s e lv e s ."

T hus, f o r P ir e n n e , " a l l h i s t o r i c a l . . .

n a r r a tiv e . . . r e s t s upon a p o s t u la t e " ;

a l l h i s t o r i c a l n a r r a t iv e i s

h y p o t h e s is .
The c o n tin u in g c o n tr o v e r s y o f o b j e c t i v i t y v e r s u s s u b j e c t i v i t y i s
n o t a lo n e th e co n cern o f th e h i s t o r i a n (o r th e p h o to g r a p h e r ); i t p e r
vades a l l f a c e t s o f human e x i s t e n c e .

And, in s t e a d o f b e in g m u tu a lly

e x c lu s i v e , th e r e a l and m ost u s e f u l r o le o f t h e s e two p o s it io n s may

in d eed be a com plim entary on e.

New York t e l e v i s i o n a c to r R obert Loggia

t o l d an in t e r v ie w e r s e v e r a l y e a r s ago:
. . . I th in k a c t in g and jo u r n a lism are c l o s e l y a l l i e d .
T e le v is io n h as made news r e p o r t in g more d ra m a tic.
R ep orters
today are c r e a t i v e .
A lth ough th e y must m a in ta in t h e i r
o b j e c t i v i t y , t h e i r s u b j e c t i v i t y alw ays s e e p s th ro u g h , making
the news th a t much more i n t e r e s t i n g . An a c t o r , t o o , must a t
f i r s t b e o b j e c t i v e . Then, when he molds th e p a r t h e ^ p la y
in g , h is s u b j e c t i v i t y comes i n t o playT7* [Emphasis s u p p lie d . ]

-'"With Mind and H eart and a Magic B ox," i b i d . , 74.

2

"What are H is t o r ia n s T ry in g t o Do?," c i t e d in M ey erh o ff, 9 4 .

3 I b i d . , 9 4 -9 5 .
4

L ansing (M ic h .) S t a t e J o u r n a l, D ec. 3 1 , 1966, b -1 2 .

x ix

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S in c e a b s o lu t e o b j e c t i v i t y , th e n , i s im p o s s ib le , sh o u ld th e h i s
to r ia n o p e n ly ta k e s i d e s , e sp o u s in g one ca u se o r th e o th er ?

S h ould he

o v e r t ly r e n d e r moral judgm ents?

M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y 's own D is tin g u is h e d P r o fe s s o r o f
E n g lis h R u sse l B. Nye does n o t " th in k th e h i s t o r i a n o f id e a s can o r
sh o u ld s t r i v e to b e c o m p le te ly n e u t r a l .

There i s ,

I b e l i e v e , r i g h t and

wrong in th e p a s t , and I th in k th e w r it e r must make m oral c h o ic e s in h i s

judgm ents o f men and movements."'*'
A lla n N evin s r e a l i s t i c a l l y f a c e s up to t h i s problem o f o b j e c t i v
i t y - -and i t is_ a le g it im a t e problem --w hen he m is c h ie v o u s ly remarks th a t
"the o n ly c o m p le te ly u n b ia sed h i s t o r i a n i s one whose works are n o t on
th e s h e lv e s o f l i b r a r i e s - - t h e R ecord in g A ngel; and d o u b tle s s he has
c o n v ic t io n s w hich to S a ta n , as Mark Twain i r r e v e r e n t l y s u g g e s te d , would
seem p r e j u d ic e s ."

More s e r i o u s l y , N ev in s p o in t s o u t t h a t " f a c t s cannot be s e l e c t e d

w ith o u t some p e r s o n a l c o n v ic t io n as to what i s t r u t h , and cannot be
arranged w ith o u t th e same c o n v ic t io n and t h i s c o n v ic t io n i s b i a s ."

The h i s t o r i a n , he h o ld s , sh o u ld have "a mind f r e e from c o n s c io u s

p r e j u d ic e s .

. . . C o n v ic tio n r u le s ou t a b s o lu te i m p a r t i a l i t y , bu t n e v e r

t h e l e s s aims a t t r u t h ." 4

N evins a m p lif ie s h i s t h e s i s w ith th e s e

we1 1 -ch osen w ords:

W hile th e h i s t o r i a n sh o u ld a v o id b ia s i n th e s e n se o f
p r e j u d ic e , he sh o u ld c o u r t i t in th e s e n s e o f h o n e s t con
v ic tio n .
T hat c o n v ic tio n sh o u ld f o llo w , n o t p r e c e d e , a

^Cited in W illiam McCann's c r i t i c a l r ev ie w o f R u sse l B. N y e 's

T his A lm ost Chosen P e o p le , p u b lis h e d in i b i d . , S e p t. 4 , 1966, B -5.
2

N. Y .:

The Gateway to H is to r y ( r e v . Anchor Books e d .; Garden C ity ,

D oubleday Company, I n c . , 1 9 6 2 ), 5 7 .
3I b i d . , 5 4 -5 5 .

4I b id .
xx

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stu d y o f th e e v id e n c e , and b e formed during and by th e

h is to r ia n 's resea rch es.
In b r i e f , th e author sh o u ld
approach h is e v id e n c e as a ju d g e , b u t sh o u ld p r e s e n t i t as
a guarded and h o n e s t a d v o c a te . I t i s h is duty t o form
judgm ents, b u t even more h i s duty to a void p r e ju d g in g th e
e v id e n c e . . . . [W hile] no w r it e r can w h o lly em ancipate h is
mind from th e c o lo r in g in f lu e n c e o f tim e, environm ent,
e d u c a tio n , c u rren t i d e a l s , p e r s o n a l a m b itio n s, and n a t io n a l
tr e n d s , . . . th a t does n o t exempt him from th e d u ty o f
s t r i v i n g t o a t t a in th e g r e a t e s t p o s s ib l e degree o f o b j e c
t i v i t y and im p a r t ia lit y .
Truth i s promoted by a c la s h o f
h o n est ju d g m en t.1 [Emphasis s u p p lie d .]
Lawyer C harles P. C u r tis has p u t i t more b r i e f l y , b u t no l e s s
s u c c in c t ly , when he d e c la r e s :
u n p reju d iced and im p a r t ia l.

"There are o n ly two ways to be q u it e

One way i s to be c o m p le te ly ig n o r a n t.

o th er i s to be c o m p le te ly i n d i f f e r e n t .

The

B ias and p r e ju d ic e are a t t i t u d e s

to be k ep t in hand, n o t a t t i t u d e s t o be a v o id e d ."

A ll o f th e fo r e g o in g to th e co n tra ry n o tw ith s ta n d in g , h ow ever,

l e t i t be s a i d , h e r e , lou d and c le a r , th a t sp e ec h c r i t i c i s m i s n o t
m erely a m a tter o f s u b j e c t iv e whim o r o f in d iv id u a l p r e f e r e n c e - - a n
u n fo r tu n a te m isgu id ed o p in io n as o ld as P la t o , and as modem as some o f
the more v o c a l c o m m u n ic a tio n s-o r ie n te d t h e o r i s t s who f a l l i n t o th e eq u a l
but o p p o site tem p ta tio n o f " p o n t if i c a t io n from q u a n t i f ic a t io n ," and
become a f f l i c t e d w ith a " p a r a ly s is o f th e a n a ly s is !"
There is_ a f a i r l y w e ll d e fin e d body o f r h e t o r ic a l th e o r y in pub
l i c address tod ay w hich p r o v id e s a c a ta lo g u e o f e v a lu a t iv e c r i t e r i a
commanding f a i r l y g e n e r a l a c ce p ta n c e w ith in th e sp eech p r o f e s s io n i t s e l f .
In th e stu d y which f o llo w s , t h e s e w i l l be u t i l i z e d , to g e t h e r w ith w hat
e v e r o th er p e r so n a l o b s e r v a tio n s th a t may s p r in g in t o mind as we jo u rn ey

1I b i d . , 5 8 -5 9 .
2

A Commonplace Book (New York: Simon S c h u s te r , 1 9 5 7 ), c i t e d

in James N. Simson (c o m p .), Contemporary Q u otation s (New York: Thomas Y.
C row ell Company, 1 9 6 4 ), 51.

xx i

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through t h e s e p a g es w h erein th e b r o a d c a s t and p u lp i t sp ea k in g o f W illia m

A. F agal i s , s u c c e s s i v e l y , d e s c r ib e d , a n a ly z e d , and e v a lu a te d .

C o n c lu sio n

"The main t h in g ," Karl Popper c o u n s e le d , " is t o be c o n s c io u s o f

o n e 's p o in t o f v ie w , and c r i t i c a l ,

t h a t i s to s a y , to a v o id as f a r as

p o s s i b l e , u n co n scio u s and t h e r e f o r e u n c r i t i c a l b ia s i n the p r e s e n t a t io n

o f th e f a c t s . H i s

th o u g h t i s e c h o e d in th e credo o f Gaetano S a lv e m in i

[1873-195 7 ] , an I t a l i a n h i s t o r i a n who d id much o f h is work in th e U n ited

S t a t e s , who perhaps sums i t a l l up b e s t :
We cannot b e im p a r t ia l, we can o n ly be i n t e l l e c t u a l l y
h o n e s t - - t h a t i s , aware o f our own p a s s i o n s , on our guard
a g a in s t them , and p rep ared t o warn th e r e a d e r o f th e dangers
i n t o w hich our p a r t i a l view s may le a d them . I m p a r t ia lit y i s
a dream, and h o n e s ty a d u t y .2

"Here I s ta n d ."
Roger W. Coon
Angwin, C a lif o r n ia
June 30, 1969

Karl Popper, "Has H isto r y Any M eaning?," The Open S o c ie t y and

S o c ie t y and I t s Enemies (on e-volum e e d . ; P r in c e to n , N. J . : P r in c e to n
U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1 9 5 0 ), 4 4 9 -6 3 ; c i t e d in M ey erh o ff, 3 0 2 -3 0 3 .
2

Gaetano S a lv e m in i, M u s s o lin i Diplornate (P a r is : Bernard G a s se t,

1 9 3 2 ), 7. T r a n s la tio n from th e o r i g i n a l French by Trumbull H ig g in s ,
Korea and th e F a il o f MacArthur: A P r e c is i n L im ited War (New York:
Oxford U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1 9 6 0 ), v i i - v i i i .

x x ii

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Render t h e r e f o r e to a l l t h e i r d u es:
t r i b u t e to whom t r ib u t e
i s due; . . . honor to whom hon or.--R om ans 1 3 :7

A d o c to r a l d i s s e r t a t i o n and a Sabbath sermon sh a r e many th in g s

in common; and i t i s

as tr u e o f th e t h e s i s as P h i l l i p s Brooks was o f t e n

wont to sa y o f th e sermon,'*' t h a t i t i s th e p ro d u ct n o t o n ly o f th e imme

d ia t e , or S p e c ia l, p r e p a r a tio n , b u t a l s o o f a lo n g -te r m (ev en l i f e - l o n g )
p e r io d o f accu m u lated e x p e r ie n c e and r e f l e c t i o n .
The A p o s tle P a u l's a d m o n itio n , c i t e d a b o v e , t o g iv e r e c o g n it io n
where i t i s a p p r o p r ia t e ly due was p r e d ic a t e d upon h i s c o n v ic t io n , s t a t e d
in th e f o llo w in g c h a p te r , th a t "none o f us l i v e t h un to h im s e l f .
(Romans 1 4 : 7 ) .
I have m et."

. . .

And Tennyson makes U ly s s e s s a y , "I am a p a r t o f a l l th a t

I am, to o ; and i t must o f n e c e s s i t y f o llo w t h a t any c r e a t i v e

a c t i v i t y o f w hich I am ca p a b le must p a r ta k e o f th e sam e.

But in th e

l i s t i n g o f names o f th o se who have l e n t a h e lp in g hand a lo n g th e jo u rn ey

a w r ite r i s fa c e d w ith

a tw o -f o ld problem :

F i r s t , th e r e o b v io u s ly i s n ' t

room to p u t e v e r y o n e ' s

name down. The A p o s tle John in d u lg e d in a b i t

of

h yp erb ole when he c lo s e d th e f i n a l c h a p te r o f th e Fourth G ospel ("And

j

th e r e are a ls o many o th e r th in g s w hich J e su s d id , th e w h ich , i f th e y

sh o u ld be w r it t e n e v e r y on e, I su p p o se t h a t even th e w o rld i t s e l f co u ld

^Cf. Kenneth G. Hance, "The E lem en ts o f th e R h e to r ic a l Theory o f

P h i l l i p s B rook s," Speech Monographs V (D e c ., 1 9 3 8 ), 2 9 -3 0 .
^ C ited in B a r t l e t t , 453.
x x iii
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n ot c o n ta in th e books t h a t s h o u ld be w r it t e n ." John 2 1 :2 5 ) ; b u t h i s

problem i s im m ed ia te ly a p p a ren t to anyone who h as e v e r w r itte n fo r p r i n t .
S e c o n d ly , th e r e i s th e danger o f f a l l i b i l i t y o f human memory, a
problem in c r e a s in g ly a c u te as a d d it io n a l y e a r s la y t h e i r hand upon o n e 's
s h o u ld e r .

I have h eard many w r it e r s mourn th a t as soon as th e manu

s c r ip t was in th e hands o f th e p r i n t e r , names came to m in d --to o l a t e

th a t s h o u ld have been in c lu d e d in th e r o l l - c a l l o f th e h o n o r a b le .

It

w i l l p r o b a b ly happen t o me, to o ; and i f someone who d id h e lp w ith t h i s

p r o j e c t a t hand comes a c r o s s th e s e p a g e s , and f in d s h is name m is s in g , he
w i l l a ls o f in d t h i s a p o lo g y f o r o v e r lo o k in g th e r e c o g n it io n o f a f a i t h
f u l fr ie n d .
D ebts o f g r a t it u d e are due many who, f o r want o f s p a c e , must
remain unnamed, b u t e s p e c i a l l y :
To D o cto r Kenneth G. H ance, m ajor p r o f e s s o r , guid ance
com m ittee chairm an, and f a t h e r - c o n f e s s o r e x tr a o r d in a r y ,
whose h e a r t i s as b ig as h i s o f f i c e d oorb o th o f w hich are
alw ays open a man who made each o f h is s tu d e n ts f e e l th a t
he u n iq u e ly was th e p r o f e s s o r ' s o n ly concern and h i s o n ly
s tu d e n t.
To D o cto r David C. R alph, co-ch airm an o f my com m ittee,
who opened new v i s t a s in sp e ec h c r i t i c i s m ; and, e s p e c i a l l y
in th e te a c h in g o f Speech 101, whose bonhomie cam araderie
d u rin g th e y e a r we ta u g h t t o g e t h e r tr a n sc e n d e d th e p r o f e s s o r s tu d e n t r e l a t i o n s h i p , and ta u g h t me th e r e a l meaning o f
f r ie n d s h ip .
To D octor Gordon L. Thomas, p r o f e s s o r o f h is t o r y o f
p u b lic a d d ress and h o n o ra b le Mayor o f th e C ity o f E ast
L a n sin g , whose c l a s s e s h e ld a new s u r p r is e each day (n o t to
m ention ex a m in a tio n d a y s ! ) , who p ro v ed th a t th e iv o r y tow er
and C ity H a ll may be f r i e n d s , and d em on strated once and fo r
a l l th e s p le n d id c o n t r ib u t io n to c i v i c and community l i f e
t h a t th e s c h o la r may and sh o u ld make.
To D octor Madison Kuhn, p r o f e s s o r o f h i s t o r y and member
o f my gu id a n ce c o m m ittee, whose le c t u r e s to o k th e dead
bones o f our American p a s t , and b ro u g h t them back t o l i f e
w ith h i s s c i n t i l l a t i n g , in i m it a b le w it ; and who ta u g h t me a
new and d e e p e r r e s p e c t f o r th e prim ary so u r c e in h i s t o r i c a l
research .
x x iv
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To A rthur F. Weld, J r . , a s s o c i a t e p r o f e s s o r o f t e l e
v i s i o n and member o f my gu id a n ce co m m ittee, a " R en a issa n ce
man" in th e f u l l e s t meaning o f th e w ord, whose v a s t
i n t e r e s t s in and know ledge o f n e a r ly e v e r y th in g , from
B eethoven t o b o o k b in d in g , was n e v e r c o m p le te ly o r s u c c e s s
f u l l y h id d en b en ea th th e m an tle o f h i s humble and g e n t le
s p i r i t , who in tr o d u c e d me to th e e x c ite m e n t and i n t r i c a c i e s
o f t e l e v i s i o n d ir e c t io n and p r o d u c tio n .
To D octor W ilb er A lexan d er o f th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t
T h e o lo g ic a l Sem inary, Andrews U n iv e r s it y , whose p io n e e r in g
d i s s e r t a t i o n on A d v e n tis t Radio B ro a d ca ste r H. M. S .
R ichards n o t o n ly p r o v id e d th o se o f us who fo llo w e d in h is
f o o t s t e p s w ith a v a lu a b le s t r u c t u r a l m odel, b u t a ls o gave
us a sta n d a rd o f e x c e lle n c e a t w hich t o aim.
To th e o f f i c e s t a f f o f F a ith fo r Today, I n c o r p o r a te d ,
who c o n t in u a lly went th e seco n d (and t h ir d ) m ile in p r o
v id in g me w ith th e n e c e s s a r y d a ta ( o f t e n d u rin g unpaid
o v e r t im e ), as w e ll as a s s is t a n c e and s u g g e s t io n s o f a l l
s o r t s - - e s p e c i a l l y W illia m R. Lawson, manager and t r e a s u r e r ;
R ichard E. G reen, form er a s s i s t a n t tr e a s u r e r ; F r a n k lin W.
H udgins, s t a t i o n r e l a t i o n s d i r e c t o r , and h is s e c r e t a r y - w i f e ,
L orrain e (a s w e ll as h i s p r e d e c e s s o r , E rn est N. W endth);
and Gordon F. D alrym ple, p u b lic r e l a t i o n s d i r e c t o r , and h i s
s e c r e t a r y , Edwina ("Red") M o n te llo .
To th e o f f i c e r s o f th e G eneral C onferen ce o f S ev en th -d a y
A d v e n t is t s , and th e Board o f T r u ste e s o f P a c i f i c Union
C o lle g e , my e m p lo y e r s, s u c c e s s i v e l y , d u rin g th e th r e e y e a r s
o f th e r e s e a r c h f o r and w r it in g o f t h i s t h e s i s , f o r tim e
a llo w e d o f f r e g u la r d u t i e s , and th e f i n a n c i a l su p p o rt w hich
made t h i s f i n a l document p o s s i b l e .
To F r a n c is X. S c a n n e ll, form er head r e fe r e n c e lib r a r ia n
o f M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y L ib r a r y , f o r h is i n f i n i t e
c a p a c ity f o r r e s o u r c e f u ln e s s in s u g g e s t in g new p la c e s to
sea r c h f o r e l u s i v e f a c t s and f i g u r e s , and f o r h i s dogged
d e te r m in a tio n in s le u t h in g o u t th e h id in g p la c e o f an
e r r a n t q u o ta tio n ; and to C la ren ce (D ick ) S le t w ic k , head
lib r a r ia n a t P a c i f i c Union C o lle g e , f o r g e n e r o u s ly ta k in g
o f h is own meager o f f i c e sp a c e to p r o v id e me w ith a p r iv a t e
room in w hich more than h a l f o f th e s e p a g es were w r it t e n
w ith o u t o u t s id e i n t e r f e r e n c e .
To J e r e E. C risp en s o f th e S c i e n t i f i c Computation
F a c i l i t y o f Loma Linda U n iv e r s it y , f o r p r o v id in g two graphs
to i l l u s t r a t e as many c h a p te r s o f t h i s t h e s i s .
To R obert L. Hammond and th e M ichigan Temperance Founda
t i o n , f o r p r o v id in g th e p l a t e s , n e a r ly two s c o r e in number,
u sed in t h i s t h e s i s , and th en in r ep ro d u cin g them on p a p er ,
thus d e m o n str a tin g a g a in t h a t p r in t in g may be one o f th e
f i n e s t o f th e g r a p h ic a r t s .
xxv
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To L ou ise T enbrink, my s e c r e t a r y f o r th e p a s t y e a r , who

f a i t h f u l l y fen d ed o f f w ou ld -b e in tr u d e r s during p e r io d s
r e s e r v e d f o r w r it in g , th us p r o v id in g th e n e c e s s a r y moments
o f s o l i t u d e f r e e from d i s t r a c t i o n , w ith o u t which many o f
th e s e p ages would n e v e r have b een w r it t e n .
To Dana R itten h o u se D u tch er, who ty p ed the f i n a l d r a f t ,
o f t e n a t th e l o s s o f s l e e p , in o rd er to meet th e f i n a l
d e a d lin e , and whose concern f o r d e t a i l was matched o n ly by
a h ig h ly d ev elo p ed a r t i s t i c c a p a c ity and an accu racy in
te c h n iq u e th a t i s th e envy o f th o se who know a n y th in g o f
th e r ig o r s o f t h e s i s - t y p i n g .
To th e members and f r ie n d s o f th e U n iv e r s it y S e v e n th day A d v e n tis t Church, E ast L a n sin g , f o r t h e i r s p i r i t u a l
su p p o rt d u rin g th r e e and o n e - h a lf y e a rs o f graduate s tu d y ,
in 1962, and a g a in du rin g 1 9 6 4 -1 9 6 7 .
To W illiam and V ir g in ia F a g a l, fo r t h e i r w h o leh ea rted
c o o p e r a tio n , a b so r b in g i n t e r e s t , and p e r so n a l f r ie n d s h ip ,
w hich made th e r e s e a r c h fo r and w r it in g o f th e se volum es a
la b o r o f lo v e .
And f i n a l l y , t o I r e n e , Su san , and D onald, whose f a i t h ,
s u c c e s s i v e l y , t h a t t h i s p r o j e c t c o u ld , sh o u ld , and w ould be
u n dertaken s u c c e s s f u l l y , buoyed me up during th e gray days
o f graduate s tu d y , and th e d ep th s o f whose p e r so n a l s e l f s a c r i f i c e in m issed e x c u r s io n s and l o s t v a c a tio n s and th e
absence o f husband and fa t h e r when i t o ft e n was so b a d ly
n e ed ed , made lo v in g ly and u n c o m p la in in g ly , I am o n ly now
b e g in n in g f u l l y to fathom .
To a l l who h e lp e d , a f e r v e n t , h e a r t - f e l t , "Thank you!"

R. W. C.

xxvi

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
FRONTISPIECE

.................................................................................................................

iii

DEDICATION......................................................................................................................

iv

PREFACE ................................................................................................................................

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................

x x iii

LIST OF T A B L E S ...........................................................................................................

x x x iii

LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................

xxxv

LIST OF G R A PH S.................................................................................................................x x x v i i i
INTRODUCTION

.................................................................................................................

x x x ix

Chapter
I.

II.

WILLIAM A. FAGAL:

PREPARATION FOR PROMINENCE...

H i s t o r i c a l Backgrounds: On th e D o o rstep o f th e
"Roaring T w en ties" .......................................................................
Fam ily Background and E a rly Y ears:
1 9 1 9 -1 9 3 0 . . .
J u n io r High S ch o o l and High S ch o o l Y ea rs:
1930-1935
C o lle g e Y ears:
1935-1939
Permanent I n flu e n c e
.......................................................................

36
43
61

WILLIAM A. FAGAL: AMERICA'S FIRST NATIONAL

TELEVISION PASTOR .................................................................................

63

P a s to r a l and E v a n g e lis t i c M in istr y :

1 9 3 9 -1 9 5 0 . . .
T e le v is io n and C o r r e la te M in is tr y :
1 9 5 0 -1 9 6 8 . . .
Major I n flu e n c e s in th e L ife and M in is tr y o f
W illiam A. F a g a l ............................................................
109
W illiam A. F a g a l, T e le v is io n P a sto r : A Look
a t th e M a n ..........................................................................
129

x x v ii

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3
30

63
85

III.

IV.

FAITH FOR TODAY, INCORPORATED:

THE "LENGTHENED SHADOW"

143

A B r ie f H is to r y o f B r o a d c a s t i n g ...............................................
S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts V enture in t o T e l e v is io n . . . .
" F a ith f o r Today T e l e v i s i o n P rem iere: May 2 1 , 1950 .
The Shadow L en gthens: R ise and Growth o f th e
T e l e c a s t , 1950-1 9 6 8 . . .
.........................................................
O b je c tiv e s o f th e t e l e c a s t ......................................
S t a t io n co v era g e ..............................................................
S t a t io n d e c lin e :
ca u se and c u r e ........................
E v o lu tio n o f f o r m a t ....................................................
Problem s in p r o d u c tio n ................................................
Growing P a in s
............................................................................
I n t e r n a l o r g a n iz a tio n
...............................................
"A House i s Not a H o m e " ...........................................
F in a n c ia l su p p o rt and f i n a n c i a l c r i s e s . . .
A d v e r tis in g and p r o m o t i o n ......................................
The c r im in a l c o u r t s u i t ...........................................
" F a ith fo r Today," tomorrow .................................
I n f e r e n c e s ....................................................................................................

143
151
161

THE RHETORICAL THEORY OF WILLIAM A. F A G A L .................................

The Purpose and P la c e o f T h e o r y ...............................................
Sou rces f o r Study o f F a g a l s R h e to r ic a l Theory . . . .
C o n s titu e n ts o f F a g a l s R h e to r ic a l Theory ..........................
D e f in it io n o f " preach ing"
......................................
O b je c tiv e s o f p r e a c h in g
.........................................
P r e p a r a tio n f o r p r e a c h in g
......................................
The p r e a ch er and h i s a u d i e n c e .............................
Sermon in v e n t io n - - s u b j e c t s ......................................
Sermon in v e n t io n s o u r c e s
......................................
Sermon in v e n tio n --e th o s ^
......................................
Sermon in v e n t io n l o g o s ...........................................
Sermon i n v e n t i o n - - p a th o s ...........................................
Sermon s t r u c t u r e arrangem ent .............................
Sermon s t y l e .......................................................................
Sermon memory ..................................................................
..............................................................
Sermon d e liv e r y
R e fle c te d P a r a lle lis m s in F a g a l's
R h e to r ic a l Theory

V.

THE RHETORICAL PRACTICE

OF WILLIAM A.

173
173
176
184
192
210
226
226
240
245
259
266
274
278
284
285
288
289
289
290
293
295
296
298
299
301
304
311
313
315
316
.319

F A G A L ......................

334

Method o f Sermon P r e p a r a tio n .........................................................

E a rly M i n i s t r y ............................................................................
S o u rces o f i d e a s ..............................................................
R eading h a b i t s ..................................................................
D e v o tio n a l h a b it s
.........................................................
Sermon ty p e s .......................................................................
E nrichm ent from o th e r s o u r c e s
.............................
L a te r M i n i s t r y ............................................................................
G eneral r e a d in g ..............................................................
S e le c t io n
o f t o p i c s ..................................................
G ath erin g
o f m a t e r ia ls ................................................

335
335
335
336
336
338
339
340
341
343
344

x x v iii
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VI.

R ese a rc h in g th e t o p ic
................................................
O r g a n iz in g th e m a t e r ia l
...........................................
W ritin g th e s e r m o n .........................................................
F i l i n g th e s e r m o n .........................................................
Method o f Sermon C om p osition ..............................................................
I n v e n t i o n ....................................................................................................
B a s ic B e l i e f s .................................................................................
Sermon Themes .................................................................................
...........................................
A udience and O cca sio n F a c to r s
N o n - A r t is t ic E lem ents o f I n v e n tio n .................................
A r t i s t i c E lem en ts o f I n v e n tio n ...........................................
E th ic a l P r o o f E t h o s ..............................................................
L o g ic a l P r o o f - - Logos ..............................................................
P s y c h o lo g ic a l P r o o f--P a th o s
...........................................
A r r a n g e m e n t ...............................................................................................
Method o f O u t l i n i n g ..............................................................
R h e to r ic a l Order W ithin Sermon S tr u c tu r e . . . .
Specimen A n a ly se s o f O u tlin e Method ........................
S t y l e .............................................................................................................
Word C h o i c e .................................................................................
S t r u c t u r a l A d a p ta tio n
.........................................................
F ig u r es o f S p e e c h ..................................................................
Oral V ersus W ritten S t y le
...............................................
Method o f Sermon D e liv e r y
..............................................................
S e t t in g f o r F a g a l's Sermon D e liv e r y
........................
F agal*s Method o f D e liv e r y ................................................
R eading v s . extem poraneous ......................................
A d a p ta tio n o f m essage t o sp e a k in g
s i t u a t i o n .......................................................................
The Speaker We S ee--" T h e V i s i b l e Code" . . . . . .
The Sp eak er We H ear "The A u d ib le Code" . . . .
E v a lu a tio n o f R h e to r ic a l E lem ents
...........................................
I n v e n t i o n ............................................................................
A r r a n g e m e n t .......................................................................
S t y l e .....................................................................................
D e l i v e r y ................................................................................

493
496
500
503
503
505
505
506

AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO THE TELEVISION PREACHING OF

WILLIAM A. FAGAL..........................................................................................

508

The Purpose o f P u b lic S p eak in g ....................................................

R esponse:
E vid en ce o f th e I n flu e n c e o f
S p e a k i n g .....................................................................................
C u ltu r a l E vid en ces o f th e I n f lu e n c e o f
F a g a l's Speaking ..................................................................
C l i f f R ogerson C artoon ................................................
E liz a b e th Kata N o v e l ....................................................
Problems i n Measurement o f A udience R esponse . .
N ie ls e n : N em esis o r N onsense? ............................
"To Respond o r Not to RespondThat i s
th e Q u e stio n I " ..............................................................
C l a s s i f i c a t i o n and D e s c r ip tio n o f th e M ail Response
to th e " F a ith f o r Today" T e l e c a s t ......................................
N orth A m e r i c a .................................................................................
x x ix
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345
347
348
349
350
350
350
357
363
366
384
385
401
409
424
424
432
446
452
453
466
475
482
488
489
491
491

508
510
513
513
513
517
517
524
527
527

Methods o f G enerating M ail Response .......................

Volume and Sources o f M ail R e s p o n s e ..........................
C l a s s i f ic a t i o n and D e sc r ip tio n o f Mail
R e s p o n s e ...................................................................................
B ib le correspondence sc h o o l resp on se . . . .
R equest r e s p o n s e ................................
C o n trib u tio n resp o n se ..............................................
D e c isio n resp o n se .......................................................
T estim o n ia l resp on se ..................................................
"Crank" resp o n se ...........................................................
O v e r s e a s ............................................................................................
K o r e a ............................................................................................
C e y lo n ............................................................................................
South P a c i f ic I s l a n d s ..........................................................
N i g e r i a .......................................................................................
A u s t r a l i a ...................................................................................
A c c e p t a b ilit y o f American programs
"Down Under" .
.......................................................
T e le v is io n s t a t io n management resp on se . . .
V iewer resp on se ...........................................................
An A n a ly sis o f North American T e le v is io n Management
R e s p o n s e ................................................................................................
N ature o f g en era l view er r e a c tio n ..................
Volume o f g en era l v iew er r e a c tio n ..................
P a sto r F a g a l's in d iv id u a l c o n tr ib u tio n . . .
Comparison o f Fagal w ith o th e r clergymen
on T V ..............................................................................
P er ceiv e d weakness in th e Fagal
p r e s e n ta tio n ................................................................
S u m m a r y .....................................................................................................
VII.

AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO THE CORRELATE PULPIT PREACHING OF

WILLIAM A. FAGAL.......................................................................................
The Grand Ledge Camp M eeting Speaking S itu a tio n
. . .
O ccasion fa c t o r s ...........................................................
Q u estio n n a ire fa c t o r s
..............................................
The a u d i e n c e .....................................................................
The s e r m o n .........................................................................
Observed resp o n se .......................................................
An A n a ly sis o f Q u estio n n a ire Response ................................
E th ic a l p e r su a sio n .......................................................
Vocal q u a l i t y ................................................................
I n t e r e s t /a t t e n t io n f a c to r s .....................................
Word co m p r e h e n sio n .......................................................
Content r e le v a n c e .......................................................
E vidence and rea so n in g ..............................................
Use o f S c r i p t u r e ...........................................................
Use o f su p p o rtiv e m a t e r i a l s ................................
Sermon g o a l .....................................................................
Comparison o f TV p reach in g w ith p u lp it
p r e a c h i n g .....................................................................
Comparison o f Fagal w ith o th er p reach ers . .

527
530
539
539
541
552
559
566
573
576
577
578
578
579
580
580
582
583
587
587
589
591
594
596
598
601
602
602
604
605
611
614
616
616
619
624
628
631
634
638
644
651
653
664

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V III.

F a g a l's image as a p r e a ch er : p o s i t i v e
f a c t o r s ...........................................................................
F a g a l's image as a p r e a c h e r : n e g a tiv e
f a c t o r s ...........................................................................
D e c is io n s made to n ig h t a t t r ib u t a b le to
F a g a l ...................................................
D e c is io n s b e fo r e t o n ig h t a t t r ib u t a b le t o
F a g a l ................................................................................
R e la tio n s h ip o f w ife on t e l e c a s t ............................
S u m m a r y ................................................................................

693
696
697

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS...........................................................................

701

MAnd Now, A Word From th e S p o n s o r " ..............................................

Summary o f F i n d i n g s ...........................................................................
C o n c l u s i o n s ..............................................................................................

701
706
712

BIBLIOGRAPHY

672
679
691

......................................................................................................................

718

APPENDIXES..........................................................................................................................

741

A.

" S ign s C ounsel C o m er," Ju n e, 1965

741

B.

P a r t i a l T r a n sc r ip t o f P r o c e e d in g s, S p rin g Commencement,
Andrews U n iv e r s it y , May 2 8 , 1967

743

Log o f " F a ith fo r Today" T e le v is io n S t a t io n C overage,

M arch -A p ril, 1969
....................................................................................

745

Budget and F in a n c ia l S ta te m e n ts , F a ith f o r Today,

In c o r p o r a te d , fo r th e Year 1968 ........................................................

746

L is t o f W illia m A. F a g a l's T e le v is io n Sermon T o p ic s ,

" F aith f o r Today," 1965 ...........................................................................

749

C h r o n o lo g ic a l S u bstance O u tlin e , W illiam A. F a g a l's

A uditorium Sermon on Paul a t C o r i n t h ..........................................

751

T ra n sc r ib e d Copy, W illiam A. F a g a l's Camp M eeting

Sermon on A n d r e w .........................................................................................

765

D a ily Summary o f M ail and C o n tr ib u tio n s , F a ith f o r

Today, I n c o r p o r a te d , J u ly 8 , 1968 ....................................................

779

D is t r ib u t io n o f V iew er Income by G if t S iz e and Source

D e r iv a t io n , F a ith fo r Today, I n c o r p o r a te d , June 1,
1967, to May 3 1, 1968 ................................................................................

781

S ta te m en ts o f T y p ic a l A udience R esponse to th e
P rea ch in g o f W illiam A. F a g a l, 1950-1968

783

T e le v is io n S t a t io n Management P e r so n n e l Survey
Q u e s tio n n a ir e ..................................................................................................

801

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.
i

H.

I.

J.

K.
;

xxxi

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L.

T a b u la tio n o f S t a t i s t i c a l D ata, T e le v is io n S t a t io n
Management P e r so n n e l Q u e s tio n n a ir e ...............................................

M. A uditorium A udience R esponse Q u e stio n n a ir e

N.

806

..................................

811

T a b u la tio n o f S t a t i s t i c a l D ata, A uditorium R esponse

Q u e s tio n n a ir e ...................................................................................................

815

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L IS T OF TABLES

Tab le

Page

1.

The D e p r e ssio n and G eneral E l e c t r i c ,

2.

Summary o f F ill-T im e O f f ic e Workers Employed a t F a ith

f o r Today, In c o r p o r a te d , 1951-1968

227

Summary o f C orporate F in a n c ia l Growth, F a ith f o r Today,

I n c o r p o r a te d , 1951-1968 ............................................................................

258

Word-Length o f Words in S e le c t e d Paragraphs From

W illia m A. F a g a ls Sermons ..................................................................

456

W o rd -F a m ilia rity o f Words in S e le c t e d Paragraphs From

W illiam A. F a g a ls Sermons ..................................................................

457

Paragraph S en ten ce S tr u c tu r e o f W illia m A. F a g a l's

T e l e v is io n Sermons ........................

467

P e r i o d i c i t y o f S e n ten ce Length o f W illia m A. F a g a l's

T e l e v is io n Sermons .....................................................................................

469

Rate o f Sermon D e liv e r y o f W illiam A. F a g a l's

P u lp it and T e le v is io n Sermons .................................

502

N ie ls e n R a tin g s Data f o r " F a ith f o r Today" in E lev en

S e le c t e d U. S . C i t i e s , 1966 ..................................................................

520

G eneral C om position o f th e " F a ith f o r Today" A udience

in E lev en S e le c t e d U. S. C i t i e s , 1966 ...........................................

522

Summary o f Volume o f M ail R esponse t o th e " F a ith f o r

Today" T e le c a s t R eceiv ed a t North American
H ea d q u a rters, 1952-1968 ............................................................................

533

G eograp h ical D is t r ib u t io n o f North American Viewer M a il,

Nine H ig h e st Volume S t a t e s , J u ly 8 , 1968

536

Summary o f A c t i v i t i e s , N orth American B ib le C orrespondence

S c h o o l, F a ith fo r Today, In c o r p o r a te d , 1952-1968 . . . .

542

R e lig io u s A f f i l i a t i o n o f E n r o lle e s , N orth American B ib le

C orrespondence S c h o o l, F a ith fo r Today, In c o r p o r a te d ,
Fourth Q u arter, 1967

543

3.

4.

5.

7.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

1925-1935

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115

Page

Table
15.

16.

17.

18.

Summary o f N on -A p p rop riated Income R e ce iv e d by F a ith fo r

Today, I n c o r p o r a te d , 19 5 0 -1 9 6 8 ....................................................

554

D is t r ib u t io n o f N orth American V iew er Income by G if t S iz e

and Sou rce D e r iv a t io n , F a ith f o r Today, I n c o r p o r a te d ,
June 1, 1967, t o May 31, 1968 .........................................................

555

G eograp h ical D is t r ib u t io n o f N orth American Donor M a il,

N ine H ig h e s t Volume S t a t e s , F a ith f o r Today,
In c o r p o r a te d , J u ly 8 , 1968 .............................................................

556

Summary o f R eported A d u lt B aptism s in N orth Am erica

A ttr ib u te d to th e " F a ith f o r Today" T e l e c a s t ,
1950-1968 ........................................................................................................

562

X X X IV

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
1.

2.

3.

Page
A m erica's F i r s t N a tio n a l T e l e v is io n P a sto r
( F r o n t is p ie c e ) ..............................................................................................

iii

Front Page o f The New York Times on th e Day o f

W illiam F a g a l's B ir th
...........................................................................

Back Page o f The New York Times on th e Day o f

W illiam F a g a l's B ir th
...........................................................................

4.

A d vertisem en t fo r Speech Improvement Course in 1919

5.

A d vertisem en t f o r P h ren ology-T yp e C h a r a c ter -D e te rm in a tio n

Course in 1 9 1 9 ..............................................................................................

24

P o r t r a it o f W illiam A. Fagal Fam ily (1964)

75

7.

. . .

................................

23

P a sto r F agal H old in g Tame " Jun gle Cat" a t Belem ,

B r a z il (1963)

93

P a sto r F agal on Amazon R iv er Launch (1 9 6 3 ) ................................

93

9.

P a sto r Fagal Examining Copy o f New " B est S e lle r " a t

Southern P u b lis h in g A s s o c ia t io n (1 9 6 6 ) ......................................

97

10.

P a sto r and Mrs. F agal a t County F a ir Booth (1955)

11.

P a sto r and Mrs. F agal C e le b r a tin g 2 5 th Wedding

A n n iversary and 15th A n n iv ersa ry o f C ontinuous
T e le v is io n B r o a d c a stin g (1965) .........................................................

131

12.

Cartoon from TV G uide, March 1 2 , 1966

168

13.

P a sto r Fagal P rea ch in g from P u lp it S e t in L ive

T e le c a s t (1951)

168

F ilm ing a "Commercial" f o r B ib le C orrespondence

S ch ool (1961)

189

C inem atographer I r a C a v r e ll and th e F a g a ls on

S tu d io S e t (1964)

190

F ilm in g M usical Program With F a ith fo r Today

Q u artet (1962) ..............................................................................................

208

14.

15.

16.

. . . .

XXXV

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131

Figure
17.

Page
A udience W atching L ive T e le c a s t a t ABC's Manhattan
S tu d io One (1952)

213

18.

Scene from S e t o f L ive T e le c a s t ( 1 9 5 2 ) ..........................................

213

19.

V ir g in ia F agal a t Her Desk in T e le c a s t H eadquarters

( 1 9 6 4 ) .................................................................................................................

230

P r e ss Manager James Aikman With P r in t e r s a t T e le c a s t

P r in t in g Department (1 9 6 6 ) ..................................................................

236

F a ith f o r Today Q u a rtet R eh ea rsin g Song in New R ecording

S tu d io (1965)

239

Sound E n g in eer H erb ert H ohensee a t R ecording S tu d io

C on sole (1965) ..............................................................................................

239

23.

W ashington Avenue SDA Church, Brooklyn (1950)

243

24.

Kew Gardens O f f ic e B u ild in g (1 9 5 1 -1 9 5 2 )

243

25.

F o r e st H i l l s O f f ic e B u ild in g (1 9 5 3 -1 9 6 3 )

26.

C arle P la c e O f f ic e B u ild in g (1 9 6 4 -

27.

Fagal Home D e str o y e d by F i r e , January 1 9 -2 0 , 1958

28.

P a s to r and Mrs. Fagal on Film S tu d io S e t ( 1 9 6 4 ) ..................

279

29.

"P rayer-B reak" f o r P ro d u ctio n Crew on S e t ( c . 1965) . . .

283

30.

Harry Anderson P r e s e n ts O f f i c i a l F a ith f o r Today

P a in tin g (1966)

333

20.

21.

22.

.....................................

243
243

. . . .

254

31.

P a sto r Fagal in A c tio n , D e liv e r in g P u lp it Sermon (1967)

498

32.

C l i f f R ogerson C artoon, O ctober 2 9 , 1966 .....................................

514

33.

"A T a le o f Two M a ilb a g s," 1950 and 1958 ( 1 9 5 8 ) .......................

531

34.

C r o s s -S e c tio n View o f B ib le C orrespondence S ch ool

(c . 1966)

531

H ortense Avery L e tte r to W illiam A. F a g a l,

February 16, 1965

547

P a s to r F agal V i s i t i n g With Congressman John W. McCormack,

Speaker o f th e House o f R e p r e s e n ta tiv e s , in C a p ito l,
W ashington, D. C. ( 1 9 6 5 ) ......................................................................

570

35.

36.

xxxvi
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Figure
37.

P a s to r F agal V i s i t i n g With J . Edgar H oover, D ir e c to r o f

th e F. B. I . , Department o f J u s t i c e , W ashington,
D. C. ( 1 9 6 6 ) .................................................................. ............................

571

P a s to r F agal and G eneral C onference P r e s id e n t Robert H.

P ie r s o n , World P r e s id e n t o f th e S e v e n th -d a y
A d v e n tis t Church (1966)
..................................................................

703

P a s to r F agal and G eneral C onferen ce V ic e P r e s id e n t f o r

N orth Am erica N ea l C. W ilso n , Chairman o f F a ith fo r
Today, I n c o r p o r a te d , Board o f T r u ste e s (1966)
. . . .

703

40.

P a sto r F agal C o u n se lin g Young C h r is tia n M other (c . 1966)

715

41.

W illiam and V ir g in ia F agal Face th e F uture With

C on fid en ce ( c . 1966) ............................................................................

717

38.

I
I
I
1

Page

39.

&

xxxV Ii
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LIST OF GRAPHS
Graph
1.

Page
Comparison o f Orders With S h ip m en ts, G eneral E l e c t r i c
Company, 1925-1935
................................................................................

116

Comparison o f N et S a le s Income W ith T o ta l Incom e,

G eneral E l e c t r i c Company, 1925-1935 ..........................................

117

Comparison o f Annual Income o f C e r ta in S e le c t e d

F a m ilie s , 1925-1935 ................................................................................

120

4.

" F a ith f o r Today" T e le v is io n S t a t io n C overage, 1950-1966

179

5.

Comparison o f A p p lic a t io n s , E n r o llm e n ts, and G ra d u a tio n s,

F a ith fo r Today B ib le C orrespondence S c h o o l, North
A m erica, 1952-1968 .................................................................................

233

Comparison o f Income from M ail With Annual Church

O ff e r in g , 1951-1968 ................................................................................

247

Monthly Volume o f V iew er M a il, F a ith fo r Today,

In c o r p o r a te d , 1954-1966 .......................................................................

534

2.

3.

7.

xxxvm
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INTRODUCTION

In th e b e g in n in g was th e w o r d . John 1 :1 a

Purpose o f th e Study

The prim ary p u rp ose o f t h i s s tu d y i s t o d e s c r ib e , a n a ly z e , and

I
e v a lu a te th e p r e a c h in g o f Dr. W illia m A. F agal on b o th th e " F a ith fo r
Today" t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a st and th e p u b lic p la tfo r m .
W ithin th e frame o f r e f e r e n c e o f c l a s s i c a l r h e t o r i c a l th e o r y (a s
a m p lifie d and e x e m p lifie d by 2 0 th C entury r h e t o r ic ia n s e s s e n t i a l l y
w ith in th e c l a s s i c a l t r a d i t i o n ) , and by means o f e s t a b l i s h e d p a t te r n s o f
r h e t o r ic a l c r i t i c i s m , t h i s s tu d y s e e k s , s u c c e s s i v e l y ,

( 1 ) to d eterm in e

the b io g r a p h ic a l and p e r so n a l f a c t o r s w hich a cco u n t f o r Dr. F a g a l s

su c c e s s as a sp ea k er;

(2) t o tr a c e th e h i s t o r y o f th e " F a ith f o r Today"

t e l e c a s t , in c lu d in g th e o r g a n iz a tio n c r e a te d by th e S e v e n th -d a y A dvent
i s t church to su p p o rt i t , w ith w hich Dr. F agal i s a s s o c i a t e d in h i s
t e l e v i s i o n p r e a c h in g --e x a m in in g , in p a s s in g , th e form at and o b j e c t iv e s
o f t h i s in t e r n a t io n a l r e l i g i o u s b r o a d c a s t;

(3 ) to d e s c r ib e , a n a ly z e , and

e v a lu a t e t h e r h e t o r i c a l th e o r y and p r a c t i c e o f Dr. F a g a l; and (4 )

to

e s t im a t e th e e f f e c t o f t h e p r e a c h in g o f Dr. F a g a l upon h i s t e l e v i s i o n
a u d ie n c e and upon a " l iv e " a u d ito r iu m a u d ie n c e .

L im ita tio n s Imposed on th e Study

B ecause o f a p le th o r a o f m a t e r ia ls r e a d i ly a v a i l a b l e , th e f i r s t
p o r tio n o f t h i s stu d y i s

lim it e d to a g e n e r a l o v erv iew o f th e l i f e o f

xxxi x

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W illiam A. F agal w ith in th e framework o f t r a d i t i o n a l r h e t o r i c a l b io g

raphy, w hich s e e k s to p la c e a sp e a k e r in th e c o n te x t o f th e tim es o f
which he i s h im s e lf a p ro d u ct and w hich he su b s e q u e n tly i n f l u e n c e s .

The

h is t o r y o f th e F a ith f o r Today c o r p o r a tio n , as w e ll as o f th e t e l e c a s t

i t s e l f , i s su b s e q u e n tly c h r o n ic le d from th e y e a r o f i t s b i r t h , 1950,
through 1968.
No attem p t i s made to p r e s e n t a d e t a i l e d t r e a t i s e on Dr. F a g a l's
t h e o lo g ic a l v ie w s; r a th e r , t h e o l o g i c a l c o n s id e r a t io n s , where in c lu d e d ,
are p r e se n te d p r im a r ily f o r th e pu rp ose o f fu r th e r c l a r i f y i n g th e
sp e a k e r 's id e a s , c o n c e p ts , and p r a c t ic e s r e l a t i v e to h is p r e a c h in g
p rocess.
For th e p u rp ose o f r h e t o r i c a l a n a l y s i s , t h i s stu d y i s
a d e t a il e d , in -d e p th c o n s id e r a t io n o f f i v e o f th e

20

lim it e d to

o r ig in a l t e le v is i o n

serm on ettes p rep a red and d e liv e r e d by Dr. F agal on t e l e v i s i o n d u rin g th e

year 1965, and t o an a d d it io n a l f i v e f u l l - l e n g t h p u l p i t d is c o u r s e s p r e
pared and d e liv e r e d to c o n g r e g a tio n s a t r e l i g i o u s g a th e r in g s in th r e e
M ichigan c i t i e s d u rin g a 24-m onth p e r io d (F eb ru ary, 1965, to F ebruary,
1967).

C hoices in b oth c a t e g o r ie s o f sermons were made by random

s e le c tio n .
A lthough th e " F a ith f o r Today" program has been b r o a d c a s t on
s e v e r a l hundred t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n s around th e w orld f o r n e a r ly two
d ecad es, a n a ly s is o f r e sp o n se o f th e v ie w in g aud ien ce i s p r im a r ily
lim ite d t o N orth A m erica, w ith o n ly in c i d e n t a l r e fe r e n c e to r e c e p t io n in
o th er n a tio n s abroad.

A uditorium r esp o n se i s

lim it e d t o one co n g reg a

tio n in M ichigan who h eard Dr. F agal speak on J u ly 17, 1965.

xl
Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

O v e r a ll, th e approach o f t h i s stu d y i s one o f g e n e r a li z a t i o n ,

r a th e r than t h a t o f a ca se s tu d y , f o r

th e purpose o f

e n t tren d s and p a t te r n s in h i s p u b lic

sp e a k in g .

a s c e r t a in in g

S ig n if ic a n c e o f th e Study

I n t r in s ic M erit o f th e Study

The f i r s t t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n s

in th e U n ited S t a te s t o be

lic e n s e d f o r com m ercial b r o a d c a s tin g w ent on th e a i r in 1941;

b u t i t was

n o t u n t i l th e f i r s t p o st-W o rld War I I t e l e v i s i o n r e c e iv in g s e t s w ent on

th e market in 1946 th a t th e s t a t i o n s had much o f a v ie w in g a u d ie n c e .
The f i r s t t e l e c a s t o f Congress in s e s s i o n was made in 1947; and th e
f i r s t P r e s id e n t ia l in a u g u r a tio n on t e l e v i s i o n was b r o a d c a st in 1949.
I t was th u s in t e l e v i s i o n s e a r ly c h ild h o o d - - if , in d e e d , n o t in
i t s in fa n c y t h a t W illia m A. F a g a l's " F a ith fo r Today" p r e a c h in g m in is
tr y was b o m , a t m id -c e n tu r y , in 1950.
W ithin i t s

f i r s t y ea r o f p r o d u c tio n i t grew from a sm a ll p r o

gram, heard o v e r a s i n g l e s t a t i o n in New York C ity , to a n a t io n a l

m in istr y on 12 s t a t i o n s , th us becom ing " th e f i r s t netw ork TV program
sponsored by any d en o m in a tio n ."

With t h i s as a s t a r t , Dr. Fagal and h is

program c o n tin u e d o v e r th e y e a r s t o s c o r e an im p r e s siv e array o f

" fir s ts
" F aith f o r Today" was th e f i r s t r e l i g i o u s fe a tu r e program in
A u s tr a lia , Guam, and N ig e r ia , th e program in th o se c o u n tr ie s b e in g as
o ld as th e t e l e v i s i o n in d u s tr y i t s e l f .

(A P o r tu g u e se -la n g u a g e c o u n te r

p a r t a ls o became th e f i r s t P r o t e s t a n t , n on -govern m en t-sp on sored r e l i g i o u s

t e l e c a s t n o t o n ly in B r a z il b u t i n a l l South A m erica.)

x li
R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

s a li

D o m e s tic a lly , " F a ith f o r Today" was among th e f i r s t r e l i g i o u s

programs on t e l e v i s i o n in th e U n ited S t a t e s to s w itc h from l i v e b road
c a s t in g to f ilm

(1 9 5 6 ); and in 1963 i t was th e f i r s t r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t

to move to c o lo r p r o d u c tio n .
By Septem ber, 1966, th e program was b e in g g iv e n $ 1 ,1 2 3 ,1 6 7 w orth
o f fr e e a ir tim e a n n u a lly in N orth Am erica a lo n e by com m ercial s t a t i o n s
carryin g " F a ith f o r Today" as a p u b lic s e r v i c e .
P a s to r F agal and h i s program have r e c e iv e d awards o f m e r it

from

the N a tio n a l C ou n cil o f th e Churches o f C h r is t in th e U. S. A. and

from

the American B ib le S o c ie t y .
The t e l e v i s i o n p a s to r r e c e iv e s m a il (a s m a ll b u t s i g n i f i c a n t
p o r tio n from government o f f i c i a l s a t th e f e d e r a l and s t a t e l e v e l s ,
c a p ta in s o f in d u s tr y , and e d u c a tio n a l le a d e r s ) a t th e c u r r e n t r a t e o f
10,000 l e t t e r s p er week.

H is program a t t r a c t s more than a h a l f - m i l l i o n

d o lla r s a n n u a lly through th e m a il in f r e e - w i l l c o n t r ib u t io n s from

v ie w e r s , th e m a jo r ity o f w hich are o f n o n -S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t r e l i
gious p e r s u a s io n .

And some 1 4 ,0 0 0 a d u lt a c c e s s io n s to th e A d v e n tis t

church d u rin g an 1 8 -y e a r p e r io d have b een o f f i c i a l l y r e p o r te d as b e in g a

d ir e c t r e s u l t o f W illiam A. F a g a l's t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y a lo n e .
Furtherm ore, in c id e n t a l t o h i s b r o a d c a s t m in is t r y , Dr. F agal i s
g r e a t ly

in demand as a sp ea k er f o r weeks o f r e l i g i o u s em phasis and

commencement e x e r c is e s a t e d u c a tio n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s , p r e a ch in g m is s io n s
a t camp m e e tin g s , and a d d r e sse s to g a th e r in g s o f church w orkers around
th e w orld .

Twice a n n u a lly he co n d u cts th r e e -w e e k e v a n g e l i s t i c campaigns

(on a n ig h t ly b a s i s ) in v a r io u s c i t i e s around th e n a tio n ; and h i s p e r

so n a l sc h e d u le i s s o crowded th a t he c u r r e n t ly i s

fo r c e d t o r e f u s e fa r

more i n v i t a t i o n s than he i s a b le to a c c e p t .

x lii
R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

In a d d itio n to h i s p u b lic s p e a k in g , Dr. F agal con d u cted f o r more

than a decade a column o f r e l i g i o u s a d v ic e in th e p a g es o f an i n t e r
n a tio n a l r e l i g i o u s jo u r n a l which a t t r a c t e d more r e a d e r -m a il th an a l l
o th er fe a tu r e s o f th e p e r io d ic a l combined; and one o f th e more than two
dozen books from h i s pen became a b e s t - s e l l e r w ith 3 0 0 ,0 0 0 c o p ie s
p r in te d w ith in s i x months o f th e day i t f i r s t w ent on s a l e .
F i n a lly , W illiam F a g a l's in f lu e n c e as a r e l i g i o u s s p e a k e r has
become so p e r v a s iv e in th e c u lt u r e o f b o th th e U n ited S t a t e s and A u stra
l i a th a t a n o v e l i s t from "Down Under" c o u ld w r it e him and h i s t e l e c a s t
in t o th e d ia lo g u e o f h e r b e s t - s e l l e r (w hich was s u b s e q u e n tly made in t o a
s ta r -s tu d d e d m otion p ic t u r e by M etro-G oldw yn-M ayer); and an American
c a r t o o n is t c o u ld u se th e show as a s u b j e c t f o r a s k e tc h w hich s u b s e
q u en tly was p u b lis h e d in new spapers in

100

m ajor c i t i e s around th e w o rld .

In view o f th e fo r e g o in g r e p o r t o f th e e x t e n s iv e sco p e and o f

the im pact o f Dr. F a g a l's p r e a c h in g on a s i g n i f i c a n t segm ent o f th e
p o p u la tio n o f s e v e r a l c o n t in e n t s , i t may n o t seem u n rea so n a b le to
conclude th a t h i s work as a sp e a k e r on r e l i g i o u s them es p r o v id e s a v a l i d
and f r u i t f u l f i e l d o f i n v e s t i g a t i o n f o r th e s tu d e n t o f p u b lic a d d r e ss.

D is t in c t iv e n e s s o f th e Study

The "Knower Index" p u b lis h e d by Speech Monographs s in c e 1935

(and r e p o r tin g s t u d ie s s in c e 1902) r e c o r d s no d o c to r a l r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t
w h atever, through 1969, on th e p u b lic sp e a k in g o f W illia m A. Fagal o th e r
than t h i s one.
As fa r as i s known, th e r e i s no p u b lis h e d b io g ra p h y o f Dr. F agal
or any d e f i n i t i v e h is t o r y o f F a ith f o r Today, I n c .

As a co n seq u en ce,

t h is d i s s e r t a t i o n i s d i s t i n c t i v e in b e in g th e f i r s t in -d e p th stu d y o f

x liii
Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

t h is sp ea k er and h i s work; and, as s u c h , i t h o p e f u lly c o n t r ib u t e s a new

and fr e sh body o f m a t e r ia ls f o r f u r t h e r s tu d y by s tu d e n ts o f sp e e c h and
h o m ile t ic s .

M a te r ia ls o r S o u rces f o r th e Study

M a te r ia ls f o r t h is s tu d y can b e m ost e a s i l y d e s c r ib e d in term s

o f th e m ajor d i v i s i o n s o f t h i s work:

(1 )

B io g r a p h ic a l m a t e r ia ls p e r t a in in g t o th e l i f e and work o f

W illiam A. F agal were ta k en p r i n c i p a l l y from:

P e r so n a l in t e r v ie w s w ith Dr. F a g a l.
P e r so n a l in t e r v ie w s w ith members o f h i s fa m ily and members
o f th e s t a f f o f F a ith f o r Today, In c .
P e r so n a l in t e r v ie w s and co rresp o n d en ce w ith h ig h s c h o o l and
c o l l e g e te a c h e r s and c la s s m a te s o f Dr. F a g a l.
C orrespondence w ith o f f i c i a l s o f th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t
d en om in ation .
O f f i c i a l SDA church l i t e r a t u r e , v i z . , th e Review and H e r a ld ,
S ig n s o f th e T im es, T e l e - n o t e s , T hese T im es, and The
Y ou th 's I n s t r u c t o r .
O f f i c i a l r e g i s t r a r ' s t r a n s c r ip t s o f academ ic r e c o r d s a t
e d u c a tio n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s a tte n d e d by Dr. F a g a l.
O f f i c i a l r e c o r d s o f th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t church.
B io g r a p h ic a l r e f e r e n c e s in p e r i o d i c a l a r t i c l e s , and i n books
w r it t e n by Dr. F a g a l, e s p e c i a l l y By F a ith I L iv e .
P opular p e r i o d i c a l s such as TV G u id e, V a r ie t y , and A d v e r tis
in g A ge.

( 2 ) H i s t o r i c a l m a t e r ia ls d e a lin g w ith th e s o c i o - c u l t u r a l m ilie u

in which Dr. F agal was r ea r e d and in w hich he worked as a p r e a c h e r were
drawn la r g e l y from th e f o llo w in g c h i e f s o u r c e s :
F re d e ric k Lewis A lle n , The B ig Change: Am erica T ransform s
I t s e l f , 1 9 0 0 -1 9 5 0 .
John Kenneth G a lb r a ith , The G reat C rash, 1 9 2 9 .
W illiam E. L eu ch tenbu rg, F r a n k lin D. R o o se v e lt and th e New
D eal C1 9 3 2 -4 0 ).
C harles Merz, The Dry D ecade.
Henry F. P r in g le , A lfr e d E. Sm ith: A C r i t i c a l S tu d y .
Arthur M. S c h le s in g e r , J r . , The Age o f R o o se v e lt: The
C r is is o f th e Old O rder, 1 9 1 9 -1 9 3 3 .
x liv
with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Andrew S i n c l a i r , P r o h ib it io n : The Era o f E x c e s s .

A lfr e d E. Sm ith, Up t o Now: An A u to b io g ra p h y .
C o l l i e r ' s , The N a tio n a l W eekly.
L adies Home J o u r n a l.
The L ite r a r y D ig e s t .
The New York T im es.
R ead er's D ig e s t .
T im e.
N. W. Ayer Son s American Newspaper Annual g D ir e c to r y
(and i t s s u c c e s s o r , N. W. Ayer S o n 's D ir e c to r y : News
p ap ers and P e r i o d i c a l s ) .
G eneral E l e c t r i c Company Annual R e p o r ts, 1 9 2 5 -1 9 3 5 .
Moody's I n d u s t r ia l Manual: American and F o r e ig n .
The World Almanac and E n c y c lo p e d ia .

(3)

" F a ith f o r Today" m a t e r ia ls on th e h i s t o r y o f th e t e l e c a s t

and c o r p o r a tio n were tak en p r i n c i p a l l y from:

P erson al in t e r v ie w s w ith Dr. F a g a l, members o f h i s s t a f f
(p a s t and p r e s e n t ) , e x e c u t iv e p r o d u c e r -d ir e c t o r o f C harter
Oak T e l e - p i c t u r e s , SDA d en o m in a tio n a l a d m in is tr a to r s , and
c o n s t i t u t i o n a l law yer Leo P f e f f e r .
C orrespondence w ith th e s t a f f (p a s t and p r e s e n t ) o f F a ith
f o r Today, I n c . , and w ith Lutheran T e l e v is io n P ro d u ctio n s
h e a d q u a r te r s .
M inutes o f th e G eneral C on feren ce Committee o f th e A d v e n tist
w orld o r g a n iz a t io n , and o f th e Board o f T r u ste e s o f F a ith
fo r Today, I n c .
T e l e - n o t e s , o f f i c i a l m onthly n e w s l e t t e r o f th e t e l e c a s t .
The F a ith f o r Today B u l l e t i n , b im o n th ly p u b lis h e d f o r church
w orkers engaged in fo llo w -u p a c t i v i t y in th e f i e l d .
D enom in ational p e r i o d i c a l s , su ch as th e Review and H e ra ld ,
L ib e r ty , These T im es, The Y o u th 's I n s t r u c t o r , th e P a c i f i c
Union R ecord er, th e Lake Union H e r a ld , S ig n s o f th e T im es,
and th e Columbia Union V i s i t o r .
F acts s h e e t s , p r o m o tio n a l b r o c h u r e s, f i n a n c i a l r e p o r t s ,
b r o a d c a s t and o f f i c i a l r e c o r d s , and a r t i c l e s o f in c o r p o r a
t io n from th e o f f i c i a l f i l e s o f F a ith f o r Today, I n c .
A r t ic le s on t e l e v i s i o n in th e World Book E n c y c lo p e d ia , th e
S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t E n c y c lo p e d ia , and T e l e v is io n F a ctb o o k .
N ew spapers, such as The New York Times and V a r ie t y .
P e r io d ic a ls such as th e S atu rd ay E vening P o s t , TV G uide, and
Tim e.
A M a ste r 's t h e s i s d e a lin g w ith th e h i s t o r y o f S ev en th -d a y
A d v e n tist b r o a d c a s tin g by R ichard Lee Fenn.
The w r it in g s o f E lle n G. W hite, p io n e e r S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t
church le a d e r , s t a t i n g o f f i c i a l d en o m in a tio n a l p o li c y on
th e u se o f drama.
Dun B r a d str e e t R eferen ce Book.
Legal docum ents and o f f i c i a l c o u r t m in u tes o f th e M a g is tr a te s '
Court o f th e C ity o f New York and th e Court o f S p e c ia l

x lv
with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

S e s s io n s o f th e C ity o f New York, d e a lin g w ith F a ith f o r

Today, I n c . , ' s a lle g e d v i o l a t i o n o f New York S t a t e Sundayo b se rv a n ce la w s.

(4)

M a te r ia ls on Dr. F a g a l's r h e t o r ic a l th e o r y were drawn c h ie f ly

from p e r s o n a l in t e r v ie w s w ith him .

His w r i t in g s , i n c i d e n t a l l y , p ro v id e

a d d itio n a l i n s i g h t s i n t o h i s h o m i le t i c a l th in k in g .

Secondary so u r ce s

used fo r d e f in in g th e a rea s o f r h e t o r ic a l th eo r y co v ered by Dr. Fagal

are:
P erso n a l in t e r v ie w s w ith C lo v is C h a p p ell, Harry Emerson
F o sd ic k , and th e l a t e Josep h R. S iz o o , n a t i o n a l l y r e c o g n iz e d p r e a c h e r s in contem porary A m erica.
Henry Ward B eech er, Y ale L ectu res on P r e a c h in g .
John A. B roadus, On th e P r e p a r a tio n and D e liv e r y o f Serm ons,
as r e v is e d by J e s s e B. W eatherspoon.
G a r re tt Eckbo, Landscape f o r L iv in g .
Harry Emerson F o s d ic k , The L iv in g o f T hese D ays.
Kenneth G. H ance, e t a l . , P r in c ip le s o f S p ea k in g , 2nd ed .
C laren ce M acartney, S ix Kings o f th e American P u l p i t .
C ath erin e M a r sh a ll, A Man C a lle d P e t e r .
Q u i n t ili a n , I n s t r u c t io n s to th e O ra to r.
L e s te r T honssen and A. C raig B a ird , Speech C r it ic is m .
J u le s W itc o v e r, "Nixon fo r P r e s id e n t in r6 8 ?"
"Bob Levoy, S la y e r o f S acred Cows."
U np ublish ed d o c to r a l d i s s e r t a t i o n by Ju ad in a B. S t a l l i n g s ,
"A B io g r a p h ic a l and R h e to r ic a l Study o f th e P u b lic Address
o f Dr. Louis H adley E vans."

(5)

M a te r ia ls on Dr. F a g a l's r h e t o r i c a l p r a c t i c e were d e r iv ed

c h ie f ly from:
Dr. F a g a l's p e r s o n a l lib r a r y and f i l e s .
T r a n sc r ip ts o f ta p e -r e c o r d in g s o f f i v e s e l e c t e d t e l e v i s i o n
se r m o n e tte s (r e co r d e d on ta p e d ir e c t from th e r e s p e c t iv e
f ilm s o u n d -tr a c k s ) and f i v e s e l e c t e d f u l l - l e n g t h sermons
(r e co r d e d " liv e " i n th e a u d ito r iu m ).
S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church Manual, fo r a sta te m e n t o f th e
is s u e s upon w hich Dr. Fagal s p e a k s.
I n te r v ie w s w ith members o f Dr. F a g a l's s t a f f co n cern in g h i s
d e liv e r y .
P e r so n a l o b s e r v a tio n s o f Dr. F agal sp e a k in g d u rin g t e l e v i s i o n
f ilm in g o f h i s s e r m o n e tte s , and o f h i s p la tfo r m p u b lic
a d d ress.
And such r h e t o r i c a l works a s:

x lv i
with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

A. C raig B aird , A rgu m en tation , D is c u s s io n and D e b a te .

A. C raig B aird and F r a n k lin H. Knower, E s s e n t ia ls o f G eneral
S p eech, 2nd ed.
Gladys B orcher, "An Approach to th e Problem o f Oral S t y l e ."
Gaston B o s s ie r , T a c itu s and O ther Roman S t u d ie s .
W illiam Norwood B rig a n c e, The Spoken Word.
John A. Broadus, On th e P r e p a r a tio n and D e liv e r y o f Serm ons.
C harles T. Brown, I n tr o d u c tio n to S p eech .
C icero , De O r a to r e .
Lane Cooper, The R h e to r ic o f A r i s t o t l e .
Edward W. Cox, The A rt o f W r itin g , R eading, and S p e a k in g .
L io n e l C rocker, A rgum entation and D e b a te .
W illiam T. F o s te r , A rgum entation and D eb a tin g , 2nd e d . r e v .
Kenneth G. Hance, e t a l . , P r in c ip le s o f S p ea k in g , 2nd ed .
James H. McBumey and Glen E. M i l l s , A rgum entation and D eb a te,
( f i r s t e d it i o n w ith James H. O 'N e ill; 2nd w ith o u t).
Glen E. M i l l s , Composing th e S p eech .
Glen E. M ills , "Speech in a Communications C ourse."
Alan H. Monroe, P r in c ip le s and Types o f Sp eech, 4th e d .
James M. O 'N e ill and James H. McBumey, The Working P r in c i p le s
o f Argument.
James M. O 'N e ill and Andrew T. Weaver, The Elem ents o f S p e e c h .
Wayland P a r r is h , "The S t y le o f th e Extemp. S p eech ."
Q u in t ilia n , I n s t i t u t e s o f O r a to r y .
J . W. R eeves and H. H. Hudson, P r in c ip le s o f Argument and
D ebate.
W. D. R oss, The Works o f A r i s t o t l e .
Lew S a r e t t and W illia m T. F o s t e r , B a sic P r in c ip le s o f S p e e c h .
W illiam M. S a t t l e r , "C onception s o f E thos in A n cien t R h e to r ic ."
Gordon L. Thomas, "A Study o f th e E f f e c t o f C erta in E lem ents
in Oral S t y le on th e I n t e l l i g i b i l i t y o f In fo r m a tiv e S p e e c h e s.'
L e ste r Thonssen and A. C raig B a ird , Speech C r it ic is m .
Edward L. Thorndike and I r v in g L orge, The T ea c h e r 's Word Book
o f 3 0 ,0 0 0 Words.
J . E. C. Weldon, The R h e to r ic o f A r i s t o t l e .
Eugene E. White and C la ir R. H e n d e r lid e r , P r a c t ic a l P u b lic
Speaking.

(6 )

M a te r ia ls in d ic a t in g th e e x t e n t and n a tu re o f th e r e sp o n se

t o Dr. F a g a l's p r e a c h in g were c h i e f l y d e r iv e d from:

P erson al in te r v ie w s w ith Dr. F agal and h i s s t a f f .
S t a t i s t i c s on r e g u la r m a il r esp o n se to F a ith f o r Today,
I n c ., h e a d q u a r te rs.
Correspondence from C a r to o n is t C l i f f R ogerson and N o v e li s t
E liz a b e th Kata, whose p u b lis h e d works were in f lu e n c e d by
Dr. F a g a l's m in is t r y .
E xcerpts from v a r io u s ty p e s o f F a ith f o r Today m a il r e s p o n s e ,
record ed in T e le -n o te s and from FFT h ea d q u a rters f i l e s .
Newspapers and p e r io d ic a ls such as The New York T im es,
Chicago D a ily News, and Tim e.

x lv ii
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i
i
1

if
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P
H

if
if
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D en om in ation al p e r i o d i c a l s su ch as th e Lake Union H era ld ,

The M in is tr y , th e Review and H era ld , and T e le - n o t e s .
Documents and b roch u res o f th e A. N. N ie ls e n C o ., e x p la in in g
th e n a tu r e , s o u r c e , and in t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e i r a u d ien ce
r a t in g s ; and p e r io d ic a l a r t i c l e on t h i s o r g a n iz a t io n 's
work by R obert Eck: "The R eal M asters o f T e l e v is io n ."
R e p lie s from a s p e c i a l m a il q u e s t io n n a ir e s e n t t o management
o f more than 2 0 0 t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n s c a r r y in g (o r r e c e n t ly
c a r r y in g ) " F aith f o r Today."
R e p lie s from a s p e c i a l q u e s tio n n a ir e handed 3 ,0 0 0 members o f
an a u d ien ce a tte n d in g a camp m e e tin g s e r v i c e a t which
Dr. F agal sp ok e.

The O r g a n iz a tio n o f th e Study

The I n tr o d u c tio n s e t s f o r t h th e purpose o f th e stu d y ;

tio n s im posed upon i t ;

lim ita

th e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f th e s tu d y , in c lu d in g i t s

i n t r i n s i c m e r it and i t s d i s t i n c t i v e n e s s ; th e m a t e r ia ls or s o u r c e s f o r
the stu d y ; and th e
C hapters I

o r g a n iz a tio n o f th e s tu d y .
and II are b io g r a p h ic a l in n a t u r e , th e f i r s t chron

i c l i n g th e e v e n ts o f Dr. F a g a l's l i f e from b ir t h through th e c o l le g e

y e a r s , and th e seco n d h i s c a r e e r in th e g o s p e l m in is t r y , w ith s p e c i a l
em phasis upon h is work in t e l e v i s i o n .

T o g eth e r, th e y r e v e a l th e b a ck

ground, t r a in i n g , e x p e r ie n c e s , b e l i e f s , p h ilo s o p h y , kn ow led ge, and o th e r

p e r s o n a lit y f a c t o r s o r p r in c ip a l e v e n ts w hich have shaped Dr. F a g a l's
l i f e and h i s p r e a c h in g .
C hapter I I I d e s c r ib e s th e " F a ith f o r Today" t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a st
o f th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t ch u rch , and r e h e a r s e s th e major develop m en ts
in th e h is t o r y o f th e t e l e c a s t , and th e c o r p o r a tio n c r e a te d to su p p ort
i t , as th e i n s t i t u t i o n w ith w hich P a s to r F agal has a s s o c ia t e d h im s e lf in
h is unique b r o a d c a st m in is t r y .
C hapter IV o u t lin e s th e r h e t o r i c a l th e o r y advanced by W illiam A.
Fagal

as r e q u i s i t e to e f f e c t i v e p r e a c h in g , and exam ines r e f l e c t e d

x lv iii
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p a r a lle lis m s in th e F agal r h e t o r i c a l th e o r y i n term s o f contem porary

h o m ile t ic a l th o u g h t.
Chapter V i s a su r v e y a n a ly s is o f te n s e l e c t e d s e r m o n s -- fiv e
from t e l e v i s i o n and f i v e from p u l p i t - - w i t h i n th e framework o f t r a d i
t io n a l r h e t o r ic a l c r i t i c i s m as m o d ifie d by t w e n t ie t h - c e n t u r y e x p o n e n ts-and con cern s i t s e l f , s u c c e s s i v e l y , w ith ( 1 ) th e s p e a k e r s method_.of
sermon p r e p a r a tio n ,

( 2 ) th e s p e a k e r 's method o f sermon c o m p o s itio n , in

terms o f th e t r a d i t i o n a l r h e t o r i c a l canons o f in v e n t io n , arrangem ent,

and s t y l e ; and (3) th e s p e a k e r 's method o f sermon d e l i v e r y , in th e
s tu d io and on th e p la tfo r m .
C hapters VI and VII s u r v e y , r e s p e c t i v e l y , th e r esp o n se made to
Dr. F a g a l's t e l e v i s i o n and p u l p i t p r e a c h in g , as found in r e g u la r F a ith
fo r Today m a il r e sp o n se and from s p e c i a l a u d ito r iu m a u d ien ce
q u e s t io n n a ir e s .
C hapter V III c l o s e s t h i s work by b r in g in g i n t o f o c u s , by way o f
summary and c o n c lu s io n s , th e e n t i r e s tu d y o f Dr. W illia m A. F agal as a
r e li g io u s sp e a k e r .

x lix
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CHAPTER I

WILLIAM A. FAGAL:

PREPARATION FOR PROMINENCE

Come, s e e a m an .--Joh n 4 :2 9 a
But His word was in mine h e a r t as a b u rn in g f i r e
sh u t up in my b o n e s . --J er em ia h 20:9b

I t was 19 days a f t e r P e a r l Harbor; and a f t e r months o f d a n g lin g

her to e s o v er th e p r e c i p i c e , Am erica was now a t w ar.

The f u l l , o v e r c a s t

w eather o f a w in te r y W ashington on t h i s morning a f t e r C hristm as seemed

a p p r o p r ia te ly , i f t r a g i c a l l y , to ech o th e f e a r f u l fo r e b o d in g s o f a
n a tio n p r e c i p i t o u s l y c a ta p a u lte d i n t o a war n o t o f h er c h o o sin g .
At th e C a p ito l an e m b a ttle d l i t t l e B r ito n , who c o u ld by tu rn s be
"cocky, d r o l l , grumpy, charm ing, c h e r u b ic , to u g h ," a r o se s lo w ly t o
address an h i s t o r i c j o i n t s e s s i o n o f th e C ongress o f th e U n ited S t a t e s .
D e sc rib e d by one e y e w itn e s s as h a v in g a head " th r u st c l o s e to
h is sh o u ld e r s l i k e a young b u l l u n d ecid ed w hether to be fe r o c io u s or
playful,"'*' Prime M in is te r W inston S. C h u r c h ill s to o d m om en tarily,
b r i e f l y s u r v e y in g th e d is t in g u is h e d a u d ien ce in th e S e n a te chamber.
Then, in a wry comment upon a f a s c i n a t i n g a c c id e n t o f b i r t h , he g rin n ed :
I cannot h e lp r e f l e c t i n g th a t i f my fa t h e r had been American
and my m other B r i t i s h , in s t e a d o f th e o th e r way around, I
m ight have g o t h e r e on my own . 2
But f o r a s l i g h t l y d i f f e r e n t though no l e s s f a s c i n a t i n g a c c i
dent o f b i r t h , W illiam A. F agal m ight have been th e p r in c ip a l sp ea k er on

*-"Great D e c is io n s ," Tim e, Jan . 5 , 1942, 11.

I b i d . , 12.

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

"The Lutheran Hour" o r "T his i s th e L if e ," in s t e a d o f th e " p a sto r" on

th e p io n e e r in g S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t t e l e c a s t , " F a ith f o r Today."
For j u s t a s c a n t 25 months p r io r t o th e a r r iv a l o f l i t t l e
W illiam , t h e i r f i r s t b o r n , Anna and C h r is tia n W illiam Fagal^ l e f t th e
Lutheran f a i t h o f t h e i r c h ild h o o d t o become A d v e n t is t s .

They had

atten d ed e v a n g e l i s t i c m eetin gs h e ld in a la r g e t e n t in B r id g e p o r t,
C o n n e c tic u t, by E ld er S id n ey N orton; and a t th e c o n c lu s io n o f th e cam
paign th ey w ere b a p tiz e d in th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church a t New
Haven (th e B rid g e p o r t church d id n o t have an im m ersion b a p t is t r y ) on
December 2 , 1916.

I t was Anna's 25th b ir th d a y , and la ck ed b u t a day o f

b e in g th e f if te e n -m o n t h a n n iv e r sa r y o f t h e i r w edding.
The N orton m eetin g s came in th e wake o f th e f i r s t g r e a t f lo o d t id e o f A d v e n tis t p u b lic e v a n g e lism a t th e end o f th e y e a r whose
b eg in n in g in a u g u r a te d "the modem e r a o f l a r g e - s c a l e A d v e n tist ev a n g e
lism " w ith th e "major breakthrough" campaign o f G eneral C onference
P r e sid e n t A rthur G. D a n ie lls a t P o r tla n d , M aine, on January 2 3 , 1916.

C h r is tia n W illia m F agal was known to fr ie n d s and fa m ily by

"William" o r " W ill." O c c a s io n a lly he w ould s ig n h i s name "C. W illiam
F a g a l," th e u s e o f h i s f i r s t name b e in g a lm o st e n t i r e l y dropped in fa v o r
o f th e m iddle name.
(L e tte r from V ir g in ia F a g a l, New York, June 2 0 ,
1967, 3. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as V ir g in ia F agal L e t t e r , June 2 0 , 1 9 6 7 .)
However, in th e i n t e r e s t o f c l a r i t y , in d i f f e r e n t i a t i n g betw een th e
fa th e r and h i s more famous s o n , W illia m , th e s e n io r F agal w i l l h e r e in
a f t e r be r e f e r r e d to by h is f i r s t name, C h r is tia n .
2

L e t t e r from Mrs. Anna F a g a l, m other o f W illia m A. F a g a l, New

York, O ct. 1 7 , 1966, 2 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as Anna F agal L e t te r .
^Howard B. Weeks, "A H is t o r ic a l Study o f P u b lic E vangelism in
the S even th -d ay A d v e n tis t Church" (u n p u b lish e d Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n , D ept,
o f Speech, M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , 1 9 6 6 ), 1 3 5 -3 6 .

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

H is t o r ic a l Backgrounds:

On th e D oorstep o f th e "R oaring T w en ties"

The end o f an e r a . W illia m A. F agal was b o m a t A lbany, New

York, on January 1 7 , 1919,"'' a t a p iv o t a l t r a n s i t i o n i n 2 0 th c en tu r y
American h i s t o r y .

E lev en days e a r l i e r , C o lo n el Theodore R o o s e v e lt, 26th

P resid en t o f th e U n ited S t a t e s , had d ie d a t 4 :1 5 a.m . o f rheum atism a t

h is Sagamore H i l l home a t O y ster Bay, Long I s la n d ,

some 150 m ile s so u th

o f Albany.

H is p a s s in g marked th e end o f one e r a , a p t ly la b e le d "The

3
R evolt o f th e American C o n scien ce ," by F red erick Lewis A lle n , and th e
b egin n in g o f a new one which o th e r s would c a l l "The R oaring T w e n tie s."
I t had a l l begun in th e autumn o f 1901.
D e sp ite T eddy's d is c la im e r upon h is a c c e s s io n to th e W hite House
th a t he would sim p ly c o n tin u e th e p o l i c i e s o f h i s p r e d e c e s s o r , th e l a t e
P resid en t M cKinley, th e new e r a had begun:

"The R e v o lt o f th e American

C onscience" a g a in s t th e abu ses o f Big B u s in e s s , a b a t t l e r o y a l betw een a

dynamic P r e sid e n t and th e em erging p lu to c r a c y .

For what th e f i r s t

R oosevelt d id was to " a d v e r tis e and dram atize to th e w hole co u n try a

p o in t o f view on b u s in e s s , governm ent, and th e p u b lic i n t e r e s t th a t was
r e fr e s h in g ly new, e x c i t i n g , and c o n ta g io u s ," s a id A l l e n . 5
And the burden o f h is sp e e c h e s about " m a le fa c to r s o f g r e a t
w ealth" and " th e square d eal" was n o t econom ic b u t m oral.
He sought th e "moral r e g e n e r a tio n o f th e b u s in e s s w o r ld ."

1.

^Interview w ith W illiam A. F a g a l, D e t r o i t , M ich ., May 2 4 , 1966,

C ited h e r e a f t e r as F agal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966.
2New York T im es, Jan. 7, 1919, 1.

F red erick Lew is A lle n , The B ig Change: Am erica Transform s

I t s e l f , 1900-1950 (New York: Bantam Books, 1 9 6 1 ), 9 3 -9 4 .
4Ib

i d . , 8 5 -8 6 .

I b i d . , 8 6 -8 7 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

He b e lie v e d in s e t t i n g up a "moral sta n d a r d ." He p reach ed

th a t i t was j u s t p l a i n wrong f o r some p e o p le , by t r i c k s and
w ile s , to g e t a s t r a n g le h o ld on b u s in e s s and p o l i t i c s ,
w h ile o th e r s were c h e a te d o u t o f o p p o r tu n ity . T his was th e
kind o f t a lk th a t m i l l i o n s o f Am ericans o f a l l w alks o f
l i f e - - p e o p l e a l l e r g i c t o i d e o l o g i e s , im p a tie n t o f econom ic
th eo r y , b u t h u gh ly s u s p e c t i b l e t o m oral e v a n g e lism and
devoted to th e id e a o f a f a i r chance f o r a l l c o u ld under
stand and respond t o .
The e f f e c t o f th e l e g i s l a t i o n th a t
Theodore R o o s e v e lt b ack ed was minor compared w ith th e
e f f e c t o f h i s p e r s o n a l i t y and h i s p r e a c h in g upon a g r e a t
p art o f a w hole g e n e r a t io n o f A m ericans. He s tr u c k a new
keynote fo r th e t im e s , and i t resou n d ed a l l o v e r America.-^
" I t was n o t m e r ely t h a t Mr. R o o se v e lt changed th e la w s ," th e
e d ito r s o f th e New York Times o p in ed in r e t r o s p e c t upon th e o c c a s io n o f
h is p a ssin g in 1919, f o r
a man o f s m a lle r i n f l u e n c e o r a n a t io n a l l e g i s l a t u r e under
no moral c o n v ic t io n m ig h t have done t h a t - - h i s g r e a t a c h ie v e
ment was th a t he changed th e m ental a t t i t u d e o f th e p e o p le
and brought " b ig b u s in e s s " i t s e l f t o r ep en ta n c e and to th e
ways o f r ig h t e o u s n e s s . . . .
I t has been th e d i s t i n g u i s h i n g m e r it o f Mr. R o o s e v e lt's
a d m in is tr a tio n , i t s m ost c o n sp ic u o u s a c h ie v e m e n t, t h a t ,
s e iz in g upon a p r o p it io u s moment when sca n d a lo u s exp osu re
s t ir r e d th e p u b lic s e n tim e n t a g a in s t c o r r u p tio n and c h ic a n e ,
he gave th e American p e o p le a m oral sh a k in g up, and w ith
bou n d less e n e rg y , u n f la g g in g z e a l, and r iv e r s o f u t t e r a n c e ,
r a is e d and s w e lle d th e t i d e o f t h e i r anger u n t i l , by
punishment a c t u a ll y i n f l i c t e d o r through th e d e te r r e n t fe a r
o f i t , h o s ts o f w rongdoers have b een d r iv e n i n t o h o n est
ways, o ld abuses stam ped o u t , and a sound er and f a i r e r
standard o f conduct s e t up. . . .
He was a p o p u la r i d o l , n o t a lo n e b eca u se he d id t h in g s ,
but b ecau se he in s p i r e d th e p e o p le to do th in g s on t h e ir
own a cco u n t. He was s k i l l f u l in th e p r e s e n t a t io n o f moral
is s u e s , and th e i s s u e s he p u t t o th e f o r e w ere e i t h e r moral
or made to seem so by h i s e x p o s it io n o f them . 2
And, a l l o f
cudgel on b e h a lf o f

1 I b id .

a su d d en , e v e r y o n e , ev ery w h ere,

wasta k in g up th e

th e l i t t l e man.

, 8 7 -8 8 .

2"A Great A m erican ," e d i t o r i a l in i b i d . , J a n . 7, 1919, 12.

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Ida T a r b e ll's h i s t o r y o f th e Standard O il Company (w hich con

s id e r a b ly t a r n is h e d th e c o r p o r a t io n 's p u b lic im a g e ), s e r i a l i z e d in
M cC lure's, b e g in n in g w ith th e November, 1902, e d i t i o n , had h e lp e d s t a r t
it a ll.

In th e p r e v io u s m on th 's i s s u e , L in c o ln S t e f f e n s ' f i r s t a r t i c l e

(w r itte n w ith Claude H. Wetmore) on m u n ic ip a l c o r r u p tio n was p u b lis h e d

and the day o f th e "muckraker" had dawned.'*'
Three y e a r s l a t e r , in 1905, th e I n t e r n a t io n a l Workers o f th e
World (known d e r i s i v e l y as th e "W obblies") o r g a n iz e d an a s s o c ia t i o n
whose c o n s t i t u t i o n ' s pream ble d e c la r e d t h a t " th e w orking c l a s s and the
employing c l a s s have n o th in g in common."

And th e S o c i a l i s t P a r ty ,

committed t o th e e v e n tu a l change in th e management o f American in d u s tr y ,

would c o n tin u e g a in in g in s t r e n g t h t o th e p o in t t h a t i t s

c a n d id a te in

the e l e c t i o n o f 1912 (Eugene Debs) was a b le to p i l e up no l e s s than

897,000 v o t e s .^
Anna and e s p e c i a l l y h e r husband, C h r is t ia n - - F a g a l were g r e a t ly
in flu e n c e d by th e ferm en t o f S o c ia lis m .

One o f S c h e n e c ta d y 's most

r esp e c ted clergym en , George Lund, an "ardent" S o c i a l i s t , was even

e le c t e d to th e c i t y ' s o f f i c e o f mayor on th a t p a r t y ' s t i c k e t .

R e c a lls

son W illiam :
My f o lk s used to t a l k about how p o w e r fu l were h i s t a lk s in
the area and how l o g i c a l h i s S o c i a l i s t s o lu t io n s sounded.
They a p p a r e n tly v o te d f o r him w henever th ey had o p p o r tu n ity
to do s o . . . .4
Thus b egan , s a y s A lle n ,
th a t r e v o l t o f th e American c o n s c ie n c e w hich was to be th e
dominant phenomenon in American a f f a i r s u n t i l ab ou t 1915,
when i t was subm erged in th e oncoming t i d e s o f World War I ,

^ lle n ,

88

I b i d . , 91.

5Ib

id .

^ L etter from W illia m A. F a g a l, New York, J u ly 18, 1967, 1.

C ited h e r e a f t e r as W illia m F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 1 8 , 1967.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

6
and which f i n a l l y p e te r e d o u t about 1920 le a v in g b eh in d i t ,
how ever, i n f lu e n c e s and p a t te r n s o f th in k in g t h a t w ere to
con tin u e t o t h i s d a y . 1
A g en u in e f a i t h on th e p a r t o f m ost Americans t h a t t h i s war
could be th e l a s t one e v e r , and th a t v i c t o r y c o u ld b r in g w ith i t a new
day o f u n iv e r s a l freed om , stam peded th e n a tio n in t o a p r o s e c u t io n o f th e
new war e f f o r t w ith an alm o st e v a n g e lic a l d e d ic a tio n .
" Y e t, A lle n a v e r s , " th e c r u sa d in g s p i r i t was l i k e a bank whose
funds were b e in g overd raw n ."

I t s p o stw a r momentum was s u f f i c i e n t t o

in su re the r a t i f i c a t i o n o f th e woman s u f f r a g e and p r o h ib it io n ammendments

to the fe d e r a l C o n s t it u t io n ,
But th en , a b r u p tly , th e im p u lse to make o v er th e n a t io n and
th e w orld was d is c o v e r e d t o have fa d ed away. A p e o p le who
had had enough o f h ig h c a u ses and n o b le s a c r i f i c e to h o ld
them fo r a lo n g tim e d e c id e d to ta k e th in g s e a s y , to e n jo y
th em se lv e s; and a lth o u g h th e r e rem ained many American i d e a l
i s t s who w ould n o t abandon t h e i r q u e s t , th ey found t h a t
th e y , t o o , w ere t i r e d as w e ll as outnum bered. The r e v o l t
o f the American c o n s c ie n c e was o v e r .^
The F agal in f a t u a t io n w ith S o c ia lis m ended w ith th e p o l i t i c a l
demise o f George Lund.

A gain , t h e i r son r e c a l l s th a t when Lund

p assed o f f th e s c e n e , t h e i r S o c ia lis m p a sse d a lo n g a l s o ,

and th ey became R e p u b lic a n s.
I w ould g a th e r from what
Mother has s a id th a t th e y w ere th in k in g much more in term s
o f lo c a l and community i s s u e s than o f n a t io n a l i s s u e s when
i t came to p o l i t i c s . ^

S ign s o f th e tim e s --T h e n a t io n a l s c e n e .--Som e h i s t o r i a n s have

c h a r a cter iz ed th e p e r io d o f th e e a r ly and m iddle T w en tie s--a n d th e p o s t
war months w hich le d up to th e m --a s an e r a o f xen op h ob ia.
And i f Anna F agal had p ic k e d up th e l a t e s t e d it i o n o f th e New
|

York Times th a t F rid ay m orning, January 17, 1 9 1 9 ,[ s e e F ig s . 2 and 3] in

V ile n ,

89.

I b i d . , 9 3 -9 4 .

3W illiam F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 1 8 , 1967, 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

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Fig. 2 Front p a g e of The N ew York Times on th e d a y of W illiam F ag al's b irth .

Copyright 1919 by The New York Times Company. Reprinted by permission.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

1 * 1" IMO 0O*M Oil 0(0 *(*

me NEW YOIIK TIJIW*. FRIDAY". .TAXVAHY IT. J9I!.

Are we wastingtwelve million

AmericanvVorrierL ?
Out of the world** tu cru in haa hern hem
the anawer that ia eUrin/ving witmeti the
<ou ntrv o\er. W h r m tr %ou are. whoe\er
>ou are. to n annot escape in 'ntegi-n.
Greater uefuliww to the world, grraic r w rI!tving foe the home and U im i.J(irtaicJ > it

C H X T F .E N mUhtm i
tcru tU w g, trashing. tradin g chilA J d m - a ll i n h u t h> s ix tt m
m iiiita h e a r t!

H'Jut i f turrhr milhtm o f ikrm n u l l

tf TtUtlti?

o f Uiing.

What If four million teaiipil eapefta caulJ

perform il x wrfc mom M i | 4 o w by M n ttt
millloA ABCfiCM fcOMMWtW J
Ckorhtt* A rleei W h w , A a tr k i'i u n n r
id J fowBwa ft miwin i rflw inn ib b burning
aubjact la Pktmial Rrvfrw for February.
T ill w ort J la ahor<b a a 4 e 4 o f w orker*!
$9,600,000,000, a t a eeoam w dw radm atr.
would be r t l >d toward* i h t a w t f n U o n t
o f OMwry and labor, b e n l r u i a i ih n r t w l v s
million women for gainful work. THJtvk
what that would m esa la Fraocr, In Bricfuaa,
la Serbia!

I 'fe l

l&SF

-m ,

In detailed, reactacat fash io n . Mr*. G ilm an

lella. W h a t ahe liaa to aav a h v u t th o m*t
e a tr a o r d m a r v d e te l o p m r n t in th e w e r I J a
tuMorr.no forw ard-locking m a n o r w om an can
afford to mt**.,,. B ead T h e W o rk arid \V * i;r
o f W om en'* in Pictorial Renew- to r Ic h ru a rv .

B u t o u r hom e* I O u r m m f O u r bahw*
I f l i f i r k m w f r r a t h u t n o r i |h t ( o c h a n p ."
I t la th e o ld , o ld e n r th a t baa k e p t tnUlkma o f
w o m e n th e w o rld w w Mnon(aiafiiL*

Specially
good fiction
- Her
duty

T housands o f babies
w anted!
What art uomtn saying M jH
about Birth PoliticsT

tl

H R E hundred th o u Band babiea 1:1this eountry

alone die u n n e te a u n ly every yeara n d th e
w orld it crying for more habiea*
The appalling waata o f i t 1 Think* And w hat ia
being done to atop it?

Vgh! How Maitir hnttd it

M O T h be
m t* w
m Jamb* r m w aned. *
JenbrL a m w u a w ty
Unw. uchi That m rd
M ood f o r t o many
M Aiam yei td ta dmy yegmtf.
faua taiaa aad
tntly ciathMl
OahvMfaar for Jacob* fem.lr,
that anM m n e w . A a d w O t
reWUedt A fmunat rtvoluttan m
a Phij I n t o Dutch conmwuiyt
U.UW7 and wwb ndi humm. H e in K. Mama haa told
M tv * Mary.

A lrrad v theaawm tvdm g *lu n g e it m ik in g ita

wav i n t o o u r n m 4<v Ue. T h e r m 'l m j . th e
lau n d ry a n d clean in g ,tH r care n fcih r K hn *n
la te e n m illion hom e* how c a n it h e J.nr K
f o u r m illion w o m e n ! H ow ca n t n J o iJ u a l
houw hoU d ru Jfc rv he a M n h c d !

W rapped in Sil
T h e greatest m\stery
story o f the year

K A TH LEEN N O R R IS
4 mik$r a / M rliar , *f ie Lm k mf (iw lrfm Imwd \ rtt.

rh.

U ?r ar Zr* rj ?

aS sS C * *
How about
clothes!

D own* is# f.'frvar*1*v tic

t*
* if-J
ArJ > Of ofwJ WnIrrnr
at>t
With
T'^*M
nir
B
VirhofiV
1*.%tm
m

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r
fr
kMMwa
bnc'Orxi iVfiwwnlar 11r

a n ia e ra thr* imperatiiT queition in Picfocul Review

foe Felwuary. In the tam e m u r. We/en R in g R ohm *
aon. f^at woman t t a .e aenator. diacutart thia v ita l
problem.
Four y e a n of mar have brought home to th e world
th at, m ore im portant even th an th e hearing of b a b tn
ti the a a v in g of bataea. France an d E n g lan d are
a w a k e to th c a itu a tio n . U n d e Sam. too haa team ed
what Borrow-atricktn m othera who ait hewde em pty
cradle* knew long ago; th a t a baby t* a-orth m ore
th an a mine, a fortat. a municipal building.
Juat w hat i* being done, what y*ou m utt begin a t
once to do. M ra. Norria fella you. H er article, a n d
H elm Ring Rotinaon'a keen a n a h tia 01 the laaue.
are thrilling commentanea on Am encaa aplendid
baby-aavifigaehtcvtm entaand p la n tu p to tb r m inute.

tV * rrr\*u.' *> t 1*frr.c# D

Kt. * .d h*

A T f ^ f r S I >0 h n o * <n rH -r#

r.; **e*y * ie f y . } * s ) m

*Pwtmal rvww'* Fashion Depan-

2?

Birthday cards for the

youngsters! Color cut-out.

REMARKABLE SERIES
OF GREAT WAR PICTURES
TDKGINN1N0 with the P rb n iu y ikrjr. Pic*-ton.l Rnirwwill publirii month ^ t n iMnth
Mw a m of jMrrin, f u ll.p u t W R etu rn .
You wwld (M ly pay *100 fo. aany ol ihrw
rtmatkable lull color npraduotlon.

vvavr ir|HUWCOOnl.

" T a lu ti, the G uru", from U n oaaM rly bcuah

Such
am
wfhjitg n hole

s^> th> rv..,

A a hair j.# m

2 5 *

Mfeg
'of
* futtine
- NOut
1

of P. Malania. trU. you mort (raiOu.-.lly ihaa

thr Otiman fun nnt*
n t t . tmkm up by cur bnva boya. You will
"***,Jo fcarar thla picture and thoaa that at*

JSl*""
tcotdrf tmiJU
U a r aa well a t for th tir arttatie value.

PICTORIAL REVIEW
For Februaryon sale mm
" I * " * 1 <*4* Fatitra Agaai ar NtwagtaHr m m

law*. aaM n

IW1 aubMriytim

Fig. 3. B ack p ag e of The N e w York Times on th e d a y of W illiam F ag al's b irth .

R e p r o d u c e d w ith p e r m issio n o f th e co p y r ig h t o w n er . F u rth er rep ro d u ctio n p roh ib ited w ith o u t p e r m issio n .

o ,v

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>frrtn

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*** t*lm b ar* tvatwnnccbana.
lat w rm aaat the aMMa mudei
Aflth grot, m 4 uwfu) th.nr* ran ha
naat wady m frem nw ally u h ywtor-a]
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9
her m a ter n ity room a t Memorial H o s p it a l in A lbany, as sh e a w a ite d th e
b ir th o f h e r f ir s t b o r n l a t e r th a t d a y , sh e c o u ld n o t have h e lp e d s e e in g
the h a n d w ritin g on th e w a ll.

For th e fr o n t and back p a g e s o f t h a t 22-

page e d it i o n o f MA11 th e News T h a t's F i t to P r in t" (w hich w ould have

c o st h er th e m u n ific e n t sum o f two c e n ts th a t day) were th e m se lv e s a
v e r it a b le m icrocosm o f a l l th e s o c i a l and p o l i t i c a l e d d ie s and c u r r e n ts
which s w ir le d around th e p o stw a r A m erica.
F i r s t , th e r e was th e P eace C on feren ce.
World War I was en d ed , and Anna F agal s t i l l v i v i d l y "remembers
people g o in g r a th e r w ild l y up and down th e s t r e e t s o f A lban y, r e j o i c i n g
th a t the war was o v e r." ^
The Peace C on feren ce would open in P a r is tom orrow, amid a
c y c lo n ic storm g e n e r a te d b y f o r e ig n news c o rr e sp o n d e n ts c o v e r in g i t who
had j u s t g o tte n wind o f a gag r u le on news p ro p o sed by u l t r a s e n s i t i v e
d e le g a te s .

The d ip lo m a ts m a in ta in e d t h a t i f th e c o n fe r e n c e were to make

any headway in s o lv in g th e m u lt if a c e t e d problem s b e f o r e i t , i n s u l a t i o n

from o u ts id e in f lu e n c e s was im p e r a tiv e ; hence th e im p o s it io n o f s e c r e c y
as a v i t a l l y n e c e s s a r y e x p e d ie n t.

L ater t h i s same day New York World P u b lis h e r Ralph P u l i t z e r ,

upon the eve o f h i s d ep a rtu re from P a r is f o r New York, w ould warn
a g a in st in f lu e n c e s a t work f o r a " s i n i s t e r p e a c e ."

H is c a b le d d is p a tc h

to the Times (p u b lish e d on page one th e f o llo w in g m orning) read in p a r t:

Today, on th e eve o f th e P eace C o n feren ce, th e A l l i e d
Governments are s u f f e r i n g th e v i c i s s i t u d e s o f v i c t o r y . The
s o l i d a r i t y o f a common danger h a s d e p a r te d .
The j o i n t i n s t i n c t f o r s e l f - p r e s e r v a t i o n has g iv e n
p la c e to a c o n f l i c t i n g aims o f s e lf -a g g r a n d iz e m e n t. The
v a n i t i e s , c u p i d i t i e s , and p u g n a c it ie s w hich masquerade as
1

I b id .

%ew York T im es, J a n . 17, 1 9 1 9 , 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

10
" n a tio n a l a s p ir a tio n s " are s e e t h in g b e n e a th th e s e r e n i t y o f
th e Quai d'O rsay.
I f th e Peace C onferen ce i s a llo w e d to rem ain a c o n fe r
ence betw een governm ents in s t e a d o f b etw een p e o p le s , i t i s
apt to d e g e n e ra te i n t o a s a t u r n a li a o f s ta te sm a n s h ip which
w i l l crown a war to end war w ith a p ea ce t o end p e a c e .*
P u litz e r

sawth r e e p r in c ip a l f o r c e s la b o r in g f o r such a " s i n i s t e r

peace":
( 1 ) th e bourbonism o f p o l i t i c i a n s , i n s t i n c t i v e or opportun
i s t , p la y in g f o r advancement on th e ch au vin ism o f th e p e o p le ;
( 2 ) th e m a te r ia lis m o f i n d u s t r i a l and com m ercial c i r c l e s
a p p ea lin g t o th e b u s in e s s c l a s s e s ; (3) th e m ilit a r is m o f
p r o f e s s io n a l s o l d i e r s a p p e a lin g t o p r id e or f e a r o f im p e r i
a lism and j in g o e s .^
Whether P u l i t z e r ' s words r e v e a l any l a t e n t is o l a t i o n i s m or
xenophobia, th e y c e r t a i n l y b e tr a y deep f e e l i n g s o f d is illu s io n m e n t
t y p ic a l o f th e average i d e a l i s t i c American upon v ie w in g th e heavy hand
o f European power p o l i t i c s b e in g p la y e d o u t a g a in s t th e v an q u ish ed by
the v i c t o r s .

The s p i r i t o f th e m u tu a lly a g reed upon "F ourteen P o in ts "

o f the y e t - o p t i m i s t i c Woodrow W ilson was s t i l l b o r n .

And American d i s

illu s io n m e n t w ith Europe and Europeans w ould deepen as th e new decade

wore on.
But i f Americans fe a r e d th e European s ta te s m e n 's s e c r e c y , th e y
were a b s o lu t e ly p e t r i f i e d a t th e th o u g h t o f R u s sia .
The O ctober R e v o lu tio n la ck ed s i x days o f b e in g 15 months o ld on
the day o f W illiam F a g a l's b ir t h ; b u t l i k e a venomous sn a k e , i t was
deadly from b i r t h , and c a p a b le o f immense d e s t r u c t io n ev en in in f a n c y .
Had Anna F agal been r e a d in g th e Times i n th e m a te r n ity ward th a t
morning, sh e c o u ld n o t have h e lp e d n o t in g th e s t o r y r ig h t in th e c e n te r

1 I b id . ,
2

Jan . 18, 1919, 1.

I b id .

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

o f th e page about th e Germany from w hich h e r f a t h e r (and

|
&
|

f a t h e r ) had com e.*

d r a ft c o n s t i t u t i o n f o r a N a tio n a l A ssem b ly, w hich framed a R ep u b lic o f

"New" Germany w ith 16 c o n s t it u e n t s t a t e s

There was good news:

e ig h t com m onw ealths).

h er husband s

E b ert and h i s m in is t e r s had com p leted a

(P r u s s ia would be d iv id e d i n t o

I t would h e lp b r in g s t a b i l i t y by p r o v id in g a te n -

y ea r term f o r th e new n a t i o n ' s p r e s id e n t .

But th e r e was a l s o bad .

" B e r lin i s l i k e an armed camp w ith new

s o l d i e r s b rou gh t in to keep order" b e c a u s e o f th e S p a r t a c is t s , or

" S p a rta cid e s" as th e Times r e p o r t e r r e f e r r e d to them, members o f an
extrem e s o c i a l i s t p a r ty o r g a n iz e d in Germany th e y e a r p r e v io u s , and
b e lie v e d by many to be com m unist.

F ears and a p p reh en sio n w ere n o t w ith o u t ca u se:

E b e r t's lo y a l

tr o o p s , in c o n d u ctin g a h o u s e -to -h o u s e se a r c h f o r arms, d is c o v e r e d a

machine gun n e s t on a h o u se to p o p p o s ite th e E q u ita b le B u ild in g on th e
F r ie d r ic h s t r a s s e c o n ta in in g 10 S p a r ta c id e s in R u ssian u n iform .
were Germans.

Seven

Q ueried r e c e n t ly c o n c er n in g h e r f e e l i n g s d u rin g World War I as

a f i r s t - g e n e r a t i o n American born o f German p a r e n ta g e , Anna F agal
rep o rted no memories o f b e in g m is tr e a te d by any s u p e r - p a t r io t ic f u l l b lood ed "Americans" in h e r n eig h b o rh o o d , n or does sh e tod ay r e c a l l any
g u i l t f e e l i n g s a t th e tim e b e c a u se h er f a t h e r ' s hom eland was a t war w ith
the lan d o f h e r b i r t h .
R ep o rtin g h e r r e a c t i o n s , h e r son W illiam adds: "There was a
la r g e German community in S c h e n e c ta d y , and as f a r as she can remember
th ey w ere a l l v e ry lo y a l A m ericans, though f e e l i n g concern about r e l a
t i v e s and fr ie n d s back in Germany. They v e r y much d i s l i k e d th e id e a o f
a war b e in g c a r r ie d on, b u t sh e remembers th a t th e y seemed to f e e l to
th e co re th a t th e y were A m erican s, and t h a t som eth in g bad had happened
to Germany t o make n e c e s s a r y American in t e r v e n t io n .
I would judge from
what sh e has s a id th a t h e r p a r e n ts had no o th e r l o y a l t i e s b u t to
A m erica."
(W illiam F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 1 8 , 1967, 4 . )
(Emphasis s u p p lie d .)
^New York T im es, Jan . 17, 1 9 1 9 , 1.

^ Ib id .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

12
I n s id e , a n o th er s t o r y t o l d o f th e new in d ep en d en t communist
r e p u b lic j u s t s e t up by th e S p a r ta c id e s i n Bremen.*

Twelve days e a r l i e r

(January 7j anarchy r e ig n e d i n c i t i e s th ro u g h o u t P o la n d , and th e B o lsh ev i k i had ca p tu red th e key s e a p o r t o f R ig a , L a t v ia 's c a p i t a l .

The w o r st o f i t was:

t h e s e in f e r n a l bom b-throw ing B o ls h e v is t s

were a l l o v e r th e p l a c e , in A m erica, to o !

A d jo in in g th e s t o r y o f th e

communist d e p r e d a tio n s in Germany was a n o th e r , d a t e li n e Sacram ento,

C a lif o r n ia .

A fte r d e lib e r a t in g a mere 85 m in u te s , a F ed era l D i s t r i c t

Court ju r y brought in a v e r d i c t o f g u i l t y a g a in s t 46 members o f th e

I.W.W. who w ere charged w ith c o n s p ir a c y in th e dyn am itin g o f th e home o f
Governor W illia m D. S tep h en s in th e c l o s i n g months o f th e w ar, on
December 17, 1917.^
The Times co rresp o n d en t n o te d s i g n i f i c a n t l y th a t th e members o f
th e I.W.W. were c o n s c ie n t io u s o b j e c to r s t o

w ar, a f a c t w hich u n q u e s tio n

a b ly in f lu e n c e d th e ju r o r s ' un seem ly h a s t e in b r in g in g in a v e r d ic t o f
g u i l t y d e s p it e th e f a c t t h a t 43 o f th e 46 d e fe n d a n ts spoke no word in
t h e i r d e fe n s e th rou gh ou t th e t r i a l , n or were th e y r e p r e s e n te d by l e g a l
co u n se 1 th r o u g h o u t.
Most Americans sh a red th e s e n tim e n ts o f th e F e d e r a l p r o s e c u tin g
a tto r n e y about th e I.W.W.

In h is summation t o th e j u r y , he rem inded

them th a t
The I.W.W. r e c o g n iz e no c o u n tr y , no f l a g , no c o lo r l i n e .
They r e s p e c t no f l a g b u t th e r ed f l a g .
They w ould drag us
a l l down t o th e l e v e l o f th e lo w e s t man. They do n o t

1Ib

i d . , 3.

The World Almanac and E n c y c lo p e d ia , 1920 (New York: The P r e ss

P u b lis h in g Company [New York W orld], 1 9 1 9 ), 708. V arious e d it i o n s c it e d
h e r e a f t e r sim p ly as World Almanac, w ith y e a r o f i s s u e .
^New York Tim es, J a n . 17, 1919, 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

T
13
r e c o g n iz e d if f e r e n c e s o f a b i l i t y in man, b u t w ould g iv e th e
unworthy th e same p r i v i l e g e s f o r w hich th e w orthy have to
s t r i v e so h a r d .l
Heady s t u f f in 1919!

And th e "Red Scare" was on.

E ig h t y e a rs

l a t e r , Henry F. P r in g le w ould r e c a l l th a t
As th e y e a r 1919 began th e U n ited S t a t e s was shaken by
ap p reh en sio n s th a t an a p p r e c ia b le p a r t o f i t s fo r e ig n popu
la t i o n was in d ir e c t com m unication w ith Moscow and th a t
overthrow o f th e governm ent by B o lsh e v ik s w earing beards
and c a r r y in g bombs was under s e r io u s c o n s id e r a t io n . B ig
B u sin e ss le d th e o n sla u g h t a g a in s t r a d i c a l , even l i b e r a l ,
th o u g h t. Through chambers o f commerce and o th er s e r v ic e
o r g a n iz a tio n s i t began a d r iv e a g a in s t th e Red Menace.
Funds poured in t o th e N a tio n a l S e c u r ity League and th e
N a tio n a l D efen se S o c ie t y . The f e d e r a l government became
in f e c t e d and s e n t s e c r e t a g e n ts o u t by th e hundred to
reg a rd w ith s u s p ic io n , and a r r e s t , i f p o s s i b l e , e v e r y one
who spoke w ith a f o r e ig n a c c e n t . ^
A d m itted ly , th e r e was some p a r t i a l j u s t i f i c a t i o n fo r g e n e r a l
p a n ic :

th e r e were a number o f i n c i d e n t s s e v e r a l bomb o u t r a g e s , th e

d is c o v e r y by th e Department o f J u s t ic e in v a r io u s r a id s o f to n s o f
inflam m atory l i t e r a t u r e , e t c .

B ut, in P r in g l e 's v iew , "the ardor o f th e

r a d ic a l c h a ser s was a l l o u t o f p r o p o r tio n to th e a c tu a l d an ger."

Americans g e n e r a lly fe a r e d a r e p e a t perform ance o f th e O ctober

R e v o lu tio n on th e s e W estern s h o r e s ; and a lth o u g h th e fo r e ig n -b o r n in
America were o n ly a m in o r ity , th e s e newcomers co u ld shudder as th ey
remembered th a t i t was o n ly a m in o r ity o f h a r d -co r e cad res under Lenin
and T ro tsk y th a t had brought i t o f f in R u ssia .

A communist ta k e o v e r o f

th e U n ited S t a te s was eq u ated by many w ith th e d e s tr u c tio n o f church, o f

fa m ily , and o f p r iv a t e p r o p e r ty ; and Americans n e a r - u n iv e r s a lly d i s
t r u s t e d f o r e ig n names and fo r e ig n a c c e n t s .

1 I b id .

A lfr e d E. Sm ith: A C r i t i c a l Study (New York: Macy-Masius

P u b lis h e r s , 1 9 2 7 ), 2 3 7 -3 8 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as A lfr e d E. S m ith .
3

I b i d . , 238.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

14
F r e d e r ic k Lewis A llen, s u g g e s ts one p o s s ib le e x p la n a t io n f o r a
c e r t a in ten d en cy he n o te d among many Americans to b e " a r r o g a n t or
" condescend ing" tow ard Europeans:
[ I t ] may b e p a r t ly due t o th e f a c t t h a t fo r g e n e r a tio n s
alm ost th e o n ly Europeans t h a t th e a v era g e n a t iv e - b o r n
American saw were p o o r , ig n o r a n t , i l l - d r e s s e d , and o f t e n
d ir t y members o f t h i s im p o rted p r o l e t a r i a t , ja b b e r in g in
in c o m p re h e n sib le to n g u es w h ile th e y d id m enial j o b s . They
were s c o r n f u lly known as D a g o es, P o la c k s , H u n k ies, K ik es.
As th e y b e t t e r e d th e m s e lv e s , th e y became in most c a s e s l e s s
I t a l i a n or P o lis h or S e r b ia n o r Czech or R u ssia n , more
American; and s o th e u n fa v o r a b le image o f Europeans i n th e
American mind p e r s i s t e d . . . .1
Then, th e r e was P r o h i b it io n , " th a t p r iz e c u r i o s i t y o f r e f o r m is t
ard or.
On th e day o f W illia m F a g a ls b i r t h , th e seco n d m ost im p o rta n t
s t o r y on page one o f th e T im es, a f t e r th e announcement t h a t th e P a r is
P eace C onferen ce would open tom orrow, was th e f a c t t h a t y e s t e r d a y
N ebraska became th e 36th s t a t e to r a t i f y th e n a t io n a l p r o h ib it io n ammendm ent, and thus "the American n a t io n was v o te d d ry ."

The id e a o f n a t io n a l P r o h ib it io n s t i r r e d C h r is tia n and Anna

F agal h a r d ly a t a l l in 1919.

They had become S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts (a

denom ination in th e f o r e f r o n t o f tem perance a g i t a t io n th e n , as to d a y )

o n ly 25 months b e f o r e .

T h eir id e a s about P r o h ib itio n w ould a l t e r

m arkedly by 1932, when F r a n k lin D. R o o s e v e lt 's name w ould , in t h e i r

th in k in g , fo r e v e r a f t e r b e a s s o c ia t e d w ith th e stig m a o f R e p e a l.

B u t,

now, th ey h a r d ly th ou gh t about i t . ^
The e d it o r s o f th e New York T im es, how ever, were f a r from i n d i f
f e r e n t , s o much so t h a t th e y f e l t c a l l e d upon to remark in p r in t th a t:

^ A lle n , 47.

^I b i d . , 9 4 .

%ew York T im es, J a n . 1 7 , 1 9 1 9 , 1.

^W illiam F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 18, 1967, 2 -3 .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

15
I t was p o e t i c a l l y and p o l i t i c a l l y j u s t th a t th e s t a t e o f
Mr. [W illiam J e n n in g s] Bryan [one o f th e fo r e m o st a d v o c a te s
o f P r o h ib it io n ] sh o u ld have b een th e d e c is i v e t h i r t y - s i x t h
t o r a t i f y y e s t e r d a y th e p r o h ib it io n ammendment.l
Then th e e d it o r s p ro c ee d e d more s o b e r ly , in d e e d , som berly:
With what d iz z y in g s w i f t n e s s have th e l e g i s l a t u r e s com
p e te d w ith one a n o th e r t o add t h i s A r t i c l e t o t h e
C o n s t it u t io n I Has t h i s c o n ta g io n o r c o n sen su s o f em otion
and p o l i t i c s b een accom panied w ith an eq u a l c o n v ic t io n
among th e p e o p le , a c o rr e sp o n d in g u n an im ity o f p u b lic
o p in io n ? Have th e p e o p le had much t o sa y about i t ?
P r o h ib it io n i s n o t y e t a f a c t . The im p e r fe c tio n o f
human n a tu r e may to some e x t e n t i n t e r f e r e w ith i t s becom ing
a g e n e r a l and a b s o lu te f a c t in th e U n ited S t a t e s . 2
W hile P r o h ib it io n may have been in some r e s p e c t s an o v e r t mani
f e s t a t i o n o f l a t e n t P u r ita n ism i n th e U n ited S t a t e s - - o r , to q u ote
R ichard H o f s t a d t e r 's p arap h ra se o f th e Andrew S i n c l a i r p o s i t i o n , "a
f i n a l a s s e r t io n o f th e r u r a l P r o te s ta n t mind a g a in s t th e urban and
p o ly g lo t c u ltu r e th a t had em erged a t th e end o f th e n in e t e e n t h cen tu ry
and th e b e g in n in g o f th e t w e n t ie t h ,"

i t was n o t s o l e l y a cru sad e g en

e r a te d from th e e x c e s s iv e z e a l o f extrem e r e l i g i o u s fu n d a m e n ta lis ts .

I t s r o o ts are a ls o to be found in t e r tw in e d w ith th e heady s p i r i t
o f c h a u v in is t ic jin g o is m w hich was th e i n e v i t a b l e b y p ro d u ct (a s Woodrow
W ilson c o r r e c t l y f o r e c a s t ) i s s u i n g from th e p r o s e c u t io n o f World War I .
C h arles Merz, in The Dry D ecade, has p o in te d ou t th a t th e war
d id th r e e th in g s f o r P r o h ib itio n :

(1) i t c e n t r a l iz e d a u t h o r ity in

W ashington, (2 ) i t s t r e s s e d th e im p ortance o f s a v in g fo o d ; and (3) i t

ln A r t i c l e E ig h te e n ," e d i t o r i a l in New York T im es, J a n . 17,

1919, 12.
2

(B oston:

I b id .

^ P reface to Andrew S i n c l a i r ' s P r o h ib itio n :

L i t t l e , Brown and Company, 1 9 6 2 ), v i i .

The Era o f E xcess

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1I?'
16
o u tla w ed a l l th in g s German.'*'

As S i n c l a i r has so s u c c i n c t l y put i t ,

P a b st and Busch were German, t h e r e f o r e b e e r was

u n p a t r i o t i c . L iquor sto p p e d American s o l d i e r s from f i r i n g
s t r a i g h t ; th e r e f o r e liq u o r was a t o t a l e v i l .
Brewing u sed
up e le v e n m illio n lo a v e s o f b a r le y b read a d ay, w hich
c o u ld h ave fe d th e s t a r v in g A l l i e s ; t h e r e f o r e th e consump
t i o n o f a lc o h o l was t r e a s o n . P r e t z e l s w ere German in name;
t h e r e f o r e , to d efen d Old G lo r y , th e y were banned from th e
s a lo o n s in C in c in n a t i. . . .
In t h i s orgy o f s i m p l i c i t y , t h i s cru sad e f o r p ea ce
th rou gh war, th e n a t io n a l bandwagon o f u n reason and f a l s e
l o g i c , th e argument o f th e d rys seem ed i r r e f u t a b l e . They
were f o r God and A m erica, a g a in s t th e s a lo o n s and a g a in s t
Germany. The w ets t h e r e f o r e must be f o r S atan and fo r
Germany, a g a in s t God and a g a in s t A m erica. B r i e f l y , c i t y
and co u n try th o u g h t a l i k e . 2
H is to r ia n Madison Kuhn has a p t ly e p ito m iz e d th e e v id e n c e s o f a
la t e n t xen op h ob ia o f f e r e d by Merz 3 and S in c la ir ^ in th e s e p e r c e p t iv e
w ord s:
Who were th e d r in k e r s i n America? Not th e o l d - l i n e
A m e r ic a n s--th e y had tak en th e p le d g e (th e M eth o d ists had
even abandoned ferm en ted w in e in t h e i r communion s e r v i c e ) .
The d r in k e r s w ere, r a t h e r , th e new im m ig ra n ts--a n d a p a r
t i c u l a r c l a s s among th e im m ig ra n ts. The P r e s b y te r ia n s from
S c o tla n d were dry; and th e A n g lic a n s from B r it a in d id n 't
d r in k .
Why, everyon e knows t h a t th e Germans are th e b e e r d r in k e r s (some w ould even h i n t d a r k ly t h a t th e Germans
drank b e e r in a c o n s p ir a c y t o keep b read from our tr o o p s so
th e K a ise r would w in th e w a r ! ) . And, th e n , t h e r e ' s th e
I r i s h - - t h e y 1 re th e w h is k y -d r in k e r s (and th e p r o f e s s io n a l
Irishm an d id n 't ca re who b e a t th e E n g lis h in th e w a r --th e
Germans, or anyone e l s e ! ) .
T hus, P r o h ib it io n en a b led
A m ericans s e c r e t l y to h i t th e fo r e ig n -b o r n in our m id st,
under th e g u is e o f p a t r io t is m and m oral p u r i t y . 5

*(New York:

D oub led ay, Doran Company, I n c . , 1 9 3 1 ), 25.

^ S i n c l a i r , 20.
3 M erz,

2 5 -2 7 , 2 9 , 34, 40.

^ S in c la i r , 1 8 -2 0 , 34, 4 9 ,

6 8

, 7 0 -7 1 .

^N otes from le c t u r e by P r o fe s s o r Madison Kuhn in "Recent American

H isto r y " (HST 4 3 9 ), M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , J a n . 12, 1966, 4 -5 .

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17
W hatever e l s e i t d id , th e r e i s one t h in g P r o h ib it io n d id n o t do:
i t d id n o t , w et propaganda to th e c o n tr a r y n o tw ith s ta n d in g , " tea ch
p e o p le to d r in k ."

S i n c l a i r , whose b ia s a g a in s t th e drys c o n t in u a lly

s e e p s through h is e n t i r e work, u s in g C. W arburton's s t a t i s t i c s , grudg

in g l y adm its th a t:
The o n ly r e a l g a in e r s from p r o h ib it io n were th e workingmen
o f A m erica. They d id drink h a l f th e amount w hich th e y had
b e f o r e , and p rob ab ly sp e n t a b i l l i o n d o lla r s a y e a r l e s s on
liq u o r . 1
Down in New York C ity on th e day th e Times bannered th e news on
page one, "N ation V oted D ry," spokesm en f o r th e A s s o c ia t io n Opposed t o
N a tio n a l P r o h ib it io n a p p ea led f o r a d em o n stra tio n fo u r days hence a t th e
s ta te c a p ito l.

Each v o t e r was urged t o go to A lbany to " r e g i s t e r h is

p r o t e s t ," to " stan d firm as a rock in th e fa c e s o f th e enem ies o f

L ib e r ty ."

In words which w ould ech o th e w ell-k n ow n s e n tim e n ts o f New

Y ork's n e w ly - in s t a lle d g o v ern o r, A lfr e d E. Sm ith, th e a n t i - p r o h i b i t i o n i s t s

a lle g e d th a t a s t a t e referendum would show a m a jo r ity o f one m illio n
a g a in s t th e n a t io n a l p r o h ib it io n amendment.

And up in A lban y.-- W in te r was j u s t s e t t l i n g in th a t morning o f

January 17, 1919, when W illiam A. F a g a l made h is d eb u t, la r g e ly u n h er
a ld e d , in t o th e postw ar w orld .

The p e o p le o f Albany were s t i l l t a lk in g

e x c it e d ly about th e com p letio n ( a t a c o s t o f $167 m il lio n s ) o f th e new

New York S t a t e Barge Canal j u s t a few months e a r l i e r , which jo in e d th e
o ld E rie Canal w ith th r e e o th e r s (Cham plain, Oswego, and C ayuga-Seneca)
to p ro v id e a 5 2 5 -m ile deep -d rau gh t ch an n el c o n n e c tin g Lakes E r ie ,
O n tario, and Champlain w ith th e A t la n t ic s e a p o r t o f New York C ity .^
I S i n c l a i r , 25 1 .

%ew York T im es, Jan. 17, 1919, 1.

^I b i d .

^W illiam E. Young, "New York S t a t e Barge C an al," World Book

E n c y clo p e d ia , XIII (1 9 6 0 ), 2 7 6 -7 7 .
i.
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18
Even tod ay Anna F agal has "warm" and " e n th u s ia s t ic " r e c o l l e c t i o n s
about th e openin g o f th e Barge C anal "a g r e a t e v e n t and a much appre
c ia t e d one by th e com m unities w hich i t s e r v e d ."

She and h er husband

p a r t i c u l a r l y en jo y e d g o in g f o r b o a t r id e s on th e c a n a l betw een S ch en ec
tad y and Amsterdam, e s p e c i a l l y n e g o t ia t in g th e lo c k s a lo n g th e w aterw ay.
As son W illiam o b se rv e d l a t e r , "This was a p p a r e n tly c o n sid e r e d to be
q u it e th e th in g to do a t th e tim e ." *
But, w ith th e c l o s i n g o f th e E rie Canal l a s t month, on
December 12 (and o f th e Hudson R iv er a week l a t e r on th e 19th) f o r th e
w in t e r ,

th e a t t e n t io n o f th e c i t i z e n s o f Albany tu rn ed to o th e r e x c i t

in g n e w s - - lik e th e new c a r s now coming o f f assem bly l i n e s o n ly r e c e n t ly

c o n v e rted from th e p r o d u c tio n o f war m a t e r ie l.
Only y e s te r d a y (January 16) E ssex Motors o f D e tr o it had i n t r o
duced i t s new 1919 model f iv e - p a s s e n g e r to u r in g car (" th e lig h tw e ig h t
q u a lit y car") a t o n ly $1395 f . o . b .

fa c to r y .

A number o f m an u factu rers were now o f f e r i n g a new c lo s e d model

a t p r ic e s ra n g in g from $575 ( f o r th e Oakland " S e n s ib le S ix " 4 ) t o $780
(f o r th e Reo^) above th e p r ic e f o r comparable open m od els.
"In 1919," r e p o r te d George K oeth er, "about n in e te n th s o f a l l
cars in th e U n ited S t a t e s were open m od els.
were c lo s e d m od els." ^

By 1929, about n in e te n th s

The t r a n s i t i o n was h a s te n e d when, in th e e a r ly

'William F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 18, 1967, 2.

^World Almanac, 1920, 2 32.
^ C o l l i e r ' s , The N a tio n a l W eekly, Jan . 18, 1919, 3.
h e r e a f t e r as C o l l i e r ' s .
4

I b i d . , Feb.

, 1919, 2 7 .

C ite d

I b i d . , 38.

^George K oeth er, " A utom obile," World Book E n c y clo p e d ia , I (1 9 6 0 ),

788.

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19
1 9 2 0 s, E sse x in tr o d u c e d th e c lo s e d model a t a p r ic e f o r w hich o n ly open
c a rs had p r e v io u s ly been a v a i l a b l e .

A lthough su p p ly was c o n s id e r a b ly l i m i t e d , due to p r o d u ctio n

problem s in r e c o n v e r s io n w ith in th e in d u s t r y , th e v a r i e t y in custom er
c h o ic e b etw een d i f f e r e n t brands o f a u to m o b iles was n e a r ly as g r e a t as
to d a y a lth o u g h th e names f a l l r a th e r s t r a n g e ly upon th e modem e a r .
One a f f l u e n t enough to be a b le to a ff o r d a new car (and t o fin d a d e a le r
w ith a model f o r s a l e ) m ight make h i s c h o ic e among th e L exin gton "Minute
Man S i x , "

th e F ra n k lin C ar,^ th e "New E lg in S i x , "

Car,"^ a Hudson "Super S ix ," ^ a M it c h e ll S i x ,

th e "P aige Car , "
"L ight T w elv e ,
Comfort Car"

" 11

an O verland " T h r ift

a Packard "Twin-Six,"**

th e "Standard E ig h t ," 1 th e Haynes "L ight S ix " or

and even th e lo w ly f o u r - c y lin d e r Hupmobile ("The

) . 12

Anna F agal s t i l l remembers g o in g w ith h e r husband to look a t th e

new p ostw ar a u to s in th e showroom w indows, b u t t h e i r l i t t l e son W illiam
would be about fo u r y e a r s o ld b e fo r e th e y w ould p u rch a se t h e i r f i r s t ca ran O verland c lo s e d sed a n , which th e fa m ily k e p t f o r about th r e e y e a r s .
T aking an au to t r i p in th o se days was
a r a th e r f r ig h t e n in g e x p e r ie n c e , f o r we c o u ld n e v e r be
c e r t a in th a t som eth in g was n o t g o in g t o go wrong w ith i t
w hich w ould p r e v en t our g e t t i n g back s a f e l y . The h e a tin g

^ Ib id .

C o l l i e r 1 s , J a n . 4 , 1919, 2 1 .

3 I b id .

, 45.

I b i d . , 57.

I b i d . , Jan . 25, 1919, 3 .

I b i d . , Feb. 1 5 , 1919, 2 2 -2 3 .

I b i d . , March 2 2 , 1919, 2 1 .

Ib id _., 2 3 .

19Ib

I b i d . , J a n . 11, 1919, 1 6 -1 7 .

i d . , March 2 9 , 1919, 2 3 .

**The L ite r a r y D ig e s t , Jan . 11, 1919, 43.

1 2 I b id . ,

J a n . 18, 1919, 83.

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20
in i t was e x tr e m e ly p o o r , and r id in g in th e w in te r tim e was
h a z a r d o u s, to put i t m i l d l y . *
M o to rcy cles were then th e r a g e , as th e y w ould become a g a in in
la t e r tim e s; and one o f W illia m 's u n c le s owned o n e, and b ro u g h t i t o v er
to th e house t o show i t o f f to F a th er F a g a l.
My f a t h e r w anted to tr y i t o u t and d id s o . However, he had
f o r g o tte n t o in q u ir e j u s t how one sto p p e d t h i s m o n ster, and
as th e r e s u l t had to d r iv e around f o r a c o n s id e r a b le p e r io d
u n t i l he ran out o f f u e l , and i t sto p p ed i t s e l f ! ^
When World War I began in 1914, th e a u to m o b ile began to r e v o lu
t i o n i z e th e war; and th e in d u s t r y , in

tu r n , was r e v o lu t io n iz e d by

war.

among U. S . in d u s t r i e s ; by 1919,

In 1914, i t ranked 15th in s i z e

th e

i t s to o d s e v e n th in number o f e m p lo y e e s, and seco n d in v a lu e o f p r o d u c ts,

I f , in 1919, th e au to m o b ile m an u factu rers went a l l - o u t in t h e i r
a d v e r t is in g in an a ttem p t to s e l l A m erica 's m en fo lk , th e makers o f th e
co m p a ra tiv ely new home so u n d -r e p r o d u c tio n sy stem s were out to c a tc h th e
fem ale

e y e , and were th e m se lv e s lo c k e d in a th re e -w a y s a l e s

race.

The Columbia Graphophone Company o f New York, i n f u ll - p a g e ads

in th e L adies Home J o u r n a l, o f f e r e d as th e u lt im a te p ostw ar s t a t u s
symbol th e Columbia G rafon ola
d e s ig n s up to $ 2 ,

( " s t a n d a r d

m odels up to $300; p e r io d

10 0").4

Two months l a t e r , th e V ic to r T a lk in g Machine Company o f Camden,

New J e r s e y , came b ack , t o u t in g t h e i r V ic t r o la (from $12 to $950) in an
a d v ertisem en t em blazoned w ith th e p o r t r a i t s o f a s c o r e o f n a t i o n a l l y prom inent a r t i s t s in t h e i r r e c o r d in g s t a b le ( in c lu d in g C aruso,
G a lli- C u r c i, P a d erew sk i, Schumann-Heink, H e i f e t z ) , w ith i t s own brand o f

^W illiam F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 18, 1967, 2 .

^I b i d .
4

3 K oeth er,

788.

I b i d . , J a n ., 1919, 36.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

21
snob a p p ea l:
it.

"Every V i c t r o la r e c o r d i s approved by th e a r t i s t who made

Our c o n tr a c t demands i t . " *

M eanw hile, Thomas A. E d iso n , I n c . , o f O range, New J e r s e y ,

founded by th e in v e n t o r o f th e o r i g i n a l "phonograph," r o s e above th e

clamor o f c o m p e tito r s to a d v e r t is e "The Phonograph w ith a S o u l," c a s u a lly
in fo rm in g th e w orld t h a t E d iso n had sp e n t more than $ 3 m il lio n s in
r e s e a r c h t o d e v e lo p th e Phonograph, im p ly in g s u b t ly th a t th e o r i g i n a l
o b v io u s ly must be s u p e r io r to t h e s e u p s t a r t i m i t a t o r s .
The F a g a ls , how ever, were immune to th e b la n d ish m en ts o f th e
a d v e r t i s e r s , one and a l l , and d id n o t have a phonograph in t h e i r home,
a lth ou gh W illia m 's gran d p aren ts F r i t s c h l e r had a c y l i n d e r - s t y l e E dison
w hich Anna s t i l l remembers w ith a g r e a t d e a l o f p le a s u r e .
In th e home in w hich l i t t l e W illiam w ould grow up, how ever, "we
alw ays had a p ia n o ."

There w ere, o f c o u r se , no r a d io s to sp eak o f - - t h e f i r s t s c h e d

u le d b r o a d c a s t (by Dr. Frank Conrad) would n o t be a ir e d u n t i l n e x t y e a r ,
1920;^ so p e o p le had to be s a t i s f i e d w ith a Phonograph, o r V i c t r o l a , or
G ra fo n o la , f o r home e n te r ta in m e n t.
But th e r e were o th e r i n t e r e s t s .

The p e o p le in A lbany, as e l s e

where a l l o v e r p o stw a r A m erica, had been b i t t e n hard by th e bug o f

se lf-im p r o v e m e n t.

Hundreds everyw here were a t t r a c t e d by H o ra tio A lg e r -

type a d v e r tis e m e n ts p r o c la im in g "How I Learned th e Knack o f F o r c e fu l

Speaking . . . One Man's A c c id e n ta l D isco v e r y o f th e Most P o te n t Power
in B u sin e ss and th e Quick A dvantage i t Gave Him."

*I b i d . , March, 1919, 5.
^The L ite r a r y D i g e s t , J a n . 18, 1919, 81.
^ W illiam F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 18, 1967, 2 .

^ A lle n , 123.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

22
For j u s t f i v e d o ll a r s "Dr . ' 1 F r e d e ric k Houk Law's "Course o f
B u sin e ss T a lk in g and P u b lic S p ea k in g ,
c o u ld be y o u r s ! 1

'M astery o f S p e e c h ,' in

L essons"

(S ee F ig . 4 .)

The week f o llo w in g , th e same a d v e r t is e r , th e "Independent Corpor

a t io n , D iv is io n o f B u sin e ss E d u c a tio n ," took a n o th e r f u l l page in The
L ite r a r y D ig e s t to to u t "Dr." K ath erin e M. H. B la c k fo r d 's course o f
sev en le s s o n s in " C haracter R eading a t S ig h t" ("The Sim ple Knack o f
Knowing A ll About a P erson a t S ig h t . . . L i t t l e S ig n s That Reveal
C haracter a t a G la n ce" ), f o r a n o th er f i v e d o l l a r s .

(S ee F ig . 5 .)

As some anonymous sa g e in th e 16th c e n tu r y d e c la r e d , "A f o o l and

h i s money are soon p a r te d ."
But back to A lbany.
I t i s perhaps a p p r o p r ia te th a t W illiam A. F a g a l, th e f i r s t
clergym an to u n it e a l l Am erica w ith a tr a n s c o n t in e n t a l r e l i g io u s t e l e
c a s t , sh o u ld be b o m in th e h i s t o r i c c i t y in w hich was adopted "the
f i r s t form al p r o p o s a l f o r a p o l i t i c a l union o f th e American c o lo n ie s "
Benjamin F r a n k lin 's c e le b r a t e d "Albany Plan o f U n ion ," in June, 1754.

A lbany, w hich c la im s to be th e o ld e s t e x i s t i n g town in the 13

o r ig in a l c o lo n ie s , and th e seco n d permanent s e t t le m e n t o p e r a tin g c o n t in
u o u sly under o r ig in a l c i t y c h a r te r in th e U n ited S t a t e s , was made th e
c a p it a l o f th e S ta te o f New York in 1797.^

1The L ite r a r y D i g e s t , Jan. 4 , 1919, 5 .

2

I b id . , Jan. 11, 1919, 4.

"^Quoted in B a r t l e t t , 9 9 9 .
^ P h ilip D avid son , "Albany C o n g ress," World Book E n cy clo p ed ia ,
I (1 9 6 0 ), 260.
^Paul Frank W heeler, "A lbany, N. Y .," E n c y clo p e d ia B r ita n n ic a ,
I (1 9 6 5 ), 5 1 5 .

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

The L iterary Digest f o r January' '4, 19'l9

O ne M ans. Accidental Discovery of the Most P otent

Pow er in Business and th e Quick A dvantage It G ave HIM ^

^
;;]

An Actual Episode in the W riters Progress

r u u tE ic r ho u k l a w

lARN HOW TO
g j f e f b iu i n tt i propoel*
JgoJntenatin*. P r e n t
S
S?
will get Ot.
WnUotL
iac-'talka.
ive tflc
r f e . pGlv
TalkWhea eroaUi

advertl*

In every conAvoid exp rets-

SJr^^OflrritaUon.
JSSv.Cultivate ease in

dlctlons.

io*nmnce.
gSlto.acUlng
invest-

SSSWiV*.

*****

Talk, wfien

W i r i * k a a . Talk

- I was stunned. I
hadn't c o n sid e re d
feven the possibility of\
such a thing.!.! h a d
no idea w hat .to-;say,
A . thousand "f :things
raced -' throughi-in y '
' mind,''none qf- .thera '
appropriate. .:';1'tried .
to think.of a gtjqiy; a '
reminiscehcein anec- ,
dote,' a n y th in g - tb
carry the thing .off
and get back;in my
chair. I fose slowly,
hands in my pockets,
andopenedmy mouth
to speak, hoping th at
a land P ro v id e n c e
..would send me words
'to use an d thoughts
^to express.

I hate to recall what followed. It is so

painful to me th at I have made every effort
to forget it. Those few minutes are practically
a blank in my mind. Hill, who was sitting
next to me, told me afterwards th at he could
not make much out of my remarks and that,
through nervousness, I jingled the keys in my
pocket so continually while I was on my feet
th a t it sounded like a sleigh-bell accompani
ment.. I know th at I sat down abruptly in'
the middle of a word and didn't look up from
my coffee cup for many minutes afterward.
I t was the most embarrassing moment I have
ever known in my life.

It has only been a few months since I first

followed Dr. Laws suggestions bu t the results
th at I can definitely trace to them seem in
credible to those who do not realize the tre
mendous power of trained, forceful speecji.
Last week I addressed a gathering of 3000
people a t a rally of our firms employee;. 'I
talked, as' naturally as I am writing this and
the point I urged with my hearers was carried
unanimously.
'
;

I have learned to secure complete attention

to what I was saying; to speak with the right
inflection and intonation; to make my words
,
: i .and sentences forceful and convincing; how
Worse yet, I had done myself a terrible in and when to use humor; how to start a talk,
and, perhaps as important as anything, when
justice. I was perfectly able to talk to a
group of men and-had done so many a-time ' to stop. For more practical, every day use,
in business, although looking back on it'11 > I have learned how to give directions, to exrealize th at I had always thought of the rights,; . plain things, to give oral reports, to dictateword just a little too late to use it and never' effective letters, an 3 how to be brief as well as
quite got the hang of rounding off the last , fluent. My vocabulary has enlarged so that.
sentence so th a t the strongest possible impres- ' I am able to select the exact word I want ai\d
sion was left with my hearers. I was just' use it with confidence.
1.
about average when it came to informal
My income has almost doubled, and a t the
speaking. B ut the home town" dinner had present
rate of increase will soon actually do so.
been the first time I had been expected, tb
priceless hint th a t reached me through
stand up without notice and say something The
th
at
most
embarrassing moment of
in a voice th a t could be heard by some two ' my life hasmiserable,
been worth more than ten years
hundred people. I shudder to this day as I of
actual business experience to me and its
think of it, yet the greatest good fortune of value
grows as my. prospects widen.
!,
my career has sprung from th a t humiliating
occasion.
,
Send No Money .
;
I wanted to apologize to some one for the
embarrassment I haa caused my hearers that
There has developed such a wide demand
night for I knew they suffered with me in my for Dr. Law's help by men and women every
mumbling monologue. I looked up the man where th a t he has written a course in eight
who had been chairman a t the meetinga easy lessons which any one can easily follow
man who had attained a prominent position with the same results as from his personal
in the city of our adoption. He asked me to course.
.
lunch with him very cordially and when I
brought up the subject of the weakness that
The Independent Corporation is so confi
I had shown he interrupted to say th at he was dent th at you will see a t once the tremendous
value of Dr. Law's Course in Mastery <pf
glad 1 mentioned it.
Speech th a t it is willing to send you the en
" Never mind apologizing," he continued. tire course on free examination.' Send do
| was on the point of getting in touch with ; money whatever. Simply mail the- coupon
you when you telephoned. I want to tell you or write a letter and the complete course will
something th at I have learned in several active' be sent you prepaid. You may send it back
yearsof businessduring which I have seen m en' any time within five days and yon will owe
rise and fall and in most cases I have known , nothing.
' . ...
. ; j,;
th e inside causes of their success or failure. ... ,
' i!If some experienced man had told me what . If you are pleased with, it, as thousands
of Other men and women have been,' serid
I,a m going to, tell you I would have been . only $5 in full payment. You take.no risk,
spared many years of almost fruitless effort. so mail the coupon now before ,this Offer js"
I have found th a t one of the very cornerstones , withdrawn. 'T,." i
of. success in any line is the ability to talk
^
V t

forcefully, concisely, pleasantly.; and to the :

f r e e ; e x a m i n a t i o n c o u p o n i
;
point whether it is to one man or to a thou
sand. Speech is the liiost im portant vehicle!;
of the mind. I t doesnt m atter what you know--'
if you cant tell it in the right way when the
time comes, you might just as; well not know it. | Dniska WB an tu E daato. DepL L 231,119 V at 40lk S tm t N.V,
The very intonation of every word is impor |,
Publishers .of T he Independent W eekly
ta n t.. In the modem World personality is th e ; | Please send m e D r. F rederick H o u k L aw 's C ourse
groundwork-of-progress, and. personality, is of-Business T alk in g and P ublic Speaking. "-M astery o f
chiefly expressed in spokeri words. W hat you . Speech, in 8 lessons. I w ill eith er rem ail th e.co u rse
you w ithin five d ay s a fte r its receip t p r send you
. sdy and the way you say it will make or break -I Ij to
f
i
i $5 in full pay m en t, j , .. .*
ypur career.
...... i
.. t:
Before w eparted th a t day I learned of the I v iV c m s ........'..........
work of Doctor Frederick Houk Law, a man I
| A ddress
.................
who is devoting his life to teaching business
m en how to talk. He was recommended by I C ity and Stale
the very man who had uncovered my.weak I ;
| U J . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
L-D , l- 4 - ia
point and I.got.in touch a t once.with him.

{Independent Corporation

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Fig. 4. Advertisement for speech improvement course in 1919.

t ET'S r o , said H ill, laying on

I
the desk before me a new spaper
-^ dipping. W ere sure to have;
tnmp fun out of it and m eet some o f
S c old crowd.
The item was an open invitation to
all former residents o f th e sm all city
that Charlie Hill and I th o u g h t o f as'
our home to w n to a tte n d a gettogether dinner of form er residents o f
the place.
I was enthusiastic ab o u t it and m et
Hill on the following F rid a y evening
at' the hotel w here th e . m eeting had
been called. F am iliar faces were every
where even before we' got to th e ban
quet room. I t seemed as if h a lf of the
friendly old tow n.had descended on the
hotel in a body.

, As we finished dinner th e chairm an

rapped for silence and th e crowd quiet
ed down expectantly. Speaker after
speaker was applauded generously and
each one of them h ad som ething inter
esting to say about people o r things
back home. Hill, m yself and a dozen
more in our group were en jo y in g a reg
ular neighborhood reunion w hen th e
blow. fell.
We are further honored to have with us
tonight," began the chairman and continued
with a flattering eulogy of the next
'speaker. I sat listen
i n g eagerly for the
' name, hoping it would
be some old friend
that I had not ..yet
seen, when he ended
up by looking directly
at me, calling me by
name and with'4wave
of his hand indicating
that 1 should rise and
say something to my
fellow townspeople. ;

The L iterary D igest f o r January 11, 1919.

24

The Simple Knack of Knowing All-About a Person at Sight

VERY ONE knows th a t a high fore spoke, and relied upon calm, mature judg-. the other the'student and counselor; and ahead indicates the intellectual type ment rather than brilliant strokes of ingenuity a: team they were remarkably successful..../
that a receding chin denotes weakness and wit.
* , * * .
The first man according to Dr. Blackford' . When the lecture was over it didn't talc
while a pronounced chin means determina
tionthese things and a few other signs are was active, restless, always on the go, im ' me long to get up to the platform and inquin
understood by all. But often these signs are patient, and able to express himself only in -. as to how I could learn more about-characte
counterbalanced by others which are just as some active, aggressive manner. The second reading,iand I found that Dr. Blackford ha<
apparent but which the average person man was studious, plodding an d ; constant, just,
completed a popular. Course th a t .ex
,'and expressed himself after prolonged con
doesn't know how to diagnose.
the whole thing and which would bi
As a consequence we often jump to con centration and careful thought. The first plainied
oh approval without -charge, for exam
clusions about people, which prove incorrect man, the dbctor said, was therefore especially sent
ination'.
I immediately wrote the publisher
because we don't carry our.observatiohs far equipped to execute plans, to carry to success and received
the Course by return mail. ' /
enough. It's like trying to read a sentence any course of action, but was not-particularly
when it came I Was never so amazet
by looking at the first one or two words. We qualified to make plans or to map out a course in And
my. lifefor here was the whole secret ii
might guess the sense biit more likely than
Seven fascinating lessons. No hard; study
not we'd go wrong. Yet once you have the
no-tiresome,
drudgery, just interesting, pic
secret, you can understand what all the little
tures and simple directions that-T couldn't g(
signs mean and get at a glance a complete
wr.orig oh. ,
'; .
.

picture of the characteristics of every

.- Why, the very .first lesson taught'.-' mi
person you meet, as easily as you. read this
pointers I could use right away, and it wa:
page.

only a m atter of a few weeks., before I WaI know this to be true for I used to be
able
at one quick but careful survey to .tel
about the poorest judge of character th at I
just what a man was like by wKat hi
know. I was always' making friends only to
looked like.
"
find that they were the wyong kind, or saying
And what a revelation it'w as!. F or ,thi
the wrong thing to my customers because I
first time I really knew people whom I though
had failed to size them up" correctly, or
I had known for years. It was all so simpli
lending money to people who never intended
now
th at it hardly seemed possible t h a t .-.
to pay me back. I even mac^e a costly mis
-could , have made such mistakes as I-. die
take by giving.up a good job to go into
before I heard of Dr. Blackford;,. .
partnership with a man who turned p u t to be
People to o k ' on a n e w 'in te re st. In stea d o f Jus
little short of a thief.
b lanks"cach one becam ea definite personality w ithoual
itles, tastes an d tra its which I w as alw ays able to "spot.*
- I Was pretty much discouraged by this
W hy, th e v ery a c t o f m eeting people becam e th e mbs
m *
time and I determined th at the thing for me
fascinating pastim e in th e w o rld .. A nd bow m uch mon
to do was to learn to read character, if such
clearly m y own character loomed u p to me. I knew.a
f
.r}
'H
i'
never before m y lim itations and m y capabilities.*: *
a thing as that was possible, for I felt t h a t . I '- ''I
B u t it has been in m y co n tact w ith people in buelnes
unless I did know whom I could trust
th a t m y new faculty has.helped m e m b s tr-to sa y .th a t i
and whom I couldn't, I . never would get
has been w o rth thousands o f dollars to m e-is to p u t i
mildly. . I t h as enabled me to select a new p a rtn e r wbi
. very far.
has proved th e b est help a m an ev er h ad it h as mad.
It was about this time th at I read an
it possible for ub to build u p prob ab ly th e m ost cfficien
article about Dr. Katherine M. H. Black
"frictionless organization in-our line o f business wit)
every m an in th e rig h t job it h as been th e m eans o
ford, who is recognized as the foremost char
m y securing th ousands of dollars' w o rth Of business f roh
acter analyst in this country, and who was .
1 men I h ad never been ab le to sell before because
employed by a big company a t .a record fee
" W hat I ve learned'enables me to know os h a d n 't judged th em correctly, fo r aftcr.ali salesmanshil
much about a m an the first time I meet >
is m ore in knowing th e man y o u 're dealing w ith th a n it
to select their employees. I thought: then .:
him a s his best friend sometimes more."
an y o th e r one thingand w h a t I'v e lcam cd-from Dr
that if hardheaded business-men paid such a
Blackford's lessons enables fhc to k n o w .as m uch abou'
salary as this in order to insure tneir getting
a m an th e first tim e I m eet h im a s h is best friend
j :
the right kind of workers that, there sure ' of actionhe could make practical use of . sometimes more,
I b i t a n y w onder th a t such concerns a s th e Scot'
must be something in character ' reading many different kinds of knowledge but did . P ap
er C om pany, - th e B aker-V aw tcr, C om pany, tin
forme.
'b
not have the patience or the power, of con- , W estinghouse Electric a n d M an ufacturing C om pany
; One day while in Pittsburg my eye was centration to.search out and classify the. an d others h ave sought D r; Blackford a s counselor; o:
th a t thousands of heads of large.corporations, salrameni
attracted to an announcement of ^ lecture knowledge so th at it could ,be used. While , .-.engineers,
.p h y sician s/ bankers a n d . educators hav>
on Character Analysis j by- Dri? Blackford he was a brilliant speaker, a resourceful and ,. studied h e r Course and say th a t th e benefit derived h'
. ,' 1
and I decided to go a n a see if I could learn .,- effective debater, he lacked the power to dig/I', w orth thousands of dollars to th em ? anything,..:.
out and assemble, the material for orations.'.
ui,,;
.. That
m at -lectc
-lecture was- an' eye opener! N ot ; .and debates. The second man, she continued,., .S e n d .N o . M o n ey s
Only did Dr; Blackford shoW how easy it Is/ being shy and self-conscious, could not'speak .,
Th&blggest snrprto About Dr. Blackfords Course yoi
to read at>a glance th e little signs th a t reveal., in public; b u t was a;master of study and re- -- :haven't
read yeten d that la the price* I f after examal persons character, bift .after:the. lecture,: search and strong in his -ability to classify-;' . Inlng the aeven le sio n s In your ow n hdme yoa decide U
keep the Coarse yon need only sen d $5 In foil payment
she gave a*-remarkable demonstration of-i and correlate all kinds of. knowledge, -' "
ere not entirely satisfied wJth the Course; s en d I
character reading, th at atnazed the audience, ,
Indeed,- said Dr. Blackford, this gentle-/ : If.yott
back and yon will owe nothing.
, . ' She asked the audience, to' select two people - man would be a remarkable success,as A-.
M erely sen d the coupon for It now without money
in the half,:tocom e up and be- analyzed. lawyer, especially .in court practice. The Other . or write a letter and U will b e sen t to y o a th a ig ti
. Several m ental! of them entirely unknown to . gentlemah-would be a remarkable success as prepaid*
Yon take no risk and yoa have everything to coin* *
Dr. Blackford,- were suggested: and finally,; a lawyer, b u t his particular field would be the.'/.'' mall the coupon* before th is remarkable offer i s withtwo were chosen. As they came upon the'; preparation of cases and the giving of counsel drawn* . . . .
platform. D r , -Blackford looked them over' to clients. Therefore," she went on,they ; 1 . FREE EXAMINATION COUPON
keenly'and, after a moment's thought, began ' would be particularlyfitted toworktogetheras
to analyze Jboth of them a t once. As she : .partners not only because, they complement:
mentioned the characteristics of one she'; each other professionally but because their '
described the corresponding characteristics in. - dispositions are such that they would naturally.
(Publishers of The Independent Weekly)
the other.
. ; admire and.respect each other.
Dept. B -231,119 Weat 40th S t., New York
'Beginning with generalities, she told the- ~Ab 'fihe said this the audience broke into a - Please send m e Dr. Blackfords Course o f sever
' audience, ,every one of whom'seemed to. storm of dpplause and upon inquiry I learned ' lessons called "Beading Character a t Sight." I wil
know both'men, th at one was a good muter, th at [the two' men were indeed lawyers and either remaQ the Coarse to yoa within five aays after It*
j'aftresslve, bold and determined, while the partners, th a t/th e y had been partners for/ receipt or send you $5.
. .other was more or less of a. recluse, very twenty years and were well known, in Pitts
burg for their intense affection for each other Name
elf-contained, quirt and gentle. .
*v.
. The first, she said, was brilliant,"deverp aod for the--fact th a t during their twenty.. Address .v..*'.. ..
.
y "
quick-witted and resourceful; the. second .a yean' partnership they have never had a disa
silent man, slow a i ^ deliberate when- -he j greement/ One was the brilliant trial,lawyer; ;

Independent Corporation

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

Fig. 5. Advertisement for phrenology-type character-determination course in 1919.

25
On th e day o f W illia m F a g a l's b i r t h , A lb a n y 's p o p u la tio n was
a p p ro x im a tely 1 1 1 ,0 0 0 .^

In 1919 i t ranked 5 0 th in a l i s t o f th e 100

l a r g e s t c i t i e s in th e U n ited S t a t e s .

I t s c i t i z e n r y was n o t as c o sm o p o lita n a s some o f th e i n d u s t r i a l

c i t i e s f a r t h e r e a s t , w hich had a t t r a c t e d a la r g e im m igrant p o p u la tio n ;
but th e 8.17% a l i e n s

(m o stly I t a l i a n s , I r i s h , German, P o l i s h , R u ssia n ,

3
and E n g lis h , in th a t ord er ) w ere a h ig h ly v i s i b l e m in o r ity . P a r tic u
l a r l y th e I t a l i a n s .
Anna F agal s t i l l remembers th e I t a l i a n s - - l a r g e s t m in o r ity b lo c

in to w n - - p o s s ib ly b eca u se th e y m a in ta in e d a s t y l e o f l i v i n g q u it e s im ila r
to t h a t w hich th e y had m a in ta in e d in th e o ld c o u n tr y .

To t h i now

th o ro u g h ly A m erican ized f i r s t - g e n e r a t i o n h o u se w ife whose fa t h e r had come

from Germany, th e I t a l i a n s seem ed dow nright u n a t t r a c t i v e , what w ith t h e i r
4
women " s t ic k in g to bandanas around t h e i r h eads and d r e s s in g i n b la c k ."
Her son tod ay a l s o adds t h a t h is mother
a ls o remembers some o f th e s e I t a l i a n im m igrant men s t r i v i n g
f o r p o l i t i c a l o f f i c e , and sh e had f e e l i n g s o f r esen tm en t
about t h i s . 5
L ocated on th e Hudson R iv e r , 142 m ile s n o r th o f New York C ity ,
Albany was s e r v e d n o t o n ly by numerous steam b oat l i n e s , b u t by fo u r
r a ilr o a d s as w e ll:

th e B oston

A lban y, West S h o re, New York C e n tr a l,

^The N. Y. S t a t e Census o f 1915 gave A lbany a p o p u la tio n o f

107,979 ( World Almanac, 1919, 2 9 6 ); b y 1920 th e d e c e n n ia l U. S . Census
f ig u r e f o r A lbany was 1 1 3 ,3 4 4 (U. S . Bureau o f th e C en su s, U. S . Census
P o p u la tio n :
1960. Number o f I n h a b it a n t s , New Y ork. F in a l Report
PC (1 )-3 4 A [W ashington: U. S . Government P r in t in g O f f i c e , 1 9 6 1 ], 3 4 -3 9 .
C ited h e r e a f t e r as U. S . Census P o p u la tio n :
1960.
^World Almanac, 1920, 134.
3World Almanac, 1923, 4 5 6 .
^W illiam F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 1 8 , 1967, 3.

^ Ib id .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

26
and th e Delaware & Hudson.

One contem porary g a z e t t e p o in te d o u t th a t in

A lbany, in 1919, were to be found:

Numerous and e x t e n s iv e ir o n fo u n d r ie s , la r g e b o a t and shoe
f a c t o r i e s , numerous b r e w e r ie s and m alt h o u s e s , m anufactures
o f p ia n o s , card b o a rd , m e t a l l i c w a res, c o n f e c t io n e r y ,
s h i r t s and c o l l a r s , e t c .
Large d i s t r i b u t i n g t r a d e ,
e s p e c i a l l y in lumber. . . . S t a t e Normal C o lle g e , and numer
ous i n s t i t u t i o n s o f le a r n in g .*
Today, Anna F a g a l's memories o f Albany c o n s i s t m o stly o f h er
e x c u r s io n s in ta k in g v i s i t o r s to th e
and S t a t e Museum.

c i t y around to s e e th e S t a t e

C a p ito l

"A p p a r e n tly ,1' son W illiam m uses,

when fr ie n d s and r e l a t i v e s w ould come from S ch e n e c ta d y , th e

C a p ito l and S t a t e Museum w ould p r o v id e v e ry un usual e n t e r
tain m en t f o r f o lk who had come so fa r !
I b e l i e v e th e
d is ta n c e betw een th e c i t i e s now i s n o t much more than 10-15
m ile s , and perhaps a t th a t tim e was around 2 0 . However,
t r a v e l was c e r t a in ly more lim i t e d back t h e n . 2
The b ig g e s t news s t o r y in Albany on January
th e g o v ern o rsh ip o f A lfr e d E. S m ith ,

17, 1919,

was s t i l l

which had made i t s debut 17 days

b e fo r e W illiam F a g a l s b ir t h and was now moving forw ard w ith a l a c r i t y .

In tim e, A1 Sm ith w ould make h i s t o r y as th e f i r s t man to s e r v e fo u r
terms as Governor o f New York (1 9 1 9 -2 1 ; 1 9 2 3 -2 8 ), and th e f i r s t Roman
C a th o lic to r e c e iv e s e r io u s c o n s id e r a t io n as a ca n d id a te fo r th e U n ited
S ta te s P r e s id e n c y .
Sm ith , a D em ocrat, squeaked i n t o o f f i c e in th e G eneral E le c t io n
h e ld November 5 , 1918, in w h ich , n a t i o n a l l y , R epub lican m a j o r it ie s were

^N. W. Ayer S on s American Newspaper Annual D ir e c to r y , 1919

(P h ila d e lp h ia : N. W. Ayer Son, I n c . , 1 9 1 9 ), 620.
2W illiam Fagal L e t t e r , J u ly 18, 1967, 3.
3

Henry Fow les P r in g le and O scar H an d lin , " A lfred Emmanuel S m ith ,"
E n gyclop ed ia B r ita n n ic a , XX (1 9 6 5 ) , 828. For a r e c e n t s p le n d id stu d y o f
the r e l i g i o u s i s s u e in th e E le c t io n o f 1928, c f . E lto n Harvey W a lla ce,
"A lfred E. S m ith , th e R e lig io u s I s s u e : Oklahoma C ity , Septem ber 2 0 ,
1928" (u n p u b lish ed Ph.D . d i s s e r t a t i o n , D ept, o f Sp eech , M ichigan S t a t e
U n iv e r s it y , 1 9 6 5 ).

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

27
r e tu r n e d in b o th h o u ses

o f C ongress in W ashington .

a ls o remembered as th e f i r s t one in

w hich th e

H is e l e c t i o n i s

women o f NewYork were

e l i g i b l e t o v o t e , woman s u ffr a g e h a v in g been approved as an amendment to

2
th e S t a t e c o n s t i t u t i o n by th e e l e c t o r a t e in th e f a l l o f 1917 - - t h i s
n e a r ly th r e e y e a r s in advance o f th e r a t i f i c a t i o n o f th e N in e te e n th
Amendment by t h r e e - f o u r t h s o f th e U n ited S t a t e s (on A ugust 2 6 , 1920)
which s u b s e q u e n tly gave
C u r io u s ly , Anna

th e v o te to th e women

o f th e

F agal tod ay remembers l i t t l e

o th e r 47 s t a t e s .
about A1 S m ith ,

whose g o v e rn o rsh ip began o n ly two and a h a l f weeks b e fo r e th e b i r t h o f

h er f i r s t b o r n .

She remembers him c h i e f l y as b e in g " th e man w ith th e

brown derby"; and sh e remembers e x e r c i s i n g h e r f r a n c h is e in t h a t f i r s t

s t a t e e l e c t i o n open to women v o te r s two months b e f o r e , in which sh e c a s t
h er f i r s t v o te a g a in s t Sm ith.

The i s s u e o f h i s C a th o lic ism was an

im p ortan t one even in th e s t a t e g u b e r n a to r ia l c o n t e s t , i t seem s.

Sm ith won th e g o v ern o rsh ip w ith o u t Anna F a g a l's v o t e , w hich p r o

v id e d him a s a la r y o f $ 1 0 ,0 0 0 , th e u se o f th e G overn or's M ansion, and a
chance a t n a t io n a l p o l i t i c s , by a m in u scu le m a jo r ity o f 1 4 ,0 0 0 v o t e s . 4
Governor Whitman, h i s R epub lican opp onent, n o t o n ly r e f u s e d t o concede

1Gorton Corruth ( e d . ) , The E n c y clo p e d ia o f American F a c ts and

D a te s, 3rd ed . (New York: Thomas Y. C row ell Company, 1 9 6 2 ), 4 5 0 -5 1 .
2A lfr e d E. S m ith , Up to Now:
V ik in g P r e s s , 1 9 2 9 ), 164.

An A utobiography (New York:

The

^ W illiam F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 18, 1967, 3 . C oncerning h i s p a r e n ts '

p o l i t i c a l p r o c l i v i t i e s , Fagal w r ite s fu r th e r :
"Dad and Mother were
alw ays R ep u b lican s e x c e p t fo r th e b r i e f p e r io d . . . when S o c ia lis m was
a c c e p te d by them b e c a u se o f t h e i r a d m ira tio n f o r George Lund. They
alw ays to o k t h e i r r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s v e r y s e r i o u s l y in v o t in g . P a r t o f
t h i s may have b een cau sed by th e f a c t th a t my U ncle Henry [F a g a l] e n te r e d
p o l i t i c s (my D ad's b r o th e r ) and became Mayor o f S ch en ecta d y . T h is s o r t
o f th in g gave them a v e ry d e f i n i t e rea so n fo r b e in g much i n t e r e s t e d in
l o c a l p o l i t i c s ; and t h i s [con cern ] ex ten d ed to n a t io n a l p o l i t i c s a ls o ."
(I b i d .)
^ P r in g le , A lfr e d E. Sm ith, 2 3 3 .

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28
i

th e e l e c t i o n , h u t i n s t i t u t e d c o u r t p r o c e e d in g s c h a r g in g e l e c t i o n fr a u d .
As a r e s u l t , th e g o v e r n o r - e le c t d id n o t r e c e iv e o f f i c i a l c e r t i f i c a t i o n
from th e S e c r e ta r y o f S t a t e u n t i l th e end o f December.

On December 30, 1918, two and o n e - h a lf weeks b e fo r e W illia m

F a g a l's b ir t h in A lban y, A1 Sm ith and h is fa m ily a r r iv e d in town and
moved i n t o th e E x e c u tiv e M ansion.

I t was A l's 4 5 th b ir th d a y .

A c h a r it y

in a u g u ra l b a l l was h e ld th e f o llo w in g e v e n in g a t th e T enth Regiment

Armory, and on New Y e a r 's Day Sm ith to o k th e o a th o f o f f i c e as New Y ork 's
45th Governor in th e Assem bly chamber.
W ithin a week o f th e in a u g u r a tio n , th ou san d s o f p r o s p e c t iv e
mothers l i k e Anna F agal were alarm ed a t a th r e a te n e d "m ilk fam ine"
because o f a q u a r r e l betw een th e d is t r i b u t o r s and th e p ro d u cers o f m ilk .
The new govern or rod e from A lbany down to New York C ity , met th e r e p r e
s e n t a t iv e s o f th e c o n te n d in g p a r t i e s , and, in S m ith 's w ord s, " a d ju ste d
t h e ir d if f e r e n c e s so th a t th e flo w o f m ilk so n e c e s s a r y t o th e l i f e
New York was resum ed im m ed ia tely a f t e r th e c o n fe r e n c e . "

of

Upon e n t e r in g o f f i c e , Governor Sm ith fa c e d in c r e a s in g an tagon ism s

between c a p i t a l and la b o r b e c a u se o f i n d u s t r i a l s t r i k e s , a n a tu r a l o u t
growth o f th e u n r e s t th rou gh ou t th e co u n try g e n e r a ll y .

One o f h i s f i r s t

a d m in istr a tio n a c ts in t h i s s e n s i t i v e a r e a was t o d e s ig n a te M iss F rances

P erk in s, whom he had e a r l i e r a p p o in te d a member o f th e S t a t e I n d u s t r ia l
Commission, as h i s p e r s o n a l r e p r e s e n t a t iv e s to h e lp n e g o t ia t e some o f
the s t r i k e s . 3

I t was c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f h is w i l l i n g n e s s to do th e u n o r th

odoxmany s t i l l h e ld a woman's p la c e to be in th e home and, l i k e s o

much e l s e o f th e Sm ith a d m in is tr a tio n , th e d e c is i o n was c o n t r o v e r s i a l.

1 Sm ith,
4

I b id . ,

167.
1 7 8 -7 9 .

I b id . ,

169.

I b id . , 1 7 -7 1 .

I b i d . , 1 7 6 -7 7 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

29
The m ost im p ortan t m a tter b e fo r e th e l e g i s l a t u r e in Albany on
January 1 , 1919, was th e r a t i f i c a t i o n or r e j e c t i o n o f th e 18th Amendment.
Governor Sm ith r e c o ile d - - a n d made no e f f o r t t o h id e h i s p e r so n a l r e v u l
s io n a t th e " ta sk o f making America so b e r by s t a t u t e " ; and he p roposed
a s ta te w id e referendum on th e i s s u e t o d eterm in e th e e x p r e s s io n o f th e
w i l l o f th e m a jo r ity .
"I b e l i e v e ," he s a id in h i s f i r s t annual m essage to th e law
m akers, " i t i s our duty to a s c e r t a in t h e i r w i l l d i r e c t l y upon t h i s
s u b je c t." ^
But th e G.O.P. m a j o r it ie s in b o th h o u s e s , a id e d and a b e tte d by
the A n ti-S a lo o n L eague, c a r r ie d th e day;
January 29,

and th e Amendment was r a t i f i e d

an a c t io n now made academ ic by N eb ra sk a s c r u c ia l r a t i f i c a

t io n 13 days e a r l i e r .
But o f th e t r u ly g ig a n t ic problem s f a c in g New York, as o th e r
s t a t e s , a t th e b e g in n in g o f 1919, Sm ith h im s e l f , a decade l a t e r , w ould
w r ite o f t h a t c r u c ia l January:
Due in la r g e p a r t to th e e f f e c t s o f th e war upon th e
government th e a f f a i r s o f th e s t a t e were in a c h a o t ic con
d itio n .
I was in a u g u r a te d o n ly sev e n w eeks a f t e r th e s ig n in g
o f th e A r m ista ce . As m ight have b een e x p e c t e d , th e r e g u la r
and o r d e r ly p ro ced u re o f th e s t a t e s b u s in e s s had been
in t e r r u p t e d by th e n e c e s s a r y war work and much r o u t in e work
had been n e g le c t e d . The s t a t e ' s p la n t was run down. P u b lic
c o n s tr u c tio n o f a l l k in d s had c e a s e d . War c o n d it io n s and
th e h ig h p r ic e o f la b o r had bankrupted th e c o n tr a c to r s who
had un d ertak en s t a t e work. The r e tu r n o f th e s t a t e tr o o p s
and t h e i r rea d ju stm en t to a p e a c etim e b a s i s was c a u s in g much
co n cern . War had shown n e g l e c t and c a r e le s s n e s s in d e a lin g
w ith p u b lic h e a lt h . The c o m p lic a te d problem s o f t a x a t io n
needed s p e c i a l a t t e n t io n . There was an a c u te h o u sin g
s h o r ta g e due t o a le t-d o w n in b u ild in g d u rin g th e war p e r io d .
Employment had to be found a t home, in a d e c r e a s in g m arket,
f o r th e fou r-h u n d red -od d th ousand men and women who had gone

^ C ited in P r in g le , A lfr e d E. S m ith , 3 2 0 -2 1 .

^Sm ith, 1 8 3 -8 6 .

^ P r in g le , A lfr e d E. S m ith , 321.

L
Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

to th e war from New York S t a t e , and th e r i s e i n th e c o s t o f

l i v i n g p r e s e n te d a n o th e r p r e s s in g d i f f i c u l t y .*
T hus, th e w orld o f A lban y, New York, and th e N a tio n , in t o which
W illiam Fagal was b o m on January 1 7 , 1919.

Fam ily Background and E a r ly Y ears:

1919-1930

P a r e n ts 1 back grou n d . C h r is tia n W. [W illia m ] F a g a l was b o m in

S ch en ecta d y , N. Y ., on J u ly 2 4 , 1 8 8 9 , th e son o f C h a rles F agal and
E liz a b e th M unsell F a g a l, a f i r s t - g e n e r a t i o n A m erican.

C h r is t ia n 's

broom-maker fa t h e r had b een born i n Germany in 1852 and had s e t t l e d in

S chenectady a f t e r em m igratin g to th e U n ited S t a t e s from th e "Old C ountry.
His

p a r e n ts were b o th members o f th e L utheran Church, and r a is e d t h e i r

son

in th e n u rtu re and ad m on ition o f th e Lord as a communicant o f

th a t

p e r su a sio n . 2
Young C h r is tia n grew to manhood in S c h e n e c ta d y and was appren
t ic e d as a to o l-m a k e r a t th e G en eral E l e c t r i c f a c t o r y .

He su b se q u e n tly

worked th e r e a t t h a t o c c u p a tio n f o r m ost o f th e rem ain d er o f h i s l i f e ,

save f o r a th r e e -y e a r p e r io d o f s e r v i c e as C om m issioner o f W elfare fo r
the c i t y d u rin g th e m id d le 1 9 3 0 s .3

the

One o f C h r is t ia n 's b r o t h e r s , Henry F a g a l, f u r t h e r d is t in g u is h e d

4
fa m ily name by s e r v in g two term s as mayor o f S c h e n e c ta d y .
As a young man, C h r is tia n F a g a l met and f e l l in lo v e w ith Anna

Mary F r i t s c h l e r , a ls o b o m in S c h e n e c ta d y , on December 2 , 1891.

1

S m ith, 186.

Like

Anna F agal L e t t e r , O c t. 1 7 , 1966, 1.

3F agal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1 9 6 6 , 1.
^"Biography on P a s to r W illia m A. F a g a l, Founder and Speaker o f
F aith f o r Today," [mimeographed f a c t s h e e t , F a ith f o r Today P u b lic
R e la tio n s D e p t., c . 1 9 6 5 ), 1. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as F agal B iography Fact
S h e e t.

i^

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31
C h r is tia n , a f i r s t - g e n e r a t i o n A m erican, Anna had much in common w ith h e r
b eau .

Her f a t h e r , Henry F r i t s c h l e r , had been b o m in Germany i n 1864,

and was a ls o a m a c h in ist by t r a d e .

And h e , t o o , was a Lutheran by

r e l i g i o u s p e r s u a s io n ; a lth o u g h A nna's m other, Mary D errick F r i t s c h l e r ,

was a n o n -p r a c tic in g Roman C a th o lic .^
C h r is tia n W illia m F agal and Anna Mary F r i t s c h l e r were u n it e d in
m arriage on Septem ber

, 1915; he was 2 6 , sh e n o t q u ite 2 4 .

A year

l a t e r found them in B r id g e p o r t, C o n n e c tic u t, where th e y f i r s t heard and

th en a c c e p te d th e p ro p h ecy -b a sed m essage o f S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts ,

as

a lr e a d y m entioned above.

"W hat's in a name?" - - C h r is t ia n and Anna F a g a l's e l d e s t son was

born a t A lbany, January 17, 1919; and Anna wanted t o name th e
12 o z . baby " W illiam ," h e r h u sb a n d 's m id dle name.

lb s .

C h r is tia n a g reed , b u t

was v e r y d e c id e d th a t th e c h i l d ' s m id dle name sh o u ld be I s a a c , in honor

o f one o f h is b r o th e r s who b o re t h a t name.

Anna demurred, b u t q u ie t l y ;

and when th e i n f a n t ' s b ir t h c e r t i f i c a t e was f i l e d in Albany i t read

s im p ly , "W illiam F a g a l.
L a te r , when W illiam rea ch ed th e age o f n in e or te n , he became
q u ite s e n s i t i v e to th e f a c t t h a t he had no m id dle name, as h i s s c h o o l
mates a l l d id ; so he prom ptly r e c t i f i e d th e m a tter in an in g e n io u s , i f
n o n - le g a l, manner:

he m erely added a m iddle i n i t i a l .

Years l a t e r he

t o ld how
th e "A" was s e l f - i n s e r t e d . . . b e c a u se o f my ad m iration
f o r a s c h o o l chum named A rthur M acin tosh [o r M a c in to sh ]. . . .
We p a r te d company when I was about 11 and I n e v e r heard o f

^Anna F agal L e t t e r , O ct. 1 7 , 1966, 1.

^I b i d . , 2 .
7
I n te r v ie w w ith Mrs. V ir g in ia R itte n h o u se F a g a l, w ife o f W illiam
A. F a g a l, New York, O ct. 2 4 , 1966, 1. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as V ir g in ia Fagal
I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 4 , 1966.

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32
him a g a in . However, th e "A" rem ained. On le g a l m a tter s I
must s ig n "W illiam A. ( i n i t i a l o n ly ) F a g a l." I have no
l e g a l m id d le name b u t b e c a u se o f my c o n s ta n t u se o f "A"
through th e y e a r s [I ] have b een a d v ise d th a t I
sh o u ld con
tin u e t o u se i t w ith th e a fo r e m en tio n ed e x p la n a t io n .*
T hus, W illiam "A." F agal jo in e d a s e l e c t group (which in c lu d e s ,
among o t h e r s , form er P r e s id e n t Harry "S." Truman) w hich gave i t s e l f th e
appearance ( i f n o t th e s u b s ta n c e ) o f a m iddle name in ord er n o t to be
out o f s te p w ith th e custom s and e x p e c t a t io n s o f contem porary s o c i e t y .

E a rly c h ild h o o d . S e v e r a l months a f t e r W illia m 's b i r t h , th e

Fagal h o u se h o ld moved from Albany t o C ranford, New J e r s e y , where th ey
liv e d l e s s th an one y e a r .

Then th e y r e tu r n e d t o New York, s e t t l i n g a t

I l i o n , where C h r is tia n found work w ith th e Remington Rand C o rp o ra tio n .

There b e in g no S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church a t I l i o n , th e fa m ily w or
sh ip p ed each Saturday a t th e nearb y town o f H erkim er.^
During th e I l io n s o jo u r n , a seco n d so n , H arold Edward, was b o m
to Anna and C h r is tia n F a g a l, on May 5 , 1923.

Upon grow ing to manhood,

Harold fo llo w e d h i s e ld e r b r o th e r in t o th e A d v e n tist g o s p e l m in is t r y .

He was o r d a in e d in J u n e, 1944,

l a t e r o b ta in e d a B a ch elo r o f D iv in it y

degree from h is d e n o m in a tio n 's t h e o lo g i c a l sem inary a t W ashington, D. C .,

and

tod ay i s an a s s i s t a n t p r o f e s s o r o f r e l i g i o n on

o f Loma Linda U n iv e r s it y ,

a fo u r -y e a r l i b e r a l a r ts

th e La S ie r r a campus
d i v i s i o n o f th e

i n s t i t u t i o n w hich i s o p e r a te d by h i s church a t R iv e r s id e , C a lif o r n i a .^

''Letter from W illiam A. F a g a l, New York, O ct. 17, 1 9 6 6 ., 2 - 3 .

C ited h e r e a f t e r as W illia m F agal L e tte r , O ct. 17, 1966.
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 2 .
3

Anna F agal L e t t e r , 2 .

^ L etter from R ichard B. L ew is, (th en ) academ ic dean, La S ie r r a

C o lle g e , R iv e r s id e , C a l i f . , Nov. 4 , 1966, 1.

li

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33
Young W illiam a tten d e d k in d e r g a r te n and th e f i r s t grade o f
elem en tary s c h o o l in I l i o n . *

S c h o o lin g and m usic le s s o n s k e p t b o th th e

Fagal so n s ou t o f m i s c h i e f - - g e n e r a l l y .

Today, W illia m r e c a l l s :

In th e home in which I grew up we alw ays had a p ia n o . My

f a t h e r p la y e d and was m ost a n x io u s th a t b o th o f us boys
le a r n to p la y .
For t h i s r e a s o n , p ia n o le s s o n s w ere s t a r t e d
e a r ly ; and M other, who had no m u sic a l a b i l i t y o f h e r own,
had th e f u l l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f s e e in g t o i t th a t h e r boys
p r a c t ic e d f a i t h f u l l y . T h is was n o t alw ays e a sy to accom
p l i s h , and som etim es had to be accom panied w ith d ir e
th r e a ts and w arn in gs. However, somehow b o th o f us g o t
through a l l o f t h a t , and have been most g r a t e f u l e v e r s in c e
fo r our knowledge o f m u s i c . ^
Young B i l l i e ' s d e s i r e ev en b e fo r e he e n te r e d th e f i r s t grade o f
s c h o o l to become a f u l l - f l e d g e d p r e a ch er som etim es g o t him i n t o d i f f i
c u lt y , h is b r o th e r Harold now r e c a l l s w ith a g r in :
In I l i o n we l i v e d in a m u lt ip le - f a m ily d w e llin g w hich had a
r a in b a r r e l a t th e co rn er o f th e h ou se t o c a tc h r a in w a ter
which th e la d i e s lik e d t o u se in w ashing t h e i r h a i r . B i l l ,
how ever, found o th e r u s e s f o r i t l i k e b a p t iz in g th e
neighborhood c a t s . One day th e la d y n e x t d o o r, v e r y d i s
tr a u g h t, came to Mother and d e c la r e d w ith some vehem ence,
"W illiam i s a bad a c to r !" Mother d is p u te d th e f a c t :
"Why
do you say th a t? " "W ell," r e p l i e d th e n e ig h b o r , "because
he i s drowning c a ts !" J u s t th e n , b e fo r e Mother c o u ld sa y a
word in B i l l ' s d e fe n s e , a drenched c a t ran p a s t them b o th .
The p r e c e d in g Sabbath we had w itn e s s e d a b a p tism a t our
church; and B i l l , o b v io u s ly , was m ost im p ressed ! S e r io u s ly ,
though, I n e v e r can remember a tim e when he d id n 't want to
be a m i n i s t e r .4

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 2 .

^A rdice Branson, "W illiam F agal--T V P a s to r ," T e l e - n o t e s : F a ith
fo r Today T e le v ie w e r s ' M onthly, A p r il, 1958, 3 . P e r io d ic a l c i t e d h e r e
a f t e r sim p ly as T e l e - n o t e s .
^W illiam F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 18, 1967, 2 - 3 .
^ In terv iew w ith H arold E. F a g a l, b r o th e r o f W illiam A. F a g a l,
R iv e r s id e , C a l i f . , D ec. 19, 1966, 1 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as H arold F agal
In te r v ie w .

i
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34
The f a c t t h a t th e A d v e n tis ts p r a c t ic e d b a p tism by t o t a l im m ersion
undoub tedly had a d i s q u i e t i n g e f f e c t in th e F agal n eig h b o rh o o d , a t l e a s t
among th e c a t-o w n e r s .
In 1926, th e F agal h o u se h o ld moved on t o S c h e n e c ta d y , e n a b lin g
C h r is tia n F agal t o r e tu r n t o h i s to o l-m a k e r 's tr a d e a t th e G eneral
E l e c t r i c p l a n t , and h i s son W illia m t o b e g in th e seco n d grade in elem en
ta ry s c h o o l.

Young B i l l i e w ould rem ain in t h a t p u b lic s c h o o l sy stem

u n t i l he had com p leted h i s h ig h s c h o o l s t u d ie s in 1 9 3 5 .1

S c h e n e c ta d y s p o p u la tio n on J u ly 1, 1926, was e s tim a te d by th e
U. S. Census Bureau a t 9 3 ,0 0 0 in h a b it a n t s .

L ocated 15 m ile s n o rth w est

o f W illia m 's b ir t h p la c e , A lban y, th e c i t y was on th e Mohawk R iv er and

th e Barge C anal; i t was s e r v e d by th e New York C en tra l and th e D elaw are
5 Hudson r a i l r o a d s .

A lthough la r g e l y a " o n e-em p lo y er c i t y

(G eneral

E l e c t r i c ) , S ch en ecta d y a l s o b o a s te d a la r g e lo c o m o tiv e w ork s, p l a s t e r

and fe e d m i l l s , and s m a ll m a n u fa ctu rin g p la n s p ro d u cin g such d iv e r s e
p rod u cts as broom s, v a r n is h , fir e w o r k s , b a s e b a l l s , and condensed m ilk .
And i t s e r v e d , o f c o u r s e , as th e county s e a t fo r S ch en ecta d y County.

The p o p u la tio n was e q u a ll y d iv e r s e and c o sm o p o lita n , as W illiam

and H arold F agal would d is c o v e r as th e y m in g led w ith t h e i r c la s s m a te s in
t h e i r sch o o lro o m s.

In a d d it io n to th e u s u a l major morning (G a z e tte ) and

ev en in g ( Union S ta r ) new spapers found in a c i t y o f t h i s s i z e , S ch en ectad y

a ls o su p p o rted fo u r fo r e ig n -la n g u a g e w e e k lie s (th e P o lis h G azeta Tygodniow a, th e German H e r o ld -J o u r n a l, th e I t a l i a n C o r r ie r e d i S c h e n e c ta d y ,

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 2 .

^World Almanac, 1927, 32 5 . The c i t y s o f f i c i a l p o p u la tio n in
1920 was 8 8 ,7 2 3 ; and a decade l a t e r , 9 5 ,6 9 2 (U. S . Census P o p u la tio n :
1960, 3 4 - 4 2 ) .
^Ayer D ir e c to r y , 1929, 7 7 2 -7 3 .

It! ii*.
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35

and th e I t a lia n - E n g lis h Record) i n a d d it io n t o th e S o c ia lis t - L a b o r

w eek ly C i t i z e n .^
S ch en ectad y was a l s o a f a i r l y r e l i g i o u s c i t y perhaps in p a r t a
r e f l e c t i o n o f i t s s tr o n g im m igrant p o p u la tio n .

In 1 9 2 6 --th e y e a r o f th e

Fagal move to th e c it y - - S c h e n e c t a d y s ch u rch es cla im ed as members 5 8 ,0 0 2

o f th e 9 3 ,0 0 0 t o t a l p o p u la tio n .

N e a rly h a l f o f them (3 4 ,0 3 8 ) were Roman

C a th o lic , th e rem ainder b e in g d iv id e d among th e M eth o d ists ( 5 ,2 1 4 ) , Jews

( 3 ,5 0 0 ) , P r e s b y te r ia n s ( 2 ,6 0 6 ) , Reformed ( 2 ,6 0 1 ) , L utherans ( 2 ,4 9 3 ) ,
E p isco p a le a n s ( 2 ,4 0 2 ) , B a p t is t s
C h r is tia n S c i e n t i s t s

( 2 ,2 3 4 ) , C o n g r e g a tio n a lis ts ( 3 7 6 ) ,

( 1 5 7 ) , and a s c a t t e r i n g o f sm a ll groups ( in c lu d in g

2
S even th -d ay A d v e n t is t s , w h ic h , w ith th e F agal fa m ily , numbered 76 )

which were n o t l i s t e d in th e Census B ureau 's l i s t i n g o f "Church Members

in Large American C it ie s " th a t y e a r .

C h r is tia n F agal ren d e re d d is t in g u is h e d s e r v ic e to C h r is t as a

la y p rea ch er and l o c a l e ld e r f o r 16 y e a r s in th e S ch en ecta d y S ev en th -d a y
A d v e n tist Church.

D uring s i x o f t h e s e , he was a ls o a r e g u la r sp ea k er a t

th e neighb orh ood Advent C h r is tia n Church^ ea ch Sunday m orning.^

Thus,

W illiam , who a tte n d e d w ith h i s f a t h e r b o th Saturday and Sunday m ornin gs,

1

I b id .

?
H arold F a g a l I n te r v ie w , 1.

% o r ld Almanac and Book o f F a c ts f o r 1934, 386.

^This d en om in ation , as S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t s , had i t s h i s t o r i c
r o o ts in th e Great Advent Movement p io n e e r e d by B a p t is t W illia m M ille r ,
in New E ngland, in th e e a r ly 1 8 4 0 s.
F o llo w in g th e "Great D isappoin tm ent"
o f O ctober 22, 1844, when C h r is t f a i l e d t o r e tu r n t o e a r th as p r e d ic t e d ,
one group o f " A d v e n tists" c o n tin u e d in th e M i l l e r i t e t r a d i t i o n o f wor
sh ip p in g on Sunday ( e v e n t u a lly becom ing th e Advent C h r is tia n C hurch),
w h ile a n o th er (w hich u lt im a t e l y became th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church)
began to o b serv e th e s e v e n th -d a y Saturday as t h e i r Sabbath.
In b o th
groups a s tr o n g b e l i e f in th e imm inent r e tu r n o f J e su s C h r ist to t h is
ea rth i s an im p ortan t t e n e t o f f a i t h y e t to d a y .
^Branson, 3.

JL
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g o t a d o u b le -d o se o f h i s d a d 's p r e a c h in g each weekend!

And., fo r good

m easure, he would som etim es accompany h is grandm other to h e r Lutheran

Church s e r v ic e s on Sundays d u rin g h i s childhood.'*'

It is lit t le

to be

wondered a t th a t a t th e age o f two W illia m F agal knew betw een f i f t e e n

and tw en ty hymns by h e a r t .

J u n io r High S ch o o l and High S ch o o l Y ears:

1930-1935

Young B i l l a tte n d e d th e s e v e n t h , e ig h t h , and n in th grades a t th e

C en tral Park I n te r m e d ia te S ch o o l in S ch en ecta d y d u rin g 1 9 3 0 -1 9 3 3 .

-z

A H allow een p r a n k .--O n H allow een n ig h t when B i l l was 13, he and

th re e s c h o o l chums from th e s e v e n th -g r a d e w ent o u t to have some fu n .
"We d id n 't know a n y th in g about ' t r i c k or t r e a t 1 i n my d a y ," he r e c a ll e d
la t e r ; " i t was a l l t r ic k s f o r u s ," c o n s i s t i n g m o stly o f r in g in g d o o r b e lls
and th en running f o r dear l i f e down th e s t r e e t to a v o id d e t e c t io n .

On

o c c a s io n th e y m ight engage " in what we c o n s id e r e d th e h e ig h t o f p e r v e r s e

w ick ed n ess and in s e r t e d a p in in th e d o o r b e ll, c a u sin g i t t o c o n tin u e
r in g in g s t e a d ily " u n t i l d is c o v e r e d and rem oved.^
As th e hour approached a t w hich th e boys were e x p e c te d back home,
th ey tu rn ed t h e i r s t e p s r e l u c t a n t l y in th a t d i r e c t i o n .

S u d d en ly , one o f

th e boys s p ie d a lo a d ed b u t te m p o r a r ily u n a tten d ed b e e r tru ck parked

a c r o ss th e s t r e e t and m otioned th e o th e r s t o f o llo w him as he dashed
over to i t .
1

Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 1.

Branson, 3.

^Fagal L e t t e r , O ct. 17, 1 966, 3.

^By F a ith I L ive ( N a s h v ille :
1 9 6 5 ), 172.

Southern P u b lis h in g A s s o c ia t io n ,

i
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37

"Grab a b o t t l e and r u n ," he w h isp ered t o th e o t h e r s .

prom ptly d id s o , b u t W illiam h e s i t a t e d .

A ll th re e

Because o f th e danger o f d i s

c o v er y , th e fo u r la d s took t o t h e i r h e e l s and l a t e r sto p p ed b r e a t h le s s

a t a v a c a n t l o t down th e s t r e e t s e v e r a l b lo c k s away.

D e s p ite th e

i n i t i a l i r r i t a t i o n o f th e b o y s a t B i l l ' s h a v in g b een " c h ic k e n ," th ey

g e n e r o u sly o f f e r e d t o sh a r e th e s p o i l s w ith him and prom p tly began to
remove th e b o t t l e c a p s .

"Everyone seem ed d e lig h t e d b u t me; I was a l l

churned up i n s i d e ," he s a i d .*

Only one o f th e fo u r had t a s t e d a l c o h o li c

b ev era g es b e f o r e , b u t B i l l ' s two o th e r companions c l e a r l y in te n d e d n o t

to m iss t h is g o ld en o p p o r tu n ity .

B i l l , s ta n d in g a lo n e , r e fu s e d t o j o in

them.
In my home, moral p r i n c i p l e s had b een ta u g h t me from my
c h ild h o o d . I knew r ig h t from w rong. And I knew s t e a l i n g
was w rong. Even under th e g u is e o f a H allow een prank, I
co u ld n o t f e e l f r e e to s t e a l . B e s id e s t h i s , b eca u se my
c h ild h o o d had in c lu d e d a c t i v e p a r t ic ip a t io n in church
a c t i v i t i e s , I a l s o knew th e B ib le 's te a c h in g s a g a in s t th e
u se o f a l c o h o l i c b e v e r a g e s . . . .
In r e t r o s p e c t I cannot p ro u d ly s t a t e th a t I was brave
th a t n ig h t in th e fa c e o f my f r ie n d s ' ta u n ts and r i d i c u l e .
No w e ll-w o r d e d s p e e c h e s c o n ta in in g f a c t u a l in fo r m a tio n on
th e e v i l s o f a lc o h o l came from me. As a m a tter o f f a c t ,
what I r e a l l y remember i s b e in g p r e t t y u n co m fo rta b le and
more than a b i t h u m ilia te d a t b e in g th e o b j e c t o f t h e i r
u n r e le n tin g s c o r n .
But I d id tu rn down t h e i r i n v i t a t i o n to
j o in them in d r in k in g t h a t n i g h t , as I have done a l l th e
y e a rs o f my l i f e s i n c e .
What i s more, I have n ev er
r e g r e t t e d i t , n o t fo r a s i n g l e i n s t a n t . 2

The d e b a tin g team . W hile he was in th e e ig h th g ra d e, W illia m 's

f i r s t attem p t to become a p u b lic sp ea k er was tr a u m a tic a lly a b o rted .

At

th e b e g in n in g o f th e s c h o o l y e a r th e p r i n c i p a l , a Mr. P o r te r , announced
th a t anyone w is h in g t o j o in th e d eb a te team (w hich he p e r s o n a lly coached)
might w r ite an e s s a y on th e s u b j e c t o f th e f i r s t debate and subm it i t .

1 I b id . ,

173.

I b id . ,

1 7 3 -7 4 .

I b i d . , 87.

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38
W illia m , in an attem p t to Mg iv e d il ig e n c e t o make your c a l l i n g
and e l e c t i o n sure" ( I I P e te r 1 : 1 0 ) , p r e v a ile d upon an o ld e r c o u s in to
typ e ou t th e m an uscript in order t o make a fa v o r a b le im p r e ssio n upon th e
ju d ge.

He su cceed ed o n ly a l l to o w e l l .
A few days l a t e r W illiam was summoned in t o th e o f f i c e o f " th is

r a th e r s t e m man w ith gray h a ir and a sh a r p , c r is p way o f s p e a k in g ,"

which cau sed th e s tu d e n ts a l l to approach him w ith g r e a t aw e.*
As I moved about u n e a s ily in my c h a ir , Mr. P o r te r began
by p r a is in g h ig h ly th e th o u g h ts and arguments p r e s e n te d in
my p a p er.
But he fo llo w e d t h i s by t e l l i n g me t h a t he w ould
have to s e l e c t o th e r s fo r th e c o v e te d p la c e s on th e team .
He seemed to be s a y in g som eth in g e l s e , th e f u l l meaning o f
w hich I d id n o t g r a sp . F i n a l l y , he q u e r ie d , "Who ty p ed
your p ap er f o r you? S u re ly you d id n o t do i t f o r y o u r s e l f ,
d id you?" When I inform ed him th a t a c o u sin had done t h i s ,
our b r i e f in te r v ie w came to an abrupt e n d . 2
W illiam l e f t th e o f f i c e c r e s t f a l l e n .

S u d d en ly , i t dawned upon

him th a t th e p r in c ip a l had con clu d ed th a t n o t o n ly had someone e l s e

typed th e p a p er, but a ls o th a t someone e l s e had w r it t e n i t as w e l l .
"Deeply h u m ilia te d ," he l a t e r commented, "I had no id e a how to cope w ith
the i n j u s t i c e o f th e s i t u a t i o n .
3
my own d e fe n s e ."

As a r e s u l t , I s a id and d id n o th in g in

A y e a r l a t e r , when W illiam was a n in th - g r a d e r , a n o th er d e b a tin g

team was chosen in a s im ila r manner.

B i l l was n o t o n ly chosen as a mem

ber t h i s tim e , but was made c a p ta in o f th e team .

He thus g a in ed v a lu a b le

e x p e rie n c e in p u b lic sp ea k in g ; b u t, i r o n i c a l l y , c o n c er n in g t h i s s e q u e l,
he w rote some 33 y e a rs afterw ard :
T h is s h o u ld , in a m easure, have com pensated fo r th e
u n p le a sa n tn e ss and h u r t o f th e y e a r b e f o r e , but to t h i s day
I cannot remember a n yth in g about th e d eb a tes we gave o r th e
t r i p s we took to o th e r s c h o o ls t o meet opp osin g team s.
N e ith e r can I r e c a l l th e v i c t o r i e s or d e f e a t s , n or even th e

^ b id .,

88.

2I b id .

3I b id .

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39
s u b j e c t s upon w hich we d e b a te d . A ll t h a t rem ains i s th e
memory o f th e b i t t e r s u f f e r i n g o v e r b e in g d i s q u a l i f i e d
b eca u se o f a crim e I had n o t com m itted. Human b e in g s who
have to form judgm ents on outw ard app earances [o n ly ] can be
e n t i r e l y wrong in t h e i r ju d g m e n ts.*
W illiam F agal would c a r r y t h i s keen s e n se o f j u s t i c e and i n j u s
t i c e w ith him to ad u lth o o d and i n t o h i s m in is t r y fo r o t h e r s .

I t w ould

c o lo r h is l a t e r th in k in g ; and i t would make him s e n s i t i v e t o th e h u r ts

o f hum anity.

I t was a q u a l i t y w hich c o n tr ib u te d in no s m a ll m easure to

making him a s u c c e s s f u l p a s t o r , f i r s t t o th e l i v e c o n g r e g a tio n in

s e v e r a l p a r is h e s th rou gh ou t New York S t a t e , and l a t e r to t e l e v i s i o n ' s
m illio n s around th e w orld .

R e c ip ie n t o f D.A.R. aw ard. - - I t was th e custom o f th e S ch en ecta d y

ch ap ter o f th e D aughters o f t h e Am erican R e v o lu tio n t o p r e s e n t a " C itiz e n
sh ip Medal" each y e a r to th e boy and th e g i r l co m p letin g th e n in t h grade
and g o in g on in t o h ig h s c h o o l who b e s t dem on strated and e x e m p lif ie d th e
p r in c ip le s o f good c i t i z e n s h i p .
The b a s is o f s e l e c t i o n was a v o te by th e stu d e n t body and a v o te
by th e f a c u lt y ; and th e r e s u l t s w ere k e p t h ig h ly s e c r e t u n t i l th e c lo s i n g
assem bly e x e r c is e a t th e end o f th e s c h o o l y ea r when th e m edals were
p r e se n te d .
W illia m A. F agal was c h o sen f o r t h i s award in J u n e, 1933.
cern in g i t , he has w r itte n :
I t was c o n s id e r e d q u it e an hon or t o r e c e iv e one o f th e s e
[m e d a ls], and I remember f e e l i n g v e r y humble t h a t I had
r e c e iv e d i t , f o r as an A d v e n tis t I had been q u it e o u t o f
touch w ith many o f th e p o p u la r o c c a s io n s and f e s t i v i t i e s o f
th e s c h o o l. They con d u cted dances and F rid ay e v en in g
b a s k e t b a ll games [S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t y ou th do n o t a tte n d
d a n ce s, n o r s e c u la r f u n c t io n s h e ld d u rin g th e hours o f
t h e ir Sab b ath , w h ich , a c c o r d in g t o th e B i b l i c a l r e c k o n in g ,

1I b i d . , 89.

w * ....
R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Con

40

i s o b serv ed from s u n s e t F r id a y e v e n in g t i l l s u n s e t Saturday

e v e n in g ], and i t app eared t h a t a lm o st a l l o f th e s c h o o l
p a r t ic ip a t e d in t h e s e e v e n t s .
S in c e I d id n o t , and t h e r e
fo r e f e l t l i k e one o f th e " se p a r a te d b r e th r e n ," I was
amazed th a t I w ould b e s e l e c t e d . ^

As a h ig h s c h o o l s t u d e n t . In Septem ber, 1933, W illiam l e f t th e

C entral Park I n te r m e d ia te S c h o o l and e n te r e d th e 10th grade o f N o tt
T errace High S c h o o l.

The tr a g e d y t h a t was th e D e p r essio n made an i n d e l

i b l e im p re ssio n upon h is mind (c o n c e r n in g w hich more w i l l b e s a id b e lo w ) ,

and he found p a r t ic u l a r s o la c e in th e A d v e n tis t b e l i e f th a t J e su s C h r is t
would soon r etu r n to e a r th to p u t th in g s r i g h t , and th a t th e p r e s e n t
"time o f tr o u b le " was a s ig n o f th e imminence o f t h a t g r e a t day.

H is

g r e a t e s t d isa p p o in tm en t was th e f a c t t h a t due t o h i s f a m ily 's im pover

is h e d f in a n c ia l s ta n d in g he c o u ld n o t a tte n d an A d v e n tis t academy.
There was no money f o r t u i t i o n , b o a r d , and room.
He d id n o t , how ever, h e s i t a t e to sh a r e h i s f a i t h among h is
fe llo w c la s s m a t e s , b oth in e le m e n ta r y s c h o o l, ju n io r h ig h , and h ig h
s c h o o l.
As a boy I s i n c e r e l y b e l i e v e d th a t J e su s C h r is t was
coming a g a in to t h i s w o r ld , l i t e r a l l y and so o n . . . . So
r e a l d id th e coming o f th e Lord become to me, and so
im p ressed was I o f i t s n e a r n e s s , t h a t I fr e q u e n t ly ta lk e d
about i t e a s i l y and unasham edly.
I a tte n d e d p u b lic s c h o o l about th r e e b lo c k s from our
h o u se , and b e c a u se I went home f o r lu n ch , I w alked the
s h o r t d is ta n c e fo u r tim es e a ch day.
I can s t i l l remember
th e c o n v e r s a tio n s d u rin g some o f th o se w alks w ith th e
unchurched boys and g i r l s my a g e . P a r t ic u l a r ly w e ll I
remember th e day I v e r y e a r n e s t ly t o l d my f r ie n d s about th e
s c r ip t u r e which s a y s , "T his g e n e r a tio n s h a l l n o t p a ss away,
t i l l a l l be f u l f i l l e d . " Luke 2 1 :3 2 .
I e x p la in e d th a t t h e s e
words were spoken by C h r is t r eg a r d in g H is sec o n d a d v e n t,

^ L etter from W illiam A. F a g a l, New York, Nov. 9 , 1966, 1 -2 .

C ited h e r e a f t e r as F agal L e t t e r , Nov. 9 , 1966.
2Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 2 .

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

and t h a t He t a lk e d o f th e g e n e r a tio n w hich would s e e c e r

t a i n th in g s ta k in g p la c e on th e e a r t h .
I was c o n v in ced t h a t th o s e s ig n s w ere ta k in g p la c e in
th e w orld about us th e n , and t h a t i t w ould be our g e n e r a
t i o n w hich would l i v e t o s e e th e f u l f i l l m e n t o f a l l th in g s
i n th e coming o f th e Lord in th e c lo u d s o f h ea v en . Very
v i v i d l y I can r e c a l l d e s c r ib in g th e coming o f th e Lord as
we w alked s lo w ly a lo n g th e s t r e e t tow ard s c h o o l. P o in tin g
t o th e s k y , I a ssu r e d a sch o o lm a te th a t one o f th e s e days
we w ould s e e a c lo u d about th e s i z e o f a man's hand. T h is
c lo u d w ould grow la r g e r as i t approached th e e a r t h , and
f i n a l l y we would s e e J e su s l i t e r a l l y , in p e r so n , s e a t e d as
i t w ere upon th e c lo u d , coming as King o f k in g s and Lord o f
lo r d s .*
W illiam F a g a l's c la s s m a te s w ere n o t th e o n ly ones t o become
aware o f th e f a i t h w hich he p o s s e s s e d .

Some 33 y e a rs a fte r w a r d , h i s

American h i s t o r y and econ om ics te a c h e r would remember him w e ll ( i t was

h e r f i r s t y e a r o f te a c h in g a t t h a t h ig h s c h o o l ) .

W rites Mrs. R ichard

(O liv e ) Weeks:
. . . As I r e c a l l he was a good b u t n o t o u tsta n d in g s tu d e n t.
At th a t tim e he showed a s t r o n g ly r e l i g i o u s n a tu r e . I
b e l i e v e th a t he was an A d v e n t is t - - p o p u la r ly known as a
S even th Day A d v e n t i s t .2
A t r a n s c r ip t o f W illia m F a g a l's h ig h s c h o o l c r e d it s

( in c lu d in g

th e n in th grade o f ju n io r h ig h s c h o o l) shows th e f o llo w in g s u b j e c t s

taken on th e seco n d a ry l e v e l :

*By F a ith I L iv e , 7 3 -7 4 .
^ L e tte r from Mrs. R ichard (O liv e ) W eeks, W illiam F a g a l's form er
h ig h s c h o o l te a c h e r , S p r i n g f i e l d , M aine, J u ly 1 3 , 1966.

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

42
Course
E n g lis h
L a tin
German
U. S . H is to r y
S o c ia l S tu d ie s
C iv ic s
A lgeb ra
Geometry

U n its
4
2
2
1
1/2
1/2
1
1

Course

U n its

G eneral S c ie n c e
P h y sic s
B io lo g y
Economics
B ib le (by co rr e sp o n d
en ce from Home
Study I n s t i t u t e )

TOTAL:

1
1
1
1/2

1 - 1 /2

17 u n its

C oncerning h i s s c h o la r s h ip , R obert E. Murray, s u p e r in te n d e n t o f

th e S ch en ectad y P u b lic S c h o o ls r e p o r ts :
We do have some in fo r m a tio n a v a ila b le w hich in d ic a t e s
th a t P a s to r F agal had e x c e l l e n t m arks, h ig h 8 0 's and low
9 0 's in th e f i e l d s o f E n g lis h , L a tin , German, and h i s t o r y .
He e v id e n t l y p erform ed on an a verage in th e s c i e n c e s . 2
In h ig h s c h o o l B i l l F agal d id n o t te n d t o mix s o c i a l l y w ith h is
f e llo w c la s s m a te s f o r th e same r e a so n s which l im it e d su ch a c t i v i t y in
ju n io r h ig h s c h o o l:

d an cin g was o u t f o r an A d v e n tis t, e v e n ts sch ed u le d

during th e hours o f h is Sabbath were a u t o m a tic a lly p r e c lu d e d , and h is

own s t r o n g ly r e l i g i o u s n a tu r e and ab stem iou s p r a c t ic e s found l i t t l e by
way o f r e c ip r o c a t io n among th e more ,,w orld ly" -m in d ed o f h i s a s s o c i a t e s .
There w e re , n e v e r t h e l e s s , trem endous s o c i a l p r e s s u r e s brough t to
b ea r upon him to conform:
When i n th e 10th grade I was nom inated in h ig h s c h o o l fo r
th e s tu d e n t body p r e s id e n c y , I was sh ock ed and f e a r f u l .
I
f e l t I sim p ly c o u ld n o t a c c e p t a p o s t w hich w ould r e q u ir e
me to p r e s id e a t F rid ay n ig h t b a s k e t b a ll games and dances
and e v e n ts and o c c a s io n s when c o n s c ie n c e w ould n o t p erm it

^High s c h o o l c r e d it s are shown as a p a r t o f "Permanent Academic

Record o f W illia m A. F a g a l, A t l a n t ic Union C o lle g e , S o . L a n c a ste r ,
M a ss.," is s u e d by R e g is t r a r Karen K. H ic k s , J u ly 12, 1966. C ite d h e r e
a f t e r as C o lle g e T r a n s c r ip t.
2 L e t te r from R obert E. Murray, S u p e r in te n d e n t, S ch en ecta d y Pub
l i c S c h o o ls , S c h e n e c ta d y , N. Y ., May 31, 1966.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

43

me to a tt e n d . When th e tim e came f o r th e nom in ation

sp e e c h e s in th e assem bly one day, I g o t up and im p lored th e
s tu d e n ts : " P le a se d o n 't v o te f o r me. The job w i l l r e q u ir e
th in g s I cannot d o ." I d id n 't e la b o r a te fu r t h e r . The
o th e r ca n d id a te g o t up, gave a r ip - r o a r in g s p e e c h , and was
e l e c t e d . Today he i s a m in is t e r in th e E th ic a l C u ltu re
S o c ie t y .1
W illiam d id n o t smoke, and th e d is c o v e r y t h a t a f e llo w A d v e n tis t
c la ssm a te , one A ugust Schm idt, was d oin g s o , s e c r e t l y , shocked him and
str e n g th e n e d h i s d e te r m in a tio n n o t to low er h i s own h ig h p e r so n a l
s ta n d a r d s .
The f e e l i n g began to grow th a t h ig h s c h o o l g iv e n h i s d e s ir e to
become a m in is te r --w a s sim p ly th e wrong p la c e fo r him to b e ; and he
determ ined to g e t ou t as q u ic k ly as p o s s i b l e .
He d is c o v e r e d th a t by ta k in g c e r t a in B ib le h i s t o r y and d o c tr in e
c la s s e s by corresp on d en ce (which he n o rm a lly would have r e c e iv e d in an
A d v e n tist academy, and which were r e q u ir e d f o r c o lle g e e n tr a n c e as a
th eo lo g y m a jo r), and by ta k in g fo u r th -y e a r h ig h s c h o o l E n g lish in th e
summer, he c o u ld com p lete h ig h s c h o o l in two y ea rs in s t e a d o f th e u su a l
th re e . ^

C o lle g e Y ears:

1935-1939

A b ir d u n ca g ed . In h ig h s c h o o l, W illiam F agal d e s c r ib e d h im s e lf
as a f i s h out o f w ater; f i n a l l y , how ever, in an A d v e n tist c o l l e g e , he

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 2 - 3 .

2

P u b l i c i s t A rd ice B ran son 's o f f i c i a l b io g ra p h y o f W illiam F a g a l,

p u b lish e d in T e le -n o te s (A p r il, 1958, 3) i s in c o r r e c t in s e v e r a l d e t a i l s :
he d id n o t "graduate" from h ig h s c h o o l a t 16 "w ith h ig h honors" (he
never graduated a t a l l he m erely a c q u ir e d s u f f i c i e n t c r e d it s to e n a b le
him to meet c o lle g e en tr a n c e req u irem en ts; nor would h i s grades in h ig h
s ch o o l have e n a b le d him to graduate w ith h ig h honors even i f he had gone
through th e cerem ony); and a p e r u s a l o f th e a p p ro p ria te academ ic tr a n
s c r ip t s sim p ly does n o t b e a r out th e d e c la r a t io n th a t " a ll through h is
secondary and c o l l e g e e d u c a tio n he was an A s tu d e n t." He was good; b u t
not th a t good!

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

44
e x p e r ie n c e d a com p lete m etam orph osis:

"I was l i k e a b ir d l e t out o f a

c a g e ," he r e c a l l e d a fte r w a r d s , m ix in g h i s m etaphors s l i g h t l y . 1

In Septem ber, 1935, he e n r o lle d a t A t l a n t i c Union C o lle g e , a
S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t fo u r - y e a r l i b e r a l a r t s c o l l e g e a t South L a n c a ste r ,
near W o rcester, M a ss a c h u s e tts .

He rem ained on th e campus f o r fo u r s u c

c e s s iv e y e a r s , g r a d u a tin g w ith a B a ch elo r o f T heology d eg ree on May 2 1 ,

1 9 3 9 .2
In c o l l e g e , W illia m c o n tin u e d t o p u rsu e w ith sin g le m in d e d d e d i
c a tio n and z e a l h i s g o a l o f p r e p a r in g h im s e lf as th o r o u g h ly and as
q u ic k ly - - a s p o s s i b l e f o r th e g o s p e l m in is t r y .

He l a t e r o b serv ed :

During c o l l e g e I had a d r iv in g p a s s io n to e n t e r th e
L ord 's work.
I was e a g e r t o have a p a r t in f i n i s h i n g i t
b e fo r e J esu s came.
(I was n o t w o r r ie d about th e "rew ard,"
h o w ev er.) But I was con cern ed t h a t I w ould have a p la c e in
th e o r g a n iz e d [d e n o m in a tio n a l] work o n ce I com p leted
c o l l e g e . One a n x ie t y , a t l e a s t , was r e l i e v e d in my so p h o
more y e a r when th e p r e s id e n t o f th e New York C onferen ce o f
th e church t o ld me I w ould have a " c a ll" t o h i s f i e l d when
I was th rou gh .
But grad es? Grades w ere m erely a means to an e n d - - t o
g et out o f c o lle g e .
I was n e v e r co n cern ed w ith them , as
su c h . S ch ool was alw ays so m eth in g t o g e t done in o rd er to
g e t out in t o th e w o r k . 3
J u s t what k in d o f p e r so n and s tu d e n t was t h i s 1 6 - y e a r - o ld c o l le g e
freshman?

How was he view ed by o th e r s who knew him in th o s e days?

A f a i r l y c l e a r , g r a p h ic p ic t u r e b e g in s t o emerge from a s y n t h e s is
o f r e s p o n se s r e c e iv e d by t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r t o q u e s tio n s su b m itte d to
n in e in d iv id u a ls who knew W illia m F a g a l in t im a t e l y d u rin g h i s fo u r y e a r s
a t A. U. C .:

f i v e form er c la s s m a t e s , fo u r o f whom l i v e d in c lo s e p ro x

im ity t o F a g a l's room on th e t h ir d f l o o r o f th e m en's d orm itory (one was

1

F agal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 3.

C o lle g e T r a n s c r ip t.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 3.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

45

h is freshm an roommate); two form er te a c h e r s ; and th e managers o f th e

c o lle g e b u s in e s s o f f i c e and c a f e t e r i a d u rin g h i s fo u r - y e a r s t a y on th e
campus.

P e r s o n a lit y . - - B i l l was "a good m ixer" ;^ and "showed some i n t e r e s t

in d a tin g about average f o r a freshm an j u s t g e t t i n g a c q u a in te d ," h i s
dorm itory roommate o f th a t y e a r r e c a l l s .

He was f r i e n d l y , b u t n o t an e x t r o v e r t .

S a id one c o l l e g e s t a f f

member:
W hile . . . [W illiam ] seem ed alw ays w i l l i n g to h o ld o u t a
h e lp in g hand, I f e e l th a t h i s c l o s e s t f r ie n d s were th o se
who h e ld sta n d a rd s and i d e a l s s i m i l a r t o h i s own.^
I n t e r e s t i n g l y , v i r t u a l l y a l l o f h i s s tu d e n t a s s o c i a t e s n o t e d a
ra th e r marked ten d en cy on h i s p a r t to be somewhat r e s e r v e d .
C lassm ate Robert L. R eynolds rem arked:
He was alw ays f r ie n d l y and i n t e r e s t e d i n p e o p le and in th e
l i f e o f th e Church, b u t alw ays appeared to be in a d eta ch ed
s o r t o f w ay.^
L. E. Sm art, who l i v e d a c r o s s th e h a l l i n th e dorm itory
commented:

''Letter from O scar S ch m id t, form er c o l l e g e c la ss m a te o f W illia m

Fagal and now li b r a r i a n , A t la n t i c Union C o lle g e , So. L a n c a ste r , M a ss.,
J u ly 2 5 , 1966, 1. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as Schm idt L e t t e r .
2

I n te r v ie w w ith E rn est N. Wendth, W illia m F a g a l's freshm an

c o lle g e dorm itory roommate ( l a t e r s t a t i o n r e l a t i o n s d i r e c t o r o f F a ith
fo r Today, I n c .; now d ir e c t o r o f p u b lic r e l a t i o n s , M ichigan C on feren ce
o f S even th -d ay A d v e n tis ts a t L a n s in g ), a t E a st L a n sin g , M ic h ., J u ly 2 0 ,
1966. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as Wendth I n te r v ie w .
3

L e tte r from Mrs. Iv a S . F u m iv a l, form er c o l l e g e c a f e t e r i a

manager, S o. L a n c a ste r , M a ss., Aug. 6 , 1966, 2 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as
F u m iv a l L e t te r .
^ L e tte r from Robert L. R ey n o ld s, form er c o l le g e c la ss m a te o f
W illiam F agal and l a t e r p r e s i d e n t , A t la n t ic Union C o lle g e , So. L a n c a ste r ,
M ass., J u ly 19, 1966.
(D r. R eynolds i s now p r e s id e n t o f W alla W alla
C o lle g e in W ashington S t a t e .)
C ite d h e r e a f t e r as R eynolds L e t t e r .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

46
I remember him as a v e r y e a g e r , p le a s a n t young f e llo w f u l l
o f v ib r a n t en erg y and y e t b o r d e r in g somewhat on th e s i d e o f
th e i n t e l l e c t u a l .
Winton H. B eaven, who l i v e d in an im m ed ia tely a d jo in in g room,
p o in ts o u t t h a t "w h ile n o t a l o o f , he was somewhat d i f f e r e n t from th e
r e s t o f th e b o y s." ^
Roommate Wendth a m p lifie d th e comments o f th e o th e r s co n cern in g
t h is t r a i t :
B i l l was n o t a lo n e r , b u t he d id have an aura about him
t h a t d id n t make him "buddy-buddy" w ith th e r e s t o f th e
s t u d e n t s - - a s o r t o f r e s e r v e , you m ight s a y . N ot th a t he
was a n t i - s o c i a l or a n y th in g l i k e t h a t - - h e w a s n 't. J u s t a
r e s e r v e . He was n e v e r r e a l l y "one o f th e b o y s ," i f you
know what I mean.^
T his im p r e ssio n o f detachm ent o r r e s e r v e was d o u b tle s s ca u sed ,
a t l e a s t in p a r t , by th e f a c t t h a t W illia m F agal was n o t th e a t h l e t i c
" ty p e ."

V arious a c q u a in ta n c e s commented:

He was n o n - a t h l e t i c , d id n o t engage in th e a t h l e t i c a f f a i r s
o f th e a v era g e male s t u d e n t . 4
He s p e n t m ost o f h is
r e lig io u s a c t iv it i e s
tim e to th e a t h l e t i c
o f a lig h te r na t ur e .
" in -g r o u p ."5

tim e in s c h o l a r l y p u r s u it s and in th e
o f th e s c h o o l , d e v o tin g v e r y l i t t l e
program and e x t r a - c u r r ic u l a r a c t i v i t i e s
. . . He was n e v e r one o f th e

B i l l was n e v e r one o f th e b o y s as f a r as b e in g a t h l e t i c in
any way, and he was n o t in v o lv e d in any o f th e g iv e and

L e t te r from L. E. Sm art, form er c o l l e g e c la ssm a te o f W illiam

F agal and now s e c r e t a r y , E d u cation D epartm ent, A t l a n t i c Union C onference
o f S ev en th -d a y A d v e n t is t s , So. L a n c a ste r , M a ss., J u ly 2 5 , 1966. C ite d
h e r e a f t e r as Smart L e t t e r .
2

L e t te r from Winton H. B eaven, form er c o l l e g e c la ssm a te o f

W illiam F agal and now p r e s id e n t , Columbia Union C o lle g e , Takoma Park,
Md., J u ly 1 4 , 1966. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as Beaven L e t t e r .
(H older o f a
Ph.D. in Speech from th e U n iv e r s it y o f M ich igan , and s in c e Septem ber,
1967, v i s i t i n g p r o f e s s o r o f sp e ec h a t V ir g in ia T h e o lo g ic a l Seminary o f
th e E p is c o p a l Church, A le x a n d r ia , V a ., Dr. Beaven i s e s p e c i a l l y q u a l i f i e d
t o comment on W illia m F agal as a p u b lic s p e a k e r .)
^Wendth I n te r v ie w .

^Beaven L e t t e r .

^Smart L e t t e r .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

47

ta k e th a t g o e s w ith th e h o r s e - p la y o f c o l l e g e l i f e
knew ab ou t. ^

th a t I

O scar S c h m id t's s p e c u l a t io n , "I su p p ose he g o t in t o abou t as

much m is c h ie f as th e r e s t o f u s ,"

i s n o t th us su p p o rted from th e a v a i l

a b le d a ta ; a lth o u g h th e remark was perhaps p r e d ic a te d upon th e

remembrance o f W illia m F a g a l's g o o d -n a tu re d p e r s o n a l i t y .

L. H. H a r tin ,

a form er B ib le t e a c h e r , r e c a l l e d th a t B i l l ' s " sen se o f humor, t o o , was

p r e se n t to enhance h i s p e r s o n a l i t y . " 3
W illia m 's form er E n g lis h te a c h e r r e c a l l s th a t "he had a v ery
p le a s in g p e r s o n a lit y and was c o o p e r a t iv e , d ep en d a b le, and a g g r e s s iv e ." ^
She adds fu r th e r :
I t was r e f r e s h in g t o have him as a s tu d e n t in my c l a s s e s
b ecau se o f h i s a t t e n t i v e n e s s , p o l i t e n e s s , e a g e r n e s s , and
c o o p e r a tio n . . . . He showed e x c e l l e n t moral s ta n d a r d s ,
s o c i a l c u lt u r e , and e m o tio n a l s t a b i l i t y , even as a s t u d e n t .5

C h a r a c ter .-- O th e r s b e s id e s Mrs. K ilg o r e commented upon B i l l

F a g a l's im p eccab le " e x c e lle n t m oral s ta n d a r d s."
Greek and h o m ile t ic s te a c h e r :
on h is reco rd in c o l l e g e .

. . .

R e c a lls h i s form er

"As a C h r is tia n th e r e were no b la c k marks

He was a man among men, and w e ll lik e d

by h is com rades.
A c la ss m a te remembers, "He was alw ays h ig h ly r e s p e c te d and had a
r e p u ta tio n o f b e in g th o ro u g h ly d ep en d a b le."
1

R eynolds L e t t e r .

And h i s roommate adds th a t

Schm idt L e t t e r .

L e tte r from L. H. H a r tin , form er c o ll e g e te a c h e r o f W illia m

Fagal and now on th e th e o lo g y f a c u l t y o f P a c i f i c Union C o lle g e , Angwin,
C a l i f . , undated [ r e c e iv e d in J u ly , 1 9 6 6 ], 2 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as H a rtin
L e tte r .
^ L e tte r from Mrs. C. L. (R o c h e lle P .) K ilg o r e , form er c o l l e g e
te a c h e r o f W illia m F agal and now p lacem en t d i r e c t o r , A t la n t i c Union
C o lle g e , So. L a n c a ste r , M a ss., J u ly 2 8 , 1966, 1. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as
K ilgore L e t t e r .
5 I b id .

^ H artin L e t t e r , 3.

^Smart L e t t e r .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

48

"He was c e r t a in ly s p i r i t u a l ; b u t rem arkably w e ll b a la n ce d i n i t .

There

was n o th in g about him th a t was ' h o l i e r than th o u .'" *

C h r is tia n F agal f i n a l l y l o s t h i s job a t th e G. E. f a c to r y as the
D ep ression began t o wane in B i l l ' s freshm an y e a r in c o lle g e ( 1 9 3 5 - 1 9 3 6 ) .
He and h is w ife were a b le , n e v e r t h e le s s , to a s s i s t t h e i r son in h is
exp en ses th a t f i r s t y e a r ; b u t B i l l had to work h i s e n t i r e way d u rin g h is
rem aining th r e e y e a r s in c o l l e g e .

As a freshm an, he worked in th e

c o lle g e p r e s s ; b u t t h e r e a f t e r he se r v e d as m on itor in h is dorm itory and

as a rea d er in th e th e o lo g y and B i b l i c a l lan gu ages d ep artm en ts.

C oncerning th e work in th e c o l l e g e p r e s s , B i l l ' s roommate (who

was a p r o f e s s io n a l p r in t e r w ith a p r iv a t e off-cam p u s shop) s a id :
B i l l was n o t p a r t i c u l a r l y a w hiz as f a r as p r in t in g funda
m en tals g o . But he was a good w ork er, f a i t h f u l , c o o p e r a tiv e ,
and c o n s c ie n t io u s in h is w ork.^
Mrs. Iv a S . F u m iv a l, c a f e t e r i a manager a t th e tim e , o b se rv e d ,
"[As] m onitor . . . he . . . was h e ld in g r e a t esteem by h is f e llo w s t u
d e n t s ."

C oncerning h e r own p e r so n a l o b s e r v a tio n s in th e c a f e t e r i a , day

a f t e r day, she added:

I r e c a l l he s to o d out in th e group as a gentlem an in e v er y
s e n se o f th e w ord. . . . I a ls o know . . . [he] co u rted one
o f our lo v e ly g i r l s and d id s o w ith d ig n it y and p r o p r ie t y ,
j u s t as he d id e v e r y th in g e l s e d u rin g h i s days in c o l l e g e . 4
W illiam F agal was a gentlem an; and perhaps Mrs. F u m iv a l e i t h e r
d id n o t know, or was to o much a la d y to r e c a l l , t h a t t h is now h ig h ly r e s p e c te d m in is t e r o f h er church was once im p lic a te d in a stu d e n t
r e b e llio n aimed a g a in s t th e management o f h er p r e d e c e s s o r th e y e a r b e fo r e
she became c a f e t e r i a manager.
i

Wendth I n te r v ie w .

% endth I n te r v ie w .

i& J

But th e b u s in e s s manager o f th a t tim e

2

Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 24, 1966, 4 -5 .

^ F u rn iv a l L e t t e r , 1 -2 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

49
remembered, and commented, h a l f a p o l o g e t i c a l l y :
B i l l ' s c h a r a c te r was n e v e r in q u e s t io n . H is sta n d a rd s were
h ig h ( d e s p it e th e f a c t th a t h e was once caught in th e mob
s p i r i t o f a s tu d e n t s t r i k e a g a in s t th e c a f e t e r i a management!3 .*
Which, a f t e r a l l , o n ly g o e s to show th a t W illia m F agal was a
normal human b e in g --a n d c o l l e g e s tu d e n t!

G e n e r a lly sp e a k in g , h ow ever,

Robert L. Reynolds i s c o r r e c t when he sums i t up by s a y in g th a t "as fa r

as h is c h a r a c te r and exam ple and con d u ct w ere co n cern ed , he was alw ays
above r ep ro a ch ."

C areer d e d i c a t i o n .- - B i l l F agal e n te r e d c o l l e g e a t 16, and h i s

s in g u la r d e d ic a tio n to p r e p a r a tio n f o r h is ch osen l i f e s work i s a l l th e
more rem arkable b eca u se o f h i s y o u th .

He to o k s e r i o u s l y th e a d v ic e o f

h is M aster in th e Sermon on th e Mount to keep " th in e e y e . . . s i n g l e "

(Matthew 6 : 2 2 ) ; and adopted as h i s own th e p e r so n a l cred o o f th e A p o s tle
Paul:

"This one th in g I d o, f o r g e t t i n g th o s e th in g s w hich are b e h in d ,

and r e a c h in g fo r th unto th o s e th in g s w hich a re b e f o r e , I p r e ss tow ard

the mark f o r th e p r iz e o f th e h ig h c a l l i n g o f God in C h r is t J e s u s ."
( P h ilip p ia n s 3 : 1 3 b ,14)
One form er c la s s m a te , who i s now a c o l l e g e p r e s id e n t w rote:
My r e c o l l e c t i o n o f him i s one o f b e in g a th e o lo g y
s tu d e n t w ith one purpose in m ind, t h a t was to be a m in is
t e r . . . . He was v e r y mature f o r h i s y e a r s , and one had a
f e e l i n g th a t he was c o m p le te ly d e d ic a te d to becom ing a
r e l i g i o u s le a d e r and g o s p e l p r e a c h e r .3
A nother add s, "He was c l e a r l y o r ie n t e d to h i s c a r e e r ; he in te n d e d
to be a m in is t e r , and knew i t .

. . . "^

L e tte r from C h e ster E. K e llo g g , form er c o l l e g e b u s in e s s manager,

undated.
[Postm arked a t M ilfo r d , N. H ., J u ly 2 2 , 1 9 6 6 .]
C ite d h e r e a f t e r
as K e llo g g L e t te r .
o

^Reynolds L e t t e r .

i
d
I b id .

^Beaven L e t t e r .

I
Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

50

A th e o lo g y p r o f e s s o r who ta u g h t B i l l ' s P a s to r a l T r a in in g c l a s s
w rote:

"His i n t e r e s t s , o f c o u r s e , w ere f i r s t and l a s t in th e m in is t r y .

His e x t r a - c u r r ic u la r a c t i v i t i e s were c h i e f l y a lo n g th o s e l i n e s .

L e a d e r s h ip . J u s t what were th o s e e x t r a - c u r r ic u l a r a c t i v i t i e s ?
W illiam F agal "was alw ays a c t iv e in any s c h o o l f u n c t io n , e s p e c i a l l y
th o se o f s p i r i t u a l v a lu e s ," Mrs. F u r n iv a l r e c a l l s .

"He was a c t i v e in

m u sical c i r c l e s , s in g in g in a v e r y f i n e m ale q u a r t e t ."

Roommate E rn ie

Wendth adds t h a t B i l l was as p r o f i c i e n t in p la y in g th e p ia n o as he was

in v o c a l i z i n g .

And P r o fe s s o r H a r tin , i n commenting upon th e s e w e l l -

d evelop ed m u sic a l a b i l i t i e s , r e p o r ts t h a t
few men a t th a t tim e w ere as v e r s a t i l e as h e , or as w i l l i n g
to u se t h e i r t a l e n t s . T h is , o f c o u r s e , added t o h i s popu
l a r i t y . . . . He . . . c o u ld be cou n ted on t o j o i n in
e x t r a - c u r r ic u la r a c t i v i t i e s when n e e d e d , and to i n i t i a t e
in te r e s tin g p r o g r a m s .4
V ariou s o f h i s form er a s s o c i a t e s r e c a l l th a t young F agal "showed
ev id en ce o f le a d e r s h ip among h i s f e llo w s tu d e n ts " :^
among h is c la s s m a t e s ,"

he "was a le a d e r
7

and "an o u ts ta n d in g f ig u r e on th e cam pus."'

In

a d d itio n t o h i s m u sic a l a c t i v i t i e s , W illia m i s remembered as h a v in g been

" q u ite a c t iv e " in th e w eek -to -w eek program and s e r v i c e s o f th e c o l l e g e
O
church, b o th on-campus and in nearb y co m m u n ities.
One f r ie n d remembers t h a t w h ile "he d id h o ld some p o s i t i o n s o f
le a d e r s h ip ,

. . .

than e l e c t e d ."

my r e c o l l e c t i o n was t h a t th e y were a p p o in te d r a th e r
T h is may be t r u e ; b u t , i f s o , th en th e r e were two

n o ta b le e x c e p t io n s - - b o t h o c c u r r in g in h i s f i n a l y e a r a t A .U .C .- - f o r

'"Hartin L e t t e r , 3.

^ F u m iv a l L e t t e r , 2 .

^Wendth I n te r v ie w .

^ H artin L e t t e r , 2 .

^ K ello g g L e t t e r .

^ K ilg o re L e t t e r , 1.

R eynolds L e t t e r .

Schm idt L e t t e r .

R eynolds L e t t e r .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

W illiam F a g a l se r v e d as 1938-1939 e d i t o r - i n - c h i e f o f The L a n c a str ia n , the

s tu d e n t b iw e e k ly ,

and a ls o as p r e s id e n t o f h i s g r a d u a tin g s e n io r c l a s s .

A c lu e as to how B i l l F a g a l found tim e f o r a l l th e s e a c t i v i t i e s

i s p r o v id e d by P r o fe s s o r H artin :
There was p le n t y o f e v id e n c e o f h is le a d e r s h ip a b i l i t y , and
h i s a b i l i t y t o grasp s u b j e c t m a tter gave him tim e to p a r
t i c i p a t e in th e a c t i v i t i e s o f th e C o lle g e , as w e ll as earn
a l l h i s e x p e n s e s .3
As has a lr e a d y been p o in t e d o u t , F a g a l's g ra d es in h ig h s c h o o l
and c o l l e g e , w h ile n o t " s t r a ig h t ' A , ,M c e r t a i n l y w ere w e ll above a v e ra g e ;
and in view o f th e f a c t th a t he had to work h i s e n t i r e way through fo u r
y e a rs o f c o l l e g e , th e y p r o v id e e v id e n c e o f a rem arkable a ccom p lish m en t.
For m ost s tu d e n ts who are fo r c e d t o earn a l l t h e i r e x p e n ses must p r o lo n g
th e u su a l fo u r y e a r s o f c o l l e g e by one or two a d d it io n a l y e a r s .

Fagal

made i t in fo u r , w ith a c u m u la tiv e grade p o in t a v era g e o f 3 .0 7 (on a

s c a le in w hich 4 .0 r e p r e s e n ts A, 3 .0 r e p r e s e n ts B, 2 .0 r e p r e s e n ts C,
4
e tc .)
And one does w e ll to remember, t o o , th a t g ra d es are n o t a com
p l e t e in d e x to in d iv id u a l accom plishm ent or p o t e n t i a l .

As a c o l l e g e s t u d e n t . --W h ile a tte n d in g A t l a n t i c Union C o lle g e ,

W illiam F agal e n r o lle d f o r th e f o llo w i n g c o u r s e s , w hich r e p r e s e n t th e
fo u r -y e a r m i n i s t e r i a l core c u rricu lu m o f t h a t tim e , p lu s o p t io n a l
e le c tiv e s :5
1935-1936
A d v e n tis t Fundam entals
P u b lic S p eak in g
Survey o f European H is to r y
Chorus C onducting

P r in c ip le s o f E d u cation
Freshman C om position
E d u c a tio n a l P sy ch o lo g y
P r in t in g V o c a tio n a l

''Letter from D. G. P r io r , dean o f s t u d e n t s , A t la n t ic Union

C o lle g e , S o. L a n c a ste r , M a ss., O ct. 13, 1966.
^ H artin L e t t e r , 2 .

^ I b id .

^ C ollege T r a n s c r ip t.

^I b i d .

1
Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

52
1936-1937
Survey o f E n g lish L ite r a t u r e
New Testam ent E p i s t l e s
C om parative R e lig io n s
G eneral B io lo g y

U. S . H is to r y to 1865
U. S . H is to r y from 1865
Advanced C om position
F i r s t Aid

1937-1938
D an iel
R e v e la tio n
New Testam ent Greek I
Advanced S p i r i t o f Prophecy
J o u rn a lism

A n c e str y o f th e B ib le
B ib le Sem inar
E v id en ces o f C h r is t ia n it y
Advanced P sy c h o lo g y
P a s t o r a l T r a in in g

1938-1939
P a s to r a l T ra in in g I I
Advanced [B ib le ] D o c tr in e s
Church H is to r y
I n te r n a tio n a l R e la tio n s

New T estam ent Greek I I

P r in c ip le s o f B u sin e ss
G lee Club Chorus
A d o le s c e n t P sy c h o lo g y

In th e o p in io n o f one o f h i s c la s s m a te s who l i v e d in a room n e x t

door to Fagal in th e d orm itory (and who h im s e lf w ent on to become a c o l
le g e p r e s id e n t ) , i t was u n d ou b ted ly B i l l ' s v e r y o r d e r ly s tu d y h a b its
which en a b led him to a c h ie v e su ch a rem arkable r e c o r d :
He had v e r y r e g u la r h a b it s . . . . He fo llo w e d an e x tr em e ly
w e ll ord ered l i f e .
H is program was c a r e f u l l y l a i d ou t and
fo llo w e d ; i t d id n o t appear t o be a m a tter o f t e n s io n or o f
d r iv e ; he d id n o t appear to s u f f e r from t h i s s o r t o f r eg u
l a t i o n but to t h r iv e under i t .
He was in t h i s r e s p e c t
q u it e d i f f e r e n t from
th e a verage c o ll e g e s tu d e n t oncampus;
th ey f a l l in t o two o th e r c l a s s e s , th o s e who w ere d r iv e n by
econom ic n e c e s s i t y t o work to o hard and th u s to be c o n tin u
a l l y under s t r a in and th o se who d id n o t have much t o do and
were u n ab le to fo llo w much o f a program anyw ay.*
W illiam p a r t ic u l a r ly e x c e l l e d in h i s a p p lie d th e o lo g y c o u r se s .
R e c a lls P r o fe s s o r H artin :
C la s se s were sm a ll in th o s e days and th e r e was a good
te a c h e r -s tu d e n t r e l a t i o n s h i p . My r e c o l l e c t i o n s o f " B ill"
are v ery v i v i d b e c a u se he was a " n a tu r a l."
I t was e a s y fo r
him to m aster a ssig n m en ts and he made c la s s d is c u s s io n
i n t e r e s t i n g , even though he d id n o t alw ays a g r e e w ith th e
t e x t or th e te a c h e r .^
i
ABeaven L e t te r .

o
^ H artin

L e t t e r , 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

53
As a s tu d e n t s p e a k e r . W illiam F agal i s remembered by h i s p e e rs
as an " o u tsta n d in g sp eak er as a s tu d e n t," * in d e e d , "a v e r y g i f t e d
sp e a k e r."

"He seem ed t o speak w ith e a s e , as i f i t were a p a r t o f him ."

He "worked hard making h i s p r e p a r a tio n s and h i s d e liv e r y was marked by

e a r n e s t n e s s , s i n c e r i t y , and c o n v ic t io n ."

B i l l F a g a l* s o r a t o r ic a l accom plishm ents were perhaps due more to

n a tu r a l endowments than form al developm ent a c q u ir e d through t r a in in g ,
fo r he took o n ly one p u b lic sp e a k in g c la s s in c o l l e g e , as a freshm an.
He r e c a l l s to d a y , r a th e r d i s t a s t e f u l l y , t h i s lo n e e x c u r sio n in t o sp eech
t r a in i n g :
Our te a c h e r was L i l l i a n Morgan. She had a h e a r in g
p roblem , w hich sh e t r i e d , u n s u c c e s s f u l ly , to c o n c e a l. She
alw ays s a t on th e fr o n t row and i n s i s t e d th a t th e o r a to r
"speak o u t" --m ea n in g , c h i e f l y , g e t th e volume way up.
I remember in t o n in g S i r W alter S c o t t ' s l i n e s from th e
rostru m , o v e r and o v er a g a in , ad nauseum, "0, young
L ochinvar i s come o u t o f th e w e s t." The rhythm was d ism a l.
At tim e s th e w hole c l a s s w ould have to sh o u t i t in u n iso n .
Then sh e w ould p u l l o u t one from the group to g iv e th e
sp eech o f th e d a y .5
Perhaps p a r t ly b ecau se o f M iss Morgan's em phasis on th e 19th
cen tu ry e lo c u t io n s c h o o l method o f approach, w hich he found s t i l t e d ,
u n n a tu r a l, and u n r e a l i s t i c , young F agal a llo w e d h is form al t r a in in g in
p u b lic sp e a k in g (s a v e f o r some work in h o m ile t ic s ) to end a t t h i s p o in t .
That he d id in d ee d have a n a tu r a l g i f t , even " f l a ir " f o r th e
p la tfo r m , i s e v id e n t from h i s dem onstrated accom plishm ents o f th e c o lle g e
years.

One o f h i s c la s s m a t e s , who l a t e r earned a Ph.D . in s p e e c h , has

w r itte n c o n c e r n in g h is e a r ly e f f o r t s in p u b lic sp ea k in g :
1

R eynolds L e t t e r .

^Schmidt L e t t e r .

Smart L e tte r .

^Smart L e t te r .

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , D e t r o it , May 2 4 , 1966, 4.

1
R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

T
54
At a l l tim e s he had th e r e s p e c t o f h i s p e e r s , and by h i s
sophomore y e a r was a lr e a d y ta k in g m en's w o rsh ip [a m orning
and e v en in g d a il y d orm itory d e v o tio n a l e x e r c i s e a t w hich
a tten d a n c e was r e q u ir e d ] on o c c a s io n . The f e e l i n g o f th e
b oys a t t h a t tim e was t h a t he was as good a sp e a k e r as any
we had in w orsh ip and o f t t im e s b e t t e r than m o st. He
e x h ib it e d th e same e a sy grasp o f id e a s and flo w o f la n
guage w hich c h a r a c t e r iz e s h is p r e s e n t d e l i v e r y . 1
B i l l h im s e lf r e c a l l s th e f i r s t e v a n g e l i s t i c serm on h e e v e r
p reach ed , th e r e s u l t s o f w hich were n o t e x a c t ly a h a r b in g e r o f h i s
fu tu r e ach ievem en t in th e p u lp it or on t e l e v i s i o n :
I was a c o l l e g e freshm an, and a f t e r o n ly th r e e weeks o f
s c h o o l I was i n v i t e d to a s s i s t a s e n io r m i n i s t e r i a l s tu d e n t
in an e v a n g e l i s t i c cam paign. We w ere to a lt e r n a t e in th e
p r e a ch in g :
I w ould p rea ch th e f i r s t n ig h t , th e o th e r
f e llo w th e se c o n d , and so on. We r e n te d th e Town H a ll o f
S t e r l i n g , M a ss., and we a d v e r t iz e d . The o p en in g n ig h t we
brought a s tu d e n t group w ith us t o g u a ra n tee an a u d ien ce
(my a s s o c ia t e n e v e r even showed u p ) . In a d d it io n , two
o th e r s came. We s t a r t e d w ith a so n g s e r v i c e in w hich th e
l i g h t s were tu rn ed o f f and th e words were f la s h e d on th e
s c r e e n . W hile th e l i g h t s were o u t one o f th e two non A d v e n tis ts w alked o u t! Then we had th e c o l l e g e n u rse g iv e
a h e a lt h d e m o n str a tio n ("How t o Cure a Cold") on th e u s e o f
h o t fo m en ta tio n p a c k s. Then a n o th e r son g from th e s c r e e n - d u rin g w hich th e o th e r n o n -A d v e n tist w alked o u t!
I gave my
sermon on th e proph ecy in th e sec o n d c h a p te r o f D a n ie l,
h e a r tb r o k e n . There was no seco n d m e e tin g .^
During h i s sophomore y e a r young F agal gave h is f i r s t " f u ll- le n g t h "
Sabbath morning d e v o tio n a l serm on, w ith d is a p p o in t in g
d is a s tr o u s ) r e s u l t s .

(but somewhat l e s s

He remembers:

I was s e n t t o th e l i t t l e church a t W inchendon, M a ss., w hich

had some 50 members. On th e rostru m th e r e was an o ld fa s h io n e d h o r s e h a ir s o f a w ith e x tr e m e ly h ig h l e g s .
I had a
v ery hard tim e s i t t i n g down on i t I s o r t o f had t o jump in .
I t was so funny I w anted t o g i g g l e .
I had v e r y e x t e n s iv e
sermon n o t e s ; and when I l a i d them on th e p u l p i t , I n o te d
t o my c o n s te r n a tio n t h a t I c o u ld n 't s e e them . The o n ly
illu m in a t io n th a t dark w in te r m orning was p r o v id e d by one
s m a ll k ero sen e lamp h an gin g o v er on th e w a ll some d is t a n c e
away. S in c e I c o u ld n 't read my n o t e s , I had to depend upon
memory. Only th in g w a s, I h a d n 't p rep a red t h a t way! My
d e liv e r y was s h o r t perhaps 10 or 12 m in u te s. At l e a s t no
one c o m p la in e d !3

^Beaven L e t t e r .

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 4 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

^ Ib id .

55

During th e summer o f 1937, a t th e c o n c lu s io n o f h i s sec o n d y ea r

in c o l l e g e , W illiam was o f f e r e d a th ree-m o n th su p p ly p a s t o r a t e a t th e
A d v e n tist church a t R o c h e ste r , New Y ork.
c o n g r e g a tio n o f 250 to 300 members.

He p rea ch ed e v e r y Sabbath t o a

He was o n ly 18 a t t h i s tim e , and

t h is summer e x p e r ie n c e p r o v id e d a s in g u la r o p p o r tu n ity to d e v e lo p h i s
g i f t f o r p r e a c h in g .*
As a j u n io r and s e n io r in c o l l e g e , B i l l and h i s f e llo w th e o lo g y
c la ssm a te s w ere s e n t ou t r e g u la r l y to ch u rch es w ith in a r a d iu s o f p e r
haps 50 m ile s from th e campus ea ch w eekend.

Some o f th e s tu d e n t

p rea ch ers s u g g e s te d to P r o fe s s o r H a r tin , who made o u t th e s c h e d u le ,

t h e ir p r e fe r e n c e o f l o c a t i o n in v a r ia b ly ( c o i n c i d e n t a l l y , o f c o u r s e !)
towns c o n ta in in g th e la r g e r c h u r c h e s.
was ask ed t o go.

B i l l , h ow ever, w ent w herever he

In s h o r t tim e , P r o f e s s o r H a r tin d is c o v e r e d what was

going on; and t h e r e a f t e r he gave B i l l some o f th e more c o v e te d a s s ig n

ments b e c a u se o f h is w i l l i n g n e s s to s e r v e in th e s m a lle r , l e s s d e s ir a b le
ch u rch es.^

A c r i s i s in f a i t h and f in a n c e . - - B i l l F agal e n te r e d h i s s e n io r
y ear in c o l l e g e

(Septem ber, 1938) owing th e i n s t i t u t i o n a d eb t o f $125

from th e p r e v io u s y e a r in term s o f p u r c h a sin g power th e e q u iv a le n t o f

perhaps $400 to d a y .
However, he had c a r e f u l l y c a lc u la t e d t h a t i f he c o u ld manage to
keep h i s h e a lt h , and work th e hou rs he had p la n n e d , he w ould be a b le to

^ I b id . , 5 .
2

I b i d . The "Fagal B iography F a c t S h eet" s t a t e s , i n c o r r e c t l y ,

th a t d u rin g h is s e n io r y e a r , W illia m F agal se r v e d as s tu d e n t p a s to r o f a
s in g le n earb y o ff-cam p u s ch u rch . A ccordin g t o V ir g in ia F agal ( L e t t e r ,
June 2 0 , 1967, 3 ) , n e it h e r sh e n o r h e r husband r e c a l l a n y th in g o f t h i s
n a tu r e . He c o n tin u e d to p r e a c h , r a t h e r , in v a r io u s c h u r c h e s, as
d e s c r ib e d above.

. l

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56
meet c u r re n t e x p e n se s and pay o f f th e d eb t by g r a d u a tio n and n o t owe th e
c o lle g e a d o l l a r .

T h at, in d e e d , was th e o n ly way he co u ld g r a d u a te, f o r

the i n s t i t u t i o n had a r e g u la t io n t h a t no one was p e r m itte d to r e c e iv e

h is d egree w ith an o u ts ta n d in g d e b it a cco u n t in th e b u s in e s s o f f i c e .
There was o n ly one " f l y in th e o in tm e n t."

I f F agal were to

fo llo w h i s d e n o m in a tio n 's p r a c t ic e o f p a y in g a te n p e r c en t t i t h e on h is

stu d en t e a r n in g s i n t o th e ch u rch , he c o u ld n o t th en co m p lete th e y e a r
w ith ou t in s o lv e n c y .^
The te m p ta tio n t o r a t i o n a l i z e came e a s i l y u n d er such circum
s t a n c e s , f o r s u r e ly th e Lord w anted him to g ra d u a te in June so he co u ld
e n te r th e work o f th e ch u rch .

One autumn a fte r n o o n he met one o f h is

r e li g io n p r o f e s s o r s under an o ld g n a r le d a p p le t r e e on th e campus and

approached him , a s k in g , "Do you r e a l l y th in k God e x p e c t s me to r etu r n a
te n th to Him when I'm in d e b t, and when d o in g so means I w i l l je o p a r d iz e
the c o m p letio n o f my c o l l e g e e d u c a tio n ? "
The k in d ly p r o f e s s o r lo o k e d v e ry th o u g h tfu l f o r a moment, and
then r e p lie d :
Indeed you are in t r o u b le .
I had n o t r e a l i z e d b e f o r e what
a problem you f a c e . S u r e ly you do n eed God's b l e s s i n g . In
f a c t , you n e e d more o f i t than I do, b e c a u se you a re in
d e b t. I d o n 't know o f any o th e r way to s e c u r e G od's b l e s s
in g upon you r m onetary r e s o u r c e s o th e r th an to b e f a i t h f u l
in th e m a tter o f th e t i t h e . ^
B i l l a c c e p te d th e c o u n s e l and f a i t h f u l l y p a id th e f u l l te n p e r
cent o f h i s s tu d e n t e a r n in g s i n t o th e church t r e a s u r e r each Sabbath.
But as a c o n seq u en ce, he was u n a b le to li q u i d a t e h i s in d e b te d n e s s .
In th e s p r in g th e b u s in e s s manager, rem inding him o f th e c o lle g e
p r o h ib itio n a g a in s t g r a d u a tin g in d e b t, in q u ir e d from B i l l i f he sh o u ld
go ahead and o rd er h i s cap and gow n--an awkward q u e s t io n t o put to th e

* F a g a l, By F a ith I L iv e , 9 7 .

2I b id . , 98.

^I b id .

....

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57

p r e s id e n t o f th e g r a d u a tin g c l a s s !

Summoning c o n s id e r a b le f a i t h , B i l l

gave an a f f ir m a t iv e answ er.

C la ss N ight came, th e e v e n in g b e fo r e g r a d u a tio n .
to th e c o l l e g e s t i l l s to o d on th e accou n t b o o k s.
donned t h e i r caps and gowns f o r th e e v e n t .

And th e debt

B i l l and h i s c la ssm a tes

As th e y w a ite d to e n te r th e

au d itoriu m , th e s e n io r s d is p la y e d g i f t s o f p e n s , w a tc h e s, and o th e r
p r e s e n ts w hich th e y had r e c e iv e d ; b u t B i l l had n o th in g t o show, f o r he
had r e c e iv e d none o f t h e s e t h in g s .

Having e x p e c te d n o n e, he had even

fo r g o tte n about th e custom o f g iv in g g i f t s to g r a d u a te s !

But I had r e c e iv e d ca sh g i f t s w hich th e donors d id n ot
know I needed b u t w hich God knew a l l a b o u t. On commence
ment morning th e s e cash g i f t s added up to $125, th e e x a c t
amount I needed to g r a d u a te . One hour b e fo r e commencement
I w alked in t o th e b u s in e s s o f f i c e - - d r e s s e d , i n c i d e n t a l l y ,
in my cap and gow n--and l a i d down th e f i n a l d o l l a r .
G raduation b rou gh t me a d ou b le jo y th a t dayh a p p in ess
a t c o m p le tin g a major p a r t o f my e d u c a tio n , and c h e e r in
h avin g th e unshakable c o n v ic t io n th a t God d oes in d ee d l i v e
and th a t i f we are f a i t h f u l w ith Him, He w i l l be more than
f a i t h f u l w ith u s . He w i l l open th e windows o f heaven and
pour o u t th e prom ised b l e s s i n g [M alachi 3 : 1 0 ] , My h e a r t
was so f u l l th a t t r u ly th e r e was n o t room enough to r e c e iv e
a l l th e b l e s s i n g o f H eaven. Many tim es in th e y e a r s th a t
have fo llo w e d , I have remembered th e le s s o n s o f th a t
y e a r . . . . I can t e s t i f y g la d l y , a f t e r more than tw e n ty f i v e y e a r s , th a t God has alw ays k ep t H is p ro m ises to m e .l
W illiam F agal had begun to le a r n th e r e a l meaning o f f a i t h
through p e r so n a l e x p e r ie n c e --s o m e th in g h e , in tu r n , w ould in th e years
to come sh a re w ith o th e r s to whom he would s e e k to b r in g " F a ith fo r
T oday."

C o u r tsh ip . - - B i l l F a g a l's f i r s t c o n ta c t w ith th e young woman who

would l a t e r become h is b r id e a t a camp m eetin g in th e summer o f 1936.
V ir g in ia Mae R itte n h o u s e , whose fa t h e r was p a s t o r o f B i l l ' s form er

''Ibid., 9 9 -1 0 0 .

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 5 .

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58

home-town church a t A lbany, was s i t t i n g in one o f th e m eetin g s w ith h er

g i r l f r ie n d , D orothy Evans (now Mrs. James Ackerman).

B i l l was s i t t i n g

w ith h i s p a r e n ts in th e m eetin g and p a y in g no a t t e n t io n w h atever t o th e

two g i r l s who had su d d en ly become v e r y much aware o f h i s p r e s e n c e .

D is

g u ste d , th e g i r l s d e f e n s iv e ly c o n s o le d th em se lv e s by p rom p tly d e c id in g ,

"We d o n 't l i k e him; h e 's s tu c k u p ." *
F o r tu n a te ly , f i r s t im p r e ssio n s are n o t alw ays l a s t i n g (o r c o r
r e c t ) ; and V ir g in ia s t a r t e d d a tin g B i l l in h is sophomore y e a r .

Born

September 2 4 , 1917, in S e a t t l e , W ashington, one o f f i v e c h ild r e n in th e

home o f E ld e r

and Mrs. S id n ey N oble R itte n h o u se (h er m o th er's maiden

name was L i l l i a n N e ls o n ), V ir g in ia was 16 months o ld e r than h e r new

b e a u --a f a c t w hich seemed t o have no d e te r r e n t e f f e c t upon th e romance.
V ir g in ia had begun th e stu d y o f v i o l i n a t th e age o f se v e n ;^ and
in 1933, as a lO th -grad e s tu d e n t a t Union S p rin g s Academy in New York,
she was a c c e p te d as a p r iv a t e s tu d e n t by P r o fe s s o r Andre P o la h , a member
o f th e m usic f a c u l t y o f S yracu se U n iv e r s it y .^
She was graduated from th e academy in May, 1935; bu t s in c e th e
fa m ily fo r tu n e had n o t y e t r e c o v e r e d from th e D ep ressio n (d u rin g w hich

^ V ir g in ia F agal L e t t e r , June 2 0 , 1967, 3.

2

S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tist m in is t e r s are c u s to m a r ily a d d re sse d by

t h e ir c o n g r e g a tio n s as " E ld er," r a th e r th an "R everend." The l a t t e r
d e s ig n a t io n , th e y f e e l , i s in a p p r o p r ia te f o r any m o rta l man s in c e i t i s
an a p p e lla t io n o f th e D e ity ( c f . Psalm 1 1 1 :9 c ).
*2
^V irginia F agal has w r it t e n , "I had alw ays d e c la r e d I would
n ever marry anyone younger [than m y s e lf ] .
But B i l l ' s m a tu r ity made me
e n t i r e l y f o r g e t about h is a g e .
In d e s c r ib in g him to my m other, who had
n ever met him , I r e c a l l s a y in g , 'Mom, h e 's good a l l th e way th r o u g h .'"
( L e tte r , June 2 0 , 1967, 3 .)
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 5 .
C
L e t t e r from V ir g in ia F a g a l, New York, March 1, 1967, 1.
h e r e a f t e r as V ir g in ia Fagal L e t t e r , March 1, 1967.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

C ite d

the R itte n h o u s e s were o b lig e d to r e n t o u t rooms in t h e i r home in ord er

to meet th e e d u c a tio n a l e x p e n ses o f t h e i r c h ild r e n in A d v e n tis t s c h o o ls )
V ir g in ia d id n o t go on to c o l l e g e b u t rem ained a t home in S y r a c u se .

She

took com m ercial and o th e r e l e c t i v e c o u r se s a t th e l o c a l h ig h s c h o o l and

con tin u ed h e r v i o l i n s t u d ie s w ith P r o f e s s o r P olah a t th e u n i v e r s i t y .

D uring th e 1935-1936 s e a s o n , V ir g in ia was c h o s e n - - Mt o th e e x c lu

sio n o f even th e u n iv e r s it y s t u d e n t s , many o f them a cco m p lish ed
p la y e r s " to appear tw ic e as s o l o i s t w ith th e 70-member S y ra cu se
Symphony O r c h e s tr a , a r a r e p r i v i l e g e f o r t h i s 1 8 -y e a r -o ld m u sic ia n and
"a very u n ex p ected h o n o r," as sh e h e r s e l f l a t e r w r o te .

A lm ost a t o n ce, S yracu se U n iv e r s it y o f f e r e d V ir g in ia a fo u r -y e a r

s c h o la r s h ip f o r a B.A. in m u sic.

I t was a m ost tem p tin g o f f e r , b u t

inw ardly V ir g in ia th ou gh t sh e ought r a th e r to be in an A d v e n tis t c o l l e g e

p rep a rin g fo r a p la c e in God's w ork .^

A fte r a p r o lo n g e d s t r u g g l e ,

V ir g in ia came down to b r e a k fa s t one morning and announced, " I 'v e s e t t l e d

it ."

And in Septem ber, 1936, sh e e n r o lle d a t A t la n t ic Union C o lle g e ,^

where h er fu tu r e husband was b e g in n in g h is sophomore y e a r as a th e o lo g y

major.
I t was a f a t e f u l d e c is io n w hich l i t e r a l l y changed h e r a f t e r l i f e
For in s t e a d o f a p ro m isin g c a r e e r as a p r o f e s s io n a l m u sicia n (th e conc ertm a ster o f a la r g e m id w estem symphony o r c h e s tr a had t o l d h e r , "You
have som eth in g in your p la y in g th a t o th e r p u p ils do n o t h a v e" ^ ),

^Interview w ith S id n ey N. R itte n h o u s e , f a t h e r - i n - la w o f W illiam

A. F a g a l, Loma L inda, C a l i f . , D ec. 18, 1966, 1. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as
R itten h o u se I n te r v ie w .
2
i

V ir g in ia F agal L e t t e r , March 1 , 1967, 1.

^"That Good P a r t," The Y o u th 's I n s t r u c t o r , D ec. 2 1 , 1937, 3, 13.

^I b id .

^ R itten h o u se I n te r v ie w , 1.

^"That Good P a r t," 6 .

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60
P ro v id en ce, sh e f e e l s , was p r e p a r in g h e r in s t e a d f o r a p io n e e r in g r o le
w ith h e r husband in r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n .
As B i l l and V ir g i n i a ' s f r ie n d s h ip r ip e n e d , th o u g h ts o f m arriage
began to s u g g e s t th e m s e lv e s .

B ut, d e s p it e h i s t h e o l o g i c a l t r a i n i n g i n

the a r t o f p u b lic and p e r s o n a l e v a n g e lism c o n c er n in g how t o b r in g th e

p r o s p e c tiv e c o n v e r t t o d e c i s i o n , W illiam F agal n e v e r q u it e g o t around to
p rop osin g m arriage t o h i s intended!'*'

Somehow, th e m essage g o t th ro u g h ,

however; and "we j u s t had a t a c i t u n d e r sta n d in g ," he sm ile d y e a r s l a t e r ,

r e c a llin g th e s i t u a t i o n .
But i t tu rn ed ou t

2
" I t w a s n 't a lo n g engagem ent."
to b e lo n g e r than

B i l l would grad u ate on May 21 ,

e i t h e r d e s ir e d , f o r a lth o u g h

1 9 3 9 --a n d w anted t o g e t m arried f o r t h

w ith V ir g in ia s t i l l had a n o th er y e a r o f c o l l e g e b e fo r e sh e w ould

r e c e iv e h e r d e g r e e .

As B i l l was o n ly 2 0 , th e R itte n h o u se p a r e n ts were

q u ite d e c id e d in t h e i r view th a t t h e i r d au gh ter sh o u ld d e la y m arriage

and f i n i s h h e r e d u c a tio n f i r s t .
"I was t e r r i b l y to r n b etw een th e tw o ," V ir g in ia w ro te l a t e r .
" It was r i g h t a f t e r he had g ra d u a ted and l e f t , and I was w ond ering what
to do," th a t sh e tu rn ed f o r h e lp to h er c o ll e g e E n g lis h te a c h e r ,
Mrs. R o c h e lle P. K ilg o r e .^

^A p o in t V ir g in ia F agal v ig o r o u s ly d is p u t e s : "Like m ost men, he

claim s he n e v e r p r o p o se d , b u t we sh o u ld l e t th e r ec o r d speak f o r i t s e l f .
While he was a sophomore in th e s p r in g o f 1937, he r e c e iv e d a l e t t e r from
the New York C on feren ce p r e s id e n t , f l a t l y s t a t i n g th a t th e y w ere p la n n in g
on h is j o in in g t h e ir worker fo r c e when he g ra d u a ted . We were a lo n e when
he t o ld me about th e l e t t e r , and he asked th e q u e s t io n , 'Do you th in k you
would go to th e New York C onferen ce w ith me?' I d o n 't remember how I
answ ered, i f a t a l l .
And s in c e we were opposed to lon g en gagem en ts, we
d id n 't c a l l i t t h a t .
B e s id e s , th r e e y e a r s l a t e r , when we w ere m a rried ,
B i l l was j u s t b a r e ly 21 y e a r s o ld . A fte r we s t a r t e d g o in g around
to g e th e r e a r ly in my freshm an y e a r , n e it h e r o f us e v e r w anted to d a te
anyone e l s e . "
( L e t t e r , June 2 0 , 1967, 3 - 4 .)
2F agal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 5.
^ V ir g in ia F agal L e t t e r , June 2 0 , 1967, 4.
,
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61
A sy m p a th e tic and u n d e r sta n d in g te a c h e r , Mrs. K ilg o r e s t u d ie d
V ir g in ia 's t r a n s c r ip t ; and sh e d e c id e d th a t i f V ir g in ia rem ained in
summer s c h o o l and took a maximum lo a d d u rin g th e f i r s t s e m e s te r o f th e
fo llo w in g academ ic y e a r , sh e w ould th e n have accum ulated by January
s u f f i c i e n t c r e d it s to m eet g r a d u a tio n r e q u ir e m e n ts.

The c o u p le c o u ld

then be m arried im m e d ia te ly , and sh e c o u ld r e c e iv e h e r d eg ree l a t e r in

the s p r in g , th u s m eetin g th e o b j e c t io n s o f th e R itte n h o u se h o u se h o ld .^
I t proved t o be a m ost s a t i s f a c t o r y arrangem ent; and th e c o u p le
were m arried by t h e i r c o l l e g e p r e s id e n t , G. E r ic J o n e s , in th e A lbany
Church, on Palm Sunday, March 17, 1940.

By c o in c id e n c e , i t was a ls o

S t. P a t r ic k 's Day.^
Thus, W illia m F agal ended s u c c e s s f u l l y one c a r e e r - - t h a t o f a
c o lle g e s t u d e n t and s im u lt a n e o u s ly began two o th e r s :

head o f h o u se h o ld ,

and shepherd o f a d i s t r i c t o f c h u r c h e s..

Permanent I n flu e n c e

Among th e form er a c q u a in ta n c e s who responded t o t h i s w r i t e r ' s

q u e s tio n n a ir e f o r in fo r m a tio n c o n c e r n in g W illia m F agal as a c o l l e g e
s tu d e n t, two form er c la s s m a te s o f f e r e d an a d d it io n a l, u n s o l i c i t e d p e r
so n a l t e s t im o n ia l c o n c e r n in g th e perm anent in f lu e n c e o f t h i s young
p r e a c h e r -to -b e upon t h e i r own l i v e s , w hich t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r f e e l s are
s ig n ific a n t.

^Kilgore L e t t e r , 2 . W ritin g about th e a c c e le r a t e d program dur

in g th a t summer and f a l l term s in r e t r o s p e c t , V ir g in ia F agal s a i d , "I
was th o ro u g h ly m is e r a b le , h ow ever, and I d o n 't th in k th e e f f o r t was
worth i t .
B i l l n e v e r d id th in k s o ."
( L e t t e r , June 2 0 , 1967, 4 . )
2

I n te r v ie w w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, New Y ork, J u ly 6 , 1966, 1.

C ited h e r e a f t e r as F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966.

j,
R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

62

O scar R. S chm idt, tod a y th e lib r a r ia n o f h i s

(and W illia m F a g a l1s )

alma m ater, A t la n t ic Union C o lle g e , has w r itte n :

To me, p e r s o n a lly , B i l l was a good exam ple o f what a
C h r is tia n young man sh o u ld b e .
I am s u r e h i s home t r a in i n g
d id much to make B i l l what he w as. . . . At th e tim e o f my
fr ie n d s h ip w ith B i l l as a s t u d e n t , I was n o t a member o f
th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church, so h i s fr ie n d s h ip and h i s
in f lu e n c e I am su r e w ere f a c t o r s in h e lp in g me become a
member o f th e C hu rch.*
And L. E. Sm art, now s e c r e t a r y o f th e e d u c a tio n departm ent o f th e
A t la n t ic Union C onferen ce o f Sevent'n-day A d v e n tis ts (w hich s e r v e s New
York, th e s i x New England s t a t e s , and Bermuda), adds t h i s to u c h in g
tr ib u te :
In b r i e f , B i l l Fagal was th e answ er to any m o th er's p r a y e rs
and I w ish t h a t my c h ild r e n were more l i k e what he u sed to
be. 2

^Schmidt L e t t e r .

^Smart L e t t e r .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

CHAPTER I I

WILLIAM A. FAGAL:

AMERICA'S FIRST NATIONAL TELEVISION PASTOR

B eh o ld , an I s r a e l i t e in d e e d , in whom i s no g u i l e . . . .
My meat i s to do th e w i l l o f Him th a t s e n t Me,
and t o f i n i s h H is w o r k .--J o h n 1:47b;
4 :3 4 b .
There i s no power on e a r th th a t can n e u t r a liz e th e in f lu e n c e
o f a h ig h , p u r e , s im p le , and u s e f u l l i f e .
Booker T. W ashington!

W illia m A. F agal was g rad u ated from A t la n t ic Union C o lle g e w ith

a Th.B. d eg ree on May 2 1 , 1 9 3 9 --b y i n t e r e s t i n g c o in c id e n c e e x a c t ly 11
y e a rs to th e day b e fo r e h is f i r s t h i s t o r i c t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a st in New
York C ity .

Thus h e e n te r e d upon a m i n i s t e r i a l in t e r n s h ip in th e g o s p e l

m in is tr y o f th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church.

T his c h a p ter w i l l con

s i d e r , s u c c e s s i v e l y , h i s p a s t o r a l and e v a n g e l i s t i c m in is tr y (1 9 3 9 -1 9 5 0 )
and h is t e l e v i s i o n and c o r r e la t e m in is t r y (1 9 5 0 -1 9 6 8 ).

P a s to r a l and E v a n g e li s t ic M in istr y :

1939-1950

E lm ira m in is t r y . The New York C onference Committee lo c a t e d

young Fagal in th e "Elm ira D i s t r i c t " to s e r v e f i v e sm a ll c o n g r e g a tio n s

! c i t e d by C h arles L. W a llis ( e d . ) , The T reasure C hest (New York:

Harper & Row, P u b lis h e r s , 1 9 6 5 ), 151.
Upon g r a d u a tio n from c o l l e g e , a p r o s p e c t iv e A d v e n tist m in is t e r
f i r s t u n dergoes an a p p r e n tic e s h ip p e r io d o f two y e a rs as a " m i n is t e r ia l
in t e r n ," and a fu r t h e r tw o -y e a r p r o b a tio n a r y p e r io d as a L ic en se d
M in is te r , o r d in a r y , b e fo r e he i s c o n s id e r e d as a c a n d id a te fo r
o r d in a tio n .

63
.ft//.
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64

sou th o f th e F in g e r Lakes in th e w e s t - c e n t r a l p a r t o f th e S t a t e :

E lm ira ,

C om in g, W e l l s v i l l e , R ich b erg , and C a t l i n . 1

A b a c h e lo r f o r th e f i r s t te n m onths, B i l l r e n te d a room in E lm ira
a t th e e a ster n m o st e x tr e m ity o f h i s d i s t r i c t , w hich s t r e t c h e d some 120
m iles from e a s t to w e s t.

During th e f a l l o f 1939 and th e w in t e r o f 1940,

he h e ld an e v a n g e l i s t i c campaign in C o m in g in an a ttem p t to in c r e a s e
the s i z e o f th e l o c a l A d v e n tis t church th e r e w hich numbered o n ly 20
b a p tiz ed a d u lt s .
The p a s to r o f a German Lutheran Church, who was n o t h im s e lf
h o ld in g e v e n in g s e r v ic e s a t th e tim e , a g reed to r e n t h i s church b u ild in g
fo r th e cam paign a most u n u su al g e s tu r e two d ecad es b e fo r e th e dawn o f
the s o - c a l l e d "Ecum enical A ge."

The b u ild in g s e a t e d 1 50, b u t on op en in g

n ig h t th e r e was a " sta n d in g room on ly" a u d ien ce o f 1 7 0 .

A h a r v e s t o f 24 c o n v e r ts was read y fo r b a p tism a t th e c o n c lu s io n
o f th e cam paign, and c o n fe r e n c e p r e s id e n t W. H. Howard was i n v i t e d to
come down from Union S p rin g s to perform th e r i t e , s in c e in A d v e n tis t
p o l i t y unordained m in is t e r s g e n e r a lly are n o t p e r m itte d to f u n c tio n in
t h is c a p a c ity .
B ecause th e r e n te d b u ild in g had no im m ersion b a p t i s t r y , th e
A d v e n tists r e n te d a nearby B a p t is t church f o r t h i s s p e c i a l s e r v i c e .
Q uite u n in t e n t io n a lly , an o v e r z e a lo u s deacon had o v e r h e a te d th e w a ter;
and when th e door to th e b a p tism a l p o o l was opened to a llo w th e o f f i c i
a tin g clergym an and c a n d id a te s to e n te r th e w a te r , a b i l l o w in g c lo u d o f
steam e n g u lfe d them a l l .
The w a ter tem p erature was w e ll o v er 100F " i t was so h o t I 'd
h ated to have had to s t i c k my b ig t o e i n ," F agal g r in n e d y e a r s l a t e r in

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 1.

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65

r e c o u n tin g th e s t o r y .

H e, o f c o u r s e , d id n 't have t o e n t e r th e w a te r ,

but h i s c o n fe r e n c e p r e s id e n t d id ; and th e o n ly way he e v e r g o t through

th e ceremony was t o have a c o ld to w e l handed him b etw een th e im m ersion
o f one c a n d id a te and t h a t o f th e n e x t , in o rd er t o w ipe th e str e a m in g
p e r s p ir a t io n from h i s fe v e r e d brow .
A seco n d campaign was h e ld in C o m in g , in a t e n t , in th e summer
o f 1940, t h i s one g ra ced by th e p r e s e n c e o f th e new Mrs. F a g a l.

And

when P r e s id e n t Howard came to condu ct th e b a p tism in Septem ber, W illia m

Fagal j u d ic io u s ly changed th e venue o f th e ceremony to th e A d v e n tis t
church in E lm ira.

T w e n ty -s ix c a n d id a te s were b a p tiz e d t h i s tim e , making

an even 50 new a d u lt c o n v e r ts d u rin g th e f i r s t y e a r o f th e Fagal m in is

tr y * - - a rem arkable s u c c e s s , when one k eep s in m ind, as M eth o d ist H a r t z e ll
Spence has s a id :
I t i s n o t e a s y to be a S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t. The
Church i s s c r u p u lo u s ly B i b l i c a l .
D arw in's th e o r y o f e v o lu
t io n i s r e j e c t e d u n e q u iv o c a lly . The Ten Commandments a re
em ph asized, n o t as a means o f s a l v a t i o n , b u t as an e x p r e s
s io n o f th e te a c h in g s o f C h r is t.
The Sabbath w hich
A d v e n tis ts o b se rv e from sundown F rid a y to sundown S a tu r d a y ,
i s w h o lly d e d ic a te d t o th e Lord. A d v e n tis t shops and
f a c t o r i e s c l o s e , no work i s p erfo rm ed , and t e l e v i s i o n and
r a d io are s i l e n t .
A d v e n tis ts may n o t p la y card s o r dance. They do n o t
smoke, nor do th e y d rin k a l c o h o l i c b e v e r a g e s or even c o f f e e
or t e a . They d r e ss s im p ly , a v o id in g o s t e n t a t i o n , and wear
o n ly f u n c tio n a l j e w e lr y .
A d v e n tis ts reg a rd s e r i o u s l y th e A p o s tle P a u l's te a c h in g
t h a t th e body i s th e tem p le o f th e H oly S p i r i t .
A nything
t h a t underm ines th e body i s t h e r e f o r e p r o fa n e . V e g e ta r ia n
ism i s w id e ly p r a c t ic e d , on th e b a s i s th a t . . . man's
o r i g i n a l d i e t d id n o t in c lu d e f l e s h f o o d s .2

1I b id .
"The S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t s ," The S to r y o f A m eric's R e lig io n s
(New York: H o lt , R in eh a rt and W inston , 1 9 6 0 ), 1 6 6 -6 7 .

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66
An A d v e n tis t i s a ls o e x p e c te d t o g iv e te n p e r c e n t o f h i s income
as t i t h e to h i s church f o r th e su p p o rt o f i t s m in is t r y , i n a d d it io n t o
r e g u la r o f f e r in g s f o r th e su p p o rt and m ain ten an ce o f th e c h u r c h 's v a r ie d
e v a n g e lic a l, e d u c a t io n a l, m e d ic a l, w e lf a r e , and p u b lis h in g a c t i v i t i e s a t
home and o v e r s e a s .

With such o u tsta n d in g s u c c e s s in h i s v e r y f i r s t y e a r o u t o f

c o l l e g e , W illia m F a g a l, c o n fe r e n c e o f f i c i a l s q u ic k ly r e c o g n iz e d , was
c le a r ly a man t o w atch .

Sem inary t r a i n i n g . In th e 1930s and 1 9 4 0 s, a fo u r - y e a r u n d er

graduate t h e o lo g i c a l cu rricu lu m a t an A d v e n tis t l i b e r a l a r ts c o l l e g e was
co n sid e re d adequ ate t o p rep are a young man f o r th e g o s p e l m in is t r y .
The d en om in ation d id , how ever, o p e r a te a g ra d u a te sem in ary a t
W ashington, D. C. ( r e lo c a t e d i n 1959 a t B e r r ie n S p r in g s , M ich ig a n , and
in c o r p o r a te d w ith Andrews U n iv e r s it y ) ; and W illia m F agal r e q u e s te d p e r
m issio n t o ta k e f u r t h e r t r a in i n g on th a t l e v e l .
The c o n fe r e n c e co m m ittee, composed o f a number o f o ld e r c le r g y ,
many o f whom d id n o t p o s s e s s even a b a c h e lo r 's d e g r e e , w ere unsympa
t h e t i c , and s u g g e s te d W illiam ca rry on , i n s t e a d , w ith h i s program o f
e v a n g e lism .

With th e s u c c e s s h was h a v in g , what n eed d id he have o f

goin g back t o s c h o o l?
Perhaps as a g e s tu r e t o sw eeten th e d e n i a l , th e com m ittee v o te d
th a t he co u ld a tte n d th e d e n o m in a tio n 's q u a d r e n n ia l G eneral C on feren ce
S e s sio n to be h e ld in San F r a n c is c o in J u n e, 1941.

En r o u t e , w h ile

v i s i t i n g th e c h u r c h 's S ou th w estern J u n io r [now S o u th w e ster n U nion] C ol

le g e a t K eene, T e x a s, B i l l in a d v e r t e n t ly f e l l down a f l i g h t o f s t a i r s
and fr a c tu r e d h is le g .

1I b i d . , 177.

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67
A fte r ta k in g one look a t t h e i r s u c c e s s f u l young e v a n g e lis t hob
b lin g in t o th e s e s s i o n on c r u tc h e s , w ith a la r g e p l a s t e r c a s t ad orn in g
one l e g , th e c o n fe r e n c e com m ittee met p r i v a t e l y in San F r a n c isc o and
v o ted to g iv e him th e summer o f f t o a tte n d one term a t th e sem in a ry ,
b e g in n in g June 2 2 .
" I t was my l u c k i e s t b r e a k ," he punned, y e a r s later.'*'
During th e summer o f 1941 v e te r a n A d v e n tis t e v a n g e li s t J . L.
S h u ler came as v i s i t i n g in s t r u c t o r to th e sem in ary; and Fagal f e l t th a t
t h is unique o p p o r tu n ity h e lp e d in g r e a t m easure to improve h is own
methods in e v a n g e lis m .

A lt o g e t h e r , he e n r o lle d f o r f i v e c o u r se s ( f o r a

t o t a l o f f i v e s e m e s te r h ou rs o f academ ic c r e d i t ) th a t summer:
H i s t o r i c a l Developm ent o f
P r o p h e tic I n t e r p r e t a t io n
Methods o f E van gelism
V oice and D ic tio n

D o c tr in a l T each in gs o f
J e su s II (a u d it)
P r i e s t l y Code in I s r a e l

His g r a d e -p o in t averag e f o r th e summer was a s t r a ig h t 3 .0 "B"

average (on a f o u r - p o in t s c a l e , w ith 4 .0 r e p r e s e n tin g a grade o f A ).
( F a g a l's o n ly o th e r g ra d u a te stu d y was a s i n g l e th r e e s e m e s te r
hour course in s o c i a l p sy c h o lo g y a t Columbia U n iv e r s it y during 1 9 5 4 -1 9 5 5 ,
fo r which he r e c e iv e d a grade o f B.

At t h i s tim e he had h ig h hop es o f

o r ie n tin g h is p a s t o r a l c a r e e r in th e d ir e c t i o n o f p s y c h o lo g ic a l c o u n s e l
in g ; b u t when he found th e departm ent h o s t i l e toward fundam ental r e l i g i o n ,
7

he dropped p la n s t o tak e fu r t h e r s tu d y in t h i s a r e a . )

1I b id .
2

" S c h o la r sh ip Record o f W illia m A. F a g a l," S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t

T h e o lo g ic a l Sem inary, Andrews U n iv e r s it y , B er r ien S p r in g s , M ich ., is s u e d
by R e g is tr a r Dyre D yresen , May 2 5 , 1966.
^ In te r v ie w w ith W illiam A. F a g a l, New York, J u ly 7, 1966, 3.
C ited h e r e a f t e r as Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7 , 1966.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Back t o E lm ir a . From th e f a l l o f 1941 to th e s p r in g o f 1942,

W illiam F agal h e ld e v a n g e l i s t i c m eetin g s in th e E lm ira F e d e r a tio n H a ll;
and when he inform ed th e c o n fe r e n c e p r e s id e n t th a t he had a n o th er 50
c a n d id a te s read y f o r b a p tis m , he r e c e iv e d th e u n p reced en ted p e r m issio n
to go ahead and b a p t iz e them h i m s e l f .' 1'
The f i r s t c o n v e r t he b a p tiz e d was R obert L. S h eld o n , who l a t e r
became an A d v e n tis t f o r e ig n m is s io n a r y in Korea.

E ig h te e n y e a rs l a t e r

Fagal met Sh eld on a g a in a t h is m is s io n s p o s t on a t r i p to th e Far E a st.

Another b a p tiz e d i n th e same ceremony was a c o ll e g e - a g e y o u th , C arl E.
Groom, who jo in e d th e church a lo n g w ith h is m other.

F agal su b s e q u e n tly

drove Carl to an A d v e n tis t l i b e r a l a r ts c o lle g e ; some y e a r s l a t e r he

became a d ep a rtm en ta l s e c r e t a r y (e d u c a tio n and youth a c t i v i t i e s )

f o r tne

A lb erta C on feren ce in Canada.

With a 40 p e r c e n t membership in c r e a s e in j u s t n in e months (from
125 to 1 7 5 ), th e E lm ira c o n g r e g a tio n found th a t t h e i r p r e s e n t church
b u ild in g was to o s m a ll; a new and more commodious b u ild in g had to be
e r e c t e d .2

O r d in a tio n . --T h e o f f i c e r s o f th e New York C onferen ce took c o g n i

zance o f th e r em a rk a b le--a n d c o n tin u e d -- s u c c e s s o f t h e i r young
e v a n g e lis t ; and on A p r il 2 7 , 1942, th e e x e c u t iv e com m ittee
VOTED, That we recommend to th e [ A t la n t ic ] Union [C on feren ce]
Committee t h a t B ro th er W illia m F agal b e o rd a in ed a t our
coming camp m e e t in g .3

I b i d . , J u ly 6 , 1966, 1. S a id F a g a l's f a t h e r - i n - la w , "In a l l my

10-12 y e a r s as a p a s to r in th e New York C o n feren ce, I n e v e r knew o f
another in s t a n c e where an u n o rd a in ed , lic e n s e d m in is t e r was p e r m itte d to
b a p tiz e h i s own c a n d id a te s ."
(R itte n h o u se I n te r v ie w .)
2

F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 1.

^M inutes, E x e c u tiv e C om m ittee, New York C onferen ce o f S ev en th day A d v e n t is t s , Union S p r in g s , N. Y ., A p r il 2 7 , 1942.

I
i ^
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69
Thus on J u ly 4 , 1942, he c e le b r a te d th e n a t io n a l Independence
Day by a c h ie v in g t h a t measure o f e c c l e s i a s t i c a l in d ep en d en ce w hich comes
w ith o n e 's o r d in a tio n to th e f u l l g o s p e l m in is t r y o f h i s church.

The

a n c ie n t a p o s t o l i c ceremony o f th e la y in g on o f hands to o k p la c e b e fo r e
an aud ien ce o f s e v e r a l thousand a t th e annual camp m eetin g o f th e New
York C onference a t Union S p r in g s .

O rdained w ith F agal in th e same c e r e

mony was E. A. R o b ertso n , th en p r in c ip a l o f th e lo c a l Union S p rin g s

Academy'*' (now e d u c a tio n s e c r e t a r y o f th e Columbia Union C on feren ce) .
O f f i c i a t i n g clergym en in c lu d e d :

W. H. Howard, p r e s id e n t , New

York C onference; M. L. R ic e , p r e s id e n t , A t la n t ic Union C onferen ce O ho

e ig h t y ea rs l a t e r p ic k e d W illiam F a g a l f o r th e p io n e e r New York t e l e
c a s t ) ; Roy A lla n A nderson, M in is t e r ia l A s s o c ia t io n s e c r e t a r y o f th e
General C onferen ce; and J . J . S t r a h le , a ls o o f th e G eneral C on feren ce;
and F a g a l's own f a t h e r - i n - la w , S . N. R itte n h o u s e .

W illia m F a g a l's o r d in a tio n in o n ly th r e e y e a r s a f t e r g r a d u a tio n

from c o lle g e ( in s t e a d o f th e u s u a l minimum o f fo u r y e a r s ) was f u r t h e r
r e c o g n itio n by h i s church o f e v id e n c e t h a t h ere was an e x c e p t io n a lly
g if t e d and t a le n t e d worker fo r God.

B u ffa lo m in is t r y . J . L. S h u le r , F a g a l's sem inary e v a n g e lism

in s t r u c t o r , was b rough t t o B u ffa lo , New York, in th e f a l l o f 1941 t o
prepare fo r a l a r g e - s c a le e v a n g e l i s t i c campaign t o b e g in Septem ber, 1942.
K leinh an's M usic H a ll, s e a t in g 3 ,0 0 0 , was booked a s o l i d y e a r in advance;

I b i d . , J u ly 4 , 1942.

^I b i d .

^ F a g a l's f a t h e r - in - la w a t t r i b u t e s th e young m in i s t e r 's unheardo f o r d in a tio n a f t e r o n ly th re e y e a r s , in p a r t , to th e e ste e m p la c e d upon

him by union c o n fe r e n c e p r e s id e n t M. L. R ic e , who t o ld E ld e r R itte n h o u s e
th a t h is g i f t e d s o n -in -la w was "a n a tu r a l p r e a c h e r ."
(R itte n h o u s e
I n te r v ie w .)

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

Shuler sp e n t th e y e a r in p r e p a r in g th.e l o c a l c o n g r e g a tio n f o r th e

" e ffo r t" A d v e n tis t euphemism f o r e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s .
For r e a so n s n e v e r p u b l i c l y e x p la in e d , S h u le r a b r u p tly changed
h is mind, and bowed o u t a t th e l a s t m in u te.
were o ff e r e d th e cam paign, w ith i t s

S u c c e s s iv e ly fo u r m in is t e r s

la r g e b u dget and commensurate r e sp o n

s i b i l i t i e s ; and a l l fo u r tu rn ed i t down, perhaps u n w illin g t o r i s k t h e i r

p r o fe s s io n a l r e p u t a t io n on su ch a momentous u n d e rta k in g w ith so l i t t l e
time rem aining f o r sermon p r e p a r a tio n , e t c .
Three days a f t e r h i s o r d in a t io n w ith th e m eetin g s s c h e d u le d to
b egin j u s t two months l a t e r W illia m F agal was o f f e r e d th e cam paign.

He

was now o n ly 23 y e a r s o ld .^
F rien d s im portuned B i l l n o t to a c c e p t B u f f a lo - - s a i d i t was
r id ic u lo u s fo r a "young u p s ta r t" l i k e him to attem p t a major campaign in
such a la r g e c i t y as t h i s w ith o u t more e x p e r ie n c e .

But to t h e i r s u r

p r is e he was n o t n e r v o u s , and ev en seemed happy a t th e p r o s p e c t a t what

they were c e r t a in w ould be a p r o f e s s io n a l d i s a s t e r .

The F a g a ls moved to

B u ffa lo a t th e end o f J u ly .
The campaign g o t underway in Septem ber, 1942.

The war was n o t

going p a r t i c u l a r l y w e ll in e i t h e r th e European o r A s i a t i c t h e a t r e s .
Young men in t h e i r te e n s w ere b e in g c o n s c r ip te d i n t o m il it a r y s e r v i c e in
in c r e a s in g ly la r g e num bers.

Now, in r e t r o s p e c t , F agal s a y s , "I b e l i e v e

th a t the wartim e c o n d it io n s a c t u a l l y h e lp e d r a th e r than h in d e r e d ev a n g elism ."

I t was a t h e s i s w ith w hich Howard B. Weeks, who has c h r o n ic le d

the h is t o r y o f A d v e n tis t p u b lic e v a n g e lism (d e a lin g p a r t i c u l a r l y w ith

" c r i s is p s y c h o lo g y " ), c o u ld n 't have agreed more.

'"Fagal I n t e r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 2 .

^I b i d .

3Howard W eeks, 170, 3 1 2 f f . , 3 3 4 f f .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

F a gal d e c id e d to c a p i t a l i z e upon th e p u b l i c ' s a v id i n t e r e s t in

current e v e n t s , and f o r h i s o p en in g n ig h t t o p i c he announced:
This War Be Armageddon?"

"Could

E v a n g e lis t S h u le r , upon le a r n in g o f d e v e lo p

ments in B u f f a lo , was th u n d e r str u c k , b e in g a man who alw ays "went by th e

book"

( w h i c h

he wro t e ) , in w hich e v e r y th in g i s o r g a n iz e d and c h a r te d

down to th e s m a lle s t d e t a i l .

And "Armageddon" was d i s t i n c t l y o u t o f

sequence f o r an op en in g n ig h t topic!'*'
N e v e r t h e le s s , an a u d ien ce o f some 2 ,8 0 0 came t o hear th e young
e v a n g e lis t from E lm ira on h is o p en in g Sunday n ig h t .

And a lth o u g h th e r e

was somewhat o f an e x p e c te d m id-week slump i n a tte n d a n c e on Wednesday

and F riday n ig h t s

( f o r w hich e v e n in g s s e r v i c e s were h e ld e ls e w h e r e , in

sm a lle r a u d ito r iu m s ), an S . R. 0 . crowd o f more than 3 ,0 0 0 g r e e te d Fagal

the second Sunday e v e n in g when he spoke on H i t l e r and th e prophecy o f
world e v e n ts in D a n ie l, C hapter Two.
Heady s t u f f , f o r a "young u p s t a r t ," in d e e d !

" I t ' s fu nny, th e

th in g s you remember," F agal s m ile d r e c e n t l y .

I s t i l l r e c a l l v i v i d l y s ta n d in g j u s t o u t s id e th e sta g e
e n tr a n c e on th o se Sunday n ig h t s j u s t as th e song s e r v ic e
was g e t t i n g underw ay, and w a tch in g a w hole f l e e t o f s p e c ia l
b u ses p r o v id e d by th e m u n ic ip a l t r a n s i t sy ste m t o tr a n s p o r t
th e s e mammoth crowds coming up to th e M usic H a ll.
Bus
a f t e r bus w ould p u l l u p , d is g o r g e i t s p a s s e n g e r s , and d r iv e
o f f em pty. And a l l th o s e p e o p le were coming to my m eetin g !
I t was a l l v e r y t h r i l l i n g - - a n d y e t v ery humblingTZ
R igh t from th e v e r y s t a r t th e young e v a n g e l i s t , who had alw ays
been f a s c in a t e d by th e " p u llin g power" o f r a d io i n r e a c h in g th e m asses
fo r God, began a s e r i e s o f w eek ly Sunday n ig h t b r o a d c a s t s , l i v e from th e
Music H a ll, j u s t p r e c e d in g th e e v e n in g m e e tin g .

He c o n tin u e d t h i s

s e r ie s fo r th r e e m onths, and h is r a th e r s p e c t a c u la r fu tu r e c a r e e r in

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 2 .

2 I b id .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

b r o a d c a stin g w ould d a te i t s b e g in n in g w ith, t h e s e Sunday n ig h t r a d io

program s.*
F agal in v i t e d h i s c o l l e g e h o m ile t ic s p r o f e s s o r t o a tte n d h is
f i r s t major campaign in B u ffa lo (w hich th e l a t t e r , in h is advanced y e a rs
today in c o r r e c t ly r e c a l l s h a v in g b een h e ld in R o c h e s t e r ) .

He a r r iv e d

j u s t in tim e to s e e an o v e rflo w a u d ien ce s t r u g g lin g to f in d s e a t s , and

commented:
I had n e v e r se e n su ch a la r g e , w e ll- o r g a n iz e d program.
Many o f th e f e a t u r e s [F agal em ployed] have s i n c e become
common [among A d v e n tis t e v a n g e l i s t s ] , b u t I am su r e m ost o f
them were h i s own id e a s . He has alw ays b een c r e a t i v e . H is
appearance in w h it e , w ea rin g th e c o n c e a le d b u t t o n - h o le
'lm ike,, and c a r r y in g a b la c k B ib le , made a rem arkably p l e a s
in g im p r e s s io n . H is v e r s a t i l e u se o f th e B ib le in p r e a ch in g
and an sw erin g q u e s t io n s , th e unique method o f h a n d lin g
w r itte n r e q u e s ts f o r p ra y er ( a l l sp r ea d on a t a b le as he
o f f e r e d p r a y e r o v er them) s a t i s f i e d me, h is form er te a c h e r ,
th a t h e r e was a young man to w atch in y e a rs to come.
A fte r th e s e r v i c e I to o k th e t r a in back to C o lle g e , fo r
I had c l a s s e s n e x t m orning.
" B ill" s a id he w ould accompany
me to th e s t a t i o n and r e q u e ste d we w a lk , so we c o u ld v i s i t .
He needed to t a lk to som eone. He was much a f r a id o f th e
ta sk and con cern ed over th e c o n fid e n c e p la c e d in him and
th e sum o f money a t h is d is p o s a l.
Even th en he showed good
b u s in e s s a b i l i t y in th e amount o f w e ll- p la c e d and o ft e n
fr e e a d v e r t is in g he was a b le to s e c u r e . He b e lie v e d in a
heavy o u t la y o f money in b il l b o a r d and new spaper a d v e r t i s
in g . There was no s e l f - c o n f i d e n t s p i r i t in t h i s young
p r e a ch er . He le a n e d h e a v ily upon God and h i s t r u s t e d
c o u n s e llo r s f o r a d v i c e .2
W illia m F agal rem ained in B u ffa lo u n t i l J an u ary, 1944, a y e a r
and o n e - h a lf , a lt o g e t h e r , in o r d e r t o "bind o ff" th e r e s u l t s o f h is
campaign and to e s t a b l i s h fir m ly h i s new c o n v e r ts in th e A d v e n tist f a i t h
A pproxim ately 150 c o n v e r ts were b a p tiz e d as a r e s u l t o f th e B u ffa lo
m eetin g s, w hich c l e a r l y p la c e d F a g a l in th e " big tim e" among the
lea d in g A d v e n tis t e v a n g e l i s t s .

^I b i d .

The B u ffa lo church membership was

^H artin L e t t e r , 3 - 4 .

. ...
Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

73
ap p roxim ately 220 when W illia m F agal came t o town; i t was n e a r ly 400
when he le ft.'* '

B rooklyn p a s t o r a t e . The F a g a ls n e x t a c c e p te d a c a l l t o th e
Washington Avenue S . D. A. Church in B rooklyn; and on January 17, 1944,
B i l l ' s 2 5 th b ir th d a y , th e cou p le drove in t o New York C ity and began
h o u seh u n tin g .
T h is was n o t t h e i r f i r s t v i s i t to th e b ig c i t y .

A fte r t h e i r

m arriage in Albany n e a r ly fo u r y e a r s e a r l i e r , th e newlyweds had p a s s e d

through New York C ity en r o u te to a honeymoon in th e s o u th .

At t h a t

tim e, as th e y had jo in e d th ousands o f o th e r ru b b er -n ec k in g t o u r i s t s

gawking a t th e s i g h t s and sounds o f Times Square in M anhattan, and were
caught up in th e s w i r li n g mob, V ir g in ia had lo o k ed up lo v in g ly a t h er
new husband, and s a i d , e a r n e s t l y , " B i l l , I ' l l go w ith you anyw here.

But

d o n 't e v e r ask me t o come here to New York C ity ."

But t h i s tim e th e y had come to s t a y and s t a y th ey h a v e , i n th e
g r e a te r

m e tr o p o lita n New York a r e a , e v e r s i n c e .

With a more mature judgment now, V ir g in ia F a g a l, in lo o k in g

f e e l s she can l i v e anyw here, i f th e

work i s c h a lle n g in g .

b a ck ,

"Where th e r e

i s a c h a lle n g e , where th e r e i s a n e e d , th e r e you f e e l you b e lo n g ."

Three w eeks a f t e r W illiam and V ir g in ia F agal drove in t o New York

C ity , t h e ir f i r s t c h i l d , Kathryn G a il, was b o m , February 9 , 1944.
N early th r e e y e a r s l a t e r , on November 2 2 , 1946, t h e i r o n ly son and o th er
c h ild , W illiam A lan , was added to th e f a m i l y .3

*-Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 2 .
2

I n te r v ie w w ith Mrs. V ir g in ia F a g a l, New York, J u ly 4 , 1966, 1.

C ited h e r e a f t e r as V ir g in ia F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7, 1966.
30n A p r il 2 2 , 1 9 5 4 , Norma Bork, th en a s tu d e n t a t New J e r s e y
S ta te T eachers C o lle g e , Newark, a d m in is te r e d th e S ta n fo r d -B in e t (Form L)

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

74
Today, Kathy i s Mrs. Leland T e tz .

Her husband i s a m usic

tea ch er and c h o ir d ir e c t o r a t Takoma Academy, i n Takoma Park, M aryland.

Kathy works as a r e g is t e r e d n u rse two m ile s away a t th e W ashington S a n i
tarium H o s p ita l in t h is bedroom suburb o f th e n a t io n 's c a p i t a l .

Her

b r o th er , B i l l , who s tu d ie d th e o lo g y a t h i s f a t h e r ' s alma m ater, A t l a n t ic

Union C o lle g e , in New England, i s now a grad u ate s tu d e n t a t th e S e v e n th day A d v e n tist T h e o lo g ic a l Sem inary, Andrews U n iv e r s it y , B errien S p r in g s,
M ich igan .1

[See F ig . 6]

The B rooklyn p a s to r a te was v iew ed by o f f i c i a l s o f th e G reater

New York C onference as a "prom otion" to t h i s f a s t - r i s i n g young e v a n g e
l i s t ; but to W illiam F a g a l, i t was "a g r e a t d is a p p o in tm e n t--a t f i r s t . "

IQ t e s t to th e F agal c h ild r e n , in c o n n e c tio n w ith a co u rse p r o j e c t in

p s y c h o lo g ic a l t e s t i n g . She r e p o r ts th a t b o th c h ild r e n ranked e x c e p t io n
a lly h igh : B i l l y , then age 7 y e a r s , and in th e seco n d grade o f s c h o o l,
stood a t 166; and Kathy, th en 10 and in th e f i f t h g ra d e, was n o t f a r
behind a t 152.
(I n te r v ie w w ith Norma Bork, a s s o c ia t e p r o f e s s o r o f
speech p a th o lo g y and a u d io lo g y , P a c i f i c Union C o lle g e , Angwin, C a l i f . ,
July 16, 1 9 6 8 .)
E v a lu a tin g an IQ t e s t can be a t r ic k y b i t o f b u s in e s s . John
Dewey once o b se rv e d , "This i n t e l l i g e n c e - t e s t i n g b u s in e s s rem inds me o f
the way th ey used to w eigh hogs in T exas. They would g e t a lo n g p la n k ,
put i t over a c r o s s -b a r , and somehow t i e th e hog on one end o f th e p la n k .
They'd sea r c h a l l around t i l l th ey found a s to n e th a t w ould b a la n c e the
w eight o f th e hog and th e y 'd p u t th a t on th e o th er end o f th e p la n k .
Then th e y 'd gu ess th e w e ig h t o f th e s t o n e ."
(C ited in F le s c h , 1 8 3 .)
IQ t e s t s , p a r t ic u l a r ly o f th e S ta n fo r d -B in e t ty p e which i s
f a i r l y w e ll r e s p e c te d th rou ghout e d u c a tio n a l c i r c l e s , do have some v a lu e
in m easuring i n t e l l i g e n c e , how ever. Making a llo w a n c e s f o r a p r a c t ic in g
s tu d e n t's in e x p e r ie n c e , and a ls o fo r th e f a c t th a t a d m ira tio n fo r P a s to r
Fagal on th e p a r t o f th e exam iner (who knew him) co u ld have a s u b j e c t iv e
in flu e n c e on th e f i n a l outcome o f th e t e s t s c o r e s , i t would y e t appear
th a t the Fagal c h ild r e n were r a th e r b r ig h t . The S ta n fo r d -B in e t i n s t r u
ment has b een , f o r many y e a r s , "the m ost w id e ly used in d iv id u a l
i n t e l lig e n c e s c a le " and a ls o "a y a r d s tic k a g a in s t which many o th e r t e s t s
have been compared." (C. M. L in d v a ll, T e s tin g and E v a lu a tio n : An I n t r o
duction [New York: H arcou rt, Brace W orld, I n c . , 1 9 6 1 ], 2 1 5 .) S c o r e s ,
such as th o se r e p o r te d f o r th e F agal c h ild r e n , o f 150 and above would
p la ce them in th e top 0 .2 p e r c e n t i l e o f th e American p o p u la tio n ( 2 1 8 ) .
1F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 2 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Fig. 6. P o rtrait of th e W illiam A. Fagal fam ily (1964). F oreground,

left to right: Mrs. A nn a F ag al, th e P a sto r's m o th er; Mrs. V irginia
R ittenhouse-F agal (holding "S ch m u tz," th e fam ily cat); d a u g h te r Kathy
Fagal-Tetz, R.N.; a n d P asto r F ag al. In th e rea r, so n W illiam A lan,
se n io r th e o lo g y m ajor a t A tlan tic Union C o lleg e, sits b eh in d his
m other; a n d Leland Tetz, m usic in stru cto r a t T akom a A ca d em y (Takoma
Park, Md.), sits beh in d his w ife.

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76
For he had j u s t exchanged a t h r i v i n g , grow ing c o n g r e g a tio n o f many new
and e n t h u s ia s t ic members in B u ffa lo f o r a church w hich b o a s te d 350 mem
bers on th e church l i s t , b u t o n ly 168 Cby a c t u a l co u n t) in th e pews th a t
f i r s t Sabbath morning when th e new p a rso n d e liv e r e d h i s f i r s t sermon.
And th e m a jo r ity o f th e s e were elderly."*"
The tr u th w as, th e W ashington Ave. Church was d y in g .

In i t s

heyday i t had had a s u c c e s s io n o f im p o rta n t "name" p r e a c h e r s from the

ranks o f th e A d v e n tis t c le r g y - - s u c h men as A rthur L ic k e y , th e Venden
B rothers (D. E. and M. L .) , L. B. S h ic k .

And a l l o f them, w ith o u t

e x c e p tio n , were " ex p erien ced " m i n i s t e r s , and c o n s id e r a b ly o ld e r than th e

new "young man" who was n o t c a l l e d to s e r v e th e ch u rch .

I t had been an im p ortan t church in i t s d ay, and i t had an

im posing e d i f i c e - - a n e x - B a p t is t b u ild in g s e a t in g n e a r ly 1 ,2 0 0 w ith a
large b a lc o n y , a b ig p ip e organ , and g o ld m osaic d e c o r .
But i t s form er g lo r y was now f a s t f a d in g .

A Negro g h e tto was

en croach in g, and new c o n v e r ts seld om s ta y e d around lo n g , te n d in g r a th e r

to move out away from t h i s downtown a rea t o th e su b u rb s.
o f th e membership was e l d e r l y .

The m a jo rity

And now th e a r r i v a l o f a y o u th fu l p a s to r

was h era ld ed by many among th e l a i t y as f r e s h e v id e n c e th a t th e church

was r e a l l y on th e s k id s !
The r e a c t io n o f many to th e new 2 5 - y e a r - o ld p arson when he
a r riv e d

in Brooklyn was a cry o f d e s p a ir :

dent o f

th e lo c a l c o n fe r e n c e ] done t o

"What h a s E ld e r Bunker [ p r e s i

th e W ashington

A ve. Church?"

word, th ey were u n iv e r s a lly in d ig n a n t.

1Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 ,
2I b i d ., J u ly 7,

1966, 1.

3I b i d . , J u ly 6 ,

1966, 2 .

1966, 2.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

In

At th e c o n c lu s io n o f F a g a l's in a u g u r a l sermon th a t

f i r s t Sabbath,

one woman in th e r e c e iv in g l i n e a t th e door o f th e sa n c tu a r y ste p p e d

forward, look ed i n t o h i s f a c e , and w ith angry v is a g e sh e n e a r ly sh o u te d ,

"So y o u 'r e F agal!

which th e young m in is t e r , k e e p in g in mind th e Solom onic c o u n se l t h a t "a

s o f t answ er t u m e t h away w r a th ," r e p l i e d , "W ell, i t ' s your p r i v i l e g e ,

madam."

never r e c e iv e d a r e p ly to a l e t t e r a l l e g e d l y w r it t e n F agal s e v e r a l y e a rs

e a r l i e r - - a l e t t e r h e had n e v e r r e c e iv e d .'5'

W ell!

I j u s t want you to know I d o n 't l i k e you!"

L a te r , he le a r n e d t h a t h e r i r e was due t o th e f a c t th a t sh e had

S h o r tly a f t e r com ing

to B ro o k ly n , F agal began e v a n g e l i s t i c m eet-

in g s , n ot o n ly b e c a u se i t was th e " exp ected " th in g f o r an A d v e n tis t

m in iste r to d o, b u t a ls o in o rd er to g e t some young new b lo o d in h i s

church and to b u ild a more s u b s t a n t i a l f i n a n c i a l b a se from w hich he

could ca rry on th e kin d o f program h e e n v is io n e d .

To

The B rooklyn Academy

o f M usic had two a u d ito r iu m s, one s e a t in g

3 ,0 0 0 , th e o th e r 1 ,0 0 0 .

Sunday n ig h t m e e tin g s .

summer r e c e s s , th rou gh ou t th e s e v e n y e a r s he rem ained in t h i s , h i s f i n a l

p a s to r a te , b e fo r e g o in g i n t o h is p io n e e r in g t e l e v i s i o n m in is tr y

f u ll- tim e .2

F a ga l chose th e s m a lle r h a l l and prom p tly began

T hese he c o n tin u e d , e x c e p t f o r th e custom ary

W ithin s i x m onths, t h i s

dynamic young p r e a ch er had 125 c o n v e r ts

ready fo r b a p tism , and th e o ld d yin g church began to tak e on new l i f e .

But even w ith t h i s b l e s s i n g th e r e were p ro b lem s, f o r some o f th e o ld

r e a c tio n a r y " d ie -h a r d s" in th e church h a te d to s e e t h e i r p e r s o n a l i n f l u -

ence d im in ish in g as new members jo in e d ; and t h e i r le a v e n in g in f lu e n c e

was f e l t as th e y were e l e c t e d to v a r io u s o f f i c e s w ith in th e church.

1I b i d . , J u ly 7, 1966, 1.

2 I b i d . , J u ly 6 , 1966, 2 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

One member com p lain ed , "I f e e l l i k e a s tr a n g e r in my own church.

F agal, o f c o u r s e , was d e lig h t e d , and u n d e te r r e d .

He commenced th e

p r a c t ic e o f s c h e d u lin g b a p tism a l s e r v i c e s d u rin g th e Sabbath morning

w orship s e r v i c e r e g u la r ly e v e r y two months around th e c a le n d a r , y e a r in ,
year o u t.

And th e number o f c a n d id a te s c o n s i s t e n t l y ran betw een 50 and

100 d u rin g ea ch o f h i s se v e n y e a rs in Brooklyn."^

E va n g elism , th ou gh , was a c o s t l y p r o p o s it io n i n a la r g e m etro
p o lit a n c i t y .

R en ta l on th e h a l l was $100 a n ig h t ; and i f he used

p ic tu r e s on th e s c r e e n , th e r e was an e x t r a $50 f e e fo r th e u n io n - s c a le
p r o je c tio n o p e r a to r and "prop man who h a n d led th e s c r e e n .
But w o r st o f a l l ,

th e G reater New York C onferen ce was b r o k e - - in

f a c t , i t was a h a l f - m i l l i o n d o ll a r s in d eb t in 1944, when F agal was

c a lle d to j o i n i t s m i n i s t e r i a l w orking f o r c e .

" S orry, B i l l , b u t t h e r e 's

no money f o r e v a n g e lis m ," c o n fe r en ce tr e a s u r e r J . E. O sterblom t o l d him

when he c a l l e d a t th e o f f i c e f o r f i n a n c i a l a id .

The c o n fe r e n c e , how ever

f i n a l l y p r o v id e d him w ith a sm a ll b u d g e t; and w ith t h is as a b e g in n in g

he went to th e church membership fo r su p p lem en ta ry a s s is t a n c e in th e
form o f p le d g e s .

Looking back now, he r e c a l l s :

I sh o t my wad on a d v e r t is in g th e o p en in g n i g h t , and hoped

the p e o p le would r e tu r n . They d id , and we to o k o f f e r in g s
ev ery n ig h t .
That f i r s t y e a r 's m e e tin g s c o s t th e c o n fe r e n c e
l i t t l e , i f a n y th in g . At th e end o f th e sec o n d y ea r we gave
th e c o n fe r e n c e back in cash th e f u l l amount o f t h e i r grub
sta k e w ith which we s t a r t e d th e s e a s o n in th e f a l l .
We g o t
more than $ 8 ,0 0 0 from th e membership in p le d g e s --m o r e than
we had asked or hoped. That church r e a l l y su p p o rted me
b e a u t i f u l l y in f i n a n c i a l m a t t e r s .3
F agal showed c o n s id e r a b le in g e n u it y in o r g a n iz in g h i s church fo r
the v a r io u s in t e r n a l p ro m o tio n a l cam paigns w hich h i s d enom ination sp on
so r s th rou gh ou t th e y e a r .

The b ig g e s t headache f o r most A d v e n tist

1I b i d . , J u ly 7, 1966, 1.

'I b id ., 2

I b i d . , 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

p a sto r s i s th e annual "H arvest In g a th erin g " (or sim p ly " In g a th er in g " )
campaign, in w hich each c o n g r e g a tio n con d u cts a s o l i c i t a t i o n campaign
fo r funds among th e g e n e r a l p u b lic in i t s a r e a .

Funds r a is e d are used

by A d v e n tis ts b o th a t home and o v e r se a s to expand th e c h u r c h 's w e lfa r e ,

m ed ica l, e d u c a t io n a l, p u b lis h in g , and e v a n g e lic a l p r o j e c t s .

For th e

p a s to r , th e campaign n o t o n ly i s tim e-con su m in g, b u t p r e s e n t s a r e a l

problem m o tiv a tin g th e membership t o go out s o l i c i t i n g and to reach th e
annual g o a l.
When h i s f i r s t I n g a th e r in g campaign f e l l due in th e l a t e autumn
o f 1944, Fagal c a l l e d h i s p a r is h io n e r s to g e th e r and in form ed them, "I am
r e s p o n s ib le fo r p u b lic e v a n g e lis m , and fo r th e Sabbath p u l p i t .
to d evote my f u l l tim e t o so u l-w in n in g a c t i v i t i e s .
fo r .

I exp ect

T h a t's what I'm p a id

You are r e s p o n s ib le f o r th e ch u rch 's in t e r n a l program , in c lu d in g

the In g a th e r in g cam p aign ." 1

He th en p r o c ee d e d t o o r g a n iz e th e c o n g r e g a tio n e f f i c i e n t l y in t o
sm all bands; and th en had th e a u d a c ity to p rop ose t h a t th e y con clu d e th e
campaign w ith in one m on th's tim e .
they d id i t ,

I t had n e v e r been done b e f o r e , but

and met t h e i r g o a l in th e b a r g a in .

In had an e l e c t r i f y i n g

e f f e c t on church m orale; and th e secon d y ea r when F agal p ro p o sed a th r e e

weeks' cam paign, th e y d id i t a g a in .
weeks, and th e church r a is e d i t s

The t h ir d y e a r he cu t i t t o two

g o a l o f $ 1 0 ,0 0 0 cash in j u s t 14 d ays.

W hile th e m in is t e r n e v e r went out w ith th e s o l i c i t a t i o n s in g in g

bands (d u rin g th e C hristm as se a so n th ey would s in g c a r o ls from door to
d oor), he alw ays r a is e d h i s p e r so n a l and fa m ily g o a l - - i n a m ost in g e n io u s
manner.

Once each y e a r , w h ile In g a th e r in g was on, F agal w ould have h is

ushers hand out th e d en o m in a tio n 's p r in te d brochure to each p e r so n

xI b id .

2 I b i d . , 2.

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80

a tte n d in g th e Sunday n ig h t e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s .

D uring th e announce

ments he w ould e x p la in what th e campaign was a l l abou t and what th e

funds were u sed f o r .

Then he t o l d th e c o n g r e g a tio n th a t one n ig h t on ly

each y ea r he to o k tivo o f f e r in g s d u rin g h i s Sunday n ig h t m e e t in g - - t h e

second one went f o r I n g a th e r in g .

He alw ays r a is e d a t l e a s t $100 a y ea r

in t h is f a s h io n , w hich more than a d e q u a te ly met h i s e n t i r e fa m ily g o a l.

One r ea so n he d id n o t j o i n th e e v e n in g s in g i n g bands in t h e i r
s o l i c i t a t i o n was t h a t he was s l i g h t l y em barrassed a t t h e i r method o f
f u n d -r a is in g .

The bands w ould to u r th e r e s i d e n t i a l a r ea in B rook lyn ,

which was h e a v ily la c e d w ith apartm ent h o u se s , c a r r y in g a la r g e b e d sh e e t

upon which was em blazoned th e l e t t e r i n g :

"Give to U p l i f t . "

W hile th ey

sang, th e p e o p le le a n e d out o f t h e i r apartm ent windows and threw c o in s

in to th e s h e e t .

" F o r tu n a te ly , no one e v e r jum ped," F agal s a i d w ry ly in

rep o rtin g upon th e p r o c e d u r e .1

Return t o r a d io .--O n e f u l l y e a r a f t e r he had ta k en o v e r th e

Brooklyn p a s t o r a t e , th e c o n fe r e n c e o f f i c e r s asked F a g a l to ta k e charge
o f i t s r a d io program , "The B ib le A uditorium o f th e A ir ,"

b r o a d c a s t on

S ta tio n WHN [now WMGM], a 5 0 ,0 0 0 -w a tt o u t l e t in New York C it y , and a ls o

^I b i d . , 1.
2

Begun by E ld e r R obert H. P ie r so n (who, two d eca d es l a t e r , would

be e le c t e d p r e s id e n t o f h i s ch u r c h 's h ig h e s t bod y, th e G en eral C on feren ce,
a t D e t r o it , Ju n e, 1 9 6 6 ), th e program was o r i g i n a l l y b r o a d c a s t sev en
n ig h ts a week a t 10:30 p.m . A s s o c ia te d w ith P ie r s o n on th e program was
a s in g e r , E ld er Ralph S. Watts (to d a y a G eneral C on feren ce v ic e p r e s i
dent) . P ie r so n l e f t th e c o n fe r e n c e s h o r t l y a f t e r th e F a g a ls a r r iv e d in
New York in 1944, and Watts took over th e program a s s p e a k e r , c a r r y in g
on fo r a number o f months u n t i l about J an u ary, 1 9 4 5 . At t h i s p o in t the
con feren ce d e c id e d t o drop th e d a il y b r o a d c a s tin g fr e q u e n c y in fa v o r o f
a w eekly program , w hich W illia m Fagal was asked to o p e r a te .
B ecause o f
the p r e ss u r e s from h i s p a s t o r a t e and th e w eek ly e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s in
the Academy o f M usic, F agal d id n o t o b j e c t to o s t r o n g l y t o th e reduced
b road cast s c h e d u le .
( V ir g in ia F agal L e t t e r , June 2 0 , 1967, 4 .)

i,.
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81
th e B ib le co rresp o n d en ce s c h o o l o p e r a te d i n c o n ju n c tio n w ith i t . *

The

young p r e a ch er was d e lig h t e d t o be a b le to g e t h is f e e t w et in broad

c a s t in g a g a in .^
Through no c h o ic e o f h is own, F agal was f o r c e d t o b r o a d c a st h is
program on Sunday m ornings a t 9 :3 0 a .m ., a t th e same hour "The V o ice o f
Prophecy" from Los A n g e le s, th e A d v e n t i s t ' s lo n g -tim e v e n tu re in netw ork
ra d io e v a n g e lism w ith H. M. S . R ic h a r d s, was r e le a s e d in New York C ity .
An u n fo r tu n a te m isu n d ersta n d in g a r o s e , and a co m p la in t was
r e g is t e r e d w ith E ld e r C. M. Bunker, p r e s id e n t o f th e c o n fe r e n c e .

"Get

Fagal o f f th e a i r a t 9 :3 0 a .m .," came th e o rd er from church h ea d q u a rters

in W ashington.

Bunker s t o u t l y r e p l i e d , s u p p o r tin g h i s own man to th e

h i l t , " I f we are fo r c e d to ch o o se b etw een 'The V o ic e o f P roph ecy' and

our own lo c a l program w ith W illiam F a g a l, th en we w i l l be fo r c e d to
*7

choose th e l a t t e r . "

And t h a t was th e end o f t h a t .

Fagal was i n t e r e s t e d in th e r a d io program f o r two p r in c ip a l

rea so n s:

Cl) i t was a s p le n d id medium w ith w hich t o b r in g C h r is t

d ir e c t ly t o th e v a s t unchurched p u b lic in t h i s g r e a t m e tr o p o lita n a rea ;

and (2) i t proved t o be th e most e f f e c t i v e method o f a d v e r t is in g h i s
w eekly Sunday e v e n in g e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s .
a v a ila b le m ethods:

He had t r i e d a l l o th e r

p o s t e r s in th e subway s t a t i o n s , p la c a r d s ad orn in g

th e o u ts id e o f New York C ity b u s e s , h a n d b ills d i s t r i b u t e d by f a i t h f u l

laymen door to d o o r, and even d is p la y a d v e r tis e m e n ts in th e New York
Times.

"But r a d io c o n s i s t e n t l y b rough t th e b e s t r e s p o n se ; i t was b e s t

fo r a d v e r t is in g my p u b lic m e e tin g s ," h e d e c la r e d .^

The B ib le co rresp o n d en ce s c h o o l o r i g i n a l l y had sev e n o r e ig h t

workers a tta c h e d to i t ; bu t w ith th e retren ch m en t from d a i l y to w eek ly
b r o a d c a stin g i t s p e r so n n e l was cu t back t o t h r e e .
(F a g a l I n te r v ie w ,
J u ly 6 , 1966, 2 - 3 .)
I b id .

^ I b id ., 3.

I b i d . , J u ly 7, 1 9 6 6 , 2 .

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82
The r a d io b r o a d c a s t, r e c e iv in g g i f t s from l i s t e n e r s through th e
m a il, n o t o n ly p a id i t s own way b u t a ls o h e lp e d s u b s id i z e th e ex p en se o f
h o ld in g th e p u b lic m e e tin g s .

The combined b u d g et f o r th e e n t ir e p r o j e c t

ran to more than $ 2 5 ,0 0 0 a n n u a lly ; b u t o f f e r in g s th rou gh th e m a il and in

the Sunday n ig h t m e e tin g s , as w e l l as p le d g e s from th e m em bership,
enabled F agal to r e tu r n t o th e c o n fe r e n c e each s p r in g t h e i r annual
f in a n c ia l c o n tr ib u tio n ; and some y e a rs he was e n a b le d t o g iv e back to
the c o n fe r e n c e more th an th e amount to w hich th e y had o r i g i n a l l y grub
stak ed him in th e fa ll.'* '
With a l l h is v a r ie d a c t i v i t i e s Fagal had much t o keep him b u sy .
But the Sunday n ig h t e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s were th e " d e sse r t" f o r w hich
he l iv e d .

For W illia m F agal lo v e d th e c o n tin u in g c h a lle n g e o f p r e s e n t

ing the B i b l i c a l tr u th s w hich had brou gh t him such g r e a t p e r s o n a l

b le s s in g b u t which w ere so o f t e n m isu n d ersto o d (and th e r e fo r e u n p a la ta b le )
to the p u b lic g e n e r a lly .
F agal was n o t immune from th e te m p ta tio n s w hich o f t e n b e f e l l
o th er A d v e n tist e v a n g e l i s t s in t h e i r s in c e r e d e s ir e t o fo llo w th e B ib
l i c a l adm onition to g iv e th e trum pet "a c e r t a in sound" ( c f . I Cor. 1 4 : 8 ) - and to keep t h e i r a u d ien ce s com ing.

And som etim es he went u n n e c e s s a r ily

out on a lim b .
S ev en th -d a y A d v e n t is t s , f o r exam ple, ta k e th e p o s i t i o n t h a t th e
p h y sic a l r e tu r n o f th e Jew s, as a p e o p le , to l i t e r a l P a l e s t in e i s n o t
(as many e v a n g e lic a l P r o t e s t a n t s b e l i e v e ) n e c e s s a r i l y a p r e r e q u is i t e f o r
the p e r so n a l r etu r n o f C h r is t to t h i s e a r t h .
From t h i s b a s ic p o s i t i o n th a t th e Jews d id n 't have to r e tu r n to
P a le s t in e , i t was n ot d i f f i c u l t fo r some p r e a c h e r s , in c lu d in g F a g a l, to

1I b i d . , 1.

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83
jump to a fu r th e r p o s i t i o n t h a t t h a t w hich was n ot n e c e s s a r y was a ls o
n ot p o s s i b l e . ^
One n ig h t F agal a d v e r t is e d h i s s u b j e c t :
to P a le s tin e ? "

" W ill th e Jews Go Back

He took th e p o s i t i o n - - s i n c e proven u n te n a b le by th e f a i t

accom pli c r e a t io n o f th e s t a t e o f I s r a e l in 1948 t h a t th e y w ould n o t .

During th e m id dle o f h i s d is c o u r s e one v ery a g it a t e d p r o - Z io n is t sympa
t h iz e r jumped up and d e c la r e d th a t th e y w ould r e tu r n to t h e i r a n c e s t r a l
homeland; and he began t o harangue th e a u d ien ce a c c o r d in g ly .
B i l l Fagal w as and s t i l l i s a r a th e r r a p i d - f i r e sp ea k er in th e
p u lp it ( in marked c o n t r a s t w ith h is sp e a k in g on t e l e v i s i o n a s u b j e c t to
be e x p lo r ed in some depth b e lo w ) .
"This i s my m e e tin g .

I pay th e r e n t h e r e .

pay th e r e n t some o th e r n i g h t .
the man prom ptly d id s o .
was saved!

He tu rn ed t o th e man and d e c la r e d ,
I f you want t o t a l k , you can

Now s i t down."

And, somewhat f l u s t e r e d ,

The m e e tin g , i f n o t th e l o g i c o f th e argum ent,

V ir g in ia F agal h e lp e d h e r husband on th e p u b lic p la tfo r m in h is

e v a n g e l i s t i c m eetin g s in B rook lyn , p r e f ig u r in g th e r o l e sh e w ould l a t e r
p la y by h i s s id e in t e l e v i s i o n ; and h e r d em o n stra tio n s o f m e a tle s s cook
ery drew some p r e s s a t t e n t io n d u rin g war y e a r s when th e n e c e s s i t y f o r an
adequate d i e t cla im ed th e a t t e n t io n o f n u t r i t i o n i s t s ev ery w h ere.

Her

r e c ip e s were d u p lic a te d and w id e ly d i s t r ib u t e d .^

I t was a lr e a d y a b u s y , s tr e n u o u s l i f e f o r th e young m in is t e r a
large and grow ing church to manage and to p rea ch to ea ch Sabbath m orning,
the w eekly r a d io b r o a d c a s t, th e B ib le co rresp o n d en ce s c h o o l, and th e
Sunday n ig h t e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s .

And in May, 1950, when W illia m

Fagal added a w eek ly t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a s t to h i s o th e r a c t i v i t i e s - - a

I b i d ., 2 .

'I b id .

Branson, 3.

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s to r y to be t o l d more f u l l y b e lo w - - h is h e a lt h began t o be underm ined.

In O ctober, w ith th e o n s e t o f c o ld e r w e a th e r, he c o n tr a c te d pneumonia;
and d is c o v e r e d t o h is c h a g r in th e tr u th o f P a u l's u t t e r a n c e , "Be n o t
d e c e iv e d ; God i s n o t mocked:
a ls o reap" (G a la tia n s 6 : 7 ) .
q u e s tio n o f d i e t .

f o r w h a tso ev er a man so w eth , th a t s h a l l he

True tem perance in c lu d e s much more than th e

An a lle r g y to p e n i c i l l i n co m p lica te d m a tter s; and,

d e s p ite th e m in is t r a t io n s o f p h y s ic ia n s and n u r s e s , F a g a l's b o d y -b a tte r y

was j u s t to o g r e a t ly run down, and i t sim p ly r e fu s e d to r e s p o n d .1

He

m issed two Sunday n ig h t t e l e c a s t s , and Paul Wickman c a r r ie d on in h is

s te a d .

In December, 1950, " F a ith f o r Today" was expanded from a s i n g l e

New York o u t l e t to an 1 1 - s t a t i o n tr a n s c o n tin e n ta l netw ork o f th e American
B road castin g Company th e church had d e c id e d to go " a ll- o u t " in b ack in g
t h is t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y - -a n d in J an u ary, 1951, F agal bowed t o th e
in e v it a b le and gave up e v e r y th in g fo r " th is one th in g I do" (P h ilip p ia n s
3 : 1 3 ) .3
T hus, e x a c t ly sev e n y e a r s to th e month from th e day he came to
B rook lyn 's p a s t o r a t e , F agal made h i s d ep artu re from i t s p u l p i t .

He had

seen the c h u rch 's membership r i s e from a g r o s s ly i n f l a t e d , u n r e a l i s t i c

350 (many o f whose names were on th e books b u t who c o u ld n o t be lo c a t e d ,
and who had to be dropped a f t e r Fagal a r r iv e d ) to n e a r ly 600; and
a tten d a n ce had so a re d from 168 to 700.
D e sp ite i t s p a s t o r 's b e s t e f f o r t s , and a new -bu t-tem porary le a s e
on l i f e from an i n f l u x o f e v a n g e l i s t i c a c c e s s io n s , how ever, th e

1Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 3.
^ V ir g in ia F agal L e t t e r , June 2 0 , 1967, 4.
3Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 3.

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W ashington Ave. Church j u s t c o u ld n o t overcom e th e handicap o f i t s

d e t e r io r a t in g " in n e r c ity " lo c a t io n ; and some tim e l a t e r th e co n g reg a
t io n s o ld t h e i r b u ild in g to a n o th er group and r e lo c a t e d e lse w h e r e
c o m p le te ly . 1

T e l e v is io n and C o r r e la te M in is tr y :

1950-1968

T e le v is io n M in istr y

"F a ith f o r Today". - - I n th e c l o s i n g months o f th e decade th a t

began in 1940, W illiam F agal g r a d u a lly b u t in c r e a s in g ly became aware o f
the d im in is h in g r e tu r n s from h i s r a d io m in is t r y ; and he r i g h t l y con
cluded t h a t r a d io no lo n g e r had th e " p u ll" t h a t t e l e v i s i o n was a c q u ir in g .
Adventuresome as a lw a y s, he w anted t o go i n t o th e new medium and g iv e i t
a tr y .
About t h i s tim e George Vandeman, one o f A d v en tism 's most e f f e c t iv e p u b lic e v a n g e l i s t s , c a l l e d upon B i l l .

He had been sounded out by

d en om ination al o f f i c i a l s co n c er n in g h i s w i l l i n g n e s s t o commence a
r e li g io u s t e l e c a s t on a netw ork o f s t a t i o n s w hich w ould in c lu d e New York
and C hicago; and he wanted F agal t o j o i n him as announcer.
F agal r e p lie d th a t i f th e G eneral C onferen ce Committee would
v o te app roval o f su ch a p la n , he w ould g iv e i t e v er y c o n s id e r a t io n .

He

fr a n k ly t o l d Vandeman th a t he w anted to go i n t o t e l e v i s i o n on h i s own,

and th a t i f he jo in e d him i t w ould be f o r one y e a r o n ly du rin g w hich he
would le a r n a l l h e cou ld about te c h n iq u e , and th en he would want to t r y
a program o f h i s own.

M eanwhile, a number o f m e e tin g s o f th e G eneral C onference Com

m itte e and o f th e A t la n t ic Union C on feren ce Committee were h e ld in w hich

1I b i d . , J u ly 7, 1966, 1.

2 I b i d . , J u ly 6 , 1966, 3.

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th e s u b j e c t o f a t e l e v i s i o n program and i t s p e r s o n n e l w ere d is c u s s e d a t

le n g th .

C o u n tle ss p r o p o s a ls and c o u n te r p r o p o s a ls w ere p r e s e n t e d and

r e je c te d .

A com m ittee o f s e v e n men was f i n a l l y s e t up w ith a u t h o r ity to

a c t; and i n th e l a t t e r p a r t o f March, 1 9 5 0 , th e y met a t th e V ic t o r ia

H otel in New York C ity to b r in g t h i s new v e n tu r e in t e l e v i s i o n t o f r u i
t io n .

They went f i r s t to th e American B r o a d ca stin g Company and s ig n e d a

c o n tr a c t f o r a s t u d io ; and th e a s - y e t unnamed program w ould go on th e

a ir May 2 1 , 1950.

They drew up a b u d g e t.

Then th e y te le p h o n e d F agal in

Brooklyn and asked him t o come down to th e h o t e l t o m eet w ith them .

He

w ent, th in k in g t h e i r summons had t o do w ith th e Vandeman p r o p o s it io n .

Upon a r r iv in g a t th e com m ittee m e e tin g , F agal was inform ed o f
a l l th a t had been done by way o f spadew ork, and th en th e b r e th r e n asked
him to tak e over th e program .

With a c u te em barrassm ent, he e x p la in e d

th a t he was a lr e a d y com m itted to th e Vandeman program .

Over h i s p r o t e s

t a t io n s th e com m ittee p e r s i s t e d w ith th e q u e s t io n , w ould he o r w ould he

n o t go a lo n g w ith th e package th ey had p r o p o se d .

R e lu c t a n t ly , he a g reed .

When he r e tu r n e d home, he t o l d Mrs. F agal o f what had t r a n s p ir e d , and

h er on ly comment w as, "W ell, w e 'r e in f o r i t now."

They w ere, in d e e d .

Thus " F a ith f o r Today" was b o m in prim e tim e , a t 9 :3 0 p .m ., on

Sunday, May 2 1 , 1950, on New York C i t y 's WJZ-TV (now WABC-TV), w ith
P a sto r and Mrs. Fagal ap p earin g t o g e t h e r in what w ould s h o r t ly become
b i l l e d as "The Fam ily R e lig io u s T e le c a s t ." ^
The s to r y o f th e developm ent and growth o f t h i s program , and th e
i n s t i t u t i o n w hich grew up to su p p o rt i t , w i l l be t o ld in d e t a i l in
Chapter I I I o f t h i s s tu d y .

XI b id .

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87

O ther p rogram s.- - W illia m A. F a g a l's t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y has n o t

been lim it e d to h is own " F a ith f o r Today" program .

In a d d itio n to

c o u n tle s s in t e r v ie w s on l o c a l s t a t i o n s a c r o s s th e n a t io n in c o n n e c tio n
w ith p e r s o n a l app earance t o u r s , he h as appeared a t l e a s t th r e e tim es on
n on -d en om in ation al netw ork program s.
On J u ly 5 , 1953, P a s to r F agal was i n v i t e d by th e N a tio n a l Broad
c a s tin g Company to s e r v e as g u e s t m in is t e r on i t s w eek ly " F r o n tie r s o f
F aith" program , sp e a k in g l i v e from th e Manhattan S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t
Church in New York.'*'
He a ls o perform ed m arriage cerem o n ies tw ic e on th e "B ride and
Groom" show, a p o p u la r program in th e 1 9 5 0 s.

On A p r il 3 0 , 1953, when

the show was produced o v er th e Columbia B r o a d c a stin g S ystem , th e b r id e

o f th e co u p le u n it e d by F agal was a D is p la c e d P erson who had come two
years p r e v io u s ly from Europe where sh e had s u f f e r e d many p r iv a t i o n s
during th e war y e a r s . ^
A gain , in O c to b e r , 19 5 7 , when th e program was now an NBC p r o d u ctio n ,

th e c o u p le were two C h in ese g ra d u a te s tu d e n ts :

Rose Y ee, a

s lim C anton-bom m iss who had come to Am erica to earn a d eg ree in

d ie te tic s

( a t th e tim e o f th e m arriage sh e had r e c e iv e d h er M.A. from

the U n iv e r s ity o f C a l i f o r n i a ) , and h e r s w e e th e a r t from Borneo, Shim

Chung P h in g, who was w orking on h i s Ed.D. d e g r e e .

Both had s o ld A dvent

i s t b o o k s--R o se in th e Chinatowns o f San F r a n c isc o and New Y ork, and

Shim

in M anila (where he saw R o se s p ic t u r e in c o lp o r te u r b u l l e t i n pub

lis h e d by th e ch u rch , and d eterm in ed th en and th e r e to meet h e r when he

came to th e U n ited S t a t e s ) .

They had met one y e a r p r e v io u s ly in

^T e l e - n o t e s , J u ly , 1953, 2 .

^I b i d . , J u n e, 1953, 2 .

"B ride and Groom" was c a r r ie d by CBS from 1 9 5 1 -1 9 5 3 , and by NBC

from J u ly , 1957, to J u l y , 1958. ( V ir g in ia F agal L e t t e r , March 1, 1967, 1 - 2 .)

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88
San F r a n c is c o .

"B ride and Groom" p r o v id e d them w ith a wedding and th e

honeymoon; and P a s to r F a gal o f f i c i a t e d a t t h i s u n u su a l marriage.'*'

C o r re la te M in is tr y

P r e a c h in g .- - W illia m A. F agal d id n o t l i m i t h i s m in is tr y to th e
te le v is io n

(a n d , l a t e r , f ilm ) s t u d io when, in J a n u a ry , 1951, he s u r

rendered h is w eek ly p u l p i t in B rooklyn and began to d ev o te h i s f u l l tim e

to t h is p io n e e r v e n tu r e in v id e o e v a n g e lis m .
As th e " sta r " in th e d e n o m in a tio n 's n a tio n w id e t e l e c a s t , he was
much sou gh t a f t e r , as w ould be any c e l e b r i t y , by A d v e n tis t c o n g r e g a tio n s
a l l over North Am erica.
C u r io u s ly , h ow ever, th e f e e l i n g s o f many o f th e f a i t h f u l laymen
(and even p a s t o r s ) were somewhat a m b iv a le n t.

H erb ert H ohensee, a member

o f the o r ig in a l F a ith f o r Today Q u a rtet; r e c a l l s th a t a f a i r number o f

the A d v e n tists who crowded around th e p la tfo r m a f t e r p ro m o tio n a l m eet
in g s h e ld a c r o ss th e la n d w ould in v a r ia b ly shake hands w ith F agal and
w ith an alm ost g l e e f u l p r id e t e l l him , "We d o n 't own a t e l e v i s i o n s e t ,
o f c o u r se ."
T e le v is io n th rou gh ou t th e 1950s was view ed by many u l t r a
c o n se r v a tiv e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts as a prim e in stru m en t o f S atan fo r
the d e s tr u c tio n o f th e e l e c t ; and many a sermon thundered from t h e i r
p u lp it s a g a in s t "the d e v i l ' s b o x ."

Today, perhaps most A d v e n tist

-^T e l e - n o t e s , O c t ., 19 5 7 , 1 -2 .
2

I n te r v ie w w ith H erb ert H ohensee, member o f th e o r ig in a l F a ith

fo r Today Q u artet and now sound e n g in e e r f o r th e FFT r ec o r d in g s t u d io ,
New York, J u ly 13, 1966, 1 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as H ohensee I n te r v ie w ,
Ju ly 13, 1966.

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89
f a m ilie s have a t l e a s t one TV s e t in t h e i r hom es, a lth o u g h w e ll aware o f
in h er e n t p o t e n t i a l dangers f o r th e su b v e r sio n o f t h e i r s o u l s . *
F a g a l, how ever, welcomed th e o p p o r tu n ity t o " h it th e road" as
o fte n as h i s bu sy s c h e d u le would p e r m it.

In d eed , i t was sh e e r f in a n c i a l

n e c e s s it y w hich fo r c e d th e maximum in ex p o su re and p e r so n a l p rom otion ,

fo r the program co u ld n o t long c o n tin u e w ith o u t th e a c t i v e f i n a n c i a l
support o f th e l a i t y .
T y p ic a l o f th e t r a v e l r e q u ir e d o f F agal and h i s q u a r te t was h is
1955 i t i n e r a r y .

During th a t y e a r th e group v i s i t e d 40 s t a t e s , co v er in g

30,577 m ile s (1 7 ,3 6 6 o f them d u rin g th e 9-w eek summer camp m eetin g to u r ) .

In the summer to u r th ey averaged 300 to 500 m ile s d r iv in g p er day
h ard ly a v a c a tio n !

On one day th e y drove 850 m ile s in a 20-h ou r non

sto p t r ip in ord er n o t t o be l a t e f o r th e n e x t app ointm en t; and during

th a t summer's camp m eetin g to u r th e q u a r te t san g a t o t a l o f 378 songs in
n in e w eeks.^
Even i f such c o n sta n t t r a v e l were n o t an econom ic im p e r a tiv e ,
Fagal would have gone out to th e h u s tin g s in o rd er to r ech a rg e h i s own
i n t e l l e c t u a l and s p i r i t u a l b a t t e r y .

He r e c e n t ly d e c la r e d w ith e a r n e s tn e s s:

A m in is t e r sim p ly has to keep in tou ch w ith b o th th e th in k in g

and th e n eed s o f th e p e o p le i f he i s g o in g t o be an e f f e c t i v e
p r e a c h e r . I lo v e th e c o n ta c t w ith our p e o p le a t th e camp
m eetin gs each summer. But I e s p e c i a l l y a p p r e c ia te th e annual
Weeks o f S p ir i t u a l Emphasis [commonly c a l le d Weeks o f Prayer
w ith in th e d en om in ation ] on th e campuses o f our academ ies and
c o lle g e s which we are p r iv i le g e d t o h o ld from y ea r to y e a r .

^Not a l l , how ever, have "bowed th e knee t o B a a l." A 4 7 -y e a r -o ld

Seventh -day A d v e n tis t fa c to r y w orker, m ale, m a r r ied , who has com pleted
th ree y e a rs o f c o l l e g e , r e p lie d to th e a u d ien ce su rv ey q u e s tio n (a t
Grand Ledge, M ich ., on J u ly 17, 1965) "Have you e v e r v iew ed P a sto r F a g a l's
t e l e v i s i o n program, 'F a ith f o r T oday'?" by s t a t i n g s u c c in c t l y :
"No T.V.
(B e lie v e th e y have no p la c e in an A d v e n tist h om e)." (Grand Ledge Respond
en t # 7 0 0 .)
^ T e le -n o te s , N o v ., 1955, 3.

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90

I t ' s a tough g r in d - -p r e a c h in g tw ic e a day and th en v i s i t i n g

w ith th e young p e o p le and t a lk in g o v er t h e i r problem s from
e a r ly morning t i l l l a t e a t n i g h t . But I lo v e i t .
I t does
so much f o r m e .1
Mrs. F ag a l c o r r o b o r a te s h e r h u sb a n d 's te s tim o n y .

When t h i s

w r ite r e x p r e s s e d p e r s o n a l con cern to h e r o v er P a s to r F a g a l's in o r d in a n t ly

busy ach ed u le in W ashington, D. C ., d u rin g th e p e r io d Septem ber 25
through O ctober 9 , 1965 fo u r te e n c o n s e c u tiv e n ig h t s o f e v a n g e l i s t i c
p reach in g in th e S l i g o Church,

a "Week o f Prayer" s e r i e s o f f i v e morning

sermons du rin g th e f i r s t week a t Takoma Academy, w ith a n o th er s e r i e s o f

f iv e s e r v ic e s th e sec o n d week a t Columbia Union C o lle g e , p lu s i n t e n s iv e
d a ily v i s i t a t i o n V ir g in ia F agal laughed m e r r ily and r e p l i e d , "Oh, he
lo v es t h a t .

The more b u sy he i s ,

*Z

th e h a p p ie r he i s . " J

F agal h as con d u cted te n such Weeks o f S p i r i t u a l Emphasis in te n

A d v e n tist c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s in th e p a s t f i v e y e a r s a lo n e .^
In a d d itio n t o h i s p ro m o tio n a l t r i p s on b e h a lf o f th e t e l e c a s t
and th e B ib le corresp o n d en ce s c h o o l a t summer camp m eetin g s and o th e r
i t i n e r a r i e s th rou gh ou t th e y e a r ( c h i e f l y fo r prom oting th e o f f e r i n g
taken th e secon d Sabbath in February each y e a r in a l l 3 ,3 4 0 S e v e n th -d a y
A d v e n tist Churches th rou gh ou t N orth America fo r F a ith f o r T o d a y ), W illiam

1966, 1.

^Interview w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, W ashington, D. C ., O ct. 2 3 ,

C ite d h e r e a f t e r as F a g a l I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 , 1966.
2

N ea rly 200 a c c e p te d C h r is t as t h e i r p e r so n a l S a v io u r d u rin g th e

f o r t n ig h t - lo n g cam paign, 125 o f them r e q u e s tin g b a p tism in t o th e A dvent
i s t church. F a g a l's " C h r is t-c e n te r e d p rea ch in g " b rou gh t so many
resp on ses and d e c is i o n s th a t i t was im p o ss ib le f o r th e v i s i t i n g m in is
t e r i a l team to f o llo w them a l l up du rin g th e campaign.
( T e le - n o t e s ,
N ov., 1965, 4 .)
3

I n te r v ie w w ith Mrs. V ir g in ia F a g a l, New York, J u ly 9 , 1966, 1.

C ited h e r e a f t e r as V ir g in ia F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 9 , 1966.
^A " B io g ra p h ic D ata Form" fo r W illia m A. F a g a l, "M arquis-W ho's
Who B io g ra p h ies o f L iv in g N o ta b le s ," M arquis-W ho's Who, I n c . , C h ica g o ,
H I . , June 14, 1966.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

91
Fagal i s in c o n s ta n t demand as a s p e a k e r f o r s p e c i a l o c c a s io n a l s e r v i c e s
such as academy and c o l l e g e g r a d u a tio n e x e r c i s e s , w ed d in g s, f u m e r a l s ,
r e t r e a t s f o r d en o m in a tio n a l w o rk ers, and th e r e g u la r Sabbath m orning
w orship s e r v ic e s w henever he may be in th e a r e a .

In A p r il, 1966, he

d e liv e r e d th e b a c c a la u r e a te sermon a t Columbia Union C o lle g e in W ashing

to n , D. C ., when d au gh ter Kathy r e c e iv e d h e r b a c h e lo r 's d eg ree in
n u rsin g .^
W illiam F a g a l's p u l p i t m in is t r y , how ever, was n o t lim it e d t o h is
own d en om in ation .

On A ugust 2 9 , 1965, h e d e liv e r e d a sermon ("S top

Being A fra id --K eep on B e lie v in g " ) a t th e Sunday morning w orsh ip s e r v ic e

h e ld in th e P r o te s ta n t P a v ilio n a t th e New York W orld's F a ir .

Many

t o u r is t s from around th e w o r ld , and a v i s i t i n g c o n tin g e n t o f Boy S c o u t s ,

were in th e c o n g r e g a tio n to h ea r t h i s m essage on C h r is t 's h e a lin g o f
J a ir u s ' d au gh ter.

F o llo w in g t h i s s e r v i c e P a sto r F agal was i n v i t e d to

conduct a 15-m in u te t e l e c a s t o v er a c l o s e d - c i r c u i t sy stem s e r v in g th e

fairgrou n d s from th e RCA b u ild in g .

In Septem ber, 1966, F agal a tte n d e d a r e t r e a t f o r some Sou thern

C a lifo r n ia m in is t e r s and t h e i r f a m il ie s i n th e San J a c in to M ountains
near Redlands as an i n v i t e d (but n o n - p a r t ic ip a t in g ) v i s i t o r o f th e con
fe r e n c e .

However, when Roy A lle n A nderson, th e fe a tu r e d s p e a k e r , f a i l e d

to appear f o r a sc h e d u le d e v e n in g sermon (he had d r iv e n up th e wrong

m ou n tain !), W illiam F agal s e r v e d as s u b s t i t u t e s p e a k e r .

On th e sp u r o f

the moment, he d e c id e d to p r e s e n t one o f h is most r e c e n t ly d e v e lo p e d

sermons on Mary M agdalene ("G od's B lin d Spot") w hich he had g iv e n a t a
1
F agal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 , 19 6 6 , 1.

?
T e l e - n o t e s , O c t ., 1965, 4.

Gordon F. D alrym ple, " P a sto r F agal W itn esses a t W orld's F a ir ,"
Lake Union H era ld , O ct. 1 2, 1965, 2 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

92
number o f camp m e e tin g s th e p a s t summer; and he d e liv e r e d i t w ith o u t a
h it c h , w ith o u t a B ib le , and w ith o u t h is sermon n o t e s . *
And in A p r il, 1968, P a s to r F agal co n d u cted a th re e -w ee k s e r i e s
o f n i g h t l y e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s in th e W hite M emorial S. D. A. Church
in Los A n g e le s.

He r e p o r ts t h a t on

our op en in g n ig h t th e church was packed [th e sa n c tu a r y

s e a t s a p p ro x im a tely 2 ,2 0 0 ] , and th e a tte n d a n c e n e v e r g o t
low er than som eth in g c l o s e to 1 ,0 0 0 . T h is was v e r y h e a r t
e n in g in d e e d . . . . More th an 400 i n d ic a t e d t h e i r a ccep ta n ce
o f th e se v e n th -d a y Sabbath and t h e i r i n t e n t io n t o keep i t
. . . [and] th e f i n a l t a l l y showed . . . 203 p e o p le who
d e f i n i t e l y s ig n e d cards t h a t th e y w anted to be b a p tiz e d and
u n it e w ith th e c h u r c h .2

T r a v e l. --T h e G eneral C on feren ce o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis ts has

s e n t W illiam F agal on fo u r m ajor in t e r n a t io n a l to u r s f o r th e purpose o f
expanding h is t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y o v e r s e a s , m in is t e r in g t o th e s p i r i t u a l
needs o f fo r e ig n -b a s e d m is s io n a r ie s as w e ll as n a t io n a l church workers
and members, and to e n a b le F a g a l t o g a th e r m a t e r ia l on film fo r some o f
h is t e l e c a s t s w hich f e a tu r e th e work o f C h r is tia n m is s io n s abroad.
In
Holy Land,

November, 195 8, he l e f t on a two-month to u r o f Europe and the

v i s i t i n g E nglan d, Lebanon, J o rd a n , E gyp t, S y r ia , E th io p ia ,

Iraq , I s r a e l , Cyprus, G reece, I t a l y , F ran ce, and r e tu r n in g home on

Christmas E v e .3
In 1960, h is Far E a ste r n Tour to o k him to H a w a ii, Japan, Korea,
and Hong Kong.
In
B r a z il,

1963, he made a th r e e -w e e k t r i p to South A m erica, s to p p in g in

A r g en tin a , Uruguay, P eru , and Panama.

[See F ig u res 7 - 8 .]

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 5 .

^ L e tte r from W illia m A. F a g a l, New York, May 2 9 , 1968, 2 .
h e r e a f te r as W illiam F agal L e t t e r , May 2 9 , 1968.
3F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 6 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

C ited

with perm ission

la

of the copyright ow n er.

Further reproduction
prohibited
without p e r m issio n .

Fig. 7. Pastor Fagal, holding ta m e "ju n g le c a t" a t Belem, Brazil

(1963).

Fig. 8. P astor Fagal on A m azon River m edical launch with A nthony Rocco, M.D.
(left), C ap t. Robert Ley a n d d a u g h te r Brenda (1963).

94
And in 1964, h is C en tra l American i t i n e r a r y in c lu d e d H a i t i ,
Guatamala, and M exico.^Jam aica m

(F a g a l, w ith h i s q u a r t e t , had p r e v io u s ly v i s i t e d

2
1956. )

W r itin g .- - W illia m F a g a l's c a r e e r as a w r it e r began p r i n c i p a l l y

during h i s s e n io r y e a r in c o l l e g e (1 9 3 8 -1 9 3 9 ), when he se r v e d as e d it o r i n - c h i e f o f The L a n c a s tr ia n , as m entioned a b o v e.

Looking back now, he

f e e l s th a t t h i s d i s c i p l i n e o f w r it in g was o f some c o n s id e r a b le b e n e f i t
to him in h i s fu tu r e c a r e e r as a m in is t e r - - " w r it in g b u ild s one trem end o u sly ," he a f f ir m s .
However, in th e e a r l i e r days o f h i s m in is t r y he found i t " sh eer
to r tu r e " to w r i t e .

B le ss e d w ith a s e c r e t a r y , he d ic t a t e d l i t e r a l l y

e v e r y t h i n g - - l e t t e r s , serm on s, p e r io d ic a l a r t i c l e s , e t c .

G ra d u a lly ,

though, he began t o w r ite o u t th e s e m a t e r ia ls in longhand, th e r e b y , he

f e e l s , im p roving h i s s t y l e . ^
R ight from th e b e g in n in g o f h is t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y , F agal was
asked fo r c o p ie s o f h i s im m ensely p r a c t i c a l , d o w n -to -e a r th fo u r-m in u te
se r m o n e tte s.

At f i r s t , c o p ie s were made o f th e o r i g i n a l m an u scrip t on

the o f f i c e co p y in g machine and s e n t to i n t e r e s t e d c o r r e sp o n d e n ts.

L a te r,

w ith th e volum e o f r e q u e sts in c r e a s in g r a p id l y , th e m essages were c o l

le c t e d t o p i c a l l y and p u b lis h e d in a s e r i e s o f sm a ll paperback volu m es.
T i t l e s o f sermon b o o k le t s d e a lin g w ith d e v o tio n a l and " p r a c t ic a l
C h r is tia n ity " t o p ic s in c lu d e :
Chats from th e P a s t o r s Study
A F a ith f o r L iv in g
F a ith in Your Home
Four-M inute Sermons on S u c c e s s f u l L iv in g

~*~I b i d .

^T e l e - n o t e s , O c t ., 1956, 1.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 4 .

^ I b i d . , J u ly 6 , 1966, 6.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

95
Hope f o r Our Youth
I Have C a lle d You F rien d s
K eeping in B alance
L ig h t f o r L i f e ' s Journey
L ove, M arriage in th e Home
S e c r e ts o f P e r so n a l Power
TV Chats
Teach Us to Pray
T e le v is io n T alks
T h is I B e lie v e
To Make Man Whole
Why Man S u f f e r s 1
T i t l e s o f books d e a lin g w ith F a g a l's t r a v e l s around th e w o rld
in clu d e:
O r ie n t Journey
Through Lands o f th e B ib le
Where J e su s Walked^
One o f W illiam F a g a l s m ost d eep ly -m o v in g b o o k s, By Godfs G race,
Sam, r e l a t e s th e s t o r y o f F a g a l!s m in is t r y to Sam T a n n y h ill, a condemned
murderer on d eath row in th e Ohio S t a t e P e n i t e n t ia r y ,

co n cern in g w hich

more w i l l be s a id b elow .
W illiam and V ir g in ia F agal team ed up to a u th o r B u ild in g a Happy
Home, in 1 9 5 5 .4

The book in c lu d e s fo u r c h a p te r s by th e p a s t o r , two by

h is w if e , and th e in tr o d u c to r y c h a p te r , w hich was w r it t e n j o i n t l y .

F a g a l's f i r s t h a r d -c o v e r book , P a s to r , T h is i s My Problem , pub
lis h e d by th e P a c i f i c P r e ss P u b lis h in g A s s o c ia t io n , i s a c o m p ila tio n o f
q u estio n -a n d -a n sw er m a te r ia l w hich had p r e v io u s ly b een p u b lis h e d in a
column o f C h r is tia n a d v ic e w hich th e au th or had w r it t e n fo r th e S ig n s o f
the Times fo r more than a d ecad e ( s e e b e lo w ).^
H is b ig g e s t p u b lis h in g s u c c e s s th u s f a r has been By F a ith I
L iv e,^ o r i g i n a l l y a paperback and now in a h a r d -c o v e r e d i t i o n .

Brought

out by th e Southern P u b lis h in g A s s o c ia t io n , th e f i r s t copy was p r in t e d

''For d e t a i l s o f p u b lic a t io n , s e e B ib lio g r a p h y .

2 I b id .

3I b id .

4 I b id .

5 I b id .

6 I b id .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

96
on January 2 8 , 1966; and th e 3 0 0 ,0 0 0 th copy came from th e p r e s s l e s s
than s i x months l a t e r , on J u ly 1 4 , 1 9 6 6 .*

[S ee F ig . 9 . ]

Twelve o f th e 25 c h a p te r s i n By F a ith I L ive o r i g i n a l l y appeared

as p e r io d ic a l a r t i c l e s in T hese T im es, an A d v e n tis t s l i c k - c o v e r m onthly
e s t a b lis h e d in 1891 w ith a c i r c u l a t i o n in 1969 o f 2 0 0 ,0 0 0 .2

The rem ain

in g 13 c h a p ter s o f s i m i l a r le n g th w ere s u b s e q u e n tly w r it t e n to f l e s h ou t

t h is " f u l l m essage" volum e whose t h ir d o f a m i l l i o n s a l e s i n a l i t t l e
*Z

more than h a l f a y e a r have made A d v e n tis t p u b lis h in g h i s t o r y .

I . H. I h r i g , g e n e r a l manager o f th e p u b lis h in g h o u se , t o l d church
o f f i c i a l s th a t th e m a n u scrip t o f By F a ith I L ive w a s :
one o f th e most r e a d a b le . . . e v e r su b m itte d to th e
Southern P u b lis h in g A s s o c ia t io n . . . . The u n d e r ly in g theme
. . . i s th e imm inence o f C h r is t 's soon r e t u r n .
But th e
p r a c t ic a l a s p e c t s o f d a i l y C h r i s t ia n it y a r e e x p r e s s e d a l s o .
In a d d itio n to h i s b o o k s, W illia m F a g a l has w r it t e n numerous
p e r io d ic a l a r t i c l e s o v e r th e y e a r s on d e v o tio n a l s u b j e c t s , a s w e ll as
r ep o rts on th e F a ith f o r Today t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y , f o r T hese T im es, The
Review and H e r a ld ,^ and th e S ig n s o f th e T im es.
F agal has a ls o w r it t e n a c a t e c h is m - s t y le column o f C h r is tia n

advice known as th e " S ign s C ounsel C om er" f o r th e S ig n s o f th e Times

^ L etter from Mrs. Barbara C o ffe y , s e c r e t a r y to book e d i t o r ,

Southern P u b lis h in g A s s n ., N a s h v i lle , T en n ., Nov. 16, 1966.
2Ayer D ir e c to r y :

1969, 1011.

^I b i d .

C ite d by C e c il C o ffe y in "The D ram atic S to r y o f a B ook," Lake

Union H e r a ld , A p r il 5 , 1 9 6 6 , 3.
^ E s ta b lis h e d in 1 8 5 0 , th e Review and H e r a ld 's 1969 c i r c u l a t i o n
stands a t 7 5 ,0 0 0 c o p ie s w eek ly (Ayer D ir e c to r y :
1969, 1 9 7 ). As th e
" o f f i c i a l organ o f th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t C h u rc h ," it has th e d i s t i n c
tio n o f b e in g th e o l d e s t c o n tin u o u s ly p u b lis h e d r e l i g i o u s jo u r n a l o f i t s
type in th e U n ited S t a t e s .
^See Appendix A.

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97

Fig. 9. Factory S u p e rin te n d e n t N obel B. V ining, of S o u th ern P ublishing A ssociation, N ashville,

T ennessee, show s A u th o r W illiam A. F agal a copy of his b est-sellin g By F aith I Live, fro m a skid
containing portion of th e third 100,000 edition of th e work (1966).

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

("The W orld's P r o p h e tic M onthly") s in c e Jan u ary, 1 9 5 6 .*

E s t a b lis h e d in

1874 ( o r i g i n a l l y a w eek ly; now a m o n th ly ), th e S ig n 's c ir c u l a t i o n in

1969 was a 2 4 9 ,0 0 4 .

E d ito r A rthur S. M axwell d e c id e d t o add th e "Signs C ounsel Cor

ner" t o th e m a g a z in e 's r o s t e r o f r e g u la r f e a t u r e s s l i g h t l y more th an a
decade ago b e c a u s e , he s a y s ,
i t tend s t o "humanize" and " p e r s o n a liz e " th e j o u r n a l. In
o th er w ords, i t h e lp s th e r e a d e r s e e t h a t we a r e i n t e r e s t e d
in th e p e r s o n a l problem s o f r e a d e r s a s w e ll as in such
d o c tr in a l m a tters as th e sec o n d a d v e n t, th e Sab bath , and th e
s t a t e o f th e dead.^
Maxwell r e p o r te d t h a t th e m a il r e sp o n se to F a g a l's column in
1965 was rim ning a p p ro x im a te ly 100 r e a d e r - l e t t e r s a month, or 1 ,2 0 0
le tte r s a year.

Gordon F. D alrym ple, a s s i s t a n t e d i t o r o f th e S ig n s (1 9 6 2 -1 9 6 4 ),

adds th a t th e column outdrew e v e r y o th e r fe a t u r e in th e S ig n s in r e a d e r
m ail by a margin o f a p p ro x im a te ly f o u r - t o - o n e or f i v e - t o - o n e .

"During

th e tim e o f my a s s o ic a t e e d it o r s h ip i t c e r t a i n l y was to p s in r e a d e r i n t e r e s t ," he s a i d .

In commenting upon W illia m F a g a l's w r it in g a b i l i t y , E d ito r
Maxwell concluded a l e t t e r to t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r w ith a s ta te m e n t as
s t a r t l i n g as i t i s rem arkable:

1L e tte r from Arthur S . M axw ell, e d i t o r , S ig n s o f th e T im es,

Mountain View, C a l i f . , Feb. 2 6 , 1965. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as Maxwell L e t t e r ,
Feb. 2 6 , 1965.
2Ayer D ir e c to r y :

196 9 , 113.

^Maxwell L e t te r , Feb. 2 6 , 1965.

4I b id .
^ In terv iew w ith Gordon F. D alrym ple, e d i t o r o f p u b lic a t io n s ,
F aith fo r Today, I n c ., New York, O ct. 2 4 , 1966, 1.
C ited h e r e a f t e r as
Dalrymple I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 4, 1966.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

99
I t would b e a m ista k e to g iv e anyone th e im p re ssio n th a t
E ld er F agal i s an o u ts ta n d in g a u th o r . He i s n ' t . You sh o u ld
j u s t s e e what I have to do w ith h is m a te r ia l b e fo r e i t
appears in th e S ig n s .
Now, w h eth er W illia m F agal i s , or i s n o t , a good au th or d oes n o t
in and o f i t s e l f n e c e s s a r i l y have a b e a r in g upon h is com petence (o r la c k
o f com petence) as a p u b lic sp e a k e r , f o r th e r e i s a d e c id e d d if f e r e n c e
betw een o r a l s t y l e and w r it t e n s t y l e , as has been n o ted by such w r it e r s
upon th e s u b j e c t as James M. O 'N e ill and Andrew T. Weaver, W illiam
Norwood B r ig a n c e , Glen E. M i l l s , and Gordon L. Thomas.

But E d ito r M axw ell's in s in u a t io n o f F a g a l's a lle g e d e d i t o r i a l

incom petence d oes cau se one to wonder w h eth er or n o t th e r e may be o th er
areas in w hich th e man may f a l l s h o r t th a t are o f concern to th e c r i t i c
o f th e spoken word.
The M axwell r e p o r t was so c o m p le te ly out o f c h a r a c te r w ith a l l
oth er d ata w hich t h i s w r it e r had p r e v io u s ly g a th ered on W illiam F agal as
a s p e a k e r , and th e e t h i c a l o b li g a t io n s to im p a r tia l o b j e c t i v i t y co n cern
in g n e g a tiv e f in d in g s are su c h , t h a t t h i s w r it e r f e l t th e a l l e g a t i o n
must be i n v e s t ig a t e d fu r th e r in an attem p t t o e s t a b l i s h th e d eg ree o f
i t s v a l i d i t y , i f any.
In t h i s p u r s u it , t h i s w r it e r f i r s t took a l l th e carbon c o p ie s o f
th e o r ig in a l F agal m an u scrip t fo r th e column fo r th e e n t ir e y ea r o f 1965
(105 pages o f t y p e s c r ip t in a l l ) - - t h e y ea r in which E d ito r Maxwell w rote
"you sh o u ld j u s t s e e what I have to do w ith h is m a t e r ia l" -- s o t h a t he

^Maxwell L e t t e r , Feb. 2 6 , 1965. D alrym ple, how ever, demurs from

the Maxwell a sse ssm e n t:
"The e d i t i n g done on th e Fagal m a te r ia l was
h ig h ly r o u tin e e d i t i n g .
By c o n t r a s t , th e e d it i n g done on many o th e r
a r t i c l e s and f e a t u r e s o f t e n amounted to a com plete r e w r ite o f th e cop y."
(Dalrymple I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 4 , 1966, 1 .)
2

Cf. C hapter V, "Oral V ersus W ritten S t y l e ," f o r a com prehensive

d is c u s s io n o f t h i s s u b j e c t , in th e c o n te x t o f th e sp ea k in g o f W illia m A.
F agal.

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might in d ee d l i t e r a l l y s e e p r e c i s e l y what was i n f a c t done e d i t o r i a l l y

to p rep are th e raw F agal copy f o r th e p u b lic e y e .
The carbon t y p e s c r ip t s were th en compared w ith th e p u b lis h e d
t e x t o f th e 12 m onthly c o lu m n s--385 column in c h e s o f m a tte r , e x c lu d in g
column h e a d in g s; and a l l e d i t o r i a l em endations w ere n o te d i n r ed in k a t
the a p p ro p ria te p la c e on th e carbon t y p e s c r i p t s .
Perhaps 15 p er c e n t - - c e r t a i n l y n o t more than 20 p e r c e n t o f th e
m anuscript copy was in v o lv e d in e d i t o r i a l em endation; and a t a b u la t io n
n o tin g th e v a r io u s ty p e s o f e d i t o r i a l changes made d u rin g th e month o f
January r e v e a le d th a t th e m a jo r ity were c o m p a r a tiv e ly m in o r - - la r g e ly
m echanical m a tters such as s h o r te n in g copy to f i t sp a c e a v a i l a b i l i t y ,
adding p u n c tu a tio n marks, a d j u s tin g c a p i t a l i z a t i o n , e t c . , to conform to
the p e r i o d i c a l ' s d i s t i n c t i v e s t y l e book r e q u ir e m e n ts, rem oving th e sp a ce
between two words to make them one word, e t c .
The s u g g e s tio n o f e d i t o r i a l in com p eten cy c l e a r l y im p lie d in th e
Maxwell sta te m e n t was sim p ly n o t su p p o rted by th e e v id e n c e when t h i s
in v e s t ig a t o r d id " ju s t s e e what I have t o do w ith h is m a t e r ia l."
N ext, c o n f id e n t ia l l e t t e r s were s e n t to E d ito r Kenneth H. Wood
o f th e Review and H era ld , E d ito r Kenneth J . H o lla n d o f These T im es, and
Book E d ito r C e c il C offey o f th e Southern P u b lis h in g A s s o c ia t io n .

The

Maxwell sta te m e n t was q u o ted , in c o n t e x t , v erb a tim ; and each was asked
to comment upon i t in l i g h t o f h i s own p e r s o n a l e x p e r ie n c e in e d i t i n g
F a g a l's m a n u scr ip ts.

Would th ey c o rr o b o r a te th e e a r l i e r sta te m e n t?

did n o t.
E d ito r H ollan d responded by s a y in g th a t
my view s o f E ld er F a g a l's com petence as a w r it e r are d i f
fe r e n t from E ld er M a x w ell's. E ld er F agal w r it e s v e r y c le a n
copy. He has an e x c e l l e n t grasp o f grammar, p u n c tu a tio n ,
s t y l e . He checks h is f a c t s v e ry c a r e f u l l y .
In f a c t , we do

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They

101
v ery l i t t l e w ith h i s a r t i c l e s .
The f a c t th a t I have u sed
him s o much in th e p a s t i n d i c a t e s my o p in io n o f h i s
e x c e lle n c e as a w r ite r .-*
H o lla n d 's p o s i t i o n was c l e a r l y su p p o rted by C e c il C o ffe y , F a g a l's
most r e c e n t book e d i t o r , who w r o te:
I sim p ly do n o t a g ree w ith A rthur S . M axw ell, a lth o u g h
I have n o t se e n any o f F a g a l's column when i t was in manu
s c r i p t form.
I t i s tr u e t h a t E ld e r F a g a l has n o t w r it t e n a la r g e
number o f b o o k s, b u t n e it h e r h ave George Vandeman and a
number o f o th e r s who have had w ide r e c o g n it io n f o r t h e i r
l i t e r a r y c o n t r ib u t io n s .
I w o u ld n 't go s o fa r as to sa y
th a t Fagal i s an o u ts ta n d in g a u th o r , sim p ly b e c a u se I d o n 't
know e x a c t ly how to m easure " o u ts ta n d in g ." I w i l l sa y t h i s :
he has w r it t e n a g r e a t d e a l . . . [and] o f a l l th e p r e a c h e r wri t e r s I have d e a l t w it h , th r e e have worked w ith us on a
p r o f e s s io n a l app roach. T hese are F a g a l, [G eneral C onfer
en ce S e c r e ta r y W a lter R .] B each, and [G eneral C onference
P r e s id e n t R obert H .] P ie r s o n . . . .
F a g a l's b ook , By F a ith I L iv e , came to us in good sh a p e.
We had o n ly a f r a c t i o n o f th e copy e d i t i n g q u e r ie s t h a t were
[u s u a lly ] n e c e s s a r y . . . . The ty p in g was c le a r and l e g i b l e ,
th e grammar was good, th e p u n c tu a tio n was good, and a l l in
a l l i t was a p le a s u r e t o rea d th e m a n u scr ip t. E ld er Fagal
a ls o e x e r c is e d a f i n e p r o f e s s i o n a l q u a l i t y in su p p ly in g us
w ith a d d it io n a l carbons so t h a t our r e a d in g co u ld be sp eed ed
up.
. . . P a s to r W illia m A. F a g a l i s in tu ne w ith th e
s p i r i t u a l n eed s o f th e m a s se s , and t h i s i s dem onstrated
q u ite c l e a r l y in h i s s u c c e s s f u l p r o j e c t io n v ia th e TV s c r e e n
and through th e p r in t e d p a g e . What he w r it e s i s a v id ly rea d
by a la r g e f o ll o w i n g , and many make t h i s known by communi
c a tin g w ith him and a l s o w ith th e p u b lis h e r s .
I have e d it e d o n ly one book o f h i s , By F a ith I L iv e , and
th e w hole e x p e r ie n c e was a p le a s u r e .
Among a l l th e c le r g y
men who w r it e [ f o r u s ] . . . none more a d e q u a te ly r ea ch es
th e rea d er and c o n v in c e s him th an does W illiam A. F a g a l.
By F a ith I L ive was an im m ediate s u c c e s s , w ith more than
3 0 ,0 0 0 v ie w e r s w r it in g th e F a ith f o r Today o f f i c e s e e k in g
c o p ie s when i t was f i r s t announced and many o th e r s b u yin g
them through t h e i r r e g u la r book s e l l e r s .
W ithin f i v e months
o f th e p u b lic a t io n d a t e , th e fo u r th p r in t in g o f 100,000
c o p ie s was o r d e r e d .
I t i s a n t ic i p a t e d t h a t th e s a l e s d u rin g
th e f i r s t y e a r w i l l e x c e e d h a l f a m i l l i o n .

*Letter from Kenneth J . H o lla n d , e d i t o r , T hese T im es, N a s h v ille ,

T en n ., J u ly 14, 1966.

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We are p le a s e d by t h e s e s t a t i s t i c s , b u t more im p o r ta n tly ,
we are p le a s e d w ith th e good r e s u l t s th e book i s h a v in g in
h e lp in g men and women tow ard a b e t t e r l i f e . l
And E d ito r Wood makes th e f o llo w in g i n t e r e s t i n g o b s e r v a t io n s :
As I rev iew ed your l e t t e r and E ld e r M a x w ell's s ta te m e n t con
c e r n in g E ld er F a g a l, I have d e c id e d t h a t p a r t o f th e problem
comes in th e m a tter o f d e f i n i t i o n o f th e term , " o u tsta n d in g ,"
as a p p lie d t o E ld e r F agal as an a u th o r . From th e v ie w p o in t
o f e d i t o r s , who s e e m a n u scrip ts i n rough form , few a u th ors
are " o u tsta n d in g ." The g e n e r a l p u b lic , on th e o th e r hand,
m ight c o n s id e r them o u ts ta n d in g in d e e d .
For exam ple, I h ave no way o f knowing what o r ig in a l
m an u scrip ts by C. S. Lewis lo o k l i k e , b u t as a r e a d e r I con
s id e r him an o u tsta n d in g a u th o r , inasm uch as th e f i n a l form
i n which h i s m a n u scrip ts appear i s o f to p q u a l i t y . As a
fu r th e r i l l u s t r a t i o n , I m ight s a y th a t some o f S i s t e r
[E lle n G.] W h ite's [a h ig h ly r e s p e c t e d p io n e e r in th e
A d v e n tist d en om in ation ] m a n u scr ip ts a re h a r d ly m a s te r p ie c e s
when measured by some s ta n d a r d s , b u t to sa y th a t sh e was n o t
an o u tsta n d in g author would be f a l s e .
As f o r E ld e r F a g a l's m a t e r ia l, I w ould sa y th a t i t i s
d e f i n i t e l y s u p e r io r t o th e a v e ra g e th a t we r e c e iv e h ere a t
th e Review.
I t alw ays i s n e a t in appearance and r e q u ir e s a
minimum o f e d i t i n g . The c h i e f c r i t i c i s m we have o f manu
s c r i p t s th a t come in h e r e from a l l s o u r c e s i s t h a t th e y are
so p e d e s tr ia n in q u a lit y when i t comes to b o th id e a s and
s t y le .2
C le a r ly th e Maxwell s ta te m e n t i s n o t c o r r o b o r a te d in any way from
th e e x p e r ie n c e o f th e s e th r e e o th e r d en o m in a tio n a l e d i t o r s ; b u t i s ,
r a th e r , r e p u d ia te d .
Y e t, th e r e i t i s .

How may we a cco u n t f o r i t ?

There are two

p o s s ib le c o n tr ib u tin g c a u se s:
F i r s t , E d ito r M axwell i s a tr a n s p la n te d Englishm an who, d e s p it e
h is lo n g y e a rs o f r e s id e n c e i n th e U n ited S t a t e s , v ie w s many t h in g s

1L e tte r from C e c il C o ffe y , book e d i t o r , Sou thern P u b lis h in g

A s s o c ia t io n , N a s h v ille , T en n ., J u ly 1 1 , 1966, 1 -2 .
2

L e tte r from Kenneth H. Wood, e d i t o r , Review and H era ld ,

W ashington, J u ly 15, 1966.

& 'i:

..

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103
American w ith v a r y in g d e g r e e s o f d i s t a s t e .

And one o f t h e s e , q u ite

d e f i n i t e l y , i s American e d u c a tio n on th e g ra d u a te l e v e l .
An i l l u s t r a t i o n o f t h i s i s found i n h i s l e t t e r t o t h i s w r it e r
which c o n ta in e d th e n e g a tiv e comment j u s t c i t e d .

He began h is l e t t e r

w ith t h i s m ost r e v e a lin g remark:

I was i n t e r e s t e d t o le a r n t h a t you are w orking on your
d o c to r a te in sp e ec h and am amazed th a t you can earn so h ig h
a d eg ree on su ch a t r i f l i n g s u b j e c t .
And he c lo s e d w ith t h e s e words:
H e re 's h op in g you g e t your d o c t o r a t e , but I co u ld w ish th a t
your d i s s e r t a t i o n was on a more w o rth w h ile subject.-*M axwell o b v io u s ly s h a r e s th e v ie w s o f h i s f e llo w countrymen in
B r it is h u n i v e r s i t i e s a f e e l i n g common, a l s o , upon th e C o n tin e n t-- th a t a
d o c to r a te i s a r e c o g n it io n f o r accom plishm ent i n r e s e a r c h r a th e r than a
te a c h in g q u a l i f i c a t i o n .
is ts "

Anyone who has worked among B r i t is h " e d u c a tio n

(as th e y p r e f e r t o be known) f o r any le n g th o f tim e , as t h i s

w r ite r d id in N ig e r ia f o r n e a r ly 12 y e a r s , i s w e ll a cq u a in ted w ith th e

contem pt w ith w hich th e y h o ld v i r t u a l l y any American d e g r e e .
Maxwell h im s e lf a m p lif ie s h is v ie w s i n a su b seq u en t l e t t e r s e n t
to t h i s w r it e r upon h i s r e c e i p t o f a s t r o n g p r o t e s t r e g is t e r e d a g a in s t
the u n f a ir and ungrounded a l l e g a t i o n c o n c er n in g F a g a l's l i t e r a r y
com petence:
I a p p r e c ia te you r fr a n k n e s s , b u t I am t o t a l l y u n re p e n ta n t.
I sh o u ld e x p la in , how ever, t h a t I d o n 't th in k th e r e i s any
th in g t r i v i a l about B roth er F a g a l. He i s d o in g a f in e work.
Furtherm ore, he i s one o f my b e s t f r ie n d s and I am d e e p ly
in d e b te d to him f o r a l l th e m a te r ia l he sen d s me f o r th e
S ig n s . At th e same tim e , I th in k i t i s p a t h e t i c th a t so
many o f our men are f lo c k in g to M ichigan S t a t e to p ic k up
t h e s e cheap and e a s y " d e g r e e s ." I have alw ays reg a rd ed a
Ph.D. as a reward f o r lo n g and p a in s t a k in g r e s e a r c h o v er a
number o f y e a r s . Hence th e v ery th o u g h t o f someone o b ta in in g

^Maxwell L e t t e r , Feb. 2 6 , 1965.

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I
104
su ch a d e g r ee f o r w r it in g about W. A. F agal or H. M. S .
R ichards b o rd ers on a b s u r d ity and smacks o f th e d is c r e d it e d
"diplom a m ill" program o f bygone y e a r s . 1
A sec o n d p o s s ib le c o n t r ib u t in g cau se may be found b u r ie d in th e
m inutes o f th e F a ith fo r Today O p era tin g Board.
On December 2 0 , 1956, th e Board v o te d t o a c c e p t an o f f e r from
E d ito r M axwell f o r a t w o -c o lo r , f u l l - p a g e a d v e r tise m e n t o f th e t e l e c a s t
w hich w ould appear i n e i t h e r th e November or December e d i t i o n o f th e
S ig n s o f th e Times th e fo llo w in g y e a r , a t th e r a t e o f $420 p e r p a g e .

However, on March 2 8 , 1957, th e Board r e s c in d e d i t s e a r l i e r

a c tio n o f a p p ro v a l, v o tin g in s t e a d t o approach b o th th e S ig n s and These
Times fo r f r e e a d v e r t is in g , w ith th e u n d e rsta n d in g th a t F a ith f o r Today
would fu r n is h th e n e c e s s a r y a r t work and p l a t e s , " s in c e F a ith f o r Today
i s n o t a com m ercial o r g a n iz a tio n w ith a n y th in g to s e l l b u t r a th e r i s a
m issio n a r y p r o j e c t o f th e ch u rch ."

The Board v e r y c l e a r l y f e l t t h a t fo r one m is s io n a r y p r o j e c t o f

th e church (th e S ig n s ) to a ttem p t to make a p r o f i t a t th e expense o f
an oth er m is sio n a r y p r o j e c t (th e t e l e c a s t ) was repugnant and r e p r e h e n s ib le .
( I t i s i n t e r e s t i n g to n o te in t h i s c o n te x t th a t th e Message
m agazine, a s i s t e r p u b lic a t io n w ith T hese Times and aimed a t th e Negro
read in g p u b lic , had been g iv in g f r e e sp a c e in i t s

columns f o r a d v e r t is in g

th e t e l e c a s t s in c e 1953, w ith F a ith f o r Today m eetin g th e c o s t o f p la t e s

and a r t w ork.^)

'Ibid., March 15, 1965.

^ M inutes, F a ith fo r Today O p era tin g Board, New York, Dec. 2 0 ,
1956, 1, a c t io n 5 6 -4 1 .
^I b i d . , March 28, 1957, 2 , a c t io n 5 7 -8 .
^ I b i d ., S e p t. 8, 1953, 2 , a c t io n 5 3 -5 6 ; c f . Aug. 11, 1954, 3 ,
a c tio n 5 4 -6 0 .

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105
Whether or n o t E d ito r Maxwell was p e r s o n a lly stu n g by t h i s
c le a r ly im p lie d rebuke by th e F a ith f o r Today Board o n ly h e , o f c o u r se ,
cou ld sa y .
A f i n a l developm ent i s w orth n o t in g .

On J u ly 1 3 , 1 9 6 6 , F agal

w rote Maxwell a sk in g to be r e li e v e d o f th e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f p r e p a r in g
h i s monthly column s o t h a t he m ight be fr e e d f o r more c r e a t iv e w r it in g .
A fte r ten and o n e - h a lf y e a r s , he wondered w hether he m ight perhaps j u s t
be g e t t in g i n t o som eth in g o f a r u t w ith i t .
In a r e p ly , th a t i s as in c r e d ib le as i t i s i r o n i c - - i n view o f
th e e a r l i e r r e c k le s s a l l e g a t i o n co n cern in g com petence as a w r i t e r - Maxwell w rote F agal:
I would reg a rd i t as a c a la m ity o f th e f i r s t ord er i f we
were to drop t h i s ite m o u t o f th e SIGNS. The v e r y th o u g h t
a p p a lls [s i c ] me. I f e e l l i k e p r a y in g , " P le a s e , Lord,
dont l e t i t happen!"
What I lik e about your m a te r ia l i s th e b ro a d n ess o f th e
f i e l d th a t you c o v e r - - s o many p e r so n a l item s as w e ll as
th o se d e a lin g w ith th e o lo g y . And th e n , to o , th e v a r ie t y i s
w id e, ta k in g in so many s u b j e c t s and, c o n s e q u e n tly , i n t e r
e s t in g so many d iv e r s e p e o p le .
I am c o n fid e n t t h a t th e "Signs C ounsel Corner" i s one
o f th e m ost w id e ly rea d s e c t io n s o f th e SIGNS. C on seq u en tly
I would b eg you to c o n tin u e a t l e a s t one more y e a r .
. . . Very soon now I s h a l l have com pleted t h i r t y volum es o f
th e SIGNS. . . . O b v io u sly , in th e n a tu r a l o rd er o f e v e n t s ,
i t would seem as though th e days o f my e d i t o r i a l p ilg r im a g e
must be drawing to a c l o s e . J u s t when, I dont know. . . .
But i t w ould mean a l o t to me i f I c o u ld ca rry my t r i e d and
f a i t h f u l c o n tr ib u te r s a lo n g w ith me j u s t a b i t lo n g e r .
So, humbly and e a r n e s t ly , I p le a d fo r one more y e a r .
And to supplem ent my p e t i t i o n I w i l l g la d ly in c r e a s e th e
honorarium to $50 m o n th ly .1
Not h a v in g r e c e iv e d a c o n c lu s iv e a f f ir m a t iv e answer from F a g a l,
Maxwell w rote him f u r t h e r on Septem ber 9 , 1966:

I
1

'Letter from A rthur S. M axw ell, e d i t o r , S ig n s o f th e T im es,

Mountain View, C a l i f . , to W illia m A. F a g a l, J u ly 15, 1966, 1 -2 .

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As t o 1967, I do hope t h a t you w i l l b e a b le t o c o n tin u e
your colum n. I f you f e e l to o bu rdened t o w r it e i t e v er y
month, p erh ap s we c o u ld a rra n g e to have i t e v e r y o th e r
m on th .1
W ithout b e in g f a c e t i o u s , one i n s t i n c t i v e l y th in k s o f a punch
l in e in su ch p o p u la r p a rio r-g a m e t e l e v i s i o n programs as "What's My L ine?"
and "To T e l l th e T ruth"; and one i s tem p ted t o a s k , s i n c e r e l y and p l a i n
t i v e l y , " W ill the r e a l A rthur M axwell p le a s e s ta n d up?"

For t h is

i n v e s t i g a t o r knows o f no p o s s i b l e manner whereby th e e d i t o r ' s co rresp o n d

ence o f 1965 and th a t o f 1966 may r e a s o n a b ly be harm onized.
At th e r i s k o f becom ing te d io u s on t h i s s m a ll m a tte r , one con
c lu s io n , how ever, seems in e s c a p a b le .

W hile W illia m A. F agal i s a m ost

g i f t e d p u b lic s p e a k e r --a s w i l l be d em o n stra ted b elo w he has a ls o

r e p e a te d ly d em on strated a b e t t e r - t h a n - a v e r a g e t a l e n t and com petence in
r e l i g i o u s jo u r n a lism and b o o k -w r itin g .

In some 11 y e a r s , h i s "Signs

C ounsel Corner" column has drawn a p p ro x im a te ly 1 3 ,2 0 0 l e t t e r s from

read ers.

H is fr e q u e n t (and much s o u g h t - a f t e r ) p e r i o d i c a l a r t i c l e s f o r

d en om in ation al jo u r n a ls , and h i s 22 p u b lis h e d volum es s ta n d as mute

e v id e n c e th a t h ere i s a man who knows how t o employ words in p r in t
e f f e c t i v e l y i n com m unicating h i s id e a s w ith g ra ce to o t h e r s .

Membership on boards and c o m m itte e s . - -A f i n a l a rea o f th e c o r

r e la t e m in is t r y o f W illiam A. F a g a l i s t o be found in h i s s e r v ic e as a
member o f v a r io u s g o v ern in g boards and com m ittees o f church and churchr e la t e d o r g a n iz a tio n s and i n s t i t u t i o n s .
He p r e s e n t ly s e r v e s as v i c e - p r e s i d e n t o f th e Board o f T r u ste e s
o f F a ith f o r Today, I n c o r p o r a te d ;

and h e i s a ls o a member o f th e boards

o f d ir e c t o r s o f h is alma m a ter, A t l a n t i c Union C o lle g e , Parkview

^I b i d . , S e p t. 9 , 1966.

2T e l e - n o t e s , D e c ., 1966, 3.

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107
Memorial H o s p ita l in B runsw ick, M a in e ,1 and th e Hebrew S c r ip tu r e
A s s o c ia tio n .^
On Septem ber 6 , 1962, h e was nom inated as an e l e c t i v e member o f
the e x e c u t iv e com m ittee o f th e G eneral C onferen ce o f S ev en th -d a y A dvent3
is ts ,
a p o s i t i o n he has h e ld c o n tin u o u s ly s i n c e ; and, a d d it io n a l ly , he
i s a member o f th e c h u r c h 's A t l a n t i c Union C o n feren ce e x e c u t iv e
com m ittee.
A lthough n o t a form al member, F agal i s in v a r ia b ly i n v i t e d as a
m atter o f c o u r te sy to th e m e e tin g s o f th e e x e c u t iv e com m ittee o f th e
d en o m in a tio n 's G reater New York C o n fe r en ce , i n w hose t e r r i t o r y h is own
in s titu tio n is

lo c a te d .

In 1966, in r e c o g n it io n o f h i s many a cco m p lish m en ts, th e A. N.

Marquis Company in v i t e d W illiam A. F agal to su b m it p e r s o n a l d a ta f o r a
b io g r a p h ic a l s k e tc h to be in c lu d e d in th e 11th e d i t i o n (1 9 6 8 -1 9 6 9 ) o f
i t s Who's Who in th e E a s t .^

A 2 8 - l i n e e n tr y s u b s e q u e n tly appeared in

t h is volume w hich was p u b lis h e d in 1967.

Honorary d o c to r a te c o n fe r r e d . F i n a l l y , on May 2 8 , 1967, th e

honorary d egree o f D octor o f D i v i n i t y was c o n fe r r e d upon W illiam A. F agal

1Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7 , 1 9 6 6 , 3.
2

M in u tes, G eneral C on feren ce o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis ts E x e c u tiv e

Committee, W ashington, D. C ., S e p t . 2 5 , 19 5 8 , 76.
^ Ib id . , S e p t. 6 , 1962, 2 3 .
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7 , 1966, 3.
^ L e tte r from H elen E. M oore, s p e c i a l s e r v ic e s e c t i o n , M arquisWho's Who, I n c ., C h icago, 1 1 1 ., J a n . 11, 1 9 6 7 , 6 .
^ (C hicago:

M arquis-W ho's Who, 1 9 6 7 ), 327.

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108
a t th e s p r in g commencement e x e r c i s e s o f Andrews U n iv e r s it y a t B e r r ie n
S p r in g s, Michigan.^"
In an in tr o d u c to r y s ta te m e n t, Dr. R ichard Ham m ill, th e i n s t i t u
t i o n ' s p r e s id e n t , s a id t h a t i n v o t in g a p p ro v a l f o r th e g r a n tin g o f t h i s
degree th e f a c u l t y had r e c o g n iz e d t h a t
advanced le a r n in g comes n o t o n ly to th o s e who a r e e n r o lle d
in u n i v e r s i t i e s . . . . A p e r so n may a c h ie v e h ig h e r educa
t io n - -a d v a n ced e d u c a tio n on h i s own; and . . . he may
c o n tr ib u te in a v e r y o u tsta n d in g way to th e developm ent o f
s c h o la r s h ip , and to th e p r o g r e s s o f th e c h u r c h .2
Dean W. G. C. Murdoch o f th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t T h e o lo g ic a l
Sem inary, one o f th e grad u ate d i v i s i o n s o f th e u n i v e r s i t y , th en rea d a
c i t a t i o n w hich m entioned in d e t a i l th e c a n d id a te 's " s i g n i f i c a n t accom
p lish m e n ts" in a 1 7 -y e a r c a r e e r o f " d is t in g u is h e d s e r v i c e in th e f i e l d
o f r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n , " h i s h ig h ly s u c c e s s f u l and e f f e c t i v e c o r r e la t e
p rea ch in g m in is t r y , h i s a u th o r sh ip o f 21 volum es in 17 y e a r s , and h i s
h ig h d e g r ee o f p e r s o n a l d e d ic a t io n .

He co n clu d ed by sa y in g :

Those who know P a s to r F agal b e s t , reg a rd him as h ig h ly

f o r h i s v i s i o n as w e ll as h i s t e l e v i s i o n , h i s r e s o u r c e f u ln e s s ,
h is h u m ilit y , and h is com p lete d e v o tio n to th e cause to which
he has d e d ic a te d h i s l i f e . 3
T hus, th e h ig h e s t academ ic hon or t h a t h i s church co u ld b e s to w -an honor g iv e n p r e v io u s ly t o o n ly 10 le a d e r s in th e f a i t h s in c e t h i s
i n s t i t u t i o n was founded in 1872 as B a t t le Creek C o lle g e^ --w a s c o n fe r r e d
upon W illia m A. F a g a l, an enconmium h e a r t i l y applauded by many o f h is
c o lle a g u e s w it h in th e g o s p e l m in is t r y .

^"Honorary D egree i s Given t o W. A.

Union R eco rd er," J u ly 2 4 , 1 9 6 7 , 1.

F agal by Andrews," P a c i f i c

2The c i t a t i o n i s rep rod u ced i n f u l l in Appendix B.

3I b i d .

^ L e tte r from Horace J . Shaw, p u b lic r e l a t i o n s d ir e c t o r , Andrews

U n iv e r s it y , B er r ien S p r in g s , M ich ., J u ly 9 , 1968. F a g a l's was th e
e ig h th D.D. awarded by th e u n i v e r s i t y . One D o cto r o f Laws and two D octor
o f L e tte r s d e g r e e s have b een c o n fe r r e d to th e d a te o f Shaw's l e t t e r .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Major I n flu e n c e s in th e L if e and M in is tr y o f W illia m A. F agal

D e d ic a tio n to th e L ord. When l i t t l e W illia m was j u s t th r e e

weeks o ld , h i s p a r e n ts took him to th e l o c a l A d v e n tis t church and d e d i
c a te d him t o th e Lord an a c t w h ich , i n p a r t , perhaps r e f l e c t e d Anna and
C h r is t ia n 's e a r l i e r Lutheran background, fo r in th e L utheran Church
in f a n t s are b a p t iz e d w ith in s i x weeks o f b i r t h .
C h ild d e d ic a t io n , w hich i s n o t an A d v e n tis t c o u n te r p a r t o r su b
s t i t u t e f o r in f a n t b a p tism , i s much more p r a c t ic e d to d a y w ith in th e
denom ination than i t was in February, 1919.

T h is a c t on th e p a r t o f

F ather and Mother F agal had a profou n d e f f e c t and in f lu e n c e upon t h e i r

so n , W illiam , who l a t e r w rote c o n c er n in g i t :
I s h a l l alw ays b e l i e v e t h a t i s why I am a m in is t e r to d a y ,
fo r th e y e v e r k e p t b e fo r e me th e f a c t th a t th e y had g iv e n
me t o God and
hoped I w ould f in d a p la c e in H is s e r v i c e .
About 12 y e a r s l a t e r I was b a p tiz e d in th a t same church [a t
A lb a n y ], and more than 20 y e a rs l a t e r I was m arried in th e
same p la c e .
A fte r I became a m i n i s t e r , i t was my jo y t o
preach th e r e on a number o f o c c a s i o n s .1

Son o f a la y p r e a c h e r .--T h e r e l a t i o n s h i p w hich sprang up betw een

W illiam Fagal and h i s f a t h e r was an u n u s u a lly c l o s e - k n i t one; and th e
s e n io r F a g a l's devout C h r is tia n f a i t h , p u t i n t o d a i l y a c t io n , had a
g r e a t m olding in f lu e n c e upon th e boy and was a s tr o n g f a c t o r in u l t i m ately le a d in g him in t o th e g o s p e l m in is t r y as h i s supreme l i f e ' s work.

C h r is tia n F agal had alw ays w anted to be a m in is t e r h im s e lf , but

h is e d u c a tio n was

lim it e d .

H is own f a t h e r had d ie d when he was b u t f i v e

y e a rs o f age; and

a la r g e sh a r e o f th e su p p o rt o f th e fa m ily o f e ig h t

f e l l upon h i s y o u t h fu l s h o u ld e r s q u it e e a r l y , n e c e s s i t a t i n g h is becom ing

*~By F a ith I L iv e , 133.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 1 -2 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

a h ig h s c h o o l " d r o p -o u t.11

(He l a t e r f in is h e d h i s secon d ary e d u c a tio n a t

n ig h t s c h o o l.)
Even s o , th e New York C onference a t one tim e in v i t e d him to j o i n
the ranks o f th e m in is t r y , b u t he d e c lin e d f o r f in a n c i a l r e a s o n s .

He

f e l t th a t th e econom ic n e c e s s i t i e s im posed by th e D ep r essio n o f th e

e a r ly 1930s ( s e e below ) would make i t im p o s s ib le f o r him to su p p o rt
a d eq u a tely h is fa m ily o f fo u r on th e low wages th en p a id to th e m in is t r y .
He d id , how ever, as n o ted ab o v e, v o lu n te e r h is s e r v i c e s as a la y
p rea ch er, and se r v e d h is church f a i t h f u l l y some 16 y e a r s as a p r e a ch in g
lo c a l e ld e r , w ith o u t a c c e p tin g a penny o f rem u n eration .
And he d eterm ined

t h a t , i f p o s s i b l e , h is two sons would a t

some

fu tu r e day tak e th e p la c e

o f f e r e d him in th e ranks o f th e c le r g y .

T his

goal was alw ays h e ld out b e fo r e them, b u t w ith o u t any p r e ssu r e to con
form b e in g a p p lie d .
C oncerning h i s r a th e r h eavy round o f a tten d a n c e a t r e l i g i o u s
e x e r c is e s each Saturday and Sunday, F agal has r em in isce d :
F ath er was th e e ld e r in our l i t t l e home-town A d v e n tist
Church w hich had o n ly 13 members when I was v e ry s m a ll, bu t
n ev er more than 45 in l a t e r y e a r s . The d i s t r i c t p a s to r
seldom v is it e d - - p e r h a p s once a month; and F a th er preach ed
v i r t u a l l y ev ery Sabbath m orning. He was much b e lo v e d by
th e c o n g r e g a tio n , and in v a r ia b ly he w ould be c a l l e d upon to
preach th e fu n e r a l s e r v ic e f o r a d e c ea se d member in s t e a d o f
th e d i s t r i c t p a s t o r . He w ould m iss tim e o f f from h is work
a t th e f a c t o r y to ta k e t h e s e f u n e r a ls , o f c o u r se --a n d he
l o s t th e pay f o r th e tim e he was gone, b u t he d id n t c a r e .
My fa t h e r was a toolm aker o n ly in o rd er t o make a l iv in g ;
h is main i n t e r e s t in l i f e was to advance th e cause o f God.
He a ls o took a keen i n t e r e s t in th e Advent C h r is tia n
Church in our n eigh b orh ood . He a tte n d e d i t e v e r y Sunday
m orning. During th e D e p r essio n th ey l o s t t h e i r m in is t e r
and c a lle d upon F ather to ta k e o v er th e p r e a c h in g s e r v ic e s
te m p o r a r ily f o r two or th r e e w eek s. T his "temporary"
p o s it io n s t r e t c h e d to c o v er f i v e or s i x y e a r s - - a so u rce o f
some d i s t r e s s a t t h e i r d en o m in a tio n a l h e a d q u a r te r s !1

1I b id .

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Ill
F ath er F agal was n o t an o r d a in e d m in is t e r o f th e g o s p e l, s o he
could n o t l e g a l l y perform th e m arriage cerem ony.

C oncern ing b a p tism , a

lo c a l e ld e r who has b een o r d a in e d t o th a t o f f i c e may, under c e r t a i n

e x te n u a tin g c ir c u m s ta n c e s , p erform t h a t r i t e w ith a u t h o r iz a t io n o f th e
co n feren ce p r e s id e n t under S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t p o l i t y ;
seldom hap pens.

in p r a c t i c e i t

And C h r is tia n F agal n e v e r o f f i c i a t e d in t h i s r i t e in

h is own d en om in ation , f o r he was r e l u c t a n t to assume any r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s

which he f e l t were n o t h i s p r e r o g a t iv e .
But he d id , when r e q u e s t e d , b a p tiz e th e y o u th o f th e A dvent
C h r is tia n Church i n t o t h e i r own p e r s u a s io n upon a number o f o c c a s io n s !
C h r is tia n F a g a l s e r v e d as a member o f th e A d v e n t is t 's New York
C onference E x e c u tiv e Committee f o r abou t e ig h t y e a r s and c o n tin u e d
a c t iv e as a la y p r e a ch er u n t i l th e day o f h i s d ea th a t S c h e n e c ta d y on
June 27, 1946.
W illiam p a r t i c u l a r l y remembers h i s f a t h e r to have b een a v e r y
r e f in e d and n ic e -a p p e a r in g C h r is tia n gen tlem an .
and p r a g m a tic a lly r e a l i s t i c .

He was b o ld , v ig o r o u s ,

A lth ough he had g r e a t r e s p e c t f o r th e

m in is te r s and le a d e r s o f h i s church, th e y were n o t s a c r o s a n c t ; and he

never h e s it a t e d to c r i t i c i z e them (alw ays c o n s t r u c t i v e l y ) , o r t o p u t
fo r th h is own p a r t ic u l a r v ie w p o in t w h eth er i t was th e " a ccep ted " th in g
or n o t.

He was alw ays c o m p le te ly lo y a l to th e church; and t h e s e q u a l i

t i e s were n o t l o s t upon h is young s o n s .^

And C h r is tia n F agal was a ls o a v e r y w e ll r ea d , i f s e l f - t a u g h t ,
s c h o la r .

Says B i l l today:

Dad read th e B ib le much. Our Sabbath church s e r v i c e s in

Sch en ectad y were h e ld on S atu rd ay a ft e r n o o n s , and F a th er
sp e n t th e morning in s tu d y and in w r it in g o u t h is serm ons

: I b id .

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112
(which had b een in v a r io u s s t a g e s o f p r e p a r a tio n th ro u g h o u t
th e p r e c e d in g w e e k ). He had no s e p a r a te room f o r a s t u d y - our fa m ily was p o o r . But he d id manage to s a v e ou t a
l i t t l e money from h i s w e ek ly wages fo r b o o k s; and he had
q u ite an e x t e n s iv e li b r a r y e s p e c i a l l y f o r a man o f h i s
lim it e d form al t r a in i n g - - b y th e tim e o f h is d e a th . And
th o se books were a l l w e ll marked. But D ad's serm ons had in
them more than mere human kn ow led ge. P ra y er was a r e a l
th in g w ith my f a t h e r .
I s t i l l w e ll remember h i s p r a y e rs
fo r D iv in e gu id an ce as he p rep a red h i s w eek ly serm on.^
I t seem s c l e a r l y e v id e n t tod ay th a t W illia m F agal "caught" from
h is fa th e r n o t o n ly h i s lo v e f o r books and f o r r e a d in g , b u t a ls o th e
im portance and v a lu e o f p ra y er as an incom parably v i t a l in g r e d ie n t
n e c e ssa r y f o r s u c c e s s f u l p r e a c h in g and r e a c h in g - - t h e s o u ls o f mankind.

The D e p r essio n :

A n a t io n a l and p e r so n a l tr a g e d y . W illia m F a g a l's

se n se o f j u s t i c e and h is c a p a c ity f o r c a r in g d e e p ly about th e w retch ed

l o t o f hum anity were s h a r p ly honed and m easurably expanded, r e s p e c t i v e l y ,
by som ething much b ig g e r and much more im p ortant th an th e c o m p a r a tiv e ly
t r i f l i n g e x p e r ie n c e w ith h i s j u n io r h ig h s c h o o l p r in c ip a l o v e r th e d eb a te
team is s u e

( c i t e d above) which wounded a s c h o o lb o y 's te n d e r p r id e ,

although t h i s awakened him s h a r p ly to th e problem o f human s u f f e r i n g .

For th e y e a r s o f h is ju n io r h ig h and h ig h s c h o o l a tte n d a n c e
c o in c id e d w ith one o f A m erica 's m ost memorable t r a g e d ie s in th e T h i r t i e s ,
the D e p a r essio n .

And c o n c er n in g i t he has many v i v i d p e r s o n a l m em ories.

The f u l l e f f e c t s o f th e s to c k m arket c ra sh o f O cto b er, 1929,

began to be f e l t in 1 9 3 0 ,
s c h o o l.

W illia m F a g a l's f i r s t y e a r in j u n io r h ig h

And th e y w ould c o n tin u e i n t o 1934, th e y e a r he e n te r e d th e 11th

grade, h i s f i n a l f u l l y e a r o f h ig h s c h o o l (he co m p leted c o l l e g e e n tr a n c e

req uirem en ts th e f o llo w in g sum m er).

1I b i d .
2G a lb r a ith , 1 3 3 f f .

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113
A rthur M. S c h le s in g e r , J r . , w r it in g about th e e a r ly days o f th e
D e p r e s sio n , has g iv e n a p a r t i c u l a r l y moving a ccou n t o f th e ''towns o f
ta r p a p er and t i n , o ld p a c k in g b o x es and o ld c a r b o d ie s " a lo n g r a ilr o a d
embankments and b e s id e garbage in c in e r a t o r s in c i t y dumps d o t t in g th e
lan d scap e o f America w hich w ere g iv e n th e s a r d o n ic s o b r iq u e t o f
" H o o v e r v ille s" ; or " flo p h o u se s s m e llin g o f sw eat and L y so l" ; and o f
b r e a d lin e s and s o u p k itc h e n s in w hich "the vapors from th e huge steam
cookers m in g lin g w ith th e s te n c h o f w et c lo t h e s and sw e a tin g b o d ie s made
th e a i r f o u l . " *

And W illia m E. L euchtenburg h as r e p o r te d in d e t a i l

co n cern in g many who l i v e d under p r im i t iv e c o n d it io n s s t r i k i n g l y su g g e s t iv e o f th o s e o f "a p r e in d u s t r ia l s o c i e t y s t r i c k e n by fa m in e."

But i f th e y w ere t a l k i n g about S c h e n e c ta d y , i t was n o t th e
S ch en ectad y t h a t W illia m F agal knew as a j u n io r h ig h s c h o o l and h ig h
s c h o o l s tu d e n t:
I was n e v e r p e r s o n a lly aware o f a " H o o v e r v ille " in our
c i t y - - t h e r e w e ll may have b een o n e, b u t I n e v e r saw i t , - a t l e a s t , I d o n 't r e c a l l now h a v in g s e e n i t .
Oh, I had
read about them , s e e n p ic t u r e s o f them, in our l o c a l new s
p a p er. But soup k it c h e n s , s e l l i n g a p p le s on th e s t r e e t ,
tu r n in g out e v e r y o th e r s t r e e t l i g h t a t n ig h t t o co n serv e
e l e c t r i c i t y , th e s e and o th e r s t e r e o t y p e s o f th e D e p r essio n
which had t h e i r fo u n d a tio n in th e f a c t s o f l i f e in many
c i t i e s a c r o s s th e la n d , i f th e y happened in S c h e n e c ta d y , I
j u s t d o n 't remember th e m .3
T here i s much c o n c e r n in g th e D e p r e ssio n in S c h e n e c ta d y , how ever,
th a t W illia m F agal does r e c a l l :

a s s o c i a t i n g w ith c la s s m a te s in s c h o o l

who were o b lig e d to wear th rea d b a re g a rm en ts, who sp ok e in muted to n es

(B oston:

^The Age o f R o o s e v e lt: The C r i s i s o f th e Old O rder, 1919-1933

Houghton M if f li n Company, 1 9 5 7 ), 1 6 9 -7 1 .
2

F r a n k lin D. R o o s e v e lt and th e New D eal (1 9 3 2 -4 0 )

Harper & Row, P u b lis h e r s , 1 9 6 3 ), 1.

(New York:

1.

I n te r v ie w w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, L a n sin g , M ic h ., Feb. 9 , 1967,

C ite d h e r e a f t e r as W illia m F a g a l I n te r v ie w , Feb. 9 , 1967.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

114
( i f a t a l l ) about t h e i r f a t h e r ' s j o b - - o r , more l i k e l y , t h e i r la c k o f
work; w id esp rea d f e e l i n g s o f d e s p a ir and d e f e a t , a s p i r i t u a l w ith e r in g
o f th e s o u l w hich a f f e c t e d c h ild r e n as w e ll as t h e i r o u t-o f-w o r k p a r e n ts
the

p h y s ic a l pangs o f hu nger i n th e stom ach , w hich made i t

to keep o n e 's mind

upon le s s o n s a t hand to be le a r n e d .

He

sod i f f i c u l t
r e c a lls :

Dad earn ed $4 a day d u rin g th e D e p r e ssio n , d o in g p ie c e

work. The o n ly problem w a s, he o n ly g o t p a id on days when
th e r e was so m eth in g t o do down a t th e f a c t o r y .
Our fa m ily
was in s e r io u s
fin a n c ia l s t r a i t s .
I w e ll remember one
n ig h t we found a b a s k e t o f fo o d on th e d o o r s te p v e r y
em b arrassin g to proud German b lo o d .
But we a te i t , n e v e r
t h e l e s s , and g r a t e f u l l y . 1
Mother managed th e fa m ily fin a n c e s in our h o u se:
Dad
handed h e r th e w eek ly check --w hen th e r e was o n e --a n d she
took care o f th e b i l l s ( t h e r e w ere alw ays p le n t y o f th e m !).
I remember one tim e my p a r e n ts found a brand-new mat
t r e s s , s t i l l in th e f a c t o r y c a r to n , w hich had b een l e f t on
th e s te p s o f our home. The m a ttr e s s on Dad and M oth er's
bed was s h o t; some f r ie n d s o f th e fa m ily had a p p a r e n tly
d is c o v e r e d t h i s f a c t , and knew o f t h i s p a r t ic u l a r n e e d .
The f o lk s c a l l e d th e s t o r e , t o l d them to come and p ic k i t
up as i t o b v io u s ly had been d e liv e r e d a t our home by m is
ta k e . The manager con firm ed t h a t i t had been l e f t a t th e
c o r r e c t d e s t in a t ip n ; b u t he w ould n o t d iv u lg e th e name o f
th e th o u g h tfu l d o n o r .2
The p l i g h t o f i n d u s t r i a l w orkers such as C h r is tia n F agal was
w retched a l l a c r o s s th e n a t io n .

L euchtenburg has p o in te d out t h a t :

By th e end o f H o o v er's r e ig n [March, 1 9 3 3 ], more than

f i f t e e n m i l l i o n w orkers had l o s t t h e i r j o b s .
U. S . S t e e l ' s
p a y r o ll o f f u l l - t i m e w orkers f e l l from 2 2 5 ,0 0 0 in 1929 to
zero on A p r il 1 , 1933; even th e hands em ployed p a r t- tim e in
1933 numbered o n ly h a l f as many as th e f u l l - t i m e f o r c e o f
1 9 2 9 .3
The d r a s t i c e f f e c t o f th e D e p r e s s io n , f i n a n c i a l l y , upon th e
G eneral E l e c t r i c Company ( in whose S ch en ecta d y p la n t th e F agal b r e a d
w inner worked) may be o b se rv e d from th e d a ta co n cern in g o r d e rs r e c e iv e d ,

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 2 .

2 I b i d . , F eb. 9 , 1967, 1.

3L eu ch tenbu rg, 19.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

n e t s a l e s b i l l e d , n e t s a l e s in com e, t o t a l n e t incom e, and a v era g e number

o f em p lo y ees, d u rin g th e p e r io d 1 9 2 5 -1 9 3 5 , shown in T able 1 and Graphs 1
and 2 , which fo llo w :

TABLE 1
THE DEPRESSION AND GENERAL ELECTRICa
1925-1935

Year

Orders
R eceived

N et S a le s
B ille d b

N et S a le s
Income*3

T o ta l N et
Income*3

1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935

$ 3 0 2 .5
3 2 7 .4
3 0 9 .8
3 4 8 .8
4 4 5 .8
3 4 1 .8
2 5 2 .0
1 2 1 .7
1 4 2 .8
1 8 3 .7
2 1 7 .4

$ 2 9 0 .3
3 2 7 .0
3 1 2 .6
3 3 7 .2
4 1 5 .3
3 7 6 .2
2 6 3 .3
1 4 7 .2
1 3 6 .6
1 6 4 .8
2 0 8 .7

$ 3 2 .8
3 7 .1
3 6 .1
3 9 .7
4 9 .4
4 0 .4
2 8 .4
3 .6
6 .9
1 1 .7
1 8 .4

$ 3 8 .6
4 6 .7
4 8 .8
5 4 .2
6 7 .3
5 7 .5
4 1 .0
1 4 .4
1 3 .4
1 9 .7
2 7 .8

aS o u r c e :

Average No.
o f E m ployees0

7 0 ,9 6 9
7 5 ,7 1 1
7 2 ,9 8 1
7 3 ,5 2 6
8 7 ,9 3 3
7 8 ,3 8 0
6 5 ,5 1 6
4 6 ,9 4 3
4 1 ,5 6 0 d
4 9 ,6 4 2
5 5 ,7 0 6

Annual R e p o r ts, G eneral E l e c t r i c Company, 1925-

1935.
^ F ig u res e x p r e s s e d in m il lio n s o f d o l l a r s , rounded to
n e a r e s t d ecim al p o in t .
cE xclu d es a f f i l i a t e d com pan ies. 'GE Company does n o t d i s tin g u is h in i t s p u b lis h e d s t a t i s t i c s betw een f u l l - t i m e and p a r t- tim e
em p loyees.
dLow p o in t reach ed in March, 1933, w ith 3 3 ,1 9 7 em ployees on
p a y r o ll, and few o f th e s e on f u l l - t i m e work.

W illiam F a g a l's younger b r o th e r , H arold, p u t i t s u c c i n c t l y when

he s a id , "S ch en ectad y was a o n e-em p lo y er c i t y .
n ecta d y d id .

I f GE p r o s p e r e d , S ch e

During th e D e p r e s sio n , i t d id n o t prosper."'*'

Mother F agal

^Harold Fagal I n te r v ie w , 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

116

GRAPH I
COMPARISON OF ORDERS WITH SHIPMENTS
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
1 9 2 5-1935
In M illio n s
o f D o lla rs
$ 500

400

300

Order

200

100

LO
CnO
r*~H

SOURCE:

SO
csa
CO

Annual R e p o rts

CN3
T-H

co
CN3
Oi
r*H

cva

CO
tO
co
t-H

CO
t-H

c\a
tO
Oi
r-t

to
to

to

to

t-H

o f G en era l E l e c t r i c Company, 1 9 2 5 -1 9 3 5

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

117
GRAPH 2
COMPARISON OF NET SALES INCOME WITH TOTAL INCOME
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
1 9 2 5 -1 9 3 5

In M iH tons
o f d o lla r s
70

60

50

- T o ta l Net Income
40

Net S i t e s Inoone
30

20

10

SOURCE:

Annual R eports o f G en era l E l e c t r i c Company, 1 9 2 5 -1 9 3 5

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

118
adds o n ly th a t S ch en ecta d y was v e r y a d v e r s e ly a f f e c t e d by th e D e p r e s sio n ,
and th e F a g a l fa m ily p r o b a b ly w ere as s e r i o u s l y a f f e c t e d by i t as anyone
in th e c i t y . *
G eneral E l e c t r i c a t t h i s tim e , a s l a t e r , " th e l a r g e s t m anufactu r e r o f e l e c t r i c a l equipm ent in th e U n ited S t a t e s ,"
than d ou b le th o s e o f i t s n e a r e s t c o m p e tito r .

w ith s a l e s more

The GE Company does n o t b rea k down i t s f i n a n c i a l and o th e r d a ta

by p la n ts or d ep a rtm en ts, a c o r p o r a tio n e x e c u t iv e w rote t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r , b e c a u se i t sim p ly " t e l l s th e c o m p e titio n to o much."

It is ,

how ever, a m a tter o f r e c o r d th a t th e S ch en ecta d y p la n t fa r e d somewhat

le s s w e ll than d id many o th e r s w it h in th e company, b e c a u se "most o f th e
p rod u cts made h ere were c a p i t a l g o o d s, f o r power com panies and in d u s
t r i a l p la n t s ," ^ and t h i s p a r t i c u l a r c l a s s o f p r o d u c tio n " s u ff e r e d more

^W illiam F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 18, 1967, 4.

?

Moody's I n d u s t r ia l Manual: American and F o r e ig n (N ew York:

Moody's I n v e s to r s S e r v ic e , I n c . , J u n e, 1 9 6 6 ), 2 7 7 8 -7 9 .
3

The 1931 Moody Manual r e p o r t s s a l e s o f th e top f i v e c o r p o r a tio n s

in the e l e c t r i c a l equipm ent in d u s tr y as f o llo w s : G eneral E l e c t r i c C o .,
$376.2 m il lio n s ; W estin gh ou se E l e c t r i c and M anufacturing C o ., $ 1 8 0 .3
m illio n s ; A llis -C h a lm e r s M anufacturing C o ., $ 4 1 .8 m i l l i o n s ; C u tle r Hammer, I n c . , $ 9 .3 m il lio n s ; and Weston E l e c t r i c a l In stru m en t C o r p ., no
s a le s but p r o f i t s o f $ 6 1 5 ,0 7 5 .
[Moody's Manual o f In v e stm e n ts: American
and F o reig n (New York: Moody's I n v e s to r s S e r v ic e , I n c . , 1 9 3 0 ), 9 7 2 ,
3005, 1372, 5 0 7 , and 9 3 6 .]
4L e t t e r from N e il B. R ey n o ld s, C o n su lta n t C orporate In fo rm a tio n
R esou rces, G eneral E l e c t r i c Company, S ch en ecta d y , N. Y ., D ec. 5 , 19 6 6 , 1.
C ited h e r e a f t e r as N e il B. R eynolds L e t t e r .
^GE's 38th Annual R eport (S ch en ec ta d y , D ec. 3 1 , 1 9 2 9 ), l i s t s th e
f o llo w in g p r o d u c ts made a t th e S ch en ecta d y p la n t d u rin g th a t y e a r :
la r g e tu r b in e g e n e r a t o r s , syn ch ron ou s m otors and c o n v e r t e r s , fr e q u e n c y
c o n v e r te r s , AC g e n e r a t o r s , DC g e n e r a t o r s , m o to r -g e n e r a to r s e t s , la r g e
in d u c tio n m o to rs, i n d u s t r i a l c o n t r o l d e v ic e s , i n d u s t r i a l h e a t in g e q u ip
ment, a r c -w e ld in g m ach in ery, w ire and c a b le , c a r r ie r - c u r r e n t eq u ip m en t,
m ercu ry-arc r e c t i f i e r s , e l e c t r i c r e f r i g e r a t o r s , vacuum tu b e s , s e a r c h
l i g h t s , a ir p o r t and airw ay l i g h t i n g equipm ent, a i r c r a f t d e v i c e s , g e n e r a l
v o lta g e r e g u la t o r s , s u r fa c e a i r c o o l e r s , and i n s u l a t i n g compounds (p . 2 5 ) .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

than [d id ] consumer g o o d s . T h e

o n ly d o m estic h o u se h o ld a p p lia n c e s

m anufactured by GE in S ch en ecta d y were r e f r i g e r a t o r s .

An i n t e r e s t i n g com parison o f how C h r is tia n F a g a l's f e llo w
S even th -d ay A d v e n tis t church members in b o th New York C ity and u p - s t a t e
New York fa r e d f i n a n c i a l l y , in r e l a t i o n to th e " a v era g e w orker a t
G eneral E l e c t r i c , may be s e e n from Graph 3 , w hich appears on th e page
fo llo w in g .
The w o r st o f th e D e p r e ssio n was o v e r f o r th e Fagal fa m ily in
l a t e 1933.

For one e v e n in g , H arold Fagal rem embers, h i s U ncle H enry,

who se r v e d th r e e tw o -y e a r term s as mayor o f S ch en ecta d y and who had j u s t

been retu rn ed a g a in to o f f i c e , came to s e e h i s b r o th e r C h r is tia n .
Remembers H arold:
I s to o d b e h in d a c lo s e d door and heard U ncle Henry ask
F ath er i f he would be w i l l i n g to s e r v e as th e c i t y ' s Com
m is s io n e r o f W e lfa re, b e g in n in g n e x t January 1. The s a la r y
was $ 3 ,2 5 0 a y e a r , v e r y a f f l u e n t in th o s e d a y s.
We s o ld
our 1929 Model A Ford and bought a new 1934 C h e v r o le t .2
Never a g a in w ould th e F a g a ls need to be g r a t e f u l f o r fo o d
b a s k e ts l e f t by unknown b e n e fa c to r s on t h e i r porch s t e p s in th e dead o f
n ig h t .

But even w ith t h i s sudden and u n ex p ected r i s e from p o v e r ty ,

thanks t o a p o l i t i c a l p a tro n a g e sy ste m w hich encouraged n e p o tism , W illiam

Fagal n e v e r fo r g o t th e h a r d sh ip and th e hunger o f th e D e p r e ssio n .

It

would ten d to make him more t h o u g h t f u l, more sy m p a th e tic o f o th e r s l e f t

in u n fo r tu n a te s t r a i t s , whom he w ould m eet as a young m in is t e r in h i s
v a r io u s p a s t o r a t e s .
1

N e il B. R eynolds L e t t e r , 2 .

H arold F agal I n te r v ie w , 1.

JA nother i n d e l i b l e im p r e ssio n from D e p r essio n days was W illia m

F a g a l's f i r s t c o n ta c t w ith d ru n k en n ess. He i s y e t tod ay s t r o n g ly con
s c io u s o f th e f i r s t in t o x ic a t e d man he had e v e r s e e n . He was a h ig h
sc h o o l s tu d e n t, and th e in c id e n t o ccu rred s h o r t l y a f t e r P r e s id e n t R oose
v e l t and th e f e d e r a l governm ent r e p e a le d th e P r o h ib itio n amendment and

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

120
$ 2 ,5 0 0

2 000
:

..... I

'

NYC7SDA-X

gel\

1 ,5 0 0

\ /

NYS/ SDA-\

1,00 0

500

40
C\3

(X.
CNO
oa
t-H

oa

Year
1925
1926
19 2 7
1928
1929
193 0
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935

CO
oa
fH

1
00
CO
t-H

Oa
CO
oa
T*H

Average SDA Phmily Income3,

N.Y. C ity
N.Y. S t a t e
$ 1859
2031
2058
1986

2352
23^7
2055
1516
1072
1222
1198

$ 1329
1279
1352
1362
1413
1278

1
Ca
CO
oa
t-H

t-H
CO
oa
t-H

1628

1308
1330
1515
1593

850

Co
CO
oa
r-H

1
Sh
CO
oa
t-H

40

CO
oa
t-H

... *i,
1 . --C ost o f L iv in g Index'c
(1923= 100)

$ . * . .
1770
1792
1823
1855
1798

858

782

CO
oa
t-H

Av. Earnings*3
o f GE Worker

1160

820

1
00

1 0 3 .7
1 0 4 .3
1 0 2 .0
1 0 0 .6
1 0 0 .1
9 6 .7
8 7 -2
7 7 -9
7 4 .9
7 9 -4
8 2 .6

aE x tr a p o la te d from t i t h e and membership r e c o r d s o f G rea ter New York

and New York C o n fe r e n c e s , r e s p e c t i v e l y , s u p p lie d in l e t t e r from J e s s e 0 .
Gibson, S t a t i s t i c a l S e c r e t a r y , G en eral C on feren ce o f SDA, W ashington,
B .C ., December 9 , 1 9 6 6 .
13A n n u a l R e p o r t s , G en eral E l e c t r i c

Company, 1 9 2 5 -1 9 3 5 -

CM. Ada B en ey, C o s t o f L i v i n g i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . 1 9 1 4 - 1 9 3 6 (NICE

S tu d ies N o . 2 2 8 ; N e w Y o r k : N a tio n a l I n d u s t r i a l C on feren ce B oard, I n c . ,
R e p r o d u c e d w ith p e r m is s io n o f th e c o p y r ig h t o w n e r . F u rth er re p ro d u ctio n p roh ib ited w ith o u t p e r m issio n .

on

GRAr:

121
C areer c r i s i s in c o l l e g e . A lth ough W illia m F a g a l n e v e r c o u ld
remember a tim e when h e d id n 't want t o become a m i n is t e r , a s e r io u s
c r i s i s d e v e lo p e d d u rin g h i s c o l l e g i a t e freshm an y e a r w hich h e h im s e lf
would l a t e r c h a r a c t e r iz e in a p e r i o d i c a l a r t i c l e as "A S i g n i f i c a n t
Moment in My L if e ." *
W ell-m eaning b u t m isg u id ed f r ie n d s had c o n v in c e d th e young
stu d e n t t h a t
t o be a m in is t e r one must s u c c e s s f u l l y assume a d o u r, e v e r solem n a t t i t u d e and t h a t a fu n e r e a l b e a r in g m ust n e c e s s a r i l y
c h a r a c t e r iz e e v e r y waking moment. But s in c e su ch an a t t i
tu d e was c o m p le te ly f o r e ig n t o my makeup, th e w hole th in g
sounded im p o s s ib le and even u n d e s ir a b le .
I f I w ere t o go on
and become a m in is t e r , a p p a r e n tly I was n e v e r t o be happy
a g a in , o r a t l e a s t n e v e r adm it to i t i f I w e r e .2
C o m p lica tin g th e problem s t i l l f u r t h e r was th e i n s i s t e n c e o f one
p a r t ic u la r member o f th e th e o lo g y f a c u l t y th a t e v e r y m in is t e r s h o u ld be
ab le t o g iv e p r a c t i c a l a s s i s t a n c e to th e f a m i l i e s o f h i s p a r is h .

In

c la s s t h i s p r o f e s s o r w ould s i n g l e out F agal by name (n o t " W illiam ," as

h is m other c a l l e d him; or " B i l l , " as he was known t o th e o th e r s tu d e n ts ;
but " W ill" a name he h a t e d ) .

And in s t e n t o r ia n to n e s h e w ould c a l l ,

alm ost t a u n t in g ly ,
W ill, c o u ld you go i n t o a home where members o f th e fa m ily
were a l l i l l and g iv e them some sim p le m ed ica l tr e a tm e n ts?
Perhaps h o t fo m e n ta tio n s? Could you th en go o u t in t o th e
k itc h e n and bake them some lo a v e s o f good b read ? . . .
Then, y o u ' l l n e v e r make th e m i n i s t r y . 3
The f o llo w in g summer and th e n e x t a f t e r t h a t B i l l was r e q u ir e d
to spend as a s tu d e n t c o lp o r t e u r , s e l l i n g th e r e l i g i o u s books o f h i s

allow ed b e e r to be s o l d .
F agal saw a man s t a g g e r in g a lo n g th e sid e w a lk
and th ou gh t him i l l .
A b y s ta n d e r e x p la in e d th e man was in e b r ia t e d . The
young h ig h s c h o o l s tu d e n t w atched him a lo n g tim e , amazed a t th e m an's
c o n d itio n , and a t w hat a lc o h o l had done t o him .
(F a g a l I n te r v ie w ,
Feb. 9 , 1967, 1 .)
^These T im es, March, 1 9 6 4 , 2 2 -2 3 .

^ Ib id .

^ C ited in i b i d .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

church, a ta sk c o n s id e r e d de r ig u e u r f o r anyone who a s p ir e d t o th e

A d v e n tist m in is t r y in th o s e days (an d, i n some p l a c e s , even y e t t o d a y ) .
N e ith e r summer was much o f a s u c c e s s , b u t th e f i r s t one was p a r t i c u l a r l y
d i f f i c u l t b eca u se h i s g o a l i n l i f e had become p a r t ly o b sc u r ed .
Upon r e tu r n in g to th e campus f o r h i s sophomore y e a r , B i l l found
to h is encouragem ent th a t h i s o ld p r o f e s s o r i a l a n t a g o n is t was g o n e ,
tr a n s fe r r e d to an o th er c o l l e g e , and a new h ead o f th e th e o lo g y d e p a r t
ment had been i n s t a l l e d in h i s p la c e .
During r e g i s t r a t i o n B i l l saw th e new man, deep in s tu d y , i n th e
c o lle g e lib r a r y .

He had, he r e c a l l s now, "a v e r y s t e r n f a c e , a la r g e

n o se , and r e d , b a ld in g h a i r .
doubts and fe a r s r e tu r n e d .

He lo o k v e r y u n p r e p o s s e s s in g ." ^

The o ld

R e lu c t a n t ly , B i l l r e g i s t e r e d f o r th e man's

c l a s s e s , n o t r e a l i z i n g what a s u r p r is e was in s t o r e f o r him .

F or,

th e p ic t u r e t h i s man p a in te d o f th e m in is t r y and o f
C h r is tia n s e r v i c e in g e n e r a l was d i f f e r e n t from th e warped
co n cep t w hich had been g iv e n me. He [th e new p r o f e s s o r ]
wore no i l l - f i t t i n g c lo a k o f p i e t y . A lthough h e was a
thorough and r a d ia n t C h r is t ia n , h e was as n a t u r a l and
lik a b le as anyone I had e v e r m et. H is deep u n d e rsta n d in g
o f and a p p r e c ia tio n fo r th e th in g s o f God d id n o t in any
way l i m i t h i s b e in g a r e a l and g en u in e p e r so n w ith a ready
w it and a h e a r ty lau gh .
In a m a tte r o f days my o p in io n o f
th e m in is tr y began t o undergo s u b t le b u t n o n e t h e le s s dram atic
c h a n g e s.2
The clim a x came a few weekends l a t e r when, d u rin g a S atu rd ay
n ig h t program p u t on by th e f a c u l t y , th e m in is t e r - t e a c h e r , L. H. H a r tin ,
c a st a l l " m in is t e r ia l d ig n ity " to th e w ind and p a r t ic ip a t e d w ith a n o th er
p r o fe s s o r in a h i l a r i o u s l i t t l e

s k e tc h w hich b rou gh t down th e h o u se and

d e lig h te d th e s tu d e n ts more than a n y th in g e l s e th e e n t i r e e v e n in g .

*-Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1 9 6 6 , 3.
^ F agal, "A S i g n i f i c a n t Moment in My L i f e ," 2 3 .

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r
123
V iew ing t h a t n i g h t , and h i s own r e a c t io n to what h e had s e e n , in
r e t r o s p e c t some th r e e d ecad es l a t e r , W illia m F agal w ould w r it e o f t h i s
e v e n in g :
Probab ly I was th e m ost d e lig h t e d o f a l l , f o r I cau gh t a
glim p se th a t n ig h t o f th e k in d o f m in is t e r I c o u ld a s p ir e
to b e , one who c o u ld be h i m s e l f , e n jo y in g l i f e i n a way
n a tu r a l to him , w h ile y e t d e d ic a te d t o and c o n t r o lle d by th e
God o f heaven whom h e [H a r tin ] lo v e d suprem ely and e x e m p li
fie d f u l l y . 1
Commenting on F a g a l's s e n s e o f humor, y e a r s l a t e r , and h i s own
r e a c tio n to i t , P r o f e s s o r H a r tin has w r it t e n :
I f you know him [ F a g a l] , you c o u ld g u ess he had i t [a s e n s e
o f humor] as a s t u d e n t . T h is was p a r t i c u l a r l y a p p r e c ia te d
by me as I have some I r i s h b lo o d in my v e in s and can s t i l l
g e t g r e a t enjoym ent from wholesome hum or.2
T hus, W illiam F a g a l was sa v ed f o r th e g o s p e l m in is t r y by one o f
i t s own who w a sn 't a f r a id to l e t down h i s h a i r , in p u b l i c , and show th a t
C h r is t ia n it y does n o t p r e c lu d e h a v in g a good tim e in l i f e ,

or e n jo y in g

i t to th e h i l t .

T r a v e l.--" W orld t r a v e l has d e f i n i t e l y broadened my t h in k in g , my

o u tlo o k ," W illiam F agal d e c la r e d r e c e n t l y , "making me more aware o f what
i s going on in th e w o rld and h e lp in g me u n d ersta n d some o f i t s i s s u e s
and i t s p ro b lem s."
The v i s i t t o P a l e s t i n e , f o r exam ple, h a s made a c o n s id e r a b le
d if f e r e n c e , he f e e l s , in h i s su b seq u en t p r e a c h in g .
I r e a l i z e d as n e v e r b e fo r e how much one c o u ld le a r n in th e
Holy Land, how one c o u ld g e t b eh in d what th e B ib le s a y s ,
and u n d erstan d th e in f lu e n c e o f s o c i a l cu sto m s, c lim a t e ,
geograp hy, and so on , on th e th in k in g and a c t io n s o f th e
p e o p le who l i v e d in th o s e d a y s .4

'Ibid.

^ H artin L e t t e r .

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7, 19 6 6 , 3.

^ I b id .

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F agal was p a r t i c u l a r l y a f f e c t e d by th e p o v e r ty he saw in th e

M iddle E ast and e ls e w h e r e .

In some la n d s , he s a i d ,

p o v e r ty i s ex trem e. I h ave s e e n l i t t l e mud h u ts w hich must

s e r v e as homes f o r la r g e f a m i l i e s . The l i t t l e d w e llin g s
are so in a d e q u a te t h a t a l l th e fa m ily cannot g e t i n s i d e a t
o n c e , b u t i t i s a l l th e y can a f f o r d .
I have s e e n th e g r a ss
mats on w hich su ch in d iv id u a ls must s le e p on th e ground ou t
under th e s t a r s . S in c e t h e r e are n o t enough g r a ss mats to
go around, s e v e r a l must s le e p on them a t once th e w ide way
w ith f e e t e x te n d in g o f f th e s i d e s and w ith no co v er t o keep
them w arm .1
He was a ls o moved by th e w retch ed l i v i n g c o n d it io n and s q u a lo r
o f th e camps in which th e h o m eless P a l e s t in i a n r e fu g e e s l i v e ,

little

b e t t e r than a n im a ls, n e a r ly two d ecad es a f t e r th e end o f th e A r a b - I s r a e li

War o f 1948.
In some p la c e s he was approached by ragged c h ild r e n b e g g in g
a lm s--" b a k sh e e sh ."

The p a s t o r , a f a t h e r o f two y o u n g ste r s h im s e lf ,

asked th e Arab gu id e why t h e s e w ere n o t in s c h o o l; and he was stu n n ed by

the c a su a l r e p ly , "They re o n ly p e a s a n t s , common p e o p le ; th e y c a n 't go
to s c h o o l.

As c h ild r e n o f b e g g a r s , th e y th em se lv e s must grow up to

become b e g g a r s."

And h i s h e a r t was s t i r r e d d e e p ly in t h i s la n d where

once h is M aster had w a lk ed , "a man o f sorrow s and a c q u a in te d w ith g r ie f "

(I s a ia h 5 3 : 3 ) , a High P r i e s t "tou ch ed w ith th e f e e l i n g s o f our i n f i r m i
t ie s "

(Hebrews 4 : 1 5 ) .
A v i s i t to th e s i t e s o f a n c ie n t B abylon, T y re, and Sidon

ten d ed

to r e in f o r c e F a g a l's f a i t h th a t th e o ld p r o p h e c ie s o f th e B ib le were
ind eed in s p ir e d o f God.

Looking upon th e s e r u in s , and r e c a l l i n g th e

p r e d ic tio n s made co n cern in g th e m --so im probable a t th e tim e - -h e r e was

in d eed e v id e n c e th a t "prophecy came n o t in o ld tim e by th e w i l l o f man:

*By F a ith I L iv e , 17.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7 , 1966, 3.

^By F a ith I L iv e , 9 -1 4 .

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ji

but h o ly men o f God spake as th e y were moved by th e H oly G host CH P e te r

1 :2 1 3 .

Prophecy had b een v in d ic a t e d , and fo llo w in g t h i s t r i p F agal

la te r w r o te :
The B ib le i s a Book in which we can have c o n fid e n c e .
Only th o s e who have n e v e r had th e o p p o r tu n ity t o check th e
a ccu ra cy o f i t s c la im s c o u ld doubt i t s v e r a c it y . The more
one knows and le a r n s , th e more he can b e l i e v e in t h i s B o o k .1
On a su b seq u en t v i s i t to th e O r ie n t, F agal adm its t o h a v in g gone
to Japan w ith d e e p ly p r e ju d ic e d f e e l i n g s a g a in s t i t s c i t i z e n s .

Bn r o u te

to Tokyo he had sto p p ed o f f in H onolulu and tak en a to u r o f th e U. S.

m ilit a r y m em orial a t P e a r l Harbor.

He view ed th e r u s te d , sunken h u l l s

o f American b a t t l e s h i p s in w hich th e b o d ie s o f some 1 ,1 0 0 s a i l o r s o f th e

U. S. Navy are s t i l l entom bed, w h ile th e g u id e spoke b i t t e r l y o f th e
p e r fid y o f th e Jap an ese sneak a tta c k on December 7, 1941.
When I a r r iv e d among th e J a p a n e se , I f e l t I was among a
tr e a c h e r o u s p e o p le .
I d id n 't t r u s t any o f them. However,
as I saw how h o n e s t , s i n c e r e , hard-w orking th ey w e r e --a s I
saw th a t many o f them were t r u l y c o n v e r te d , "born-again"
C h r is tia n s --m y m is g iv in g s began to d i s s o l v e . A ll doubt and
d i s t r u s t was gone by th r e e d a y s .2
W hile in Japan F agal met two A d v e n tis t c o n v e r ts whose i n i t i a l
c o n ta c t w ith th e church came d u rin g World War I I .

The f a t h e r was an

o f f i c e r in th e " th o u g h t-c o n tr o l" branch o f th e J ap an ese s e c r e t p o li c e ;

and he was o rd ered by h i s s u p e r io r s to i n f i l t r a t e th e lo c a l A d v e n tist
c o n g r e g a tio n , th e b e t t e r to sp y on i t s members upon whom h e had t o p r e
pare in d iv id u a l d o s s i e r s .

The man, in c i v i l i a n c lo t h i n g , took h is son

w ith him to church to a l l a y s u s p ic io n ; and he fe ig n e d c o n v e r s io n .

1I b i d . , 14.
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7, 1966, 2.

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126
S h o r t ly th e church fa c e d more p e r s e c u t io n than e v e r , f o r th e
o f f i c e r eq u a ted th e A d v e n t is t s s t r e s s on th e New T estam ent d o c t r in e o f
the secon d coming o f C h r is t w ith n a t io n a l tr e a c h e r y .
I r o n i c a l l y , how ever, th e son was im p ressed by th e th in g s he had
heard; a f t e r th e war he a c c e p te d C h r i s t i a n i t y and was b a p tiz e d a S e v e n th day A d v e n tis t.

He was in s tr u m e n ta l in b r in g in g h i s f a t h e r to C h r is t;

and tod ay b o th are C h r is tia n w o r k e r s --t h e s o n , a m in i s t e r , and th e

f a t h e r , a la y B ib le in s t r u c t o r .
S e e in g changes wrought in l i v e s o f p e o p le such as t h e s e , who
even tod ay w orsh ip God d e s p it e g r e a t p e r s o n a l h a r d sh ip and p h y s ic a l
h an d icap , made a deep im p r e ssio n on W illia m F a g a l's th in k in g and h e lp e d
to renew h i s f a i t h in th e e f f i c a c y o f th e c o n v ic t in g , c o n v e r tin g pow er
o f th e Holy S p irit.'* '
In Hong Kong, F agal was ta k en t o th e b o r d e r b u f f e r zone a d j o in
ing Communist C hina.

He lo o k ed a c r o s s th e in t e r n a t io n a l boundary and

saw s e v e r a l v i l l a g e s on a d i s t a n t m o u n ta in sid e .

" I t gave me a t e r r i b l e

f e e l i n g , t o s e e a p la c e t h a t c o u ld n 't b e rea ch ed w ith th e C h r is tia n

g o s p e l," he d e c la r e d l a t e r .

And he r e d e d ic a t e d h im s e lf to d o in g a l l he_

could to h e lp b r in g C h r is t ia n it y to th o s e who do n o t p e r s o n a lly know i t s

b le s s in g s and co m fo rt.

T rip s on a m ed ical m is s io n a r y lau n ch on th e Amazon and San

F ra n cisco R iv ers o f B r a z il,

and l i v i n g f o r s e v e r a l days w ith a p u b lic

h e a lth e x p e d it io n in th e Chamula I n d ia n v i l l a g e o f Amatenango, in

C hiapas, M exico, undertaken by d e n ta l s tu d e n ts and t h e i r p r o f e s s o r s from
Loma Linda U n iv e r s it y ,^ have h e ig h te n e d W illia m F a g a l's a d m ira tio n f o r

~*I b i d .

^I b i d .

^ T e le - n o t e s , O c t ., 1 9 6 3 , 2 -3 ; N o v ., 1963, 4 .

4I b i d . , O c t ., 1964, 4 .

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th e s e l f - s a c r i f i c i n g C h r is tia n m is s io n a r ie s o f h i s
tio n s .

(and o th e r ) denom ina

As a r e s u l t , he h as d e v o te d a number o f t e l e c a s t s to d e p ic t in g

on f ilm th e l i v e s and a c t i v i t i e s o f t h e s e who have l e f t t h e i r hom elands

in th e s e r v i c e o f s u f f e r i n g hum anity abroad.
F i n a l l y , F agal s e n s e d more p e r s o n a lly th e c o n t in u it y o f th e
P r o te s ta n t t r a d i t i o n and h is own p la c e in i t a f t e r h i s 1958 v i s i t to
th e London ch a p el where John W esley p r e a ch ed , d u rin g w hich h e clim b ed up
in t o th e o ld p u l p i t from w hich th e fou nder o f M ethodism had p r e a c h e d ,
v i s i t e d th e p arson age w hich a d jo in s n e x t d o o r, and p la y e d on th e organ
o f J o h n 's nephew, Samuel W esley , th e composer o f so many C h r is tia n hymns
and g o s p e l s o n g s .*

S o c ia l a g e n c ie s .- - A f i n a l a r e a in w hich th e l i f e

and m in is t r y o f

W illiam A. F agal have b een g r e a t ly in f lu e n c e d i s to b e found i n s e v e r a l

e x p e r ie n c e s he has had w ith la w -en fo rcem en t and p e n a l a g e n c ie s in Ohio
and New York.
The f i r s t , w hich d e e p ly a f f e c t e d F a g a l's s o c i a l c o n s c io u s n e s s ,
was a r a th e r p r o lo n g e d c o n ta c t w ith Sam T a n n y h ill, 2 7 - y e a r - o ld c o n v ic te d
murderer in Ohio S t a t e P e n it e n t ia r y a t Columbus.

An A d v e n tis t layman

had se c u r e d h i s e n r o llm e n t f o r th e F a ith fo r Today B ib le C orrespondence

S ch ool; and a f t e r e x p e r ie n c e in g an amazing s p i r i t u a l tr a n s fo r m a tio n , th e
c o n v ic t w rote a sk in g P a s to r F agal to v i s i t him in p r is o n .
A deep and a b id in g fr ie n d s h ip d ev elo p ed b etw een th e two in th e
in te r v e n in g m onths.

S ix a p p ea ls f o r e x e c u t iv e clem en cy were d e n ie d ; and

a t th e end F agal s p e n t th e l a s t th r e e hours o f Sam's l i f e w ith him in

h is d eath row c e l l , and f i n a l l y s e r v e d as a r a th e r u n w illin g o f f i c i a l

1I b id . , May, 1 9 5 9 , 1.
^By F a ith I L iv e , 3 9 -4 5 .

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w itn e ss o f T a n n y h ill's e x e c u t io n in th e e l e c t r i c c h a ir on November 2 6 ,

1 9 5 6 .1
Through T a n n y h ill, F agal met s e v e r a l o th e r condemned p r is o n e r s
and was a b le t o le a d a t l e a s t one o f them t o C h r is t b e fo r e h e , t o o , was
e x ecu ted by th e s t a t e .

F a gal l a t e r s t a t e d :

E x p e rien ce s such as t h e s e h e lp e d me c r y s t a l l i z e my th in k in g
on th e s u b j e c t o f c a p i t a l p u n ish m en t. I n e v e r d id l i k e i t - n o t from t h e o l o g i c a l r e a s o n s , b u t more from s o c i a l c o n v ic
t i o n . A f t e r w orking w ith t h e s e men on d eath row, th e
in n o ce n c e o f some o f whom even th e guards w ere c o n v in c e d , I
was h au n ted by s tr o n g f e e l i n g s th a t c a p i t a l punishm ent was
wrong. A sid e from th e p o s s i b i l i t y o f t r a g i c j u d i c i a l e r r o r
in s e n d in g an in n o c e n t man to h i s d e a th --w h ic h h a s happened
more than o n c e I f e e l t h a t our p r e s e n t sy ste m d oes n o t
a llo w f o r changes l e g i t i m a t e l y w rought in th e l i v e s and
h e a r ts o f t h e s e men and women th rou gh g en u in e r e l i g i o u s con
v e r s io n by th e S p i r i t o f G o d ,--p e o p le whose l i v e s are
r e a l l y , i f d r a m a t ic a lly , changed, tra n sfo rm ed . Working w ith
th e s e i n d i v i d u a l s , a l s o , h as renew ed my c o n fid e n c e in th e
power o f th e H oly S p i r i t to "save t o th e u t t e r m o s t ."2
Judge Anna M. K r o ss, whose 2 0 -y e a r term on th e C rim inal Court
Bench was fo llo w e d by a dozen y e a r s as C om m issioner o f C o r r e c tio n o f th e
C ity o f New Y ork,

once i n v i t e d F agal t o s i t w ith h e r on th e bench in a

j u v e n ile c o u r t h e a r in g .

He l a t e r d e s c r ib e d h i s e x p e r ie n c e :

B ecause o f th e youth o f th e s e o f f e n d e r s , no r e p o r t e r s o r
o r d in a r y w it n e s s e s [o b s e r v e r s ] a re a llo w e d when th e s e
c o u r ts are in s e s s i o n .
The room was d e l i b e r a t e l y arran ged
so th a t i t d id n o t lo o k l i k e a courtroom , and th e m a g is tr a te
was a k in d and u n d e r sta n d in g m other who had a r e a l f e e l i n g
fo r th e te e n -a g e boys and g i r l s brou gh t b e fo r e h e r .
I can n ot f o r g e t one boy in p a r t i c u l a r who s to o d b e fo r e
th e bench th a t day. H is r e c e n t h i s t o r y o f p e t t y la r c e n y
made i t mandatory f o r him to b e p la c e d in a s t a t e i n s t i t u
tio n o f c o r r e c t io n . He seem ed so v e r y young and u n lik e th e
hardened c r im in a l ty p e . He t r i e d n o t to show h i s f e e l i n g s
when t o l d th e v e r d i c t .
But a f t e r one a g o n iz in g moment he
cou ld n o t c o n ta in h im s e lf . H is c o n to r te d f a c e as he was le d
w eeping from th e courtroom haurfted me lo n g a f t e r w a r d .4

*~By God's Grace Sam, 4 3 f f .

2F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7 , 1 9 6 6 , 3.

^ R ead er's D ig e s t , N o v ., 19 6 6 , 139.

^By F a ith I L iv e , 1 1 7 , 120.

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129
F agal l a t e r in t e r v ie w e d Judge Kross on h is t e l e c a s t ; and s h e , in
tu rn , s u b s e q u e n tly i n v i t e d th e p a s to r t o j o i n h e r on an o f f i c i a l v i s i t
to New York C it y 's la r g e p r is o n on R ik e r 's I s la n d in th e E a st R iv e r .
Here he w itn e s s e d a tte m p ts made to r e h a b i l i t a t e te e n -a g e r s as p s y c h ia
t r i s t s q u e s tio n e d them in th e p r e se n c e o f s o c i a l w o rk ers.

And he came

away from t h e s e c o n ta c ts w ith c o n s id e r a b ly h e ig h te n e d co n c er n , and

deeper f e e l i n g s o f u n d e r s ta n d in g , f o r t h i s grow ing s o c i a l problem f o r
th e w orld a t la r g e .
Commenting on h i s b e l i e f s , F agal d e c la r e d :
I b e l i e v e th a t b e h in d e v e r y d e lin q u e n t boy th e r e i s u s u a lly
a d e lin q u e n t p a r e n t. As a conseq uence o f th e s e e y e -o p e n in g
e x p e r ie n c e s I h a v e g iv e n many more t a lk s on th e a i r t o
p a r e n ts on th e problem s o f t h e i r r e la t i o n s h i p s t o t h e i r
c h ild r e n .
I b e l i e v e th a t p a r e n ts sh o u ld d e a l fir m ly w ith
th e y o u th , b u t in an atm osphere o f lo v e and a c c e p t a n c e .1
I t i s im p o s s ib le , o f c o u r s e , to tr a c e d i r e c t l y a l l o f th e c a u s e a n d - e f f e c t r e l a t i o n s h i p s in c o n s id e r in g th e major in f lu e n c e s on th e l i f e
and m in is tr y o f W illiam A. F a g a l, o f many o f w h ich , p e r h a p s, he h im s e lf
i s as y e t u n c o n s c io u s .

But th e ones c i t e d above are s i g n i f i c a n t , as he

h im s e lf lo o k s back a c r o s s th e y e a r s , in sh a p in g h i s th in k in g and,
u lt im a t e ly , h is p u b lic s p e a k in g .

W illiam A. F a g a l, T e l e v is io n P a s to r :

A Look a t th e Man

There are 559 t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n s c u r r e n tly in o p e r a tio n in th e

U nited S t a t e s and Canada as t h e s e l i n e s are b e in g w r itte n ; and ea ch week
P a sto r W illiam A. F a g a l's " F a ith f o r Today" program i s b r o a d c a s t o v er
n e a r ly h a l f o f them (165 in c o lo r a lo n e ) to a p o t e n t i a l au d ien ce w hich

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7, 1966, 3.

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130
com prises a p p ro x im a te ly 80 p e r c e n t o f th e p o p u la tio n o f N orth
Am erica. *
The k in d ly m id d le -a g e d p a s t o r whose s t i l l - y o u t h f u l fa c e lo o k s
out from m i l l i o n s o f h o u seh o ld t e l e v i s i o n s e t s i s a m o d era tely t a l l
(5 f e e t 1 1 -1 /2 in c h e s ) clergym an whose h e ig h t i s d e c e p t iv e ly h id d en as
he s i t s b e h in d a sim p le drawing-room desk under th e n e a r - t r o p ic a l h e a t
o f h ig h -te m p e r a tu r e , c o lo r - a d j u s t e d f l o o d l i g h t s on th e s e t o f C harter
Oak T e l e - P i c t u r e s , I n c . , a t t h e i r cavernou s s t u d io a t 433 E a st 90th
S t r e e t in uptown M anhattan.
Hands f o ld e d sim p ly a to p a w e ll-w o r n Morocco le a t h e r B ib le ,
W illiam A. F a g a l lo o k s d i r e c t l y in t o th e le n s o f th e s o f t ly - w h ir r in g
m otion p ic t u r e camera; and in a v o ic e t h a t b esp ea k s c o n fid e n c e , c o n v ic
t io n , and c o m p a ssio n , se e k s to b r in g s p i r i t u a l a id and com fort t o th e
m illio n s who a d d ress him sim p ly as " P a sto r ."
The t h e a t r i c a l c o sm e tic s w hich "make up" h i s o v a l , handsome fa c e
(crowned by d ark , wavey h a ir now l i g h t l y s tr e a k e d w ith gray) f o r th e
c o lo r camera e f f e c t i v e l y h id e th e w r in k le s l i g h t l y e tc h e d by h i s 30
y ea rs o f m in is t r y , some 20 o f them s p e n t in t e l e v i s i o n and f ilm s t u d io s
such as t h i s o n e .
And as he speaks in th e d e a th ly q u ie t o f th e sound s t a g e , each
word o f h i s b r i e f , fiv e -m in u t e ser m o n ette i s s u b t ly p u n ctu a ted and
u n d erscored by th e warm, e a r n e s t i n t e n s i t y w ith w hich he sp e a k s .
A v i s i t o r t o th e s t u d io w i l l s e e what th e t e le v ie w e r does n o t - fo r a lth o u g h th e p a s t o r 's e n t i r e body i s in a lm o st c o n s ta n t m otion as he
sp e a k s , v e r y l i t t l e

o f th e a c t io n i s t r a n s la t e d t o th e t e l e v i s i o n

*N otes on R eport o f W illia m R. Lawson, g e n e r a l manager, F a ith

fo r Today, I n c . , a t th e c o r p o r a t io n 's annual c o n s titu e n c y s e s s i o n , Wash
in g to n , D. C ., O ct. 2 0 , 1966 [g iv e n o r a l l y ] . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as Lawson
R ep ort.

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R eproduced
with perm ission
of the copyright ow ner.
Further reproduction
prohibited
without p e r m issio n .

Fig. 1 0 . (Left) P asto r a n d Mrs. Fagal a p p e a r a t county fair

display of "F oods of th e B ible," pro m o tin g te lec ast (1955).
Fig. 11. (Above) The Fagals c e le b ra te th e ir 25th w edding
an n iv e rsa ry a n d th e ir 15th y e a r of co nsecutive telev isio n b ro ad
casting, in 1965.

132
aud ien ce b e c a u se m ost o f th e cameraman's " sh o ts" a re t i g h t c lo s e - u p s , in
order t o meet th e demands o f th e medium's s m a ll s c r e e n .
"C ut," c r i e s p r o d u c e r -d ir e c t o r O tis C a v r e ll; and h o t overh ead
s h o o tin g l i g h t s are q u ic k ly dimmed; an a id e w ith K leen ex dabs l i g h t l y a t
th e s m a ll beads o f p e r s p ir a t io n a t th e h a i r l i n e on th e p a s t o r 's fo reh ea d
in ord er n o t t o remove th e l i b e r a l a p p lic a t io n o f a le a d in g underarm
deoderant w hich i n h i b i t s o th e r w is e p r o fu se sw e a tin g ; and W illia m A.
Fagal r e la x e s betw een " ta k e s ."
What k in d o f man i s h e , r e a l l y ?

How do h i s a s s o c i a t e s in th e

s tu d io , in th e F a ith f o r Today o f f i c e - - v i e w him?

F r i e n d l i n e s s . - - F i r s t , he i s a warm, te n d e r -h e a r te d , f r i e n d l y ,
and im m ed ia tely ap p roach ab le man who i s i n t e n s e l y i n t e r e s t e d in p e o p le - in th e in d i v i d u a l , and h i s p ro b lem s.

He c h a ts as e a s i l y w ith th e cam era

man, th e prop man, and even th e Negro s t u d io c u s to d ia n , as he does w ith

an im p ortan t v i s i t i n g church d ig n it a r y whom he w i l l in te r v ie w on n e x t
Sunday's t e l e c a s t .
And one o f s e v e r a l s e c r e t s o f W illiam F a g a l's s u c c e s s in t e l e
v is io n i s th e h ig h ly - v a lu e d g i f t o f b e in g a b le to p r o j e c t s u c c e s s f u l l y ,
c o m p le te ly , t h i s warm hu m an ity, a " s a n c t if ie d " Chut n o t sa n c tim o n io u s)
concern f o r th e in d iv id u a l w hich n e v e r t h e le s s i s n e v e r mawkish or m audlin
to th e in d iv id u a l v ie w e r a t home.

And as a r e s u l t , p e o p le t r u s t W illia m

Fagal; and th e y w r ite him (som etim es w ith em b a rra ssin g candor) co n c er n in g
th e most in tim a te f a c e t s o f t h e i r p e r so n a l l i v e s - - " t h i n g s th e y 'd n e v e r
in t h is w orld t a l k to anyone a b o u t." 1

His v e ry b e a r in g seem s to in s p i r e

th e d e e p e s t c o n fid e n c e .

1F agal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 3.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

M ental a c u i t y . - - S e c o n d ly , W illia m F a g a l, in th e e y e s o f a t l e a s t
some o f h is in t im a t e s , h as p r o v id e d a l i v i n g d em o n stra tio n t h a t a v a l i d
d i s t i n c t i o n may b e drawn b etw een " b ein g an i n t e l l e c t u a l " and " b ein g an
egghead."
H is a m p ly -sto r e d mind i s as p e r p e t u a ll y c u r io u s as i t i s
c a t h o lic in t a s t e .

F a g a l's p u b lic a t io n s e d i t o r , Gordon D alrym p le, fin d s

h is b o ss "as much a t home in d is c u s s i n g W ilso n ia n p o l i t i c s and e x i s t e n

t ia l is m as h e i s in modern tr e n d s in r e lig io n ." '* '
And th e e d it o r a t t r i b u t e s th e " s e c r e t" o f th e trem endous popu
l a r i t y en jo y ed by " F a ith f o r Today" th rou gh th e y e a r s t o t h i s broad
background o f know ledge and i n t e r e s t .
F agal has a c q u ir e d a r a p id r e a d in g sp e e d w hich he c o n s t a n t ly
employs in sca n n in g n ew sp a p ers, m a g a z in e s, th e l a t e s t b o o k s , and p u b l i
c a tio n s o f a l l s o r t s , g le a n in g in fo r m a tio n to make h i s m in is t r y more
e ffe c tiv e .
He p o s s e s s e s , Dalrym ple s u g g e s ts i n c o n c lu s io n , t h a t ra re
com bination o f i n t e l l e c t u a l i t y and p r a c t i c a l i t y .

He i s an in d iv id u a l

who "knows how," th e epitom e o f Oregon Governor Mark H a t f i e l d ' s m otto:

"The courage to a c t and th e a b i l i t y t o g e t th in g s d on e."

T e c h n ic a l s k i l l .- - T h i r d l y , W illia m F agal i s a h ig h ly co m p eten t,

s k i l l f u l l y p r o f i c i e n t p erform er b e f o r e th e u n f r ie n d ly , u n b lin k in g ,
m e r c ile s s le n s o f th e s t u d io cam era.

F agal o f t e n appears in th e 15-

minute dram atic s k i t w hich p r e c e d e s h i s b r i e f se r m o n e tte ; and one

morning d u rin g a b r i e f r e s p i t e b etw een s c e n e s a p r o f e s s io n a l a c t o r h ir e d

^Gordon F. D alrym ple, " F if t e e n Years o f P r o g r e s s ," T e l e - n o t e s ,

May, 1965, 3.
2I b id .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

fo r a b i t p a r t , and who had n o t worked p r e v io u s ly f o r " F a ith f o r Today,"

walked o v e r to engage him in c o n v e r s a tio n .
Assum ing he was a d d r e s sin g j u s t a n o th er f e llo w a c t o r , h e shook
th e m i n i s t e r s hand warmly and s a i d , "You know, you p la y t h a t r o le w e ll
enough t o r e a l l y b e a p a s t o r .

You'd make a p r e t t y good p r e a c h e r !"

"I am," F agal s m ilin g ly r e p l i e d .

The p erfo rm er th en resp o n d ed , s e r i o u s l y , "You make a p r e t t y good
a c to r .
" P a sto r F agal i s e x tr e m e ly w e ll lik e d by th e a c to r s and a c t r e s s e s
who appear in th e F a ith f o r Today f il m s ," sa y s p r o d u c e r -d ir e c to r O tis
C a v r e ll, who h as worked w ith F agal now f o r more than a d eca d e.
They are a s t o n is h e d a t what a " r e g u la r guy" he r e a l l y i s .
We h a v e n t had a problem w ith t a l e n t [p erform ers] in 10
y e a r s on t h i s show . F agal i s v ery w e ll known in New Y ork,
and v e ry w e ll lik e d - - a n d t h a t s r a r e among a c t o r s . He had
t o le a r n a c t in g th e hard way, w ith o u t going to an a c t in g
s c h o o l.
Now h e s done more shows than alm ost any a c t o r in
New York C i t y . 2

D e d ic a tio n to m in is t r y . - - F o u r t h ly , W illiam A. F agal i s h ig h ly

d e d ic a te d to h i s Lord and t o H is work.

A boyhood fr ie n d commented

s e v e r a l y e a r s ago, " B i l l F agal has alw ays had h is e y es on th e s t a r s .

He

has a d r iv in g a m b itio n --a d e s ir e t o do som ethin g fo r God."

A m easure o f h i s s e l f - s a c r i f i c i n g s p i r i t i s se e n in th e f a c t
th a t a lth o u g h he h im s e lf heads a m i l l i o n - d o l l a r c o r p o r a tio n [1968 Budget:

I n te r v ie w w ith O tis C a v r e ll, p r o d u c e r -d ir e c t o r , C harter Oak

T e l e - p ic t u r e s , I n c . , New Y ork, J u ly 8, 1966, 2 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as
Cavre 11 In t e r v i ew.
2 I b i d . , 1 -2 .
C ite d m D alrym ple, " F ifte e n Y ears o f P r o g r e s s ," 3.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

$ 1 ,2 5 4 ,1751) , he c h e e r f u lly a c c e p t s a s a la r y o f o n ly $105.09 p e r w eek,

to w hich i s added a m odest p a rso n a g e s u b s id y and minimum a u tom ob ile
d e p r e c ia t io n a mere $ 2 .0 4 more p e r week than h i s d e n o m in a tio n 's b a s ic
r a te f o r o r d in a r y o r d a in e d m in is t e r s in th e p a r is h .
In s p i t e o f h a v in g to l i v e f r u g a ll y on a v e r y modest w age,
W illiam F agal i s n e v e r t h e le s s known as "th e most generou s man" in th e
Jam aica [Long I s la n d ] S. D. A. ch u rch .

"He g iv e s l i b e r a l l y t o a l l

causes and i s gen erou s to a f a u l t , " a c co r d in g t o h i s m other, Mrs. Anna

F agal, who has l i v e d w ith h e r son and worked in th e F a ith fo r Today
o f f i c e f o r th e p a s t 19 y e a r s .

W illiam F a g a l's d e d ic a t io n i s n o t m erely t o th e a b s t r a c t ,

i d e a l i s t i c c o n c ep t o f m in is t r y .
cern fo r th e in d i v i d u a l .

R ath er, h i s i s an a c t i v e , d i r e c t con

R e c a llin g th e days o f h i s p a s t o r a l work, one

o f h is form er church members rem arked c o n c er n in g F a g a l's se e m in g ly e n d le ss round o f e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s , r a d io program s, sp e a k in g en g a g e

m ents, and c o u n s e lin g a p p o in tm en ts, "I w i l l n e v e r know how he
accom plished s o much.

He was alw ays b u sy , and y e t he alw ays seem ed to

7

have tim e fo r e v e r y o n e ."

Even to d a y , h is o f f i c e door a t t e l e v i s i o n h ea d q u a rters i s alw ays
open to any o f th e h a lf-h u n d r e d members o f h i s s t a f f who may have a
problem.

''Budget fo r 1969, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . C f. Appendix D. T his

fig u r e does n o t r e f l e c t e i t h e r th e annual c a p i t a l b u d get o f th e i n s t i t u
t io n , nor th e a d d it io n a l m i l l i o n - d o l l a r s - p l u s i t r e c e iv e s a n n u a lly in
fr e e t e l e v i s i o n tim e by TV s t a t i o n s in th e U. S . and Canada.
I n te r v ie w w ith Mrs. Anna F a g a l, m other o f W illiam A. F a g a l, New
York, J u ly 9 , 1966, 1. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as Anna F agal I n te r v ie w .
^C ited in D alrym ple, " F ifte e n Y ears o f P r o g r e s s ," 3.

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136
B ecause o f t h i s concern f o r th e in d iv id u a l in n eed o f h e lp , i t
was o n ly w ith th e g r e a t e s t r e lu c t a n c e t h a t , s e v e r a l y e a r s a g o , th e
Fagals had t h e i r h o u seh o ld te le p h o n e l i s t i n g changed t o an u n l i s t e d
number.

V ir g in ia F agal r e c a l l s :

We would g e t te le p h o n e c a l l s - - a t a l l hou rs o f th e day and

n ig h t from p e o p le a l l ov er th e c o u n tr y . Some w ould e x p e c t
us t o run erran d s f o r them h e r e in New York. O th ers c a ll e d
to t e l l us th ey were coming f o r a v i s i t t o New York C ity and
would t e l l us we co u ld meet them on su c h -a n d -su c h a t r a in o r
su c h -a n d -su c h a f l i g h t .
And th e y p la n n ed on s t a y in g in our
g u e s t room a t our home w h ile th e y to u r e d th e s i g h t s o f th e
b ig c i t y ! And, o f c o u r s e , th e r e w ere th e u s u a l "crank*'
c a l l s w hich anyone who i s prom inent in th e p u b lic e y e i n v a r i
ab ly and i n e v it a b ly r e c e i v e s .
So we w ere fo r c e d t o th e
e x p e d ie n t o f an u n l i s t e d number, even a t th e r i s k o f n o t
b e in g r e a d ily a v a ila b le t o th o s e who m ight r e a l l y n eed to
g e t in tou ch w ith u s .1
The d egree o f depth to th e F agal commitment to a m in is tr y to
p eop le was d is c o v e r e d by one A d v e n tist c o n fe r e n c e o f f i c i a l , t o h is
em barrassm ent, when upon one o c c a s io n he made a lo n g d is t a n c e te le p h o n e
c a l l o f f e r in g F agal a v ery tem p tin g i n v i t a t i o n to p a s t o r a f i n e and
i n f l u e n t i a l c o n g r e g a tio n .

Fagal im m ed ia te ly asked th e church o f f i c i a l

concernin g th e a v a i l a b i l i t y o f o p p o r t u n it ie s to p u rsu e some o f h i s

p a r tic u la r s p e c i a l i n t e r e s t s in church work in th a t c i t y .
The c o n fe r e n c e p r e s id e n t e q u iv o c a te d , s t r e s s i n g in s t e a d th e f a c t
th a t as com pensation f o r coming to h is f i e l d th e F a g a ls would en jo y th e

V ir g in ia Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 9 , 1966, 2 . W illia m F agal had

o th er " te le p h o n e p ro b lem s," to o . He i s a v e r y h ea v y s l e e p e r , and f o r
merly he u sed t o answer th e te le p h o n e when i t rang a t n ig h t . One e v e n in g
a c a l l came in a f t e r he had r e t i r e d f o r th e n i g h t . He fumbled f o r th e
phone on th e n ig h t sta n d by th e b e d , f i n a l l y answ ered i t , prom ised th e
c a lle r he would go o v er t o som eone's home r i g h t away, hung up, and
turned o v e r and prom ptly w ent back to ev en d eep er s l e e p . V ir g in ia (who
now answers th e n ig h t c a l l s ) was p a r t i a l l y awakened by th e c o n v e r s a tio n
and was c u r io u s to know th e n a tu re o f th e u rg en cy r e q u ir in g him to go
out in th e m iddle o f th e n ig h t . When he d id n 't go o u t, as p ro m ised , she
was even more c u r io u s and shook him back to c o n s c io u s n e s s and asked
where he had prom ised t o g o. He c o u ld n 't r e c a l l !
( I b id . , 1 .)

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f i n e s t c lim a te in th e U n ite d S t a t e s i n w hich th e f i n e s t f r e s h f r u i t s and

v e g e ta b le s w ere alw ays a v a i l a b l e .
F agal s t i l l s n o r t s when he r e c a l l s th e o f f e r :
No o p p o r t u n it ie s t o work i n th e a r e a o f s e r v ic e I lo v e d
b e s t b u t a f i n e c lim a t e !
I t r i e d n o t to show i t , b u t
in w ard ly I f e l t i n s u l t e d !
Work u n h a p p ily in th e b e s t c l i
mate a v a ila b le ? N ot me! I would so o n e r ta k e th e w o r st
w eather in th e w o r ld (n o t th a t Long I s la n d has i t ) and a l l
the h an d icap s o f e a t in g ou t o f cans (I'm n o t d oin g t h a t
e it h e r ) i f my work can o f f e r me a c h a lle n g e and my d a il y
l i f e can b e h a p p y .*

S i n c e r i t y , h u m ilit y , i n t e g r i t y . A fte r months o f w orking v e ry

c l o s e ly and a s s o c i a t i n g w ith W illia m F agal in M ich igan , New York, th e
D i s t r i c t o f C olum bia, and C a li f o r n i a , t h i s w r it e r b e l i e v e s th a t P a s to r
Fagal i s a v e r y s i n c e r e , hum ble, tr a n s p a r e n tly h o n e s t man o f God a man
to whom " in t e g r it y " i s

a v e ry im p o rta n t word.

H is h u m ilit y , w hich i s g e n u in e , o c c a s io n a l ly le a d s him to make

r a th e r e x trem e, som etim es se e m in g ly s e lf - d e p r e c a t o r y s ta te m e n ts w hich
th e c a su a l o b se r v e r m igh t e a s i l y m isu n d erstan d and m is in t e r p r e t .
Remarks such as a r e f e r e n c e to "my poor judgment (n ev e r more than m ediocre a t b e s t ) "

o c c a s i o n a l l y creep i n t o h is p u b lic u t t e r a n c e , and q u it e

p o s s ib ly have a n e g a t iv e e f f e c t upon h e a r e r or r e a d e r .

But c o n tin u a l

a s s o c ia t io n w ith th e man r e v e a ls th a t such o c c a s io n a l e x p r e s s io n s are

n o t to be tak en as e v id e n c e o f f a l s e m od esty, a lth o u g h th e y may b e a r a
s u p e r f ic ia l resem b lan ce to s u c h .

And from c o n tin u e d c o n ta c t w ith th e

man, one comes to a c c e p t a t f a c e v a lu e su ch s t a te m e n ts , r e c o g n iz in g th a t

th e h u m ility i s g e n u in e , i f p erh ap s awkwardly e x p r e s s e d a t tim e s .
I t i s n o t in m ealy-m outhed s e lf - d e p r e c a t i o n t h a t , a f t e r 15 y e a r s
o f con tin u ou s t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a s tin g , W illia m F agal c o u ld w r it e :

*By F a ith I L iv e , 48.

^ I b id . ,

24.

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138
That w hich has b een a c co m p lish e d th rou gh F a ith f o r Today
has b een th e r e s u l t o f n o th in g b u t H ea v en 's b l e s s i n g s . As
fa r as I can s e e , God has u se d th e p o o r e s t o f in s tr u m e n ts ,
making th e maximum in m is ta k e s , to a c co m p lish so m eth in g f o r
H is nam e's honor and g l o r y . *
He r e a l l y b e l i e v e s t h a t God i s th e t o t a l and co m p lete so u r c e o f
a l l h i s t a l e n t , a b i l i t y , and s u c c e s s ; and he has no em barrassm ent in
c a n d id ly a d m ittin g t h i s c o n v ic t io n in p u b li c .
W hile s t i l l a c o l l e g e s t u d e n t , W illia m F agal was d e e p ly
im pressed by a q u o ta tio n from th e pen o f E lle n G. W hite w hich one o f h i s
p r o fe s s o r s read one day i n c l a s s :
The g r e a t e s t want o f th e w o rld i s th e want o f men--men
who w i l l n o t be b ou gh t or s o l d , men who in t h e i r in m ost
s o u ls are tr u e and h o n e s t , men who do n o t f e a r t o c a l l s i n
by i t s r ig h t name, men whose c o n s c ie n c e i s as tr u e to d u ty
as th e n e e d le to th e p o l e , men who w i l l s ta n d f o r th e r ig h t
though th e h eaven s f a l l . 2
"I have n e v e r f o r g o t t e n t h a t s ta te m e n t," s a y s W illia m F a g a l;^
and he

has c o n s c io u s ly en d eavored t o p a t te r n h i s l i f e

a f t e r th e

id e a l

ex p r essed in th e s e memorable w ords.

He i s a man o f unshaken c o n v ic t io n who i s n o t ashamed to ta k e an
unpopular s ta n d .

Upon one o c c a s io n he d e c la r e d p u b l i c l y , "I make no

a p o lo g ie s f o r my b e l i e f in h e a v e n ."

A nother tim e , he was a c cu se d by a

n o n -A d v e n tist o f b e in g a stu b b o rn n o n -c o n fo r m is t b e c a u se o f h i s s t e a d
f a s t adh erence to th e S a tu rd a y Sabbath o f th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts
w h ile a l l th e r e s t o f th e C h r is tia n w o rld g e n e r a lly o b s e r v e s Sunday.

^W illiam A. F a g a l, "May 2 1 , 1950: A Memorable D ay," T e l e - n o t e s ,

May, 1965, 5 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as "A Memorable D ay."
2

E lle n G. W hite, E d u ca tio n (M ountain V iew , C a l i f . :

P ress P u b lis h in g A s s o c ia t io n , 1 9 0 3 ), 5 7 .

P a c ific

^ T e le -n o te s , F e b ., 1964, 8.
^By F a ith I L iv e , 5 1 .

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139
To ch a rg es th a t he was o u t o f s t e p w ith s o c i e t y , he d e c la r e d , in
a c h a r a c t e r i s t i c "Here I Stand" s ta te m e n t:
But i n a l l f a ir n e s s I do n o t b e l i e v e m y s e lf o r d in a r ily t o
be stu b b o r n . . . . Nor do I ta k e any n e u r o t ic p le a s u r e o u t
o f b e in g d i f f e r e n t from th e r e s t o f th e w o rld o r in seem ing
a b i t " p e c u lia r ." In t h i s one r e s p e c t , a t l e a s t , I fa n cy
m y s e lf as b e in g n orm al. I want to be c o n s id e r e d a p a r t o f
th e gro u p , a c c e p te d by o th e r s w ith o u t r e s e r v a t i o n .
But I a ls o l i k e t o e n v is io n m y s e lf as b e in g w i l l i n g t o
take a s ta n d f o r what I f e e l i s r i g h t , e v en i f th a t m ight
carry w ith i t some l i a b i l i t i e s .
In f a c t , I do n o t r e a l l y
o b j e c t t o b e in g d i f f e r e n t i f I can f e e l a b s o lu t e ly c e r t a in
in my own mind t h a t th e crowd i s headed in th e wrong d ir e c
t io n .
I w ould l i k e to f e e l th a t I have p r i n c i p l e enough t o
walk a lo n e i f n eed b e , r a th e r than to compromise w ith r i g h t
so t h a t I can be in c lu d e d w ith th e m a j o r it y .
I cannot f e e l
i t in my h e a r t even to be d e fe n s iv e about t h i s o u tlo o k ;
a c t u a l l y , perhaps I m ight even be f o r g iv e n f o r a b i t o f
j u s t p r id e in i t . l
But i f th e r e i s p e r s o n a l p r id e , th e r e i s no accom panying a r r o
gance.

The man i s s i n c e r e , hum ble, a man o f i n t e g r i t y , w ith no c h ip s on

h is s h o u ld e r .

S en se o f humor. - - L a s t l y , W illiam F agal has an i r r e p r e s s i b l e ,

d e l i g h t f u l , and h ig h ly d e v e lo p e d s e n s e o f humor.

He la u g h s e a s i l y and

o fte n .
In r e p o r t in g on a c o n v e r s a tio n w ith a s u s p ic io u s I r a q i im m igra
tio n o f f i c e r a t Baghdad, who doubted th a t F a g a l's p r e se n c e in h i s
country was r e a l l y m o tiv a te d by a d e s ir e to v i s i t th e n o w -d e s e r te d s i t e
o f a n c ie n t B ab ylon , F agal r e la t e d th e f o llo w in g c o n v e r s a tio n :
"B abylon!" [th e o f f i c i a l ] e x p lo d e d . "You e x p e c t me to
b e l i e v e th a t y o u , an i n t e l l i g e n t man (I nodded acknow ledg
ment o f th e co m p lim en t), have t r a v e l l e d h a lfw a y around th e
world j u s t to s e e Babylon? . . .2

1I b i d . , 1 4 0 -4 1 .
2I b i d . , 9 .

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140
F agal i s , i f n o t h in g , a s p le n d id r a c o n te u r (and th e im p ortance
w hich he p la c e s upon th e n a r r a t iv e e lem en t i n h o m ile t ic a l th e o r y w i l l be
e x p lo r e d in d e t a i l s u b s e q u e n t ly ) .

And h i s r e c o u n tin g o f a p e r s o n a l n ea r

mishap on a lo n g b r id g e sp a n n in g th e N ile in C airo i s a b s o lu t e ly

h ila r io u s :
So f a s c in a t e d was I by th e com m ercial s a i l b o a t s w ith
t h e i r n a t iv e crew s a t t i r e d in E g y p tia n d r e s s p a s s in g on th e
w a ters b e n e a th me th a t I f a i l e d t o h e a r some s ig n a l g iv e n
fo r a l l p e d e s t r ia n s to le a v e th e b r id g e .
Only when I h eard
a p ie r c i n g s i r e n d id I lo o k up from th e r i v e r and d is c o v e r
to my c o n s te r n a tio n t h a t I was th e o n ly in d iv id u a l rem ainin g
on th e lon g sp a n .
F e e lin g m ost c o n s p ic u o u s , I gave q u ick c o n s id e r a t io n t o
and r e j e c t i o n o f th e id e a o f d iv in g i n t o th e N ile and swim
ming f o r s h o r e . A d d itio n a l unw orkable p la n s d ie d a t b i r t h .
With som eth in g ak in to h o r r o r I w atched th e r a p id approach
o f s e v e r a l o f f i c i a l - l o o k i n g b la c k ca rs p r e ce d e d by p o licem en
on m o to r c y c le s . The m otorcade ru sh ed h e a d lo n g tow ard me,
a p p a re n tly to p la c e me under a r r e s t f o r my l i t t l e - u n d e r s t o o d
crim e.
I e n v is io n e d m y s e lf sp e n d in g a lo n g tim e in a gloomy
c e l l f a r from home.
But when th e a c c e le r a t in g v e h i c l e s rea ch ed me, th e y sped
on by w ith o u t even h e s i t a t i n g , and I w atched w ith r e l i e f as
th ey rounded th e co rn er and d is a p p e a r e d . And what had i t
a l l been about? Gamal Abdel N a ss a r , E g y p t's p r e s id e n t , had
j u s t gone home f o r lu n c h >1
A nother e v id e n c e o f th e F agal s e n s e o f humor i s to be found in
h i s comment upon a common id e a a s s o c i a t e d w ith th e a f t e r l i f e in h e a v e n
e te r n a l harp p la y in g , an id e a f o r w hich he h a s l i t t l e

tim e , p e r s o n a lly :

And a t th e r i s k o f b e in g d i f f e r e n t , I w i l l adm it t h a t as y e t
I have d e v e lo p e d no r e a l burden to le a r n t o p la y a h a rp .
Someday I m ight have a d i f f e r e n t f e e l i n g about th a t; b u t now
i t does n o t m eet any p e r s i s t e n t lo n g in g o f my l i f e .
I
l i s t e n e d t o e ig h t harps p la y in g an e n t i r e c o n c e r t o n c e , and
th e memory o f th o s e two lo n g h ou rs w i l l l a s t me a lo n g tim e .^

Summary. The man b e fo r e th e cam era, t h e n , i s a warm, te n d e r

h e a r te d , f r i e n d l y , e x tr e m e ly i n t e l l i g e n t and r e s o u r c e f u l, im m ed ia tely

1I b i d . , 1 6 -1 7 .

2I b i d . , 4 8 .

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approachable man who i s i n t e n s e l y i n t e r e s t e d in p e o p le , in th e i n d i v i d

u a l a n d .th e i n d iv id u a l's p rob lem s.

He i s a ls o a h ig h ly com p eten t,

s k i l l f u l l y p r o f i c i e n t p erform er who knows h is way around a t e l e v i s i o n

s tu d io or a cinem a sound s t a g e and i s a c o m fo r ta b ly at-hom e "pro" in
fr o n t o f th e camera.

He i s c o m p le te ly d e d ic a te d t o h is work, h i s ch u rch ,

and h is God; and he p r a c t ic e s p e r s o n a lly th e s e l f - s a c r i f i c e w hich he

q u ie t ly en cou rages in o t h e r s .

He im p re sse s th o s e who have worked

c lo s e ly w ith him as an e a r n e s t ly s i n c e r e , u n o s t e n t a t io u s ly hum ble,

tr a n s p a r e n tly h o n est man o f God who i s n o t ashamed o f h a v in g c o n v ic t io n s ,
and who u n abashedly l i v e s by them .

And y e t , w it h a l, he e n jo y s l i f e

to

the h i l t , and i s p o s s e s s e d o f an i r r e p r e s s i b l e , d e l i g h t f u l , and h ig h ly

develop ed s e n s e o f humor th a t i s n e v e r m ordant.
Four c e n tu r ie s b e fo r e C h r is t, A r i s t o t l e was among th e f i r s t o f
th e a n c ie n ts t o d evelop a p h ilo s o p h y o f r h e t o r ic (w h ich , in th o se d a y s,
was synonomous w ith th e spoken w ord, n o t m erely th e w r it t e n , as has
become th e fa s h io n in many q u a r te r s t o d a y ) .

A r i s t o t l e s a id th a t th e

id e a l o r a to r must p o s s e s s th r e e p e r so n a l q u a l i t i e s in p a r t ic u l a r i f he
would s u c c e s s f u l l y persu ad e h i s fe llo w men:

(1) " in t e llig e n c e "

(o r , as

some w ould t r a n s la t e th e Greek w ord, " com p eten ce" ), (2 ) good " c h a r a c te r ,"
and (3) "good w i l l ." *
In t h i s w r it e r 's e s t im a t io n , W illia m A. F agal p o s s e s s e s a l l
th r e e , in w e ll-b a la n c e d p r o p o r tio n .

H is form er c o ll e g e h o m ile t ic s

*Lane Cooper ( t r a n s . ) , The R h e to r ic o f A r i s t o t l e (New York:

A p p leto n -C e n tu ry -C ro fts, I n c . , 1 9 3 2 ), 92.
O
See under "Sermon In v e n tio n --E th o s" in Chapter IV, and
" A r t is t ic E lem ents o f I n v e n tio n : E th ic a l P r o o f (E th o s)" in C hapter V
fo r fu r th e r e la b o r a tio n on t h i s a s p e c t o f r h e t o r ic .

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142
p r o fe s s o r has a lr e a d y t e s t i f i e d t h a t as a s tu d e n t "he was a man among
men, and w e ll lik e d by h i s com rad es.
T his i n v e s t i g a t o r , a f t e r e x h a u s tiv e r e s e a r c h , h a s found no
reason to r e v i s e t h i s e s t im a t e .

^H artin L e t t e r , 3.

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CHAPTER III
I

FAITH FOR TODAY, INCORPORATED:

THE "LENGTHENED SHADOW"

I
I
I

T h eir l i n e has gone o u t through a l l th e e a r t h , and t h e i r

words to th e end o f th e w o rld . . . . What h a th
God w r o u g h t! P s . 1 9 :4 ; Num. 2 3 :2 3 b .

I
I

And th e Lord s h a l l make th e e th e h ea d , and

n o t th e t a i l . D eu t. 2 8 :1 3 a .

In h i s e s s a y on " S e lf -R e lia n c e " in 18 4 1 , Ralph Waldo Emerson

d e fin e d an i n s t i t u t i o n as b e in g l i t t l e more than "th e le n g th e n e d shadow

o f one man."'*'

" F a ith f o r T oday," a w eek ly r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n

program f e a t u r -

in g W illiam and V ir g in ia F a g a l, w hich began on one s t a t i o n in New York

in 1950 and some 18 y e a r s l a t e r had sp r ea d t o a g lo b a l netw ork o f 286

s t a t i o n s , backed up by a c o r p o r a tio n w hich a t i t s peak em ployed more

than 80 church w o r k e rs, g r a p h ic a lly i l l u s t r a t e s t h i s d e f i n i t i o n in a

manner th a t w ould have warmed Ralph W aldo's h e a r t!

I
I

The d e lin e a t io n o f th e growth and developm ent

o f t h i s o r g a n iz a -

t io n , and i t s t e l e v i s i o n program , i s th e s t o r y o f t h i s c h a p te r .

A B r i e f H is to r y o f B ro a d ca stin g

One i s alm o st tem pted to s u g g e s t t h a t W illia m

A. F agal was b o m

January 17, 1919, under th e 13th s ig n o f th e z o d ia c - - t h e m icrophone!

For upon th a t day an h i s t o r i c d e m o n str a tio n in th e gu id an ce o f a i r c r a f t

I
I

1C ite d in B a r t l e t t , 501.
143

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144
by means o f r a d io te le p h o n y from th e ground was g iv e n from th e r o o f o f
the E q u ita b le B u ild in g in New York C ity .
P r e s id e n t James S . A lex a n d er o f th e N a tio n a l Bank o f Commerce
ordered E n sign John B enridge commanding Navy D i r i g i b l e A -242, e s c o r t e d
I

by a fo r m a tio n o f a ir p la n e s from th e Rockaway S t a t i o n , to c i r c l e th e

Woolworth B u ild in g .

To th e accom panim ent o f e x c i t e d c r ie s and ch eers

from b e lo w , th e d i r i g i b l e p ro m p tly changed co u rse and e x e c u te d th e o r d e r .

O ther c i v i l i a n o f f i c i a l s o f a new $2 b i l l i o n War S a v in g s Stamp
campaign (whose op en in g t h i s d e m o n str a tio n was in te n d e d to d ra m a tize)
took tu rn s in d ir e c t in g th e d i r i g i b l e from th e ground d u rin g i t s 30minute f l i g h t .

And th e New York T im es, w hich c a r r ie d th e s t o r y o f t h i s

h i s t o r i c ex p erim en t th e f o llo w in g day, r e p o r te d t h a t th e m essages spoken

back and f o r t h were " q u ite d i s t i n c t . "

The e n s ig n commander spoke

" slo w ly and d i s t i n c t l y , " and e v e r y word was h ea rd " c le a r ly ." *

As tim e w ould l a t e r d e m o n str a te , W illia m A. Fagal and broad
c a s t in g were c l e a r l y h e r e to s t a y !

E a r ly b e g in n in g s in r a d i o . --R a d io was s t i l l

la r g e l y an e x p e r i

mental to y on th e day o f W illia m F a g a l's b ir t h in 1 9 1 9 --th e f i r s t

r e g u la r com m ercial b r o a d c a s tin g w ould n o t even b e g in u n t i l th e fo llo w in g
y e a r.
Most h i s t o r i e s o f r a d io b e g in w ith G uglielm o M arconi, I t a l i a n
in v e n to r and e l e c t r i c a l e n g in e e r , who l i t e r a l l y " e l e c t r i f i e d " th e w orld
m 1895, when he d e v e lo p e d th e f i r s t w i r e l e s s te le g r a p h ;

but H arold H.

Martin h as s u g g e s te d w ith as much tr u th as h u m o r --th a t th e b e g in n in g

*New York T im es, J a n . 1 8 , 1919, 8.

2

W. Rupert M aclau rin , "G u glielm o M arconi," World Book E n c y clo

p e d ia , XII (1 9 6 0 ), 156.

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145
sh ou ld be p u sh ed back fo u r y e a r s e a r l i e r :
In th e y e a r 1891 a B r i t i s h s c i e n t i s t named G. Joh n ston e
S ton ey gave th e name e le c tr o n " to a m inute p a r t i c l e o f
e l e c t r i c a l en erg y w hich he b e l i e v e d t o be one o f th e b a s ic
components o f a l l m a tte r . In th e same y e a r an im p o v erish ed
W hite R u ssia n h o u se p a in t e r named Abraham S a m o f f gave th e
name D avid to a s m a ll bu ndle o f k i n e t i c en erg y who was h is
f ir s t b o r n s o n .
Thus th e e le c t r o n and D avid S a m o f f have
grown up t o g e t h e r , and betw een th e two o f them th e y have
changed th e l i v e s o f n e a r ly everyb od y a l i v e .
Out o f th e happy c o lla b o r a t io n b etw een th e e l e c t r o n ,
which b e a r s a n e g a t iv e charge and moves w ith th e sp eed o f
l i g h t , and Mr. S a m o f f , who c a r r ie s a p o s i t i v e charge and
moves a lm o st as f a s t , have come su ch b l e s s i n g s as th e r a d io
and th e b r o a d c a s tin g n etw o rk , t e l e v i s i o n in b o th b la c k -a n d w h ite and c o lo r , and t in y d e v ic e s w hich e n a b le men on th e
ground to g iv e o rd ers t o , and r e c e iv e in fo r m a tio n from,
s a t e l l i t e s c r u is i n g m il li o n s o f m ile s away in o u t e r s p a c e .^
I t d i d n ' t , h ow ever, happen q u it e as q u ic k ly (o r as g l i b l y ) as
Mr. M a r tin 's pen h as s u g g e s te d !
slo w .

P r o g r e s s , a t f i r s t , was p a in s t a k in g ly

S ix y e a r s a f t e r m arconi gave th e w o rld w i r e l e s s te le g r a p h y , he

produced a n o th er " f i r s t " - - t h e f i r s t t r a n s a t l a n t i c w i r e l e s s s i g n a l in

h is t o r y , December 12, 1901, in th e n o w -fa m ilia r d o t-d a sh code
bears th e name o f i t s in v e n t o r , Samuel F. B. M orse,

(w hich

f a t h e r o f th e f i r s t

4
s u c c e s s f u l e l e c t r i c te le g r a p h in 1844 ) .
M eanw hile, th e f i r s t r a d io - v o ic e tr a n s m is s io n was made in 1900
by R eg in a ld A. F essen d en , an American p h y s i c i s t ; and r a d io as we know i t
was b o m .

By 1906, F essen d en had p e r f e c t e d h i s p r o c e s s to th e e x te n t

*-"David S a m o f f ' s V is io n ," S aturday E vening P o s t , Feb. 16, 1963,

56.

O
M a c la u n n , 156.
^Raymond F. Y a te s , " T eleg ra p h ," i b i d . , XVII (1 9 6 0 ), 76.
4 je a n Lee Latham, "Samuel F in la y B re e se M orse," i b i d . , XII
(1 9 6 0 ), 6 7 2 -7 3 .

,1
Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

th a t he was a b le t o b r o a d c a st phonograph m u s ic .*

R e c e iv in g s e t s a t

f i r s t , how ever, were c o m p a r a tiv e ly few and f a r b etw een .

In 1904, John Ambrose F lem in g, E n g lis h e l e c t r i c a l e n g in e e r , d i s
covered t h a t a vacuum tube co u ld be u se d to d e t e c t r a d io s i g n a l s , thus
g iv in g th e w orld a tw o-elem en t tu b e , th e d io d e .

Lee De F o r e s t , some

tim es c a l l e d " th e fa t h e r o f r a d io ," m o d ifie d th e Flem ing tu b e in 1907,

by adding a t h ir d e lem en t th e t r i o d e , or audion tu b e , w hich a c t u a ll y was
a b le to in c r e a s e r a d io s ig n a l s t r e n g t h .
And in 1912, j u s t th r e e y e a r s b e fo r e C h r is tia n and Anna Fagal
became man and w if e , two fu r t h e r n o ta b le e v e n ts took p la c e :

Edwin H.

Armstrong d e v e lo p e d th e su p erh etero d y n e c i r c u i t , th us p a v in g th e way f o r

rad io as we know i t tod ay;

and David S a m o f f , now a 1 7 -y e a r -o ld t e l e

graph o p e r a to r f o r th e American Marconi Company (and a p r o te g e o f the

famed in v e n to r ) was on n ig h t duty a t h i s s t a t i o n atop John Wanamaker's
downtown M anhattan s t o r e on A p r il 14 when h is s i l e n t te le g r a p h kep
suddenly c h a tte r e d o u t th e u n b e lie v a b le news from th e " u n sin k a b le"
B r itis h ste a m sh ip , T it a n i c , ou t in th e storm y North A t la n t ic :
ic e b e r g .

"H it an

S in k in g f a s t ."
The o n ly lin k betw een th e w orld and th e r e sc u e s h ip , C a rp a th ia ,

S a m o ff su d d en ly became th e o b j e c t o f c o n s id e r a b le n a t io n a l a t t e n t io n .
For 72 hours he s tu c k w ith h i s k e y , g u id in g r e s c u e v e s s e l s and r e la y in g
the names o f s u r v iv o r s , w h ile P r e s id e n t T a ft o rd ered a l l o th e r w ir e le s s
t r a f f i c o f f th e a i r . 3
A fte r t h i s b r i e f t a s t e o f fam e, S a m o f f ' s r i s e in th e company
was m e te o r ic :

by 1921 he had been named g e n e r a l manager o f th e Radio

^Arthur H u ll H ayes, "R adio," i b i d . , XV (1 9 6 0 ), 87.

^ I b id .

3M artin, 58.

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147
C orporation o f Am erica (w hich absorbed th e Marconi Company in
1919) . 1
R egular r a d io b r o a d c a s tin g began in th e U n ite d S t a t e s in 1920,
when s t a t i o n s KDKA i n P it t s b u r g h , and WWJ in D e t r o i t , went on th e a i r .
The KDKA b r o a d c a s tin g o f th e H arding-C ox e l e c t i o n r e tu r n s l a t e r th a t
year marked th e f i r s t u se o f r a d io in r e p o r t in g an im p ortan t p u b lic
ev en t. 2
By 1923, th e f i r s t perm anent netw ork was e s t a b l is h e d (by D avid
7

S a m o ff ) , w hich s u b s e q u e n tly became th e N a tio n a l B r o a d c a stin g Company

in 1926;

and r a d io b r o a d c a s tin g came o f a g e.

E a rly b e g in n in g s in t e l e v i s i o n . - - S c i e n t i s t s q u ic k ly a p p lie d th e
work o f F essen d en , F lem in g, De F o r e s t , Thomas A. E d iso n , and H e in r ic h
Hertz toward th e developm ent o f t e l e v i s i o n .
I f Marconi i s c r e d it e d w ith b e in g th e f a t h e r o f r a d io , th en
c e r t a in ly th e fa t h e r o f t e l e v i s i o n must be V la d im ir Kosma Zworykin, whose
" in v e n t io n s - - t h e f i r s t TV camera tu b e (th e ic o n o s c o p e ) and th e p ic t u r e
tube (th e k in e s c o p e ) made e l e c t r o n i c t e l e v i s i o n p o s s ib le ." ^
Z w orykin's f i r s t i n t e r e s t in th e p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f t e l e v i s i o n
d ates back to 1910 when he was an u n d ergrad u ate w orking under P r o fe s s o r
B oris R osing a t th e I n s t i t u t e o f T ech n ology i n S t . P e te r sb u r g (now
Leningrad) .

Up t i l l t h i s tim e t e l e v i s i o n e x p e r im e n ts were con d u cted

s o l e l y w ith cumbersome m ech a n ica l sc a n n in g d i s c s ; R osing c o n c e iv e d o f

s u b s t it u t in g an e l e c t r o n i c d e v ic e .

'"Man o f th e F u tu r e ," Tim e, O ct. 1, 1966, 106.

2H ayes, 88.

^M artin, 5 9 .

4H ayes, 87.

^David Lachenbruch, ' " I t H a sn 't Turned Out a s I E x p ected '" [an
in te r v ie w w ith V lad im ir K. Z w oryk in], TV G uide, A p r il 2 2 , 1967, 8.

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148
A fte r a tem porary s o jo u r n i n F ra n ce, Zworykin came to th e U nited
S ta te s in 1918, and resumed h i s own e x p e r im e n ta tio n .

By 19 2 3 , he had

develop ed th e " f i r s t w orking t e l e v i s i o n sy ste m w ith o u t moving parts";'*'

and in th a t same y e a r he a p p lie d f o r a p a t e n t on th e io n o s c o p e .

Two y e a r s l a t e r , C h a rles F. J e n k in s in A m erica, and John L.

Baird in E ngland, w orking in d e p e n d e n tly o f e a ch o t h e r , combined p h o to g
raphy, o p t i c s , and r a d io to tr a n sm it th e f i r s t crude t e l e v i s i o n
p ic tu r e s . ^
On November 18, 1929 , Zworykin d em o n stra ted an a l l - e l e c t r o n i c
t e l e v i s i o n r e c e iv e r w ith a p ic t u r e tu b e c a l l e d a k in e s c o p e (a term l a t e r
to become p o p u la r iz e d as t h e name f o r a m otion p ic t u r e f ilm r e c o r d in g
made d i r e c t l y from th e t e l e v i s i o n t u b e ) .

And e i g h t months l a t e r , on

J u ly 30, 1930, NBC began o p e r a tin g W2XBS, an e x p e r im e n ta l t e l e v i s i o n

s t a t io n in New York C ity .

A y e a r l a t e r , on J u ly 2 1 , 1931, th e Columbia

B road castin g System s t a r t e d a r e g u la r s c h e d u le o f t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a s t

in g on t h e i r r i v a l s t a t i o n , W2XAB, a ls o in New Y ork .4
E xp erim en tation c o n tin u e d th ro u g h o u t th e 1 9 3 0 s.

In an a d d ress

b efo re th e Radio M a n u fa ctu rer's A s s o c ia t io n in O cto b er, 1938, D avid S a rn o f f d e c la r e d th a t " t e l e v i s i o n in th e home i s now t e c h n i c a l l y f e a s i b l e . " 3

1I b i d . , 9.
^Jack Gould, " T e le v is io n ," World Book E n c y c lo p e d ia , XVII (1 9 6 0 ),
101.

3I b id .

4I b id .

5 C ite d in Leo B o g a rt, The Age o f T e l e v i s i o n (New York: F r e d e r ic k

Ungar P u b lis h in g C o ., 1 9 5 6 ), 8. Not ev ery o n e a g reed w ith S a m o f f ' s
a sse ssm e n t. Radio Guide m agazine s e n t f r ie n d s and s u b s c r ib e r s a cen tu ry
p la n t s e e d , wrapped in c e llo p h a n e , w ith a n o t e a tta c h e d : " P lan t i t in a
p o t, w ater i t c a r e f u l l y , ex p o se i t to s u n l i g h t . When i t b lo s s o m s , throw
the sw itc h on th e new t e l e v i s i o n c a b in e t th a t yo u r grandson w i l l have
bought and you may e x p e c t to s e e t e l e c a s t s o f f e r i n g program q u a li t y and
network coverage com parable to th a t o f our b r o a d c a s ts o f to d a y ."
(C ite d
in i b i d . )
S ili* .:.!...

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149
The n e x t y e a r , c lim a x in g a decade o f e x p e r im e n ta tio n , on
A p ril 3 0 , 1939, NBC in a u g u r a te d th e f i r s t r e g u la r ly sc h e d u le d s e r v ic e o f
t e l e v i s i o n b roadcasting'*' th r e e w eeks t o th e day b e fo r e W illia m F agal
graduated from c o l l e g e !

On th e o p en in g day o f th e New York W orld's F a ir

(w hich, i n t e r e s t i n g l y , c o in c id e d w ith th e 150th a n n iv e r s a r y o f George

W ashington's in a u g u r a tio n as f i r s t P r e s id e n t o f th e U n ited S t a te s ) ,
David S a m o f f w alked in fr o n t o f a camera on th e fa ir g r o u n d s a t t h i s
f i r s t p u b lic d e m o n str a tio n o f t e l e v i s i o n and in to n e d from th e s c r e e n ,
3
"Now a t l a s t we add s i g h t to so u n d ."
O ther

d evelop m en ts in t e l e v i s i o n fo llo w e d r a p id l y .

c o a x ia l c a b le

was u s e d f o r th e f i r s t tim e betw een New York

In 1940, th e
and P h ila

d e lp h ia ; and th e f i r s t e x p e r im e n ta l c o lo r b r o a d c a st was made from th e

CBS tr a n s m it te r in New York C ity .

In 1941, WNBT and WCBW in New York w ere th e f i r s t s t a t i o n s com

m e r c ia lly lic e n s e d t o go on th e a i r .

In 1945, th e image o r th ic o n tu be

was in tro d u c ed ; and th e f o llo w in g y e a r th e f i r s t p o st-W o rld War II

t e l e v i s i o n s e t s w ent on s a l e .

The f i r s t t e l e c a s t sh ow in g C ongress in

s e s s io n was made from W ashington in 1947; and two y e a r s l a t e r t e l e

v i s i o n ' s f i r s t in a u g u r a t io n - - t h a t o f P r e s id e n t Harry S. Truman--was se e n
o ver 15 s t a t i o n s from B oston t o S t . L o u is .3
T hus,

in t e l e v i s i o n ' s e a r ly c h ild h o o d , i f n o t in f a n c y ,

c en tu r y , " F a ith f o r Today" was b o rn .

a t m id

That y e a r , 1950, w ould l a t e r be

remembered f o r su c h d iv e r s e " f i r s t s " a s C h e v r o le t 's new a u tom atic

"Powerglide" tr a n s m is s io n , th e Korean War, and th e t e l e v i s i o n d eb u ts o f
veteran n e w s c a s te r W alter C ro n k ite (in an impromptu le c t u r e on th e war

1Gould, 101.

2"New York W orld's F a ir ," i b i d . , X III ( I 9 6 0 ) , 2 7 7 .

3"Man o f th e F u tu r e ," 106.

4 Gould, 101.

5I b id .

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150
\

(
'i

I
\
\

in A s ia * ) , and P a s to r W illia m A. F agal Con what TV Guide l a t e r c a l l e d

2

"the f i r s t netw ork TV program sp o n so red by any denom ination" ) .

Indeed, " F a ith f o r T oday's" p r e m ie r e , on May 2 1 , 1950, fo llo w e d

by l e s s than two y e a r s th e o p en in g o f ABC's New York h ea d q u a rters

f
|

s t a t i o n , WJZ-TV [now WABC-TV], on August. 1 0 , 1948.

j
I

j
j
;
I

S a id th e New York T im e s's r a d io and t e l e v i s i o n c r i t i c Jack Gould

concernin g t h i s im p ortan t y e a r :
By 1 9 5 0 -- i n o n ly a few y e a r s t e l e v i s i o n had grown from
a la b o r a to r y n o v e lt y to th e b i g g e s t p a r t o f show b u s in e s s .
Many s t a r s o f H ollyw ood and Broadway sw itc h e d to TV, and
w ith them came an e v e r -e x p a n d in g TV a u d ie n c e . T e le v is io n
s t a t io n s w hich w ere once on th e a i r o n ly a few hours a day
began o p e r a tin g a lm o st around th e c lo c k - - a s e a r ly as 7
o 'c lo c k in th e m orning u n t i l as l a t e as 2 o 'c lo c k th e n e x t
morning. In e ig h t y e a r s , t e l e v i s i o n grew from an in d u s tr y
th a t was lo s in g money to one th a t i s an im p o rta n t p a r t o f
the n a t io n 's econ om y.4

L ater develop m en ts in t e l e v i s i o n .--T h e f i r s t tr a n s c o n t in e n t a l

t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a st was made in 1951 o f P r e s id e n t Truman op en in g th e
Japanese Peace T rea ty C onferen ce a t San F r a n c is c o ; and in 1 9 5 2 , th e
Dem ocratic and R ep u b lican N a tio n a l C on ven tion s were t e l e v i s e d to a
n a tio n -w id e au d ien ce f o r th e f i r s t tim e .^
With th e developm ent o f programming th e r e came a ls o th e i n t r o
d u ction o f t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a s tin g in f u l l c o lo r .

CBS p r o v id e d many o f

the e a r ly s c i e n t i f i c e x p e rim en ts in c o lo r TV, w h ile th e Radio C orp oration

*"The Most In tim a te Medium," Tim e, O ct. 14, 1966, 6 3 .

2" F a ith fu l A m ateurs," S e p t. 1 1 , 1953, 20.
^ T e le v is io n F a ctb o o k , 1966 e d i t i o n , No. 36 (W ashington, D. C.:
T e le v is io n D ig e s t , I n c . ) , 437b.
4Gould, 102.
5 I b i d . , 101.

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151
o f America (owner o f th e r i v a l NBC netw ork) advanced an a l l - e l e c t r o n i c
system f o r rep ro d u cin g c o l o r . *
On O ctober 31, 1953, th e f i r s t h o u r -lo n g program in f u l l c o lo r
was b r o a d c a st; and some sev e n weeks l a t e r , on December 1 7 , th e F ed era l
Communications Commission adopted a s e t o f t e c h n ic a l sta n d a rd s f o r c o lo r
TV which were a p p lie d to th e in d u s tr y as a w h o le.

The Tournament o f R oses parade in P asadena, C a lif o r n ia , on

January 1, 1954, was th e f i r s t program to be b r o a d c a st in c o lo r o v er a
n a tio n -w id e hookup; and in 1956, WNBQ in C hicago became th e w o r ld 's
3
f i r s t a l l - c o l o r TV s t a t i o n .
I n t e r e s t i n g l y , " F aith f o r Today," w hich had gone from l i v e p r o
d u ction to f ilm in Janu ary, 1956, b r o a d c a st i t s

f i r s t program in c o lo r

in Janu ary, 1963, th e f i r s t netw ork r e l i g i o u s program in th e U n ited

S ta te s to do s o .

S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts Venture In to T e l e v is io n

"To Be or Not To Be"--A c o n tr o v e r sy among le a d e r s . "As t e l e

v is io n r a p id ly d ev elo p ed and g a in ed w ide a c ce p ta n c e in th e w o r ld , SDA
lea d ers began to s e e in t h i s means o f mass com m unication a p o w erfu l
medium f o r r e a c h in g men's h e a r ts and minds w ith th e g o s p e l." ^
d e c la r e s th e o f f i c i a l A d v e n tist e n c y c lo p e d ia , p u b lis h e d in
g iv e s no h in t o f th e

''I b id .

So

1966, which

e a r ly c o n tr o v e r sy w hich waxed h o t and heavy betw een

^I b i d . ^I b i d .

^ L e tte r from
E rn est N. Wendth, s t a t i o n r e l a t i o n s d ir e c t o r , F a ith
fo r Today, I n c ., New York, Feb. 18, 1965, 2 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as Wendth
L e tte r , Feb. 18, 1965.
5 Don F. N e u fe ld ( e d . ) , " F a ith fo r T oday," S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tist
E n c y clo p e d ia , 394.

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152
th e s e acknow ledged men o f v i s i o n , who to d a y are g iv e n a l l th e c r e d i t ,
and o th e r e q u a lly p r e s t ig io u s " le a d e r s" who v eh em en tly opposed th e v en
tu re in t o t e l e v i s i o n .
A ll f e l t th e m a ssiv e and in c r e a s i n g l y d e v a s t a t in g im p act o f TV
on American manners and m ores; and a l l w ere e q u a lly a p p a lle d a t th e
damage th ey f e l t th e y saw i t d o in g t o th e s p i r i t u a l i t y o f t h e i r own
church members.

And many among th e le a d e r s , u n q u e stio n a b ly s in c e r e and

devout men, saw in t e l e v i s i o n an u n m itig a te d ly g r o ss e v i l , an unredeem

ab le menace to th e n a tio n as w e ll as to th e church.
While n o t d en yin g th e A p o s tle P a u l's dictum th a t "we have t h i s
tr e a su r e in e a r t h e m v e s s e ls "

( I I C o r in th ia n s 4 : 7 ) , th ey b e li e v e d th a t

TV m ight q u ite p r o p e r ly b e in c lu d e d in P a u l's c a te g o r y o f th in g s w hich

were " o f the e a r t h , ea rth y " (I C o r in th ia n s 1 5 : 4 7 ,4 8 ) , in c o n t r a d is t in c
t io n w ith th e th in g s w hich are " h e a v e n ly ."

And, f o r them , t e l e v i s i o n

was m u tu ally e x c lu s i v e from a n y th in g th a t had to do w ith th e church.

It

w as, in s h o r t , c a s t in g o n e 's p e a r ls b e fo r e swine.'*'

T hese s i n c e r e , d e d ic a te d men had f o r g o t t e n - - a s th e e q u a lly
s in c e r e and d e d ic a te d p ro p o n en ts o f th e u se o f t e l e v i s i o n as an e f f e c t i v e
new t o o l fo r A d v e n tis t e v a n g e lism had n o t f o r g o t t e n how g r o u n d le ss in
the main t h e i r e a r ly f e a r s and qualms about r a d io had been th r e e d eca d es
e a r lie r .

T h eir "V oice o f Prophecy" b r o a d c a s t was now on netw ork r a d io

in A m erica, and on dozens o f s t a t i o n s o v e r s e a s .

They a p p ea led f o r a

second look a t TV b e fo r e sum m arily w r it in g i t o f f .

They i n s i s t e d th a t

^"Richard Lee Fenn, "A Survey o f th e Uses o f T e l e v is io n by th e

Seventh -day A d v e n tis t Church" (u n p u b lish e d M a ster 's t h e s i s , C o lle g e o f
A rts and S c ie n c e s , The American U n iv e r s it y , W ashington, D. C ., 1 9 6 0 ), 2 .

:i. .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

"the church must u se ev ery s u i t a b l e means o f com m unication a v a i la b l e to

prom ulgate i t s unique m essa g e."

And, f o r t u n a t e ly , t h e i r c o u n s e l c a r r ie d th e day:

l o c a l e x p e r i

m entation by A d v e n tis t e v a n g e l i s t s w ould be p e r m itte d ; b u t i t w ould be

w atched v e ry c l o s e l y .

P io n e e r p ro g ra m s.--T h e f i r s t d e n o m in a tio n a lly sp o n so r ed t e l e c a s t

by an A d v e n tis t e v a n g e l i s t was b r o a d c a s t on S t a t i o n KGO-TV in San
F r a n c isc o , C a lif o r n ia , a t 7:30 p .m ., S a tu r d a y , November 2 6 , 1 9 4 9 .

The

speaker was J u lia n L. T ucker, v e te r a n o f y e a r s o f b r o a d c a s tin g "The

Q uiet Hour" on r a d io .

The TV program c a r r ie d th e same t i t l e as i t s

co u n terp a rt on r a d io - - in d e e d , i t was sim p ly a r a d io program produced in

fr o n t o f a t e l e v i s i o n cam era.^
Some two months l a t e r , on Sunday, February 5 , 1950, Raymond H.
Libby in a u g u r a te d th e f i r s t e a s t e r n t e l e v i s i o n e x p e r im e n ta tio n w ith "A
F aith to L iv e By," on WAAM [now WJZ] in B a ltim o r e .

The fo rm a t, a g a in ,

was la r g e ly tr a n s p la n te d

r a d io ; b u t "gim micks" were added by way o f

v is u a l a id s .

s p i r i t o f a d a p tin g t o th e e y e as w e l l as th e

And in th e

e a r , th e group c r e a te d a

s e t c a l l e d "In th e P a s t o r 's S tu d y ," th u s

becoming th e p io n e e r s o f

a ty p e o f programming w hich R ichard Fenn has

*7

c h a r a c te r iz e d as "cameo d r a m a tiz a tio n s ."

"R eal p e o p le p la y e d r e a l

r o le s ," in s im p le , human i n t e r e s t s c e n e s w hich were e n a c te d " in a

n a tu r a l s e t t i n g , " th u s p r o v id in g a v e h i c l e f o r r e v e a lin g B ib le tr u th
"with e a se and a p p ea l," ^ s a id L ibby.
Fenn l i s t s th r e e c o n c r e te r e s u l t s a r i s i n g from t h i s e a r ly denom
in a t io n a l e x p e r im e n ta tio n in t e l e v i s i o n , th e in f lu e n c e o f w hich would be

* T b id ., 3.

^ I b i d ., 4 .

^ I b id ., 5 -8 .

^ C ited in i b i d . , 8.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

seen as th e way was p rep ared f o r th e la u n c h in g o f " F a ith f o r T o d a y " --th e

th ir d A d v e n tis t t e l e c a s t , h i s t o r i c a l l y , b u t th e f i r s t (a n d , f o r y e a r s ,
th e o n ly on e) t o make i t i n t o th e " b ig tim e" :
I t c o n v in c e d th e church th a t t e l e v i s i o n had come t o
sta y .
I t c o n v in c e d th e church th a t God had p r o v id e d t e l e v i s i o n
f o r th e r a p id advance o f th e ch u r c h 's m essa g e.
I t c o n v in c e d th e church th a t t e l e v i s i o n was a f u l l - t i m e
jo b , t h a t i t c o u ld n o t be a mere s i d e l i n e o f a l o c a l p a s t o r .

The b ir t h o f " F a ith fo r Today." --O n January 19, 1950, George E.

Vandeman, a prom in en t and h ig h ly s u c c e s s f u l A d v e n tis t e v a n g e l i s t , and
Paul Wickman, s e c r e t a r y o f th e c h u r c h 's G eneral [World] C onferen ce Radio
Departm ent, app eared b e fo r e th e GC Committee in W ashington to speak on
b e h a lf o f " r ea c h in g m illio n s in New York C ity and o th e r la r g e e a s t e r n
c i t i e s w ith th e g o s p e l m essage through th e medium o f t e l e v i s i o n . "

A t e n t a t i v e o f f e r from ABC in New York o f th e 4 :3 0 - 5 :0 0 p.m .

tim e s l o t each Sunday a fte r n o o n was a l s o p r e s e n t e d .
The GC Committee v o te d t h a t i t s o f f i c e r s sh o u ld a p p o in t a
com m ittee o f 15 to g iv e "im m ediate stu d y" to t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a s tin g in
c o n n ectio n w ith th e ch u r c h 's t o t a l e v a n g e l i s t i c program .
3
to g iv e an o p tio n on i t s tim e o f f e r u n t i l March 1.

ABC was asked

On February 2 7 , Paul Wickman was a u th o r iz e d to go to New York

C ity to c o n ta c t s e v e r a l t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n s and to stu d y th e m a tter w ith
r e p r e s e n ta tiv e s o f th e c h u rch 's A t la n t ic Union and G rea ter New York
C o n fe r en ce s. ^

1I b i d . , 9 .
2GC M in u tes, Jan. 2 0 , 1950, 1764.

3I b id .

4I b i d . , Feb. 2 7, 1950, 1793.

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155
On A p r il 3, th e GC Committee v o te d to ask i t s o f f i c e r s to
ap p oin t a su b -co m m ittee o f s e v e n to g iv e c o n s id e r a t io n to th e r e q u e s t o f
th e se c o n fe r e n c e s " fo r a s s i s t a n c e in fin a n c in g a t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a st
fo r one y e a r o v er one s t a t i o n i n New York C ity ." *
ap p oin ted th r e e days l a t e r ;

The su b -co m m ittee was

and th e s e sev e n men went alm ost im m ed ia tely

to New York where th e y met a t th e V ic t o r ia H o te l.

th ey (1) c o n tr a c te d f o r a s t u d i o ,

In q u ick s u c c e s s io n

(2) p rep a red a b u d g et, (3) d e c id e d to

commence th e TV program on May 2 1 , 1950, and (4) c a lle d W illiam A. F agal

to t h e ir h o t e l c o n fe r e n c e room and, to h is a sto n ish m e n t, asked him to
3
tak e over th e program .

1I b i d . , A p r il 3 , 1950, 1838.

2 I b id . , A p r il 6 , 1950, 1841.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 3 . As n o te d ab ove, F agal was

v ery em barrassed about th e o f f e r . Some months e a r l i e r , d is a p p o in te d
w ith th e d im in is h in g r e s u l t s o f h i s r a d io m in is t r y f e e l i n g th e medium
d id n 't have th e " p u llin g power" th a t th e new TV h a d --F a g a l had been
w anting to go in t o t e l e v i s i o n l o c a l l y .
About t h i s tim e George Vandeman
c a lle d upon th e B rooklyn p a s t o r . Vandeman s a id he had been approached
to go on a number o f TV s t a t i o n s by d en o m in a tio n a l o f f i c i a l s , and th a t
the proposed program would be a ir e d in New York C ity and C hicago, among
o th er p la c e s . Vandeman asked F agal to j o in him in th e new v e n tu re as
announcer and to work w ith him . F agal r e p lie d th a t i f th e G eneral Con
fe r en ce v o te d th e v e n tu r e , he w ould g iv e th e o f f e r e v er y c o n s id e r a t io n .
He would, how ever, a g r ee to s t a y w ith Vandeman f o r o n ly one y e a r , to
lea rn a l l he c o u ld by way o f p r a c t i c a l e x p e r ie n c e , and th en he w anted to
go o f f on h is own and do i t h i m s e lf . When F a g a l, t h e r e f o r e , was sum
moned by th e G eneral C onferen ce su b -co m m ittee to t h e i r V ic t o r ia H o tel
s e s s i o n , he assumed i t was in c o n n e c tio n w ith th e Vandeman p r o p o s it io n
and th a t t h is was what was b e in g s t u d ie d . When he a r r iv e d th e chairm an,
e x p la in in g th e y had a lr e a d y b een to a s t a t i o n , c o n tr a c te d f o r a s t u d io ,
s e t up a b u d g e t, and p la n n ed th e f i r s t program f o r May 2 1 , asked F agal
p o in t-b la n k to be th e p r in c ip a l s p e a k e r . F a g a l's asto n ish m en t was as
g r e a t as h is em barrassm ent. He e x p la in e d h is p r io r committment to
Vandeman and s a id t h a t to a c c e p t w ould p la c e him in an in v id io u s
p o s it io n o f h a v in g appeared to underm ine h i s f e llo w c o lle a g u e in o r d e r
to grab th e plum f o r h im s e lf . The chairm an, sp e a k in g fo r th e com m ittee,
s a id th ey u n d erstood a l l t h i s , b u t w anted him F a g a l--a n y w a y , n o t Vande
man, fo r th e show. As F agal w avered, th e chairman put th e q u e s tio n t o
him p o in t-b la n k : Would h e , o r w ould he n o t , a c c e p t th e o f f e r , and go
along w ith t h e i r recom m endation to th e f u l l GC Committee? Fagal agreed
w ith c o n s id e r a b le r e lu c t a n c e . When he a r r iv e d home, he t o l d w ife
V ir g in ia a l l th a t had o c cu rr e d . She to o k a deep b r e a th and r e p l i e d ,
"W ell, w e 're in fo r i t now!" ( I b i d . )

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

On A p r il 2 4 ,

1950, th e f u l l GC Com m ittee, m eetin g in W ashington,

took th e c r u c ia l a c t io n w hich b rou gh t F a ith fo r Today" ( s t i l l unnamed,

o f c o u r se ) in t o e x is t e n c e :
VOTED, To a c c e p t th e recom m endation . . . th a t a con
t r a c t be e n te r e d i n t o w ith one o f th e t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n s
in New York C ity , f o r a o n e - h a lf hour t e l e c a s t each Sunday
n ig h t f o r a p e r io d o f s i x m onths, a t a c o s t o f $ 6 2 ,5 9 6 .^
Thus, P a s to r and Mrs. W illiam A. F agal made t h e i r h i s t o r i c debut
on what would s h o r t l y be b i l l e d as "The Fam ily R e lig io u s T e le c a s t ," l e s s
than one month l a t e r , on May 2 1 , 1950, a t 9 :3 0 p.m . on New York C it y 's
WJZ-TV

[now WABC-TV], in prim e tim e th a t th e s t a t i o n tod ay c l a s s i f i e s

as C lass AAA.

"The Q u iet Hour" and "A F a ith to L ive By," w hich p reced ed "F aith
fo r Today" in p o in t o f tim e by s e v e r a l months (as w e ll as "H eralds o f
Hope," w hich fo llo w e d in O cto b er, 1950, on WMAL-TV, W ashington, D. C .^ ),
did n o t s u r v iv e e a r ly in fa n c y b eca u se o f a h i g h - l e v e l p o l i c y d e c is io n
made in l a t e O ctober a t th e annual Autumn C ou n cil o f th e GC Committee.
B ecause o f t e c h n ic a l and f in a n c ia l problem s co n n ected w ith t h is
ven tu re in t o a new, c o m p a r a tiv e ly u n tr ie d , and e x c e e d in g ly e x p e n siv e
medium, h ea d q u a rters d e c id e d th a t fo r a tw o -y e a r p e r io d (1 9 5 1 -1 9 5 2 ) a l l
t e l e c a s t s th rou gh ou t th e denom ination w ould be sp o n so red by th e General
C onference o n ly , th u s e n a b lin g th e church to c o n c e n tr a te i t s e n e r g ie s
and fin a n c e s in t o d e v e lo p in g one major and t e c h n i c a l l y s u p e r io r
p ro d u ctio n .^

^GC M in u tes, A p r il 24 , 1950, 1863.

% e u fe ld , 394.
^T e le v is io n F actb ook , 437b.

^Fenn, 10.

^GC M in u tes, O ct. 31, 1950, 192.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

157
P la n s were fu r t h e r l a i d f o r th e c r e a t io n o f a w e ste r n e d it i o n o f
"F aith f o r Today" to be produced in th e Los A n g eles a r e a by v e te r a n
ra d io b r o a d c a s te r H. M. S . R ichards o f "The V o ice o f P ro p h ecy ," and f o r
expanding th e New York and W estern t e l e c a s t s by c o a x ia l and
V ita p ix c a b le in a p la n t o rea ch th e la r g e c i t i e s o f b o th
th e E a st and W est, one s t a t i o n to b e chosen in ea ch u n ion
[c o n fe r e n c e ] as th e i n i t i a l p la n , in a d d itio n t o th e m in i
mum netw ork o f th e E a st.^
I t was s u g g e s te d t h a t t h i s expanded p la n be made o p e r a tio n a l by
December 1, w ith f i n a n c i a l su p p o rt to come from ea ch u n ion c o n fe r e n c e
throughout N orth A m erica.

Thus, on Sunday, December 3 , 1950, " F a ith

fo r Today" went from a s t r i c t l y l o c a l program on a s i n g l e t e l e v i s i o n

s t a t io n in New York C ity t o a 1 0 - s t a t i o n t r a n s c o n t in e n t a l netw ork on
3
ABC, th e r e b y e a r n in g th e d i s t i n c t i o n o f b e in g " th e f i r s t netw ork TV
4
program [in th e U n ited S t a t e s ] sp o n so red by any d e n o m in a tio n ."
On
January 2 1 , 1951, th e "Western" program began in Los A n g e le s , and a
k in esco p e o f th e "E astern" program was r e le a s e d in San F r a n c is c o , thus
making 12 s t a t i o n s in a l l c a r r y in g one v e r s io n or a n o th e r o f " F a ith fo r
Today. "^
The id e a o f p u t t in g a l l th e c h u r c h 's t e l e v i s i o n eg g s in t o one
b a s k e t - - p a r t ic u la r ly when th a t b a s k e t b e lo n g e d to someone e l s e - - m e t w ith
som ething l e s s than w h o le h e a r te d e n t h u s i a s t i c s u p p o r t.

For th e r e were

among th e more adventurous and a g g r e s s iv e p r a c t i t i o n e r s o f A d v e n tis t

1I b i d . , 19 3.

2 I b id .

*Z

The f i r s t netw ork program was r e le a s e d l i v e o v e r s t a t i o n s in

New York C ity , P h ila d e lp h ia , B a ltim o r e , D e t r o i t , W ashington, D. C .,
Chicago, M in n e a p o lis, Birmingham, Omaha, and F o rt W orth.
( T e le - n o t e s ,
March, 1951, 1 .)
^ " F a ith fu l A m ateurs," 2 0 .
5T e l e - n o t e s , March, 1951, 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

158
p u b lic e v a n g e lism th o s e who a l s o w anted to g e t i n t o th e a c t , to e x p e r i
ment fu r th e r on t h e i r own in t h i s e x c i t i n g new medium.^
Nor were th e e v a n g e l i s t s p le a s e d when t h e i r r e q u e s t f o r p e r
m issio n to " c u t-in " a t th e c l o s e o f th e netw ork program w ith
a d v e r tisem en ts o f t h e i r own l o c a l r a d io program , e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s ,
or lo c a l B ib le corresp on d en ce s c h o o l, was tw ic e d e n ie d .

Mounting p r e s s u r e s w ith in c e r t a i n p o l i t i c a l l y p o w erfu l lo c a l

c o n fe r e n c e s, how ever, fo r c e d th e GC T e l e v is io n Commission to b a c k -p e d a l
somewhat on i t s b la n k e t ban on a l l o th e r TV program s.

And a c o n s e s s io n

was a ls o s u b se q u e n tly g ra n ted to e v a n g e l i s t s h o ld in g "major" campaigns

in c i t i e s where th e t e l e c a s t was r e le a s e d , to i n s e r t o n e-m in u te s p o t
announcements o f t h e i r in d iv id u a l p u b lic m e e tin g s .

E arly s t e p s in o r g a n iz a t io n .--W ith th e p r o j e c t e d e x p a n sio n o f

the " F aith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t from a s i n g l e s t a t i o n to netw ork c o v era g e
now a r e a l i t y , i t became im m ed ia te ly a p p a ren t t h a t a fo r m a l, n a t io n a l
o r g a n iz a tio n needed to be c r e a te d w ith perm anent p e r s o n n e l.

Thus, on

November 2 2 , 1950, th e G eneral C on feren ce v o te d t o c a l l W illia m A. F agal

from h is Brooklyn p a r is h in t o a f u l l - t i m e n a t io n a l t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y ;
Mrs. Cora Thurber was a p p o in te d " tr e a s u r e r , a c c o u n ta n t, and e n r o llm e n t
s e c r e ta r y [to h an d le B ib le corresp o n d en ce s c h o o l c o u r se r e q u e s t s ]" ; and

^Fenn, 1 9 -2 2 .
^M inutes, G eneral C on feren ce T e l e v is io n C om m ission, Ja n . 2 5 ,
1951, 1 ( c i t e d h e r e a f t e r as TV Commission M in u tes); M in u tes, F a ith f o r
Today O p eratin g Board, J a n . 2 5 , 1951, a c t io n 5 1 -1 0 ( c i t e d h e r e a f t e r as
O perating Board M in u te s ).
^TV Commission M in u tes, A p r il 16, 1951, a c t io n 5 1 -3 ; and Aug. 7 ,
1951, a c tio n 5 1 -2 9 .
^ I b id ., A p r il 16, 1951, a c t io n 5 1 - 5 .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

159
Dr. E la in e G iddings was named as th e g r o u p 's f i r s t " s c r ip t w r it e r and
program p ro d u cer." *
Formal a u t h o r iz a t io n f o r th e o p en in g o f an i n s t i t u t i o n a l bank
account w ith th e Kew Gardens Branch o f th e M a n u fa ctu rers' T ru st Company
2
was gran ted December 4 , 1950; and an a p p r o p r ia tio n o f $ 2 0 ,1 0 0 from the
I n te r n a tio n a l Radio Fund f o r D ecem ber's o p e r a tin g e x p e n se s was approved
December 2 8 .3
In th e s p r in g o f 1951, th e f i r s t f u l l - t i m e " F a ith fo r Today"
q u a rtet was form ed, composed o f H arold L ic k e y , f i r s t te n o r ; W alter
I s e n s e e , second te n o r ; H erb ert H oh en see, b a r it o n e ; and L y le J e w e l,
b a s s .4

With p e r io d ic changes in p e r s o n n e l, t h i s q u a r t e t w ould co n tin u e

to make r e g u la r w eek ly ap p earan ces on th e t e l e c a s t f o r th e n e x t 15 y ea rs

u n t il i t was d isb an d ed in 1966 and r e p la c e d by o th e r m u sic a l t a le n t .^
The round ing out o f o th e r m ajor p e r so n n e l ap p oin tm en ts to o k
p la c e w ith th e TV Commission ap p ointm en t o f C h arles 0 . Franz as manager
and tr e a s u r e r , and R. E. Crawford as a c t in g d ir e c t o r o f prom otion and
p u b lic r e l a t i o n s , on February 14, 1 9 5 2 .6
A p u b lic o f f e r o f a f r e e B ib le co rresp o n d en ce co u r se was p r e
sen te d on the f i r s t t e l e c a s t , May 2 1 , 1 9 5 0 --a n o f f e r w hich has been
rep ea ted on e v e r y program s i n c e .

D uring 1950 and 1951, th e names o f a l l

a p p lic a n ts thus r e c e iv e d were r o u te d on th e n e a r e s t B ib le corresp on d en ce

7

sch o o l con d u cted by th e v a r io u s A d v e n tis t s t a t e c o n fe r e n c e s .

1966, 1.

A major

1GC M in u tes, Nov. 22, 1950, 2 3 5 .

2 I b i d . , D ec. 4 , 1 9 5 0 , 244.

3I b i d . , D ec. 28, 1950, 2 6 1 .

4N e u f ie ld , 394.

^ In te r v ie w w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, G le n d a le , C a l i f . , D ec. 4 ,

C ite d h e r e a f t e r as F agal I n te r v ie w , Dec. 4 , 1966.
^TV Commission M in u tes, Feb. 14, 1 9 5 2 , a c t io n s 5 2 -1 2 , 5 2 -1 3 .
7N e u fe ld , 394.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

problem , how ever, d e v e lo p e d under t h i s arrangem ent:

a l l b ap tism s o f

t e l e c a s t c o n ta c ts w ere th en c r e d it e d l o c a l l y , and th e c o n fe r e n c e s were

most r e lu c t a n t (and som etim es even r e fu s e d ) t o p a ss back t h i s d a ta to
F a g a l's o f f i c e f o r e v a lu a t iv e p r u p o se s .

A ls o , in c e r t a in i n s t a n c e s ,

m in is te r s in th e f i e l d r e fu s e d to f o llo w up i n t e r e s t s th u s c r e a t e d ,
b e c a u se, th ey s a i d , th e s e names w ere "no g ood ."
We th u s began our own B ib le co rresp o n d en ce s c h o o l more out
o f s e l f - d e f e n s e than from any o th e r m o tiv a tio n [ s a id F a g a l].
We knew our c o n ta c ts were as good as any g lea n ed from
e v a n g e l i s t i c m eetin g s in th e f i e l d ; and we a ls o knew,
i n d i r e c t l y , o f s c o r e s o f b a p tism s o f t e l e c a s t v ie w e r s a l l
over th e c o u n tr y .^
F a g a l's problem in t h i s c o n n e c tio n was one fa c e d by a l l denomi
n a tio n a l o r g a n iz a tio n s and a g e n c ie s engaged in d ir e c t e v a n g e l i s t i c
a c t i v i t y , a t home and abroad.

For when th e annual b u d g et a p p r o p r ia tio n s

are drawn up, by im p a r t ia l co m m ittee s, th o s e o r g a n iz a tio n s and men w ith

the h ig h e s t r eco rd o f b a p tism s fo r th e p r e v io u s y e a r alw ays somehow seem
to manage to do c o n s i s t e n t l y b e t t e r f i n a n c i a l l y than th o s e w ith a p o o r e r
showing!

This b e in g th e c a s e , i t was in d e e d " s e lf - d e f e n s e "

(" s u r v iv a l"

might perhaps be a more a c c u r a te word) w hich fo r c e d th e TV Commission on

October 29, 1951, t o tak e a c tio n e s t a b l i s h i n g th e o r g a n iz a t io n 's own
B ib le C orrespondence S ch ool n o t l a t e r th an January 1 , 1952.

F i n a lly , th e r e was th e l e g a l o r g a n iz a tio n o f th e i n s t i t u t i o n to

c o n sid e r .

As e a r ly as A p r il 1 6 , 1951, th e TV Commission had v o te d to

" r e g iste r " th e name o f " F aith f o r Today" to p r e v e n t i t s m isuse both

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1 966, 6 .
^TV Commission M in u tes, O ct. 2 9 , 1951, a c tio n 5 1 -4 4 .

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w ith in and w ith o u t th e d e n o m in a tio n .1
o u t r ig h t in c o r p o r a tio n .

N ine months l a t e r th e y a u th o r iz e d

A q u e s tio n a r o se as to w h eth er in c o r p o r a tio n sh o u ld ta k e p la c e

in th e D i s t r i c t o f C olum bia, where A d v e n tis t w orld h ea d q u a rters are
lo c a t e d and a number o f church a g e n c ie s are in c o r p o r a te d , o r w hether to
in c o r p o r a te in New York, where th e i n s t i t u t i o n a l h ea d q u a rters were
e s t a b lis h e d .

The m a tte r was r e s o lv e d on May 13, 1952;

and F a ith fo r

Today became a membership c o r p o r a tio n under th e law s o f th e S t a t e o f New

York on May 2 8 , 1952.

I t s d e c la r e d p u rp ose was:

To conduct r e l i g i o u s s e r v i c e s through th e medium o f t e l e

v i s i o n or r a d io , to o p e r a te and m a in ta in a s c h o o l f o r th e
te a c h in g o f th e H oly B ib le , to o p e r a te and m a in ta in
f a c i l i t i e s f o r th e te a c h in g and fu r th e r a n c e o f moral and
r e l i g i o u s know ledge through th e medium o f corresp on d en ce
and a l l o th e r in s t r u m e n t a l it i e s and m eth ods, a p p ro p ria te
and a v a ila b le f o r th e te n d in g to th e advancement o f such
ends and a im s. . . . 4
B a sic o r g a n iz a tio n was thus com p leted and a broad fo u n d a tio n was
la id upon w hich fu tu r e growth o f what would become a m u lti-m i H i o n - d o l l a r
co rp o ra te e n t e r p r is e c o u ld be fir m ly e s t a b l is h e d .

F a ith f o r Today was on

i t s way.

" F aith fo r Today" T e l e v is io n P rem iere:

May 2 1 , 1950

D e c is io n on fo r m a t.- - A s th e i n i t i a l program was b e in g p la n n ed in

A p r il and May o f 1950, what l i t t l e

th e r e was o f r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n was

s t i l l in i t s in f a n c y , and e v e r y th in g th en b e in g

done was

s tr ic tly

1I b i d . , A p r il 16, 1951, a c t io n 5 1 -1 3 .
^I b i d . , Jan. 2 9 , 1952, a c tio n 5 2 -3 .
^Operating Board M in u tes, May 13, 1952,

a c tio n 5 2 -2 2 .

^ A r t ic le s o f I n c o r p o r a tio n and By-Laws, F a ith f o r T oday, I n c . ,

May 2 8 , 1952, 1. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as A r t i c l e s o f I n c o r p o r a tio n .

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162
e x p e r im e n ta l.

There was no form at to s e r v e as a g u id e , no a u th o r ity to

which ap p eal m ight be made or from w hich c o u n se l so u g h t as t o what w ould

be c o n sid e r e d i d e a l or a p p r o p r ia te f o r a r e l i g i o u s program.'*'
Network o f f i c i a l Dick Depaw and ABC D ir e c to r Herman L iv e r ig h t
had t o ld P aul Wickman in h is e a r ly ap p roach es th a t in t h e i r o p in io n i t
would be m ost unw ise to adopt th e s t e r e o t y p e d Mp r e a c h -s in g -p r a y "
r e li g io u s form at so f a m ilia r on r a d io .

They w ere, F agal r e c a l l e d l a t e r ,

"very much opposed to th e c o n v e n tio n a l c h u r c h - s e r v ic e - t y p e program , and

com plained, H e r e 's one o f th e g r e a t e s t means o f com m unication in th e
3

w orld, and no one w ith a n y th in g to s a y ! ' "

In d u str y r e p r e s e n t a t iv e s c o u n s e le d a d ra m a tic fo rm a t unheard o f
w ith in th e d en om in ation , unheard o f by th e F a g a ls th e m s e lv e s .
agreed to t r y .

But th ey

In th e words o f t h e i r f i r s t perm anent s c r i p t - w r i t e r ,

From a r e a d in g o f E lle n G. W h ite 's C h r is t 's O b jec t L e s s o n s ,

i t seemed to us th a t our mode f i t th e r e a so n s f o r w hich
J esu s used p a r a b le s in a n o th er c u lt u r e and tim e . We so u g h t
t r u t h f u ln e s s to r e a l i t y in a l l o u r p r e s e n t a t i o n s . 4
Thus, C h r is t 's p a r a b le -a p p r o a ch w ould b e u sed as t h e i r j u s t i f i c a t i o n in
m eeting th e c r i t i c i s m th a t was c e r t a in to f o ll o w a problem t o be d i s
cu ssed more f u l l y b elo w .
C oncerning t h i s f i r s t m ajor d e c i s i o n , F agal l a t e r w rote:
R e a liz in g th a t TV a u d ien ce s a p p r e c ia te more a c t io n than
a p u lp it a lo n e co u ld p o s s ib ly a f f o r d , we d is c a r d e d th e
p r e a ch in g ty p e program th a t we had u se d in r a d io . Our TV
program was p lan n ed around a d ra m a tic problem d is c u s s io n
s k e tc h , a m ale q u a r te t to s in g f a v o r i t e hymns, c lo s i n g w ith

^D alrym ple, " F ifte e n Years o f P r o g r e s s ," 2 .

^Fenn, 17.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 4.

4 In te r v ie w w ith E la in e G id d in g s, chairm an, departm ent o f s p e e c h ,

Andrews U n iv e r s it y , B errien S p r in g s , M ic h ., Feb. 1 2 , 1967, 1. C ite d
h e r e a f te r as G iddings I n te r v ie w .

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163
a s h o r t , d i r e c t , in to -th e -c a m e r a sermon th a t w ould summarize
th e p o in t s w hich had b een d is c u s s e d .
Our f i r s t b u d g et was s o meager t h a t we had no w r i t e r s ,
no p r o f e s s io n a l a c to r s ; as a m a tter o f f a c t , we had n o th in g
b u t a dream and th e r e a l i z a t i o n th a t a way must b e found to
use t e l e v i s i o n e f f e c t i v e l y f o r th e sp r ea d o f th e g o s p e l . *

Program p la n n in g .-- S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t e v a n g e l i s t s o f t e n open

t h e ir p u b lic campaigns w ith a sermon on D a n ie l 2 , a p rop h ecy w hich many
e x p o s ito r s b e l i e v e d e a ls w ith th e p o l i t i c a l fu tu r e o f th e w o rld from th e
sev en th c en tu r y B.C. down t o th e seco n d coming o f C h r is t .

I t was th u s

perhaps o n ly n a tu r a l t h a t W illia m F agal ch ose th a t t o p ic f o r h i s t e l e

v is io n d eb u t.
T h is f i r s t program c o n s is t e d o f an u n s c r ip te d c o n v e r s a tio n
between F agal and an i n t e l l i g e n t , p e r so n a b le young t e a c h e r , W a lter R a lls .
An A d v e n tist grad u ate s tu d e n t w orking tow ard h i s Ph.D . in h i s t o r y a t
Columbia U n iv e r s it y , R a lls w ould p la y h im s e lf .

The p l o t c a l l e d f o r him

to walk o n to a s e t d e s ig n e d as P a sto r F a g a l's s tu d y , a p p a r e n tly d i s

couraged about h i s f u t u r e , th u s p r o v id in g a sp rin g b o a rd f o r F a g a l s ch a t
w ith him on th e g r e a t fu tu r e f o r a l l in th e seco n d coming o f C h r is t , and
the p o l i t i c a l e v e n ts w hich would p r e ce d e i t .

The main v i s u a l a id would be a r e p l i c a o f th e image o f th e m etal

man m entioned in D a n ie l 2 , borrowed from F a g a l s e v a n g e l i s t i c equipm ent
used on th e s ta g e in h i s p u b lic m e e tin g s .

D uring th e program F agal was

to walk o v e r to th e im age, comment on th e fo u r m ajor w o rld em pires

b efo re th e d i s s o l u t i o n o f Rome (sy m b o lize d by th e h ea d , c h e s t , t o r s o ,
and le g s ) and th e su b se q u e n t fr a g m e n ta tio n o f Europe ( i n d ic a t e d by th e

*"63, In d eed , TV i s W ell W orthw hile," T e l e - n o t e s , May, 1 9 5 5 , 2.

2

F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 4.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

164
f e e t o f ir o n and c la y - - w h ic h , a c c o r d in g to th e p r o p h ec y , would c o n tin u e
in a n o n -u n ifie d way u n t i l th e sec o n d a d v e n t ).

R a l l s , f o r h is p a r t,

would b r in g o u t v a r io u s p o in t s o f h i s t o r i c a l i n t e r e s t , c o r r o b o r a tin g th e
b a s ic d e t a i l s o f th e prophecy.'*'
The ABC t e l e v i s i o n d ir e c t o r a s s ig n e d t o th e show had i n s i s t e d
n o t o n ly th a t th e program be u n s c r ip t e d , b u t a l s o t h a t i t be u n reh ea rsed .
In h is o p in io n th e charm o f t h i s p a r t i c u l a r t e l e c a s t w ould be in i t s
s p o n ta n e ity .

U n t il th e week im m ed ia te ly p r e c e d in g th e f i r s t b r o a d c a s t,

Fagal had r e s t e d co m fo rta b ly in th e d i r e c t o r ' s a s su r a n c e s th a t a l l w ould

come o f f j u s t f i n e .

However, as th e c r u c i a l hour ap p roached, F agal and

R a lls su d d en ly d e c id e d i t m igh t j u s t be th e b e t t e r p a r t o f wisdom t o

s a c r i f i c e some o f th e "charm" i n o rd er t o have a l i t t l e

c le a r e r id e a o f

what th ey w ere g o in g to do and s a y once th e y were on th e a i r .

Saturday m orning, w h ile h i s p a r is h io n e r s w ere a tte n d in g Sabbath

School (th e A d v e n tis t c o u n te r p a r t o f Sunday S c h o o l) in th e church
sa n ctu a ry , F agal and R a lls were down in th e p a s t o r ' s s tu d y o f th e
Brooklyn church r e h e a r s in g th e program .

A gain on Sunday th e y g o t

to g e th e r two o r th r e e tim es f o r p r a c t ic e b e f o r e th e l i v e p r e s e n t a tio n

Z

sch ed u led f o r th a t e v e n in g .
N o th in g , how ever, was as y e t w r it t e n down; and F agal began to
worry in e a r n e s t .

In h is p u b lic e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s he had o c c a s io n

a l l y had d i f f i c u l t y in en com p assin g th e s u b j e c t in 45 m in u tes; how, he

now wondered, co u ld he a d e q u a te ly com press a l l t h i s in t o th e 15-m inute
dram atic s k e tc h in th e h a lf - h o u r program --an d w ith o u t n o te s
1

I b id .

^ F agal, "A Memorable Day," 4 .

Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 4 .

^ F agal, "A Memorable D ay," 4.

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165
"On th e a i r ." --O th e r f e a r s , how ever, were t o ta k e p r e c e d e n c e .
Upon a r r iv in g e a r ly a t th e s t u d io , F agal and R a lls d is c o v e r e d th a t t h e i r
l a r g e r - t h a n - l i f e image o f th e m e ta l man o f D a n iel 2 was e n t i r e l y to o
t a l l f o r t h i s p a r t ic u l a r s t u d io , w hich had a v e r y low c e i l i n g !
The s t u d io , " u n b e lie v a b ly t i n y ,^ p i t i f u l l y in a d e q u a te , and
d e s p e r a te ly crow ded,"
h a tta n .

was in th e basem ent o f th e ABC b u ild in g in Man

F i t t e d ou t w ith a b u i l t - i n k it c h e n , i t was o r d in a r ily u se d o n ly

fo r cook in g s c h o o l d e m o n str a tio n s.

Church o f f i c i a l s , in an attem p t to

conserve lim it e d fu n d s, had le a s e d th e basem ent s t u d i o , th e c h e a p e st

a v a ila b le .

(L a te r , ABC i n s t a l l e d them, a t no e x tr a c h a r g e, in S tu d io

3
One, t h e i r l a r g e s t . )
S o, th e y propped up th e image as b e s t th e y c o u ld , le a n in g i t
d ia g o n a lly a g a in s t a s t u d io w a l l .

At a i r tim e th e y went on l i v e ,

s i t t i n g b e s id e each o th e r on th e same s i d e o f th e desk in th e p a s t o r 's

stu d y.
Under th e in t e n s e p r e s s u r e s o f th e moment, F agal and R a lls f i n
ish e d t h e i r s k i t e a r ly , m is in t e r p r e t in g th e f l o o r d i r e c t o r ' s " th r e e fin g e r s " s ig n a l ( in d ic a t in g th e perform er has th r e e m in utes in w hich to
f in is h ) as a s ig n th a t th e y were t o s to p im m e d ia te ly .

However, when he

r e a liz e d what had happened, F agal ca lm ly r e t r ie v e d th e s i t u a t i o n by

r e c a p it u la t in g th e m essage, c o v e r in g th e t e r r i t o r y a l l o v er a g a in to
f i l l out th e tim e .

"Not bad p e d a g o g ic a l th e o r y ," he g rin n ed l a t e r in

r ec o u n tin g t h i s e x p e r ie n c e ; "but t e r r i b l e TV te c h n iq u e ." ^

^T e l e - n o t e s , May, 1963, 8.
n
W illiam A. F a g a l, " F ifte e n Years o f S u c c e s s f u l Soul W inning,"
Review and H e ra ld , Aug. 1 9 , 1965, 1.
3T e l e - n o t e s , May, 1963, 8.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 5 .

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166
F a g a l's im m ediate r e a c t io n to h i s n e r v e - j a r r in g p r e m ie r e , how
e v e r , was l e s s sa n g u in e :
We were c o n v in c e d th a t th e f i r s t program had been l i t t l e
b e t t e r than a f i a s c o .
I t seemed t h a t e v e r y th in g had tu rn ed
out th e o p p o s it e o f what we had p la n n e d . But th e r e can be
no q u e s tio n th a t th e Lord b l e s s e d , f o r as a r e s u l t o f th e
f i r s t t e l e v i s i o n program s i x t y - s i x r e q u e s ts f o r our B ib le
co u rse came i n . l

The fa m ily "gim m ick." D e sp ite more th an sev e n y e a r s e x p e r ie n c e

in r a d io b r o a d c a s tin g , F agal adm its fr a n k ly to b e in g " sca red to death"
o f h is f i r s t appearance on t e l e v i s i o n .

On th e f i f t h a n n iv e r sa r y o f t h i s

o r d e a l, he w rote:
I c a n 't th in k back upon our f i r s t t e l e c a s t w ith a n y th in g
but fr ig h t .
I ' v e had some tough a ssig n m en ts fo r w hich I
f e l t in a d e q u a te and u n p rep ared , b u t n e v e r in my l i f e have I
fa c e d a moment l i k e t h i s on e. N ever have I b een so down
r ig h t s c a r e d as when th o s e camera l i g h t s came on t h a t f i r s t
n ig h t and I s to o d lo o k in g in t o th e camera w ith o u t b e n e f i t o f
a s c r i p t or e x p e r ie n c e , and s a i d , " H ello" to an a u d ien ce I
hoped was out t h e r e . ^
A n t ic ip a t in g f i r s t - n i g h t j i t t e r s , F agal had asked h is w if e ,
V ir g in ia , t o accompany him to th e s t u d io in s t e a d o f w a tch in g a t a
f r ie n d 's h ou se (th e F agals d id n o t own a TV s e t ; in th o se d a y s, no s e l f r e s p e c tin g A d v e n tis t w ould be caught dead w ith one i n h i s h o m e!).
more he th o u g h t about i t ,

The

th e more he lik e d th e id e a o f h a v in g V ir g in ia

stan d a t h i s s i d e f o r a b r i e f in t r o d u c tio n as th e show opened.

In a

moment o f i n s p i r a t i o n , th e d ir e c t o r h it c h h ik e d on th e id e a and s u g g e ste d

th a t the two F agal c h ild r e n (K athy, 6 ; and B i l l i e , 3 - 1 /2 ) come a lo n g ,
to o .

^Gordon F. D alrym ple, "TV Program Worth W atching," S ig n s o f th e

Times, A p r il, 1 9 6 7 , 13.
^ F a g a l, " Y es, In d eed , TV i s W ell W orthw hile," 2.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Thus, as th e program op en ed , a t 9 :3 0 p .m ., th e c h ild r e n were

a p p r o p r ia te ly d r e ss e d in t h e i r " n ig h tie s " ; and a f t e r a b r i e f i n i t i a l
in tr o d u c tio n o f th e F agal fa m ily as a w h o le, th e c h ild r e n were h u s t le d
o ff-ca m er a , as i f g o in g to b e d .1
T h is openin g gam bit w ith th e fa m ily p a id u n e x p e c te d ly handsom e-and p e r m a n e n t--d iv id e n d s .
them about t h e i r f a m i l i e s .

V iew ers began t o w r it e to th e F a g a ls , t e l l i n g

H aving s e e n th e F agal fa m ily on th e TV

s c r e e n , th e v ie w er s f e l t th ey knew them as p e r s o n a l f r ie n d s .

And i t

w asn 't lon g b e fo r e " F a ith f o r Today" began to c a p i t a l i z e upon t h i s m ost

fo r tu n a te developm ent and to b i l l i t s e l f as "The Fam ily R e lig io u s
T e l e c a s t ."

T hus, V ir g in ia F a g a l, who had come to th e s t u d io th a t o p en in g

n ig h t m erely to len d h e r husband s o r e ly -n e e d e d moral s u p p o r t, came t o
have a perm anent p a r t on th e program w hich s h e , q u it e c o i n c i d e n t a l l y ,
had h e r s e l f named o n ly a few weeks b e f o r e .

Mrs. Fagal remembers th a t op en in g n ig h t v i v i d l y as

a c o n fu sin g array o f l i g h t s , m icrop h on es, booms, cam eras,
c a b le s running a lo n g th e f l o o r ev ery w h ere, and p e o p le
en d eavorin g to combine a l l t h e i r s k i l l to g e t th e program
out o v er th e a i r .^
[See F ig s . 1 2 -1 3 .]
She fr a n k ly r e c a l l s th a t th e r e was "not much i n s p i r a t i o n in
look in g in t o th e c o ld eye o f th e TV cam era, en d ea v o rin g to p r e s e n t a
message to p e o p le we cou ld n o t s e e ." ^

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 5 .
2 I b id .
7

V ir g in ia F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 9 , 1966, 1.

^ V ir g in ia M. F a g a l, " F ifte e n Y ears o f D iv in e G uidance," T e le

n o t e s , May, 1965, 6 .
5 I b id .

I
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168

D
'R e m e m b e rd o n 't s p e a k q u ite so fa s t, k e e p y o u r
c h in u p a n d try to lo o k a little m o re b e n ig n .'
Fig. 12. C a rto o n a p p e a rin g in TV G uide, M arch 12, 1966.
C o p y rig h t 19 6 6 b y T rian g le P ublications Inc. R ep rin ted by perm ission.

Fig. 13. P astor F ag al p re a c h in g from p u lp it s e t in live te lec ast from WJZ-TV

(now WABC-TV), N ew York, d u rin g first y e a r of telev isio n b ro ad castin g (1951).

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

In th e y e a rs w hich f o llo w e d , Mrs. F agal ap p eared o c c a s io n a l ly in

the dram atic s k i t s p la y in g h e r r e a l - l i f e r o l e as th e p a s t o r s w if e .
More o f t e n , sh e would appear to p r e s e n t th e c l o s i n g " com m ercial on
b e h a lf o f t h e i r B ib le corresp o n d en ce s c h o o l.
The c h ild r e n , t o o , had o c c a s io n a l b i t p a r t s t o p la y ; and th u s
th e fa m ily image o f th e t e l e c a s t was d e v e lo p e d , p r e s e r v e d , and p r o j e c t e d .

An u n seen a u d ien ce r e s p o n d s . The r e s p o n se o f s e v e r a l prom inent

church le a d e r s to th e dram atic form at em ployed on th e f i r s t

(and s u b s e

quent) programs w i l l be d e s c r ib e d in g r e a t e r d e t a i l b elo w ; and g e n e r a l

audience r e sp o n se to th e t e l e c a s t o v er th e y e a r s w i l l be th e s u b j e c t o f
Chapter V I.
Three days a f t e r th e p rem iere p erform ance o f " F a ith f o r Today,"
the n e x t e d i t i o n o f V a r ie t y , th e w eek ly new spaper o f s h o w -b u s in e s s , came
out w ith th e f o llo w in g r e v ie w , s ig n e d o n ly by "Gros":
FAITH FOR TODAY
With R everend W illia m A. F a g a l, th e G ospel S in g e r s
W riter: R oderick MacLeish
D ir e c to r :
R ichard DePew
30 m in u te s, Sunday, 9 :3 0 p.m .
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
WJZ-TV, New York
(w e ster n )
O u tsid e o f r e l i g i o s o d ie h a r d s , t h i s program i s g o in g to
have a tough job draw ing an a u d ie n c e . A ir e r i s in th e
u n en v ia b le p o s i t i o n o f h a v in g to compete w ith CBS-TV's "Fred
Waring Show" and NBC-TV's " P h ilc o P la y h o u se ." Both are
h o u r -lo n g o f f e r in g s th a t s t a r t a t 9 p.m . and are a t th e mid
way p o in t when " F a ith f o r Today" comes on. W ith w eaker
o p p o s it io n , show m ight draw some v ie w e r s from th e l e s s
r e l i g i o u s r a n k s, b u t i t s a p p ea l i s d e f i n i t e l y lim i t e d .
Program has a "Mr. Anthony" q u a lit y w ith th e Rev,
W illiam A. F agal in t e r v ie w in g tr o u b le d p a r is h io n e r s and
p r e s e n t in g p o s s i b l e s o lu t io n s to t h e i r p r o b le m s. Rev. Fagal
i s th e p a s t o r o f th e W ashington Avenue Church, B rook lyn .

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 5 .

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170
I n i t i a l show Sunday (2 1 ) had th e m in is t e r l i s t e n i n g to th e
problem s o f a m e d ic a l s tu d e n t who had l o s t f a i t h i n th e
te a c h in g s o f th e B ib le .
Ju d gin g by th e preem show, a i r e r ' s main o b j e c t iv e i s to
im press upon v ie w e r s th e v a lu e and t i m e li n e s s o f th e Holy
Book. In th e c a se o f th e tr o u b le d s t u d e n t , th e Reverend
r e s to r e d h i s f a i t h b y q u o tin g a p a ssa g e from th e B ib le and
g iv in g a thorough in t e r p r e t a t i o n . S tu d en t th en r e a l i z e d i t
was through la c k o f u n d e rsta n d in g th a t h e had l o s t f a i t h .
In l i n e w ith th a t th o u g h t, numerous p it c h e s were made o f f e r
in g v ie w e r s a f r e e B ib le co rresp o n d en ce c o u r s e , w hich
in c lu d e s e x p la n a to r y n o t e s r e l a t i v e t o th e B i b l i c a l t e x t .
E xcept f o r s h o ts show ing th e G ospel S in g e r s , male
q u a r t e t , h arm on izin g on a few hymns, th e e n t i r e a c t io n o f
th e show ta k e s p la c e in th e p a s t o r 's s tu d y . T h is makes fo r
a homey atm osph ere, b u t h a v in g th e R ev eren d 's w if e come in t o
th e stu d y and s e r v e c o f f e e w ith o u t in tr o d u c in g h e r to th e
a u d ien ce w a sn 't in k e e p in g w ith th e in fo r m a l a i r o f th e
p r o c e e d in g s .
Rev. F agal does an e f f i c i e n t job as th e sh ow 's
m o d e r a to r .1
As a r e s u l t o f t h i s p rem iere t e l e c a s t , on May 2 1 , 19 5 0 , some 66
l e t t e r s were r e c e iv e d in th e m a il th ro u g h o u t th e week th a t fo llo w e d ,
b r in g in g 66 a p p lic a t io n s f o r th e f r e e B ib le co rresp o n d en ce co u rse which
had been o f f e r e d o v e r th e a i r .
I n t e r e s t i n g l y , one o f th o s e r e q u e s ts came from a n o n -A d v e n tist
fa m ily named F a rra r, w hich had v iew ed th a t f i r s t program in t h e i r home
a cro ss th e r iv e r from M anhattan, i n New J e r s e y .

The e n t i r e fa m ily was

la t e r b a p tiz e d i n t o th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church; and th e y , in tu r n ,

were r e s p o n s ib le f o r b r in g in g an a d d it io n a l 25 c o n v e r ts to A dventism !
I t was e s p e c i a l l y tr u e o f th e p u b l i c ' s r e sp o n se to t h i s f i r s t
t e l e c a s t , as i t came to b e tr u e o f th e g e n e r a l a u d ien ce r esp o n se over
the y ea rs t h a t f o llo w e d , t h a t - - a s V ir g in ia F agal w ould l a t e r w r ite :
Time and a g a in l e t t e r s and e x p e r ie n c e s have come w hich have
brought us encouragem ent j u s t a t a tim e when we o u r s e lv e s

1May 2 4 , 1950, 44.

^Fagal L e t t e r , O ct. 1 7 , 1967.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

g r e a t ly needed them. Only th e good Lord c o u ld have tim ed

th e s e th in g s so w i s e l y . * [Emphasis s u p p lie d .]
A fte r th e f i r s t few w eek s, th e r e sp o n se o f th e members o f P a sto r
F a g a l's church in Brooklyn [w hich he co n tin u e d to s e r v e u n t i l th e y e a r end, when th e program th en went to netw ork) was d r a m a tic.

Up u n t i l now,

the c o n g reg a tio n had taken a v e r y r e s e r v e d a t t i t u d e about th e m a tte r .

As d id many o th e r c o n s e r v a tiv e A d v e n t is t s , th e y f e l t th a t t e l e v i s i o n was
"the d e v i l ' s b o x ,"

and c e r t a in ly no f i t medium f o r th e p r e a c h in g o f th e

g o sp e l.

^"Fifteen Y ears o f D iv in e G uidance," 6 .

2

An ap p reh en sion s t i l l c l e a r l y d is c e m a b le among some A d v e n tis ts

y e t tod ay. One SDA p a s t o r , in a s e n s ib ly b a la n c e d w arning to h is p a r is h
io n ers a g a in s t th e u n c o n tr o lle d u se o f t e l e v i s i o n in th e home, o f f e r e d
the fo llo w in g anonymous parody on th e T w enty-T hird Psalm:
S a ta n 's Psalm
The TV s e t i s my sh ep h erd .
want.

My s p i r i t u a l growth s h a l l

I t maketh me to s i t down and do n o th in g f o r His nam e's

sa k e , b eca u se i t r e q u ir e th a l l my sp are tim e .
I t k e e p e th
me from doing my duty as a C h r is tia n b e c a u se i t p r e s e n t e th
so many good shows th a t I must s e e .
I t r e s t o r e t h my knowledge o f th e th in g s o f th e w o r ld ,
and k eep eth me from th e stu d y o f God's Word. I t le a d e th me
in th e p a th s o f f a i l i n g to a tte n d th e e v e n in g w orship
s e r v ic e s and d oin g n o th in g in th e Kingdom o f God.
Yea, though I l i v e to be a hundred, I s h a l l keep on
v iew in g TV as lo n g as i t w i l l work, f o r i t i s my c l o s e s t
companion. I t s sounds and i t s p i c t u r e s , th e y com fort me.
I t p r e s e n te th e n te r ta in m en t b e fo r e me and k e e p e th me from
doing im p ortant th in g s w ith my fa m ily .
I t f i l l s my head w ith id e a s which d i f f e r from th o s e s e t
fo r th in th e Word o f God.
S u r e ly no good th in g w i l l come o f my l i f e b eca u se TV
o f f e r e t h me no good tim e to do th e w i l l o f God.
Thus I w i l l d w e ll in th e p la c e o f th e D e v il and h i s
a n g els fo r e v e r .
(C ite d in " M in is te r 's M essage" by P a s to r

A
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172
When th e y w ould p r a y f o r th e program i n p u b lic , t h e i r p r a y e r s
were n o t ic a b ly r e s t r a in e d in d e e d , u n e n t h u s ia s t ic .

A TV s e t had been

p la c e d in th e ch a p el where members (who had no s e t a t home) c o u ld come

Sunday e v e n in g s and w atch t h e program ( i t was s u b s e q u e n tly r e le a s e d a t
9 p .m .) .
The tu r n in g -p o in t came when, s e v e r a l weeks a f t e r th e i n i t i a l
t e l e c a s t , te n or 12 te le p h o n e l i n e s w ere i n s t a l l e d i n th e church to ta k e
c a l l s from v ie w e r s r e q u e s t in g f r e e l i t e r a t u r e or th e B ib le c o rr e sp o n d
ence c o u r se .
As soon as th e te le p h o n e number appeared on th e TV s c r e e n
[F agal r e p o r te d l a t e r ] , i n s t a n t l y th e phones began r in g in g
in th e church. T hese w ere manned by v o lu n te e r s from among
th e c o n g r e g a tio n who h ad f a i t h in what we were d o in g . When
th e membership saw th e r e s p o n s e , th e y w ere won o v er com
p l e t e l y . Soon th e members w ere m eetin g a t th e church a
h a lf-h o u r b e fo r e a ir tim e and p r a y in g f o r th e
p ro g ra m .1
Thus was " F a ith f o r Today" b o rn .
the end o f i t ;

But

th e

b ir t h pangs were n o t

f o r b ir t h was fo llo w e d by an in fa n c y p la g u ed w ith a l l

kinds o f p rob lem s.

W illia m A. F a g a l, i n th e New W orld, was l i k e th e

A p ostle Paul in th e Old:

For when we were come i n t o M acedonia, our
f l e s h had no
r e s t , but we were tr o u b le d on e v e r y s id e ; w ith o u t were
f ig h t i n g s , w ith in w ere f e a r s .
( I I C o r in th ia n s 7 :5 )

E rlin g E. C a lk in s, Church B u l l e t i n o f th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church,

Santa Barbara, C a l i f . , A p r il 15, 1 9 6 7 , 4 .)
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 5,

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173
The Shadow L en gthens:

R ise and Growth o f th e T e l e c a s t , 1 9 5 0 -1 9 6 8

G ettin g th e Show on th e Road

O b je c tiv e s o f th e t e l e c a s t . When asked what th e o b j e c t i v e s o f

the " F aith f o r Today" program w e re , W illia m F agal r e p l i e d , t e r s e l y ,
" S ou ls, u lt im a t e ly ." *
E la b o r a tin g more f u l l y , th e p a s t o r s u g g e s te d fo u r s p e c i f i c g o a ls
which h is t e l e c a s t s , i n d i v i d u a l l y and c o l l e c t i v e l y , are d e s ig n e d to
accom plish:
F i r s t , we want to g iv e a good image o f S e v e n th -d a y
A d v e n t i s t s - - t o show th e p u b lic we comb our h a ir s t r a i g h t .
We want to g e t our p e o p le and our m essage a c c e p te d by th e
p u b lic show th a t w e 'r e norm al p e o p le . Deep p r e j u d ic e
e x i s t s p r e s e n t ly a g a in s t u s ; th e p u b lic th in k s w e 'r e
s tr a n g e . We want to change a l l t h a t .
S e c o n d ly , we want to d e s tr o y th e c u r r e n t in a c c u r a te
s te r e o ty p e d im p r e ssio n th e p u b lic h as o f C h r is tia n m is s io n
a r ie s o v e r s e a s th e "Mother Hubbard" d r e s s , a p e o p le who
are se e n as p r u d is h , out o f tou ch w ith r e a l i t y .
We want to
change t h a t im age, and show th a t t h e y 'r e normal human
b e in g s , t r y in g to h e lp hu m anity. And our in t e r v ie w s w ith
m is s io n a r ie s h e lp a l o t in r e a c h in g t h i s g o a l.
T h ir d ly , o f c o u r s e , we a re a f t e r membership a c c e s s io n s
fo r th e sp o n s o r in g ch u rch . Our f i s c a l s u r v iv a l depends
upon i t th e church w ould n o t c o n tin u e p o u rin g m i l li o n s o f
d o lla r s i n t o t h i s v e n tu r e i f we w ere n o t dem on strably
"winning s o u ls " to i t .
H owever, no m ention o f th e denom
in a t io n a l name i s made in th e program i t s e l f - - o n l y a c r e d i t
lin e a t th e end. We want to a v o id th e appearance o f t o o t in g
our own h orn .
F i n a l l y , we want to i n t e r e s t p e o p le in th e B ib le , in i t s
r e le v a n c y f o r t h e i r l i v e s .
T h e r e fo r e , th e program i s aimed
b a s i c a l l y a t th e un ch urch ed .
In th e e a r ly days we appeared
a t th e hour in w hich th e custom ary churchgoer was in h i s own
house o f w orsh ip on Sunday m orning. Our prim ary aim i s to
g e t p e o p le to s tu d y th e B ib le ; f o r , i f th e y w i l l stu d y i t ,

*I n te r v ie w w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, New York, J u ly 5 , 1966, 1.

C ited h e r e a f t e r as F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 5 , 1966.

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174
th en we f e e l t h a t th e y w i l l s e e and a c c e p t th e m essage o f
S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tism .1
As a c o n seq u e n c e, a d ra m a tic form at was i n i t i a l l y a d o p ted ,
as F agal p u t i t ,

fo r ,

"Church p e o p le g e n e r a ll y th in k o f a sermon when th in k

in g o f b r o a d c a s tin g r e l i g i o n , n o t drama.

But th e w o rld a c c e p ts drama;

and we a ls o f in d th a t our in t e r v ie w s , t r a v e lo g u e s , and m u sic a l programs

3
are more a c c e p ta b le to th e unchurched than mere sermons w ould b e .
R e g a r d le ss o f th e typ e o f form at fe a tu r e d on any g iv e n Sunday,
how ever, th e attem p t i s alw ays made t o make th e program " r e le v a n t to
d a ily C h r is tia n l i v i n g . "

Sum m arizing h i s g o a l, P a s to r F agal s a id :

We a ttem p t to make our f ilm s p r a c t i c a l in th e C h r is tia n

e x p e r ie n c e o f th o s e who v ie w . We want F a ith f o r Today to
h e lp them in m eetin g d a il y problem s and i n overcom ing
o b s t a c le s t h a t m ight d e te r them in t h e i r onward p r o g r e s s
towards God's k in gd om .4
With a s tr o n g d e s ir e t o m eet th e h ig h e s t e t h i c a l sta n d a rd s o f
th e b r o a d c a s tin g in d u s t r y , th e Board o f T r u ste e s o f F a ith f o r T oday, I n c . ,
in 1959 a u th o r iz e d Elm er R. W alde, Radio-TV S e c r e ta r y o f th e p a r e n t Gen
e r a l C onference o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t s , t o s i g n , on b e h a lf o f th e
t e l e c a s t , a "Code o f Standards f o r P r o t e s t a n t R e lig io u s B ro a d ca sters"
prom ulgated by th e B r o a d ca stin g and Film Commission o f th e N a tio n a l
C ouncil o f th e Churches o f C h r is t in th e U. S . A ., w hich appears below :

1I b id .
^C oncerning m a tte r s --a n d p r o b le m s -- o f fo r m a t, and s p e c i f i c
o b j e c t iv e s f o r each ty p e , c f . " E v o lu tio n o f Form at," b elo w .
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 5 , 1 9 6 6 , 1.
^ D alrym ple, "TV Program Worth W atchin g," 3 1 .

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175
CODE OF STANDARDS FOR PROTESTANT RELIGIOUS BROADCASTERS

I - PURPOSE
The purpose o f t h i s Code o f S tan d ard s i s t o p r o v id e P r o t e s
ta n t r e l i g i o u s b r o a d c a s te r s and a ls o netw orks and s t a t i o n s
w ith a sta n d a rd f o r th e e d u c a tio n o f th e programs o f such
b r o a d c a s te r s .

I I - SPONSORSHIP
R e lig io u s programs sh o u ld be under th e a u s p ic e s and c o n tr o l
o f a r e p u ta b le ch u rch , d en o m in a tio n , o r n o n - p r o f it a s s o
c ia t io n in c o r p o r a te d fo r r e l i g i o u s p u r p o se s .

I l l - PROGRAM AND PRODUCTION

R e lig io u s programs sh o u ld be p r e s e n te d r e v e r e n t ly and con
s t r u c t i v e l y in a l l o f t h e i r a s p e c ts (fo r m a t, m e ssa g e , m u sic ,
announcem ents, and a p p e a ls) and sh o u ld conform to th e
h ig h e s t b r o a d c a s tin g s ta n d a r d s .
Program s c r i p t s ( o r , in th e c a s e o f p r e -r e c o r d e d program s,
t a p e s , p l a t t e r s , o r f ilm s ) sh o u ld be in th e hands o f th e
s t a t io n or netw ork in ample tim e f o r r e v ie w and a u d itio n
p r io r t o b e in g p u t on th e a i r .
An a c c u r a te r e c o r d o f program c o n te n t sh o u ld be a v a ila b le
on r e q u e s t .

IV - FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The s o l i c i t a t i o n o f fu nds on r e l i g i o u s b r o a d c a s ts i s open
to c e r ta in abu ses and i s , t h e r e f o r e , as a g e n e r a l r u l e , t o
be d isc o u r a g e d .
I f a program d oes in c lu d e a r e q u e s t f o r
fu n d s, th e a p p eal sh o u ld be made in a d i g n i f i e d manner and
w ith o u t undue p r e s s u r e and th e funds so s o l i c i t e d s h a l l b e
used s o l e l y f o r th e s t a t e d p u r p o se s . A ll donors s h a l l
prom ptly b e fu r n is h e d w ith r e c e i p t s . E x te r n a lly a u d ite d
f in a n c ia l s ta te m e n ts s h a l l be fu r n is h e d on r e q u e s t .

V - PROGRAM PROMOTION
In th e e x e r c is e o f C h r is tia n s te w a r d s h ip , P r o te s ta n t
r e l i g i o u s b r o a d c a s te r s sh o u ld do a l l in t h e i r power through
s y s te m a tic prom otion to in c r e a s e a u d ien ce fo r t h e i r
program s.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

176
VI - CONDUCT
R e lig io u s b r o a d c a s te r s and t h e i r a u th o r iz e d r e p r e s e n t a t iv e s
sh o u ld s c r u p u lo u s ly conform t o th e l e t t e r and s p i r i t o f
r e g u la tio n s s e t up by th e s t a t i o n or n etw o rk , and sh o u ld
alw ays e x e m p lify th e h ig h e s t sta n d a rd s o f c o u r te s y and con
d u ct. P e r so n a l p r o f i t and s e l f - g l o r i f i c a t i o n in th e name
o f r e l i g i o n have no p la c e in r e l i g i o u s b r o a d c a s t in g . ^

S t a t io n c o v e r a g e .--A s m entioned ab ove, a f t e r 28 weeks on WJZ-TV

in New York C it y , on December 3 , 1950, " F a ith f o r Today" was p la c e d on a
1 0 - s t a t io n ABC netw ork e a s t o f th e Rocky M ountains, th e r e b e in g no c a b le
p ro v id in g d i r e c t tr a n s m is sio n to the P a c i f i c C oast a t th a t tim e .
Seven weeks l a t e r , on January 2 1 , 1951, a "w estern" e d i t i o n o f
"F aith f o r Today" was r e le a s e d in Los A n g e le s,

and a k in e s c o p ic r e c o r d

in g o f th e " e a ster n " program was a ir e d in San F r a n c is c o , b r in g in g th e

s t a t io n count to 12.
The s t a t i o n s were lo c a t e d s t r a t e g i c a l l y t o in s u r e a t l e a s t one
o u t le t w ith in th e t e r r i t o r y o f each union c o n fe r e n c e in th e North
American D iv is io n o f th e church, w ith th e e x c e p t io n o f th e Canadian

^Operating Board M in u tes, May 14, 1959, 1.

2

The Los A n geles program was in d e p e n d e n tly produced by H. M. S.

Richards and h i s V oice o f Prophecy ra d io group. They b r o a d c a st a s e p a r
a te e d it io n o f " F aith f o r Today" from J an u ary, 1 9 5 1 , u n t i l th e s p r in g o f
1952, u t i l i z i n g an " o ld fa s h io n e d B ib le stu d y" form at o r ig in a t e d by
R ichards. A l i v i n g room s e t was c o n s tr u c te d , and a c a s t o f " n eigh b ors"
gath ered w eek ly to d is c u s s B i b l i c a l t o p ic s o f c u r r e n t i n t e r e s t m o stly
young A d v e n tist m in is t e r s , t h e i r w iv e s , and a s s o r te d p h o to g e n ic laymen.
Richards would open th e program by s t a r t in g a d is c u s s io n , du rin g which
view ers w ould te le p h o n e in q u e s t io n s , tak en down on-cam era and immedi
a t e ly d is c u s s e d by th e group. C a lls were r e c e iv e d from as f a r away as
San D iego. T his w r it e r was p r i v il e g e d to be a p a r t ic ip a n t on two such
programs. On O ct. 2 5 , 1951, th e TV Commission (m in u te s, a c tio n 5 1 -3 7 )
v o ted to have th e "w estern" group produce 13 h a lf -h o u r dram atic shows
fo r summer r ep la ce m e n t, both e a s t and w e s t, f r e e in g F agal and R ichards
fo r camp m eetin g i t i n e r a r i e s . At summer's en d , R ichards retu rn ed to
f u ll- t i m e r a d io b r o a d c a s tin g , w h ile Fagal took o v er th e "w estern" " F aith
fo r Today," th u s p r e s e n tin g one u n if ie d program o v er th e e n t i r e t r a n s
c o n tin e n ta l n etw ork.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

U n io n .1

T his was done d e l i b e r a t e l y by church o f f i c i a l s in W ashington,

in ord er t o gu a ra n tee a b r o a d , n a t io n a l b a s e i n f i n a n c i a l and moral

support f o r th e new v e n tu r e .

I n i t i a l l y , th e A d v e n tis ts th ou gh t o n ly i n term s o f p a id o u t l e t s
fo r " F aith f o r Today"; and as funds were l i m i t e d , and t e l e v i s i o n tim e
q u ite e x p e n s iv e even in th o s e e a r ly d a y s , th e s t a t i o n count on th e b a s i c
network rem ained fr o z e n f o r a l i t t l e more th an one y e a r .

Then, in

February, 1952, a rem arkable break th rou gh was a c h ie v e d .

Three S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t m i n is t e r s , E ld e r s C a r ly le N e ls o n ,
Dan Klam, and S id n ey E n g lis h , w orking w ith a layman from New B e r lin , New
York, a Mr. Chapin by name, had approached th e management o f S t a t io n WKTV
in U tic a , New York, a t th e tu rn o f th e y e a r to in q u ir e i f k in e sc o p e
reco rd in g s o f th e t e l e c a s t m ight be b r o a d c a s t on a p u b lic s e r v i c e b a s i s .
The s t a t i o n agreed to c a r r y th e program a t 1 2 :0 0 noon each Sunday w ith
out ch a rg e, thus a c h ie v in g th e d i s t i n c t i o n o f b ecom in g th e f i r s t " free"
s t a t io n to do s o .^
F agal and members o f h is board were q u ick to s e e in t h i s new
developm ent a P r o v id e n t ia l o p en in g whereby s t a t i o n co v era g e th rou gh ou t
the cou n try m ight be r a p id ly expanded; and on F ebruary 1 2 , 1952, th e
o p e r a tin g board v o te d :
That we do e v e r y th in g i n our power to en co u ra g e o u r m in is
t e r s in a rea s where th e r e are t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n s th a t may
be lo o k in g f o r program m a t e r ia l to p r e s e n t F a ith f o r Today,
o f f e r in g k in e s c o p e s o f th e program to th o s e s t a t i o n s fo r
th e ir u s e .4
1
The D e tr o it s t a t i o n p r o v id e d lim it e d c o v er a g e in O n ta rio .
2

F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1 9 6 6 , 6.

^O perating Board M in u tes, Feb. 12, 1 9 5 2 , 2 .

^ I b i d ., a c t io n 5 2 -1 8 .

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r
178
P u b lic - s e r v ic e s t a t i o n c o v er a g e im m ed ia te ly in c r e a s e d dram at
i c a l l y , to p p in g 100 f o r th e f i r s t tim e by May, 19 5 4 , on th e fo u r th
a n n iv er sa ry t e l e c a s t . ' 1'

The seco n d hundred f ig u r e was rea ch ed and p a s s e d

in November, 1962, when th e t o t a l clim b ed to 206 s t a t i o n s .

s t a t io n mark was g a in e d in Septem ber, 1966,

The 2 7 0 -

or a p p ro x im a te ly one o u t o f

every two s t a t i o n s on th e a i r in th e U n ited S t a t e s and Canada (5 9 9 ) a t

th a t tim e .

S t a t io n c o v e r a g e , as w i l l be n o te d by Graph 4 , i s i n a c o n tin u a l
s t a t e o f f l u x o ld s t a t i o n s o c c a s io n a l ly drop th e show, w h ile new o n es
are alw ays b e in g added.

The h ig h p o in t f o r 1967 was rea ch ed i n A p r il,

w ith 269 s t a t i o n s ; and th e a l l - t i m e h ig h o f 286 s t a t i o n s was a c h ie v e d in

March, 1968, from w hich p o in t th e number d e c lin e d to 265 s t a t i o n s in
A p r il, 1969, as th e s e l i n e s a re b e in g w r it t e n .^
Thus th e number o f f r e e s t a t i o n s c o n tin u e d to grow.

By November,

1966, o n ly 24 o f th e 183 s t a t i o n s in th e U n ited S t a t e s , and o n ly n in e o f

th e 80 Canadian s t a t i o n s , c a r r ie d th e t e l e c a s t on a p a id , or sp o n so r e d ,
b a s is . ^
The a c t u a l cash v a lu e o f t h i s f r e e a i r tim e in North A m erica,
computed a t c u r re n t s t a t i o n r a t e s f o r th e c l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f tim e g iv e n
by th e s t a t i o n w ith o u t c h a r g e, amounted to $ 1 ,1 2 3 ,1 6 7 a n n u a lly by

^T e l e - n o t e s , May, 1954, 4 .
2F a ith f o r Today M is c e lla n e o u s R e p o r ts, 1 9 5 0 -6 6 .
a f t e r as M isc e lla n e o u s R e p o r ts.

C ite d h e r e

Dalrym ple I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 4 , 1966, 1.

^ L e tte r from F r a n k lin W. H ud gins, s t a t i o n r e l a t i o n s d ir e c t o r ,
F aith f o r Today, I n c . , New York, May 1 0 , 1969. See a ls o Appendix* C.
5 I b i d . , D ec. 19, 1966, 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

SN0I1U1S

JD a 3 0 Nn N

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Facility, Loma Linda U n iv e rs ity

Graph 4 . "Faith for Today" Television Station Coverage, 1950-1966.

YEAR

C o u rtesy , Scientific C om putation

179

180
Septem ber 14, 1 9 6 6 --a f r e e g i f t to F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , o f more than
one m il lio n d o lla r s a y e a r ! 1
One o f th e few u l t r a h ig h fr e q u e n c y (UHF) s t a t i o n s t o c a rr y th e
program i s WIHS, ch an n el 3 8 , B o sto n , w hich began b r o a d c a s tin g " F a ith f o r
Today" in 1964 - - a modem m ir a c le o f th e e cc u m en ica l a g e , fo r th e
s t a t i o n i s owned and o p e r a te d by th e Roman C a th o lic A r c h d io c e se o f
Boston and i s p e r s o n a lly c o n t r o l le d by R ichard C a rd in a l C ushin g.
L ess than fo u r y e a r s a f t e r g o in g on a n a tio n w id e netw ork in
A m erica, " F a ith f o r Today" began i t s phenom enonal (and h i s t o r i c a l )
in t e r n a t io n a l grow th.

The f i r s t b rea k th ro u g h abroad came in Septem ber,

1954, when S t a t io n DZAQ-TV in M anila became th e f i r s t fo r e ig n o u t l e t to

carry th e t e l e c a s t . ^

Time was p u rch a sed by th e church on t h i s key s t a

t io n a t "The Gateway o f th e Far E a st" ; and, i n i t i a l l y , k in e s c o p e s , w ith

a lo c a l P h ilip p in e a d d ress fo r B ib le c o u r se a p p l i c a t i o n s , were
b r o a d c a s t.5
A U. S . A ir Force s t a t i o n in L im esto n e, M aine, began c a r r y in g
the program as e a r ly as F eb ru ary, 1954;^ and one y e a r l a t e r th e Chap
l a i n s 1 O f f ic e in th e Department o f D efen se w rote from th e Pentagon in
W ashington, r e q u e s t in g p e r m is s io n to u se th e program on t e l e v i s i o n

1I b i d .
^Report c o n ta in e d in GC M in u tes, D ec. 17, 19 6 4 , 9 1 9 .
^On Dec. 5 , 1966, t h i s w r it e r w ro te to C a rd in a l C ushin g, a s k in g
His Eminence co n c er n in g th e c ir c u m sta n c e s su rro u n d in g th e s t a t i o n ' s
d e c is io n v o lu n t a r ily to a c c e p t t h i s P r o te s ta n t t e l e c a s t (w hich announces
i t s S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church s p o n s o r sh ip a t th e end o f ea ch film ) as
a f r e e p u b lic s e r v i c e . The C a rd in a l was a l s o asked f o r a p e r s o n a l e v a lu
a tio n o f th e program as a w hole and P a sto r F a g a l's in d iv id u a l p a r t on i t .
To th e d a te o f w r it in g th e C a rd in a l n e v e r acknow ledged th e l e t t e r .
^T e le - n o t e s , S e p t ., 1954, 1.

5N e u fe ld , 394.

^ T e le -n o te s , F e b ., 1954, 4 .

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181
s t a t i o n s a tta c h e d to o v e r s e a s m il it a r y b a s e s (known as th e Armed F orces
N etw ork ). 1
The program was beamed t o U. S . s e r v i c e p e r so n n e l and t h e i r
f a m ilie s

(and co u ld be p ic k e d up by lo c a l n a t io n a l r e s id e n t s owning TV

s e t s ) from s t a t i o n s in th e A z o r e s, I c e la n d , M orocco, L ib y a , and G reenland

by th e s p r in g o f 1955.

By A ugust, 1960, th e number o f m i l it a r y t r a n s m it te r s around the

w orld had in c r e a s e d to 2 1, in su ch p la c e s as A la sk a (4 s t a t i o n s ) , th e
A zo res, Bermuda, Cuba, E r it r e a , G reenland (3 s t a t i o n s ) , I c e la n d , Labra
d o r, L ib ya, Newfoundland, th e M a rsh a ll I s la n d s , Okinawa, th e Panama
3
Canal Zone, th e P h ilip p in e I s la n d s , P u erto R ic o , and S au di A ra b ia .
The growth o f " F aith f o r Today" o v e r s e a s has o f t e n p a r a lle le d
th e developm ent o f com m ercial t e l e v i s i o n i t s e l f in c e r t a in c o u n t r ie s .
In A u s t r a lia , Guam, and N ig e r ia , f o r exam ple, th e program i s as o ld as
th e t e l e v i s i o n in d u s tr y i t s e l f .
The f i r s t r e g u la r ly s c h e d u le d com m ercial b r o a d c a s tin g in t e l e
v is io n in a l l A u s t r a lia took p la c e a t Sydney on Septem ber 16, 1956.
E x a ctly one week l a t e r , on Septem ber 2 3 , a t 7 p .m ., " F a ith f o r Today"
made h i s t o r y as th e f i r s t r e l i g i o u s " fe a tu r e " program to be b r o a d c a st
"Down U nder."

Three weeks l a t e r , when M elbourne opened i t s f i r s t s t a

tio n (th e seco n d in A u s t r a lia ) , " F a ith f o r Today" was a g a in th e f i r s t

r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t on th a t s t a t i o n .^

^Wendth L e t t e r , Feb. 18, 1965, 1 -2 .

^T e l e - n o t e s , A p r il, 1955, 4 ; i b i d . , J u ly , 1955, 4 .
5I b id . , A u g., 1960, 3.
^ L e tte r from W. R. L. S c r a g g , r a d i o - t e l e v i s i o n s e c r e t a r y , Aus
t r a la s ia n D iv is io n o f S ev en th -d a y A d v e n t is t s , Wahroonga, N. S . W.,
A u s t r a lia , March 2 , 1965, 1 -2 .
(S in c e 1966 Scragg has se r v e d as

I
Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

182
The program h a d , about t h i s same tim e , s c o r e d a n o th e r " f i r s t " in
th e P a c i f i c when, on A ugust 5 , 1 956, S t a t io n KUAM began o p e r a tio n s o f

a s s o c ia t e s e c r e t a r y o f th e r a d i o - t e l e v i s i o n departm ent o f th e G eneral

[World] C onferen ce o f th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church, W ashington, D. C .)
C ited h e r e a f t e r as S cra g g L e t t e r .
C oncerning th e h i s t o r i c a l n a tu r e o f F a ith f o r T od ay's l i n k w ith
t e l e v i s i o n in A u s t r a lia , Scragg e la b o r a t e s :
"The f i r s t r e g u la r t e l e c a s t i n g in A u s t r a lia began Sunday,
S ep t. 16, 1956. The f i r s t r e l i g i o u s programme to b e p r e s e n te d was a
b r i e f d e v o tio n a l m essage g iv e n by B ishop K i r i, th e A n g lica n B ish o p o f
Sydney, on Monday, S e p t . 1 7, a t 6 .5 4 . The programme was o f f i v e m in u tes
d u r a tio n . S im ila r programmes w ere b r o a d c a s t on T u esd ay, W ednesday,
Thursday, and F rid ay o f t h i s w eek. . . . 'F a ith f o r Today' was th e f i r s t
r e g u la r ly produced programme to be r e le a s e d in A u s t r a lia . The o th e r s
were l i v e b r o a d c a s ts o f s h o r t d u r a tio n and d e s ig n e d p u r e ly t o g iv e a
b r i e f s p i r i t u a l m essa g e.
'F a ith f o r Today' was a l s o th e f i r s t sp o n so r ed
r e li g io u s t e l e c a s t in A u s t r a lia .
'F a ith f o r Today' a ls o came on th e a i r
during th e f i r s t week o f t e l e c a s t i n g in A u s t r a lia . T e l e v is io n commenced
in Sydney [pop. 2 m i l l i o n ] , and h en ce 'F a ith f o r Today' was th e f i r s t
programme o f i t s k in d to be t e l e c a s t .
The same h o ld s tr u e f o r th e
second c e n tr e to commence t e l e c a s t i n g , in Melbourne [pop. 1 .7 5 m i l l i o n ] .
In t h is c i t y 'F a ith fo r Today' a g a in was th e f i r s t r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n
programme to be r e le a s e d in th a t a r e a . Apart from th e b r i e f d e v o t io n a l
message t h a t I have a lr e a d y m en tio n ed , no r e l i g i o u s programmes w ere
b r o a d c a st f o r some c o n s id e r a b le tim e .
'F a ith fo r Today' was th e o n ly
r eg u la r f e a tu r e r e l i g i o u s programme on th e a i r .
[T hese two s t a t i o n s
reach alm ost 2 /5 th s o f a l l A u s t r a li a ' s p o p u la t io n .]
"At th e end o f 1956 Sydney [TCN 9] and M elbourne [HSV 7] were
c a rr y in g 'F a ith fo r T o d a y .' Coverage rem ained s t a t i c u n t i l 1959, when
'F a ith f o r Today' was r e le a s e d on a f r e e b a s i s from Channel 6 in P erth
[pop. 3 5 0 ,0 0 0 ] [TVW 6 ] , W estern A u s t r a lia . . . . T h is f r e e t e l e c a s t in
Perth c o n tin u e d f o r a tim e on a f o r t n i g h t l y b a s is and then l a t e r on a
monthly b a s i s .
I t i s c u r r e n t ly n o t o p e r a tin g . In 1961 TCN c e a s e d t o
b r o a d c a st 'F a ith f o r T od ay.'
In 1962 th e f o llo w in g s t a t i o n s w ere added
to our netw ork: OTQ 9 , B risb a n e [pop. 5 0 0 ,0 0 0 ]; NBN 3 , N e w c a s tle ; BCV 8,
B endigo, V ic t o r ia . A ll o f th e s e programmes w ith th e e x c e p t io n o f th e
one in P erth have been p a id f o r . There w ere b r i e f sh ow in gs o f 'F a ith
fo r Today' on a s t a t i o n in H obart, T asm ania, and from Channel 8 i n
Orange, New South W ales. These w ere on a fr e e b a s i s . . . .
" . . . 'F a ith f o r Today' i s b e in g r e p la c e d in A u s t r a lia f o r th e
n ex t tw e lv e months la r g e l y by th e ' I t I s W r itte n ' t e l e c a s t .
T h is i s no
r e f l e c t i o n on 'F a ith f o r Today' w hich we a n t i c i p a t e w i l l be r e - e s t a b l i s h e d
a f t e r a tw elve-m on th p e r io d . However, we have f e l t th e need t o v a ry our
programme and s in c e we must p u rch a se tim e in A u s t r a lia , have d e c id e d to
make u se o f ' I t I s W r itte n ' f o r a p e r io d ."
( I b i d . , 1 - 3 .)
(" F a ith f o r Today" d id n o t r e tu r n t o th e A u s tr a lia n a irw a v es in
1966, as a n t ic ip a t e d by S c r a g g , f o r " I t I s W ritten" rem ained on th e a ir

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183
Agana on th e is l a n d o f Guam th e o n ly s t a t i o n s e r v in g t h i s key U. S .
m ilit a r y and n a v a l base.'*'
week o f b r o a d c a s tin g .

" F a ith f o r Today" was a ir e d d u rin g th e f i r s t

The f i r s t TV s t a t i o n in a l l A f r ic a so u th o f th e Sahara opened a t

Ibadan, N ig e r ia , on O ctober 1, 1960, th e day upon w hich th a t form er
B r it is h c o lo n y and p r o t e c t o r a t e r e c e iv e d h e r in d ep en d e n c e.

On Novem

b er 6 , " F aith f o r Today" was laun ch ed as th e f i r s t r e g u la r w eek ly

r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t o v e r S t a t io n WNTV t h e r e .

For many months " F a ith f o r Today" rem ained th e o n ly w eek ly

r e l i g i o u s program on th a t s t a t i o n , th e B a p t is t s s p o n s o r in g th e o n ly
o th er r e l i g i o u s program once m on thly.
In November, 1962, th e A d v e n tis t c h u r c h 's South American D i v i
s io n began a P o r tu g u e se -la n g u a g e v e r s io n o f " F a ith f o r T o d a y , f e a t u r i n g
a B r a z ilia n m in is t e r and h i s w i f e , P a s to r and Mrs. Compolongo,^ on
S ta tio n TUPI in Sao P a u lo ,^ - - t h e f i r s t P r o t e s t a n t and n on govem m en tsp on sored r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t to be s e e n in a l l South Am erica!

The r e s p o n se to t h i s t e l e c a s t , w hich fo llo w e d th e form at p i o

n eered in North America by P a s to r and Mrs. F a g a l, was im m ediate and

as th e S even th -d ay A d v e n tis t t e l e c a s t w e l l through 1968, b e c a u se o f

e x c e p t io n a lly good v ie w e r r e sp o n se e l i c i t e d by s e v e r a l d e v ic e s n e v e r
used by th e F agal program: lo c a l te le p h o n e an sw erin g s e r v ic e f o r p o s t
program c a l l s to o b ta in premium g i f t b o o k s, e t c .
" F a ith f o r Today" i s
e x p e c te d , h ow ever, to r e p la c e " I t Is W ritten" a t some tim e betw een Aug.
and D e c ., 1968. I n te r v ie w w ith W alter R. L. S c r a g g , Red D eer, A lb e r ta ,
Canada, J u ly 16, 1968, 1 .)
1
?
T e l e - n o t e s , J a n ., 19 6 2 , 1.
N e u fe ld , 394.
3
T e l e - n o t e s , J a n ., 1961,
1. T h is w r i t e r , l i v i n g in N ig e r ia a t
t h is tim e , was p r i v i l e g e d to have p a r t on two programs by p r o v id in g a
l i v e in tr o d u c tio n to th e film e d p r e s e n t a t io n .
N e u f e l d , 394.

^T e l e - n o t e s , J u n e, 1963, 8.

6 I b i d . , J u ly , 1962, 8.

7N e u fe ld , 394.

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184
g r a tify in g .

B r a z il, th e fo u r th l a r g e s t n a t io n , by p o p u la tio n , in th e

w orld , was th e f i r s t co u n try in South A m erica, i n c i d e n t a l l y , w ith more

than one m il l i o n t e l e v i s i o n sets.'* '
In th e Far E a s t , " F a ith f o r T oday," in E n g lis h , was b r o a d c a s t in
2
S eoul on S t a t io n HLKZ-TV, K o rea 's o n ly t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n , in 1962.
On
J u ly 14 o f th e f o llo w in g y e a r , th e American program , h o s te d by P a s to r
and Mrs. F a g a l, was shown in S e o u l w ith a d u bbed-in sound t r a c k - - n o t
m erely a Korean t r a n s la t io n o f th e E n g lis h d ia lo g u e , but Korean d ia lo g u e
" lip -s y n c " to th e American a c t o r s ' l i p movements!

The new h y b r id p r o

gram was e n t h u s i a s t i c a l l y r e c e iv e d by many among th e two m il lio n

p o p u la tio n se r v e d by t h i s s t a t i o n .

S t a t io n d e c lin e :

ca u se and c u r e . W hile l i t e r a l l y making

t e l e v i s i o n h i s t o r y ab road, " F a ith f o r Today" began t o s u f f e r from a t t r i

t io n o f v a r io u s k in d s a t home.

From a h ig h o f 162 s t a t i o n s reach ed in

March, 1957, th e cou n t began to drop d r a s t i c a l l y o v e r a tw o -y e a r p e r io d

to a low o f 125 s t a t i o n s by March, 1959.

(S ee Graph 4 .)

The ca u ses o f s t a t i o n d e c l i n e , th en and s u b s e q u e n tly , were

s e v e r a l:

(1) By th e m id d le 1 9 5 0 s , " F a ith f o r Today" no lo n g e r en jo y ed

the c o n s id e r a b le ad van tage o f b e in g v i r t u a l l y th e o n ly h ig h - q u a lit y

r e l i g i o u s program a v a ila b le to TV s t a t i o n program d i r e c t o r s .^

1I b i d . , J u ly , 1962, 8 .
^ I b id . , J u ly ,

Now th e r e

2 I b i d . , O c t ., 1962, 8.

1963, 8 .

^"This i s th e L i f e ," a M isso u r i-S y n o d Lutheran p r o d u c tio n which

i s " F aith fo r T oday's" b i g g e s t c o m p e tito r to d a y , was a ir e d f i r s t in th e
autumn o f 1952 on s i x s t a t i o n s . On O ct. 2 , 1966, when i t made i t s c o lo r
d eb u t, i t was b e in g b r o a d c a s t o v e r 376 s t a t i o n s in N orth A m erica, C en tra l
Am erica, A u s t r a lia , E urope, and A f r ic a . The program does n o t p u rch ase
any a i r tim e ( in N orth A m erica ), r e c e i v i n g more than $3 m il l io n s in pub
l i c s e r v ic e f r e e tim e from t h e s e s t a t i o n s .
The Synod b u d g ets
ap p roxim ately $80 0 ,0 0 0 a n n u a lly , p r o d u cin g 26 new programs each

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185
were a grow ing number o f o th e r p r o f e s s i o n a l l y produced programs com petin g
w ith th e F agal t e l e c a s t ; by J a n u a ry , 1961, th e y would number more th an

(2) The t e l e c a s t had no p ro m o tio n a l r e p r e s e n t a t iv e o u t in th e

f i e l d to c o n ta c t s t a t i o n s , e x h ib i t sam ple f i l m s , and e x p la in th e i n s t i
t u t io n a l f a c i l i t i e s b a ck in g th e program .
(3) S t a t i o n s , w hich once had d i f f i c u l t y f i l l i n g a l l t h e i r tim e
s l o t s in t e l e v i s i o n ' s e a r ly d a y s, now were f in d in g i t in c r e a s in g ly
e a s ie r to s e l l tim e to com m ercial b u y e r s - - s o why g iv e i t away fr e e ?
S im u lta n e o u sly , as a c o n seq u e n c e, th e amount o f f r e e tim e d ev o ted to
r e li g io u s programming was s h r in k in g m arkedly (w h ile more programs than
e v e r were tr y in g t o s e c u r e i t ) .
(4) Many s t a t i o n s began to r e f u s e even to s e l l tim e t o any
r e li g io u s group.

New p o l i c i e s s t r i n g e n t l y li m i t i n g both th e amount o f

tim e d evoted to r e l i g i o n

( f o r w hich most th en made no charge) and th e

s p e c i f i c programs w hich th e y w ere w i l l i n g to ca rry were ad op ted .

For

exam ple, S t a t io n WBKB, th e ABC a f f i l i a t e in C h icago, dropped " F a ith f o r

Today" in th e autumn o f 1 9 6 0 - - a f t e r c a r r y in g th e program f o r a f u l l
decade.

The s t a t i o n now was d e v o tin g o n ly 90 m inutes p e r week to r e l i

g io n ; t h i s would be d iv id e d among a l l r e l i g i o n s

(th e o r e tic a lly ), fr e e ,

and on a r o t a t io n a l b a s i s , th u s e f f e c t i v e l y p r e c lu d in g any program o f

havin g a s u s ta in e d c o n t in u it y and ex p o su re o f any a p p r e c ia b le le n g th .
In l a t e 1 9 6 2 , th e ABC netw ork r u le d t h a t i t would no lo n g e r s e l l
tim e to any r e l i g i o u s group; and i t p ro ced ed fo r th w ith to c a n c e l i t s

year.
(L e tte r from Eugene R. B etterm an , e x e c u t iv e s e c r e t a r y , Lutheran
T e le v is io n P r o d u c tio n s , S t . L o u is , M o., O ct. 14, 1 9 6 6 .)
^ T e le -n o te s , J a n ., 1961, 7.

^ I b id . , N o v ., 1960, 7.

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186
c o n tr a c ts w ith " F a ith f o r Today" f o r th e o u t l e t s in Los A n g e le s, San
F r a n c is c o , and D e t r o it .^ The W ashington, D. C ., o u t l e t dropped " F a ith f o r Today" w ith th e
Septem ber 2 9 , 1963, b r o a d c a s t.

H e n c e fo r th , i t s a i d , i t w ould c a rr y o n ly

o n e - h a lf hour o f r e l i g i o n on Sunday.

(5 ) In some m e tr o p o lita n c e n t e r s , a i r tim e f o r r e l i g i o u s program

ming was now s c h e d u le d through th e o f f i c e s o f th e l o c a l C ou n cil o f
Churches (w hich g e n e r a lly means th a t " F a ith fo r Today" i s o v e r lo o k e d ,
s in c e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t p a s to r s are seldom i n v i t e d to j o in th e lo c a l
C o u n c il), r a th e r than by th e s t a t i o n management.

By 19 6 5 , " F a ith fo r

Today" was e x c lu d e d from 15 o f th e 50 la r g e s t t e l e v i s i o n m arkets in th e

U n ited S t a t e s

(w ith a t o t a l p o p u la tio n o f 60 m i l l i o n s ) ; and P h ila d e lp h ia

jo in e d C hicago and W ashington as th e t h ir d c i t y o f th e o r i g i n a l netw ork

to " fr e e z e " coverage o f th e t e l e c a s t . ^
(6) Among s t a t i o n s w i l l i n g t o s e l l tim e t o r e l i g i o n , th e r e was
th e problem o f e v e r - in c r e a s in g r a t e s , a hardy p e r e n n ia l among th e weeds
in F aith f o r T oday's garden o f problem s!
1965,

For exam p le, r a t e in c r e a s e s in

o v e r 1954 a lo n e , ranged betw een 18% and 86%.^

(7 ) In Canada,

in th e f a l l o f 1961, th e Board o f B road cast

Governors (w hich c o n s t i t u t e s th e c o u n te r p a r t o f th e U. S . F ed eral Com

m u n ication s Commission) is s u e d a new r u lin g th a t 55% o f a l l programming

^"Operating Board M in u tes, D ec. 1 2 , 19 6 2 , a c t io n 6 2 -7 0 .

2T e l e - n o t e s , S e p t ., 1963, 5 .
3
R eport by W illiam A. F a g a l, B a t t le Creek T ab ern a cle
Church], B a t t le C reek, M ic h ., Feb. 6 , 1965, 5 .

[SDA

W illia m A. F a g a l, "A C a ll to P ra y er," Columbia Union V i s i t o r ,

Jan. 2 8 , 1965, 1, 3.
5T e l e - n o t e s , F e b ., 1965, 2.

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187
must be C a n a d ia n -o r ig in a te d a d e c is i o n w hich v i t a l l y a f f e c t e d " F a ith
f o r Today as w e ll as a l l o th e r r e l i g i o u s programs em anating from o u t
s id e the Dominion.'*'
(8)

A f i n a l p rob lem , w hich does n o t a f f e c t th e number o f s t a t i o n s

c a rry in g th e program , b u t does a f f e c t th e p o t e n t i a l s i z e o f th e v ie w in g

a u d ien ce, i s th e problem a r i s i n g from b e in g r e le g a t e d to e x tr e m e ly
u n fa v o r a b le hours f o r r e l e a s e o f th e t e l e c a s t .

In November, 1966, a

t o t a l o f 58 s t a t i o n s r e le a s e d th e program b etw een 1 :3 5 a.m . and 8 :0 0 a.m .

w h ile th r e e o th e r s r e le a s e d i t b etw een 10:00 p.m . and 11:30 p .m .- - a
t o t a l o f 23.2% o f a l l th e 263 s t a t i o n s c a r r y in g th e program in N orth
America.

S e v e r a l s u c c e s s iv e (and s u c c e s s f u l) e f f o r t s t o im prove co v era g e

fo r th e t e l e c a s t were u n d erta k en .
Cl) Toward th e end o f 1955, th e d e c is i o n was made to go to f ilm
w ith th e advent o f th e new y e a r .

Only s i x o f th e c u r r e n t 130 s t a t i o n s

c a r r ie d th e program l i v e from th e netw ork; th o s e rem a in in g u t i l i z e d

k in esc o p e r e c o r d in g s on w hich th e sound was o f t e n d i s t o r t e d and g a r b le d
and p ic tu r e q u a l i t y was c o n s id e r a b ly i n f e r i o r t o th a t o f f i l m .
Many s t a t i o n s , w ith r i s i n g sta n d a rd s o f p r o f e s s io n a lis m , were
in c r e a s in g ly r e lu c t a n t to a c c e p t th e " k inneys" f o r b r o a d c a s t; and F agal
was e q u a lly r e lu c t a n t t o c i r c u l a t e them.
Film had s e v e r a l a d v a n ta g e s.

I t p r o v id e d more v e r s a t i l i t y

sce n e s co u ld be produced and p h otographed in h o s p i t a l s , p u b lic b u i ld i n g s ,

on c i t y s t r e e t s .

" F lu f f s ," r e s u l t i n g from th e p r e s s u r e s o f l i v e

^I b i d . , S e p t . , 1961, 3.
^ F a ith f o r Today S t a t io n Log, N o v .-D e c ., 1966.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

b r o a d c a stin g (and im m o rta lize d f o r e t e r n i t y on th e k in e s c o p e r e c o r d in g s )

cou ld now be s y s t e m a t ic a l ly e lim in a te d through r e - t a k e s .

[S ee F ig . 14]

A lso , f l e x i b i l i t y in s h o o tin g s c h e d u le s , as w e ll as i n p r o d u c tio n , was a

p lu s - f a c t o r w h ich , c o n s id e r in g P a s to r F a g a l's e v e r in c r e a s in g t r a v e l
commitments, c o u ld n o t be ig n o r e d .

There w ould be a v a ila b le th e c o u n se l

o f p r o f e s s io n a l cin e m a to g r a p h er s, whose main i n t e r e s t was t o produ ce a

p r o f e s s io n a l program [s e e F ig . 1 5 ]; and w ith b u rg eo n in g e x p a n sio n o f
o v e rse a s s t a t i o n s now, th e move t o f ilm was as n e c e s s a r y as i t was
l o g i c a l .*
T hus, in Jan u ary, 1956, th e o ld k in e s c o p e r e c o r d in g s w ere d i s
carded, and F a ith f o r Today went t o f ilm - - o n e o f th e f i r s t r e l i g i o u s
t e l e c a s t s in th e U n ited S t a t e s to u t i l i z e t h i s medium.

H a p p ily , th e

sw itc h a c t u a lly h e lp e d th e o r g a n iz a tio n to sa v e money, as w e ll as t o

p rovid e h ig h - q u a lit y , d i s t o r t i o n - f r e e p r i n t s .

The b e t t e r q u a lit y o f

rep ro d u ctio n in h e r e n t in f il m u n d o u b ted ly was one f a c t o r in b o o s t in g th e

number o f s t a t i o n s w i l l i n g to c a rr y th e program a t home and ab road .^
(2)

In Jan u ary , 1963, " F a ith f o r Today" was f i r s t r e le a s e d in

c o lo r th e f i r s t r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t in th e U n ited S t a t e s th u s a v a ila b le .^
T his h e lp e d h o ld o ld s t a t i o n s and g a in new o n e s .

In d e e d , one s t a t i o n i n

Madison, W isco n sin , w hich had c a r r ie d th e program a f u l l te n y e a r s in

the m id-W est, and had n o t y e t b een s e r v ic e d w ith c o lo r p r i n t s , c a lle d
the New York t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te rs in J u n e, 1966, s a y in g th a t i f a c o lo r
p r in t were n o t s e n t f o r th e n e x t Sunday's r e l e a s e , th e y w ould lo o k f o r

^T e l e - n o t e s , J a n ., 1956, 1; Fenn, 3 3 -3 4 .
2

F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 6 .

^
Fenn, 3 3 -3 4 .

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 6 .
5Wendth L e t t e r , Feb. 18, 1965, 2 .

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189

Fig. 14. "C lap -B o ard " p o ise d a s d irec to r O tis C av rell p re p a re s to o rd e r ca m e ra m a n to " ro ll" in
filming S cene 1,T ake 1, of a com m ercial for Faith for T o d ay 's Bible co rresp o n d e n ce school (1961).

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

3 r

190

Fig. 15. V ete ran c in e m a to g ra p h e r Ira C a v rell su g g e sts a n ew w ay of doing sc en e a t C h a rte r O ak

Tele-Pictures, Inc., studio in M an h attan (1964).

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

191
another program .

The y e a r 1966 w i l l be remembered a s th e y e a r when

c o lo r r e a l l y came to th e f o r e .

In J a n u a ry , 20 s t a t i o n s c a r r ie d " F a ith

fo r Today" in c o lo r ; in December th e number had in c r e a s e d to 122 (e x c lu d

ing s a t e l l i t e s ) - - a n d F a ith fo r Today, I n c . , c lo s e d th e y e a r w ith a
$15,000 d e f i c i t (a b la c k -a n d -w h ite p r in t c o s t $27; a c o lo r p r i n t , $ 1 1 0 ).^
(3) As e a r ly as J u ly , 1956, th e T r u ste e s had se e n th e n eed f o r a
f u ll- t i m e s t a t i o n r e l a t i o n s r e p r e s e n t a t iv e in th e f i e l d and had c r e a te d
such a p o s t

(a lth o u g h i t was n o t f i l l e d f o r s e v e r a l y e a r s ) .

Some work

in t h i s area was done by E rn est N. W en d th --F a g a l*s c o l le g e freshm an

dorm itory roommatewho jo in e d th e t e l e c a s t s t a f f in 1957 as a p u b lic
r e la t io n s d ir e c t o r ,
s t a t io n c o v e r a g e .

in an attem pt t o r e v e r s e th e d r a s t ic d e c lin e in

Working w ith Don A. Roth o f W ashington, D. C ., Wendth

was so s u c c e s s f u l in h i s e f f o r t s t h a t in J a n u a ry , 1960, th e T r u ste e s

ap p oin ted him as th e f i r s t f u l l - t i m e s t a t i o n r e l a t i o n s d ir e c t o r .

Under Wendth*s im a g in a tiv e d ir e c t i o n , and t h a t o f h i s s u c c e s s o r

in th e s p r in g o f 1966, F ra n k lin W. H udgins, a n o th e r form er p u b lic r e l a
tio n s p r a c t i t i o n e r ,^ th e number o f s t a t i o n s c a r r y in g th e t e l e c a s t began
to r i s e , to an a l l - t i m e h ig h o f 270 s t a t i o n s in Septem ber, 1966.
(4) In 1958, th e T r u ste e s p u b l i c l y r e c o g n iz e d th e need f o r
" p o s s ib le changes in

[program] form at," ^ in an a ttem p t to in c r e a s e th e

^Report by W illia m A. F a g a l, S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church,

B errien S p r in g s , M ich ., Feb. 11, 1967; c f . "The I n s id e S to ry o f F a ith
fo r Today in Q u e stio n s and A nsw ers," pam phlet p u b lis h e d by FFT in 1966.
2M in u tes, FFT Board o f T r u s t e e s , J u ly 15, 1956, a c tio n 5 6 -2 6 .
C ited h e r e a f t e r as T r u ste e s M inutes.
3GC M in u tes, June

13, 1957, 899.

^ T ru stee M inutes,

Jan. 13, 1 9 6 0 , a c t io n 6 0 -4 .

^T e l e - n o t e s , May,

1966, 3 , 6 .

^ T ru stee M in u tes,

March 2 4 , 1958, 1.

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192
the ap p eal o f th e program b o th t o v ie w e r s and t o s t a t i o n management; and
fo u r te e n months l a t e r F agal r e p o r te d back to th e board t h a t new program
form ats s u b s e q u e n tly ad op ted in c lu d e d in t e r v ie w s , B ib le s t o r i e s , m u sic a l
program s, and t r a v e lo g u e s .*
5
;

The e v o lu t i o n o f " F a ith f o r T oday's" p r o

gram form at w i l l be d is c u s s e d a t g r e a t e r le n g th b e lo w .

In s p i t e o f v i c i s s i t u d e s , h ow ever, th e t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y o f
P a sto r and Mrs. W illia m A. F agal has n e v e r t h e le s s b een b o th t r u l y d i s -

t i n c t i v e and h i s t o r i c , in e x t r i c a b l y bound up as i t h a s b een w ith th e

;
!
i

developm ent o f th e t e l e v i s i o n in d u s tr y i t s e l f , b o th in th e U n ited S t a t e s

and in many major f o r e ig n n a t io n s , and w ith th e developm ent o f r e l i g i o u s

t e l e v i s i o n programming g e n e r a ll y .

I
;

The g lo b a l w eek ly a u d ien ce f o r "F aith f o r Today" a t th e c l o s e o f

1966 was e s t im a te d a t 15 m il l i o n v ie w e r s .

I
\

E v o lu tio n o f fo r m a t. --Many o f th e church o f f i c i a l s who had d i s approved o f th e d e n o m in a tio n 's o r i g i n a l e n tr y i n t o t e l e v i s i o n were

fu r th e r s c a n d a liz e d by " F a ith f o r T oday's" a d o p tio n , r ig h t from th e
s t a r t , o f a d ram atic fo rm a t.

The f a c t t h a t th e 15-m inute s k i t was f o l

lowed by a fiv e -m in u t e s e r m o n e tt e - -w ith m usic and a "com m ercial" f o r th e

B ib le corresp on d en ce c o u r se t o round out th e h a lf - h o u r - - d id l i t t l e

to

m o llif y t h e i r s e n s e o f o u tr a g e .

^O perating Board M in u tes, May 1 4 , 1959, 1.

2

L e t t e r from F r a n k lin W. H u d gin s, March 8, 1 9 6 7 , 1. In 1965,

when th e e s tim a te d w eek ly v ie w in g a u d ien ce s to o d a t 10 m i l l i o n , an e n t e r
p r is in g F a ith f o r Today p u b lic r e l a t i o n s a id e e s tim a te d t h a t " P a sto r
Fagal would have to t a lk c o n tin u o u s ly 24 hours a day f o r 2 ,0 0 0 y e a r s , i f
he wanted t o p e r s o n a lly g iv e o n ly h i s f iv e -m in u t e se r m o n e tte t o each p e r
son who has w atched th e program" up u n t i l th e n .
(" A d d itio n a l F a c ts on
F a ith f o r Today," mimeographed f a c t s h e e t , p u b lic r e l a t i o n s d ep artm en t,
F a ith fo r Today, I n c . , New York [u n d a ted , c . 1 9 6 5 ].)

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis ts are an u l t r a - c o n s e r v a t i v e group w ith in

P r o te s ta n t C h risten d o m 's " fu n d a m en ta list" w ing who eschew su ch "w orldly"
v ic e s as a l c o h o l , to b a c c o , d a n cin g , c a r d -p la y in g , and a tten d a n c e a t
cinema and t h e a t e r .

W ith in th e church g r e a t r e s p e c t i s p la c e d upon th e

w r itin g s o f E lle n G. White (1 8 2 7 -1 9 1 5 ),'* who A d v e n tis ts g e n e r a lly

b e lie v e was g iv e n th e g i f t o f p r o p h e tic i n s p i r a t i o n .

For them , th e r e

can be no s tr o n g e r p r o o f - - s a v e from S c r ip tu r e i t s e l f on any p o in t o f

r e l i g i o u s argument than an ap p eal to th e volum es w h ic h , among th e m s e lv e s ,
th ey r e f e r to as th e " S p ir it o f Prophecy" w r i t i n g s .

C f. Horace J . Shaw, "A R h e to r ic a l A n a ly s is o f th e Sp eak ing o f

Mrs. E lle n G. W hite: A P io n e e r L eader and Spokeswoman o f th e S e v e n th day A d v e n tis t Church" (u n p u b lish e d Ph.D . d i s s e r t a t i o n , Department o f
Sp eech, M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , 1 9 5 9 ).
2

E lle n Gould Harmon (who l a t e r became M rs. James W hite) r e c e iv e d

what sh e b e lie v e d to be a s u p e r n a tu r a l m a n if e s t a t io n in D e c ., 1844, a t
the age o f 17. In th e 70 y e a r s w hich f o llo w e d , sh e cla im ed t o have been
the r e c ip i e n t o f some 2 ,0 0 0 s e p a r a te p r o p h e tic dreams and v i s i o n s , th e
in s t r u c t io n and c o u n se l from w hich to d a y f i l l s 54 p u b lis h e d volum es and
4,500 p e r i o d i c a l a r t i c l e s in which are to be fou nd some 7 8 ,0 0 0 s e p a r a te
r e fe r e n c e s to S c r ip t u r e .
(Spence e s t im a t e s th e w o rd -co u n t in th e pub
lis h e d books a t 6 m i l l i o n , and in th e p e r io d i c a l a r t i c l e s a t 19 m il li o n
[p. 3 5 ] .)
Some 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 p ages o f h a n d w r itte n " te stim o n y " from th e pen o f
t h is rem arkable woman are tod ay p r e se r v e d in th e v a u lt o f th e E. G.
White E s t a t e , I n c . , a t th e A d v e n tis t G eneral C o n feren ce h e a d q u a r te rs in
Takoma P ark, W ashington, D. C.
At th e age o f n in e , E lle n Harmon was s tr u c k on th e head by a
rock thrown in a f i t o f anger by a p la y m a te , w hich ren d ered h e r i n v a l i d
and perm an en tly ended h e r form al e d u c a tio n w ith th e fo u r th grade o f
-elem entary s c h o o l. N e v e r t h e le s s , sh e was w e l l rea d f o r a woman o f h e r
day; and h e r w r it t e n works are g e n e r a lly acknow ledged to have an
u n u su a lly lu c id s t y l e and unique l i t e r a r y b e a u ty o f e x p r e s s io n . One
volum e, S tep s t o C h r is t , i s now t r a n s la t e d i n t o some 84 d i f f e r e n t la n
guages ; and The Great C on troversy Between C h r is t and Satan i s now in
more than 30 la n g u a g e s. E lle n W hite w rote w id e ly on an e x tr e m e ly
d iv e r s e number o f t o p ic s in a d d itio n t o th e o lo g y and r e l i g i o n , in c lu d in g
h e a lth and h y g ie n e , n u t r i t i o n , b u s in e s s a d m in is t r a t io n , p h ilo s o p h y ,
h is t o r y , m arriage and th e home, and c h i I d - t r a i n i n g , t o l i s t b u t a few .
She t r a v e l l e d much th rou ghout th e U n ited S t a t e s , and sp e n t two y e a rs in
Europe and n in e in A u s t r a lia . T. House1 J e m is o n 's A P roph et Among You
(se e B ib lio g r a p h y ) i s g e n e r a lly c o n s id e r e d as an e x c e l l e n t and a u t h o r i
t a t i v e accou n t o f h e r l i f e and work.

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194
I t was th u s to Mrs. W hite t h a t th e a n t i-d r a m a t ic opp onents o f
W illiam F ag a l and h i s p ro g ra m -p la n n ers tu rn ed f o r t h e i r c o n c lu s iv e argu
m ents.

Nor d id th e y n eed t o s e a r c h f a r to f in d d e n u n c ia to r y p a s s a g e s

a g a in s t th e t h e a t e r and t h in g s t h e a t r i c a l .

In 1 8 8 1 , sh e w r o te:

Among th e m ost dangerous r e s o r t s f o r p le a s u r e i s th e

t h e a t e r . I n s te a d o f b e in g a s c h o o l o f m o r a lit y and v i r t u e ,
as i s so o f t e n c la im e d , i t i s th e v e ry h o tb e d o f im m o r a lity .
V ic io u s h a b it s and s i n f u l p r o p e n s it ie s a re s tr e n g th e n e d and
con firm ed by t h e s e e n te r ta in m e n ts . Low s o n g s , lewd g e s t u r e s ,
e x p r e s s io n s , and a t t i t u d e s , deprave th e im a g in a tio n and
debase th e m o r a ls. E very y o u th who h a b i t u a l l y a tte n d s such
e x h ib it io n s w i l l be c o r r u p te d i n p r i n c i p l e .
There i s no
in f lu e n c e in our lan d more p o w e r fu l t o p o is o n th e im a g in a
t i o n , to d e s tr o y r e l i g i o u s im p r e s s io n s , and t o b lu n t th e
r e l i s h f o r th e t r a n q u il p le a s u r e s and s o b e r r e a l i t i e s o f
l i f e than t h e a t r i c a l am usem ents. . . . The o n ly s a f e c o u r se
i s to shun th e t h e a t e r . . . A
Mrs. White c o n s id e r e d a tte n d a n c e a t th e t h e a t e r "a s p e c i e s o f
id o l a t r y , a s a c r i f i c e upon i d o l a l t a r s , "

and in " d ir e c t o p p o s it io n to

the [ p r in c ip le s c o n ta in e d in th e ] te a c h in g s o f C h r is t and th e a p o s t l e s ."

She d e c la r e d th a t "the b l e s s i n g o f God w ould n o t be in v o k ed upon th e

hour sp e n t a t th e th e a t e r " ;

f o r su ch " d e m o r a liz in g amusements"

benumbing men's s e n s i b i l i t i e s , "

a r it y w ith s i n ."

"are

and " th e mind i s ed u ca ted to f a m i l i -

The te n d e n c y o f th e t h e a t r e , sh e h e ld , was to

T e stim o n ie s f o r th e Church, V o l. IV (M ountain V iew , C a l i f . :

P a c if i c P r e ss P u b lis h in g A s s o c ia t io n , 1 9 4 8 ), 6 5 2 -5 3 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r
sim p ly as T e s tim o n ie s ; p u b l i s h e r ' s name h e r e a f t e r a b b r e v ia te d s im p ly as
PPPA, lo c a t io n o m itte d .
^L ife S k etch es o f E lle n G. W hite (PPPA, 1 9 1 5 ), 351.
3

T e s tim o n ie s , I , 5 5 4 .

^The A d v e n tis t Home ( N a s h v ille : S ou th ern P u b lis h in g A s s o c ia t io n ,

1 9 5 2 ), 516. P u b lis h e r 's name h e r e a f t e r a b b r e v ia te d sim p ly SPA, lo c a t i o n
o m itted .
^Fundamentals o f C h r is tia n E d u ca tio n (SPA, 1 9 2 3 ), 31 8 .
^Temperance (PPPA, 1 9 4 9 ), 2 5 3 .

^The A d v e n tis t Home, 40 6 .

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195
s tim u la te e v e r y p a s s io n to in t e n s e a c t i v i t y " ; ^ and sh e went so f a r as
to urge A d v e n tis t e v a n g e l i s t s t h a t w h erever p o s s i b l e th e y sh o u ld a v o id
u sin g t h e a t r e b u ild in g s when s e a r c h in g f o r h a l l s in w hich to h o ld t h e i r
p u b lic m e e tin g s .^
In th e conduct o f t h e i r p u b lic s e r v i c e s , Mrs. W hite fu r th e r
co u n se led A d v e n tis t m in is t e r s t o "keep as f a r from th e t h e a t r i c a l and
7
th e e x tr a o r d in a r y as C h r is t k ep t in H is w ork."
"We are n o t to ape th e
w orld in any r e s p e c t .
C h r is t.

. .

We a re t o fo llo w c l o s e l y th e f o o t s t e p s o f

"Our s u c c e s s w i l l depend on c a r r y in g forw ard th e work

in th e s i m p l i c i t y in w hich C h r is t c a r r ie d i t fo rw a rd , w ith o u t any

t h e a t r ic a l d is p la y ," ^ sh e add ed , " fo r t h i s w i l l n o t h e lp to s tr e n g th e n
b e l i e f in th e word o f God.

R a th er, i t w i l l d iv e r t a t t e n t io n to th e

human in str u m en t." ^

Commenting upon e v a n g e lic a l a c t i v i t y in th e " la r g e c i t i e s , " Mrs.
White d e c la r e d th a t t h i s " is to be done a f t e r C h r is t 's o r d e r , n o t a f t e r
the ord er o f a t h e a t r i c a l p erform an ce; [f o r ] i t i s n o t [ t h i s ]

. . . th a t

g l o r i f i e s God, b u t th e p r e s e n t a t io n o f th e tr u th in th e lo v e o f C h r is t."
T riu m p h an tly, th e a n ti-d r a m a tic fo r c e s crowned t h e i r lo n g l i s t
o f s im ila r q u o ta tio n s w ith t h i s c lin c h e r :
Not one j o t o r t i t t l e o f a n y th in g t h e a t r i c a l i s to be
brought i n t o our work. God's cau se i s to have a s a c r e d ,
h e a v e n ly m old. . . . L et n o th in g o f a t h e a t r i c a l n a tu r e be
p e r m itte d , f o r t h i s would s p o i l th e s a c r e d n e s s o f th e
work. . . . In my very f i r s t la b o r s th e m essage was g iv e n
th a t a l l t h e a t r i c a l perform ances in c o n n e c tio n w ith th e

^C h r is t 's O b ject L essons (PPPA, 1 9 0 0 ), 5 4 .

2

E van gelism (W ashington, D. C .: Review and H erald P u b lis h in g

A s s o c ia tio n , 1 9 4 6 ), 39. P u b lis h e r 's name h e r e a f t e r a b b r e v ia te d RH,
lo c a tio n o m itte d .
3I b id . , 396.

4I b id . , 139.

^ S e le c t e d M essages (RH, 1 9 5 8 ), I I , 2 4 .

5I b id .
^ T e stim o n ie s, IX , 142.

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196
p r e a c h in g o f p r e s e n t tr u t h w ere t o be d isc o u r a g e d and
fo r b id d e n . . . . These p e r fo r m a n c es, w hich sa v o red o f th e
t h e a t r i c a l , w ere t o have no p la c e in th e p ro cla m a tio n o f
th e solem n m essages e n tr u s te d to u s . l
Not a l l o f th e d is c u s s i o n , u n fo r tu n a te ly , was k ep t on a h ig h ,
im p erson al p la n e .

O c c a s io n a lly opponents would d escen d t o th e ad hominem,

w ith such unkind t h r u s t s a t th e sp ea k er on " F a ith f o r Today" as th e f o l

low ing te s tim o n y , d e liv e r e d by Mrs. W hite t o an e v a n g e l is t in 1904 th e
la t t e r - d a y i n t e n t o f w hich by th e a n t i- d r a m a t is t s was tr a n s p a r e n tly
o b v io u s :
Your e x p e n s iv e and p e c u lia r methods o f la b o r may appear a t
f i r s t to make a s tr o n g im p r e ssio n on th e p e o p le , b u t th e y
soon r ea ch th e c o n c lu s io n t h a t th e d is p la y i s made to c a l l
a t t e n t io n to y o u r s e l f and y o u r w ife and c h ild r e n . The
la r g e e x p e n d itu r e o f means i s n o t in harmony w ith th e solem n
tr u th s p r e s e n t e d . S e l f h as been p la c e d on e x h i b i t i o n . 2
W illia m F a g a l, how ever, was n e i t h e r outdone nor o u t c la s s e d .

He

knew what Mrs. W hite had w r it t e n on th e s u b j e c t o f e v a n g e l i s t i c m ethods;

and he had h i s q u o ta tio n s r e a d y , which he u se d t o e x c e l l e n t ad van tage:
In th e c i t i e s o f to d a y , w here th e r e i s s o much to
a t t r a c t and p l e a s e , th e p e o p le can be i n t e r e s t e d by no
o rd in a ry e f f o r t s . . . . Put f o r t h e x tr a o r d in a r y e f f o r t s in
ord er to a r r e s t th e a t t e n t io n o f th e m u ltitu d e s . . . . Make
u se o f e v e r y means t h a t can p o s s ib ly be d e v is e d f o r c a u sin g
th e tr u th t o s ta n d out c l e a r l y and d i s t i n c t l y . 3
God w ould have new and u n tr ie d methods fo llo w e d . Break
in upon th e p e o p le s u r p r is e th em .4 We must do som eth in g
out o f th e common co u rse o f t h in g s . We must a r r e s t th e
a t t e n t i o n . 5 Your e f f o r t s are to o ta m e .6
The methods and means by w hich we reach c e r t a in ends
are n o t alw ays th e same.
[You] . . . must u se reason and
judgm ent. . . J
D if f e r e n t methods o f la b o r are t o be
em ployed t o sa v e d i f f e r e n t o n e s . 8 D if f e r e n t methods o f

^ E vangelism , 1 3 7 -3 8 .

^ I b id . ,

139.

^E v a n g elism , 125.

5 I b i d . , 1 2 2 -2 3 .

7G ospel Workers [RH, 1 9 4 5 ), 468.

^ T e stim o n ie s, IX, 109.

6 I b id . , 279.
g
E v a n g elism , 106.

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197
la b o r are r e a l l y e s s e n t i a l . *
in tr o d u c e d .^

New methods must be

God's workmen must la b o r t o be m a n y -sid ed men: t h a t i s ,

to have a b r e a d th o f c h a r a c t e r , n o t t o b e o n e -id e a men,
s te r e o ty p e d in one manner o f w o rk in g , g e t t i n g in t o a g r o o v e ,
and unable t o s e e and s e n s e t h a t t h e i r words and t h e i r
advocacy o f tr u t h must vary w ith th e c l a s s o f p e o p le th ey
are among, and th e c ir c u m sta n c e s t h a t th e y have to m e e t.3
Workers w ith c le a r minds a re n eed ed t o d e v is e m ethods
f o r r e a c h in g th e p e o p le . Som ething must be done t o break
down th e p r e ju d ic e e x i s t i n g in th e w o rld a g a in s t th e t r u t h . 4
As f i e l d a f t e r f i e l d i s e n te r e d , new methods and new
p la n s w i l l s p r in g from new c ir c u m s ta n c e s . New th o u g h ts w i l l
come w ith th e new w orkers who g iv e th e m se lv e s to th e work.
As th ey seek th e Lord f o r h e lp , He w i l l communicate w ith
them. They w i l l r e c e iv e p la n s d e v is e d by th e Lord H im s e lf .3
Church o r g a n iz a tio n . . . i s n o t t o p r e s c r ib e th e e x a c t
way in w hich we sh o u ld work. . . .6 There must b e no f i x e d
r u le s ; our work i s a p r o g r e s s iv e work, and th e r e must be
room l e f t f o r methods t o be im proved up on .?
There are some minds w hich do n o t grow w ith th e work b u t
a llo w th e work to grow f a r beyond them . . . . Those who do
n o t d is c e r n and adapt th e m se lv e s t o th e in c r e a s in g demands
o f th e work, sh o u ld n o t sta n d b lo c k in g th e w h e e ls , and th u s
h in d e r in g th e advancem ent o f o t h e r s .
Some o f th e methods u sed in t h i s work w i l l be d i f f e r e n t
from methods u se d in th e p a s t , b u t l e t no o n e , b e c a u se o f
t h i s , b lo c k th e way by c r i t i c i s m . 9 T here i s t o be no unkind
c r i t i c i s m , no p u l l i n g t o p ie c e s o f a n o t h e r 's w o r k .10
Fagal now a d d ressed h im s e lf t o th e argum ents o f h i s o p p o n e n ts.
As a m atter o f f a c t , he p o in te d o u t , h i s new form at f o r t e l e v i s i o n was
m erely a modem a d a p ta tio n or outgrow th o f C h r is t ' s p a r a b le method o f
te a c h in g :

^T estim o n ie s to M in is te r s and G ospel Workers (PPPA, 1 9 2 3 ), 251.

E v a n g e lis m , 70.

3I b i d . ,

^T e s tim o n ie s , VI, 476.

E b i d . , 1 0 4 -1 0 5 .

106.

E b i d . , 116.

^ T e s tim o n ie s , V II, 2 5 .

4I b id . ,

129.

E v a n g e lis m , 105.
^ E v a n g e lis m , 106.

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198
He [J e s u s ] n e v e r r e a l l y p rea ch ed a sermon as we th in k o f
serm ons; He u s u a ll y t o l d a s t o r y to i l l u s t r a t e g r e a t t r u t h s ,
th en summarized th e le s s o n s ta u g h t t h e r e i n . *
Then he b u t t r e s s e d h i s p o s i t i o n w ith th e s e fu r t h e r s ta te m e n ts
from the pen o f Mrs. W h ite, who s o h ig h ly e x t o l l e d t h i s p e d a g o g ic a l
method:
The p a r a b le s . . . show . . . how He [J e s u s] d e lig h t e d
to g a th e r th e s p i r i t u a l te a c h in g s from th e su rro u n d in g s o f
d a ily l i f e . . . . He drew i l l u s t r a t i o n s a ls o from th e e v e n ts
o f l i f e , f a c t s o f e x p e r ie n c e f a m ilia r to H is h e a r e r s . . . .
In H is le s s o n s th e r e was so m eth in g t o i n t e r e s t e v e r y mind,
to ap p ea l to e v e r y h e a r t . 2
In t h i s way He a s s o c ia t e d n a t u r a l th in g s w ith s p i r i t u a l ,
lin k in g th e th in g s o f n a tu r e and th e l i f e e x p e r ie n c e s o f H is
h e a r e r s w ith th e su b lim e tr u th s o f th e w r it t e n w o r d .3 The
P rin ce o f T e a c h e r s, He so u g h t a c c e s s t o th e p e o p le by th e
pathway o f t h e i r m ost f a m ilia r a s s o c ia t io n s .4
And f o r h is p ie c e de r e s i s t a n c e , F agal added fo r good m easure:
N oth in g i s more u p l i f t i n g t o God's s e r v a n ts than to
tea ch th e S c r ip tu r e s as C h r is t ta u g h t th em .3 C h r is t 's
method a lo n e w i l l g iv e tr u e s u c c e s s in r e a c h in g th e p e o p le .
H is methods [must b e ] m ost c l o s e l y c o p i e d . ?
The tr u th i s to be p r e s e n te d in v a r io u s w ays. Some in
th e h ig h e r w alks o f l i f e w i l l grasp i t as i t i s p r e s e n te d in
fig u r e s and p a r a b le s . 3
Having s a id a l l t h i s , F agal had y e t to answer th e a d m itte d ly
n e g a tiv e c o u n s e l c o n c e r n in g th e t h e a t r e and th in g s t h e a t r i c a l c i t e d by
h is opponents from Mrs. W h ite 's w r i t i n g s .

In view o f h i s d e fe n s e to

^ C ecil C o ffe y , "The P a s to r Who Was F r ig h ten ed by TV," These

T im es, March, 1958, 12.
E d u c a t io n , 102.
^C ounsels to P a r e n ts , T e a c h e r s, and S tu d e n ts R egarding C h r is tia n
E ducation (PPPA, 1 9 1 3 ), 140.
4 The M in is tr y o f H e a lin g (PPPA, 1 9 0 5 ), 2 3 .
^M in istr y o f H e a lin g , 143.

^E v a n g elism , 138.

^ T e stim o n ie s, V I, 2 3 0 .

^M edical M in is tr y (PPPA, 1 9 3 2 ), 318.

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199
t h is p o in t , c o u ld th e charge o f in c o n s is t e n c y b e l a i d a t h e r door?

If

Mrs. White in v e ig h e d so h e a v il y a g a in s t " t h e a t r i c a l p e r fo r m a n c es," how

cou ld h e , in good c o n s c ie n c e , f l y in th e fa c e o f t h e s e c o u n s e ls?
R e sp o n sib le A d v e n t is t s , in in t e r p r e t in g th e volum inous w r it in g s
o f E lle n G. W hite, have g e n e r a lly fo llo w e d th e th r e e " p r in c ip le s " l a i d
down by T. H ousel Jem ison in t h e i r a ttem p t to a s c e r t a in th e c o r r e c t
meaning o f h e r s ta te m e n ts :
P r in c ip le 1. The g e n e r a l te a c h in g o f a l l th e a p p lic a b le
c o u n s e ls sh o u ld be s tu d ie d b e fo r e c o n c lu s io n s are d ra w n .*
[Emphasis s u p p lie d .]
P r in c ip le 2 . The tim e , p la c e , and c ir c u m sta n c e s o f th e
g iv in g o f c e r t a in m essages sh o u ld b e c o n s i d e r e d . ^
P r in c ip le 3. One sh o u ld t r y to d is c o v e r th e p r i n c i p l e
in v o lv e d in any s p e c i f i c c o u n s e l.^
[Emphasis s u p p l i e d . ]
F agal had a lr e a d y shown th a t th e r e w ere o t h e r s ta te m e n ts by
Mrs. White th an th o se c i t e d by th e a n t i- d r a m a t is t s w hich had a b e a r in g
on th e d e b a te .

Now he tu rn ed t o J e m iso n s seco n d p r i n c i p l e .

"The B ir th o f a N a tio n ," he p o in te d o u t , i s g e n e r a ll y conceded to

mark th e b e g in n in g o f th e modem m otion p ic t u r e f i l m .

I t was produced by

David W. G r i f f i t h in 1915 th e y e a r o f Mrs. W h ite s d e a th .

t h e r e fo r e ,

She w a s,

la r g e ly u n a c q u a in te d , p e r s e , w ith th e medium o f cinem a

tography from which t e l e v i s i o n

( y e t to be b o m by th r e e d e c a d e s) was to

borrow so much in form and te c h n iq u e .

Cinema and t e l e v i s i o n w ere n e i t h e r m oral n o r im m oral, he
added f u r t h e r , b u t r a th e r am oral; th e u se t o w hich th e y are p u t th e con
te n t and th e tr e a tm e n t d eterm in es th e i s s u e o f m o r a lity in each
in s t a n c e .

There i s , t h e r e f o r e , n o th in g wrong in u t i l i z i n g th e s e

-^A Prophet Among You (M ountain V iew , C a l i f . :

P u b lish in g A s s o c ia t io n , 1 9 5 5 ), 438.
2 I b i d . , 444.

P a c i f i c P ress

3I b i d . , 445.

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200
in v e n tio n s fo r th e advancement and sp rea d o f th e C h r is tia n g o s p e l.
Indeed, Mrs. W hite h e r s e l f , in sp e a k in g o f th e marked in c r e a s e in
knowledge in th e " l a s t days" j u s t b e fo r e th e sec o n d coming o f C h r is t,
p r e d ic te d by th e p ro p h et D a n ie l ( 1 2 : 4 ) , s a id o f t h e s e modern-day
in v e n tio n s :
God i n t r u s t s men w ith t a l e n t s and in v e n t iv e g e n iu s in o r d e r
th a t H is g r e a t work in our w o rld may be a c co m p lish e d . The
in v e n t io n s o f human minds a re supp osed t o s p r in g from
hum anity, b u t God i s b eh in d a l l .
He has ca u sed t h a t th e
means o f r a p id t r a v e l l i n g [remember, cinem a and t e l e v i s i o n
were unknown in h e r day] s h a l l have b een in v e n t e d , fo r th e
g r e a t day o f H is p r e p a r a t io n .!
And, a g a in ,
The end i s n e a r , and f o r t h i s rea so n we are t o make th e m ost
o f e v e r y e n tr u s te d a b i l i t y and e v er y agency t h a t s h a l l o f f e r
h e lp t o th e w ork. . . . S in c e th e Lord i s soon to come, a c t
d e c id e d ly and d e te r m in e d ly t o in c r e a s e th e f a c i l i t i e s , th a t
a g r e a t work may be done in a s h o r t t im e .4
[Emphasis
s u p p lie d .]
But what about th e w arnings a g a in s t " t h e a t r i c a l perform ance" and
" t h e a t r ic a l d is p la y " ?
F agal n e x t took each s ta te m e n t o f f e r e d by th e o p p o s it io n and
examined each in i t s

c o n te x t.

U sin g J e m iso n s T hird P r in c ip le , he

p o in te d out th a t th e t h e a t r e , and t h e a t r i c a l p r a c t i c e s , were eschew ed by

Mrs. White b eca u se o f th e fo llo w in g p r i n c i p l e s w hich were a t s ta k e :
1. The s e n s a t i o n a l and th e s t a r t l i n g are in c o m p a tib le
w ith th e d i g n i f i e d p r e s e n t a t io n w hich th e g o s p e l d e se r v e s
and demands.
(" S e n sa tio n i s n o t r e l i g i o n . " 3)
2 . Much crim e and s e n s u a l i t y , and many o th e r forms o f
s i n , are e n a c te d and, in d e e d , g l o r i f i e d in th e th e a t r e ;
and thus th e b e h o ld e r i s ed u ca ted in s i n .
3. The g l o r i f i c a t i o n o f s e l f , a t th e r o o t o f much th a t
i s in th e t h e a t r i c a l w o r ld , i s c o n tr a r y t o th e s p i r i t o f
C h r ist and o f th e g o s p e l.
^Fundam entals o f C h r is tia n E d u c a tio n , 409.
^ T e stim o n ie s, V I, 4 4 0 -4 1 .

^ E vangelism , 396.

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201
4. Gaudy d is p la y and n e e d le s s outward ap p earan ce, fo r
th e sa k e o f show , i s m u tu a lly e x c lu s iv e w ith tr u e C h r is tia n
s i m p l i c i t y and m o d esty .
(" T his d is p la y makes tr u th t a s t e
to o s t r o n g ly o f th e d is h ." * )
5 . An in o r d in a n t , e x tr a v a g a n t e x p e n d itu r e o f means
r e q u ir e d f o r a t h e a t r i c a l p r o d u c tio n in one e v a n g e l i s t i c
campaign d e p r iv e s o th e r e v a n g e l i s t s o f funds from w hich to
o p e r a te t h e i r program s.
6 . T here i s danger in s u b s t i t u t i n g t h e a t r i c a l e f f e c t ,
produced by d ram atic d i s p l a y , f o r th e c o n v e r tin g power o f
th e H oly S p i r i t w hich God has prom ised w i l l a tte n d th e
s im p le , unadorned p r e a c h in g o f H is word.
7. T h e a t r ic a l p r o d u c tio n s te n d so to p reoccu p y th e mind
th a t e t e r n i t y i s p u t o u t o f th e r ec k o n in g ; in d e e d , i t
c r e a te s in many a d i s t a s t e f o r th in g s s p i r i t u a l .
8. The s p i r i t o f l e v i t y , f r i v o l i t y ,
in much t h a t i s produ ced in th e t h e a t r e ,
c a lle d to be th e m ou thp iece f o r God; and
u n f i t th e mind f o r s o l i d th o u g h t, making
th e s u p e r f i c i a l . ^

and j e s t i n g , se e n
i l l - b e f i t s th e man
i t a ls o te n d s to
i t s a t i s f i e d w ith

F a gal c a r r ie d th e d a y , a lth o u g h th e r e was s t i l l s p o r a d ic (and,

in c e r ta in i n s t a n c e s , r a th e r h i g h - l e v e l ) g u e r r i l l a s n ip in g .
fe r e n c e p r e s id e n t , f o r exam ple
Today Board,

One con

(who a ls o happened to be on th e F a ith f o r

and was a sta u n c h a n t i - d r a m a t is t ) , v i r t u a l l y read th e r i o t

a c t to Fagal a f t e r th e f i r s t program.

F agal c a l l e d a g a in , a f t e r th e second t e l e c a s t , and r e c e iv e d th e

same n e g a tiv e r e s p o n s e .

The p r e s id e n t d id s a y , how ever, th a t th e lo c a l

board w ould a u th o r iz e th e e x p e n d itu r e o f $100 f o r th e making o f a k in e

scope o f th e

t h ir d

t e l e c a s t so t h a t F agal c o u ld f u l f i l l Bobbie

B u m s 's

w ish th a t we

m ight

" se e o u r s e ls as i t h e r s s e e u s" in th e hope

th a t " it

wad fr a e monie a b lu n d e r f r e e u s , An1 f o o l i s h n o t io n ."

1 I b id . ,
2

1967, 1.

127.

I n te r v ie w w ith W illiam A. F a g a l, B e r r ie n S p r in g s , M ich ., May 28,

C ite d h e r e a f t e r as F agal I n te r v ie w , May 2 8 , 1967.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 19 6 6 , 4.

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202
A gain, f o llo w in g th e t h ir d t e l e c a s t (and a f t e r v ie w in g th e
r e c o r d in g , w h ich , he l a t e r remembered, he th o u g h t w a sn 't bad a t a l l ) ,
he c a lle d th e p r e s id e n t , who c h e e r f u lly rem arked, " I t was a w fu lb u t
t h i s tim e y o u l l s e e f o r y o u r s e l f .

Taking ou t a l i t t l e " in su r a n c e ," F a g a l d ep a rted from th e drama

approach on th e fo u r th program; in s t e a d , h e in te r v ie w e d a m is s io n a r y
fa m ily ( in th e f i r s t o f what l a t e r would become a sta n d a rd form at in h i s
r e p e r t o ir e ) .

He was f a i r l y w e ll p le a s e d w ith h im s e l f t h i s t im e - - s u r e ly

th er e co u ld be no a d v erse c r i t i c i s m o f t h i s show.
fe r e n c e o f f i c e to s e e th e p r e s id e n t p e r s o n a lly .

He c a l l e d a t th e con
H is s u c c in c t e v a lu a t io n

o f th e in te r v ie w form at o f f e r e d g r a t u it o u s ly in fr o n t o f one o f h i s
departm ental s e c r e t a r i e s who happened to be in th e room a t th e tim e - -w a s ,
" I t s ta n k ."

To su p p o rt h is o p in io n , he s a i d , he had tak en a p o l l o f a l l

th e o f f i c e w orkers; and he had n o t r e c e iv e d a fa v o r a b le r e s p o n se from

any o f them!

(Whether h i s own a t t it u d e was r e f l e c t e d u n iv e r s a lly by

h is s t a f f , o r w hether th e y s e n se d th e b o s s 's o p p o s it io n , d e c id e d d i s
c r e tio n was th e b e t t e r p a r t o f v a lo r , and fo llo w e d our L ord 's in j u n c t io n
in th e sermon on th e mount t o "agree w ith th in e a d v ersa ry q u ic k ly ,
w h ile s thou a r t in th e way w ith him; l e s t a t any tim e th e a d v e r sa r y
d e liv e r th ee to th e ju d g e .

. . ." [Matthew 5 : 2 5 ] , w i l l n e v e r be known!)

P re ssu r e began to t e l l upon F a g a l.

Insom nia becam e, by s t a g e s ,

f i r s t a c u te , th en c h r o n ic , fo llo w in g th e Sunday n ig h t t e l e c a s t , j o in e d
by dread o f p r e p a r in g a n o th er b r o a d c a st f o r th e n e x t w eekend.

The

p a s t o r 's s p i r i t was d e e p ly a f f e c t e d , h i s h e a lt h f a i l e d , and he con

tr a c te d pneumonia.

1I b id .
2 I b id .

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203
P r o v id e n t ia lly , h e b e l i e v e s to t h i s day, a new --an d much more
s y m p a t h e t ic - - lo c a l c o n fe r e n c e p r e s id e n t , E rn est L. B ran son , was t r a n s
fe r r e d in t o th e area ; and th e f a c t th a t t h i s man's own f a t h e r , W illia m H.
Branson, was p r e s id e n t o f th e G eneral C o n feren ce--a n d d e c id e d ly f a v o r
a b le toward " F aith f o r Today" d i d n 't h u r t any!

E ld er Branson u rged

Fagal to g iv e up a l l l o c a l p a s t o r a l and e v a n g e l i s t i c d u t ie s and co n c en

t r a t e on t e l e v i s i o n ;

f o r he had a v i s i o n o f fu tu r e growth and saw c l e a r l y

F a g a l's need to d e v o te f u l l tim e in th e developm ent o f t h i s unique

m i n i s t r y .*
For s i x to e i g h t y e a r s F agal and h i s s t a f f met w ith a d e c r e a s in g
volume o f " s t a t ic " from u lt r a c o n s e r v a t iv e church members who were
o ffen d ed by th e d ra m a tic form at w h ic h , to them , was b a se d on " w o rld ly
a p p ea l."
I r o n i c a l l y , two men w ere won to A dventism as a d i r e c t r e s u l t o f
th e dram atic form at who w ent on to become m in is t e r s in th e ch u rch .

One

was Norman F r o s t, an a l c o h o l i c in Canada, who "saw h im s e lf" on one p a r

t i c u l a r dram atic program d e a lin g w ith a tem perance them e.

He to o k th e

B ib le corresp on d en ce c o u r s e , a tte n d e d A t la n t ic Union C o lle g e , and i s

today a S even th -d ay A d v e n tis t p a s t o r .
Looking back y e a r s l a t e r , F agal o b served :
We n ev er went c o m p le te ly d r a m a tic, f o r we needed th e
supp ort o f our own p e o p le , b o th moral and f i n a n c i a l . Nor
d id we go o v er t o a co m p lete p r e a c h in g fo r m a t, as many SDA
m in is te r s and laymen f e l t we s h o u ld . A ll o f th e s t r i c t l y
p r e a ch in g form at show s e v e n t u a lly d ie d , as f a r as r e g u la r
b r o a d c a s tin g g o e s B i l l y Graham, F u lto n S h een , C h arles
F u lle r , P e te r E ld e r s v e ld , and an e a r ly L utheran program
which used a " to o -r a d io " fo r m a t.

1I b id .

1.

^ In terv iew w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, L a n sin g , M ich ., Feb. 9 , 1965,

C ited h e r e a f t e r as F a g a l I n te r v ie w , Feb. 9 , 1965.

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204
We f i n a l l y e f f e c t e d a com prom ise, by c o u p lin g th e
d ram atic s k i t w ith a serm on. In th e e a r l i e r days th e s e r mon ran 5 -1 0 m in u te s; tod a y i t i s s h o r t e r , f i v e to s i x
m in u te s .1

I
|

The o b j e c t iv e s o f th e d ra m a tic show , as o f a l l o th e r fo r m a ts, i s

;

to "make C h r is t ia n s b a s i c a l l y , t o make C h r is t ia n i t y d o w n -to -e a r th ,

p a la t a b le to th e n o n -C h r is tia n ," F agal d e c la r e d :

The c in e m a tic w o rld o f H ollyw ood p o r tr a y s an u n fo r tu n a te

s t e r e o t y p e o f th e c h u r c h , m in is t e r s w ith round h a t s and
round b e l l i e s , p io u s , f u l l o f p l a t i t u d e s , c l i c h e s .

C h r is tia n s are r e a l , o r d in a r y p e o p le , who comb t h e i r

h a ir th e same way o th e r p e o p le d o. We want th e o r d in a r y man
to i d e n t i f y w ith C h r i s t .2
And so th e d ra m a tic form at d e a ls w ith " l i f e - s i t u a t i o n " p ro b lem s,
d r a m a tiza tio n s "based on r e a l l i f e problem s where c o n fu se d , tr o u b le d
p eo p le see k c o u n se l and g u id a n ce from th e TV P a s to r and th e B ib le ,"
r e v o lv in g around " e x p e r ie n c e s o f l i f e
q u e s tio n s o f l i f e are answ ered." ^
;

common to a l l , " in which "everyday

And t h i s has rem a in ed , a f t e r n e a r ly

two d e c a d e s, th e b a s i c s t a p l e o f th e b r o a d c a s t, d e s p it e th e in t r o d u c t io n
o f o th e r form ats in th e l a t e 1 9 5 0 s.
The d ram atic program to d a y , as a t f i r s t , i s s la n t e d toward th e
v iew er who i s n o t p a r t i c u l a r l y r e l i g i o u s ; y e t i t i s in te n d e d to tou ch
the l i v e s o f a l l American f a m ili e s who are in se a r c h o f d eep er r e l i g i o u s
g u id an ce, and t o b r in g a m essage o f f a i t h i n t o th e homes o f m il li o n s who
may n e v e r darken th e door o f any ch u rch .
D e sp ite the d ram atic e le m e n t, th e p rogram 's c r e a to r s attem p t
n e v e r t h e le s s to s p o t l i g h t th e human problem and i t s s o l u t i o n - - r a t h e r
than p e r s o n a l i t i e s ; and P a s to r and Mrs. F agal attem p t t o rem ain sim p ly

1I b id .

2I b id .

^"Fact S h ee t on F a ith f o r Today T e l e c a s t ," 1961 (m im eographed)j

1.

i
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205

"the n e ig h b o r ly p r e a c h e r and h i s w if e who m ight be l i v i n g n e x t

d o o r ." 1
A f t e r th e f i r s t f i v e y e a r s o f b r o a d c a s tin g , a su rv ey p o l l was
taken to a s c e r t a in v ie w e r i n t e r e s t and d e s i r e .

Some in d ic a te d a w ish

fo r more young p e o p le 's prob lem s; o t h e r s , more d is c u s s io n on h e a lt h and

fa m ily l i f e .

Many w anted th e tim e e x te n d e d to one f u l l hou r.

p r e fe r r e d a lo n g e r serm on.

Some

The c o n sen su s appeared t o in d ic a t e t h a t ,

b a s i c a l l y , more o f e v e r y th in g w ould be w elcom e.

C r itic is m o f th e

dram atic form at h a d , by t h i s tim e , m arkedly d e c lin e d and was v i r t u a l l y

n e g lig ib le .
M eanw hile, o th e r r e l i g i o u s TV programs began cop yin g th e " F a ith
fo r Today" form at.

C h arles Caleb C o lto n once c a l l e d im it a t io n "the

s i n c e r e s t [form] o f f l a t t e r y " ;

and th e im it a t o r s were soon le g io n .

When th e M isso u r i Synod o f th e L utheran Church d e c id e d to launch th e

program w hich su b s e q u e n tly became "T his i s th e L if e ," th ey w rote t o
F a g a l's h e a d q u a r te rs i n New Y ork, r e q u e s t in g p e r m is sio n to borrow th r e e
k in e s c o p e s o f th e " F a ith f o r Today" program , in o r d e r to d e c id e w hether
o r n o t to f o llo w F a g a l's b a s i c fo r m a t.^
" E v id e n tly th e y f e l t , as d id o t h e r s , th a t th e program was on th e
r ig h t tr a c k ," s a id E rn est N. Wendth, in r e p o r t in g t h i s e x p e r ie n c e , " fo r
th ey c o p ie d F a ith f o r T oday's app roach.

. . . [We have] n o t c o p ie d o th e r

church grou p s; r a t h e r , th e y have c o p ie d u s." ^

1I b i d .

^T e l e - n o t e s , May, 1955, 2 .

^ C ited in B a r t l e t t , 437.
^ V ir g in ia F agal L e t t e r , June 2 0 , 1967, 1 .

C f. Fenn, 18.

" F a ith f o r T oday's Program Form at," The F a ith fo r Today P a s t o r s '
B u lle t in , J a n .- F e b ., 1965, 4.

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206
In o r d e r to p r o v id e more v a r i e t y and g r e a t e r v ie w e r -a p p e a l (and,
as a f r in g e b e n e f i t , to red u ce a n ti-d r a m a tic c r i t i c i s m ) , Fagal soon made
th e in t e r v ie w a r e g u la r fe a tu r e o f th e program .

In a d d itio n t o A d v e n tis t

m is s io n a r ie s from a l l p a r ts o f th e w o r ld , he brou gh t b e fo r e th e camera

such d iv e r s e p e r so n s as:
an E sto n ia n d is p la c e d p e r so n , who in t e r v ie w e d p a s se n g e r s
on a s h ip lo a d o f 1200 DPs in New York h a r b o r ;1
an E g y p tia n d i v i n i t y s tu d e n t a tt e n d in g an American
sem in a ry , who d is c u s s e d w ith P a s to r F agal c e r t a in B i b l i c a l
p r o p h e c ie s r e l a t i n g t o h is hom eland in th e Near E a s t ; 2
th e r e d o u b ta b le P ark in C h r is t ia n , l i n e a l d escen d a n t o f
F le t c h e r C h r is tia n o f "Mutiny on th e Bounty" fam e, o f
P it c a ir n I s la n d ;^
A u s t r a l i a ' s Graham M it c h e ll, w in n er o f th e 1964 I n t e r
n a t io n a l B ib le C on text in J e r u sa le m , I s r a e l ; 4
K eith S . McHugh, New York S t a t e Com m issioner o f Commerce,
and chairm an o f Governor R o c k e f e l le r 's s p e c i a l com m ittee
on f a l l - o u t p r o t e c t io n , who d is c u s s e d r a d ia t i o n , s u r
v i v a l , and co n ta m in a tio n p ro b lem s;5
New York C ity D e p u ty -In sp e c to r o f P o l i c e Conrad S. J e n se n ,
a n o n -A d v e n tist la y p r e a c h e r as w e ll as p o lic e m a n , "who
brought to h is p r o f e s s io n th e p r a c t ic e o f C h r is t ia n it y
and C h r is tia n p r in c ip le s " ; 6
Com m issioner (and form er Judge) Anna M. K ro ss, n o te d
j u v e n ile a u th o r ity and head o f th e New York C ity D epart
ment o f C o r r e c tio n , who spoke on c h ild t r a i n i n g ; 7 and
R e p r e s e n ta tiv e s from A lc o h o lic s Anonymous, Gamblers
Anonymous, and form er n a r c o t ic s a d d ic t s , a l l o f whom
spoke (w ith t h e i r b ack s f a c in g th e camera to p r e v e n t
i d e n t i f i c a t i o n ) on a c u te s o c i a l problem s and how b e l i e f
in a H igh er Power can h e lp t o d a y . 8

^T e l e - n o t e s , J u ly -A u g ., 1951, 1.

^I b i d . , J u n e, 1952, 2.

3I b i d . , J u ly , 1958, 1.
^D alrym ple, "TV Program Worth W atchin g," 12.
^T e l e - n o t e s , S e p t ., 1960, 3 .
7I b i d . , S e p t ., 1961, 7.

^I b i d . , F e b ., 1961, 5.

8F agal I n te r v ie w , Feb. 9 , 1965, 2 .

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207
A t h ir d form at adopted was th e t r a v e lo g u e , g e n e r a lly f e a t u r in g
C h r istia n fo r e ig n m is sio n a r y a c t i v i t i e s o r H oly Land to u r s o f sa c r e d
s h r in e s .

F agal s h o o ts most o f th e fo o ta g e h im s e lf ; and l a t e r s u p e r v is e s

the work o f th e com m ercial film e d i t o r who i s h ir e d to p u t th e program

to g e th e r .

In 1963, f o r exam ple, he s p e n t fo u r days on a f l o a t i n g h o s

p i t a l , th e L u zeiro IV, on th e Amazon R iv e r , fo llo w in g a m is sio n a r y

p h y s ic ia n on h i s d a i l y round s, in o r d e r t o g e t a " s l i c e o f l i f e " s t o r y . *
The m is s io n a r y fe a tu r e s have two b a s i c o b j e c t iv e s :

(1) to

ob ta in t h e ir own t e s t im o n ie s , c o n v ic t io n s , and b e l i e f s ; and [2) to

examine t h e i r in d iv id u a l e x p e r ie n c e s - - t o answ er such q u e s tio n s as:
Why d id th ey d e v o te t h e ir l i f e to t h i s p a r t ic u l a r work?
Why d id th e y go where th ey w en t, o ft e n a t th e c o n s id e r a b le
r is k o f p e r s o n a l danger?
What are t h e i r r e a c t io n s to th e th in g s th e y have s e e n and
done?
What changes have th ey se e n th e g o s p e l make in m en's l i v e s - fo r J e su s changes th e d ir e c t io n o f any m an's l i f e , w hether
in th e hom eland o r a b ro a d .2
A fo u r th fo rm a t, added in 1959,

i s a h a lf -h o u r m u sic a l program

p rovid ed by th e F a ith f o r Today Q u a r te t, who p r e s e n t e ig h t o r n in e songs

w ith Fagal s u p p ly in g a n a r r a tio n "bridge" t y in g a l l t o g e th e r in t o a
u n if ie d w h ole.

[See F ig . 1 6 .]

B ecause o f th e " b ic y c le " method o f f ilm

d is t r ib u t io n ( in w hich film s are s e n t by one s t a t i o n d i r e c t l y to a n oth er

w ith o u t t h e i r f i r s t b e in g retu rn ed to t e l e c a s t h ea d q u a rters f o r r e s h ip
ment) , i t i s im p o s s ib le to p r e s e n t s e a s o n a l programs f o r C h ristm a s,
E a ste r , and th e l i k e .

A f i f t h , and f i n a l , t e l e v i s i o n program ty p e , added i n 1966, i s

the " i l l u s t r a t e d serm on,"^ which would be perhaps more a c c u r a t e ly

*I b id . , 1.

^I b id . , 2 .

^ T e le -n o te s , J u n e, 1959, 1.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , Feb. 9 , 1965, 2 .

^ T e le - n o t e s , J a n ., 1967, 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Fig. 16. Filming a musical program

with the quartet at Charter Oak studio

(1962).

208

i
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209

c l a s s i f i e d as a docum entary-serm on, in w hich F agal d e liv e r s a f u l l - l e n g t h

sermon w ith f ilm c l i p s , s t i l l p h o to g r a p h y , and a s s o r te d v i s u a l a id s
b e in g u se d on th e s c r e e n f o r i l l u s t r a t i v e p u r p o se s .

In c o n c lu s io n , som eth in g sh o u ld b e s a id about r a d io program

p r o d u ctio n .

F a ith f o r T od ay's a r t i c l e s o f in c o r p o r a tio n p r o v id e f o r th e

con d u ctin g o f r e l i g i o u s s e r v i c e s "through th e medium o f t e l e v i s i o n or

r adi o. I

i s p r o b a b le , h ow ever, t h a t th e fo u n d in g f a t h e r s who s ig n e d

t h i s document in 1952 n e v e r f u l l y v i s u a l i z e d d o in g much w ith r a d io

b ecau se th e f i e l d had a lr e a d y l a r g e l y b een p re-em p ted by F a g a l's c o u n te r
p a r t in A d v e n tis t b r o a d c a s tin g , H. M. S . R ic h a r d s, and h i s "V oice o f
Prophecy" program.
However, w ith th e c lo s u r e o f m ajor m e tr o p o lita n m arkets to
r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n , th e F a ith f o r Today Board v o te d to produce p r o grams f o r r a d io .

On May 16, 19 6 3 , th e f i r s t " F a ith f o r Today" r a d io

program was b r o a d c a s t o v e r WJJD, a 5 0 ,0 0 0 -w a tt C hicago s t a t i o n c o v e r in g

53 c o u n t ie s .

The sound tr a c k o f th e TV program was adap ted f o r r a d io ;

e x te n s iv e m o d ific a tio n was r e q u ir e d , p a r t i c u l a r l y in th e " b e e fin g -u p " o f

sound e f f e c t s , s in c e g r e a t e r v iv id n e s s i s r e q u ir e d in r a d io

(w h ic h

does

n o t have th e added b e n e f i t o f th e v i s u a l elem en t) to produce a c le a r

image in th e mind.

M icrophone p la cem en t i s more rem ote in t e l e v i s i o n ,

b u t th e v id e o elem en t com pensates f o r th e low er l e v e l o f sound im p r e s sio n

in TV.

^Articles o f I n c o r p o r a tio n , 1 .

[Emphasis s u p p lie d .]

2T e l e - n o t e s , J u ly , 1 9 6 3 , 3.
3I b id ., 5.

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210
A fte r th r e e y e a r s , th e r a d io e d i t i o n o f " F a ith f o r Today" i s
s t i l l c o m p a r a tiv e ly in i t s in fa n c y ; b u t i t h as b een r e f in e d and d ev elo p ed
in t o a d i s t i n c t i v e program o f i t s own.'*'

Problem s in p r o d u c t io n . One A d v e n tis t church le a d e r p r e d ic te d

in th e s p r in g o f 1950 t h a t " F a ith f o r Today" c o u ld n o t p o s s i b l y l a s t s i x
months on th e a i r .

R e c a llin g i t ,

F agal l a t e r a d m itted he was alm ost

ready to a c c e p t t h i s v e r d i c t h im s e lf ; f o r
i f th e numerous d i f f i c u l t i e s o f p r e p a r in g a new program
week a f t e r week were n o t s u f f i c i e n t t o make i t s h o r t - l i v e d ,
th e h e a r t-b r e a k in g , a ll-to o -n u m e r o u s " f l u f f s " o f th e p a r
t i c i p a n t s , c o u p le d w ith th e p a i n f u l l y o b v io u s t e c h n ic a l
m ista k e s in h e r e n t in a lo w -b u d g et l i v e program , w ould
fin is h i t o f f . 3
W illiam A. F agal m ight w e ll have a p p r o p r ia te ly t o l d h i s h e lp e r s ,
as th ey began t h i s new v e n tu r e , what W inston S . C h u r c h ill t o l d th e House
o f Commons as he took up h i s new ta s k as w artim e prim e m in is t e r :
have n o th in g to o f f e r you b u t b lo o d , t o i l , t e a r s , and s w e a t."

"I

F a g a ls problem s in p r o d u c tio n c e n te r e d c h i e f l y in two major

a r ea s:

th e u se o f am ateur a c to r s d u rin g th e program s f i r s t h a lf -d e c a d e ;

and th e o b ta in in g o f s u i t a b l e w r it e r s f o r th e d ram atic s c r i p t s , a con

t in u in g problem .
From th e v e r y f i r s t t e l e c a s t in 1950, u n t i l th e program was p u t

on f ilm in Janu ary, 1956, P a s to r F agal d e l i b e r a t e l y c h o se amateur a c to r s

to p la y th e b i t p a r ts in th e d ra m a tic s k e t c h e s .

'''Interview w ith F r a n k lin W. H udgins, s t a t i o n r e l a t i o n s d ir e c t o r ,

F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , New Y ork, J u ly 1 2 , 1966, 1. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as
Hudgins I n te r v ie w , J u ly 1 2 , 1966.
2

D alrym ple, " F if t e e n Y ears o f P r o g r e s s ," 2 .

F a g a l, " F ifte e n Y ears o f S u c c e s s f u l S o u lw in n in g ," 8.

^ C ited in B a r t l e t t , 869.

1
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211
For one t h in g , th e p r o d u c tio n bu dget c o u ld n 't a ff o r d s a l a r i e s
commanded by t o p - f l i g h t a c t o r s ; and, as TV Guide p o in te d o u t , F a g a l p r e
fe r r e d am ateurs t o s e c o n d -r a te p r o f e s s i o n a l s .*

In 1951, F agal d e c la r e d :

I t makes l i t t l e d if f e r e n c e what t h e i r v o c a tio n i s .

What
r e a l l y co u n ts . . . i s th e c o n s e c r a tio n o f th e p e o p le
in v o lv e d , and t h e i r c o n seq u en t e a r n e s tn e s s to do th e job
as God w ould have them do i t . ^
In 1953, he f u r t h e r a m p lif ie d h i s r a t io n a l e :
R eal problem s can b e s t be d is c u s s e d , even on t e l e v i s i o n , by
r e a l p e o p le who are fa c e d w ith th e s e same d i f f i c u l t i e s .
P a r t ic ip a n t s are i n t e r e s t e d s o l e l y in g iv in g t h e i r m essa g e,
n ot in fo rw a rd in g a p r o f e s s io n a l a c tin g c a r e e r .
The [ABC]
d ir e c t o r rem arked t h a t in s p i t e o f o c c a s io n a l f l u f f s th e
am ateurs do s u r p r is in g ly w e1 1 .3
And as l a t e as May, 1955, he defend ed h i s c h o ic e o f n on
p r o f e s s io n a l t a l e n t :
We s t i l l u se am ateur a c to r s and p la n to c o n tin u e d o in g s o
as lo n g as we are a b le t o f in d h e l p f u l fr ie n d s who are
w i l l i n g to s e r v e . T hese n o n - p r o f e s s io n a ls have a s i m p l i c
i t y and charm th a t makes them b e lie v a b l e in th e r o l e s w hich
th ey p o r tr a y .^
V ir t u a ll y a l l o f th e a c to r s were S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t denom ina
t io n a l w orkers and laymen:

m in is t e r s , m is s io n a r ie s , B ib le i n s t r u c t o r s ,

church s c h o o l t e a c h e r s , n u r s e s , c o n fe r e n c e o f f i c e w o r k e rs, c o lp o r t e u r s ,
p h y s ic ia n s , h o u se w iv e s, and fa m ily groups w hich in c lu d e d c h i l d r e n .3
E s p e c ia lly in th e e a r ly d a y s, m ost o f them w ere drawn from th e c o n g reg a zl

tio n o f F a g a l's B rooklyn p a s t o r a t e .

* " F a ith fu l A m ateurs," 2 0 -2 1 .

^T e l e - n o t e s , Ju n e, 1951, 2 .
3I b i d . , A u g ., 1953, 2 .
^ F a g a l, "Y es, In d eed , TV i s W ell W orthw hile," 2 .
5 I b i d . , Summer " E x tra ," 1952, 2.
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 5.

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212
I f th e p a r t ic ip a n t s were "rough diam onds," th e r e w ere some d i s
t i n c t advan tages a c c r u in g in th e u t i l i z a t i o n o f t h e i r s e r v i c e s :

th e r e

were no a ttem p ts a t s c e n e - s t e a l i n g , none o f th e c o n s c io u s p r o f e s s io n a l

ism o f th e tr a in e d a c t o r , and none o f th e l o s s o f r e a lis m w hich r e s u l t s
when a f a m ilia r a c t o r 's fa c e i s a s s o c ia t e d w ith a n o th er r o l e on a n oth er
sh ow .*
To m in im ize th e d isa d v a n ta g e s in h e r e n t in th e u se o f u n tr a in e d
a c t o r s , th e t a l e n t - r e c r u i t e r s w ent around to th e su rro u n d in g churches to
p ic k laymen and o th e r s fo r t h e i r p o s s ib le c o n tr ib u tio n ; th en th e s c r i p t s
were w r itte n w ith t h e s e in d iv id u a ls in mind (in H ollyw ood m ovie-m aking
and in t e l e v i s i o n , c a s t in g fo llo w s th e s c r i p t r a th e r than p r e c e d in g i t ) .
"Their h o b b ie s , sp e a k in g c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , and e d u c a tio n a l and v o c a tio n a l
backgrounds were s t u d ie d c a r e f u l l y by th e w r it e r s b e fo r e th e s c r i p t s
were p rep ared .

As a r e s u l t , th e p a r t ic ip a n t s were n o t so much r e q u ir e d

to a c t , as to be th e m se lv e s." ^

[See F ig s . 1 7 -1 8 .]

R eh ea rsa ls were a g r u e lin g e x p e r ie n c e g e n e r a lly , an hour o f

p r a c tic e fo r each m inute on th e a i r .

"We were lu ck y f o r 20 hours a

week," S c r ip t - w r it e r E la in e G iddings remembers:

During th e w eek, g e n e r a lly a t n i g h t s - - a f t e r a d a y 's work a t
th e a c t o r 's liv e lih o o d - - w e r eh e a r se d in P a sto r F a g a l's
stu d y a t t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te r s. I t was a la r g e room,
d e lib e r a t e ly made up as n e a r ly l i k e th e s e t down a t th e TV
s tu d io to make th e a c to r s f e e l a t home as much as p o s s i b l e .
Lack o f adequate r e h e a r s a l tim e on camera was alw ays a
major problem . In d eed , we seldom g o t in t o th e s t u d io f o r
r e h e a r s a l b e fo r e th e Sunday morning o f th e e v en in g th e
program was t o go on th e a i r . 4

-'-"Faithful A m ateurs," 2 1 .

^G iddings I n te r v ie w , 1.

^ C o ffey , "The P a s to r Who Was F rig h ten ed By TV," 15.

b i d d i n g s I n te r v ie w , 1. F a ith fo r Today M anager-Treasurer
C harles 0. Franz and a c t in g Prom otion and P u b lic R e la tio n s D ir e c to r
R. E. Crawford b o th s t r o n g ly opposed s tu d io r e h e a r s a ls f o r th e c a s t

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213

Fig. 1 7 . A udience of A d v en tist la y m en a n d church w orkers visiting live b ro a d c a st a t A BC's M an

h a tta n Studio O n e (1952).

Fig. 18. Pastor Fagal discusses a u to m e ch a n ics with tw o te e n -a g e rs on special g a r a g e s e t a t ABC

studio in N ew York (1952).

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214
T here w as, o f c o u r se , no i n c e n t i v e o f money o r fame t o sp u r th e
a c to r on.

The m o tiv a tio n to g e t t o r e h e a r s a ls on tim e , and to do o n e 's

b e s t , was p u r e ly r e l i g i o u s .
L ooking back on th e e a r ly days a f t e r f i v e y e a r s e x p e r ie n c e in
t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a s tin g , F agal w rote in r e t r o s p e c t :
We s p e n t h ou rs and hou rs in r e h e a r s a ls w ith th e h e l p f u l
encouragem ent o f ABC-TV d i r e c t o r s .
From th e v e ry f i r s t , a l l
th e ABC t e c h n ic a l s t a f f have b een a c o n tin u a l i n s p i r a t i o n
w ith t h e i r u n f a i l i n g i n t e r e s t . They b ro u g h t p r o f e s s io n a l
s k i l l t h a t gave us c o n fid e n c e to go on t h a t we n e v e r co u ld
have found in any o th e r way. They to o k a p e r s o n a l i n t e r e s t
in th e s u c c e s s o f th e t e l e c a s t f a r in e x c e s s o f th e r e q u ir e
ments o f t h e i r a p p o in te d d u t i e s , u r g in g u s t o c a r r y on even
when we n e a r ly d e s p a ir e d o f p ro d u cin g a t e l e c a s t o f s u f f i
c ie n t p r o f e s s io n a l level.-*Commenting on th e s e e a r ly d a y s, F a g a l added:
More than o n c e , th e o n ly th in g b etw een g iv in g up and g o in g
ahead was a p r a y e r . F r e q u e n tly th e e n t i r e c a s t w ould h a l t
r e h e a r s a l and pray fo r an u n d e rsta n d in g o f how God w ould
have us p la y th a t s c e n e . 2
One woman l o s t e ig h t p o u n d s.

D uring th e f i r s t th r e e months

P a sto r Fagal h im s e lf l o s t 40 p ou nds, h i s w if e 2 0 .^

One p la y e r m isp la c e d h is w atch d u rin g th e t e l e c a s t .

Hours

l a t e r , a f t e r a f r u i t l e s s se a r c h o f th e s t u d io and d r e s s in g room s, th e
man found i t h im s e lf above h i s elb ow . ^
A "postman" once w alked o f f th e s e t , f o r g e t t i n g to d e liv e r a
l e t t e r on w hich th e e n t ir e s t o r y l i n e hung.
b ecau se o f th e s t u d io r e n t a l c o s t s in v o lv e d .
v a ile d .
(F a g a l I n te r v ie w , J u ly 5 , 1966, 1 .)

Only th e p r o m p te r's t e r s e
For a tim e t h e i r view p r e

*-Fagal, "Y es, In d eed , TV i s W ell W o rth w h ile," 2 .

2

C ite d by D alrym ple, " F ifte e n Y ears o f P r o g r e s s ," 3.

^ F a ith fu l A m ateurs," 2 1 .
^ C o ffey , "The P a s to r Who Was F r ig h te n e d by TV," 14.
5" F a ith f u l A m ateurs," 2 1 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

rem inder in a h o a r se w h is p e r , "The l e t t e r ! " h eard p l a i n l y o v e r th e a i r

brought him b a c k .

A nother tim e a "barber" in a d v e r t a n t ly tu rn ed th e

c h a ir so th a t F a gal had h i s back t o b o th m icrophone and cam era, n e c e s s i

t a t in g some fa n c y footw ork by th e cam eram an.1
Some programs seem ed doomed to d i s a s t e r d e s p it e th e m ost c a r e f u l
r e h e a r s a l, how ever.

On one program , w hich fe a tu r e d a d is c u s s io n on d i e t

and h e a lt h f u l l i v i n g , an a c t u a l d e m o n str a tio n o f th e p r e p a r a tio n o f a

s a la d was in c lu d e d .

The d ie t ic ia n - - w h o r e a l l y was o n e --k e p t w o rry in g so

much about th e d e v a s t a t in g e f f e c t o f th e h o t s t u d io l i g h t s on th e o n c e c r is p but now w i l t i n g g r e e n s t h a t sh e a lm o st f o r g o t h e r l i n e s .

Somehow

she managed to keep s n ip p in g c e le r y and c a r r o ts u n t i l sh e remembered

enough o f h er s c r i p t e d l i n e s to c l o s e th e s c e n e g r a c e f u lly .
Fagal g e n e r a lly c o n c ed es th a t th e w o r st moment fo r h im s e lf and
h is f lo o r d ir e c t o r came on a h e c t i c Sunday when a c e r t a in s i x - y e a r - o l d
boy was one o f th e a c t o r s .

Im m ed iately f o llo w in g th e f i r s t s c e n e , th e

you n gster was t o l d p r e c i s e l y where t o w a it u n t i l he was s c h e d u le d to

retu rn on-cam era to clim b i n t o h i s " m oth er's" la p in th e l a s t s c e n e .
When th e f l o o r d ir e c t o r tu rn ed to cue th e la d f o r h i s f i n a l e n t r y , he was
nowhere in s i g h t .

Mrs. F a g a l, h e r s e l f th e m other o f two sm a ll c h ild r e n

and e x p e r ie n c e d in th e ways o f s m a ll b o y s , found th e t o t a l l y o b liv io u s

m issin g p e r fo r m e r --b e fo r e th e sc e n e c o lla p s e d c o m p le t e ly - - in th e m en's
room, n o n c h a la n tly combing h is h a ir !

In a l l f a i r n e s s t o th e am a teu rs, h ow ever, i t sh o u ld b e p o in te d

out th a t s t u d io p e r so n n e l in th o se e a r ly days o f t e l e v i s i o n w ere n o t
immune from making em b a rra ssin g "boo-boos" th e m s e lv e s .

1I b id .

On th e t e l e c a s t

^ C o ffey , "The P a s to r Who Was F r ig h ten ed by TV," 14.

^ " F a ith fu l A m ateurs," 2 1 .

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216
o f February 4 , 1951, th e d ir e c t o r had le c t u r e d th e e n t ir e group f o r th e
"umpteenth" tim e about b e in g q u ie t on th e s e t .

During th e a c t u a l t e l e

c a s t , e v e r y th in g was g o in g b e a u t i f u l l y u n t i l he c a ll e d f o r a cameraman
to d o lly in f o r a c lo se u p s h o t o f F a g a l.

The cameraman o b e d ie n t ly

w heeled fo rw a rd --a n d c r a sh e d , w ith a v e r y lo u d ban g, r ig h t i n t o th e

P a s to r 's d esk !'1
On a n o th er t e l e c a s t , on th e s u b j e c t o f p r a y e r , a s o l d i e r j u s t
back from Korea was t e l l i n g o f h i s e x p e r ie n c e on th e b a t t l e f i e l d .

Ju st

a t th e in s t a n t he came to th e p o in t o f d e s c r ib in g th e f i e r c e b a t t l e
b ein g waged a l l around him , a lo u d rum bling n o i s e l a s t i n g f u l l y f i v e
second s or morewas h ea rd .
w e ll-p la n n e d sound e f f e c t .

Most l i s t e n e r s p ro b a b ly th ought i t was a

The tr u th :

in th e s t u d io on th e n e x t f l o o r

above a Dodge au to was b e in g w h eeled in f o r a n o th er program, when th e

jack s lip p e d , and th e c a r came c r a s h in g down.
Once, d u rin g th e s e r m o n e tte , F agal wondered why he was n o t g e t
tin g th e r e g u la r tim e cu es from th e a s s i s t a n t d ir e c t o r who was
r e s p o n s ib le f o r t h i s d e t a i l .

When th e cues f i n a l l y d id come, th e y were

l a t e , and c u t one m inute o f f th e tim e th e P a s to r u s u a lly had t o wind up

a t the end.

A fterw ard , th e r e d -fa c e d A.D. c o n fe s s e d , "I g o t s o i n t e r

e s te d in what you w ere s a y in g , t h a t I c o m p le te ly fo r g o t th a t tim e cues

e x is t e d ." ^
A Newsweek e d i t o r , commenting upon th e h i s t o r y o f t e l e v i s i o n in
1963, and "Looking Backward" a t v a r io u s r e c o r d in g s o f s e v e r a l 1949 show s,
probably summed i t up a c c u r a t e ly when he w ro te:

" I f th e o ld k in e s c o p e s

proved a n y th in g , i t was th a t th e b e s t o f e a r ly t e l e v i s i o n c o u ld be

^T e le - n o t e s , March, 1951, 2 .
2I b id .

3I b id .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

p r e t t y bad."'*'

But i t was e x c i t i n g f o r th e v ie w e r , as w e ll as th e

p rodu cer!
I t r e q u ir e d betw een 15 and 18 t e c h n ic ia n s (in c lu d in g th r e e
cameramen) t o produce each " F a ith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t in a s t u d io o n ly
30 f e e t by 35 f e e t .

Under th e c ir c u m s ta n c e s , th e "human e le m e n t," as

P a sto r F agal s o g r a c io u s ly r e f e r r e d t o i t ,

e n te r e d in v e r y s t r o n g ly fo r

s tu d io p e r s o n n e l, as w e ll as f o r th e am ateur a c t o r s .
S a id Fagal l a t e r , o f t h e s e s t u d io t e c h n ic ia n s and netw ork
o f f i c i a l s , w ith whom h i s and h i s g ro u p s l i v e s were so in e x t r ic a b l y
in te r tw in e d fo r f i v e and o n e - h a lf y e a r s b e fo r e th e move to film :
We s p e n t h ou rs and h ou rs in r e h e a r s a ls w ith th e h e lp f u l
encouragem ent o f th e ABC-TV d i r e c t o r s . From th e v ery f i r s t ,
a l l th e ABC t e c h n ic a l s t a f f have b een a c o n tin u a l in s p i r a
t io n w ith t h e i r u n f a i l i n g i n t e r e s t . They b rou gh t
p r o f e s s io n a l s k i l l t h a t gave us c o n fid e n c e to go on t h a t we
n e v e r c o u ld have found in any o th e r way. They took a p e r
s o n a l i n t e r e s t in th e s u c c e s s o f th e t e l e c a s t f a r in e x c e s s
o f th e req u irem en ts o f t h e i r a p p o in ted d u t i e s , u rg in g us to
carry on even when we n e a r ly d e s p a ir e d o f p rod u cin g a t e l e
c a s t o f s u f f i c i e n t p r o f e s s io n a l l e v e l . ^
One (p ro b a b ly u n p rem ed itated ) f r in g e b e n e f i t a r i s i n g from th e
employment o f am ateur a c to r s (who were a lm o st e n t i r e l y S ev en th -d a y
A d v e n tis ts ) was t h a t i t s e r v e d p a r t i a l l y to b lu n t th e edge o f th e a n t i dram atic elem en t w ith in th e ch u rch , f o r th e y c o u ld h a r d ly r a i l a g a in s t
t h e i r own f e llo w b e l i e v e r s !

F o r tu n a te ly , th e in f lu e n c e o f t h i s sm a ll

but v o lu b le group began to d im in ish a p p r e c ia b ly as th e program c o n tin u e d

to s u r v iv e a l l t h e i r d ir e p r e d ic t io n s o f imm inent c o lla p s e .

And w ith

th e move t o f ilm in 1956, F ag a l was a b le to employ p r o f e s s io n a l a c to r s

w ith o u t much fu r th e r c r i t i c i s m .

1Feb. 18, 1963, 9 0 .

^ T e le -n o te s , May, 1955, 2 .

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218
There w ere, how ever, o th e r and more c o m p e llin g rea so n s f o r th e
h ir in g o f p r o f e s s i o n a l s .

Film p r o d u c tio n c a l l s f o r th e s h o o tin g o f

sce n e s in th e m ost eco n o m ica l manner and t h i s seldom c o in c id e s w ith th e

c h r o n o lo g ic a l seq u en ce o f s c e n e s , as f a r as th e s t o r y l i n e i s con cern ed .
Amateur a c to r s needed th e in n e r e m o tio n a l b u ild - u p , w hich comes from
doing th e s c e n e s c h r o n o lo g ic a lly ; and i t was v i r t u a l l y im p o s s ib le fo r
them to tu rn in an adequate perform ance ou t o f s e q u e n c e . ^
A ls o , p r o f e s s io n a l a c to r s w ould r e q u ir e c o n s id e r a b ly few er
r e ta k e s in s h o o tin g th e v a r io u s s c e n e s than would amateur a c t o r s , in
order to tu r n in a p o lis h e d p erfo rm a n ce.

The more r e t a k e s , th e more

ex p e n siv e th e f i n a l c o s t o f th e program; and an econom ic im p e r a tiv e now

d ic ta t e d t h a t th e u s e o f am ateurs b e d is c o n tin u e d .

The sec o n d m ajor p r o d u c tio n problem in v o lv e d th e n eed fo r

o b ta in in g s u i t a b l e s c r i p t - w r i t e r s f o r th e t e l e c a s t .

A fte r h i s i n i t i a l

baptism by f i r e , F agal im m ed ia tely r e c o g n iz e d a number o f t h in g s :

(1)

to su cceed in t e l e v i s i o n , he would have t o spend h i s f u l l tim e a t i t i t

could n o t be a mere s i d e - l i n e ;

(2) e x t e n s iv e r e h e a r s a ls would be r e q u ir e d

in advance o f each b r o a d c a st; and (3) a s c r i p t - w r i t e r was a Mm ustM--a n d

a t once.

R e c a llin g i t a l l f i v e y e a r s l a t e r , he remembered, " T e le v is io n

req u ired a new, a b a f f l i n g s e t o f te c h n iq u e s .

We had a l io n by th e

ta il." 3
" F a ith fo r T oday's" f i r s t s c r i p t - w r i t e r , R od erick M acLeish,^
serv ed o n ly p a r t - t im e , and n o t as a form al member o f th e t e l e c a s t s t a f f .
1

G iddings I n te r v ie w , 1.

Fenn, 3 4 .

3F a g a l, "Y es, Indeed, TV i s W ell W o rth w h ile," 2 .

^ A fter le a v in g ABC in New York, M acLeish s u b s e q u e n tly se r v e d as
news d ir e c t o r o f Radio S t a t io n WBZ, B oston ; s p e n t s e v e n y e a r s abroad as
a fo r e ig n c o rr e sp o n d e n t; and in 1967 was a radio-T V commentator in

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219
H is c o n tr ib u tio n c o n s is t e d c h i e f l y in w r it in g what V ir g in ia F a g a l c a l l e d
"thought s c r ip t s " (" s c e n a r io s " w ould p r o b a b ly be a more a c c u r a te w o rd ),
fo r w hich he was p a id $75 e a c h , and in w hich h e o u t lin e d th e p l o t s f o r
th e dram atic s k e tc h e s d u rin g th e f i r s t few w eeks o f 1 9 5 0 .*
The f i r s t s a l a r i e d , f u l l - t i m e s c r i p t - w r i t e r , Dr. E la in e G id d in g s,
was c a lle d from a te a c h in g p o s i t i o n a t S o u th ern M issio n a ry C o lle g e n e a r
C hattanooga, T e n n e ss e e , in l a t e 1950.

M iss G iddings had ea rn ed h e r

M aster's d eg ree a t th e U n iv e r s it y o f S ou th ern C a lif o r n ia in t h e a t e r

under C e c il B. D e M ille 's b r o t h e r , W illia m , i n 1945, and h e r d o c to r a te in
3
speech a t th e U n iv e r s it y o f M ichigan in 1950.
T e le c a s t o f f i c i a l s soon d is c o v e r e d t h a t one s c r i p t - w r i t e r , no
m atter how a c co m p lish e d , cannot p o s s i b l y produce a new h a lf - h o u r s c r i p t
o f c o n s i s t e n t l y h ig h q u a l i t y , week in and week o u t, o v e r any e x te n d e d
p e r io d o f tim e .

T hus, in m id -1 9 5 1 , th e GC T e l e v is io n Commission v o te d

to canvass th e dozen or so A d v e n tis t c o l l e g e s th rou gh ou t N orth A m erica

to s e e i f any h id d en w r it in g t a l e n t m ight be f e r r e t e d o u t from t h a t
so u r ce .

The sum o f $25 was o f f e r e d f o r ea ch s c r i p t s e l e c t e d by th e

program com m ittee.^

The r e s u l t s o f t h i s su r v e y w ere d is a p p o in t in g - - o n ly two s c r i p t s
were r e c e iv e d th a t w ere anywhere n e a r u s a b le , and th e s e r e q u ir e d
e x te n s iv e rew orking th ro u g h o u t.^

W ashington fo r th e W estin gh ou se n etw ork .

( L e t t e r from Rod M acL eish,
W estinghouse B ro a d ca stin g Company, I n c . , W ashington, D. C ., March 1 3 ,
1967.) By 1969, M acLeish h e ld th e p o s t o f S e n io r Commentator a t W estin g
house in W ashington.
(C f. R ea d er's D ig e s t , J u n e, 1969, 7 1 .)
*Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7 , 1966, 5 .
2 GC M in u tes, Nov. 2 2 , 1950, 2 3 5 .

^G iddings I n te r v ie w , 1.

^TV Commission M in u te s, June 2 6 , 1 951, a c tio n 5 1 -2 6 .

^G iddings I n te r v ie w , 1.

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220
T aking a n o th e r t a c k , th e G eneral C on feren ce c a l l e d Grace F ie ld s
to j o i n th e s t a f f as a sec o n d s c r i p t - w r i t e r , in Decem ber, 1952;^ and one
y e a r l a t e r th e T r u s te e s v o te d t o add a t h i r d .
Edwards a r r iv e d i n March, 1954.

Mrs. J o s e p h in e Cunnington

An h o n e s t b u t marked d i f f e r e n c e o f o p in io n d e v e lo p e d e a r ly
betw een th e s c r i p t - w r i t e r s and th e t e l e v i s i o n p a s t o r co n c er n in g s u g
g e s te d m o d if ic a t io n s in b o th b a s i c id e a s and s p e c i f i c d ia lo g u e in th e
o r ig in a l s c r i p t s .

The s c r i p t - w r i t e r s s i n c e r e l y b e l i e v e d t h a t th ey

sh o u ld have com p lete c o n t r o l o v er th e s c r i p t , w hereas P a s to r F agal h e ld

th a t c e r t a in p ro p o sed modes o f e x p r e s s io n w ere a p p r o p r ia te n e i t h e r to
the r o le o f a m in is t e r n or h i s own in d iv id u a l manner o f e x p r e s s io n .
The i s s u e was p erh ap s a n a la g o u s, in t h e o l o g i c a l te r m s, to th e
c o n tr o v e r sy b etw een " v e r b a l in s p ir a t i o n " o f th e S c r ip tu r e s and " p len ary
in s p i r a t i o n ."

But in more p r a c t i c a l te r m s, i t was o f t e n a c a se o f D avid

n ot b e in g a b le to f i g h t G o lia th in S a u l's armor ( c f . I Samuel

17

:3 9 ) .4

The m a tte r was p a r t i a l l y , te m p o r a r ily , r e s o lv e d on s e v e r a l

o c c a sio n s by an in g e n io u s ly s u b t l e , i f n o t d e v io u s , e x p e d ie n t.
in e f f e c t , memorized two s c r i p t s .

F a g a l,

D uring r e h e a r s a ls he w ould f a i t h f u l l y

rep ea t th e l i n e s w r it t e n f o r him; b u t d u rin g th e a c t u a l l i v e t e l e c a s t ,

he would m e n ta lly s h i f t g e a r s in v a r io u s p la c e s and u se l i n e s he had
p r iv a t e ly p rep a red f o r h im s e lf .

The t r a n s i t i o n s w ere alw ays sm ooth, th e

changes con su m ately e f f e c t e d , w ith a p p a r e n tly none th e w is e r .^

^T e l e - n o t e s , D e c ., 1 9 5 2 , 4.
2

T r u ste e s M in u tes, J a n . 2 7 , 1954, a c t io n 5 4 -1 3 .

^O perating Board M in u tes, March 2 2 , 1954, a c t io n 5 4 -2 1 .

^ In terv iew w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, New York, J u ly 8 , 1966, 1.
C ited h e r e a f t e r as F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 8 , 1966.
5 I b id .

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221
In an a ttem p t a t a more perm anent s o l u t i o n , th e O perating Board,
a f t e r a r e q u e st by F agal f o r "more h e lp i n r e a d in g and approving
s c r i p t s ,"
VOTED That th e Program Committee s h o u ld s e r v e as a Reading
Committee and th a t a l l s c r i p t s sh o u ld b e s e n t o u t as soon
as p o s s i b l e to th e members o f th e Program Committee who
would be asked t o read them and sen d back any s u g g e s tio n s
t h a t th e y m ight have a t any tim e .
I t was e x p la in e d t h a t a
t e l e v i s i o n s c r i p t grow s, and i t was u n d e rsto o d t h a t th e
f i r s t s c r i p t each week w ould b e a rough cop y, and th e f i n a l
p rod u ct m ight be changed c o n s i d e r a b l y . 1 > 2
A ll th r e e lad y s c r i p t - w r i t e r s made an u n q u e s tio n a b ly v a lu a b le
c o n tr ib u tio n to th e t e l e c a s t ; and a l l w ere p u b li c ly commended by Fagal
fo r h a v in g "ren dered f a i t h f u l s e r v i c e in p rep a rin g " them.

Concerning

Dr. G id d in g s, th e f i r s t to come, and who had g iv e n f i v e y e a r s to th e

t e l e c a s t , F agal added r e c e n t l y , "She was a g r e a t h e lp to th e program.
She came a t a tim e o f c r i t i c a l n e e d ; and th e t e l e c a s t d e f i n i t e l y took a
b ig s te p upward when sh e came."

A ll th r e e l a d i e s , h ow ever, r e s ig n e d w ith in a co m p a ra tiv ely s h o r t

tim e:

Dr. G iddings on March 1 , 1956,^ M iss F ie ld s j u s t 27 days l a t e r ,^

and Mrs. Edwards s h o r t ly t h e r e a f t e r .

O p eratin g Board M in u tes, S e p t. 1 0 , 1951, a c t io n 5 1 -3 4 . For a

d e t a il e d accou nt o f th e v a r io u s s t e p s in " P rep a rin g a F a ith fo r Today
T e le c a st" in th e e a r ly d a y s, s e e T e l e - n o t e s , J u n e, 1951, 2 .
2

C u r io u s ly , th e Program C om m ittee, c r e a te d Aug. 2 9 , 1951, met

o n ly o n c e - - 0 c t . 9 , 1951. I t was s u b s e q u e n tly d isb a n d ed on May 12, 1953.
(O p eratin g Board M in u tes, May 1 2 , 1 9 5 3 , a c t io n 5 3 -5 6 .}
^ T e le -n o te s , May, 1955, 2 .
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , Feb. 9 , 1967, 1.
^ O perating Board M in u tes, Dec. 15, 1955, a c t io n 5 5 -7 5 .
^ I b id . , March 2 7 , 1956, a c t io n 5 6 - 4 .
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , Feb. 9 , 1967, 1.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

With th e move to f il m in J an u ary, 1956, and w ith th e su b seq u en t

lo s s o f th e th r e e la d y s c r i p t - w r i t e r s , th e F a g a ls " got along" f o r th e
I

n e x t two and o n e - h a lf y e a r s by " r e -d o in g a few o ld s c r i p t s " and th en

p u rch asin g o th e r s c r i p t s from v a r io u s f r e e - la n c e w r it e r s .

"Vernon

D e lsto n , a n o n -A d v e n tis t, p ro b a b ly w rote more th an anyone e l s e , " V ir g in ia

Fagal l a t e r r e c a l l e d .

And two A d v e n tist w r i t e r s , Herb Ford and C arol

H e t z e ll, each su b m itte d "a good s c r ip t." '*

In th e summer o f 1958, O tis C a v r e ll, a co-ow ner o f C harter Oak
T e le - P ic t u r e s , I n c . , and i t s p r o d u c e r -d ir e c to r f o r th e " F a ith f o r Today"
show, began w r it in g th e d ram atic s c r i p t s f o r th e program , a s i d e - l i n e
task in w hich he h as c o n tin u e d t o fu n c tio n r a th e r d u rab ly fo r n e a r ly a
decade.^
The b a s ic problem in w r it in g , as reg a rd s c o n te n t , i s th a t th e
m a ter ia l and p r o d u c tio n must be " p a l a t a b le , a c c e p ta b le to s t a t i o n
management.

The show i s d e l i b e r a t e l y c o n c e iv e d o f in term s o f b e in g a

"net" in w hich to c a tc h " fis h " f o r su b seq u en t in d o c t r in a t io n by th e

B ib le C orrespondence S c h o o l.

T his one f a c t m a t e r ia lly l i m i t s th e s p e c -

trum o f A d v e n tis t d o c tr in e th a t can be p r e se n te d on th e a i r .

A lthough n o t a S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t, C a v r e ll f e e l s th a t he has

learn ed to know A d v e n tis t d o c tr in e b e t t e r than many A d v e n tis ts them
s e l v e s , through working c l o s e l y w ith th e F agals o v er th e y e a r s , and a ls o
w ith George Vandeman (whose " I t i s W ritten" t e l e c a s t f ilm s are a ls o
produced a t C h arter O ak). ^

^ V ir g in ia F agal L e t t e r , June 2 0 , 1967, 1.

2

I b id .

O tis C a v r e ll's f i r s t s c r i p t was f o r Program #115.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , Feb. 9 , 1965, 2 .

^ C a v rell I n te r v ie w , J u ly 8, 1966, 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

C a v r e ll m eets w ith th e F a g a ls and one o th e r member o f th e t e l e

c a s t s t a f f , as a s c r i p t - r e v i s i o n com m ittee, a f t e r h a v in g su b m itte d th e
rough s c e n a r io under gu id e l i n e s s u g g e s te d by th e F a g a ls .
read th ro u g h , d u rin g w hich l i t t l e

i s s a i d , in a d e s ir e to g iv e th e docu

ment a f a i r h e a r in g , and to lo o k a t i t as a w h o le .
"we p u l l and h a u l."

The s c r i p t i s

"Then," s a i d F a g a l,

Mrs. F a g a l g e n e r a lly works o u t th e f i n a l d e t a i l s o f

th e s h o o tin g s c r i p t , " A d v e n tizin g " i t w herever n e c e s s a r y , t o make i t

conform to A d v e n tis t t h e o l o g i c a l v iew s and u s a g e s .

"And O tis i s no

problem ," F agal adds; "he ta k e s a v e r y p r a c t i c a l as w e ll as p h ilo s o p h ic

tr a in o f th ou gh t as reg a rd s th e s c r i p t s he h as su b m itte d f o r s c r u t in y
and e v a lu a t io n .
"Our b ig g e s t problem i s i n tu r n in g out a s c r i p t b e fo r e i t i s
r e a l l y r e a d y ," th e TV p a s t o r p o in t s o u t.^
The n e x t s t e p i s th e c a s t i n g o f a c to r s f o r th e m ajor r o l e s .
methods are em ployed:

Two

Cl) th e F a g a ls w i l l o ft e n r e c a l l s p e c i f i c

in d iv id u a ls who have appeared in p r e v io u s p r o d u c tio n s who a re b e l ie v e d

" righ t" f o r th e c u r re n t p a r t s , and th ey

th en c a l l th e a c t o r s ' a g e n ts to

make th e n e c e s s a r y arran gem en ts; o r (2)

a c a s t in g agency w i l l b e c a l l e d ,

given a d e s c r ip t io n o f th e r o l e , and i t

w i l l sen d o u t f i v e or s i x a c to r s

fo r each p a r t .

Says F agal:

A ctors a r e n 't u n iv e r s a lly v e r s a t i l e ; som etim es th ey come

through phony. So we t r y them o u t, two a t a tim e , p la y in g
o p p o s ite each o th e r and r e a d in g th e p a r t s . Out o f perhaps
15 or 20 who t r y o u t, th r e e w i l l be p ic k e d , one fo r ea ch o f
th e major p a r ts in th e a v e ra g e dram atic s k e tc h .
The a c to r s th en le a r n t h e i r l i n e s , and come fo r th e s h o o tin g o f
t h e ir p a r t as s c h e d u le d by th e p r o d u ce r .
camera.

The f i r s t r e h e a r s a l i s w ith o u t

The v a r io u s a rea s are b lo c k e d o u t on th e sound s t a g e .

1F agal I n te r v ie w , Feb. 9 , 1965, 2 .

^I b i d . , 3.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Camera

and l i g h t s are th en s e t up, and m easurem ents are ta k en f o r e x a c t fo c u s .

Then th e r e w i l l be fu r t h e r r e h e a r s a l, e ig h t t o t e n t im e s , b e fo r e th e
camera r o l l s .
Once s h o o tin g has a lr e a d y s t a r t e d , f i v e o r s i x s h o ts o f each
scen e w i l l be tak en from as many d i f f e r e n t camera d i r e c t i o n s .

T hese are

u n sc r ip te d and c o v er e v er y p o s s i b l e a n g le .
Then th e f ilm e d i t o r go es to work on th e f o o t a g e , sp en d in g
haps

40

hours w orking onone 15 -m in u te d ra m a tic s k i t .

per

The serm ons are

n ot e d it e d ; one cam era, w hich has a s p e c i a l le n s fo r c r e a t in g " d o lly "

e f f e c t s , i s u sed fo r t h i s work.
V ir g in ia F agal b e fo r e

The f i n a l p ro d u ct i s a u d itio n e d by

i t i s r e le a s e d .

Most o f th e work

i s done a t C harter O ak's uptown E a st 9 0 th S t r e e t

sound s ta g e in M anhattan, a n o n -u n io n p r o d u c tio n o u t f i t w ith midtown

o f f i c e s f o r e d it o r s and f ilm d e v e lo p e r s on West 4 6 th S t r e e t .
One camera i s u se d in p r o d u c tio n o f th e " F a ith f o r Today" show,
and a c o n s id e r a b le amount o f tim e i s tak en by th e arrangem ent o f l i g h t s ,
fo r each s h o t i s in d i v i d u a l l y l i t .

The p r o d u c tio n crew c o n s i s t s o f one

cameraman, one a s s i s t a n t cameraman ( f o r fo c u s and m easu rem en ts), one

d ir e c t o r , s e v e r a l "prop" p e o p le , w ith some o f th e crew d o u b lin g in s e v
eral r o le s .

Thus a crew o f f i v e o r s i x are a b le to h a n d le p r o d u c tio n

whereas i f th e show were film e d in a u n ion s t u d io i t w ould r e q u ir e 35 or

40 in d iv id u a ls f o r p r o d u c tio n .*
C harter Oak does some com m ercial w ork, la r g e l y TV com m ercials.
Most o f i t s

f ilm in g i s o f r e l i g i o u s program s.

The p r o s p e c t o f a n o n -A d v e n tis t's w r it in g th e s c r i p t s f o r th e

d en om in ation 's major e v a n g e l i s t i c th r u s t in t e l e v i s i o n

* I b id .

le a v e s some h ig h

^I b i d .

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225

church o f f i c i a l s r a th e r unhappy, i f n o t un nerved.

N ea l C. W ilso n , v ic e

-j

p r e s id e n t o f th e G eneral C on feren ce f o r th e N orth Am erican D iv is io n (and

chairman o f th e F a ith f o r Today Board o f T r u s t e e s ) , w h ile p a y in g j u s t
t r ib u t e to C a v r e ll's n o t in c o n s id e r a b le work o ver th e p a s t d e c a d e ,
n e v e r t h e le s s f e e l s t h a t "someone who u n d ersta n d s ou r m essage and our
o b j e c t iv e s

[sh o u ld in th e n e a r fu t u r e ] g iv e more c a r e f u l s tu d y to th e

form at and c o n te n t o f our programs."'*'

F a g a l, o v er th e y e a r s , h a s d efen d ed th e employment o f a n o n A d v e n tist in t h i s c r u c ia l and s e n s i t i v e p o s i t i o n , n o t o n ly f o r th e
pragm atic r ea so n t h a t no one w ith in th e d en om in ation has b een found to
do th e work,

but a ls o b e c a u s e he b e l i e v e s th a t su ch an in d iv id u a l can

g iv e A d v e n tists a v a lu a b le "window t o th e world" w hich i t s e e k s to rea ch

w ith i t s m essage.

The program , he c o n te n d s, th us a c h ie v e s a m odem ,

contemporary ap p eal w hich i t m igh t w e ll n o t a c h ie v e i f w r it t e n by an

A d v e n tist.

M eanwhile, th e se a r c h f o r a s u i t a b l e A d v e n tis t w r it e r go es on ,

w h ile O tis C a v r e ll c o n tin u e s c a lm ly in what must be one o f th e most

rem arkable m arriages o f c o n v e n ie n c e in a l l t e l e v i s i o n .

1L e t t e r , W ashington, D. C ., D ec. 14, 1966, 1.

2

As e a r ly as J u ly 15, 1956, w ith th e d ep a rtu re o f th e t h ir d lady

s c r ip t - w r i t e r , th e T r u s te e s v o te d t o " sec u r e and employ" a n o th er A dvent
i s t w r ite r (m in u te s , a c t io n 5 6 - 2 5 ) . T h is a c tio n has n e v e r b een
r e s c in d e d , b u t n e it h e r h as i t y e t b een im p lem en ted, sim p ly b e c a u se a
" s u ita b le " A d v e n tist w r it e r (who i s a ls o a v a ila b le ) has y e t to be found.
3F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 8 , 1966, 1.
^A b a s ic , fundam ental problem in t h i s w hole i s s u e o f g e t t i n g an
A d v e n tist s c r i p t - w r i t e r , in th e o p in io n o f Dr. G id d in g s, i s t h a t m ost
p r o s p e c tiv e A d v e n tis t w r it e r s have b een r a is e d in a f a i r l y s h e l t e r e d
environm ent. W ithin th e ch u r c h s p a r o c h ia l e d u c a tio n a l sy ste m th e p u p il
and stu d e n t i s v i r t u a l l y i n s u l a t e d a g a in s t c l a s s i c a l and contem porary
l i t e r a r y works (w hich f a c t , i n h e r o p in io n , ten d s t o l i m i t th e d e v e lo p
ment o f c r e a t iv e n e s s w ith in th e s t u d e n t 's m in d). And th e d e n o m in a tio n s

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

226
Growing Pains
I n t e r n a l o r g a n iz a t io n . J u s t as P a s to r F a g a l's am ateur p erfo rm ers
on th e t e l e c a s t were d e d ic a te d A d v e n tis t laym en, s o a ls o w ere most o f
th o se who s e r v e d o ff-c a m e r a , b eh in d th e s c e n e s , on th e h ea d q u a rters
sta ff.

At th e end o f 1951, a f t e r one y e a r and a h a l f o f b r o a d c a s tin g ,

th er e were s i x f u l l - t i m e em ployees and s e v e r a l p a r t- tim e w orkers; b u t

one y e a r l a t e r th e f u l l - t i m e s t a f f had grown t o 2 7 , and th e peak was
reach ed in 1 964, when 78 o f f i c e w orkers w ere on th e p a y r o ll, as n o te d in
T able 2 , w hich appears on th e fo llo w in g p a g e .
Some in d ic a t io n o f th e k in d o f p e r so n s em ployed a t h e a d q u a r te r s -and th e p e r s o n a l s a c r i f i c e o f each in w orking t h e r e i s found in t h i s
t r ib u t e p u b lis h e d in T e le -n o te s in J a n u a ry , 1954:
Every em ployee i s a c o n s c ie n t io u s C h r is tia n w orker who h as
v o lu n te e r e d to do a f u l l - t i m e job on a m is s io n a r y s a la r y .
P r a c t i c a l l y e v e r y member o f th e o f f i c e fa m ily i s s u p e r io r
in h is l i n e o f work. Most a tte n d e d c o l l e g e , th e m a jo r ity
h a v in g r e c e iv e d c o lle g e or u n iv e r s i t y d e g r e e s . D o u b tle ss
e v er y w orker c o u ld command a la r g e r s a la r y in s e c u la r
em ploym ent, but no one f e e l s t h a t he i s making to o g r e a t a
s a c r i f i c e . . . . Everyone i s on th e a l e r t f o r s a v in g s and
s h o r t c u t s .*
The e d i t o r m ight have m en tio n ed , b u t d i d n ' t , th a t th e o f f i c e
f a m ily 's " m issio n a r y s a la r y " r e q u ir e d e x c e p t io n a l ly d ev o ted s a c r i f i c e on
th e p a r t o f th e in d iv id u a l w orker; fo r th e s a la r y p a id a t F a ith f o r
Today (and i t s

c o u n te r p a r t in A d v e n tis t r a d io , The V oice o f Prophecy) i s

ban on a tte n d a n c e a t th e cinema and le g it i m a t e th e a t r e (and much th a t i s

t h e a t r i c a l on t e l e v i s i o n , as f a r as v ie w in g in th e home i s concerned)
r e s u lt s in th e s tu d e n t a tte m p tin g to w r it e f o r a medium co n c er n in g w hich
he i s n e a r ly t o t a l l y ig n o r a n t. U n t il t h i s problem i s r e s o lv e d , Dr. G iddings s u g g e s t s , i t i s v i r t u a l l y a w a ste o f tim e t r y in g to te a c h c r e a t iv e
or dram atic w r it in g in A d v e n tist s c h o o ls , from w hich so u rce th e ch u rch ,
h o p e f u lly , m ight f in d a w r it e r f o r " F a ith f o r T oday."
(G iddings
I n te r v ie w , 1 .)
''T e l e - n o t e s , J a n ., 1954, 2.

i
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227

TABLE 2
SUMMARY OF FULL-TIME OFFICE WORKERS EMPLOYED
AT FAITH FOR TODAY, INCORPORATED
1 9 5 1 -1 9 6 8

Year
195 1
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
196 1
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968

Employees

.......................................................................
6
.......................................................................
27
.......................................................................
26
.......................................................................
30
.......................................................................
38
.......................................................................
44
.......................................................................
50
.......................................................................
55
.......................................................................
60
.......................................................................
65
.............................................................................65
....................................................
70
.......................................................................
72
.......................................................................
78
.......................................................................
72
....................................................................... 52
....................................................................... 57
....................................................................... 58

aF ig u r es qu oted as o f December 31
each y e a r .
^Only r e g u la r f u l l - t i m e em ployees
are l i s t e d .
Temporary and permanent p a r t tim e h e lp numbers betw een f i v e and te n
p e r so n s a d d it io n a ll y ea ch y e a r .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

228

th e lo w e st o f any to be found in any G eneral C on feren ce i n s t i t u t i o n th e

h ig h e s t o f w hich i s c o n s id e r e d a m is s io n a r y w age.

T h is u n fo r tu n a te

s i t u a t i o n has a t tim es m i l i t a t e d a g a in s t c a l l i n g w orkers t o th e t e l e

v is io n or r a d io s t a f f s from o th e r em ploying o r g a n iz a tio n s w it h in th e
d e n o m in a tio n .1
P a s to r and Mrs. F a g a l's own w i l l i n g n e s s t o work f o r a s a la r y
low er than th e y co u ld command e lse w h e r e even w it h in th e d en om in ation

(and, i r o n i c a l l y , w ith m easurably h ig h e r r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s in a d d itio n to

th e low er pay) c o n tin u e s t o i n s p i r e th e o f f i c e s t a f f .

And i t seem s

r e a so n a b le to co n clu d e t h a t t h i s s e l f l e s s example i s no s m a ll f a c t o r in
h e lp in g to r e t a in th e s e r v i c e s o f many on th e h e a d q u a r te rs s t a f f .
No c o n s id e r a t io n o f th e o r g a n iz a tio n o f p e r s o n n e l a t F a ith f o r
Today would be com p lete w ith o u t f i r s t n o t in g a t th e o u t s e t th e c r u c i a l ,
in d eed p i v o t a l , r o le p la y e d by th e g r a c io u s , p le a s a n t - f a c e d , good-hum ored
woman p o s s e s s e d o f a f a n t a s t i c memory ( e s p e c i a l l y f o r d a te s and e v e n ts )
and a f r ie n d ly s m ile , who s t o o d by h e r h u sb a n d 's s i d e on th e o p en in g
n ig h t o f h is t e l e v i s i o n debu t on " F a ith f o r Today" to g iv e him "moral
su p p o rt," and who rem ained on e v e r y t e l e c a s t t h e r e a f t e r , to d e l i v e r th e
"commercial" fo r th e B ib le c o u r se s and f r e e premium book s o f f e r e d .

^In 1963, James J o in e r was c a l l e d from employment e lse w h e r e

w ith in th e den om in ation t o a p o s i t i o n o f e q u a l or s l i g h t l y h ig h e r r e sp o n
s i b i l i t y a t F a ith f o r Today; h ow ever, he s u f f e r e d a wage c u t o f $4 p e r
week. The O p eratin g Board f i n a l l y b rou gh t t h i s i n t o l e r a b l e s i t u a t i o n to
th e a t t e n t io n o f th e G eneral C o n fe r en ce , a s k in g f o r an in c r e a s e in
s a la r y b a s e , to p u t F a ith f o r Today on a more e q u a l f o o t in g w ith o th e r
church a g e n c ie s .
(O p era tin g Board M in u tes, Nov. 1 2 , 1 9 6 3 , a c t io n 6 3 - 7 2 .)
2

In 1 9 6 8 -6 9 ,
Mrs. F agal was p a id
a monthly p arson age
Fagal g e ts
a w eek ly
R. Lawson,
b u s in e s s
1969.)

P a s to r F a g a l's s a la r y was $ 1 0 5 .0 9 p e r w eek, and

$ 1 0 2 .0 0 p e r w eek.
In a d d it io n , th e p a s t o r r e c e iv e s
s u b s id y and a u to d e p r e c ia t io n a llo w a n c e , and M rs.
" l i v i n g a llo w a n ce" o f $ 1 3 .8 4 .
( L e t t e r from W illia m
m anager, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , New York, May 7 ,

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229

V ir g in ia F a g a l, who i s c r e d it e d w ith o r i g i n a t in g th e t i t l e o f
the show, " F a ith f o r T oday," b e fo r e th e f i r s t program was a ir e d in 1950,^
o c c u p ie s an o f f i c e im m ed ia tely a d jo in in g t h a t o f th e t e l e v i s i o n p a s t o r .
In e f f e c t , sh e s e r v e s as h is

" a d m in is tr a tiv e a s s i s t a n t "

( s e e F ig . 1 9 ).

In a m ost rem arkable manner, t h i s " h elp -m ate" h as combined th e

c a r e e r s o f m other, m i n i s t e r ' s w i f e , o f f i c e w orker, and TV p e r s o n a lit y
in t o a b u sy , s a t i s f y i n g l i f e o f s e r v i c e to o t h e r s .
D u tie s a t th e o f f i c e in c lu d e :

(1) an sw erin g up to 40 l e t t e r s

each day from v ie w e r s s e e k in g s p e c i a l c o u n se l or h e lp in m eetin g l i f e ' s

problem s;

(2) w r it in g h e r own m a t e r ia l fo r th e "com m ercials" (and even

an o c c a s io n a l s c r i p t , when th e n eed a r i s e s ! ) ;

and (3) s o l e r e s p o n s i-

b i l i t v f o r sh e p h e r d in g each program 's d ev elo p m en t,

from th e s c r i p t

w r it e r 's f i r s t rough d r a f t ( s c r i p t c o n fe r e n c e s a lo n e occupy fo u r t o s i x

hours w e e k ly ), through c a s t in g o f a c to r s f o r each d ram atic s k e t c h , to a
review o f th e f ilm e d i t o r ' s f i n a l c u t t in g b e fo r e th e m a ster p r in t i s
s e n t f o r c o p y in g .

She even s e l e c t s a l l m u sic u sed on th e show .^

At th e s t u d io , V ir g in ia F agal may sta n d in f r o n t o f th e cam eras,

under e x c e e d in g ly u n p le a sa n t h o t f l o o d l i g h t s , fo r f i v e t o s i x hours a t a
tim e, b e fo r e th e l a t e s t b a tch o f com m ercials i s f i n a l l y f i l m e d .5

^Judith Marr, " F agals T ie R e lig io n to Home L ife on TV," L ansing

(M ich.) S t a te J o u r n a l, J u ly 14, 1968, C -8. C oncerning h e r r o l e in
naming th e " F a ith fo r Today" t e l e c a s t , V ir g in ia F a g a l r e c a l l s , "I j u s t
p ic k e d i t ou t one n ig h t .
I had been d is c u s s in g th e n eed f o r a name f o r
our new program w ith B i l l o n ly a few days b e f o r e .
I j u s t s u g g e s te d i t
as a p o s s i b i l i t y one n i g h t , and i t to o k ."
( V ir g in ia F agal I n te r v ie w ,
J u ly 9 , 1966, 1 .)
2

C. 0 . ( B i l l ) O lip h a n t, "TV P a s t o r 's W ife F i l l s V a ried R oles in

M eeting C h a llen g e o f S e r v ic e ," T e l e - n o t e s , May, 1960, 3.
7

D alrym ple, " F if t e e n Y ears o f P r o g r e s s ," 3 .

^Marr, C -8.

50 1 ip h a n t, 3.

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R eproduced
with perm ission
of the copyright ow ner.

230

Further reproduction
prohibited
without p e r m issio n .

Fig. 19. V irginia Fagal a t h e r desk in Faith for Today H ea d q u arters, dictating rep lies to le tte rs from te le c a st v iew ers. S he
a lso se rv e s as h e r h usban d 's ad m in istrativ e a ssista n t in han d lin g m an y production d e ta ils fo r th e w eekly film p ro g ra m (1964).

231
And, on W illia m F a g a l1s ju n k e ts abroad t o f il m d o cu m en ta ries,
w ife V ir g in ia ta g s a lo n g w ith s p e c i f i c r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s as " a s s is t a n t
cameraman."^
Perhaps even th e la b e l o f " a d m in is tr a tiv e a s s i s t a n t "

is r e a lly

in ad eq u ate t o do j u s t i c e f u l l y to Mrs. F a g a l! s com plex and m u lt i- f a c e t e d

r o le a t F a ith f o r Today; b u t th e term sh e p r e f e r s i s even l e s s d e s c r ip
t i v e o f h e r work.
The la r g e s t s i n g l e group o f o f f i c e w orkers a t F a ith fo r Today i s
to be found in th e i n s t i t u t i o n s B ib le co rresp o n d en ce s c h o o l.
o p e r a tio n s in 1952, w ith one c o u r se o f s tu d y ,
im m ed iately and r a p id ly .

B eg in n in g

th e departm ent grew

By 1955, th e r e w ere 17 i n s t r u c t o r s , c o r r e c tin g

le s s o n s from f i v e d i f f e r e n t c o u r s e s ; and by 1962, some 10 d i f f e r e n t

co u rses ( in s e v e r a l la n g u a g e s, in c lu d in g B r a i l l e , and a l l f r e e to th e
p u b lic ) w ere o f f e r e d , w ith a co rr e sp o n d in g in c r e a s e in s t a f f . ^

The

1 0 0 ,0 0 0 th grad u ate o f th e s c h o o l, Mrs. J u le F ly , o f P i n e ll a s Park,

F lo r id a , r e c e iv e d h e r diplom a i n a s p e c i a l ceremony in December, 1964.^
At t h i s w r it in g , B ib le S ch o o l s u p e r v is o r M argaret McKay h as 12
f u ll- t i m e

(p lu s an a d d it io n a l number o f p a r t- tim e ) i n s t r u c t o r s , two

*Marr, C -8. When ask ed by t h i s newspaperwoman how she le a r n e d

t h i s b u s in e s s , V ir g in ia F agal r e p l i e d , "I g u e ss I j u s t grew up in i t . "
In r e v ie w in g t h i s c h a p te r , Mrs. Fagal e x p r e s s e d th e o p in io n
th a t " in s te a d o f A d m in is t r a t iv e A s s i s t a n t , 1 i t w ould be more a c c u r a te
to d e s c r ib e my work as P r o d u c t io n A s s i s t a n t . 1" ( L e t t e r , June 2 0 , 1967,
1 .) However, in view o f th e fo r e g o in g it e m iz a t io n o f a c t i v i t i e s , many
o f them e x e c u t iv e in n a tu r e , t h i s w r it e r r e s p e c t f u l l y demurs, m a in ta in in g
th a t " A d m in istr a tiv e A s s is t a n t " i s about as n e a r -a c c u r a te a d e s c r ip t io n
o f th e s in g u l a r ly un iqu e n a tu r e o f V ir g in ia F a g a lf s p o s i t i o n as he i s
a b le to f in d .
^T e l e - n o t e s , J a n ., 1 9 5 2 , 1.
^ In te r v ie w w ith Mrs. M argaret McKay, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , New
York, J u ly 13, 1966, 1. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as McKay I n te r v ie w .
^ T e le - n o t e s , D e c ., 1 9 6 4 , 4.

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232

c o u n s e lo r s , and a s e c r e t a r y under h e r d ir e c t io n .^

F iv e in s t r u c t o r s

a lo n e are r e q u ir e d t o o p e r a te th e B a s ic C ourse, ea ch b e in g r e s p o n s ib le
fo r b etw een 4 ,0 0 0 and 5 ,0 0 0 a c t i v e s tu d e n t s ; and a n o th er f i v e in s t r u c t o r s
are h ir e d to ca re f o r th e o th e r se v e n c o u r se s c u r r e n t ly o f f e r e d a t F a ith
f o r Today.^
In i t s

f i r s t 17 y e a r s , th e B ib le co rresp o n d en ce s c h o o l p r o c e s s e d

a t o t a l o f 1 ,6 6 7 ,0 2 9 a p p lic a t io n s , o f w hich 4 9 8 ,5 4 9 retu r n e d th e f i r s t

le s s o n t e s t p ap er f o r marking and th u s became e n r o l le d .
7 ,2 3 6 ,2 6 6 l e s s o n s , and g r a n te d 1 2 7 ,8 5 7 d ip lo m a s.

I t graded some

A t o t a l o f 14,279

known b a p tism s o f a d u lt c o n v e r ts in t o th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tist Church

3
have been r e p o r te d i n N orth America a lo n e .

A lso em ployed in t h i s departm ent i s Mrs. Anna F a g a l, mother o f

th e TV p a s t o r , who i s r e s p o n s ib le f o r m a ilin g out r e q u e s t b o o k le t s .
In te r v ie w e d a t h e r o f f i c e J u ly 9 , 1966, t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r found h e r to
b e a t 75 y e a r s o f a g e a woman o f v e ry d e c id e d o p in io n s , p r e c is e in
sp eech and e x c e l l e n t o f d i c t i o n , e y e s f u l l o f s p a r k le , and p o s s e s s e d o f
an u n u s u a lly a c u te mind. She e n jo y s w orking d a ily in th e h ead q u arters
and h as l i v e d w ith h e r son (whom sh e alw ays r e f e r s t o as "W illiam "
n ever as " B ill" ) and d a u g h te r -in -la w s in c e 1950, a f t e r fo u r y e a r s o f
widowhood. O r ig in a ll y sh e came to a c t as b a b y - s i t t e r in th e home d u rin g
th e h e c t i c e a r ly y e a r s o f l i v e b r o a d c a s tin g . The fa m ily had to le a v e a t
7 a.m. fo r s t u d io r e h e a r s a l, th en go back a g a in a t 2 p.m . fo r an a f t e r
noon s e s s i o n p r io r t o th e e v en in g p erfo rm a n ce. The h ir e d b a b y - s i t t e r
n ev er seem ed to g e t th e b r e a k fa s t d is h e s done; and no lunch a w a ited th e
F agals when th e y ru sh ed home a t noon, t i r e d from th e s t r a in o f r e h e a r s a l;
and th e h ou se was a mess from two c h ild r e n t e a r in g around in i t a l l
morning w ith o u t p a r e n ta l s u p e r v is io n .
"W ell, Grandma came and f ix e d a l l
t h a t ," Mother F agal s a i d , w ith a tw in k le in h er e y e ." And th e r e l a t i o n
sh ip has p roved an en d u rin g (and en d e a r in g ) o n e.
(Anna Fagal I n te r v ie w ,
J u ly 9 , 1966, 1 .)
2

For a com parison o f th e annual number o f a p p lic a t io n s ( in d iv id

u a ls r e q u e s t in g L esson O ne), e n r o llm e n ts (a p p lic a n ts r e tu r n in g Lesson
One f o r c o r r e c t i o n ) , and g ra d u a tes ( e n r o ll e e s c o m p le tin g a c o u r s e ), f o r
th e p e r io d 1 9 5 2 -6 8 , s e e Graph 5 . A more e x t e n s iv e d is c u s s io n o f th e
d e t a ile d a c t i v i t i e s o f th e B ib le C orrespondence S ch o o l w i l l be found in
C hapter VI in c o n n e c tio n w ith th e measurement o f a u d ien ce resp o n se to
the t e l e c a s t .
3 .
M is c e lla n e o u s R e p o r ts.

C f. a ls o T able 13 in Chapter VI.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

R eproduced
with perm ission

GRAPE 5

of the copyright ow ner.

COMPARISON OF APPLICATIONSJ ENROLLMENTS> AND GRADUATIONS

FAITH FOR TODAY BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL
NORTH AMERICA
1952-68

BY THOUSANDS
oo

233

Further reproduction

1952

prohibited
without p e r m issio n .

1960

1965

1970

H*

234

In 1965, th e o p e r a tin g b oard v o te d to r e t a i n th e s e r v i c e s o f

M o tiv a tio n Dynam ics, I n c . , i n an attem p t to make a new B ib le c o u r se more
a t t r a c t i v e and a p p e a lin g to th e p u b lic .'*

The f o llo w in g y e a r fu r t h e r

a u th o r iz a tio n was g r a n te d f o r an in -d e p th stu d y o f a l l F a ith f o r Today

p r in te d m a t e r ia ls in th e hope o f th er e b y im p roving th e m arket a c c e p t
a b i l i t y o f th e B ib le c o u r se s and lo w e rin g th e r a te o f a t t r i t i o n among
stu d e n t d r o p - o u t s .

A d jo in in g th e c o rresp o n d en ce s c h o o l a rea i s th e m a il-o p e n in g

departm ent where a number o f la d i e s are em ployed t o do n o th in g but open
m ail from t e l e v i e w e r s .

In th e peak y e a r o f 1962 a lo n e , more than on e-

th ir d o f a m il l i o n p i e c e s w ere r e c e iv e d ; and c u r r e n t ly as many as 1 0 ,0 0 0

p ie c e s o f v ie w e r m a il a r e r e c e iv e d w eek ly a t th e New York O f f i c e .

From

1955 onward, th e t o t a l number o f l e t t e r s has n e v e r b een l e s s th an on et h ir d m il lio n p ie c e s a y e a r ; and many w r it e r s sh a re p e r s o n a l c o n fid e n c e s

w ith P a sto r Fagal t h a t th e y th e m se lv e s adm it th e y w ould n e v e r r e v e a l to
t h e ir own p a s t o r , p h y s ic ia n , a t t o r n e y , o r fa m ily c o u n s e lo r .4
In th e f i l i n g d ep a rtm en t, r e c o r d s now are a l l k e p t on IBM
punched c a r d s, th u s r e p la c in g to n s o f o ld m eta l A ddressograph p l a t e s .
Cards are h ou sed in two p o w e r -o p e r a te d D ieb o ld R otary E le v a to r F i l e s ,
w ith a c a p a c ity o f 1 5 0 ,0 0 0 card s e a c h , f i l e d by ZIP code num bers.
R e ce ip ts fo r c o n t r ib u t io n s coming through th e m a il, a t th e r a t e o f more

"'"Operating Board M in u tes, Dec. 15, 1965, a c t io n 6 5 -9 7 .

2 I b i d . , A p r il 12, 1955, a c t io n 6 6 -3 2 .
^N othing to Fear . . . The S to ry o f F a ith f o r Today (New York:
F aith fo r Today, I n c . , [1966] j , 14~. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as The" S to r y o f
F aith f o r Today. The n a tu r e o f th e c o n te n ts o f t h i s to r r e n t o f m a il
w i l l be s tu d ie d in g r e a t e r d e t a i l in Chapter VI in c o n n e c tio n w ith th e
measurement o f a u d ien ce r e s p o n se to th e t e l e c a s t .
4F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 5 , 1966, 1.

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235

than a h a l f - m i l l i o n d o l l a r s a n n u a lly in 1969, are p rep a red on an NCR

C la ss 41 V a lid a t in g Machine (c o u p le d w ith a Model 411 check d i g i t v e r i
f i e r co m p u ter).
A s e p a r a te p r i n t i n g d ep artm en t, a u th o r iz e d in Septem ber, 1955,^
became f u l l y o p e r a t io n a l by March, 1956, w ith th e i n i t i a l i n s t a l l a t i o n
o f a D avidson o f f s e t p r e s s , a power c u t t e r , and an a u to m a tic f o ld e r .

More than a dozen w orkers w ere em ployed h e r e in 1 9 6 8 , p r i n t i n g the

m onthly T e le - n o t e s (w hose c i r c u l a t i o n on May 1, 1969, s to o d a t 16 2 ,0 0 0
c o p ie s ) , b o o k s-fo r -th e -m o n th ( o f f e r e d f r e e to t e le v ie w e r s r e q u e s t in g
them ), B ib le c o rresp o n d en ce s c h o o l m a t e r ia ls , p ro m o tio n a l m a t e r ia ls ,
c a le n d a r s , s t a t i o n e r y , e t c . ^

In a l l ,

150 d i f f e r e n t p r in t in g jo b s a re

re q u ir e d to su p p ly th e d a i l y o p e r a tio n o f F a ith f o r Today,^ and th e p r e

s e n t equipment in th e p r e s s departm ent i s among th e m ost modem a v a ila b le
to d a y .^

[See F ig . 2 0 .]
The l i t e r a t u r e m in is t r y o f F a ith f o r Today r e a c h e s o u t to n e a r ly

two s c o r e d i f f e r e n t n a t io n s abroad.

In 1961 a lo n e , n e a r ly 1 - 1 /2 m illio n

books and p ie c e s o f p r in t e d m a tte r w ere s e n t to 30 c o u n t r ie s o u t s id e th e

U nited S t a t e s and Canada, n o t to m ention te n s o f th o u sa n d s o f B ib le
le s s o n s .

^O perating Board M in u tes, S e p t. 2 7 , 1955, a c t io n 5 5 -5 1 .

^T e l e - n o t e s , J u ly , 1956, 3.
^ L e tte r from Gordon D alrym ple, p u b lic r e l a t i o n s d i r e c t o r and
e d it o r o f p u b lic a t io n s , F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , New York, May 5 , 1969.
(The 1969 Ayer D ir e c to r y l i s t s c i r c u l a t i o n as 1 4 0 ,0 0 0 [p . 7 0 4 ] .)
4T e l e - n o t e s , Ju n e, 1965, 4 .

^I b i d . , S e p t . , 1957, 1.

^ In te r v ie w w ith James Aikman, p r e s s manager, F a ith f o r Today,

I n c ., New York, J u ly 13, 1966, 1.
^ T e le -n o te s , F e b ., 1 9 6 1 , 8.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

Fig. 20. Press Manager James

printing departm ent (1966).

Aikman

(right) discusses

a new

printing

job with three

of his helpers at Faith

for Today

236

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

237

In a d d itio n t o T e le - n o t e s

(th e f i r s t e d i t i o n i s d a ted March,

1 9 5 1 ), F a ith f o r Today began a new P a s t o r 's B u ll e t i n in 1 964, as a fu r

th e r s t e p in p rom otin g th e t e l e c a s t and fo llo w -u p o p e r a tio n s among
program i n t e r e s t s by m in is t e r s in th e f i e l d .

The f ilm departm en t c o n ta in s a lib r a r y o f some 7 ,0 0 0 p r i n t s .

In

1966, new programs w ere b e in g produced a t th e r a t e o f 32 p e r y e a r; w ith

35 c o p ie s made o f e a ch program .

The " b ic y c le " method o f f il m d i s t r i b u

t io n , m entioned a b o v e, i s fo llo w e d w ith about 120 s t a t i o n s c a r r y in g th e

te le c a s t.

Most p r i n t s are on a fiv e -w e e k c y c le :

one week to p r o c e s s

( c le a n , r e p a ir , e t c . ) , one week on th e s h e l f , one week in t r a n s i t to th e

s t a t i o n , one week a t th e s t a t i o n in advance o f b r o a d c a s t d a te , and one
week f o r r e tu r n .
sh ow in gs.

Each f ilm has a l i f e e x p e c ta n c y o f betw een 20 and 60

The f il m departm ent i s o p e r a te d by a d ir e c t o r and two f u l l -

tim e a s s i s t a n t s . 2
The f i r s t departm en t to be c r e a te d a t F a ith f o r Today (and th e
f i r s t to be d isb a n d ed ) was m u sic.

When th e t e l e c a s t was b a r e ly a y e a r

and a h a l f o ld , a c t io n was ta k en to form a m ixed q u a r t e t , members o f

which would be e x p e c t e d to f i l l r e g u la r ly a s s ig n e d d u tie s in th e o f f i c e
3
when n o t p erfo rm in g o r r e h e a r s in g .
The m ixed q u a r t e t d id n o t work
r e p la c e d i t .
tio n e d ,

out w e l l , and an a ll- m a le group

The L ic k e y -Is e n s e e -H o h e n se e -J e w e l q u a r t e t , a lr e a d y men-

appeared f o r th e f i r s t tim e on th e t e l e c a s t o f March 18, 1951.

^O perating Board M in u tes, Nov.

12, 1963, a c tio n 6 3 -7 7 .

I n te r v ie w w ith D avid A. Burke, d ir e c t o r o f f ilm s e r v i c e s , F a ith

fo r Today, I n c ., New York, J u ly 13, 1966, 1.
TV Commission M in u tes, Jan. 2 5 , 1951, a c tio n 5 1 -5 4 .
^O perating Board M in u tes, March 13, 1951, a c tio n 5 1 -1 4 .

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238

A lso ap p earin g as s o l o i s t s d u rin g th e e a r ly y e a r s w ere C harles Keymer

and Dorothy E v a n s .*
V arious p e r so n n e l changes in q u a r te t membership o ccu rred o v er
th e y e a r s , w ith th e f i n a l q u a r te t composed o f:

S ta n S c h le e n b a k e r , 1 s t

ten o r (who j o in e d in 1 9 5 9 ); Larry F illin g h a m , 2nd te n o r (1 9 6 1 ); Jim

R ip le y , b a r ito n e (1 9 6 3 ); and Don S i e b e n l i s t , b a ss (1 9 6 2 ) .
sang to g e th e r f o r th e f i r s t tim e in November, 1963
was d is s o lv e d in th e s p r in g o f 1966,

T h is group

[s e e F ig . 21] and

a t w hich tim e o r g a n is t Van Knauss

4
(who had jo in e d th e group in 1963 ) l e f t t o te a c h m u sic a t an e a s t e r n
A d v e n tist c o l l e g e .
H erb ert H ohensee, a member o f th e o r ig in a l q u a r t e t , i s s t i l l
employed as a sound e n g in e e r a t th e h ea d q u a rters r e c o r d in g s t u d io .^
[See F ig . 2 2 .]
In December, 1966, F a g a l borrowed th e K in g 's H era ld s q u a r t e t and
v a r io u s s o l o i s t s and ensem ble groups from The V oice o f Prophecy r a d io
group in C a lif o r n ia , and in f i v e days o f i n t e n s i v e work r ec o r d e d a f u l l
y e a r 's m usic f o r th e t e l e c a s t . ^

At t h i s w r it in g i t i s n o t known w h ether

th ese m u sicia n s w i l l c o n tin u e to be em ployed in a du al r o le or w hether

another m usic group w i l l be d ev elo p ed in New York.
Rounding out th e a d m in is tr a tio n a t F a ith f o r Today h e a d q u a r te rs
are a f u l l - t i m e p u b lic r e l a t i o n s d ir e c t o r ( c u r r e n t ly Gordon D alrym ple)
and f u l l - t i m e s t a t i o n r e l a t i o n s d ir e c t o r (F ra n k lin W. H u d g in s), who
handle a l l o u t s id e c o n ta c t w ith th e mass com m unications m edia and

^T e l e - n o t e s , May, 1965, 12.

2

I b id .

Fagal I n te r v ie w , Dec. 4 , 1966, 1.

^T e l e - n o t e s , May, 1965, 12.

5I b id .

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , Dec. 4, 1966, 1.

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239

Fig. 21. Faith for T oday Q u a rte t re h e a rsin g a so n g in te le c a s t's new reco rd in g studio
(1965).

Fig. 22. H erb H o h e n se e , b a rito n e in o rig in al F aith for Today q u a rte t, now se rv e s as
sound e n g in e e r a t h e a d q u a rte rs rec o rd in g stu d io (1965).

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r-

240

b r o a d c a stin g s t a t i o n s ; a t r e a s u r e r (Guy G. S t e w a r t), and a g e n e r a l

manager (W illiam R. L aw son).

"A House i s Not a Home." The f i r s t "home" o f F a ith f o r Today

was th e W ashington Avenue S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church in B rook lyn ( s e e
F ig . 23) where th e id e a fo r th e t e l e c a s t was born in a p ra y er m e e tin g .

From th e t e l e c a s t ' s in c e p t io n in May, 1950, to th e fo llo w in g December,

th e work o f th e b r o a d c a s t was h a n d le d in P a s to r F a g a l's l o c a l church
o ffic e .
In December, when th e program was tak en o v e r by th e G eneral
C onference and p la c e d on th e n a tio n w id e n etw ork , th e n e c e s s i t y o f a
permanent h ea d q u a rters b u ild in g became a p p a ren t.

A la r g e r e n te d h ou se

a t 47 Kew Gardens Road in th e New York C ity suburb o f Kew Gardens ( s e e

F ig . 24) was s e c u r e d and s e r v e d from Jan u ary, 19 5 1 , through Septem ber,
1952.

Church o f f i c i a l s b e l i e v e d th a t th r e e rooms would p r o v id e ade

q u ate o f f i c e sp a c e ; th e rem ainder w ould be u se d as an apartm ent f o r

s e v e r a l s t a f f members.

Growth, h ow ever, was more r a p id than a n t ic ip a t e d ; and w ith in

days e v er y room was u sed f o r o f f i c e s p a c e . More f i l i n g c a b in e ts were
pu rchased, and even th e q u a r t e t

was fo r c e d o u t o f i t s r e h e a r s a l room and

in to nearby churches f o r i t s p r a c t i c e p e r io d s .

C le a r ly , new and la r g e r

q u a rters were n eed ed , and u r g e n t ly .

In O ctob er, 1952, t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te rs was removed to a n o th e r
house (which r e q u ir e d much i n t e r i o r r e n o v a tio n ) lo c a t e d a t 1 0 8 -4 3 7 1 s t

^The S to ry o f F a ith f o r Today, 8.

Pat K nauss, " F a ith f o r
n o t e s , May, 1965, 8.

Today Grew from Sm all B e g in n in g s," T e le -

^ T e le - n o t e s , F e b ., 1 9 5 3 , 2 .

^ Ib id .

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241
1
2
Avenue, F o r e s t H i l l s --som ew h at n e a r e r to Manhattan than Kew G ardens.
[See F ig . 2 5 .]

But o n ly e ig h t months l a t e r T e le - n o t e s was r e p o r t in g

3
th a t th e new h e a d q u a r te r s b u ild in g was a lr e a d y o v e rly -cr o w d e d !
By
Septem ber, 1956, some em p loyees w ere a c t u a ll y c a r r y in g o u t t h e i r work in
t h e ir own hom es.

M eanw hile, th e C ity o f New York had r u le d th a t th e p r e s e n t

expanded u se o f th e h e a d q u a r te rs p r o p e r ty ( s e v e r a l o th e r b u ild in g s had
been e r e c t e d s u b s e q u e n tly on a d j o in in g l o t s ) was in v i o l a t i o n o f c e r t a in
b u ild in g c o d e s .

A fram e s t r u c t u r e , in te n d e d p r im a r ily as a p a rso n a g e

and emergency o v e r flo w b u i l d i n g , now hou sed a p o r tio n o f th e B ib le

corresp on d en ce s c h o o l, v i o l a t i n g a m u n icip a l o rd in a n ce r e q u ir in g a l l
o f f i c e and p u b lic b u ild in g s to be o f f ir e p r o o f b r ic k c o n s t r u c t io n .
About a dozen o f th e o f f i c e s t a f f w ere now c a r r y in g on t h e i r d u t ie s in
the basem ent o f th e main b u ild in g in an a rea o r i g i n a l l y in te n d e d fo r
s to r a g e .

5
The q u e s t io n o f r e l o c a t i o n was compounded and c o m p lic a te d by a

s id e i s s u e , a g i t a t e d b etw een 1955 and 1958 by c e r t a in h ig h denom ina

t io n a l le a d e r s , o f c o n s o lid a t i n g th e r a d io and t e l e v i s i o n e n t e r p r is e s
and lo c a t in g th e merged o r g a n iz a tio n a t The V o ice o f P ro p h ecy 's

^Knauss, 8.
^T e l e - n o t e s , F e b .,

1953, 2 .

^ I b id . , J u n e, 1 953, 1.
^ I b id . , S e p t . , 1956, 1 -2 .
n o t p u b lis h e d t h i s month. R a th er,
s id e s o f th e s h e e t in th e i n t e r e s t s
an S .O .S . c o n c e r n in g s e v e r a l c r i s e s
b u ild in g p r o b le m .)

( A c t u a lly , T e l e - n o t e s , as s u c h , was
a p r in t e d l e t t e r p r in t e d on b o th
o f econom y--was s e n t o u t, sou n d in g
a t F a ith f o r Today, in c lu d in g th e

5 I b id .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

h ea d q u a rters in G le n d a le , C a lifo r n ia ^ a c o n tr o v e r s y c o n c e r n in g w hich

more w i l l be s a id b e lo w .
In 1962, as a tem porary m easure, a b u ild in g was r e n te d on 53rd
Avenue in Corona, a n o th e r Long I s la n d suburb, and th e p r e s s was moved
th e r e .

The o ld p r e s s q u a r te r s were im m ed ia tely o c c u p ie d by th e B ib le

co rresp on d en ce s c h o o l, w hich fa c e d a Septem ber 24 f in e by th e c o u r t i f

i t s p r e s e n t b u ild in g was n o t v a c a te d by th a t d a te !
were r e n te d fo r s t o r a g e ;

S e v e r a l g a ra g es

and th e r e c o r d in g s t u d io was removed t o Man

h a tta n to e sc a p e th e n o is e from c o n s tr u c tio n o f a 1 5 -s to r y apartm ent

b u ild in g on an a d j o in in g l o t .

E x ca v a tio n i n c o n n e c tio n w ith t h i s c o n s t r u c t io n weakened th e

fo u n d a tio n s o f th e garage b eh in d th e t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te rs b u ild in g
(which had b een w in t e r iz e d and then housed th e f ilm l i b r a r y ) , and th er e
was in c r e a s in g f e a r fo r th e p h y s ic a l s a f e t y o f th e o f f i c e w o rk ers.

At

one p o in t in a l l th e s h u f f l i n g , F a ith fo r Today was o p e r a tin g under

sev en d i f f e r e n t r o o fs around New York C ity ^ --a n i n t o l e r a b l e c o n d it io n
which made th e su b seq u en t move to C arle P la c e , w ith c o n s o lid a t io n under
one r o o f , im p e r a tiv e .
A fte r s e v e r a l f a l s e s t a r t s , th e O p era tin g Board in O cto b er, 1963,
v o te d to p u rch a se f o r $ 4 5 0 ,0 0 0 a commodious (84 f e e t by 160 f e e t )

tw o-

s to r y b u ild in g a t th e c o r n e r o f S to n e h in g e Lane and M ineola Avenue in

C arle P la c e , Long I s la n d .^

[See F ig . 26]

L o ca ted n o r th e a s t o f a huge

^O perating Board M in u tes, A p r il 16, 1 9 5 5 , a c t io n 5 5 -1 4 ; and

T ru stees Survey Commission M in u tes, S e p t. 1 3 , 1956, 1.
(On June 12,
1958, th e T r u s te e s f i n a l l y v o te d n o t to r e lo c a t e on th e w e st c o a s t .)
2

O p era tin g Board M in u tes, S e p t. 6 , 1 9 6 2 , a c t io n 6 2 -4 0 .

^Knauss, 8.

^ T e le - n o t e s , J a n ., 1964, 2 .

^I b i d .

^ O p eratin g Board M in u tes, O ct. 18, 1 9 6 3 , a c t io n 6 3 -6 6 .

General C on feren ce Committee gave i t s ap p roval on O ct. 2 1 .

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The

243

Fig. 23. (Above, left) The id ea for th e Faith for T oday" te lec ast w as born in a p ra y e r m eetin g
a t the W ashington A ve. S.D.A. Church, Brooklyn, which a ls o se rv e d as te le c a st office during 1950.
Fig. 24. (U pper right) Kew G a rd e n s office building, 1951-52. Fig. 25. (Right, center) F orest Hills
office building, 1953-63. Fig. 2 6 . -(Below) N ew $ 4 5 0 ,0 0 0 p e rm a n e n t h o m e of Faith for Today in
C arle Place.

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r
244

shopping c e n te r w hich now o c c u p ie s what was on ce R o o s e v e lt F ie ld (from

which th e in t r e p i d C h arles L indbergh to o k o f f i n th e S p i r i t o f S t . L ouis
in 1927 on h i s now-famous f l i g h t t o P a r i s ) , th e new h e a d q u a r te rs l i e s
ad jacen t to th e C arle P la c e S t a t io n o f th e Long I s la n d R a il Road,* j u s t
36 m inutes by t r a in from M anhattans Penn S t a t i o n .
A b u ild in g a d jo in in g th e main h e a d q u a r te rs was a ls o p u rch a sed ,
and r en o v a te d a t a c o s t o f $ 3 5 ,0 0 0 t o p r o v id e a 50 f e e t by 23 f e e t by
2
14 f e e t r e c o r d in g s t u d io and a n c i l l a r y r e q u ir e m e n ts .
The s t u d io i s
equipped w ith a d j u s ta b le b a f f l e s t o p r o v id e any a c o u s t i c a l c h a r a c te r
i s t i c s r e q u ir e d in r e c o r d in g .

The b u ild in g , w hich was f i t t e d out w ith

n o i s e l e s s h e a tin g and a ir c o n d it io n in g eq u ip m en t, a l s o c o n ta in s an
o f f i c e f o r m u s ic ia n s , a m u sic a l a r ra n g in g room, a r e c e p t io n room, a
f ir e p r o o f v a u lt f o r s to r a g e o f m a ster t a p e s , a la r g e c o n tr o l room w ith
the l a t e s t b r o a d c a s tin g equip m ent, and a s m a ll n a r r a tio n s t u d io .

Com pleted tow ard th e end o f 1964, th e s t u d io a ls o d o u b les as a

chapel where h e a d q u a r te rs s t a f f can m eet fo r m orning d e v o tio n a l e x e r c is e s and o c c a s io n a l w orship s e r v i c e s .

An A lle n TC-4 organ was

i n s t a l l e d in 1 9 6 4 .5
At t h i s tim e o f w r i t i n g ,

F a ith f o r Today i s s u b l e t t i n g a p o r tio n

o f i t s main b u ild in g to th e Berko E l e c t r i c

M an u factu rin g C o r p o r a tio n .

Room fo r fu tu r e growth and e x p a n sio n i s thus a s s u r e d (a lth o u g h th e

r e n ta l income from Berko w i l l be s o r e ly m isse d i n th e b u d g et when t h i s
tak es p l a c e ) .

Thus i t appears l i k e l y t h a t 200 S to n e h in g e Lane, C arle

*T e l e - n o t e s , J a n ., 1964, 6 .
2T r u ste e s M in u tes, A p r il
z

T e l e - n o t e s , J a n ., 1964, 4 .

2 0 , 1964, a c t io n 6 4 -3 9 .
4

I b id . , N o v ., 1964, 3.

5 I b i d . , D e c ., 1964, 3.

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245

P la c e , Long I s la n d , w i l l be th e a d d ress o f F a ith f o r Today, I n c o r p o r a te d ,

fo r a number o f y e a r s to come.

F in a n c ia l su p p o rt and f i n a n c i a l c r i s e s . - - F a i t h f o r Today h a s h a d ,
from i t s e a r l i e s t d a y s, two p r in c i p a l means o f f i n a n c i a l su p p o rt:
d ir e c t g r a n ts from v a r io u s a g e n c ie s and o r g a n iz a tio n s o f th e S ev en th -d a y
A d v e n tist Church, and c o n t r ib u t io n s w hich p rogram -view ers v o l u n t a r i l y
m ail to th e t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te rs in New York.'*'
D en om in ation al su p p o rt comes c h i e f l y through two a v en u es:
a p p r o p r ia tio n s and s u b s id i e s p r o v id e d by th e G eneral C on feren ce a t i t s
annual Autumn C o u n cil s e s s i o n , and an annual o f f e r i n g ( u s u a l l y sc h e d u le d
in th e month o f February) tak en in a l l 3 ,3 4 0 o r g a n iz e d S ev en th -d a y
A d v e n tist ch u rch es in th e U n ited S t a t e s and Canada.

The G eneral C onferen ce f i n a n c i a l s u p p o r t, in 1 9 6 8 , c o n s is t e d o f

th r e e s p e c i f i c g r a n ts :

(1) th e " r e g u la r a p p r o p r ia tio n " o f $ 1 2 5 ,0 0 0 , (2)

an " a llo c a t io n o f t i t h e " - - a c t u a l l y , a G eneral C on feren ce " tax" upon th e

union and lo c a l c o n fe r e n c e s in N orth A m e r ic a --o f $ 1 9 7 ,4 4 9 ; and (3 ) a
s tip e n d o f $ 1 2 ,0 0 0 from th e I s r a e l i t e H e r ita g e I n s t i t u t e , an in d ep en d en t
agency w hich prom otes C h r is tia n e v a n g e lism among p e o p le o f th e Hebrew
fa ith .

The " t i t h e tax" f ig u r e d p r o m in e n tly in th e sec o n d o f th r e e

*In 1968, d i r e c t m a il g i f t s from v ie w e r s amounted t o $ 5 4 6 ,9 6 2 ;

v a rio u s church g r a n ts t o t a l e d $ 6 2 0 ,0 3 0 ; and o th e r m is c e lla n e o u s incom e
from r e n t , e t c . , was $ 8 9 ,2 7 6 . A fo u r th so u r c e o f incom e, b e g in n in g in
1964, comes from w i l l s , l e g a c i e s , t r u s t s , e t c .
In 1968 an a d d it io n a l
$10,146 was r e a l i z e d from su ch b e q u e s t s .
(See Appendix D .)
A unique V a le n tin e Day o f f e r i n g , tak en each February 14 in an
in c r e a s in g ly la r g e r number o f A d v e n tis t p a r o c h ia l s c h o o ls in N orth Amer
i c a , w h ile n o t a s t a t i s t i c a l l y s i g n i f i c a n t so u r ce o f in com e, has a
s u b s t a n t ia l p u b lic r e l a t i o n s p o t e n t i a l , and i s d is c u s s e d in g r e a t e r
d e t a i l in th e f o llo w in g s e c t i o n on " A d v e r tis in g and P rom otion ," b e lo w .
% or th e 1968 Budget and F in a n c ia l S tatem en t o f F a ith f o r Today,
I n c ., s e e Appendix D.

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246

major f i n a n c i a l c r i s e s F a ith f o r Today underwent d u rin g i t s h i s t o r y ,

which w i l l be d e s c r ib e d in g r e a t e r d e t a i l b e lo w .
The annual o f f e r i n g f o r F a ith fo r Today i s n e a r ly as o ld as th e
te le c a s t.

I t was f i r s t sc h e d u le d by th e G eneral C onferen ce f o r Sabbath

i
morning, March 2 4 , 1 9 5 1 , and amounted to $ 8 2 ,7 4 8 .
In s u c c e e d in g y e a r s th e o f f e r i n g w ould rea ch a s h ig h as $ 3 1 0 ,8 7 0
( in 1966); and a t o t a l incom e o f $ 2 ,8 6 9 ,5 2 2 has been r e c e iv e d by F a ith
f o r Today from 1952 through 1968 from t h i s s o u r c e .

The sec o n d m ajor s o u r c e o f F a ith f o r T od ay's f i n a n c i a l su p p o rt

c o n s is t s o f c o n t r ib u t io n s from program -view ers w hich th e y v o lu n t a r ily
send through th e m a il t o t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te r s.

M ail r e c e i p t s have

ranged from an i n i t i a l $ 1 4 ,8 6 5 in 1951, to a r e c o r d $ 5 9 4 ,9 4 9 in 1967.

The r a is i n g o f more th an a h a l f - m i l l i o n d o ll a r s in one y e a r becom es a l l
th e more rem arkable in view o f th e f a c t t h a t no s o l i c i t a t i o n o f funds
has e v e r b een made o v e r th e a i r on th e t e l e c a s t from th e v ery f i r s t
b r o a d c a st.

A grand t o t a l o f $ 5 ,5 1 1 ,9 0 7 has been r e c e iv e d by F a ith f o r

Today from t h i s so u r c e from 1951 through 1968.

[See Graph 6 . ]

Three m ajor f i n a n c i a l c r i s e s have b een w ea th ered by W illia m A.

Fagal and F a ith f o r Today o v e r th e y e a r s .
C r is is I , coming l e s s than a y e a r a f t e r th e program had gone
c o a s t - t o - c o a s t , d e v e lo p e d a t th e Autumn C o u n cil o f th e G eneral C onfer
ence Committee in C le v e la n d in O cto b er, 1951.

*GC M in u tes, Nov. 2 7 , 1950, 238.

^See T able 15, C hapter V I. T his annual o f f e r i n g , in 1 9 5 8 , f i g
ured p r o m in en tly in th e t h ir d o f th r e e f i n a n c ia l c r i s e s , d e t a i l s o f
which w i l l be e n la r g e d upon in g r e a t e r d e t a i l b elo w .
^For a com parison o f m a il r e c e ip t s w ith th e annual o f f e r i n g f o r
th e p e r io d o f 1 9 5 1 -6 8 , s e e Graph 6 . For a d e t a il e d d is c u s s io n on v iew er
incom e, s e e C hapter V I, under " C o n trib u tio n R esp o n se."

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247
GRAPH 6
COMPARISON OF MAIL RECEIPTS WITH ANNUAL CHURCH OFFERING
FAITH FOR TODAY, INC.

1951-1968

In Thousands
o f D o lla rs
600

500

M ail R eceip ts-y

400

300

Annua!. O fferin g-y

200

1979

100

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248

The o f f i c i a l m in utes o f t h i s s e s s i o n tod ay show o n ly th a t th e GC

Committee v o te d to "rem ain on our p r e s e n t 1 1 - s t a t i o n hookup, w ith one
1
p r o d u ctio n ex p en se and w ith th e program o r ig in a t in g in th e E a s t," in
view o f m arkedly r i s i n g in c r e a s e s in t e l e v i s i o n tim e r a t e s in February
and a gain in J u ly o f th a t y e a r , and r i s i n g p r o d u c tio n e x p e n s e s .
B ut, in a c tu a l f a c t , th e program had b e e n , in W illiam F agal*s
own w ords, " a c t u a lly v o te d out o f e x is t e n c e " fo r a p p ro x im a tely a h a l f hou r, d u rin g a m eetin g o f th e c r u c ia l budget and fin a n c e com m ittee, a
" s e r io u s and t r u ly c a ta s tr o p h ic " moment in th e h is t o r y o f th e
o r g a n iz a tio n .^
The Autumn C o u n cil th e y e a r b e fo r e had v o te d a tw o -y e a r e x p e r i
m en tation p e r io d o f th e t e l e c a s t ; b u t now in 1951 th e Budget Committee
(m eetin g in c lo s e d s e s s i o n ) r e fu s e d a t f i r s t to r e p o r t a b u d g et f o r th e
t e l e c a s t o u t t o th e f l o o r f o r i t s seco n d y e a r o f o p e r a tio n .

When

General C onference T rea su rer C. L. T o rrey , who was in th e c h a ir , c a ll e d

fo r a v o t e , i t went 148 a g a in s t th e t e l e c a s t w ith o n ly two in fa v o r !
T orrey, th u n d e r str u c k , r e f u s e d (p ro b a b ly i l l e g a l l y ) to d e c la r e th e
m otion and reop en ed th e f l o o r f o r fu r t h e r sp e e c h e s on b e h a lf o f th e TV
program by th e two men who had v o te d in i t s fa v o r GC P r e s id e n t W illiam
3
H. Branson and GC S e c r e ta r y E. D. D ick .
F a g a l, t o o , was g iv e n th e oppor
t u n it y to make an im p a ssio n ed p le a f o r h i s t e l e v i s i o n l i f e ;

and when a

new m otion ( t o r e s c in d th e e a r l i e r a c t io n k i l l i n g th e program) was p u t,

^TV Commission M in u tes, O ct. 2 5 , 1951, a c tio n 5 1 -3 7 .

?

F a g a l, "A Memorable Day," 5 .

^Branson was a s tr o n g b ack er o f th e t e l e c a s t , as was h i s so n ,

E rn est L. Branson, p r e s id e n t o f th e G reater New York C o n feren ce, in
whose t e r r i t o r y t e l e c a s t h ea d q u a rters was lo c a t e d . Mrs. E. L. (A rd ice)
Branson, fu rth erm o re, was em ployed a t F a ith f o r Today as p u b lic r e la t io n s
d ir e c t o r .
(Fenn, 28)

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249
th e v o te was e x a c t l y r e v e r s e d - - 1 4 8 i n fa v o r , now, and o n ly two o p p o sed !
A b u d get was th en a d o p ted , r e p o r te d to th e Autumn C o u n cil as a w h o le ,
and p a s s e d . ^
The r e a l u n d e r ly in g r ea so n f o r th e i n i t i a l v o te o f no c o n fid e n c e
was n o t so much th a t funds w ere n o t a v a i l a b l e ,"
w here.

as was r e p o r te d e l s e -

R ath er, i t was a com b in a tio n o f o p p o s it io n t o th e d ra m a tic

form at, and p o l i t i c a l m aneuvering by p a r t is a n s o f an a d v e r t is in g agency

h a n d lin g th e t e l e c a s t a cco u n t up t i l l t h i s tim e whose a c t i v i t i e s , F a g a l
con ten d ed , were n o t in th e b e s t i n t e r e s t s o f e i t h e r th e t e l e c a s t o r th e
den om in ation .

With a b u d g et f i n a l l y v o te d o u t o f com m ittee, and F a g a ls

v ic t o r y th u s a s su r e d , th e agency in q u e s tio n te n d e r e d i t s r e s ig n a t io n
th r e e days l a t e r ; ^ and a new one was s u b s e q u e n tly a p p o in te d .^

I n te r v ie w w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, New Y ork, J u ly 1 1 , 1 9 6 6 , 1.

^T e l e - n o t e s , May, 1965, 8.
7

In th e N o v ., 1951, T e le - n o t e s was p u b lis h e d a r e p o r t t e l l i n g

how th e two s t a t i o n r a t e in c r e a s e s o f Feb. 1 and J u ly 1 had d o u b led th e
c o s t o f a ir tim e from what i t was in D e c ., 1950, when th e program w ent
on th e n etw ork. " I t lo o k ed as i f a l l was l o s t , f o r th e in c r e a s e d c o s t s
were more than we c o u ld p o s s i b l y b e a r . For . . . hours [th e p r o g r a m 's]
f a t e hung by a th r e a d .
The men f e l t th a t i t c o u ld n o t d i e , b u t m ost o f
them agreed th a t th e netw ork w ould have to be dropped, and th e b e s t we
co u ld do was to fin a n c e i t f o r New York C ity o n ly . . . . Then we b e l i e v e
. . . we saw a m ir a c le . . . . Unanim ously and w ith a w i l l , t h e s e God
fe a r in g men j o in e d to fin a n c e th e p r o j e c t by f a i t h and g u a ra n tee a n o th e r
y ea r o f t e l e v i s i o n fo r F a ith fo r T oday."
(C ite d by Fenn, 2 7 .)
^TV Commission M in u tes, O ct. 2 8 , 19 5 1 , a c tio n 5 1 -3 9 .
^On J a n . 2 9 , 1952, th e TV Commission v o te d to r e t a in th e s e r
v ic e s o f th e Rock H i l l A d v e r tis in g Agency (M in u tes, a c t io n 5 1 - 2 ) .
T his
agen cy, how ever, p roved u n s a t i s f a c t o r y , u l t im a t e l y w in d in g up in r e c e i v
e r s h ip and becom ing d e fu n c t. On Feb. 17, 1955, th e GC Committee
(M inutes, 246) v o te d t o s e t up a d en o m in a tio n a l agency to a c t on b e h a l f
o f v a r io u s A d v e n tis t b r o a d c a s t e r s , e s p e c i a l l y in th e p u rch a se o f a i r
tim e (f o r w hich an a d v e r t is in g agency r e c e i v e s a d i r e c t 15% com m ission
from th e s t a t i o n ) . World B r o a d c a ste r s A s s o c ia t e s was thus c r e a t e d .
A lthough F agal and h i s F a ith f o r Today g e n e r a l manager are l e g a l l y shown
as the p a r tn e r s in th e v e n tu r e , WBA i s r e a l l y a hou se agency; and a l l
i t s p r o f i t s a ccru e as incom e f o r F a ith f o r Today (F enn, 3 3 ). The name

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

The q u e s t io n , h ow ever, o f th e p ro p o sed m erger o f th e r a d io and

t e l e v i s i o n o r g a n iz a tio n s o f th e church was p u b li c ly r a is e d f o r th e f i r s t
tim e a t t h i s s e s s i o n ; and th e a g i t a t i o n co n tin u e d ( e s p e c i a l l y from 1955
through 1958) w ith in c r e a s in g fe r v o r u n t i l i t was s e t t l e d f i n a l l y in
c o n n e c tio n w ith th e t h ir d major c r i s i s o f F a ith f o r Today ( s e e b e lo w ).
C r i s i s I I a r o se on January 2 6 , 1955, a t th e annual m e e tin g o f
th e T r u ste e s h e ld in G le n d a le , C a lif o r n i a .

In c lu d e d in th e b o a r d s

membership were a l l o f th e p r e s id e n t s o f th e 10 u n ion c o n fe r e n c e s in

North A m ericap la c e d th e r e o r i g i n a l l y in th e hope t h a t th e s e men w ould
then l o y a l l y su p p o rt th e t e l e c a s t in ea ch o f t h e i r r e s p e c t iv e f i e l d s . ^ A c o n f l i c t - o f - i n t e r e s t s , how ever, had u n w it t in g ly b een b u i l t
in to th e s i t u a t i o n r ig h t from th e v e r y s t a r t .

For when " F a ith f o r Today"

was tak en o v e r by th e G eneral C onferen ce and p la c e d on th e netw ork in

December, 1950, one means o f fin a n c in g th e t e l e c a s t had been a ta x o f
n in e - t e n t h s o f one p e r c e n t o f each l o c a l c o n fe r e n c e 's annual t i t h e
.

r e c e ip ts .

Over th e y e a r s , th e lo c a l c o n fe r en ce p r e s id e n t s began grum bling

to t h e ir n e x t h ig h e r s u p e r io r s , t h e i r union c o n fe r e n c e p r e s i d e n t s , about
t h is c o n tin u a l (and in c r e a s in g ) d r a in upon t h e i r t r e a s u r i e s .

The

" s ta tic " was p a r t i c u l a r l y s tr o n g in l o c a l c o n fe r e n c e s where th e t e l e c a s t

could n o t be r e c e iv e d on a r e a s t a t i o n s .

was l a t e r changed t o T rans-Ad, I n c .; and n e t incom e t o th e t e l e c a s t from

t h is so u r c e in 1968 was $ 1 2 ,6 0 0 .
(S ee Appendix D .)
^Fenn, 31.
^TV Commission M in u tes, Aug. 2 9 , 1951, a c t io n 5 1 - 9 . T h is "tax"
was d iv id e d betw een th e r a d io and TV o r g a n iz a tio n s ; b u t F a ith f o r Today
r e c e iv e d th e l i o n ' s sh a r e b e c a u se i t s p r o d u c tio n and a i r tim e c o s t s were
so much g r e a t e r th an The V oice o f P r o p h e c y 's.

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251
The u n ion c o n fe r e n c e p r e s id e n t s , w h ile em p h a sizin g t h e i r own
lo y a l su p p o rt f o r F a ith f o r Today, wondered ou t lo u d i f th e program
management c o u ld n o t somehow r e l i e v e th e f i e l d s o f some o f th e f i n a n c i a l
p ressu re.

S e e in g th e " h an d w ritin g on th e w a l l ," F agal and some o f th e

General C onferen ce o f f i c i a l s s u g g e s te d t h a t perhaps th e y m ight a g ree to

a 15% r e d u c tio n in th e " t i t h e t a x ," as a g e s t u r e o f good w i l l and appre
c ia t io n f o r th e gen erou s su p p o rt o f th e l o c a l p r e s id e n t s and t h e i r
c o n s titu e n ts . 1
The u n ion c o n fe r e n c e p r e s id e n t s , h ow ever, s e i z e d upon t h i s co n
c e s s io n and (as th e y c o n s t it u t e d a m a jo r ity o f th e T r u ste e s ) p ro ceed ed
to v o te th e m se lv e s a 20% cu t each y e a r , f o r a f i v e - y e a r p e r io d , b e g in
n in g w ith 1956, s o th a t by 1960 th e r e w ould be no fu r t h e r ta x upon th e
lo c a l c o n fe r e n c e s .

They h o p e f u lly s u g g e s te d th a t w ith a l i t t l e

more

prom otion th e t e l e c a s t m ight be a b le t o make up th e d if f e r e n c e by

in c r e a s in g v ie w e r c o n t r ib u t io n s .

The G eneral C onferen ce was h e l p l e s s to stem th e t id e in th e fa c e

o f th e u n ite d f r o n t p r e s e n te d by th e N orth American union c o n fe r e n c e
p r e s id e n ts (who t r a d i t i o n a l l y have b een th e s t r o n g e s t b l o c , p o l i t i c a l l y ,
in th e w hole church s t r u c t u r e ) .

Cuts w ere th u s e f f e c t e d in 1956, 1957,

and 1958b r in g in g on C r is is I I I ; f o r d e s p it e a l l econom ies e f f e c t e d , and

a l l e f f o r t s a t in c r e a s in g income from a l l s o u r c e s , th e e f f e c t s from t h i s
60% cu t in th e " t i t h e tax" j u s t c o u ld n o t be overcom e.

And th e 1958

c r i s i s , a c c o r d in g to F a g a l, was " d i f f e r e n t from a l l o th er s" w hich had

preceded i t . 4

^Fenn, 3 1 -3 2 .
2
T r u ste e s M in u tes, J a n . 2 6 , 1955, a c t io n 5 5 -1 3 .

^Fenn, 32.

4T e l e - n o t e s , J a n ., 1958, 1.

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252

The T r u ste e s had met in O cto b er, 19 5 7 , t o p rep a re th e 1958

b u d g et.

But th e com b in ation o f r i s i n g c o s t s and a 60% cu t in t i t h e

a llo c a t io n l e f t th e b e s t b u d g et p r o p o s a l t h a t th e y c o u ld come up w ith

some $ 6 4 ,0 0 0 o u t o f b a la n c e .

The Board, h ow ever, d id n o t v o te to cu r

t a i l ; in s t e a d , i t v o te d an e x p a n sio n o f t e l e c a s t o p e r a tio n s as an
e x p r e s s io n o f f a i t h t h a t God d id n o t in te n d f o r t h i s work to be
r e t r e n c h e d .*
When th e c r i s i s was p r e s e n te d t o th e o f f i c e w orkers a t t e l e c a s t
h ead q u arters a s h o r t tim e l a t e r , th e s t a f f a f t e r a s p e c i a l s e a s o n o f
p r a y e r p le d g e d a s p e c i a l o f f e r i n g am ounting t o more than a f u l l w eek s
s a la r y f o r e v e r y s i n g l e f u l l - t i m e and p a r t- tim e w orker in th e o f f i c e .

On a m is s io n a r y wage a lr e a d y , t h i s r e p r e s e n te d r e a l s a c r i f i c e on t h e i r
p a r t.
When word o f t h i s g e s tu r e o f f a i t h rea ch ed G eneral C onference
h ead q u arters in W ashington, th e o f f i c e w orkers th e r e em ulated th e s a c r i
f i c i a l exam ple; and church o f f i c i a l s d e s ig n a te d a s p e c i a l day o f f a s t i n g
and p ra y er fo r th e l a i t y th ro u g h o u t N orth Am erica to be o b serv ed in
January, 1958.^
F a ith fo r Today c lo s e d 1957 in th e b la c k ; b u t , Fagal announced,
"We have no s u r p lu s e s .

We were j u s t a b le to m eet e x p e n s e s .

That i s

a ll." 4
P r i v a t e l y , G eneral C onferen ce o f f i c i a l s d e c id e d to u se th e
r e s u lt s o f th e annual o f f e r in g

(sc h e d u le d January 2 6 , 1958) as a barome

te r to in d ic a t e th e d eg ree o f i n t e r e s t in c o n tin u in g th e t e l e c a s t on th e

I b id .

' I b i d . , 2,

3I b id .

I b i d . , F e b ., 1958, 1.

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253
p a r t o f th e laymen a t la r g e .

T h e ir own f i n a n c i a l su p p o rt would be

geared t o t h i s i n d e x .*
The l a s t p r e v io u s o f f e r i n g (1957) had amounted to $ 9 7 ,0 7 4 .
In c r e a se d c o s t s o f p r o d u c tio n d i c t a t e d th a t th e 1958 o f f e r i n g would have
to reach a t l e a s t $ 1 5 7 ,0 0 0 in o rd er t o
s ta tio n coverage.

The o f f e r i n g

a v o id a

c u t i n o p e r a tio n s and

a p p ea l went to

th e f i e l d b u t w ith o u t

th e ominous w arning

t h a t u n le s s t h i s sum (r e p r e s e n tin g more than a 50%

in c r e a s e o v e r 1957,

a f e a t n e v e r b e fo r e a c h ie v e d ) were r a i s e d , church

le a d e r s w ould b e g in

to cu t b a ck .

Then on Sabbath, January 19,

1 9 5 8 --o n e week t o th e day b e fo r e

th e s c h e d u le d o f f e r in g w ould be ta k en in N orth A m erica a rem arkable

th in g happened.

That morning F agal drove down to W ashington, D. C ., to

preach in th e S li g o Church a t h ea d q u a rters o f th e G eneral C onferen ce.

He retu r n e d to h is suburban Long I s la n d home l a t e th a t n ig h t , h is w ife
a lr ea d y in b ed .

S e v e r a l hours l a t e r h e was r o u g h ly awakened by

Mrs. F a g a l, who t o ld him sh e s m e lle d smoke!

T h eir h o u se was on f i r e ;

and b e fo r e s u n r is e th e n e x t morning i t was c o m p le te ly g u tte d (s e e

F ig . 2 7 ).
News t r a v e ls q u ic k ly w ith in th e A d v e n tist d en om in ation , and by
th e fo llo w in g S ab b ath , s i x days

l a t e r , word o f

th e F a g a l* s p e r so n a l

traged y was commingled w ith th e

a p p ea l f o r th e

annual o f f e r in g .

When

th e p r o c ee d s were a l l added up, th e o f f e r i n g amounted to $ 1 6 0 ,7 2 1 -n e a r ly $ 4 ,0 0 0 more than th e minimum r e q u ir e d to sa v e th e t e l e c a s t !

"''Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 5 , 1966, 1.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

And

254

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255

as th e s t o r y o f th e f i r e was t o l d in th e March, 1 9 5 8 , T e l e - n o t e s , -^- m a il

r e c e i p t s showed an im m ediate and s u b s t a n t i a l in c r e a s e .

F a g a l, and some church le a d e r s , p r o f e s s e d d evou t b e l i e f t h a t

D iv in e P r o v id e n c e m ight have b een in v o lv e d i n th e f i r e

(w hich c o m p le te ly

d e s tr o y e d , among o th e r t h in g s , F a g a l's p e r s o n a l lib r a r y and sermon f i l e ) ,

fo r th e s t o r y o f th e h o u se -b u r n in g u n d o u b ted ly h e lp e d s u b s t a n t i a l l y t o
in c r e a s e th e o f f e r in g j u s t a t a c r u c ia l p e r io d when s u r v iv a l i t s e l f was
a t s t a k e .^
And th e dram atic f i n a n c i a l su p p o rt by F a g a l's f e llo w church
members showed b o th th e t e l e c a s t group and th e top church le a d e r s (who
had made th e o f f e r i n g a s e c r e t t e s t ) t h a t A dventism in North Am erica was
b a s i c a l l y b eh in d th e program .

The l a i t y , o f c o u r s e , knew n o th in g o f

t h i s c r u c ia l t e s t .
The problem o f th e 20% annual cu t in a l l o c a t i o n o f t i t h e , how
e v e r , s t i l l th r e a te n e d th e lo n g -ru n e x i s t e n c e o f th e t e l e c a s t .

And th e

b a s ic q u e s tio n s t i l l asked b eh in d c lo s e d d oors w a s, "Can 'F a ith f o r

Today' su r v iv e ? "
The G eneral C onferen ce Committee a p p o in te d a su b -co m m itte e , on
March 2 8 , 1955, t o look i n t o th e m a tte r and r e p o r t b a c k .^

The chairm an,

W. B. Ochs (GC v ic e - p r e s id e n t f o r N orth A m erica and F a ith fo r Today

Board chairm an) and th e s e c r e t a r y , 0 . A. B lake (GC u n d e r tr e a s u r e r ),

^For an a b s o lu t e ly f a n t a s t i c s t o r y o f how two la r g e f o ld e r s

c o n ta in in g l e t t e r s and check s from v ie w e r s , b ro u g h t home by Mrs. F agal
to be answ ered o v e r th e w eekend, m ir a c u lo u s ly e sc a p e d d e s t r u c t io n in th e
f i r e , s e e W illiam A. F a g a l, " L e tte r s That Would Not B u m ," 1 -2 .
2

Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 5 , 1 966, 1.

^ I b id . The annual o f f e r in g in 1959 dropped by some $ 3 2 ,0 0 0 from

th e 1958 f ig u r e ; and i t was n o t u n t i l 1961 t h a t th e 1958 r e c o r d h ig h was
reached and su r p a s se d .
^Fenn, 35.

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256

t r a v e l l e d t o C a lif o r n ia t o m eet w ith The V o ice o f Prophecy group, and

th en to New York f o r a s im i l a r m e e tin g a t F a ith f o r Today.

O f f i c i a l s in

W ashington were now s e r i o u s l y p r o p o s in g a m erger o f th e two groups w ith

j o i n t h ea d q u a rters in C a lif o r n i a .

The move w ou ld , in F a g a l's o p in io n ,

have meant th e end o f " F a ith f o r Today" a s i t th en stood;'* and th e su b

com m ittee i t s e l f a d v is e d a g a in s t th e m erger, c o n c lu d in g i t s r e p o r t w ith
th e s e f in d in g s :
1 . There c o u ld b e an approxim ate s a v in g o f from f i v e
to te n in d iv id u a l b u d g e ts by com bining th e two o r g a n iz a t io n s ,
or an annual s a v in g o f a maximum o f $ 3 0 ,0 0 0 i n s a l a r i e s .
2.
. . . There w ould [p ro b a b ly ] be an annual l o s s in
o f f e r in g s o f $ 2 0 0 ,0 0 0 i f t h e s e two o r g a n iz a t io n s were
combined.
3 . The c o s t to e n la r g e The V o ice o f Prophecy b u ild in g
to accommodate th e F a ith f o r Today p e r s o n n e l, r e q u ir in g
10,000 a d d it io n a l sq u are f e e t o f a r e a , w ould b e ap p roxim ately
$ 1 2 0 ,0 0 0 .
4 . The c o s t o f moving F a ith f o r Today p e r so n n e l and
equipment to th e West C oast w ould c o s t a p p ro x im a te ly $ 5 0 ,0 0 0 .
5 . The p r o d u c tio n o f F a ith f o r Today f ilm s on th e West
C oast would be a p p ro x im a te ly $ 4 7 ,1 9 0 a n n u a lly more than th ey
are p a y in g now.
6.
. . . I f F a ith f o r Today were to move o u t o f t h e ir
p r e s e n t area to somewhere i n N assau County i t w ould c o s t $12
p er sq u are f o o t t o b u i l d .
The c o s t o f p r o v id in g th e a d d itio n a l
sp ace in G len d ale p lu s th e c o s t o f m oving, am ounting to
$ 1 7 0 ,0 0 0 , would p r o v id e F a ith f o r Today, somewhere out from
where th ey are lo c a t e d a t th e p r e s e n t tim e , a b u ild in g c o n ta in
in g 1 4 ,1 5 6 sq u are f e e t .
7.
. . . There w ould p r o b a b ly b e some lo s s t o b o th
o r g a n iz a tio n s in t r u s t agreem ents and a n n u it ie s th a t are b e in g
w r it t e n a t th e p r e s e n t tim e i f th e two o r g a n iz a t io n s are
u n i t e d .2

F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 5 , 19 6 6 , 1. F a g a l a ls o saw th e move as

an i n d i r e c t move to change FFT's program form at to som ethin g more p a l a t
ab le to u lt r a c o n s e r v a t iv e church le a d e r s n e v e r r e c o n c ile d to th e u se o f
drama.
"Report o f Sub-C om m ittee o f th e F a ith f o r Today Survey Commit
t e e ," 12-13; appended to T r u s te e s M in u tes, June 1 2 , 1958.

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257

Blake th e n p r e s e n te d th e G eneral C onferen ce w ith a document in

w hich th e t e l e c a s t ' s a n t ic i p a t e d income and ex p e n ses were p r o j e c t e d fo r
th e n e x t se v e n y e a r s .

I t showed th a t i f F a ith f o r Today c o u ld be

" b a ile d o u t," by f r e e z in g th e c o n fe r e n c e t i t h e a l l o c a t i o n a t th e p r e se n t

l e v e l (40% o f th e 1955 f ig u r e )

f o r th e n e x t fo u r y e a r s (1959 to 1 9 6 2 ),

th e o r g a n iz a tio n u lt im a t e ly c o u ld s ta n d f i n a n c i a l l y on i t s own two f e e t .^

The p la n e n v is a g e d a com plete c e s s a t i o n o f th e t i t h e a llo c a t i o n
from lo c a l c o n fe r e n c e s a f t e r 1962; but by t h a t tim e th e T r u ste e s r e a li z e d
th a t such a s t e p would a g a in im p e r il th e e x is t e n c e o f th e t e l e c a s t , and
i t has been c o n tin u e d --a n d th e a c tu a l d o ll a r v a lu e somewhat in c r e a s e d
in th e y e a rs th a t have fo llo w e d .

The Blake p r o j e c t io n s o f income and ex p en se fo r th e s e v e n -y e a r

p e r io d , in th e in t e r v e n in g tim e , have proved rem arkably a c c u r a te ; and as
a consequence th e i n s t i t u t i o n was sa v ed and i s now o p e r a tin g on a firm
f in a n c ia l f o o t in g .

I t w a s, as Blake h im s e lf s a i d , " th e h ig h p o in t in

th e w hole h i s t o r y o f F a ith f o r Today."

Today, F a ith f o r T oday, In c o r p o r a te d , i s a m i l l i o n - d o l l a r c o r

p o r a te e n t e r p r is e ; th e "shadow" has le n g th e n e d , c o n s id e r a b ly .

In 1964,

i t s "T otal New Worth" ex ce e d e d one m il lio n d o lla r s f o r th e f i r s t tim e;

and in 1966, i t s
f i r s t tim e.

annual o p e r a tin g b u d g et p a s s e d th e m il li o n mark fo r th e

(S ee T able 3 .)

In 1960, th e T r u s te e s v o te d to r e l e a s e f o r th e f i r s t tim e the

c o r p o r a tio n 's f i n a n c ia l sta te m e n ts to Dun $ B r a d s t r e e t, I n c . , who had

I n te r v ie w w ith 0 . A. B la k e, u n d e r tr e a s u r e r , G eneral C onference

o f S ev en th -d a y A d v e n t is t s , W ashington, D. C ., June 2 9 -3 0 , 1966, 1.
C ited h e r e a f t e r as B lake I n te r v ie w .
F agal I n te r v ie w , Feb. 9 , 1967, 1.
^Blake I n te r v ie w .

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258

TABLE 3

SUMMARY OF CORPORATE FINANCIAL GROWTH

FAITH FOR TODAY, INCORPORATED
1 9 5 1 -1 9 6 8 a

O p era tin g
Budget*3

Year

1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968

2 5 9 ,0 1 3
3 4 7 ,8 5 7
4 2 0 ,9 8 5
5 6 8 ,0 0 0
5 8 2 ,9 6 4
5 8 2 ,2 4 2
6 2 4 ,1 2 6
6 4 8 ,9 2 4
6 7 3 ,5 0 5
7 2 1 ,6 5 9
7 2 8 ,9 3 6
7 7 9 ,3 4 4
8 1 8 ,2 3 8
8 5 9 ,0 0 4
9 9 6 ,0 0 0
1 ,0 6 3 ,0 0 0
1 ,1 7 7 ,0 2 0
1 ,2 5 4 ,7 7 4

T o ta l

$ 1 3 ,1 0 5 ,5 9 1

T o ta l C orporate
N et Worthc

2 4 ,5 2 8
8 6 ,3 9 5
164,682
192,095
1 9 9,163
2 0 2 ,2 0 4
2 1 3 ,6 8 1
2 6 6 ,4 6 1
3 4 8 ,9 6 7
4 3 3 ,8 4 1
3 6 9 ,9 5 6
4 2 6 ,6 4 9
7 4 6 ,5 8 3
1 ,0 3 1 ,7 4 0
1 ,0 8 9 ,5 0 4
1 ,1 2 0 ,6 8 2
1 ,2 8 2 ,3 3 6
1 ,2 9 0 ,3 9 5

M is c e lla n e o u s R ecords, F a ith

f o r Today, I n c . , 1 9 5 1 -1 9 6 8 .
^Does n o t in c lu d e c a p it a l
e x p e n d it u r e s .
c F ig u re r e p r e s e n ts b a la n c e a f t e r
s u b t r a c t in g c o r p o r a te l i a b i l i t i e s from
c o r p o r a te a s s e t s . E f f e c t i v e d a te in
each in s t a n c e : December 31.

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259

been r e q u e s tin g t h e s e d a ta f o r some tim e in o rd er to p r o v id e th e c o rp o r

a tio n w ith a c r e d it r a t i n g . 1
In th e J u ly , 1969, e d i t i o n o f th e Dun B r a d s tr e e t R efer e n c e
Book, F a ith f o r Today, I n c ., i s g iv e n an MAA-1M r a t i n g th e h i g h e s t p o s s ib le .

F a ith f o r Today has in d ee d come a lo n g way.

A d v e r tis in g and p r o m o tio n .--N o a p p ea l f o r f i n a n c i a l su p p o rt o f

F a ith fo r Today has e v e r been made on th e t e l e c a s t o v er th e a i r , a s f a r
as t h is i n v e s t i g a t o r has b een a b le t o d e te r m in e , a lth o u g h a p p a r e n tly i t
was c l e a r l y th e i n t e n t o f th e O p era tin g Board i n 1951 t h a t su ch sh o u ld
be done.^
A d v e r tis in g and prom otion o f th e t e l e c a s t are con d u cted w ith in
th e church, among v ie w e r s o f th e program who w r ite to h e a d q u a r te rs (and
are thus p la c e d on a m a ilin g l i s t ) ,
s ta tio n s .

and among management o f t e l e v i s i o n

Only two in s t a n c e s o f d ir e c t a d v e r t is in g in mass communica-

tio n s media have been d is c o v e r e d by t h i s w r it e r .

P rom otion al a c t i v i t i e s w ith in th e church c o n s i s t o f (1) a r t i c l e s

in n a t io n a l and r e g io n a l church p e r i o d i c a l s p r io r t o th e annual o f f e r i n g

^ T ru stees M in u tes, A p r il 7, 1960, a c t io n 6 0 -1 2 .

2Dun B r a d s tr e e t R eferen ce Book, V o l. 477 ( J u ly , 1 9 6 9 ), A rea 2,
S e c tio n 2 (New York: Dun B r a d s tr e e t, I n c . ) , 4934. A d o u b le-A r a t in g
in d ic a t e s e s tim a te d f i n a n c i a l s tr e n g th a t "over $1 m illio n " ; an "A -l"
r a tin g in d ic a t e s com p o site c r e d it a p p r a is a l as "high"; and a "1" r a t in g
in d ic a t e s a f i n a n c i a l s tr e n g th b r a c k e t o f $ 1 2 5 ,0 0 0 and o v e r .
In i t s M inutes (J a n . 2 5 , 1951, a c tio n 5 1 -6 ) an a c t io n i s found
in d ic a t in g th a t an ap p ea l f o r funds w ould be made in l o c a l c o n fe r e n c e
B ib le corresp on d en ce s c h o o l l e s s o n s , b e g in n in g w ith th e se c o n d c o u r se ;
but th a t th e TV program sh o u ld "ask f o r funds from th e v e r y s t a r t . "
^In 1951, $500 was a llo c a t e d f o r a d v e r t is in g th e new f a l l se a so n
in e d it i o n s o f TV Guide and Cue c ir c u l a t e d in c i t i e s where th e t e l e c a s t
could be r e c e iv e d (O p era tin g Board M in u tes, S e p t. 10, 1951, a c t io n 5 1 40); and in 1961, $150 was a u th o r iz e d f o r a o n e - s ix t h page i n s t i t u t i o n a l
ad in B ro a d ca stin g and T e le c a s t in g ( i b i d . , Jan . 17, 1 9 6 1 ).

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260

in N orth Am erica;

(2) p e r s o n a l app earances made by F a g a l and o th e r

h e a d q u a r te rs p e r so n n e l in churches and a t d en o m in a tio n a l w orkers m eet

in g s , b o th a t o f f e r i n g tim e and a t summer camp m eetin g c o n v o c a tio n s ;

(3)

th e p r o v is io n o f p r in t e d " lo g s" show ing s t a t i o n l i s t i n g s f o r A d v e n tis t

laymen to d i s t r i b u t e ; 1 and (4) en co u ra g in g th e V a le n tin e Day lo v e o f f e r in g f o r F a ith f o r Today, now ta k en in an in c r e a s in g number o f
A d v e n tist p a r o c h ia l s c h o o ls , co n cern in g w hich more w i l l be s a id b elo w .
The a p p e a ls on b e h a lf o f th e annual o f f e r i n g , p u b lis h e d in both
n a t io n a l and r e g io n a l church p e r io d ic a l s in N orth A m erica, fo llo w th e
same g e n e r a l form at y ea r a f t e r y e a r:

a rem inder t h a t th e o f f e r i n g i s

soon to b e ta k e n , a r e p o r t on th e growth o r d e c lin e o f th e v a r io u s

p ro m o tio n a l and d ep a rtm en ta l a c t i v i t i e s w ith in th e t e l e c a s t o r g a n iz a t io n ,
s e v e r a l " h e a r t-tu g g in g " t e s t im o n ia l l e t t e r s o f r e c e n t v in t a g e from
v iew ers (who, in many in s t a n c e s , h a v e -- o r are about to --b e co m e c o n v e r ts
to A d v en tism ), e x p r e s s in g p e r so n a l a p p r e c ia tio n f o r th e t e l e c a s t , and,
f i n a l l y , c o n c r e te exam ples o f "what your g i f t to th e s p e c i a l F a ith fo r
Today o f f e r i n g . . . w i l l d o ."

In th e 1966 annual a p p ea l, f o r exam ple, th e r e a d e r was a ssu r e d

th a t:
$ 1 ,0 0 0 w i l l pay F a ith fo r Today e x p e n ses f o r a F a ith fo r
Today d e c is io n s e r i e s [ o f p u b lic e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s
by F agal or one o f th e t e l e c a s t a s s o c i a t e s ] .

^In each A d v e n tis t church in N orth A m erica, a r a d i o - t e l e v i s io n

la y s e c r e t a r y i s e l e c t e d each y e a r whose f u n c tio n s in c lu d e o r g a n iz in g
groups w ith in th e c o n g r e g a tio n fo r d o o r -to -d o o r d i s t r i b u t i o n o f " lo g s"
l i s t i n g A d v e n tis t r a d io and t e l e v i s i o n program s, in c lu d in g " F a ith f o r
Today." (Church Manual [W ashington: G eneral C on feren ce o f S ev en th -d a y
A d v e n t is t s , 1 9 6 3 ], 1 7 3 .) T h is la y o f f i c e was c r e a te d a t th e 1958 G eneral
C onferen ce S e s s io n (Review and H e ra ld , June 2 7 , 1958, 1 8 4 .)
2

On th e r e g io n a l l e v e l , th e same a r t i c l e i s i n s e r t e d in a l l 10
North American u n ion c o n fe r en ce p e r i o d i c a l s , b u t th e t e s t i m o n i a l s are
g e n e r a lly l o c a l i z e d r e g io n by r e g io n , b e in g drawn from com m unities
se r v e d by th e r e s p e c t iv e church new spaper.

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261
--$ 7 5 0 w i l l add 1 5 ,0 0 0 v ie w e r s to F a ith f o r Todays [TV]
a u d ie n c e .
$500 w i l l add 1 0 ,0 0 0 v ie w e r s t o th o s e w a tch in g F a ith f o r
Today.
$250 w i l l pay f o r g r a d u a tio n o f 125 s tu d e n ts i n th e B ib le
[co r re sp o n d en ce s c h o o l] c o u r s e , in c lu d in g le s s o n
c o s t s and c e r t i f i c a t e .
--$ 1 0 0 w i l l buy 20 m in u tes o f TV tim e .
--$ 5 0 w i l l pay f o r 1 2 ,5 0 0 B ib le c o u r se e n r o llm e n t [ a p p lic a
t io n ] c a r d s .
--$ 2 5 w i l l pay f o r two m in u tes o f TV tim e .
--$ 1 0

w i l l pay f o r g r a d u a tio n o f f i v e B ib le c o u r se s t u d e n t s .

$5 w i l l pay f o r 1 ,2 7 5 B ib le co u rse e n r o llm e n t cards.'*'

In d eed , som eth in g f o r everybod y!

However, one may wonder and

m arvel a t th e method ( t o s a y n o th in g o f th e v a l i d i t y ] u sed by t e l e c a s t

p e r so n n e l in a r r iv in g a t p a t s t a t i s t i c s w hich b la n d ly a s su r e t h a t X
I

number o f d o lla r s w i l l add Y_number o f v ie w e r s , from a p ra g m a tic p o in t

o f view th e r e can b e b u t l i t t l e
" p u lls" !

doubt th a t t h i s

k in d o f ap p eal r e a l l y

And p u b lic r e l a t i o n s w i l l be se r v e d !
The V a le n tin e O f f e r in g , a lr e a d y m en tio n ed , was la r g e ly th e b r a in

c h ild o f E r n e st N. Wendth, who le a r n e d t h a t th e SDA p a r o c h ia l s c h o o ls in

M aitlan d, F lo r id a ,

($97) and A sh ta b u la , O hio, ($26) had, in d ep en d e n tly

and s p o n ta n e o u s ly , tak en an o f f e r i n g f o r F a ith fo r Today on V a le n tin e s

Day, 1959, d o n a tin g cash t h a t o th e r w is e w ould have b een s p e n t on g r e e tin g
cards exchanged among th e p u p i l s .

Wendth began prom oting th e id e a

among o th e r A d v e n tis t s c h o o ls th rou gh ou t N orth A m erica, and h ea d q u a rters

shrew dly d e c id e d t o u se th e funds t o buy tim e on s t a t i o n s in c u r r e n tly

^Lake Union H e ra ld , Feb. 1, 1966, 3.

2T e l e - n o t e s , A p r il, 19 5 9 , 3.

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262

"dark" v ie w in g a r e a s ( l o c a l i t i e s where th e r e i s a " black ou t" o f " F a ith

fo r Today" TV c o v e r a g e ).^ -

The im a g in a tiv e id e a caught f i r e . ^

P ro m o tio n a l e f f o r t s aimed d i r e c t l y a t v ie w e r s o f th e t e l e c a s t
are la r g e l y co n d u cted th rou gh th e columns o f th e m onthly T e l e - n o t e s .
R eports c a r r ie d th e r e t e l l o f u n iq u e and som etim es n o v e lp r o j e c t s o f
view ers in r a i s i n g fu n d s, many o f w hich in v o lv e th e making and s e l l i n g
o f em broidered or c r o c h e te d handwork o r a r t i c l e s o f c lo t h i n g ,
and q u i l t s .

or afgh ans

O thers s e l l produce from p o r tio n s o f farm la n d d e d ic a te d t o th e

Lord (one la d y had a stra w b erry p a tc h , th e incom e from w hich w ent to th e
te le c a s t).

Some who r e c e iv e money u n e x p e c te d ly d on ate i t to F a ith fo r

Today (one v ie w e r was a c o n t e s t a n t on th e Groucho Marx q u iz t e l e c a s t ; he

and h is p a r tn e r appeared on s e v e r a l c o n s e c u tiv e show s, u lt im a t e ly w in n in g
th e b ig money in th e f i n a l c o n t e s t ) .

And some don ate one d a y s p r o f i t

from th e o p e r a tio n o f t h e i r s t o r e o r b u s in e s s

(one s to r e -o w n in g co u p le

gave th e p r o f i t s from a s p e c i a l one-d ay s a l e ) . ^

1I b i d . , F e b ., 1963, 8.
2 In 1961, 78 s c h o o ls p a r t ic ip a t e d , and r a is e d $ 1 ,2 7 4 (T e l e - n o t e s ,
May, 1961, 7 ) .
The p r o c ee d s w ere u sed to p u rch a se tim e on S t a t io n KLIX,
Twin F a l l s , Id ah o, fo r one y e a r ( i b i d . , J u n e, 1961, 1 ) .
In 1962, 187
s c h o o ls p a r t i c i p a t e d , and $ 3 ,3 9 4 was r a i s e d . Two new " c h ild r e n s s t a
tio n s" w ere added: KTVC, Dodge C ity , K an.; and KQTV, Fort Dodge, Iowa
( i b i d . , J u n e, 1962, 4; and F e b ., 1 963, 8 ) .
In 1 9 6 3 , 172 s c h o o ls r a is e d
$ 3 ,5 9 1 , and two Oregon s t a t i o n s w ere added: KAKA, Klamath F a l l s ; and
KBES, Medford ( i b i d . , Ju n e, 1963, 5; and S e p t . , 1 9 6 3 , 5 ) . In 1964, 351
classroom s r a is e d $ 6 ,6 7 4 ; and WNBE in New B ern, N. C ., was added t o the
o th er f i v e " c h ild r e n 's s t a t i o n s " w hich were c o n tin u e d fo r a n o th er y e a r
( i b i d . , F e b ., 1965, 4 ) .
In 1965, 369 s c h o o ls r a is e d $ 9 ,7 5 6 , and "F aith
fo r Today" r e - e n t e r e d P h ila d e lp h ia - - t h e fo u r th la r g e s t TV market in
North A m erica--on WBIS ( i b i d . , F e b ., 1966, 6; and J u ly , 1965, 5 ) .
In
1966, $ 1 2 ,0 2 1 was r a is e d in 340 s c h o o ls ($ 1 ,0 1 5 a lo n e in th e S lig o church
s c h o o l, W ashington, D. C ., suburban Takoma Park) ( i b i d . , June, 1 966, 5 ) .
The 1968 V a le n tin e O ffe r in g came t o $ 2 4 ,5 8 1 ; and in 1969 (a s o f M arch),
some $ 3 2 ,9 8 0 had been r e c e iv e d ( l e t t e r from W illia m R. Lawson, b u s in e s s
manager, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , A p r il 2 , 1969, 2 ) .
3I b i d . , March, 1951, 2 .

4 I b i d . , O c t ., 1956, 3 .

5 I b id .

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263

Memorial g i f t s have been a s te a d y and lu c r a t iv e so u r c e o f income

f o r F a ith f o r T o d a y .*

W hile most are o f r e l a t i v e l y m odest am ounts,

th e r e have b een s e v e r a l s u b s t a n t i a l g i f t s , in c lu d in g one o f $ 5 ,0 0 0 from

a Long B each, C a lif o r n i a , p h y s ic ia n i n memory o f h i s w i f e , w hich was
used to p r o v id e c o n t r o l room equipm ent fo r th e now-renamed L i lia n F.
Dean Memorial S t u d io .

In 1952, th e O p era tin g Board v o te d ap p roval f o r th e c r e a t io n o f

a S u s ta in in g Members L i s t .

Membership i s c o n fe r r e d upon any su p p o r te r

who c o n tr ib u te s a t l e a s t $10 a n n u a lly , or who sen ds $1 or more each

3
month on a r e g u la r b a s is f o r th e t e l e c a s t .
In r e tu r n , th e "sponsor"
r e c e iv e s T e l e - n o t e s , a g i f t " b o o k -fo r -th e -m o n th ," and o th e r p ro m o tio n a l
m a t e r ia ls .

By m id -1966, t h i s S u s t a in in g Members L is t h e ld about 15,000

names and a cco u n ted fo r a p p ro x im a tely 80% o f t o t a l m a il r e c e i p t s .

In

e a r l i e r days i t was e s tim a te d t h a t 90% o f th e in d iv id u a ls on th e l i s t

were S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t s ; tod ay th e y are e s tim a te d t o com prise o n ly
about 40%.

The t o t a l number o f in d iv id u a l g i f t s r e c e iv e d in th e m ail

from A d v e n tis ts i s

l e s s th an th e number from non-members; b u t th e i n d i

v id u a l A d v e n tis t g i f t i s g e n e r a lly somewhat la r g e r in s i z e th an i t s

n o n -A d v e n tist c o u n te r p a r t.

P ro m o tio n a l e f f o r t s on th e management l e v e l a t t e l e v i s i o n s t a
t io n s was begun in " e a r n e st" w ith th e appointm ent o f E rn est Wendth as
th e f i r s t f u l l - t i m e s t a t i o n r e l a t io n s d ir e c t o r (s e e a b o v e ).

*The "In Memoriam" column l i s t i n g su ch g i f t s o f t e n o c c u p ie s one

page or more ea ch month in T e l e - n o t e s .
^T e l e - n o t e s , J u ly ,

1953, 1.

^ O perating Board M in u tes, J u ly 8, 1952, a c tio n 5 2 -7 0 .

4

Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 5 , 1966, 1.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

S e v e r a l p r o j e c t s have proven most f r u i t f u l .

The f i r s t , in 1958,

c o n s is t e d o f p r e s e n t in g s t a t i o n awards t o managers o f s t a t i o n s c a r r y
in g th e t e l e c a s t as a p u b lic s e r v ic e f o r a t l e a s t one s e a s o n .

Community

good w i l l was engendered by h a v in g th e award p r e s e n te d by l o c a l and

s t a t e church r e p r e s e n t a t iv e s on b e h a lf o f F a ith f o r T o d a y .*
In 1960, th e S t a t io n A n n iv ersa ry Flow er P r e s e n t a tio n p r o j e c t was
undertaken, in which an a t t r a c t i v e bou q u et o f flo w e r s i s p r e s e n te d to
the s t a t i o n management upon th e o c c a s io n o f th e a n n iv e r s a r y o f th e d a te
upon which th e s t a t i o n f i r s t commenced o p e r a tio n s .

A p o s i t i v e approach

i s tak en in th e accom panying c i t a t i o n , and th e s t a t i o n i s commended fo r

sc h e d u lin g programs which go fu r t h e r than m erely e n t e r t a in in g th e v ie w
in g a u d ie n c e t h i s in an attem p t to r e v e r s e th e tr e n d o f ta k in g good
programming fo r g r a n te d .

On more than one o c c a s io n th e a r r i v a l o f th e p r e s e n t a t io n com

m itte e rem inded th e management o f an a n n iv e r s a r y th e y th e m se lv e s had
overlook ed or fo r g o tte n ; and as a f r in g e b e n e f i t , n o t in f r e q u e n t ly th e
p r e s e n ta tio n i t s e l f was t e l e v i s e d l i v e , th us g iv in g F a ith f o r Today
added p u b l i c i t y in thousands o f hom es.

In 1963, F a ith f o r Today p r in t e d a sim p le program s c h e d u lin g pad

o f blank form s, n in e in c h e s by 12 in c h e s , upon w hich 18 s u c c e s s iv e h a l f hour programs can be s c h e d u le d f o r each day o f th e week on one s h e e t .
These have proven im m ensely p o p u la r w ith s t a t i o n program d i r e c t o r s , and
a number o f r e q u e sts have b een r e c e iv e d from s t a t i o n s n o t c a r r y in g th e

^T e l e - n o t e s , A u g., 1961, 1.
2 I b id .
7

Hudgins I n te r v ie w , J u ly 12, 1966, 1.

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265

program fo r s u p p lie s o f t h i s form .

(L a te r some o f th e s e same s t a t i o n s

added th e p rogram .)*

On th e r e v e r s e s id e o f e a ch b lan k form th e l a t e s t ''F a ith f o r
Today" lo g i s p r in t e d a s u b t le b i t o f " p s y c h o lo g ic a l w a rfa re" which
im p r e s se s s t a t i o n managers w ith th e v a s t n a t io n a l and in t e r n a t io n a l
scop e o f th is t e le c a s t .
A t h ir d p r o j e c t , in a u g u r a te d in 1964, was th e d e liv e r in g o f an
a t t r a c t i v e d e c o r a t iv e 10 by 12 in c h w a ll p la q u e t o s t a t i o n o f f i c i a l s .
The p la q u e c o n ta in s "A B r o a d c a s te r 's P r a y e r," o r i g i n a l l y p u b lis h e d in
B r o a d c a stin g

b y Robert T, Mason,

th e t e x t i s p r in t e d on parchm ent and

la m in a te d on hardboard.
The p r a y e r , w hich e l i c i t s

a h e a r t - f e l t "amen" from many s t a t i o n

managers (and which has b rou gh t numerous r e q u e s ts f o r c o p ie s from b ro a d

c a s t in g o f f i c i a l s a c r o s s th e c o u n tr y 4) , r ea d s:
Dear God: Give me th e wisdom to know r ig h t from w rong,
tr u th from fa ls e h o o d , h o n e s t o p in io n from propaganda.
Give me th e courage t o f a c e a l l i s s u e s w ith o u t f e a r , w ith
th e in h e r e n t f a i t h t h a t i n f u l f i l l i n g Thy w i l l I may d i s
charge to th e u tm ost my r e s p o n s i b i l i t y as a b r o a d c a s te r under
God.
Give me th e s t r e n g t h , s t r e n g t h o f body to w ith sta n d th e
r ig o r s and s t r a in s o f n e v e r - s a t i a t e d p u b lic demands as a
m ed ia to r o f c o n f l i c t i n g o p in io n s and i d e o l o g i e s , s tr e n g th
o f mind to r e fu s e a t a l l c o s t s th e te m p ta tio n s to p r o s t i t u t e
my s e r v i c e s as a b r o a d c a s te r to s e l f i s h o r p a r t is a n p u r p o se s ,
s tr e n g th o f s p i r i t to d efen d a t a l l c o s t th e freedom o f th e
in d iv id u a l as a c r e a tu r e o f God.
Let me s e r v e mankind w ith t h i s m ost p o w e r fu l fo r c e fo r
good in Thy Holy Name. Amen.

*T e l e - n o t e s , S e p t .,

1963, 5 .

2May 2 7 , 19 6 3 , 18.

Mason was p r e s id e n t o f r a d io s t a t i o n WMRN, M arion, O hio, and a

d i r e c t o r - a t - l a r g e o f th e N a tio n a l A s s o c ia t io n o f B r o a d c a s te r s. He d ie d
in e a r ly 1967 (T e l e - n o t e s , F e b ., 1967, 5 ) .
4I b i d . , A p r il, 1964, 4.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

T
<

266

The c r im in a l c o u r t s u i t . No h i s t o r y o f F a ith f o r Today w ould be

com plete w ith o u t m ention o f th e i r o n i c c r im in a l c o u r t s u i t - - i r o n i c
b eca u se t h i s C h r is tia n r e l i g i o u s o r g a n iz a t io n , w ith th e avowed o b j e c t i v e
o f p u b l i c l y te a c h in g th e o b serv a n ce

o f th e B i b l i c a l Sab bath , was

a r ra ig n ed in th e M a g is t r a t e s ' Court

o f th e C ity o f New York (a n d , s u b s e

q u e n tly , i n th e Court o f S p e c ia l S e s s io n s ) on a charge o f " v i o la t i o n o f

Sabbath law."'*
On Sunday m orning, January 7, 1962, p o licem a n D a n ie l C a lla h a n ,
Badge 6 3 0 2 , e n te r e d th e p r e m ise s o f th e p r in t in g departm ent o f F a ith f o r
Today, a t 45-06 108th S t r e e t , Corona, Queens C ounty, New Y ork, and th e r e
found p r e s s manager Howard C u r tis Lund and s e v e r a l h e lp e r s o p e r a tin g
p ress.

The o f f i c e r s a id t h i s was a

v i o l a t i o n o f S e c t io n 2143 o f th e New

York S t a t e P en al Code.^
D efendant Lund, accom panied by P a s to r F agal and t e l e c a s t t r e a s 3
u rer Josep h H. Webb, was a r r a ig n e d th e f o llo w in g T h u rsd ay, Janu ary 1 1 ,
a t which tim e he p le a d e d "n ot g u i l t y w ith a d e f e n s e .^

T r ia l was s e t

fo r February 20.

'Magistrates Court Summons H-34759 to Howard C. Lund, by P o l ic e

O f f ic e r D. C a lla h a n , 110th P r e c in c t , Jan . 7, 1961 [s h o u ld rea d 1 9 6 2 " ],
11:30 p.m . [sh o u ld read " a .m ." ].
C a lla h a n , who t o l d th e p r i n t e r s , "You
are b r e a k in g th e Sabbath law , you are w orking on th e S a b b a th ," was so
unnerved by t h e i r r e t o r t :
" Y esterd a y [S atu rd ay] was th e S a b b a th , we
w orshipped y e s te r d a y on th e tr u e S a b b a th , (Marvin E. Loewen, A ccused o f
S ab bath -B reakin g [New York: F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , 1 9 6 3 ], 1 ) , t h a t h e
made two c r u c ia l e r r o r s in c o m p le tin g th e Summons, w hich l a t e r c r e a te d
a d d it io n a l problem s when th e c a se f i n a l l y came to t r i a l .
2

" C o m p la in t,11 sworn by D a n ie l C a lla h a n , b e fo r e L t. M orris S h e r ,

110th P r e c in c t , Jan . 7 , 1962.
^T e l e - n o t e s , March, 1962, 4 .
^ M a g istr a te s' C ourt Docket 2 3 7 , Weekend and N ig h t Court D ocket
85342, S. S . No. 54.

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267

t r i a l when F a g a l te le p h o n e d them .

He s u g g e s te d th a t l e g a l c o u n s e l be

r e t a in e d s in c e th e o c c a s io n m ight prove opportune fo r making a t e s t c a se

o f New Y ork's a r c h a ic and a n a c h r o n is t ic "blue" law (w hich A d v e n tis ts
g e n e r a lly h o ld t o be u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l ) .

The T r u ste e s im m ed ia te ly met in

s p e c ia l s e s s i o n and v o te d $ 2 ,5 0 0 t o h i r e Leo P f e f f e r , 1 H ungarian-born

c o n s t i t u t i o n a l law s p e c i a l i s t in c h u r c h -s ta te a f f a i r s .

D efendant Lund w aived e x a m in a tio n when he appeared b e fo r e C ity

M a g istra te Joan O 'N e ill in F lu s h in g on February 2 0 , 1962; and r e q u e s te d
through h is a tt o r n e y t h a t th e c a se be removed from th e p o l i c e c o u r t and
3
a s s ig n e d to a h ig h e r c o u r t.
The r e q u e s t was g r a n te d ; and on March 1 , Queens County D i s t r i c t
A tto rn ey Frank D. O'Connor^ s ig n e d an " In form ation " ( a c c u s a t io n ) , in th e
name o f "The P eo p le o f th e S t a t e o f New Y ork," a g a in s t Lund.^

The

d efend ant made h i s i n i t i a l appearance in th e Court o f S p e c ia l S e s s io n s

o f th e C ity o f New York on A p r il 5 to p le a d "not g u ild y ," ^ and t r i a l was
s e t b e fo r e a th ree-m an tr ib u n a l on May 16.

^ T ru stees M in u tes, Feb. 14, 1 962, a c t io n 6 2 -6 .

?

P f e f f e r had p r a c t ic e d law fo r 29 y e a r s , th e p a s t 17 as s p e c i a l
i s t in F ir s t Amendment i s s u e s .
A p r o f e s s o r a t Y esh iv a and Long I s la n d
U n i v e r s i t i e s , he had au th ored f i v e w orks: Church, S t a t e , and Freedom
(1 9 5 3 ); The L ib e r t ie s o f an American (1 9 5 6 ); Creeds in C om p etition (1 9 5 8 );
Church and S t a t e in th e U n ited S t a t e s (w ith Anson P h elp s S to k e s , 1 9 6 4 );
and an h i s t o r y o f th e U. S. Supreme C ou rt, T h is H onorable Court (1965)
("Leo P f e f f e r ," Who's Who in th e U n ited S t a t e s , V o l. 54 [C hicago:
M arquis-W ho's Who, I n c . , 1 9 6 6 -6 7 ], 1669; T e l e - n o t e s , A p r il, 1962, 5 ) .
3

A f f id a v it - G e n e r a l, Weekend and N ig h t Court D ocket 85342, Court

D ocket 237, C ity M a g is tr a te s ' Court o f th e C ity o f New York, Feb. 2 0 , 1962.
^ D is t r ic t A tto r n e y O'Connor f u r t h e r d is t in g u is h e d h im s e lf in 1966
by u n s u c c e s s f u lly op p osin g G overnor N e lso n R o c k e fe lle r in th e New York
S ta te g u b e r n a to r ia l c o n t e s t .
^ In fo rm a tio n No. 9 9 9 /1 9 6 2 , Court o f S p e c ia l S e s s io n o f th e C ity
o f New York, March 1, 1962.
^Court C alendar No. 3 1 , J u s t i c e S i l v e r , p r e s id in g .

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268

D i s t r i c t A tto r n e y O'Connor, and A s s is t a n t D i s t r i c t A tto r n e y

S ta n le y J . P ryor whom he a p p o in te d to p r o s e c u te th e c a s e , p r i v a t e l y
i n v i t e d Dr. P f e f f e r to t h e i r o f f i c e b e fo r e th e c a se came to t r i a l and
o f f e r e d to have i t d is m is s e d .
a llo w ed t o come to c o u r t.

P f e f f e r r e f u s e d , i n s i s t i n g t h a t i t be

O'Connor and P ryor l a t e r r a th e r h e a te d ly t o ld

Roland R. H eg sta d , a s s o c ia t e s e c r e t a r y o f th e I n t e r n a t io n a l R e lig io u s

L ib e r ty A s s o c ia t io n and e d it o r o f L ib e r ty , th a t th ey were co n v in ced th a t
P f e f f e r had arran ged and stage-m an aged th e w hole in c id e n t m erely to p ro
v id e th e v e h i c l e f o r a t e s t case.'*'

T h is a c c u s a t io n , in th e form o f a

p r o s e c u t in g a t t o r n e y 's " s u g g e s t io n ," was a c t u a l l y p u t to th e d efen d a n t

du rin g th e c o u r se o f th e t r i a l .

The a c c u s a t io n , how ever, was c o m p le te ly f a l s e ;

th e r e was no

d e lib e r a t e a ttem p t to make t h i s a t e s t c a se a t th e o u t s e t .

Four y ea rs

l a t e r , Dr. P f e f f e r t o l d t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r in a p e r s o n a l in t e r v ie w :
T h is came about q u ite by a c c id e n t ; b u t when i t d id come, i t
p r e s e n t e d th e hope f o r an o p p o r tu n ity to g e t a c o n s t i t u t i o n a l
d e te r m in a tio n on t h i s S e c tio n o f th e s t a t u t e d e a lin g w ith
work one f e e l s h i s r e l i g i o n r e q u ir e s him to do. The

^Loewen, 1 0 -1 1 .
2

O f f i c i a l Court M in u tes, Court o f S p e c ia l S e s s io n s o f th e C ity

o f New Y ork, P a r t I I , County o f Q ueens, "The P eo p le o f th e S t a t e o f New
York A g a in st Howard C. Lund, D efen d a n t," C alendar No. 37, In fo rm a tio n
No. 9 9 9 /1 9 6 2 , T r ia l May 16 and 18, 1962, C rim inal Court B u ild in g , Kew
G ardens, New York, p . 2 1 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as O f f i c i a l Court M in u tes.
^As l a t e as March 16, P f e f f e r was u n c le a r as to th e s t r a t e g y to
f o llo w in p r e p a r in g h i s c l i e n t ' s d e fe n s e ; and he w ro te th e G eneral
C o n feren ce, r e q u e s t in g i n s t r u c t i o n s and s t a t i n g th a t " i t i s im p ortant
fo r me to know w h eth er i t i s p la n n e d to ta k e t h i s c a s e to th e h ig h e r
c o u r ts and e v e n t u a lly t o th e U n ite d S t a t e s Supreme Court in th e e v e n t
th e Court o f S p e c ia l S e s s io n s d ete r m in e s t h a t Mr. Lund v i o l a t e d th e
Sunday law . The n a tu r e o f my p r e s e n t a t io n o f th e d e fe n s e w i l l be
a f f e c t e d by t h i s f a c t ."
(L e t t e r from Leo P f e f f e r to W. M elvin Adams,
a s s o c i a t e s e c r e t a r y , R e lig io u s L ib e r ty D epartm ent, G eneral C onferen ce o f
SDA, W ashington, D. C ., March 1 6 , 1 9 6 2 .)

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269

d e lib e r a t e s t a g in g o f a t e s t c a se i s c o n s id e r e d u n e t h ic a l
among a t t o r n e y s .
I w ould n e v e r ta k e such a c a s e . l
During th e c o u r se o f th e t r i a l , w hich was h e ld May 16 and 18
b e fo r e P r e s id in g J u s t i c e James R. C r e e l and A s s o c ia te J u s t i c e s Edward T.
Galloway and James J . Commerford, P a s to r F a g a l was c a l l e d t o th e w itn e s s
sta n d to t e s t i f y co n c er n in g th e j u s t i f i c a t i o n o f th e S ev en th -d a y A dvent
i s t b e l i e f th a t S a tu rd a y , th e s e v e n th day o f th e week, i s th e "true"
Sabbath, w hereas th e s t a t u t e s o f th e S t a t e o f New York r e c o g n iz e Sunday
as th e "Sabbath."
P r o se c u to r Pryor in h i s q u e s t io n in g t r i e d to
c h o ic e

show th a t th e

o f a Sabbath m erely depends "upon th e custom o f an a r ea o r a

country or a c o n tin e n t th a t w i l l s e l e c t i t a r b i t r a r i l y by a L e g is la t u r e
or a community, or th o se i n t e r e s t e d in o b se r v in g a S ab bath ."

H is m ajor

p o in t , w ith regard to th e B i b l i c a l Sabbath, was th a t to d a y th e r e i s no

way o f knowing w h ether our S aturday c o in c id e s w ith th e a n c ie n t " sev e n th
day" or our Sunday c o in c id e s w ith th e a n c ie n t " f i r s t d a y ."
The p o in t w as, o f c o u r s e , c r u c ia l ; and whenan o b j e c t io n to
o f P r y o r 's le a d in g q u e s tio n s was s u s t a in e d , J u s t i c e

one

C reel rep h ra sed i t

in an attem p t to e s t a b l i s h so m eth in g co n c er n in g th e tim e elem en t and how

one m ight know p r e c i s e l y where t o b e g in c o u n tin g :

Let me p u t i t t h i s way. There i s in tim e a co n cep t o f th e

c i r c l e . The day i s th e r o t a t io n o f our e a r th upon th e a x i s ,
a c i r c l e . The y e a r i s th e r o t a t io n in o r b i t o f our e a r th
about i t s su n . A gain an e l i p t i c a l c i r c l e . Time has a c i r c u
la r elem en t in i t .
I ' v e had th e q u e s tio n p u t to me th a t I'm
p u ttin g to you by my younger d a u g h te r , when sh e was v ery
1

I n te r v ie w w ith Leo P f e f f e r , New York, J u ly 11, 1966, 1.

h e r e a f t e r as Leo P f e f f e r I n te r v ie w .

C ite d

^ O f f ic ia l Court M in u tes, 7 3 -7 4 .
3W. A. F a g a l, " F a ith f o r Today Sunday V io la t io n T r i a l," Review
and H erald , June 14, 1 962, 4.

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270

little .
"Daddy, where does a c i r c l e b eg in ? " and I th in k
t h a t ' s th e q u e s t io n t h a t th e D i s t r i c t A tto r n e y i s p u t t in g t o
you now. Where d oes th e c i r c l e b e g in ? Where do we d e c id e
where in t h i s tim e i s , what i s [th e ] f i r s t [day o f th e
w e e k ], and what i s th e s e v e n t h ? 1
F a g a l's manner o f d e fe n s e o f h i s f a i t h , th a t th e B i b l i c a l
se v e n th day i s th e same as to d a y 's S a tu r d a y , i s i n s t r u c t i v e :
W e ll, you r Honor, I w ould become a b i t t h e o l o g i c a l in
t r y in g to answ er y o u , b u t l e t me t r y .
For in s t a n c e , we
know th a t th e O rthodox Jews o b se r v e th e day th a t we now
th in k o f as S atu rd ay th ro u g h o u t th e y e a r s . We know what
day J e su s d ie d . He d ie d on what i s c a l l e d Good F r id a y . We
are t o l d [ in th e B ib le ] th e day t h a t fo llo w e d [th e c r u c i
f i x i o n i s c a lle d ] th e S ab b ath . . . . We are t o ld t h a t th e
day on which He a r o se from th e dead was th e f i r s t day o f th e
week [E a ste r S u n d a y ]. So from th e S c r ip t u r e s we have no
doubt th a t Sunday i s th e f i r s t day o f th e week and Saturday
i s th e s e v e n th , th e Good F rid a y i s th e s i x t h . 2
The P r e s id in g J u s t i c e s t i l l w a s n 't s a t i s f i e d :
I t i s a f a c t , on c e r t a in c o n t in e n t s , such as Europe,
when th ey make up th e c a le n d a r they, s t a r t th e f i r s t day o f
th e week as Monday, d o n 't th ey?^
F agal w a s n 't s a t i s f i e d e i t h e r !

He r e s p e c t f u l l y r e p l i e d th a t

alth ou gh t h i s may b e t r u e , i t i s m erely man-made custom ; i t in no way

a l t e r s th e B i b l i c a l method o f r e c k o n in g tim e , or th e seq u en ce o f d a y s.
The Sabbath s t i l l f a l l s betw een

F rid a y and Sunday, as i t d id in J e s u s '

tim e , and God s t i l l e x p e c t s man t o o b se rv e i t as r e q u ir e d in th e

Fourth

o f th e Ten Commandments. ^
I t i s d i f f i c u l t to fa u lt h is lo g ic .
In th e m eantim e, Lawyer P f e f f e r was ta k in g a more p ra g m a tic
ta c k .

Lund had b een ch arged w ith a v i o l a t i o n o f S e c tio n 2143 o f th e New

York S t a te P en al Code.

P f e f f e r knew h e had an a ce up h is s l e e v e in

S e c tio n 2 144, th e v e r y n e x t p a r t o f th e la w , w hich p r e s c r i b e s , under th e

h ead in g "P ersons O b servin g A nother Day as Sabbath":

^O fficial Court M in u tes, 74.

^I b i d . , 75.

^ Ib id .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

^ Ib id .

271
I t i s a s u f f i c i e n t d e fe n s e t o a p r o s e c u t io n f o r work o r
la b o r done on th e f i r s t day o f th e week th a t th e d efen d a n t
u n ifo r m ly keeps a n o th e r day o f th e week as h o ly tim e and
does n o t la b o r on t h a t day, and th a t th e a c t com plained o f
was done in such a manner as n o t t o in t e r r u p t o r d is tu r b
p erso n s in o b se r v in g th e f i r s t day o f th e week a s h o ly
t i m e .1
He, t h e r e f o r e , p r o c e e d e d t o e s t a b l i s h t h a t Lund (1 ) d id keep
a n oth er day o f th e week h o l y , upon which he d id no s e c u la r la b o r ; and
(2) th a t th er e had been no co m p la in t from n e ig h b o r s about b e in g d i s
tu rb ed by th e n o is e o f th e p r e s s .

In d e e d , th e a r r e s t i n g o f f i c e r (who

was th e p r o s e c u t io n 's o n ly w it n e s s ) a d m itte d t h a t h e h im s e lf c o u ld n o t

h ear th e p r e s s e s runn ing w h ile s ta n d in g o u t s id e on th e s id e w a lk .

A fte r a l l e x a m in a tio n and c r o s s -e x a m in a tio n w ere co n clu d ed in

th e c a s e , Dr. P f e f f e r moved fo r th e d is m is s a l o f th e In fo r m a tio n on s i x
d i f f e r e n t and, in c e r t a in i n s t a n c e s , r a th e r u n iq u e --g r o u n d s .

H is main

p o in t s , in summary p a r a p h r a se , w ere:
[1] As th e d e fe n d a n t r e g u la r ly o b s e r v e s a n o th e r day o f
th e week as h o ly tim e , he h as a b u i l t - i n d e fe n s e w it h in th e
s t a t u t e w hich exem pts su ch i n d iv id u a ls from th e p r o h ib it o r y
p r o v is io n s o f th e
3
l

[2] The law does n o t p r o h ib it work o f a r e l i g i o u s n a tu r e ,

done w ith o u t f i n a n c i a l r em u n era tio n , f o r n o n -s e c u la r p u r p o se s .
[Lund had e a r l i e r t e s t i f i e d t h a t Sunday work a t th e p r e s s was
un dertaken o n ly in f r e q u e n t ly in em ergency s i t u a t i o n s , and
th a t none o f th e w orkers r e c e iv e d e x t r a pay f o r t h i s o v ertim e
d u ty . ] ^
[3] The law d oes n o t p r o h ib it "works o f n e c e s s i t y and
c h a r ity " on Sunday; and th e work done in t h i s n o n - p r o f it
o p e r a tio n from r e l i g i o u s m o tiv a tio n f o r m is s io n a r y p u rp o ses
i s th u s exem pted by s t a t u t e . 5
[4] The p r o h ib it io n o f t h i s work i s a v i o l a t i o n o f th e
F i r s t Amendment to th e F ed era l C o n s t it u t io n , and a l s o th e

'*'Cited by P f e f f e r t o t h i s w r it e r d u rin g th e in t e r v ie w .
^ O f f ic ia l Court M in u tes, 6 .
3I b i d . , 85.

4I b i d . , 86.

5 I b i d . , 8 6 -8 7 .

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272

New York S t a t e C o n s t it u t io n w hich g u a r a n te e s r e l i g i o u s

j u s t i c e and l i b e r t y .
F i r s t , i t s e e k s to p r o h ib it perform
ance o f a r e l i g i o u s l y d ir e c t e d a c t (w hich does n o t r e s u l t
in p e r s o n a l in j u r y , d is tu r b a n c e t o th e community, o r a
h a za rd to s o c i e t y ) ; and, s e c o n d ly , any law w hich p e n a li z e s
an in d iv id u a l f o r e n g a g in g in any ty p e o f work on a day
w hich i s n o t r e l i g i o u s t o him , b u t i s r e l i g i o u s t o o th e r
members o f th e community, c o n s t i t u t e s a v i o l a t i o n o f
r e lig io u s lib e r ty .
[5 ] The p r o h ib it io n o f t h i s work i s a fu r t h e r v i o l a t i o n
o f th e F ir s t Amendment w hich fo r b id s any law r e s p e c t in g an
e s ta b lis h m e n t o f r e l i g i o n .
F i r s t , a Sunday law i s a
r e l i g i o u s la w , and i t s en forcem en t a g a in s t one who does n o t
o b se r v e th a t day c o n s t i t u t e s a v i o l a t i o n o f s e p a r a tio n o f
church and s t a t e ; and, s e c o n d ly , th e U n ited S t a t e s Supreme
Court has h e ld t h a t any law w hich p r e f e r s one r e l i g i o n above
a n o th e r i s a v i o l a t i o n o f th e s e p a r a t io n o f church and s t a t e .
To in t e r p r e t th e s t a t u t e to p e r m it o r a l p r e a c h in g o r o r a l
m is s io n a r y work on Sunday, b u t fo r b id d in g p r in t e d m issio n a r y
work on Sunday f o r th e same r e l i g i o u s p u rp o se , c o n s t i t u t e s
a p r e fe r e n c e o f th o s e r e l i g i o n s who sp rea d t h e i r f a i t h
o r a l l y and a g a in s t th o s e who do s o through th e p r in t e d p a g e . 2
[6] The p r o s e c u t io n o f th e d efen d a n t under t h i s s t a t u t e
d e n ie s to him th e e q u a l p r o t e c t io n o f th e law g u a ra n teed by
th e F o u rteen th Amendment t o th e F e d e r a l C o n s t it u t io n .
F ir s t,
i t p r e f e r s th o s e r e l i g i o n s which engage in m is s io n a r y work
th rou gh o r a l e x p r e s s io n o v er and above th o se who do so
th rou gh th e p r in t e d e x p r e s s io n ; and, s e c o n d ly , e q u a l p ro
t e c t i o n i s d e n ie d in th a t th e law d is c r im in a t e s a g a in s t
th o s e who have a day o th e r than Sunday as t h e i r r e l i g i o u s
day o f r e s t .3
A fte r b r i e f l y c o n f e r r in g , th e c o u r t handed down a s p l i t d e c is i o n
(C r ee l and Commerford in fa v o r , G allow ay d is s e n t in g ) g r a n tin g P f e f f e r ' s
m otion to d is m is s th e In fo r m a tio n and to a c q u it th e d efen d a n t on th e
b a s i s o f th e f i r s t o n ly o f d e fe n s e c o u n s e l's s i x m o t io n s ,4 on th e
grounds th a t Lund "has a co m p lete s t a t u t o r y d e fe n s e p r o v id e d f o r him by
th e S t a t u t e in S e c t io n 2144" in th a t he o b se r v e s a n o th er day as S a b b a th .3
In d is c u s s in g th e c a s e l a t e r w ith t h i s w r it e r , P f e f f e r a d m itted
to h a v in g am b ivalen t f e e l i n g s about th e outcom e.

1Ib id .. ,

8 7 -8 8 .

4I b i d . , 9 0 .

2 I b i d . , 8 8 -8 9 .

He was g r a t i f i e d a t

3I b id . , 8 9 -9 0 .

5 I b i d . , 91.

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273
h a vin g "w on, in th a t th e d e fe n d a n t had b een a c q u it te d ; b u t he was d i s
ap p o in ted a t h a v in g " lo s t" in th e a ttem p t to make a t e s t c a se o f th e
c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i t y o f a law w hich he v e h e m e n tly d e c la r e s in f r i n g e s th e
r e lig io u s

l i b e r t y o f New York S t a t e ' s c i t i z e n s .

He s a id :

U n fo r tu n a te ly , th e ju d g e s had l i t t l e know ledge o f th e

c o n s t i t u t i o n a l n a tu re o f th e i s s u e s in v o lv e d in th e s u i t .
The same i s tr u e o f th e p r o s e c u t in g a tto r n e y --P r y o r was
c e r t a i n l y s e c o n d - s t r in g . O'Connor sim p ly d id n 't c o n s id e r
th e c a s e s i g n i f i c a n t .
Every law yer wants to w in h is c a s e f o r h i s c l i e n t .
But
a c o n s t i t u t i o n a l law yer o p e r a te s on a b ro a d er s c e n e . H is
m o tiv a tio n i s to o b ta in a d e f i n i t i v e d e te r m in a tio n by th e
h ig h e s t c o u r t s .
But t h i s , g e n e r a ll y , i s o n ly o b t a in a b le i f
he l o s e s th e c a se [in th e low er c o u r t s ] .
Thus he h as a
c o n f l i c t in m o tiv e s .
I f e e l my r e s p o n s i b i l i t y i s t o o b ta in a v in d ic a t io n in
th e c o u r t in w hich my c l i e n t i s b e in g t r i e d .
I th u s p r e
s e n te d f i r s t th e le g a l grounds w hich th e c o u r t i s m ost
l i k e l y to a c c e p t in t h i s in s t a n c e , t h a t th e d e fe n d a n t had
a com p lete s t a t u t o r y d e fe n s e under th e law .
I was d is a p p o in te d in w inn ing th e c a s e , how ever.
For
by a c q u it t in g F a ith f o r Today (th e y were n e v e r tr o u b le d
about w orking on Sunday a g a in l a t e r ] , th e Court d e p r iv e d us
o f b r in g in g th e c a se b e fo r e a h ig h e r c o u r t where th e con
s t i t u t i o n a l i s s u e m ight have b een r e s o l v e d . 1
Lawyer P f e f f e r w a sn 't th e o n ly one d is a p p o in te d a t w inning th e
c a se .

L ib e r ty e d it o r Roland R. H egstad l a t e r e d i t o r i a l i z e d :

We are s o r r y th a t la w -a b id in g c i t i z e n s can be h a le d
in t o th e c o u r t f o r d oin g t h a t w hich i s l e g a l- - a n d even
p r a is e w o r th y --o n a l l o th e r days th a n Sunday. But s i n c e
Mr. Lund had to go to c o u r t, we a re so r r y h e won. What a
c a se t h i s w ould have made f o r th e U n ite d S t a t e s Supreme
C o u rt! ^
When ask ed why th e j u s t i c e s o f th e Court o f S p e c ia l S e s s io n s had
ig n o red th e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i s s u e s r a is e d in s e v e r a l o f h i s m otions to

^ P f e f f e r I n te r v ie w , 1.
2

"W itness f o r th e D e fe n se ," L ib e r ty :

Freedom, J a n .- F e b ., 1963, 16.

A M agazine o f R e lig io u s

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

a c q u it , P f e f f e r remarked th a t:
A ju d ge i s r e q u ir e d to d is p o s e o f a c a se on r e g u la r
ground s, i f p o s s i b l e . He can d is p o s e o f i t on c o n s t i t u
t i o n a l grounds o n ly i f th e r e i s no o th e r means o f
d is p o s itio n .
Why was t h i s c a se s i g n i f i c a n t ?

What was a ccom p lish ed ?

" P eop le v s . Lund" was th e f i r s t attem p t e v e r made in a New York

c o u r t to t e s t th e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i t y o f th a t s t a t e ' s Sunday law , w hich a
c o n s id e r a b le number o f law yers and laymen a lik e fir m ly b e l i e v e v i o l a t e s
th e s t a t e ' s c i t i z e n s ' fundam ental c i v i l and r e l i g i o u s l i b e r t i e s .

A lthough F agal (and o th e r s who t e s t i f i e d on b e h a lf o f th e

church) l o s t t h i s p r o ff e r e d o p p o r tu n ity to s t r i k e a s t a t e - w id e (and,
u lt im a t e ly , perhaps n a t io n a l) blow f o r r e l i g i o u s l i b e r t y , t h e i r appear
ance in co u rt was d u ly n o ted by th e New York C ity p r e s s , and p u b lic
'Z

i n t e r e s t was w id esp rea d .

The c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i s s u e s w ere h ig h lig h t e d ;

and w ith th e r e s u l t i n g p u b l i c i t y , Fagal and o th e r s who t e s t i f i e d were

p ro v id ed w ith a n a t io n a l forum upon w hich to w itn e s s to t h e i r b e l i e f in
th e o b lig a t o r y , b in d in g n a tu r e o f th e s e v e n th -d a y Saturday Sabbath upon
B ib le - b e lie v in g C h r is tia n s to d a y .
The t r i a l fu r th e r p r o v id e d an o p p o rtu n ity fo r im p r e ssin g th e
c o u r t as w e ll as th e p u b lic lo o k in g o n --w ith th e m o tiv a tio n f o r s e r v i c e
and th e urgency o f F a ith f o r T od ay's m issio n as a p u b lic s e r v i c e .^

"F a ith f o r Today," tom orrow.--T h e fu tu r e , by d e f i n i t i o n , i s n o t

h is t o r y ; b u t i t may n o t be im proper as we h ere con clu d e th e h i s t o r y o f
F a ith fo r Today, t h i s " le n g th e n e d shadow ," to c o n s id e r b r i e f l y what may
l i e ahead f o r t h i s o r g a n iz a tio n and i t s fo u n d er, both in term s o f i t s

^ P fe ffe r I n te r v ie w , 2 .

^I b i d .

\ o e w e n , 11.

^ T e le -n o te s , Ju n e, 19 6 2 , 3.

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275

fu tu r e w ith in th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t d enom ination and in th e c o n te x t

o f t e l e v i s i o n ' s fu tu r e w ith in th e b r o a d c a s tin g in d u s t r y .
An h i s t o r i a n i s n e v e r su p p o sed t o s a y , " I f . .

a lth o u g h th e

p r o h ib it io n i s more g e n e r a lly l a i d a g a in s t s e c o n d -g u e s s in g about what

m ight have happened in th e p a s t , " i f . . . , " than in p r o g n o s t ic a t in g
con cern in g th e f u t u r e a p r a c t i c e more common w ith in th e p r o f e s s io n ,
from A rnold Toynbee on down.

B u t, what about F a ith f o r Today?

The c o n tin u a tio n o f F a ith fo r Today, as s u c h , now seem s a ssu r e d

as an e v a n g e l i s t i c weapon in th e a r s e n a l o f S ev en th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s , on
th e b a s is o f s ta te m e n ts c o n c e r n in g i t s v a lu e to th e church made r e c e n t ly
by le a d in g A d v e n tis t o f f i c i a l s ( s e e C hap ter V I I I ) .
In Janu ary, 1969, W illia m A. F a g a l c e le b r a te d h i s 5 0 th b ir th d a y ;
and b a r r in g u n fo r se e n a c c id e n t o r i l l n e s s , he i s l i k e l y to b e around
(and th e "shadow" i s

l i k e l y to c o n tin u e to " len g th en " s t i l l fu r th e r ) f o r

q u ite some tim e to come.

He h as a d em on strated c a p a c it y f o r s u r v iv a l

(few , i f any, o th e r r e l i g i o u s programs on t e l e v i s i o n i n 1 9 5 0 , when he

began, are w ith us y e t t o d a y ) , and f o r e f f e c t i v e n e s s

( s e e b e lo w ) .

His

background o f e x p e r ie n c e in p ro d u cin g n e a r ly 700 s e p a r a t e TV programs

w i l l n o t b e l i g h t l y d is c a r d e d by h is ch u rch , w hich w i l l s u r e ly se e k to
use to maximum ad van tage h i s v a s t e x p e r ie n c e w hich now spans two d e c a d e s.
The program w ith i t s fo rm a t h ow ever, w i l l d o u b tle s s c o n tin u e
to e v o lv e , as i t has in th e p a s t , in o r d e r to be r e le v a n t to th e c u r re n t
needs o f i t s v ie w e r s and to a v o id g e t t i n g in t o a r u t .
But w hat, one may p r o p e r ly ask a t t h i s p o i n t , o f th e fu tu r e o f
t e l e v i s i o n i t s e l f , in t h i s age o f le a p - f r o g g in g te c h n o lo g y ?
For a c a lc u la t e d g u e ss we r e tu r n t o B r ig a d ie r G eneral David
S a r n o ff, accord ed th e t i t l e o f " th e f a t h e r o f American t e l e v i s i o n " by

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r
i

276

th e N a tio n a l A s s o c ia t io n o f B r o a d c a s te r s ,* andmore s i g n i f i c a n t l y - " b r o a d c a stin g * s m ost im a g in a tiv e p r o p h e t,

. . . b r o a d c a s t in g 's Man o f

th e F u tu r e ," by h is c h i e f r i v a l in th e in d u s t r y , CBS Board Chairman

W illiam S. P a le y .^
In 1923, when m ost p e o p le in A m erica were t a lk in g in e x c it e d
to n es about th e new m a r v e l, r a d io , b a r e ly th r e e y e a r s o ld , S a m o f f was
t a lk in g about som eth in g e l s e .
a t RCA, S a m o f f w rote:

In a now-famous memorandum t o h i s c h i e f

"I b e l i e v e t h a t t e l e v i s i o n , w hich i s th e t e c h n i

c a l name f o r s e e in g as w e ll as h e a r in g by r a d io , w i l l come t o p a ss in
due c o u r s e ."

As th e s e l i n e s are b e in g w r it t e n in 1969, some 93.6% o f

American f a m ilie s have t e l e v i s i o n s e t s ; ^ and t e l e v i s i o n i s r e c o g n iz e d as

a u n i/ e r s a l method and medium o f com m unication in c i v i l i z e d c o u n t r ie s .
But what does " b r o a d c a s tin g 's m ost im a g in a tiv e p ro p h et" p r e d ic t
to d a y --a b o u t tomorrow?
In 1963, S a r n o ff t o l d w r it e r H arold H. M artin:
No man i s w is e enough to p r e d ic t th e f u t u r e . . . . But
I am su r e o f t h i s :
in th e f i e l d o f e l e c t r o n i c s th e n e x t te n
y e a r s w i l l s e e more p r o g r e s s than th e p a s t f i f t y . ^
The f o llo w in g y e a r , in a lo o k a t th e w orld "By th e End o f th e
T w en tieth C en tu ry," w r it t e n f o r th e e d it o r s o f F o r tu n e , S a m o f f went
h im s e lf one b e t t e r and a ffir m e d th a t " s c ie n c e and te c h n o lo g y w i l l
advance more in th e n e x t t h i r t y - s i x y e a r s

[by th e y e a r 2000 A .D .] th an
L

in a l l th e m il le n ia s in c e m an's c r e a t io n ."

*"David S a r n o f f," C urrent B io g ra p h y , 1 9 5 1 , 548.

^"Man o f th e F u tu r e ," 106.

t io n

^ M ille r , 5 9 .

4"NBC R esearch E stim a te : TV Homes, S e t s , and P e r ce n ta g e S a tu r a

[1 9 5 5 -6 7 )," T e l e v is io n F a ctb o o k , No. 37, p . 5 0 a .
5M ille r , 5 8 .

6May, 19 6 4 , 116.

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277

Coming down t o s p e c i f i c s i n th e w o rld o f com m u nications, he

fo r e c a st:
Through com m unication s a t e l l i t e s , l a s e r beam s, and
u lt r a - m in i a t u r iz a t io n , i t w i l l b e p o s s i b l e by th e end o f th e
ce n tu r y to communicate w ith a n y o n e, anyw here, a t any tim e ,
by v o i c e , s i g h t , o r w r it t e n m essa g e. S a t e l l i t e s w e ig h in g
s e v e r a l hundred to n s w i l l r o u te te le p h o n e , r a d io , and t e l e
v i s i o n , and o th e r com m unication from co u n try to c o u n tr y ,
c o n tin e n t t o c o n t in e n t , and b etw een e a r th and sp a c e v e h i c l e s
and th e p la n e t s b ey o n d . P a r t ic ip a n t s w i l l be in f u l l s i g h t
and h e a r in g o f one a n o th er th rou gh s m a ll desk in str u m en ts
and th r e e -d im e n s io n a l co lo r-T V s c r e e n s on th e w a l l . U l t i
m a te ly , in d iv id u a ls eq u ip p ed w ith m in ia tu r e TV t r a n s m it t e r r e c e iv e r s w i l l communicate w ith one a n o th e r v ia r a d io ,
s w itc h b o a r d , and s a t e l l i t e , u s in g p e r s o n a l c h a n n els s im ila r
t o to d a y 's te le p h o n e number. . . . S a t e l l i t e t e l e v i s i o n w i l l
tr a n s m it on a w orldw ide b a s i s d i r e c t l y t o th e home, and a
b i l l i o n p e o p le may be w a tc h in g th e same program w ith a u to
m a tic language t r a n s la t io n f o r i n s t a n t com prehensionT *
[Emphasis s u p p lie d ]
What t h i s w i l l mean to b r o a d c a s tin g in term s o f t e l e v i s i o n
programming as we know i t tod a y i s p r o b le m a t ic a l.

What i s more c e r t a in

i s what S a m o f f h im s e lf c a l l s " th e crux o f man's dilemma":

The m ortar o f b r o th er h o o d i s n o t a p r o d u ct o f th e la b o r a
t o r y . . . . I t must come from th e human h e a r t and m ind. . . .
[Man] h as n o t y e t le a r n e d , as a s o c i a l and econom ic c r e a tu r e ,
to keep s t e p w ith h i s s c i e n c e . He i s t e c h n o l o g i c a l l y
m ature, and a s p i r i t u a l a d o le s c e n t . H aving conquered n a t u r e ,
he must now le a r n to conquer h im s e l f .
The d e v ic e s w hich s c ie n c e h a s g iv e n us are n e i t h e r good
n or e v i l in th e m s e lv e s . T h e ir c a p a c ity f o r good or e v i l l i e s
in th e u se we make o f them. T hus, n o t in th e la b o r a to r y , b u t
in th e human h e a r t , i n th e realm o f th e s p i r i t , l i e s th e
c h a lle n g e o f th e f u t u r e . 2
And i t i s p r e c i s e l y a t t h i s p o i n t , in c o n tin u in g to d e a l w ith
"the crux o f m an's dilem m a," t h a t " F a ith f o r Today" w i l l fin d i t s own
p e r so n a l c h a lle n g e o f th e fu t u r e .
I t i s perhaps s a f e to h a za rd th e assu m ption th a t t h i s program,
which has s u r v iv e d many o f th e h i s t o r i c p i t f a l l s in th e t e l e v i s i o n

1I b i d . , 119.

2M il le r , 5 9 .

I
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r
!

278

in d u s tr y as i t d e v e lo p e d from i t s e a r l i e s t days., le a r n in g to r o l l w ith

5
I

the p u n ch es, w i l l p ro b a b ly s t i l l b e i n th e ru n n in g ( i f n o t in th e

r a t in g s r e l i g i o u s programs seld om make i t i n t o th e " b ig tim e") by th e

end o f th e 2 0 th c e n tu r y .
And, i f W illia m F agal s t i l l h a s a n y th in g to do w ith i t ,

i t w ill

undoubtedly s t i l l b e p r e a c h in g a " fa ith " t h a t i s r e le v a n t " to d a y ," as

a lw a y s, f o r th e program and th o s e who produce i t are determ ined t o p la y
t h e ir p a r t in th e accom plishm ent o f th e g o s p e l com m ission g iv e n by
J e su s:

"This g o s p e l o f th e kingdom s h a l l be p rea ch ed f o r a w itn e s s unto

a l l n a t io n s ; and th en s h a l l th e end come" (Matthew 2 4 : 1 4 ) .

I n fe r e n c e s

A r e t r o s p e c t iv e g la n c e a t th e h is t o r y o f th e F a ith f o r Today
t e l e v i s i o n o r g a n iz a t io n , as o u t lin e d in t h i s c h a p te r , s t r o n g ly s u g g e s ts
(in t h i s w r i t e r ' s o p in io n , a t l e a s t )

th a t th e c r e a t i v e le a d e r s h ip and

dem onstrably e f f e c t i v e p r e a c h in g o f P a s to r W illia m A. F agal are th e

prime f a c t o r s in e x p la in in g th e phenomenal grow th o f th e t e l e c a s t i t s e l f
and i t s s u p p o r tin g o r g a n iz a tio n d u rin g i t s f i r s t 18 y e a r s o f e x is t e n c e
(1 9 5 0 -1 9 6 8 ).
As an a d m in is tr a to r , P a s to r Fagal d e v e lo p e d an i n s t i t u t i o n w h ich ,
in 1964, em ployed as many as 78 f u l l - t i m e
h a lf-d o z e n r e g u la r p a r t- tim e ) w o rk ers.

(and perhaps an a d d it io n a l

T his tr a in e d s t a f f c a r r ie s out

i t s r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s in an e f f i c i e n t p h y s ic a l p la n t w h ich , w ith i t s
modem o f f i c e , p r in t in g , and r e c o r d in g f a c i l i t i e s , has a c u rren t v a lu a
tio n o f n e a r ly one m il lio n d o l l a r s .
A d d itio n a l e v id e n c e o f th e in f lu e n c e o f W illiam F a g a l's le a d e r
sh ip i s t o be found in th e number o f s t a t i o n s c a r r y in g h i s t e l e c a s t th e

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279

Fig. 2 8 . The F agals discuss a p o in t in th e script a s th ey relax b etw e en sc en es

on s e t of p a s to r's study a t C h a rte r O ak T ele-Pictures' stu d io in M an h attan
(1964). "F aith for T o d ay " w as o n e of th e first relig io u s te lec asts in th e U nited
S ta te s to m ake th e m ove from liv e b ro ad castin g to film production (1956). It
w as th e first n etw o rk religious p ro g ram to g o to full color film ing (1963).

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280

v a s t m a jo r ity o f w hich make no charge w h a tev er f o r b r o a d c a s tin g th e

program as a p u b lic s e r v i c e (a g i f t to th e d en om in ation o f about one and
o n e -q u a r te r m il lio n d o ll a r s a n n u a lly in fr e e a i r t i m e ) .

The f a c t th a t a

s i g n i f i c a n t number o f th e s e s t a t i o n s have c o n tin u e d to c a r r y F a ith f o r

Today r e g u la r ly f o r a decade o r lo n g e r i s mute e v id e n c e o f th e program 's
c o n s id e r a b le d u r a b ilit y in a c o n t e s t marked by in c r e a s in g c o m p e titio n
from o th e r r e l i g i o u s b o d ie s and g e n e r a lly d e c r e a s in g tim e a v a i l a b i l i t y
fo r r e lig io n .

And i t a t t e s t s t o th e P a s t o r s i n s i s t e n c e on th e h ig h e s t

a tt a in a b le q u a lit y in program fo r m a t, c o n te n t , p erfo rm a n ce, and t e c h n i c a l

a sp e c ts o f p r o d u c tio n .
The w id e , in d e e d u n iv e r s a l, ap p eal o f th e program in g e n e r a l,
and o f W illiam F a g a l's p r e a c h in g in p a r t i c u l a r , may be in f e r r e d from th e
f a c t th a t d e s p it e th e r a th e r h ig h m o r t a lit y r a t e in r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n ,
"F aith f o r T od ay" --th e o l d e s t r e l i g i o u s netw ork t e l e c a s t in th e U n ited
S t a t e s t o d a y - - i s s t i l l g o in g , and grow in g, s tr o n g e r than e v e r a f t e r a
decade and a h a l f o f u n in te r r u p te d b r o a d c a s tin g .

The f a c t th a t th e

program was s e l e c t e d by th e Department o f D e fen se C h a p la in s' O f f ic e f o r

r e le a s e over th e f a r - f l u n g Armed F orces Network abroad, and th e f a c t
th a t " F aith fo r Today" was th e f i r s t r e g u la r r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t in su ch
d iv e r s e n a tio n s and t e r r i t o r i e s as A u s t r a lia , N ig e r ia , and Guam (and th e
f i r s t non-governm ent sp o n so red r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t in a l l South A m erica,
in B r a z il) , sp eak s f o r i t s e l f - - a n d f o r i t s c r e a to r and d e v e lo p e r ,
W illiam A. F a g a l.
From a s i n g l e l o c a l s t a t i o n in New York C ity i n 1 9 5 0 , to an
in t e r n a t io n a l netw ork o f 286 s t a t i o n s in 1968, " F a ith f o r Today" i s
today th e seco n d most w id e ly v iew ed r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n program C a fte r
"This i s th e L if e ," w hich c o p ie d F a g a l's dram atic form at) around th e
w orld tod ay.

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The l a r g e s t s i n g l e so u r ce o f incom e a t F a ith f o r Today i s

d eriv ed from i t s v ie w in g a u d ie n c e more th an a h a l f - m i l l i o n d o ll a r s in
1969 a lo n e , w hich th u s p r o v id e s a p p ro x im a tely h a l f o f i t s o p e r a tin g
e x p e n se s.

The s i z e o f t h i s v o lu n ta r y o u tp o u r in g o f g i f t s i s a l l th e

more rem arkable when one remembers th a t no s o l i c i t a t i o n o f fu nds has

ever been made o v er th e a i r .

I t i s a l s o an in d e x o f th e h ig h reg a rd in

which v ie w e r s - - A d v e n t is t and n o n -A d v e n tist a l i k e - - h o l d th e program and

i t s p r in c ip a l sp e a k e r .

The c o n tin u e d f i n a n c i a l su p p o rt o f W illia m

F a g a l's church, b o th la y and c l e r i c a l , a d u lt and c h i l d , s e e n in th e e v e r la r g e r o f f e r in g s in churches and in s c h o o l s , and in th e annual appro

p r ia t io n s from d e n o m in a tio n a l h e a d q u a r te r s, a t t e s t s t o th e v a lu e --a n d
p r i o r i t y - - p l a c e d upon t h i s e n t e r p r is e by th e church a t la r g e .
A s te a d y flo w o f m ail r esp o n se to P a s to r F a g a ls t e l e v i s i o n and
p u lp it p r e a c h in g in d ic a t e s s u b s t a n t ia l and grow ing v ie w e r i n t e r e s t .
From 1955 onward th e t o t a l number o f l e t t e r s h as n e v e r b een l e s s than
o n e -q u a r te r m i l l i o n p ie c e s a y e a r , and c u r r e n t ly r e a c h e s as h ig h as
10,000 p ie c e s in a s i n g l e week."*'

Much o f th e l e t t e r r e sp o n se conveys an

a p p r e c ia tio n f o r F a g a l's p r e a ch in g and t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y ; many w r it e r s

d is c lo s e p e r s o n a l c o n fid e n c e s to P a s to r F agal w hich th e y th e m se lv e s
admit th e y w ould n e v e r r e v e a l to t h e i r own p a s t o r , p h y s ic ia n , a tt o r n e y ,
or fa m ily c o u n s e lo r .

F i n a l l y , som eth in g o f th e e f f e c t i v e n e s s o f P a s to r F a g a l's t e l e

v is io n and p u l p i t p r e a c h in g may be in f e r r e d from th e f a c t t h a t h i s
o r g a n iz a t io n 's B ib le corresp on d en ce s c h o o l (w hich he and Mrs. F agal have
p e r s o n a lly prom oted o v er th e a ir from th e v e r y f i r s t t e l e c a s t ) has

*Tagal, " F ifte e n Years o f S u c c e s s f u l S ou l W inning," 8.

For a d e t a i l e d a n a ly s is o f m a il r e s p o n s e , c f . C hapter V I.

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282

graduated a grand t o t a l o f 1 2 7 ,8 5 7 s tu d e n ts in 17 y e a r s .

F a g a ls con

s t a n t and c o n tin u a l u se o f S c r ip t u r a l q u o t a t io n s , i n c i d e n t s , and

n a r r a tiv e s in h i s p r e a c h in g h e lp s r e in f o r c e h i s p e r s o n a l b e l i e f in th e
im portance o f th e stu d y o f th e B ib le .

And h i s s u g g e s t io n o f th e prim acy

o f th e B ib le in d is c o v e r in g s o l u t i o n s t o man's ev ery d a y problem s has

been a c te d upon by more th an one and o n e -t h ir d m i l l i o n a p p lic a n t s f o r
le s s o n s in th e s e c o u r se s d u rin g th e p a s t decade and a h a l f .
An even more t a n g ib le e v id e n c e o f th e e f f e c t i v e n e s s o f F a g a l's
p reach in g i s s e e n in th e 1 4 ,2 7 9 a d u lt p erso n s b a p t iz e d in t o th e S e v e n th day A d v e n tist Church some o f them clergym en o f o th e r p e r s u a s io n s
betw een 1950 and 1968, who l i s t th e t e l e c a s t (an d , by im p lic a t io n ,
F a g a l's p r e a c h in g ) as a m ajor f a c t o r in t h e i r d e c is i o n t o c o n v e r t to
Adventism .
I f , as some have s u g g e s t e d , t h i s i s th e "age o f th e acronym ," i t
may perhaps be u n fo r tu n a te t h a t th e i n i t i a l s o f F a ith f o r Today s p e l l
FFT (a lth o u g h , a d m itte d ly , i t w ould have b een much w o rse i f th e o r g a n i
z a tio n were known as " P a sto r F a g a l's F a ith fo r T oday," th u s p ro d u cin g a
PFFFT!) w hich m ight s u g g e s t o n o m a to p o etic o v e r to n e s t o some!

On th e

c o n tr a r y , " F a ith f o r Today" has n o t been a PFFFT o r a f i z z l e ;

and on th e

b a s is o f i t s p a s t r e c o r d , i t w ould appear th a t th e program --an d i t s

c h ie f g u id in g s p i r i t , P a s to r W illia m A. F a g a l - - w i l l b o th b e around f o r
q u ite some tim e t o come!

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283

Fig. 2 9 . The F agals a n d m e m b ers of th e C h a rte r O ak T ele-Pictures production crew p a u s e for p ra y e r

to ask G o d 's blessing b e fo re th e sho o tin g of e a c h w eekly p ro g ram . P roducer O tis C a v re ll affirm s
th a t th e re a r e fe w e r production sn a g s in m aking "F aith for Today" th a n in m ost of th e se cu la r
p rogram s his o rg an iz atio n produces.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

CHAPTER IV
THE RHETORICAL THEORY OF WILLIAM A. FAGAL

The p r e a c h e r so u g h t to f in d ou t a c c e p ta b le words . .
even words o f t r u t h . . . .
I f any man o ffe n d
n o t in w ord, th e same i s a p e r f e c t
m an.E c c l. 12 :1 0 ; James 3 :2 .

W ithout a c r i t e r i o n th e r e can be no c r i t i c i s m . C o llin g w o o d 1

A te a c h e r who had u n dertaken grad u ate work beyond h i s

S c ie n c e

M aster o f

d e g r e e , when asked t o e v a lu a te a sermon by W illiam A. F agal to

which he had j u s t l i s t e n e d , remarked th a t he found th e sermon

to be

" in te r e s t in g " b e c a u se th e sp ea k er was "so human," and th e m essage w hich

he d e liv e r e d co n cern ed "not th e o r y b u t p r a c t i c a l l i v i n g . "
T hus, once a g a in , a m u tu a lly e x c lu s iv e dichotom y i s drawn
betw een th in g s " t h e o r e t ic a l" on th e one hand, and th in g s " p r a c tic a l" on
th e o th e r .

They are view ed as b e in g a n t a g o n is t ic one t o th e o th e r ,

in s te a d o f com plim en tary, in t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p .

And, as u s u a l,

i m p l i c i t l y a tta c h e d t o th in g s t h e o r e t i c a l are u n d e sir a b le ( i f n o t i n v i d

io u s ) c o n n o ta tio n s o f a b s t r a c t w o r th le s s n e s s a t w o r st, and U topian
c o n je c tu r e and h y p o t h e t ic a l s p e c u la t io n in th e u n a tta in a b le , v is io n a r y
w orld o f th e i d e a l a t b e s t .

*R. G. C o llin g w o o d , The Id ea o f H is to r y (New York:

U n iv e r s ity P r e s s , 1 9 5 6 ), 238.

Oxford

2
Grand Ledge Respondent #2 3 7 . R esponses to th e a u d ien ce su rv ey
q u e s tio n n a ir e , m ost o f w hich w i l l b e found in Chapter V II, h e r e a f t e r are
c it e d m erely as GL # 1 , GL # 2 , e t c .
284
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T
2

285

Henry Ford i s r e p o r te d t o have s a id t h a t " h is to r y i s bunk"-*-; had

he been a sk ed , h e m ight w e l l have u sed th e same a p p e ll a t io n to "theory"
and th in g s t h e o r e t i c a l .

C e r ta in ly (and i r o n i c a l l y ) many arm chair s t r a t e

g i s t s to d a y r e p e a t e d ly do s o ( in c lu d in g some te a c h e r s h o ld in g g ra d u a te
d e g r e e s , who ought t o know b e t t e r ! ) .

Goethe sp ea k s f o r them a l l when he

d e c la r e s , " A ll th e o r y , d ea r f r i e n d , i s g rey ; b u t th e g o ld e n t r e e o f
a c tu a l l i f e s p r in g s e v e r g r ee n .
W e ll, what about t h i s th in g c a l l e d " th e o r y ," so d e s p is e d , so
o s t r a c iz e d from th e s o c i e t y o f p r a c t i c a l men?

What i f a n y - - i s i t s

r ig h t f u l p u rp ose and p l a c e , e s p e c i a l l y as we come more p a r t i c u l a r l y to

th e realm o f p u b lic sp e a k in g ?

The P u rp ose and P la c e o f Theory

I t may be a p o c r a p h a l, b u t John Dewey i s r e p o r te d t o have

ob served t h a t , "N othing i s so p r a c t i c a l as a good th e o r y ."

And one o f

th e most " p r a c tic a l" and tr e n c h a n t sta te m e n ts on th e p u rp o se and p la c e

o f th eo r y th a t t h i s w r it e r has d is c o v e r e d was found ( o f a l l p la c e s ) in a
volume on la n d sca p e a r c h it e c t u r e , w r it t e n by one o f A m erica 's fo r e m o st,
em inent p r a c t ic io n e r s o f th e a r t , G a r r e tt Eckbo.
Eckbo, a form er a s s o c i a t e o f d e s ig n e r Norman B el G eddes, and o n e
tim e a s s o c ia t e p r o f e s s o r o f s c h o o l a r c h it e c t u r e a t th e U n iv e r s it y o f
'Z

Southern C a lif o r n ia ,

w rote th e words w hich fo llo w p r i n c i p a l l y f o r h is

*C ited in B a r t l e t t , 622.
^O xford D ic tio n a r y o f Q u o ta tio n s , 2nd ed .
U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1 9 5 5 ), 22 3 .

(London:

O xford

^Eckbo a ls o s e r v e d as v i s i t i n g c r i t i c a t 14 d i f f e r e n t u n iv e r
s i t i e s and c o l l e g e s ( in c lu d in g M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , 1960) d u rin g
th e 1 9 5 0 's .
(" G a rr ett E ckbo," Who's Who i n A m erica, V o l. 32 [1 9 6 2 -6 3 ]
[Chicago: The A. N. Marquis Company 1 9 6 2 ], 8 8 9 -9 0 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

d i s c i p l e s i n lan d sca p e a r c h it e c t u r e ; b u t th e y are e q u a lly p e r t in e n t f o r

th e stu d e n t o f p u b lic ad d ress who may be tem p ted a f t e r th e modem ord er
o f t h in k i n g - - t o d is m is s ou t o f hand " th eory" and th in g s t h e o r e t i c a l as
im p r a c tic a l and th e r e fo r e u n n e c e s sa r y .

The c i t a t i o n i s somewhat

exten d ed ; b u t E ck b o's f e l i c i t o u s manner, l e t a lo n e th e c o n te n t , f u l l y

ju s tifie s i t ,

a t l e a s t t o t h i s w r it e r :

On th e m ention o f th e o r y , two q u e s tio n s are ap t t o r i s e :

one on th e need f o r th e o r y , th e o th e r on th e n a tu r e o f th e
th eo r y n eed ed . We must b e a b le to answer t h e s e q u e s t io n s ,
e x p e c ia l ly h ere i n p r a c t i c a l A m erica, where so much o f our
environm ent i s b u i l t on th e s o l e th e o r y t h a t no th e o r y f o r
i t s p la n n in g i s n ee d e d --w e j u s t go ou t and b u ild i t .
Theory i s a g e n e r a li z a t i o n o f s o c i a l e x p e r ie n c e in any
p a r t ic u l a r f i e l d , o r in a l l f i e l d s .
I t i s a t one and th e
same tim e a g e n e r a liz a t io n o f th e p a s t , a v i t a l i z e r o f th e
p r e s e n t , and a p r o j e c t io n o f th e f u t u r e .
I f i t i s any one
w ith o u t th e o t h e r s , i t te n d s tow ard s t e r i l i t y , d eca d en ce,
or f r i v o l i t y . Only p o s i t i v e e x p lo r a to r y th e o r y can ta k e
us beyond th e p r e c e d e n ts o f y e s t e r d a y . Theory i s th e
v e h ic le which g u a r a n tee s th e c o n tin u o u s growth and
ex p a n sio n o f t r a d i t i o n . . . .
T heory, by a n a ly z in g th e p a s t w h ile w orking in th e
p r e s e n t , can p r o j e c t th e le n g th and c h a r a c te r o f th e n e x t
s te p i n t o th e f u t u r e . T h is i s th e p r o c e s s w hich has been
r e s p o n s ib le fo r a l l human p r o g r e s s o f e v e r y s o r t .
Every
s te p forw ard , t e c h n i c a l l y , c u l t u r a l l y , o r s o c i a l l y , had to
be an id e a a t h e o r y - - i n one o r many heads b e fo r e i t c o u ld
b e ta k e n . . . . Theory i s th e o r y , w h eth er i t i s an id e a
in a c le v e r m ech a n ics h e a d , o r f i v e hundred p a g es o f windy
d is c o u r s e . . . .
Theory in th e a r t s i s , o f c o u r s e , th e stu m b lin g b lo c k
fo r th o s e p r a c t i c a l s o u ls who have gone a lo n g w ith us so
f a r . Y et a r t i s o n ly a p r o c e s s o f t r y in g t o e x t r a c t th e
maximum p o t e n t i a l human e x p e r ie n c e ou t o f n e c e s s a r y p r a c
t i c a l a c t i v i t i e s . P a in t in g , s c u lp t u r e , m u sic , a r c h it e c t u r e ,
la n d scap e d e s ig n have a l l grown from sou n d , p r a c t i c a l ,
fu n c t io n a l r o o ts in th e l i v i n g a c t i v i t i e s n e c e s s a r y to
p e o p le . . . . T h e o r y --a s i d e a - - i s n o t d e v e lo p e d fo r i t s
own s a k e , even though i t p r e c e d e s p r a c t i c e .
I t must come
from p r a c t i c a l n e c e s s i t y , and be b a sed on c o n s ta n t o b s e r
v a tio n and e x p e r ie n c e .!

58.

^-Landscape f o r L iv in g (New York: F. W. Dodge C o r p o r a tio n , 1 9 5 0 ),

Used by p e r m is sio n o f M cGraw-Hill Book Company, owner.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

A good th e o r y o f la n d sc a p e d e s ig n , th e n , to Eckbo, m ust b e "a

th eory o f form as w e ll as o f f u n c t io n .

I t must b e a r t i s t i c as w e ll as

p r a c t i c a l , in o r d e r t o p rod u ce th e maximum f o r th o s e who w i l l e x p e r ie n c e

work in f lu e n c e d by i t . " 1
sp e a k in g .

The same c o u ld a ls o b e s a id f o r p u b lic

N o te , a l s o , th e a p p l i c a b i l i t y o f E ck bo's f i n a l c o n c lu s io n :

Our th e o r y . . . must p o in t th e way tow ard good form

in th e la n d sc a p e , b u t i t cannot d e fin e i t r i g i d l y , on an
e x c l u s i v e , s e l e c t i v e b a s i s , w ith dogma and fo r m u la e , r u le s
and r e g u l a t i o n s , p r e c e d e n ts and m easured d r a w in g s. We
must b a s e o u r s e lv e s upon a f l e x i b l e u n d e r sta n d in g and
a s s i m i l a t i o n o f th o s e b a s i c q u e s tio n s o f s c a l e , p r o p o r tio n ,
u n it y , v a r i e t y , rhythm , r e p e t i t i o n , w hich have b een th e
prim ary g u id e s f o r good men in a l l f i e l d s i n a l l tim e s and
p la c e s .^
As Eckbo s t a t e s , th e o r y has
advancement in s c i e n c e , te c h n o lo g y ,

been th e b a s is f o r a l l s u c c e s s f u l
and th e a r ts s i n c e th e dawn o f

c i v i l i z a t i o n - i n c l u d i n g p u b lic sp e a k in g .
In th e f i e l d o f sp e e c h th e r e a re many handbooks on te c h n iq u e s
and some volum es w hich e s s a y t o d e a l in " p r i n c ip le s ."

But ev en p r in

c i p l e s w hich are good and u s e f u l , in t h e i r p l a c e - - a r e n o t enough; and

many a book con cern ed w ith th e e la b o r a tio n o f p r i n c i p l e s o f t e n becomes
bogged down and red u n d an t.

P r i n c i p l e s , as w e ll as r u le s d e r iv e d t h e r e

from, can q u ic k ly become m e c h a n ic a l.

One d e f i n i t i o n o f " p r in c ip le ," o f f e r e d by W illia m Lockwood, i s :
" th a t w hich le a d s t o a c tio n " ; f o r , in th e s o c i a l s c i e n c e s , one o f th e
main p u rp o ses o f a " th eory" i s " to p r e d ic t and c o n t r o l
f ie ld o f sp eech , to o , is in te r e s te d

b e h a v io r ."

in b o th p r e d ic t i o n and c o n t r o l;

The
and

the realm o f th e o r y must f in d i t s r i g h t f u l p la c e t h e r e i n , a l s o .

1I b id .

2 I b i d . , 5 8 -5 9 .

G uest l e c t u r e , c l a s s in " E d u ca tio n a l A d m in istr a tio n " (ED. 8 5 1 a ),

M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , June 2 9 , 1965.

. i
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T
i
1

288

\i

Fox, i f p u b lic sp e a k in g i s t o be a cco rd ed th e p r o f e s s io n a l

s ta tu s i t s p r a c t ic io n e r s demand, in s t e a d o f b e in g r e le g a t e d downward to
the m erely t e c h n ic a l l e v e l on w hich th e p u b lic i s o f f e r e d a few D ale
C a m e g ie -ty p e knacks and t r i c k s , th en th e p r a c t i c e o f speech must alw ays
op erate w ith due c o n s id e r a t io n f o r th e fo r m u la tio n o f th e o r y , from which
o p e r a tin g p r i n c i p l e s and r u le s may b e d e r iv e d .
Speech c r i t i c s L e s te r T honssen and A. C raig B aird c o r r e c t ly
p o in t out th a t th e " p r a c t ic e , th e o r y , and c r i t i c i s m o f p u b lic a d d ress
are c l o s e l y i n t e r r e l a t e d ," and t h a t "each i s th e fu n c tio n and d e r iv a t iv e
o f th e o th e r s ." ^

A c c e p tin g t h i s dictum as b e in g r e le v a n t in a c r i t i c a l

stud y o f th e p la tfo r m and b r o a d c a s t sp e a k in g o f W illiam A. F a g a l, i t i s

the pu rp ose o f th e rem ainder o f t h i s c h a p ter to summarize P a sto r F a g a l's
th eory o f r h e t o r ic as a p r e lu d e to su b seq u en t ex a m in a tio n , a n a l y s i s , and
e v a lu a tio n o f h i s r h e t o r i c a l p r a c t i c e i n th e c h a p ter w hich f o llo w s .

S o u rces f o r Study o f F a g a l's R h e to r ic a l Theory

A lthough W illia m F agal has b een a m ost a c t iv e p r a c t ic io n e r o f

th e a r t o f sermon p r e p a r a tio n and d e liv e r y f o r n e a r ly th r e e d e c a d e s, he
has n ev er y e t b een in v i t e d t o h o ld a le c t u r e s h ip on p r e a ch in g , n o r has
he y e t w r it t e n d i r e c t l y on th e s u b j e c t .
As a c o n seq u e n c e, he has n o t y e t found e i t h e r th e need n or th e
o c c a sio n f o r a tte m p tin g to s e t down a c o n s c io u s fo r m u la tio n o f an organ
iz e d body o f th e r h e t o r i c o f p r e a c h in g .

Furtherm ore, as he took o n ly

^Speech C r it ic is m , 2 8 .
2

Some in f e r e n c e s on h o m ile t ic a l method may be gained in c id e n

t a l l y from By F a ith I L iv e , and o th e r d e v o tio n a l w r it in g s from F a g a l's
pen.

,j i
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289

one sp e e c h c o u r se and one h o m ile t ic s co u rse in co lleg e," * h is a c tu a l

th eo r y o f p r e a c h in g h a s , more or l e s s , e v o lv e d o v er th e y e a rs in a
r a th e r p r a g m a tic approach to th e s u b j e c t , b a se d la r g e ly upon p e r so n a l
aw areness o f "what worked and what d id n 't" in h i s own n o t in c o n s id e r a b le
p u b lic e x p e r ie n c e .
In an a tte m p t, th u s , to s y n t h e s iz e th e F agal th eo r y o f p r e a c h in g ,
t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r con d u cted a s e r i e s o f in t e r v ie w s w ith th e t e l e v i s i o n
p a s to r in w hich he was asked s p e c i f i c q u e s t io n s , framed in th e c o n te x t
o f th e t r a d i t i o n a l sta te m e n ts o f r h e t o r i c a l th e o r y .

C o n s titu e n ts o f F a g a l's R h e to r ic a l Theory

D e f in it io n o f " p r e a c h in g ." -- F o r W illia m A. F a g a l, p r e a ch in g i s

n o t m erely an o r d in a r y o r a t o r ic a l e x e r c i s e from a podium; in h e r e n t in i t ,
i n e x t r i c a b l y bound up w ith i t ,

i s a m y s tic a l q u a l i t y , som ethin g Karl

Barth m ight have c h a r a c t e r iz e d as a "divine-hum an encounter" (a lth o u g h ,

a d m itte d ly , B a r th 's n eo -o r th o d o x y and F a g a ls e v a n g e lic a lly - o r ie n t e d
th e o lo g y a re in o th e r r e s p e c t s " p o l-e m ic s" a p a r t ) .
E x p la in in g h i s v ie w p o in t, w hich many o th e r m in is t e r s h o ld , F agal
says:
I t ' s a m ir a c le , r e a l l y I P e o p le s i t in a room f o r 30
m in u tes and come out w ith t h e i r l i v e s changed! P reach in g
must n o t o n ly move men, i t must change men. And t h i s can
n o t b e a cco m p lish ed m erely by one man t a lk in g to a n o th e r.
There must b e p r e s e n t , and a c t i v e , th e agency o f th e T hird
P erson o f th e Godhead, th e H oly S p i r i t . 2
F a g a l's a n a ly s is o f p r e a c h in g , th e n , w ould b e a s o r t o f " p u b lic
s p e a k in g - p lu s ," p o s i t i n g th e d i r e c t , d iv in e in te r m e d ia tio n o f God,

*Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 6 .

1966, 1.

2 I n te r v ie w w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, W ashington, D. C ., O ct. 2 0 ,

C ite d h e r e a f t e r as F agal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966.

I
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o p e r a tin g on b o th th e m in is t e r and h i s w ords, and upon th e h e a r e r and

h is th o u g h ts, w ith in th e framework o f a c o n v e n tio n a l com m unication
e x p e r ie n c e .

O b je c tiv e s o f p r e a c h in g . Sermons are in te n d e d n o t m erely t o

e n t e r t a in (a lth o u g h F agal has no o b j e c t io n to t h e i r b e in g " e n t e r t a in in g ,"
in th e s e n s e th a t th e y g r ip th e a t t e n t i o n o f th e h e a r e r a t th e o u t s e t
and h o ld i t th rou gh ou t th e d i s c o u r s e ) , th e y are in te n d e d p r im a r ily to
move men and to change them.

T h is b e in g th e c a s e ,

Every sermon must h ave an o b j e c t i v e ; and i t must b e f i r s t

known by me.
I t must be v e r y p r a c t i c a l . Each tim e , I ask
m y s e lf, "What do I want to s e e a cco m p lish ed in l i v e s as a
r e s u l t o f t h i s sermon?"*
Fagal tr a c e s t h i s
back to a c e r t a in
m in is t r y .

o b j e c t i v e - o r i e n t e d b a s is f o r sermon p r e p a r a tio n

Sabbath te n months f o llo w in g h i s e n tr y i n t o th e

gosp el

"This was ou r f i r s t Sabbath in our own church about a c o u p le

o f weeks a f t e r th e w edding . . . around th e f i r s t o f A p r il in 1 9 4 0 ," he

O
afterw ard r e c a l l e d .
F o llo w in g h i s f i r s t d is c o u r s e , Fagal rode home from th e church
w ith h is b r id e .

S in c e sh e d id n o t

W illiam broached i t ,

a s k in g h e r in

v o l u n t a r il y b r in g upth e m a tte r f i r s t ,
a g e n e r a l way how sh e th o u g h t th in g s

w en t.
" W ell," sh e r e p l i e d , "the sermon was good; f i n e . "

T hen, a

moment l a t e r , she a sk e d , r e f l e c t i v e l y , "By th e way, what were you

d r iv in g a t , anyway?"

1I b id .
^ L e tte r from W illia m A. F a g a l, New York, D ec. 9 , 1968, 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

291
"I d e c id e d th en and t h e r e , 11 F agal mused two and o n e - h a lf decades
l a t e r , " th a t I m ust alw ays know a h e a d ." 1
But I d o n 't alw ays w r it e o u t th e aim. In d e e d , i t may change
d u rin g th e p r e p a r a tio n o f th e serm on. But I do w r it e o u t
e v e r y sermon in ad van ce, w o r d -fo r -w o r d .2
"A sermon m ay--and p r o b a b ly d o e s --h a v e s e v e r a l g o a ls ," sa y s
F agal, "but p r a c t i c a l C h r is tia n l i v i n g i s th e b a s i c g o a l , o b j e c t i v e , o f
every sermon I p r e a c h ."

B eh a v io r , as w e ll as b e l i e f , i s o b v io u s ly c en

t r a l to h i s t h in k in g .
A nother g e n e r a l o b j e c t iv e t o be found in W illia m F a g a l's p r e a ch
in g i s r e v e a le d i n th e n o te o f h ig h optim ism w hich in v a r ia b ly i s h i s
" t r a d e - m a r k . I t i s in te n tio n a l:
I lo v e serm ons th a t g iv e h o p e ! I o f t e n th in k o f th e
p a r is h io n e r who w ent to encourage h i s m in is t e r n i g h t l y in
th e p a s t o r 's s tu d y d u rin g an e v a n g e l i s t i c cam paign. B efo re
th e p r e a c h e r w ould go o u t on th e p la tfo r m , t h i s f a i t h f u l
layman w ould g ra sp th e man by th e hand, and w h isp e r in h i s
e a r , " T e ll them th a t th e y c a n , p a s t o r ; t e l l them t h a t th e y
can!" That in c id e n t has made a g r e a t im p r e s sio n on my
t h in k i n g .4
In t h i s c o n n e c tio n , F agal becomes v e r y u p s e t by th o s e o f h i s
fe llo w m in is t e r s who h o ld out what he b e l i e v e s t o be u n r e a l i s t i c i f n o t
u n a tta in a b le g o a ls b e fo r e th e p e o p le .

Speaking o f one man in p a r t i c u l a r ,

a le a d e r in F a g a l's d en o m in a tio n , now d e c e a s e d , he s a i d ,

He s e t t e r r i b l y h ig h g o a ls : a b s o lu te p e r f e c t i o n .
I agree,
in th e o r y . But th en you must in tr o d u c e th e b lo o d o f C h r ist
t o c o v e r s i n s . P e o p le coming to h e a r t h i s man w ere d i s
cou raged . H is w hole em phasis was one o f d isc o u r a g em en t,
r a th e r than en cou ragem en t. He alw ays w anted to t a l k about
p e r fe c tio n .
But th e c o n s c ie n c e s o f th e p e o p le w ere churned

1F agal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 1.

^I b i d .

T h is w r it e r h eard more than one dozen p u l p it serm ons by Fagal

in M ichigan d u rin g a th r e e -y e a r p e r io d ( 1 9 6 4 - 6 7 ) , and each was c h a r a c te r
iz e d by t h i s h ig h n o te o f op tim ism .
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 2 .

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292

up, t o m up, a lr e a d y . "One s i n , and y o u 'v e had i t , "

go away from h i s m e e tin g s , s a y i n g . 1

th e y 'd

A nother o b j e c t i v e o f W illia m F agal in p r e a c h in g i s in h e r e n t in

h is view th a t th e m ost e f f e c t i v e p r e a c h in g p a r ta k e s o f th e t e s t im o n ia l
f la v o r r a th e r th an th e a r g u m e n ta tiv e .

As s u c h , he draws a sharp d i s

t i n c t i o n b etw een G od's e x p l i c i t a d m o n itio n , "Ye are My w itn e s s e s "

( I s a . 4 3 : 1 0 ,1 2 ) , and th e p o s i t i o n adop ted by some a d v o c a te s (but n e v e r
e n u n cia ted by C h r is t) w hich im p lie s "You a re My a t t o r n e y s , My la w y e r s ."
I d o n 't argue d o c t r in e any m ore. I le a r n e d a le s s o n
on ce. I w ro te an a r t i c l e f o r a c e r t a in p u b lic a t io n on th e
s e v e n th -d a y S a b b a th . I t was f i l l e d w ith argu m en t-im p e c c a b le , in d e e d , un answ erable argum ent. But argum ent.
And I g o t back some m a il in r e tu r n from p e o p le who w anted
to argue b a c k .
I d id n 't w in any o f them , I'm s u r e .
Some y e a r s l a t e r I was asked a g a in to w r it e a n o th e r
a r t i c l e on th e same s u b j e c t . T h is tim e I m erely p o in te d
ou t what th e Sabbath meant t o me, p e r s o n a lly . No argum ent,
j u s t p e r s o n a l te s tim o n y , r e a so n s f o r my f a i t h .
I d id n 't
g e t back any l e t t e r s from p e o p le w a n tin g t o argue t h a t
tim e; and some p e o p le w ere h e lp e d by i t . 2
T h is d oes n o t mean, one h a s te n s t o add, t h a t th e r e i s no p la c e
fo r argument i n th e body o f th e sermon ; i t does mean t h a t th e s p i r i t o f
th e m essage, th e v e r y a i r i t b r e a t h e s , i s c h a r a c t e r iz e d by p e r so n a l
te stim o n y couched in th e framework o f l o v in g , p e r s o n a l co n cern .

It is

d is p la y e d on th e sunny sh o r e s a d jo in in g th e v a s t ocean o f God's lo v e ,

r a th e r th an b e in g s e t down among th e h a rd , b a r e , s t e r i l e rock s on a
craggy c o a s t o v e r w hich th e w aves o f c o n te n t io u s argument r e p e a te d ly
pound!

1I b i d .

2 I b id .

^ F a g a l's v iew o f "argument" i s r a th e r li m it e d . He s e e s i t as

m erely c o n te n tio n ; w h e r e a s, th e r h e t o r ic ia n w ould in c lu d e argument by
e x p o s itio n and n a r r a tio n --w h ic h F a g a l, in a c tu a l f a c t , was u s in g h e r e !
For F a g a l's v ie w s on l o g i c a l r e a s o n in g , s e e s e c t i o n on "Sermon I n v e n tio n
Logos," b e lo w .

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293
P r e a c h in g , th e n , i s t o move men and to change men.

I t sh o u ld

take in t o a cco u n t a view o f man show ing n o t o n ly what he i s now,

p r e s e n t ly , b u t a ls o what manw ith God's h elp --m a y becom e.

And i t

sh ou ld r e tu r n to th e New T estam ent id e a l o f p e r so n a l w itn e s s

("What

happened to me; what t h i s means to me") r a th e r than p a r ta k in g o f th e

f la v o r o f a d is p u t a t io u s p r e s e n t a t io n o f an array o f t h e o l o g i c a l p rop o
s i t i o n s or fo r m u la tio n s .

P r e p a r a tio n f o r p r e a c h in g . - -A m i n i s t e r ' s c a r e e r sh o u ld b e
grounded upon th e c o n v ic tio n th a t God has " c a lle d " him t o th e m in is t r y .
But F a g a l's view o f what c o n s t i t u t e s th a t c a l l i s a marked d ep a rtu re
from th a t h e ld by a number o f h i s c o lle a g u e s --s o m e o f them p ro m in en t in
th e ranks o f A d v e n tis t p r e a c h e r s:
S u r e ly , a m in is t e r ought to f e e l a " c a ll" to th e
m in is tr y ; b u t what c o n s t i t u t e s th a t c a l l ? As I s e e i t , a
" c a ll" i s n o th in g more or l e s s th a n , f i r s t , s e e in g th e
need; s e c o n d , f e e l i n g a p e r so n a l d e s ir e to resp on d to th a t
n eed ; and, t h ir d , f e e l i n g th a t one h as th e a b i l i t y , th e
c a p a b il it y to do what i s n eed ed . Many men are c a l l e d , and
d o n 't even know i t ! *
F agal ta k e s is s u e w ith one prom inent A d v e n tis t le a d e r who pub
l i c l y adm onishes p r o s p e c t iv e young p rea ch ers n o t to g e t i n t o th e
m in is tr y u n le s s th e y sim p ly cannot do a n y th in g e l s e and l i v e w ith t h e i r
own c o n s c ie n c e s u n le s s th e y , l i k e P a u l, f e e l "Woe u n to me i f I p reach
n o t th e g o sp e l"

(I Cor. 9 : 1 6 ) .

And th e t e l e v i s i o n p a s to r c i t e s th e c a se o f one young man, known

p e r s o n a lly to h im s e lf , who w h ile a th e o lo g y s tu d e n t a t a c e r t a in Adven
t i s t c o l l e g e , heard t h i s r e s p e c te d m in is t e r , and c o n c lu d in g t h a t he d id
not have t h i s t o t a l l y c o m p e llin g " c a l l ," dropped out o f c o l l e g e .

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 2 .

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294
T oday, F a gal a s s e r t s , t h i s young man s e r v e s th e Lord in a
p h y s ic s lab i n B oston; b u t he i s n ' t happy.

No, Fagal d e c la r e s ,

The m i n i s t e r ' s c a l l i s n o t some g r e a t l i g h t s h in in g down

upon him from h e a v e n , some g r e a t d ra m a tic moment. I d o n 't
th in k e v e r y m in is t e r ought t o e x p e c t P a u l's tra u m a tic
e x p e r ie n c e o u t s id e th e g a te o f Damascus. A fte r a l l , th e r e
was o n ly one P a u l. The c a l l to th e m in is t r y i s to g e t in t o
th e m in is t r y . The Lord w i l l le a d you , s t e p by s t e p . A man
may know h e ' s been c a l l e d by a p e r s o n a l f e e l i n g o f r esp o n se
to th e w o r ld 's n e e d , o f w an tin g t o answ er th e g e n e r a l i n v i
t a t io n o f th e Lord, "Son, go work tod ay in My v in eyard "
(M att. 2 1 :2 8 b ). . . . S o, i f you s e e th e n e e d , th en by a l l
m eans, g e t i n . l
A f t e r th e m atter o f th e " c a ll" i s s e t t l e d , F agal f e e l s t h a t a
p r o s p e c t iv e m in is t e r n eed s a c e r t a in p h y s ic a l p r e p a r a tio n - -th e p h y s ic a l
equipment and c a p a c ity to perform r e a so n a b ly w e ll upon th e p u b lic p l a t
form in th e c a p a c it y o f a sp e a k e r .

And, " i f he d o e s n 't have t h i s , th en

maybe th e Lord d o e s n 't want him in th e p u l p i t ," Fagal s m i l e s . 2

I m p lic it in P a s to r F a g a l's r e a s o n in g a t t h is p o in t i s h i s
su b c o n sc io u s a c c e p ta n c e o f Solom on's dictum and i t s n e c e s s a r y o p p o s it e
c o r o lla r y :

"A m an's g i f t maketh room fo r him , and b r in g e th him b e fo r e

g r e a t men" (P rov. 1 8 :1 6 ) .

C o n tr a r iw is e , th e la ck o f th e g i f t may

in d ic a t e Gods le a d in g in a n o th er d i r e c t i o n , away from th e m in is t r y .

In a d d itio n to p h y s ic a l c o n c e r n s, F a g a l view s a c e r t a in m ental
p r e p a r a tio n as a p r e r e q u is i t e to th e m in is t r y , an a b s o lu te "must":
Then t h e r e ' s e d u c a tio n . A man ought t o g e t a l l he
p o s s ib ly ca n . He w o n 't have enough, no m a tter how much he
g e ts.
Today th e n eed f o r an ed u ca ted m in is tr y i s g r e a t e r
than e v e r .
I bemoan my own la c k o f gra d u a te stu d y ; I am
q u it e e n v io u s o f th o s e o f you who can and do g e t i t . 3
F o u r th ly , Fagal v a lu e s --f r o m p e r s o n a l e x p e r ie n c e - - p r a c t ic a l
le s s o n s le a r n e d in th e " sc h o o l o f hard knocks"; and f e e l s t h a t th e r e i s
d e f i n i t e l y a p la c e f o r p r a c t i c a l e x p e r ie n c e in th e p r e p a r a tio n o f th e

1Ibid., 3.

2Ibid.

5Ibid.

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295

m in is t e r .

f o lk , how to mold t h e i r lives." '* '

"A man may ] e a m from e x p e r ie n c e how to h o ld th e a t t e n t io n o f

F i n a lly , and most im p o r ta n tly , th e r e i s th e m a tte r o f th e

m in is t e r s s p i r i t u a l q u a l i f i c a t i o n , s p i r i t u a l p r e p a r a tio n .

q u en t, fe r v e n t e a r n e s t n e s s , F a g a l d e c la r e s :

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

With e l o -

A man's sim p ly g o t to have an e x p e r ie n c e w ith God, or

he c a n 't sh a r e i t w ith o t h e r s . Up in B oston t h e r e ' s a
s t a t u e o f P h i l l i p s Brooks engaged in th e a c t o f p r e a c h in g
to a c o n g r e g a tio n . Behind B rooks, t h e r e ' s a s t a t u e o f
C h r is t, w ith H is hand on B rooks' s h o u ld e r .
I 'v e o fte n
th ou gh t about t h a t , and p r a y e d , "Lord, sta n d b eh in d me,
w ith Thy hand on my_ s h o u ld e r ." A m in is t e r must alw ays have
th e c o n s c io u s n e s s o f c lo s e c o n ta c t w ith h e a v e n .2

The p r e a ch er and h i s a u d ie n c e . - - I f i t were n e c e s s a r y t o c l a s s i f y

sp eak ers in term s o f b e in g e i t h e r " s p e a k e r - o r ie n t e d ," " m e s s a g e -o r ie n te d ,"

or " a u d ie n c e -o r ie n te d ," W illiam F agal w ould c l e a r l y f a l l i n t o th e l a s t

c a te g o r y .

Says h e:

I
I
I

I b e lie v e t h a t , b e s id e g r e a t p r e a c h e r s , th e r e are
g r e a t a u d ie n c e s . Some w i l l n e v e r g e t g r e a t serm ons b eca u se
th ey d o n 't in s p ir e t h e i r p r e a c h e r .

I
I
I

A p r e a ch er must have a g r e a t lo v e ; he must n o t be

a u t h o r ita r ia n , or d i d a c t i c , o r u n sy m p a th etic. He must
alw ays be sy m p a th etic o f th e n eed s o f h i s a u d i e n c e . ^

F agal r e p o r te d th a t he f e l t h i s b e s t p r e a c h in g had b een done

b e fo r e th e c o n g r e g a tio n s o f w hich he had b een p a s t o r .

On th e o th e r hand,

how ever, he s a id he had p rea ch ed t o some a u d ie n c e s w hich a lm o st seem ed

I
I

to say to him , c o l l e c t i v e l y , "I dare you to a t t r a c t me."

A lthough P a sto r F agal r e c o g n iz e s th a t th e r e are s e v e r a l k in d s

au d ien ces which he a d d r e sse s p e r s o n a lly in h is p r e a c h in g to u r s around

the w orld , each r e q u ir in g a s p e c i a l approach in p r e p a r a tio n , he i s m ost

1I b i d .

2I b id .

3I b id .

4 I b id .

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of

bound up w ith a lm o st a p r e o c c u p a tio n a l con cern f o r h i s v a s t t e l e v i s i o n

au d ien ce w hich numbers in th e m il li o n s each Sunday.
Asked how h e c o n c e iv e d o f t h i s a u d ie n c e , in term s o f sermon
p r e p a r a tio n , F agal r e p lie d :
I alw ays p ic t u r e my t e l e v i s i o n a u d ien ce as a group o f
p e o p le who d o n 't know our " m essage," p e o p le who a r e lo o k in g
f o r l i g h t , lo n g in g f o r i t , p le a d in g f o r i t on t h e i r k n e e s ,
perhaps w eeping b e fo r e God f o r i t (a s E lle n G. W hite has
p ic tu r e d th e s e t r u e - i n - h e a r t ! ) .
Many a re young p e o p le who are s e e k in g t r u t h . T h ey 're
n o t o u t-a n d -o u t h e a th e n . And i n t a lk in g w ith them , I n e v e r
l i k e to condemn. In a s e n s e , my a t t i t u d e alw ays i s :
"You
d o n 't s e e i t my way y e t , b u t you w i l l . You h a v e n 't found
C h r is t y e t . " I n e v e r condemn. A nything a t a l l i s b e t t e r
than no r e l i g i o n .
I p reach to p e o p le w ith a l i t t l e , and
t r y to make mine so a t t r a c t i v e th a t t h e y ' l l want i t . ^

Sermon i n v e n t i o n - - s u b j e c t s . T r a d it io n a lly , r h e t o r ic h a s been

composed o f fo u r or f i v e "canons" (d ep en d in g upon w h eth er "memory" i s
in c lu d e d ) - - in v e n t io n , arran gem en t, s t y l e , memory, and d e l iv e r y .
In v e n tio n i s th u s view ed as com prehending th e i n v e s t i g a t i v e e f f o r t o f
th e s p e a k e r - - in C ic e r o 's w ords--T o " fin d o u t what h e sh o u ld s a y ."

C onnected w ith m a tte r s o f sp e ec h c o n t e n t , p a r t i c u l a r l y , i s th e

q u e s tio n o f th e s p e a k e r 's employment o f th e th r e e g e n e r a lly r e c o g n iz e d
modes o f p e r s u a s io n :

l o g i c a l , e m o tio n a l, and e t h i c a l .

And i t i s in

'Fagal h e r e d o u b tle s s r e f e r s to Mrs. W h ite 's s ta te m e n t in A cts

o f th e A p o s tle s (M ountain View , C a l i f . : P a c i f i c P r e ss P u b lis h in g A sso
c i a t i o n , 1911) th a t " th ere are many who are r e a d in g th e S c r ip tu r e s who
cannot u n d erstan d t h e i r tr u e im p o rt. A ll o v e r th e w orld men and women
are lo o k in g w i s t f u l l y to h ea v en . P rayers and t e a r s and in q u ir ie s go up
from s o u ls lo n g in g f o r l i g h t , f o r g r a c e , f o r th e H oly S p i r i t . Many are
on th e v e rg e o f th e kingdom, w a it in g o n ly to be g a th e r e d in " ( 1 0 9 ) .
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 3.
7

C ite d in T honssen and B a ir d , 79.

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297

t h is c o n te x t th a t we now u n d erta k e a c o n s id e r a t io n o f W illia m F a g a ls

th eory o f in v e n t io n in sermon p r e p a r a tio n .
John A. Broadus, p ro b a b ly A m ericas b est-k n o w n h o m i le t i c i a n , has
s u g g e ste d fo u r ir r e d u c ib le c a t e g o r ie s o f serm o n s, by s u b j e c t :
m oral, h i s t o r i c a l , and e x p e r im e n ta l.*

d o c t r in a l ,

V in e t adds p s y c h o lo g ic a l

([although some m ight eq u ate t h i s w ith e x p e r im e n ta l) ; w h ile A lexander

o f f e r s , f u r t h e r , th e p r o p h e t i c - e s c h a t o l o g i c a l , th e d e v o t io n a l, and th e
e x p e r ie n tia l.

W illiam F a g a l's c o n s t r u c t , w h ile in s e v e r a l in s t a n c e s te n d in g to

con fu se c l a s s i f i c a t i o n by s u b j e c t - c o n t e n t w ith c l a s s i f i c a t i o n by
s tr u c tu r a l-fo r m , l i s t s :
e x p o s ito r y ;

(1) t h e o r e t i c a l - d o c t r i n a l ;

(4) b io g r a p h ic a l ("I lo v e th em !" );

(2) t o p i c a l ; (3)

(5) t e x t u a l (" th e k in d

where you read a t e x t , and th en f o r 25 m in u tes you s o a r on f l i g h t s o f

fa n cy I'm g e t t i n g away from th em !" );

(6 ) e v a n g e l i s t i c ; and (7)

life -s itu a tio n .

C oncerning t h i s f i n a l c a te g o r y , F agal adds:
I g r e a t ly e n jo y th e l i f e - s i t u a t i o n serm on.
I e n jo y t e l l i n g
a s t o r y - - f o r exam ple, I have a sermon on Samson t h a t I lo v e
to p r e a c h .4 ,5
I m p lic it in F a g a l's th in k in g on th e s u b j e c t o f t o p ic - c h o i c e are
two b a s ic assu m p tion s w orthy o f n o te :

(1) t h a t he i s t y p i c a l o f th e

*John A. B roadus, On th e P r e p a r a tio n and D e liv e r y o f Serm ons,

new and r e v is e d e d i t i o n by J e s s e Burton W eatherspoon (New York: Harper
B r o th e r s, 1 9 4 4 ), 5 9 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as Broadus and W eatherspoon.
^I b id .

A le x a n d e r , 9 6 .

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 4 .

F agal h e r e a p p a r e n tly e q u a te s th e b io g r a p h ic a l and l i f e s i t u

a tio n methods in s u b s ta n c e , a lth o u g h l i s t i n g them s e p a r a t e ly . The
b io g r a p h ic a l, how ever, d e a ls s t r i c t l y w ith th e i n d i v i d u a l ' s l i f e ; w hereas
the l i f e s i t u a t i o n d e a ls w ith a p rob lem , and b r in g s in an in d iv id u a l
o n ly by way o f i l l u s t r a t i o n . One i s p e r s o n -o r ie n te d ; th e o th e r ,
p r o b le m -o r ie n te d .

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298
in d iv id u a ls whom he w i l l a d d ress ( t h e r e f o r e , th in g s th a t i n t e r e s t him
w i l l i n t e r e s t th em ); and (2) th a t i f he h im s e lf i s n o t e x c it e d about th e
m a tters to be p r e s e n t e d , he cannot be dynamic in t h e i r advocacy:
I must alw ays f in d som eth in g t h a t in t r i g u e s me^ I n ev er
d e c id e th a t I am g o in g to p rea ch on su ch -a n d -su ch a t o p i c ,
p er s e . The t o p ic i s alw ays s u g g e s te d to me by m a te r ia l
th a t s t im u la t e s .
Get m a te r ia l th a t f a s c i n a t e s , th en l e t
th e t o p ic come ou t o f t h a t .*

Sermon i n v e n t i o n - - s o u r c e s . - -The B ib le , w hich W illiam A. F agal

i m p l i c i t l y a c c e p ts as th e d iv i n e l y - i n s p i r e d Word o f God, i s acknow ledged
as th e prim ary so u r c e o f h i s p r e a c h in g .
O ther s o u r c e s w hich he s p e c i f i c a l l y l i s t s
ta n c e to him a re:

as o f s p e c i a l im por

com m entaries, b io g r a p h y , h i s t o r y , and r e f e r e n c e t o o l s

such as d i c t i o n a r i e s , R o g e t's T h esa u ru s, e t c .

O ther mens serm on s, w hich p la y e d a r a th e r prom inent p a r t in h i s
r ea d in g h a b it s o f e a r l i e r d a y s , are now la r g e ly o v erlo o k ed :
In th o se days I was in th e s t o r e s each w eek. I bought a
book a w e e k --in th o se days you c o u ld g e t a good book o f
sermons f o r $2! Sometimes I sp e n t as much as $25 a w eek,
b u yin g books o f sermons b y v a r io u s p r e a c h e r s . But i f I
g o t one good serm on, I fig u r e d i t was w orth i t .
In th e
e a r ly days I ' d read o th e r m en's serm ons f o r th e purpose o f
sp ark in g my own th in k in g .
I r e a l i z e now t h a t t h is i s a
r a th e r s h a llo w way o f g o in g about i t .
And now, a c t u a ll y , I
g e t v ery few id e a s from o th e r m en's se r m o n s.2
F a g a l's c h i e f t o o l , a f t e r th e B ib le , i s th e B ib le commentary and
B ib le d ic tio n a r y :
In r e a d in g th e B ib le , I g e t an i d e a .
I t s t a r t s me d ig g in g .
I g e t a w e a lth o f m a te r ia l from d ig g in g in r e fe r e n c e works
o f a ll s o r t s .3
H is im m ediate concern i s to g e t b eh in d th e t e x t , t o d is c o v e r , i f
p o s s i b l e , th e d eep er m e a n in g ,--" th e way o f l i f e o f th e p e o p le in th o s e

'Fagal Interview, Oct. 20, 1966, 4.

^Ibid.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

3Ibid.

d a y s, to s e e t h in g s th rou gh t h e i r e y e s . 1'

H is t o r y , t o o , e n a b le s him to

" get b e h in d th e s c e n e s ," p r o v id in g c o n te x t and background.

t e r s are im p o rta n t to me," he d e c la r e s .

"These mat

B iography s e r v e s to p r o v id e

both " id e a s and i l l u s t r a t i o n . " ^

F a g a l's c h i e f " p r e fe r e n c e f o r r e fe r e n c e " i s th e 10-volum e
S even th -d ay A d v e n tis t B ib le Commentary; th e M e th o d is ts ' fou r-volu m e
I n t e p r e t e r 's D ic tio n a r y o f th e B ib le ("a r ic h so u r ce o f m a t e r ia l; I l i k e
i t v e ry much"); and th e c o n s e r v a tiv e 23-volum e P u lp it Commentary ( " i t ' s
e x h a u s t iv e " ) .

F agal a ls o h o ld s in h ig h reg a rd th e w r it in g s o f E lle n G. W hile,

whom, as n o te d in C hapter I I I , he reg a rd s as h a v in g been th e p o s s e s s o r
o f th e g i f t o f p roph ecy and d iv in e i n s p i r a t i o n .

H is own lib r a r y con

ta in s most o f th e n e a r ly 60 p u b lis h e d works from h e r p e n , to w hich he

makes fr e q u e n t r e c o u r s e du rin g th e p r o c e s s o f sermon p r e p a r a tio n .

Sermon i n v e n t i o n - - e t h o s .- - R h e t o r ic ia n s s in c e A r i s t o t l e have been

concerned w ith e t h i c a l p r o o f ( o r , as H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell have c a l l e d i t
in our tim e , " p e r so n a l p r o o f" ^ ), which i s g e n e r a ll y c o n c e iv e d as encom
p a s s in g th e e le m e n ts o f com petence or i n t e l l i g e n c e , good c h a r a c t e r , and
good w i l l - - p r o o f w hich a r i s e s from th e p e r so n o f th e sp ea k er h im s e lf .
And a lth o u g h A r i s t o t l e w ould ten d to li m i t th e o p e r a tio n o f
e th o s la r g e ly t o what th e sp ea k er d id and s a id d u rin g th e sp e e c h i t s e l f ,
r h e t o r ic ia n s to d a y g e n e r a lly in c lu d e th e a u d ie n c e 's a n te c e d e n t c o n c e p tio n

1I b i d .

2I b id .

3 I b id .
4
Kenneth G. H ance, David C. R alph, and M ilto n J . W ik s e ll,
P r in c ip le s o f S p ea k in g , 2nd e d . (B elm ont, C a l i f . : Wadsworth P u b lis h in g
Company, 1 9 6 9 ), 80.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

300

o f th e sp ea k er as b e in g i n d i v i s i b l e in th e h e a r e r 's mind from im p r e s s io n s

p e r c e iv e d d u rin g th e a c tu a l sp e ec h s i t u a t i o n .

C oncerning th e c o n s t it u e n t o f com p eten ce, o r i n t e l l i g e n c e , F agal

d e c la r e s :
I d o n 't know about o t h e r s , b u t I must admire a s p e a k e r ,
or he sim p ly c a n 't reach me. H is p h y s ic a l appearance t e l l s
me a l o t about him . And th e s t o r i e s he t e l l s I d e s p is e
" l i t t l e - b o y " and " l i t t l e - g i r l " s t o r i e s , u n b e lie v a b le
s to r ie s .
I know c r e d i b i l i t y i s an o ft e n b a n d ie d -a b o u t word
th e s e d ays; b u t i t ' s S im p ortan t th a t a p rea ch er be
b e li e v a b l e , th a t p e o p le f e e l he knows what h e 's t a lk in g
abou t. I tu rn down a l l s t o r i e s th a t may be phonyap p ea rin g . . . . A man must appear i n t e l l i g e n t , c r e d ib le ;
o th e r w is e , th e man i s a sim p le to n in th e minds o f h is
h ea rers
With reg a rd to th e c o n s t it u e n t o f good c h a r a c t e r , F agal im p lic
i t l y c o n c e iv e s o f th e word "good" in r e l i g i o u s te r m s, r a th e r th a n th e
m erely e t h i c a l .

A good man, s p e c i f i c a l l y a good m in is t e r , w i l l b e a man

who i s in t im a t e ly on good term s w ith th e Lord J e su s C h r is t , who h a s a

p e r s o n a l, e x p e r i e n t i a l r e la t io n s h ip w ith God, from w hich he draws d a il y
m m eeting th e n eed s o f h u m anity, b o th in and out o f th e p u l p i t .

F i n a lly , in d is c u s s in g th e c o n s t it u e n t o f good w i l l , F agal

ex p r essed th e b e l i e f th a t:
A m in is t e r sh o u ld be j o v i a l , s y m p a th e tic , s in c e r e , a man o f
k in d n e s s. T hese th in g s can come a c r o s s i n d i r e c t l y - perhaps i t i s b e s t i f th ey are i n d i r e c t l y p e r c e iv e d . And
c e r t a in ly th e r e must b e no d e n u n c ia to r y s p i r i t , no
con d em n ation .4

^Thonssen and B a ir d , 3 85.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 4 .
3I b i d . , 3.
4I b i d . , 4 .

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301
Fagal a ls o b e l i e v e s in a " ju d ic io u s " u se o f humor,^ t h a t i t te n d s to
r e v e a l "the r e a l him" o f th e m in is t e r to th e a u d ie n c e .

B u t, h e c a u t io n s ,

i t must be u s e d d e l i c a t e l y , r e s o u r c e f u l l y . Ralph Waldo

Emerson once t o l d o f a p r e a c h e r h e d h e a r d . He s a i d , " I f
h e 'd e v e r l i v e d , we w ere none th e w is e r f o r i t , " r e f e r r i n g ,
o f c o u r se , t o th e c l e r i c ' s i n t e l l e c t u a l to r p o r .^

Sermon i n v e n t i o n - - l o g o s .--T h e word " lo g o s" h a s one p rim a ry ,

im m ediate c o n n o ta tio n t o th e th e o lo g ia n ( l i t e r a l l y ,

" th e w ord," and, as

used u n iq u e ly in th e G ospel o f Joh n , a d i r e c t r e f e r e n c e to C h r is t , th e

In ca rn a te "Word"); w h erea s, to th e r h e t o r i c ia n , i t h a s q u it e a n o th er
a lt o g e t h e r :

l o g i c a l p r o o f , th e " m a te r ia ls o f d ev elo p m en t," th e u s e o f

ev id e n c e and r e a s o n in g .
E vid en ce i s g e n e r a ll y con cern ed w ith m a tter s o f f a c t and o p in io n
as th e b a s is f o r th e e s t a b lis h m e n t o f p r o o f; r e a s o n in g i s th e p r o c e s s o f
u s in g e v id e n c e th u s d e v e lo p e d as a means o f i n f e r r in g c o n c lu s io n s .
For W illia m F a g a l, as n o te d ab ove, th e "supreme so u r ce " o f
e v id e n c e i s th e B ib le :
P a r t ic u l a r ly do I ap p ea l to th e l i f e o f C h r is t in th e
New T estam en t. A m in is t e r ought alw ays t o show Him as th e
g r e a t exam p le. But i t i s n o t enought t o u se th e B ib le
m erely as e v id e n c e ; th e p r e a c h e r must show i t s r e le v a n c e .
My burden i s alw ays to make C h r is t r e le v a n t to th e p e o p le
o f to d a y , t o p rea ch t r u l y " C h r is t-c e n te r e d " s e r m o n s . ^
F agal d oes n o t , o f c o u r s e , r u le out o th e r forms o f e v id e n c e ; b u t
im p l i c i t in h i s th e o r y o f l o g i c a l r e a s o n in g i s th e c o n c e p tio n o f th e
supremacy o f th e Word, w ith o th e r a c c e p ta b le p r o o fs b e in g u se d r a th e r in
su p p o rtin g r o l e s .

*For a more co m p lete s ta te m e n t o f th e F agal th e o r y o f th e p u l p i t

u se o f humor, s e e b e lo w , under " p a th o s."
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 4 .
^ I b id . , 5 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

A marked p r e fe r e n c e i s found in F a g a l's t h in k in g f o r th e u s e o f

exam ples ( i l l u s t r a t i o n s g e n e r a lly , more th a n i n s t a n c e s ) , n a r r a t i v e s , and
s to r ie s .

S t a t i s t i c s and q u o ta tio n s

( l i t e r a r y m a t e r ia ls , te stim o n y o f

f a c t and o p in io n ) are n o t ranked as h i g h l y , a lth o u g h t h e i r e x is t e n c e i s

r e c o g n iz e d and a v a lu e a s s ig n e d :
I fa v o r exam ple as one o f th e b e s t methods o f i l l u s t r a t i o n ;
and I u se b o th s t o r i e s from th e Word (b ec a u se o f t h e i r
f a m i l i a r i t y t o p e r so n s in th e a u d ien ce who know t h e i r
B ib le s ) and p e r s o n a l e x p e r ie n c e s ( f o r t h e i r i n t e r e s t c a tc h in g v a l u e ) .
My f a v o r i t e form o f e x p la n a tio n i s th e n a r r a t iv e .
I
fa v o r i t b e c a u se i t h o ld s th e a u d ie n c e 's a t t e n t io n - - a n d I'm
alw ays m ost e a g e r to h o ld t h e i r a t t e n t i o n e v e r y m in u te . I
fa v o r d e s c r ip t io n th e k in d t h a t makes i t l i v e , t h a t h o ld s
a t t e n t io n .
E x p o s itio n has i t s p l a c e - - f o r me, in p r o v id in g
background u n d e r sta n d in g ; and I u se i t t h e r e . 1
F agal r e c o g n iz e s fo u r avenues o f r e a s o n in g :
ca u se, and s i g n .

exam ple, a n a lo g y ,

He f e e l s each has a d i s t i n c t i v e p l a c e , a lth o u g h , f o r

him, r e a s o n in g from exam ple and from cause a re perhaps th e most e f f e c t

iv e in th e ty p e o f p r e a c h in g w hich h e d o e s .
Because o f th e unique d if f e r e n c e s b etw een th e spoken word and
the w r itte n word in th e p r o c e s s o f com m u nication, r e p e t i t i o n and r e s t a t e
ment are v i t a l .

Comparison and c o n t r a s t , t o o , are h ig h ly v a lu e d forms

o f m a te r ia ls o f developm ent w hich th e sp e a k e r h im s e l f c r e a t e s .

F agal i s

as aware o f th e p s y c h o lo g ic a l t e s t s o f e v id e n c e and

r ea so n in g as he i s o f th e l o g i c a l t e s t s p erh a p s more s o .

And w ith h i s

a u d ie n c e -o r ie n ta t io n f r a m e -o f- r e fe r e n c e alw ays c l e a r l y b e fo r e him , fo r

th e m ost im p o rta n t t e s t i s th e t e s t o f c r e d i b i l i t y . . . .
The sermon sh o u ld be r e a s o n a b le , b e l i e v a b l e , and a c c e p t a b le .
And, o f c o u r s e , th e p r e a c h e r s h o u ld b lo c k e v e r y h o le th a t
e x i s t s f o r th e p e o p le n o t to a c c e p t h i s p o s i t i o n . 3

XIbid.

2Ibid.

3Ibid.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

C oncerning th e s t r u c t u r e o f r e a s o n in g , F a g a l r e c o g n iz e s th e two
main a p p ro a ch es, th e in d u c t iv e and th e d e d u c tiv e ; and f e e l s th a t each i s
d e s ir a b le and has a p la c e in c e r t a in k in d s o f sp e a k in g s i t u a t i o n s .

The

sp e a k e r 's g o a l, th e n a tu r e o f th e m a t e r ia ls t o be p r e s e n t e d , and th e
p r e v io u s a t t i t u d e o f th e a u d ien ce tow ard t h e s e m a t e r ia ls are th e c h i e f
d eterm in an ts in th e m a tter o f h i s c h o ic e o f s e l e c t i o n .

Says he:

I l i k e to u se th e in d u c t iv e approach; I p r e f e r to have my
id e a s dawn on p e o p le , p a r t i c u l a r l y i f i t i s a s e n s i t i v e
su b je c t.
In d o c t r in a l and e x p o s ito r y sermons I u se th e
d e d u c tiv e a p p ro a c h --y o u know, th e method where you t e l l
them what y o u 'r e g o in g to s a y , th en you go ahead and sa y
i t , and th en you t e l l them what y o u 'v e t o l d th em !l>2
On th e q u e s tio n o f th e r e l a t i v e p o s i t i o n o f argument in th e
sermon, F agal g e n e r a lly te n d s t o fa v o r p la c in g th e s t r o n g e s t argument
fir s t:
There are tim es when a m in is t e r n eed s to overwhelm h i s
au d ien ce a t f i r s t .
He sh o u ld b e g in by making h i s p o in t
f a s t , and th en b u t t r e s s i t .
O th er w ise, th e p e o p le may n o t
s t a y w ith him t o th e e n d . 3
As t o th e s u f f i c i e n c y o r q u a n tity o f argum ent, F agal ten d s t o
make t h i s an o p e r a tio n a l m a tte r --so m e th in g to be d eterm in ed by th e
sp eak er d u rin g d e l i v e r y , on th e b a s is o f a u d ien ce fe e d b a c k .

No two

au d ien ces b e in g a l i k e , some r e q u ir in g more e v id e n c e than o t h e r s , F agal

a p p lie s no r u le h e r e , p r e f e r r in g to " f ly by th e s e a t o f my p a n ts" and to
"play i t by ear"^:

J-I b i d .
2The d e d u c tiv e approach in r h e t o r ic i s g e n e r a lly view ed as th e
method whereby th e sp ea k er s t a t e s a p o s i t i o n and th en p r o c ee d s t o
p a r t ic u la r s s u p p o r tin g th e p o i n t .
F a g a l's d e f i n i t i o n h e r e i s n o t
e s p e c i a l l y a p t . That he does u n d ersta n d th e b a s ic d e s t in c t io n betw een
in d u c tiv e and d e d u c tiv e methods i s c le a r from o th e r sta te m e n ts made
e lse w h e r e , and from h i s o r a t o r i c a l p r a c t ic e ( s e e C hapter V ).
F agal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 5 .

I b id .

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304
I alw ays w a it u n t i l I s e e t h e i r e y e s l i g h t up in r e c o g n it io n
b e fo r e I b r in g my sermon to a c l o s e . And I alw ays tr y to
b r in g out th e im p ortan ce o f what I m s a y in g to them,
p e r s o n a lly .
I f you c a n 't make i t r e le v a n t , th en a l l th e
argument in th e w orld wont c a rr y th e day as f a r as r e s u l t s
are c o n cern ed .^
Sermon i n v e n t io n - - p a t h o s . - -The t h ir d and f i n a l mode o f p e r s u a s io n
encom passed by th e canon o f " in v e n tio n i s t h a t o f p a th o s , o r , t o u se
a n oth er H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell term , " m a te r ia ls o f e x p e r ie n c e ."

I t d e a ls w ith p s y c h o lo g ic a l " p r o o fs ," i n c o n t r a d is t in c t io n to

l o g i c a l p r o o f; and, sa y Thonssen and B a ird , " in c lu d e s a l l th o s e m a te r ia ls
c a lc u la t e d to p u t th e a u d ien ce in a frame o f mind s u i t a b l e f o r th e
r e c e p tio n o f th e s p e a k e r s id e a s ."

For W illia m A. F a g a l, th e q u e s tio n o f p a th o s , in i t s r h e t o r i c a l

c o n te x t, i s r e s o lv e d by a d is c u s s io n o f two k in d s o f m a t e r ia ls h e a r tto u c h in g s t o r i e s and hum or--and th e q u e s tio n o f m o tiv e a p p e a ls .
And F agal has d e c id e d o p in io n s on a c c e p ta b le and u n a c c e p ta b le
u se s o f both em o tio n -p a ck ed s t o r i e s

(known as " t e a r - j e r k e r s ," by th e

more c a llo u s e d in th e m in is t r y ) and humor.

When i t comes t o u s in g s t o r i e s " th a t tou ch th e h e a r t , F agal
s t o u t l y d efen d s th e " ju d ic io u s " u se o f em otion in sermons on two ground s.
F i r s t , he f e e l s t h a t " r e l ig io n i t s e l f , by i t s v ery n a tu r e ,
in h e r e n tly to u ch es th e d e e p e s t w e ll- s p r in g s o f human e x p e r ie n c e ."

He

adds:

^I b i d .
^ H a n c e -R a lp h -W ik se lls term , o f c o u r s e , has a somewhat b road er
con cep t than t h a t o f "p a th o s" as u sed by t r a d i t i o n a l r h e t o r i c i a n s . For
H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell, " m a te r ia ls o f e x p e r ie n c e " are d e sig n e d t o ap p eal
p r im a r ily to th e l i s t e n e r s b a s i c m o tiv e s , h i s s e n s o r y e x p e r ie n c e s and
memories o f them , and h i s n e e d s , h o p e s , f e a r s , and d e s i r e s (p . 7 1 ).
^Thonssen and B a ir d , 358.

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305

I m moved by th e th in g s I b e l i e v e i n , th in g s th a t I ' v e
g iv e n my h e a r t to ; and so are o th e r p e o p l e . 1
S e c o n d ly , F agal c l e a r l y p e r c e iv e s th a t c o n v in c in g th e "head
alo n e does n o t alw ays produce th e d e s ir e d r e s u lt a n t a c t io n w hich th e
preach er o f t e n s e e k s to a r o u s e .

The avenue o f th e h e a r t , h ow ever, may

w e ll p r o v id e th e key to a c t io n .

I t i s n o t , how ever, in an a t t i t u d e th a t

the end j u s t i f i e s th e means when W illiam F agal s a y s:

I f e e l th a t em otion i s le g it im a t e i f i t moves to
a c t i o n - - t o th e r ig h t kin d o f a c t io n , th a t i s .
But I'm
a n t i-m a n ip u la tiv e . I d o n 't s e t ou t d e l ib e r a t e ly to u se
i t . . . . 1 d o n 't l ik e to u se em otion d i r e c t l y ; I th in k
i t ' s a d ir t y t r i c k .
But r e l i g i o n , to be e f f e c t i v e , must
tou ch th e d e e p e st w e ll- s p r in g s o f human e x p e r ie n c e .
But I n e v e r u se em otion c o n s c io u s ly ; i f I d id , I
c o u ld n 't l i v e w ith m y s e lf. I do^ l i k e to t e l l s t o r i e s th a t
touch th e h e a r t but n o t as a cheap t r ic k ; then itfs shabby,
shoddy. The s t o r y about Sam, th e condemned m u r d e r e r ^ .-I 've
u sed t h is to good e f f e c t on o c c a s io n . I'm tou ch ed by i t ,
g e n u in e ly .
I d o n 't in tr o d u c e i t f o r e f f e c t o n ly . Y et I'm
d e lig h te d i f and when i t moves p e o p le . And I want t o move
p e o p le ; I do i t ev ery chance I g e t . But i f i t ' s an a r t i
f i c i a l v e n e e r , then p e o p le w i l l r e j e c t i t . 3
The whole s u b j e c t o f humor, on th e

o th e r hand, i s a t ig h t w ir e

fo r A d v e n tist m in is t e r s , fr a u g h t w ith p e r i l fo r th e c o n s c ie n t io u s ,
because o f r e p e a te d e x h o r ta tio n s by church le a d e r s n o ta b ly E lle n G.
W h ite --a g a in s t th e u se o f j e s t i n g , j o k in g , and l e v i t y in th e p u l p i t .
M in iste r s g e n e r a lly , and e v a n g e lis t s p a r t i c u l a r l y , are warned:
Amusement i s n o t to be in terw o v en w ith i n s t r u c t io n in
th e S c r ip t u r e s . When t h i s i s don e, th e h e a r e r s , amused by
some cheap n o n se n se , lo s e th e burden o f c o n v ic t i o n .4
Some form th e h a b it o f r e l a t i n g a n ecd o tes in t h e i r
d is c o u r s e s , which have th e ten d en cy to amuse and remove from

''Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 5 .

2

See F a g a l's b ook , By God's G race, Sam, l i s t e d in B ib lio g r a p h y .

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O c t. 2 0 , 1966, 5 .

^W hite, E v a n g elism , 2 1 0 -1 1 .

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306
th e mind o f th e h e a r e r th e s a c r e d n e s s o f th e word w hich
th ey a re h a n d lin g .1
L et them be c a r e f u l l e s t b y a tte m p tin g d u rin g t h e i r d i s
co u rse t o cau se la u g h te r , th e y d ish o n o r G od.2
I f h e i s a f r i v o l o u s , j o k in g man, he i s n o t p rep a red t o
perform th e d u ty l a i d upon him b y th e Lord. . . . The f l i p
pant words t h a t f a l l from h i s l i p s , th e t r i f l i n g a n e c d o te s ,
th e words spoken t o c r e a t e a la u g h , are a l l condemned by
th e Word o f God and a re e n t i r e l y ou t o f p la c e in th e sa c r e d
d esk .^
A ll s a n g - f r o id [ s i c ] , w h ich i s s o common . . . a l l
lig h t n e s s and t r i f l i n g , a l l j e s t i n g and jo k in g , must be
see n . . . t o b e . . . a d e n ia l o f C h r is t .
I t u n f i t s th e
mind f o r s o l i d th o u g h t and s o l i d la b o r .
I t makes men
i n e f f i c i e n t , s u p e r f i c i a l , and s p i r i t u a l l y d is e a s e d . . . .
Let e v e r y m in is t e r be s e d a te . . . y e t . . . c h e e r f u l and
happy A
W illia m F a g a l, who r e s p e c t s th e w r it in g s o f Mrs. W h ite, and
c o n s c ie n t io u s ly makes an e f f o r t to p a t te r n h i s m in is t r y upon t h e s e
c o u n s e ls , i s w e ll a c q u a in te d w ith t h e a d v ic e c i t e d ab ove.
Y e t, ta k in g a cue from th e f i n a l s ta te m e n t about m in is t e r s b e in g
" c h e er fu l and hap py," he r e p l i e s :
I c a n 't b e l i e v e th a t E lle n W hite meant th e r e sh o u ld
n ev er be any l i g h t tou ch t o l i f e .
I draw a d i s t i n c t i o n
even as I'm su r e sh e drew th e d is t in c t io n - - b e t w e e n j e s t i n g
and jo k in g on th e one hand, and a j u d ic i o u s , l i g h t tou ch o f
humor, o f w i t , on th e o th e r .
The man who " crack s j o k e s ," who ta k e s h i s work in th e p u l p i t
" l i g h t l y , n o t s e r i o u s l y ," i s , in F a g a l's book , t o be condemned.

He

c o n tin u e s :

1I b i d . , 2 0 8 -9 .

2 I b id . , 2 1 1 .

3I b id . , 6 4 3 .

^I b i d . , 64 5 .

3 F agal I n te r v ie w , May 2 8 , 1967, 1.

60 b v io u s ly , to ju d ge from h e r own p r a c t ic e in th e p u l p i t , E lle n

White h e r s e l f made th e same d i s t i n c t i o n b etw een j o k in g , j e s t i n g , and
l e v i t y on th e one hand, and a l i g h t tou ch th a t m ight b r in g a s m ile t o a
fa c e . For, i t was r e p o r te d , on one o c c a s io n , sh e was p r e a c h in g in th e
p u lp it in an a fte r n o o n m e e tin g . H er son W i l l i e , now w e ll a lo n g in y e a r s
h im s e lf, was s i t t i n g b eh in d h er on th e rostrum ; and, as th e a fte r n o o n was

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

(
I'm a g a in s t humor m erely f o r th e sak e o f humor. . . .
condemn th e man who g e t s up j u s t t o g e t th e p e o p le to
la u g h .

But t h e r e ' s good humor and t h e r e ' s bad . T hat w hich i s

c l e a r l y in a p p r o p r ia te sh o u ld n e v e r be u s e d . I n e v e r make
th e p e o p le lau gh f o r th e la u g h 's s a k e .
I n e v e r sh ock f o r
s h o c k 's s a k e . . . . I n e v e r u se th e a f t e r - d i n n e r s o r t o f
w i t . . . . And I n e v e r , n e v e r make puns on th e S c r ip t u r e s .^
F a g a l, h ow ever, c o u ld n 't d is a g r e e more w ith A lfr e d N orth W hite
h e a d 's d e c la r a t io n t h a t " th e t o t a l a b sen ce o f humor from th e B ib le is
one o f th e most s in g u la r th in g s in a l l l i t e r a t u r e . "
"Look," th e t e l e v i s i o n p a s t o r p o in t s o u t , "Solomon s a i d ,
merry h e a r t d oeth good l i k e a m e d ic in e '

'A

(P ro v . 1 7 :2 2 )" ; and, F agal goes

on,
I'm s u r e C h r is t u se d i l l u s t r a t i o n s w hich b ro u g h t a s m ile ,
i f n o t la u g h te r , to th e fa c e s o f H is h e a r e r s - - t h e camel
g o in g through th e n e e d le ' s e y e , f o r exam ple (Oh, I know,
w e'v e e x p la in e d t h a t a l l away as b e in g a g a te named th e
" N e e d le 's Eye"; b u t I'm n o t so s u r e t h a t t h i s i s th e l a s t
w o r d .); a ls o H is words about m otes and beams i n p e o p l e 's
e y e s , c a l l i n g th e c r a f t y k in g Herod a f o x , e t c .
I'm su r e
th e p e o p le lau gh ed when He spoke t h e s e and o th e r w ords. Of
c o u r s e , th e humor o f t h a t day was n e c e s s a r i l y g e a re d to th e
c u ltu r e o f th a t d ay, even as our humor now i s d i r e c t l y
c o n n ected w ith our own t i m e s .3
Humor, F agal f e e l s , i s j u s t i f i e d i f i t i l l u s t r a t e s a p o i n t .
"Then i t i s a s h a f t in t o h e a r t s ."

And i f , i n an i l l u s t r a t i o n , th e r e i s

som ething humorous t h a t i s " r ig h t to th e p o i n t , th en humor can b r in g o u t

a g reat tr u th .

warm, dozed o f f to s l e e p . His m o th er, s e n s in g i t , s to p p e d , tu rn ed

around t o s e e , and th en s m ile d t o th e c o n g r e g a tio n , " W ell, I g u e ss we
c a n 't blame W i l l i e . You s e e , when he was a b a b y , we u se d t o p u t him in
a c r a d le , on th e f l o o r in s id e th e p u l p i t , and I ' d ro ck him w ith my fo o t
w h ile sp e a k in g .
I g u e ss i t ' s to o l a t e to change h i s h a b it o f s le e p in g
in church now!" (P e r so n a l remark o f A rthur L. W h ite, grandson o f
Mrs. White and e x e c u t iv e s e c r e t a r y , E lle n G. W hite E s t a t e , I n c . , W ashing
to n , D. C ., t o t h i s w r it e r in c o n v e r s a tio n , A u g u st, 1 9 6 8 .)
''Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 8 , 19 6 7 , 1.
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 9 , 19 6 7 , 1.

^ C ited in F le s c h , 165.
^ I b id .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

F agal a ls o s e e s two o th e r b e n e f i t s t o th e p u b lic sp e a k e r i n a

ju d ic io u s u se o f humor.

F i r s t , i t may be a means o f g a in in g ra p p o rt

w ith th e au d ien ce a t th e b e g in n in g o f th e m essage:

I fin d m y s e lf som etim es u s in g i t a t th e b e g in n in g , to warm
th e h e a r t , and t o g e t a t t e n t i o n .
U s u a lly , a t th e b e g in n in g ,
th e humor i s b a sed on th e im m ediate s i t u a t i o n , g e n e r a lly on
th in g s t h a t have a c t u a l l y happened, perhaps a t another
m eetin g su ch as t h i s o n e . l
And s e c o n d ly , humor s e r v e s a v i t a l feed b a ck fu n c tio n f o r th e
speaker:
I'm alw ays d e lig h t e d to o b ta in a r e sp o n se from th e a u d ien ce.
I f t h e r e 's a l i t t l e la u g h t e r , you s e e y o u 'v e g o t your p o in t
a c r o s s . . . . I ' m alw ays d e lig h t e d when p e o p le l a u g h - - i t shows
t h e y 'r e w ith u s . 2
F i n a l l y , F agal f e e l s th a t "humor sh o u ld be sp o n ta n eo u s, r e l a t i v e
to th e moment; t h i s i s d e s ir a b le ."

The q u e s tio n o f m o tiv e a p p e a ls i s i n e x t r i c a b l y in te r tw in e d w ith

pathos as a f a c t o r in p e r s u a s io n ; and F agal has some r a th e r d e f i n i t e
id e a s as to what i s a c c e p t a b le fo r u s e by th e C h r is tia n m in is t e r , and
what i s n o t:
I'm n o t a d i s c i p l e o f Norman V in cen t P e a l e ' s , b u t I do l i k e
h i s approach t h a t " i f you a c c e p t t h i s , yo u r l i f e w i l l be
r ic h e r , f u l l e r , " H is m o tiv e i s th e h a p p ie r , b e t t e r - a d j u s t e d
l i f e ; and h i s p r e s e n t a t io n i s d o w n -to -e a r th , none o f t h i s
" p ie in th e sky bye and bye" s o r t o f t h i n g . 4
The g r e a t problem in r e l i g i o n to d a y , as F agal view s i t ,

i s th a t

most p e o p le -- b o th in and o u t o f th e church th in k th a t th e church and

i t s m essage have l o s t tough w ith r e le v a n c y .
F agal s c o r n s th e e v a n g e l i s t who m erely a p p ea ls to p e o p le to
"Come to J e s u s ," w ith o u t e v e r s p e l l i n g o u t to them in d e t a i l , in c o n c r e te

1I b id . , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 6 .

2I b id . ,

May 2 9 , 1967, 1.

3Ibid., Oct. 20, 1966, 6.

4Ib i d ., 5.

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309

langu age j u s t what t h i s h o r r ib ly overworked e x p r e s s io n r e a l l y means in

p r a c t i c a l te r m s.

T here can b e no i n t e l l i g e n t d e c i s i o n u n le s s i t be

grounded in k n ow led ge, he b e lie v e s.'* '

L o y a lty , he f e e l s f u r t h e r , i s a p o o r m o tiv e w ith w hich to ap p eal
to a " w orld ly" p e r so n ; and " f i r e in su ra n ce" ("Come t o C h r is t o r y o u l l
bu m in h e l l " ) he c o m p le te ly r e j e c t s ou t o f hand.

R a th er, he s a y s ,

I l i k e to in s p i r e p e o p le t o want to s e r v e th e L o r d --to make

them s e e th e p o s s i b i l i t i e s f o r th e m se lv e s t h a t th e y have
n e v e r r e a l l y s e e n b e f o r e - - g e t them to ta k e a good lo o k a t
th e t r u l y "good l i f e . "2
With r eg a r d t o th e q u e s tio n o f th e l o c a t io n or p la cem en t o f
m otive a p p e a ls , F agal o p in e s :
In th e o r y , I su p p ose one sh o u ld c o n tin u e to a p p ea l th ro u g h
out th e w hole serm on; b u t in p r a c t i c e , I g u e s s , we g e n e r a lly
p la c e them a t th e en d . I have a g r e a t b u rd en , h ow ever, t o
l i f t th ro u g h o u t th e e n t i r e d i s c o u r s e .3
No s ta te m e n t o f W illia m F a g a l's th e o r y o f p e r s u a s io n would be
com plete w ith o u t r e f e r e n c e t o h i s view o f th e work o f th e H oly S p i r i t in
b r in g in g about c o n v ic t io n in th e mind o f th e h e a r e r .

T r a d itio n a l

r h e t o r ic ia n s w ould u n d o u b ted ly subsume t h i s k in d o f "proof" under p a t h o s ;

but fo r W illia m F agal i t i s , in a v ery r e a l s e n s e , a fo u r th c a te g o r y o f
p e r s u a s io n .
D eep ly in g r a in e d in h is b e l i e f t h a t p r e a c h in g somehow compre
hends a "divine-hum an en cou n ter" is th e c o n c e p tio n th a t th e ambassador
fo r God in th e p u l p i t i s w orking in d ir e c t c o o p e r a tio n and harmony w ith
the T hird P erso n o f th e Godhead; and t h a t in t h i s p r o c e s s th e r e i s in
o p e r a tio n so m eth in g b e s id e and beyond e t h i c a l , l o g i c a l , and p a t h e t ic
a p p e a ls .

I b id . , 6 .

2I b id .

3I b id .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

310
E lle n G. White s t r e s s e d t h i s su p e r n a tu r a l f a c t o r r e p e a t e d ly in
c o u n se lin g th e A d v e n tis t p r e a ch er s o f h er day.

"W ithout th e S p i r i t ' s

a id , our e f f o r t s to p r e s e n t d iv in e tr u t h w i l l be in v a in ," * sh e d e c la r e d
fla tly :
The s e r v a n ts o f th e Lord have t r u s t e d to o much t o th e
s tr e n g th o f argum ent. . . . The mere argument o f th e tr u th
w i l l n o t move s o u ls to ta k e a sta n d . . . fo r th e tr u th i s
un popu lar. . . . A few t h a t are c o n s c ie n t io u s are ready t o
d e c id e from th e w e ig h t o f e v id e n c e ; b u t i t i s im p o s s ib le to
move many w ith a mere th e o r y o f th e t r u t h . There must be a
power to a tte n d th e t r u t h , a l i v i n g te stim o n y t o move them.
. . . There i s l o v e l i n e s s and b e a u ty in th e tr u th ; b u t ta k e
away th e power o f God, and i t i s p o w e r le s s .2
On a n oth er o c c a s io n sh e a m p lifie d h e r th in k in g :
The p r e a c h in g o f th e word w i l l be o f no a v a il w ith o u t th e
c o n tin u a l p r e se n c e and a id o f th e Holy S p i r i t . T h is i s th e
o n ly e f f e c t u a l te a c h e r o f d iv in e tr u t h . Only when th e
tr u th i s accom panied to th e h e a r t by th e S p i r i t w i l l i t
q u ick en th e c o n s c ie n c e o r tra n sfo rm th e l i f e .
One m ight b e
a b le to p r e s e n t th e l e t t e r o f th e word o f God, he m ight be
f a m ilia r w ith a l l i t s commands and p ro m ises; b u t u n le s s th e
Holy S p i r i t s e t s home th e t r u t h , no s o u ls w i l l f a l l on th e
Rock and be b rok en . No amount o f e d u c a tio n , no a d v a n ta g e s,
however g r e a t , can make one a channel o f l i g h t w ith o u t th e
c o o p e r a tio n o f th e S p i r i t o f God. The sow ing o f th e g o s p e l
se e d w i l l n o t be a s u c c e s s u n le s s th e se e d i s q u ick en ed
in t o l i f e by th e dew o f h eaven .^
W illiam F a g a l's th in k in g on th e s u b j e c t i s perhaps b e s t e p i t o
mized by t h i s sta te m e n t o f Mrs. W h ite's w h ich , a lth o u g h r e f e r r in g t o th e
w r itte n word, a c t u a ll y a p p lie s e q u a lly t o th e sp o k en :
As th e works o f God are s t u d ie d , th e H oly S p i r i t f la s h e s
c o n v ic t io n i n t o th e m ind. I t i s n ot th e c o n v ic tio n th a t
l o g i c a l r ea so n in g p r o d u ce s; b u t . . . a d eep er meaning i s

^ P u b lish ed in a posthum ous c o m p ila tio n o f h e r w r i t in g s , Iii

H eavenly P la c e s (W ashington: Review and H erald P u b lis h in g A s s o c ia t io n ,
1 9 6 7 ), 334.
2

T e stim o n ie s fo r th e Church, I , 113, 115.

<Z

The D e sir e o f Ages (Mt. V iew , C a l i f . :

A s s o c ia t io n , 1 9 4 0 ), 6 7 1 -7 2 .

P a c i f i c P r e ss P u b lis h in g

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission of th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

311
I
I

g r a sp e d , and th e s u b lim e , s p i r i t u a l tr u t h s o f
word are im p ressed on th e h e a r t . 1

I
I

th e w r it t e n

He ta k e s g r e a t p e r s o n a l s a t i s f a c t i o n from h e r a ssu r a n c e

t o th e

m in is tr y th a t:

I
I
I
I

I f you see k t o im it a t e C h r is t in y o u r c h a r a c t e r , th e
im p r e ssio n upon th e p e o p le w i l l n o t b e made by y o u , b u t by
th e a n g e ls o f God th a t sta n d r ig h t by you r s i d e s ; th e y w i l l
tou ch th e h e a r t s o f th o s e t o whom you s p e a k .2

Sermon s t r u c t u r e arran gem en t. - -A rran gem en t, th e seco n d

o f th e

f i v e canons o f t r a d i t i o n a l r h e t o r ic , em b ra ces, i n th e words o f Thonssen

and B a ir d , "the em ergence o f a c e n t r a l th em e, th e g e n e r a l method o f

arrangem ent adop ted f o r th e s p e e c h , and th e o r d e r in w hich th e

I
I
I

th e d is c o u r s e are d e v e lo p e d ."

I
I
I
I
I

A ll are e x p l i c i t l y s t a t e d in W illiam

F a g a l's r h e t o r i c a l th e o r y .

I
I

p a r ts o f

An in t r o d u c t io n , in th e F agal v ie w , s h o u ld do j u s t what i t s name

im p lie s :

in t r o d u c e .

He s a y s :

The p u rp ose . . . i s t o g e t you as q u ic k ly a s p o s s i b l e in t o

your m essa g e. Used w r o n g ly , an in t r o d u c t io n can b e d e a d ly ;
i t can lo s e you you r p e o p le . An in t r o d u c t io n s h o u ld do
l i t t l e more than t o s e t th e s t a g e .
And i t s h o u ld be b r i e f .
Fagal r e c o g n iz e s th e u s u a l m ethods o f in t r o d u c in g a serm on a

r e fe r e n c e

t o th e s u b j e c t or p rob lem , r e f e r e n c e t o th e o c c a s io n , p e r s o n a l

g r e e t in g ,

r h e t o r ic a l q u e s t io n , s t a r t l i n g s t a t e m e n t , q u o ta tio n from

S c r ip tu r e

( u s u a lly t e x t ) o r some o th e r s o u r c e , a n e c d o te , i l l u s t r a t i o n .

To him, th e form i t ta k e s i s n o t n e a r ly as im p o rta n t as th e c h a r a c te r -

i s t i c s in h e r e n t in w h a tev er method i s ch o sen :

I
I

I h a v e , in th e p a s t , o f t e n u se d t e x t u a l in t r o d u c t io n s ; b u t
I m t r y in g t o g e t away from th a t now adays. A good i n t r o
d u c tio n i s c h a r a c t e r iz e d by b r e v it y and i n t e r e s t - c a t c h i n g

^C h r is t 's O b ject L e s s o n s , 2 4 .
^Thonssen and B a ir d , 39 3 .

^In H eaven ly P l a c e s , 296.

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O c t. 2 0 , 1966, 6 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

v a l u e s - - t h a t ' s th e main t h in g .
I t s h o u ld g e t you r i g h t
away; and, o f c o u r s e , i t s h o u ld a ls o show where you are
g o in g .1
With reg a r d t o th e o r g a n iz a t io n o f th e body o f th e serm on, i t i s
here a lo n e t h a t F agal r e c o g n iz e s any d eb t t o th e a n c ie n t p r o f e s s io n a l
r h e t o r ic ia n s .

In h i s o n ly c o l l e g e sp e e c h c l a s s , ta u g h t by one L i l l i a n

Morgan, and ta k en in h i s freshm an y e a r , F agal le a r n e d th e s i x - p o i n t

C iceronean o u t lin e f o r th e sp e e c h :

proem o r exordium , n a r r a t io n , e x c u r -

s u s , c o n fir m a tio , r e f u t a t i o , and p e r o r a t io n .

F a g a l, h ow ever, was n o t trem en d o u sly im p re sse d w ith t h i s model

(which was a p a t te r n b a s i c a l l y s u i t e d f o r th e f o r e n s i c s p e e c h ) or w ith
Miss Morgan.

And h i s o p in io n o f C icero was n o t s t r i k i n g l y d i f f e r e n t

from t h a t o f M on taign e.^

He sa y s now, c h a r it a b ly , h o w ev er, t h a t a t th e

tim e i t gave him a s e n s e o f d i r e c t i o n ; "but I soon r e j e c t e d i t

in fa v o r

o f a more s i m p l i f i e d approach."^
W hile F agal h as u se d th e custom ary t r i p a r t i t e d i v i s i o n method in
th e p a s t in t e x t u a l serm on s, now, he s a y s ,
I'm t r y in g to g e t away from t h a t m ethod. I l i k e t o have my
id e a s dawn on th e p e o p le .
I l i k e to have th e serm on f l o w !
I d o n 't li k e any b r e a k s , and I have no b r e a k s .
I'm a f r a id
o f a n y th in g t h a t l o s e s an a u d ie n c e , even f o r an i n s t a n t .
Any tim e th e l i s t e n e r can ta k e even a b r e a th i s to o bad; I
have to work to g e t h i s a t t e n t io n a l l o v e r a g a in
Commitment, F agal d e c la r e s , i s th e main p u rp o se o f a c o n c lu s io n ,
w hether th e form ta k e t h a t o f a c h a lle n g e o r a p p e a l, a summary, a

1I b i d .

2 I b i d . , May 2 4 , 1 9 6 6 , 4 .

3S a id M ontaigne o f C ic er o : " C ic e r o 's s t y l e b o r e s me. When I

have sp e n t an hour r e a d in g him a good d e a l f o r m e--and t r y t o r e c o l l e c t
what I have e x t r a c t e d , I u s u a lly f in d n o th in g b u t w in d ." (C ite d in
F le s c h , 5 1 .)
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 4 .
5 I b i d . , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 6.

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q u o ta tio n , an i l l u s t r a t i o n , an in d u cem en t, a d e c la r a t io n o f p e r s o n a l
i n t e n t io n , o r a p r a y e r .^
In r e f e r r i n g to th e " i d e a l , 1* F agal f e e l s th a t
th e m ost ad m irab le k in d o f c o n c lu s io n i s one in w hich th e
sp ea k er c o n c lu d e s w ith o u t a c t u a l l y a p p ea rin g to do s o . He
s i t s down, b u t th e p e o p le a re s t i l l c o n tin u in g a lo n g h is
l in e o f th o u g h t in t h e i r own m i n d s . 2
However, th e p r a c t i c a l n eed s o f th e p r e a c h in g s i t u a t i o n , and an
o v e r r id in g con cern th a t th e main p u rp o se o f p r e a ch in g be m et, ta k e o v er
a t t h is p o in t ; and, F agal adds p r a g m a t ic a lly ,
N e v e r t h e le s s , I do f e e l t h a t i n each sermon an o p p o r tu n ity
sh o u ld be g iv e n f o r any h e a r e r t o a c c e p t C h r is t som etim es
we ask them to r a i s e t h e i r h a n d s, or s ta n d to t h e i r f e e t ,
in a r e c o n s e c r a t io n . Som etim es I u se a b r i e f p ra y er to
c o n c lu d e . But commitment i s th e main p u rp ose o f th e con
c lu s io n . And I o ft e n w orry t h a t th e r e may be someone out
th e r e on th e v e r g e o f a d e c i s i o n , and th a t i f I f a i l to
p r o v id e him w ith an o p p o r tu n ity to ta k e h i s s ta n d , he m ight
n e v e r do i t a fte r w a r d .^
T h is b e in g th e c a s e , th e c o n c lu s io n form w i l l seldom d e v ia t e
from one o f th e k in d s w hich r e a d i l y le n d s i t s e l f to a d ir e c t a p p e a l,
fo llo w e d by an o p p o r tu n ity o f some k in d f o r an in d iv id u a l r e s p o n s e .

Sermon s t y l e . The t h ir d canon o f r h e t o r i c , th a t o f s t y l e , i s

concerned w ith two problem s i n la n gu age:

word c h o ic e , and th e s u b s e

quent arrangem ent o f th e words th u s c h o sen .

For th e sp eech c r i t i c s ,

Thonssen and B a ird , s t y l e i s se e n as "the in s t r u m e n t a lit y through w hich

id e a s are made m ean in gfu l,*' th u s c lo t h i n g th e s p e a k e r 's r ea so n and
em otion " in such words as w i l l have i n t e l l i g i b i l i t y v a lu e fo r h is
h earers.

1I b id . ,

7.

^ I b id . ,

7.

2 I b id . , 6.

^Thonssen and B aird , 4 3 0 .

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For John A. Broadus th e th r e e c h i e f e le m e n ts o f sermon s t y l e are
c le a r n e s s , e n e rg y , and e le g a n c e .^

A l l th r e e q u a l i t i e s are e i t h e r e x p l i

c i t l y o r i m p l i c i t l y r e c o g n iz e d in W illia m F a g a l's th in k in g on th e
su b ject o f s t y le .
Broadus l i s t s

" c le a r n e s s " f i r s t in h i s l i s t .

I t i s f o r F a g a l,

to o :
C la r it y i s most im p o rta n t. I f th e sp e a k e r c a n t be under
s to o d , th en he "should o f sto o d in b ed ." ^ I m a bug on
th is .
I h a te to come away from l i s t e n i n g to a s p e a k e r , and
n o t have a c le a r p ic t u r e o f what he was t a lk in g a b o u t, or
what he wanted me to do about i t . ^
" V iv id n ess" and "energy" are a l s o l i s t e d by F agal as b e in g
"im portant"; b u t, o f even g r e a t e r s i g n i f i c a n c e f o r him i s " s im p lic it y " :
The u s u a l s t y l i s t i c q u a l i t i e s a re d e s ir a b le ; b u t I worry
th a t i f I g e t to o bound up in w ord s, t h a t I wont b e a b le to
com m unicate. I have found from e x p e r ie n c e th a t th e
c a r e f u lly - p la n n e d sermon o f t e n may go f l a t .
" S im p lic it y
thus i s th e key word f o r me.
Y e t, I l i k e to u se n ic e w o rd s, c a tc h y w ords. I l i k e
good, e x p r e s s iv e w ords.
In my l a t e r y e a r s I have t r i e d to
b u ild up my v o c a b u la r y --I have k e p t a paperback d ic t io n a r y
in th e g lo v e compartment o f my c a r , e v e n .
I look up words
fr e q u e n t ly when I m r e a d i n g . 4
Even in th e m a tter o f word c h o ic e and word arrangem ent, how ever,
th ou gh t about th e p a r tn e r s h ip arrangem ent b etw een th e p r e a ch er and h i s

^Broadus and W eatherspoon, 2 4 0 , 2 5 2 , 2 6 9 .

2

C f. B a r t l e t t , 9 7 5 . Remark a t t r i b u t e d t o Joe J a c o b s , who l e f t a

s ic k -b e d to go to D e tr o it in O cto b er, 1935, to a tte n d th e W orld's S e r ie s
He b e t on C hicago, w hich l o s t to D e t r o i t . When he r e tu r n e d to New York,
he made t h i s comment t o s p o r ts w r it e r s when th e y came t o in t e r v ie w him .
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 19 6 6 , 7.
4~Ibid. The d ic t io n a r y r e f e r r e d to i s :
W eb ster's New World
D ic tio n a r y o f the American Language.
( L e t t e r from W illia m A. F a g a l,
New York, November 7, 1966, 2 . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as W illia m Fagal L e t t e r ,
Nov. 7, 1 9 6 6 .)

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D iv in e h e lp e r , th e Holy S p i r i t , i s n o t f a r from F a g a l's mind.

P e r ce p

t i v e l y , he a ffir m s :
The H oly S p i r i t i s no s u b s t i t u t e f o r p r e p a r a tio n , o f
c o u r s e . Y e t, on th e o th e r hand, th e sp ea k er f o r God must
have th e S p i r i t ' s h e lp .
I do f e e l , th ou gh , th a t i t i s a
g r o ss presu m ption on th e p a r t o f th e m in is t e r to e n t e r th e
p u lp it w ith o u t h a v in g made ad eq u ate p r e p a r a tio n . I w r ite
o u t a l l my sermons ahead o f tim e , w o rd -fo r-w o rd , t o g e t th e
words r i g h t , s t r a i g h t .
I a v o id r e a d in g in d e liv e r y , how
e v e r ; and I a v o id n o te s a t a l l . *

Sermon memory. From a n c ie n t tim e s u n t i l th e m iddle o f th e 18th

c e n tu r y , "memory" was c o n s id e r e d th e fo u r th canon o f r h e t o r ic , thanks to
th e em phasis p la c e d upon i t by H ip p ia s o f E l i s , c o n sid e r e d by some to be
th e " fa th e r " o f t h i s canon.

Memory was in c lu d e d by Q u in t ilia n in th e

F ir s t Century A.D. as a c o n s t it u e n t o f r h e t o r ic , and a ls o by th e m ed iev a l

r h e t o r ic ia n s .

B ut, in th e m id -1 8 th c e n tu r y , su ch E n g lish p r a c t i t io n e r s

o f th e a r t as B la ir , C am pbell, and Karnes dropped th e canon o f memory;

and t h e i r 19th c en tu r y s u c c e s s o r s , such as W hately, H i l l , and Genung,
f a i l e d to r e v iv e i t .
In our own day, th e canon i s s t i l l

l o s t , so dead th a t even

T honssen and B aird d e v o te o n ly a few l i n e s to th e memory o f H ip p ia s and

t h a t , i n c i d e n t a l l y , in th e h i s t o r i c a l p o r tio n o f t h e i r work, n o t in th e
s e c t io n d ev o ted to " stan d ard s o f judgm ent."
B ut, f o r W illiam A. F a g a l, th e canon o f memory i s n e it h e r dead
nor l o s t !

The n a tu re o f F a g a l's w ork, in th e dram atic " en a cted p a r a b le s"

which are a p r e lu d e to h i s ser m o n ette on " F aith fo r Today," has r e q u ir e d

th a t he d ev elo p th e l a t e n t powers o f memory.

And a lth o u g h he read s h is

ser m o n ette on th e s c r e e n , by th e a id o f an AutoCue, h e n e v e r t h e le s s

memorizes h is dram atic s c r i p t s v e rb a tim .

How does he do i t ?

^ Ib id .

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Memory i s d e v e lo p e d through e x e r c i s e .
In t e l e v i s i o n , I
memorize my s c r i p t s c o m p le te ly .
In th e e a r l i e s t days o f TV
b r o a d c a s tin g , I u sed to g e t up a t 3 a.m . t o spend th r e e
hours in r e h e a r s a l o f th e s c r i p t .
Then, l a t e r , i t to o k o n ly
two h o u r s. And s t i l l l a t e r , o n ly o n e. Now, I memorize th e
s c r i p t a f t e r a r r iv in g a t th e s t u d io j u s t b e fo r e we b e g in to
sh o o t!
I make no c o n s c io u s e f f o r t a t m em o riza tio n ; I th in k o f
th e o u t l i n e , g e n e r a ll y , r a th e r th an m erely th e w ord s.
I
have on o c c a s io n r e s o r t e d to th e u s u a l t r i c k s o f th e tr a d e ,
mnemonic l i s t s o f fo u r w ords, making one s e n te n c e cue
a n o th e r , e t c . l > 2
But th e developm ent o f t h i s p a r t o f h i s m ental pow ers may w e ll
have had a b e n e f i c i a l " f a l l - o u t " e f f e c t on W illia m F a g a l's d e liv e r y o f
serm ons, a s id e from h i s dram atic p a r ts in th e TV s t u d io , as w i l l be
n o ted in th e c h a p te r w hich f o ll o w s .

Sermon d e l i v e r y . W illiam F a g a l's e x p r e s s e d v ie w s on th e f i f t h

and f i n a l canon o f r h e t o r ic , d e liv e r y , encom pass th e f o llo w in g a r e a s :
(1) how sermon d e liv e r y i s to be le a r n e d , (2 ) th e a t t i t u d e s and a c t io n s
which in f lu e n c e th e e f f e c t i v e n e s s o f sermon d e l i v e r y ,
method o f d e l i v e r y ,

(3 ) th e b e s t

(4) th e u se o f th e v o ic e i n d e l i v e r y , and (5) th e

r e a d in g o f th e S c r ip tu r e s in th e c o n te x t o f d e l i v e r y .
W illia m A. F agal a g r ee s w ith H. M. S. R ic h a r d s, h i s c o u n te r p a r t
on A d v e n tis t r a d io , t h a t d e liv e r y i s b e s t le a r n e d by p r e a c h in g , r a th e r
than by th eo r y :

A ctu a l e x p e r ie n c e te a c h e s an o b se r v a n t sp e a k e r what goes

o v e r w ith h i s a u d ie n c e , and what d o e s n 't .
I d o n 't f e e l ,
h o n e s t ly , t h a t my one c l a s s in sp e ec h i n c o l l e g e h e lp e d me
v e r y much.

1I b id .
^Said P a s to r F a g a l's m other, " W illia m 's f a t h e r had an e x c e l l e n t
memory, and W illia m a p p a r e n tly in h e r it e d i t .
He h a s , o f c o u r se ,
im proved i t w ith e x e r c i s e ."
(Anna F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 9 , 1966, 1 .)
^ A lexan d er, 119.

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I 'v e b een i n t e r e s t e d in o b s e r v in g o th e r s p e a k e r s , and I
have c o n s c io u s ly t r i e d t o le a r n from t h e i r f a i l u r e s as w e ll
as from t h e i r s u c c e s s e s . On more than one o c c a s io n I 'v e
t r i e d to f ig u r e o u t why a man d id n 't g e t h i s m essage a c r o s s
d e s p ite th e f a c t t h a t he had good m a t e r i a l . 1
Sermon d e liv e r y e f f e c t i v e n e s s may be a f f e c t e d by many f a c t o r s ;
and a m in is t e r ought to be c a r e f u l c o n c e r n in g a t t i t u d e s and a c t io n s
which might h in d e r , i f n o t e n t i r e l y n e g a t e , h i s work in th e p u l p i t .
D e liv e r y s h o u ld be c h a r a c t e r iz e d b y "deep s i n c e r i t y , " F a g a l
fe e ls .

"A man s h o u ld speak from l i f e , and sh o u ld b e l i e v e from h i s

h e a r t."

P e r so n a l e x p e r ie n c e s are b e s t - - s im p le s t o r i e s , w e l l t o l d .

As r eg a r d s th e v a r io u s m ethods o f sermon d e liv e r y --m a n u s c r ip t

r e a d in g , m em oriter, and e x te m p o r e --F a g a l h as some v ery d e c id e d id e a s on
th e s u b je c t:
I fo llo w th e extem poraneous method in my s p e a k in g . I t r y
to g e t away c o m p le te ly from n o t e s .
I h a te to h e a r a sermon
(o r a sp e ec h ) r e a d . And i t i s dan gerous t o memorize s e r m o n s--th ey te n d to become s in g - s o n g , l i k e r e c i t a t i o n s , or
"speakin g a p i e c e . " 3 ,4
Fagal f e e l s th a t g e n e r a lly m in is t e r s n eed t o pay more a t t e n t i o n
to v o c a l q u a l i t i e s in th e p u l p i t th an th e y ten d to do.

He f e e l s th a t a

la ck o f v o c a l v a r ie t y i s th e m ost g rave o m issio n in th e d e liv e r y o f many

men who would o th e r w is e b e q u it e p r o d u c tiv e o f good in th e s a c r e d d e sk .
Fagal f e e l s he h as b e n e f it e d from h i s o p p o r tu n ity o f rubb ing
sh o u ld er s w ith p r o f e s s io n a l a c to r s f o r more than two and o n e - h a l f
d eca d es.

A lthough he h im s e lf h as n e v e r s t u d ie d d r a m a tic s , he f e e l s t h a t

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 7.

^I b i d . , 8.

^ I b id .

^ V ir g in ia F agal b e l i e v e s h e r husband has b een g r e a t ly in f lu e n c e d

by Norman V in cen t P e a le 's method o f d e l i v e r y . She s a i d , " B i l l adm ires
P e a le 's d e liv e r y and a p p r e c ia te s th e man's p e r s o n a l q u a l i t i e s , i f n o t
some o f h is t h e o l o g i c a l id e a s . He met him once on a t r a i n s e v e r a l y e a r s
ago; and he h as d efen d ed P e a le on some p o in t s b e fo r e S e v e n th -d a y
A d v e n tist m i n i s t e r i a l g r o u p s, f e e l i n g t h e s e men m isu n d ersto o d P e a le 's
p o s i t i o n ."
( V ir g in ia F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 9 , 1966, 1 .)

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a t t e n t io n t o some o f th e f a c t o r s c o n s id e r e d in a c t in g s c h o o l w ould
b e n e f it many men o f th e c l o t h .

P a r t i c u l a r l y does he f e e l th a t " p a cin g '1

i s im p o rta n t, b o th in b r o a d c a s tin g and i n th e p u l p i t - - b u t "but change o f

pace s h o u ld n 't b e made to o a r t i f i c i a l , to o 'd r a m a tic .
C oncerning much t h a t p a s s e s f o r " d e liv e r y " in many churches
to d a y , F agal s a y s , e m p h a tic a lly ,
I abom inate th e s o - c a l l e d " m i n is t e r i a l tune" [ t o n e ] .
In th e
p u l p i t , a m in is t e r sh o u ld t a l k t o th e p e o p le , as i f to one
i n d iv id u a l, c o n v e r s a t i o n a l l y .2
Fagal h as n e v e r s u f f e r e d s e v e r e ly from s t a g e f r i g h t w hich in c a
p a c i t a t e s , a lth o u g h he does r e p o r t to b e in g n ervou s e v er y tim e j u s t
b e fo r e he b e g in s to sp e a k .

S om etim es, he s a y s , i t shows in h is v o i c e .

But th e im p o rta n t t h in g , he f e e l s , i s t o g a in c o n t r o l, m astery o v e r t h i s

nervous e n e rg y , and tu rn i t i n t o p r o d u c tiv e dynam ic.
F i n a l l y , on th e s u b j e c t o f r e a d in g th e S c r ip tu r e s a lo u d in
p u b lic , F agal has alw ays lo v e d t h i s p a r t o f h i s m i n i s t e r i a l work:
One can read them in a way th a t w i l l b r in g "som ething new"
to th e p e o p le .
I e n jo y r e a d in g th e S c r ip tu r e s as much as I
e n jo y p r e a c h in g i t s e l f . They can b e rea d in a d u l l , dead
way, or in a f r e s h , new app roach, from b e g in n in g to e n d .3
In o rd er t o r ea d i n t e l l i g e n t l y

(a s d is t in g u is h e d from i n t e l l i

g ib ly ) , one must g e t b eh in d th e w r it t e n word on th e page in o rd er to

b r in g th e p rop er v o c a l i n f l e c t i o n to b e a r in th e r e a d in g , he f e e l s :
And i n f l e c t i o n i s e v e r y th in g . A c to rs know t h i s , and th ey
are th e ones who have su c c e e d e d in m a ste r in g t h i s a r t . You
remember th e s t o r y o f th e b is h o p and th e a c t o r who t r a v e l l e d
on an ocean steam er many y e a r s a g o . One day th e y asked th e
a c to r to r e c i t e th e 23rd P salm , w hich he d id , w ith g r e a t
e f f e c t b e fo r e h i s f e l l o w p a s s e n g e r s in th e s h i p ' s lo u n g e.
The p e o p le app laud ed lo n g and lo u d . Then someone s u g g e s te d
t h a t th e b ish o p a ls o r e c i t e th e P salm . He d id s o , in a
r a th e r trem ulou s v o i c e . When he f i n i s h e d , h ow ever, th e r e
was no a p p la u se , o n ly a g r e a t s i l e n c e , a hushed s t i l l n e s s .

1I b i d .

2 I b id .

3 I b id .

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The a c to r q u i e t l y s to o d and s a i d , "The d if f e r e n c e i s t h i s :
I know th e P salm , b u t th e b ish o p knows th e S h ep herd ."
One sh o u ld read w ith m eaning, o u t o f th e depth o f o n e 's
own e x p e r ie n c e and f e e l i n g , n o t as i f th e l i n e s w ere an
a c t o r 's p r o p .l

R e fle c te d P a r a lle lis m s i n F a g a l's R h e to r ic a l Theory

The r h e t o r ic o f W illia m A. F agal m ight b e c a l l e d an e c l e c t i c

r h e t o r ic , e m p ir ic a lly d e r iv e d in a p ra g m a tic approach.

I t does n o t , how

e v e r , appear to have been d e v e lo p e d m erely on a h it -a n d -m is s b a s i s .

W illiam F agal s t a t e s th a t no te x tb o o k s were em ployed e it h e r in
h is c o lle g e sp eech or c o lle g e h o m ile t ic s c l a s s e s by th e in s t r u c t o r .

He

h a s , o f c o u r se , read w id e ly s in c e th o se u n dergradu ate d ays; and today one

o f the books in h is lib r a r y w hich b e a r s e v id e n c e o f c a r e f u l , th o u g h tfu l
stu d y i s Robert T. O liv e r 's P sy ch o lo g y o f P e r s u a s iv e S p e e c h .
F a g a l, t h e r e f o r e , i s n o t tod ay e n t i r e l y u n a cq u a in ted w ith a
formal body o f r h e t o r ic a l th e o r y .

However, th e f a c t t h a t many o f F a g a l's

id e a s on p r e a ch in g f in d a d ir e c t p a r a l l e l in h o m il e t ic a l p r e c e p ts
advanced by Broadus and o th e r le a d e r s i n a p p lie d th e o lo g y s tr o n g ly s u g
g e s t s to t h i s w r it e r two p o s s i b i l i t i e s :
(1) F a g a l's h o m ile t ic s in s t r u c t o r in c o lle g e may h im s e lf have
been s te e p e d in th e t r a d it io n s o f c l a s s i c a l r h e t o r ic ; and (2) the f a c t
th a t F agal may h a v e, la r g e ly on h i s own, s u b c o n s c io u s ly d e r iv e d a lo o s e l y
form u lated body o f r h e t o r ic a l th e o r y by t h i s e m p ir ic a l mannerid e a s
which so c l o s e l y p a r a l l e l th e id e a s o f th e a n c ie n ts --m a y in one se n se
p r o v id e a h e l p f u l , la t t e r - d a y v a l id a t i o n o f th e p o s t u la t e s o f the c l a s s i
c a l and modern r h e t o r ic ia n s .

1I b id .

2I b id ., 1.

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At any r a t e , F a g a l's d e r iv e d r h e t o r ic f in d s numerous p a r a l l e l s ,

n ot o n ly w ith th e sta n d a rd Broadus h o m il e t ic a l w ork, b u t a ls o w ith o th e r
r h e t o r ic a l t h in k in g and p r a c t i c e , as we s h a l l now n o t e .
The summary w hich f o llo w s i s n o t o f f e r e d e i t h e r as an e x h a u s tiv e
it e m iz a t io n o f p a r a l l e l s betw een F a g a l's th in k in g and t h a t o f o th er
r e c o g n iz e d t h e o r e t i c i a n s and p r a c t i c i o n e r s , o r as an a ttem p t to tr a c e
s p e c i f i c p a r a l l e l s t o an o r ig in a l s o u r c e .

R ath er, i t i s p ro v id ed to

in d ic a t e p o s s i b l e in f lu e n c e s on F a g a l's th in k in g by t r a d i t i o n a l and con

tem porary a u t h o r i t i e s , and to show th a t F a g a l's th in k in g i s - - i n s p i t e o f
a la c k o f form al t r a i n i n g in th e m ainstream o f contem porary th o u g h t.

The F agal em phasis on h o p e, b o th in term s

s p i r i t o f op tim ism and a ls o th e m o tiv a tin g d e s ir e

o f th e p e r v a siv e
to h e lp o t h e r s , i s

s tr o n g ly r e m in is c e n t o f th e work o f b o th T. DeW itt Talmage and Harry

Emerson F o s d ic k .
T alm age, nom inated by C la ren ce M acartney as one o f h i s S ix Kings
o f th e American P u l p i t , was to P r o te s ta n t p r e a c h in g in th e U n ited S t a t e s
a t th e b e g in n in g o f th e 20th cen tu ry what Henry Ward B eecher was to th e
country in th e C i v i l War era a h a lf - c e n t u r y e a r l i e r .

In h i s h eyd ay, h is

sermons w ere p u b lis h e d w eek ly in betw een 3 ,5 0 0 and 3 ,6 0 0 new spapers in

th e U. S. a lo n e , and h i s B rooklyn church had th e l a r g e s t s e a t in g c a p a c ity
o f any p la c e o f w orsh ip a t th e tim e .
Talmage was known as an a p o s t le o f h o p e.
t h is "king"

by M acartney m ight e q u a lly be a p p lie d

The d e s c r ip t io n o f
to W illiam A. F agal:

One o f th e s e c r e t s o f h is ap p eal u n d o u b ted ly was h i s

i n v i n c i b l e op tim ism . This r a d ia te d n o t o n ly in h i s w r it t e n
and spoken serm on s, b u t in h i s p e r so n a l a p p earan ce. . . .
When he commenced h i s m in is t r y , h e was n o t s t r o n g . Now and
th en he w ould o v e rh ea r p e o p le s a y , "Ah, he i s n o t lo n g f o r
t h i s w o r ld ." T h is made him r e s o lv e th a t n e v e r in m eeting

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321
o th e r p e o p le or in c o n v e r s a tio n w ith them w ould he s a y any
th in g t h a t was d e p r e s s in g . He was a g r e a t o p t i m i s t . 1
And o f h i s g r e a t h u m a n ity , h i s g r e a t i n t e r e s t in th e in d iv id u a l,
Macartney s a y s o f Talmage:
L ik e m ost p r e a c h e r s , he p rea ch ed to th e h e a r t . He made
i t th e aim in h i s p r e a c h in g alw ays to h e lp som ebody. He
s a i d , "A p r e a ch er sh o u ld s t a r t o u t w ith th e id e a o f h e lp in g
somebody. Everybody w ants to h e lp e x c e p t a f o o l . " One o f
th e s e c r e t s o f h i s s u c c e s s , u n d o u b ted ly , la y in th e f a c t
th a t he had a warm h e a r t .
There was a deep v e in o f s e n t i
ment in him .^
T h is con cern f o r h e lp in g p e o p le in t h e i r problem s i s a ls o
r e v e a le d as one o f th e m ost p rom in en t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f th e e m b a ttle d
champion o f lib e r a lis m in th e T w en ties and T h i r t i e s , Harry Emerson
F osd ick .

In a c h a p ter on p r e a c h in g in h i s a u to b io g r a p h y , The L iv in g o f

These D ays, F o s d ic k 's cred o comes through loud and c le a r :

Any p r e a c h e r who, w ith even m oderate s k i l l , i s th u s
h e lp in g f o lk s to s o lv e t h e i r r e a l problem s i s f u n c t io n in g .
He w i l l n e v e r la c k an a u d ie n c e . He may have l i t t l e le a r n in g
or e lo q u e n c e b u t he i s d o in g th e one th in g w hich i s a
p r e a c h e r 's s p e c i a l b u s i n e s s . He i s d e l iv e r i n g th e goods
which th e community h as a r ig h t t o e x p e c t from th e p u l p i t . 3
The c a u sa l lin k w hich F agal s e e s betw een an a u d ie n c e s r e sp o n
s iv e n e s s and th e s u c c e s s o f th e p r e a ch er in m in is t e r in g to i t i s d i r e c t l y
r e f l e c t e d in th e s t a t e d p o s i t i o n o f C lo v is G. C h a p p e ll, t h a t grand o ld
man o f S ou thern M ethodism, who h as b ro u g h t o u t some 40 volum es o f sermons
(on th e average o f one a y e a r s i n c e 1921) and who a t th e age o f 80
(1 9 6 2 ), in " r e tir e m e n t," p rea ch ed an average o f 300 serm ons p e r y e a r !
Said C h a p p ell, once l i s t e d as one o f A m erica's to p 12 p r e a c h e r s , to t h i s
w r ite r in a p e r s o n a l in t e r v ie w in 1962:

1 (P h ila d e lp h ia :

The W estm in ster P r e s s , 1 9 4 2 ), 167.

2 I b i d . , 165.
3 (New York:

H arper Row, P u b lis h e r s , 1 9 5 6 ), 9 5 .

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322

Between 50 and 90 p e r c e n t o f th e c r e d i t f o r e v er y
s u c c e s s f u l sermon i s due to th e c o n g r e g a tio n , n o t to th e
p r e a c h e r , m e r e ly . . . . Church members a re n o t chessm en.
There are "dry" c o n g r e g a tio n s , j u s t as w e ll as "dry"
s p e a k e r s . A dry c o n g r e g a tio n can d eh y d ra te a p r e a c h e r ,
j u s t sq u e e ze him and w ring him ou t d r y . 1
F a g a l's s tr o n g p r o c l i v i t y f o r b io g r a p h ic a l sermons a ls o fin d s
i t s c o u n te r p a r t in th e th in k in g o f Dr. C h a p p e ll, u n d o u b ted ly th e f o r e
most exponent o f b io g r a p h ic a l p r e a c h in g in th e w o rld tod ay:
P eop le a r e , a f t e r a l l , more i n t e r e s t e d in p e o p le , than
in an y th in g e l s e in th e w o rld .
B io g r a p h ic a l serm ons are th e
most h e l p f u l , t h e r e f o r e , b e c a u se th e y come up ou t o f l i f e .
D iv in e n a tu r e and human n a tu r e are two th in g s th a t d o n 't
change. . . . "Human" p r e a ch in g i s th e o n ly k in d t h a t ' s
w orth any t h i n g . 2
The p a s s io n fo r books (w hich s t i l l consumes much o f W illiam
F a g a l's incom e, as w e ll as h is tim e) i s sh a red by many s u c c e s s f u l
p rea ch ers to d a y .

And i n t e n s iv e r e a d in g and s tu d y as a p r e r e q u i s i t e to

power in th e p u l p i t are se e n in a d v ic e t o young p r e a c h e r s a l l th e way

from th e c o u n se l o f th e A p o stle Paul to th e f l e d g l i n g Timothy ("Give
a tten d a n c e to r e a d in g ." I Tim. 4 :1 3 ) down to F o sd ick in th e 20th c e n tu r y ,
who t o ld t h i s w r it e r , in a p e r s o n a l in t e r v ie w in 1962:
I do two ty p e s o f r e a d in g - - I am an om nivorous r e a d e r .
I read any book at th e top o f th e l i s t n o v e l s , b u t
e s p e c i a l l y b io g r a p h y . I accu m ulated a la r g e b io g r a p h ic a l
lib r a r y . . . . I alw ays have a book w it h in r e a c h . I read
w h ile I am p r e p a r in g my serm on s, a t n i g h t , w henever th e r e
i s tim e .
I le a v e books s c a t t e r e d a l l o v e r th e h o u se in
p a r t i a l s t a g e s o f c o m p le tio n , and I alw ays s c h e d u le my
a c t i v i t i e s so th a t I can p ic k up a b o o k , when I have a few
moments, and go r ig h t on where I l e f t o f f . 3

1962, 1.

^Interview w ith C lo v is G. C h a p p e ll, W averly, T e n n ., June 11,

C ite d h e r e a f t e r as C hap pell I n te r v ie w .
2 I b i d . , 10.
7

I n te r v ie w w ith Harry Emerson F o s d ic k , B r o n x v ille , N. Y .,

S ep t. 6 , 1962, 2.

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323

The v e r a c i t y o f t h i s s ta te m e n t i s a t t e s t e d t o by t h i s w r i t e r , who
conducted th e in t e r v ie w w ith Dr. F o sd ick in th e l a t t e r ' s R iverm ere
Apartment in suburban New Y ork.

There were b o o k s, p a r t i a l l y r e a d , w ith

markers to show th e l a s t s to p p in g p la c e , even in Dr. F o s d ic k 's bathroom !

A nother o f A m erica 's " top tw e lv e " in th e p u l p i t to d a y whose
s u c c e s s may l a r g e l y be a t t r ib u t e d to an i n t e n s i v e r e a d in g and s tu d y
program i s L ouis H. E vans, f o r 12 y e a r s (1 9 4 1 -5 3 ) m in is t e r o f th e
la r g e s t P r e s b y te r ia n Church in th e w orld (H ollyw ood F i r s t C h u rch ), and
now m i n i s t e r - a t - l a r g e f o r th e P r e s b y te r ia n N a tio n a l Board o f M is s io n s .
During h is p a s t o r a l d a y s, Evans was in h i s s tu d y a t 6 :3 0 a.m .
d a i l y , and rem ained th e r e u n t i l a f t e r 11 a.m .

H is s tu d y program , w h ile

much more in t e n s iv e th an F a g a l ' s , in term s o f tim e s p e n t , n e v e r t h e le s s

r e f l e c t s n e a r ly i d e n t i c a l t o p i c a l a rea s o f i n t e r e s t and c o n c e r n .
Juadina S t a l l i n g s , Evans' b io g r a p h e r and sp e ec h c r i t i c , q u o te s him as
sa y in g :
On Tuesday from n in e to t e n , I read Greek f o r ety m o lo g y
(and th en ) b io g r a p h y .
From te n t o t w e lv e , B ib le e x p o s i t i o n ,
and th en l i g h t sermon p r e p a r a tio n . Wednesday m orning, B ib le
a n a ly s is , s in c e I'm g e t t i n g ready f o r a p r a y e r m e e tin g t h a t
n ig h t , and th e n , m aybe, c u r r e n t e v e n t s .
From te n t o t w e lv e ,
B ib le e x p o s it io n . T hursday, s c ie n c e and movements o f h i s
to r y . Ten to t w e lv e , sermon p r e p a r a tio n . F rid a y I r ea d in
a l l f i e l d s . Y ou've g o t to do th a t b e c a u se t h a t ' s where
your p e o p le come from . You must ta k e your i l l u s t r a t i o n s
from t h e ir l i v e s . And th en on F rid a y I g e t my f e e t w et in
p h ilo s o p h ie s o f a l l k in d s .
I keep a r e s e a r c h s e c t i o n o f 120
l o o s e l e a f n o teb o o k s on 300 o r more s u b j e c t s .
I f I u s e an
ite m , I alw ays j o t down b e s id e i t th e d a te and p la c e I u se
it .1
C lo s e ly c o n n e c te d in W illia m F a g a l's r h e t o r i c a l th e o r y are h is
r ea d in g program and h is method o f a llo w in g th e sermon to grow in d u c t iv e ly

' S ta llin g s, 1 0 0 -1 0 1 .

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324

out o f h i s r e a d in g , r a th e r th a n p ic k in g a s p e c i f i c t o p i c and th en
s i t t i n g down and s t a r t i n g to read from t h e r e .
T h is method was th e one a ls o em ployed by th e l a t e J osep h R.
S iz o o , d is t in g u is h e d American clergym an o f th e Reformed f a i t h .
Dr. S iz o o , famous as th e m in is t e r who p rea ch ed W illia m J en n in g s B ryan's
fu n e r a l serm on, w as, s u c c e s s i v e l y , p a s t o r o f th e n a t i o n a l l y - s i g n i f i c a n t
New York Avenue P r e s b y te r ia n Church (whose W ashington p u lp it was l a t e r
f i l l e d by P e te r M a r s h a ll), p r e s id e n t o f New Brunswick T h e o lo g ic a l
Sem inary, and p r o f e s s o r o f r e l i g i o n and c h a p la in o f George W ashington
U n iv e r s it y .
In an in t e r v ie w w ith t h i s w r it e r a t h i s u n iv e r s it y o f f i c e
fo llo w in g h is l a s t ch a p el t a lk o f th e 1958-59 academ ic y e a r , Dr. S iz o o
r e f le c t e d :
How do I g e t my sermon id e a s ? By a d a il y r e a d in g o f th e
B ib le .
I r ea d v e r y s lo w ly , u n t i l som eth in g h i t s me. I s to p
t h e r e , put i t in a l o o s e - l e a f n o teb o o k .
I keep m u llin g i t
o v er a l l d ay. At th e end o f th e day, I p u t i t a l l down on a
p a g e . The n e x t d ay, I go on. T h is has two a d v a n ta g es:
(1)
I am n ev er s h o r t o f m a t e r ia l, and (2) I alw ays have a u th o r
ity .
(I p r e a c h , o f c o u r s e , e x p o s ito r y se r m o n s--th e t o p i c a l
i s p a s s e . P eo p le d o n 't ca re about what you t h in k , th e y ca re
about what God s a y s . ) l
S iz o o and F agal a ls o s e e ey e to eye on th e q u e s tio n o f u s in g
o th e r m in is t e r 's serm on s.

S a id S iz o o :

Be an i n d i v i d u a l i s t . Know what o th e r s are th in k in g ,

b u t d o n 't u s e t h e i r m a te r ia l as g r i s t f o r your m i l l . . . .
I t ' s one th in g t o know th e tr e n d ; i t ' s a n o th er t o be a
h e a l e r .2
The concern f o r s p i r i t u a l p r e p a r a tio n in th e m i n i s t e r 's own l i f e
which appears to be a consum ing p a s s io n in th e l i f e o f W illiam A. F a g a l,

*-Interview w ith Josep h R. S iz o o , p r o f e s s o r o f r e l i g i o n and chap

l a i n , George W ashington U n iv e r s it y , W ashington, D. C ., May 13, 1959, 3-4
2 I b id . , 5.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

325

i s a ls o w id e ly sh a red by h i s c o lle a g u e s i n th e m in is t r y as th e number

one p r e r e q u i s i t e .

S a id C lo v is C h ap p ell:

I n t e l l i g e n t laymen s u f f e r when a p r e a c h e r d o e s n 't p r e

p a r e . He owes i t to th e p e o p le , and to God, t o do h i s b e s t .
But t h e r e ' s more to p r e p a r a tio n th a n b o o k s. Bud R obinson o f
th e N azarene Church was c o n v e r te d in h i s m id - t w e n t ie s . He
broke th e laws o f gram m ar--but he broke h e a r ts as w e l l .
I d
r a th e r h e a r a man s a y , "I s e e n ," whenhe had s e e n , th an "I
saw ," when he h a d n 't s e e n a n y th in g a t a l l .
And d e s p it e h i s
la ck in c e r t a in a r e a s , Bud R obinson h e lp e d p rep a re n e a r ly
100 men f o r th e m i n i s t r y . 1
The F agal

unquenchable t h i r s t f o r

h o ld in g a t t e n t io n e v er y moment

i s h e ld in common by o th e r s u c c e s s f u l s p e a k e r s , b o th th o se in th e p u l p it
and th o s e o u t s id e .
For exam p le, P r e s id e n t R ichard M. N ixon , in d is c u s s in g h is
r h e t o r ic a l th e o r y w ith f r e e - l a n c e m agazine w r it e r J u le s W itc o v e r, in
1967, s a i d ,
The w o r st s i n i s to b e d u l l .
T h a t's th e tr o u b le w ith
th e i n t e l l e c t u a l s . They have no warmth when i t comes down
t o b e in g i n t e r e s t e d in p e o p le . The r ea so n I d o n 't u se a
t e x t i s b e c a u se I want to e s t a b l i s h ra p p o rt w ith th e l i t t l e
guy in th e a u d ie n c e . T h a t's th e s e c r e t : n o t b e in g to o
c o n tr iv e d , n o t p r a c t ic in g i n fr o n t o f a m irro r b e fo r e h a n d ,
n o t w r it in g e v e r y word o u t .
I t means my sp e ec h i s lo o s e r
than I w an t, b u t i t ' s w orth i t .
I t ' s making a m ista k e once
in a w h ile .
But t h a t ' s w orth i t , t o o . 2
And C lo v is C hap pell a ffir m s t h a t "the f i r s t e s s e n t i a l o f a s e r 7

mon i s th a t i t be i n t e r e s t i n g . "
In b e l i e v i n g in th e im p ortance o f u s in g many i l l u s t r a t i o n s from
l i f e in g e n e r a l, and from th e l i v e s o f h i s h e a r e r s in p a r t i c u l a r , F agal
fo llo w s in th e f o o t s t e p s o f th e g r e a t h o m ile t ic ia n , Henry Ward B eech er,

'Chappell I n te r v ie w , 8.
^"Nixon f o r P r e s id e n t in
1967, 95.
Z

'6 8 ? ," Saturday E vening P o s t , Feb. 2 5 ,

C hap pell I n te r v ie w , 2 .

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326

who n o t o n ly founded th e B eecher L e c tu r e s h ip on P r e a ch in g a t Y ale U n iv e r

s ity

( in honor o f h i s f a t h e r , a n o th er em in en t p r e a c h e r , Lyman B e e c h e r ),

but who gave th e f i r s t th r e e annual s e r i e s a s w e l l .

B eech er, i n th e

f i r s t s e r i e s , t o l d th e m in is t e r s who a tte n d e d h i s sem inar:

Do n o t be ashamed to t a lk t o th e m i l l e r about h is m i l l ,
o r to th e plowman about h i s p lo w , and about th e grubs th a t
are under i t , and about e v e r y p a r t o f i t . . . . A m in is t e r
ought to b e th e b e s t inform ed man on th e fa c e o f th e e a r t h .
He ought t o s e e e v e r y th in g , in q u ir e abou t e v e r y th in g , and
be in t e r e s t e d in e v e r y t h in g .1
F a g a l's j u s t i f i c a t i o n o f h i s u se o f em otion in p r e a ch in g fin d s
an alm ost i d e n t i c a l p a r a l l e l in th e h o m i l e t i c a l th e o r y o f th e l a t e P e te r
M arsh all, form er c h a p la in o f th e U n ited S t a t e s S e n a te and p a s t o r o f th e
New York Avenue P r e sb y te r ia n Church i n th e n a t i o n ' s c a p i t a l where
Abraham L in co ln w orsh ip p ed .
Em otion, n o t r e a s o n in g , M a rsh a ll was c o n v in c e d , i s th e " r e a l
sp rin gb oard under th e w i l l to a c t i o n ." 2

B u t, as h i s widow, C a th erin e

M arsh all, l a t e r c l a r i f i e d :
By em otion he d id n o t mean e m o tio n a lis m , f o r which he
had contem pt. He h e a r t i l y d i s l i k e d a shaky trem o lo v o ic e ,
or th e " m in is t e r ia l ton e" once a s s o c ia t e d w ith th e saw dust
tr a il.
C a r e fu lly he avoid ed th e s t i c k y a d j e c t i v e s , th e
s la c k
and slo p p y a f f e c t a t i o n th a t r u in s tr u e r e v e r e n c e . . . .
Nor d id t h i s mean th a t P e te r d is p a r a g e d s c h o la r s h ip or
human i n t e l l i g e n c e , or th a t he b e li e v e d th a t o n e 's mind
ought to be parked o u t s id e th e church d o o r.
Not a t a l l .
It
was r a th e r h i s o f t - r e i t e r a t e d s ta te m e n t t h a t " C h r is t ia n it y
i s a m a tter o f p e r c e p t io n , n o t o f p r o o f ."
By em o tio n , P e te r meant th a t tr u th in e v e r y g e n e r a tio n
g e n e r a te s i t s own p e c u lia r p a s s io n ; and i t i s a v i r i l e , n o t
an i n s i p i d p a s s io n .^

*Yale L ec tu re s on P r e a c h in g , F i r s t S e r i e s
Howard, H u lb e r t, 1 8 8 1 ), 171.
2A Man C a lle d P e te r (New York:
1 9 5 1 ), 193.

(New York:

F ord s,

M cGraw-Hill Book Company, I n c . ,

3 I b i d . , 194.

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327

On humor, and th e q u e s tio n o f i t s

" s a n c t if ie d " u se in th e p u l

p i t , F agal sta n d s w ith many r e l i g i o u s and n o t a few s e c u l a r t h e o r i s t s

and p r a c t it io n e r s o f th e a r t o f p u b lic sp e a k in g .
As C h ap p ell s a i d , " A ll we do i s b r in g j o y , a l i t t l e k ic k in t o
l i f e " ; ^ and c o n c e r n in g h is own a t t it u d e tow ard humor, he v i r t u a l l y
ech oes th e F agal p o s it io n :
Humor? I c o u ld n 't g e t a lo n g w ith o u t i t .
I t ' s b e tte r to
have bad e y e s ig h t than no s e n s e o f humor. There i s , o f
c o u r se , a danger h e r e - - t h a t one w i l l m ajor on m in o rs. I
t e l l few j o k e s , a c t u a ll y ; and n e v e r jo k e f o r j o k e 's s a k e .
Humor th a t co u n ts i s s p o n ta n e o u s --th e r e i s much humor in th e
B ib le (th e P h a r is e e who s t r a i n s th e g n a t o u t o f h i s w ine and
then g u lp s down a c a ijie l!). No, la u g h te r and t e a r s are th e
warp and w oof o f l i f e .
I f you le a v e them o u t o f p r e a c h in g ,
you are le a v in g o u t l i f e i t s e l f . 2
F agal a g r e e s w ith K h a lil Gibran t h a t "a s e n s e o f humor i s a
s e n s e o f p r o p o r tio n ."

*Z

He r e c o g n iz e s , w ith B a lta s a r G rachian, th e

in h e r e n t danger in w hich "many g e t th e r e p u te o f b e in g w i t t y , b u t th ereb y

lo s e th e c r e d it o f b e in g s e n s i b l e . " 4

There i s no jo k in g f o r th e j o k e 's

s a k e --w ith R obert Burton he f e e l s th a t " w it w ith o u t employment i s

d ise a se " ;* and he h o ld s w ith S a lv a d o r de M adariaga t h a t "puns sh o u ld be
p u n ish ed u n le s s th e y be p u n g en t."
H ollyw ood comedian J o ey B ish o p , in an e s s a y on th e s u b j e c t ,
th e o r iz e d t h a t " p eo p le w ith a s e n se o f humor are a g e l e s s ," p r e c i s e l y
b ecau se th e y have t h i s s e n se o f humor:
I t r e a l l y does n o t m a tter i f you happen to be s i x or
s i x t y , th e f o lk s w ith a s e n s e o f humor alw ays seem to be
g e t t in g much more out o f l i f e in a d d itio n to g iv in g some
th in g to th o s e around them. I do n o t th in k i t m a tter s
w h eth er you are on th e g iv in g or r e c e iv in g end o f humor.
I t works th e same fo r e i t h e r end.
1

4 I b i d . , 308.

5I b i d . , 418.

1C h ap p ell I n te r v ie w , 5 .

I b i d . , 8.

C ite d in F le s c h , 165.
6 I b i d . , 308.

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328
Laugh and s t a y young.
s o u p .*

I t i s a lm o st as good as ch ic k e n

W illia m F agal f e e l s t h a t much o f h i s a p p e a l, to b o th young and

o ld a l i k e , i s due to th e f a c t t h a t h is j u d ic io u s u se o f humor as a g a r
n is h o r " sp ic e " ten d s t o r e la x h i s a u d ie n c e and make them f e e l young in
s p i r i t , as w e ll as more r e c e p t iv e to h i s m essa g e.
F agal has acknow ledged a g r e a t p e r s o n a l d eb t to h i s h o m ile t ic s
and th e o lo g y te a c h e r in c o l l e g e , E ld er Lewis H. H a r tin .

T h is m in is t e r

was r a th e r n o te d fo r h i s lo n g n o s e , c o n c e r n in g w hich he o f t e n made jo k e s

and some h in t o f j u s t what F agal means b y a " ju d ic io u s " u s e o f humor in
th e p u l p i t may be d is c e r n e d from th e p r o f e s s o r s own p o s i t i o n (and
p r a c t i c e ) , as i l l u s t r a t e d in th e f o llo w in g t r a n s c r ip t o f a p o r tio n o f
one o f h i s le c t u r e s to th e o lo g y s tu d e n ts in a h o m ile t ic s c l a s s a t
P a c i f i c Union C o lle g e in C a lif o r n i a , some te n d eca d es a f t e r W illia m
Fagal had s a t as a stu d e n t in h i s c l a s s e s :
I th in k a s e n se o f humor a t e a c h e r h as to have a s e n s e
o f humor, a p r e a ch er has t o have a s e n s e o f humor. And to
i l l u s t r a t e how f a r a s e n s e o f humor can g o , and s t i l l a
te a c h e r or s tu d e n t e n jo y i t :
I had a c l a s s one tim e in w h ic h - -a v e r y s m a ll group,
and th e boy in th e c l a s s alw a y s s a t where Dick s i t s t h e r e ,
o n ly he made more tr o u b le f o r me than D ick does a t tim e s .
He was alw ays making tr o u b le f o r me. And alw ays a sk in g
q u e s tio n s t h a t w ould em barrass me a l i t t l e b i t , p e r h a p s, o r
make a jo k e when he c o u ld .
S o , one d a y , he s a i d to me in
c la s s a f t e r th e c l a s s b e g a n , he s a i d , " E ld e r , t h e r e ' s a f l y
on your n o s e ." Which th e r e w as. But r i d i c u l o u s . I s a i d ,
"Baron, y o u 'r e c l o s e r than I am t o i t , " I s a i d , "brush i t
o f f , p l e a s e ! "2

^"Joe B ishop Reckons Humor as I n v a lu a b le ," Napa ( C a l i f . )

R e g is t e r , J u ly 2 4 , 1968.
T ra n scrib ed from " F acin g a World o f Sound," lo n g - p la y in g phono
graph r e c o r d in g , produced j o i n t l y by th e D io g en es L antern [ c o l l e g e
yearb ook] and S tu d en t A s s o c ia t io n o f P a c i f i c Union C o lle g e , Angwin,
C a l i f . , 1961, s id e 2 .

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329

George Bernard Shaw q u it e p e r c e p t iv e ly saw la u g h te r as th e o n ly

means whereby one cou ld " d e str o y e v i l w ith o u t m a lic e , and a ffir m good
f e llo w s h ip w ith o u t m aw kishness."*
In c o n c lu d in g a d is c u s s io n o f p a r a lle li s m s betw een th e F agal
th eo r y o f humor, w hich d i s t i n g u i s h e s betw een j e s t i n g , jo k in g , and l e v i t y
on th e one hand, and a l i g h t , j u d ic io u s tou gh o f humor on th e o th e r ,
t h i s w r it e r f e e l s i t e s p e c i a l l y s i g n i f i c a n t t o n o te th a t t h i s same d i s
t i n c t i o n i s made by a prom inent s e c u la r p la tfo r m p e r s o n a l i t y , Bob Levoy.
Levoy, dynamic d ir e c t o r o f P r a c t ic e C o n s u lta n ts , who con d u cts
management sem in ars fo r h ig h -in co m e p r o f e s s io n a l g r o u p s, when asked i f
he t o l d many j o k e s , r e p lie d :
I don t t e l l any. I may make a l o t o f funny rem arks,
b u t I don t t e l l j o k e s .
I don t t e l l jo k e s a t my m e e tin g s ,
and I dont l i k e our sp e a k e rs [from P r a c t ic e C o n su lta n ts] to
t e l l them. I want them to be c o m fo r ta b le in t h e i r p r e s e n t a
t i o n s , b u t more than t h a t , coming o u t w ith s i x or se v e n
snappy s t o r i e s i s n o t my id e a o f a good way o f s t a r t i n g a
m e e tin g w ith a s o p h is t ic a t e d a u d ie n c e .
I lo v e to make p e o p le laugh b u t n o t t o th e e x t e n t o f
r e li n q u is h in g what I th in k i s w o rth w h ile in fo r m a tio n .
I
th in k j o k e - t e l l i n g i s overdone a t a l o t o f m e e t in g s .2
In c o n s id e r in g F a g a l s th e o r y , and p a r a lle lis m s in th e th in k in g
o f o t h e r s , in th e c o n te x t o f th e canon o f s t y l e , i t i s n o tew o rth y th a t
th e F a g a l concern f o r word c h o ic e i s an i n t e r e s t i n g r e f l e c t i o n o f P e te r
M a r s h a ll's g r a p h ic a lly e x p r e s s e d b e l i e f t h a t "th e u se o f th e r ig h t word,
th e e x a c t word, i s th e d if f e r e n c e betw een a p e n c i l w ith a sharp p o in t
and a t h ic k cra y o n ."

^C ited in F le s c h , 196.
2"Bob L evoy, S la y e r o f S acred Cows," M eetin gs and C o n v en tio n s,
A u gu st-S ep tem b er, 1967, 5 9 .
^ M arsh all, A Man C a lle d P e t e r , 192.

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330

(And M a r s h a ll's p o s i t i o n , i n tu r n , b u t ech oes th a t o f Mark

Twain, who e a r l i e r s u g g e s te d t h a t " th e d if f e r e n c e betw een th e r i g h t word
and th e a lm o st r ig h t word i s th e d if f e r e n c e betw een lig h t n in g and th e
lig h t n in g b u g ." 1)
W illia m F a g a l's d e te r m in a tio n th a t he be u n d ersto o d by h i s
h e a r e r s a t a l l c o s t c l e a r l y awakens an echo from th e p a s t .

Q u i n t ili a n ,

te a c h e r o f sp e e c h a t Rome in th e F i r s t Century A .D ., adm onished h i s

s tu d e n ts:
What we sa y must be made so c le a r t h a t i t w i l l pour in t o
h i s mind as th e sun p ou rs i n t o th e e y e s , even when th e y are
n o t d ir e c t e d toward i t .
We must ta k e c a r e , n o t th a t i t
s h a l l be p o s s i b l e f o r him to u n d e rsta n d , b u t th a t i t s h a l l
be u t t e r l y im p o s s ib le f o r him n o t to u n d e r s ta n d .2
And F a g a l's o f t - e x p r e s s e d con cern t h a t h i s m essage be r e le v a n t
i s n o th in g n e w - - i t was sh a r ed s e v e r a l c e n tu r ie s e a r l i e r by th e fo u n d er
o f th e S t a t e o f P e n n sy lv a n ia .

S a id W illia m Penn, in a l e t t e r t o h is

w if e and c h ild r e n ,
Be humble and g e n t le in your c o n v e r s a tio n ; and o f few w ords,
I ch arge you; but alw ays be p e r t in e n t when you s p e a k .3
With r eg a r d to th e f i n a l canon, th a t o f d e liv e r y , th e p r i n c i p l e s
esp ou sed by W illiam Fagal are b a s i c a l l y in agreem ent w ith th o se t o be

1C ite d in F le s c h , 42 1 .
^I n s t r u c t io n o f th e O ra to r, Book V I I I , Chap. 2 , N os. 2 3 -2 4 ;
c i t e d in B roadus, 241. U n fo r tu n a te ly , Broadus does n o t i d e n t i f y th e
name o f th e t r a n s la t o r h e c i t e s . The B u tle r t r a n s la t io n (Loeb C la s s ic a l
L ib rary) ren d e rs th e f i n a l s e n te n c e in a much l e s s f e l i c i t o u s manner:
" T h erefore our aim must be n o t to push him in t o a p o s i t i o n to u n d ersta n d
our argum ent, b u t to fo r c e him to u n d ersta n d i t . "
(H. E. B u t le r , t r a n s
l a t o r , The I n s t i t u t i o O r a to r ia o f Q u i n t il i a n , Volume I I I [The Loeb
C la s s ic a l L ib rary; Cambridge: H arvard U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1 9 2 1 ], V I I I , 2 ,
2 3 .)
^ C ited in Bruce B ohle (c o m p .), The Home Book o f American
Q u o ta tio n s (New York: Dodd, Mead Company, 1 9 6 7 ), 9 1 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

found in th e g e n e r a lly a c c e p te d sta n d a rd works on p la tfo r m p r e s e n t a t io n

in p u b lic sp e a k in g and h o m ile t ic s to d a y .
The t e l e v i s i o n p a s t o r 's s tr o n g em phasis on th e u se o f th e extem
p oran eou s, c o n v e r s a tio n a l mode as th e one b e s t - s u i t e d f o r p r e a c h in g
r e f l e c t s a s im ila r view ad v o ca ted by B roadus, who c o u n se le d :
And he who aims a t s k i l l in extem poraneous sp e a k in g must
g iv e s p e c i a l a t t e n t io n to h i s s t y l e i n c o n v e r s a tio n , s o th a t
th e d if f e r e n c e betw een h is more e le v a t e d and h i s more
f a m ilia r s t y l e may be a d if f e r e n c e in d eg ree and n o t in
k in d .
In c o n c lu d in g on W illia m F a g a l's b e l i e f t h a t a m in is t e r ought
h im s e lf f i r s t t o b e th e kin d o f p e r so n t h a t he w is h e s o th e r s to becom e,
both in human q u a l i t i e s and s p i r i t u a l , one cannot h e lp b u t be im p ressed
w ith th e f a c t t h a t h is view s t r i k e s a s i m i l a r chord w ith th e one sounded
a cen tu ry e a r l i e r by B eecher in h i s f i r s t Y ale L e c tu r e sh ip s e r i e s :
Make r e l i g i o n a t t r a c t i v e by th e good n ess t h a t men s e e in
you; be so s w e e t, so s p a r k lin g , so b u o y a n t, so c h e e r f u l,
h o p e fu l, co u ra g eo u s, c o n s c ie n t io u s , and y e t n o t stu b b o r n , so
p e r f e c t l y b e n e v o le n t and y e t n o t mawkish o r s e n tim e n t a l;
b lo sso m in g in e v e r y th in g t h a t i s good, a rebuke to e v e r y
th in g t h a t i s mean or l i t t l e , make su ch men o f y o u r s e lv e s
t h a t everybod y who look s upon you may s a y , "That i s a good
r o y a l f e llo w ; he has th e s p i r i t th a t I sh o u ld l i k e to le a n
upon in tim e o f tr o u b le , or t o be a companion w ith a t a l l
tim e s ." B u ild up such a manhood th a t i t s h a l l be w in n in g to
men. That i s what th e e a r ly C h r is tia n s d i d . 2
From t h i s b r i e f summary o f r e f l e c t e d p a r a l l e l i s m s , i t i s appar
e n t th a t W illia m F a g a l's e m p ir ic a lly d e r iv e d r h e t o r ic o f p r e a c h in g i s in
harmony w ith th e p r in c ip le s ad v o ca ted by b o th th e t r a d i t i o n a l ex p o n en ts
o f a n c ie n t tim e s , such as Q u i n t ili a n , and th o s e advanced by contem porary
p r a c t ic t io n e r s in th e f i e l d , such as Talm age, F o s d ic k , C h a p p e ll, E vans,
S iz o o , B eech er, M a rsh a ll, and Levoy, whose dem on strated s u c c e s s i s n o t
g e n e r a lly q u e s tio n e d to d a y .
1
xBroadus and W eatherspoon, 2 3 8 -3 9 .

B eech er, 13.

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332

F agal makes no " o r ig in a l" c o n t r ib u t io n to th e th e o r y o f

p r e a ch in g h i s i n s i s t e n c e on adding a fo u r th mode o f p e r s u a s io n (s u p e r
n a tu r a l c o n v ic t io n ) to th e t r a d i t i o n a l t r i n i t y o f A r i s t o t l e

(e th o s,

lo g o s , and p a th o s ) has b een v o ic e d by o th e r e v a n g e li c a ls in th e m in is t r y

in e a r l i e r days as w e ll as i n our own tim e .

The c h i e f c o n t r ib u t io n o f

the F agal th e o r y o f r h e t o r ic may, r a t h e r , l i e in i t s r o l e o f v a l i d a t i n g

t r a d it io n a l p r e c e p t s and p r i n c i p l e s , s in c e i t s o r ig in i s to be found n o t
so much from a s tu d y o f th e t h e o r e t ic ia n s o f th e p a s t as from a p r a c t i
c a l d a y -to -d a y in q u ir y on th e p r a c t i c a l l e v e l to d eterm in e w hich o f many
p o t e n t ia l avenues w i l l b r in g about th e d e s ir e d end.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

Fig. 3 0 . H arry A nderson, C o n n ecticu t a rtist w h o a c c e p te d C h rist in 1943 a n d h as

d e v o te d his ta le n t to religious m otifs since, p re se n ts his p ain tin g "F aith for
T o d ay " to P astor a n d Mrs. Fagal in J a n u a ry , 1966. M easu rin g 3 0 inches sq u a re ,
th e p ain tin g now han g s in an h o n o re d p la ce a t te le c a s t h e a d q u a rte rs , N ew York.
A n d erso n e x p re sse d h o p e th a t his p a in tin g , w hich e n la rg e s upo n th e im a g e of
"F a ith for T oday" a s a fam ily p ro g ra m , w ould b e sym bolic o f w h a t th e te le c a st
h a d a lre a d y a c h ie v e d in le a d in g th o u sa n d s to m ak e d ec isio n s fo r C hrist an d in
d ic a tiv e of th e continuing fu tu re o u tre a c h of th e p ro g ra m . "It is im possible to
c a p tu re on ca n v as th e go o d d o n e th ro u g h a p ro g ra m such a s th is ," he com
m e n te d , " b u t a t le a s t th e Spirit of th e g o sp e l th ro u g h te le v isio n can b e p o rtra y e d ."
The a rtis t h as g a in e d in te rn a tio n a l reco g n itio n for th r e e o f his m o re fam ous
w orks: "W h at H a p p e n e d to Your H an d s?," w hich show s C h rist s e a te d in a g a rd e n
su rro u n d e d by children clutching th e ir to y s a n d p o in tin g to a n u n sig h tly scar in
o n e of th e S a v io u r's o u tstre tc h e d h an d s; "T he Prince of P e a c e ," p o rtra y in g C hrist
knocking a t th e d o o r of th e U nited N atio n s H e a d q u a rte rs in N ew York; a n d "T he
C h rist of th e C itie s," which d ep icts Je su s h o v erin g a b o v e th e sk y scrap ers in a
g r e a t m e tro p o lita n a re a .

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THE PUBLIC SPEAKING OF DR. WILLIAM A. FAGAL OF "FAITH FOR TODAY'

AMERICA'S FIRST NATIONAL TELEVISION PASTOR
VOLUME II

By

Roger W ooldridge Coon

A THESIS

S u b m itted t o
M ichigan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y
in p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t o f th e req u irem en ts
f o r th e d eg ree

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Departm ent o f Speech

1969

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CHAPTER V

THE RHETORICAL PRACTICE OF WILLIAM A. FAGAL

E xcept ye u t t e r by th e tongue words e a sy to be u n d e rsto o d , how

s h a l l i t be known what i s spoken? f o r ye s h a l l speak i n t o
th e a i r . . . . Y et in th e church I had r a th e r speak
f i v e words w ith my u n d e rsta n d in g , th a t by my
v o ic e I m ight te a c h o th e r s a l s o , than te n
th ousand words in an unknown to n g u e .- I C o r in th ia n s 1 4 :9 ,1 9 .
W rite th e v i s i o n , and make i t p la in upon t a b l e s , t h a t he may
run th a t r ea d eth i t . . . . They rea d in th e book in
th e law o f God d i s t i n c t l y , and gave th e s e n s e ,
and cau sed them to un derstan d th e
read in g.--H ab ak k u k 2 :2 ;
Nehemiah 8 :8 .

The purpose o f t h i s ch a p ter i s t o d e s c r ib e , a n a ly z e , and

e v a lu a te th e p u l p i t and t e l e v i s i o n p r e a ch in g o f W illia m A. F agal from
1950 through 1968.

The c h i e f em phasis o f th e c h a p ter i s on th o s e e l e

ments n e c e s s a r y f o r r h e t o r i c a l c r i t i c i s m as found in th e s p e a k e r , th e
a u d ie n c e , and th e serm on.

The o r g a n iz a tio n o f th e ch a p ter f o llo w s in

g e n e r a l th e c o n v e n tio n a l framework o f r h e t o r ic a l in v e s t i g a t i o n :
s p e a k e r 's method o f sermon p r e p a r a tio n ;

(1) th e

(2) th e s p e a k e r 's method o f

sermon c o m p o sitio n , in term s o f th e t r a d i t i o n a l r h e t o r ic a l canons o f

in v e n t io n , arrangem ent, and s t y l e ; and (3) th e s p e a k e r 's method o f
d e liv e r y o f th e prepared m essage, on th e p la tfo r m and in th e s t u d io .
The ch a p ter c lo s e s w ith an e v a lu a tio n o f F a g a l's r h e t o r i c a l p r a c t i c e
w ith in th e framework o f t r a d i t i o n a l r h e t o r ic a l c r i t i c i s m as m o d ifie d by
tw e n tie th -c e n tu r y e x p o n e n ts.

334

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335

Method o f Sermon P r e p a r a tio n

E a rly M in is tr y

The p a s t o r a l and e v a n g e l i s t i c m in is t r y o f W illia m A. F agal p r io r

to th e ad ven t o f h is c a r e e r in t e l e v i s i o n h as b een o u t lin e d in ch ron o
l o g i c a l d e t a i l in C hapter I I ; and w h ile th e m ajor fo c u s o f t h i s c h a p ter
i s upon h i s c u r r e n t method o f p r e p a r a tio n and d e l i v e r y , i t may n o t be
in a p p r o p r ia te a t th e o u t s e t to exam ine b r i e f l y som eth in g o f th e
s p e a k e r 's e a r ly m ethodology f o r c lu e s to p o s s i b l e so u r c e s o f p r e p a r a tio n
w hich may have a b e a r in g upon h i s p r e s e n t p u l p i t and s t u d io p r e a c h in g .

So u r c e s o f i d e a s . -- W illia m F agal sa y s o f h is pre-TV m in is t r y in

th e p a r is h o f th e W ashington Avenue Church in Brooklyn:
I was on a p s y c h o lo g ic a l "kick" t h e r e .
I was e x tr e m e ly
c o n s c io u s o f human n eed in t h a t m e tr o p o lita n p a r is h , and I
a ttem p ted to m eet i t in my p r e a c h in g .
I rea d up on r e l i
g io u s p s y c h o lo g y I su p p o se I went overb o a rd . My i n t e r e s t
was p a r t i c u l a r l y arou sed by th e work o f Norman V in cen t
P e a le , b u t i t w ent d e e p e r .
I was p a r t i c u l a r l y concerned to
show r e l i g i o n ' s r e le v a n c y to man's everyday n e e d .l
The young p r e a ch er to o k a d v a n ta g e o f th e n ear p r o x im ity o f h i s
p a s t o r a t e to th e g r e a t h i s t o r i c ch u rch es o f Manhattan t o fr e q u e n t them
Sunday m orn in gs, where he h eard Harry Emerson F osd ick and R obert J .
McCracken a t th e R iv e r s id e C hurch, E r n e st P a len and Norman V in cen t P e a le
a t th e M arble C o l l e g i a t e , and John S u th e r la n d B o n n e ll a t F i f t h Avenue
P r e s b y te r ia n .
A ls o , he o f t e n l i s t e n e d t o L e s l i e W eatherhead's Sunday m orning
r a d io sermon a t 10 a.m . on th e N a tio n a l B ro a d ca stin g Company netw ork and
heard him in p erso n s e v e r a l t im e s .
^ In te rv ie w w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, W ashington, D. C ., O ct. 2 3 ,
1966, 1. C ite d h e r e a f t e r as F a g a l I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 , 1966.

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336

R em in iscin g abou t t h e s e famous names in l a t e r y e a r s , F agal

r e c a lle d :
I had th e o p p o r tu n ity o f m eetin g some o f th e s e men
p e r s o n a lly P a le n , o v er a t Marble C o l l e g i a t e , and P e a le on
a t r a in i n 1951.
I v i s i t e d w ith him in h i s com partm ent.
I lo v e d h i s a b i l i t y t o h o ld an a u d ie n c e , and I adm ired h i s
method o f p r e a c h in g i n n o t a llo w in g a p u l p i t t o come
betw een him and h i s c o n g r e g a tio n . Much o f P e a l e 's c o n te n t
I found s h a llo w , though.
I r ea d t h e s e m en's serm ons and b o o k s, to o a lm o st
e v e r y th in g Bonne11 w r o te; and I was g r e a t ly in f lu e n c e d by
W eatherhead' s m a t e r ia l.*

R eading h a b i t s . - - I n h i s e a r ly d a y s, W illia m F a g a l d id m ost o f

h i s r e a d in g in two k in d s o f w orks:

(1) th e l i t e r a t u r e o f S e v e n th -d a y

A d v e n t is t s , and (2) books o f serm ons by n o n -A d v e n tis t p r e a c h e r s .

Con

c e r n in g t h i s , he s a id l a t e r :
My e a r ly id e a s were drawn la r g e l y from SDA books and
p e r i o d i c a l s . One te n d s t o become r a th e r in b re d t h i s way, I
know. A lth ough I d id some r e a d in g o f o th e r m en's serm o n s,
I had a fe a r o f r e a c h in g o u t , a f e a r t h a t I somehow w ould
lo s e o u t s p i r i t u a l l y m y s e lf i f I rea d " u n s a n c t ifie d "
a u th o r s. A ls o , I drew a l o t upon books o f i l l u s t r a t i o n s - depended upon them f o r my " h o ld in g " power w ith th e co n g re
g a t io n .
But th e s e I u se v e r y l i t t l e , now, i f a t a l l .
And,
o f c o u r se , I 'v e broadened o u t c o n s id e r a b ly in my r e a d in g
h a b i t s , t o o , t o d a y .2
The f i r e w hich g u tte d th e F agal r e s id e n c e in 1958 to o k betw een
750 and 1 ,0 0 0 volum es o f th e t e l e v i s i o n p a s t o r ' s p e r s o n a l l ib r a r y , as
w e ll as a l l h i s n o t e s from e a r l y serm ons.

C oncerning th e l a t t e r , he

r e f e r s t o t h i s e x p e r ie n c e tod ay w ith a g r in , s a y in g , "The Lord m e r ci

f u l l y d e s tr o y e d th o s e o ld sermon n o t e s ; I c o u ld n 't f a l l back upon them
now, even i f I wanted to !"

D e v o tio n a l h a b i t s .- - A s a s tu d e n t in c o l l e g e , young F agal was

r e q u ir e d to a tte n d morning and e v e n in g d e v o tio n a l e x e r c i s e s , known as
1I b id .

2ib id .,

1, 2 .

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337

" w o r s h ip s , in th e r e s id e n c e h a l l c h a p e l.
perhaps te n t o 15 m in u tes e a c h .

T hese s e r v i c e s w ould l a s t

He th u s e a r ly formed a h a b it w hich he

h as p r e se r v e d in l a t e r l i f e th ro u g h o u t th e y e a r s o f h is m in is t r y .

He

sa y s:
We have had fa m ily d e v o tio n s in th e home e v e r y m orning,
r ig h t from th e s t a r t ; and a t s u n s e t each F rid a y and S atu rd ay
e v e n in g s we open and c l o s e th e Sabbath w ith a s e a s o n o f
p r a y e r .*
A d d it io n a lly , f o r s p i r i t u a l e x e r c is e and d ev elo p m en t, F agal
e a r ly d e v o te d a c o n s id e r a b le amount o f tim e to B ib le s tu d y and d ev o
t i o n a l r e a d in g in o r d e r to f e e d h i s own s o u l.

"But i t has to be

s p o n ta n e o u s," he add s; "I d o n 't b e l i e v e in r e g im e n ta tio n ."

I sp e n t much tim e on my k n ees in my e a r ly m in is t r y I f e l t
so v ery in a d e q u a te . And, o f c o u r s e , I n e v e r p r e a c h , even
to d a y , w ith o u t sp en d in g much tim e in p ra y er b e fo r e e n te r in g
th e p u l p i t or s t u d i o . 2
" R egim en tation " i s a d i r t y word in th e F agal v o c a b u la r y , when i t
comes t o s p i r i t u a l e x e r c i s e s o r r e a d in g h a b it s .

Some A d v e n tis t m in is

t e r s fo llo w a s y s te m a t iz e d p la n f o r r ea d in g through th e e n t ir e B ib le
on ce (o r ev en tw ic e ) d u rin g th e c o u r se o f a g iv e n y e a r ; b u t su ch a
program i s n o t f o r W illia m F a g a l:
I d o n 't fo llo w any p a r t i c u l a r p la n in r ea d in g th e B ib le .
I 'v e o f t e n th ou gh t I s h o u ld .
I ' v e n ev er been a b le t o s a y ,
" I 'v e rea d th e B ib le a l l th e way through 2 0 , o r 30, o r 40
tim es i n my l i f e . "
I w ish I c o u ld , but I c a n ' t .
I lo v e
th e G o s p e ls, p a r t i c u l a r l y - - I ' v e read and r e -r e a d them o v er
and o v e r a g a in .
But I j u s t g e t bogged down in c o n s e c u tiv e
B ib le s tu d y .
I m n o t c r i t i c a l o f o th e r s ' m ethods; t h e y 'r e
j u s t n o t f o r me. I d o n 't f in d th e Old T estam ent p a r t ic u
l a r l y in s p i r in g ; and P a u l, I f i n d , I want to s tu d y , r a th e r
than r e a d .^ My B ib le r e a d in g program j u s t i s n ' t "programmed."

1 I b id .

2.

I b id .

^ In te r v ie w w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, Angwin, C a l i f . , Jan . 10, 1969,

C ite d h e r e a f t e r as F agal I n te r v ie w , Jan . 10, 1969.
4

I b i d . , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 2 .

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338

Sermon t y p e s . F ag a l has c a t e g o r iz e d h i s e a r ly sermons in t o

th r e e b road c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s :

( 1 ) t e x t u a l (" in w hich th e t e x t w a s, to o

o f t e n , a p r e t e x t , I'm a f r a id ! " ^ ) ;

(2 ) " p s y c h o lo g ic a l" ; and (3)

e v a n g e lis tic .
L ooking back upon e a r ly e f f o r t s a t t e x t u a l e n d e a v o r , Fagal
r e c a lls :
So o f t e n I flo u n d e r e d around in th e t e x t u a l m e ssa g e s.
I was in w a r d ly d is g u s t e d a t n o t h a v in g a n y th in g s i g n i f i c a n t
to sa y .
I had tr o u b le c r y s t a l l i z i n g my i d e a s I ' d w r it e
so m eth in g down, and th en throw i t away. Som etim es I ' d work
a l l n ig h t lo n g F rid ay e v e n in g , and r ig h t up t i l l 9 a.m .
Sabbath m orning, t o com p lete th e sermon I had to d e l i v e r a t
I I a.m .
I was d is g u s t e d w ith th e o ld c l i c h e s .
I needed
f r e s h , new m a t e r ia l, or I ' d s t a r v e t o d e a th . 2
C oncerning th e " p s y c h o lo g ic a l" ( " l i f e - s i t u a t i o n " m ight b e a more
a c c u r a te d e s ig n a t io n ) , whose m essa g es f e l l p a r t i a l l y in t o a co n cu rren t
e p o c h , he adds:
I c o m p le te ly r e j e c t e d a l l th e o ld s h ib b o le t h s o f a l l
th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis ts th rou gh th e y e a r s .
In t h i s
e x p e r ie n c e , I r e c o g n iz e d th e n eed t o r e a d , r ea d , rea d !
But
th e m a t e r ia l had to e x c i t e me f i r s t ; i t had t o be new t o me,
b e fo r e I c o u ld make i t new t o my c o n g r e g a tio n . At t h a t
tim e I f e l t t h a t p s y c h o lo g y met th e n eed s o f th e p e o p le ,
and t h a t i t a ls o h e lp e d me t o u n d ersta n d m y s e lf. And i t
d id m eet some b a s i c n e e d s , even though some o f th e m essages
sh ock ed a few o f th e o ld d y e d - in -t h e -w o o l A d v e n tis ts in th e
c o n g r e g a tio n . When I went in t o t e l e v i s i o n , h ow ever, I
r e a l i z e d th a t p s y c h o lo g y , a lo n e , w a sn 't th e answ er, e i t h e r .
I g u e ss I was j u s t grow ing a l l t h i s tim e .^
In d is c u s s in g h i s e v a n g e l i s t i c p r e a c h in g , W illia m Fagal su g
g e s t e d t h a t h i s method most c l o s e l y resem b led t h a t o f v e te r a n A d v e n tist
e v a n g e l i s t J . L. S h u le r 's " p r o o f- te x t" app roach, in w hich a b a s i c a l l y
d e d u c tiv e o u t lin e (n o t a t a l l d i s s i m i l a r to a la w y e r 's b r i e f ) was
stu d d ed w ith a t e x t or two t o n a i l down each p o in t made.

H ere, a g a in ,

P a s to r F agal f e l t t h a t a c e r t a in k in d o f " e v o lu tio n " was a t work:

*I b i d . ,

^I b i d .

^I b i d .

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339

I ' v e gone on from S h u le r 's more p u r e ly arg u m en ta tiv e

approach to som eth in g I th in k i s b e t t e r .
By F a ith I L ive
r e p r e s e n t s , in i t s c h a p te r s , la r g e l y sy n o p ses o f my more
r e c e n t e v a n g e l i s t i c serm ons.
In them I draw upon my own
background l a r g e l y n o t t o "prove" a p o in t , in th e s e n s e o f
com b ative, a n t a g o n is t ic argument; b u t, r a th e r , as p e r so n a l
te s tim o n y . What I'm s a y in g , in e f f e c t , i s , "T his i s what
h e lp e d me; maybe i t can h e lp y o u ." I t ta k es th e s t i n g o u t
o f dead argum ent, b ased on c o ld l o g i c a lo n e . 1
In c o n c lu d in g h is o b s e r v a tio n s on th e s e e a r ly h o m ile t ic a l
a p p roach es, F agal in d ic a t e s som eth in g o f h i s more r e c e n t th in k in g as
r e g a r d s th e e x p o s ito r y mode.

" I 'v e in c r e a s in g ly f e l t th e need f o r more

e x p o s ito r y p r e a c h in g ," he s a id , " to b r in g out th e power in th e s im p le ,

u n a d u lte r a te d Word, as se e n a g a in s t th e m irror o f th e tim e s .
a pow er th e r e th a t I c o u ld n 't g e t anywhere e l s e . "

I 'v e found

Enrichm ent from o th e r s o u r c e s . --W illia m F a g a l, who in c r e a s in g ly

c o n tin u e s to draw from p e r so n a l e x p e r ie n c e s in h i s own l i f e to i l l u s
t r a t e h is serm on s, f e e l s th a t h i s l i f e and, th u s , h i s serm o n s--h a s been
e n r ic h e d from fo u r p r in c ip a l s o u r c e s :

( 1 ) t r a v e l;

( 2 ) v i s i t a t i o n w ith

church members in p a r is h o f f i c e and p a r is h io n e r home; (33 corresp on d en ce

w ith b oth members and non-members a l i k e ; and (4) th e h o ld in g o f s p e c i a l
p r e a c h in g m is s io n s a t c o lle g e campuses and camp m eetin g s o f h is
d en om in ation .
M ention has a lr e a d y been made in Chapter I I o f F a g a l's e x t e n s iv e
w orld t r a v e l s .

In a d d itio n to th o se c i t e d , one m ight a ls o add h i s to u r

o f R eform ation la n d s in 1966, d u rin g which h e , h is w if e , and a C harter

Oak f ilm crew r e t r a c e d th e f o o t s t e p s o f such p rea ch ers as L u th er, C a lv in ,
and Z w in g li, in g a th e r in g m a te r ia l fo r a new TV s e r i e s o f sem i
docu m en taries on th e P r o te s ta n t h e r it a g e .

1 I b id .

I b id .

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C oncerning v i s i t a t i o n w ith church members and th o s e o f no p a r

t i c u l a r r e l i g i o u s p e r s u a s io n , F agal s a y s :
V i s i t a t i o n e n a b le s one to keep in to u ch w ith th e th in k in g
and th e n eed s o f th e p e o p le --a n d woe be to t h a t p r e a ch er
who e v e r l e t s h im s e lf g e t out o f to u ch !
I e n jo y v i s i t i n g .
But i t can be a "dangerous" so u r c e o f ser m o n ic m a t e r ia l I
n e v e r t e l l a s t o r y in a sermon so i t ' s r e c o g n iz a b le .
In
c e r t a in c a s e s I w a it y e a r s b e fo r e t e l l i n g th e s t o r y . 1
B eg in n in g w ith h is days i n r a d io b r o a d c a s tin g , and in c r e a s in g in
th e y e a r s o f h i s t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y , th e r e h a s b een an e v e r -g r o w in g
volume o f m a il from p e o p le in a l l w alks o f l i f e who w r it e th e p a s to r
c o n c er n in g p rob lem s.

"P eop le w i l l w r it e me t h in g s t h e y 'd n e v e r t a lk to

a m in is t e r ab ou t, f a c e - t o - f a c e , even me!" F agal p o in te d o u t .

" I 'v e

found t h a t o f t e n I co u ld g e t c lo s e r to h e a r ts th rou gh th e m a il th an in
,.2

p e r s o n . '

F i n a l l y , th e h o ld in g o f Weeks o f S p i r i t u a l Emphases upon Advent

i s t c o l l e g e cam puses, and o f s p e c i a l s e r i e s o f m essa g es e i t h e r du rin g
th e camp m eetin g se a s o n or a t e v a n g e l i s t i c cam paigns around th e c o u n try ,
b r in g s a fu r t h e r g r a s s - r o o t s c o n ta c t w ith p e o p le i n a l l w alks o f l i f e .
T his k eep s th e sp e a k e r a p p r ise d o f c u r re n t t h in k in g and p r o b le m s, and
e n a b le s him to a c h ie v e h is o f t - r e p e a t e d g o a l o f k e e p in g h i s sermons
"re le v a n t." ^

L ater M in is tr y

W illia m F agal now p rod u ces a p p ro x im a te ly 30 new f i v e - to s i x m inute t e l e v i s i o n s e r m o n e tte s each s e a s o n , and up to

10

new f u l l - l e n g t h

(3 0 -4 5 m in u tes) p u l p i t d is c o u r s e s d u rin g th e p e r io d o f a y e a r .^

'I b id .
4

^I b id .

^I b i d .

I b i d . , Jan . 10, 1969, 1.

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341
G eneral r e a d in g . The u r g e n t p r e s s u r e t o " rea d , r e a d , read" o f
th e e a r l i e r y e a r s has n e v e r l e t up, and P a s to r F a g a l's l i t e r a r y a p p e t it e
i s as om nivorous as h i s t a s t e i s c a t h o l i c .
Every week I r ea d news m agazines to keep u p , e s p e c i a l l y
Time and U. S . News and World R ep o rt. I sc a n L if e , a l s o .
I g e t a l l th e new books from our th r e e d e n o m in a tio n a l pub
l i s h i n g h o u se s as a c o u r t e s y , and I go th rou gh them as
o p p o r tu n ity a f f o r d s .
I rea d g e n e r a lly from my own lib r a r y
books I ' v e p ic k e d up h e r e and th e r e b u t n e v e r had tim e t o
read . 1
N o n -A d v en tist p e r i o d i c a l s , i n a d d itio n t o th e on es c i t e d a b o v e,
to w hich F agal s u b s c r ib e s a r e :

Dom inion, Q uote, Saturday E vening P o s t ,

Look, G u id e p o sts, R ead er's D ig e s t , C h r i s t i a n it y Today, and th e C h r is tia n

C en tu ry.
D en om in ation al p e r i o d i c a l s r e g u la r ly a r r iv in g a t th e p a s t o r 's
home in c lu d e th e Review and H era ld , The S ig n s o f th e T im es, These T im es,
M essage, L is t e n , L ib e r ty , The M in is tr y , and th e q u a r t e r ly Sem inary
S tu d ie s b u l l e t i n o f Andrews U n iv e r s it y .

F agal has a p e r s o n a l lib r a r y a t home o f b etw een 400 and 500

volum es a t p r e s e n t , books c o l l e c t e d d u rin g th e decade s in c e th e f i r e
w iped out th e accum ulated c o l l e c t i o n o f h i s e a r l i e r c a r e e r .
a d d it io n , he h as a c c e s s to a lib r a r y o f a p p ro x im a tely

1,200

In

books w hich

l i n e th e s h e lv e s o f h is p r iv a t e o f f i c e a t th e F a ith f o r Today
h e a d q u a r te r s .
The home lib r a r y c o n s i s t s g e n e r a lly o f some r e f e r e n c e works and
" S p ir it o f Prophecy" books by E lle n G. W hite, w hich are d u p lic a te d in
th e o f f i c e c o l l e c t i o n , as w e ll as a number o f o ld e r A d v e n tis t books and
o ld e r h i s t o r i e s .

^I b i d .
3

I b id . ,

^W illiam F agal L e t t e r , Nov. 7 , 1966, 3.

2

I b id .

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342

A p e r s o n a l su r v ey o f th e h e a d q u a r te rs o f f i c e lib r a r y by t h i s
i n v e s t i g a t o r r e v e a le d a number o f r e f e r e n c e t o o l s

(c o n c e rn in g w h ich ,

more w i l l be s a id b e lo w ), and works on p s y c h o lo g y , proph ecy, C h r is to lo g y ,

s o t e r i o l o g y , c o u n s e lin g , fa m ily l i v i n g , th e e v o lu t io n - c r e a t io n c o n tr o
v e r s y , p n eu m atology, a r c h e o lo g y , m is s io n s , church h i s t o r y , b io g ra p h y ,
geograp h y, t r a v e l , h i s t o r y , Near E a st s t u d i e s , p h ilo s o p h y , and p o e tr y .
T w elve volum es o f i l l u s t r a t i v e a n e c d o te s and q u o ta tio n s were a ls o n o te d .
In a d d it io n , F agal c a r r ie s a paperback d ic tio n a r y in th e g lo v e
compartment o f h i s a u to m o b ile , f o r r e f e r e n c e w h ile t r a v e l i n g - - W eb ster1s
New World D ic tio n a r y o f th e American L anguage. *
C oncerning h i s method o f r e a d in g , F agal has s a id :
I d o n 't l i k e r e g im e n ta tio n --h a v in g to r ea d to any kin d o f
s c h e d u le .
I rea d what in t r i g u e s me. I d o , o f c o u r se , tr y
t o keep up on c u r r e n t e v e n t s , b io g r a p h y , h i s t o r y ( e s p e c i a l l y
r e l i g i o u s h i s t o r y ) , geograp h y, and th e B ib le .^
Books o f o th e r m en's serm on s, w hich fig u r e d p ro m in en tly in th e
F agal r ea d in g d i e t o f e a r ly d a y s, now p la y a v e r y minor r o l e , i f a t a l l .
I rea d v ery l i t t l e o f p r in t e d sermons now. Once in a w h ile
I ' l l p ic k up a paperback o f serm on s. But i t d o e s n 't do
what sermon book s u sed t o do f o r me. Now I l i k e to read
f o r d i r e c t g a in ; o th e r m en's serm ons I c a n 't u s e .^
F agal f in d s much in th e w r it in g s o f W illiam B a rc la y , S c o t t is h
d iv i n e , th a t i n t e r e s t s and in s p i r e s him; and 17 volum es o f th o se d evo
t i o n a l w r it in g s f i l l a b o o k s h e lf .

He a ls o e n jo y s r ea d in g B i l l y Graham,

L e s lie W eatherhead, C h arles Spurgeon, and W ill D urant.^

The F agal r e a d in g sp e ed i s n o t c o n s ta n t.

Says he:

I rea d a t a r a p id r a te on th in g s n o t to o im p o r ta n t, more
d e l i b e r a t e l y on o t h e r s .
W asn't i t Bacon who s a id th a t
* I b id .

2paga i in t e r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 2 .

^ I b id . , J a n . 10, 1969, 1.

^ Ib id .

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343

th e r e a re some th in g s one w ants to digest?'*' I f I read to

r e t a i n , I go s lo w ly , and may mark th e p a s s a g e . I ' v e
d e l i b e r a t e l y tr a in e d m y s e lf t o r e a d r a p id l y , though I
n e v e r took a co u rse in i t , h o w e v e r . ^
G e n e r a lly , F agal i s lo a th e to mark i n a book o r make m arginal
n o t a t io n s in i t

("maybe my s e n se o f n e a t n e s s ? " ) .

H owever, h e does break

o v e r and mark up books o f serm on s, and h is "w orking b o o k s," c o m p le te ly .

S e l e c t i o n o f t o p i c s .--T h e " b irth " o f a sermon and th e b i r t h o f a

human b e in g have much i n common, many m in is t e r s f e e l .
exam ple, th a t moment o f " co n cep tio n "

There i s ,

fo r

(o r in c e p t i o n ) when a d iv in e

"spark" o f l i f e s t a r t s th in g s i n t o m otion ; th e r e i s t h a t p e r io d o f
p a r t i a l l y - c o n c e a l e d growth and developm ent o f p reg n a n cy ; th e r e are o ft e n
p e r io d s o f "morning s ic k n e s s " d u rin g g e s t a t io n ; and f i n a l l y th e r e are
th e " lab or" pangs w hich p reced e and accompany th e a c t u a l " d e liv e r y " !
Many o f W illia m F a g a l's serm ons t r a c e t h e i r g e n e s is to a con
s c io u s d e c is i o n on h i s p a r t t o speak on a g iv e n t o p i c ; w h ile o th e r s
a r i s e out o f c u r r e n t r ea d in g w hich s u g g e s t s a t o p i c w orthy o f th e i n v e s t
ment o f fu r t h e r th ou gh t and e f f o r t .
R egarding th e TV serm on s, a s c h e d u le i s drawn up , w e l l in
advance o f th e new s e a s o n 's app roach, w ith program t o p i c s a s s ig n e d and
th e p r o c e s s o f sermon m a t e r ia l- g a t h e r in g g o tt e n underway.

Given the

b a s ic co n cep t o f th e show as a "net" by means o f w hich th e s e r e l i g i o u s

" f i s h e r s o f men" g a th e r in th e " fis h " f o r e n r o llm e n t in th e B ib le co r
resp on d en ce s c h o o l (which p r o v id e s f o r su b seq u en t in d o c t r in a t io n in t o
th e t e n e t s o f A d v en tism ), th e spectru m o f t o p ic s and d o c t r in e s which may

''"Some books are to be t a s t e d , o th e r s t o be sw a llo w e d , and some

few to be chewed and d ig e s t e d ."
(F ra n cis B acon, from Of S t u d ie s , c i t e d
in B a r t l e t t , 1 2 1 .)
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 2 .

^ Ib id .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

344

even be c o n s id e r e d f o r p r e s e n t a t io n i s n e c e s s a r i l y lim it e d t o th e nonc o n t r o v e r s ia l and (a g a in g iv e n F a g a l's penchan t fo r r e le v a n c y ) th e

c u r r e n t:*
We have to p la n w e ll ahead. On t e l e v i s i o n , th e sermon
t o p ic i s c o n t r o lle d by th e s u b j e c t m a tter o f th e dram atic
s k it.
We t r y to s t a y w ith m a tter s o f c u r re n t i n t e r e s t ; and
i f we f e e l c e r t a in a rea s are n o t b e in g a d e q u a te ly c o v e r e d ,
th en we work s p e c i f i c a l l y on t h a t . On p u l p i t sermons I can
w a it u n t i l som eth in g g r e a t ly in t r ig u e s me. 2
Some sermons come from r e a d in g o r from l i s t e n i n g t o sermons
p rea ch ed by o th e r m in is t e r s in church o r over th e a ir :
I was ly in g in bed one Sunday, l i s t e n i n g to a sermon on th e
r a d io . A S c r ip tu r e le s s o n was rea d on th e e x p e r ie n c e o f a
le p e r in th e B ib le .
I t sparked an id e a .
In d ig g in g , I
found l i t t l e a v a ila b le in fo r m a tio n on l e p r o s y . ^
A nother sermon was s u g g e s te d by c u r re n t e v e n t s .

The t r i p o f

th r e e American a s tr o n a u ts through o u te r sp a c e p ro v id ed a peg on w hich to

hang a sermon on th e Second Coming o f C h r is t.

G ath erin g o f m a t e r ia ls .--O n ce h e d e c id e s upon a t o p ic , W illiam

F agal may g a th e r m a te r ia l o v e r a p e r io d o f s e v e r a l m onths.

H is f i l i n g

method (r e m in is c e n t o f Harry Emerson F o s d ic k 's , as n o ted in C hapter IV ),

i s u n iq u e, to sa y th e l e a s t , and born o f f r u s t r a t io n in a ttem p tin g to
f in d a w orkable sy stem in e a r l i e r days:
I s t a r t e d a f i l e th r e e or fo u r tim e s , b u t I seldom used i t ,
and
f i n a l l y gave i t up.
I c a n 't go back and draw upon th e
p a s t . M ine, a d m itte d ly , i s a p r e t t y much hand-to-m outh
o p e r a tio n , I'm a f r a id .
I keep c u r re n t m a t e r ia ls th a t are
o f i n t e r e s t , th a t spark som ethin g in my th in k in g , and u se
them im m ed ia te ly .^
F a g a l's e x p e r ie n c e , th u s , i s n o t d i s s i m i l a r to th a t o f th e
C h ild ren o f I s r a e l in M oses' tim e who were fe d d a il y th rou ghout t h e i r

I b id . ,

5Ib

id .,

Feb. 9 , 1965, 2.

I b i d . , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 3.

J a n . 10, 1969, 1.

I b id .

5 i b i d . , O ct. 2 3 , 19 6 6 , 2.

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345

w ild e r n e s s w and erings by manna w hich f e l l d u rin g th e n ig h t and had to be

g a th er e d a fr e s h each morning (e x c e p t on th e Sabbath) b e c a u se i t became
wormy and r a n c id i f k e p t o v e r n ig h t ( c f . Exodus 1 6 :1 4 - 2 6 ).
How, th e n , i s m a te r ia l f i l e d t h a t i s c u lle d from r e a d in g and th e
e x p e r ie n c e s and o b s e r v a tio n s o f d a il y l i f e ?
My " f i l e " i s a c o l l e c t i o n o f p i l e s o f
t i o n , and a s s o r te d d a ta , on to p o f my
I w ould l i k e to be w e ll- o r d e r e d .
I'm
I j u s t d o n 't l i k e to ta k e th e tim e to
p e r f e c t l y in d e e d , I d o n 't have i t t o

q u o t a t io n s , in fo rm a
desk o r work t a b le .
ashamed I'm n o t . But
o r g a n iz e e v e r y th in g
ta k e .l

T hus, m a t e r ia ls may be g a th e r e d o v e r a p e r io d o f s e v e r a l m onths.

Then, when h e " f e e l s a sermon coming o n ," F agal w i l l c o r r e la t e i t

and

perhaps d is c a r d a c o n s id e r a b le amount o f h i s c o l l e c t e d m a t e r ia l.
I want new , f r e s h , c u r r e n t m a t e r ia l.
I h a te t r i t e , o ld
s t u f f , m a t e r ia l t h a t ' s worn o u t, t h a t ' s musty and d u sty .
One tim e I w anted to p reach on th e s ig n s o f C h r is t 's com ing.
A ll my s t u f f was o ld , so I threw i t a l l out and s t a r t e d a l l
o v e r a g a in , g a th e r in g new m a t e r ia l . 2

R esea rch in g th e t o p i c . One o f th e r ea so n s why W illiam F a g a l

eschew s any r e g u la r , s y s te m a tiz e d program o f r e a d in g i s t h i s r a t h e r
i n t e r e s t i n g problem :

"My anchor goes down to o e a s i l y , I g u ess" :

I ' l l come up w ith som eth in g in my r e a d in g th a t i n t e r e s t s me,

and im m ed ia te ly I ' l l s to p r e a d in g and go to d ig g in g to f in d
out what th e w r it e r m eant, what th e background w as, w h a t's
b eh in d i t .
I ' l l s t a r t p u llin g down books o f f th e s h e l v e s ,
r e s e a r c h in g i t o u t. . . . I ' l l u se e n c y c lo p e d ia s , commen
t a r i e s , B ib le d i c t i o n a r i e s , a n y th in g
th a t w i l l throw l i g h t
on th e s u b j e c t a t hand. . . . 3 When I read o r h ea r some
th in g abou t a B ib le c h a r a c te r in a sermon som ewhere, I make
a n o te o f i t ; and th en when I have a ch a n ce, I go and d ig
a l l around th a t man.4
In h i s h ea d q u a rters o f f i c e l ib r a r y , P a s to r
r e f e r e n c e t o o l s w ith in e a sy r ea c h o f h i s

d e sk .

F agal has a number o f

Of v a r io u s v e r s io n s o f

th e B ib le th e r e are F e n to n 's New T estam ent in Modem E n g lis h , th e New

1Ib

i d . , J an . 1 0 , 1969, 1.

I b id .

I b id . ,

1, 2 .

I b i d . , 1.

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346

E n g lis h B ib le , Weymouth's New T estam ent in Modern S p e e c h , t r a n s la t io n s

by M o ffa tt and G oodspeed, W eu st's t r a n s l a t i o n (P h ilip p ia n s through The
R e v e la t io n ) , and P h i l l i p s ' New T estam ent in Modem E n g lis h , in a d d itio n
to th e " o ld r e l i a b l e s " th e A u th o rize d ("King J a m es" ), R ev ised S ta n d a rd ,
and American Standard V e r s io n s .
A lthough th e 24-volum e P u lp it Commentary i s one o f h i s c h i e f
f a v o r i t e s , F agal a ls o has r e c o u r s e to th e Cambridge B ib le Commentary
(8

v o lu m es), th e I n t e r p r e t e r 's B ib le (volum es V I I I -X I I , c o v e r in g th e New

T estam ent o n ly ) , C la r k e 's Commentary (7 v o lu m e s ), th e P r e a c h e r 's Homi

l e t i c Commentary (32 v o lu m e s ), th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t B ib le Commentary
(10 volu m es, in c lu d in g th e Sou rce Book, SPA B ib le D ic t io n a r y , and SPA
E n c y c lo p e d ia ) , th e I n t e r n a t io n a l C r i t i c a l Commentary

(6

v o lu m e s), and

G. Campbell M organ's E x p o s itio n o f th e Whole B i b l e .

Among B ib le D ic t io n a r ie s , F agal e s p e c i a l l y a p p r e c ia te s th e fo u r volume I n t e r n a t io n a l D ic tio n a r y to th e B i b l e , a lth o u g h he a ls o fr e q u e n t ly
c o n s u lts U n ger's B ib le D ic t io n a r y , th e Baker D ic tio n a r y o f T h e o lo g y , th e
Funk W agnalls B ib le D ic t io n a r y , th e C o n cise C y c lo p e d ia o f L iv in g F a i t h ,
and th e tw o-volum e Funk W agnalls Standard D ic t io n a r y .
Among con cord an ces w ith in an arm 's rea ch a r e:

C ruden's Concord

a n c e , S tr o n g 's E x h a u stiv e Concordance o f th e B ib l e , Y oung's A n a ly t ic a l

Concordance t o th e B ib le , a Concordance to th e New E n g lis h B i b l e , N a v e's
T o p ic a l B i b l e , and H a rp er's T o p ic a l C oncordance.
G eneral e n c y c lo p e d ia s in th e h e a d q u a r te rs lib r a r y in c lu d e th e
sta n d a rd 3 0 -volum e E n c y c lo p e d ia A m ericana, th e I n t e r n a t io n a l Standard
B ib le E n c y clo p e d ia (4 v o lu m e s ), th e P e o p le 's B ib le E n c y clo p e d ia (2
v o lu m e s), and th e T w en tieth Century E n c y c lo p e d ia o f R e lig io u s K now ledge.
A lso a v a ila b le f o r im m ediate c o n s u lt a t io n i s a tw o-volum e Greek
le x ic o n to th e New T estam en t.

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A ids in p h ilo lo g y to w hich F a g a l i s wont t o r e s o r t in th e

r e f e r e n c e c o l l e c t i o n a r e:

R o n d a le 's W ord-F inder, K l e i s e r s 1 5 ,0 0 0 U se

f u l P h r a s e s , and F e m a ld 's E n g lis h Synonyms, Antonyms, and P r e p o s i t i o n s .

O r g a n iz in g th e m a t e r i a l . - - A f t e r h a v in g g a th er e d th e d a t a - i s o l a t e d b i t s and p ie c e s o f in fo r m a tio n - -F a g a l th en p u ts them down on a

s h e e t o f p ap er and numbers them c o n s e c u t iv e ly :
I l i s t o p p o s ite each f a c t i t s s o u r c e in a b ook , or w herever
e ls e I got i t .
B efo re I s t a r t w r it in g out my sermons wordfo r-w o rd (and I do w r ite them out t h a t w a y ], I may have in
fr o n t o f me 40 or 50 i d e a s . T h e y 'r e n o t to o c o h e s iv e y e t ,
j u s t a mass o f m a t e r ia l.
A fte r g o in g o v e r i t a l l , I d e c id e
what o r d e r t o make o f i t . 1
Some ty p e s o f s e r m o n s - - p r in c ip a lly th e n a r r a t i v e - - d o n ' t , o f
c o u r s e , y i e l d th e m se lv e s r e a d ily to t h i s approach.
to n o f th e o u t lin e i s

In them , th e s k e l e

c o n ta in e d in th e s t o r y i t s e l f .

"Y et, even h e r e ,

I ' l l l i s t a l l th e f a c t s I w ant t o in c lu d e , and work them in t o th e

o u t l i n e ," he add s.

In th e e a r ly days o f h i s m in is t r y , W illia m Fagal would a r i s e as

e a r l y as 4 a.m . t o work on h i s serm ons; b u t now he u s u a lly u n d erta k es
t h i s s t a g e o f p r e p a r a tio n on th e S ab bath s when he i s n o t o u t on th e road
p r e a c h in g .^
"He may work s e v e r a l Sabbaths in s u c c e s s io n on a g iv e n serm on ,"
w if e V ir g in ia o b s e r v e s , " s in c e he c a n 't work on them on c o n s e c u t iv e d a y s,
as m ost m in is t e r s do.

H is w o r k -lo a d and o f f i c e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s sim p ly

p r e c lu d e t h i s , " sh e s t a t e d .

Som etim es he may s t a y home a l l day on Sabbath ; 5 and, a t o th e r

t im e s , he may go o v er to th e o f f i c e as e a r l y as

1 I b id .

, 2.

I b id .

a.m . on th e L o rd 's Day

I b i d . , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 3.

^ V ir g in ia F a g a l I n t e r v ie w , J u ly 9 , 1966, 1.

I b id .

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and work u n t i l tim e t o go to ch u rch .

Som etim es, he may even s t a y th e r e

a l l day.
The o f f i c e i s c lo s e d a l l day S a tu r d a y s, o f c o u r se ; and I
can work c o m p le te ly u n d istu r b e d by r in g in g te le p h o n e s and
by p e o p le coming in and o u t .
I d o n 't f e e l t h a t t h i s i s
"S ab b ath -b reak in g" ; I f e e l t h a t p erhaps I am p r e a ch in g w ith
my p en . ^

W ritin g th e serm on. S in c e th e e a r l i e s t days o f h i s B rooklyn

m in is t r y , W illiam F agal w rote o u t h i s serm on s, w o rd -fo r-w o rd ; "and I
s t i l l d o."
My rea so n s? W e ll, I su p p ose I was s t r i v i n g f o r more p e r
f e c t i o n o f th o u g h t, l e s s " a d d -g lib ." I w anted t o know
where I was g o in g , and be s u r e I g o t t h e r e . 2
S o, w ith h i s 40 o r 50 f a c t s in f r o n t o f h im , P a s to r F agal s i t s
down and s t a r t s w r it in g , a f t e r f i r s t h a v in g o r g a n iz e d them in t o some
s o r t o f lo o s e o u t l i n e .

"I d is c a r d as I w r it e ; and some th in g s j u s t

d o n 't g e t i n I have a l o t l e f t o v e r .
it's

lo s t, i t ' s

I h a te to lo s e any o f i t ; b u t , i f

lo s t! " 3

He w r ite s o u t th e m essage w o r d -fo r -w o r d , on o rd in a ry l e t t e r - s i z e

p ap er ( 8 - 1 / 2 x
page.

11

i n c h e s ) , in lon gh an d , w ith in k , on one s id e o f th e

I t u s u a lly r e q u ir e s se v e n or e ig h t p a g es i n h a n d w ritten m a n u scrip t

to com p lete one f u l l - l e n g t h p u l p i t serm on.

"I f in d th a t my h a n d w r ittin g

w i l l g e n e r a lly match th e d o u b le -s p a c e d t y p e s c r i p t , p rep ared by my s e c r e

ta r y ,

page f o r p a g e ," he p o in t s o u t ; 4 and i t g e n e r a lly ta k e s

hours

to w r ite out f u l l y one f u l l - l e n g t h p u l p i t d is c o u r s e .^

18 t o

20

A fte r th e f i r s t d r a f t i s co m p leted , th e sermon i s th o r o u g h ly

worked o v er and r e v is e d h ere and t h e r e .
^William F agal I n te r v ie w , Ja n .
2

I b i d . , O ct. 2 3 , 1966,

I b id .

Then, a t h ir d d r a f t i s
10, 1969, 1.
3

I b i d . , Ja n . 10, 1 9 6 9 , 2 .

I b id .

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d ic ta te d ,

w hich th e s e c r e t a r y th en ty p e s ou t s in g le - s p a c e d .

When i t

i s r e tu r n e d to th e p a s t o r , he u n d e r lin e s th e main p o in t s in red .

Then

th e m an u scrip t becomes h is sermon "n otes" f o r d e liv e r y .

The TV serm ons are fu r th e r p rep a red by ty p in g them on a s p e c i a l
m achine u s in g co n tin u o u s f e e d p a p er on a r o l l ,

f o r "playback" on th e

Auto-Cue app aratus w hich i s mounted on th e s t u d io camera j u s t above th e

le n s and from w hich th e p a s to r rea d s w h ile th e camera i s r o l l i n g .

F i l i n g th e serm on. - - A f t e r th e sermon has b een d e liv e r e d p u b lic ly ,

W illia m F agal o f t e n makes fu r t h e r r e v i s i o n s , " c u ttin g ou t th e dead wood,
th e dead s p o ts " in c e r t a in p l a c e s , as w if e V ir g in ia p u ts i t , ^ and adding
o th e r m argin al n o t e s s u g g e s tin g th a t t h i s o r th a t p o in t m ight p r o f it a b ly
C
b e expand ed , or a new id e a i n s e r t e d .
Then a n o t a t io n i s made in th e u p p e r -r ig h t-h a n d c o m e r o f page
o n e , in d i c a t i n g th e d ate and c i t y (o r TV program number) where th e
m essage was p r e s e n t e d , and th e sermon i s th en f i l e d in two la r g e box
file s

f i t t e d w ith s l i d i n g draw ers.

S ays F agal o f th e s e now-secondhand

serm ons:
I lo o k a t them o c c a s io n a l ly , b u t seldom i f e v e r go back and
u se one o f them o v er a g a in . I fin d I 'v e outgrown them. In
lo o k in g a t one o f them months o r y e a r s l a t e r , I o f t e n won
d er how I e v e r had th e courage t o p reach i t !
I t ' s hard to
tak e a sermon fo u r or f i v e y e a rs o ld and p reach i t a g a in ;
i t ' s l o s t i t s s p a r k le .^

1Ib

i d . , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 3.

Form erly F agal had th e s e c r e t a r y ty p e th e MS d o u b le -sp a c ed ; but

now he p r e f e r s to have i t done s in g le - s p a c e d .
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 3.
4

V ir g in ia F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 9 , 1 9 6 6 , 1.

^ F agal I n te r v ie w , J an . 10, 1969, 2 .

I b id .

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P e r i o d i c a l l y some o f th e sermons are c o l l e c t e d and p u b lis h e d in

b o o k le t s o r bound vo lu m es, o f t e n fo r u se as premiums t o b e o f f e r e d on
th e t e l e c a s t .

I n d iv id u a l serm ons are n o t s e n t out to v ie w e r s r e q u e s tin g

them, h ow ever, b e c a u se o f th e d i f f i c u l t y o f a s c e r t a in in g e x a c t ly w hich

program th e v ie w e r s a w --b e c a u se o f th e " b ic y c le 11 method o f f il m d i s t r i
b u tio n .

A number o f d i f f e r e n t programs a re a ir e d in as many d i f f e r e n t

c i t i e s on any g iv e n Sunday. *

Method o f Sermon C om position

In v e n tio n

B a sic B e l i e f s

W illiam A. F agal was born in t o a S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t home and

r a is e d from in fa n c y in t h a t d e n o m in a tio n a l s u b c u lt u r e .

He sp e n t fo u r

y e a r s in an A d v e n tis t c o l l e g e p r e p a r in g f o r a c a r e e r in th e g o s p e l m in
i s t r y o f h i s f a i t h , to w hich he was su b s e q u e n tly o rd a in ed ; and th e
rem ainder o f h i s l i f e t o th e

p r e s e n t has been d e d ic a te d t o ad van cin g

th e

i n t e r e s t s o f t h i s E v a n g e lic a l, F u n d a m en ta list branch o f P r o te s ta n t

Christendom which i s s t i l l v iew ed in some c i r c l e s y e t to d a y as a " c u lt ."
The c h o ic e o f i s s u e s

to w hich Dr. F agal sp ea k s i s , t h e r e f o r e ,

q u it e u n d ersta n d a b ly d eterm in ed la r g e l y by th e t h e o l o g i c a l t e n e t s o f h i s
ch u rch .
S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts a re o f t e n co n fu se d in th e p u b lic th in k in g
w ith th e Church o f J e su s C h r is t o f L a tte r Day S a in t s (Mormonism) on th e
one hand, and w ith th e J e h o v a h 's W itn esses
o th e r .

(W a tch

Tower S o c ie t y ) on th e

A b r i e f in tr o d u c to r y word o f e x p la n a tio n i s p erh a p s in o r d e r .

1 I b id .

, O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 3 .

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A dventism and Mormonism, a d m itte d ly , do have s e v e r a l th in g s in
common, e s p e c i a l l y to one who ta k e s o n ly a c u r so r y , s u p e r f i c i a l view o f
b o th b o d ie s .

Both a r o s e , h i s t o r i c a l l y , in th e 1830s and 1 8 4 0 s.

Both

cla im p io n e e r le a d e r s ( E lle n G. W hite f o r th e A d v e n t is t s , Jo sep h Sm ith

fo r th e Mormons) who, sa y th e y , were s u p e m a t u r a lly g iv e n th e p r o p h e tic
g i f t o f d iv in e illu m in a t io n or " r e v e l a t i o n . 11

Both s t r e s s th e im p ortance

o f h e a lt h f u l l i v i n g , esch ew in g c e r t a in d ie t a r y h a b it s ( c o f f e e , t e a ,
a lc o h o l, and to b a cc o ) as in im ic a l to f u l l s p i r i t u a l d ev elo p m en t.

There

a r e , n e v e r t h e le s s , many major d i f f e r e n c e s o f d o c tr in e and custom w hich

s e p a r a te and d is t in g u is h A dventism from Mormonism.
S im ila r ly , A dventism and th e J e h o v a h 's W itness movement are
o fte n i d e n t i f i e d as one and th e same bod y.

W itn ess fo u n d er C h arles Taze

R u s s e ll was p r o fo u n d ly in f lu e n c e d as a te e n a g e r by an SDA e v a n g e l i s t , *
a lth o u g h t h i s f a c t i s n o t commonly known to d a y .
However, th e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f A d v e n tis ts and W itn esses may f in d
a p a r t i a l e x p la n a tio n p erh ap s in t h e s e s i m i l a r i t i e s :

(1) Both groups

A lit t le - k n o w n , y e t i n t e n s e l y i n t e r e s t i n g , fo o t n o te to h i s t o r y
i s th e f a c t t h a t W itn ess fou n d er C h a rles T a ze w e ll R u s s e ll , in h i s own
w ords, "stum bled upon Adventism " as a te e n -a g e boy who had f a l l e n "an
e a sy p r e y to th e l o g i c o f i n f i d e l i t y . "
R a ised a P r e s b y te r ia n and l a t e r
a C o n g r e g a tio n a lis t by m em bership, young R u s s e ll was now "shaken in
f a i t h r e g a r d in g many lo n g -a c c e p te d d o c t r in e s ," and on th e v erg e o f
th row in g o v er e v e r y th in g r e l i g i o u s and becom ing a s p i r i t u a l d r o p -o u t.
One e v e n in g , " seem in g ly by a c c id e n t ," R u s s e ll "dropped i n t o a d u sty ,
d in gy h a ll " in P itts b u r g h , P a ., to h e a r A d v e n tis t e v a n g e l is t Jonas Wen
d e l l expound some s t r a n g e , i f "not e n t i r e l y c l e a r ," r e l i g i o u s i d e a s .
R u s s e ll l a t e r p u b lic ly d e c la r e d t h i s e x p e r ie n c e t o be a m ajor tu r n in g
p o in t in h i s l i f e , " s u f f i c i e n t under God to r e - e s t a b l i s h my w a v erin g
f a i t h in th e d iv in e in s p ir a t io n " o f th e S c r ip t u r e s . W hile n ev er a c c e p t
in g A dventism as su c h , R u s s e ll n e v e r t h e le s s f e l t im p e lle d to c o n fe s s h i s
" in d e b te d n ess" to A dventism ; and, in l a t e r l i f e , he e x p r e s s e d c e r t a in t y
t h a t t h e i r body was " c a lle d o f G od"--but as a p r e c u r s o r o f h i s movement,
th e W itn e sse s! S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts th u s h e ld th e dubious d i s t i n c t i o n
o f b e in g th e o n ly r e l i g i o u s d enom ination t h a t R u s s e ll d id n o t c o m p le te ly
condemn d u rin g h is l i f e t i m e .
(C f. H erb ert H ew itt S tro u p , The J e h o v a h 's
W itn esses [New York: Columbia U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1 9 4 5 ], 5 , 6 .)

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s t r e s s a d o o r -to -d o o r v a r i e t y o f " p e r so n a l ev a n g elism " (a s does a ls o

Mormonism, i n c i d e n t a l l y ) , w hich s e t s them a p a rt from m ost e s t a b lis h e d
C h r is tia n d e n o m in a tio n s.

(2) Both u se p u b lic B ib le le c t u r e s as a major

means o f p r o p a g a tin g t h e i r f a i t h .

(3 ) Both p r o m in e n tly em ploy the

p r in t e d p a g e as a prim e medium f o r th e advocacy o f t h e i r d i s t i n c t i v e

d o c t r in a l v ie w s .

(4 ) Members o f b o th groups have a d em o n stra ted w i l l

in g n e s s t o e sp o u se unpopular id e a s and c a u ses a t g r e a t f i n a n c i a l (and

o ft e n s o c i a l )

s a c r ific e .

And, on th e t h e o l o g i c a l f r o n t ,

(5 ) b o th h o ld

as a c a r d in a l t e n e t o f f a i t h th e b a s i c b e l i e f th a t d ea th i s m erely a
c e s s a t io n o f p h y s ic a l l i f e , a s t a t e o f u n co n sc io u s s l e e p .

A ll o f th e

fo r e g o in g t o th e c o n tr a r y n o t w ith s ta n d in g , how ever, th e d if f e r e n c e s

betw een A dventism and W itn e s s e s , on p o in t s o f b e l i e f , p o l i t y , and p r a c
t i c e , are s u b s t a n t i a l l y g r e a t e r th an are th e s e few p o in t s o f s i m i l a r i t y .
But what cto S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts b e lie v e ?

A lth ou gh th e denom

in a t io n s t r i c t l y a v o id s even th e appearance o f s u b s c r ib in g t o a form al

c r e e d , i t h as fo rm u la ted (f o r th e sa k e o f c o n v en ien ce and r e f e r e n c e ) i t s
fundam ental d o c t r in a l b e l i e f s i n t o

22

t h e o l o g i c a l p r o p o s it io n s ; and

th e s e are s e t fo r th in th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church M anual, p u b lis h e d

by i t s G eneral C o n feren ce.

Thus, A d v e n tis ts in g e n e r a l, and W illiam

F agal in p a r t i c u l a r , b e lie v e :
1. That th e H oly S c r ip tu r e s o f th e Old and th e New
T estam ent were g iv e n by i n s p i r a t i o n o f God, c o n ta in an a l l s u f f i c i e n t r e v e la t io n o f H is w i l l t o men, and are th e o n ly
u n e r r in g r u le o f f a i t h and p r a c t i c e .
(2 Tim. 3 : 1 5 - 1 7 .)
2 . That th e Godhead, or T r i n i t y , c o n s i s t s o f th e
E te r n a l F a th e r , a p e r s o n a l, s p i r i t u a l B ein g, o m n ip o ten t,
o m n ip r ese n t, o m n is c ie n t, i n f i n i t e in wisdom and lo v e ; th e
Lord J e s u s C h r is t , th e Son o f th e E te r n a l F a th e r , through
whom a l l th in g s were c r e a te d and through whom th e s a l v a t i o n
o f th e redeem ed h o s t s w i l l be a cco m p lish ed ; th e H oly S p i r i t ,
th e t h ir d p erso n o f th e Godhead, th e g r e a t r e g e n e r a tin g
power in th e work o f red em p tio n .
(Matthew 2 8 : 1 9 .)

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353

3. T hat J e su s C h r is t i s v e r y God, b e in g o f th e same

n a tu r e and e s s e n c e as th e E te r n a l F a th e r. W hile r e t a in in g
H is d iv in e n a t u r e , He took upon H im se lf th e n a tu r e o f th e
human f a m ily , l i v e d on th e e a r th as a man, e x e m p lifie d in
H is l i f e as our example th e p r i n c i p l e s o f r ig h t e o u s n e s s ,
a t t e s t e d H is r e la t io n s h ip to God by many m igh ty m ir a c le s ,
d ie d f o r our s i n s on th e c r o s s , was r a is e d from th e dead,
and a scen d ed to th e F a th e r , where He e v e r l i v e s t o make
i n t e r c e s s i o n fo r u s .
(John 1 :1 ,1 4 ; Heb. 2 :9 - 1 8 ; 8 : 1 ,2 ;
4 :1 4 -1 6 ; 7 : 2 5 .)
4 . That e v e r y p e r so n , in ord er to o b ta in s a l v a t i o n ,
must e x p e r ie n c e th e new b i r t h . T h is com p rises th e e n t ir e
tr a n s fo r m a tio n o f l i f e and c h a r a c te r by th e r e - c r e a t i v e
power o f God through f a i t h in th e Lord J e su s C h r is t.
(John 3 :1 6 ; M att. 1 8 :3 ; A cts 2 : 3 7 - 3 9 .)
5 . That b a p tism i s an o rd in a n ce o f th e C h r is tia n
ch u rch , th e p ro p er form b e in g by im m ersion, and sh o u ld
f o llo w r e p e n ta n c e and fo r g iv e n e s s o f s i n s . By i t s o b se r v a
t io n f a i t h i s shown in th e d e a th , b u r i a l , and r e s u r r e c t io n
o f C h r is t.
(Rom. 6 :1 - 6 ; A cts 1 6 :3 0 - 3 3 .)
6 .
That th e w i l l o f God as i t r e l a t e s to moral conduct
i s comprehended in H is law o f te n commandments. These are
g r e a t m oral, u n ch an geab le p r e c e p t s , b in d in g upon a l l men in
every age.
(Ex. 2 0 : 1 - 1 7 .)

7. That th e fo u r th commandment o f t h i s unch angeable

law r e q u ir e s th e ob servan ce o f th e s e v e n th -d a y Sab bath .
T his h o ly i n s t i t u t i o n i s a t th e same tim e a m em orial o f
c r e a t io n and a s ig n o f s a n c t i f i c a t i o n , a s ig n o f the
b e l i e v e r s r e s t from h is own works o f s i n , and h i s e n tr a n c e
i n t o th e r e s t o f s o u l th a t J e su s p ro m ises to th o s e who come
to Him.
(Gen. 2 : 1 - 3 ; Ex. 2 0 :8 -1 1 ; 3 1 :1 2 -1 7 ; Heb. 4 : 1 - 1 0 .)
8 .
That th e law o f te n commandments p o in t s o u t s i n ,
th e p e n a lt y o f w hich i s d e a th . The law cannot sa v e th e
t r a n s g r e s s o r from h i s s i n , n o r im part power to keep him
from s in n in g .
In i n f i n i t e lo v e and mercy God p r o v id e s a
way whereby t h i s may be done. He fu r n is h e s a s u b s t i t u t e ,
even C h r is t th e r ig h te o u s o n e , to d ie in man's s t e a d , making
"him to b e s i n f o r u s , who knew no s i n ; th a t we m ight be
made th e r ig h te o u s n e s s o f God in Him" (2 Cor. 5 : 2 1 ) . We are
j u s t i f i e d , n o t by o b e d ie n c e to th e law , b u t by th e g ra ce
th a t i s in C h r is t J e s u s . By a c c e p tin g C h r is t, man i s
r e c o n c ile d t o God, j u s t i f i e d by th e b lo o d o f C h r is t f o r th e
s i n s o f th e p a s t , and sa v ed from th e power o f s i n by H is
in d w e llin g l i f e .
Thus th e g o s p e l becomes "the power o f God
u n to s a lv a t io n to e v e r y one th a t b e l i e v e t h ." T his e x p e r i
e n ce i s wrought by th e d iv in e agency o f th e H oly S p i r i t , who
c o n v in c e s o f s i n and le a d s to th e S in B ea rer, in d u c tin g
b e l i e v e r s i n t o th e n ew -coven a n t r e l a t i o n s h i p , where th e law
o f God i s w r it t e n on t h e i r h e a r t s ; and through th e e n a b lin g

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power o f th e in d w e llin g C h r is t, t h e i r l i v e s a re brought

in t o c o n fo r m ity to th e d iv in e p r e c e p t s . The honor and
m erit o f t h i s w on d erfu l tr a n sfo r m a tio n b e lo n g w h o lly to
C h r is t.
(I John 3 :4 ; Rom. 7 :7 ; 3 :2 0 ; Eph. 2 : 8 - 1 0 ; I John
2 : 1 ,2 ; Rom. 5 : 8 - 1 0 ; G al. 2 :2 0 ; Eph. 3 :1 7 ; Heb. 8 : 8 - 1 2 .)
9.
That God " o n ly h a th im m o rta lity " (I Tim. 6 : 1 6 ) .
M ortal man p o s s e s s e s a n a tu r e in h e r e n t ly s i n f u l and d y in g .
E te r n a l l i f e i s th e g i f t o f God through f a i t h in C h r is t
(Rom. 6 : 2 3 ) .
"He t h a t h a th th e Son h a th l i f e " (I John 5 : 1 2 ) .
Im m o r ta lity i s b esto w ed upon th e r ig h te o u s a t th e seco n d
coming o f C h r is t , when th e r ig h te o u s dead are r a is e d from
th e grave and th e l i v i n g r ig h te o u s t r a n s la t e d to m eet th e
Lord. Then i t i s th a t th o se a cco u n ted f a i t h f u l "put on
im m o r ta lity ."
(I Cor. 1 5 :5 1 - 5 5 .)
10. That th e
u n c o n s c io u s n e s s .
in th e grave from
P s . 1 4 6 :3 ,4 ; John

c o n d it io n o f man in d ea th i s one o f
That a l l men, good and e v i l a l i k e , rem ain
d eath to th e r e s u r r e c t io n .
(E c c l. 9 : 5 ,6 ;
5 : 2 8 ,2 9 .)

11. That th e r e s h a l l be a r e s u r r e c t io n b o th o f th e
j u s t and o f th e u n j u s t . The r e s u r r e c t io n o f th e j u s t w i l l
tak e p la c e a t th e sec o n d coming o f C h r ist; th e r e s u r r e c t io n
o f th e u n ju s t w i l l ta k e p la c e a thousand y e a rs l a t e r , a t
th e c l o s e o f th e m illen n iu m .
(John 5 : 2 8 ,2 9 ; I T hes. 4:
13-18; Rev. 2 0 : 5 - 1 0 .)
12. That th e f i n a l l y im p e n ite n t, in c lu d in g S a ta n , th e
au th or o f s i n , w i l l , by th e f i r e s o f th e l a s t d ay, be
red uced to a s t a t e o f n o n e x is t e n c e , becom ing as though th e y
had n o t b e e n , th u s p u rg in g th e u n iv e r s e o f God o f s i n and
s in n e r s .
(Rom. 6 :2 3 ; M ai. 4 :1 - 3 ; Rev. 2 0 :9 ,1 0 ; Obadiah 1 6 .)
13. That no p r o p h e t ic p e r io d i s g iv e n in th e B ib le to
reach t o th e Second A dvent, b u t th a t th e lo n g e s t o n e , th e
2300 days o f D a n ie l 8 :1 4 , te r m in a tin g in 1844, r e a c h e s t o
an e v e n t c a l l e d th e c le a n s in g o f th e s a n c tu a r y .
14. That th e tr u e s a n c tu a r y , o f which th e ta b e r n a c le
on e a r th was a t y p e , i s th e tem ple o f God in h ea v en , o f
w hich Paul sp ea k es in Hebrews 8 and onward, and o f w hich
th e Lord J e s u s , as our g r e a t h ig h p r i e s t , i s m in is t e r . The
p r i e s t l y work o f our Lord i s th e a n t ity p e o f th e work o f th e
Jew ish p r i e s t s o f th e form er d is p e n s a t io n . That t h i s
h e a v e n ly sa n c tu a r y i s th e one to b e c le a n s e d a t th e end o f
th e 2300 days o f D a n ie l 8 :1 4 , i t s c le a n s in g b e in g , as in th e
ty p e , a work o f judgm ent, b e g in n in g w ith th e e n tr a n c e o f
C h r is t as th e h ig h p r i e s t upon th e judgment ph ase o f H is
m in is t r y in th e h e a v e n ly s a n c tu a r y , foreshadow ed in th e
e a r t h ly s e r v ic e o f c le a n s in g th e sa n c tu a r y on th e Day o f
A tonem ent. T h is work o f judgment in th e h e a v e n ly sa n c tu a r y
began in 1844.
I t s c o m p letio n w i l l c lo s e human p r o b a tio n .

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15. That God, in th e tim e o f th e judgm ent and i n

accordan ce w ith H is u n iform d e a lin g w ith th e human fa m ily
in w arning them o f coming e v e n ts v i t a l l y a f f e c t i n g t h e i r
d e s t in y (Amos 3 : 6 , 7 ) , sen d s f o r t h a p r o c la m a tio n o f th e
approach o f th e Second Advent o f C h r is t; th a t t h i s work i s
sy m b o liz e d by th e th r e e a n g e ls o f R e v e la tio n 1 4 , and th a t
t h e i r t h r e e f o ld m essage b r in g s to view a work o f refo rm to
p rep are a p e o p le t o m eet Him a t His com ing.
16. That th e tim e o f th e c le a n s in g o f th e s a n c tu a r y ,
s y n c h r o n iz in g w ith th e p e r io d o f th e p r o c la m a tio n o f th e
m essage o f R e v e la tio n 14, i s a tim e o f i n v e s t i g a t i v e ju d g
ment, f i r s t , w ith r e f e r e n c e to th e d ead , and se c o n d , w ith
r e f e r e n c e to th e l i v i n g .
T his i n v e s t i g a t i v e judgment
d eterm in es who o f th e m yriads s l e e p i n g in th e d u st o f th e
e a r th are w orthy o f a p a r t in th e f i r s t r e s u r r e c t io n , and
who o f i t s l i v i n g m u ltitu d e s are w orthy o f t r a n s l a t i o n .
(I P e te r 4 :1 7 ,1 8 ; Dan. 7 : 9 ,1 0 ; Rev. 1 4 :6 ,7 ; Luke 2 0 : 3 5 .)
17. That th e f o llo w e r s o f C h r is t sh o u ld be a g o d ly
p e o p le , n o t a d o p tin g th e u n h oly maxims n or conform ing to th e
u n r ig h te o u s ways o f th e w o rld ; n o r lo v in g i t s s i n f u l
p le a s u r e s nor c o u n ten a n c in g i t s f o l l i e s .
That b e l i e v e r s
sh o u ld r e c o g n iz e t h e i r b o d ie s as th e tem p le o f th e Holy
S p i r i t , and t h a t t h e r e f o r e th e y sh o u ld c lo th e them i n n e a t ,
m od est, d i g n i f i e d a p p a r e l.
F u r th e r , th a t in e a t in g and
d r in k in g and in t h e i r e n t i r e co u r se o f conduct th e y sh o u ld
shape t h e i r l i v e s as becom eth f o llo w e r s o f th e meek and
lo w ly M aster. Thus th e f o llo w e r s o f C h r is t w i l l be le d to
a b s ta in from a l l i n t o x i c a t i n g d r in k s , to b a cc o and o th e r
n a r c o t i c s , and to a v o id e v e r y b od y- and s o u l - d e f i l i n g h a b it
and p r a c t i c e .
(I Cor. 3 : 1 6 ,1 7 ; 9 :2 5 ; 1 0 :3 1 ; I Tim. 2 : 9 ,1 0 ;
I John 2 : 6 .)
18. That th e d iv in e p r i n c i p l e o f t i t h e s and o f f e r i n g s
f o r th e su p p o rt o f th e g o s p e l i s an acknowledgm ent o f God's
ow nership in our l i v e s , and th a t we a re stew a rd s who must
ren d er accou n t to Him o f a l l th a t He h as com m itted to our
p o s s e s sio n .
(L ev. 2 7 :3 0 ; Mai. 3 :8 - 1 2 ; M att. 2 3 :2 3 ; I Cor.
9 : 9 - 1 4 ; I I Cor. 9 : 6 - 1 5 .)
19. That God h as p la c e d in H is church th e g i f t s o f th e
Holy S p i r i t , as enum erated in I C o r in th ia n s 12 and
E phesians 4 . That th e s e g i f t s o p e r a te in harmony w ith th e
d iv in e p r i n c i p l e s o f th e B ib le , and are g iv e n
" fo r th e
p e r f e c t in g o f th e s a i n t s , f o r th e work o f th e m in is t r y , fo r
th e e d if y i n g o f th e body o f C h r ist" (Eph. 4 : 1 2 ) . That th e
g i f t o f th e S p i r i t o f proph ecy i s one o f th e i d e n t i f y i n g
marks o f th e remnant church (I Cor. 1 :5 - 7 ; 1 2 :1 -2 8 ; Rev.
12:17; 19:10; Amos 3 :7 ; Hosea 1 2 : 1 0 ,1 3 ) . They r e c o g n iz e
th a t th e g i f t was m a n ife s te d in th e l i f e and m in is t r y o f
E lle n G. W hite.
2 0. That t h e sec o n d
o f th e church, th e grand

coming
o f C h r is t i s th e g r e a t hope
clim a x o f th e g o s p e l
and p la n o f

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s a l v a t i o n . H is coining w i l l be l i t e r a l , p e r s o n a l, and
v is ib le .
Many im p ortan t e v e n ts w i l l be a s s o c ia t e d w ith H is
r e t u r n , su ch as th e r e s u r r e c t io n o f th e d ea d , th e d e s t r u c
t i o n o f th e w ick ed , th e p u r i f i c a t i o n o f th e e a r t h , th e
reward o f th e r ig h t e o u s , and th e e s ta b lis h m e n t o f H is e v e r
l a s t i n g kingdom . The alm o st com p lete f u l f i l l m e n t o f v a r io u s
l i n e s o f p ro p h ecy , p a r t i c u l a r l y th o se found in th e books o f
D a n ie l and th e R e v e la t io n , w ith e x i s t i n g c o n d it io n s in th e
p h y s i c a l , s o c i a l , i n d u s t r i a l , p o l i t i c a l , and r e l i g i o u s
w o r ld s , in d i c a t e s th a t C h r is t 's coming " is n e a r , e v en a t th e
d o o r s ." The e x a c t tim e o f th a t e v e n t h as n o t b een f o r e t o l d .
B e lie v e r s are e x h o r te d to be r ea d y , f o r " in su ch an hour as
ye th in k n o t th e Son o f man" w i l l b e r e v e a le d .
( L u k e
2 1 ;
2 5 -2 7 ; 1 7 :2 6 -3 0 ; John 1 4 :1 -3 ; A cts 1 :9 -1 1 ; Rev. 1 :7 ; Heb. 9:
28; James 5 : 1 - 8 ; J o e l 3 :9 -1 6 ; I I Tim. 3 : 1 - 5 ; Dan. 7 :2 7 ;
M att. 2 4 : 3 6 ,4 4 .)
2 1 . T hat th e m il le n n ia l r e ig n o f C h r is t c o v e r s th e
p e r io d betw een th e f i r s t and th e seco n d r e s u r r e c t i o n , d u rin g
w hich tim e th e s a i n t s o f a l l ages w i l l l i v e w ith t h e i r
b le s s e d Redeemer in h ea v en . At th e end o f th e m illen n iu m
th e H oly C ity w ith a l l th e s a i n t s w i l l d escen d t o th e e a r t h .
The w ic k e d , r a is e d in th e seco n d r e s u r r e c t io n , w i l l go up on
th e b r e a d th o f th e e a r th w ith S atan a t t h e i r head t o compass
th e camp o f th e s a i n t s , when f i r e w i l l come down from God
o u t o f heaven and devour them. In th e c o n f la g r a t io n th a t
d e s tr o y s S atan and h i s h o s t th e e a r th i t s e l f w i l l be
r e g e n e r a te d and c le a n s e d from th e e f f e c t s o f th e c u r s e .
Thus th e u n iv e r s e o f God w i l l be p u r i f i e d from th e f o u l b l o t
o f s in .
(Rev. 20; Zech. 1 4 :1 -4 ; I I P e te r 3 : 7 - 1 0 .)
2 2 . That God w i l l make a l l th in g s new. The e a r t h ,
r e s t o r e d to i t s p r i s t i n e b e a u ty , w i l l become fo r e v e r th e
abode o f th e s a i n t s o f th e Lord. The p ro m ise t o Abraham
t h a t , through C h r is t, he and h i s s e e d sh o u ld p o s s e s s th e
e a r th th rou gh ou t th e e n d le s s ag es o f e t e r n i t y , w i l l be f u l
fille d .
"The kingdom and dom inion, and th e g r e a t n e s s o f
th e kingdom under th e w hole h e a v e n , s h a l l be g iv e n t o th e
p e o p le o f th e s a i n t s o f th e m ost H igh, whose kingdom i s an
e v e r l a s t i n g kingdom, and a l l dom inions s h a l l s e r v e and obey
Him." C h r is t , th e Lord, w i l l r e ig n suprem e, "and e v e r y
c r e a tu r e w hich i s in h ea v en , and on th e e a r t h , and under
th e e a r t h , and such as are in th e s e a ," w i l l a s c r ib e
" b le s s in g , and hon our, and g lo r y , and power" u n to "him t h a t
s i t t e t h upon th e th ron e and unto th e Lamb f o r e v e r and e v e r ."
(Gen. 1 3 :1 4 -1 7 ; Rom. 4 :1 3 ; Heb. 1 1 :8 -1 6 ; M att. 5 :5 ; I s a . 35;
Rev. 2 1 : 1 - 7 ; Dan. 7 :2 7 ; Rev. 5 ; 1 3 . ) 1

^ Seven th-day A d v e n tist Church Manual, 3 2 -3 9 .

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Sermon Themes

George Bernard Shaw i s r e p o r te d once t o h ave rem arked, "You know

v e r y w e ll t h a t a f t e r a c e r t a in age a man has o n ly one s p e e c h ." 1

I f Shaw

be r i g h t , th en W illia m F ag a l* s one "speech" i s th e u n lim it e d lo v e o f God

f o r th e s in n e r , and th e tr a n sfo r m in g power o f t h a t lo v e t o r e s t o r e in
man th e image o f h i s Maker w e ll- n i g h o b l i t e r a t e d by s i n .

In t h i s , he

e x e m p lif ie s Lary Mary W ortley M ontagu's " u n a lte r a b le maxim:

lo v e , we alw ays have som eth in g to s a y ,"

"When we

in th e c o n te x t o f Henry D avid

T h oreau 's d ictu m , "The o n ly way t o sp eak th e tr u t h i s to speak l o v i n g ly ."

What, th e n , a re P a s to r F a g a l's sermon them es?

T op ics

T e l e v is io n p r e a c h in g . W illia m F a g a l d e liv e r e d 20 new t e l e v i s i o n

sermons d u rin g th e y e a r 1965 ( s e e A ppendix G ), and th e s u b j e c t c o n te n t
may be d iv id e d g e n e r a lly in t o th r e e c a t e g o r ie s :

(1) d o c t r in e ,

(2)

p rop h ecy, and (3) " p r a c t ic a l g o d li n e s s ," or th e making o f r e l i g i o n

p r a c t i c a l in th e everyd ay l i f e .

Three sermons are n o te d in th e f i r s t

c a te g o r y , two in th e se c o n d , and 15 in th e t h ir d . I t i s e a sy
w h erein l i e s th e em phasis o f th e
P a sto r F a g a l1s d o c t r in a l

to s e e

F a g a l t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y .
serm ons on TV in 1965 d e a l t ,

s i v e l y w ith (a) a C h r is tia n view o f d ea th (# 3 6 2 ),

su cces

(b) th e sec o n d coming

o f C h r ist (# 3 6 9 ), and (c ) C h r is t as th e G ift o f God (# 3 7 6 ) .

His two serm ons on p rop h ecy co n cern ed th e m se lv e s w ith (a ) s p e
c i f i c p r o p h e c ie s about B abylon, T y re, and Sidon (#352)

*C ited in F le s c h , 362.

(which F agal

2 C ite d in i b i d . , 3 3 5 .

^ C ited in i b i d . , 380.

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h o ld s have b een f u l f i l l e d w ith u n e r r in g a c c u r a c y ]; and (b) th e c e r t a in t y

o f B ib le prophecy (# 3 5 5 ).

The F agal s t r e s s on prophecy i s grounded upon

a tw o fo ld c o n v ic t io n th a t Cl] th e e x is t e n c e o f prophecy p ro v es th e e x i s t
ence o f God, f o r o n ly God knows th e end from th e b e g in n in g and i s a b le
to p r e d ic t fu tu r e e v e n ts w ith c e r t a i n t y and a ccu ra cy ( I s a ia h 4 6 :9 -1 0 ;
4 2 :9 ; 2 P e te r 1 : 1 9 - 2 1 ] , and th u s th e p r e se n c e o f prophecy in th e S c r ip tr u e s a t t e s t s to i t s s u p e r n a tu r a l A u th o rsh ip ; and (2) God has p la c e d
prophecy in th e S c r ip tu r e s f o r th e p ra g m a tic purpose o f t e l l i n g men who
care enough to sea r c h e x a c t ly what l i e s ahead, e n a b lin g one t o p rep are
fo r i t

(Amos 3 :7 ; 1 Cor. 1 0 :1 1 ; Romans 1 5 : 4 ] .

T h r e e -fo u r th s o f th e F agal 1965 TV sermons d e a l w ith s u b j e c t s o f

p r a c t i c a l c o n s id e r a t io n s in th e C h r is tia n l i f e and home:

O b lig a tio n o f p a r e n ts to t r a i n p r o p e r ly th e y o u th (#345)
The meaning o f f a i t h (#346)
D iv o r c e , broken hom es, and th e c h ild r e n (#349)
G ossip and e v i l su r m isin g (#351)
How t o grow o ld in God (#353)
Power in p r a y e r (#354)
The im portance o f c h ild t r a in i n g (#357)
Running away from d u ty: C h r is t ia n it y and e sca p ism (#358)
God's w i l l v s . man's w i l l (#360)
S e l f i s h n e s s and f o r g iv e n e s s (#364)
Im proving o n e 's t a l e n t s (#367)
Concern f o r o th e r s (#370)
God's d ir e c t io n in th e in d iv id u a l l i f e (#371)
Human im p e r fe c tio n and s e l f - r e a l i z a t i o n (#373)
C hoosing a l i f e ' s p a r tn e r (#375)

G eneral p u lp it p r e a c h in g . --A s n o te d above, W illiam F agal has a

p r e d i l e c t i o n f o r b io g r a p h ic a l serm on s.

Of th e f i v e f u l l - l e n g t h p u lp i t

serm ons s e l e c t e d a t random fo r r h e t o r i c a l c r i t i c i s m

l a t e r in t h i s chap

t e r , fo u r are in th e b io g r a p h ic a l moldPaul (a t C o r in th ), Andrew, Mary

M agdalene, and Nicodem us.

The f i f t h serm on, o f an e x p o s ito r y ty p e , i s

on th e s u b j e c t o f Heaven and c o n s i s t s o f a v e r s e - b y - v e r s e e x e g e s is o f a
major p o r tio n o f th e 2 1 s t C hapter o f The R e v e la tio n .

F a g a l's f a v o r it e

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method i s t o ta k e th e l i f e e x p e r ie n c e o f some B i b l i c a l c h a r a c te r and

make i t l i v e in a modem s e t t i n g , draw ing from i t le s s o n s p e r t in e n t to
our tim e s .

E v a n g e l i s t i c p r e a c h in g . Sermons on S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tist doc

t r in e s

(many o f w hich are sh a red in common w ith o th e r d en om in ation s in

th e t r a d i t i o n o f h i s t o r i c P r o te s ta n tis m ) p red om in ate in W illia m F a g a l's

e v a n g e l i s t i c p r e a c h in g .
In h i s p r e - t e l e v i s i o n e v a n g e l i s t i c cam paign s, F a g a l would p reach
from th r e e t o f i v e n ig h t s w e e k ly , f o r co n tin u o u s p e r io d s o f th r e e to
f i v e m onths.

Such a program i s now o b v io u s ly im p o s s ib le , c o n s id e r in g

h is heavy lo a d o f r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s in c o n n e c tio n w ith th e t e l e c a s t ; and

e v a n g e l i s t i c p r e a c h in g now i s g e n e r a lly lim it e d to a 15- or 16-serm on,
th re e -w ee k " d e c is io n s e r ie s "
in major U. S . c i t i e s .

( g e n e r a lly view ed as " reap in g" cam paigns)

I n v it a t i o n s are th u s s e n t t o a l l names on th e

F a ith f o r Today m a ilin g l i s t in th e a r e a , and some g e n e r a l a d v e r tis in g

i s a ls o p u t o u t t o i n t e r e s t th e p u b lic u n a cq u a in ted w ith " F a ith f o r
Today" and th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t church.

Ten " d e c is io n s e r i e s " were

con d u cted d u rin g th e fo u r -y e a r p e r io d , 1 9 6 5 -1 9 6 9 .*

The c h u r c h 's West C oast w eek ly new spaper d e s c r ib e d th e c o n te n t
o f th e 1969 Lynwood campaign in suburban Los A n g eles in th e s e words:
In h i s th re e -w ee k s e r i e s , Dr. F agal w i l l c o v er th e
b a s i c s o f B ib le d o c tr in e and p ro p h ecy . He w i l l p o in t to
su re s ig n s o f our L ord 's r e tu r n , in c lu d in g p o l i t i c a l u n r e s t ,
s t r i f e in th e c i t i e s , and p ea ce t a lk s around th e g l o b e . 2
A com parison o f th e 1967 campaign a t N a tio n a l C ity a suburb o f
San D iego (A p r il 16 t o May 6 ) , th e 1968 campaign in Los A n geles (March 23

1P a c i f i c Union R ecord er, Feb. 1 7 , 1969, 1.

2 I b id .

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to A p r il 1 3 ), and th e 1969 campaign in Lynwood (March 1 t o 22) in d ic a t e s

a g e n e r a lly e s t a b lis h e d p a t t e r n o f t o p ic co v era g e and se q u e n c e .
M eetin gs t y p i c a l l y a re h e ld on Sunday, T uesday, W ednesday,
F r id a y , and Saturday e v e n in g d u rin g ea ch o f th r e e s u c c e s s i v e w eek s.

(In

1969, an a d d itio n a l s e r v i c e was h e ld on th e S aturday e v e n in g p r e c e d in g

th e f i r s t f u l l week o f th e m e e tin g s .)
The seq u en ce o f t o p ic s in th e 1969 Lynwood campaign fo llo w e d
t h i s form at:
1 s t week

2nd week

3rd week

S a t.

"Race to th e Moon" ("You, to o can soon t r a v e l in

sp a c e !" )
(T op ic: Second Coming o f C h r i s t .)

Sun.

"Three Hours to L ive" (" T onight Dr. F agal w i l l t e l l th e

s t o r y o f h is accom panying a condemned s la y e r t o th e
e l e c t r i c c h a ir ."
(T o p ic: The Search f o r P eace o f
M ind.)

Tue.

"The G r e a te s t E vent o f th e Ages" ("World h i s t o r y i s

b u ild in g toward a rew arding c o n c lu s io n ." )
(T op ic:
Second Coming o f C h r is ta )

Wed.

"The B ib le and A rch aeology" (V in d ic a tio n o f th e a ccu ra cy

o f th e B ib le .)

F r i.

"Is M o r a lity Out o f Date?" ("What does r e l i g i o n o f f e r

th e new g e n e r a tio n ? " )
(T op ic: B in d in g n a tu r e o f Law
o f God to d a y .)

S a t.

"Which Day i s th e Sabbath?" (" S aturday or Sunday,

which?")

Sun.

"Is Heaven P ie in th e Sky?" ("Can t h i s modem g e n e r a tio n

b e l i e v e in heaven?")

Tue.

" A fter L i f e What?" ("The o th e r s id e o f d e a th ." )

Wed.

"W ill God P u n ish S in n e r s F orever?" ("What h e l l r e a l l y

is ." )

F r i.

"A New L ife in C h rist" ("How you can s u c c e s s f u l l y h id e

th e p a s t ." )

S a t.

"How God S o lv e d a Dilemma" ("H eaven's u n u su a l way o f

d e a lin g w ith th e problem o f s i n . " )

Sun.

"God and th e W orld's Problem s" ("Why d o e s n 't a good God

end human s u ffe r in g ? " )

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Tue.

"How You Can S c i e n t i f i c a l l y T e s t God" ("Your human

r e sp o n se to an u n u su a l i n v i t a t i o n . " )
(T o p ic:
C h r is tia n s te w a r d s h ip .)

Wed.

"Which Church Should You J o in ? " ("How can one know which
church J e su s w ould jo in ? " )

F r i.

"The Unpardonable S in " (" Is th e r e a p o in t o f no r etu r n

beyond w hich God can n ot fo r g iv e ? " )

S a t.

" G e ttin g A cq u a in ted With God" ("What God can mean to

y o u .")1

T itle s

In W illiam F a g a l's p r e - t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y , th e p u b l i c l y announced t i t l e

o f a serm onp a r t i c u l a r l y in e v a n g e l i s t i c cam paignswas

a m ost im p o rta n t a s p e c t o f sermon p r e p a r a tio n ; and a c o n s id e r a b le amount

o f tim e and a t t e n t io n was d ev o ted to p r e p a r in g snapp y, c a tc h y , w e l l p h rased t i t l e s

f o r th e m e ssa g e s.

With th e advent o f t e l e v i s i o n

(an d , g iv e n th e " b ic y c le " method

o f program f il m d i s t r i b u t i o n , w hich p r e c lu d e s announcing on th e a ir one

week th e t i t l e

o f n e x t w e ek 's serm o n ), th e p r a c t ic e o f g iv in g t i t l e s to

sermons f e l l i n t o d is u s e ; and th e t i t l e was r e p la c e d w ith a s e r i a l

number to i d e n t i f y th e program as a w h o le.
As r eg a r d s p u l p i t p r e a c h in g d u rin g th e s e y e a r s , much o f i t was
a t A d v e n tis t camp m e e tin g s (where th e mere announcement th a t th e t e l e
v i s i o n p a s t o r w ould a p p ear, w ith o r w ith o u t h i s q u a r t e t , was s u f f i c i e n t
to gu a ra n tee a good a tt e n d a n c e ), or a t o th e r s p e c i a l o c c a s io n s
th e n a tu r e o f th e m eetin g i t s e l f in s u r e d a f u l l h o u s e ).

(where

T i t l e s w e r e n 't

n eeded to a t t r a c t an a u d ie n c e , and th e y sim p ly were n o t c r e a te d and

s u b s e q u e n tly announced.
^From th e h a n d b ill f o r th e Lynwood cam paign.
2

F a gal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 6 , 1966, 2 .

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However, w ith th e ad ven t o f th e " d e c is io n s e r i e s " e v a n g e l i s t i c

m in is t r y , and w ith a co n c o m ita n t aw aren ess t h a t t i t l e s m ight in d e e d
s e r v e o th e r u s e f u l and v a lu a b le fu n c t io n s in a d d itio n t o c r o w d -g e ttin g ,
a change took p la c e in W illia m F a g a l's a t t i t u d e and p r a c t i c e r e g a r d in g
sermon t i t l e s .

In 1966 he s a id :

I have r e c e n t ly made a change in my p r a c t ic e o f n o t

announcing a sermon t i t l e .
Here a t th e Autumn C o u n cil [ o f
th e G eneral C o n fe r en ce , in W ashington, D. C .] I announced
th e t i t l e o f my serm on. P eo p le remember t i t l e s ; th e y ta k e
more away w ith them.
I w i l l u se t i t l e s m ore.*
Of th e f i v e f u l l - l e n g t h p u l p i t sermons under s tu d y in t h i s
c h a p te r , two had p rep a red t i t l e s w hich w ere announced t o th e p u b lic :
Cl) th e m essage on th e l i f e o f Mary M agdalene, in w hich th e n a tu r e o f
God's f o r g iv e n e s s was e x p lo r e d , was e n t i t l e d "God's B lin d Sp ot"; and
(2) th e sermon on Nicodemus in v o lv e d so m eth in g o f a p la y on words i n th e
title ,

"What's L e ft or W hat's R ight" ( g iv in g God a l l o f o n e 's l i f e

and

s o u l i s g iv in g Him " w h at's r ig h t " ; w hereas g iv in g Him a n y th in g l e s s than

f u l l su r re n d er i s

g iv in g Him " w h a t's l e f t " ) .

Som ething o f th e n a tu r e o f th e t i t l e s and s u b t i t l e s f o r th e

e v a n g e l i s t i c sermons in th e " d e c is io n s e r i e s " has a lr e a d y b e e n n o te d
above in c o n n e c tio n w ith th e t o p ic s f o r th e Lynwood cam paign.
Many o f th e s e t i t l e s w ere new.

In th e 1967 and 1968 cam paign s,

in w hich v i r t u a l l y th e same sermons w ere p r e a ch ed , o th e r t i t l e s were

u se d , as w i l l be n o te d from th e com parison shown b elow :

1969 T i t l e
"Three Hours t o L ive"
"The B ib le and A rch aeology"
" Is M o r a lity Out o f D ate?"
"Which Day i s th e Sabbath?"

1967 and 1968 T i t l e s

"How You Can Find In n er Peace"
"I Saw B ib le Prophecy V in d ic a te d "
"The M o r a lity Gap"
"Why I O bserve th e S e v e n th -d a y Sabbath"

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1 9 6 6 , 1.

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1969 T i t l e
'Is Heaven P ie in th e Sky?"
" A fter L i f e What?"
" W ill God P u nish S in n e rs
F orever?"
"A New L if e i n C h r ist"
"God and th e W orld's Problem s"
"How You Can S c i e n t i f i c a l l y
T est God"
"Which Church Should You Jo in ? "
"The Unpardonable Sin "
" G e ttin g A cq u ain ted With God"

1967 and 1968 T i t l e s

"What i s Heaven R e a lly L ike?"
"What R e a lly Happens When a Man D ies?"
"The T ruth About E te r n a l Punishment"
"How You Can T ru ly Bury th e Past"
"Why Does a Good God Perm it S u ffe r in g ? "
" In vestm en t f o r Permanent D ividend s"
"The Chaos o f th e C u lts"
" Is There a S in God W ill N ot F orgive?"
"What i s God R e a lly L ik e? " l

A udience and O cca sio n F a cto rs

Some r h e t o r i c a l c r i t i c s , from th e days o f A r i s t o t l e , ta k e th e

p o s i t i o n t h a t o f th e th r e e m ajor e lem en ts in th e p u b lic sp ea k in g s i t u a
t io n (s p e a k e r , m essa g e, a u d ie n c e ), th e a u d ien ce i s

th e most im p o rta n t.

I f sp e a k e r s w ould be e f f e c t i v e , th ey must o f n e c e s s i t y a d ju s t b o th them

s e lv e s and t h e i r id e a s to th e in d iv id u a ls who come to h e a r them.
O b v io u sly , su ch a d a p ta tio n r e q u ir e s a u d ien ce a n a ly s is in th e sp eech
p r e p a r a tio n s t a g e , and feed b ack a n a ly s is d u rin g and fo llo w in g d e liv e r y .

A udience f a c t o r s .- - W illia m A. F agal sp ea k s to two g e n e r a l

a u d ie n c e s - - h is w eek ly t e l e v i s i o n a u d ie n c e , and o c c a s io n a l c o n g r e g a tio n s
w hich he a d d r e sse s in p e r so n .

A fte r n e a r ly two d eca d es o f b r o a d c a s tin g ,

which have b rou gh t him a v i r t u a l m ountain o f m a i1 -re sp o n se from t e l e c a s t

2

v ie w e r s , and a f t e r e x te n s iv e , p u b lic p r e a c h in g i t i n e r a r i e s on f i v e c o n ti3

n e n ts
(upon w hich o c c a s io n s he o ft e n has had o p p o r tu n ity o f m eetin g

*From p r in t e d announcements o f th e 1967 and 1968 cam paigns.

2

For an exam in ation o f t y p i c a l v ie w e r m a i1 -r e s p o n s e , se e

Chapter VI and a d d it io n a l m a te r ia l i n Appendix J .
A ud ien ce r esp o n se to a s p e c i f i c p u l p i t m essage i s r e p o r te d and
a n a ly z e d in C hapter I I I . The su rv ey q u e s tio n n a ir e in stru m en t i s
reproduced i n Appendix M.

R eprod u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

364

v ie w e r s o f " F a ith f o r Today" in a f a c e - t o - f a c e s i t u a t i o n ) , Dr. F agal has

r a th e r d e f i n i t e c o n c e p t u a liz a t io n s as t o th e i d e n t i t y and co m p o sitio n o f
th e s e two d i f f e r e n t g r o u p s.
C oncerning th e b r o a d c a s tin g a u d ie n c e , he s a y s :
I v i s u a l i z e my TV a u d ien ce as th e " u n co n v erted ," n o t
c h u r c h -r e la te d p e o p le , n o t c h u r c h -o r ie n te d .
I t r y to th in k
[ in th e p r e p a r a tio n o f th e TV se r m o n e tte ] in term s o f th e
unchurched. I want t o make th e g o s p e l r e le v a n t to them. I
th in k o f a sm a ll fa m ily gro u p , o r ev en o f j u s t one i n d i v i d
u a ln e v e r o f a v a s t , mass a u d ie n c e .
I th in k o f one man
l i s t e n i n g , and t a l k t o him , th u s making th e approach con
v e r s a t i o n a l . My w hole a p p ea l i s to th e unchurched. I f I
th in k o f church members, th e n we are r e a l l y , in e f f e c t ,
t a lk in g to o u r s e lv e s , and g e t now here.
I d o n 't c o n c e iv e o f
my sp e a k in g on TV as " p r e a c h in g ," b u t , r a th e r , as v i s i t i n g
w ith one p e r s o n , or a s m a ll g r o u p .1
Of th e c o n g r e g a tio n s w hich g a th e r to h ea r P a s to r F agal in th e
p u lp it sp e a k in g s i t u a t i o n s - - t h e overw helm ing preponderance o f which are
members o f h i s S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t d en om in ation , e x c e p t fo r th e
e v a n g e l i s t i c cam paignshe s a y s :
I c o n c e iv e o f my SDA c o n g r e g a tio n s as b e in g B ib le o r ie n te d p e o p le , th e r e f o r e w i l l i n g to a c ce p t w h a tev er comes
from S c r ip t u r e .
I l ik e s t o r i e s , as you know. And a B ib le
s t o r y h e lp s one s t a y c l o s e r t o th e S c r ip t u r e s . My co n g re
g a tio n and I have one th in g in common which we a c c e p t - - t h e
B ib le . There i s no n e e d , t h e r e f o r e , p a r t i c u l a r l y to go to
o u t s id e s o u r c e s f o r m a t e r ia ls and p r o o f. I b e l i e v e th a t
th e r e i s power in th e Word i t s e l f , and power in th e Holy
S p i r i t who a tte n d s th e p r e a c h in g o f th e Word. And I fir m ly
b e l i e v e th a t th e H oly S p i r i t can b l e s s us m ost th e c l o s e r
we s t a y t o th e Word in our p r e a c h in g . Thus, we g e t a s o r t
o f d o u b le -p o r tio n o f p o w er--fro m th e Word i t s e l f and from
th e Holy S p i r i t . 2
R egarding th o s e who make up th e co m p o sitio n o f th e s e co n g reg a
t i o n s , F agal adds:
I d o n 't th in k o f my a u d ien ce in term s o f o c c u p a tio n o r
em ploym ent, as s u c h .
I am c o n s c io u s o f our n eed to reach
i n t e r v i e w w ith W illia m A. F a g a l, New York, May 18, 1969, 1.
C ite d h e r e a f t e r as F agal I n te r v ie w , May 18, 1969.
2I b id .

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365

th e n e g le c t e d upper c l a s s e s in our ch u rch es I'm v e r y con

s c io u s o f them. And I want to remove any " h o les" w hich
m ight cause them to q u e s tio n what I s a y I want to le a v e no
" h ole" in what I sa y th a t w i l l e n a b le them t o d is c o u n t my
m e s s a g e .1

O ccasion f a c t o r s . --W illia m F agal i s as c o n sc io u s o f th e im por

ta n ce o f i d e n t i f y i n g h im s e lf and h is m essage w ith th e o c c a s io n s upon
which he p rea ch es as he i s o f i d e n t i f y i n g w ith th e p e o p le to whom he
a d d r e sse s h im s e lf .
Very l i t t l e

o f th e t e l e v i s i o n p r e a c h in g i s o c c a s io n - o r ie n t e d

b e c a u s e , as n o ted above, th e " b ic y c le " method o f f ilm d i s t r i b u t i o n to

s t a t io n s v i r t u a l l y p r e c lu d e s th e m atching o f any one program to any
g iv e n o c c a s io n as regard s c a le n d a r .

Som etimes s p e c i a l shows have been

produced fo r th e Christm as or E a ste r s e a s o n s , b u t even th e s e have had to

be s u f f i c i e n t l y " g e n e r a liz e d " to make them m arketab le a t o th e r tim es o f
th e y e a r .
By c o n t r a s t , how ever, alm ost a l l o f th e p u lp it p r e a c h in g i s o f
th e s p e c ia l o c c a s io n v a r ie t y camp m e e tin g s , r e g io n a l church g a th e r in g s ,
academ ic f u n c t io n s , e v a n g e l i s t i c cam paigns, an o c c a s io n a l church d e d ic a t io n , a w edding, e t c .

And in t h e s e m essages th e r e i s e v id e n c e o f a d a p ta tio n t o th e

o c c a s io n as w e ll as to th e a u d ie n c e .

E x p l ic it r e f e r e n c e s are most

g e n e r a lly to be found in th e in t r o d u c tio n and in th e c o n c lu s io n ; but

i m p l i c i t t i e - i n s are to be found o f t e n th rou ghout th e body o f th e d i s
co u rse (as w i l l be n o ted more p a r t ic u l a r ly in th e d is c u s s io n on f a c t o r s
o f sermon arrangem ent b e lo w ).

1I b i d .
2 I b id .

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366

Non.-Art i s t i c E lem ents o f I n te n v io n

Speaking o f th e r h e t o r i c a l canon o f in v e n t io n , C ic er o once

o b serv ed th a t th e sp e a k e r "ought f i r s t to f i n d o u t what he sh o u ld sa y " ;'1
and H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell p o in t out t h a t " th e developm ent o f a s u b j e c t - a f t e r i t has b een s e l e c t e d , narrow ed, a n a ly z e d , and o r g a n iz e d c o n s t i t u t e s an im p o rta n t p a r t o f th e work o f sp eech m a k in g ."

A r i s t o t l e ' s o r g a n iz e d mind saw r h e t o r i c a l p r o o f s o r modes o f

p e r s u a s io n as b e in g o f two k in d s:

" n o n - a r t is t ic " and " a r t i s t i c . "

The

n o n - a r t i s t i c were d e s c r ib e d as p r o o fs o f th e s o r t "not s u p p lie d by our

own e f f o r t s , b u t [w hich ] e x i s t e d b e fo r e h a n d ,"
e n t ly o f th e sp e a k e r .

o b j e c t i v e l y , in d ep en d

T hus, ex a m p les, n a r r a t i v e s , s t a t i s t i c s , and

q u o ta tio n s w ould be c l a s s i f i e d as n o n - a r t i s t i c .
By c o n t r a s t , " a r t i s t i c " p r o o fs

(c o n c e r n in g w hich more w i l l be

s a id below ) are " fu r n is h e d . . . th rou gh our own e f f o r t s , " and are com
prehended in th e a n c ie n t r h e t o r ic a l c o n c e p tio n s o f " e th o s ," " lo g o s ," and
" p a th o s."
F i n a l l y , A r i s t o t l e d i f f e r e n t i a t e d betw een th e n o n - a r t i s t i c and
th e a r t i s t i c by p o in t in g o u t th a t th e n o n - a r t i s t i c "have o n ly to be
used"; w hereas th e a r t i s t i c "have t o be fo u n d .

Examples

H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell s u g g e s t t h a t t h e r e a re two k in d s o f

"exam ples" in s t a n c e s and i l l u s t r a t i o n s ;

and t h e i r c o l l e c t i v e f u n c tio n

\ j . W. Watson ( t r a n s . ) , De Q ratore (Bohn C la s s ic a l L ib rary

E d itio n ; New York: H arper and B r o th e r s , 1 8 9 0 ), 178.
2H a n c e -R a lp h -W ik se ll, 9 1 .

3Cooper, 8.

4H a n c e -R a lp h -W ik se ll, 9 1 .

5 Cooper, 8.

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367

i s " to s u p p o r t, c l a r i f y , or le n d i n t e r e s t to" th e p o in t w hich th e

sp ea k er i s making.'*'
" In sta n c e s" are s e e n as " a llu s io n s o r r e f e r e n c e s to s p e c i f i c
c a se s . . . r e f e r e n c e s t o o r c i t a t i o n s o f f a c t s and e x p e r ie n c e s " ; w h ile
" i l l u s t r a t i o n s " are d i f f e r e n t i a t e d as " in s ta n c e s th a t are f u l l y d e v e l
oped" w hich in c lu d e s p e c i f i c d e t a i l s and e la b o r a t io n n o t found in an
i n s t a n c e .2

I n s t a n c e s . - -The u se o f exam ple i s one o f W illia m F a g a l's

f a v o r it e methods o f p r o o f , a lth o u g h h e g e n e r a lly ten d s t o fa v o r th e u se
o f th e i l l u s t r a t i o n much, much more than th a t o f th e more a b b r e v ia te d
in s t a n c e .

We may, h ow ever, c i t e th e f o llo w in g as t y p i c a l o f h i s em ploy

ment o f th e in s t a n c e as a n o n - a r t i s t i c mode o f p r o o f in su p p ort o f b a s i c

p r o p o s itio n s :

A s s e r t io n :

Running away from a s i t u a t i o n f o r th e b e s t

r ea so n in th e w orld i s n e v e r r e a l l y a s o lu t io n
to th e p roblem .

In sta n c e :

The F o reig n L egion u sed to be f u l l o f men who

f e l t i t n e c e s s a r y to e sc a p e from some i n t o l e r
a b le s i t u a t i o n by runn ing a w a y .3

A s s e r t io n :

You know, t h i s i s one o f th e sa d com m entaries

on many f o l k in t h e i r r e l i g i o u s e x p e r ie n c e .
T h e y 'r e s a t i s f i e d w ith l i t t l e :
th e y g e t a
l i t t l e l i g h t , a l i t t l e u n d e r sta n d in g , and th ey
s to p r i g h t t h e r e .

In sta n c e :

M artin L uth er had so much w o n d erfu l l i g h t th a t

he b r o u g h t to th e w o rld ; b u t , h e s a i d , "T here's
s o much more y e t to be found; d o n 't s to p where
I ' v e s to p p e d ." But many p e o p le d id . ^

1H a n c e -R a lp h -W ik se ll, 9 1 -9 2 .

2I b id .

^TV Sermon # 3 5 8 , 1.
4Sermon on Andrew, 2.

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368

A s s e r t io n :

I th in k G od's m essage t o P au l back th e r e about

C orin th i s God's m essage t o u s to d a y .

In sta n c e s:

I s i t tr u e about B a t t le C reek, e v e n , do you

su p p o se ? "I have much p e o p le in t h i s c i t y " - even in B a t t le Creek? Of c o u r s e , even in B a t t le
C reek. In L ansing? Of c o u r s e . Any p la c e you
want t o name o f c o u r s e .
God's g o t H is "much
p e o p le " h e r e s o u ls th a t lo v e J e su s C h r is t, th a t
are lo o k in g f o r l i g h t . 1

A s s e r t io n :

I lo o k a t some o f th e l i t e r a t u r e w hich we have

in our church r ig h t now, and I thank God f o r i t .

In sta n c es:

I thank God f o r our B ib le Commentary; what a

w o n d erfu l h e lp t h a t i s t o u s .
I thank God fo r
some o f th e new books t h a t E ld e r Froom has
b rou gh t out . . . The C o n d it io n a lis t F a ith o f
Our F a th e r s , . . . a v e r y , v e ry f in e tw o-volum e
s e t o f b o o k s .2

I l l u s t r a t i o n s . F agal much p r e f e r s , h ow ever, th e i l l u s t r a t i o n

(and i t s

"grown-up c o u s in ," th e n a r r a t i v e ) .

H is sermon i l l u s t r a t i o n s

come c h i e f l y from fo u r s o u r c e s :

(1 ) B ib le s t o r i e s ;

p e o p le prom inent in p u b lic l i f e ;

(3 ) g e n e r a l a n ecd o tes

most g e n e r a ll y ,

and v a r ie d m in is t r y .

(4) h i s own r ic h

A lthough Fagal g e n e r a lly

(2) e x p e r ie n c e s

of

and s t o r i e s ; and,

ten d s t o p r e f e r u s in g th e ex ten d ed

B i b l i c a l n a r r a t iv e t o th e s h o r t e r i l l u s t r a t i o n - s i z e form , th e f o llo w in g
i s a f a i r l y t y p i c a l sam ple o f h i s u se o f a S c r ip t u r a l s t o r y f o r i l l u s
t r a t i v e p u rp o se s:
A s s e r t io n :

Do you know t h a t w henever a p e r so n has w ith in

him any d e s ir e w h a tso ev er to draw n e a r t o the
Lord J e su s C h r is t , he does n o t need to c lo s e
th e gap. There comes in t o p la y som eth in g . . .
c a l l e d "The D iv in e I n i t i a t i v e , " b e c a u se i t i s
God and C h r is t who c l o s e th e gap. . . .

I llu s tr a tio n :

John th e B a p t is t s a i d , "Behold th e Lamb o f God."

Two o f h is d i s c i p l e s h eard him s p e a k , and th ey
s te p p e d out to f o llo w J e s u s .
They began to walk

Sermon on P aul a t C o r in th , 10.

Sermon on Andrew, 2 .

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down th e r o a d , f o llo w in g Him, . . . p h y s i c a l l y ,

. . . s e p a r a te d by q u it e a d is t a n c e . They were
sh y men, th e y would have l ik e d t o have ta lk e d to
J e s u s , b u t how to b r id g e th e gap betw een them
th e y d id n 't know. . . . Those d i s c i p l e s fo llo w e d
a fa r o f f , and J e su s n o t ic e d them . And i t was
J e s u s who approached them , and s a i d , "What se e k
*?nl
y e'

From h i s w ide r e a d in g P a s to r F agal h a s drawn a w e a lth y s t o r e o f

i l l u s t r a t i v e m a t e r ia l from th e l i v e s and e x p e r ie n c e s o f famous men and
women, from our day as w e ll as from a n t iq u i t y .

Som etimes he w i l l u se

one l i t t l e v i g n e t t e to n a i l down h i s p o in t ; and som etim es he w i l l b u t

t r e s s i t w ith two or th r e e i l l u s t r a t i o n s in q u ick s u c c e s s io n f o r
r e in fo r c e m e n t:

A s s e r tio n :

C ouples who j o y f u l l y l i v e t o g e t h e r , f a i t h f u l to
each o th e r f o r l i f e , are th e a d m ira tio n o f
everyone.

I llu s tr a tio n :

Mrs. Dwight Morrow, j u s t a f t e r c e le b r a t in g h e r

20th w edding a n n iv e r s a r y , a tte n d e d a banquet
where sh e s a t n e x t to th e g r e a t p i a n i s t
P ad erew sk i.
In t h e i r c o n v e r s a tio n sh e t o l d him
o f h a v in g f i r s t se e n and h eard him perform a t
Northampton Academy o f M usic. And when h e
p o l i t e l y in q u ir e d as to w hether o r n o t s h e 'd
e v e r r e tu r n e d to h er o ld Alma M ater f o r a v i s i t ,
sh e r e p lie d :
" O c c a s io n a lly I l i k e to go b a c k ,
and s i t in my o ld c h a p e l s e a t , and th in k o f how
much h a p p ie r I am now th an I e v e r th o u g h t I
c o u ld have b een 20 y e a r s ag o ."
W e ll, th e g r e a t p i a n i s t th ou gh t about t h a t f o r a
moment; and th e n w ith d ig n it y he a r o se to h is
f e e t , and bowed s l i g h t l y in t r i b u t e , and
e x c la im e d , "Madam, I w ould l i k e to m eet y o u r
hu sb and!"2

A s s e r t io n :

P eop le d id n 't s e e a n y th in g o f v a lu e in Simon

[P e te r ] . . . b u t th e Lord J e su s d id . . . . The
w orld m ight n o t s e e a n y th in g o f v a lu e in y o u ,
th ey m ight lo o k down a t you, I d o n 't know.

^Sermon on Andrew, 3.

^TV Sermon #349, 1.

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370
I llu s tr a tio n s :

There was a l i t t l e boy t h a t came home from

s c h o o l one d ay, b e a r in g a n o te from h is te a c h e r .
And th e n o te s a i d , " P le a se d o n 't sen d t h i s boy
back to s c h o o l any more; h e ' s to o s t u p id to
le a r n a n y th in g ." The b o y 's name was Thomas
A lva E dison! The w o rld d id n 't s e e much o f v a lu e
in th a t l i t t l e f e l l o w .
A lfr e d Tennyson, when he was j u s t a l i t t l e b o y ,
w rote som ethin g about h i s grandm other th a t
p le a s e d h i s g r a n d fa th e r v e r y much. And h i s
g r a n d fa th e r gave him te n s h i l l i n g s , and s a i d ,
"T here, A lfr e d , t h a t ' s th e f i r s t money y o u 'v e
e v e r earn ed from your p o e tr y ; and, ta k e i t from
me, i t ' l l be you r la s t ! " How wrong he was!
Benjamin F r a n k lin 's m o th e r -in -la w d id n 't want
h e r d au gh ter to marry Ben F r a n k lin . The reason?
He was a p r i n t e r . And, sh e s a id , th e r e w ere
a lr ea d y two p r in t in g h o u se s in th e U n ited S t a t e s ,
and sh e was su re th e co u n try c o u ld n 't su p p o rt a
t h ir d .1

A lthough W illiam F agal does n o t u se a la r g e number o f a n e c d o te s

and s t o r i e s from books o f i l l u s t r a t i o n s

(b eca u se o f in h e r e n t dangers to

lo s s o f fr e s h n e s s o f m a te r ia l due t o p r io r f a m i l i a r i t y o f th e a u d ie n c e ),
he o c c a s io n a lly w i l l u se t h i s s o r t o f s t o r y , such as th e fo llo w in g :

A s s e r t io n :

In fin d in g th e m ista k e s o f o t h e r s , in d is c o v e r
in g t h e i r hidden m isd e e d s, t h e y 'r e o fte n s a lv in g
t h e i r own c o n s c ie n c e s r e g a r d in g t h e i r own
g u ilty s in s .

I llu s tr a tio n :

A Quaker m in is t e r was once asked i f he d id n 't

th in k i t p o s s ib le fo r a p erso n to l i v e so
c o r r e c t l y , so p e r f e c t l y , t h a t ev ery s e n s i b l e
p erso n would say o f him , " T h at's th e k in d o f
r e l i g i o n I b e l i e v e in ."
W ell, h is t y p i c a l l y Quaker r e p ly was t h i s :
" S i s t e r , i f th ee had a c o a t o f fe a th e r s as w h ite
as snow, and a p a ir o f w ings as s h in in g as
G a b r ie l's , somebody would be found somewhere on
th e " f o o t s t o o l" [ o f t h i s e a r th ] w ith so bad a
c a se o f c o lo r - b lin d n e s s as to sh o o t th ee down
fo r a b la c k b ir d !

^Sermon on Andrew, 10-11.

2TV Sermon #351, 1.

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371
The v a s t m a jo r ity o f P a s to r F a g a l's i l l u s t r a t i v e s t o r i e s are
drawn from h i s own r ic h background o f e x p e r ie n c e and o b s e r v a t io n .
p r e s e n ts th e sp e a k e r w ith two d i s t i n c t a d v a n ta g e s:

T his

h e knows th a t h is

m a te r ia l w i l l b e fr e s h t o th e l i s t e n e r , th u s g u a r a n te e in g s tr o n g e r
i n t e r e s t - and a t t e n t io n - h o ld in g pow er; and th e s p e a k e r g a in s g r e a te r
c o n fid en ce in th e d e liv e r y , knowing t h a t h e n eed n o t f e a r th e p e o p le
have heard t h i s s t o r y a dozen tim e s b e fo r e from th e l i p s o f o th e r m in is
te r s.

N o tic e th e fr e s h n e s s o f th e fo llo w in g :

A s s e r t io n :

Poor Andrew! T h a t s th e way th e y alw ays

d e s c r ib e d him Simon P e t e r ' s b r o th e r . They
w o u ld n 't g iv e him a chance to s ta n d on h is own
f e e t , i t seem ed.

I llu s tr a tio n :

I was a t a camp m eetin g th e o th e r day.

[A c e r
t a in m in is t e r was to s i n g , and was in tr o d u c e d by
th e chairm an:] "You know, 30 y e a r s ago we had a
b a b y - s i t t e r in our h o u se . . . and our g i r l
c o u ld n 't c a l l h er by nam e, and sh e u sed to c a l l
h e r by t h i s [ s i l l y n ic k n a m e ]. . . . W ell, th a t
b a b y - s i t t e r was so f i n e , and sh e grew up, and
sh e m a rried , and s h e ' s b een on our camp ground
s o f a r t h i s w eek, b u t sh e l e f t y e s t e r d a y , and
s h e 's gone on to d i s t a n t p a r t s . But h er husband
i s s t i l l h e r e , and h e r h u sb a n d 's g o in g to s in g
f o r u s . . . ."He was j u s t Mrs. S o -a n d -s o 's
husband, p oor f e l l o w ! l

A s s e r t io n :

I'm a f r a id I d o n 't s e e p o s s i b i l i t i e s in e v e r y body l i k e [Andrew] d id .

I llu s tr a tio n :

I s a t in a church th e o th e r n i g h t , and I l i s t e n e d
to a m in is t e r p r e a ch . He p rea ch ed w e l l , and I
en jo y ed l i s t e n i n g to him . But my mind began to
w ander. I t wandered back t o where I f i r s t saw
him . He w a s n 't a m i n i s t e r , th e n , 24 y e a rs ago.
And you know where I saw him?
[F a g a l th en goes
on t o t e l l how t h i s young man was d a tin g a g i r l
who was a tte n d in g F a g a l's e v a n g e l i s t i c campaign
th r e e n ig h ts a w eek. She a tte n d e d f a i t h f u l l y ;
b u t he would come in o n ly tow ard th e c lo s e o f
th e s e r v i c e , to ta k e th e g i r l o u t on a d a te .

^Sermon on Andrew, 5.

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372

F agal r e s e n te d him , f o r he f e l t th e g i r l to be
making e x c e l l e n t s p i r i t u a l p r o g r e s s , and f e l t
sh e m ight l o s e h e r way and n o t j o i n th e church
i f sh e c o n tin u e d k e e p in g company w ith him . The
young man was a dead l o s s , as f a r as F agal was
con cern ed . But God saw p o s s i b i l i t i e s in him.
The g i r l m arried him; and he became a S e v e n th day A d v e n tis t m i n i s t e r , and th e g i r l an e x c e l l e n t
m in is te r 's w if e .]
And I s a t th e r e t h a t n ig h t ,
rem embering a l l t h a t , and th in k in g t o m y s e lf how
aw ful t h a t I d id n 't s e e any p o s s i b i l i t i e s in him.

N a r r a tiv e s and S t o r ie s

H ance-R alph -W ikse11 have d e fin e d th e n a r r a t iv e a s:

a s e t o f r e a l or f i c t i o n a l d e t a i l s u s u a ll y arran ged in
c h r o n o lo g ic a l o r d e r and u sed f o r c l a r i f y i n g o r p r o v in g a
p o in t .
I t d i f f e r s from th e exam ple in th a t i t s d e t a i l s are
arranged in a s p e c i f i c seq u en ce and i t s e v e n ts are u n fo ld e d
a c co r d in g to a p l o t o r scheme t h a t le a d s to a c l i m a x . 2
W illia m F a g a l, b e in g a lo v e r o f s t o r i e s and, h a p p ily , p o s s e s s e d
o f th e g i f t o f b e in g a superb r a c o n te u r , has made th e n a r r a t iv e a major
elem en t in h i s p r e a c h in g s t y l e .

F avorin g b io g r a p h ic a l p r e a c h in g as he

d o e s, he som etim es u s e s th e n a r r a t iv e as th e framework o f th e sermon

its e lf.

At o th e r t im e s , he w i l l u se a more b r i e f a l l u s i o n , or a b b r e v i

a ted s t o r y form .

B u t, how ever th e form , th e s t o r y i s n e v e r an end in

i t s e l f , b u t alw ays a means t o an e n d - -th e n a i l i n g down o f a major p o in t .

And th e s t o r y i s alw ays fo llo w e d by a c lin c h in g s ta te m e n t w hich b r in g s
th e h e a r e r back to th e th e m a tic l i n e from w hich th e n a r r a t iv e was b u t a
b r i e f and m ea n in g fu l d ig r e s s io n .
F a g a l's two c h i e f s o u r c e s o f n a r r a t iv e are s t o r i e s from S c r ip
tu re and s t o r i e s from r e a l l i f e o f t e n r e l a t e d to h is own m in is t r y .
fo llo w in g are t y p ic a l exam ples o f t h e s e two ty p e s :

'"Sermon on Andrew, 6 - 7 .
^ H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell, 9 2 .

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The

373
A s s e r tio n :

F lig h t . . . r a r e ly h e lp s a n y th in g , and I'm g la d

th a t C h r is t ia n it y r e c o g n iz e s t h i s f a c t .
C h r is t ia n it y i s n o t ou t to h e lp a man e sc a p e h is
p a s t ; r a t h e r , i t i s o u t to e n a b le him to fa c e h i s
p a s t and r i s e above i t .
C h r is t ia n it y i s n e v e r
e sc a p e ; C h r i s t ia n it y i s c o n q u e st.

N a r r a tiv e :

Long ago th e A p o s tle Paul came in c o n ta c t w ith a

man who had f l e d from a d e s p e r a t e ly bad s i t u a t i o n ,
. . . O nesim us, a Roman s la v e who se r v e d
P h ilem on , a New T estam ent C h r is t ia n .
[F agal
th en t e l l s how O nesim us, h a tin g h is s e r v it u d e ,
s t o l e a s u b s t a n t i a l sum from h is m aster and
e sc a p e d to Rome, where he b lew i t in h ig h l i v i n g .
He was th en a h e a th e n , b u t somehow came in t o
c o n ta c t w ith P a u l, who c o n v e rted him. P aul
c o u n se le d him to r e tu r n to Philem on and endeavor
to make th in g s r i g h t . T ruly c o n v e r te d , and so r r y
f o r h is co u r se o f a c t i o n , Onesimus r e tu r n e d .
Philem on fo r g a v e him; and Onesimus became a
le a d e r in th e e a r ly C h r is tia n church and le d
o th e r s t o f in d p ea ce in C h r is t .]

A p p lic a tio n :

Are you l i v i n g j u s t now under th e c o n v ic t io n th a t

t h e r e ' s som eth in g you sh o u ld do? Have y o u , p e r
haps l i k e O nesim us, even c o n sid e r e d ru n n in g away
from t h i s duty? And have you th ought t h a t i t
w ould be e a s i e r to l i v e a good l i f e in some
o th e r a r e a than where you now liv e ? L et me
a ssu r e you i t i s n t e a sy to l i v e a C h r is tia n l i f e
anyw here.*

A s s e r t io n :

God saw w o n d er fu l p o s s i b i l i t i e s in him [ev en

though men d id n o t ] .

N a r r a tiv e :

[F agal th en t o l d th e s t o r y o f Mr. and Mrs.

M it c h e ll, SDA laymen o f P r o v id en ce , R. I . , who
read in a new spaper o f a c o n v ic t in p r is o n who
had had no l e t t e r s o r v i s i t o r s f o r 25 y e a r s .
They made c o n t a c t and began r e g u la r v i s i t s to h is
c e l l . They sh a r ed t h e i r f a i t h in C h r is t w ith th e
p r is o n e r , G regario DeNoy; and he s u b se q u e n tly
became c o n v e r te d and e x h ib it e d a c o m p le te ly
changed l i f e .
He began to do s o u l-w in n in g work
w ith in th e p e n it e n t i a r y ; and th e warden f i n a l l y
recommended him fo r p a r o le , w hich was g r a n te d .
Upon r e l e a s e from p r is o n he was b a p tiz e d i n t o th e
SDA church.
Im m ediately he w anted to sh a r e h is
f a i t h w ith h i s d au gh ter in I t a l y whom h e 'd n ot
s e e n in th r e e d e c a d e s. The M it c h e lls , from t h e ir

*TV Sermon #358, 1-2.

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s a v in g s , p a id h e r t r a n s a t l a n t i c steam er f a r e .
Three months a f t e r a r r iv a l , h e r f a t h e r d ie d ; and
th e dau ghter r e tu r n e d to I t a l y .
But on th e
a n n iv e r sa r y o f h i s death sh e was b a p tiz e d in t o
th e SDA church and began to work fo r h e r f a m ily .
A s o n , stu d y in g f o r th e Roman C a th o lic p r i e s t
hood, a c ce p ted h i s m o th er's f a i t h and tod ay i s
s tu d y in g f o r th e g o s p e l m in is t r y in an A d v e n tis t
s e m in a r y .]
A p p lic a t io n :

How w ond erful i t i s nowadays to f in d p e o p le w ith

th e s p i r i t o f Andrew, who s e e som ethin g good in
everyb od y, and who b r in g them to J e s u s .^

S ta tis tic s

S t a t i s t i c s are g e n e r a lly view ed as " s e t s o f fig u r e s com p iled to

r e p r e se n t d a ta c o n c er n in g phenomena, tr e n d s , o r a c t i v i t i e s o f p e o p le ."
As in th e c a se o f exam ples and n a r r a t iv e s , th e y are "ready-made
m a te r ia ls and have o n ly to be found and used by th e s p e a k e r ."

A su r v e y o f W illiam F a g a l's sermons r e v e a ls th a t he makes l i t t l e

use o f s t a t i s t i c a l d a ta .

Of th e te n m essages h ere su r v ey e d , o n ly one

was found to c o n ta in a s u b s t a n t ia l amount o f s t a t i s t i c a l u s a g e --o th e r

than a mere p a s s in g r e f e r e n c e .

The two exam ples w hich fo llo w d o , how

e v er , in d ic a t e th a t Dr. F a g a l's h a n d lin g o f th e s e m a te r ia ls i s g e n e r a lly

in accordan ce w ith g e n e r a lly -r e c o g n iz e d r u le s th a t th e u se o f s t a t i s t i c s
*7

be " c le a r , m e a n in g fu l, a c c u r a te , and r e le v a n t ."

A s s e r tio n :

In many s e c t io n s o f our w orld to d a y , one o f th e

major problem s we fa c e i s t h a t o f d iv o r c e and
broken homes.

S ta tis tic s :

At th e p r e se n t tim e , th e r e are more than h a l f a

m il lio n d iv o r c e s in America ev ery s i n g l e y e a r ,
w hich means th a t one out o f ev ery th r e e or fo u r
m arriages ends in d iv o r c e .

'"Sermon on Andrew, 7 -9 .
2H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell, 93.

5I b id .

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A gain, from th e same serm on, t h i s fu r t h e r o b s e r v a tio n :

A s s e r t io n :

B efo re any d is a g r e e in g husband and w ife d e c id e to

b reak up t h e i r home, th e y ought to g iv e v e r y
e a r n e s t c o n s id e r a t io n to th e u n fo r tu n a te and
ir r e v o c a b le e f f e c t w hich su ch a c t io n w i l l have
upon t h e i r in n o c e n t c h ild r e n .

S ta tis tic s :

[F agal th en c i t e d f ig u r e s from a c e r t a in fo u n d lin g

hom e.] N in e ty -o n e c h ild r e n , who had l o s t b o th
p a r e n t s , w ere b e in g h ou sed and cared f o r in t h a t
home. They had th e b e s t o f fo o d , c l o t h i n g , c a r e ,
and m e d ic a l tr e a tm e n t. However, b e c a u se o f a
sh o r ta g e o f t r a in e d p e r s o n n e l, each n u rse had 10
c h ild r e n to care f o r ; o r , as th e head d o c to r
e x p r e s s e d i t , each c h i l d had a te n th o f a m other.
The v e r y e x c e l l e n t p h y s ic a l ca re proved to b e n o t
enough, f o r th e c h ild r e n were s ta r v e d f o r th e
lo v e and a f f e c t i o n th e y n eed ed . And as th e
r e s u l t , th e y s u f f e r e d e m o tio n a lly .
B efo re th e y
w ere a y e a r o ld , 27 in f a n t s d ie d . Seven more
d ie d in t h e i r seco n d y e a r o f l i f e , making a
t o t a l o f 34 c h ild r e n , out o f th e 91, who d ie d
n o t from m a ln u t r it io n , but from la ck o f lo v e and
a ff e c t io n .*

As F agal does n o t c i t e th e so u r c e o f h is d a ta , i t i s im p o s s ib le
to v e r if y i t s

accu racy; b u t th e f ig u r e s as used o th e r w is e m eet th e t e s t s

fo r c l a r i t y , m e a n in g fu ln e s s , and r e le v a n c e .

The " te n th -o f-a -m o th e r "

fig u r e i s e s p e c i a l l y s t r i k i n g .

Q uotations

The fo u r th c a te g o r y o f " n o n - a r t is t ic " m a t e r ia ls o f sp e e c h d e v e l

opment are q u oted m a t e r ia ls from p a s s a g e s " r e fe r r e d t o , r e p e a te d , o r
2
adduced," f o r th e pu rp ose o f i l l u s t r a t i n g , su p p o r tin g , o r exp an d in g a
p o in t.

These may be d e r iv e d from l i t e r a r y m a t e r ia ls or from th e t e s t i

mony o f o t h e r s sta te m e n ts o f f a c t or o p in io n .

2TV Sermon #349, 1 -2 .

^ H an ce-R alp h -W ik sell, 9 3 .

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376

L ite r a r y m a t e r i a l s .- - B e l i e v i n g th a t a s p e a k e r ought u s e th e
s t r o n g e s t p r o o f he can f in d , and a ls o b e l i e v i n g t h a t th e B ib le i s th e
d i v i n e ly - in s p i r e d Word o f th e L iv in g God, i t i s n o t s u r p r is in g t h e r e f o r e
th a t n e a r ly a l l o f th e r e f e r e n c e s t o l i t e r a r y works c i t e d in h i s serm ons
are t o be found in S c r ip t u r e .
He d o e s , how ever, b r in g in o th e r m a t e r ia ls .

O c c a sio n a l r e f e r

en ces a re made to th e w r it in g s o f E lle n G. W hite (two in th e sermon on

Mary M agdalene, "God's B lin d Sp ot"; one in a m essage on N icodem us,
"What's L e ft and W hat's R igh t" ; and one in t e l e v i s i o n sermon # 3 5 1 ).^
R e fer e n c es t o prom inent p e o p le o f th e p a s t o r p r e s e n t are i n f r e
quent:

o n ly one such i s n o te d in th e 10 serm ons h e r e s t u d ie d - - a

q u o ta tio n from R obert L ouis S te v e n s o n , in a sermon on God's p r o v id e n t ia l

le a d in g in th e in d iv id u a l l i f e .
a c r i t i c a l p e r io d in h i s l i f e :

S a id th e p o e t o f h i s own e x p e r ie n c e a t
"I came about l i k e a w e ll-h a n d le d s h ip ;

th e r e sto o d a t th e w h eel t h a t unknown Steersm an whom we c a l l God."

In one m essage F agal r e f e r s t o th e w ording o f th e m arriage

ceremony from th e A n g lic a n Book o f Common P rayer (he does n o t i d e n t i f y
th e s o u r c e , as s u c h ) :

"R ight in th e vows o f th e m arriage s e r v ic e we

have [th e ] w ords, ' T i l l d eath do us p a r t . ' "

In th e sermon on N icodem us, p a s s in g r e f e r e n c e i s made to a
g o sp e l song:

^ " In te r e stin g ly , when t a l k i n g t o p red o m in a n tly SDA c o n g r e g a tio n s ,

Fagal i d e n t i f i e s Mrs. W h ite's w r it in g s e i t h e r by c i t i n g th e name o f th e
au th or, or th e t i t l e o f th e b o o k --w h ic h , to A d v e n t is t s , i s s u f f i c i e n t to
id e n t i f y th e s o u r c e .
But to th e t e l e v i s i o n a u d ie n c e , no i n d i c a t io n o f
author i d e n t i f i c a t i o n i s g iv e n ; th e sta te m e n t i s m erely r ea d and a llo w e d
to sta n d on i t s own m e r it s .
^TV Sermon # 3 7 1 , 1.
5I b i d . , #349, 1.

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377
What s h a l l I g iv e T h ee, M aster?
Thou h a s t g i v ' n a l l f o r me;
Not j u s t a p a r t , n or h a l f o f my h e a r t ,
I w i l l g iv e a l l to T h e e .l
And tw ic e in th e t e l e v i s i o n serm ons F agal c i t e s from th e p o e t s - once g iv in g a
once from

s ta n z a from W illia m C u llen B r y a n t's "To a W aterfow l";

anunknown

p o e t whose la c k in m eter i s p a r t i a l l y o f f s e t by

and
h is

p r o v o c a tiv e th o u g h t:
A l i t t l e s e e d la y in th e ground,
And soon began t o s p r o u t;
"Now w hich o f a l l th e flo w e r s around ,"
He mused, " S h a ll I come out?"
"The l i l y ' s f a c e i s f a i r and proud,
But j u s t a t r i f l e c o ld ;
The r o s e , I th in k , i s r a th e r lo u d ,
And, th e n , i t ' s f a s h io n ' s o ld .
"The v i o l e t i s a l l v e r y w e l l ,
But n o t a flo w e r I 'd ch o o se;
Nor y e t th e C anterbury B e l l e ,
I n e v e r cared fo r b lu e s ."
And so i t c r i t i c i z e d ea ch flo w e r ,
T h is s u p e r c il io u s s e e d ;
U n til i t woke one summer hour
And found i t s e l f a w e e d .3
But i t i s to S c r ip tu r e t h a t F agal has m ost fr e q u e n t r e c o u r s e .
Sometimes he c i t e s th e t e x t u a l r e f e r e n c e , b u t g e n e r a lly he does n o t .

If

th e s t a t e l y E liz a b e th a n p r o s e o f th e A u th o rized ("King James") V ersion

i s u sed , h ow ever, few in th e c o n g r e g a tio n are in doubt as t o th e so u r c e .
To sa y th a t e x p l i c i t , d i r e c t r e f e r e n c e s to S c r ip tu r e (43
in s ta n c e s in th e 10 serm ons) r e p r e s e n ts 84% o f a l l q u o ted l i t e r a r y
m a t e r ia ls , w ith 16% (9 in s t a n c e s ) from n o n - B ib lic a l s o u r c e s does n o t ,
how ever, t e l l th e w hole s t o r y .

For, in a d d itio n t o th e s e d ir e c t

^"What's L e ft or W hat's R ig h t," 4 .

^TV Sermon # 3 7 1 , 1.

3I b i d . , # 3 5 1 , 1.

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378
r e f e r e n c e s , th e r e i s a w hole h o s t o f i n d i r e c t a l l u s i o n s ; w hereas su ch
i n d i r e c t r e f e r e n c e s to n o n - B ib lic a l s o u r c e s are m in im al.

F a g a l's s e r

mons are l i t e r a l l y s a tu r a te d w ith S c r ip t u r e b a p tiz e d by th e same t o t a l

im m ersion th e p o l i t y o f h i s church d i c t a t e s f o r p r o s p e c t iv e members.
As r eg a r d s fr e q u e n c y , in th e s ix -m in u te t e l e v i s i o n se r m o n e tte s
under c o n s id e r a t io n , d ir e c t r e f e r e n c e s t o S c r ip tu r e range from one
c i t a t i o n to f o u r , w ith a mean a v era g e o f 2 .2 c i t a t i o n s .

In th e f u l l -

le n g th p u lp it serm on s, th e range i s from one to 15 d ir e c t r e f e r e n c e s ,

w ith a mean a v era g e o f 6 .4 r e f e r e n c e s .
Som ething o f th e sco p e o f F a g a l's u se o f th e B ib le may be n o te d
from th e fo llo w in g t a b u la t io n o f p a s s a g e s c i t e d in th e 10 sermons
a n a ly z e d .

(An a s t e r i s k

[*] i n d i c a t e s in s t a n c e s where th e t e x t so u r c e or

r e fe r e n c e was in d ic a t e d o r a l l y in th e serm on; th e NEB d e s ig n a t io n

in d ic a t e s in s t a n c e s where th e p a s s a g e was rea d from th e New E n g lis h
B ib le .) :

OLD TESTAMENT
D eut. 18:19*
X Sam. 16:7*
P s. 37:3
P s. 37:5
P s. 37:7
I s a . 45:5

NEW TESTAMENT
M att.
M att.
M att.
M att.
M att.
Luke
Luke
Luke
Luke
Luke
Luke
Luke
Luke
Luke
John
John
John
John
John
John

19:5
19:6
2 5 :2 1 NEB
2 5 :2 8 NEB
2 5 :2 9 NEB
7:40*
7:41*
7:42*
7:4 3 *
7:44*
7 :45*
7:46*
7 :4 7 *
7: 48*
1:6
1:7
1 :35*
1:36*
1 :3 7 *
1:38*

John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John
John

1:39*
1:40*
1:41*
1:42*
2 :2 3
3:2
3 :3
3 :1 0 * NEB
3 :1 4
7 :1 3
7 :3 7
7 :4 6
7 :4 7
7 :4 8
7:49
7:51
7:52
12:21
19:38*

John 19:39*
A cts 18:9
A cts 18:10
A cts 1 9 :3
A cts 1 9 :4
A cts 19:5
Rom. 8 :3 7
Rom. 1 2 :1 *
I Cor. 1:26*
I Cor. 2 :1 *
I Cor. 2 :2 *
I Cor. 2 :3 *
I Cor. 2 :4 *
I Cor. 2 :5 *
I Cor. 1 3 :4
I Cor. 13:5
I Cor. 13:6
I Tim. 6 :5 NEB
Rev. 2 1 :1 - 8

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379
F a g a l's p enchan t and p a s s io n f o r th e New T estam en t and
e s p e c i a l l y th e G o sp e ls i s c l e a r l y e v id e n t from t h i s t a b u la t io n .

F a c tu a l te s tim o n y . T estim ony o f f a c t r e f e r s to th e s p e a k e r 's

q u o tin g a n o th e r p e r so n c o n c er n in g h i s t o r i c a l f a c t .

While P a s to r F a g a l's

sermons are r e p le t e w ith c i t a t i o n s o f h i s t o r i c a l f a c t in d e e d , t h i s

fa c e t m ight p r o p e r ly be s a id t o be one o f h i s s t r o n g e s t p o i n t s - u n fo r tu n a te ly , th e s o u r c e s o f t h e s e f a c t s a re a lm o st n e v e r g iv e n o r a lly .
The serm ons, n e v e r t h e le s s , do g iv e e v id e n c e o f s o l i d stu d y on th e p a r t
o f th e p a s t o r in th e p r e p a r a to r y s t a g e s o f serm on ic c o n s tr u c tio n ; and
th e n a tu re o f th e r e fe r e n c e works which P a s to r F agal adm its t o u s in g , as
n oted ab ove, are g e n e r a lly o f an unim peachable c h a r a c te r .
By f a r th e v a s t m a jo r ity o f in s t a n c e s o f f a c t u a l te stim o n y
r e la t e to h i s t o r i c a l f a c t , exam ples o f w hich w i l l now be n o te d .
In h i s sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , F agal f i r s t b r i e f l y s k e tc h e s a
grap h ic p ic t u r e o f th e s o c i e t a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f t h a t c i t y :
Do you remember a n y th in g about C orinth? That was a
pagan c i t y .
Very few p e o p le th a t w e r e n 't h ea th en liv e d in
it.
There w ere a few Jew s; p r a c t i c a l l y no C h r is t ia n s .
They u sed to have an e x p r e s s io n back th e r e in th e a n c ie n t
w orld: " to C o r in th ia n iz e ," o r " to l i v e l i k e a C o r in th ia n ."
And th a t meant one th in g : a p erso n l i v i n g l i k e a C orin
th ia n was l i v i n g a v ery im m oral, d i s s o l u t e , p r o f l i g a t e
l i f e . H e'd sunk r ig h t down t o th e b o tto m . T h a t's th e
k in d o f l i f e th ey li v e d in C o rin th . They had a tem ple
th e r e in C orinth d e d ic a te d to VenusA p h ro d ite . Upon th e
s t a f f o f th a t tem ple th ey m a in ta in ed 1 ,0 0 0 p r i e s t e s s p r o s t i t u t e s ! And from t h e i r e a rn in g s th e c i t y government
was run. They had d e i f i e d s e n s u o u s n e s s . They had g o tte n
about as f a r away from God's p la n fo r man as th e y cou ld
g e t .1
Then, l a t e r in th e same serm on, F agal d e s c r ib e d th e v a r io u s
c a te g o r ie s o f in d iv id u a ls who were to be found in th e t y p ic a l J ew ish
synagogue o f th e e ra :
1Sermon on Paul a t C o rin th , 4 -5 .

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Now th e synagogue was made up o f th r e e c l a s s e s o f
p e o p le : f i r s t o f a l l , th e r e w ere Jews in i t . . . .
S e c o n d ly , i t had c o n v e r t s . T hese were pagan p e o p le th a t
had been s tu d y in g th e Old T esta m en t, th e te a c h in g s o f
Judaism , and th e y had tak en t h e i r s ta n d , and t h e y d become
Jews in r e l i g i o n . . . . The t h ir d group was G o d -fe a r e r s ,
. . . f o lk who had a ls o s t u d ie d , and t h e y 'd come to th e
p la c e where th e y b e lie v e d , and th e y a tte n d e d church e v er y
Sabbath. But th e y c o u ld n 't q u it e g e t th e m se lv e s t o become
Jew s. There was a l o t o f p r e j u d ic e a g a in s t th e J ew s, a
l o t o f a n ti-S e m it is m . And i t to o k a l o t o f courage f o r a
man to s t e p ou t and p u b lic ly d e c la r e h im s e lf a J e w .l
A nother g lim p se o f th e F i r s t Century Roman w o rld i s found in th e
Fagal sermon on H eaven, in which he ta k e s up ite m by it e m - - t h e v a r io u s
c h a r a c t e r is t ic s o f th e p la c e as r ec o u n te d by John in The R e v e la tio n
(2 1 : 1 -4 ).
F agal f i r s t e x p la in s why John th e B elo v ed was in e x i l e on th e
I s l e o f Patm os, why i t was d i f f i c u l t to be a C h r is tia n in th o s e days
when em peror-w orship was in vogue:
In th e y e a r 81 A.D. an o th er emperor came a lo n g , whose
name was D om itian . And he r u le d f o r 15 y e a r s , u n t i l A.D.
96. At t h i s tim e th e C h r is tia n s came head-on w ith p e r s e
c u tio n b e c a u se D om itian d e c id e d t h a t h e , t o o , w anted t o be
w orshipped as a god . He s e n t o u t s t a t u e s o f h im s e lf a l l
over th e realm ; and th e method th a t he asked everybod y to
use was v e r y s im p le : th e y sim p ly had to s te p up b e fo r e
th e s t a t u e o f Emperor D om itian, p la c e a l i t t l e in c e n s e
down in a f i r e t h a t was k e p t b u rn in g in f r o n t o f th e
s ta tu e fo r t h i s p u rp o se , and make one s im p le , l i t t l e s t a t e
ment: . . . "D om itian i s L ord .". . .
Now th e r e were about th r e e th in g s t h a t th e Emperor d id
to th o se who w ould n o t s a y , "D om itian i s L ord." For one
th in g , he w ould remove from them ev ery b i t o f p r o p e r ty
th a t th ey owned, making i t im p o s s ib le f o r them to work,
making i t im p o s s ib le f o r them to earn t h e i r own l i v i n g . . . .
Second, th e r e were some in d iv id u a ls th a t he k i l l e d o u t r i g h t .
They were j u s t a b s o lu t e ly g u i l t y o f h e r e s y , and t h e i r l i v e s
were taken from them as th e r e s u l t . T h ir d , and l e a s t
tr y in g o f th e pu nishm ents t h a t he g a v e , an in d iv id u a l
could be e x i l e d to some f a r - o f f i s l a n d o r some f a r - o f f
p o r t, th e r e to l i v e o u t h is l i f e as a s l a v e , w orking h a rd ,
long h o u r s .2

*~I b id . , 6 - 7 .

^sermon on H eaven, 1 -2 .

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F u rth er in t h i s m essa g e, in s u g g e s t in g p o s s i b l e e x p la n a t io n s f o r
J oh n 's c u r io u s s ta te m e n t t h a t in th e l i f e to come th e r e w ould be "no
more sea" (R e v e la tio n 2 1 : 1 ) , F agal g o es on to s u g g e s t some p o s s i b l e
h is t o r ic a l s o lu tio n s :
I wonder what John i s r e a l l y s a y in g h e r e . Some p e o p le
have s u g g e s te d th a t John, maybe, was s e n d in g a c r y p t ic
m essage to th o se p e o p le back on th e m ain lan d . . . . You
s e e , th e B ab ylon ian s d id n 't l i k e th e s e a ; n e it h e r d id th e
Jew s. The B a b y lo n ia n s had an o ld s t o r y t h a t th e y t o l d
about how th e e a r th was c r e a te d . They s a id th e r e was a
b ig f i g h t betw een th e god o f o rd er and c r e a t io n and th e god
o f c o n fu s io n , th e god o f c h a o s. A g r e a t war b etw een them,
and th e god o f o r d e r and c r e a t io n won, and th e dragon o f
chaos was d e f e a t e d . And upon h i s d e f e a t , h e made h i s home
in th e s e a . And he was s o u p s e t a t b e in g b e a te n t h a t he
keeps t h a t t a i l o f h i s s w is h in g ; and t h a t ' s where th e waves
come from . . . .
The Jews had a n o th e r f e e l i n g ; th e Jews s a i d , "The s e a
i s n ' t a fr ie n d ; th e s e a i s an enem y." They s a i d , "We've
. . . s e e n many p e o p le go ou t to s e a ; b u t th ey d id n 't come
back. They g o t l o s t ou t t h e r e . The s e a i s an enemy; i t
gob b les up our p e o p le th a t dare to r id e upon i t . "
The E gyp tian s had a r a th e r bad id e a about th e s e a ,
a ls o .
In E gyp t, t o t h i s d a y , where th e N ile R iv er i s ,
e v e r y th in g i s b e a u t i f u l and green and l o v e l y .
But you g e t
. . . a l i t t l e d is t a n c e away from th e N ile R iv er and t h e r e ' s
no more green and l o v e l y , t h e r e 's d e s e r t .
And so th e N ile
was th e f r ie n d o f E gypt; b u t th e ocean go b b led up th e Nile.-*F i n a l l y , som eth in g o f Jew ish custom i s se e n in th e F agal sermon
on Mary Magdalene ("G od's B lin d S p o t" ).

L aying th e groundwork f o r a

subsequent e x p la n a tio n o f what C h r ist meant when He u p b ra id ed Simon th e

P h a risee fo r n o t p r o v id in g our Lord c e r t a in am m enities when He f i r s t
arriv ed f o r th e f e a s t h e ld in S im on 's home, F agal p o in t s o u t:
There were th r e e th in g s w hich o r d in a r i ly were done f o r
a g u e st upon h i s a r r iv a l when he was th e g u e s t o f hon or.
One w as, th e h o s t would m eet him a t th e d o o r, would p la c e
h is hand upon h i s s h o u ld e r , and w ould g iv e him what was
c a lle d "the k i s s o f p e a c e " . . . .

1I b i d . , 4.

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There was a sec o n d t h in g d on e. . . . They d id n 't a r r iv e
in t a x is b ack th e r e ; th e y had t o w alk . And th e y w alked
w ith o p e n -to e d s a n d a ls h e ld on t o t h e i r f e e t w ith th o n g s.
And, o f c o u r s e , when th e y a r r iv e d , t h e i r f e e t w ere h o t and
weary and d u s ty . And s o , o u t s id e th e f r o n t door o f e v er y
home was k e p t a g r e a t 2 0 - g a llo n ju g o f w a te r . And i t was
custom ary t o pour some o f t h i s w a te r o v e r th e f e e t o f an
a r r iv in g g u e s t , e s p e c i a l l y th e g u e s t o f h o n o r.
There was a t h ir d t h in g . . . . The g u e s t o r d in a r ily had
p la c e d upon h i s head a few drops o f a t t a r o f r o s e s , o r p e r
haps a p in c h o f in c e n s e , to g iv e o f f a g lo w in g fr a g r a n c e .
(And I g u e ss you can u n d ersta n d t h a t in th e day b e fo r e
d e o d e r a n ts, t h a t was perhaps a v e r y n ic e th in g t o do, to
make th e o c c a s io n a l i t t l e more e n jo y a b le [ l a u g h t e r ] .) 1
Thus we o b se r v e so m eth in g o f th e manner in w hich W illia m A.
Fagal v i r t u a l l y la r d s h i s serm ons w ith f a c t u a l te s tim o n y .

W hile we

might r e g r e t h i s la c k o f s o u r c e - c i t a t i o n , h i s e x p la n a tio n th a t such

"extraneous" s i d e l i g h t s m ight te n d t o s id e t r a c k a t t e n t io n does have a
r in g o f p l a u s i b i l i t y abou t i t .

And, as w i l l b e n o te d a g a in , W illia m

Fagal i s n o th in g i f n o t con cern ed w ith a consum ing p a s s io n f o r g a in in g

and m a in ta in in g th e a t t e n t io n o f h i s h e a r e r s .

O pinion te s t im o n y . --T h e s p e a k e r may "su p p ort o r i l l u s t r a t e h is

p o in t by q u o tin g a n o th e r p e r s o n 's i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , v a lu e judgm ent, co n v i c t i o n , or o th e r e x p r e s s io n o f o p in io n ."

W illiam F agal makes v e r y few r e f e r e n c e s t o th e o p in io n s o f

o th ers as a means o f b u t t r e s s in g h i s own s ta te m e n ts .

Only two in s t a n c e s

were n o ted in th e 10 serm ons under c o n s id e r a t io n :

(1)

In h is sermon on Mary Magdalene ("G od's B lin d S p o t" ), th e

p a s to r t e l l s o f an e x p e r ie n c e t h a t happened to Dr. Norman V in cen t P e a le

when, as a boy i n a m i n i s t e r ' s home, he was a sk ed t o accompany h i s dad
on a m issio n o f mercy t o a tte n d a p r o s t i t u t e d yin g in a house o f

^"God's B lin d S p o t," 7 .

^ H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell, 9 4 .

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ill-fa m e .

(The s e n io r Rev. P e a le f e l t th a t i f h is son w ere a lo n g ,

a d verse c r i t i c i s m em anating from someone who m ight b y chance observe him

e n te r in g th e b r o t h e l cou ld be n e g a te d !)
F agal r e l a t e s th e s t o r y , as t o l d by Dr. P e a le th e Younger on a
r e c e n t r a d io sermon.

The e ld e r P e a le w en t, prayed by th e b e d s id e o f

t h i s f a l l e n woman (who had been a C h r is tia n in h e r y o u t h ) , and brought

h er back to C h r is t b e fo r e sh e p a s s e d away.
F agal c o n clu d es th e t a l e by q u o tin g Dr. P e a le ' s own testim o n y
(w ith which F agal i s in com plete a c c o r d ) :
That n ig h t I le a rn ed two w o n d erfu l le s s o n s :
I le a r n e d
th e g r e a tn e s s o f th e g o s p e l o f J e su s C h r is t w hich can
reach o u t and cla im s o u ls anywhere f o r th e M a ster. And I
le a r n e d a ls o th e g lo r y o f b e in g a C h r is tia n m in is t e r and
b e in g a b le to le a d s o u ls t o th a t C h r is t and to t h a t c r o s s
th a t can c le a n s e and sa v e men and women ev ery w h ere.
(2)

In h i s sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , F agal p o in t s out how

d i f f i c u l t i t was t o sa v e s o u ls f o r C h r is t i n th e days o f pagan Greece.

Then, in n o t in g t h a t tim e s h a v e n 't changed a g r e a t d e a l, he c i t e s
op in ion te stim o n y from some o f h i s own co n tem p o ra ries in th e m in is tr y ,
in c o n tr a s t w ith h i s own op p osin g v ie w p o in t:
B reth ren , I d o n 't th in k f o r a moment th a t th a t m essage
a p p lie d j u s t t o C o rin th . Here we a r e , l i v i n g down in th e
l a s t d a y s. We've g o t p rob lem s, and l o t s o f them , in
sp r ea d in g th e [Advent] m essage. I g e t a chance to t r a v e l
around q u it e a b i t and meet w ith our p e o p le in a l l s e c t io n s
o f th e c o u n tr y . In f a c t , I 'v e met w ith them in j u s t about
e v er y s e c t io n o f th e w orld . And I ' v e h ea rd so o f t e n about
how th e work goes hard h e r e , b u t th e work goes a l o t e a s i e r
o ver th e r e in C a lif o r n ia , maybe, o r som ew h ere--alw ays i s a
g r ee n e r f i e l d somewhere over th e f e n c e .
B ut, you know, I g e t over t h e r e t h e y 'r e t a lk in g about
a g r ee n e r f i e l d somewhere e l s e , to o !
B eca u se, th e y s a y ,
"The work goes hard h e r e ." I ' v e come t o one c o n c lu s io n :
th e work goes hard everyw h ere, do you know i t ! ^

l"G od's B lin d S p o t," 5 .

^Sermon on Paul a t C o rin th , 9 -1 0 .

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Thus i t w i l l b e o b se rv e d th a t W illia m F agal makes u s e , to a
g r e a te r or l e s s e r d e g r e e , o f th e fo u r ty p e s o f " n o n - a r t is t ic " elem en ts
in sermon in v e n t io n -- e x a m p le , n a r r a t iv e , s t a t i s t i c s , and o p in io n t e s t i
monyw hich e x i s t o b j e c t i v e l y , in d e p e n d e n tly o f th e sp e a k e r , and o f
which he makes u s e .

A r t i s t i c Elem ents o f In v e n tio n

We have a lr e a d y n o te d th a t in a d d itio n to " n o n - a r t i s t i c 1' modes

o f p e r s u a s io n , A r i s t o t l e o f f e r e d a seco n d c a te g o r y o f " a r t i s t i c " p r o o f s .
In th e fo r m e r --th in g s w hich e x i s t in d e p e n d e n tly o f th e sp ea k er and w hich
he m erely c o l l e c t s and u s e s th e a r t i s t r y o f th e sp e a k e r i s n o t e s p e
c i a l l y b rou gh t t o b e a r ; b u t in th e l a t t e r , more p a r t i c u l a r l y , th e
in v e n t iv e g e n iu s (o r la c k o f i t )

i s more d i r e c t l y e x h ib it e d .

R e c o g n iz in g c e r t a in l i m i t a t i o n s , one m ight s u g g e s t th e d i f f e r
ence by an a lo g y in w hich a m in er, on th e one hand, fin d s a diamond,
r e c o g n iz e s i t s in h e r e n t v a lu e , and p o c k e ts i t ; w h ile , on th e o th e r , th e
la p id a r y ta k e s th e diamond and c u t s , p o l i s h e s , and en g ra v es i t to
enhance i t s n a t u r a l b e a u ty .
For A r i s t o t l e , th e sp eech s u p p lie d th r e e avenues o f a r t i s t i c
p e r su a sio n :

(1) E t h ic a l P r o o f ( e t h o s ) , whose g e n e s is i s d e r iv e d " in th e

c h a r a cter o f th e sp ea k er" ;

(2 ) L o g ic a l P r o o f ( lo g o s ) , in w hich " p ersu a

s io n i s e f f e c t e d by th e argum ents" th e sp ea k er em ploys; and (3)

Em otional P r o o f (p a t h o s ) , w hich concerns i t s e l f w ith "producing a
c e r ta in

[ r ig h t ] a t t i t u d e in th e h earer" when th e aud ien ce i s "brought by

th e sp eech in t o a s t a t e o f emotion."'*'

^Cooper, 8 -9 .

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E th ic a l P r o o f (E th os)^

A r i s t o t l e f e l t th a t o f th e th r e e modes, none was s o e f f e c t i v e as

th a t w hich a r o se out o f th e c h a r a c te r o f th e sp ea k er (a lth o u g h , in con
t r a d i s t i n c t i o n , he w ould s t i l l lo o k upon l o g i c a l argument as th e most
im portant elem en t in th e s p e e c h ) ;

and, l a t e r , under th e in f lu e n c e o f

the S t o i c s , Cato would d e fin e th e o r a to r as "a good man sp e a k in g w e l l ."

In our own tim e , Kenneth G. Hance has d e fin e d E t h ic a l P r o o f as

th a t f a c t o r in com m unication o r th a t form o f p r o o fw hich
i s r e la t e d to th e c h a r a c t e r , o r n a tu r e , o f th e sp e a k e r .
It
i s , in a s e n s e , an e x e m p lif i c a t i o n o f th e o ld adage: "Who
you are sp eak s so lo u d ly th a t I cannot h e a r what you s a y ." ^
For A r i s t o t l e , th e r e w ere th r e e p r in c ip a l components o f e t h o s ,
" th ree th in g s th a t g a in our b e l i e f ; nam ely, i n t e l l i g e n c e , c h a r a c t e r , and
good w i l l .

Com petence.--T h e Greek word u sed by A r i s t o t l e , which Lane Cooper

renders as " i n t e l l i g e n c e ," h as b een t r a n s la t e d v a r io u s ly as " s a g a c ity ," ^

Some w ould make a d i s t i n c t i o n b etw een " eth o s" and " e t h i c a l
proof" by d e f in in g " eth o s" as what a sp e a k e r is_, and " e t h i c a l p r o o f" as
what a sp ea k er does t o e s t a b l i s h h i s e t h o s .
In "C onception s o f E thos in
A ncient R h eto ric" (Speech M onographs, 1947, V o l. XIV, 5 5 - 5 6 ) , W illia m M.
S a t t l e r u s e s th e two term s as syn onym ous--a p o in t o f view sh a r ed by t h i s
w r ite r in t h is c h a p te r .
2
Thonssen and B a ir d , Speech C r it ic is m , 384.
3I b i d . , 181.
^"The Concept o f E t h ic a l P r o o f i n P e r su a sio n and Debate (From
the P oin t o f View o f R h e t o r ic ) ," u n p u b lish e d m a n u scrip t, 1 -2 .
C ooper, 9 2 .
^J. E. C. W eldon, ( t r a n s . ) , The R h e to r ic o f A r i s t o t l e (London:
Macmillan and Company, 1 8 8 6 ), 1 1 3 -1 4 ; c i t e d by L e s te r T honssen , S e le c t e d
Readings in R h e to r ic and P u b lic S p ea k in g (New York: The H. W. W ilson
Company, 1 9 4 2 ), 43.

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"good s e n s e ,"

and f o r t h i s w r i t e r , m ost p r e f e r r a b ly " com petence."

In th e language o f th e s t r e e t , th e sp e a k e r must have " sa v v y ."

M ention has a lr e a d y b een made in an e a r l i e r c h a p te r co n c er n in g

e d i t o r i a l te s tim o n y to F a g a l's com petence in h a n d lin g th e w r it t e n word.
We h ere con cern o u r s e lv e s w ith how t h i s sp e a k e r conveys t o h i s h e a r e r s ,
through th e spoken word, a c o n c e p tio n t h a t he i s a man o f i n t e l l i g e n c e ,
s a g a c it y , good s e n s e , com p eten ce.
An e x a m in a tio n o f th e 10 s e l e c t e d sermons r e v e a ls t h a t th e r e are
th re e p r in c ip a l avenues th rou gh w hich t h i s p a s to r com m unicates an image
o f com petence to h is h e a r e r s --th r o u g h d i r e c t r e f e r e n c e and i n d i r e c t i n f e r
ence to (1) h i s own h ig h ly s u c c e s s f u l m in is t r y , (2 ) h i s a b i l i t y as a
B ib lic a l and h i s t o r i c a l s c h o la r , and [3) h i s e x t e n s iv e t r a v e l s a t home
and abroad.
O c c a s io n a lly Dr. F agal w i l l make p a s s in g r e f e r e n c e t o h is own
h ig h ly s u c c e s s f u l m in is t r y .

On one o c c a s io n he m en tio n ed , "A number o f

y ea rs ago I s e r v e d on th e n o m in a tin g com m ittee o f a c e r t a in conference";^"

and in resp o n d in g to a p u b lic in t r o d u c t io n a t a camp m eetin g by N ea l C.
W ilson, new F a ith fo r Today, I n c . , Board Chairman, F agal s a id :
I t i s a p le a s u r e . . . to b e h e r e to n ig h t . . . t o be
a s s o c ia t e d w ith E ld e r W ilson . . . [who] has j u s t been
e le c t e d as v ic e p r e s id e n t o f th e G eneral C onferen ce f o r
North A m erica. . . . W hile I had a p a r t in c a s t in g a v o te
(f o r I was a member o f th e N om inating Committee w hich gave
E ld er W ilson th o s e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s ) , t h i s i s th e f i r s t
tim e I 'v e b een w ith him in a p u b lic way. . . .5

"*"W
. D. Ross ( e d . ) , The Works o f A r i s t o t l e , V o l. X I, t r a n s .
W. Rhys R oberts (O xford: The C larendon P r e s s , 1 9 2 4 ), S e c . 1378a .
^ H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell, 80.
^From " sa b e ," 3rd p e r so n s in g u l a r o f " s a b ir ," S p a n ish i n f i n i t i v e
"to know."
^Sermon on Andrew, 1.

^ Ib id .

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Membership on a church n o m in a tin g co m m ittee, w h eth er o f a l o c a l
s t a t e c o n fe r en ce o r o f th e w orld G eneral C on feren ce o r g a n iz a tio n , i s
g e n e r a lly regard ed by b o th A d v e n tis t c le r g y and l a i t y as a s t r a t e g i c a l l y
s i g n i f i c a n t p o s i t i o n o f p r e s t i g e and h o n o r , i f n o t o f t r u s t .

It is ,

q u ite sim p ly , n o t g iv e n t o j u s t anyon e.

In a sermon on H eaven, a m p lify in g John th e R e v e la t o r 's remark
th a t th e New J eru sa lem c i t y was "prepared as a b r id e , adorned fo r h e r
husband" (R e v e la tio n 2 1 : 2 ) , F agal o ffh a n d e d ly rem arked upon th e many
m arriage cerem on ies w hich he h a s c o n d u cted , w h ich , he la u g h in g ly a d d s,
make him
a r e a l a u t h o r ity on b r id e s . . . .
I have s to o d many tim es
down a t th e end o f th e c e n t e r a i s l e . . . [w ith ] an unob
s t r u c t e d view o f th e b r id e a s sh e w a lk s down th e a i s l e . . . .
You s e e how much I know abou t b r id e s . . . from my w e a lth
o f e x p e r ie n c e and o b s e r v a t io n .
!1
In A d v e n tis t c i r c l e s , a b r id e g r o o m 's p a s t o r i s n o t a u t o m a tic a lly
s e le c t e d to perform th e m arriage cerem ony f o r members o f h i s p a r t ic u l a r
c o n g r eg a tio n ; th e c h o ic e i s one o f e l e c t i o n by th e groom.
Fagal
as

The f a c t th a t

i s known to have co n d u cted many w eddings w o u ld , i n d i r e c t l y , s e r v e

an in d ex o f h i s immense p o p u la r it y w ith A d v e n tis t young p e o p le g e n e r

a l l y , as w e ll as in d i c a t e som eth in g o f h i s c o n s id e r a b le e x p e r ie n c e in
t h is area o f p a s t o r a l co n cern .
Fagal som etim es makes p a s s in g r e f e r e n c e t o h i s numerous sp e a k in g
o b li g a t io n s - - a n o t h e r i n d i r e c t in d e x o f s p e a k e r - p o p u la r it y .

At a Mich

igan camp m eetin g one J u ly , he rem arked t h a t , a f t e r le a v in g th e m id w est,

he w ould be "heading w e s t , now; w o n 't g e t back [home t o New York] t i l l
Septem ber 5 ."

S p eak ers are in demand among A d v e n tis t g a th e r in g s n o t

b ecau se o f any p o s i t i o n t h a t th e y may happen t o h o ld in th e ch u rch 's

1
Sermon on H eaven, 6 .

?
^I b i d . , 4.

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h ie r a r c h y , b u t r a th e r b e c a u se o f a b i l i t y to " d e liv e r th e goods" in th e
p u lp it I
Twice th e t e l e v i s i o n p a s to r m entions r e c e iv in g l e t t e r s from
te le v ie w e r s and church members in v a r io u s p a r ts o f th e n a t io n a s i t u a
tio n which c l e a r l y im p lie s c o n fid e n c e on th e p a r t o f th e w r it e r s in th e
m in is t e r 's com petence, e l s e he w ould have corresp o n d ed w ith an oth er:
A l e t t e r came to me th e o th er day from M in n eso ta .
[F agal
then r e la t e d th e woman's problem in d e t a i l . She co n clu d ed
by a s k in g , "What am I g o in g t o d o ? " ]l
Som ething o f F a g a l* s e t h i c s as w e ll as h i s com petence may be
deduced from th e manner in w hich he in tr o d u c e d th e n e x t l e t t e r , which
came from a F a ith f o r Today B ib le C orrespondence S c h o o l s tu d e n t now
in c a r c e r a te d in an e a s t e r n s t a t e p e n it e n t ia r y :
I'm g o in g to read you a l e t t e r .
I m n o t g o in g to t e l l you
where i t came from . I t came to me through th e m a il, b u t I
w on 't t e l l you what s t a t e i t came from .
[F agal th en read
th e words o f a young woman c o n v ic te d o f m a n sla u g h te r , who
c lo s e d w ith t h i s a p p ea l: "I ask you p e o p le t o p le a s e pray
f o r me; . . . I'm g o in g to t r y a g a in . . . , " ] 2
From h is v a s t background o f e x p e r ie n c e in th e m in is t r y [and from
the s u b s t a n t ia l know ledge o f human f o i b l e s and b e h a v io r w hich i t has
su b seq u en tly brought h im ), W illia m F agal

i n d i r e c t l y con veys an aura o f

competence by th e u se o f such remarks in

th e p u l p i t a s:

you today . . ." ,

"I'm c o m p le te ly co n v in ced . .

"Let mea ssu re

"Never m ista k e i t ,

. . . " ;3 and "This i s God's m essage to you to d a y . . . "^

S e c o n d ly , F a g a l's immense knowledge o f s a c r e d S c r ip tu r e and
s e c u la r h is t o r y alm o st s e e p s through to h is c o n g r e g a tio n in many d ir e c t
1
Sermon on Andrew, 11.

"God's B lin d S p o t,"

11.

3TV Sermon #358, 1.

4I b i d . , #3 7 1 ,

1.

3 I b i d . , #367, 1 .

^Sermon on P au l a t C o r in th , 10.

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389
and i n d i r e c t w ays.

In h i s sermon

on P aul a t C o r in th , f o r exam p le, he

f i r s t b e g in s by q u o tin g h i s t e x t from th e New E n g lish B ib le r a th e r

from th e more f a m ilia r A u th o rize d

("King James") V ersio n :

ju st a l i t t l e b e tte r ; i t ' s

little

ju st a

than

"I l i k e i t

clearer."'*'

He th en goes on t o m ention a f a u lt y co n c ep tio n h e had fo r m e rly

e n te r ta in e d c o n c er n in g one a s p e c t o f th e A p o stle P a u l's e x p e r ie n c e .

He

ob serves on how t h i s p a s s a g e d e s tr o y s th a t myth; and th en he f o llo w s

w ith words r e v e la t o r y o f some r a t io n a l m ental powers a t work h e r e :
im m ed iately t r y to f ig u r e o u t why"
manner.

"I

th in g s happened in t h i s u n ex p ected

He f o llo w s up a n o th er o b s e r v a tio n w ith th e rem ark, "I can s e e

how th a t would happen";

and th en he p r o c ee d s t o g iv e h i s r e a s o n in g .

F agal d em o n stra tes a f a m i l i a r i t y w ith th e w r it in g s o f E lle n G.

White and o th e r e s t a b l i s h e d s c h o la r s w ith in h is denom ination (su ch as
LeRoy Edwin Froom^) w hich h is p r im a r ily SDA c o n g r eg a tio n i s known to
r e s p e c t; and th e m ention o f l i s t e n i n g to Norman V in cen t P e a le 's r a d io
sermon5 shows th a t th e sco p e o f h i s i n t e l l e c t u a l i n t e r e s t s i s n o t n e c e s
s a r i l y a lim it e d , p a r o c h ia l on e.
He sp eak s a lm o st c a s u a lly o f h i s knowledge o f a J ew ish M idrash
(an e x p o s it io n o f th e Hebrew S c r ip tu r e s made some 1500 y e a r s a f t e r th e
E x ile ) b a sed on Deuteronomy 1 8 :1 9 ;5 and u rges h i s h e a r e r s to do more
s e r io u s stu d y o f God's Word f o r th em se lv e s:
B reth ren , l e t ' s n e v e r be s a t i s f i e d w ith l i t t l e , when i t
comes to s p i r i t u a l m a tte r s ; l e t ' s se a r c h o n , and stu d y o n ,
and become more and more g r e a t g ia n t s in th e S c r ip t u r e s . . . .
I th in k we ought to be lo o k in g f o r more and a d d itio n a l
in fo r m a tio n from th e S c r ip t u r e s . . . . D on't f a l l f o r e v er y
wind o f d o c t r in e . "Search th e S c r ip t u r e s .

*~I b id . , 1.

^I b id . , 2 .

^"God's B lin d S p o t," 5 .

^I b i d . , 5 .

^Sermon on Andrew, 2 .

^"What's L eft or W hat's R ight?" 8.

^ I b id . , 9 .

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390
And th e f a c t th a t th e F agal s o n , B i l l , i s

" over in Europe r ig h t

now, s tu d y in g in one o f our s c h o o l s , B ogen h ofen , A ustria,""* c a r r ie s w ith

i t th e im p lic a t io n o f com petence th a t e x te n d s from th e sp ea k er to mem
b ers o f h is im m ediate fa m ily .
L a s t ly , W illiam F a g a l's e x t e n s iv e t r a v e l s have g iv e n him a
breadth o f know ledge and an u n d e rsta n d in g n e v e r f u l l y open to him who
only read s; and he a d r o it l y makes u se o f su ch r e f e r e n c e s in c o n n e c tio n
w ith p e r so n a l e x p e r ie n c e s w hich he u s e s t o i l l u s t r a t e a sermon p o in t :
"I was in D enver, C olorad o, a c o u p le o f w eeks a g o ,"
and then goes on to r e l a t e what happened t o him .
shop, a l i t t l e

he s a y s ;

"I s a t in a c o f f e e

lu n c h e o n e t te , in th e D e t r o it a ir p o r t e a r l i e r t h i s w eek ,"

he c o n tin u e s; and a n o th er e x p e r ie n c e f o ll o w s .
I t i s , h ow ever, in h i s o v e r s e a s t r a v e l s th a t W illia m F agal m ines
the most v a lu a b le " eth os" p a y d ir t , e s p e c i a l l y in r e f e r e n c e s t o p la c e s in
the Holy Land and th e Roman World o f th e F i r s t C entury w ith w hich P au l
and th e a p o s t le s are a s s o c ia t e d , in w hich he h as t r a v e le d e x t e n s i v e l y .
In t e l l i n g o f l i t t l e Magdala on th e sh o r e o f th e Sea o f G a l i l e e - a s le e p y l i t t l e

v i l l a g e whose name has fo r e v e r b een im m o rta lize d by

a s s o c ia t io n w ith Mary o f B eth a n y --F a g a l v o u c h sa fe d th e a u t h e n t ic it y o f

h is in fo rm a tio n by d e c la r in g :
I 'v e been
. . . But
r e a liz in g
mercy and

t h e r e , and I ' v e se e n i t - - i t ' s a l l in r u in s to d a y .

I s to o d and m a r v e lled a t th e r u in s th a t I saw,
t h a t t h i s was a p la c e where God showed H is g r e a t
H is g r e a t lo v e to a f a l l e n s o u l . 4

In h i s sermon on P au l in Athens and C o r in th , F agal o b s e r v e s , "I

g e t a chance to t r a v e l around q u it e a b i t " ; 3 and th e n , a f t e r p r e lim in a r y
^Sermon on Heaven, 10.

^"What's L e ft or W hat's R ight?" 8.

3I b i d . , 9 .

4"God's B lin d S p o t," 3 .

^Sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , 9 .

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391

remarks about P a u l's e x p e r ie n c e in t h a t c e n te r o f Greek p a g a n ism , F agal

c lin c h e s w ith a, "I was in A thens a few y e a r s ago . . .

and o f f he

g o e s, t e l l i n g about h i s e x p e r ie n c e s - - a n d c o n t r a s t in g them w ith P a u l ' s .

I t has become a lm o st de r ig u e u r fo r an A d v e n tis t m in is t e r to
v i s i t P a le s t in e and th e M ed iterra n ea n b a s in t h e s e days i n o r d e r t o be
a b le to speak a u t h o r i t a t i v e l y about th e l i f e and tim es o f B ib le c h a r
a c t e r s , i f o n ly to b o l s t e r h i s s t a t u s w ith members o f th e c o n g r e g a tio n
(many o f whom a ls o t r a v e l ab ou t th e w o rld w ith in c r e a s in g n o n c h a le n c e ) .
And th e r e i s n o th in g so a b s o lu t e ly d e t e s t a b le as h e a r in g th e am ateur
t r a v e le r - - b e he clergym an o r la y m a n --in a nam e-dropping e x e r c is e whose
p r in c ip a l g o a l i s t o im p ress th e g u l l i b l e .
W illiam F a g a l's r e f e r e n c e s t o h i s t r a v e l s abroad are n e i t h e r
e x c e s s iv e in number nor o f f e r e d i n a mawkish manner.

They are n e v e r an

end in th e m se lv e s; b u t s e r v e , r a t h e r , to e lu c id a t e and illu m in a t e th e

p o in t p r e s e n t ly b e in g made.

As su c h , th ey ten d t o in c r e a s e th e F agal

e t h o s , in t h is i n v e s t i g a t o r ' s o p in io n , r a th e r than t o d e s tr o y i t a l t o
g e th e r , as som etim es happens when men o f th e c lo t h are i n j u d i c io u s about
such m a tte r s .

C h a ra cter.-- T h e s e c o n d component o f " e th o s ," fo r A r i s t o t l e ,

in v o lv e s what a man a c t u a l l y p o s s e s s e s

(r a th e r than what he m e r ely

appears to have] by way o f a good m oral c h a r a c te r .

How does W illia m F a g a l r e v e a l th e p r o b it y o f h i s c h a r a c te r in
the sermons w hich he d e liv e r s ?
A su rvey o f th e te n s e l e c t e d m essages r e v e a ls t h a t t h i s q u a l i t y
i s made m a n ife st through f i v e a v e n u e s, p r in c ip a l ly :
mony about h is own e x p e r ie n c e s and a t t i t u d e s ;

(1) p e r s o n a l t e s t i

(2) a deep p e r s o n a l burden

1 Ibid_. , 2.

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392
to h e lp o th e r s f in d C h r is t as t h e i r p e r s o n a l S a v io u r ;

(3) a c o n tin u in g ,

alm ost p r e o cc u p y in g con cern w ith C h r is tia n d u ty ; (4) v a r io u s a p p ea ls to

r e d e d ic a tio n o f o n e 's l i f e

and g o a ls ; and (5 ) th e a s s o c i a t i n g o f h im s e lf

and h is m essage w ith what h is h e a r e r s g e n e r a lly te n d to a c c e p t as th e

good and th e n o b l e - - t h i s c h i e f l y in th e r o le o f " d e fe n d e r o f th e f a i t h . "
F i r s t , l e t u s n o t e P a s to r F a g a l s own p e r s o n a l te s tim o n y as to
what C h r is t, and membership in H is ch u rch , means to him i n d i v i d u a l l y .
The l a t e r P e te r M a r sh a ll, in an a u to b io g r a p h ic a l serm on, "The
Tap on th e S h o u ld e r ," d e liv e r e d in W ash in gton 's h i s t o r i c New York Avenue
P r e sb y te r ia n Church in th e m id d le 1 9 4 0 s, sp ok e f o r W illia m F agal as w e ll
as h im s e lf when he d e p lo r e d a c u r r e n t tren d :
Every man in p u b lic l i f e , e v er y sp e a k e r who ta k e s th e
rostru m , e v e r y p r e a c h e r who mounts th e p u l p i t , h as c e r t a in
r e tic e n c e s .
The modem p r e a c h e r , p a r t i c u l a r l y , h e s i t a t e s
to i n j e c t p e r s o n a l i t i e s i n t o h i s p r e a c h in g . He i s r e t i c e n t
about u s in g i l l u s t r a t i o n s o u t o f h i s own e x p e r ie n c e o r th a t
o f h is c o n g r e g a tio n .
But th e a p o s t o l i c p r e a c h e r s and w r it e r s o b se rv e d no
such r e s t r a i n t s . T h e ir serm ons were f u l l o f t h e i r own
e x p e r ie n c e s . "What we have s e e n and h e a r d , d e c la r e we u n to
you," th e y s a i d . They n e v e r t i r e d o f t e l l i n g what th e Lord
had done f o r them , . . . what th ey had been b e f o r e , . . .
what th ey were now, . . . and in th e sim p le t e l l i n g , th e r e
was powers h e e r pow er.^
And W illiam F a g a l, l i k e " P ete r o f W ashington" (and th e P e te r o f
G a lile e , b e fo r e him) has no such h e s i t a n c i e s .

And, in th e t e l l i n g ,

Fagal ten d s to tou ch some o f t h a t " sh e er power" o f w h ich th e l a t e

Dr. M arshall sp o k e.
What p e r so n a l s p i r i t u a l c o n v ic t io n s does W illia m F agal e x p r e s s
p u b lic ly ?

What, in th e g iv in g , does he t e l l about h im s e lf , as w e ll as

^Catherine M a rsh a ll ( e d . ) , Mr. J o n e s , Meet th e M aster: Sermons

and Prayers o f P e te r M arsh all (New York: D e ll P u b lis h in g C o ., I n c . ,
1961), 27.

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393
h is S aviou r?

The p r o f i l e o f a d e e p ly -c o m m itte d C h r is tia n b e g in s to

emerge from h i s v a r io u s comments su ch as th e fo llo w in g :

I'm c o m p le te ly co n v in c e d t h a t e v e r y o n e , be he o ld o r
young, can have th e c e r t a in t y th a t God w i l l g u id e h i s l i f e .
But he must b e w i l l i n g to m eet th e c o n d it i o n s .*
Thank God f o r th e encouragem ent t h a t comes [to us]
from th a t v i s i o n [g iv e n Paul in C o r in t h ] .2
C h a lle n g in g h i s f e l l o w A d v e n t is t s , F agal asks them, f i r s t , "What
do we b e lie v e ? " ; and th en he p r o c ee d s t o answ er on t h e i r b e h a lf :
B reth ren , we b e l i e v e th a t J e su s C h r is t i s our S aviou r;
and we b e l i e v e H e's our exam ple in a l l t h in g s , d o n 't we?
[Amens] We b e l i e v e t h a t our l i v e s ought to be c o p ie s a f t e r
H is , t o the b e s t o f our a b i l i t y .
And i f w e 'r e copying th e
l i f e o f J e s u s , i f I become p e c u lia r i n th e e y e s o f th e
w orld about me, I c o u ld n 't ca re l e s s !
I'm form ing my l i f e
a f t e r th a t o f J e su s C h r is t.
I f I keep H is S ab bath , and t h a t makes me keep a day th e
r e s t o f th e w o rld d o e s n 't k e e p , I'm n o t g o in g to b e embar
r a s s e d about t h a t .
I'm on th e s i d e o f J e su s C h r is t.
I
h a v e n 't g o t an argument in th e w o rld about t h i s .
I'm j u s t
f o llo w in g J e s u s . What a trem endous argument th a t i s , in
i t s e l f , is n 't it?
And, b r e th r e n , i t ' s th e argument th a t
changes h e a r t s , and t h a t changes l i v e s , and th a t c o n v e r ts ,
and t h a t w ins s o u l s . 3
W illiam F agal has a v ery te n d e r s p i r i t .

T e l lin g h is h e a r e r s

som ething o f th e th in g s w hich tou ch h i s own h e a r t , he s a id :

I thank God f o r th e p e o p le t h a t have had c o n fid e n c e in
me. Warms my h e a r t to h ea r s t o r i e s o f some o f th e fo lk
th a t e x p r e s s e d c o n fid e n c e in me and t h a t encouraged me, as
I remember back a few y e a r s ago.
How w on d erfu l i t i s to
have fo lk e x p r e s s c o n fid e n c e . . . A
In Denver th e t e l e v i s i o n p a s t o r met a newc o n v e r t; and

he asked him to

r e la t e the s t o r y o f h is r e c e n t c o n v e r s io n , w hich he d id .

F agal than

t e l l s o f h is r e a c t io n , in words w h ic h , on p a p e r , may appear o v e r ly

1TV Sermon #371, 1.

^Sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , 11.

^I b id . , 17.

^Sermon on Andrew, 10.

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s e n tim e n t a l b u t w hich in th e l i v e sp e a k in g s i t u a t i o n were extrem elymoving f o r some o f h i s h e a r e r s :

I s a t th e r e in th e d ark n ess o f h i s c a r , f e e l i n g t e a r s come
down k in d o f c l o s e to my n o s e , you know; and I th o u g h t,
"Why does t h i s a f f e c t me l i k e t h is ? " W e ll, i t ' s b e c a u se
I m so w o n d e r fu lly moved w henever I hear o f anybody th a t
th e Lord J e su s C h r is t h as changed. This man had fo u g h t th e
[A dvent] m essage; [ y e t to d a y he and h is w ife a r e] in lo v e
w ith J e su s C h r is t and t h i s T ruth.
W ell, b r e th r e n , i t s a
w on d erfu l th in g to s e e what J e su s
can do t o change h e a r ts
to d a y , i s n ' t i t ?
[Amens]*
F i n a l l y , F a g a l o f t e n c l o s e s h i s m essages w ith a p e r s o n a l t e s t i
mony o f h i s own s p i r i t u a l a s p i r a t io n s ,

u sin g them as a sp r in g b o a r d fo r

th e i n v i t i n g o f h i s h e a r e r s t o j o in in r e d e d ic a t io n to God.

Thef o llo w

in g are t y p i c a l o f t h i s form o f r e fe r e n c e :
Young p e o p le , I d o n 't know how you f e e l tod ay; b u t
l i t t l e as I know about H eaven, I want to be th e r e . L i t t l e
as I know about i t , i t ' s g o in g t o b e w o rth w h ile to make th e
s a c r i f i c e s t h a t are c a l l e d fo r h e r e in t h is l i f e , s o I can
have a p la c e e t e r n a l l y w ith Him. I want to b e t h e r e . 2
And, again :
By God's g r a ce I want to do th e same th in g to d a y .
I
want to g iv e Him anew my w hole s e l f .
I want to d e d ic a te
m y s e lf to H is s e r v i c e .
I d o n 't want to h o ld a n y th in g
back. . .
S e c o n d ly , we n o te som eth in g o f F a g a l's deep p e r s o n a l burden to
h e lp o th e r s " fin d C h r is t."

I t i s i m p l i c i t in an a tta c k on d iv o r c e ,

because o f th e " u n fo r tu n a te and ir r e v o c a b le e f f e c t w hich such a c t io n

w i l l have on t h e i r in n o c e n t c h ild r e n " ; 4

and i m p l i c i t in an a tta c k on

p e r n ic io u s g o s s ip e r s who d e s tr o y th e r e p u ta tio n s o f o t h e r s - - c r i t i c s who

5

" u su a lly . . . have th e m ost f a u l t s in th e m se lv e s."

1
"W hat's L e ft or W hat's R ig h t? ," 8 -9 .

?
Sermon on H eaven, 10.

3"W hat's L e ft or W hat's R ig h t? ," 12.

4TV Sermon # 3 4 9 , 1.

5 I b i d . , # 3 5 1 , 1.

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395
Fagal i s an xiou s th a t each h e a r e r a llo w God to le a d and g u id e in
th e in d iv id u a l l i f e e x p e r ie n c e .

F i r s t , he e s t a b l i s h e s God's concern f o r

th e in d iv id u a l:
T his l i t t l e - n o t i c e d and a lm o s t- fo r g o t te n in c id e n t [in
which God, more than 100 y e a r s in advance, f o r e t o ld b o th
th e name and th e work o f P e r s ia n King Cyrus ( c f . I s a .
4 5 :5 ]] in d ic a t e s th a t God knows a l l o f us by name and s e e s
e x a c t ly what p la c e we sh o u ld f i l l i n l i f e .
And He w i l l
g ir d u s , h e lp in g us to e a r ly f in d our p la c e in l i f e , and
p r o p e r ly f i l l i t . l
Then, he goes on to show God's a c t iv e s e e k in g o f in d iv id u a l men:
You m ight th in k y o u 'r e s e e k in g God . . . [o r] C h r is t.
[But]
He's th e one w ho's alw ays s e e k in g you! And drawing you to
H im se lf. I'm g r a t e f u l f o r a S a v io u r l i k e t h a t , a r e n 't you,
who lo v e s us enough to look f o r u s , and to tr y t o h e lp us
fin d th e e x p e r ie n c e th a t we so much n eed .^
T h ir d ly , th e p r o b it y o f
c o n tin u in g , alm o st p reo ccu p y in g

F a g a l's c h a r a c te r i s in d ic a t e d

by h i s

concern w ith C h r is tia n d u ty . For

exam ple, he b e g in s one sermon w ith th e q u o ta tio n , " I t i s as much a du ty

to r e s i s t d e p r e ss io n and d is c o n t e n t as i t i s to pray"; and th en a d d s,
"Have you e v e r c o n sid e r e d t h i s a C h r is tia n duty?

And, do you p r a c t i c e

it? " 3
He d e v o te s an e n t ir e sermon to a d is c u s s io n o f our L ord 's
Parable o f th e T a le n t s , in th e m id st o f which he d e c la r e s :
Everyone has been g iv e n some amount o f n a tu r a l endowments,
even you. Not ev ery one h as r e c e iv e d th e same endowments;
and, t h e r e f o r e , th e same r e s u l t s are n o t e x p e c te d from
ev ery o n e. . . . But t o whom much has been e n t r u s t e d , much
w i l l be e x p e c te d .^
Fagal adm onishes h is f e llo w church-members to eschew c o ld l o g i c
in fa v o r o f warm lo v e in t h e i r s o u l-w in n in g work f o r C h r ist:

~*~I b id . , #371, 1.

^Sermon on Andrew, 3.

3TV Sermon #351, 1.

4 I b i d . , #367, 1.

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396

I th in k w e'v e done to o much o f t h i s s u b t le a r g u in g . We've

won to o many b a t t l e s and s k ir m is h e s , b u t h a v e n 't won any
s o u ls w ith i t . l
He t e l l s them th a t when Andrew and John came away from t h e i r
f i r s t v i s i t to J e s u s ' home, "They came away n o t t a lk in g about donkeys or
f u r n it u r e , or th e s i z e o f th e h o u s e .
found th e M e s s ia h .'
lo n g in g o f l i f e . "

They came away, s a y in g ,

'We have

They had found a P erson who s a t i s f i e d t h e i r e v er y

Then, F a gal a p p lie d i t t o h is h e a r e r s:

What do p e o p le t a lk about when th ey le a v e you? What do

th e y go out i n t o th e w orld t a l k i n g about? I hope th ey go
out t a lk in g abou t your C h r is t , and about your l i f e , and th e
in f lu e n c e o f y o u r l i f e , and n o t a n y th in g about your s u r
ro u n d in g s, w hich are s o u n im portan t
And, in t a l k i n g o f th e n e e d o f church members' h a rb o rin g a f o r
g iv in g s p i r i t tow ard f a l l e n s in n e r s t r y in g to s ta g e a comeback in C h r is t,
F agal r e f l e c t e d :
I c a n 't h e lp b u t wonder a l i t t l e b i t how Mary [Magda
le n e ] would be t r e a t e d in th e church t o n ig h t . What i f Mary
b e lo n g e d t o th e Grand Ledge Church h ere? Or th e B a ttle
Creek Church? Or th e D e t r o it Church? I wonder how our
church boards w ould r e a c t t o a modem Mary? You know, I'm
a fr a id I know!
I 'd j u s t as so o n n o t t e l l you; I th in k I
have a p r e t t y good id e a , and I th in k you do, to o .^
F o u r th ly , th e s p i r i t u a l q u a l i t i e s o f W illiam F a g a l's c h a r a c te r
are r e v e a le d in h i s many a p p e a ls to C h r is tia n s and n o n -C h r is tia n s to
c o n se c r a te t h e i r l i v e s to God.

The f o llo w in g are t y p ic a l :

You can keep your home t o g e t h e r b e s t when you have th e

h e lp o f H eaven .4
Let [ e v i l s u r m is in g s ] n o t be a p a r t o f your l i f e .
R ather, l i v e and l e t l i v e , g iv i n g t o each man the b e n e f it
o f th e dou bt. And th en God can and w i l l b l e s s you. Your
l i f e w i l l be a p o s i t i v e in f lu e n c e f o r g o o d .5
1

Sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , 15.

3"Gods B lin d S p o t," 11.

Sermon on Andrew, 4.

4TV Sermon #349, 2 .

5 I b i d ., # 3 5 1 , 2.

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In J e s u s C h r ist we can conquer any and e v e r y d i s t r e s s
in g s i t u a t i o n o f l i f e . . . . T hen, be a con q u eror, n o t a
f u g i t i v e . . . . P la c e you r a l l in H is h a n d s, and l i v e f o r
Him day by d ay.*
And, f i f t h l y , Fagal d e v e lo p s th e p o t e n t i a l f o r e th o s in h e r e n t in
a good c h a r a c te r by a s s o c ia t in g h i m s e lf and h i s m essage w ith t h a t w hich
h is h e a r e r s g e n e r a lly ten d t o a c c e p t as th e n o b le and th e g o o d - -p r in
c i p a l l y in th e r o le o f " d efen d er o f th e f a i t h . "
F a g a l has no tim e or sym pathy f o r th e c r i t i c s o f C h r is t i a n it y
who s e e t h i s r e l i g i o n

as a d v o c a tin g e sc a p e from th e grim r e a l i t i e s o f

everyday l i f e through

some k in d o f " p i e - in - t h e - s k y " or cosm ic c a r r o t .

He v ig o r o u s ly a ffir m s :
C h r is t ia n it y i s n o t out t o h e lp a man e sc a p e h i s p a s t ;
r a t h e r , i t i s out to e n a b le a man t o fa c e h i s p a s t and r i s e
above i t .
C h r is t ia n it y i s n e v e r e sc a p e ; C h r is t i a n it y i s
c o n q u e st.^
Toward in d iv id u a ls who m is r e p r e s e n t h i s ch u r c h 's d o c t r i n e s ,
b e l i e f s , and p r a c t i c e s , F agal i s g e n t ly y e t fir m ly op p osed .

O nce, w h ile

e a tin g in a p u b lic r e s t a u r a n t , he o v erh ea rd th e c o n v e r s a tio n a t an

a d jo in in g t a b l e .

The names o f s e v e r a l o f th e fo u n d ers o f th e A d v e n tis t

denom ination were m en tion ed , in a r a t h e r d e p r e c a to r y manner; and d e t a i l s

o f th e c h u r c h 's p a s t h is t o r y were g a r b le d and g r o s s ly d i s t o r t e d .

The

fo llo w e r s o f E lle n G. W hite, f o r exam p le, w ere a l l e g e d l y runn ing around,

lig h t in g f i r e s w hich sh e had p r e d ic t e d God would sen d in judgment
a g a in s t i n s t i t u t i o n s w hich ig n o r e d th e d iv in e b lu e p r in t w hich sh e
claim ed t o have r e c e iv e d .

1I b i d . , # 3 5 8 ,

2.

At t h i s , F agal was b o th u p s e t and p e r p le x e d :

2 I b i d . , 1.

From F a g a l's d e s c r ip t io n o f th e d e t a i l s o f th e o verh eard con

v e r s a t io n , i t w ould appear e v id e n t t h a t th e men a t th e a d j o in in g t a b le
had j u s t rea d Ronald M. D e u tsc h 's h i l a r i o u s t r e a t i s e on A m erica 's fo o d
fads and f a d d i s t s , The Nuts Among th e B e r r ie s (New York: B a lla n t in e
P r e ss, 1 9 6 7 ), C hapters 5 -7 o f w hich c o n ta in an in a c c u r a t e , d i s t o r t e d ,
and n e a r - s c u r r ilo u s lampoon o f c e r t a in A d v e n tis t p io n e e r s o f B a t t le

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I d id n 't f e e l a t a l l hungry any m ore. I began to
th in k I ' d have t o go o v e r to t h a t t a b le and b e g in to e n te r
th e c o n v e r s a tio n m y s e lf. And th e n , m e r c if u lly , th e y g o t
up and l e f t .
Thus in t h e s e f i v e ways does W illiam Fagal r e v e a l in h i s s e r monic c o n te n t th e k in d o f p e r so n he t r u ly i s , in th e c o n te x t o f
A r i s t o t l e ' s em phasis on th e p e r s u a s iv e v a lu e in h e r e n t in th e s p e a k e r 's
good moral c h a r a c te r .

Good w i l l . - - E t h i c a l p e r s u a s io n through a d a p ta tio n t o h is

au d ien ce i s a p p a r e n tly a ttem p ted b y W illia m F agal through sta te m e n ts
in te n d e d to i d e n t i f y him w ith h i s h e a r e r s and to show h im --in A r i s t o t l e ' s
w ords a man p o s s e s s e d o f "good w i l l . "
We have a lr e a d y n o te d from p o r tio n s o f sermons c i t e d above th e
r a th e r marked freq u en cy w ith w hich th e p lu r a l pronoun "we" i s u t i l i z e d
in th e F agal m essages as h e c o n s c io u s ly o r s u b c o n s c io u s ly prom otes a
s p i r i t o f " to g e th e r n e s s" w ith h i s h e a r e r s .
F u r th e r , in a sermon t o h ig h s c h o o l and c o l l e g e youth on th e
s u b j e c t o f Heaven, F agal a ls o r e v e a ls h im s e lf as a d o w n -to -e a r th , p r a c
t i c a l , p ragm atic C h r is tia n :

C reek, Mich. D e sp ite th e im p r e s s iv e l i t e r a r y p e d ig r e e o f th e author

found in th e in tr o d u c to r y p a g e s , t h i s w r it e r f e e l s D e u tsc h 's h i s t o r i c i t y
i s open to q u e s t io n , e s p e c i a l l y i f h e d id th e r e s t o f h i s r e s e a r c h as
s l o p p i l y as he o b v io u s ly d id on A dventism . For exam ple, D eutsch s t a r t s
o f f h i s h i l a r i o u s accou n t o f A d v e n tis ts w ith th a t o ld c h e stn u t about
t h e i r w a itin g f o r th e end o f th e w o rld c la d in a s c e n s io n rob es in 1844
a myth c o m p le te ly w ith o u t fo u n d a tio n and one o f many co n n ected w ith th e
fo llo w e r s o f W illiam M ille r e x p lo d e d by F r a n c is D. N ic h o l's d e f i n i t i v e
work, The M idnight Cry (W ashington: Review and H erald P u b lis h in g A s s n .,
1 9 4 4 ).
I t i s a p i t y th a t a man o f D e u ts c h 's l i t e r a r y a b i l i t y mars a
work which c o u ld be s o u s e f u l to th e p u b lic through in a c c u r a te r e s e a r c h
and r e p o r t in g .
In i t s p r e s e n t s t a t e , i t s v a lu e l i e s c h i e f l y in p ro
v id in g a h ig h ly e n t e r t a in in g comment on d ie t a r y p e c u l i a r i t i e s on the
fr in g e o f th e p a s s in g American s c e n e .
'"What's L e f t or W hat's R ig h t? ," 9 .

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I t i s n ' t j u s t th e s t r e e t s o f g o ld o r g a te s o f p e a r l or
w a lls o f ja s p e r th a t w i l l make th e H oly C ity a b e a u t i f u l
t h in g .
I g e t a lo n g p e r f e c t l y a l l r i g h t w ith s t r e e t s made
o f a s p h a lt .
I ' v e n e v e r lo n g e d fo r s t r e e t s made o f g o ld . . .
g a te s o f p e a r l , w a lls o f j a s p e r t h e s e d o n 't m eet any b a s i c
n eed s o f mine a t a l l . . . . But I w ould a s p ir e t o Heaven
b e c a u se o f th e in n e r r a d ie n c e , th e in n e r j o y , th e g r e a t
p e a c e , th e f e e l i n g o f s a t i s f a c t i o n t h a t w i l l be a p a r t o f
Heaven. That I lo n g f o r . That makes l i f e w orth l i v i n g . 1
And in h i s sermon on P aul a t C o r in th , perhaps more than in any
o th e r , P a s to r F agal makes h is m ost e f f e c t i v e u se o f th e elem en t o f "good
w ill" in i d e n t i f y i n g w ith h is f e llo w church members in t h i s s e r v ic e in
th e B a t t le Creek S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church.
F i r s t , h e s t a r t s out t e l l i n g th e s e M idw esterners ( l a r g e l y o f
N o rd ic, Dutch s to c k ) about h is own " t h r i f t y German b lo o d ."
A th en s, F a gal took a g u id ed to u r o f th e c i t y .

W hile in

En r o u te to th e Parthenon,

th e gu id e p o in t e d out Mars H i l l ; and F agal w anted t o drop out r ig h t

th e r e :
Mars H i l l !
T h a t's th e p la c e where P a u l preach ed th e g o s p e l
a t A th en s. . . . In th a t moment I 'd l o s t a l l my i n t e r e s t in
th e P arth en on . . . . I 'd l i k e to s t a y th e r e on Mars H i l l .
But my t h r i f t y German b lo o d i s n ' t th e r e f o r n o th in g ! I 'd
a lr e a d y p a id my way on th a t g u id ed to u r .
I d e c id e d I 'd
have t o g e t my m oney's w orth. And so I t r o t t e d on meekly
up to th e top and l i s t e n e d to e v e r y th in g th ey c o u ld t e l l us
about th e P a r th e n o n .2
Then he a tt a c k s snobbery w ith in th e A d v e n tis t Church in a round
abou t, humerous manner; th e in d iv id u a l h e a r e r w i l l g e t th e p o in t , b u t
w on 't f e e l p e r s o n a lly a tta c k e d , b e c a u se F a g a l i s , a f t e r a l l , t a lk i n g
about th e p e o p le o f C o r in th , n o t B a t t le Creek!
When Paul and th e C h r is tia n s were e x p e lle d from th e J ew ish
synagogue in C o r in th , two prom inent C o r in th ia n s came a lo n g w ith them
C r isp u s, th e " r u le r " o f th e syn agogu e, and th e c i t y tr e a s u r e r :
1

Sermon on H eaven, 7.

Sermon on Paul a t C o rin th , 3.

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I wonder how th o s e C o r in th ia n s f e l t about [C r is p u s ]
I ' l l b e t th e y were proud o f him! . . . They p ro b a b ly ta lk e d
to some o f th e Jews coming out o f th e synagogue, and s a i d ,
"We've got C risp u s w ith u s . H e's o v er in our church.
B elongs to u s ." R eal proud o f him . . . . As i f th a t
proves y o u 'r e r i g h t , you know! The b ig g e r th e name you can
q u o te , th e more r ig h t you a r e! Sometimes I th in k A dvent
i s t s are th e b i g g e s t nam e-droppers th a t e v e r w alked. L et
somebody come in and j o in our church . . . some m ovie
a c t r e s s , or what have you; and w e ' l l q u ote th a t ev ery w h ere.
Fagal th en goes on t o show t h a t , w ith th e
and th e c i t y t r e a s u r e r , th e C o r in th ia n church was

e x c e p tio n o f C risp us
g e n e r a lly composed o f

"not many w is e , . . . n o t many m ig h ty , n o t many n ob le" (I Cor. 1 :2 6 );

b u t, r a th e r , o f a v e r a g e , or b e lo w -a v e r a g e p e o p le as reg a rd s s o c i o
economic s t a t u s .
B rin gin g th e m essage home fu r t h e r , F agal add s, p o in t e d ly :
Now we t a lk a l o t about w orking fo r the " h ig h er c l a s s e s . "
And I'm n o t a g a in s t th a t; . . . t h e y 'r e a n e g le c t e d c l a s s .
But som etim es . . . we alm o st im ply th a t anybody t h a t i s n ' t
in th e h ig h e r c l a s s e s i s n ' t w orth w orking fo r ! . . . P u ll
th e g o sp e l n e t i n - - t h e y ' r e th e k in d o f f i s h you want to
throw b a ck , you know. . . . W e ll, t h a t ' s a wrong a t t i t u d e .
Nobody b e l i e v e s in sn ob b ery (even th o se who p r a c t i c e i t ! ) ;

and

as Fagal a tta c k s i t , h i s h e a r e r s can i d e n t i f y w ith him , b eca u se he

h a s n 't a s s a u lte d them p e r s o n a lly ; and th e humorous, a lm o st u a n te r in g
manner in which he s t r i k e s a t t h i s h a b it in i t s e l f ten d s to b u ild a
r e la t io n s h ip o f good w i l l betw een a u d ien ce and sp e a k e r .
F i n a lly , c a p i t a l i z i n g upon th e f a c t th a t th e C o r in th ia n church
was composed o f o r d in a r y p e o p le ( j u s t , i m p l i c i t l y , as i s th e one a t
B a ttle C r e e k !), Fagal makes h i s f i n a l home t h r u s t , and reap s h i s b ig g e s t
d ivid en d s o f a l l in th e "good w i l l " gam bit.

He d e c la r e s h im s e lf "glad"

th a t "the e a r ly church in C orin th was made up o f p e o p le l i k e th a t" ; and,

b efo re h is aud ien ce can r e c o v e r from a sto n ish m en t, he e x p la in s :

1Ibid., 11-12.

2Ibid., 13-14.

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401
I'm g la d th a t when God a sk s w hat i t i s t h a t w i l l q u a l i f y a
man t o b e lo n g t o th e church He d o e s n 't s a y , "What k in d o f
d egree do you have? From what c o l l e g e ? ," t o d e c id e w hether
or n o t y o u 'r e w orth y.
He d o e s n 't s a y , "How much money do
you have in th e bank?" . . . [o r ] "How r e s p e c te d i s your
fa m ily name? What i s your background?" . . . When He made
up th e e a r ly church in C o r in th , and when He makes up th e
church to d a y , He seem s t o ask o n ly . . . "How much do you
lo v e God? How com p lete i s y o u r d e d ic a tio n f o r th e Lord
Jesu s C h rist? "
Oh, I'm g r a t e f u l f o r th e f a c t th a t t h a t ' s a l l t h a t ' s
r e q u ir e d ! Do you know, i f th e y had any o th e r r e q u ir e m e n ts,
I c o u ld n 't b e h e r e to d a y ! My f a t h e r was one o f th e g r e a t
e s t men th a t e v e r l i v e d , . . . b u t he worked in a f a c t o r y .
A ll h i s l i f e , t h a t ' s what he d id . He u sed to p rea ch as a
la y -p r e a c h e r ; . . . b u t he j u s t worked in a f a c t o r y j u s t a
common man. I have n o th in g b e h in d me as a background to
recommend me; j u s t commonness, t h a t ' s a l l . l
The f r i e n d l y , open fr a n k n e s s , th e u n b e g u ilin g candor o f th e
Fagal p r e s e n t a t io n , th e la c k o f any p om posity or o s t e n t a t i o n som etim es
a s s o c ia te d w ith p u lp it o r a t o r y - - t h e s e l i t t l e q u a l i t i e s win t h e i r way
in t o th e h e a r ts o f th e A d v e n tis t laym en, most o f whom s e e th e m se lv e s as
ord in ary, e v er y d a y , common p e o p le .

And th ey i d e n t i f y w ith th e sp ea k er;

a bond i s cem ented betw een a u d ie n c e and m in is t e r , and th e y b e l i e v e and

are p ersu ad ed .
Thus does W illiam F agal a d r o i t l y , e f f e c t i v e l y u t i l i z e in h is
message c o n te n t th e f a c t o r s o f co m p eten ce, good c h a r a c t e r , and good w i l l
which A r i s t o t l e i d e n t i f i e d as " e t h o s ," to e f f e c t p e r s u a s io n in t h i s
f i r s t o f th e th r e e " a r t i s t i c " m odes.

L ogical P r o o f (L ogos)

The r h e t o r ic a l c r i t i c s e e k s , among o th e r t h i n g s , to d eterm in e

"the s e v e r i t y and s t r i c t n e s s o f th e a rg u m en ta tiv e d ev elo p m en t."

*T b i d . ,

14.

Thonssen and B a ir d , 334.

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Most

rnrr-

402
r h e to r ic ia n s subsume two c o n s t it u e n t e le m e n ts under th e h e a d in g o f
cal

p r o o f:

e v id e n c e and r e a s o n in g .

E vidence con cern s i t s e l f w ith m a tter s o f f a c t and o p in io n ,

are

lo g i

which

used as a b a s is f o r e s t a b l i s h i n g p r o o f o f a p r o p o s it io n ; w hereas

r ea so n in g i s th e p r o c e s s o f u t i l i z i n g e v i d e n t i a l m a t e r ia ls f o r th e p u r
pose o f in t e r r in g a c o n c lu s io n .
A. C raig B aird has c o m p r e h e n siv ely d e fin e d " f a c ts " f o r us as
c o n c re te or a b s t r a c t m a te r ia l ou t o f w hich we attem p t to
weave c o n c lu s io n s or from w hich we t r y to draw in f e r e n c e s
or betw een w hich we a ttem p t to e s t a b l i s h r e l a t i o n s h i p s . . . .
F acts . . . r e p r e s e n t ite m s w hich a l l e g e d l y are t o be
a c ce p ted b e fo r e fu r t h e r a m p lif ic a t io n or in f e r e n c e i s t o be
attem p ted . F a c ts have t o do w ith th e e x is t e n c e o f t h in g s ,
the c l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f d a ta , and th e c h a r a c te r o f phenomena.^
F a c ts, t h e r e f o r e , may in c lu d e phenomena which are o b se rv e d , e x p e r ie n c e d ,
d e sc r ib e d , c l a s s i f i e d , and r e p o r te d .
We have a lr e a d y n o te d so m eth in g o f th e u s e w hich W illia m F agal
makes o f e v id e n t ia l m a t e r ia ls o f f a c t and o p in io n in th e c o n s id e r a t io n
o f n o n - a r t i s t i c modes o f p e r s u a s io n above; and we now con cern o u r s e lv e s
more d ir e c t l y w ith th e manner in w hich he m arshals t h i s e v i d e n t i a l
m a ter ia l in th e p r o c e s s o f r e a s o n in g .
H an ce-R alp h -W ik sell s u g g e s t t h a t th e r e are fo u r ty p e s o f
reason in g:
(1)

From Example (" th e p r o c e s s o f in f e r r in g c o n c lu s io n s

from s p e c i f i c i n s t a n c e s , c a s e s , i l l u s t r a t i o n s , or
exam ples"^) .

(2)

From A nalogy (" th e p r o c e s s o f making a com parison

betw een two c a s e s th a t are s i m il a r in many r e s p e c t s ,
and i n f e r r in g th a t th ey a re s im il a r in fu r t h e r
r e sp e c ts" ^ ).

^A. C raig B a ir d , A rgu m en tation , D is c u s s io n and D ebate (New York:

McGraw-Hill Book Company, I n c . , 1 9 5 0 ), 9 1 .
^ H an ce-R alp h -W ik sell, 100.

^ Ib id . , 101.

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403
(3)

From Cause (" th e p r o c e s s o f i n f e r r i n g t h a t a c e r t a in

phenomenon [a c a u se] h a s produ ced a n o th er phenomenon
[an e f f e c t ] ; o r , c o n v e r s e ly , t h a t a c e r t a in phenomenon
[an e f f e c t ] i s th e r e s u l t o f a n o th er phenomenon [a
c a u se ]1 ).

(4)

From S ig n ( Mth e p r o c e s s o f in f e r r i n g a s s o c ia t io n s
b etw een two phenomena th a t are n o t c a u s a lly r e l a t e d
in w hich one assum es th a t th e p r e se n c e o f one th in g
[an a t t r i b u t e ] in d i c a t e s th e p r e se n c e o f a n o th er [th e
su b sta n c e ]).

R easoning from ex a m p le.- - O f a l l fo u r methods o f r e a s o n in g , th e

method from exam ple i s o b v io u s ly W illia m F a g a l's f a v o r i t e .

His sermons

are r e p le t e w ith s p e c i f i c in s t a n c e s , c a s e s , i l l u s t r a t i o n s , and exam ples

to su p p ort th e v a r io u s a s s e r t io n s w hich he makes.
In a d d it io n t o numerous in s t a n c e s a lr e a d y n o ted in t h i s s tu d y ,
l e t us exam ine two a d d it io n a l c a s e s w hich i l l u s t r a t e F a g a l's m astery o f
t h is form o f l o g i c a l s u p p o r t.
In h i s b io g r a p h ic a l sermon on N icodem us, F agal makes th e a s s e r t io n , "T his was no o r d in a r y m an.

He im m ed ia tely a d d s, "There were

s e v e r a l th in g s t h a t d i f f e r e n t i a t e d him from th e common p e o p le ,

[th a t]

made him o u ts ta n d in g :
[1]

For o n e , he was a PHARISEE. Not ev ery o n e l i v i n g back

th e r e was a P h a r is e e .
There were 6 ,0 0 0 o f them a t th e
tim e; s o he was one o f 6 ,0 0 0 . . . . The P h a r is e e s were
th e F u n d a m e n ta lis ts , . . . th e E v a n g e lic a ls , . . . th e
c o n s e r v a t iv e s . . . . Nicodemus was a P h a r is e e . He
w anted to s t i c k to th e Word, . . . to keep I s r a e l
g o in g in th e s t r a i g h t p a t h s . . . .

[2]

Now th e r e was som eth in g e l s e th a t s e t him a p a rt a b i t .

Nicodemus was a RULER OF THE JEWS; and, as su c h , was a
member o f th e S an h ed rin . The San hedrin d id n o t have
6 ,0 0 0 members; i t had o n ly 70 members. T h is was th e
J e w ish S e n a te . T his was th e r u lin g o r g a n iz a tio n o f
Jud aism . And Nicodemus was a p a r t o f th a t group.
T h is made him , t h e r e f o r e , one o f th e le a d e r s o f I s r a e l .

^ I b id .,

102.

^ I b id .,

103.

^"What's L e ft or W hat's R ig h t? , 4.

R e p r o d u c e d w ith p e r m issio n o f th e co p y r ig h t o w n er . F u rth er r ep ro d u ctio n p roh ib ited w ith o u t p e r m issio n .

404
[3]

But even more one more th in g th a t s e t him ap a rt:

Nicodemus was h ig h ly e d u c a te d , and was a HIGHLY
RESPECTED TEACHER in I s r a e l . As a m a tter o f f a c t ,
J e su s p o in te d t h a t out i n t a l k i n g w ith Nicodemus in
th a t famous v i s i t th a t we a l l know a b o u t. . . . "Jesus
s a id to N icodem us, Is t h i s famous te a c h e r o f I s r a e l
ig n o r a n t o f such th in g s ? " [John 3 :1 0 , NEB] Nicodemus
was a famous t e a c h e r . Not j u s t an o rd in a ry on e.

[4]

One more th in g about Nicodemus t h a t s e t him a p a rt:

he
was a MAN OF WEALTH. And, w h eth er we l i k e t o admit i t
or n o t , t h i s does s e t p e o p le a p a r t, to d a y . And i t d id
back th e n . A man who had g r e a t w e a lth ; a man, t h e r e
fo r e , q u it e d i f f e r e n t , in fo u r v a r io u s w ays, from th e
common p e o p le o f h i s tim e .^
A ls o , in th e c o n c lu s io n o f h i s b io g r a p h ic a l sermon on Mary Mag

d a le n e , Fagal ask s th e r h e t o r i c a l q u e s t io n , "How about Mary:

remain f a it h f u l?

She c e r t a i n l y d id ."

d id Mary

He th en p ro ceed s to show f i v e

e xam p les, e v id e n c e from S c r ip t u r e , to su p p o rt h is c o n te n tio n and prove

h er f a i t h f u l n e s s :
[1]

She STOOD BESIDE THE CROSS o f J e su s when He d ie d upon

C alvary.
I t was a dangerous th in g to sta n d t h e r e ,
when a c r im in a l was d y in g , b e in g p u t to death by Rome.
The Romans m ight j u s t s t r i n g up a n o th e r c r o s s , and p u t
a fr ie n d up t h e r e , t o o . But Mary d id n 't ca re; she
s to o d t h e r e , sh e was a f r ie n d ; sh e b e lie v e d in Him,
sh e was w ith Him t o th e end. . . .

[2]

She FOLLOWED JESUS' BODY a f t e r H is d eath TO THE SEPUL

CHRE; and th a t was an e q u a lly dangerous th in g to do.
Rome was n o t above a t a l l s i n g l i n g o u t th e s e fr ie n d s
and ta k in g t h e i r l i v e s .
She fo llo w e d ; sh e was th e r e ;
she b e lie v e d . . . .

[3]

She was th e VERY FIRST ONE AT HIS TOMB on th a t Sunday

m orning, th e v e r y f i r s t one t h e r e . . . .

[4]

She was th e VERY FIRST ONE TO PROCLAIM th e MESSAGE o f

a RESURRECTED, RISEN CHRIST to a w o r ld . . . . That was
M ary's m essage.
She was th e f i r s t one to b e a r i t ; sh e
was f a i t h f u l . . . .

[5]

There are fo u r G o s p e ls, as you know--M atthew, Mark,

Luke, and John. The s t o r y I ' v e t o l d you to n ig h t i s in
a l l fou r G o sp e ls. But in th e f i r s t t h r e e , Mary i s n o t

1Ibid., 4-5.

2"God's Blind Spot," 10.

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405

named. . . . But in th e fo u r th . . . sh e i s named and

. . . i d e n t i f i e d as b e in g th e s i s t e r o f Martha and
L azaru s.1

R easoning from an a lo g y .- - F a g a l does n o t u se th e method o f r e a s o n

in g from an a lo g y o f t e n ; b u t when he d o e s, he appears to h a n d le i t r a th e r
e ffe c tiv e ly .
an alogy.

Three

tim es in h i s sermon on Paul a t C orin th he u se s

F i r s t , he u s e s th e f ig u r e o f " leaven " to d e s c r ib e th e work o f

P a u l's p r e a ch in g in th e Jew ish synagogue o f th a t p la c e .

Then, in d is c u s s in g th e d i f f i c u l t i e s o f s o u l-w in n in g , both in

a n c ie n t tim es and in modern, he u se s th e f ig u r e o f m ining:
I h a v e n 't found a p la c e y e t where p e o p le are o u t, knocking
a t our fr o n t d o o r s, w anting to g e t in and j o in our ch u rch es!
We have to go out and p u l l them ou t o f th e r o c k s , mine them
out o f th e h i l l s , and b r in g them to J e s u s . . . .3
F i n a lly , he u s e s th e f ig u r e o f f i s h i n g .

In a r e fe r e n c e to lo w e r-

income in d iv id u a ls as sm a ll " f i s h ," h e r e f e r s to th e a t t it u d e o f some

who look down con tem p tu ou sly upon them:
the kind o f f i s h you want to throw b a ck ."

" P u ll th e g o s p e l n e t i n , t h e y 'r e
4

One l a s t exam ple o f r ea so n in g from a n a lo g y i s e s p e c i a l l y a p p ea l

in g b ecau se o f th e a p tn e ss o f th e f ig u r e .

In h is sermon on Heaven,

Fagal s t a r t s o f f one d i v i s i o n o f th e m essage by s t a t i n g i n i t i a l d i s

appointm ent b eca u se a t t h i s p o in t John th e R e v e la to r r e e l s o f f a l i s t o f
th in g s th a t w o n 't be in Heaven, in s t e a d o f p o s i t i v e l y t e l l i n g what i t
w ill be l i k e - - n o more d e a th , no more sorrow , no more c r y in g , no more
p a in , form er th in g s p a sse d away (R e v e la tio n 2 1 : 4 ) .

Then, by means o f

the a n a lo g y , F agal e x p la in s why John was fo r c e d to e x p la in from a

n e g a tiv e r a th e r than a p o s i t i v e sta n d p o in t:
1

I b id . , 10.

3I b i d . , 10.

Sermon on Paul a t C o rin th , 8.

4 I b i d . , 13.

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406
I 'd l i k e to p u t you to g e t h e r w ith an Eskimo who has
n ev er t r a v e le d more than 25 m ile s away on a dogs le d from
h is home a t th e N orth P o le . And I'm g o in g to g iv e you th e
problem o f e x p la in in g to t h a t Eskimo from th e f a r North
w a stela n d what F lo r id a i s l i k e I . . .
And so . . . you s t a r t o u t , and you s a y , " W ell, you
know, in F lo r id a th e th in g I l i k e b e s t th e y h ave lo v e ly
palm t r e e s ." And th e Eskimo lo o k s a t y o u , and s a y s , "Palm
tr e e s ? " And you s a y , "Oh, t h a t ' s r i g h t , y o u v e n e v e r s e e n
a palm t r e e , have you? A l l r i g h t , in F lo r id a th e y have
a c re s and a c r e s o f l o v e ly c i t r u s g r o v e s ." And he s a y s ,
"C itrus groves?" And y o u 'r e g e t t i n g a l i t t l e p e r p le x e d
about now, and you s a y , "W ell, you know, orange t r e e s ,
lemon t r e e s , g r a p e fr u it t r e e s . " And he s a y s , "Orange t r e e s ?
T rees?" [L aughter] And you r e a l i z e y o u 'v e g o t a problem
on your h an d s. . . .
And p r e t t y soon you . .
"W ell, you know, in F lo r id a
maybe y o u 'd s a y , "You know,
b e a r s , n o t a one (e x c e p t i n

. m ight be tem pted t o . . . s a y ,

i t n e v e r g e ts c o ld . . . ." Or,
i n F lo r id a th ey have no p o la r
some zoo som ew here)."

What are you doing? Y o u 're r e a s o n in g from th e n e g a t iv e ,

y o u 'r e t e l l i n g him what i s n ' t th e r e in F lo r id a , b eca u se
th a t man has no b a s is to u n d ersta n d what is_ t h e r e . . . .
Now, t h a t ' s e x a c t ly what p o o r John had as a problem in
tr y in g t o d is c u s s Heaven w ith u s . He c o u ld n 't t e l l us what
Heaven was l i k e , r e a l l y , b e c a u se we have no b a s i s f o r under
s ta n d in g . You s e e , "Eye h a th n o t s e e n , nor e a r h ea rd ,
n e it h e r h a th i t e n te r e d i n t o th e h e a r t o f man th e th in g s
which God hath p rep ared f o r them th a t lo v e Him." (I Cor.
2 :9 ) 1

R easoning from c a u s e .--O n e may r ea so n from ca u se in two d i f f e r

en t ways:

from c a u s e - t o - e f f e c t , or from e f f e c t - t o - c a u s e .

A lthough

W illiam Fagal d oes n o t u se t h i s method o f t e n , he d o es employ b o th ty p e s

o f c a u sa l r e a s o n in g .
In a sermon on th e e v i l s o f ju d g in g th e m o tiv a tio n s o f o t h e r s ,
he reason s from c a u s e - t o - e f f e c t by f i r s t making th e a s s e r t i o n , "Circum
s t a n t i a l e v id e n c e som etim es appears overw helm ing"; and then he p r o c ee d s
w ith th e con seq u en t e f f e c t :

"And so many o f us jump t o t e r r i b l y wrong

and co m p le te ly u n ju s t c o n c lu s io n s as th e r e s u l t . "

''Sermon on Heaven, 8-9.

^TV Sermon #351, 1.

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A gain , in an a p p ea l t o f e llo w church members t o c e a s e e f f o r t s to

win c o n v e r ts to t h e i r f a i t h through th e u s e o f c o ld l o g i c a l argument
a lo n e , a lr e a d y c i t e d above, F agal lin k s th e cau se ("I th in k w e'v e done
to o much o f t h i s s u b t le argu in g" ) w ith th e r e s u l t ("W e've won to o many
b a t t l e s and s k ir m is h e s , b u t h a v e n 't won any s o u ls w ith i t " ) . 1
In a r e v e r s a l o f th e p r o c e s s , e a r l i e r in t h i s same sermon Fagal
a sk s, co n c er n in g P a u l's e m o tio n a l s t a t e upon e n te r in g C o r in th , "Why [d id
Paul f e e l ] t h i s waywhy was he weak, and n e r v o u s , and sh a k in g w ith
fear?" ; and th en h e s u g g e s ts two c a u s e s :
One was th e e x p e r ie n c e through w hich h e 'd j u s t p a sse d
a t Athens [in t r y in g t o meet l o g i c w ith l o g i c , p h ilo s o p h y
w ith p h ilo s o p h y , in d e b a tin g w ith th e A th e n ia n s; he was
r e l a t i v e l y u n s u c c e s s f u l and d id n o t e s t a b l i s h a church in
A th en s] . 2
But th e r e was a secon d th in g . . . and th a t was th e
problem th a t C orin th i t s e l f p r e s e n t e d .
[F agal th en goes on
to show how immoral th e c i t y in h a b it a n t s w e r e . ] 3
In a f i n a l example o f r e a s o n in g from e f f e c t - t o - c a u s e , in h i s
sermon on Mary M agdalene, F agal f i r s t d e c la r e s th a t Simon th e P h a r ise e
f a i l e d t o show our Lord th r e e custom ary c o u r t e s i e s g e n e r a lly ren d ered to
g u e sts a t f e a s t s h e ld in t h e i r honor; and th en he a s k s , "Why d id n 't
Simon do th e s e th r e e th in g s? "

H is c o n c lu s io n as reg a rd s ca u se:

I'm n o t su r e a t a l l ; b u t in my own m ind, I 'v e fig u r e d i t

out t h i s way. S in c e Simon was u n com m itted , i t may b e th a t
he d id n 't want to do th e s e th in g s . . . l e s t a l l t h e s e
r a b b is and . . . P h a r is e s s [who w ere i n v i t e d t o th e f e a s t ]
th in k th a t Simon was com m itted t o J e s u s . T his w ould be h is
way o f show ing th a t he was s t i l l p o n d e r in g , s t i l l co n
s id e r in g . 4

^Sermon on Paul a t C o rin th , 15.

2I b id ., 2.
3I b i d . , 4 .
4 "God's B lin d S p o t," 7 -8 .

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408
R easoning from s i g n . The fo u r th mode o f r e a s o n in g , from s i g n ,
i s a s u b j e c t o f some c o n tr o v e r s y among contem porary r h e t o r i c i a n s .
in c lu d in g t h i s w r i t e r h o ld i t t o
d is tin c t

b e a form o f

Some

r e a s o n in g s e p a r a te and

from th e p r e c e d in g th r e e j u s t m entioned (ex a m p le, a n a lo g y , and

c a u s e ), a p o s i t i o n ta k en n o t o n ly by H ance-R alph-W ikse11 b u t a ls o by

McBumey M i l l s ,

O 'N e ill McBurney,

and M i l l s .

Other r h e t o r i c a l t h e o r e t i c i a n s , how ever, are s i l e n t , making no

m ention o f s ig n r e a s o n in g C rock er,

R eeves Hudson,

7
th e a u t h o r it a t iv e T honssen B a ir d .

and even

56
B aird Knower,

(F o s te r l i s t s

th e " so -

O
c a lle d 'argument from s i g n ' " under th e h ea d in g o f c a u s a l r e l a t i o n . )
One o f th e m ost c o g e n t argum ents f o r r e t a in in g r e a s o n in g from
s ig n i s advanced by McBurney M i l l s , who p o in t out r e a s o n in g

from cau se

asks th e q u e s tio n "Why?"; w hereas r e a s o n in g from s i g n answ ers th e

q u e stio n "What?" and i s a s s o c i a t i o n a l in n a tu r e .

James H. McBumey and Glen E. M i l l s , A rgum entation and D eb a te,

2nd ed. (New York: The M acm illan Company, 1 9 6 4 ), 119.
2

James M. O 'N e ill and James H. McBumey, The Working P r i n c ip le s

o f Argument (New York: The M acm illan Company, 1 9 5 9 ), 1 5 6 -5 9 .
3Glen E. M i l l s , Composing th e
Speech (Englewood C l i f f s , N. J . :
P r e n tic e -H a ll, I n c . , 1 9 5 2 ), Chap. IX, "R easoning A Form o f S u p p o rt."
^ L ion el C rock er, A rgum entation and D ebate (New York:
Book Company, 1 9 4 4 ).

American

^J. W. R eeves and H. H. Hudson, P r in c ip le s o f Argument and

Debate (B oston:
D. C. Heath Company, 1 9 4 1 ).

A. C raig B aird and F r a n k lin H. Knower, E s s e n t ia ls o f G eneral

Speech, 2nd e d . (New York:
M cGraw-Hill Book Company, 1 9 6 0 ).
70p. c i t .
8

(Boston:

W illiam T. F o s t e r , A rgum entation and D e b a tin g , 2nd. e d . r e v .

Houghton M if f li n Company, 1 9 4 5 ), 163.

^McBumey and M i l l s , 1 1 9 -2 0 .

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A lthough F agal r e c o g n iz e s th e e x is t e n c e o f r e a s o n in g from s ig n

(as n o ted in th e p r e c e d in g c h a p te r d e a lin g w ith h i s r h e t o r ic a l t h e o r y ) ,
in p r a c t ic e he u s e s t h i s

form l e a s t o f a l l . Only two in s t a n c e s were

noted in th e te n serm ons under r e v ie w .

In d is c u s s in g th e immoral c o n d it io n s i n C orinth in th e days o f
P au l, F agal r e f e r s to a th e n -c u r r e n t e x p r e s s io n "to C o r in th ia n iz e " or
"to l i v e l ik e a C o r in th ia n " --a n d th en goes on to e x p la in :
And th a t meant one th in g :
a p e r so n l i v i n g lik e a C orin
th ia n was l i v i n g a v e ry im m oral, d i s s o l u t e , p r o f l i g a t e l i f e .
He'd sunk r ig h t down to th e b o t to m .1
And in th e sermon on Mary M agdalene, Fagal e x p la in s why Simon
th e P h a r is e e 's b lo o d ran c o ld :

in th e m id st

o f the f e a s t , Mary

her h a ir down, and was w ip in g th e S a v io u r 's f e e t w ith i t .

Now th a t w o u ld n 't mean much t o us t o n ig h t ; . . . b u t . . .
i t meant som eth in g back t h e r e .
For a la d y to appear in
p u b lic w ith h e r h a ir down was a lm o st an i n v i t a t i o n to
im m o ra lity , . . . alm o st l i k e a p p ea rin g in th e nude. . . . ^

P s y c h o lo g ic a l P r o o f (P a th o s)

A r i s t o t l e ' s t h ir d mode o f p e r s u a s io n , as n o ted ab ove, was

" pathos," a term he em ployed t o d e s c r ib e th e o p e r a tio n o f th e sp e a k e r
upon th e em otions o f th e h e a r e r f o r th e pu rp ose o f e f f e c t i n g p e r s u a s io n .
Contemporary r h e t o r ic ia n s have broadened t h is c a te g o r y to
Z

in c lu d e th e u se o f m otive a p p e a ls and th e employment o f humor;

and we

w ill c o n sid e r them h ere in th a t b ro a d er framework.

^Sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , 5 .
^"God's B lin d S p o t," 8 -9 .
^ H an ce-R alp h -W ik sell have renamed th e ca te g o ry " M a te ria ls o f
Experience" (p. 1 0 9 ), in c o n t r a d is t in c t io n to " M a teria ls o f Developm ent"
( lo g o s) and " P erson al P roof" (e th o s ) .

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had l e t

410
Em otional a p p e a ls . As n o ted in th e p r e c e d in g c h a p te r , W illiam
Fagal has a d i s t i n c t d i s t a s t e f o r th e u se o f raw e m o tio n a l a p p ea ls
d esign ed fo r th e b la t a n t p u rp o se o f sw aying an a u d ien ce to a b d ic a te th e
e x e r c is e o f i t s r e a s o n in g p o w ers, even though, p r a g m a t ic a lly , such a
method in d ee d "w orks."

He d o e s , how ever, f e e l th a t th e r e i s a " l e g i t i

mate" employment o f em otion ; and he u se s su ch m a t e r ia ls j u d ic io u s ly and

s p a r in g ly , in t h is w r i t e r ' s o p in io n .
A t y p i c a l exam ple i s found in th e sermon
speaker u s e s a r e c e n t p e r so n a l e x p e r ie n c e , which

on Heaven, in which th e
has h ig h em otive v a lu e ,

to i l l u s t r a t e h i s p o in t th a t d ea th i s a g r e a t "sea" which s e p a r a te s th e
human fa m ily today ( in th e c o n te x t o f th e B i b l i c a l sta te m e n t th a t in thqf*.* '
a f t e r - l i f e th e r e s h a l l be "no more sea " [R e v e la tio n 2 1 : 1 ] ) :
Twenty y e a rs ago my f a t h e r p a sse d away. . . . Hard f o r
me to p ic t u r e a w orld w ith o u t my f a t h e r , w ith o u t h is f a i t h ,
and h i s s t r e n g t h .
I j u s t , week b e fo r e l a s t , was d r iv in g
along th e New York Throughway, h ea d in g fo r a camp m eetin g ;
and I p a sse d by S c h e n e c ta d y , New York, where I grew up.
And I p u lle d o f f th e Throughway, and went i n t o th e c i t y ,
and drove by th e p la c e where I [had] l i v e d .
But th en [I]
drove up, alm ost im m e d ia te ly , t o th e c e m e te r y --I th in k I go
th e r e about e v e r y tim e I go by t h a t c i t y - - j u s t a l i t t l e ,
t in y cem etery, "Zion C em etery." And th e r e i s a h ea d sto n e
th er e . . . [w ith ] th e name "Fagal" on i t . . . . 1 j u s t
kind o f w alked around th e r e among th o se s to n e s o f lo v e d ones
o f m in e --th e most im p ortan t one to me, th e s to n e o f my
fa th e r. . . .
And I th o u g h t, "What a g r e a t s e a th e r e i s in d e a th .
What a g r e a t s e p a r a tio n th e r e i s from lo v e d on es in d e a th ."
[And] what a g lo r io u s t h in g i t w i l l be when th e r e s h a l l be
"no more s e a ," no more s e p a r a t io n . . . .1

M otive a p p e a ls . Thonssen and B aird have d e fin e d m o tiv a tio n

appeals as in c lu d in g a l l m a t e r ia ls and d e v ic e s c a lc u la t e d to p u t th e
hearer in a frame o f mind to " r e a c t fa v o r a b ly and conform ably to th e

^Sermon on H eaven, 5 .

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411
sp e a k e r 's p u r p o s e ." 1

And M cBumey-0 ' N e i l l - M i l l s have fu r t h e r tou ch ed

upon th e p s y c h o lo g ic a l s i g n i f i c a t i o n by d e f in in g " m o tiv a tio n " as "the

p ro cess o f s t im u la t in g in n e r u rg es o r d e s ir e s w hich prompt p e r so n s to
a c tio n . . .

a g e n e r a l term w hich c o v er s th e d i r e c t i o n , c o n t r o l, or

in f lu e n c in g o f b e h a v io r ."

Among contem porary p u b lic sp e a k in g t h e o r i s t s ,

th e name o f Alan

H. Monroe i s q u ic k ly a s s o c ia t e d w ith m o tiv a tio n th e o r y b e c a u se o f h is

3

famous " m o tiv a ted -seq u en ce" approach to th e canon o f arran gem en t.
Monroe s u g g e s ts 18 b a s ic areas to w hich a sp ea k er may a p p ea l i n m o tiv a t
in g h is au d ien ce toward th e p red eterm in ed g o a l.

A lth ou gh th e l i s t i s

in c o m p le te, and e x h i b i t s some o v e r la p p in g , i t n e v e r t h e le s s does p ro v id e

a u s e fu l sp rin g b o a rd f o r th e a n a ly z in g o f W illiam A. F a g a lf s m o tiv e
a p p ea ls.

Monroe s u g g e s ts th e f o llo w in g m o tiv e a p p e a ls:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

13.
14.
15.

A c q u is it io n and S a v in g .
A dventu re.
C om panionship.
C r ea tin g : o r g a n iz in g , b u ild i n g .
C u r io s it y .
D e s tr u c tio n .
Fear.
F ig h tin g :
a n g e r , c o m p e titio n .
I m it a t io n .
In d ep en d en ce.
L o y a lty ( t o f r ie n d s , f a m ily , s o c i a l g r o u p s, n a t i o n ) .
P e r so n a l Enjoyment ( o f c o m fo r t/lu x u r y , b e a u t y /
o r d e r , p le a s a n t s e n s a t i o n s , r e c r e a t i o n , r e l i e f
from r e s t r a i n t ) .
Power and A u th o r ity .
P r id e :
r e p u t a t io n , s e l f - r e s p e c t .
R everence or Worship ( o f le a d e r s , i n s t i t u t i o n s /
t r a d i t i o n s , D e it y ) .

1Speech C r it ic is m , 359.
^James H. McBumey, James M. O 'N e il l, and Glen E. M i l l s , Argu
m entation and D ebate (New York: The M acm illan Company, 1 9 5 1 ), 143.
^ P r in c ip le s and Types o f S p ee c h , 4 th e d .
Foresman and Company, 1 9 5 5 ), C hapters 1 6 -1 7 .

(C h icago:

S c o tt,

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412
16.
17.
18.

R e v u lsio n .
Sex A t t r a c t io n .
Sym pathy.1

A g a in st M onroe's c o n s t r u c t , how does W illiam F agal measure up,

in th e te n s e l e c t e d sermons?

V ir t u a ll y a l l w i l l b e found em ployed, as

we examine them in d iv id u a lly :

1.

A c q u is itio n and S a v in g :

The TV sermon b a se d on our L ord 's

P arable o f th e T a le n ts i s d e v o te d a lm o st e x c l u s i v e l y t o a p p e a lin g to
a c q u is it io n and s a v in g , b u t--a n d t h i s i s im p o r t a n t- -in th e c o n te x t o f
expending what one p r e s e n t ly p o s s e s s e s in o rd er t o make g r e a t e r g a in fo r
th e fu tu r e .

Hoarding i s s e e n as a s t a t i c , s e l f - d e f e a t i n g p r i n c i p l e .

Two o f th e th r e e c h a r a c te r s in th e s t o r y d ou b led what th e y h a d , th us

p rovin g th em se lv e s "good and tr u s ty " s e r v a n t s .
2.

A d ven tu re:

f e s t e d in two w ays.

The F agal a p p ea l to lo v e f o r a d ven tu re i s m ani

I n d i r e c t l y , th e te n o r o f a l l h is sermons i s th e

id e a th a t C h r is tia n l i v i n g i s th e g r e a t e s t a d v en tu re in th e w o rld .

More

c o n c r e te ly , he u se s p e r so n a l e x p e r ie n c e s in t r a v e l s abroad t o w het th e
a p p e tite o f ad ven tu re in h i s h e a r e r s ("I was in A thens a few y e a rs
ago. . . ." 3 ) .
3.

Com panionship:

Through o v e ru se th e word " to g e th e r n e s s" has

f a ll e n upon hard tim e s , but W illia m F agal s t i l l b e l i e v e s in i t anyway.

His em phasis on a p p ea ls to com panionship i s s e e n on a human p la n e , and
on a d iv in e p la n e .

In h is TV sermon on th e home and d iv o r c e , a f t e r

g iv in g the i l l u s t r a t i o n from th e e x p e r ie n c e o f Mrs. Dwight Morrow and

Paderew ski, c i t e d ab ove, Fagal e x t o l s h i s brand o f "com panionate" mar
r ia g e w ith th e o b s e r v a tio n th a t "God's id e a l p la n was th a t th e m arriage

1I b i d . , 196.

2TV Sermon # 3 6 7 , 1.

7
JSermon on Paul a t C o r in th , 1.

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413
o f two p e o p le sh o u ld b e a l i f e - l o n g u n io n , broken u lt im a t e l y o n ly by
d ea th .

. . . I'm su r e th e r e are many c o u p le s who have had a jo y o u s l i f e

li k e that."'*'
On th e s p i r i t u a l p la n e , F agal s t r e s s e s th e v a lu e and im p ortance
o f th e in d iv id u a l C h r is t ia n s d a il y "walk" w ith C h r is t , th e s u s t a in in g
s p i r i t u a l f e llo w s h ip i t i s each C h r is t ia n 's p r i v i l e g e to e x p e r ie n c e .

He

s t r e s s e s th e f a c t th a t an o m n isc ie n t God i s con cern ed w ith th e i n d iv id u a l ("God knows a l l o f us by name" ) and th e d iv in e p ro m ise to overcom ers
"I w i l l be h i s God and he s h a l l be My son" (R e v e la tio n 2 1 :7 ) :
J u s t l ik e a [human] f a t h e r ' s con cern ed about h is s o n , lo v e s
h is so n , w ants to know how th in g s are g o in g w ith him , wants
t o h e lp him a l l he c a n , j u s t so God w i l l be w ith u s . God
w ants to h e a r from u s - - H e 's our F a th er; w e 'r e H is s o n s . 3
This com panionship o f th e human and th e d iv i n e , begun on e a r th in t h i s
l i f e and c o n tin u e d th rou gh ou t e t e r n i t y in th e l i f e

to come, i s th a t

alone which makes Heaven m ea n in g fu l f o r F a g a l.

4.

C r e a tin g :

For Monroe, th e m o tiv e ap p eal o f " c r e a tin g "

in v o lv e s o r g a n iz a tio n and b u ild i n g .

focu s upon th r e e g e n e r a l a r e a s :

The F agal a p p ea ls t o c r e a t i v i t y

th e b u ild in g o f human c h a r a c te r (" B u ild

your l i f e around J e su s C h r is t" ^ ), th e b u ild in g o f a s t a b l e C h r is tia n

home ("A broken home u p r o o ts th e s o l i d fo u n d a tio n s w hich e v er y c h ild
C
n e e d s, and which sh o u ld b e h is u n q u e stio n e d h e r ita g e " ) , and th e up
b u ild in g o f s o c i e t y by h e lp in g i t s in d iv id u a l members (" L iv e and l e t
l i v e , g iv in g to mean man th e b e n e f i t ' o f th e d o u b t. . . . Your l i f e w i l l
[then] be a p o s i t i v e in f lu e n c e f o r g o o d " ^ ).
5.

C u r io s it y :

F a g a l's a p p ea l to c u r i o s i t y i s , as in th e ap p eal

to a d v en tu re, g e n e r a lly couched in th e n a tu r e and c h o ic e o f h i s p e r s o n a l

*TV Sermon # 3 4 9 , 1.

^I b i d . , # 3 7 1 , 1.

^Sermon on Heaven, 10.

4TV Sermon # 3 4 9 , 2 .

5 I b id .

6 I b id . , #351, 2.

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i l l u s t r a t i o n s , in which s u sp e n se i s u t i l i z e d in th e d e v e lo p in g o f th e
d e ta ils .

As an exam ple:

I have a c o u s in who i s a Roman C a th o lic . I h a d n 't see n

him in 25 y e a r s . I d is c o v e r e d he was l i v i n g n e a r New York
C ity , where I l i v e .
My w if e and I phoned him th e o th e r day
[to i n v i t e him to d in n e r ] . . . "Come t o our h ou se . . .
and l e t us h ave a chance t o g e t a c q u a in te d ." I n t e r e s t in g
to g e t a c q u a in te d w ith your own r e l a t i v e s , you know!"l
The a t t e n t io n and c u r i o s i t y o f th e B a t t le Creek a u d ien ce w ere im m ed iately
aroused by th e p r o s p e c t o f a c o n f r o n t a t io n , s o c i a l l y , betw een aS e v e n th day A d v e n tist m in is t e r and th e Roman C a th o lic ; and F agal su s ta in e d th e
c u r io s it y v a lu e th rou gh ou t through h i s manner o f d e v e lo p in g th e d e t a i l s .
6.

D e s t r u c t io n :

F a g a l's ap p eal to d e s t r u c t io n i s la r g e ly in

terms o f en co u ra g in g h is h e a r e r s t o e r a d ic a t e s o c i a l q u a l i t i e s in t h e i r
p e r s o n a lit ie s g e n e r a lly view ed by s o c i e t y as u n d e s ir a b le , such as th e
p r a c tic e o f nam e-dropping (a lr e a d y m entioned ab ove, in th e in c id e n t o f
Crispus and th e C orin th c i t y t r e a s u r e r ) , and th e p r a c t ic e o f g o s s ip .
Concerning th e p u rveyors o f th e l a t t e r , he o b se r v e s th a t
th e v u ltu r e s who are alw ays th e f i r s t to s m e ll th e d eca y in g
c a r c a s s , th e s e lf - a p p o in t e d d e t e c t i v e s among u s , are
u s u a lly th e in d iv id u a ls who have th e most f a u l t s th em se lv e s!
7.

F ear:

W illia m F agal i s most e m p h a tic a lly n o t a " h e l l - f i r e

and damnation" p r e a ch er ; and h i s r e f e r e n c e s t o th e u lt im a te d e s tr u c tio n

o f th e f i n a l l y im p e n ite n t w ick ed a r e few and f a r b etw een .

When u sed ,

such r e fe r e n c e s t o th e F in a l Judgment are m ild , m erely fo r th e r h e t o r i

c a l purpose o f rem in d in g , r a th e r th an fo r th e in c u l c a t io n o f fea r:
What are you d o in g w ith y o u r o p p o r t u n it ie s and resp o n
s ib ilitie s ?
Are y o u , l i k e som e, w ish in g f o r a p la c e o f
g r e a te r s e r v i c e , w h ile doin g l i t t l e or n o th in g w ith th e
o p p o r tu n itie s which you a lr e a d y have? In th e g r e a t , f i n a l
day o f judgm ent, th o s e who h ave d r i f t e d a lo n g , dodging

^Sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , 15.

^TV Sermon # 351, 1.

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o p p o r t u n it ie s and s h ir k in g r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , w i l l be
c la s s e d by th e G reat Judge w ith th e e v i l - d o e r s . 1
8.

F ig h t in g :

Monroe d e a ls w ith anger and c o m p e titio n as

fa c to r s o f th e m o tiv e -a p p e a l o f f i g h t i n g .

F a g a l se e k s to arouse an ger,

as n oted a lr e a d y , tow ard p u rveyors o f g o s s ip and toward th e coward

("There are men and women, . . . young p e o p le to d a y who are cowards when
2
i t comes t o c o n f e s s in g t h e i r b e l i e f i n J e su s C h r is t as Lord" ) .

As

P au l, he s e e s th e C h r is tia n as engaged in m o r ta l combat w ith a su p e r

n a tu r a l fo e (S a ta n ); and he u rg es h is h e a r e r s t o w in th e b a t t l e w ith
C h r is t's s u p e r io r s t r e n g t h o f f e r e d to each one (" In C h r is t J e su s we can
conquer any and e v e r y d i s t r e s s i n g s i t u a t i o n o f l i f e .

. . . Then, be a

conqueror, n o t a f u g i t i v e " ^ ) .
9.

I m it a t io n :

With Thomas a Kempis, W illia m F agal s e e s

"The

I m ita tio n o f C h r ist" as th e v e r y e s s e n c e and b a s i c g o a l o f C h r is t ia n it y .

And he u r g e s t h i s upon h i s h e a r e r s a t e v e r y o p p o r tu n ity , b o th i n d i r e c t l y ,
in h o ld in g up exam ples from S c r ip tu r e ("To m eet P aul was to meet J e su s
C h r ist" ^ ), and d i r e c t l y ("We b e lie v e th a t J e su s C h r is t i s
example in a l l t h in g s ;

. . . our

. . . [and] we b e l i e v e t h a t our l i v e s ought to be

c o p ie s a f t e r H is l i f e , t o th e b e s t o f our a b i l i t y " ^ ) .
10.

In d ep en d en ce:

A concom itan t o f s p i r i t u a l w a rfa re i s

th e

g oal o f u lt im a t e e s c a p e from th e bon dage, s l a v e r y o f s i n and S atan th e

kind o f freedom J e su s spoke about when He s a i d , "And y e s h a l l know th e
tr u th , and th e tr u th s h a l l make you f r e e .

. . .

I f th e Son th e r e fo r e

s h a l l make you f r e e , y e s h a l l be fr e e indeed" (John 8 : 3 2 ,3 6 ) .

Fagal s e e s i t ,

*I b i d . ,

" C h r is t ia n it y . . .

#367, 2 .

Thus, as

i s ou t to e n a b le a man to fa c e h is

^Sermon on H eaven, 10.

^Sermon on P a u l a t C o rin th , 8.

^TV Sermon # 3 5 8 , 1 -2 .
^ I b id . ,

17.

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416
p a s t and r i s e above i t .

. .

[T h e r e fo r e ,] p la c e y o u r a l l in H is h a n d s,

and l i v e f o r Him day by day."'*'

11.

L o y a lty :

For M onroe, a p p e a ls t o l o y a l t y l i e g e n e r a ll y in

the p r o v in c e o f f r i e n d s , f a m ily , s p e c i a l g ro u p s, and th e n a t io n .

For

F agal, l o y a l t y and r e s p e c t - - s h o u ld be shown to our f e llo w men, e s p e

c i a l l y th o se l e s s fo r tu n a te than o u r s e lv e s ("We look down, so m etim es, on
some . . . [who a r e] down a l i t t l e

low er in th e norm o f t h in g s , as i f
2

th e y 'r e not worth much. . . . W ell, t h a t ' s a wrong a t t i t u d e ! " ) ;

lo y a lty

should be shown to God's p e o p le c o l l e c t i v e l y ("N icodem us, . . . a f t e r

the Lord's a s c e n s io n ,

. . . came b o ld ly to th e f r o n t ,

h is w ealth in s u s t a in in g th e in f a n t ch u rch .

. . .

. . . [em p loyin g]

In tim e o f p e r i l he

. . . was firm as a r o ck , e n c o u r a g in g th e f a i t h o f th e d i s c i p l e s " ^ ) ;

and, most im p o r ta n t, l o y a l t y s h o u ld be shown t o God, H im se lf ("You have
been on God's s i d e , you have s to o d f a i t h f u l l y fo r Him; H e ' l l sta n d
f a i t h f u l l y f o r y o u " ^ ).
12.

P e r so n a l E njoym en t:

C h ristian " i s

F agal b e l i e v e s th a t an "unhappy

a c o n t r a d ic t io n in term s; and he c o n t in u a lly h o ld s b e fo r e

h is h ea rers th e l e g i t i m a t e , tr u e jo y s each may fin d in C h r is t ("0 God,

. . . b le s s each o f u s , t h a t we m ight be a b le to d is c o v e r th e h a p p in ess
th at Thou d o s t have f o r each o f u s " ^ ).

In d eed , fo r F a g a l, th e r e can be

no r e a l h a p p in ess a p a rt from C h r is t ( " I f your g o a l in l i f e

. . .

is a

p la c e in th e e t e r n a l kingdom o f God, th e n , b r e th r e n , you have b e fo r e you

a tw ofold jo y :

jo y h e r e i n t h i s l i f e , and jo y in th e h e r e a f t e r , f o r e v e r .

That i s th e r e a l g o a l fo r a l l o f u s " 6 ) .

*-TV Sermon #358, 1 - 2 .

^Sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , 1 3 -1 4 .

3"What's L e ft or W hat's R ig h t? ," 12.

^Sermon on H eaven, 7.

^TV Sermon #349, 2 .

^Sermon on Andrew, 3.

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13.

Power and A u th o r ity :

F a g a l's a p p ea ls t o th e m o tiv e o f

power and a u th o r ity are l im it e d in number, and l i e c h i e f l y in th e a r ea

o f the d e s i r a b i l i t y o f o b t a in in g power and a u t h o r ity s o t h a t th e s e may
be u sed f o r the advancement o f G od's i n t e r e s t s on e a r t h , r a th e r th an in
th e s e l f i s h a p p r o p r ia tio n o f them t o o n e 's s e l f ("But th o s e who s h o u ld e r
the r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s p la c e d on them w i l l one day h e a r [from God] . . .
'W ell done; . . . you have p ro v ed tr u s tw o r th y in a s m a ll way; I w i l l now
put you in charge o f som eth in g b ig '" '* ').
14.

P r id e :

Monroe subsum es r e p u ta tio n (what o th e r s th in k o f

us) and s e l f - r e s p e c t (what we th in k o f o u r s e lv e s ) under th e h e a d in g o f

p r id e .

Fagal r e c o g n iz e s b o th th e d i s t i n c t i o n , and th e im p ortance o f

both ("Nicodemus . . . now r e a l i z e d th a t in tr y in g to h o ld on t o two

w o rld s, h e 'd l o s t b o th o f them:

he d id n ' t have th e r e s p e c t o f h i s

fe llo w s ; he d id n 't have th e r e s p e c t o f J e s u s C h rist" ) .

For h im , th e

human b e in g i s th e most im p o rta n t and v a lu a b le o b je c t on e a r th ("How

wrong we are in lo o k in g a t each o th e r [ l i k e t h i s ] !

But th e Lord J e su s

looks a t you, and He s e e s v a lu e th e r e t h a t th e w orld d o e s n 't s e e ; He

s e e s what you can be" ) ; and h i s e v e r y p u l p i t e f f o r t i s b e n t tow ard
encouraging humans to m axim ize t h e i r p o t e n t i a l i t i e s

("I hope w e ' l l ca rry

w ith us a c e r t a in t y th a t J e s u s C h r is t lo v e s us and b e l i e v e s in u s .
s e e s th e b e s t in u s , and He w ants t o h e lp us a c h ie v e t h a t .

He

And I hope

w e ' l l respond t o th a t c o n fid e n c e , and b e th e kin d o f men and women th a t

we want to be and ought to be and m ust b e , t o have a p la c e in H is k in g
dom"4) .

The sermon on Mary M agdalene, as n o te d above, i s d e v o te d

e n t ir e ly to i s s u e s o f r e p u ta t io n and s e l f - r e s p e c t , ad van cin g th e Fagal

*TV Sermon #367, 2 .

^Sermon on Andrew, 11.

^"What's L e ft or What's R ig h t? ," 10.

4 I b id .

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418
t h e s is th a t th e p o s s e s s i o n o f th e l a t t e r

( s e l f - r e s p e c t ) w i l l u lt im a t e ly

be rewarded p u b lic ly i n th e form er ( r e p u t a t io n ) .

15.

R everence and W orship:

For Monroe, th e m o tiv e -a p p e a l o f

rev e r en ce and w orsh ip r e l a t e e s p e c i a l l y to r e s p e c t f o r le a d e r s h ip , i n s t i

t u t i o n s , and th e D e it y .

F a gal u n d o u b ted ly a p p e a ls to t h i s m otive f a c t o r

more than to any o t h e r , as n o te d in th e abundant exam ples and i l l u s t r a

tio n s c i t e d above.

T h is , o f c o u r s e , w ould be e x p e c te d as n a t u r a lly

in h er e n t in sermons b y a C h r is tia n clergym an .

F a g a l s f a v o r i t e method o f a p p e a lin g t o r e v e r e n c e and w o r sh ip ,
to r e d e d ic a t io n and r e c o n s e c r a t io n , i s t o p e r s o n if y and e x e m p lify t h i s
q u a lit y he s e e k s to in c u l c a t e in o t h e r s , as in t h i s in s t a n c e :
The A p o s tle P au l som etim es g o t in a l i t t l e jam. . . .
When th e y g o t him in a c o m e r , and h e d id n 't q u ite know how
to answ er them , he alw ays went back and t o l d th e same s t o r y ,
over and over a g a in . He must have t o l d i t a th ousand
t i m e s - - i t ' s lo c a t e d s e v e r a l tim es in our New T estam en t. I t
was a s t o r y th a t w ent som eth in g l i k e t h i s :
"Years ago, I h a te d th e C h r is tia n p e o p le .
I b r e a th e d
th r e a te n in g s and s la u g h t e r s a g a in s t them . I was on th e
road to Damascus, th in k in g I was d o in g th e r ig h t t h in g .
When j u s t o u t s id e Damascus, th e h ea v en s opened, and I had a
c o n fr o n ta tio n w ith J e su s C h r is t.
"I ta lk e d w ith Him, and He t a lk e d w ith me. And a
m ir a c le took p la c e in my l i f e as th e r e s u l t o f m eetin g
J esu s.
I 'v e n e v e r been th e same s i n c e .
He c o n v e r te d me.
The th in g s I once h a t e d , I now lo v e ; th e th in g s I once
lo v e d , I now h a t e .
I'm a d i f f e r e n t man, I d o n 't know what
happened to me, b u t i t was a l l done b e c a u se o f m eetin g
J e su s C h r is t."
And a l l I can ask you to d a y i s , Have you had an e x p e r i
ence w ith J e su s C h r is t w hich has changed your l i f e ? . . .
Have you met Him? Has He to u ch ed you? Has He changed you?
I f s o , y o u 'v e g o t an anchor j u s t l i k e Paul h a d .1
F a g a l's a p p ea ls t o r e v e r e n c e and w orsh ip are in v a r ia b ly d ir e c t e d a t
the D e ity ; in th e serm ons under r e v ie w th e r e were none t o le a d e r s h ip

^Sermon on Paul at Corinth, 18.

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and i n s t i t u t i o n s

(o th e r than to th e C h r is tia n Church, as already-

noted ) .
16.

R e v u ls io n :

F agal seld om engenders f e e l i n g s o f r e v u ls io n .

Where he d o e s , how ever, i t i s in v a r ia b ly w ith th e pu rp ose o f moving h i s

h ea rers to do som eth in g about d e p lo r a b le c o n d it io n s (a s in th e c a se o f
th e fo u n d lin g home, w ith i t s h ig h in f a n t m o r t a lit y r a t e s w hich were th e
r e s u lt o f a la c k o f lo v in g care f o r th e c h ild r e n on th e p a r t o f th e
n u rsin g s t a f f , as n o te d a b o v e ).
17.

Sex A t t r a c t io n :

F a g a l i s k e e n ly aware o f th e " p u llin g -

power" o f s e x ; b u t he does n o t go ou t o f h i s way t o employ i t as a

m o tiv e-a p p ea l (n o r, on th e o th e r hand, does he dodge th e u s in g o f i t
where f i t t i n g and a p p r o p r ia te ).

In th e sermon on Paul a t C orin th th e

s e x - f a c t o r i s em ployed in d e s c r ib in g th e Temple o f A p h rod ite w ith i t s

1000 p r i e s t e s s - p r o s t i t u t e s , from whose income th e c i t y government was
fin a n c e d , c i t e d ab ove.

In h i s sermon on Mary M agdalene, how ever, we

fin d i t , q u ite u n d e rsta n d a b ly , m ost f u l l y d e v e lo p e d .

F i r s t , Fagal tr a c e s th e s t e p s in th e developm ent o f l u s t in th e
h ea rt o f Simon th e P h a r ise e :
He was adm ired and r e s p e c te d by e v e r y o n e . However, he
cou ld n t h e lp b u t n o t i c e t h i s p r e t t y g i r l ; and in h i s
h e a r t, a s i n was b o m . Now, l e t ' s g iv e him th e b e n e f i t o f
th e doubt, and d e c id e t h a t he n e v e r r e a l l y in te n d e d to e v e r
carry out th a t s i n .
But i t was n ic e to th in k a b o u t, and he
nurtured i t a lo n g , and th o u g h t about i t a g r e a t d e a l. And,
f i n a l l y , one day th e o p p o r tu n ity p r e s e n te d i t s e l f fo r him
to make a r e a l i t y out o f what had b een g o in g on in h is mind
fo r so lo n g . And even though he had n e v e r in te n d e d t o do
s o , Simon s in n e d , and le d Mary in t o s i n .^
The s u c c e s s iv e d e s c r ip t io n s w hich th en f o ll o w , o f M ary's f a l l ,
her f l i g h t from Bethany t o M agdala, h e r r e p e a te d la p s e s from v i r t u e , and

1"God's B lin d S p o t," 2 - 3 .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

her su b seq u en t r e s c u e from s i n by th e S a v io u r , are a l l in h e r e n t ly p a r t

o f th e v e ry warp and w oof o f th e Sex A t t r a c t io n m o tiv e -a p p e a l.

And th e

i l l u s t r a t i o n , from th e e x p e r ie n c e o f Dr. Norman V in cen t P e a le ( in v i s i t

in g th e b e d s id e o f a d yin g p r o s t i t u t e in a b r o t h e l , as a la d in company
w ith h is m i n i s t e r - f a t h e r , a lr e a d y m entioned a b o v e ), a l s o comes w ith in
t h is c l a s s i f i c a t i o n .
R e fe r e n c e s t o s e x by W illia m F agal are alw ays in e x c e l l e n t
t a s t e , w ith no l e e r i n g , s n ig g e r in g o v e r to n e s w hich so o f t e n are a s s o
c ia te d w ith th e s u b j e c t , to i t s d e g r e d a tio n .
18.
Sympathy.

Sym pathy:

M onroe's l a s t c a te g o r y o f m o tiv e -a p p e a l i s

F agal m ost o ft e n evok es such f e e l i n g s in c o n n e c tio n w ith h i s

variou s s t o r y i l l u s t r a t i o n s - - t h e c o n d itio n o f th e p e r s e c u te d C h r is tia n s

in th e F i r s t C entury Roman W orld, P a u l's despondency a t h i s apparent
f a ilu r e in A thens to c o n v e r t th e p h ilo s o p h e r s t o C h r is t ia n it y , Nicodemus
tr y in g to h o ld on to b oth w o r ld s and lo s in g them b o th , G regario DeNoy's
25 y ea rs in p r is o n w ith o u t r e c e iv in g a l e t t e r or v i s i t from a f r ie n d
in s ta n c e s a l l p r e v io u s ly d e s c r ib e d in d e t a i l above.
In one f i n a l exam p le, F a g a l's d e s c r ip t io n o f th e circu m sta n ces
under which young W illiam C u llen Bryant w r o te "To a Water Fowl" i s t y p i
c a l o f th e e m o tio n -la d e n , em o tio n -ch a rg ed v o ca b u la ry w ith which he
sp e a k s:
One b le a k autumn d ay, a New England boy l e f t home,
s t a r t i n g o u t f o r th e f i r s t tim e to fa c e th e w o rld .
N a tu r a lly , h e f e l t lo n e ly and h om esick . B u t, above a l l , he
was tr o u b le d and con cern ed about h i s f u t u r e . J u s t th e n , he
happened to s e e a w a ter fo w l, w in g in g i t s way south w ard,
guided by i t s w on d erfu l i n s t i n c t . Young W illiam . . . was
i n s t a n t l y rem inded o f h i s f a i t h and b a s i c c o n fid e n c e in
God's care f o r h is own l i f e .
With renewed a s su r a n c e , he
w rote [h is po e m] . . . . 1

Sermon #371, 1.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Sense o f humor. F i n a l l y , we come to n o te som eth in g o f W illia m

F a g a l's g i f t f o r warm, v ib r a n t , d e l i g h t f u l l y w holesom e, d o w n -to -e a r th
humor, which appears t o s p r in g f o r th from th e v e r y f ib r e o f h i s p e r s o n
a l i t y in a p p a re n tly i r r e p r e s s i b l e w aves.

I n t e r e s t i n g l y , th e t e l e v i s i o n

sermons are d ev o id o f humorperhaps b e c a u se th e tim e p r e s s u r e s in h e r e n t

in the f i v e - to s ix -m in u te li m i t a t i o n o f th e s e m essages r e q u ir e s th a t
every word must cou n t toward th e in d iv id u a l serm o n ic g o a l a t hand, th e r e
b ein g no tim e f o r th e l i g h t e r a s id e s w hich go f a r toward e n liv e n in g th e
p u lp it p r e s e n t a t io n s .
A cu r so r y ex a m in a tio n o f th e f i v e p u l p i t sermons under r e v ie w
r e v e a ls th a t in s t a n c e s o f humor w hich produced an a u d ib le r e sp o n se o f
la u g h ter from th e c o n g r e g a tio n on th e ta p e -r e c o r d in g o f th e m essage are
found in each sermon o f th e f i v e , w ith freq u en cy r a n g in g from one t o
f iv e in s ta n c e s p e r serm on, w ith an a v erage (mean) o f th r e e i n s t a n c e s .
The F agal humor ta k e s two g e n e r a l fo r m s --im p u ls iv e a s i d e s , th e
off-h a n d remark, and th e e x te n d e d , more d e l i b e r a t e l y p la n n ed remarks
c a lc u la te d to b r in g s m ile s and la u g h te r .
C oncerning th e fo rm er--a n d th e v a lu e o f t h i s s o r t o f t h in g ,
Laurence S t e r n e 's r e fe r e n c e to th e w r itte n word appears e q u a lly a p p l i
cable to th e sp ok en , in t h i s w r i t e r ' s e s t im a tio n :
D ig r e s s io n s , in c o n t e s t a b ly , are th e s u n s h in e ; - - t h e y are th e
l i f e , th e s o u l o f r e a d in g ! - - t a k e them out o f t h i s b o o k , fo r
in s ta n c e -- y o u m ight as w e l l ta k e th e book a lo n g w ith them ;
one c o ld e t e r n a l w in te r would r e ig n in e v er y page o f i t ;
r e s to r e them to th e w r i t e r ; - - h e s t e p s fo r th l i k e a b r id e
groom, - - b id s A l l - h a i l ; b r in g s in v a r i e t y , and fo r b id s th e
a p p e tite to f a i l . *
As an exam ple o f th e " a sid e " ty p e o f F a g a l humor, we m ight n o te
in the s to r y o f th e f e a s t o f Simon th e P h a r ise e f o r C h r is t , in

^Cited in F le s c h , 82.

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422
c o n n e c tio n w ith th e th r e e c o u r t e s ie s u s u a ll y fo llo w e d by th e h o s t b u t
om itted h e r e , F a g a l's p e r s o n a liz e d comments:
p e a c e ," he o b se rv e d :
g la d .

C oncerning th e " k is s o f

"Now, we d o n 't do t h a t any more; and I'm j u s t as

I th in k we can g e t a lo n g w ith o u t t h a t I can , a t l e a s t - - v e r y ,

very n i c e l y . A n d

in commenting on th e custom o f p la c in g on th e head

o f th e v i s i t o r a few drops o f a t t a r o f r o s e s , or a p in c h o f in c e n s e , he
remarks, w ith a broad f a c i a l g r in :
And I g u e ss you can u n d ersta n d th a t in th e day b e fo r e d eo d era n t s , th a t was perhaps a v e r y n ic e th in g to do, t o make th e
o c c a s io n a l i t t l e more e n jo y a b le !^
As exam ples o f th e more ex te n d e d ty p e o f humorous a n e c d o te , we
might o f f e r th e in tr o d u c to r y remarks a t a sermon a t th e Grand Ledge Camp
M eeting, w hich F agal used t o b r id g e th e t r a n s i t i o n b etw een th e m u sic a l
p o r tio n o f th e program s u p p lie d by h is m ale q u a r t e t and th e m essage o f
the hour:
I alw ays lo v e to
h ear them so much, I
on me, though: when
out o f b r e a th a t th e
[L aughter]

h e a r th e q u a r t e t s i n g . Even though I
never t ir e o f i t .
T h ey 're r a th e r hard
th e y s in g some o f t h e s e s o n g s , I'm a l l
end b eca u se I f o r g e t t o b r e a th e .

I was in O akland, C a lif o r n ia , w ith th e q u a r te t a few

weeks ago, and we f in is h e d t h i s p o r tio n o f th e program , and
I g o t up and made th e comment t h a t I alw ays h a te t o s e e th e
m u sica l p a r t o f our program come to an en d . And th e r e was
one o ld gen tlem an s i t t i n g down toward th e f r o n t , who s a id
in a v o ic e t h a t I th o u g h t was f a r t o o lo u d , "Amen!" [Laugh
t e r ] I d o n 't q u it e know what he meant; b u t I'm a f r a id I do!
[L aughter] S o , I 'v e b een a l i t t l e more c a r e f u l how I ve
s a id t h a t , e v e r s in c e !
[L a u g h te r]3
The i l l u s t r a t i o n which produced th e m ost c o n tin u in g au d ien ce
resp on ses by way

o f la u g h te r (n in e tim es in l e s s than th r e e m in u tes) was

in h is r e f e r e n c e

to b r id e s and w ed d in g s, in th e sermon on Heaven to th e

high s c h o o l and c o l l e g e young p e o p le a t th e camp m eetin g :

'"God's Blind Spot," 7.

^Ibid.

^Sermon on Andrew, 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Fagal b u i l t up t o h i s c lim a x b y s e v e r a l r e f e r e n c e s t o h is own

e x p e rie n c e in p erfo rm in g th e m arriage ceremony:
Then th e tim e comes when we ask th e b r id e and groom to
c la sp h a n d s. And th en I have t o p u t my hand o v er t h e i r
c la sp e d h an d s, to d e c la r e them husband and w i f e .
T h a t's
th e way we do i t !
And as I do t h a t , th e b r i d e ' s hands
fr e q u e n tly tr e m b le .
(You n e v e r knew t h a t b e f o r e , d id y o u !)
. . . .
[L aughter] V ery, v e r y few b r id e s a r e n 't tr e m b lin g
a t th a t moment. I j u s t f e e l i t .
I t r y n o t to trem b le
m y s e lf.
[L augh ter]
Then, e la b o r a t in g on h is t h e s i s th a t " a l l b r id e s are b e a u t i f u l , "
Fagal a s s e r t s :
Now, I 'v e se e n some b r id e s I d id n 't th in k w ere g o in g to be
b e a u t if u l.
But th e y f o o le d me; th e y w ere b e a u t i f u l , s u r e
enough. Now, some o f them d i d n ' t s t a y b e a u t i f u l f o r v e r y
long; b u t t h a t ' s a n o th e r q u e s t io n , a n o th e r s t o r y !
[Laugh
te r ]
I ' l l d is c u s s t h a t some o t h e r day.
[L aughter]
Then, in t r y in g t o d eterm in e j u s t what i t i s th a t makes a b r id e
b e a u t if u l, he e x c lu d e s th e v e i l and th e w h ite d r e ss from c o n s id e r a t io n :
I f t h a t were th e c a s e , any woman c o u ld w ear a w h ite d r e ss
and a v e i l and be b e a u t i f u l a l l th e w h ile .
(A v e i l m ight
h elp some, I g u e s s; b u t . . . [L augh ter] I m u stn 't g e t s i d e
tra ck ed on t h a t . . . . [L au gh ter]
Then, he p o in t s o u t t h a t i t i s th e in n e r jo y r a d ia t e d on th e
b r id e 's fa c e t h a t i s what r e a l l y makes h e r t r u l y b e a u t if u l:
There i s an in n e r r a d ia n c e , an in n e r j o y , a f e e l i n g o f h a v in g
been a c c e p te d and lo v e d by a t l e a s t one man in th e w orld
(and th a t had b e t t e r be e n o u g h ), [L augh ter] t h a t b r in g s a
g r e a t d e a l o f jo y r ig h t ou t on h e r f a c e . . . . As I s e e i t ,
s h e 's look ed forw ard to t h i s day f o r y e a r s ; s h e 's p la n n ed on
t h is day perhaps fo r m on th s. (One c y n ic came t o me a f t e r
I 'd s a id th a t in a m e e tin g , and s a i d , " S h e 's p l o t t e d f o r i t
lo n g er than you know!")
[L au gh ter] And t h a t may b e , t o o - - I
d o n 't know!
[L augh ter]^
F a g a l's humor i s

l i k e th e g a r n is h on th e d in n e r t a b l e , t h a t s e t s

o f f e v e r y th in g e l s e to p e r f e c t i o n w ith o u t draw ing undue a t t e n t i o n t o

'Sermon on H eaven, 6 - 7 .

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424

i t s e l f ; and, as w i l l b e n o te d in a su b se q u e n t ch a p ter on a u d ien ce

r e sp o n se , th e v a s t m a jo r ity o f h i s c o n g r e g a tio n a p p r e c ia te i t im m ensely.

Arrangement

A fte r th e sp e a k e r has g a th e r e d h i s m a t e r ia ls , C icero s a i d , h i s

n e x t ta sk i s

" to arran ge what you have in v e n te d ," ^ hence th e sec o n d

canon, known as d i s p o s i t i o to th e a n c ie n t s , and as arrangem ent to modem

r h e to r ic ia n s to d a y .
Arrangement i s con cern ed w ith " th e s e l e c t i o n , o r d e r ly a r ra n g ement, and p r o p o r tio n o f th e p a r ts o f an a d d r e s s."

As s u c h , i t i s one

o f th e means through w hich a sp ea k er makes th e "potency" and "purposes"

o f h is s u b j e c t m a tter e v id e n t t o th e mind o f th e h e a r e r s .

Having g a th e r e d h i s m a t e r ia ls , th e sp ea k er must "make some s e n s e

o f them, . . . p u t them t o g e t h e r a c c o r d in g to a sp eech p la n ." ^

And "not

only in a c e r t a in order"; fo r th e sp e a k e r , C icero add s, must "arrange

h is m atter . . . w ith a s o r t o f power and judgm ent."^
Arrangem ent, th us em b od ies, e s s e n t i a l l y , two e le m e n ts:

th e

method o f o u t l i n i n g "the p la n o f th e sp eech in th e la r g e " and th e

s p e c i f i c c o n s t it u e n t p a r ts o f th e s p e e c h .

Method o f O u tlin in g

The L a tin r h e to r s borrow ed a g r e a t d e a l from th e G reeks, in c lu d

in g the con cep t o f th e "gold en mean."

S a id T a c itu s , a p p ly in g t h i s t o

the canon o f arrangem ent:

1
De O r a to r e , Bohn E d it io n , 2 4 2 .

^I b i d . , 404.

^ H an ce-R alp h -W ik sell, 2 3 .

Thonssen and B a ird , 39 2.

5Pe O r a to r e, Bohn E d it io n , 178.

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425

The b e a u ty o f an o r a t io n , l i k e th a t o f th e human bod y, i s

p e r f e c t when th e v e in s do n o t p r o j e c t and th e bon es can n ot
be cou n ted , b u t a wholesom e b lo o d f i l l s th e lim b s, r i s e s up
through th e f l e s h , and m a n tle s over th e thew s and sin e w s
w ith th e com ely hue o f h e a l t h . *
W illiam F a g a l's f i r s t e f f o r t s a t arrangem ent o f sp e e c h m a te r ia ls
were in c o n ju n c tio n w ith h i s freshm an c o lle g e p u b lic sp e a k in g c l a s s
where th e in s t r u c t o r h e ld up as th e id e a th e s i x - p a r t C iceron ean model
c o n s is t in g o f proem o r exord ium , n a r r a tio n , e x c u r s u s , c o n fir m a t io ,
r e f u t a t i o , and p e r o r a t io n .

W hile he c o n fe s s e d th a t i t d id g iv e him "a

sen se o f d i r e c t io n ," he "soon r e j e c t e d i t in fa v o r o f a more s i m p l i f i e d

2
app roach."

The "more s i m p l i f i e d approach" h is sermons were u lt i m a t e ly to

take we s h a l l now c o n s id e r in d e t a i l .

D ed u ctive ap p ro a ch . C e r ta in contem porary r h e t o r i c a l t h e o r e t i

cian s speak o f d e d u c tio n and in d u c tio n as p r o c e s s e s o f r e a s o n in g , or
typ es o f r e a s o n in g ; and, a c c o r d in g ly , c o n s id e r such m a tters under th e
lo g ic a l argument s u b d iv is io n o f th e canon o f in v e n t io n .

T h is w r it e r

p r e fe r s to c l a s s i f y them under s t r u c t u r e r a th e r than p r o c e s s , f o r , under

c e r ta in c ir c u m sta n c e s --d e p e n d in g upon how th e y are em ployed--som e o f th e
four ty p es o f r e a s o n in g a lr e a d y c o n s id e r e d in t h i s stu d y may be employed
both in d u c t iv e ly and d e d u c t iv e ly .
ta in brand o f c i g a r e t t s p u ts i t ,
how you make i t

As a c u r r e n t "com m ercial" f o r a c e r
" i t ' s n o t how lon g you make i t ;

it's

lo n g ."

^Cited in Lew S a r e t t and W illia m T. F o s te r , B a sic P r in c ip le s o f

Speech (B oston: Houghton M if f li n Company, 1 9 3 6 ), 392.
2

Fagal I n te r v ie w , May 2 4 , 1966, 4.

Crocker ( op c i t . ) l i s t s th r e e kin d s o f r e a s o n in g :
in d u c tio n ,
d ed u ctio n , and c a u s e .
R eeves Hudson ( op c i t .) subsume th e s y llo g is m
under d e d u c tiv e r e a s o n in g ; and l i s t g e n e r a l i z a t i o n , a n a lo g y , and cause
as th ree s u b c a te g o r ie s o f in d u c t iv e r e a s o n in g .
F o s te r (op c i t . ) s u g g e s ts

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

The p r o c e s s o f r e a s o n in g from d e d u c tio n in v o lv e s p r o c e e d in g from

a gen era l p r in c ip le t o th e s p e c i f i c in s t a n c e s w hich are s u b se q u e n tly
o ffe r e d t o "prove" th e v a l i d i t y o f th e o r i g i n a l p r o p o s it io n .

Looked a t

from an oth er p o in t o f v ie w , H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell d e fin e d e d u c tiv e r e a s o n

in g as "the p r o c e s s o f p r o c e e d in g from one p r o p o s it io n t o a seco n d
p r o p o s itio n , th en to a t h ir d p r o p o s it io n (th e c o n c lu s io n ) t h a t i s th e
n e c e ssa r y r e s u l t o f th e f i r s t p a ir ." *
T his i s th e method employed by many p r e a ch er s in d e v e lo p in g th e
t e x tu a l serm on --a method F agal sa y s he i s now t r y in g to g e t away from .
An exam ination o f h i s t e l e v i s i o n and p u l p i t sermons r e v e a ls th a t th r e e
o f the f i v e TV m essages are p r i n c i p a l l y d e d u c tiv e in approach, w hereas
only one o f th e f i v e p u lp it d is c o u r s e s i s o f th e d e d u c tiv e ty p e .
In a t y p i c a l l y d e d u c tiv e t e l e v i s i o n serm on, F agal b e g in s by
s t a t in g h is th e m a tic p r o p o s it io n a t th e o u t s e t :

"I'm c o m p le te ly con

v in ced th a t e v er y o n e , be he o ld or youn g, can have th e c e r t a in t y th a t

God w i l l guide h is l i f e . " 4
The sp ea k er th en p ro ceed s to o f f e r th r e e e x a m p le s--W illia m
C ullen B ryant, th e P e r sia n King C yrus, and Robert Louis S te v e n s o n -in d iv id u a ls who e x p e r ie n c e d d iv in e g u id a n ce in t h e i r r e s p e c t iv e l i v e s .

th ree kinds o f r e a s o n in g : in d u c t iv e - d e d u c t iv e , exam ple, and c a u se .

O 'N e ill and McBurney ( op. c i t .) c o n s id e r g e n e r a liz a t i o n and a n a lo g y as
forms o f in d u c tio n , and cause and s ig n as forms o f d e d u c tio n !
*H an ce-R alp h -W ik sell, 105.
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 6 .
3

Probably th e c o m p a r a tiv e ly s h o r t amount o f tim e a v a ila b le f o r

the p r e s e n ta tio n o f th e TV sermon i s th e p r e d is p o s in g ca u se o f F a g a l's
continuance o f th e d e d u c tiv e approach in t h e s e m essa g es; th e in d u c tiv e
route a d m itte d ly ta k e s a l i t t l e lo n g e r to d ev elo p e f f e c t i v e l y .
4TV Sermon #371, 1.

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427
And he th en c o n c lu d e s b r i e f l y w ith an a p p ea l to th e l i s t e n e r t o t r u s t in
D ivin e P r o v id en ce in h is own in d iv id u a l l i f e . ^
In th e s o l e exam ple o f a d e d u c tiv e p u l p i t serm on, F agal f i r s t
announces h is t i t l e

("W hat's L e ft o r W hat's R ig h t? " ), e x p la in in g in th e

in tr o d u c tio n t h a t "G iving God [ a l l o f o n e 's s e l f - - t a l e n t s , a b i l i t i e s ,

tim e, in f lu e n c e ]

. . .

i s g iv in g Him w h a t's ' r i g h t ' ; g iv in g Him a n y th in g

le s s i s g iv in g Him w h a t's ' l e f t . ' "

I n s te a d o f g iv in g e x p e r ie n c e s from th e l i v e s o f th r e e
as in

i n d iv id u a l s ,

th e TV sermon j u s t n o t e d , F a g a l h ere u s e s th r e e epochs o r p e r io d s

in th e l i f e o f one m an--N icodem us, a r u le r o f th e Jews in C h r is t 's tim e

to i l l u s t r a t e t h e s e two c o n t r a s t in g a t t i t u d e s th a t one may adopt in
o n e's r e la t io n s h ip t o God.
In "Scene One" we have Nicodemus m e e tin g C h r is t in th e c e l e
b rated n ig h ttim e in t e r v ie w on O l i v e t .

C h r is t q u ic k ly b ru sh es o f f a

f l a t t e r i n g approach by th e v i s i t o r , comes d i r e c t l y to th e p o i n t , and

te lls

th e proud P h a r is e e he must have a r e b ir t h o f s o u l i f he w ould

e n te r

God's kingdom --m eaning he w ould have

to God's d i r e c t i o n .

t o subm it h i s l i f e c o m p le te ly

Nicodemus g o e s away s o r r o w fu l.

H is p r id e keeps him

from g iv in g " w h a t's r ig h t" ; and th u s he g iv e s o n ly " w h a t's l e f t . "

In "Scene Two," th r e e y e a r s l a t e r , Nicodemus s i t s w ith th e Sanhedrin when t h i s J ew ish S e n a te d e c id e s to te r m in a te C h r is t 's p r e a ch in g
career b eca u se th e y p e r c e iv e , c o r r e c t l y , th a t C h r is t 's in f lu e n c e o v er
the p eo p le i s g a in in g to th e e x t e n t t h a t

t h e i r ' s i s w an in g.

As Nicodemus

s t i l l has n o t f u l l y "taken h is sta n d " (a f a v o r i t e F agal e x p r e s s io n ,

borrowed from th e v o ca b u la ry common to a l l e v a n g e l i s t s , w hich means

^For th e c h r o n o lo g ic a l s u b s ta n c e o u t l i n e , c f . p . 446.
^"What's L e f t or W hat's R ig h t? ," 1.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

428

p u b lic ly d e c la r in g o n e s s e l f f o r C h r is t ) , he a ttem p ts t o th w a rt th e
plans o f th e S ev en ty by i n d i r e c t i o n - - a co u r se o f a c t io n w hich b r in g s him
only r id i c u l e and contem pt.

In t r y in g t o hang on to b o th w o r ld s , N ic o

demus i s se e n as h a v in g l o s t b o t h .

As y e t he s t i l l i s o n ly w i l l i n g to

g iv e God 'w h at's l e f t , " n o t " w h at's r i g h t . "

In "Scene Three" Nicodemus and Jo sep h o f A rim athea meet a t th e
fo o t o f th e c r o s s a t C alvary a f t e r th e c r u c i f i x i o n , to remove C h r is t 's
body and to do what i s

l e f t to them to g iv e i t an h o n o ra b le b u r i a l .

By

now, Nicodemus has "taken h i s stan d " p u b l i c l y as a C h r is tia n ; and in so

doing fin d s p eace o f s o u l in f u l l y g iv in g God "w hat s r i g h t , " and n o t
merely "w hat's l e f t . "
The sermon co n c lu d e s q u ic k ly w ith an a p p ea l to th e a u d ien ce t o - in th e words o f J e su s on a n o th er o c c a s io n - -" g o and do th o u lik e w is e ." *

I n d u c tiv e app roach. I t i s in th e in d u c t iv e sermons th a t one

s e e s W illiam F agal a t h i s h o m i l e t i c a l l y p e r s u a s iv e b e s t .

In d is c u s s in g

t h is method, which he s t r o n g ly p r e f e r s , F agal has s a id :

I l ik e to have my id e a s dawn on th e p e o p le .
I l ik e to have
the sermon flow I I d o n 't l i k e any b r e a k s , and I have no
b rea k s. I'm a f r a id o f a n y th in g t h a t lo s e s an a u d ie n c e ,
even fo r an in s t a n t . Any tim e th e l i s t e n e r can ta k e even a
b rea th i s to o bad! I have t o work t o g e t h i s a t t e n t io n a l l
over again
In a t y p i c a l t e l e v i s i o n sermon em p loyin g th e in d u c t iv e m ethod,
Fagal b e g in s w ith an in t r o d u c tio n w hich s t a t e s th a t d iv o r c e i s a m ajor
problem in th e s o c i a l w orld tod ay and n o t p a r t o f th e o r i g i n a l in t e n t io n
fo r m atrim ony.^

*For th e l o g i c a l su b s ta n c e o u t l in e o f t h i s serm on, s e e p . 4 4 8 .

2 Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 6 .
^TV Sermon #349, 1.

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429

In a tw o -p o in t o u t l i n e , F agal th en speaks more d i r e c t l y o f God's

o r ig in a l p la n , e x e m p lify in g i t in th e e x p e r ie n c e o f Mrs. Dwight Morrow.
He then p o in ts o u t th e dangers to c h ild r e n w hich e s p e c i a l l y a r i s e in
cases o f d iv o r c e .
In th e c o n c lu s io n he f i n a l l y r e a c h e s h i s main purpose:

"W ell,

you can keep your home t o g e th e r b e s t when you have th e h e lp o f Heaven";

and in th e few moments rem ain in g he p r o c e e d s to show , b r i e f l y , how t h is
may be acco m p lish ed s p e c i f i c a l l y .
B efore exam ining i n d e t a i l an in d u c t iv e p u lp it d is c o u r s e , i t may
be o f i n t e r e s t to n o te in p a s s in g a rem arkable " c o in c id e n c e ."

W illiam

F a g a l's remark about h i s g o a l o f h a v in g a sermon "flow " was made in a

p erson al in te r v ie w on O ctober 2 0 , 1966.

A lm ost e x a c t ly 17 months

e a r li e r , how ever, (and many months b e fo r e th e f i r s t in te r v ie w on F a g a l's

r h e t o r ic a l th eory) t h i s w r it e r p rep a red an a n a ly s is o f F a g a l's sermon on
Paul a t C orinth in w hich he i n t u i t i v e l y gra sp ed th e Fagal m ethodology
and used even th e same f ig u r e o f sp e ec h t o d e s c r ib e i t :

" F a g a l's n a r r a

t iv e may be lik e n e d to a r i v e r , a lo n g w hich he b o a ts w ith h is h e a r e r s ."

Another o f F a g a l's p r i n c i p l e s o f h o m il e t ic a l m eth odology, a g a in
s ta te d months l a t e r in e x p l i c i t te r m s t h i s one on h i s approach to tr a n
s it io n s from one p o in t to th e n e x t--w a s d is c o v e r e d a t t h is e a r l i e r d a te;
and the a n a ly s is i s rep rod u ced in f u l l h ereu n d er f o r w hatever i n t e r e s t
i t may have fo r th e r e a d e r .

The f r e e - w h e e lin g , i f n o t unorthodox,

approach was a d e lib e r a t e attem p t to e sc a p e from th e more c o n v e n tio n a l

tr a d itio n -b o u n d modes o f d e s c r ip t io n i n t o w hich r h e t o r ic a l l to o o ft e n
has f a ll e n :

1T bid. , 2 .

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430
CRITICISM OF STRUCTURE
W illiam A. F agal d e liv e r e d t h i s sermon t o some 1,000
S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts a t th e B a t t le Creek T a b e rn a cle,
S atu rd ay, February 6 , 1965, a t 4 :3 0 p.m .
W isely he ch ose a n a r r a t iv e sp e ec h p la n , d e v e lo p in g i t
w ith an in d u c t iv e approachm andatory, in view o f what he
had t o s a y , and what h e hoped t o a c co m p lish . F or, had he
b o ld ly s t a t e d h is purpose a t th e b e g in n in g ( b a s i c a l l y , th a t
A d v e n tis ts are g o in g about t h e i r s o u l-w in n in g a c t i v i t i e s a l l
wrong, and sh o u ld change m e th o d s], he w ould im m ed ia tely have
tu rn ed an in h e r e n t ly f r ie n d ly a u d ien ce i n t o a h o s t i l e one.
The n a r r a t iv e p la n p r o v id e d a maximum o f a t t e n t i o n - and
i n t e r e s t - f a c t o r s ( e s p e c i a l l y im p o rta n t f o r a l a t e a fte r n o o n
serm on), and th e A p o s tle P a u l's e x p e r ie n c e was an id e a l
v e h ic le to p r o v id e , f i r s t , common ground; and th en a demon
s t r a t io n o f how n o t to win s o u l s . By lin k in g th e f a u lt y
methods w ith P a u l, F a g a l's s o lu t i o n (d e r iv e d from P au l) was
thus made more p a la t a b le .
Thus, a la r g e r number m ight be
persu aded t o sw allow what o th e r w is e w ould have been very
b i t t e r m e d ic in e .
For th e t r a d i t i o n a l i s t , t h i s sp eech may be c a s t in t o th e
"mould" o f " In tr o d u c tio n -B o d y -C o n c lu sio n " ; . . . and th er e
are some e le m e n ts in th e i n t e r n a l developm ent o f th e h i s t o r
i c a l method ( p a s t - p r e s e n t , in n a r r a t iv e - a p p lic a t io n ) and th e
l o g i c a l method (m a te r ia ls o f p r o o f lumped to g e th e r a t c e r
ta in i n t e r v a l s i n th e n a r r a tiv e c h r o n o lo g y .
The f l u i d i t y o f F a g a l's t r a n s i t i o n s th rou gh ou t may s u g
g e s t a new , r a d ic a l method h e r e (s e e b e lo w ). Of p a r t ic u la r
i n t e r e s t i s h is t r a n s i t i o n betw een "body" and " c o n c lu s io n ."
Fagal h e r e s l i p s through so u n o b t r u s iv e ly , " goin g in fo r th e
k i l l , " t h a t th e h e a r e r i s n o t im m ed ia te ly aware th a t th e
sp eak er i s w in d in g up, and th u s i s n o t s t e e l e d w ith an " in
c o n c lu sio n " mind s e t . He i s , th u s , l e f t more v u ln e r a b le f o r
the f i n a l t h r u s t . T r a n s it io n s , l i k e a r t , are g r e a t e s t in
con cealm en t; F a g a l's are l i k e e f f i c i e n t p o lic e m e n , m arshal
lin g a t t e n t i o n - t r a f f i c in b o th d i r e c t i o n s , b u t n e v e r to
th e m se lv e s.
. . . F a g a l's n a r r a tiv e may b e lik e n e d to a r i v e r , alon g
which he b o a ts w ith h i s h e a r e r s , and a c r o s s w h ich , p e r io d
i c a l l y , he throw s up a "dam" ( e s s e n t i a l l y a m ajor p o in t in
th e serm o n ). The h e a r e r i s m om entarily s u r p r is e d by th e
sudden backw ash. A fte r r e c o v e r in g , he d isem b a rk s, su rv ey s
the "dam" b r i e f l y , w alk in g around i t in p o r ta g e , and then
co n tin u e s h i s jo u r n e y . M eanw hile, th e s u d d e n ly -a r r e s te d
w ater i s s l u i c e d through th e "dam's" tu r b in e to g e n e r a te
l i g h t , w h ich , in tu r n , i s u sed t o illu m in a t e th e "dam" p o in t ,
making i t c le a r and s ta r k ! The stream (and o ccu p a n ts in th e
b oat) th en flo w s onward, u n tr o u b le d , to th e n e x t "dam" s i t e .

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Every r i v e r must have a "source" as w e ll as a c o u r se ,

and . . . F a g a l's r i v e r b e g in s w ith a t e x t from th e NEB,
c o n v e n ie n tly la b e le d an " in tr o d u c tio n ." We are now a f l o a t ,
h ead in g f o r th e f i r s t "dam."
We are su d d en ly s t a r t l e d by th e backwash from th e
a s s e r t io n th a t P aul was a f lo p as a p r e a ch er a t Mars H i l l ,
Athens (u sin g th e " r e s u lts " c r i t e r i o n ) : he t r i e d to meet
l o g i c - w i t h - l o g i c , p h ilo s o p h y -w ith -p h ilo s o p h y , e t c . , and won
but few c o n v e r ts . For th e f i r s t tim e F agal h in t s a t some
th in g to be d e v e lo p e d more f u l l y l a t e r , a t th e end.
But
h e r e, a t th e 1 s t dam, th e methods o f s o u l-w in n in g come under
a tta c k , a l b e i t w ith a g la n c in g , o b liq u e b lo w .
The 2nd dam, w hich d e a ls w ith courage in s o u l-w in n in g ,
i s thrown up a t th e p o in t where th e A c q u i l l a - P r i s c i l l a su b
p lo t i s in tr o d u c e d i n t o th e n a r r a t iv e . T h eir d isco u ra g em en t,
r e s u lt in g from t h e i r f a i l u r e in s o u l-w in n in g in Rome (and
subsequent p o l i t i c a l e v i c t i o n to C o r in th ), i s t i e d to th e
e x is t e n c e o f tim id " G od -fea rers" in th e l o c a l C orinth
synagogue and th en th e a p p lic a t io n i s made to modern tim e s:
Don't be tim id ; sta n d f o r C h r is t!
The 3rd dam draws a t t e n t io n to th e fo c u s o f s o u l-w in n in g .
The "name-dropping" problem o f th e C orinth Church has i t s
d ir e c t co u n ter p a r t in th e 20th c en tu r y SDA church. C o r in th ,
a c t u a lly , had o n ly two prom inent members; th e r e s t were
average, o rd in ary p e o p le . A d v e n tis ts are s l y l y c a s t ig a t e d
fo r t h e ir p r e o c c u p a tio n in w orking f o r th e "higher" c la s s e s
w h ile g r e a t ly n e g le c t in g th e e q u a lly im p ortant "lower"
c la s s e s .
The way, th e n , i s p rep ared f o r
th e
4th dam,
which
retu rn s to th e a tta c k on th e methods o f s o u l-w in n in g . The
w in -th e -a r g u m e n t-b u t-lo s e -th e -c o n v e r t te c h n iq u e i s a s s a i l e d .
The in c id e n t o f th e J eh o v a h 's W itness m other and th e C a th o lic
p u b lic s c h o o l te a c h e r c o n ta in an im p lie d le s s o n fo r A dvent
i s t s , but F a g a ln o t w i l l i n g to le a v e i t a t t h a t w ith the
momentum o f th e e v e r - s w e llin g r i v e r n e a r in g i t s m outh-s p e l l s i t out in s u c c in c t d e t a i l .
The mouth o f th e r i v e r , em ptying i n t o th e broad ocean o f
tr u th , i s reach ed when F agal p r o c la im s loud and c le a r h i s
n o w -u n d isgu ised purpose (our r e l i g i o n i s n o t b ased upon
p o in t s , but a P e r so n ). He th en makes a fe r v e n t app eal fo r
recommitment to C h r is tia n work a lo n g d i f f e r e n t l i n e s .
In th e p r a y e r , w ith w hich th e sermon c l o s e s , Fagal t a k e s ,
in e f f e c t , a b r i e f a ir p la n e r id e back up a lon g th e r i v e r ,
su rv ey in g th e major " d a m -site s" he has j u s t c o n s tr u c te d ,
n o tin g th e main p o i n t s , summary f a s h io n , in th e p r a y e r . The

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end i s th us jo in e d w ith th e b e g in n in g , th e sermon s ta n d in g

as a u n i f i e d w h o le , c o m p le te , e n t i r e . !

R h e to r ic a l Order W ithin Sermon S t r u c tu r e

D e sp ite W illiam F a g a l's a ttem p t to d is g u i s e them (in harmony

w ith th e c o u n se l o f T a c it u s , n o te d a t th e o u t s e t ) , th e main d i v i s i o n s o f
h is d is c o u r s e can be d eterm in ed from th e t r a n s c r i p t o f th e sermon w ith
out to o g r e a t d i f f i c u l t y ; and he f o ll o w s g e n e r a lly in th e u su a l
t r i p a r t i t e d iv i s io n

( in t r o d u c t io n , b o d y , c o n c lu s io n ) , w ith an added

fou rth component, th e pu rp ose s e n t e n c e .

T h is l a t t e r elem ent i s most

o fte n found in th e in t r o d u c tio n ( o f th e d e d u c tiv e sermon) or c o n c lu s io n

(o f th e i n d u c t i v e ) .

Purpose s e n t e n c e .--O n e o f th e c e n t r a l i s s u e s o f concern to th e

speech c r i t i c as he c o n s id e r s m a tte r s o f arrangem ent i s th a t o f th e
emergence o f a c e n t r a l theme in th e d is c o u r s e .

I t i s assumed, as

Thonssen and B aird s p e l l o u t, th a t

the sp eech p o s s e s s e s a c l e a r l y d e f in e d and e a s i l y determ ined
t h e s is or p u rp ose; and th a t t h i s t h e s i s i s unencumbered by
c o l l a t e r a l th e s e s w hich i n t e r f e r e w ith th e c le a r p e r c e p tio n
o f th e p r in c ip a l o n e. . . .2
One o f th e m ajor c o n t r ib u t io n s o f H a n c e -R a lp h -W ik se ll's p u b lic
speaking t e x t , in t h is w r i t e r ' s o p in io n , i s t h e i r i n s i s t e n c e th a t e v er y
speech ought to p o s s e s s a "purpose s e n te n c e " th a t i s b o th sim p le and
b r i e f ,- - o n e th a t u se s p r e c is e words w hich do n o t adm it o f more than one
in t e r p r e t a t io n .3

'"Criticism o f S t r u c t u r e ," u n p u b lis h e d m a n u scrip t, p rep ared f o r

Speech 829 (Speech C r it ic is m ) , M ich igan S t a t e U n iv e r s it y , May 1 8 , 1965.
For a c h r o n o lo g ic a l s u b sta n c e o u t li n e o f t h i s serm on, s e e Appendix F.
^Thonssen and B a ir d , 39 3 .

3H a n c e -R a lp h -W ik se ll, 1 4 1 -4 2 .

_
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An ex a m in a tio n o f th e te n s e l e c t e d serm ons by W illia m F agal

r e v e a ls th a t each m essage has embedded in i t somewhere such a r h e t o r ic a l
compass which m eets th e s u g g e s te d c r i t e r i a a b o v e.
In th e v a s t m a jo r ity o f c a s e s (fo u r TV serm ons o u t o f f i v e ,
th ree p u lp it m essages o u t o f f i v e ) ,

F agal p la n t s h is pu rp ose s e n te n c e in

the c o n c lu s io n o f h is a d d r e s s -- n o t e s p e c i a l l y s u r p r is in g , in v iew o f h is
penchant fo r th e in d u c tiv e approach.
In th e TV sermon and one p u l p i t sermon th e p u rp o se s e n te n c e i s
to be found in th e in t r o d u c t io n ; and in th e f i f t h p u l p i t sermon i t i s
found in th e c lo s i n g words o f th e f i n a l m ajor d i v i s i o n o f th e body o f
th e m essage.
That F a g a l's p u rp ose s e n te n c e s are p h ra sed s u c c i n c t l y , w ith p r e
c is io n and c l a r i t y , w i l l be s e e n from th e exam ples from TV serm ons which
fo llo w :
W ell, you can keep your home t o g e t h e r b e s t when you have
the h e lp o f H ea v en .1 [C o n c lu sio n ]
E v il Su rm isin gs !
[C onclu sion ]

L et them n o t b e a p a r t o f your l i f e !

Then, be a con q u eror, n o t a f u g i t i v e !

Day by Day, l e t us p rove w o rth y .

[C o n c lu sio n ]

[C o n c lu sio n ]

I'm c o m p le te ly c o n v in ced t h a t e v e r y o n e , b e he o ld or
young, can have th e c e r t a in t y t h a t God w i l l g u id e h i s l i f e .
[In tr o d u c tio n ]
The purpose s e n te n c e s o f th e p u l p i t d is c o u r s e s are s t a t e d w ith
equal f e l i c i t y , i f w ith somewhat g r e a t e r c o m p le x ity :

1TV Sermon #349, 2 .

2I b i d . ,

# 351, 2.

3I b i d . , #358, 2 .
4I b id . , #367, 2.
5 I b id . , #371, 1.

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434

Our r e l i g i o n i s n o t b ased on t h i s p o in t and t h a t p o in t and

th e o th e r p o in t ; our r e l i g i o n i s b a sed on J e su s C h r is t ,
is n 't it ? l
[C o n clu sio n ]
The m ost t h r i l l i n g p a r t o f th e g o s p e l m essage t o me [ i s ] :
J esu s s e e s y o u , j u s t as you a re in a l l your w e a k n e sse s; . . .
but He s e e s beyond a l l t h a t ; . . .
Hes e e s what you can be
w ith His b l e s s i n g , what your l i f e , u n it e d t o H is l i f e , can
produce f o r Him .2 [F in a l d i v i s i o n o f sermon
"body ]
And t h a t ' s my m essage t o n ig h t :
ta k e co u ra g e, b r e th r e n ; i f
God co u ld s a v e a Mary [M agdalene], He can sa v e anybody,
c a n 't He?^ [C o n clu sio n ]
Young p e o p le , I d o n 't know how you f e e l tod ay; b u t , l i t t l e
as I know about H eaven, I want t o be t h e r e .^
[C o n clu sio n ]
G ivin g God [ou r e n t i r e s e l v e s , c o n s e c r a tin g our a l l ] i s
g iv in g Him w h a t's r i g h t ; g iv in g Him a n y th in g l e s s i s g iv in g
Him w h a t's l e f t . 5 [I n tr o d u c tio n ]

I n t r o d u c t io n . T honssen and B aird s u g g e s t t h a t th e f u n c tio n o f

an in tr o d u c tio n i s to " e n l i s t th e a t t e n t io n and i n t e r e s t o f th e l i s t e n
e r s , to ren d er th e au d ien ce w e ll d is p o s e d toward th e sp e a k e r , and to
prepare th e way f o r th e id e a s t o come."^
Monroe o f f e r s e ig h t ways whereby a sp e ec h may be b egu n , a l l o f
which are e q u a lly a p p lic a b le to serm o n ic in t r o d u c tio n :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

R eferen ce to th e S u b je c t o r Problem .
R eferen ce to th e O c ca sio n .
P e r so n a l G r e e tin g .
R h e to r ic a l Q u e s tio n .
S t a r t l i n g S tatem en t ( o f F a c t or O p in io n ).
Q u o ta tio n .
Humorous A n ecd ote.
I llu s t r a t io n .7

^Sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , 15.

3"God's B lin d S p o t," 12.

Sermon on Andrew, 10.

^Sermon on H eaven, 10.

3"What's L e ft or W hat's R ig h t? ," 4 .

^Thonssen and B a ird , 398.
7Monroe, 2 8 6 -8 7 .

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435

An ex a m in a tio n o f th e 10 serm ons under r e v ie w r e v e a ls t h a t F agal

employs a l l o f t h e s e m ethods e x c e p t th a t o f r h e t o r ic a l q u e s tio n (he d o e s,
however, u se su ch q u e s tio n s fr e q u e n t ly i n th e body and c o n c lu s io n o f h i s
m e ssa g e s).
As m ight be e x p e c te d th e in t r o d u c tio n o f th e s h o r t e r TV serm ons
i s a p p r o p r ia te ly b r i e f .
S c r ip tu r e ,

Twice he b e g in s w ith a q u o ta tio n --o n c e from

and once from th e w r it in g s o f E lle n G. W hite.

Three tim es

he b eg in s w ith a d ir e c t r e f e r e n c e to th e s u b j e c t o r problem once he

3
fo llo w s i t w ith a s t a r t l i n g s ta te m e n t o f f a c t , once w ith an i l l u s t r a
tio n ,^ and in th e t h ir d in s t a n c e he im m ed ia tely p lu n g e s i n t o th e body o f
the d is c o u r se w ith o u t f u r t h e r in t r o d u c t io n .

The in t r o d u c tio n s t o th e p u lp it serm ons a r e , a p p r o p r ia t e ly ,

somewhat lo n g e r and more com plex, and fr e q u e n t ly combine s e v e r a l m ethods.
In a l l f i v e F agal makes r e f e r e n c e to th e o c c a s io n w hich has
brought th e c o n g r e g a tio n t o g e t h e r .

P e r so n a l r e f e r e n c e s , a dash o f humor,

and a r e fe r e n c e to th e S c r ip t u r a l t e x t o f t e n im m ed ia tely f o llo w .

For exam ple, in h i s sermon on P au l a t C o r in th , F agal b e g in s w ith
a b r i e f r e fe r e n c e to th e o c c a s io n , th en q u ic k ly goes to h i s t e x t ("L et
me turn now and speak to you t h i s a fte r n o o n in t h i s v e s p e r h o u r, as t h is
wonderful Sabbath i s

coming to a c l o s e , from a v e r s e o f S c r ip tu r e t h a t ' s

found in . . . . "6 )
In h is sermon on Andrew, we have a humorous r e fe r e n c e to th e
q u a rtet and th e O akland, C a lif o r n i a , e x p e r ie n c e , a lr e a d y c i t e d ; a b r i e f
r eferen ce to th e o c c a s io n (" W ell, now, to n ig h t I ' d l i k e t o ta k e up w ith

lrTV Sermon #367, 1.

4I b id . , #358, 1.

2 I b i d . , # 3 5 1 , 1.

3 I b i d . , #349, 1.

5 I b i d . , #3 7 1 , 1.

6Sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , 1.

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you in t h i s f i n a l m eetin g [ o f th e 10-d ay camp m eetin g ] a v e r y sim p le

story"'*'), and th en he moves q u ic k ly t o h is S c r ip tu r a l t e x t .
The sermon on Mary has a more complex in t r o d u c tio n :

he s t a r t s

with a p e r so n a l g r e e t in g ( I t ' s a p le a s u r e to be h ere t o n ig h t " ) ; then

r e fe r s to th e o c c a s io n (camp m e e tin g ), and in p a r t ic u l a r t o two m in is
te r s on th e p la tfo r m w ith whom he has been fo rm erly a s s o c ia t e d ; and th en
a r e fe r e n c e to th e h e a r e r s assem bled :
I t s alw ays a jo y f o r us to come to M ichigan; I look forw ard
to i t .
I ' v e t o l d you b e fo r e --a n d I want you to know I mean
it--som eh ow I alw ays f e e l t h a t I 'v e come home when I come
h ere; bu t I 'v e no r ea so n to f e e l th a t way, f o r I 'v e n e v e r
liv e d in M ich igan. But i t ' s j u s t th e warmth o f you good
p eo p le and th e way you make us f e e l so much a t home in your
m id st. And I hope y o u ' l l know th a t I'm n o t j u s t s a y in g
th a t, I r e a l l y mean i t . 2
T h is , th e n , i s fo llo w e d by a sta te m e n t o f th e t i t l e

o f th e s e r

mon ("Tonight I ' d l i k e t o speak t o you on a s u b j e c t w hich has been c lo s e

to my h e a r t.

And th e s u b j e c t i s ,

'G od's B lin d S p o t . "3) .

N ext he

fo llo w s w ith an i l l u s t r a t i o n taken from a p e r so n a l e x p e r ie n c e ( s i t t i n g

w ith a lo c a l s t a t e c o n fe r e n c e n om in atin g co m m ittee); and f i n a l l y , he
concludes th e in t r o d u c tio n w ith a sta te m e n t o f h is t e x t fo r th e e v e n in g .
A f i n a l exam ple o f a m u ltip le-m eth o d in t r o d u c tio n i s found in
the sermon on N icodem us.

Fagal b e g in s w ith a r e fe r e n c e to p la c e and

occasion :
I t s a v ery r e a l p r i v i l e g e f o r me t o be h ere w ith you tod ay
in t h is lo v e ly church [a brand new one, o n ly r e c e n t ly
d e d ic a te d ].
I was ask ed i f t h i s i s my f i r s t v i s i t t o t h i s
church [ b u ild in g ] , and i t i s ; and as fa r as I know, i t ' s my
f i r s t v i s i t to t h i s c o n g r e g a tio n .^

^Sermon on Andrew, 1.
2"God's B lin d S p o t," 1.

3I b id .

^"What's L e ft or What's R ig h t? ," 1.

....
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Then he makes a humorous r e f e r e n c e t o th e b u ild in g in w hich th e c o n g r e

g a tio n had o n ly r e c e n t ly v a c a te d , w hich was in a r a th e r bad s t a t e o f
rep a ir:
I n ev er had th e p r i v i l e g e o f v i s i t i n g you in y o u r form er
church. One o f you r l o c a l e ld e r s t o l d me th a t th a t i s j u s t
as w e ll [ l a u g h t e r ] .1
Then fo llo w s an o th er r e f e r e n c e t o th e o c c a s io n :
I'm happy to be w ith you on " F a ith fo r Today" S a b b a th .
People a l l o v er N orth A m erica a re th in k in g about " F a ith f o r
T oday"--! hope! T h is i s th e day s e t a s id e f o r th e [a n n u a l]
o f f e r in g t o be r e c e iv e d [ in e v e r y SDA ch u rch ]; and y o u ' l l
be r e c e iv in g i t a f t e r th e sermon to d a y .^
Then f o llo w s a b r i e f p r o m o tio n a l p it c h f o r f i n a n c i a l su p p o r t o f
the t e l e c a s t o p e r a tio n s w hich in c lu d e d in fo r m a tio n on th e p ro g ra m 's
growth and problem s d u rin g th e p a s t y e a r .

F i n a lly , he c o n c lu d e s th e

in tr o d u c tio n w ith an announcement o f th e sermon t i t l e

("W hat's L e ft or

What's R ig h t? " ), moves t o h i s S c r ip t u r a l t e x t (Romans 1 2 : 1 ) , c i t e s a few

words from th e s ta n z a o f a g o s p e l hymn f a m ilia r to h i s h e a r e r s , and
winds up w ith a b r i e f e lu c id a t io n o f th e meaning o f h i s sermon t i t l e .
The sta n d a rd Broadus and W eatherspoon h o m ile t ic t r e a t i s e s u g
g e sts seven q u a l i t i e s o f a good sermon in t r o d u c tio n :
" c lo s e ly r e la t e d to th e theme o f th e d is c o u r s e " ;
c o n s is t o f a s i n g l e th ought";
g e n e r a li t ie s ;

(1 ) i t s h o u ld be

(2 ) i t s h o u ld " g e n e r a lly

(3) i t s h o u ld a v o id broad and commonplace

(4) i t must n o t seem t o "prom ise to o much in i t s

s t y l e , or d e liv e r y " ;
u la r d is c o u r s e ;

th o u g h ts ,

(5 ) i t s h o u ld be e x c l u s i v e l y a d a p ted t o th e p a r t i c

(6 ) i t must n o t be lo n g ; and (7 ) i t s h o u ld be c a r e f u l l y

prepared.^
W illiam F a g a l's serm on ic in t r o d u c t io n s g e n e r a lly m eet t h e s e
c r i t e r i a fa v o r a b ly .

1I b id .

I f th e r e i s any la c k , i t may be in th e a r e a o f

^I b i d .

^Broadus and W eatherspoon, 1 0 5 -1 0 7 .

with p e r m issio n o f th e co p y r ig h t o w n e r . F u rth er rep ro d u ctio n p roh ib ited w ith o u t p e r m issio n .

438

f a i l i n g to keep th e in t r o d u c tio n to a s i n g l e th o u g h t and i n k e e p in g i t

b r ie f .

( I f , h ow ever, one e x c lu d e s th e u s u a l "com m ercial" f o r th e t e l e

c a s t , s i n c e , s t r i c t l y s p e a k in g , i t i s n o t p a r t o f th e sermon in t r o d u c t io n ,
then undue le n g th i s n o t a f a i l i n g o f th e i n t r o d u c t io n .)
C e r t a in ly , th e in t r o d u c t io n s b e a r e v id e n c e o f c a r e f u l p r e p a r a
tio n ; and th e y c e r t a i n l y b r id g e e f f e c t i v e l y from th e o c c a s io n and o th e r
s im ila r m a tter s to th e im m ediate m essage a t hand in a d e f t m anner,
e x h ib itin g in th e d oin g c o n s id e r a b le e x p e r t i s e and know ledge o f b o th h is
hearers and h i s s u b j e c t .

That th e y do in d e e d e n l i s t th e a t t e n t i o n and

in t e r e s t o f h i s h e a r e r s , r e n d e r in g them w e ll d is p o s e d toward th e s p e a k e r ,
w ill be d em on strated in a c h a p ter on a u d ien ce r e sp o n se to f o ll o w .

Body o f th e d is c o u r s e . At tim es one fin d s some d i f f i c u l t y in

a s c e r ta in in g th e m ajor c o o r d in a te d i v i s i o n h ead s o f some o f W illia m
F agal's sermons b eca u se (1) he h im s e lf o p e n ly adm its t o a tte m p tin g t o
d is g u is e them as much as p o s s i b l e , and (2) h i s c o n tin u a l r e s o r t t o n a r
r a tiv e m a te r ia ls ( c h i e f l y in th e b io g r a p h ic a l serm ons) o f t e n p r e c lu d e s
the e f f e c t i v e d i v i s i o n o f th e serm ons b e c a u se n a r r a t iv e does n o t alw ays
make i t s e l f ammeanable t o t h i s ty p e o f s t r u c t u r e .
In th e t e l e v i s i o n sermons under r e v ie w , th r e e have a " tw o -p o in t
body," and two have a " th r e e -p o in t" p la n .

The sermon on th e home has

two major d i v i s i o n s :
I.
II.

God's I d e a l Plan f o r M arriage.

The Dangerous E f f e c t o f D iv o rce on th e C h ild re n .

The sermon on D iv in e Guidance i l l u s t r a t e s a p la n in w hich th e m ajor

d iv is io n s are exam ples u sed t o i l l u s t r a t e th e c e n t r a l t h e s i s :

1TV Sermon #349.

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439

I.
II.
III.

W illiam C u lle n Bryant was Led o f God.

The P e r s ia n King Cyrus was Led o f God.
Robert L ouis S te v e n so n was Led o f God.
The p u lp it d is c o u r s e s , w h ile lo n g e r in le n g t h , do n o t , m erely

because o f t h i s f a c t o r , have more m ajor d i v i s i o n s .

The f a c t th a t th e y

do range

in number from th r e e t o e ig h t i s p ro b a b ly due t o problem s

in h eren t

in d iv id in g a n a r r a t iv e in t o i t s major segm en ts f o r

p u rp oses.

A nother problem a ls o a r i s e s in a tte m p tin g to o u t l i n e a n a r r a

t iv e m essage:

does th e a n a ly s t r e c o n s t r u c t th e o u t l i n e on th e b a s is o f

the major p o in t s o f th e s t o r y ?
tio n ?

o u t lin e

Or on th e m ajor p o in t s o f th e a p p lic a

F a g a l's sermon on P au l a t C o rin th i l l u s t r a t e s t h i s problem .

I f th e d i v i s i o n o f th e sermon sh o u ld be b a se d on th e n a r r a t iv e

d e t a i l s , the serm on, in m ajor o u t l i n e form, w ould lo o k so m eth in g l i k e

th is :
I.

Why was P au l Weak, N erv o u s, F e a r fu l, A pproaching C orinth?

1 . H is p r i o r ap p aren t f a i l u r e a t A th en s.
2 . The problem s p r e s e n te d by a pagan C o r in th .

II.

What Happened When He g o t to C orinth?

1. He found a p la c e to l i v e w ith two C h r is t ia n s .
2. He w ent t o th e J e w ish synagogue t o p r e a c h .
3. He was e x p e lle d from th e synagogue by th e J ew ish
r u l e r s , f o r h e r e t i c a l v ie w s .
4. He s e t up a s e p a r a te C h r is tia n Church t h e r e .
I f , how ever, one d iv id e s t h i s sermon in term s o f th e major p o in ts

o f a p p lic a tio n ( f o r which th e n a r r a t iv e m erely p r o v id e s a c o n v e n ie n t peg

upon which to hang o n e 's p o i n t s ) , th en t h i s sermon has fo u r major
d iv is io n s :
I.
II.
III.
IV.

The Methods o f S o u l-W in n in g .

Courage in S o u l-W in n in g .
The Focus o f S o u l-W in n in g .
The Methods o f S o u l-W in n in g .

1I b i d . , #371.

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440

In th e n a r r a t iv e sermon on Andrew, th e r e appear t o b e fo u r major

d iv is io n s :
I.
II.
III.
IV.

The R ole o f John th e B a p t is t .

John and Andrew Meet J e s u s .
C h a r a c t e r is t ic s o f Andrew.
Simon P e te r M eets J e s u s through Andrew.
The sermon on Mary M agdalene, on th e o th e r hand, more r e a d ily

lends i t s e l f to l o g i c a l d i v i s i o n as w e ll as c h r o n o lo g ic a l:
I.
II.
III.
IV.

Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary

in
in
in
in

B ethany (" B e fo r e ) .
M agdala.
Bethany (" A fte r " ).
L a ter L if e .

The sermon on H eaven, w hich has a whopping e ig h t d i v i s i o n s , i s

based on an e x e g e t i c a l approach to F a g a l's S c r ip tu r e le s s o n (R e v e la tio n
2 1 : 1- 8) :

I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
V II.
V III.

"New Heaven and New Earth" (v . 1 ) .

"No More Sea" ( v . 1 ) .
"New Jeru salem " (v . 2 ) .
"Prepared as a B ride" ( v . 2 ) .
"T abernacle o f God With Men" (v . 3 ) .
"No More T e a r s, D eath, Sorrow , C ryin g, Pain" (v . 4 ) .
"F ate o f F e a r f u l, U n b e lie v in g , e t c . " (v . 8 ) .
"Overcomers t o I n h e r it A ll T hings" (v . 7 ) .
Only in h i s b io g r a p h ic a l sermon on N icodem usw h ich , in c id e n

t a l l y , fo llo w s a c l e a r l y d e d u c tiv e mode o f approach does W illiam F agal

make e x p l i c i t , through th e d e v ic e o f o r a l en u m era tio n , th e m ajor d i v i
sio n s o f h is sermon p ro p er:

"Scene One," . . ."Scene Two,". .

."Scene

Three. "*
Thus we n o te th a t v a r i e t y in method o f d iv i d in g th e body o f th e
d isco u rse i s th e p red o m in a tin g c h a r a c t e r i s t i c f o r r h e t o r ic a l o rd er in
the Fagal serm ons; and th a t th e n a tu r e o f th e c o n te n t and th e mode o f
approach are th e c h i e f d e te r m in a n ts as t o th e number o f m ajor d i v i s i o n s
to be em ployed.

^"What's L e ft or W hat's R ig h t? ," 4 , 7, 10.

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C o n c lu sio n .--T h e c o n c lu s io n o f a sp e e c h , a cco rd in g to A. C raig

Baird, sh o u ld s e r v e th r e e fu n c t io n s :

i t sh o u ld mark th e clim a x o f th e

message, i t sh o u ld e s t a b l i s h th e grounds f o r a c c e p tin g th e argum ent, and

i t should g iv e th e au d ien ce a f i n a l im p ressio n o f th e sp eech and th e
speaker.^
Broadus and W eatherspoon add two o th e r s when th e sp eech i s a
sermon:

th e sermon c o n c lu s io n sh o u ld s u g g e s t ways and means f o r p e r

forming the d u t ie s u rg ed , and sh o u ld persu ade in th e s e n s e o f m oral and

s p ir it u a l app eal fo r r ig h t r e s p o n se .

Monroe s u g g e s ts s i x avenues whereby th e sp ea k er may c o n clu d e h is

m essage:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

C h allen g e or A ppeal.
Summary.
Q u o ta tio n .
I llu s tr a tio n .
Inducem ent.
_
P e r so n a l I n te n tio n .

An i n i t i a l ex am in ation o f th e Fagal sermons under r ev ie w d i s

c lo se s th a t C h allen ge or A p p ea l--a n d th e o f f e r in g o f a p r a y e r --a r e
u n iv e r sa l f a c t o r s , ap p earin g in e v e r y sermon c o n c lu s io n , w h eth er o f th e
sh o rter TV v a r ie t y o r th e lo n g e r p u lp i t c a te g o r y .
Three o f th e f i v e TV sermons a ls o c o n ta in e d b r i e f r e s ta te m e n ts
o f the b a s ic m essage or theme ( in many in s ta n c e s th e c lo s in g p ra y er
serv es t h is fu n c tio n as w e ll as in c lu d in g an a p p e a l) ; and a sta te m e n t o f
p erson al in t e n t io n i s in v a r ia b ly found in th e p u l p it a d d r e s se s.
As w ith th e in t r o d u c t io n , s o th e c o n c lu s io n :

many in c lu d e

sev e r a l d i f f e r e n t m ethods, woven to g e th e r s k i l l f u l l y in t o an a e s t h e t i c

r h e to r ic a l t a p e s t r y , r a th e r than m erely one f a c t o r .

'*'Baird, A rgum entation, D is c u s s io n , and D eb a te, 199.

2

Broadus, 21 1 .

Monroe, 296.

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442

The c o n c lu s io n t o F a g a l's TV sermon on D iv in e Guidance i s f a i r l y

ty p ic a l o f th o se t o be found in t h i s c a te g o r y o f m essa g es:

i t b e g in s

with a r h e t o r ic a l q u e s t io n , in te n d e d t o fo c u s a t t e n t i o n a g a in on th e
theme p r e v io u s ly d e lin e a t e d .

I t i s th e n fo llo w e d by a r e s ta te m e n t o f

the probable con seq u en ce o f fo llo w in g th rou gh w ith th e a c t io n p ro p o sed

(inducem ent), c o u p le d w ith a p r e v io u s q u o ta tio n from R obert L ouis
Stevenson.

A nother q u o ta tio n fo llo w s n e x t ( i n t h i s i n s t a n c e , th r e e

verses from S c r ip t u r e ) ; and a l l i s c lo s e d w ith a p r a y e r (w hich s e r v e s

the fu n c tio n o f r e c a p it u la t i o n and a p p ea l) :
And so I ask you to d a y , I s your l i f e in th e hands o f
the "D ivin e Steersm an"? Only i f i t i s , w i l l you "come about
as a w e ll-h a n d le d s h ip ." S o , th e n , "R est in th e Lord, and
w ait p a t i e n t l y f o r Him." "Commit th y way u n to th e Lord;
t r u s t a ls o in Him; and He s h a l l b r in g i t to p a s s ." "T rust
in th e Lord and do good; so s h a l t th o u d w e ll in th e la n d ,
and v e r i l y th ou s h a l t be fe d ."
[Psalm 3 7 : 7 ,5 ,3 ]
L et us pray: 0 God, our F a th er w hich a r t in Heaven:
We thank Thee f o r th e c e r t a in t y t h a t we can have th a t Thou
w ilt guide our l i v e s . We p la c e our l i v e s in Thy hand j u s t
now. Help us t o do Thy w i l l in a l l t h i n g s , we ask i t in
C h r is t's name, Amen.l
Coming n e x t t o th e p u l p i t serm on s, we f in d m ost o f M onroe's s u g
gested methods em ployed, o fte n s e v e r a l j o in e d t o g e th e r in a s i n g l e
con clu sion .
C h allen ge o r A p p eal, and Inducem ent, are m ost fr e q u e n t ly j o in e d
to g e th er , som etim es w ith th e added s ta te m e n t o f p e r s o n a l i n t e n t i o n .
Ever the e v a n g e lis t a t h e a r t , Fagal s t i l l in v a r ia b ly c l o s e s h i s m essa g es
with an appeal t o r e d e d ic a t io n o r r e c o n s e c r a t io n - - o r to b a s i c commitment,
in the ca se o f th o s e who have n o t b een p r a c t i c i n g C h r is tia n s b e f o r e - which s u g g e sts a p h y s ic a l as w e l l as m en tal r e sp o n se on th e p a r t o f th e
lis t e n e r in th e form o f r a is i n g th e h an d, o r o f s ta n d in g , or b o th .

"TV Sermon # 3 7 1 , 1.

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443

I m p lic it i s th e inducem ent th a t i f th e C h r is tia n " c o n fe s s e s C h r ist" h ere

on ea rth , God w i l l do H is p a r t by g r a n tin g p h y s ic a l and s p i r i t u a l
stren g th to overcome w h a tev er w eakness th e r e may be in th e in d iv id u a l
life .
A pp eals, f u r t h e r , are o f t e n d ir e c t e d to r a th e r s p e c i f i c c a t e
go ries o f p erso n s w ith in th e c o n g r e g a tio n , as we n o te in t h i s exam ple o f
horatory appeal cou p led w ith inducem ent ta k en from th e sermon on Heaven
to n e a r ly 1,000 h ig h s c h o o l and c o l l e g e y o u th a t a M ichigan camp m eetin g
Would you l i k e to j o in me in d e d ic a tin g your l i f e to
the Lord J e su s to d a y , to t h i s end? I f you w ould, w ould you
stand w ith me t h i s m orning?
[Most o f a u d ien ce r i s e s . ]
May
God b le s s y o u - -a w on d erfu l s i g h t to s e e you s ta n d so
e a g e r ly and so q u ic k ly ; I know you mean i t when you do t h a t .
May God b l e s s y o u , e v e r y o n e.
Now I w onder, b e fo r e I p r a y , i f i t may be th a t th e r e
are some s ta n d in g h e r e tod a y who have so m eth in g in t h e i r
h e a r ts th a t y o u 'd l i k e t o have us pray about? L et me a sk ,
f i r s t , - - I r e a l i z e th a t perhaps a t t h i s a g e - l e v e l o f your
e x p erien ce p erh ap s m ost o f you are a lr e a d y in th e church;
maybe a l l o f you a r e , f o r a l l I know. But c o u ld i t be th a t
th ere are any h e r e tod ay who have n o t y e t tak en th a t
w onderful s te p o f BAPTISM and CHURCH MEMBERSHIP, who'd l i k e
to l i f t your hand, w h erev er y o u 'r e s ta n d in g h e r e , and s a y ,
"Pray fo r me; I'm lo o k in g forw ard to u n it in g w ith th e
ch u rch --I want to be a p a r t o f i t ; pray f o r me, th a t I ' l l
be f a i t h f u l , th a t I ' l l be a b le t o go forw ard and be f a i t h
f u l t i l l th e en d ." Would you l i f t your hand h ig h ; . . . I
might n o t s e e a l l th e h a n d s, b u t l i f t your hand i f God i s
speaking to your h e a r t . . . .
Now, l e t me e x te n d t h i s a moment lo n g e r : I wonder i f
th ere are th o s e s ta n d in g h ere tod ay who know o f PROBLEMS IN
YOUR LIFE, th in g s t h a t are g o in g to keep you ou t o f th e
kingdom u n le s s you f in d th e v ic t o r y o v er them; and y o u 'd
lik e to s a y , "I want to be an overcom er, b u t I ' v e g o t some
th in g s to overcome; and I want you to pray f o r me t h i s
morning, th a t I m ight have com p lete and e n t i r e v ic t o r y in
my l i f e . . . and have a p la c e in H is k in gdom --pray fo r
str e n g th f o r me"? Would you l i k e to l i f t your hand, wher
ev er you are today? . . .
Now, I 'd l ik e
a chance to r a is e
Would you l i k e to
REDEDICATE my a l l

to ask f o r everybod y e l s e
h is hand--w e want t o g iv e
l i f t your hand to d a y , and
to th e Lord J e s u s ; I want

who h a s n 't had

you a chance:
s a y , "I want to
to g iv e a l l t h a t

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X have to Him; and p ray f o r me, th a t I l l b e f a i t h f u l t i l l

the end"? Would you r a i s e you r hand, w h erever you a r e ? l
An e x c e l l e n t exam ple o f c o n c lu s io n by r e c a p i t u l a t i o n summary,
coupled (a s alw ays) w ith h o r a t o r ic a l a p p e a l, and q u o ta tio n , i s found in
the sermon on Andrew:
We come to th e end o f t h i s camp m e e tin g , to th e l a s t
p art o f our l a s t s p i r i t u a l m essa g e. What w i l l we ca rry
away w ith us from t h i s p la c e ?
I h op e, f i r s t o f a l l , w e ' l l a l l c a rr y away w ith us a
co n fid en ce t h a t i f we b r in g our h e a r t s to th e Lord J e su s
C h r ist, [we w i l l s a y , w ith P a u l] "I can do a l l th in g s
through C h r is t who s tr e n g th e n e th me." B r e th r e n , you can
lead a C h r is tia n l i f e ; you can be a v i c t o r , w h erever you
l i v e , under w h atever c ir c u m sta n c e s you d w e ll; you can be
an overcom er.
I hope w e ' l l ca rry w ith us a c e r t a in t y t h a t J e su s C h r ist
lo v e s us and b e l i e v e s in u s . And I hope w e ' l l resp on d to
th a t c o n fid e n c e , and be th e k in d o f men and women th a t we
want to be and ought
t o be and must b e , to have a p la c e in
His kingdom .2
F in a lly , a sta te m e n t o f p e r s o n a l i n t e n t io n i s a t y p i c a l fe a tu r e
o f the c o n c lu s io n o f a F agal p u lp it serm on.

The u s u a l form at i s a s t a t e

ment o f p e r so n a l te stim o n y o f (a ) p a s t b l e s s i n g s r e c e iv e d , and (b) d e s ir e

to r ed e d ic a te f o r th e fu tu r e ; t h i s i s fo llo w e d by an i n v i t a t i o n to th e
congregation to j o in i n .

Of t h i s form , Monroe s a y s p e r s o n a l in t e n t io n

"is p a r t ic u la r ly v a lu a b le

when your own p r e s t i g e w ith

y o u r au d ien ce i s

h ig h ." *
In th e sermon on Andrew we f in d t h i s t y p i c a l exam ple:
T onight I want t o r e d e d ic a t e my h e a r t and l i f e t o th e
Lord J e s u s .
I'm so g r a t e f u l f o r what H e's done f o r me, and
fo r what He means t o me. I want to p la c e m y s e lf in H is
hands once a g a in t o n ig h t .
I want to ask Him to h e lp me to
be my b e s t s e l f , by H is s t r e n g t h , by H is a s s i s t a n c e , by th e
co n v ertin g power o f H is S p i r i t .
I ' d l i k e t o g iv e m y s e lf to
Him to n ig h t anew in r e d e d ic a t io n , b e fo r e le a v in g t h i s
p la c e , a sk in g Him t o go w ith me, and h e lp me day by day
]

Sermon on H eaven, 11.

Sermon on Andrew, 11.

^
Monroe, 302.

i& .i& yj'i',-.

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if"
445

through a l l th e days t o come on th e y e a r b e fo r e u s .

you lik e to j o in me in t h a t r e d e d ic a t io n ? !

Would

Broadus and W eatherspoon c h a r a c t e r iz e an e f f e c t i v e sermon con

clu sion as one th a t i s b r i e f , th a t a v o id s th e t r i t e s t e r e o t y p e , "Now, in
con clu sion . . .

and th a t g e n e r a ll y ends on a p o s i t i v e n o t e , r a th e r

than on a n e g a tiv e on e.

W illiam F a g a l's c o n c lu s io n s a re g e n e r a lly q u ite b r i e f , sp e a k in g

com paratively, in term s o f th e t o t a l serm o n ic le n g th ; a lth o u g h in th e
making o f h is e v a n g e l i s t i c c a l l s t o s u c c e s s i v e c a t e g o r ie s o f h e a r e r s ,
some may f e e l th a t o c c a s io n a l ly th e y te n d to become a l i t t l e

t e d io u s .

Hardly ev er does he u se th e t i r e d c l i c h e , "In c o n c lu s io n " ; in s t e a d , p r e

fe r rin g to u se o th e r d e v i c e s - - o r no d e v i c e - - t o s i g n a l h i s a r r iv a l a t th e
end o f h is d is c o u r s e .

In d eed , o f t e n t h e r e i s no marked t r a n s i t io n a t

the end, in k eep in g w ith h is e a r l i e r s t a t e d c o n v ic t io n th a t

the most adm irable k in d o f c o n c lu s io n i s one in w hich th e
speaker co n clu d es w ith o u t a c t u a l l y a p p ea rin g to do s o . He
s i t s down, but th e p e o p le are s t i l l c o n tin u in g a lo n g h i s
lin e o f th ought in t h e i r own m in d s .3
This t h e o r e t ic a l i d e a l , how ever, c o l l i d e s w ith a n o th er c o n v ic t io n th a t
commitment i s th e main
o ften worry th a t th e r e
verge o f d e c is i o n , and
an o p p o rtu n ity to ta k e
a fterw ard .^

pu rp ose o f th e c o n c lu s io n . And I
may be someone ou t th e r e on th e
th a t i f I f a i l to p r o v id e him w ith
h is s ta n d , he m ight n e v e r do i t

And th e r e fo r e , more o f t e n than n o t , an o v e r t , e x p l i c i t ap p eal i s made to

end the Fagal sermon.
F i n a lly , s in c e th e s e a p p ea ls to r e d e d ic a t io n and r e c o n s e c r a tio n
are not made on th e b a s is o f " f i r e in su ra n ce" (su rren d er-n o w -a n d -a v o id -

^Sermon on Andrew, 11.

2

Broadus and W eatherspoon, 1 3 0 -3 1 .

^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 0 , 1966, 6 .

^ I b i d ., 7.

w _ .

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446

H e l l - f i r e ) , i t may n o t b e in c o r r e c t to s t a t e th a t th e F agal sermon con

c lu s io n s in v a r ia b ly end on a p o s i t i v e , r a th e r than a n e g a t iv e , n o t e .

Specimen A n a ly ses o f O u tlin e Method

In c o n c lu d in g t h i s d iv i s io n o f our s tu d y on arrangem ent, i t may

be h e lp fu l to s e t f o r t h s e v e r a l exam ples o f th e sermon p la n in th e
whole, so th a t th e r e l a t i o n o f th e v a r io u s p a r ts to each o th e r and to
the whole p la n may be more c l e a r l y g ra sp ed .

T h e r e fo r e , a c h r o n o lo g ic a l

substance o u t lin e o f a t e l e v i s i o n serm on, and a l o g i c a l su b sta n ce o u t

lin e o f a p u lp it sermon are o f f e r e d b elow ;

a c h r o n o lo g ic a l su b sta n ce

o u tlin e o f a p u l p i t a d d ress appears in A ppendix F.

C h r o n o lo g ic a l S u b sta n ce O u tlin e
T e le v is io n Sermon #371
November 14, 1965

INTRODUCTION
Purpose
Sentence

A.

I m c o m p le te ly co n v in ced th a t e v e r y o n e , b e he o ld o r
young, can have th e c e r t a in t y th a t God w i l l guid e h is l i f e .

B.

But he must be w i l l i n g to meet th e c o n d it io n s .

BODY
ONE BLEAK AUTUMN DAY, A NEW ENGLAND BOY LEFT HOME, STARTING
OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME TO FACE THE WORLD.
A.

N a t u r a lly , he f e l t lo n e ly and h e a r t s ic k .

B.

B ut, above a l l , he was tr o u b le d and concerned about h is

fu tu r e .

C.

J u s t th e n , he happened to s e e a w a te r fo w l, w in g in g i t s
way south w ard, g u id ed by i t s w o n d erfu l i n s t i n c t .
1. Young W illiam C u llen B ryant was i n s t a n t l y rem inded o f
h i s f a i t h and b a s i c c o n fid e n c e in God's care f o r h i s
own l i f e .
2 . With renewed a s su r a n c e , he w ro te:
a . "He who from zone to zone
g u id e s through th e b o u n d le ss sky th y c e r t a in
flig h t,

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447

In th e lo n g way th a t I must tr e a d a lo n e ,
w i l l le a d my s t e p s a r ig h t ."
II.

III.

REFERENCE IS MADE IN THE BOOK OF ISAIAH TO CYRUS, WHICH HISTORY

RECORDS AS THE CONQUEROR OF BABYLON.
A.

One o f th e f i r s t a c t s o f t h i s monarch, a f t e r he overth rew

B abylon , was t o i s s u e a p r o c la m a tio n p e r m itt in g th e cap
t i v e Jews to r e tu r n t o t h e i r own la n d .

B.

Now, th e S c r ip tu r e s had a n t ic i p a t e d and p r o p h e s ie d t h i s

v e r y e v e n t a t l e a s t 100 y e a r s b e fo r e he appeared on th e
sta g e o f h is to r y .
1. God had r e f e r r e d to th e h ea th en Cyrus by name.
2 . And had f o r e t o l d th e f a c t th a t he was t o p la y an
im p o rta n t p a r t in th e d e s t in y o f God's p e o p le .
a . God s a i d to C yrus, p r o p h e t i c a l l y ,
(1) "I g ir d e d th e e though thou h a s t n o t known Me"
I s a ia h 4 5 : 5 .
b . And though Cyrus d id n o t know God, God u se d him as
H is a g e n t t o b r in g b l e s s i n g to H is chosen p e o p le .

C.

T h is l i t t l e - n o t i c e d and a lm o st fo r g o t t e n in c id e n t i n d i
c a te s so m eth in g trem en d o u sly im p ortan t to us to d a y .
1. I t in d i c a t e s th a t
a . God knows a l l o f us by name, and
b . S e e s e x a c t ly what p la c e we sh o u ld f i l l in l i f e .
2 . And He w i l l g ir d u s ,
a . H e lp in g us t o e a r ly f in d our p la c e in l i f e ,
b . And p r o p e r ly f i l l i t .

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON, IN TELLING THE STORY OF HIS LIFE,

TELLS ABOUT AN EARLY DECISIVE PERIOD THROUGH WHICH HE PASSED.
A.

A wrong c h o ic e j u s t th en w ould have

1. S en t him o f f in th e wrong d i r e c t i o n ,
2 . W asting h i s trem endous
a . E n e r g ie s and
b . T a le n t s .

B.

B u t, he co n c lu d e d h i s accou n t o f t h i s p e r p le x in g p e r io d ,
w ith th e s e d e s c r ip t iv e w ords:
1. "I came about l i k e a w e ll-h a n d le d s h ip .
a . There s to o d a t th e w heel th a t Unknown Steersm an
whom we c a l l God."

CONCLUSION
A.

And s o I ask o f you to d a y ,

1. Is you r l i f e in th e hands o f th e "D ivin e Steersm an"?

B.

Only i f i t i s , w i l l you "come about as a w e ll-h a n d le d

s h ip ."

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448

C.

S o, th e n ,
1. "R est in th e Lord, and w a it p a t i e n t l y f o r H im .
2 . 'Commit th y way u n to th e Lord; t r u s t a ls o in Him; and
He s h a l l b r in g i t to p a s s ."
3 . "T rust in th e Lord and do good;
a . So s h a l t th o u d w e ll i n th e la n d , and
b . V e r ily thou s h a l t be f e d ."
[Psalm 3 7 : 7 ,5 ,3 ]

D.

L et us p ray: 0 God, our F a th er w hich a r t in Heaven:

1. We thank Thee f o r th e c e r t a in t y th a t we can have th a t
Thou w i l t gu id e our l i v e s .
2 . We p la c e our l i v e s in Thy hand j u s t now.
3 . Help us to do Thy w i l l i n a l l t h i n g s ,
4 . We ask i t in C h r is t 's nam e, Amen.

L o g ic a l S u b sta n ce O u tlin e
P u lp it Sermon
"WHAT'S LEFT OR WHAT'S RIGHT?"
February 11, 1967

INTRODUCTION
A.

R eferen ce t o L o ca tio n : g la d to b e w ith them in new church.

1. H adn't se e n o ld b u ild in g ; e ld e r a s s u r e s j u s t as w e l l .
2 . P r a is e s t h e i r v i s i o n f o r b u ild in g la r g e enough.

B.

R eferen ce t o O cca sio n : FFT Annual O ffe r in g S ab bath .

1. R eferen ce t o c u r r e n t f i n a n c i a l problem s a t FFT.

C.

R eferen ce to T opic:
1. T ext:
Romans 1 2 :1 . S t r e s s e s " r ea so n a b le s e r v i c e ."
2 . Q uotes song:
"What S h a ll I G iv e, T hee, M aster?"
a. S en tim en t o f song sums up t e x t th o u g h t.
b . God d o e s n 't want h a l f o r p a r t o f h e a r t; w ants a l l .
(1) T h is i s " r e a so n a b le s e r v i c e ."
(2] A nything e l s e i s g iv in g Him "What's L e f t ,"
in s t e a d o f "What's R ig h t."

Purpose
Sentence

BODY
I.

"SCENE ONE":
A.

k -./.. .

NICODEMUS MEETS CHRIST

Nicodemus Not O rdinary Man; fo u r th in g s s e t him a p a r t.

1. Was a P h a r i s e e - - 6 ,0 0 0 th e n .
a. Some good th in g s about P h a r is e e s --w e r e c o n se r v a
t i v e , fu n d a m e n ta lis t, e v a n g e li c a l.
b . But th e y went to e x tr em e s; ended up b e in g men
d i f f e r e n t from what th e y s t a r t e d o u t t o b e .
(1) Had we l i v e d th e n , w e'd p ro b a b ly have been
P h a r is e e s .

...

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449

c.

2.

3.

4.

B.

Nicodem us was P h a r is e e : w anted to s t i c k t o Word,

keep I s r a e l i n s t r a i g h t p a t h s .
Had good
in te n tio n s .
Was a r u le r o f J e w s--S a n h e d r in had 70 members, n o t
6 , 000.
a . Was J e w ish S e n a te .
Was h ig h ly e d u c a te d , r e s p e c te d t e a c h e r .
a.
In G ethsem ane, C h r is t c a l l s him a r e s p e c te d
t e a c h e r but ig n o r a n t .
Was a man o f w e a lth .
a . T h is s e t s men a p a r t, even to d a y .

Nicodemus S eek s S a t i s f a c t i o n .
1. D id n 't l i k e p r e a c h in g o f John th e B a p t i s t .
a . D id n 't l i k e b e in g c a l l e d " g e n e r a tio n o f v ip e r s ."
b.
C o n seq u en tly r e j e c t e d m essage o f John th e B a p t is t .
2. Was a t t r a c t e d to J e s u s .
a. Saw crow d s, m ir a c le s .
(1) Im portant: M idrash on D eut. 18:19 h e ld
p r o p h e t's work must b e g in w ith s i g n s ,
m ir a c le s .
b . F e lt he had to t a l k w ith J e s u s ,
(1) But must be c a r e f u l , n o t compromise s e l f in
e y e s o f p e o p le .
(2) T h erefo re went a t n ig h t to Gethsemane.
3. S t a r t e d in t e r v ie w w ith f l a t t e r y c a l l e d J e su s "Rabbi."
a . J e su s saw b a s ic n e e d ; cu t th rou gh s m a ll t a l k , t o l d
Nicodemus he n eed ed s p i r i t u a l r e b ir t h .
b . Nicodemus fe a r e d a n o th er " g e n e r a tio n o f v ip e r "
approach a la John th e B a p t i s t .
c . Was s e l f - s a t i s f i e d ; fe ig n e d ig n o r a n c e .
(1) Are two k in d s o f ig n o r a n c e or n on -com prehension.
(a) One: b a se d on la c k o f kn ow led ge. Not
N icodem us' problem .
(b) O ther: in d iv id u a l u n d e r sta n d s, b u t d o e s n 't
w ant t o a c c e p t o b v io u s c o n c lu s io n , im p li
c a t i o n s . Nicodemus d id n 't want to be
"born a g a in ."
4. J e su s ta lk e d on--N icodem us r e s i s t e d .
a. A p p lic a tio n :
many to d a y r e s i s t work o f God's
S p i r i t on h e a r t; say "I c a n 't s e e i t " ; r e a l l y
d o n 't want to do what God w a n ts.
5.
F in a lly J e su s l e f t g r e a t tr u th w ith Nicodemus: f i r s t
r e fe r e n c e to c r o s s (a n a lo g y o f Moses and s e r p e n t in
w ild e r n e s s .
6.
In te r v ie w ended much same way as R ich Young R uler:
a. Nicodem us g o es away s o r r o w fu l, u n w illin g to do
what C h r is t a s k s .
b . Has n o t g iv e n C h r is t h is a l l :
made p r o v is io n fo r
p r id e , p o s i t i o n , w e a lth .
c . H a sn 't g iv e n " w h at's r ig h t" ; o n ly "w hat's l e f t . "
d. Scene One ends i n d isa p p o in tm en t to a l l .

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450

II.

SCENE TWO:

SANHEDRIN TRIES TO DESTROY CHRIST

A.

Time:

B.

C ircu m stan ces: Nicodemus i s f r u s t r a t e d , d is a p p o in te d w ith

s e lf.
1. C ou ld n 't f o r g e t J e s u s . Watched l i f e , pondered
t e a c h in g s .
2 . R e p e a ted ly th w arted S a n h e d r in 's a ttem p ts to d e str o y
J esu s.
3. Was " s e c r e t d i s c i p l e " in w a rd ly he f e l t he co u ld do
more good i n s i d e San hedrin than in s id e C h r is tia n
ch u rch .

C.

Was jo in e d in s e c r e t work f o r C h r is t by Josep h o f

A rim athea.

D.

L ocale: F e a s t o f T a b ern a cles (o r " I n g a th e r in g " ).

1. S p e c ia l s e r v ic e l a s t day.
2 . J e su s d e c la r e s : " I f any man t h i r s t , l e t him come
Me, and d r in k ."
3. Sanhedrin angered; f i n a l l y a g r ee t o d e s tr o y Him.

E.

3 years la te r .

S to ry reco rd ed in John, 7th c h a p ter .

to

A ttem pt made to cap tu re J e s u s .

1. Sanhedrin sen d s o u t i t s s m a ll p o l i c e f o r c e .
2. They r e tu r n e d em pty-handed; e x c u se : "Never man spake
l i k e t h i s Man."
a . One o f g r e a t e s t m ir a c le s : men b en t on c a p tu rin g
Him c a p t iv a t e d by H is charm.
b . A p p lic a tio n :
i s t h r i l l i n g to s e e what g o sp e l can
do to change m en's h e a r t s .
(1) I l l u s t r a t i o n :
F agal m eets new co n v e rt in
D enver.
3. S a n h e d r in 's s c o r n f u l r e p ly :
"Have any P h a r is e e s or
r u le r s b e lie v e d on Him?"
a.
Some had.
b.
But le a d e r s a ttem p t t o d i s c r e d i t C h r is t u sin g lack
o f p o p u la r su p p o r t.
(1) I l l u s t r a t i o n :
E x p erien ce in D e tr o it a ir p o r t;
g a r b le d , d i s t o r t e d , u n fa c tu a l accou n t o f SDAs.
c.
L eaders: "But t h i s p e o p le th a t knoweth n o t the
law are c u r se d .
(1 ) Ad hominem a p p ea l:
th o se who fo llo w C h rist
are f o o l i s h , ig n o r a n t , u n lea r n e d .
(2) A p p lic a tio n : Today men ask "Who b e lo n g s to
you r church?" Imply o n ly ig n o r a n t b e lie v e SDA
id e a s . S corn , r i d i c u l e , s t i l l u sed to d a y .
(a ) Example: F a g a l's e x p e r ie n c e as sm a ll boy
in S ch en ecta d y ; non-SDA aunt c a l le d SDAs
"m otley crow d."
(b) A p p lic a tio n :
I s t h i s th e way you judge
tr u th ?

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451

F.

III.

Nicodemus s ta n d s t o d efen d C h r is t i n d i r e c t l y ( " D o t h our

law ju dge any man b e fo r e h e a r in g him?")
1. R oadblock worked, te m p o r a r ily .
2 . But Sanhedrin en raged .
a . R e to r t to Nicodem us: "Art th o u a ls o o f G a lile e ?
Look, s e e ; out o f G a lile e a r i s e t h no p r o p h e t."
(1) Were wrong; G a lile e had had th r e e : Jonah,
H osea, and Nahum.
(2) A p p lic a tio n : p e o p le dont s t i c k to f a c t s when
b e n t on d i s c r e d i t i n g .
b . Nicodemus now r i d i c u l e d , ta u n te d .
(1) R e a liz e d f o l l y o f tr y in g t o hang on to b oth
w o r ld s .
(a) L o st r e s p e c t o f C h r is t s f o llo w e r s .
(b) L ost r e s p e c t o f c o lle a g u e s , in S an h ed rin .
c.
In g iv in g C h r is t n o t what was r i g h t , bu t what was
l e f t , h e 'd l o s t e v e r y th in g .

SCENE THREE:

CLOSE OF CHRIST'S LIFE

A.

Josep h and Nicodemus m eet a t C alvary.

1. N e ith e r had been c a l l e d t o s e c r e t s e s s i o n o f Sanhedrin
which condemned C h r is t; were now o s t r a c iz e d .
2. T his tim e th ey c o u ld n t sa v e Him; to o l a t e f o r
r o a d b lo c k s .
3. Joseph s e e k s P i l a t e ' s p e r m is sio n to bury C h r is t in h is
own new tom b.
a . Why d id Josep h own tomb in J eru sa lem in s t e a d o f in
Arim athea?
b . Jews b e lie v e d J eru sa lem w ould be s i t e where
r e s u r r e c t io n o f dead would f i r s t b e g in .
c . J osep h worked hard t o g e t t h i s tomb: v e ry expen
s iv e .
d. In rem orse, he g iv e s C h r is t tomb.
(1) P reclu d ed any fa m ily member u s in g i t la t e r ;
Roman law p r o h ib it e d r e u se o f tomb.
4. Nicodemus went t o c i t y , g o t "hu ndred-w eight" o f myrrh,
a lo e s f o r embalming; v e r y c o s t l y .
5 . S o , two s e c r e t d i s c i p l e s come, to o l a t e , b e a r in g
c o s tly g i f t s .
a . Remorse: "Why d id n 't we g iv e Him what was
' r i g h t '?"
b . Spent Sabbath in r e - s tu d y o f OT p r o p h e c ie s .
c . C le a r e r u n d e rsta n d in g r e s u lt e d ; v ery th in g th a t
cau sed d i s c i p l e s to run away co n v in ced Nicodemus
J e su s was M essiah .

B.

Nicodemus ta k e s h i s s ta n d p u b l ic ly t o be a C h r is tia n .
1. N ever w ent back on th a t p le d g e .
2 . When C h r is tia n s p e r s e c u te d , he came b o ld ly t o fr o n t;
u sed a l l h i s w e a lth to su p p o rt i n f a n t C h r is tia n church.
3. Scorned and p e r s e c u te d by th o se who p a id him homage in
e a r l i e r d a y s.

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452

4.

But a t l a s t he i s happy; co m p lete p ea ce from , a t lo n g

l a s t , g iv in g C h r is t n o t w hat was " l e f t , 1* b u t what was
" r ig h t ."

CONCLUSION
A.

By Gods g r a c e , I want to do th e same th in g to d a y g iv e

s e l f anew t o God.
1. I want t o g iv e a l l .
2 . I f any s e c r e t d i s c i p l e s h e r e , a s s u r e you i t d o e s n 't
work; n e v e r h a s .

B.

Would you l i k e to j o in me in d e d ic a t in g y o u r s e lv e s anew to

God?

C.

P rayer o f r e d e d ic a t io n .

S t y le

S t y le i s "an in str u m en t o f co m m u n ica tio n ," 1 a c o n s t it u e n t o f

r h e to r ic (th e th ir d canon, f o r th e a n c ie n t s , a f t e r in v e n t io n and a r ra n g e
ment); and s t y l e i s con cern ed c h i e f l y w ith two problem s in la n g u a g e:
(1) wordc h o ic e ,

and (2) th e su b seq u en t arrangem ent o f

th e ch osen w ords.

As C icero p o in te d o u t, th e s p e a k e r 's d u ty , a t t h i s p o in t , i s " to c lo t h e

and deck h is th o u g h ts w ith la n g u a g e."
There are perhaps as many d i f f e r e n t d e f i n i t i o n s o f s t y l e as
there are r h e t o r ic ia n s .

B u ffo n s th rea d b a re epigram (" S ty le i s th e man")

has a lim ite d s u g g e s t iv e n e s s , bu t i t may b e a dangerous o v e r s imp l i f i c a tio n .

To S w ift, s t y l e was "proper words in p ro p er p la c e s " ;

t o Lord

C h e ste r fie ld , "the d r e ss o f th o u g h ts" ;^ to Genung, "the s k i l l f u l a d a p ta

tio n o f e x p r e ssio n t o th o u g h t" ;5 and to M i l l s , " th e mode o f l i n g u i s t i c
1
Thonssen and B a ird , 406.

3C ited in M i l l s , 2 6 7 .

^ C ited in H a n c e -R a lp h -W ik se ll, 2 1 3 .

De O r a to r e , Bohn E d it io n , 178, 24 2 .

5C ited in Thonssen and B a ird , 40 5 .

......

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453

e x p r essio n as c o n d itio n e d by th e s p e a k e r , th e s u b j e c t , and th e

purpose."^
The need to g iv e c a r e f u l c o n s id e r a t io n to m a tters o f s t y l e i s
h ig h lig h te d by B rig a n c e, who rem inds us t h a t men th in k in im a g e s --o r ,
r a th e r , a s u c c e s s io n o f im a g es.
s ta te d i s n ev er p r e se n te d " ;
phrase i t ,

can le a d i t . "

Henry James rem arked, "What i s m erely

and R o b esp iere a p t ly c o n clu d ed , "He who can

I n c id e n ta l t o m a tter s o f word c h o ic e and arrangem ent o f words

s t r u c t u r a lly , t h i s s tu d y w i l l c o n s id e r a d d i t io n a lly th e u se o f f ig u r a
t iv e elem en ts in sp eech and th e d i s t i n c t i o n betw een w r it t e n and o r a l
s ty le .

Word Choice

We have a lr e a d y n o te d th e o b s e r v a tio n s o f P e te r M arsh all ("The

use o f th e r ig h t w ord, th e e x a c t word, i s th e d if f e r e n c e b etw een a p en
c i l w ith a sharp p o in t and a t h ic k crayon"5 ) and Mark Twain ("The
d iffe r e n c e betw een th e r ig h t word and th e a lm o st r ig h t word i s th e d i f
feren ce betw een lig h t n in g and th e li g h t n in g b u g " ^ ); b u t, th e q u e s tio n
p e r s i s t s , j u s t what is_ th e " r ig h t" word?

What c r i t e r i a may be em ployed

to guide us in i t s s e l e c t i o n ?
This in v e s t ig a t o r has exam ined n e a r ly one dozen b a s ic sp eech
tex tb o o k s, from as many d i f f e r e n t contem porary t h e o r e t ic i a n s ; and each

1C ited in M i l l s , 267.
2

York:

W illiam Norwood B r ig a n c e , Speech C o m p o sitio n , 2nd ed .

A p p le to n -C e n tu r y -C r o fts, I n c . , 1 9 5 3 ), 199.
5C ited in M ills , 2 6 8 -6 9 .
5M arsh all, A Man C a lle d P e te r , 192.

(New

^ C ited in i b i d .
^ C ited in F le s c h , 4 2 1 .

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454

o ffe r s a s l i g h t l y d i f f e r e n t c o n s tr u c t o f th e q u a l i t i e s o f good s t y l e .
There are c e r t a in common denom inators in th e v a r io u s l i s t s ; b u t , fo r
th is w r it e r , th e most com prehensive s ta te m e n t i s found in H ance-R alphW ik se ll's l i s t o f fo u r q u a l i t i e s .
i f i t e x h ib it s (1) c l a r i t y ,
a d a p t a b ilit y .1

For them, a s p e a k e r 's s t y l e i s good

(2 ) f o r c e f u l n e s s ,

C3) v i v i d n e s s , and (4)

L et u s , t h e r e f o r e , exam ine th e serm ons o f W illia m Fagal

in the l i g h t o f th e s e c r i t e r i a t o a s c e r t a in so m eth in g o f th e F agal

speaking s t y l e .
C la r it y .- - J o u b e r t remarked th a t "Words, l i k e g l a s s e s , ob scu re
everyth ing th ey do n o t make c le a r " ;

and we have a lr e a d y n o te d Quin

t i l i a n ' s ductum th a t th e sp e a k e r i s o b lig e d to u se langu age n o t m erely

that i t "may be u n d e r sto o d , b u t t h a t i t cannot be m isu n d e r sto o d ."
C la r it y , f o r t h i s w r it e r , in v o lv e s s i m p l i c i t y , b r e v i t y , f a m i l i
a r ity , accuracy o r c o r r e c t n e s s , and c o n c r e te n e s s .
James R u s s e ll L ow ell e x t o l l e d th e u se o f sim p le words in h i s
poem on "The Shepherd o f King Admetus":
His words w ere sim p le words enough ,
And y e t he u sed them s o ,
That what in o th e r mouths was rough
In h is seem ed m u sic a l and lo w .4
S ir Winston C h u r c h ill, whose m astery in h a n d lin g th e words o f
h is b eloved E n g lish language w i l l p ro b a b ly n o t be su r p a s se d i n t h i s
century, d e c la r e d t h a t c l a r i t y and s i m p l i c i t y w ere m a tte r s o f le n g th and
fa m ilia r ity :

"Sh ort words a re b e s t , and th e o ld words when s h o r t are

^ a n c e -R a lp h -W ik s e ll, 2 19.
2C ited in F le s c h , 421.
^I n s t i t u t e s o f O ra to ry , Book V II I , Chap. I I , No. 24.
^Cited in B o h l, 3 6 5 :1 1 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

455

b e s t o f a l l , " * a p o in t w ith w hich W ill Rogers was in t o t a l agreem ent:

I lo v e w ords, b u t I d o n 't l i k e s tr a n g e o n e s . You d o n 't
understand them, and th e y d o n 't u n d ersta n d y o u . Old words
is lik e
o ld f r ie n d s , you know 'em th e m inute you s e e 'em.^
And the famous D utch-born a r c h i t e c t Ludwig M ies Van der Rohe m ight as
e a s il y have been t a lk in g about c l a r i t y o f s t y l e as about b e a u ty in
b u ild in g s when he l a i d down h i s law:

"L ess i s m ore."

In an attem p t to a n a ly z e th e words in W illia m F a g a l's sermons f o r

c la r i t y , one paragraph was chosen a t random from each o f th e te n mes
sages under

r e v ie w .

The w ord -cou n t f o r th e v a r io u s p a s s a g e s ranged

a low o f 36

to a h ig h o f 92 p e r p aragrap h , w ith a combined t o t a l o f 622

words, a f a i r l y r e p r e s e n t a t iv e sa m p lin g .
In terms o f th e C h u r c h illia n id e a l o f s h o r t n e s s , th e words were
f i r s t a n alyzed in terms o f l e t t e r - l e n g t h and s y l l a b l e - l e n g t h .

As w i l l

be noted from th e d a ta on T able 4 , w hich appears on th e f o llo w in g p a g e,

nearly h a l f (44.5% ), or 277 o f th e 622 t o t a l sam p le, a re t h r e e - o r fo u r le t t e r w ords.

And n e a r ly t h r e e - f o u r t h s

(73.1% ), or 455 o f th e 622 w ords,

are o f o n e - s y lla b l e d u r a tio n , e v id e n c e th a t W illiam F agal sh a r es

C h u r c h ill's id e a l o f " sh ort" w ords.
L ength, a lo n e , i s n o t n e c e s s a r i l y a com prehensive c r i t e r i o n fo r
c la r it y .

Words have m e a n in g s --c o n n o ta tiv e and d e n o t a t iv e - - a s w e ll as

l e t t e r s ; and so th e words o f th e sam ple paragraphs were n e x t checked

a g a in st Edward L. T h o rn d ik e's a u t h o r it a t iv e v o c a b u la r y o f words most

* C ited in F le s c h , 42 1 . On a n o th er o c c a s io n , C h u r c h ill p u c k ish ly

d ecla red , " P e r so n a lly , I l i k e s h o r t words and v u lg a r f r a c t i o n s ."
( I b id . , 3 4 8 .)
^ C ited in i b i d . , 421.
1959.

^From " R e str a in t in D e sig n ," New York H era ld -T rib u n e, June 2 8 ,
-------------------------

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

from

commonly used in " stan d ard E n g lis h r e a d in g m atter" t o s e e how th ey

measure up to th e Rogers id e a l o f f a m i l i a r i t y . 1

TABLE 4
WORD-LENGTH OF WORDS IN SELECTED PARAGRAPHS
FROM WILLIAM A. FAGAL'S SERMONS

L e t te r Count

No. o f L e t te r s
Per Word

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11-17

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

S y lla b le Count

No. o f
Words

No. o f S y lla b le s
Per Word

No. o f
Words

16
106
138
139
81
41
35
20
20
11
15

1
2
3
4
5
6

455
118
35
6
5
3

. .

622

622

The T horndike work has among i t s

. . . . .
. ,
. . .
. , . . .

t a b le s a g e n e r a l l i s t o f 1 0 ,2 8 5

words, w ith a fre q u e n c y u se r a n g in g from a t l e a s t one occu ren ce p er

m illio n w ords, fo r th e l e s s - f a m i l i a r , t o 100 o r more o ccu rren ces p er
m illio n fo r th e m o r e -fa m ilia r ; and a seco n d l i s t o f f e r in g th e 500 most
commonly used words in th e E n g lis h la n g u a g e.

^Edward L. Thorndike and I r v in g L orge, The T ea ch er's Word Book

o f 30,000 Words (New York: Columbia U n iv e r s it y Teachers C o lle g e , 1 9 4 4 ).

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

457
A g la n c e a t th e data in T able 5 below q u ic k ly r e v e a ls t h a t more
than 8 out o f 10 o f W illiam F a g a l's words are in th e m o st-u se d c a te g o r y
of 100 or more tim es p e r m il lio n .

Even more i n t e r e s t i n g i s th e f a c t

that more than t h r e e -fo u r th s o f th e s e words (75.9% ), or 472 o f th e 622

in the t o t a l sam p le, are l i s t e d among T h o rn d ik e's 500 m ost commonly-used
words.

A lthough th e Thorndike work has two d i s t i n c t d is a d v a n ta g e s to

the stu d en t o f o r a l s t y l e , ^ i t s t i l l has th e m erit o f b e in g th e b e s t

guide to w o r d -fa m ilia r ity a v a ila b le a t th e p r e s e n t tim e ; and from th e
data shown below som ethin g o f W illia m F a g a l's p r e d i l e c t i o n f o r f a m ilia r
words which w i l l be r e a d ily grasp ed by h is h e a r e r s may be n o te d .

TABLE 5
WORD-FAMILIARITY OF WORDS IN SELECTED PARAGRAPHS
FROM WILLIAM A. FAGAL'S SERMONS

Frequency o f O ccurrence
(p er m illio n )

No. o f
Words

P e t. o f
T o ta l

100 or more tim es

50 to 99 tim es
1 to 49 tim es
Words n o t l i s t e d

520
46
54
2

83.6%
7.4%
8.7%
.3%

622

100.0%

T o ta ls

The Thorndike work i s now a q u a r te r -c e n tu r y o u t o f d a t e , a t a

time when our language i s in a c o n tin u in g s t a t e o f e v o lu t io n . More
im portant, how ever, i s th e f a c t th a t th e words s e l e c t e d are ta k en from
"standard E n g lish rea d in g m a tte r ." Because o f d i f f e r e n c e s b etw een o r a l
and w r itte n s t y l e , to be s p e lle d out in d e t a i l b e lo w , c e r t a in words in
the Fagal o r a l vocab u lary ( c o n t r a c t io n s , f o r exam ple) appear o n ly i n f r e
quently in th e w r itte n mode, b u t much more f r e q u e n t ly in th e o r a l . Were
allow ances made f o r t h e s e , h is f a m i l i a r i t y - r a t i n g would be even h ig h e r !

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458

W hile s i m p l i c i t y i s th e acknow ledged g o a l, " k in d e r g a rten sim

p l i c i t y i s n o t th e d esid era tu m " ; and, a s H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell so a p t ly
p o in t o u t, " I t i s p o s s i b l e f o r a sp ea k er t o a c h ie v e s i m p l i c i t y o f s t y l e
w ithout b e in g i n f a n t i l e o r d u l l . " 1

A sam p lin g from W illia m F a g a ls

words in th e " l e a s t fa m ilia r " c a te g o r y (25 o c cu rr e n c es p e r m i l lio n down

to one per m i l l i o n - - t h e fr e q u e n c y f o r ea ch i s in d ic a te d ) in d ic a t e t h a t
the Fagal v o c a b u la r y , even in t h i s r a n g e , i s n e v e r t h e le s s c h a r a c t e r iz e d
by c o n c r e te n e ss and s p e c i f i c i t y , f a c t o r s in s e p a r a b le from c l a r i t y :
24
22
19
18
15
14
13
11
10

ig n o r a n t
w a n tin g
p r o p o s it io n
Jesu s
fu rth erm ore
a n t ic i p a t e d
d e te c tiv e s
jo y o u s
to ll

7 - warden
6 - g ir d
5 - Eskimo
needy
3 - s h ir k in g
p e n it e n t ia r y
2 - u n lea rn ed
1 - m isdeeds
e v ild o e r s

I n t e r e s t i n g l y , o n ly two o f th e 622 words i n th e F a g a l sam ple

were not l i s t e d in th e T horndike v o c a b u la r y both words w ith s tr o n g B ib
l i c a l a s s o c ia t io n :

" B eth an y," a community on th e s lo p e s o f th e Mount o f

O lives n ear J eru sa lem ; and " c r o s s ," th e in stru m en t u sed by Rome f o r
i n f l i c t i n g c a p i t a l punishm ent upon non-Roman s u b j e c t s .

F o r c e f u ln e s s . --A sec o n d c o n s t it u e n t o f good s t y l e i s th e q u a l it y

o f f o r c e f u ln e s s , which g iv e s through th e words ch osen a d r iv e , e x c i t e
ment, and a d i r e c t , e n e r g e t i c , anim ated u rg en cy .
E rn est Hemingway, in h is Death in th e A fte r n o o n , lam ented th e
fla b b in e ss w hich has c r e p t i n t o our language tod ay when he s a i d , " A ll
our words from lo o s e u s in g have l o s t t h e i r edge." ^

And Amy L ow ell s u g

g ested an i n t e r e s t i n g c o n t r a s t in h e r c o u p le t:
1

H a n c e -R a lp h -W ik se ll, 2 2 1 .

C ite d in B o h le , 4 5 1 :5 .

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459

A ll books are e i t h e r dreams o r sw o rd s,

You can c u t or you can drug w ith w o r d s .*
Miss L o w e ll's o b s e r v a tio n i s as tr u e o f th e o r a l word as i t i s o f th e
w r itte n --p e r h a p s even more so !
The h o m ile t ic ia n s Broadus and W eatherspoon, who c o n sid e r e d
"energy" as one o f th e th r e e c h i e f r e q u i s i t e s o f a good p r e a c h in g s t y l e ,
su g g e st th a t th e r e must b e e v id e n c e o f " v ig o r o u s t h in k in g , e a r n e s t i f
not p a s s io n a te f e e l i n g , and th e d eterm in ed p u rp o se to a cco m p lish some
o b je c t."

A ls o , the p r e a c h e r must have " som eth in g to sa y . . . so m eth in g

regarded as e x c e e d in g ly im p o r ta n t."
How d o es W illiam F agal a c h ie v e t h i s f o r c e f u l n e s s , t h i s i n s i s t e n t
d ir e c tn e s s w hich com pels th e a t t e n t i o n o f h i s h e a r e r s ?

I m p l i c i t l y , he

dem onstrates a consuming con cern f o r th e i n d i v i d u a l a q u a l it y o f w hich

a l l h is sermons p a r ta k e .
th is f a c t .

He c a r e s .

And h i s l i s t e n e r s i n t u i t i v e l y s e n s e

He i s p o s s e s s e d , in th e words o f a f a m ilia r g o s p e l s o n g ,

w ith a " love th a t w i l l n o t l e t me g o ."

I t i s th e r e k in d le d p a s s io n o f a

Hosea ("How s h a l l I g iv e th e e up, Ephraim ?"^) o r o f an E z e k ie l ("Turn y e ,

turn ye from your e v i l w ays; f o r why w i l l y e d i e , 0 h ou se o f I s r a e l? " ^ ) .
In s h o r t, i t i s th e " old wine" o f a Shepherd s e a r c h in g w ith u n r e q u ite d
love fo r th a t one l o s t sh e e p , p u t up in th e "new b o t t l e s " o f a 2 0 th
Century p u lp it r h e t o r ic .
With e a r n e s t n e s s , he d e c la r e s a fu ndam en tal b e l i e f :

"I'M COM

PLETELY CONVINCED th a t ev ery o n e . . . can have th e c e r t a in t y t h a t God

w ill guide h is lif e ," '* b e c a u se "God knows a l l o f us by name."

He c a r e s

for the in d iv id u a l; "and HE WILL GIRD US [as He d id k in g C yru s], h e lp in g

us."^
1 .
C ite d in i b i d . , 6 5 : 4 .
3Hosea 1 1 :8 .

Broadus and W eatherspoon, 2 5 2 -5 3 .

4E z e k ie l 3 3 :1 1 .

5TV Sermon # 3 7 1 , 1.

6 I b id .

...
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"BUILD YOUR LIFE around J e su s C h r is t," ^ he p le a d s w ith p a r e n ts

who are a c t i v e l y c o n s id e r in g d iv o r c e .

"BE A CONQUEROR, NOT A FUGITIVE,"

he admonishes th e TV l i s t e n e r who i s tem pted t o run away from a m essed-up

lif e :

" I f you know o f som eth in g w hich you sh o u ld DO RIGHT NOW [ t o make

th in g s r ig h t w ith e i t h e r God or m an], THEN DO IT , in th e s tr e n g th o f

C h r ist.
I t i s , h ow ever, in th e p u lp it serm ons, where F agal i s p h y s i c a l l y
" e y e b a ll- t o - e y e b a ll" w ith h i s h e a r e r s , th a t he e x h ib i t s a d eg ree o f
in t e n s it y th a t i s seld om ap p aren t in th e t e l e v i s i o n m essa g es.
N ote th e i n s i s t e n t ap p ea l in th e s e th r e e d i f f e r e n t serm ons:
Have you had an e x p e r ie n c e w ith J e su s C h r is t w hich has
changed your l i f e ? . . . Have you met Him? Has He tou ch ed
you? Has He changed you? . . . I f you h a v e n 't had an
e x p e rie n c e w ith Him, you CAN'T GET ONE ANY EARLIER. . . .
BUT YOU CAN GET ONE TODAY, a t th e c lo s e o f t h i s Sabbath.
You can p la c e your l i f e in th e hands o f J e su s C h r ist . . .
BEFORE THE DAY ENDS. . . . 3
I hope w e ' l l CARRY WITH US A CERTAINTY th a t J e su s C h r is t
lo v e s us and b e l i e v e s in u s . He s e e s th e b e s t in u s , and
wants to h e lp us a c h ie v e t h a t . And I hope w e ' l l RESPOND TO
THAT CONFIDENCE and BE THE KIND OF MEN AND WOMEN th a t we
WANT to be and OUGHT t o be and MUST b e , t o have a p la c e in
His kingdom .4
T onight someone may have come to t h i s m eetin g f e e l i n g
d ep ressed and d isc o u r a g e d about h i s own s i n f u l s t a t e , f e e l
in g th a t he w ants to be a C h r is t ia n , b u t i t ' s n o t f o r him ,
he j u s t c a n 't make i t . . . . T o n ig h t, someone h ere may s a y ,
"I am s i n f u l , v e r y s i n f u l . " And you may b e!
But, THE
WORSE YOU ARE, THE MORE YOU NEED JESUS. Remember, "He tu rn s
no w eep in g, c o n t r i t e one away. . . . He b id s e v er y trem b lin g
so u l tak e c o u r a g e ." . . . IF GOD COULD SAVE A MARY, HE CAN
SAVE ANYBODY, c a n 't He? . . . I DON'T CARE IF YOUR SINS HAVE
BEEN AS SCARLET, t h e y ' l l be w h ite as snow. HE WANTS TO SAVE
YOU.
WILL YOU LET HIM? TAKE COURAGE TONIGHT: REACH OUT TO
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. GIVE HIM WHAT YOU HAVE; l e t Him u se
you. 5
1I b id . , #349, 2 .
3

Sermon on P aul a t C o r in th , 1 8 -1 9 .

2 I b i d . , #3 5 8 , 2.
^Sermon on Andrew, 11.

5"God's B lin d S p o t," 12.

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V iv id n e s s . A t h ir d c o n s t it u e n t o f good s t y l e i s th e q u a lit y o f
v iv id n e s s , th a t a p p ea l to s e n s o r y im p r e s s io n s , to human e x p e r ie n c e , to
the em otion s, in words f i l l e d w ith im agery and e x p r e s s e d w ith an e le g a n t ,
ornate b ea u ty t h a t con veys th e th o u g h t w ith o u t draw ing a t t e n t io n to
its e lf.

For, as Broadus and W eatherspoon rem ind u s , "The b e s t s t y l e

a tt r a c ts l e a s t a t t e n t io n to i t s e l f " ; ^ and, a g a in , " S ty le i s e x c e l l e n t

when, lik e th e atm osph ere, i t shows th e th o u g h t, b u t i t s e l f i s n o t
,.2
s e e n ."

Words a re means to an en d , fo r th e p r e a ch er ; n o t an end in them

s e lv e s .
Beecher.

"A ll words a re p eg s t o hang id e a s on," a c co r d in g to Henry Ward

3

E lin o r Hoyt W ylie g iv e s us some id e a o f th e g o a l o f th e o r a to r ,

as w e ll as o f th e p o e t , in h e r q u a tr a in from " P r e tty Words":
I lo v e smooth w ord s, l i k e g o ld -en a m eled f i s h
Which c i r c l e s lo w ly w ith a s i l k e n s w is h ,
And te n d e r w ords, l i k e d o w n y -fea th ered b ir d s :
Words shy and d a p p led , d e e p -e y e d d eer in h e r d s .
Fagal i s a t h is b e s t in t h i s a r ea o f v iv id n e s s in th e t e l l i n g o f
s t o r ie s o f p e r s o n a l e x p e r ie n c e s .

N ote th e h ig h e v o c a t iv e , em o tiv e q u a l

i t y in t h is d e s c r ip t io n o f W illia m C u llen B ryan t, a lr e a d y c i t e d :

One BLEAK, AUTUMN day, a New England BOY l e f t HOME,
STARTING OUT f o r th e FIRST TIME t o FACE THE WORLD. N atu
r a l l y , he f e l t LONELY and HOMESICK. B ut, above a l l , he was
TROUBLED and CONCERNED about h is FUTURE. J u s t th e n , he
happened to s e e a w a ter fo w l, WINGING i t s way southw ard,
guided by i t s WONDERFUL INSTINCT. YOUNG W illiam C u llen
Bryant was INSTANTLY REMINDED o f h i s FAITH and BASIC CONFI
DENCE in GOD'S CARE f o r h is own l i f e .
With RENEWED
ASSURANCE, he w r o te . . . .5

*Broadus and W eatherspoon, 2 26.

^ C ited in T honssen and B a ird , 4 1 2 .

^ C ited in B o h le , 4 5 0 :9 .

4C ite d in i b i d . , 4 5 2 :9 .

5TV Sermon # 3 7 1 , 1.

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462
In th e sermon on Paul a t C o rin th , we n o te th e im agery a s F agal
begins p a in tin g word p ic t u r e s w ith s w i f t , d e f t s tr o k e s o f h i s g o s p e l
brush a g a in s t th e broad canvas p r o v id e d by th e New T estam ent:
Of P a u l, he s a y s:
I 'v e th ou gh t o f him as b e in g BOLD, and AGGRESSIVE, and
FEARING NOTHING, PREACHING th e g o s p e l w herever he had a
chance. I t n ev er o c cu rr e d to me th a t h e 'd e v e r had a tim e
o f NERVOUSNESS, and th a t h e 'd e v e r SHAKE WITH FEAR, and
th at h e 'd e v e r be WEAK. But h e r e he sa y s he w as, when he
went to C o r in th .*
In h is b e s t " e x is t e n t ia l" manner, F agal t r i e s t o " g e t in s id e " h is c h a r
a c te r s , to d is c o v e r what i t i s t h a t "makes them t ic k " - - o r n o t t i c k .

As

a preacher h im s e lf , he can u n d ersta n d a p r e a c h e r 's f a i l u r e ; and graph

i c a l l y he p o r tr a y s P a u l's in n e r con cern and qualms as he le a v e s A thens
for Corinth:
As Paul w alked on h i s way toward h i s n e x t appointm ent
. . . I'm su re he was ASKING HIMSELF some PRETTY BIG QUES
TIONS. Any tim e a man s e t s ou t to SAVE SOULS, and fin d s
th at IT HASN'T WORKED, he ask s h im s e lf - - o r sh o u ld ask him
s e l f some p r e t t y b ig q u e s tio n s :
"WHAT'S WRONG?" "WHY th e
FAILURE?" . . . "WHY DIDN'T I HAVE SUCCESS back th e r e ? " 2
S w itch in g n e x t to th e c o u p le in whose home P au l w ould r e s id e in
C orinth, Fagal f i r s t e x p la in s why th e y were somewhat d is c o u r a g e d , h a v in g
been banished from Rome by im p e r ia l e d ic t in th e l a t e s t campaign o f
an ti-S em itism , in which C h r is tia n s sh a red in th e u n e n v ia b le f a l l o u t :
A c q u illa and P r i s c i l l a TRUDGED on t h e i r way to C o rin th .
They'd PAID a PRETTY BIG PRICE back th e r e in Rome fo r t h e i r
FAITH. They'd TALKED, th e y 'd WITNESSED, and WHERE'D IT
GOTTEN THEM? They had to LEAVE t h e ir BUSINESS, t h e i r HOME,
th e ir PROFESSION, and FIND a NEW PLACE to START ALL OVER
AGAIN.
I suppose as th ey w alk ed , th e y g o t to th in k in g to
th em selves, "Maybe i t m ight be a good id e a o v er th e r e in
Corinth i f we j u s t TOOK IT EASY f o r a w h ile .
L e t 's n o t
1
Sermon on Paul a t C o rin th , 1 -2 .

9
z I b id . ,

4.

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TALK our RELIGION. L e t 's j u s t k in d o f LAY LOW f o r a w h ile

and s e e i f we can d e c id e what t o d o .^
In h i s sermon on Mary M agdalene, th e whole o f w hich i s an
e x c e lle n t example o f l u c i d , g r a p h ic d e s c r ip t io n , F agal f i r s t d e s c r ib e s
the s it u a t io n in th e v i l l a g e a f t e r th e s c a n d a l le a k s ou t t h a t Mary h as
had an " a ffa ir " :
And p e o p le began to t a lk :
m others t o l d t h e i r d a u g h ters t o
HAVE NOTHING TO DO w ith t h i s g i r l , t h i s AWFUL GIRL. O lder
women CLUCKED t h e i r DISDAIN when t h i s YOUNG, CAREFREE
SPRITE came a lo n g . The o ld e r men, i t seem ed, were making
CRUDE and CRUEL JOKES around h e r ; and th e younger men j u s t
SMILED KNOWINGLY a t one a n o th e r as sh e p a s s e d b y . And l i f e
became q u it e UNBEARABLE f o r Mary th e r e in B e th a n y .2
L ater, a f t e r h a v in g b een r e s c u e d from s in in Magdala by J e s u s ,
Mary b a c k s lid in t o h er o ld abandoned ways w hich sh e had f a l l e n in t o
a ft e r d e p a r tin g Bethany:
One day as sh e s to o d t h e r e i n t h a t CROWD, l i s t e n i n g t o
J e su s, someone SIDLED UP to h e r someone who had known h e r
back in B ethany, someone who had known som eth in g about h er
in Magdala. She was LONELY and FRUSTRATED. She c e r t a i n l y
had ACHIEVED a g r e a t d e a l.
J e su s had done a l o t f o r h e r .
But when THIS MAN CAME ALONG and t a lk e d to h er t h e r e , i t
j u s t seemed as i f he AWAKENED w ith in h e r some o f th e OLD
DESIRES and OLD LONGINGS. And, d e s p it e h e r s e l f , sh e FELL,
she BACKSLID, WENT RIGHT BACK INTO SIN a g a i n .3
I f , as John C o n sta b le h a s d e c la r e d , "We s e e t r u ly n o th in g u n t i l
we understand i t , " ^ th en th e a b i l i t y to c u l t i v a t e th e t a l e n t f o r v i v i d
d e s c r ip tio n so th a t our h e a r e r s may t r u l y " u n d e r sta n d " --w ith in t h e ir
innerm ost s e l v e s i s o f param ount im p o rta n c e.

P e te r M arsh all b e l i e v e d ,

so h is widow C ath erin e r e p o r te d a f t e r h i s d e a th , " th a t th e u se o f s a n c

t i f i e d im a g in a tio n , th e p a in t in g o f word p i c t u r e s , u s in g th e v e h i c le o f
a s to r y , was J e s u s ' method o f t e a c h in g .

I t w i l l fo r e v e r be . . . th e

^I b id . , 6 .

2 ,,God's B lin d S p o t," 3.

^ I b id ., 4.

^ C ited in F le s c h , 401.

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most e f f e c t i v e m eth od ." 1

W illia m F agal sh a r e s w ith P e te r M a rsh a ll th a t

p r ic e le s s g i f t f o r v i v i d d e s c r ip t i o n .
A d a p t a b ilit y . - -The fo u r th and f i n a l c o n s t it u e n t o f good s t y l e i s
the q u a lit y o f a d a p t a b il it y th e g i f t o f " f i t t i n n e s s ," as th e o ld
colored s la v e spoke o f i t ,

o r a p p r o p r ia te n e s s .

The c o n tin u in g n e c e s s i t y

to adapt on e s m essage (and m ethodb u t a d is c u s s io n o f t h i s comes la t e r )

to the s p e c i f i c o c c a s io n and th e s p e c i f i c a u d ien ce i s a problem e v e r w ith
the sp eak er.

For no two a u d ie n c e s are a lik e - - a n d d if f e r e n c e s o f a g e ,

occu p ation , s o c i a l l e v e l , e d u c a tio n a l l e v e l , e t c . , and th e i n t e r e s t s and

p reoccu p ation s in h e r e n t in each grou p , p o se a gen u in e problem to th e
speaker.
W illiam F agal i s a m in is t e r ; and, as s u c h , he sp eak s f o r God.
I t i s not s u r p r is in g , t h e r e f o r e , t h a t most o f h i s sermon c o n te n t i s
extrem ely B i b l i c a l l y - o r i e n t e d , i m p l i c i t l y a s w e ll as e x p l i c i t l y .

The

measured p ro se o f th e s t a t e l y "King James" V e rsio n p erm eates a p u l p i t

vocabulary th a t has been b a p tiz e d

(by t o t a l im m ersio n !) in i t .

In t a lk in g to a camp m e e tin g a u d ie n c e , he draws an i l l u s t r a t i o n

from a p e r so n a l e x p e r ie n c e he has r e c e n t ly h a d - - a t a n o th er camp m e e tin g ,
about a s in g e r who was in tr o d u c e d in a r a th e r em b a rra ssin g manner, an
i l l u s t r a t i o n c i t e d above.

To th e members o f th e B a t t le Creek T a b e m a c le --o n e o f A dvent

ism 's o ld e s t c o n g r e g a tio n s in N orth America (an d , as a c o n seq u e n c e, one
th at i s very s t a t u s - c o n s c io u s , p r id in g i t s e l f on i t s p r e e m in e n c e )--F a g a l
ta lk s about nam e-dropping.

And in an a s id e (w hich drew a r o a r o f la u g h

te r from the au d ien ce) about " p o l i t i c i a n s " in th e c h u r c h --a t o p i c th a t

-*-A Man C a lle d P e t e r , 192.

2Sermon on Andrew, 5 - 6 .

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465

would have s p e c i a l m eaning i n B a t t le Creek f o r h i s h e a r e r s --F a g a l

s a id :
And th e y had one more man t o be proud o f back th e r e
[b esid e C r is p u s ] I'm s u r e th e y ta lk e d about him a l o t . . . .
And do you know who he was? He was th e C ity T rea su rer o f
C orinth! T h e r e 's a b ig name f o r y o u a r e a l , l i v e p o l i t i
cia n came out and jo in e d t h e i r church. . . . We d o n 't g e t
many p o l i t i c i a n s t o j o in our ch u rch es to d a y , do we? We've
got p le n t y o f p o l i t i c i a n s in th e churchwe grow our ownl^
We have a lr e a d y n o te d t h a t i t was t o t h i s N o r d ic -ty p e M idw estern
con gregation th a t he made th e remark about "my t h r i f t y German b lo o d ,"

and b e fo r e whom he lau d ed th e f a c t t h a t h i s f a t h e r worked in a f a c t o r y

("I have n o th in g b e h in d me as a background . . . j u s t commonness, t h a t ' s
a ll" ) .

These th in g s n o t o n ly h e lp e d him t o i d e n t i f y w ith h i s h e a r e r s ,

they a ls o b e a r w itn e s s t o a un iqu e a b i l i t y t o adapt t o o c c a s io n and to

a u d ien ce.
In h is sermon to th e h ig h s c h o o l and c o l le g e y o u th on Heaven a t
a camp m eetin g , a d a p ta tio n i s s e e n in th e f a c t th a t F agal e la b o r a te d on
h is i l l u s t r a t i o n o f th e " b rid e adorned fo r h e r husband" to a much
g r ea ter degree than he perhaps w ould have b e fo r e a s t r i c t l y a d u lt
aud ien ce.

T ee n -a g er s w ould e s p e c i a l l y be i n t e r e s t e d in such th in g s as

weddings and b r id e s !

A lso o f i n t e r e s t i s th e f a c t th a t F agal appears to

make a g r e a te r u se o f i l l u s t r a t i o n in sermons to young p e o p le than to

a d u lts .
One can, o f c o u r s e , go ov erb o a rd , go to o f a r in p u ttin g h im s e lf
on the l e v e l o f th e c o n g r e g a tio n ; a f a c t F agal le a rn ed t o h is em b arrass
ment a f t e r h is sermon on Andrew.

Once in t h i s sermon h e u sed th e

"^Sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , 12.

2I b id . ,

3.

3 I b i d . , 14.

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466

e x p r e ssio n , "Let him 'drop d e a d ,* " 1 and o n ce, in a r a th e r f l i p ,

remark, he s a id , "I c o u ld n 't ca re l e s s .

o ffh a n d

. . . "

S e v e r a l in th e a u d ie n c e t h a t n i g h t , who p a r t ic ip a t e d in a su rv ey
q u e stio n n a ir e d e s ig n e d t o e l i c i t a u d ien ce r e sp o n se (s e e C hapter V I I ) ,
made i t a p o in t to remark t h a t th e y f e l t such " sla n g " was unworthy o f a
m in iste r s ta n d in g in th e s a c r e d desk!
But th e s e minor e r r o r s o f judgment to th e c o n tr a r y n o tw ith
sta n d in g , i t i s apparent t h a t W illia m F agal i s p a r t i c u l a r l y a d ep t a t
adapting to h is a u d ien ce in m a tter s o f c o n te n t; and in h i s sp ea k in g
s t y le he e x e m p lif ie s ad m irab le q u a l i t i e s in th e a rea s o f c l a r i t y , f o r c e
fu ln e s s , and v iv id n e s s , as w e ll as in a d a p t a b ilit y .

S tru ctu ra l A d a p ta tio n

In a d d itio n to th e s e l e c t i o n o f the w ording o f th e d is c o u r s e ,

speech s t y l i s t s are a ls o co n cern ed w ith the su b se q u e n t s t r u c t u r a l
arrangement o f th e chosen w ord s.

We now, t h e r e f o r e , c o n s id e r t h i s

asp ect o f s t y l e in term s o f paragraph and s e n te n c e s t r u c t u r e and s t r u c

tu r a l d e v ic e s such as th e u se o f d ia lo g u e , r h e t o r i c a l q u e s t io n s ,
r e p e t itio n and r e s ta te m e n t , and com parison and c o n t r a s t .

P a ra g ra p h /sen ten ce s t r u c t u r e .--F rom th e sam ple o f f i v e t e l e

v is io n sermons from W illia m F a g a l's pen we n o te t h a t ea ch m essage
c o n s is ts o f from f i v e t o se v e n p a ra g ra p h s.

T able 6 , on th e fo llo w in g

page, p ro v id es a g r a p h ic i l l u s t r a t i o n o f th e v a r i e t y and c o m p le x ity o f

the paragraphs in th e sam ple s t u d ie d .

The s h o r t e s t paragraph c o n ta in e d

^Sermon on Andrew, 7.
2

I b i d . , 4.

T his sermon i s rep rod uced in Appendix G.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

two s e n te n c e s , th e lo n g e s t 12 s e n t e n c e s .

In terms o f w ord -cou n t, th e

s h o r te s t paragraph c o n ta in e d 29 w ords, th e lo n g e s t 234 w ords.

P ara

graphs fr e q u e n tly b e g in w ith a t o p ic s e n t e n c e , d ev elo p th e th ou gh t

s u c c e s s iv e ly through a d d it io n a l s e n t e n c e s , and draw an in t e r n a l c o n c lu
sio n in a f i n a l s e n te n c e .

TABLE 6
PARAGRAPH SENTENCE STRUCTURE OF
WILLIAM A. FAGAL'S TELEVISION SERMONS

Paragraph

S en ten ce

#349

#351

#358

#367

#371

1
2
3
4

S-21
C-31
S-12
C-17

S-16
S- 8
S- 5
--

C-20
S-22

C-22
S- 8
S -10
CC-57

S-21
S- 9

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

S -20
CC-27
C- 9
C-14
C-16

S - 13
C-21
C -13
C-19
C-14
S- 2
S- 8

S- 8
S- 8
S -ll
S-16
CC- 7

S- 6
C-33
CC-24
C-36

C-20
S- 6
S -ll
C-18
S-20
S- 6
C-28

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

C-22
S - 19
C-56
CC-31
C-23
S -17
C-23

C-52
C-22

S-20
C-14
C-12
C-19
C-31
C-15
C-26
C-27

C-14
C-17
C-30
S-10
S-12
C - ll
C-43
C-22

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

C -35
C-28
C-18
S -ll
CC-31
C-23
CC-17
C-31
C-22
C-18

S- 6
S- 5
C - ll
C-15
C-17
S- 6
C-35

S-12
C-19
C-36
C-15
S- 9
S- 8
S-18

- - -

- -

C-40
C-51
S- 3

C-18
S -2 7
S-22
C-28
C-17
C-19
S - 14
C-20
C -16
C-21
C-21
C-21
S-21
C -16
C-13

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468

TABLE 6 --C o n tin u ed

Paragraph

S en ten ce

#349

#351

#358

#367

#371

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

S -1 4
S- 6
C-15
C-16
---

C -13
S - 13
S-12
CC-25
CC-24
CC-22
C-20

S -1 6
C-12
S-25
C-14
S -21
S -1 2
S -1 4
C-22
C- 7
C-19
C-13
C-32

S- 9
C-19
C-28
C-28
S- 8
S-10
S- 7
S-15
CC-18
C-15

C -ll
CC-17
CC-25
------

----

-_ _

--

--

- -

_ _

VI

CC-60

--

---

VII

1
2
3
4
5

C - ll
C-22
S- 9
S- 7
S - 13

__

__

--

---

__

S - Sim ple s e n t e n c e .
C - Compound s e n t e n c e .
CC - Compound-complex s e n t e n c e .

--------

Numerals in d ic a t e
number o f words
in th e s e n t e n c e .

In th e f i v e t e l e v i s i o n serm ons th e r e w ere 58 sim p le s e n t e n c e s ,

80 compound s e n t e n c e s , and 14 compound-complex s e n t e n c e s .

F a g a l's su b

consciou s p r e fe r e n c e f o r th e compound s e n te n c e may perhaps in d ic a t e

something o f h is concern fo r symmetry and b a la n c e , as w e ll as f o r rhythm.
The appearance o f an o c c a s io n a l p e r io d ic s e n te n c e a ls o h e lp s t o a c h ie v e
th is g o a l.
Table 7, on th e f o llo w in g p a g e , in d ic a t e s th a t in th e sim p le
sen ten ces th e w ord-count average ranged betw een e i g h t (mode) and 14 words
(mean) w ith a median o f 11 w ords.

In th e compound s e n te n c e s th e average

word-count ranged betw een 19 (m edian) and 22 words (mode and m ean).

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469

And in th e compound-complex s e n t e n c e s , th e a v erage w ord -cou n t ranged

between 24 (m edian) and 27 words (m ean ), th e r e b e in g n o t enough s e n
ten ces to d eterm in e a s i n g l e mode.

TABLE 7
PERIODICITY OF SENTENCE LENGTH OF
WILLIAM A. FAGAL'S TELEVISION SERMONS

Type o f S e n ten ce
r

B jfc fii-

Words
P er S e n ten ce

g e n te n c e s

Sim ple

2
3
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
25
27

1
1
2
6
2
7-mode
4
3
3-m edian
5
3
3-mean
1
3
1
1
1
3
4
2
1
1
58

Compound

7
9
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

1
1
4
2
4
5
5
4
4
4
6 -m edian
4

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470

TABLE 7 --C o n tin u ed

Type o f S e n te n c e

Compound-Complex

No. o f Words
Per S en ten ce

No. o f S e n te n c e s

21
22
23
26
27
28
30
31
32
33
35
36
40
43
51
52
56

4
7-mode,mean
3
1
1
5
1
3
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
80

7
17
18
22
24
25
27
31
57
60

1
2
1
1
2 -m edian
2
1-mean
2
1
1
14

The paragraph and s e n te n c e s t r u c t u r e in th e p u l p i t serm ons i s in

many r e s p e c ts s i m i l a r t o th a t o f t h e i r t e l e v i s i o n c o u n te r p a r ts , b u t i t
is d i f f i c u l t to draw many c o n c lu s io n s from th e s t r u c t u r e o f t h e s e p u lp it
messages b eca u se o f problem s in c o n n e c tio n w ith a n a ly s is o f th e p rep a red
te x ts :

(1) No com plete t e x t i s a v a i l a b l e , in th e f i r s t p la c e , b eca u se

that which F agal h im s e lf h as p rep a red and ta k e s w ith him i n t o th e p u lp it

o ften om its s u b s t a n t ia l s e c t i o n s , o f t e n s u b s t i t u t i n g m erely a n o te to

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h im s e lf to r e a d , a t t h i s p o i n t , su c h -a n d -su c h a p a ssa g e from S c r ip t u r e ,

e tc .

(2) More im p o rta n t, how ever, i s th e f a c t th a t a F agal p u l p i t s e r

mon i s n ev er th e same th e sec o n d and s u c c e e d in g tim es i t i s d e liv e r e d .

The m anuscript i s n o t r e w r it t e n ; m a t e r ia ls no lo n g e r to be u sed are
cro ssed o u t, id e a s f o r new i l l u s t r a t i o n s are n o te d in th e m a rg in s, and
F a g a l's g en iu s f o r l o c a l i z i n g h is m essage by way o f a d a p ta tio n to o c c a
s io n and aud ien ce w ith e v e r y new d e l i v e r y soon makes a sham bles o f th e
o r ig in a l m an u scrip t.

B ecause o f t h e s e f a c t s , t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r worked

from t r a n s c r ip t s o f th e s e sermons as a c t u a ll y d e liv e r e d (and r ec o r d e d on

ta p e ); b u t th e n a tu r e o f o r a l d is c o u r s e b e in g what i t i s

(s e e b e lo w ),

th ere are problem s in d e te r m in in g where one s e n te n c e ends and a n o th er

b e g in s , and where one paragraph ends and a n o th e r b e g in s .

D ia lo g u e . --G iv e n W illiam F a g a l's p r o c l i v i t y f o r b io g r a p h ic a l and

n a r r a tiv e -ty p e m a t e r ia ls , i t i s p erh ap s o n ly n a tu r a l t h a t we f in d a su b
s t a n t i a l amount o f q u e s tio n -a n d -a n s w e r , and d ia lo g u e d e v ic e s in h i s
sermons, which p r o v id e one manner in w hich a sp ea k er may e m b e llis h h is
speaking s t y l e .
We have a lr e a d y n o te d above in s t a n c e s o f d ia lo g u e w ith in
an ecd ote-typ e s t o r i e s w hich a re u sed f o r i l l u s t r a t i v e p u r p o se s.

An

example o f th e u se o f d ia lo g u e , from S c r ip t u r a l n a r r a t iv e , w hich f o ll o w s ,

taken from th e sermon on Andrew, i s f a i r l y t y p i c a l o f th e manner in
which Dr. Fagal h a n d les d ia lo g u e e f f e c t i v e l y a s an i n t e r e s t - and
a tte n tio n -h o ld in g d e v ic e :
The New Testam ent g iv e s us a l i t t l e p ic t u r e o f some o f
th o se f o lk in th e Book o f A c ts .
Paul went to a c e r t a in
c i t y , and he found some p e o p le t h e r e , and he s a id to them,
"Have you r e c e iv e d th e Holy G host s in c e you were b a p tiz ed ? "
They s a id , "'H oly G h ost'?
What's th at?"

We n e v e r h eard o f t h a t .

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472

And P au l was a sto u n d ed ; and he s a id , "Unto what w ere ye

b a p tiz e d , then?"
And th e y s a i d , "Unto J o h n 's b a p tism ."
And P au l s a i d , "John v e r i l y b a p tiz e d u n to r e p e n ta n c e ."
But th en h e began t o p rea ch t o them J e su s C h r is t. And th ey
were b a p tiz e d in t o th e name o f th e Lord J e s u s . 1

R h e to r ic a l q u e s t io n s . The u se o f th e r h e t o r ic a l q u e s tio n a s a
s tr u c tu r a l d e v ic e o f s t y l e i s a s o ld as S o c r a te s , who made i t p o p u la r ;
and th e G reeks--who alw ays had a word f o r e v e r y th in g -- in c lu d e d " e r o t e s is "
(the e x p r e s s in g o f em otion and in f u s in g an ardor and en ergy in t o th e
d isc o u r se by th e p r o p o sin g o f q u e s tio n s ) in t h e i r c a ta lo g u e o f s t y l i s t i c d e v ic e s .

I t was a f a v o r i t e method o f C h r is t in h is p r e a ch in g ;

and

i t i s a f a v o r it e o f W illia m F a g a l, who a ttem p ts t o p a tte r n h i s p r e a c h in g

a f t e r th e method and manner o f h is M aster.

And i t i s e x c e l l e n t fo r

develop in g a c o n v e r s a tio n a l " d ia lo g u e" w ith th e c o n g r e g a t io n -- to u se a

grossly-overw ork ed e x p r e s s io n .
In F a g a l's sermon on P aul a t C o r in th , Fagal u se s 18 r h e t o r i c a l
q u e s tio n s, e x c lu d in g a d d it io n a l q u e s tio n s w hich are woven in t o n a r r a t iv e
m a te r ia ls .

For exam ple:

4
Why [d id he f e e l ] . . . t h i s way? . . . Do you remem
ber an yth in g about C orin th ? 5 Can you im agine how Paul must
have f e l t , coming in t o t h a t c i t y to p reach th e g o sp el? 6
. . W ell, what happened when th ey g o t th e r e ? '7 . . . I s i t
tru e about B a ttle C reek, e v en , do you suppose? . . . In
Lansing? W ell, what d id P aul do?9 . . . And do you know

^Sermon on Andrew, 2 .

^Thonssen and B a ird , 422.

In p rep a rin g a s e r i e s o f 21 sermons on th e them e, "The Embar

r a ssin g Q u estion s o f J e s u s ," t h i s w r it e r su rv ey ed th e fo u r G ospels f o r
in sta n c e s o f q u e s tio n s asked by J e s u s . A fte r making a llo w a n c e s f o r
d u p lic a tio n s , he found s l i g h t l y more than 100 d i f f e r e n t q u e s tio n s
recorded as h avin g been ask ed by C h r is t.
4P. 2 .

5P. 4.

6P. 5 .

7P. 5 .

8P. 10.

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9 P. 11.

473

1
2
who he was? . . . What does t h a t mean? . . . What makes
a man- ''m ighty? . . . What makes a man " n o b le ? 3
R e p e titio n and r e s ta te m e n t. R e p e t it io n i s g e n e r a lly u n d ersto o d
to r e f e r to s a y in g , in th e same w o rd s, so m eth in g t h a t has j u s t b een
sa id ; and r e s ta te m e n t i s , in e f f e c t , r e p e t i t i o n o f th e s u b s ta n c e o f what
was j u s t s a id b u t in s l i g h t l y d i f f e r e n t w ords.

Perhaps th e f i n e s t exam ple o f th e u se o f b o th r e p e t i t i o n and

resta tem en t in th e F agal sermons i s i n h i s m essage on N icodem us.
p a sto r b e g in s by e x p la in in g th e m eaning o f h is p r o v o c a tiv e t i t l e

The
("What's

L eft or What's R ight?") in th e in t r o d u c t io n .

. . . G ivin g to God ou r e n t i r e s e l v e s , c o n s e c r a tin g our
a l l our t a l e n t s , our a b i l i t i e s , our tim e , our in f lu e n c e
t h is He c o n s id e r s . . . g iv in g Him " w h a t's r i g h t . " G ivin g
Him anyth in g l e s s , i s g iv in g Him " w h at's l e f t . " 5
Then he b e g in s th e m essage p ro p er by s a y in g , "I want t o t e l l y o u a s to r y
today . . .

o f a man who s t a r t e d out to g iv e God what was ' l e f t , ' but

who ended up by g iv in g God what was ' r i g h t . ' "

Fagal th en g o es on , in "Scene One," t o e x p la in how Nicodemus
r e je c te d a t f i r s t C h r is t 's d e c la r a t io n o f s o v e r e ig n t y o ver th e human
h e a r t, in th e famous n ig h t-t im e in t e r v ie w on O liv e t :
Rather than g oin g and g iv in g J e s u s open r e s p e c t , th e open
accep tan ce which th e s i t u a t i o n d em a n d ed --th a t would have
been g iv in g Him what was " rig h t" --N ico d em u s s e t t l e d on
som ething l e s s [by w a itin g u n t i l n ig h t when no one would
know he had gone t o s e e J e s u s ] . 7
"Scene One" en d s, u n h a p p ily , w ith Nicodemus d e p a r tin g from
C h rist, in d isa p p o in tm e n t, much l i k e th e unnamed " r ic h young r u le r ," who
went away from our Lord

XP. 12.

2P. 13.

3P. 13.

5P. 4.

6P. 4 .

7P. 6 .

^ H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell, 9 5 -9 6 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

s o r r o w fu lly , b e c a u se he was u n w illin g to do what J e s u s had

asked him to do. Nicodemus had n o t g iv e n to C h r is t h i s
a l l . Hed made p r o v is io n f o r h is p r id e , f o r h i s p o s i t i o n ,
fo r h is w e a lth . He h a d n 't g iv e n what was " r ig h t" : h e 'd
g iv e n what was " l e f t . " And Scene One ends in d is a p p o in t
ment to a l l . ^
A fte r e la b o r a t in g on "Scene Two" (N icodem us' o b liq u e d e fe n s e o f
C h rist b e fo r e th e S a n h e d r in ), F agal p o in t s o u t:
And so Scene Two ends even more t r a g i c a l l y th a n Scene One.
Nicodemus h as d is c o v e r e d t h a t you cannot h o ld on to th e
w orld and on to J e su s C h r is t , to o . You ca n n o t s e r v e God
and mammon. And in s t e a d o f r e t a in in g th e b e s t o f two
w o r ld s, h e 's l o s t b o th .
In g iv in g C h r is t now what was
" righ t" b u t what was " l e f t , " h e 's l o s t e v e r y t h in g .2
In "Scene Three" w ith Nicodemus and Jo sep h o f A rim athea a t th e
fo o t o f th e c r o s s

o f C alvary rem oving th e broken body o f C h r is t f o r

b u r ia l, Nicodemus

i s s e e n in a s t a t e o f rem orse ("I d id n 't g iv e C h r is t

what I sh o u ld have g iv e n Him; I was o n ly a s e c r e t d i s c i p l e " ) .

As he and

Joseph an n oin t th e body o f J e su s w ith embalming s p ic e s th e y s a id l i t t l e

but thought much ("Why d id n 't we g iv e Him what was ' r i g h t ' ?
we c o n sec r a te our

Why d id n 't

a l l to Him w h ile He was a l i v e and c o u ld a p p r e c ia te i t ?

We knew what we ought to do;

why d id n 't w e? " ).

Then, th e s e two s e c r e t

d is c ip le s , b e l a t e d l y , c o n s e c r a te t h e i r a l l to C h r is t; and, in so d o in g ,
fin d r e a l h a p p in ess a t l a s t :
Now, a t l a s t , Nicodemus was happy. H e'd found co m p lete
p ea ce. . . . He was happy, c o m p le te ly s o , b e c a u se a t lo n g
l a s t he had g iv e n to C h r is t n o t what was " l e f t , " b u t what
was " r ig h t ." 3
And Fagal c lo s e s th e sermon by r e d e d ic a t in g h i s a l l t o God and i n v i t i n g
the c o n g reg a tio n to do th e same.

Comparison and c o n t r a s t . Com parison, sa y H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell

c o n s is ts o f " s e t t in g fo r th p o in t s o f s i m i l a r i t y betw een two o r more

2P. 10.

3P. 12.

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p e r so n s, e v e n t s , or t h in g s ; and c o n t r a s t i s

a s im il a r s t y l i s t i c d e v ic e ,

ex cep t th a t i t c o n s i s t s o f " p o in tin g out d if f e r e n c e s " b etw een them.

The

f i r s t employs th e p r i n c i p l e o f i d e n t i f y i n g th e unknown by th e known, in

t e l l i n g what i t i s

l i k e ; th e sec o n d r e v e r s e s th e p r o c e s s by t e l l i n g what

the unknown i s n o t .^
In d is c u s s in g F a g a l's method o f r e a s o n in g from a n a lo g y , we have
alread y p r e s e n te d s e v e r a l in s t a n c e s o f h is u s e o f com parison and con
tr a st.

A f i n a l exam ple o f c o n t r a s t , from th e c o n c lu s io n o f th e sermon

on Nicodemus, i s o f f e r e d h e r e :
Now, a t l a s t , Nicodemus was happy. H e'd found com p lete
p e a c e. He was p oor [h a v in g g iv e n h i s s u b s t a n t i a l p e r s o n a l
fo r tu n e f o r th e su p p o r t o f th e n a s c e n t C h r is tia n c h u r c h ],
where once h e 'd b een r i c h . He was s c o r n e d , where once h e 'd
been adm ired. He was p e r s e c u te d by th e v ery ones who had
once p a id him r e v e r e n c e .
But he was happy. . . .2

In c o n c lu d in g t h i s s e c t i o n on s t r u c t u r a l a d a p ta tio n , we n o te
once again th a t in paragraph and s e n te n c e fo rm a tio n W illia m Fagal u se s
wide v a r ie t y in term s o f le n g t h , and d em o n stra tes symmetry, b a la n c e , and
rhythm in th e c o m p o s itio n .

He makes e f f e c t i v e u se o f d ia lo g u e , r h e t o r i

ca l q u e s tio n s , r e p e t i t i o n and r e s ta te m e n t , and com parison and c o n t r a s t

to e m b e llish h is o r a t o r i c a l s t y l e and make i t p le a s in g to th e e a r .

Figures o f Speech

In th e h i s t o r y o f r h e t o r i c , th e r e a re p e r io d s , some o f them cen

tu r ie s lo n g , in w hich in v e n t io n and arrangem ent were la r g e l y f o r g o t t e n ,
when s t y l e and d e liv e r y h e ld th e day.

During such t im e s , concern fo r

1Hance- R alph-W ikse11, 9 6 -9 7 .

^"What's L e ft or W hat's R ig h t? ," 12.

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476

s t y l e was o ft e n lim it e d a lm o st e n t i r e l y to a c o n s id e r a t io n o f tr o p e s and

f ig u r e s , whose number was a lm o st le g io n .
I r o n i c a l l y , sp e e c h t e x t s to d a y g e n e r a lly d e v o te v ery l i t t l e
space to an enum eration o f th e v a r io u s k in d s o f tr o p e s and f i g u r e s , 1
which are alm ost view ed as a c u r i o s i t y now by many in r h e t o r ic .

T honssen

and Baird l i s t a c a ta lo g u e (c o m p iled by Thomas Gibbons) o f n in e tr o p e s

and 22 f i g u r e s ; 2 and M ills o f f e r s 18 major " d e v ic e s o f d ir e c t d is c o u r s e ,"
and 10 " le s s e r d e v i c e s ." 3

M ost, h ow ever, m ention them o n ly in p a s s in g ,

i f at a ll.
W illiam F a g a l* s sp e a k in g s t y l e i s c o m p a r a tiv e ly unadorned, in
terms o f f ig u r e s o f s p e e c h .

In th e sermons under r e v ie w , numerous

in s ta n c e s are t o be found o f m etaphor and s i m i l e , anaphora, and onomato

p oeia; w h ile o c c a s io n a l e v id e n c e s o f a p o str o p h e , a l l i t e r a t i o n , a p o p h a sia ,
ap oria, ir o n y and sarcasm , a n a d ip l o s is , a n tim e n ta b o le , a sy n d e to n , and
p e r s o n if ic a t io n are t o be s e e n .

M etaphor.- - W illia m F a g a l's m ost c h a r a c t e r i s t i c fig u r e o f sp eech

i s the m etaphor, a f ig u r e whereby two th in g s are i d e n t i f i e d in term s o f
taking th e name o r assum ing th e a t t r i b u t e s o f one f o r th e o th e r .
4
"B u ild your l i f e around J e su s C h r is t," he u rg es h is h e a r e r s .
G ossip s, who are alw ays th e f i r s t t o h ea r o f someone e l s e ' s m isd e e d s,

^Gibbons d is t in g u is h e s b etw een a " trop e" and a " fig u r e " in th a t
the former in v o lv e s th e changin g o f a word or s e n te n c e "from i t s p ro p er
s i g n i f i c a t i o n t o an oth er m eanin g," w hereas th e l a t t e r i s se e n as "the
fa sh io n in g or D ress o f a C om p o sitio n , or an em p h a tica l manner o f sp ea k
ing d if f e r e n t from what i s p la i n and common." (C ite d in Thonssen and
Baird, 4 2 0 .)
2Speech C r it ic is m , 4 2 0 -2 3 .
3Composing th e S p eech , "The Language o f S p eech ," Chap. XIV.
^TV Sermon # 3 4 9 , 2 .

i'L
fnM '

i 11

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477

are lik e n e d t o "v u lt u r e s who a re a lw a y s th e f i r s t to sm e ll th e d e c a y in g

c a r c a s s," or " s e lf - a p p o in t e d d e t e c t i v e s among u s." * - An id e a i s "p la n te d
in the mind and h e a r t"

o f a famous b u t proud te a c h e r ; w h ereas, in

an oth er, "an id e a i s b o m in th e m ind."

An o b s t r u c t io n i s t on a j u d i c i a l

c o u n c il "throws up a ro a d b lo ck " ;^ and th e y e a r s in p r is o n "take t h e i r

t o l l " 5 o f th e c o n v i c t ' s p h y s ic a l and e m o tio n a l h e a lt h .

And, "to m eet

Paul was to m eet C h r is t." ^

S im ile .- - A s i m i l e , l i k e th e m etaphor, i s a n a lo g ic a l in form , b u t

compares one th in g w ith a n o th e r, r a th e r than i d e n t i f y i n g i t as a c t u a l l y
bein g th e o th e r .
A few s i m i l e s fin d t h e i r way i n t o W illiam F a g a l's sermon.

We

have a lrea d y n o te d R obert L ouis S te v e n s o n 's te s tim o n y , c i t e d in a F agal

sermon on d iv in e gu id an ce fo r th e in d iv id u a l l i f e , th a t "I came about
lik e a w e ll-h a n d le d s h i p ."
q u en tly:

s in s "as s c a r l e t ,"

The u s u a l B i b l i c a l s im ile s crop up f r e 8

9
le p r o sy as "a s ig n o f s i n , " God as "a

F ath er," * 9 e t c .

Anaphora. - -T here are fr e q u e n t u s e s o f t h a t form o f p a r a l l e l

str u c tu r e known t o th e a n c ie n ts as a n a p h o r a --a form o f r e p e t i t i o n , in
which each s e n te n c e o r c la u s e b e g in s w ith i d e n t i c a l w ords.

N ote th e

fo llo w in g exam ples:

*I b i d . , # 3 5 1 , 1.

2"W hat's L e ft or W hat's R ig h t? ," 7.

^"God's B lin d S p o t," 6 .

^"What's L e ft or W hat's R ig h t? ," 11.

5Sermon on Andrew, 11.

6Sermon on Paul a t C o rin th , 8.

7TV Sermon #371, 1.

8"God's B lin d S p o t," 2 .

(C f. I s a . 1 : 1 8 ) .

9 I b i d . , 7.

1Sermon on Heaven, 10.

...
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478

But when Paul l e f t th e syn agogu e, he d id n 't le a v e a lo n e .

There w ent ou t w ith him some o f th e Jews who w ere now
C h r is tia n s . There went out w ith him some o f th e c o n v e r t s ,
who were now C h r is t ia n s . There went o u t w ith him a good
share o f th e G o d - f e a r e r s .1
John i s t e l l i n g h i s own s t o r y o f h i s e n c o u n te r w ith J e su s
C h r is t. H e's t e l l i n g us how he ste p p e d o u t, and began to
fo llo w J e su s a lo n g way o f f . H e's t e l l i n g how J e su s tu rn ed
around, and approached him , and s a i d , "What se e k ye?" H e's
t e l l i n g how he s a i d , "Rabbi, where d w e lle s t Thou?" H e's
t e l l i n g how J e s u s s a i d , "Come and s e e ," to him , and how he
went to J e s u s ' home and sta y e d o v e r n ig h t. And h e ' s t e l l i n g ,
t h e r e f o r e , how i t was when he f i r s t met C h r is t .- ! !

O nom atopoeia. One o f th e m ost c o lo r f u l forms o f f ig u r e s o f

speech i s on om atop oeia, where th e sound o f th e word i t s e l f s u g g e s ts by
im ita tio n th e n a tu r a l sound o f t h a t w hich i s b e in g d is c u s s e d .
Thus, A c q u illa and P r i s c i l l a "trudged"
Fagal fo llo w e d a "z ig - z a g path"

from Rome to C o rin th ,

in c lim b in g to th e A c r o p o lis in A thens,

on another o c c a s io n , b e in g p u t in an em b a rra ssin g p e r d ic a m e n t, he

"squirmed"** in d is c o m fo r t; and in th e days o f Mary o f B ethany, a f t e r
word o f h er i n d i s c r e t i o n g o t around town, " th e o ld e r women c lu c k e d t h e i r

d is a p p r o v a l."

A p ostrop h e.--O n e in s ta n c e o f th e u se o f a p o str o p h e, where th e

speaker tu r n s , f i g u r a t i v e l y , to a d d ress someone n o t p r e s e n t , i s n o te d in
F a g a l's sermon on H eaven.

Throughout, he co n d u cts a m y th ic a l d ia lo g u e

w ith th e A p o stle Joh n , who w rote th e p a s s a g e in The R e v e la tio n w hich i s

under c o n s id e r a t io n , and Fagal s t a r t s i t a l l ou t by s a y in g , "W hat's the
g r e a te s t th in g you saw [in v i s i o n , about H ea v en ], John?

Sermon on P au l a t C o rin th , 11.

T e l l me."

Sermon on Andrew, 5 .

^Sermon on P au l a t C o r in th , 6 .

4I b i d . , 3.

6 God's B lin d S p o t," 3.

7Sermon on H eaven, 4 .

I b i d . , 17.

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A l l i t e r a t i o n .--O n e v e r y im p r e s s iv e s t y l i s t i c d e v ic e , u sed by
many clergym en w ith g r e a t e f f e c t i v e n e s s , b u t seldom s e e n i n th e F agal
sermons, i s a l l i t e r a t i o n , where th e same l e t t e r or sound i s found a t th e
b egin n in g o f a s e r i e s o f words or s t r e s s e d s y l l a b l e .
are found in th e serm ons under r ev ie w :

Only two in s t a n c e s

F agal sp ea k s once o f a modem

Mary,"'*' and on a n o th er o c c a s io n he r e f e r s to th e S a n h e d r in 's goon squad

as a "band o f husky b r u t e s ."

A pophasia and a p o r ia .--A p o p h a s ia i s a d e v ic e where th e sp e a k e r

uses a h a lf - h e a r t e d d e n ia l , where h e p r e te n d s to c o n c e a l o r om it what i s
r e a lly , in f a c t , d e c la r e d ; and a p o r ia i s a d e v ic e o f h e s i t a t i o n in
d e liv e r y , w hich may in d ic a t e e i t h e r doubt as to th e wisdom o f p r o c e e d in g
along t h is p a r t ic u l a r v e in o f th o u g h t, or th e p r o c e s s o f th in k in g w h ile
in the a c t o f sp e a k in g .
Fagal em ploys b oth o f th e s e f ig u r e s in th e fo llo w in g exam ple,
from h is sermon on Mary M agdalene:
Now I c a n 't h e lp b u t wonder a l i t t l e b i t how a Mary
would be t r e a t e d in th e church t o n ig h t .
What i f Mary
belon ged to th e Grand Ledge Church h e r e? Or th e B a t t le
Creek Church? Or th e D e t r o it Church? I wonder how our
church boards w ould r e a c t t o a modem Mary? You know, I'm
a fr a id I know. I ' d j u s t as soon n o t t e l l y o u . I th in k I
have a p r e t t y good id e a ; and I th in k you d o, t o o . 3

Irony and sa rca sm .- - F a g a l seld om em ploys ir o n y and sa rca sm ,

because th ey can so e a s i l y be overd one and c r e a te a n e g a t iv e a t t i t u d e on
the p a rt o f th e h e a r e r .
in sta n ce o f ea ch .

There i s ,

in th e sam ple under r e v ie w , o n ly one

Iron y i s where th e sp e a k e r s a y s one th in g w h ile mean

ing e x a c t ly th e o p p o s it e ; and in h i s sermon on Andrew, F agal sp ea k s o f

^"God's B lin d S p o t," 12.

^"What's L e ft o r W hat's R ig h t? ," 6 .

3"God's B lin d S p o t," 11.

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480

th e lunch b rou gh t by th e s m a ll boy (whom Andrew b ro u g h t t o J e s u s ) - - a

lunch o f o n ly a co u p le o f f i s h and s e v e r a l b r e a d - r o l l s w hich J e su s
prom ptly and m ir a c u lo u sly u sed t o fe e d th o u sa n d s, as "an o v e r s iz e lu n ch
fo r a l i t t l e

f e llo w ." *

Sarcasm i s a s u p e r l a t i v e form o f ir o n y , and o n ly once do we f i n d

Fagal em ploying i t .

As a lr e a d y n o t e d , F agal sp ea k s about an a t t i t u d e

p r e v a le n t among some A d v e n tis ts o f lo o k in g down on th e low er c l a s s e s ,

and o f b e in g d i s i n t e r e s t e d in w o rk in g f o r th e s a l v a t i o n o f t h i s segm ent
o f s o c ie t y :
P u ll in th e g o s p e l n e t , t h e y ' r e th e k in d o f f i s h you want
t o throw b ack , you know t h a t s o r t o f t h in g . W e ll, t h a t ' s
a wrong a t t it u d e .^

A n a d ip lo s is . One r a th e r o b scu re Greek f ig u r e o f sp e e c h i s

a n a d ip lo s is , w h erein th e r e i s r e p e t i t i o n in t h a t th e word or words w ith
which one s e n te n c e i s ended a re u se d to b e g in th e fo llo w in g s e n t e n c e .
There i s one in s t a n c e o f t h i s i n th e F agal serm ons:
w h ile Paul ta lk e d J e su s C h r is t.

"They l i s t e n e d

J e su s C h r is t , C h r is t n a il e d t o th e

cross. . .

A n tim e ta b o le .--A n o th e r uncommon f ig u r e i s a n tim e ta b o le , where a

s im ila r th ought i s r e v e r s e d in two c l a u s e s .

Here are two exam ples from

F a g a l's p u lp it p r e a ch in g :
You m ight th in k y o u 'r e s e e k in g God; [b u t] H e's th e one w h o's
alw ays s e e k in g y o u .4
Each n u rse had te n c h ild r e n to ca re fo r ; o r , as th e head
d o c to r e x p r e sse d i t , each c h i l d had a t e n t h o f a m o th e r .5
1
Sermon on Andrew, 6 .

^I b id . , 8.

4ge:mon on Andrew, 3.

Sermon on P aul a t C o r in th , 1 3 -1 4 .

^TV Sermon #349, 1.

Sk
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481
A syn d eton .--E x a m p les o f a sy n d e to n th e o m issio n o f c o n ju n c tiv e
p a r t i c l e s fo r th e pu rp ose o f e x p r e s s in g sp eed or v eh em en ce--a re t o be
found in th e v a r io u s sermons under s tu d y .

Q uoting th e e x c ite m e n t o f th e

members o f th e n e w ly -o r g a n iz e d C h r is tia n church in C orin th a t th e a c c e s

s io n o f th e form er c h i e f r u le r o f th e J ew ish synagogue t h e r e , F a g a l has
th e se p e o p le s a y in g :
"Weve g o t C risp us w ith u s . H e s in our church. B elongs
to u s ." R eal proud o f him . Maybe a l l around th e c i t y :
" C r isp u s--h e b e lo n g s t o our church.

Fagal h a n d le s th e s e f ig u r e s o f sp e e c h f a i r l y w e l l .

He know s, o f

co u rse, t h a t , im p rop erly em ployed, th e y can become a boomerang and come

back to haunt th e sp ea k er a f t e r th e sermon i s o v e r .

Only two e v id e n c e s

o f mixed m etaphors were found by t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r in th e te n sermons

under r e v ie w --a n d one o f them was n o t o f F a g a l's c r e a tio n ; he m erely
rep o rted i t from Hebrew m yth ology.
Speaking o f th e n -c u r r e n t id e a s about th e s e a , h e ld c e n t u r ie s
b efo re th e in v e n t io n o f th e com pass, F agal t e l l s

( in a f i n a l exam ple o f

p e r s o n if ic a t io n ) how th e Jews a n c ie n t ly fe a r e d th e s e a .

They o f t e n s a id

among th e m se lv e s, he r ep o r te d :
"The s e a i s n ' t a fr ie n d ; th e s e a i s an enemy. . . .W e ve
seen many p e o p le go out to s e a ; b u t th ey d id n 't come b a ck .
They g o t l o s t out t h e r e - - t h e s e a i s an enemy; i t g o b b les up
p eo p le th a t dare t o r id e upon i t . "2
In an o r ig in a l m ixed-m etaphor, F agal sa y s th a t a "broken" home
7
"uproots th e s o l i d fo u n d a tio n s w hich e v er y c h i ld n e e d s . . . ."

^Sermon on Paul a t C o r in th , 11.

2

Sermon on Heaven, 4 .

^TV Sermon #349, 2 .

il&i

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We n o t e , f i n a l l y , th a t F a g a l em ploys a number o f d i f f e r e n t
fig u r e s o f sp e ec h in h i s v a r io u s d is c o u r s e s ; and t h a t , in g e n e r a l, th e y
tend to be apt in c h o ic e and h a n d led e f f e c t i v e l y .

Oral Versus W ritten S t y le

A c o n tin u in g c o n tr o v e r s y in th e f i e l d o f r h e t o r ic i s th e q u e stio n o f w hether or n o t th e r e i s a d i f f e r e n c e betw een o r a l s t y l e and

w r itte n s t y l e ;

and a su r v ey o f th e l i t e r a t u r e o f th e f i e l d in d i c a t e s

th ree g e n e r a l p o s i t i o n s b e in g ta k en tod ay:

(1) th o se who h o ld t h a t

th ere i s no d if f e r e n c e w h a tev er, o f whom Renan was a spokesman ("There

i s no a r t o f sp e a k in g any more than th e r e i s an a r t o f w r it in g .
speak w e ll i s t o th in k a lo u d .

To

O r a to r ic a l and l i t e r a r y s u c c e s s has

n ever b u t one c a u s e , a b s o lu t e s i n c e r i t y . " 1) ;

(2 ) th o se who sa y t h a t

w h ile th e r e i s a d i f f e r e n c e , i t i s a v e r y minor o n e --a d if f e r e n c e o f

d egree, r a th e r than k in d ; and (3 ) th o s e who av er t h a t th e r e i s a d e f i
n i t e , fundam ental d if f e r e n c e b etw een th e two (th e " e a s t i s e a s t and w est
i s west" cam p), o f whom A r i s t o t l e was one o f th e f i r s t to fo c u s upon th e
b a s ic c le a v a g e betw een th e two:
We must n o t f a i l to n o t ic e th a t each
i t s own a p p r o p r ia te s t y l e .
The s t y l e
n o t th e same as t h a t o f c o n t r o v e r s ia l
knowledge o f b o th th e w r it t e n and th e
r e q u ir e d .2

k in d o f r h e t o r ic has
o f w r it t e n p ro se i s
s p e a k in g . . . . A
spoken s t y l e i s

In our own tim e , th e w r it e r Thomas S t e a m s E lio t p h rased i t

le s s

e la b o r a te ly , bu t c e r t a i n l y no l e s s s u c c i n c t l y , when he op in ed t h a t an
id e n t ic a l w r it t e n and spoken lan gu age w ould be a lm o st i n t o l e r a b l e .

For,

1C ite d in Gaston B o i s s i e r , T a c itu s and O ther Roman S t u d ie s ,

tr a n s. W. G. H utch inson (New York: G. P. Putnam 's Son s, 1 9 0 6 ), 1 6 3 -6 4 .
2Cooper, 1414a.

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483

as E lio t s a i d , in e f f e c t , i f we spoke as we w r i t e , no one would l i s t e n ;

i f we w rote as we sp o k e , no one w ould r e a d . 1
R h e to r ic a l t h e o r i s t s , such a s Edward W. Cox,

Wayland P a r r is h ,

Gladys B orch er,^ James O 'N e ill and Andrew T. W eaver,^ W. Norwood
B rigance,

/i

Gordon L. Thomas,

Glen E. M i l l s ,

and James H. M cBumey,

have a l l w r it t e n illu m in a t in g ly upon one f a c e t o r a n o th e r o f th e s u b j e c t ;

and from a s y n t h e s is o f t h e i r works t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r s u g g e s ts t h a t th e
b a s ic g e n e r a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f o r a l s t y l e i s
words) " in s ta n t i n t e l l i g i b i l i t y . "

( i n O 'N e ill and W eaver's

In term s o f s p e c i f i c c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s ,

seven may be d e r iv e d th a t are o f i n t e r e s t i n th e c o n te x t o f th e sp e a k in g

o f W illiam A. F agal:
in o ra l s t y l e ;

(1) a more fr e q u e n t u se o f c o n tr a c tio n s i s found

(2) more numerous e le m e n ts o f d i r e c t p e r s o n a l a d d ress a re

found; (3) th e r e i s g r e a t e r in f o r m a lit y and g r e a t e r s p o n ta n e ity ;

(4)

sen ten ce le n g th i s s h o r t e r , s e n te n c e s a re l e s s com plex, and th e r e i s

"^Cited in M i l l s , Composing th e S p ee c h , 2 77.

2

The A rt o f W r itin g , R eading, and S p eak in g (New York:

C arleton C o ., 1 8 7 9 ).

G. W.

2
"The S t y le o f th e Extem poraneous S p ee c h ," Q u a r te r ly J o u rn a l o f
Speech (V I I I , Ju n e, 1 9 2 2 ), 27 2 . J o u r n a l c i t e d h e r e a f t e r sim p ly QJS.
^"An Approach to th e Problem o f O ral S t y l e ," QJS (X X II, F e b .,
1936), 1 1 4 -1 7 .
5The E lem ents o f Speech (New York:
1926), 2 7 2 -7 6 .
^The Spoken Word (New York:

Longmans, Green Company,

F. S . C r o fts 8 Company, 1 9 3 1 ),

189-94.
^"A Study o f th e E f f e c t o f C e r ta in E lem ents o f Oral S t y le on th e
I n t e l l i g i b i l i t y o f In fo r m a tiv e S p eech es" (u n p u b lish e d Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n ,
Dept, o f S p eech , N orth w estern U n iv e r s it y , 1 9 5 2 ), C hapter I .
g

Composing th e S p eech , 2 6 7 -6 8 .
9

R eported in Glen E. M i lls , "Speech in a Communication C ourse,"

QJS (V ol. XXXIII, 1 9 4 7 ), 4 0 -4 5 .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

484

greater v a r ie t y in s t r u c t u r e ;

(5 ) fragm en tary s e n te n c e s a re p e r m is sa b le ;

(6) sla n g i s p e r m is sa b le ; and (7) r e p e t i t i o n i s more n e c e s s a r y and more

fr eq u en t.
T aking, th e n , th e camp m e e tin g sermon on Andrew, l e t us exam ine
the verb atim t r a n s c r ip t o f F a g a l's m essage to s e e what e v id e n c e we may
fin d o f o r a l s t y l e , in term s o f th e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s j u s t s u g g e s te d above.

C o n tr a c tio n s . One a lm o st n e v e r s e e s c o n tr a c tio n s in th e p r in t e d

medium, u n le s s i t be in th e q u o tin g o f d ia lo g u e ; i t j u s t i s n ' t c o n s id
ered good form.

Y et th e y are a c o n s ta n t s t a p l e o f th e o r a l mode o f

communication, ap p earin g fr e q u e n t ly and c o n s t i t u t i n g one o f th e b a s ic

c h a r a c t e r is t ic s o f th e c o n v e r s a tio n a l s t y l e .
In the sermon on Andrew, w hich c o n ta in s 7 ,6 9 8 w ords, F agal u sed
189 c o n tr a c tio n s ( 2 . 4 5 %).

P e r c e n ta g e w is e , t h i s seems a sm a ll number;

but the a c tu a l in s t a n c e s , show ing a w id e v a r i e t y o f c o n t r a c t io n s , are

rather im p r e ssiv e :

36 s e p a r a te c o n t r a c t io n s are n o te d , th e e ig h t most

freq u en tly app earing ones b e in g :

h e 's
d id n 't
h e 'd
I'm

23
15
14
13

th a t's
d o n 't
w o u ld n 't
c o u ld n 't

10
9
7
7

P erson al a d d r e s s . --O r a l s t y l e c o n ta in s many more elem en ts o f

personal address than does th e w r it t e n .

A g a in , from th e sermon on

Andrew, which c o n ta in s 7 ,6 9 8 w ord s, we n o te 387 r e f e r e n c e s to d ir e c t

p erson al, or 5.0% o f th e t o t a l , as f o ll o w s :

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

485

1 s t P erson
S in g u la r
I
I'm
I ' ve
I 'd
I 'll
me
my
m y se lf
own

89
13
6
4
1
19
7
1
1

2nd P erson
S in g u la r
you
your
y o u '11
y o u ' re
y o u ' ve
b r e th r e n

111
17
5
5
4
7

1 s t P erson
P lu r a l
we
37
37
us
13
our
o u r s e lv e s
1
each o th e r 1
le t's
3
w e' 11
3
2
we' re

149
97

141

As in th e q u e s tio n o f th e fr e q u e n c y o f c o n t r a c t io n s , th e q u a n t i
t a t iv e o ccu rren ce i s , in t h i s w r i t e r ' s o p in io n , n o t as s i g n i f i c a n t as
the q u a l i t a t i v e f a c t o r .
F r e q u e n tly , F agal la c e s h i s th o u g h ts and a p p e a ls w ith th e noun,
"B rethren."

The a d d ress i s made more e m p h a tic --a n d more p e r s o n a l--b y

the c o n tin u a l u se o f su ch e x p r e s s io n s a s , "You know . . . ," "you

see . . . ," " l e t me t e l l you . . . ," " d o n 't you th in k ? . . . ," "now I
n o t ic e som ethin g . . . ," "you c a n 't e s c a p e a c o n c lu s io n . . . ," "I l i k e
th a t . . . ," e t c .

I n fo r m a lity and s p o n t a n e it y . O ral u t te r a n c e i s l e s s form al than

the w r itte n mode o f com m unication, and th e r e i s g r e a t e r s p o n t a n e ity .
P a r e n th e tic a l e x p r e s s io n s o f W illia m F a g a l, su ch as " b le s s h i s h e a r t ,
and, "I c o u ld n 't care l e s s , "

somehow do n o t seem s o o u t o f p la c e in

c o n v e r s a tio n a l s p e a k in g , bu t would p r o b a b ly appear a t t r o c io u s when

viewed in th e c o ld l i g h t o f p r i n t .

Puns su ch as " h o o f-in -m o u th d i s e a s e ,"

when r e f e r r in g to th e A p o stle P e te r who was alw ays s t i c k i n g h i s f o o t in

h is mouth, are perhaps more a c c e p t a b le , more " a t home" in th e o r a l mode.
1
Sermon on Andrew, 6 .

Ijf a ilil

I b id ., 4.

I b i d . , 10.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

486

A nother c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f th e o r a l s t y l e , in th e c o n te x t o f
in fo r m a lity and s p o n t a n e ity i s th e in t e r r u p t in g o f o n e s e lf--s o m e tim e s in
m id -s e n te n c e --to b r in g i n a th ou gh t which o b v io u s ly h as j u s t popped i n t o
the mind.

The fo llo w in g example s e r v e s t o i l l u s t r a t e :

Now th e s e men answ ered Him by s a y in g , nRabbiM- - and l e t me

stop a moment and th in k about t h a t word, "R abbi." That
word "Rabbi" means, l i t e r a l l y , "Great One," o r "M aster.

S en ten ce s t r u c t u r e . In o r a l d is c o u r s e s e n te n c e le n g th g e n e r a lly
tends to be s h o r t e r , s tr u c tu r e l e s s com plex and more v a r ie d , than in
w r itte n s t y l e .

We have a lr e a d y n o t e d , ab ove, th a t th e F agal sermon

sen te n c es e x h ib it a l l o f th e s e q u a l i t i e s .

Fragm entary s e n t e n c e s . --F ragm en tary s e n te n c e s a re g e n e r a lly con

sid e r e d a c c e p ta b le in a medium where th e prim e c o n s id e r a t io n i s " in s ta n t
i n t e l l i g i b i l i t y " and th e g o a l i s com m unicating th e th o u g h t as q u ic k ly as
p o s s ib le .

In p r i n t , as O 'N e ill and Weaver have p o in te d o u t ,

the read er . . . can go back and rerea d a page a g a in and

a g a in . He can s to p to lo o k up m eanings o f words in th e
d ic tio n a r y o r to hunt out th e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f h i s t o r i c a l or
lit e r a r y a l l u s i o n s .
The r ea d er can ta k e tim e to se a r c h out
the meaning o f p a s s a g e s as he comes to th em .2
The h e a r e r , on th e o th e r hand, must ta k e i t "on th e w in g ," so t o
speak.

And, as B rigan ce has p o in te d o u t, "E f f e c t i v e n e s s , n o t e lo q u e n c e ,

i s the aim o f spoken s t y l e ."^ ( I t a l i c s h i s . )

Fragmentary s e n te n c e s do n o t
butthey " f a l l on th e ear" ( t o u se

appear

p r e t t y t o th e e y e , in p r in t ;

a f a v o r i t e e x p r e s s io n o f C. S . Lew is)

rath er e f f e c t i v e l y , b eca u se th e y do com m unicate.

There are n o t many fragm entary s e n te n c e s in t h i s sermon on
Andrew, f o r d e s p it e
1

I b id ., 3.

th e o c c a s io n a l r a p id i t y w ith w hich W illia m Fagal

o

E lem ents o f S p ee c h , 2 7 3 .

3
The Spoken Word, 193.

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487

sp eak s, he seldom appears to r e s o r t t o t h i s form o f u t te r a n c e .

Examples

are found su ch a s:
Hes th e one w h o's alw ays s e e k in g you!
h im s e lf .^

And draw ing you to

These p e o p le w ere n o t Jew s; th e y w ere G reeks. Now, i f th e y

were J ew s, h e [ P h ilip ] w ould have b rou gh t them r ig h t to
J e su s. But you d o n 't b r in g Greeks to J e s u s . No, no; n o t
th ese f o lk ! Not d i r e c t l y to J e su s do you b r in g them!^
And you know why h e was th e r e ? To p ic k up h i s g i r l f r ie n d ,
who was a tte n d in g my m e e tin g s . 3

S la n g . I f s la n g i s e v e r p e r m is s ib le (and some doubt th a t i t

ever i s ! ) , i t i s p r o b a b ly in o r a l d i s c o u r s e - - a t l e a s t i t f a l l s l e s s
o f f e n s iv e ly upon th e e a r than upon th e e y e , fo r many.
W illiam F agal does n o t use much s la n g o n ly th r e e e x p r e s s io n s
are noted in th e sermon a t hand.

He sp ea k s about b e in g "thrown f o r a

loop"^ (which may be more o f a t r i t e n e s s than a s la n g e x p r e s s io n ) , " le t

him drop dead"' (v e r y d e f i n i t e l y a s la n g e x p r e s s io n , c u r r e n tly in vogue
in 1965 when t h i s sermon was d e l i v e r e d ) , and " th a t 'b r o t h e r - a n d - s is t e r '
b i t ."

,6
W hile some in th e au d ien ce w ere undoubtedly o ffe n d e d by th e s e

e x p r e s s io n s , perhaps o th e r s ten d ed to s e e them as e v id e n c e th a t F agal

was a " d ow n -to-earth " man, n o t c o n c e it e d or " stu ck up," a " r eg u la r
fe llo w ."

R e p e titio n .--W e have a lr e a d y n o te d som ething o f th e F agal u se o f

r e p e t it io n and r e s ta te m e n t; perhaps one f i n a l example w i l l s u f f i c e h e r e ,
showing how, w ith in a s i n g l e p a ra g ra p h , th e s e v e r a l complementary id e a s

Sermon on Andrew, 3

I b id ., 6.

5I b id ., 7

3I b i d . , 7.
6 I b id .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

488

are rep eated and r e s t a t e d a number o f tim e s in v a r io u s ways f o r

em phasis:
And, fu rth erm ore, e v er y tim e Andrew i s m en tio n ed , h e s
always d oin g th e same t h i n g - - t a l k about a o n e -tr a c k mind,
t h a t 's a l l th a t f e llo w seem ed to h a v e. He c o u ld o n ly do
one th in g , I g u e s s . One n e v e r rea d s abou t him e v e r p r e a c h
in g a serm on, one n e v e r fin d s him a d d r e s s in g th e th ou san d s
and le a d in g them t o th e Lord J e s u s . One s e e s h i s w hole
work done on th e f r in g e s o f th e crowd. He must have been
somewhat a sh y man. I t was Simon P e te r t h a t d id a l l th e
p u b lic work, n ot Andrew. But e v er y tim e Andrew i s m en tio n ed ,
h e 's doing th e same t h in g . And do you know what th a t "same
thing" is ? He i s alw ays b r in g in g somebody to J e s u s . What a
w onderful way to have a o n e -tr a c k mind! How I w ish th a t th e
e n tir e M ichigan C onference were f i l l e d w ith p e o p le who
c o u ld n 't do one o th e r th in g b u t b r in g p e o p le to J e s u s .
Wouldn't th a t be a w on d erfu l th in g , to have a c o n fe r e n c e
f u l l o f p e o p le such as th a t? [Aniens]*

Method o f Sermon D e liv e r y

D e liv e r y , th a t c o n s t it u e n t o f r h e t o r ic con cern ed w ith o r a l and

v is ib le e x p r e s s io n , w as, f o r th e a n c ie n t s , th e f i f t h and f i n a l canon
a ft e r in v e n tio n , arrangem ent, s t y l e , and memory.

The s p e a k e r 's f u n c t io n ,

s a id C icero, was to d e liv e r th e sp eech "w ith due a c t io n ."

The r o le and s t a t u s o f d e liv e r y in e l i c i t i n g a u d ien ce r e sp o n se

i s co n sid ered e q u a lly im p ortan t in modern tim e s .

As Thonssen and B aird

have sa id :
Once th e sp ea k er ta k e s th e f l o o r to d e v e lo p an id e a , we
have a r ig h t to e x p e c t a l i v e l y r e in fo r c e m e n t o f h i s th o u g h ts .
He i s th er e to communicate som ethin g w orth p a s s in g on.
D eliv er y s e r v e s as a t o o l by w hich to enhance th e im p r e s s iv e
n ess o f the com m unication; i t i s n o t th e fo c u s o f a t t e n t i o n .^
In c o n s id e r a tio n o f th e d e liv e r y o f W illia m A. F a g a l's serm on s,
we s h a ll c o n s id e r , s u c c e s s i v e l y :
1

.
I b id ., 6 .

(1) th e s e t t i n g f o r F a g a l's d e l i v e r y ,

De O ra to re, Bohn E d it io n , 242.

^Cited in A lexan d er, 24 4 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

489

(2) h is method o f d e l i v e r y ,

(3 ) th e v i s u a l f a c t o r s (" th e sp e a k e r we

s e e " ), and (4) th e o r a l f a c t o r s

(" th e sp ea k er we h e a r " ).

The q u e s tio n

o f F a g a l s method o f sermon p r e p a r a tio n --s o m e tim e s c o n s id e r e d by sp e ec h

c r i t i c s in terms o f d e liv e r y - - h a s a lr e a d y b een t r e a t e d e a r l i e r in t h i s
chapter.
Data f o r th e d is c u s s io n w hich f o llo w s are tak en from p e r s o n a l
o b serv a tio n o f th e film in g o f th e " F a ith f o r Today" program s, and e s p e
c i a l l y th e serm ons, p e r s o n a l a tte n d a n c e a t numerous church and camp
meeting s i t u a t i o n s where F a g a l was th e g u e s t s p e a k e r , l i s t e n i n g to
e le c t r o n ic t r a n s c r ip t io n s o f te n s e l e c t e d serm ons ( f i v e from TV, f i v e
from the p u l p i t ) , w hich w ere s u b s e q u e n tly tr a n s c r ib e d by t h i s i n v e s t i g a
to r h im s e lf , and from com parisons made betw een sermon m a n u scrip ts and
actu al sermon t r a n s c r ip t io n s .

S e ttin g fo r F a g a ls Sermon D e liv e r y

From 1950 t o 1956, W illia m F a g a l's t e l e v i s i o n sermons were

broadcast l i v e , as was th e e n t i r e " F a ith f o r Today" program , from th e
Manhattan s t u d io s o f th e Am erican B r o a d c a stin g Company in New York [s e e
Fig. 1 3 ].

With th e s h i f t t o f il m r e c o r d in g , th e perform ers and sp e a k e r s

were tr a n sp la n te d t o th e cavern o u s up-tow n so u n d -s ta g e s t u d io o f C h arter

Oak T e le - P ic t u r e s , I n c . , a t 433 E a st 9 0 th S t r e e t .

In 1968, th e f ilm in g

o f the sermon was t r a n s f e r r e d t o th e F a ith f o r Today r e c o r d in g s t u d io a t

Carle P la ce on Long I s la n d .
A d e t a il e d d e s c r ip t io n o f a f ilm in g s e s s i o n f o r th e program
i t s e l f has a lr ea d y b een g iv e n in C hapter I I I ; ^ and th e t e c h n i c a l m echanical p r o c e s s e s o f th e f ilm in g p roced u re a p p ly in g t o th e dram atic

^Cf. under "Problem s in P ro d u ctio n " ; a l s o F ig s . 1 4 -1 8 and 2 8 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

p o r tio n o f th e show and th e r e c o r d in g o f th e "com m ercial"

th e r ec o r d in g o f th e serm on ic p r e s e n t a t io n .

$3

i|

a ls o a p p ly

to

The serm ons, film e d in ad van ce, a re o f t e n rec o r d e d s e v e r a l a t a

time b ecau se o f th e o f f i c e and t r a v e l demands upon Dr. F a g a l's tim e .
The r ec o r d in g s e s s i o n alw ays b e g in s w ith p r a y e r

f o r th e e n t i r e

p ro d u c-

|
|

tio n u n it [s e e F ig . 2 9 ] ,
The sermon i t s e l f has p r e v io u s ly b een ty p ed in la r g e d is p l a y type c h a r a cter s fo r th e s c r o l l - l i k e A uto-C ue, a c o n t in u o u s - r o ll d e v ic e
s im ila r to the T ele-P ro m p ter, w hich i s i n s t a l l e d d i r e c t l y above th e
camera le n s .

Thus, a lth o u g h Dr. F agal appears t o be lo o k in g d i r e c t l y a t

the t e le v ie w e r in h is home, he i s a c t u a l l y r e a d in g h i s sermon from th e

Auto-Cue.
Fagal s i t s b eh in d a desk on th e s e t made up to s im u la t e h i s
o f f i c e s tu d y , surrounded by s t u d io t e c h n ic ia n s and under th e v e r y h o t
lig h t s n e c e s s a r y fo r f ilm in g in c o lo r .

He has b een "made up" by th e

co sm eticia n (o r , in l a t e r y e a r s , by h im s e lf ) f o r th e camera.'*'
The d ir e c t o r c o n tr o ls th e sp eed a t w hich th e sermon r o l l s
through th e Auto-Cue; and a f t e r h a v in g worked w ith Fagal f o r more th a n a
decade, h is o p e r a tio n o f t h i s equipm ent i s alm ost r e f l e x i v e .

The s e r

mons range in le n g th from fo u r to s i x m in u te s , and seld om a re more th an

two "takes" r eq u ir ed a t th e m o st.

The camera rem ains s t a t io n a r y , s i n c e

the len s i s equipped w ith a "zoom" f e a t u r e to s im u la te " d o lly in g - in " and

" d o lly in g -o u t."
For th e f i v e p u lp it serm ons under r e v ie w , th e r e were two b a s i c
s e t t in g s (a lo c a l church c o n g r e g a tio n o f a camp m e e tin g a u d ie n c e )
in v o lv in g a d u lt g a th e r in g s and one y o u th c o n g r e g a tio n :

th e sermon on

"^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 7.

jtfiy ir _
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Paul a t C orin th was d e liv e r e d S atu rd ay a fte r n o o n , February 6 , 1965, a t

the B a ttle Creek [S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t] T a b e rn a cle.

The sermon on

Andrew was g iv e n on th e c lo s i n g S atu rd ay n ig h t o f th e 1965 camp m eetin g

o f th e M ichigan C onferen ce o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t s , J u ly 1 7 , in th e
main p a v ilio n t o an a d u lt c o n g r e g a tio n .

The sermon on Mary M agdalene

("God's B lin d Spot") was d e liv e r e d a t th e Grand Ledge encampment one

year l a t e r , on a F riday e v e n in g (J u ly 2 9 , 1966) in th e same a u d ito riu m ,
w h ile th e sermon on Heaven, g iv e n a t th e 11 a.m . Sabbath w orship s e r v i c e
the fo llo w in g m orning, was p r e s e n te d to th e h ig h s c h o o l and c o l l e g e
youth in t h e i r la r g e t e n t g a th e r in g .

L a s t ly , th e sermon on Nicodemus

("What's L eft or What's R ight?") was d e liv e r e d t o th e c o n g r e g a tio n o f

the B errien S p rin g s S . D. A. Church in so u th w e ste rn M ichigan a t th e
11 a.m. Sabbath w orship s e r v i c e , February 11, 1967, on th e day when th e
annual " F aith f o r Today" o f f e r i n g was b e in g tak en up in e v er y A d v e n tis t
church in N orth A m erica.

F a g a l's Method o f D e liv e r y

B roadus-W eatherspoon o f f e r th r e e p r in c ip a l methods o f sermon

d e liv e r y :

r e a d in g th e m an u scrip t o f a p rep ared t e x t , r e c i t a t i o n o f a

memorized m essa g e, and extem poraneous (" f r e e s p e a k in g " ), e i t h e r w ith or

w ithout notes.'*'
Reading v s . extem p oran eou s. --A s a lr e a d y n o te d , W illiam F a g a l's
t e l e v i s i o n d e liv e r y o f th e sermon i s th e f i r s t m ethod, r ea d in g from th e
Auto-Cue.

In comparing th e o r i g i n a l t e x t w ith a t r a n s c r ip t io n (ta k en

^Qn th e P r e p a r a tio n and D e liv e r y o f Sermons, 3 1 5 -3 4 . Some

th e o r is t s fu r t h e r b if u r c a t e th e extem poraneous mode, on th e b a s i s o f
whether or n o t th e r e has been im m ediate p r io r p r e p a r a tio n .
I f th e r e has
been none, th e y c a l l t h i s ty p e "impromptu." (C f. H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell,
2 6 8 -7 0 .)

ftfltoh*.*-.-.. R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

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Ef

from th e film s o u n d -tr a c k and rep rod u ced from th a t medium to a sound

If

tape r e c o r d in g , from w hich th e w r it t e n t r a n s c r ip t was prepared ] o f what

was a c t u a lly s a i d , one fin d s v e r y few changes made in a c tu a l d e liv e r y .

And such changes as are made are in v a r ia b ly o f th e s o r t to c a s t th e m es-

sage in th e o r a l, c o n v e r s a tio n a l mode o f a d d ress (th e b e g in n in g o f a

1
|

se n te n c e w ith th e word, "Now . . . ," or th e en d in g o f a s e n te n c e w ith a

"you s e e " ) .
In th e p u lp it sermons F agal in v a r ia b ly f o llo w s th e extem pora
neous mode o f d e liv e r y .

P r io r t o g o in g up on th e p la tfo r m he u n d e r lin e s

th e main p o in ts o f h i s m essage in m an u scrip t form in red in k , and then

tak es th e m anuscript w ith him i n t o th e d e sk .
I

"But I ig n o r e i t as much

as p o s s ib le ," he adds:'*
Sometimes I n e v e r u se i t , . . . but i t ' s th e r e f o r " in su r
ance v a lu e ." I have h ig h b lo o d -p r e s s u r e now, and have to
take t r a n q u iliz e r s .
I d o n 't t r u s t my memory c o m p le te ly any
more.
(I blam e th e t r a n q u i l i z e r s , n o t o ld a g e ! ) .
I d o n 't
lik e to read a sermon. Som etimes I s t a y r a th e r c lo s e to my
n o t e s , but o r d in a r ily I d o n 't .
I t r y to g e t as fa r from my
n o te s as p o s s i b l e . Some serm on s, o f c o u r s e , have l o t s o f
" q u o te s," and th e s e r e q u ir e c l o s e r a t t e n t i o n . 2
When asked about how he r e la t e d to th e au d ien ce in term s o f the
in d iv id u a ls who compose i t ,

Fagal respon ded c a n d id ly :

I d o n 't p ic k ou t one p erso n i n th e a u d ien ce and preach

e s p e c i a l l y to him , as some do.
I do want t o s e e e v er y fa c e
toward me; I want to f e e l a l l are lo o k in g a t me, h e a r in g me.
I n o t ic e i f someone w alks o u t, and wonder why. I make a
d e lib e r a t e e f f o r t a t ey e c o n ta c t w ith an a u d ie n c e . And i f
someone w h isp ers down t h e r e , I f e e l l o s t .
I f t h e y 'r e
l i s t e n i n g , I d o n 't pay any p a r t i c u l a r a t t e n t io n t o th e
[ in d iv id u a ls , as su c h , in th e ] a u d ien ce ; b u t i f t h e y 'r e n o t ,
i t d is tu r b s me t e r r i b l y . . . . I can s e n s e , I can f e e l
w hether or n o t th e y 'r e w ith me.
I f I'm le n g th y , th en I 'v e
l o s t them. . . . I can a ffo r d to drop a p o in t o r tw o, to

*Tagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 2 .

2 I b id . , Jan. 10, 1969, 2.

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493

h o ld au d ien ce a t t e n t io n . When a t t e n t io n i s g o n e, I'm veryc o n scio u s o f h a v in g l o s t them. 1

T his p r e o cc u p ied concern w ith g a in in g and m a in ta in in g a t t e n t io n
is

r ev e a le d in many w ays.

When asked i f he e v e r took a drink from th e

u b iq u itou s g la s s o f w ater found on e v e r y camp m eetin g p u l p i t in th e main

p a v ilio n , F agal in s t a n t l y responded:
I n ever tak e a s ip o f w ater during a sermon.
t e r r i b l y d is t r a c t in g th in g to d o .2

To me, i t ' s

C oncerning h is a t t i t u d e tow ard th e in t r o d u c t io n g iv e n a sp e a k e r

by the p la tfo r m chairman j u s t b e fo r e he b e g in s h i s d is c o u r s e , Fagal
winced a b i t as he r e p lie d :
I suppose i t ' s a " n e c essa ry e v i l . "
I g u ess w e'd f e e l l e t
down i f th er e w e r e n 't one. I d o n 't l i k e i t to be v e r y
flo w e r y --I d o n 't e n jo y s i t t i n g th e r e and b e in g ta lk e d a b o u t.
Of c o u r se , th e chairman can "underdo" i t I was a t Mt.
Vernon Academy l a s t s p r in g f o r t h e i r b a c c a la u r e a te sermon
a t gra d u a tio n .
The p r in c ip a l f e l t I wanted i t b r i e f , so he
s a id , in e f f e c t , "You know who he i s ; w e 'r e g la d t o have
him w ith u s ." I gu ess t h e r e 's a " gold en mean" h e r e , as f a r
as le n g th o f an in tr o d u c tio n i s co n cern ed .
Like L in co ln
s a id , a man's le g s ought to b e lon g enough t o rea ch th e
grou n d .3

A dap tation o f m essage to sp e a k in g s i t u a t i o n . E vid en ce o f o n -th e sp ot a d a p ta tio n o f th e m essage to th e a u d ien ce and o c c a s io n a t th e

moment o f d e liv e r y i s found in a com parison o f th e o r i g i n a l p rep ared
te x t o f W illiam F a g a l's sermon on Mary M agdalene ("G od's B lin d S p o t" ),
and the verb atim t r a n s c r ip t io n made o f i t s p r e s e n t a t io n a t th e Grand
Ledge Camp M eeting in M ichigan.

The m an u scrip t p h o t o s t a t i c copy b e a r s

F agal's h an d w ritten n o t a tio n in th e upper r ig h t-h a n d c o m e r o f th e 21

p la ces where he d e liv e r e d t h i s m essage in 1966--M ic h ig a n b e in g th e 10th
in the l i s t .

By t h is tim e major changes had been m ad e--w ith w hole

I b i d ., 3.

'I b id .

I b id .

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494

s e c tio n s d e le t e d and new s e c t i o n s added; b u t a com parison fo llo w s o f

s e le c t e d p a ssa g e s to in d ic a t e how a d a p ta tio n was made t o th e a u d ien ce on
the s p e c i f i c o c c a s io n n o te d .

In th e r ig h t-h a n d colum n, i d e n t i c a l la n

guage i s in d ic a t e d by c a p i t a l l e t t e r s ; synonomous words and p h ra se s are

u n d erlin ed , and new m a te r ia l i s

found in lo w e r -c a s e l e t t e r s :

PREPARED MANUSCRIPT
A number o f y e a r s ago I s e r v e d
on the n om inatin g com m ittee o f a
c e r ta in c o n fe r en ce s e s s i o n . The
men th ere had no d i f f i c u l t y in
recommending th a t th e p r e s id e n t be
r e - e le c t e d . They seemed t o have
r e a l c o n fid en ce in h is le a d e r s h ip
and a b i l i t y . However, b e fo r e
g e ttin g t h e i r r e p o r t, one man
stood t o h is f e e t and s a id , "Our
P r e sid en t has a b lin d s p o t when i t
comes to one o f th e d ep artm en ta l
men. I th in k we ought t o h e lp him
by arran ging a change f o r t h i s
man." Even th e b e s t o f men can
have b lin d s p o t s .

VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT
A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO I SERVED
ON THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE OF A
CERTAIN CONFERENCE. I t was an
i n t e r e s t i n g e x p e r ie n c e .
I r e c a ll
th a t th e n o m in a tin g com m ittee HAD
NO DIFFICULTY w h a tso e v er in s u g
g e s t in g unanim ously t o th e
c o n s titu e n c y THAT our PRESIDENT BE
RE-ELECTED. But f i n a l l y ONE o f th e
men a r o se TO HIS FEET AND SAID,
"B efo re our P r e s id e n t i s inform ed
o f o u r d e c i s i o n , I would l i k e to
make m ention o f a l i t t l e problem .
We have a w on d erfu l team o f w orkers
h e r e in t h i s c o n fe r e n c e ," he s a i d ,
"but th e r e i s one in d iv id u a l who,
w h ile he i s a v e ry good man, i s
perhaps n o t f i t t i n g i n t o th e team
in q u it e th e way we w ish he m ig h t.
Perhaps t h i s one man m ight do
b e t t e r e ls e w h e r e .
B u t," he s a id ,
"OUR PRESIDENT HAS A BLIND SPOT
WHEN IT COMES TO t h i s good man.
And," he s a i d , "I would l i k e to
s u g g e s t th a t we s a v e our p r e s id e n t
from some o f th e s e p ro b lem s, and
p o in t o u t to him th a t w e'd l i k e to
s e e t h i s o th e r gentlem an m oved."
I ' v e n e v e r q u it e f o r g o tte n th a t
s p e e c h , o r th e f a c t th a t i t was
a c c e p te d by th e group; and v ery
g r a c e f u l l y th in g s were worked o u t,
as th e y are w ith in th e cause o f God.
But in my mind, I th o u g h t, EVEN THE
BEST OF MEN, even a man as f i n e as
th a t le a d e r in G od's c a u s e , CAN
HAVE BLIND SPOTS.

iU lb tU ...--..-

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I do n o t know j u s t how f o lk
in Bethany found o u t about i t .
I t may even be th a t th e y n e v e r
d isc o v er e d th a t Simon was th e
c u lp r it , b e c a u se no one seem ed to
blame him. However, M ary's s i n
spread lik e w i l d f i r e . M others
began to warn t h e i r c h ild r e n to
s ta y away from h e r , o ld e r women
clucked at h er in d is d a in w henever
th ey saw h e r , and th e o ld e r men
made crude and c r u e l jo k e s a t h e r
expense w henever sh e was n e a r .
L ife fo r Mary became c o m p le te ly
un bearab le. Soon th e gay and
c a r e fr e e s p i r i t was gone and a
trou b led countenance in d ic a t e d
h er extrem e un happ iness to
everyone.

Now I d o n 't KNOW JUST HOW th e

FOLK IN BETHANY FOUND OUT ABOUT IT.
In f a c t , I'm n o t su r e th e y e v e r
found o u t th e w hole s t o r y .
IT MAY
BE THEY NEVER knew THAT SIMON had
a n y th in g to do w ith i t . B ut, som e
how o r o th e r , th e y found out about
Mary. And p e o p le began to t a l k .
MOTHERS t o l d t h e i r d au gh ters to
h ave n o th in g t o do w ith t h i s g i r l ,
t h i s aw fu l g i r l . OLDER WOMEN
CLUCKED t h e i r DISDAIN when t h i s
y o u n g , c a r e fr e e s p r i t e came a lo n g .
THE OLDER MEN, i t seem ed, were
making CRUDE AND CRUEL JOKES around
h e r ; and th e y o u n g er men j u s t
s m ile d k n ow in gly a t one a n o th er as
sh e p a s s e d b y . And LIFE BECAME
q u it e UNBEARABLE FOR MARY th e r e in
B ethany. A fte r a w h ile THE GAY AND
th e CAREFREE SPIRIT WAS GONE; and
in i t s p la c e a TROUBLED COUNTENANCE
INDICATED th e EXTREME UNHAPPINESS
in h e r s o u l TO EVERYONE.

In th e e a r ly days o f B rook lyn e v a n g e lis m , a c c o r d in g t o V ir g in ia

F agal, h er husband would
watch th e f a c e s o f h i s a u d ien ce im m ed ia te ly around him
u n t i l th ey lo o k ed i n t e l l i g e n t w ith u n d e rsta n d in g b e fo r e he
would go on t o make h is n e x t p o in t .
Then he w ould p r o c ee d
w ith h is ch ain o f r e a s o n in g o r l i n e o f t h o u g h t .1
H erbert G. H ohensee, a member o f th e o r i g in a l F a ith f o r Today
Quartet and tod ay th e sound e n g in e e r a t th e h e a d q u a r te rs r ec o r d in g
s tu d io , tr a v e le d hundreds o f th ou san d s o f m ile s around N orth America
w ith W illiam F agal on sp e a k in g to u r s in th e 1 9 5 0 s.

D uring th e p r e a c h in g

p ortion o f th e program he s a t on th e p la t fo r m , b eh in d and to one s i d e o f

the sp eak er, from w hich va n ta g e p o in t he was a b le t o w atch au d ien ce
r ea c tio n to b oth sp e a k e r and m essa g e.

In f a c t , l i s t e n i n g to th e same

sermon b e in g preach ed week a f t e r w eek, H ohensee began t o pay more and

^ V irg in ia F agal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 9 , 1966, 1.

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496

more a t t e n t io n to th e a u d ie n c e .

aj
I1
I
|
if
|
|
fi
y
?f

e x p e r ie n c e s :

He has w r it t e n c o n c e r n in g t h e s e

Knowing h i s serm ons b e c a u se o f r e p e t i t i v e h e a r in g alw ays

made me lo o k f o r r e a c t io n s in th e a u d ie n c e . He [F a g a l] has
the a b i l i t y to win o v e r an au d ien ce by s e v e r a l means w hich
he has d e v e lo p e d th rou gh th e y e a r s . A ud ien ces d i f f e r somewhat f o r many r e a so n s b u t th e P a s to r w ould g e t them to
r e a c t to how he s a id so m e th in g , or by com plim entary s t a t e ments about them , o r o th e r methods w hich seem t o come t o
him q u ite s p o n ta n e o u s ly . A fte r what w ould be term ed a
fa v o r a b le r e a c t io n by th e a u d ie n c e , he w ould im m ed ia te ly be
charged up, and power p r e a c h in g fo llo w e d . He o f t e n spoke
about g r e a t a u d ie n c e s , w hich i s what i t took to make a
great p reach er.
In th e e a r ly p io n e e r in g days i t was an
u p h ill b a t t l e f o r many r e a s o n s , l i k e a c c e p ta n c e o f TV, and
the TV group in p a r t i c u l a r .
He q u ic k ly le a r n e d t o ta lk
w ith th e p e o p le , n o t above them or below them. He le a r n e d
how to a s s o c ia t e w ith them in h is p r e a c h in g . He q u ic k ly
showed p e o p le through h i s p r e a c h in g th a t he was human, b u t
had som eth in g im p o rta n t to t e l l them. Words o f h o p e, su ch
a s , "You can w in , you can s u c c e e d , you can make h ea v en ,
t h e r e 's a p la c e f o r y o u ," and many s im i l a r p h r a s e s , s t i l l
r in g in my e a r s . Someone in a u th o r ity [in th e d en om in ation ]
whom I c a n 't remember, s a i d , " P a sto r F agal i s one o f our
d en o m in a tio n 's g r e a t p r e a c h e r s ." *

The Speaker We S e e 'fThe V i s i b l e Code"

In d e liv e r in g th e t e l e v i s i o n serm on s, F agal i s s e a t e d b eh in d a

desk, a f a c t o r w hich l i m i t s c o n s id e r a b ly th e n a tu r e and amount o f b o d ily
a c t i v i t y th a t c a n -- a lo n g w ith th e spoken w o r d - - a s s i s t in com m unicating
the th ou gh ts o f th e s p e a k e r to th e h e a r e r .
Even s o , th e r e i s an a le r t n e s s o f e y e , as i t

lo o k s d i r e c t l y ,

"head-on," in t o th e cam era's l e n s , and an e a r n e s tn e s s o f s i n c e r i t y w hich

i s communicated by what alm o st appears to be e v e r y f i b r e o f h i s b e in g .
S in c e m ost o f th e s h o ts are t i g h t c lo s e - u p s , much o f th e move
ment o f body tru n k , h an d s, and even s h o u ld e r s , v i s i b l e to one w a tch in g

'"Letter from H erb ert G. H ohensee, F a ith fo r T oday, I n c . , New

York, Aug. 1, 1968, 1 -2 .

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497

in the s t u d io , i s n o t app arent on th e s m a ll TV s c r e e n o f th e home

r e c e iv in g s e t .

Som ething o f th e man s v ig o r , h o w ev er, i s communicated

through h is v o ic e w hich in v a r ia b ly i s w e ll-m o d u la te d b u t o f th e a u d ib le

f a c t o r s , more l a t e r .
When i t comes to p u l p i t p r e a c h in g , h ow ever, F agal comes i n t o h is
own, as fa r as p o t e n t i a l f o r th e p h y s i c a l , v i s i b l e a s p e c ts o f d e liv e r y
are concerned.
In h i s i n s t r u c t i o n s t o th e p l a y e r s , Sh akesp eare has Hamlet t e l l
them:
. . . Do n o t saw th e a i r to o much w ith your hand, th u s; b u t
use a l l g e n tly :
f o r in th e v e ry t o r r e n t , te m p e s t, and as I
may say th e w h irlw in d o f p a s s io n , you must a c q u ir e and
b eg et a tem p erance, t h a t may g iv e i t sm o o th n ess.
And, again:
S u it th e a c tio n t o th e word, th e word to th e a c t io n ; w ith
t h is s p e c ia l o b se r v a n c e , th a t you o e r s te p n o t th e m odesty
o f n a t u r e .1
Whether from n a t u r a l i n s t i n c t ( in th e a b sen ce o f muchform al
tr a in in g in e a r l i e r y e a rs in

p u b lic s p e a k in g , as a lr e a d y n o t e d ),

o r from

a s s o c ia tio n w ith th e m odern-day c o u n te r p a r t o f th e a c to r s to whom

Shakespeare gave th e s e w ord s, W illia m F agal has a g a in ly grace on th e
platform which i s th e ad m ira tio n o f many o f h i s fr ie n d s and th e envy o f
many o f h is c o m p e tito r s .
F igure 31 p r o v id e s 11 s u c c e s s iv e candid -cam era view s o f F agal
speaking a t th e B e r r ie n S p rin g s (M ichigan) S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tist Church,
d e liv e r in g h i s sermon on N icodem us.
In th e d e liv e r y o f th a t sermon th e r ig h t arm was fr e q u e n tly
extended, palm open.

Arms and hands w ere o f t e n o u t s t r e t c h e d , w ith a

^H am let, A ct I I I , S cene 2 , L in e s 1 -2 0 , c i t e d in B a r t l e t t , 175.

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498

R o g e r W. C o o n P h o to

Fig. 31.William Fagal in action, speak

ing from the pulpit of the Berrien Springs,
Michigan, Seventh-day Adventist Church,
February 11, 1967.

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499

f in g e r - p o in t in g g e s tu r e o f t e n u se d b u t n o t o f f e n s i v e l y s o .

The w hole

body o f t e n i n c l i n e s forw ard from b eh in d th e p u l p i t , as i f s u b c o n s c io u s ly

th e sp eak er w ish e d to g e t j u s t as c l o s e , in p h y s ic a l p r o x im ity , to h is
h ea rers as p o s s i b l e .
O c c a s io n a lly , in g e s t u r e , th e r e i s a "chopp ing'1 m otion; a t o th er
tim e s , a " w a te r fa ll" -t y p e g e s t u r e .
tu a te s h i s id e a s .

A ja b b in g f in g e r f r e q u e n t ly punc

From tim e to tim e h e w i l l s u b c o n s c io u s ly w ipe h i s

brow o f p e r s p ir a t io n , g e n e r a te d from th e ardor w ith w hich he moves about

th e p la tfo r m ; o c c a s io n a lly he a d ju s ts h i s g l a s s e s .

But n e it h e r o f th e s e

two movements appear to d e t r a c t a u d ien ce a t t e n t i o n from th e m essage th a t

i s b e in g com m unicated--perhaps p a r t ly due to th e g r a p h ic n a tu r e o f th e
vocab u lary em ployed to convey th e s u c c e s s iv e v i s u a l im a g es.
The movement o f h is body, w hich la c k s o n e - h a lf in c h o f b e in g
s i x - f e e t in h e ig h t , i s b e s t d e s c r ib e d as " f l u id m o tio n " --in seem in g p e r
p e tu a l m otion.

He does not l i f t th e B ib le so much as he l o f t s i t .

His

handsome, o v a l f a c e , crowned by dark, wavey h a ir (now l i g h t l y s tr e a k e d

w ith grey) i s m o b ile .

The eyebrows a rch o c c a s i o n a l ly , e y e s are wide

open; and h is fa c e runs th e gamut o f em otion and e x p r e s s io n .

He appears

to look a t h is n o te s seldom ; ey e c o n ta c t w ith th e c o n g r e g a tio n seem s to

be e q u a lly w e ll d is t r ib u t e d in a l l d i r e c t i o n s .
Even in p r a y e r ( t h i s w r it e r p e e k e d !) , h i s body i s a c t i v e , as i s
th e head, though th e r e i s l i t t l e

arm m o tio n .

In term s o f q u a n t it a t iv e

measurement o f g e s tu r e a c t i v i t y , about h a l f o f th e g e s t u r e s in v o lv e both

arms and hands; and o f th e rem ainder, about o n e - t h ir d in v o lv e th e l e f t
hand and tw o -th ir d s th e r ig h t hand.

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500

The Speaker We H ear--"The A u d ib le Code"

In a r t i c u l a t i o n - -t h e p r o d u c tio n o f c le a r and d i s t i n c t sounds in

w o rd s--W illia m F agal has few p e e r s .

The v o w els and co n so n a n ts are c a r e

f u l l y formed by a m ost a c t i v e jaw and ton gu e; th e s y l l a b l e s are n o t run

to g e th e r b u t r a th e r p r o p e r ly sp a ced ; and th e sp e e c h sounds a re n o t
m u ffle d , b u t d i s t i n c t .

H is p r o n o u n c ia tio n i s v i r t u a l l y f l a w l e s s .

R aised from youth in u p s t a t e New York, h i s a c c e n t , u n d e r sta n d a b ly , i s

Middle A t la n t ic .

C on stan t r e f e r e n c e t o th e d ic t io n a r y ( in c lu d in g th e

w ell-w orn paperback one c a r r ie d in th e g lo v e compartment o f h i s c a r ) ,

b om o f a g e n e r a l lo v e f o r th e c u r i o s i t y about w ords, has sa v ed him from
many an em b arrassin g fa u x p a s , as fa r as p r o n o u n c ia tio n i s

co n cern ed .

Shakesp eare, in th e p a s s a g e from Hamlet j u s t c i t e d ab ove, s a i d , co n cern

in g the " a u d ib le c o d e ," "speak th e s p e e c h , I p ra y y o u , as I pronounced
i t to you, t r ip p in g ly on th e to n g u e ." *

F agal appears t o fo llo w t h i s

a d v ic e , and s e v e r a l c o l l e g e E n g lis h and sp e ec h te a c h e r s have commented

fa v o ra b ly to t h i s w r it e r p e r s o n a lly on th e m i n i s t e r ' s superb d i c t i o n .
In term s o f lo u d n e ss--v o lu m e and i n t e n s i t y - - F a g a l seld om sp ea k s
w ith out a m icrophone, e i t h e r in s t u d io or church o r a u d ito r iu m .

However,

he has c o n sc io u s c o n tr o l o f an e x c e l l e n t sp e a k in g v o i c e , w hich i s
r e a d ily heard to th e f a r t h e s t r ea c h e s o f th e room in w hich he t a l k s .
In term s o f p i t c h - - t h e " h ig h n ess" or " low n ess" o f th e v o i c e - Fagal a s s id u o u s ly a v o id s a m onotone, and a c t i v e l y c u l t i v a t e s a v a r ie t y
in to n e s .

H is v o ic e has a n a tu r a l m elo d ic l i l t to i t , w ith r ic h b a r i

tone o v e r to n e s .
which to l i s t e n .

I t i s , m ost h e a r e r s f i n d , a v o ic e n o t u n p le a sa n t to
T his w e ll-m o d u la te d s p e a k in g - t o o l i t s e l f conveys

*C ited in B a r t l e t t ,

175.

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501
moods o f en th u sia sm , d ou b t, c o n v ic t io n , q u ery and, o c c a s i o n a l l y ,
sarcasm .
In terms o f q u a l i t y - - t h e F a g a l v o ic e i s e x c e e d in g ly r e s o n a n t.
Harsh to n es are a lm o st t o t a l l y a b s e n t; and th e r e i s o n ly an o c c a s io n a l
tr a c e o f n a s a l i t y , and no b r e a t h in e s s w h a tev er.
ii
1

The v o ic e i s v ib r a n t ,

alm ost n ev er d u l l , h u sk y , or f l a t .
In term s o f r a t e or tim e , we p au se m om entarily t o n o te t h a t
among contem porary t h e o r i s t s th e r e i s o n ly th e most g e n e r a l agreem ent as
to what c o n s t it u t e s th e " average" or "normal" r a t e o f p la tfo r m s p e a k in g .
C harles T. Brown s u g g e s t s t h a t th e "normal r a te runs anywhere from 125
to 185 words p er m in u te ."

Eugene E. White and C la ir R. H e n d e r lid e r

s u g g e s t th a t th e "average" r a t e o f sp ea k in g i s "betw een 120 and 150

words p er m in u te ."
p er m inute;

For Monroe, th e "normal" span i s

120 t o 180 words

H a n ce-R a lp h -W ik sell s e t th e "optimum r a te f o r a c h ie v in g

un derstan ding" a t 125 t o 150 words p e r m in u te ;4 and B aird and Knower

s u g g e s t an "ordin ary" r a t e o f 130 to 150 words p e r m in u te.^
A ll would te n d to a g r e e , h ow ever, w ith B aird and Knower's o b s e r
v a tio n t h a t , w o r d s-p e r-m in u te r a t e s t a t i s t i c s a s i d e , th e sp e a k e r sh o u ld
t a lk a t a r a te "low enough to be e a s i l y u n d ersto o d and f a s t enough to
s u s t a in the a u d ie n c e 's i n t e r e s t and a v o id th e appearance o f h e s i t a n t or
dw arling sp eech ." ^
The r a te o f u t te r a n c e em ployed in each o f th e te n W illia m Fagal
sermons under r e v ie w , shown in T able 8, shows t h a t fo r t e l e v i s i o n he has

^Introduction to Speech (B oston :

1 9 5 5 ), 276.
o

Houghton M if f l i n Company,

P r a c t ic a l P u b lic S p ea k in g (New York:

1954), 246.
30p. c i t . ,

101.

40 p . c i t . , 2 6 7 .

The M acm illan Company,

50 p . c i t . ,

114.

6 I b id .

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502
TABLE 8

WILLIAM A. FAGAL'S RATE OF DELIVERY

PULPIT AND TELEVISION SERMONS
Number o f Words P er M inute

PULPIT SERMONS

Average W.P.M.

P -l

P-2

P -3

P -4

P-5

Mean
Median
Mode

188
194
194

166
166
175

171
175
(167)
(172)

184
181
(182)
(195)

165
161
(148)
(161)

Maximum W.P.M.
Minimum W.P.M.

223
129

237
105

217
99

227
126

223
85

I d e n tific a tio n
P -l
Sermon
P-2
Sermon
Sermon
P-3
Sermon
P-4
P-5
Sermon

Combined
A verage
175
177

Code:
on Paul a t C orin th (3 0 :0 8 )
on Andrew (4 4 :5 8 )
on Mary M agdalene ( "God's B lin d Spot' ') (5 1 :1 9 )
on Heaven (4 1 :1 5 )
on Nicodemus ("What 's L e ft o r W hat's R ight?") (36 :00)

TELEVISION SERMONS

Average W.P.M.

T -l

T-2

T -3

T-4

T-5

Combined
A verage

Mean
Median
Mode

112
114
*

115
118
*

123
121
121

114
117
*

108
118
*

114
117
*

Maximum W.P.M.
Minimum W.P.M.

129
130
134
119
128
102
98
121
89
92
*Sermons n o t lon g enough to e s t a b l i s h th e mode

I d e n t i f i c a t i o n Code:
T -l:
TV Sermon #349,
T-2: TV Sermon #351,
T-3: TV Sermon #358,
T-4: TV Sermon #367,
T-5: TV Sermon #371,

fir s t
fir s t
fir s t
fir s t
fir s t

p rea ch ed
p rea ch ed
p rea ch ed
p rea ch ed
p rea ch ed

Feb.
Feb.
Apr.
O ct.
Nov.

7,
21,
11,
17,
14,

1965
1965
1965
1965
1965

(6 :0 9 )
(5 :0 0 )
(5 :0 6 )
(6 :5 8 )
(4 :5 7 )

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503

a combined mean r a t e o f 114 words p e r m inute and a combined median r a te

o f 117 w .p .m .

(T hese sermons are n o t s u f f i c i e n t l y lo n g enough to p l o t a

mode in fo u r o f f i v e i n s t a n c e s .)

The s lo w e s t r a te on TV was 89 w .p .m .,

and th e f a s t e s t 134 w .p.m .

For th e p u lp it u t t e r a n c e , th e r e i s a combined mean r a te o f
175 w .p .m ., and a combined median r a te o f 177 w .p.m .

(A s i n g l e mode

r a te c o u ld be computed f o r o n ly two o f th e f i v e serm on s.)

In th e p u l p i t d is c o u r s e th e f a s t e s t r a t e n o ted was 237 w .p .m .,
and th e s lo w e s t a t 85 w .p .m ., s u g g e s tin g som eth in g o f th e i n f i n i t e
v a r ie t y em ployed in th e p u l p i t a d d r e s s e s .
In terms o f p a c in g , ta k in g in t o accou n t a l l o f th e v a r io u s v o c a l
c o n s t it u e n t s l i s t e d above, th e b e s t d e s c r ip t io n t h i s w r ite r can p r o v id e
i s the a n a lo g y o f th e f o o t b a l l p la y e r who en gages in what s p o r ts w r ite r s
c a l l "broken f i e l d ru n n in g ."

There i s c o n tin u a l change o f pace in a l l

areas to p r o v id e e f f e c t i v e em phases; and ev en th e o c c a s io n a l in s ta n c e s

when th e sp e a k e r h i s id e a s tu m blin g out a lm o st f a s t e r than words can
convey them in t e r r u p t s h im s e lf , do n o t d e t r a c t from com m unication, b u t,
i f a n y th in g , ten d to h e ig h te n i t ,

in t h i s w r i t e r ' s e s tim a tio n .

E v a lu a tio n o f R h e to r ic a l E lem ents

I n v e n tio n .- - W illia m F a g a l, sp e a k in g as a m in is te r o f th e S ev en th day A d v e n tist Church, ta k e s h i s sermon t o p ic s from th e c a r d in a l t e n e t s

o f h is d en om in ation .

In th e t e l e v i s i o n p r e a c h in g , w ith a fo u r - to s i x -

minute tim e l i m i t a t i o n , th e m essages are a s tr a ig h t-fo r w a r d p r e s e n t a tio n

o f th e t o p ic w h ich , th r e e tim es o u t o f fo u r , i s concerned w ith " p r a c t i
c a l g o d lin e s s ," o r d a y -to -d a y C h r is tia n l i v i n g .

The p u lp it d is c o u r s e s

most fr e q u e n t ly ta k e th e form o f b io g r a p h ic a l serm ons, in which th e

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504

e v en ts o f th e i n d i v i d u a l ' s l i f e

and e x p e r ie n c e p r o v id e th e "pegs" upon

which th e sp e a k e r "hangs" h i s m oral p r e c e p t .

The t e l e v i s i o n serm ons are i d e n t i f i e d by a c o n s e c u t iv e s e r i a l
number o n ly ; in r e c e n t months F agal has r e v iv e d a p r a c t i c e fo llo w e d in
h is e a r ly m in is t r y and l a t e r dropped, o f p r o v id in g t i t l e s by means o f
which th e s u b j e c t i s announced.
The c h i e f s o u r c e s o f th e F agal serm on ic m a t e r ia l a re th e S c r ip
tu r e s , p r im a r ily , and th e w r it in g s o f E lle n G. W h ite, s e c o n d a r il y , w ith
many r e fe r e n c e works b e in g drawn upon to p r o v id e d e t a i l .
upon r e le v a n c e , b o th in t i t l e ,

S tressi s

la id

t o p i c , and tr e a tm e n t.

Dr. F agal i s e s p e c i a l l y c o n s c io u s o f th e a u d ien ce

fa c to r in th e p u b lic sp e a k in g s i t u a t i o n .

I t i s upperm ost

as a m ajor
in h i s mind a t

a l l s ta g e s o f sermon p r e p a r a tio n and d e l iv e r y .

H is sermons u t i l i z e exam ple, n a r r a t iv e , s t a t i s t i c s , and t e s t i
mony o f f a c t and o p in io n in th e fu r th e r a n c e o f l o g i c a l argum ent, w ith
e x a m p le -- e s p e c ia lly o f th e i l l u s t r a t i v e formb e in g u se d m ost o f t e n , in
the n o n - a r t i s t i c e le m e n ts o f in v e n t io n .
Dr. F agal em ploys m ost e f f e c t i v e l y m a t e r ia ls w hich te n d t o
enhance im p r e ssio n s o f h i s com p eten ce, c h a r a c te r , and good w i l l on th e
p art o f h i s a u d ien ce as a p a r t o f e t h i c a l p e r s u a s io n .

In l o g i c a l

r e a so n in g , he o v erw h elm in gly fa v o r s th e u se o f th e exam p le, a lth o u g h

reason in g from an a lo g y and from ca u se are n o t in f r e q u e n t ly em ployed.
seldom u se s r e a s o n in g from s ig n .

H is m o tiv e a p p ea ls a re drawn from an

extrem ely wide and d iv e r s e number o f s o u r c e s , and h i s j u d ic io u s u se o f

humor i s e f f e c t i v e l y em ployed as an a g en t in p e r s u a s io n as w e l l as an
instrum en t to d em on strate th e e t h i c a l a p p ea l o f good w i l l .

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He

505

A rrangem ent. A lthough F a g a l d em o n stra tes an a b i l i t y a t th e u se

o f d e d u c tiv e approaches i n h is serm on s, he p r e f e r s by f a r th e in d u c t iv e
approach; and i t i s in t h i s ty p e o f sermon arrangem ent th a t he i s s e e n
at h is h o m i l e t i c a l l y p e r s u a s iv e b e s t .

He p r e f e r s to have h i s id e a s

"dawn" on p e o p le ; and s i n c e p a r t i c u l a r l y i n th e e v a n g e l i s t i c ser m o n s-he must mahe h is way "up h i l l " in terms o f p e r su a d in g h is h e a r e r to a
s e r ie s o f t h e o l o g i c a l p o s i t i o n s w hich are g e n e r a lly v iew ed as unpopular
i f n o t s in g u l a r ly odd by th e g e n e r a l p u b lic a t la r g e , h i s wisdom in
approaching th e s u b j e c t in a somewhat o b liq u e fa s h io n does seem t o ten d
toward g r e a t e r a c ce p ta n c e o f h i s v ie w p o in t s .
B ecause o f h i s d e s ir e t h a t th e sermon " flo w ," i t i s n o t alw ays
easy or p o s s i b l e to d is t in g u is h th e in t r o d u c tio n from th e body from th e
c o n c lu s io n , a lth o u g h th e pu rp ose s e n te n c e i s alw ays o b v io u s , w h eth er
p r e se n t toward th e b e g in n in g o r toward th e end o f th e d is c o u r s e .

The

sermons in v a r ia b ly c lo s e w ith a p p ea ls to more e f f e c t i v e C h r is tia n l i v i n g

and w itn e s s , th e p u lp it v a r i e t y b e in g in tr o d u c e d by a s ta te m e n t o f s e l f
r e d e d ic a tio n , fo llo w e d by an i n v i t a t i o n to th e c o n g r e g a tio n t o fo llo w
s u it.

S t y l e .- - W illia m F agal i s a lo v e r o f w ords, and h is serm ons demon

s t r a t e a p r e d i l e c t i o n f o r s h o r t words and f a m ilia r w ords, a lth o u g h
d u lln e s s and monotony are a v o id e d through th e u se o f a v a r ie t y o f o th e r
words which are more i n t r i c a t e and complex in t h e i r meaning b u t are n o t
used in an o s t e n t a t io u s manner.
The F a gal s t y l e i s c h a r a c t e r iz e d by s i m p l i c i t y , f o r c e f u l n e s s ,
v iv id n e s s , and a d a p t a b il it y .
There i s v a r ie t y as w e ll as charm in th e manner in w hich th e
sen te n c es and p aragraphs are c o n s tr u c te d .

He em ploys d ia lo g u e ,

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r h e t o r ic a l q u e s t io n s , r e p e t i t i o n and r e s ta te m e n t , and com parison and

c o n tr a s t to h e ig h te n l i s t e n e r - a t t e n t i o n .
A lthough h i s sp e a k in g s t y l e i s c o m p a r a tiv e ly unadorned, numerous
in s ta n c e s may be found o f th e u se o f m etaphor and s i m i l e , anaphora, and
onom atopoeia; w h ile o c c a s io n a l ly he u t i l i z e s a p o str o p h e , a l l i t e r a t i o n ,
a p o r ia , a p o p h a sia , ir o n y and sa rca sm , a n d i p l o s i s , a n tim e n ta b o le ,
asy n d eto n , and p e r s o n i f i c a t i o n .
I t i s in th e a r e a o f th e d i s t i n c t i v e q u a l i t i e s and c o n s t it u e n t s
o f th e o r a l s t y l e th a t F agal i s s e e n a t h i s b e s t .

H is p r e s e n t a t io n i s

made in a h ig h ly c o n v e r s a tio n a l manner, f e a t u r in g th o s e q u a l i t i e s w hich

b e s t sy m b o liz e th e o r a l s t y l e o f com m unication.

D e liv e r y . -- D r . Fagal i s an e x c e l l e n t r a n c o n te u r , and h i s e f f e c

t iv e n e s s in s t o r y - t e l l i n g i s fr e q u e n t ly em ployed to good advantage in
th e n a r r a t iv e - t y p e or b io g r a p h ic a l sermon w hich he e s p e c i a l l y f a v o r s .
H is t e l e v i s i o n sermons are rea d from a c o n t in u o u s - r o ll d e v ic e
a f f ix e d to th e cam era, so th a t he appears t o be lo o k in g d i r e c t l y a t th e
te le v ie w e r a l l th e tim e he i s , in f a c t , r e a d in g h i s serm on.

There are

very few d e p a r tu re s from th e p rep a red m a n u scrip t; b u t su ch ones as do

occur are o f su ch a n a tu r e to ,To r a liz e " a m essage w hich was o r i g i n a l l y
s e t down in th e w r it t e n mode o f com m unication.
In th e p u l p i t W illiam Fagal sp ea k s e x te m p o r a n e o u sly , u s in g a
m anuscript upon w hich th e key words have b een u n d e r lin e d in r ed .

A com

p a r iso n o f th e o r i g i n a l m an uscript w ith a v erb a tim t r a n s c r ip t io n o f th e

sermon as a c t u a ll y d e liv e r e d r e v e a ls a h ig h ly s o p h i s t i c a t e d a d a p ta tio n
o f th e m a t e r ia ls in a m ost e f f e c t i v e o r a l p r e s e n t a t io n .
In th e d e liv e r y p r o c e s s he w a tch es h i s a u d ien ce k e e n ly fo r
e v id e n c e s o f com prehension o f h is m a t e r ia ls , and h i s p r e s e n t a t io n

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

p roceed s when he i s su r e t h a t th e r e has b een a c le a r u n d ersta n d in g on

the p a r t o f th e c o n g r e g a tio n o f a l l th a t has been s a id to th a t p o in t .
I f he fin d s he has s p e n t to o much tim e in th e e a r l i e r p o r tio n s o f th e
m essage, he does n o t h e s i t a t e to a b b r e v ia te th e f i n a l p o r tio n to a v o id
p r o lo n g in g th e sermon unduly and th er e b y r is k in g lo s s o f a t t e n t io n in
the c r u c ia l , c lim a c t ic p o r tio n w h erein he i n e v i t a b l y makes an a p p ea l to
commitment.
Dr. F agal e f f e c t i v e l y em ploys many forms o f b o d ily a c t i v i t y in
the p h y s ic a l d e liv e r y o f h i s serm on s.
" f lu id ," and g r a c e f u l.

H is g e s t u r e s are fr e q u e n t,

H is v o ic e has been tr a in e d to respon d to e v e r y

e x ig en cy in th e sp e a k in g s i t u a t i o n , and i t i s an e x c e l l e n t in stru m en t
fo r e f f e c t i v e com m unication.

H is d ic t i o n i s n e a r - f la w le s s ; he u se s

g r ea t v a r ie t y in lo u d n e ss , p i t c h , q u a l i t y , and r a t e ; and h i s sp ea k in g
s t y l e i s b e s t compared o v e r a ll t o th e " b r o k e n - fie ld running" p r a c t ic e d
by f o o t b a ll p la y e r s .

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CHAPTER VI
AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO THE TELEVISION PREACHING OF WILLIAM A. FAGAL

And a l l . . . wondered a t th e g r a c io u s words w hich proceed ed

out o f H is mouth. . . . And th ey were a s to n is h e d a t H is
d o c tr in e :
fo r H is word was w ith power. . . . And th e
common p e o p le heard Him g la d l y . . . . For He ta u g h t
them as one h a v in g a u t h o r it y , and n o t as th e
s c r i b e s . --L uke 4 :2 2 a , 32; Mark 12:37b;
Matthew 7 :2 9 .
I c o u ld t e l l where th e la m p lig h te r was by th e t r a i l
he l e f t b eh in d h im .--H a r r y Lauder*

Why do men speak?

T h eir r ea so n s are d o u b tle s s as numerous and d iv e r s e as th e
speakers th e m se lv e s; and y e t , g e n e r a lly , th e y do adm it o f broad
c a t e g o r iz a t io n .

The Purpose o f P u b lic Speaking

Alan H. Monroe, whose work on m o tiv a tio n has a lr ea d y been c i t e d ,

s u g g e sts f i v e " g e n e ra l ends o f sp eech " :
v in c e ,

(3) t o a c t u a t e ,

(1) to s t im u la t e ,

(4 ) to in fo rm , and ( 5 ) to e n t e r t a in ;

(2) to conwhereas

th ree o f h is e q u a lly w ell-k n ow n p r o f e s s i o n a l c o lle a g u e s , H ance-R alphW ik se ll, s u g g e s t t h a t th e p u rp o ses o f a sp ea k er are r e a l l y o n ly th r e e :

<7

(1) p e r s u a s io n ,

(2) in fo r m a tio n , and (3) e n te r ta in m e n t.

'"Cited in W a llis , The T reasu re C h e st, 147.

^Monroe, 146.
^H ance-R alph-W iksell, 2 0 -2 1 .
508

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V iew ing th e F i r s t C entury A.D. w orld in w hich he l i v e d , th e

A p o stle Paul m ight w e ll h ave lumped a l l s p e a k e r s , as r eg a rd s p u r p o se ,
in to one o f two camps:

(1 ) th o s e who so u g h t s e l f - g l o r i f i c a t i o n

(and

p e r so n a l aggran d izem en t) th rou gh th e e x h ib i t io n o f t h e i r o r a t o r i c a l

pow ers, and (2 ) th o s e who so u g h t c o n v e r ts to a ca u se th rou gh th e a r t o f
p e r su a sio n .
The d e c la im e r s o f th e Second S o p h is t ic m igh t in d e e d speak "w ith
the ton gues o f men and o f a n g e ls " ; b u t , la c k in g th e " c h a r ity " o r lo v in g
concern f o r t h e i r h e a r e r s

(w h ich , in P a u l's e y e s , c o u ld a lo n e make human

speech r e d e m p tiv e ), th e y w ere to him l i t t l e b e t t e r th a n th e P h a r is e e s o f

C h r is t's day who made a b i g d is p l a y o f t h e i r a lm s -g iv in g and p u b lic
p r a y e r s --" to b e se e n o f men" (Matthew 2 3 :5 ) .
And, as J e su s s a r d o n i c a lly r e p o r te d o f th e s e h y p o c r it e s , "They
have t h e i r reward" (M atthew 6 : 5 ) , so Paul d is m is s e d th e S o p h is t ic o r a to r
as n o th in g more th an a " sou n d in g b r a s s , o r a t i n k l i n g cymbal" (I C o rin
th ia n s 1 3 :1 ) .
On th e o th e r h an d , how ever, th e r e were in th o s e e a r ly New T e s ta
ment days men su ch as P a u l, p o s s e s s e d o f an id e a and an i d e a l whose tim e
had come, who, w is h in g t o p ersu a d e men t o a c ce p ta n c e o f th e sam e, would
go to any le n g th t o a c co m p lish t h e i r m is s io n :
For though I be f r e e from a l l men, y e t have I made
m y se lf s e r v a n t un to a l l , t h a t I m igh t g a in th e m ore. . . .
Unto th e J e w s, . . . t o them t h a t a r e under th e la w , . . .
to them th a t are w ith o u t law , . . . t o th e weak, . . . I am
made a l l th in g s to a l l men, t h a t I m ight by a l l means sa v e
some.
(I C o r in th ia n s 9 : 1 9 - 2 2 .)
A r i s t o t l e , h ow ever, w ould have ta k en is s u e w ith them a l l .
to him, th e r e was o n ly one g o a l, one end o f human s p e e c h :

F o r,

p e r s u a s io n .

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510
And, fo r him , r h e t o r i c ' s s o l e fu n c t io n was " d is c o v e r in g . . . th e a v a i l
a b le means o f persuasion."'*'
However one may p r e f e r t o fo r m u la te th e g o a l (o r g o a ls ) o f
p u b lic s p e a k in g , few w i l l d is a g r e e th a t th e o b j e c t o f th e e x e r c i s e i s
another human b e in g .

For no man sp ea k s in a vacuum.

Whether one

chooses to d e fin e sp e a k in g w ith th e c o m m u n ic a tio n s -th e o r is t as "any a c t

by v ir t u e o f w hich one organism ev o k es b e h a v io r from a n o th e r ,"
th e r h e t o r ic ia n as "a r e s p o n s e - g e t t in g a c t i v i t y , "
some degree h e a r e r - o r ie n t e d .

o r w ith

th e sp e a k e r i s to

And, as su c h , he te n d s t o m easure s u c c e s s

in terms o f th e d eg ree to w hich he in f lu e n c e d h i s a u d ito r .

As Lane Cooper p arap h rased A r i s t o t l e , "A sp e ec h i s t o be ju dged
by i t s e f f e c t upon som eone."^

And when p r e a c h e r -p o e t John Donne

d e c la re d t h a t "no man i s an i s l a n d , e n t ir e o f i t s e l f ; e v e r y man i s

. . .

a p a rt o f th e m ain ," 3 he was b u t r e s t a t i n g in o th e r words th e d ictu m o f

th e A p o stle P au l:

"For none o f us l i v e t h unto h i m s e l f , and no man d ie t h

to h im se lf" (Romans 1 4 : 7 ) .

Response:

E vid en ce o f th e I n flu e n c e o f Speaking

"Human h i s t o r y ," Lewis C opeland rem inds u s , " is p r im a r ily a

record o f im p ortan t and d ram atic e v e n t s , which have o fte n b een p r o
foundly a f f e c t e d by g r e a t s p e e c h e s ." ^

To w hich Andrew S c o tla n d adds:

1-Cooper, 7.
2Jon E ise n s o n , J . J e f f r e y A uer, and John V. Irw in , The P s y c h o l
ogy o f Communication (New York: A p p le to n -C e n tu r y -C r o fts , 1 9 6 3 ), 131.
3Thonssen and B a ird , 4 4 8 .

^Cooper, x x .

5C ite d in B a r t l e t t , 2 1 8 .

N. Y .:

^Lewis Copeland ( e d . ) , The W orld's Great S p eech es (Garden C ity ,

Garden C ity P u b lis h in g C o ., I n c . , 1 9 4 2 ), v .

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511
At a l l p e r io d s in h i s t o r y , a b i l i t y in p u b lic sp e a k in g has
been th e le v e r w hich h a s r a is e d p e o p le t o in f lu e n c e and
a u t h o r it y o v e r t h e i r f e l l o w s . T here i s pow er in th e spoken
word; and in th e c a se o f g r e a t s p e e c h e s t h e i r power can be
f e l t over th e c e n t u r ie s . . . . Som etim es s p e e c h e s make
h i s t o r y ; alw ays th e y a re th e f o o t n o t e s o f h i s t o r y . 1
The in f lu e n c e o f th e spoken w ord, l i k e th e p r o v e r b ia l c o in , has
two s i d e s .

The p o s i t i v e s id e has b een r o m a n tic iz e d by th e p o e ts su ch as

L o n g fe llo w , who w rote o f a boyhood e x p e r ie n c e in w hich he s h o t an arrow

in t o th e a ir ; and " lo n g , lo n g a fte r w a r d , in an oak, I found th e arrow
s t i l l u n b rok e."

He then lik e n e d th e arrow t o a song "breathed . . .

in t o th e a i r ," w hich he a fte r w a r d fou n d a g a in in th e h e a r t o f a

f r ie n d .

The n e g a t iv e s id e o f th e c o in o f " w o r d -in flu e n c e " i s c i t e d in

th e r a th e r somber words o f W ill C a r le to n :
Boys f l y i n g k i t e s h a u l in t h e i r w h ite -w in g e d b ir d s ,
You c a n 't do th a t when y o u 'r e f l y i n g w ord s.
C a refu l w ith f i r e i s good a d v ic e , we know;
C a r efu l w ith words i s t e n tim e s d o u b ly s o .
Thoughts u n ex p re sse d som etim es f a l l back dead,
But God H im se lf c a n 't k i l l them o n ce t h e y ' r e s a id .^
Which i s d o u b tle s s why H is Son warned C h r is tia n s in e v e r y age
th a t o f " every i d l e word t h a t men s h a l l sp eak th e y s h a l l g iv e a cco u n t
t h e r e o f in th e day o f judgm ent.

For by th y words s h a l t th ou be j u s t i

f i e d , and by th y words th ou s h a l t b e condemned" (Matthew 1 2 :3 6 , 3 7 ) .

I t i s i n t e r e s t i n g t o n o te t h a t th e v a r io u s w r it e r s o f th e B ib le ,
in t h e i r r e s p e c t iv e tim e s , appear t o have b een p r e o c c u p ie d w ith th e

^Andrew S c o tla n d ( e d . ) , The Power o f E loqu en ce (London:

Company, L td ., 1 9 6 1 ), v .

C a s s e ll

From "The Arrow and th e S o n g ," c i t e d by Thomas C u rtis C lark and

E sther A. G i l l i s p i e ( c o m p ile r s ) , 1000 Q u o ta b le Poems: An A n th ology o f
Modem V erse (C hicago: W i l l e t t , C lark and Company, 1 9 3 7 ), 1 1 :1 8 7 .
3

C ited in i b i d . , 1 1 :2 3 0 .
(The c o m p ile r s , h ow ever, show th e
author as "unknown"; b u t th e 5 th e d i t i o n o f G ranger's Index t o P o e tr y
(F. B ern h ard t, E d.; New York: Colum bia U n iv e r s it y P r e s s , 1962) l i s t s
the au th or as C a rleto n ( p . 1 4 3 ).

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s tim u lu s -r e s p o n s e phenomenon a s s o c ia t e d w ith th e spoken word.

Not

in f r e q u e n t ly do th e y r e l a t e i t p a r t i c u l a r l y t o p r e a c h in g , in th e c o n te x t
o f sow ing and th e su b seq u en t r e a p in g o f a h a r v e s t .
Solomon adm onished:
In th e morning sow th y s e e d , and in th e e v en in g w ith h o ld n o t
th in e hand: f o r th ou know est n o t w hether s h a l l p r o s p e r ,
e i t h e r t h i s or t h a t , o r w h eth er th e y b o th s h a l l be a li k e
good ( E c c l e s i a s t e s 1 1 : 6 ) .
And, a g a in :
C ast th y b read upon th e w a te r s: f o r thou s h a l t f in d i t
a f t e r many days ( E c c l e s i a s t e s 1 1 : 1 ) .
To w hich I s a ia h added:

"Sow b e s id e a l l w aters" ( I s a ia h 3 2 :2 0 ) .

The

an alogy was to o c le a r to be m isu n d ersto o d :

So s h a l l My word b e th a t g o e th f o r t h out o f My mouth; i t
s h a l l n o t r e tu r n u n to Me v o id , b u t i t s h a l l a cco m p lish th a t
which I p le a s e , and i t s h a l l p r o sp e r in th e th in g w h ereto I
s e n t i t ( I s a ia h 5 5 : 1 1 ) .
D a v id 's words would s u b s e q u e n tly encourage a w hole g e n e r a tio n o f
p rea ch ers such as W illia m A.

F agal as th e y went out to p rea ch God's word,

hoping fo r a s u c c e s s f u l , b o u n t if u l

h a r v e s t-r e s p o n s e from t h e i r h e a r e r s :

He th a t g o e th fo r th and w e ep eth , b e a r in g p r e c io u s s e e d ,
s h a l l d o u b tle s s come a g a in w ith r e j o i c i n g , b r in g in g h is
sh ea v es w ith him (Psalm 1 2 6 : 6 ) .
And Paul would add th e elem en t o f r a t io and p r o p o r tio n :
He which sow eth s p a r in g ly s h a l l reap a ls o s p a r in g ly ; and he
which sow eth b o u n t i f u l l y s h a l l reap a ls o b o u n t if u ll y
(I I C o r in th ia n s 9 : 6 ) .
And, f i n a l l y , Z ech ariah w ould rem ind th e p r e a ch er -so w er th a t
w h ile resp o n se was c e r t a i n l y t o be e x p e c te d , in t h i s work th e r e s u l t s
would n ot a lo n e be due to human e f f o r t :
Not by m ig h t, nor by pow er, b u t by My S p i r i t , s a i t h th e Lord
o f h o s t s (Z ech ariah 4 :6 ) .

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513
S in c e "r esp o n se i s th e k ey d eterm in a n t o f e f f e c t i v e n e s s " 1 o f a
p u b lic s p e a k e r though, c e r t a i n l y , n o t th e o n ly c r i t e r i o n o f m easure
mentw h at, one m ight w e ll a sk , has b een th e r esp o n se to th e p u b lic
sp e a k in g o f W illia m A. Fagal?

C u ltu r a l E v id e n c e s o f th e I n flu e n c e o f F a g a l's Speaking

B efo re exam ining t h i s im p ortan t f a c e t o f th e F agal c a r e e r in

d e t a i l , i t i s i n s t r u c t i v e fo r us t o n o te two most i n t e r e s t i n g e v id e n c e s
in p r in t o f th e fa r -r e a c h in g p e r v a s iv e n e s s o f su b c o n sc io u s in f lu e n c e o f
the fou n d er o f th e " F aith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t on s e v e r a l s u b c u ltu r e s o f
th e W estern w o r ld .

C l i f f R ogerson C artoon. F i r s t , on O ctober 2 9 , 1966, a B e l l McClure S y n d ic a te d c a r to o n , "Tee Vee L a f f s ," by C l i f f R ogerson, appeared
in about 100 new spapers in North America [ s e e F ig . 32) in w hich th e
" F aith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t was p r o m in en tly b rou gh t to th e a t t e n t io n o f
the n ew sp a p er-rea d in g p u b lic .
Why d id th e c a r t o o n is t choose " F a ith f o r Today" in s t e a d o f some
o th e r r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t
t o p o in t up a gag? . . . I needed a r e l i g i o u s program to
d e p ic t on th e TV s c r e e n , and t h i s program was th e o n ly one
l i s t e d in th e l i s t i n g s o f our l o c a l p a p er . However, I can
sa y th a t t h i s program i s q u it e p o p u la r in my a r ea (N orth
e a s te r n P e n n a .) .2

E liz a b e th Kata N o v e l.- - O f c o n s id e r a b ly g r e a t e r i n t e r e s t and

s ig n if i c a n c e i s a n o th er c a su a l m ention o f th e t e l e c a s t , t h i s tim e b u rie d

^Thonssen and B aird , 460.

2 L e t t e r from C a r to o n ist C l i f f R ogerson, R. D. 2 , W yalusin g, P a .,
March 10, 1967.

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514

Tee Vee Tuffs

By CUFF ROGERSON

RELEASE WEEK O F OCTOBER 24, 1966

CUFF

FAira
FO R

TOIMy

0
%

oQk

IT'S THE COLLECTION! PLATE f "

A Bell McCl ure S y n d i c a t e F e a t u r e -

Bell-McClure Syndicate
(Printed in the U.S.Aj

Fig. 3 2 . Cliff R ogerson carto o n , d istrib u ted by Bell-McClure S y n d ica te to subscribing n e w sp a p e rs

in ap p ro x im ately 100 cities th ro u g h o u t th e U n ited S ta te s. "TV Laffs" is also sold a b ro a d ; a n d is
published in G r e a t Britain, G e rm a n y , Sw itzerland, A u stralia, N ew Z ea lan d , an d J a p a n , am o n g
o th e r countries.
C opyright i9 6 6 b y Beil M cClure S y n d ic a te . R ep rin ted b y perm issio n .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

515
in th e d ia lo g u e o f a contem porary s o c i a l - p r o t e s t n o v e l, A P atch o f B lu e ,
by E liz a b e th Kata.
In h e r n a r r a t iv e , S e lin a D 'A rcey, an 1 8 -y e a r -o ld g i r l , b lin d
s in c e f i v e and r a is e d in c o a r s e , s q u a lid su r r o u n d in g s, m eets Gordon
R alfe in th e c i t y park where sh e has gone to e n jo y th e su n .

The s t o r y

l i n e r e v o lv e s around a s u c c e s s io n o f rendezvous by th e c o u p le , th e p l o t
h in g in g on th e f a c t t h a t th e i n t e n s e l y r a c e -c o n s c io u s S e lin a d oes n o t
know th a t h e r new -found f r ie n d Gordon i s a N egro.

She o n ly knows th a t

he i s good and k in d and g e n t l e q u a l i t i e s sh e has d e t e c t e d from h i s

v o ic e .

Then, one day:

"Gordon?" I s a i d .
He d id n t answer me. . . . What was th e m atter?
"Is a n y th in g --w ro n g w ith you , Gordon?" I ask ed .

I f e l t u n ea sy .
y o u 'r e b lin d .
"Wrong w ith me?

I t s bad when p e o p le d o n 't answ er, when

N o,"

s a id Gordon.

I 'd c r ie d to o o f t e n m y s e lf n o t t o know by t h e i r v o ic e s
when p e o p le c r ie d .
Gordon was
l i s t e n e d to so
head b u r ie d in
a str o n g man.

c r y in g .
I
many r a d io
V e r o n ic a 's
. . . "

knew men seldom c r ie d . I ' d

dramas, s t o r i e s .
"And John, h is
la p , c r ie d th e d r e a d fu l t e a r s o f

Only l a s t week d u rin g th e F a ith fo r Today h a lf - h o u r ,

th e P a s to r had s a id :
"And J e su s wept!"-*E liz a b e th Kata was born in Sydney, A u s t r a lia .

M arried in 1937

to a Japanese c i t i z e n , sh e h a s d iv id e d h e r tim e s i n c e b etw een Sydney and

Tokyo.

^Elizabeth K ata, A P atch o f Blue CNew York: P op u lar L ib r a r y ,

1 9 6 1 ), 53. C ite d by p e r m is s io n o f c o p y r ig h t ow ner, S t . M a r tin 's P r e s s ,
I n c ., New York, August 2 , 1966.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

516

Her n o v e l, w hich th e New York Times Book Review found "pow erful
and m ovin g," 1 was p u b lis h e d f i r s t under a d i f f e r e n t t i t l e in hard c o v e r .
I t then came o u t in paperback under i t s p r e s e n t t i t l e
and l a t e r was made i n t o a m otion p ic t u r e

as a b e s t - s e l l e r ;

(1965) by M etro-G oldwyn-M ayer,

s t a r r in g S id n ey P o i t i e r , E liz a b e th Hartman, and S h e lle y W in ters.

How d id E liz a b e th K ata, who has n e v e r b een t o A m erica, happen to
in c o r p o r a te t h i s c a s u a l r e f e r e n c e t o " F a ith f o r Today" in h e r n o v e l?
I n t e r e s t in g ly enough, even s h e , h e r s e l f , i s n o t s u r e :
As f a r as I can remember, I have had no p e r s o n a l con
t a c t w ith th e " F a ith f o r Today" t e l e v i s i o n programme. . . .
I b e lie v e th e . . . programme had somehow se e p e d i n t o my
mind w ith o u t my e x a c t l y knowing how o r where o r when. Maybe
I have h ea rd , or view ed i t o v er th e y e a r s . T r u ly , I am n o t
c e r t a in . . . .3
I t w ould seem r e a s o n a b le to assume th a t " F a ith f o r T oday,"
(w hich, as h as a lr e a d y been n o t e d , was th e f i r s t r e l i g i o u s f e a t u r e - t y p e
program t e l e v i s e d in A u s t r a lia ) had d u rin g th e f i v e - y e a r p e r io d b etw een
i t s f i r s t b r o a d c a st and th e p u b lis h in g o f t h i s n o v e l become s o much a
p a r t o f th e warp and w oof o f A u s tr a lia n r e l i g i o u s c u ltu r e th a t th e
n o v e l i s t by h e r own a d m iss io n --d r e w , s u b c o n s c io u s ly , upon i t in p r o v id
in g background f o r h e r n a r r a t iv e !

1Nancy W ilson R o ss, " M ile sto n e s in th e T r a g ic World o f th e

B lin d ," New York Times Book R eview , S e p t. 2 4 , 1961, 5 0 .
P u b lish e d o r i g i n a l l y as Be Ready With B e l l s and Drums by
S t. M artin 's P r e s s , I n c . , in 19 6 1 , hard c o v er s a l e s through O ctob er,
1966, were 5 ,1 8 6 c o p ie s .
( L e t t e r from L isa T urnure, p e r m is sio n s o f f i
c e r , S t . M a rtin 's P r e s s , I n c . , New Y ork, November 7 , 1 9 6 6 .) P op u lar
L ibrary paperback s a l e s through th e same p e r io d were a p p ro x im a tely
3 0 0 ,0 0 0 .
( I b i d .)
T
^ L e tte r from N o v e lis t E liz a b e th K ata, Sydney, A u s t r a lia , Nov. 2 ,
1966. Mrs. Kata r e p o r ts th a t h e r n o v e l was f i r s t p u b lis h e d in G reat
B r ita in by M ich ael Josep h L td .; in a d d it io n to th e P op u lar L ibrary
e d it i o n , A P atch o f B lue has a ls o been p u b lis h e d in paperback by P en g u in ,
and has gone in t o " q u ite a few t r a n s l a t i o n s ."

m uv,...
R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

517
Problems in M easurement o f A udience and R esponse

N ie ls e n :

N em esis or N o n sen se? --T h e problem s a r i s i n g in any

attem p t a t measurement o f th e r e sp o n se o f an a u d ie n c e , w h ile fo rm id a b le

( e s p e c i a l l y in th e c a se o f a t e l e v i s i o n s p e a k e r , as w i l l be n o ted b e lo w ),
y e t p a le somewhat when p la c e d a lo n g s id e th e much more d i f f i c u l t ta s k o f
m easuring th e a u d ien ce i t s e l f :

i t s s i z e and c o m p o sitio n in term s o f

age, s e x , o c c u p a tio n , and s o c i a l - e c o n o m ic - r e li g i o u s o r ie n t a t io n f a c t o r s ,

e tc .
Two f a i r l y w ell-k n ow n com m ercial a u d ien ce measurement s e r v ic e s
in th e U n ited S t a t e s tod ay are p r o v id e d by th e N ie ls e n and Trendex organ
i z a t i o n s , o f w hich th e form er i s perhaps th e more o f t - q u o t e d , and
g e n e r a lly i s view ed as th e in d u s tr y sta n d a r d .^
The A. C. N ie ls e n Company u s e s a random sa m p lin g method

in

which th e t e l e v i s i o n s e t s in 1 ,4 0 0 s c i e n t i f i c a l l y s e l e c t e d homes th ro u g h
out th e n a tio n are c o n n e c te d to an A udim eter m o n ito r in g them on a
24-hour b a s i s .

A r e c o r d i s th u s made o f a l l programs t o w hich th e s e t

i s tu n ed .
A fte r d i g e s t i n g d a il y m ountains o f d a ta , N ie ls e n i s s u e s w eek ly
" r a tin g s ."

The company d e f in e s an " a u d ien ce r a tin g " as "a s t a t i s t i c a l

Robert Eck, "The R eal M asters o f T e l e v is i o n ," H a rp er's M agazine,

March, 1967, 4 6. For a s y n o p s is , c f . "Why TV I s th e Way I t I s ,"
R eader's D ig e s t , May, 1967, 7 8 -8 2 .
^For an e x tr e m e ly w e l l- w r it t e n d e fe n s e o f th e random sam plin g
m ethodology, in th e langu age o f th e n o n - s t a t i s t i c a l l y - o r i e n t e d layman,
c f . What th e R a tin g s R e a lly Mean: A Look a t T e le v is io n R a tin g s and How
They Are D eterm ined (C hicago: A. C. N ie ls e n Company, 1 9 6 4 ). C ited
h e r e a f te r as What th e R a tin g s R e a lly Mean. For a f u r t h e r e x p la n a tio n o f
the NSI te c h n iq u e , c f . V iew ers in P r o f i l e :
T e le v is io n M arket, U. S .
N ie lse n S t a t io n In d e x . Average Weekly T e l e v is io n A udience E s tim a te s ,
S ep t. 22 to O ct. 1 9 , 1966 (C hicago: A. C. N ie ls e n Company, 1 9 6 6 ),
in s id e fr o n t and back c o v e r s .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

e stim a te o f th e number o f homes v ie w in g a program as a p er c e n t o f a l l

homes h a v in g a t e l e v i s i o n s e t . " 1

Thus, a r a t in g o f 10 f o r a netw ork

program would in d ic a t e t h a t 10% o f a l l U. S. TV homes were tuned t o th e

program.
"N othing about t e l e v i s i o n , " d e c la r e s R obert Eck, a C h ica g o -b a sed
a s s o c ia t e copy d ir e c t o r f o r one o f A m erica's b u s i e s t a d v e r t is in g agen
c i e s , "has b een th e s u b j e c t o f so much c h ild is h p iq u e and w is h fu l
th in k in g as th e r a t in g s e r v i c e s w hich undertake t o measure t e l e v i s i o n
a u d ie n c e s ."

I n s id e th e b u s in e s s , th e y a r e h a te d and fe a r e d , b eca u se
t h e ir t a b u la t io n s can make a man a p o t e n t i a l m i l l i o n a i r e or
a f a i l u r e in a m a tte r o f w eek s. O u tsid e , th e y are d i s
t r u s te d b y many e g o c e n t r ic c i t i z e n s who r e f u s e to b e l i e v e
th a t th e v ie w in g h a b it s o f a sm a ll group o f s tr a n g e r s co u ld
p o s s ib ly r e f l e c t t h e i r own and, b y th e same to k e n , th e
n a t io n 's .^
Nem esis was th e Greek g o d d ess o f . r e t r ib u t io n .

Some tod ay would

rename h e r N ie ls e n !
C o n tin u in g , Eck p o in t s ou t fo u r c h i e f "drawbacks" t o u t i l i z i n g
data from th e N ie ls e n A udim eter su rv ey :
[1] I t assum es th a t w henever a s e t i s tu rn ed on , so are
i t s ow ners, w hich i s u s u a l l y , b u t n o t a lw a y s, tr u e . . . .
[2] F a m ilie s who a re n o t k e e n ly i n t e r e s t e d in t e l e v i s i o n
g e n e r a lly r e f u s e t o l e t th e N ie ls e n p e o p le i n s t a l l A udim eters
in t h e i r s e t s . . . .
[3] Not a l l A udim eter r e c o r d in g s reach N ie ls e n h ead
q u a rters in E van ston , I l l i n o i s , in tim e fo r in c lu s io n i n th e
t a b u la t io n s .
[4] The N ie ls e n sam ple has an a d m itted s t a t i s t i c a l e r r o r
o f th r e e p o i n t s . 4
But perhaps th e b i g g e s t e r r o r in John Q. P u b lic 's u s e o f th e
N ie lse n r a t in g s i s th e c i t i n g o f them as a r e l i a b l e and perm anent in d e x

*~What th e R atin gs R e a lly Mean, 3.

2Eck, 4 6 .

^I b id .

with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

^I b i d .

o f a g iv e n program 's p o p u la r ity w ith th e p u b lic a t la r g e .

Says Eck:

The au d ien ce count i s n o t a p o p u la r ity c o n t e s t o r even

p r im a r ily a gu id e to th e judgment o f netw ork e x e c u t iv e s .
I t i s p a r t o f a f i n a n c i a l m easurem ent.1
For N i e l s e n ' s s o l e pu rp ose i s t o a s s i s t b u sin essm en in making a
b u sin e ss d e c i s i o n - - t o p r o v id e a p r o s p e c t iv e p ro d u ct sp o n so r w ith a gauge
by means o f w hich he may measure th e number o f p o t e n t i a l cu stom ers he
may e x p e c t to reach on any g iv e n program fo r each a d v e r t is in g d o ll a r he
may w ish to s p e n d .2
The N ie ls e n p e o p le th e m se lv e s p l a i n t i v e l y p le a d a g a in s t a m isu se
o f t h e ir r a t in g s as a p o p u la r it y 'g u id e :
A b a s ic r u le in ca rp en tr y i s o n ly u se a t o o l th e way i t
was d e sig n e d to be u s e d . I f y o u 'v e e v e r t r i e d to u se a
c h is e l as a screw d r iv e r or a wrench as a hammer you know
the wisdom o f t h i s a d v ic e . And i t a p p lie s e q u a lly t o th e
use o f r a t in g s . The knack o f u s in g r a tin g s p r o p e r ly and
p r o f it a b ly c o n s i s t s in k e e p in g t h e i r l i m i t a t i o n s fir m ly in
mind w ith o u t s a c r i f i c i n g any o f th e r e a l in fo r m a tio n th e y
p r o v id e .^
The N ie ls e n d a ta f o r " F a ith fo r Today" i n d i r e c t l y i l l u s t r a t e th e
dangers in h e r e n t in making th e r a t in g a g e n e r a l in d e x o f p o p u la r it y .
The N ie ls e n r a t in g s f o r t h i s program in 11 s e l e c t e d c i t i e s o f
varying p o p u la tio n are g iv e n in T able 9 , w hich appears on th e f o llo w in g
page.
An ex am in ation o f th e s e d a ta s u g g e s ts th e fo llo w in g t e n t a t i v e
c o n c lu sio n s:

(1) The N ie ls e n r a t in g i s n o t c o n s ta n t th ro u g h o u t th e

United S t a t e s ; i t v a r ie s from c i t y to c i t y , and from week to week w ith in

a c ity .

And (2) th e r a t in g may be d i r e c t l y r e la t e d to th r e e v a r ia b le s :

a.
The hour on Sunday when th e program i s r e le a s e d (m id
day and e a r ly a fte r n o o n g e n e r a lly appear more co n d u civ e to
a t t r a c t in g a la r g e r au d ien ce than e a r ly m o rn in g ).

*I b id . , 47.

2 I b i d . , 4 6 -4 7 .

5What the R a tin g s R e a lly Mean, 14.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

T$
I

520

b . The number, and th e n a t u r e , o f a lt e r n a t i v e program

o p tio n s a v a i l a b l e to th e v ie w e r s im u lta n e o u s ly w ith " F a ith
f o r Today" (t h e h ig h e r r a t i n g s , g e n e r a ll y , in t h i s sam ple
g e n e r a lly ten d t o be in v e r s e l y p r o p o r tio n a l to th e number
o f com peting program o p tio n s a v a i la b le to th e v ie w e r ) .
c . The program form at o f " F a ith f o r Today" on any g iv e n
Sunday (w h ile r e g u la r v ie w e r s w ould s t a y by f a i t h f u l l y week
by w eek, th e c a s u a l " d i a l- t w ir l e r " m ight be more a t t r a c t e d
by a dram atic fo r m a t, f o r exam ple, than by an i n t e r v i e w ) .

TABLE 9
NIELSEN RATINGS DATA FOR "FAITH FOR TODAY"
IN ELEVEN SELECTED U. S . CITIES
1966a

C ity

New York
Los A ngeles
D e tr o it
M in n e a p o lis-S t.P a u l
A tlan ta
Denver
In d ia n a p o lis
Oklahoma C ity
Omaha
T ulsa
Eugene

E s t. Pop.
7 -1 -6 5

TV
S ta .

1 1 ,3 6 6 ,0 0 0
6 ,7 6 5 ,0 0 0
3 ,9 8 7 ,0 0 0
1 ,6 1 2 ,0 0 0
1 ,2 1 6 ,0 0 0
1 ,0 7 3 ,0 0 0
9 8 4 ,0 0 0
5 8 5 ,0 0 0
5 1 6 ,0 0 0
4 3 3 ,0 0 0
1 9 4 ,0 0 0

WABC
KCOP
WJBK
KSTP
WAGA
WLZ
WFBM
KWTV
KMTV
KTUL
KEZI

N ie ls e n
R a tin g

1
1
1
1
2
1
2
.6C
2 .5 d
1
3

Broad.
Hour

8 :0 0
12:30
10:30
9 :3 0
9 :3 0
10:00
10:30
8 :0 0
1 0 :3 0
11:30
3 :0 0

No. Competing
P rog. O ptions

a.m .
p.m .
a.m .
a.m .
a.m .
a.m .
a.m .
a.m .
a.m .
a.m .
p.m .

5
6
4
3
2
3
2
2
2
2
1

aD ata s u p p lie d from "NSI A verage Week E stim a te s" f o r 1966, con
ta in ed in a l e t t e r from Laurence F rerk , Prom otion D ir e c to r , A. C. N ie ls e n
Company, C h icago, 1 1 1 ., D ec. 1 5 , 1966.
^ P o p u la tio n e s t im a t e s from U. S . Bureau o f C en su s, S t a t i s t i c a l
A bstract o f th e U n ite d S t a t e s :
1 9 6 7 . 8 8 th E d it io n .
(W ashington: U. S .
Government P r in t in g O f f i c e , 1 9 6 7 ), 1 8 -2 0 .
cD ata b elow minimum r e p o r t in g sta n d a r d s.
(T h is f ig u r e a r r iv e d a t
by averagin g th e r a t i n g o f .3 a t 8 a.m . and th e r a t in g o f 1 .0 a t
8:15 a .m .)
^ R ep resen ts a v era g e o f r a t in g o f 2 a t 10:30 a.m . and r a t in g o f 3
at 10:45 a.m .

An-i-.
R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

521
" J u x ta p o s itio n " i s a key word t o c o n s id e r a t t h i s p o i n t .

Ju st

as a c o lle g e s t u d e n t 's grad es in any g iv e n q u a r te r may be a f f e c t e d

a d v e r se ly as much by th e com b in a tio n o f e a s y and d i f f i c u l t c o u r se s as by
th e t o t a l number o f c r e d i t s f o r w hich he i s r e g i s t e r e d , so a program 's
N ie ls e n r a t in g may be a d v e r s e ly a f f e c t e d by th e number and th e n a tu r e o f
the programs s im u lta n e o u s ly a p p ea rin g o p p o s it e i t in i t s s c h e d u le d tim e
s lo t.
For exam ple, on th e Sunday when N ie ls e n ta b u la te d th e v ie w in g
h a b its o f Los A n g eles v ie w e r s f o r w hich d a ta are s u p p lie d , a t th e same
hour th a t KCOP was c a r r y in g " F a ith f o r Today" and e a r n in g a N ie ls e n
r a tin g o f 1, s i x o th e r s t a t i o n s w ere on th e a i r , b r o a d c a s tin g th e p r o
grams named b e lo w , t o g e t h e r w ith t h e i r r e s p e c t iv e N ie ls e n rating:'*'
War Zone
I s s u e s and Answers
F a v o r ite Sermon
Cinema S p o t lig h t
M illio n D o lla r Movie
NFL F o o tb a ll

1
2
2
2
2
15

A r a t in g o f 1 f o r " F a ith f o r Today" does

n o tn e c e s s a r ily

Los A n g e le s

prove

the program

wasunpopular in g e n e r a l, o r w ith

v ie w e r s in

p a r t ic u la r .

I t may o n ly s e r v e t o show th a t a g a in s t th e h ig h ly fo r m id a b le

c o m p etitio n o f an NFL f o o t b a l l game, none o f th e o th e r programs a c h ie v e d

much o f a N ie ls e n r a t in g .^

In a n o th er s e a s o n o f th e y e a r a l l o f th e

*"NSI A verage Week E s t im a t e s - - P e r io d Ending O ct. 1 9 , 1966" fo r

Los A n g e le s, N ie ls e n S t a t io n In d ex (C h ica g o : A. C. N ie ls e n Company, 1 9 6 6 ),
^Most r e l i g i o u s program s, n a tio n w id e , earn low N ie ls e n r a t i n g s .
R e lig io n today g e n e r a lly d oes n o t a t t r a c t a la r g e v ie w in g a u d ie n c e , f o r
reasons e x p la in e d e a r l i e r in p r e c e d in g c h a p t e r s .
7

The NFL gam e's r a t in g was 15 a t n o o n , 16 a t 12 :4 5 p .m ., 14 a t

1 p .m ., 11 a t 1:30 p .m ., and 10 a t 1:45 p .m ., d o u b tle s s r e f l e c t i n g b o th
the fo r tu n e s o f t h i s p a r t ic u l a r game as i t p r o g r e s s e d and th e s im u lt a
neous c o m p e titio n from o th e r programs as th e a fte r n o o n wore on.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

522

o th e r programs o p p o s it e th e f o o t b a l l game m ight have done a p p r e c ia b ly

b e tter .
T h is i s one o f s e v e r a l r e a so n s why th e N ie ls e n r a t in g s f o r any
g iv e n program must be ch eck ed o v e r a p e r io d o f weeks o r m onths, and in a
v a r ie t y o f g e o g r a p h ic a l a r e a s , in o rd er f o r an i n v e s t i g a t o r to make
v a lid g e n e r a liz a t io n s co n c er n in g th e f i n d i n g s .
The N ie ls e n d a ta a l s o p r o v id e us w ith a p a r t i a l g lim p se o f th e
co m p osition o f th e F a ith f o r Today" a u d ien ce in t h e s e same 11 s e l e c t e d
c i t i e s , as shown in T able 10 w hich f o llo w s :
TABLE 10
GENERAL COMPOSITION OF THE "FAITH FOR TODAY" AUDIENCE
IN ELEVEN SELECTED U. S. CITIES
1966a

C ity

New York
Los A ngeles
D e tr o it
M in n eap olisS t . Paul
A tla n ta
Denver
In d ia n a p o lis
Oklahoma C ity
Omaha
T ulsa
Eugene
T o ta ls

AVERAGE NUMBER OF
HouseT o ta l
h o ld s
A dult
V iew ing FFT V iew ers

AVERAGE NUMBER OF VIEWERS

Women

Men

T eens

C h ild

Av. No.
Lady o f
House
V iew ing

32
27
11

32
34
11

32
27
9 .5

7
1 .5

12

15

10

14
4
14 .5
2
1 0 .5
4 .5
2

18
6 .5
2 0 .5
4
2 1 .5
5
2

12
3 .5
1 1 .5
2
9
3 .5
1

6
3
9
2
6
1.5
1

133.5

16 9 .5

121

42

32
27
9 .5

10
4
9 .5
2
6
2 .5
1

6 1 .5

3 .5

1 2 .5

Data s u p p lie d from "NSI A verage Week E stim a te s" f o r 1966, con
ta in e d in a l e t t e r from L aurence F rerk , Prom otion D ir e c t o r , A. C. N ie ls e n
Company, C h icago, 1 1 1 ., D ec. 15, 1966.
(F ig u r e s shown above r e p r e s e n t a v era g es o f N ie ls e n d a ta reco rd ed
at th e b e g in n in g o f th e 30-m in u te program and a g a in a t m id -p o in t 15
m inutes l a t e r .
In some in s t a n c e s th e a u d ien ce had grown; in o t h e r s , i t
had d e c re a sed in s i z e . )

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

A d m ittin g t h a t t h i s sam ple o f 11 s e l e c t e d U. S . c i t i e s le a v e s

much to be d e s ir e d (even f o r N ie l s e n ! ) i n term s o f draw ing g e n e r a li z a
t io n s from th e d a ta , i t may y e t be p o s s i b l e t o draw some t e n t a t iv e
c o n c lu s io n s c o n c e r n in g a u d ie n c e c o m p o sitio n o f th e " F a ith f o r Today"
b r o a d c a st:
1. The fem a le a d u lt v ie w e r s outnumber t h e i r m ale
c o u n te r p a r ts by a f a c t o r o f n e a r ly th r e e t o o n e .
2 . One ou t o f e v e r y two fem a le v ie w e r s
th e " lad y o f th e h o u se ."

i s c la s s e d as

3. T een agers and c h ild r e n te n d t o view th e program in

alm ost e q u a l numbers; b u t a d u lts outnumber th e youth by a
fa c t o r o f e ig h t t o on e.
In c o n c lu d in g th e s e o b s e r v a t io n s on th e N ie ls e n S t a t io n Index
r a t in g s , as th e y a p p ly to " F a ith fo r T oday," i t would appear t h a t g e o g
raphy p rob ab ly d oes n o t in f lu e n c e th e r a tin g s ;^ - b u t th a t c i t y s i z e may
have a d e lim it in g e f f e c t , w ith suburban v ie w e r s

perhaps more l i k e l y t o

be in c lin e d t o w atch r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n programs than r e s id e n t s o f

la rg e m e tr o p o lita n c e n t e r s .
The N ie ls e n r a t i n g s , w h ile n e v e r in te n d e d t o s e r v e as a gauge o f
audience p o p u la r it y , n e v e r t h e le s s do p r o v id e v a lu a b le d a ta in th e
measurement o f a u d ien ce s i z e and c o m p o sitio n w hich are o f v a lu e to

lrrhe program g o t a r a t in g h ig h e r than one in A tla n ta (S o u th ),

In d ia n a p o lis and Omaha (M id w est), and Eugene (N o r th w e st).
I t would be
i n t e r e s t in g t o o b ta in fu r th e r d a ta t o s e e i f any g e n e r a liz a t io n s m ight
be made co n cern in g th e s o - c a l l e d " B ib le B e lt" o f th e so u th er n U n ited
S ta te s in com parison w ith o th e r g e o g r a p h ic a l a r e a s .
From s i x c i t i e s w ith a p o p u la tio n in e x c e s s o f one m i l l i o n , th e
program r e c e iv e d a r a t in g o f h ig h e r than 1 in o n ly one c i t y ; whereas in
f iv e c i t i e s o f l e s s than one m i l l i o n , i t r e c e iv e d a r a t in g o f h ig h e r
than 1 in t h r e e . A gain , a g r e a t e r number o f c i t i e s o f a l l s i z e s n eed to
be compared b e fo r e f i n a l c o n c lu s io n s may be drawn from t h i s in f e r e n c e .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

524

resea rch o f t h i s s o r t ; b u t th e N ie ls e n f in d in g s must be k e p t in p e r s p e c

t iv e by o th e r g o v ern in g (and m o d ify in g ) f a c t o r s . *

"To Respond or N ot to Respond:

That i s th e Q u e s tio n ." - - P u b lic

sp eaking i s , as n o te d ab ove, in h e r e n tly and u n iq u e ly a r e s p o n s e - g e t t in g

a c tiv ity .

T his b e in g s o , any r e a so n a b ly adequate and com prehensive

measurement o f s p e a k e r - e f f e c t iv e n e s s must ta k e in t o accou n t what has

happened t o and th r o u g h --th e h e a r e r as a consequence o f th e sp e e c h .
In th e v e ry f i n a l days o f th e 1960 p r e s i d e n t i a l cam paign, form er
candid ate A d la i S te v e n so n , in in tr o d u c in g th e th e n -c u r r e n t D em ocratic
can d id a te, John F. Kennedy, a t an E a st Los A n geles p o l i t i c a l r a l l y ,
p o ig n a n tly p o in te d up th e d if f e r e n c e betw een h im s e lf and th e man who
hours l a t e r became th e 35th P r e s id e n t o f th e U n ited S t a t e s :
Do you remember th a t in c l a s s i c a l tim es when C ic er o had
f in is h e d sp e a k in g , th e p e o p le s a id , "How w e ll he s p o k e " -b u t when Demosthenes had f in i s h e d sp e a k in g , th e p e o p le s a i d ,
"Let us march"?2
A sp ea k er s e e k in g to persu ad e does n o t always w ish t o move h i s
h earers to march on Rome--a r esp o n se w hich, i n c i d e n t a l l y , i t i s n o t
d i f f i c u l t to d e t e c t and r e p o r t .

O ften th e sp ea k er s e e k s th e much more

d i f f i c u l t - t o - o b s e r v e g o a l o f a s h i f t in o p in io n a n d /o r a t t i t u d e .

Such

changes may o r may n o t be r e f l e c t e d in o v e r t , o b se r v a b le b e h a v io r a t a

subsequent tim e .

A udience r e s p o n se , th e n , even on th e s o c i e t a l l e v e l ,

i s not alw ays e a sy to a s s a y .

The problem , h ow ever, becom es compounded in th e c a se o f one who
add resses h i s h e a r e r s through th e medium o f r a d io or t e l e v i s i o n , such as

* I t i s w e ll to n o te th a t w ith a p o s s ib le s t a t i s t i c a l e r r o r o f 3,
a N ie lse n r a t in g o f 1 i s in any c a se v i r t u a l l y m e a n in g le ss .
2C ited in "In a Word," Time, Nov. 14, 1960, 23.

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1
525

W illiam A. F a g a l.

In th e p la tfo r m s i t u a t i o n , th e sp e a k e r p r e p a r e s h i s

m essage, em p loyin g modes o f p e r s u a s io n he assum es w i l l p ro v e e f f e c t i v e .

Then du rin g d e l i v e r y , by means o f a d i r e c t " feed b a ck w hich communicat i o n i s t s r e f e r to as " c ir c u la r r e s p o n s e , '^ --b o d y a t t i t u d e s , f a c i a l
e x p r e s s io n s , g e s t u r e s , e t c . th e p e r c e p t iv e , o b se r v a n t sp e a k e r i s a b le
to n o te th e e f f e c t o f h is words upon th e a u d ito r .

And, i f th e r e sp o n se

appears to be n o t th e one d e s ir e d , he can m odify m essage a n d /o r

demeanor on th e s p o t in a fu r t h e r a ttem p t to a cco m p lish th e in te n d e d
g o a l.
Such im m ediate a u d ien ce a d a p ta tio n , how ever, i s d e n ie d one who
uses th e b r o a d c a s t medium.

And a lth o u g h Am ericans a r e much more co n

d itio n e d to l e t t e r - w r i t i n g

( e s p e c i a l l y t o t h e i r l e g i s l a t i v e and o th e r

e le c t e d p u b lic o f f i c i a l s )

than are c i t i z e n s o f d em o cra cies on o th e r

c o n tin e n ts , many sim p ly do n o t ta k e e i t h e r tim e o r tr o u b le to w r it e (o r

telep h on e) th e b r o a d c a s t s p e a k e r c o n c e r n in g d e c is io n o r a c t io n in t h e i r
l i v e s which was co n seq u en t t o h is w ord s.
The b r o a d c a s t s p e a k e r , th u s , i s h e l p l e s s l y d epend en t upon
response from te le p h o n e , l e t t e r o r te le g r a m , d i r e c t m a il s u r v e y s , i n d i
vid u a l in t e r v ie w s by m arket su r v ey ty p e s o f r e s e a r c h e r s , o r o th e r
r e s p o n s e - e l i c i t i n g c o n t r iv a n c e s , i f he i s to gauge th e s u c c e s s o f p a s t
endeavors and to adapt in th e fu tu r e to e x i s t i n g p r e c o n d itio n in g
a ttitu d e s .
And even h e r e th e r e are p i t f a l l s .

The d i f f i c u l t i e s in any

attempt to a s s e s s th e s e ty p e s o f r e s p o n s e s are n o te d by W illia m A lb ig :

'Eisenson-Auer-Irwin d e fin e i t as "the e f f e c t on th e sp ea k er o f

the r esp o n se s o f h i s h e a r e r , th e co n seq u e n t r e in fo r c e m e n t o r m o d ific a tio n
o f h is own com m unicative b e h a v io r , and i t s su b seq u en t e f f e c t upon th e
h earers (p . 2 7 5 ).

L.
R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

526

The e f f e c t s o f b r o a d c a s tin g on i n t e r e s t s , a t t i t u d e s ,
and o p in io n s a r e so num erous, v a r ie d , and s u b t l e , and so
i l l u n d ersto o d th e y d e fy a n a ly s is o f any com p lete and e x a c t
k in d . *
N e v e r t h e le s s , r e s p o n s e , how ever i t may d e fy a n a l y s i s , may s t i l l
a t l e a s t be d e s c r ib e d when ev o k ed .

And when th e r e i s e x p l i c i t te s tim o n y

o f d e c is io n s made or a c t io n s tak en a t t r ib u t a b le by th e a u d ito r to

s p e c i f i c s p e e c h e s , in f e r e n c e s drawn from th e co m p o site may y e t p r o v id e
some in d ic a t io n o f th e r e l a t i v e e f f e c t i v e n e s s o f th e t e l e v i s i o n s p e a k e r 's
o r a to r ic a l en d eavor.
S in ce " resp on se" i s " th e key to o r a to r y ,"

we p r o c e e d fo r th w ith

in the attem p t to d e s c r ib e and a n a ly z e a v a s t r e s e r v o ir o f te sta m e n ta r y

evid en ce a c c r u in g as a d i r e c t r e s u l t o f W illia m A. F a g a l's sp e a k in g on
t e l e v i s i o n and on th e p u b lic p la tfo r m .
Two a v e n u e s, s u c c e s s i v e l y , w i l l be fo llo w e d i n th e rem ainder o f
the chapter:

(1) a d e s c r ip t io n and c l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f r e g u la r m a il

response to th e " F a ith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t , b o th in N orth Am erica and

abroad; and (2) an a n a ly s is o f s p e a k e r - e f f e c t iv e n e s s from d a ta d e r iv e d
from an o p in io n su r v ey c ir c u l a t e d among t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n management
person nel o f s t a t i o n s w hich c a rr y (o r fo r m e rly c a r r ie d ) th e F agal
te le c a s t. ^

^Modern P u b lic O pinion (New York:

1956), 458.
2

M cGraw-Hill Company, I n c . ,

T honssen and B aird , 4 48.

JAn a n a ly s is o f a u d ien ce r e sp o n se to a l i v e , p u b lic p la tfo r m

s it u a t io n in w hich W illia m Fagal a d d re sse d an a u d ien ce e s t im a te d a t some
10,000 in d iv id u a ls , by means o f an o p in io n su r v ey d i s t r i b u t e d immedi
a te ly f o llo w in g th e c lo s e o f h i s serm on, w i l l be u n dertaken in
Chapter V I I .

with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

527

C l a s s i f i c a t i o n and D e s c r ip tio n o f th e M ail R esponse

t o th e " F a ith f o r Today" T e le c a s t

North America

Methods o f G e n e ra tin g M ail R esponse

M ail i s to th e b r o a d c a s tin g m in is t e r what th e u m b ilic u s i s t o

the f e t u s - - a l i f e l i n e to th e o u t s id e w orld from which he w ould be o th e r
w ise la r g e ly i n s u l a t e d .
U n s o lic it e d , sp o n ta n e o u s m a il r e sp o n se i s , a d m itte d ly , th e
desideratum ; b u t a l l b r o a d c a s te r s have d is c o v e r e d t h a t m a il, l i k e lo v e ,
grows b e s t when i t i s a c t i v e l y c u l t i v a t e d .
W illiam A. F a g a l, as have h i s c o lle a g u e s b e fo r e him in r e l i g i o u s
b r o a d c a stin g , h as a d o p te d , a d a p te d , and d e v e lo p e d a v a r ie t y o f methods
fo r e l i c i t i n g a r e s p o n se from h i s v ie w e r s w hich m ight o th e r w is e n o t be
forth com ing.

B eg in n in g w ith h i s v e r y f i r s t t e l e c a s t , he i n v i t e d th e

p u b lic to w r it e in f o r B ib le co rresp o n d en ce l e s s o n s - - a fe a t u r e w h ich ,

n e a r ly two d ecad es l a t e r , rem ains one o f th e few unchanged s t a p l e s in
th e v a r ie d w eek ly program fo rm a t.
T e l e - n o t e s , a m onthly p e r i o d i c a l f o r v iew ers begun te n months
a ft e r the f i r s t t e l e c a s t , ^ h ad , on May 1 , 1969, a m onthly c i r c u l a t i o n o f
162,000 c o p ie s .

I t i s s e n t a u t o m a tic a lly to each p erso n who co rresp o n d s

w ith F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , and i s th e c h i e f means o f p rom otin g s t i l l

more m a il.

The p e r i o d i c a l , w hich c o n ta in s betw een fo u r and e i g h t p a g e s ,

c a r r ie s news n o t e s c o n c e r n in g s t a t i o n co v era g e (w ith h in t s t h a t in c r e a s e d

^Vol. I , No. 1, i s d a te d March, 1951.

2

Dalrymple L e t t e r , May 5 , 1969.

the c ir c u l a t io n as 1 4 0 ,0 0 0 (p . 7 0 4 ).

The Ayer D ir e c to r y :

1969 l i s t s

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528

coverage b r in g s in c r e a s e d o p e r a tin g e x p e n s e ) .

I t c o n ta in s news o f

s t a t io n c a n c e ll a t io n s ( t o g e t h e r w ith th e sad rem inder t h a t had v ie w e r s

in th e a r ea w r itte n to th e s t a t i o n management e x p r e s s in g a p p r e c ia tio n
fo r th e program, i t m ight s t i l l be on th e air"'") .

And i t

c o n ta in s frank

sta te m e n ts o f f i n a n c i a l n e e d .
A lthough F agal does n o t ask f o r c o n tr ib u tio n s o v er th e a i r ,
e it h e r d i r e c t l y or through th o s e l i g h t l y - v e i l e d

(and r e p u ls iv e ) s u b t e r

fu ges which are th e r e s o r t o f s o many b r o a d c a s te r s on th e e v a n g e lic a l

f r in g e , he has no com punctions w h a tev er in making h is f i n a n c i a l n eed s
known to th e r ea d er s o f T e l e - n o t e s .

Not in f r e q u e n t ly a c ir c u l a r l e t t e r

over h is s ig n a tu r e (and o f t e n b e a r in g h i s p ic t u r e ) i s in s e r t e d i n th e
current e d i t i o n , e x p la in in g in fra n k d e t a i l th e im m ediate n e e d s .
A r e g u la r f e a tu r e in T e l e - n o t e s , som etim es o ccu p y in g a f u l l
page, i s th e "In Memoriam" column w hich l i s t s g i f t s s e n t by v ie w e r s in
memory o f a d e c ea se d f r ie n d or r e l a t i v e .
The broad im p lic a t io n th rou gh ou t i t a l l i s , o f c o u r s e , th e
a p p lic a tio n o f th e in j u n c t io n o f our Lord (a t th e end o f th e s t o r y o f
the Good Sam aritan) to "Go, and do th ou lik e w is e " (Luke 1 0 :3 7 ) .
A s p e c i a l w eek ly p r a y e r s e r v ic e i s h e ld by th e s t a f f o f F a ith
fo r Today in which r e q u e s t s f o r s p e c i a l p r a y e r r e c e iv e d d u rin g th e p r e
ced ing week are remembered in an o ld - f a s h io n e d p r a y e r -m e e tin g s e r v i c e .
Viewers are fr e q u e n t ly rem inded o f t h i s f a c e t o f th e F a ith f o r Today

^Cf. e d i t o r i a l n o te in " L e tte r s" column,

2.

l e - n o t e s , D e c .,
------------------

1965,

In more r e c e n t y e a r s an "In A p p re c ia tio n " s e c t i o n has b een

in co rp o ra ted in th e "In Memoriam" colum n, l i s t i n g v ie w er s se n d in g a
"thank o ff e r in g " f o r "God s b l e s s i n g s , " "speed y r e c o v e r y ," "Gods h e a l
ing pow er," "God's g o o d n e s s ," " lo v e o f f e r i n g ," " F aith f o r Today le s s o n s ,"
"answered p r a y e r ," e t c .
(" In Memoriam" colum n, T e le - n o t e s , J a n ., 1968,
7 .)
------------------

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529

m in istr y in th e p ages o f T e l e - n o t e s , and are in v i t e d to sen d t h e i r

s p e c ia l r e q u e s ts f o r c o n s id e r a t io n on such o c c a s io n s .*
M ention has a lr e a d y been made, in Chapter I I , o f P a sto r F a g a l's
columno f r e l i g i o u s
decade

a d v ic e which has been p u b lis h e d f o r more th an a

in th e S ig n s o f th e T im es, much o f w hich s u b se q u e n tly

book form

in P a s to r , T h is i s My Problem . E x tr a c ts from t h i s

the book are o ft e n in c lu d e d in T e l e - n o t e s ,

appeared in
column and

s e r v in g th e double purpose

o f prom oting r e a d e r s h ip and a ls o i n v i t i n g fu r th e r q u e r ie s from v ie w e r s

who may be in need o f p e r s o n a l c o u n s e lin g .
A L e t t e r s - t o - t h e - E d it o r ty p e column in T e le -n o te s p r o v id e s
in t e r e s t in g fe e d -b a c k f o r th e t e l e c a s t ' s management and a s tim u lu s to
readers to w r ite F agal (a lth o u g h names o f co rresp o n d en ts seldom appear
in the column, o n ly i n i t i a l s and th e s t a t e o f r e s id e n c e ) .
I n s p ir a t io n a l a r t i c l e s , announcements o f p u b lic a p p ea ra n ces, and
coupons a d v e r t is in g th e B ib le corresp on d en ce c o u r se s (and an o c c a s io n a l
s p e c ia l o f f e r in g ) round o u t th e c o n te n t o f t h i s w e l l - e d i t e d and r a th e r
h ig h ly -r e a d a b le p u b lic a t io n o f a t t r a c t i v e form at (two to fo u r c o lo r s
each e d it io n ) e d it e d by Gordon Dalrym ple s in c e 1966.
Among th e s t r o n g e s t " p u lle r s " o f m a il, in t h i s w r i t e r ' s o p in io n ,
however, are th e p e r so n a l (and h ig h ly p e r so n a b le ) in v i t a t i o n s o f b o th
Pastor and Mrs. F agal as th e y s i t i n fr o n t o f th e cameras week by week
and chat w ith th e v ie w e r , w in d in g up w ith an app eal f o r e n r o llm e n ts f o r
the B ib le corresp on d en ce s c h o o l.

*Cf. i b i d . , 2 .
2I b i d . , 8.

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Volume and S ou rces o f M ail R esponse

For y e a r s , th e " F a ith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t had an a d d r e ss w ith a

b u i l t - i n mnemonic d e v ic e :

Box 8 , New York 8.^

There i s , o f c o u r se , no

m ail box b ig enough to h an d le th e volume o f t e l e c a s t m a il; and th e Box 8

i s m erely a c o n v e n ie n t la b e l fo r s e v e r a l la r g e m a ilb a g s i n t o w hich th e
m ail i s d e p o s ite d d a il y by p o s t a l o f f i c i a l s , and c le a r e d d a i l y .
The m a il r e sp o n se o f 66 l e t t e r s , w hich were r e c e iv e d in th e wake
o f the f i r s t t e l e c a s t on May 2 1 , 1950, has to d a y grown t o t h e p r o p o r tio n
o f a sm a ll a v a la n c h e .

A r e g u la r and e v e r - in c r e a s in g volum e o f m a il h as

flow ed in t o th e o f f i c e s o f F a ith fo r Today, I n c . , m ost o f i t

a tt e n tio n o f B ib le co rresp o n d en ce s c h o o l p e r s o n n e l.

f o r th e

(S ee F i g s . 33 and

3 4 .)
Some 21 months a f t e r th e p rem iere t e l e c a s t , T e le - n o t e s c a r r ie d
the en cou ragin g news t h a t more than 1 ,0 0 0 l e t t e r s in a s i n g l e day were
b ein g r e c e iv e d ; w h e r ea s, e a r l i e r , th e s t a f f had hoped th a t th e y m ight
someday r e c e iv e as many as a thousand p ie c e s in a s i n g l e w e e k .

In 1953, th e T h ird A n n iv ersa ry t e l e c a s t b ro u g h t a r e s p o n se o f

3,476 l e t t e r s , w ith norm al m a il r e g u la r ly running betw een t h r e e and fo u r

*In 1959, p o s t a l c le r k s in th e New York C ity P o st O f f ic e found a

p o s ta l card ad d ressed s im p ly , " J e s u s , New York 8"! G arry, a l i t t l e
c rip p le d la d , had se e n " F a ith f o r T oday," heard th e o f f e r o f a B ib le
course fo r ju n io r -a g e y o u th , and d e c id e d to w r it e f o r i t .
He had f o r
g o tten th e program 's name, b u t remembered th e c i t y (New York) and th e
"8." P o s ta l a u t h o r it ie s d e liv e r e d i t to th e in te n d e d a d d r e s se e w ith o u t
delay!
(T e l e - n o t e s , A p r il, 1959, 4 .) Now th a t ZIP-Code r e p la c e s th e
o ld system o f p o s t a l zone num bers, F a ith f o r T oday's a d d ress (Box 8,
New York 10008) i s n o t as e a s i l y remembered.
2

The Box 8 ad d ress i s u sed f o r v ie w e r -m a il o n ly . B u s in e ss c o r

respondence i s s e n t d i r e c t l y to th e o f f i c e :
200 S to n e h in g e Lane, C a rle
P la c e , New York 11514.
^ T e le -n o te s , F e b ., 1953, 1.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

R eproduced
with perm ission
of the copyright ow ner.
Further reproduction
prohibited

Fig. 3 3 . (Left) V irginia Fagai holds th e sm all satch el u se d in carrying

th e 6 6 le tte rs from v iew ers of th e first "F aith for T oday" te lec ast o v e r

without p e r m issio n .

o n e local N ew York statio n May 21, 1950, w hile h e r h u sb an d rests his

h an d on se v eral la rg e Post Office D ep artm en t m ailb ag s now req u ired
to bring in th e w eekly m ail (1958). In 1966, m ail receip ts ran a s high
a s 10,000 pieces w eekly. Since 1955, th e an n u a l v o lu m e h a s n e v e r run
less th an o n e-q u a rte r m illion pieces.
Fig. 3 4 (Above) The m ajor portion of Faith for T oday's mail is a d d re ssed
to th e Bible co rresp o n d en ce school o p e ra te d by so m e 15 instructors an d
counselors, each of w hom is resp o n sib le for 4 ,0 0 0 to 5 ,0 0 0 activ e stu
d en ts. M ore th an o n e million stu d e n t applications h a v e b e e n processed,
a n d m ore th a n six m illion lessons g rad e d , b e tw e e n 19 5 2 a n d 1966.

532

thousand p ie c e s w eek ly (a s compared w ith 70 to 100 w eek ly in th e e a r ly

d a y s ). 1
By December, a 74% in c r e a s e i n m a il was n o te d f o r th e p r e c e d in g
12-month p e r io d ;

and by th e tim e th e Fourth A n n iv ersa ry was commemo

rated in May, 1954, th e m a il flo w had in c r e a s e d to betw een fo u r and f i v e

thousand p ie c e s w e ek ly .

*Z

The b ig g e s t m ail week f o r J a n u a ry , 1955, produced 7 ,2 0 0 l e t

te r s;^

and by A p r il, a new r e c o r d o f 8 ,4 0 0 l e t t e r s f o r a s i n g l e week

had been a t t a i n e d .3
S t i l l newer r e c o r d s were e s t a b l i s h e d w ith th e S ix th A n n iversary
in May, 1956, w ith 8 ,5 8 6 l e t t e r s a r r iv in g in a one-w eek p e r io d ;
Septem ber, 1958, th e volume had s o a r e d to 9 ,0 0 0 p ie c e s w e ek ly .

and by

A p la t e a u was now r e a c h e d , w ith a m odest in c r e a s e to 1 0 ,0 0 0

g

p ie c e s o f m a il b e in g n o te d sev e n y e a r s l a t e r , in May, 1965.

S t a t i s t i c a l l y , th e annual volume o f t e l e c a s t v ie w e r m a il
add ressed to th e F a ith f o r Today h e a d q u a r te rs i s shown in Table 11,
which appears on th e f o llo w in g p a g e .

1I b i d . , May, 1953, 1, 3. M ail r e s p o n se t h i s month came n o t o n ly

from North A m erica, but a ls o from o v e r s e a s v ie w e r s in th e O r ie n t,
A fr ic a , A u s t r a lia , th e P h i l i p p i n e s , Cuba, and Bermuda.
2 I b i d . , D e c ., 1953, 4 .

3I b i d . , May, 1954, 3.

^ I b id . , March, 1955, 2 .
3 I b i d . , A p r il, 1955, 1 -2 .
A s t a f f o f 50 were now r e q u ir e d to
handle the con seq u en t w o r k -lo a d in th e t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te r s.
^ I b id . , May, 1956, 1. B ib le le s s o n s were now coming in and
b eing graded a t th e r a te o f 1 0 ,0 0 0 w e ek ly .
2I b i d . , S e p t .,

1958, 3.

3The S to ry o f F a ith f o r T oday, 14.

Years o f S u c c e s s f u l Soul W inning," 8 .)

(C f. a ls o F a g a l, " F ifte e n

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

533
TABLE 11

SUMMARY OF VOLUME OF MAIL RESPONSE TO THE "FAITH FOR TODAY"

TELECAST RECEIVED AT NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS21
1952-1968
T_

Year

Number o f L e tte r s

1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968

T o t a l ............................................................................

4 9 ,675
1 4 6 ,4 0 6
2 0 7 ,5 5 6
3 0 1 ,9 7 3
3 4 9 ,4 4 3
3 5 0 ,3 5 6
3 5 9 ,9 8 5
3 2 5 ,0 0 2
3 1 0 ,4 9 6
3 1 8 ,9 9 8
3 2 9 ,2 5 0
3 1 2 ,2 3 0
3 2 0 ,9 0 8
2 8 3 ,5 7 2
2 5 8 ,8 5 8
2 4 7 ,3 4 8
2 4 4 ,6 8 4

4 ,7 1 6 ,7 4 0

M is c e lla n e o u s R eco rd s, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . ,

1 952-1968.
^The d e c r e a s in g volume o f m a il f o llo w in g th e peak
y ea r 1958 may be a t t r ib u t e d n o t o n ly to th e v a r y in g f o r
tu n es o f f lu c t u a t in g s t a t i o n c o v e r a g e , b u t a ls o t o th e f a c t
th a t new r e g io n a l o f f i c e s were e s t a b l is h e d on o th e r c o n t i
n e n ts to w hich l o c a l m a il was th en d ir e c t e d in s t e a d o f to
New York.

The s e a s o n a l, c y c l i c a l n a tu re o f th e v ie w e r m a il i s fu r th e r
in d ic a te d by Graph 7 on th e f o llo w in g p a g e , w hich r e f l e c t s th e m onthly
volume o f m a il r e c e i p t s f o r th e p e r io d 1 9 5 4-1966:

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

R eproduced

with perm ission

C ourtesy, Scientific C om putation Facility, Loma Linda U niversity

of the copyright ow n er.

35000

LJ

aooao

SI

534

Further reproduction

ai

>n

prohibited

a
si
10000

without p e r m issio n .
1950

1955

I960

19E 5

YEAR
G rap h 7 . M onthly V olum e of V iew er Mail, Faith for Today, Inc., 1954-1966.

1970

535

From whence does a l l t h i s m a il come?

A d e t a i l e d a n a ly s is o f v ie w e r m ail r e c e iv e d on Monday, J u ly 8,
1968, r e v e a ls t h a t on t h i s one day some 3 ,2 1 6 l e t t e r s w ere r e c e iv e d from
a l l o f th e 50 U n ited S t a t e s , from Canada, and from o v e r s e a s co rresp o n d
en ts in th e Bahamas, Bermuda, th e Cayman I s la n d s , C ey lo n , th e Dominican
R epub lic, Jam aica, Japan, P a k is ta n , Panama, Penang, P u erto R ic o ,
T rinidad, and th e V ir g in I s l a n d s . *
Nine S t a t e s were each c r e d it e d w ith o r i g i n a t i n g more than 100
l e t t e r s , as shown on T able 12, w hich appears on th e f o llo w in g p a g e , b u t
no p a r t ic u la r g e o g r a p h ic a l p a tte r n i s th us r e p r e s e n te d .

There i s , how

ever, w ith s e v e r a l n o ta b le e x c e p t io n s , a d i s t i n c t c o r r e la t io n betw een

th ese n in e " h ig h -m a il" S t a te s and th e p r in c ip a l p o p u la tio n c e n te r s o f
Seventh-day A dventism in North A m erica.
The two e x c e p tio n s to t h is g e n e r a l c o r r e la t i o n betw een " h ig h mail" and "high-m em bership" area s are N orth C a r o lin a and G eorgia.

Both

S ta tes have a c o m p a r a tiv e ly low S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t b a p tiz e d a d u lt

p o p u la tio n , b u t a f a i r l y h ig h m a i1 - r e c e ip ts sh ow in g.
This phenomenon may p o s s ib ly in d ic a t e th e e x is t e n c e o f th e s o c a lle d [and h ig h ly - t o u t e d ) " B ib le -B e lt" s u b c u ltu r e o f th e so u th ern
United S t a t e s , m ention o f which h as b een made e a r l i e r in t h i s s tu d y .
In 1952, W illiam F a g a l's v ie w in g a u d ie n c e in N orth America was
estim a ted to be 98% n o n -A d v e n tis t, a f t e r one y e a r o f t e l e c a s t i n g .

*A t o t a l o f 18 o f th e 3 ,2 1 6 l e t t e r s r e c e iv e d were from nonAmerican or non-C anadian c o u n t r ie s .

S ep a ra te F a ith f o r Today o f f i c e s
e s ta b lis h e d o v e r se a s in th e 1950s and e a r ly 1960s to d a y r e c e iv e th e v a s t
bulk o f fo r e ig n m ail which once came d i r e c t l y to th e New York
h ead q u arters.
2T e le - n o t e s , Summer " E x tra ," 1952, 1.
lish e d e s t im a te i s unknown to d a y .

The b a s is o f t h i s pub

.. .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

536

That f ig u r e has dropped to about 65-70% in th e 15 y e a r s w hich

fo llo w e d .

TABLE 12
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF NORTH AMERICAN VIEWER MAIL
NINE HIGHEST VOLUME STATES
FAITH FOR TODAY, INC.
M ail R e ce iv e d on J u ly 8, 1968a

Rank
Order

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

S ta te o f
O r ig in

C a lif o r n ia
M ichigan
F lo r id a
P e n n sy lv a n ia
New York
North C a r o lin a
G eorgia
Ohio
V ir g in ia

No. o f
L e t te r s

SDA A dult B apt.

Membership^

392
214
162
157
155
132
127
125
114

8 9 ,3 5 2
1 8 ,4 1 4
1 0 ,9 2 8
6 ,9 9 6
9 ,2 4 6
5 ,2 0 6 c
9 ,0 3 5 ^
8 ,4 9 9
1 1 ,801e

a From "M ail Summary f o r Monday, J u ly 8, 1968,"

F a ith fo r Today, I n c . , New York, d a ta s u p p lie d in l e t t e r
from W illiam A. F a g a l, New York, J u ly 11, 1968. The com
p le t e m ail summary i s rep rod uced i n Appendix J .
(S ee a ls o
Table 17 f o r com parison o f m a il volume w ith d o n a tio n s
r e c e iv e d .)
Data from S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Yearbook: 1968
(W ashington: Review and H erald P u b lis h in g A s s o c ia t io n ,
1 9 6 8 ). T his and o th e r e d i t i o n s c i t e d h e r e a f t e r as SPA
Yearbook, w ith d a te o f p u b lic a t io n .
M em bership o f C a r o lin a C onferen ce (N orth and South
C a r o lin a ). No d a ta a v a il a b le f o r N orth C a r o lin a a lo n e .
M em bership o f G eorgia-C um berland C onferen ce
(e a s te r n T en n essee and G e o r g ia ). No d a ta a v a ila b le fo r
G eorgia a lo n e .
M em bership o f Potomac C onferen ce ( V ir g in i a , th e
D i s t r i c t o f Colum bia, and two so u th e r n Maryland c o u n t i e s ) .
No d ata a v a ila b le f o r V ir g in ia a lo n e .
*Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7 , 1966, 5 . More A d v e n tis t church
members o b ta in e d TV s e t s in t h e i r homes as th e y e a rs p r o g r e s s e d .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

During h i s f i r s t y e a r on t e l e v i s i o n , F a g a l was a b le to draw some

c o n c lu sio n s as to th e c o m p o s itio n a l n a tu r e o f h i s v ie w in g a u d ien ce from
the l e t t e r s w hich began t o come in r e sp o n se to th e program .

W ritin g in

the 1952 Summer "Extra" e d i t i o n o f T e l e - n o t e s , he o b se rv e d :

L e tte r s thousands o f l e t t e r s - - a t t e s t to th e f a c t th a t
e n t ir e f a m ilie s w atch " F a ith f o r Today" t o g e t h e r .
The
l a r g e s t s i n g l e group appears t o be young c o u p le s w ith s m a ll
c h ild r e n . Many o f th e s e have had l i t t l e or no c o n ta c t w ith
r e l i g i o n o f any k in d , w hich may a cco u n t f o r th e s u r p r is i n g ly
h ig h p e r c e n ta g e o f l e t t e r s r e q u e s t in g th e B ib le c o u r s e .
N ea rly o n e -fo u r th o f th e m a il i s from men, w ith a la r g e
p r o p o r tio n from t e e n - a g e r s . Programs a re c a r e f u l l y p la n n ed
to in c lu d e b o th problem s and p erfo rm ers t y p i c a l o f t h e s e two
o fte n n e g le c t e d g r o u p s.1
As th e months r o l l e d b y , and th e m a il r o l l e d i n , F agal became
in c r e a s in g ly aware o f th e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f many o f h i s v ie w e r s w ith the
v a rio u s c h a r a c te r s and problem s i l l u s t r a t e d in h i s d r a m a tic -s k e tc h
" p arab les" su r e e v id e n c e , from a u d ien ce r e s p o n s e , th a t he was on the
" r ig h t tr a c k ."

In 1955 he w rote c o n c er n in g t h i s m a il:

As a r u le th e w r it e r s have l o s t , o r n e v e r h ad , a c t i v e con
t a c t w ith r e l i g i o n . L e t te r s come to us from a l l p a r t s o f
th e U n ited S t a t e s from p e o p le who, f o r th e most p a r t , t e l l
us th a t th e y i d e n t i f i e d th e m se lv e s w ith th e p e r so n and h i s
problem as p o r tr a y e d on our program , and were w r it in g t o us
to s e e i f th ey m ight f in d h e lp in th e s o l u t i o n o f t h e i r s ,
even as o th e r s had on th e t e l e c a s t . 2
V ir g in ia F a g a l, who answ ers much o f th e m a il a d d re sse d to h er
husband, in w r it in g about th e s p i r i t u a l c o n d it io n o f many o f t h e i r
c o rr e sp o n d e n ts, s a id :
. . . A fte r our f i r s t t e l e c a s t , th e l e t t e r s began to come
i n . . . . We found a bond o f f e llo w s h ip "out th e r e " w hich
we n ev er a n t ic ip a t e d .
How much th e s e l e t t e r s have meant to us th rou gh th e y e a r s !
Through them we have le a r n e d what h eavy lo a d s some p e o p le
b e a r lo a d s o f s i n , s ic k n e s s , so rro w , and d isa p p o in tm e n t. . . .

^Pp. 2 - 3 .

2nY es, In d eed , TV i s W ell W orth w h ile," 2.

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538

The l e t t e r s have a ls o made us aware o f th e g r e a t h e a r t

hunger w hich e x i s t s ev ery w h ere. As one man e x p r e s s e d t o us
l a t e r , he was ,rd yin g on h i s f e e t , " f o r to him th e r e was
n o th in g in l i f e to make him want to l i v e .
Asked by t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r t o d e s c r ib e "what k in d o f p e o p le
watch 'F a ith f o r T o d a y ,1" V ir g in ia F agal s m ile d , w ith o u t any tr a c e o f
sm ugness:
A ll k in d s o f p e o p le , b u t m o s tly th e same k in d o f p e o p le
we a r e m iddle c l a s s . Most l e t t e r s are w e l l - w r i t t e n ,
in d ic a t in g th e w r ite r has had a f a i r l y good e d u c a tio n ,
p rob ab ly h ig h s c h o o l minimum. Some, o f c o u r se , are p o o r ly
w r itte n ; and th e n , t o o , we have some cra ck p o t l e t t e r s . Most
o f th e w r ite r s are th e k in d o f p e o p le w e'd l i k e t o know, th e
kin d w e'd f e e l m ost c o m fo r ta b le w i t h .2
In clu d ed among th e p e o p le i n a l l age groups and from a l l w alks o f
l i f e who corresp on d w ith W illia m A. F agal are:

Congressmen and S e n a to r s ,

o f f i c i a l s in F ed era l Government departm ents in W ashington, S t a t e Gover

n o r s, c o r p o r a tio n e x e c u t i v e s , clergym en o f a l l P r o te s ta n t f a i t h s and
Roman C a th o lic p r i e s t s and n u n s, b u sin essm e n , e d u c a to r s , a t t o r n e y s ,
p h y s ic ia n s , e n g in e e r s , s t o r e k e e p e r s , trad esm en , r e t i r e d " s e n io r c i t i
zen s," and, i n t e r e s t i n g l y , a f a i r l y s i z e a b l e number o f p r is o n e r s in
s t a t e and f e d e r a l p e n i t e n t i a r i e s . 3
Ever s in c e th e "thaw" in Roman C a th o lic - P r o te s ta n t r e l a t i o n s ,
which has b een a c c e le r a t e d by V a tic a n C o u n cils I and I I , F a ith f o r Today
has r e c e iv e d an e v e r - in c r e a s in g number o f l e t t e r s from C a th o lic p r i e s t s
and nuns, who r e p o r t th a t th e y w atch th e t e l e c a s t and are p r a y in g fo r
both th e program and th e F a g a ls . 4

^ " F ifte en Years o f D iv in e G uidance," T e l e - n o t e s , May, 1965, 6.

^ V ir g in ia F agal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 4 , 1966, 1.
3 I b id .
4 I b id .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

C l a s s if ic a t io n and D e s c r ip tio n o f M ail R esponse

The l e t t e r r esp o n se r e c e iv e d by F a ith f o r Today ea ch week may be

c a te g o r iz e d b r o a d ly a s :
r eq u est r e s p o n se ,

(1) B ib le co rresp o n d en ce s c h o o l r e s p o n se , (2 )

(3 ) c o n tr ib u tio n r e s p o n s e ,

(4) d e c is io n r e s p o n se ,

(5)

te s tim o n ia l r e s p o n s e , and (6) crank'1 r e s p o n s e .

B ib le corresp on d en ce s c h o o l r e s p o n s e . --B y f a r , th e g r e a t e s t
volume o f m a il r e sp o n se to F a ith f o r Today h ea d q u a rters comes as a con
sequence o f h e a v y , i n t e n s i v e a d v e r t is in g o f th e v a r io u s B ib le
correspondence c o u r se s o f f e r e d th e p u b lic f r e e o f charge by th e
in s titu tio n .
A d v e r tis in g o f t h i s s e r v i c e i s done o r a l l y on t e l e v i s i o n ,
through coupons in T e l e - n o t e s , and by means o f a p p lic a t io n cards d i s
tr ib u te d by members o f th e 3 ,3 4 0 S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Churches in North
America to t h e i r n e ig h b o rs and f r ie n d s .
As th e s e l i n e s are b e in g w r it t e n , e ig h t c o u r se s are a v a ila b le
d e a lin g w ith th e g e n e r a l d o c t r in e s and te a c h in g s o f th e B ib le ; p ro p h ecy ,
p a r t ic u la r ly th o se o f D a n ie l and The R e v e la tio n ; th e l i f e o f C h r is t;
h e a lth and n u t r it io n ; a lc o h o lis m ; and y ou th p ro b lem s.

Courses in th e

major European lan gu ages are a ls o o f f e r e d , as i s one in B r a i l l e f o r th e

b l i n d .1
The B ib le corresp on d en ce s c h o o l, as n o te d in Chapter I I I , i s
s t a f f e d w ith one s u p e r v is o r , 12 f u l l - t i m e

(and s e v e r a l p a r t-tim e )

c o lle g e graduate B ib le i n s t r u c t o r s , two c o u n s e lo r s , and one s e c r e t a r y .^

1McKay I n te r v ie w , 1.
2

A d d itio n a l s t a f f may so o n be r e q u ir e d , f o r e a r ly in 1968, 6 ,0 0 0

a d d itio n a l e n r o llm e n ts were tr a n s fe r r e d en masse to th e F a ith f o r Today
B ib le C orrespondence S ch o o l from th e Southern S c h o o l o f B ib le P roph ecy,

Ifiki*.'-.
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540

The f o llo w in g are t y p i c a l o f l e t t e r s from v ie w e r s r e q u e s t in g

le ss o n s in th e B ib le co rresp o n d en ce s c h o o l w hich are r e c e iv e d a t th e New
York o f f i c e d a ily :
Our l i t t l e M eth o d ist church h e r e i s t r y in g to form an
a c t iv e B ib le s tu d y group. At th e l a s t m e e tin g we t o l d th o s e
p r e se n t o f you r corresp on d en ce co u rse w hich we f in d so h e lp
f u l . Our f r ie n d s are in t e r e s t e d to know i f i t i s p o s s i b l e
to order 20 c o p ie s o f th e com p lete c o u r se and what th e charge
might b e . We hope to meet e v e r y Sunday n i g h t .
Mr. and Mrs. S . M. 0 .
M in n eso ta !
I w atched " F a ith f o r Today" Sunday and i t s u n f o r g e t t a b le
p r e s e n t a tio n o f "The Time o f th e End." I am m ost i n t e r e s t e d
in your co n cep t th a t C h r ist w i l l come to end t h i s w o r ld 's
tr o u b led h i s t o r y . My husband and I have b een m arried two
y e a r s . We are s o co n fu sed about th e way in w hich t h i s
country and th e r e s t o f th e w orld seem to be h e a d in g .
E veryth in g i s moving in th e d ir e c t io n o f one g r e a t , c o n c lu d
in g c lim a x . We are f e a r f u l to have c h ild r e n b e c a u se o f th e
w orld in w hich th e y w i l l have t o l i v e . W ill you p le a s e sen d
us your s tu d y g u id e s on th e B ib le ? Perhaps h e r e we can f in d
an answer to t h e s e p e r p le x in g p ro b lem s.
Mr. and Mrs. D. F .
New York2
Your B ib le c o u r se " F a ith f o r Today" has made w on d erfu l
changes in th e p e o p le I h ave se e n [h ere in p r is o n ] who have
taken your c o u r s e . Now I d e s ir e to e n r o l l . P le a s e g ra n t me
the o p p o r tu n ity . My work w i l l p rove my a p p r e c ia t io n .
P r is o n e r J . S.
Richmond, V ir g in ia ^

A tla n ta , G eorgia, whose s tu d e n ts r e s id e in K entucky, T e n n e sse e , N orth

and South C a r o lin a , G eo rg ia , Alabama, F lo r id a , and M i s s i s s i p p i .
T his move b o o s te d th e number o f c u r r e n t e n r o llm e n ts to more than
3 0 ,000, an a l l - t i m e h ig h a t th e F a ith f o r Today o f f i c e in New Y ork. I t
fo llo w s s im ila r m ergers o f B ib le corresp o n d en ce s c h o o ls fo r m e rly o p e r
ated by S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t s t a t e C o n feren ces in M ich ig a n , In d ia n a ,
and s e v e r a l o th e r s t a t e s .
(T ele^notes^, March, 1968, 4 .)
*-Cited in T e l e - n o t e s , May, 1966, 2.
2I b i d . , J u ly , 1966, 2.
3I b id . , A u gu st, 1967, 2.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

T able 13, w hich appears on th e f o llo w in g p a g e , p r e s e n t s a sum

mary o f th e F a ith f o r Today B ib le C orrespondence S ch o o l a c t i v i t i e s in
North America fo r th e 17-y e a r p e r io d c o n s id e r e d by t h i s s tu d y .
The c o n tin u in g u n iv e r s a l a p p ea l o f th e F a ith f o r Today B ib le
correspondence c o u r se s i s in d ic a t e d by th e t a b u la t io n o f r e l i g i o u s
a f f i l i a t i o n made o f s tu d e n ts e n r o lle d d u rin g th e Fourth Q uarter o f 19 6 7 ,
in Table 14, on th e seco n d page f o ll o w i n g .

Of th o s e e n r o lle d , o n ly

20.9% are S ev en th -d a y A d v e n t is t s , w ith th e rem a in in g number sp rea d

acro ss a broad spectrum o f v a r io u s d e n o m in a tio n a l a f f i l i a t i o n s .

R esponse r e q u e s t . --T h e sec o n d h e a v ie s t volume o f incom ing m ail

a t F aith f o r Today h e a d q u a r te rs d e a ls w ith r e q u e s t s f o r a l l s o r t s o f
th in g s:

c o p ie s o f serm ons and poem s, s p e c i a l p r a y e r ( o f t e n fo r th e

recovery o f h e a lth o r th e c o n v e r s io n o f a lo v e d one to C h r i s t i a n i t y ) ,

answers to B ib le q u e s t io n s , c o u n s e l on p e r s o n a l p r o b le m s, and even a
r eq u est f o r one o f Mrs. F a g a l's r e c ip e s !
F agal h im s e lf p a r t i c u l a r l y a p p r e c ia te d co rresp o n d en ce r e c e iv e d
from two ju d g e s, a d i s t r i c t c o u r t ju d ge in T exas and a prom inent E a st
Coast j u r i s t .
P erp lex ed by th e problem s c o n n e c te d w ith th e r i s i n g t i d e o f
ju v e n ile d e lin q u in c y and in c r e a s in g youth c rim e, th e d i s t r i c t c o u r t
judge in Texas happened to view a " F a ith fo r Today" program w hich f e a
tured th e e x p e r ie n c e o f th e p r o d ig a l s o n .

The ju d g e p rom p tly w rote

F agal, a sk in g fo r a su p p ly o f c o p ie s o f th e s c r i p t w hich he w ish ed to

d is t r ib u t e to th e y o u th fu l o ff e n d e r s who s to o d b e fo r e h i s c o u r t.

He

ex p ressed th e o p in io n th a t " F a ith f o r Today" sh o u ld be g iv e n an even

wider c ir c u l a t io n ; and th e ju dge i s d o in g h i s p a r t in d ir e c t in g th e

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

TABLE 1 3

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
NORTH AMERICAN BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL
FAITH FOR TODAY, INC.
1 9 5 2 -1 9 6 8 a

Year

1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968

T otal

A p p lic a tio n s ^

E n r o llm e n ts0

Diplom as

2 3 ,5 0 0
3 0,771
4 9 ,9 5 1
8 1,417
112,321
1 1 2 ,6 3 4
123,266
9 9 ,6 5 5
106,015
1 0 2 ,0 4 8
1 5 8 ,428
109,202
114,225
1 1 9 ,654
9 9 ,7 7 6
9 1 ,6 9 9
1 3 2 ,467

9 ,7 0 0
1 1 ,7 7 8
2 0 ,3 7 6
2 7 ,8 8 6
3 1 ,4 5 8
3 3 ,7 2 1
3 5 ,8 3 9
2 9 ,5 8 7
3 1 ,6 4 2
3 5 ,8 0 0
3 8 ,4 0 0
3 6 ,9 9 4
3 8 ,1 3 3
3 1 ,4 5 3
2 6 ,4 9 2
2 7 ,5 2 7
3 1 ,7 6 3

309
2 ,0 1 0
3 ,6 3 7
5 ,5 0 1
6 ,2 8 5
8 ,1 9 6
9 ,4 1 6
1 0 ,3 1 6
8 ,6 8 2
8 ,9 6 5
9 ,8 2 0
8 ,9 5 0
1 0 ,7 7 6
9 ,7 0 4
9 ,8 9 8
8 ,1 2 1
7 ,2 7 1

3 5 ,0 0 0
1 4 3 ,1 0 3
2 3 1 ,9 5 4
3 6 4 ,1 7 0
4 5 4 ,0 9 0
5 2 0 ,8 3 2
5 6 3 ,1 1 0
5 2 9 ,0 9 2
5 0 9 ,9 9 9
5 4 5 ,2 0 9
5 7 6 ,4 1 0
5 1 1 ,9 9 9
5 2 0 ,1 9 3
4 5 4 ,0 5 8
4 3 7 ,6 7 0
4 2 3 ,4 8 6
4 1 5 ,8 9 1

1 ,6 6 7 ,0 2 9

4 9 8 ,5 4 9

1 2 7 ,8 5 7

7 ,2 3 6 ,2 6 6

L esso n s Graded

M is c e lla n e o u s R e p o r ts, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , New York, 19521968.

t>An a p p lic a t io n i s d e fin e d as a r e q u e s t f o r a c o u r se r e c e iv e d
and p r o c e s s e d by t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te r s , i r r e s p e c t i v e o f w h eth er or n o t
subm itted by th e in d iv id u a l to whom th e le s s o n s w ere s u b s e q u e n tly s e n t
(sometimes names are s e n t in by i n t e r e s t e d t h ir d p a r t i e s who hope th e
" ap p lican t" w i l l ta k e th e c o u r s e ) .
cAn e n r o llm e n t i s d e fin e d as an a p p lic a n t who h as r e tu r n e d th e
f i r s t le s s o n f o r g r a d in g , th u s g iv in g p r a c t i c a l e v id e n c e o f a s e r io u s
d e sir e to p u rsu e th e c o u r se .

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543

a t t e n tio n o f many u n fo r tu n a te s who come under h i s in f lu e n c e t o a

r e lig io u s t e l e v i s i o n program w hich can h e lp in ch an gin g t h e i r liv e s.'* '

TABLE 14
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION OF ENROLLEES
NORTH AMERICAN BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL
FAITH FOR TODAY, INC.
Fourth Q u a rter, 1967a

D enom ination

Seventh-day A d v e n tis t
B a p tist
M ethodist
Roman C a th o lic
Lutheran
P e n te c o s ta l
Church o f God/Assem bly
o f God
P resb y teria n
C h ristia n
H olin ess
Church o f C h r ist
C ongregational
United
E piscopal
S a lv a tio n Army
Nazarene

Number
E n r o lle d

263
258
101
41
36
34
32
27
19
17
17
11
10
10
9
8

D enom ination

J ew ish
B rethren
E v a n g e lic a l
A n glican
Reformed
D is c ip le s o f C h r is t
Orthodox
Amish
Community
L a tte r Day S a in t
Glad T id in g s
Moslem
J eh o v a h 's W itn ess
M ennonite
In te r d e n o m in a tio n a l
P r o te s ta n t
No a f f i l i a t i o n l i s t e d

T o ta l

Number
E n r o lle d

8
8
6
4
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
18
47
258

1 ,2 6 0

aGordon F. D alrym p le, " R e lig io u s A f f i l i a t i o n o f th e FFT B ib le

Course E n r o lle e s ," P a c i f i c Union R eco rd er, A p r il 2 9 , 1 968, 2

On th e E a st C oast , a c e r t a in prom inent j u r i s t w r it e s F agal o ft e n ,

"We have n e v e r m et, b u t I f e e l as i f I know . . . [him] v e ry w e l l ,"

*Fagal, " F ifte e n Years o f S u c c e s s f u l S o u l W inning," 8.

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544

Fagal w rote in an a r t i c l e f o r h is d e n o m in a tio n 's g e n e r a l p a p er.

T his

judge sends h is t e l e v i s i o n p a s to r c lip p in g s o f c o p ie s o f a r t i c l e s which

he w r ite s f o r a r e g u la r column in th e lo c a l new spaper; and once when
death claim ed h i s gran d d au gh ter, he "shared h is s e n s e o f lo s s w ith u s ,
th ereby g iv in g u s o p p o r tu n ity to s tr e n g th e n h i s a lr e a d y fir m f a i t h in
the p rom ises o f th e Lord."

The ju dge i s a r e g u la r and g e n e r o u s --

c o n tr ib u to r to " F a ith f o r T oday," w hich he c o n s id e r s h i s "church."*

The e x c e r p ts from corresp o n d en ce w hich f o llo w s a re f a i r l y
ty p ic a l o f much o f th e r e q u e s t m a il which i s r e c e iv e d each week:
I was d i s i l l u s i o n e d w ith r e l i g i o n u n t i l I took your fr e e
o f f e r o f th e B ib le C ourse. I t was through t h i s th a t I
became a church member. Now I would l i k e to ask you t o pray
fo r me. I h a v e glaucom a and cannot u se my e y e s f o r r ea d in g
as I w ould l i k e t o w ith o u t p a in . A lthough I have b een t o ld
I could go b l i n d , my f a i t h i s i n God, n o t man.
Mrs. E. A. 2
P e n n sy lv a n ia
My p a r e n ts g iv e c o n f l i c t i n g o r d e r s .
I t sa y s in th e
B ib le , "Honor th y f a t h e r and th e y m oth er." I am 15 y e a r s
o ld , and I f in d i t d i f f i c u l t to know how to keep t h a t com
mandment w ith o u t d is o b e y in g one o f my p a r e n t s . What am I
supposed to do when each one t e l l s me t o do th e e x a c t
o p p o site o f what th e o th e r one asks? A fte r e x p la in in g
m atters to them , th e y s t i l l want th e same o rd ers c a r r ie d
o u t. What sh o u ld I do when one w ants me t o go somewhere
and th e o th e r fo r b id s me to do s o . Who w ould you obey?
(S ource n o t in d ic a t e d )
We have r e c e iv e d c o p ie s o f T e le -n o te s f o r th e p a s t y e a r
and have been im p ressed g r e a t ly by th e e d i t o r ' s a r t i c l e s and
th o se o f th e p a s t o r , W. A. F a g a l. Some tim e w ith in th e p a s t
s i x months one o f them had an a r t i c l e , th e im port o f w hich
was " Is God Dead?" T h is d e a lt w ith th e h e a v e n ly b o d ie s and
t h e ir r e l a t i o n s h i p to God. I have m isp la c e d t h i s and would
lik e v e r y much t o have a copy t h e r e o f by r e tu r n m a il.
A tto rn ey T. H. F.
^
Kansas C ity , M isso u ri
*T b id . , 9 .

^ C ited

in T e l e - n o t e s , J a n ., 1968, 2 .

3I b i d . , 8 .

4 I b i d . , N o v ., 1967, 2 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Your c o v er a r t i c l e on Mrs. V ir g in ia F agal was f a s c i n a t

in g . She s u r e ly le a d s a b u sy , p r o d u c tiv e l i f e .
I w ould
g r e a t ly a p p r e c ia te i t i f you would sen d me h e r r e c ip e fo r
baked b e a n s.
Mrs. J . W.
C olorado*
P erh ap s, h ow ever, th e m ost u n u su a l r e q u e s t e v e r r e c e iv e d by
Faith fo r Today, b oth in view o f th e s o c i a l s ta n d in g o f th e w r it e r and
o f th e h i s t o r i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e o f th e e v e n t in v o lv e d , was one conveyed
in a l e t t e r to W illia m A. F aga l by Mrs. S e w e ll (H o rten se) A very, w if e o f
the in te r n a tio n a lly -k n o w n board chairman o f Montgomery Ward Company,
w r itte n February 16, 1955, and accom panied by a c o n tr ib u tio n o f $200.

Avery and h i s w i f e , b o th 81 a t th e tim e , w atched " F a ith f o r

Today" to g e th e r each Sunday a t t h e i r 209 Lake Shore D riv e apartm ent j u s t
e a s t o f th e Drake H o tel in C h icago.

By c o in c id e n c e , o n ly s i x days

b efore H ortense Avery w rote t h i s p a r t i c u l a r s p e c i a l - r e q u e s t l e t t e r to

W illiam F a g a l, C hicago D a ily News r e p o r t e r Win G reen, in an e x c l u s i v e
cop yrigh ted s t o r y , b ased on th e f i r s t m ajor in t e r v ie w g r a n te d by h e r
husband in th e p r e c e d in g te n y e a r s ,^ n o te d :
Mrs. Avery h a s n 't b een f e e l i n g to o sp r y o f l a t e , s o th e
Averys go t o church v i a t e l e v i s i o n a t 11:30 a.m . The p r o
gram i s " F a ith f o r Today.

*I b id . , O c t ., 1965, 2.
P r e v io u s ly , H orten se Avery had s e n t th r e e d o n a tio n s o f $100
each on s u c c e s s iv e o c c a s io n s t o F a ith f o r Today.
( L e t t e r s from
Hortense W. A very, C h icago, S e p t . 19, Nov. 1 1 , and D ec. 2 3 , 1 9 5 4 .)
^The Wizard o f Wards," C hicago D a ily News, Feb. 1 0 , 1955, 1.
Copyrighted 1955 C hicago D a ily News.
^I b id . , 4 . Quoted by p e r m is s io n .
( L e t t e r o f J o sep h M. Simmons,
L ib rarian , Chicago Sun-Times and C hicago D a ily News, O ct. 2 8 , 1 9 6 6 .)

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

546

At t h i s p a r t i c u l a r tim e , Avery was b e in g th r e a te n e d by th e

n o to r io u s c o r p o r a tio n r a id e r , L o u is E. W olfson^ who, th rou gh a proxy
f i g h t , was s e e k in g t o o u s t Avery as board chairm an o f Montgomery Ward
and tak e o v er le a d e r s h ip o f th e c o r p o r a tio n h im s e lf .
Not knowing to whom e l s e t o tu r n , H o rten se Avery to o k up h er pen
to ask W illiam F agal to in t e r c e d e w ith God on h e r hu sb an d s b e h a l f (s e e
F ig . 3 5 ):
Dear P a s to r F a g a l-My husband i s so p u b lic iz e d a t th e p r e s e n t tim e , as you
m ight have s e e n in th e p r e s s - - a n d as we a r e n o t church
a tte n d a n ts in C h icagoyou are our o n ly P a s to r .^ P le a s e
fo r g iv e me i f I am b u rd en in g you w ith t h i s le t t e r - - W e are o f
th e same age and have had a v e r y happy m arried l i f e , f o r
f i f t y - f i v e y e a r s , and have a lo v e l y fa m ily o f two d a u g h ters
(h avin g l o s t a son and dau gh ter) sev e n grand c h ild r e n , and
th re e g r e a t g r e a t grand c h ild r e n . My husband i s a w o n d erfu l
man, o f deep i n t e g r i t y , h o n o r, k in d n e s s , and i s l a v i s h l y
g e n e r o u s--A t th e p r e s e n t tim e he i s th r e a te n e d , by a man
named W olfson, w ith th e lo s s o f h i s company, Montgomery Ward
C o.We b o th lo o k forw ard e a g e r ly e v er y Sunday m orning t o
F a ith f o r Today. Mr. Avery i s d e v o te d t o you and yo u r Sun
day T.V. program. My th o u g h t in w r it in g you i s t o ask you
i f you would p ray f o r him . I am a f r a id he w ould d isa p p ro v e
o f my w r it in g y ou . So p le a s e c o n s id e r t h i s a p p ea l s t r i c t l y
c o n f i d e n t i a l - - w i l l you? I thank God f o r you among my many
b le s s in g s e v e r y n ig h t .
And p le a s e t r y t o f o r g iv e me f o r

^"Wolfson . . . began h i s r i s e in f i n a n c i a l c i r c l e s in th e 1930s

when he took o v er th e fa m ily junk b u s in e s s h i s im m igrant f a t h e r had
b u i l t . By th e e a r ly '5 0 s h i s t a l l , le a n f ig u r e and r u g g e d ly handsome
fa c e , which shows some marks o f y o u th fu l e x p e r ie n c e as a p r o f e s s i o n a l
boxer, was a f a m ilia r s i g h t a t v a r io u s c o r p o r a te board m e e tin g s and on
the newspaper f i n a n c i a l p a g e s . He took o ver th e W ashington, D. C .,
t r a n s it company and sip h o n ed o f f i t s r ic h c a p it a l r e s e r v e s . . . . At one
tim e he was th e l a r g e s t s h a r e h o ld e r in American M otors, and when he s o ld
out h is p o s i t i o n , he g o t e m b r o ile d in a d is p u te w ith th e governm ent o v e r
making ' f a l s e and m is le a d in g s t a t e m e n t s .' A prom inent f i n a n c i a l w r it e r
c a lle d him , 'th e b ig g e s t c o r p o r a te r a id e r o f a l l t im e ." ' (W illia m
Lambert, "The J u s t i c e . . . and th e S to ck M a n ip u la to r," L if e , May 9 ,
1969, 3 4 .)
2

The p r e v io u s C h ristm a s, Mrs. Avery had w r it t e n on a C hristm as

card to th e F a g a ls , "You are my o n ly p a s t o r , and you rs i s my o n ly
church." (F agal L e t t e r , Nov. 7, 1 9 6 6 , 2 .)

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

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Fig. 3 5 . Letter to William A. Fagal from Mrs. Sew ell (H ortense) A very, w ife of M ontgom ery W ard Board C hairm an,
req u estin g th e P astor's p ra y e rs on b eh alf of h e r hu sb an d then fighting with Louis Wolfson for control of th e co rp o ra
tion. The N ew York Times d escrib ed this stru g g le a s " o n e of th e fiercest proxy co n tests in th e history of co rp o rate
fin an c e;" a n d it said th a t A very's victory "m arks th e first tim e in 1955 th a t a m ajor corp o ratio n h as su cceed ed in
turning back a bid for control." In conceding d e fe a t, W olfson c h a rg ed h e h ad b e e n double-crossed b y " s o m e big
foreign h o ld e rs" (of M ontgom ery W ard stock); Mrs. A very cred ited a n o th e r " fo re ig n " p o w e r G od.

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'

548

b o th e r in g you w ith t h i s a p p e a l.
b e a u t if u l w if e and y o u r s e l f .

My v e r y b e s t w ish e s to your
G r a t e f u ll y ,
H o rten se A v ery -Mrs. S e w e ll

P. S.
I am e n c lo s in g a check t o h e lp a l i t t l e toward th e
p u b lic a t io n s you send me. P le a s e pardon my penm anship. I
have been q u it e i l l w ith th e " flu " and my hand i s s t i l l a
l i t t l e "w obbly."
H o rten se Avery
A very, who a t t h i s tim e was chairm an o f b o th Montgomery Ward and
U. S. Gypsum, a d ir e c t o r o f U. S . S t e e l , and a member o f th e boards o f a
h a lf-d o z e n o th e r b ig f ir m s , was c h a r a c t e r iz e d as "the a g e le s s g e n iu s o f
th e in d u s t r ia l world" and an " 8 1 -y e a r -o ld w iza rd who had b a t t l e d th e
fe d e r a l government and anyone e l s e he b e li e v e d w rong."

E leven y e a r s e a r l i e r , in 1944, Avery had a t t r a c t e d w orldw ide

a tte n tio n when he was c a r r ie d b o d ily from h i s o f f i c e by two s o l d i e r s
a f t e r he had r e fu s e d to comply w ith an o r d e r o f th e War Labor Board.
As head o f th e n a t io n ' s s e c o n d - la r g e s t m a il ord er and r e t a i l
m erchandising o r g a n iz a t io n , Avery had d e f ie d a Government o rd er to d e a l
w ith a C .I.O . u n ion among h i s em p lo y ees.
Said th e New York T im es,
The famous p ic t u r e o f h i s b e in g c a r r ie d from th e o f f i c e ,
as i f s t i l l s i t t i n g in h i s c h a i r , ^ was sy m b o lic o f h i s
b u s in e s s p h ilo s o p h y , and d ra m a tized h i s lo n g sta n d in g

^ L etter from H orten se W. A very, C h icago, Feb. 16, 1955, t o

W illiam A. F a g a l, 1 -5 .
2G reen, 1.
T his famous photograph i s reproduced in Album o f American
H isto ry (New York: C h arles S c r ib n e r 's S o n s, 1 9 6 0 ), V :348. I t was tak en
by Harry H a ll, w ell-k n ow n A s s o c ia te d P r e ss p h o to g ra p h er, who r e t i r e d in
1967, and earn ed him th e " H e a d lin e r 's Award." (L e tte r from Paul L ee,
News E d ito r , th e A s s o c ia te d P r e s s , San F r a n c is c o , C a l i f . , J u ly 2 6 , 1 9 6 8 .)

t-1
-

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

549

o p p o s it io n to th e New Deal and what he c a l l e d th e Govern

m en t's "unAmerican" in t e r f e r e n c e w ith b u s i n e s s . *
In th e D e p r e ssio n days o f 1932, a t th e age o f 58 and h a v in g th en
been chairman f o r o n ly one y e a r , Avery had fa c e d a n o th er f in a n c i a l
c r i s i s , and won.

Montgomery Ward had a $14 m i l l i o n d e f i c i t w h ich , in

the n e x t two y e a r s , he tu rn ed i n t o a $14 m i l l i o n p r o f i t , a v e r t in g a

merger t h a t w ould have s e n t h i s company i n t o o b l i v i o n .

But now he was o ld e r , and f i g h t i n g a youn ger (and p r e e m in e n tly

s u c c e s s f u l) c o r p o r a t io n - r a id e r in what New York Times co rresp o n d en t
Robert E. B e d in g f ie ld w ould d e s c r ib e as "one o f th e f i e r c e s t proxy cont e s t s in th e h i s t o r y o f c o rp o ra te f in a n c e ."

W ithin th e p a s t y e a r a lo n e , Avery knew, more than 30 proxy

b a t t l e s f o r c o n t r o l o f American c o r p o r a tio n s had b een waged, w ith s i x
won by th e i n s u r g e n t s .4

And S e w e ll A v e ry 's d e v o te d , i f d im in u tiv e (5 '4 " )

w if e , d e s c r ib e d by a newspaperman as " v iv a c io u s , a l e r t , to o anim ated to

be c a lle d d o l l - l i k e , " ^ d e c id e d to se e k d iv in e a id a g a in s t t h a t "man
named W olfson" who was t r y in g t o p ersu ad e MW's s to c k h o ld e r s t h a t Avery
had b lo ck ed th e p o stw a r growth o f th e a lr e a d y huge c o r p o r a tio n which he
had headed f o r two d e c a d e s.^
So sh e w rote h e r " p a s to r ," h a l f a c o n tin e n t away.
pray?

Would Fagal

Indeed he w ould; th e w hole o f f i c e made i t a m a tter o f s p e c ia l

prayer.

XNov. 1, 1960, 1.
^C hicago D a ily News, Feb. 1 1 , 1955, 7.
3New York T im es, A p r il 2 3 , 1955, 1.

4 I b id .

^C hicago D a ily News, Feb. 15, 1 9 5 5 , 6 .

^New York T im es, A p r il 2 3 , 1955, 1.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

550

Two months l a t e r Avery won, overcom ing W o lfso n 's d r iv e to con

t r o l th e Ward em pire by w in n in g s i x o f th e n in e s e a t s on th e board w hich
were up fo r g r a b s .

Commented th e T im es:

W olfson 's d e f e a t marks th e f i r s t tim e in 1955 t h a t a major

co rp o ra tio n has su c ce e d e d in tu r n in g back a b id f o r c o n t r o l.*
In con ced in g th e c o n t e s t , w hich he had waged u n r e l e n t l e s s l y f o r
the p a st e ig h t m onths, W olfson blam ed h is d e f e a t on h a v in g been " d o u b lecrossed" by "some b ig f o r e ig n h o ld e r s " o f MW s t o c k .

H ortense Avery c r e d it e d a n o th er " fo r e ig n " power God!

And a month l a t e r sh e s e n t h e r "thank o f f e r in g " to F a ith f o r
Today fo r i t s F i f t h A n n iversary c e le b r a t i o n - - a check f o r $300 (h er
la r g e s t e v e r ) " to h e lp you w ith your w ork."

F agal and h i s s t a f f w ere

only too w i l l i n g to comply w ith h e r p a r tin g r e q u e st in t h i s l e t t e r :

"Forgive me b u rd en in g you w ith e x tr a m a il."

The s t r a i n o f th e proxy f i g h t , h ow ever, to o k i t s t o l l ;

Avery became i l l and was h o s p i t a l i z e d .^

and Mrs.

And on A p r il 8 , 1 9 5 6 -- la c k in g

*New York T im es, A p r il 2 3 , 1955, 1.

2

I b id . A v e ry 's v i c t o r y , how ever, was P y r r h ic . To r e p e l th e

r a id e r , to keep th e "Wolfson" from th e d o o r, c o s t Wards a c o o l $ 6 9 2 ,2 5 0
(Time, S e p t. 2 6 , 1955, 9 0 ); and th e a r c h fo e , l i c k in g h i s w ounds, may
have found some sm a ll s a t i s f a c t i o n from th e f a c t th a t a f t e r a r e s p e c t
able in t e r v a l , Avery ste p p e d down as board chairman and r e t i r e d .
(New
York Tim es, A p r il 9 , 1956, 2 7 .)
3H ortense W. Avery L e t t e r , C h icago, May 2 2 , 1955, to W illia m A.
Fagal. T e le c a s t h ea d q u a rters r e c o r d s show two more su b seq u en t g i f t s
before Mrs. A v e ry 's d eath on A p r il 8 , 1956: $100, w ith a l e t t e r from
Chicago, Aug. 3; and $125 in a l e t t e r from th e Avery v a c a tio n r e t r e a t a t
Les Cheneaux I s la n d s , H e s s e l l , M ic h ., S e p t. 13.
4

Fagal became aware o f h e r u n ex p ected i l l n e s s as a r e s u l t o f

r e c e iv in g a te le g ra m from H orten se Avery r e q u e s t in g a c e r t a in g i f t book
o ffe r e d over th e a ir and g iv in g a h o s p it a l a d d ress f o r th e r e p ly .
He
was then e x tr em e ly busy w ith p r e p a r a tio n f o r l i v e b r o a d c a s tin g and in
the e a r ly s ta g e s o f th e t r a n s i t i o n to f ilm , h a v in g to produce some p r o
grams in advance in th e new medium. V ir g in ia F agal was under th e
weather w ith l a r y n g i t i s t h a t d a y , so P a sto r F agal c a n c e lle d h i s s h o o tin g

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

but two w eeks to th e day o f h e r hu sb an d s g r e a t e s t v ic t o r y (g a in e d , sh e

was s u r e , w ith D iv in e a i d ) , H o rten se Avery d ie d a t th e age o f 8 2 ,*
le a v in g an e s t a t e e s tim a te d a t $1 m i l l i o n .

W illia m A. F a g a l, t e l e v i s i o n p a s t o r o f th e S e w e ll A v e r y s , fle w
to Chicago t o condu ct th e f u n e r a l, w hich was a tte n d e d by 1 5 0-200 in v i t e d
m ourners, in c lu d in g th e e n t i r e Board o f D ir e c to r s o f Montgomery Ward.^
And when S e w e ll Avery h im s e lf d ie d , on O ctober 31, 1 9 6 0 ,^ h i s
c h ild r e n c a l l e d F a ith f o r Today h e a d q u a r te rs in New York t o r e q u e s t
P a sto r F a g a l s p r e se n c e once a g a in in t h e i r hour o f n e e d - - t h i s tim e , to
bury t h e i r f a t h e r .

U n fo r tu n a te ly , h o w ev er, t h i s tim e P a s to r F agal co u ld

not h e lp he was in Japan and c o u ld n o t be rea ch ed .^

What d o es a l l t h i s "prove"?

Perhaps n o th in g .

T h is w r it e r would

not be so f o o l i s h as to attem p t to d em o n stra te a c a u s e - e f f e c t lin k

between W illia m F a g a ls p r a y e r and S e w e ll A v e ry 's v i c t o r y (a lth o u g h he
does n o te in p a s s in g th a t to men o f f a i t h th e r e i s no problem w h a tev er
a t t h i s p o i n t !) .

sch ed u le and fle w to C h ic a g o --a 3 - 1 /2 hour jo u rn ey in t h i s p r e - j e t

He went to M rs. A very s 1 2 t h - f lo o r h o s p i t a l room, v i s i t e d b r i e f l y ,
prayed at h e r b e d s id e b e fo r e ta k in g a n o th e r 3 -1 /2 hour f l i g h t back
Manhattan. She d ie d fo u r weeks l a t e r .
(F a g a l I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 ,
4 .)

era.
and
to
19 6 6 ,

*New York T im es, A p r il 9 , 1956, 27.

2I b i d . , A p r il 2 9 , 1956, 6 1 .
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 4 .
%ew York T im es, Nov. 1 , 1 9 6 0 , 1.
^Fagal I n te r v ie w , J u ly 7 , 1966, 5 . S in ce th e n , h ow ever, F agal
has o f f i c i a t e d a t th e w edding o f an Avery granddaughter a t E v a n sto n ,
1 1 1 ., who p u b l i c l y s a id o f him on th a t o c c a s io n , "Your e our p a s t o r ."
Members o f th e Avery fa m ily , e s p e c i a l l y one o f S e w e lls d a u g h te r s, s t i l l
send g e n e ro u s, s u b s t a n t ia l g i f t s to F a ith f o r Today, I n c .
(F a g a l I n t e r
view , O ct. 2 3 , 1966, 4 .)

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

The in c id e n t d oes s e r v e to i l l u s t r a t e th a t W illia m F a g a l's

p reach in g c o u ld b r in g " au d ien ce r e sp o n se " from th e t a l l e s t to w ers o f
corp orate fin a n c e as w e ll as from th e d il a p id a t e d h o v e l on th e " o th er"
s id e o f th e t r a c k s , th a t h i s a p p ea l was u n i v e r s a l , t h a t men and women
had c o n fid e n c e enough to resp on d in a manner w hich r e p r e s e n te d t h e i r
d e e p e st n e e d .^

C o n tr ib u tio n r e s p o n s e . - -The f i s c a l m echanics o f th e o p e r a tio n o f

F aith fo r Today, I n c . , h ave a lr e a d y b een d w e lt upon, m ention b e in g made
th a t th e two p r in c ip a l s o u r c e s o f incom e have b een (1) d i r e c t d o n a tio n s
through th e m a il from th e v ie w in g a u d ien ce a t la r g e , and (2 ) f i n a n c i a l
support by th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church, by means o f an annual
o f f e r in g ta k en in a l l 3 ,3 4 0 SDA Churches th ro u g h o u t North A m erica, and
an annual s u b s id y a p p r o p r ia tio n th rou gh d en o m in a tio n a l c h a n n e ls .

T h ir te e n y e a r s l a t e r L o u is W o lfs o n 's name cropped up in th e

news a g a in . On Aug. 8 , 1968, W olfson and th r e e a s s o c i a t e s w ere found
g u il t y o f v i o l a t i n g th e S e c u r i t i e s and Exchange Act by a f e d e r a l grand
ju ry . S p e c i f i c a l l y , th e 5 5 - y e a r - o ld m u lt im i llio n a ir e f i n a n c i e r was con
v ic t e d on ch a rg es o f " p e r ju r y , su b o r n a tio n o f p e r ju r y , o b s t r u c t io n o f
j u s t i c e , c o n c e a lin g docum ents, and f i l i n g f a l s e s ta te m e n ts " w ith th e
S e c u r it ie s and Exchange Com m ission. At th e tim e W olfson was chairman o f
M erritt-Chapman 5 S c o t t , a w orldw ide c o n s t r u c t io n - s h ip b u ild in g - c h e m ic a ls
combine th en in p r o c e s s o f l i q u i d a t i o n . Upon c o n v ic t io n , h e fa c e d a
p o s s ib le 14 y e a r s in p r is o n and a $ 3 2 ,0 0 0 f i n e .
(Napa R e g is t e r , Aug. 9 ,
1968, 7 -B .)
W olfson s u b s e q u e n tly went to j a i l ; and l e s s than a y e a r l a t e r
h is name fig u r e d p r o m in en tly in a s c a n d a l in v o lv in g Supreme Court
J u s tic e Abe F o r t a s . F o r ta s a c c e p te d a $ 2 0 ,0 0 0 check from a fo u n d a tio n
c o n tr o lle d by W o lfso n , f o r p r o f e s s i o n a l s e r v i c e s o f du biou s s u b s ta n c e ,
which he th en retu r n e d to W olfson n e a r ly a y e a r l a t e r . P u b lic o p in io n
forced F o rta s to r e s ig n h i s s e a t on th e Supreme Court b e n c h - -th e f i r s t
such in s ta n c e in th e C o u r t's e n t i r e h i s t o r y .
(C f. W illia m Lambert, "The
J u s tic e . . . and th e S tock M a n ip u la to r ," L i f e , May 9 , 1969, 3 2 - 3 7 .)

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

aiJ

W illiam F a gal h as n e v e r , d i r e c t l y o r i n d i r e c t l y , s o l i c i t e d
f in a n c ia l su p p o rt o v e r th e airwaves.'*'

The p r in c ip a l a p p ea ls have b een

made la r g e l y th rou gh th e p ages o f T e l e - n o t e s , and o c c a s io n a l a r t i c l e s in

the churchs p r e s s .
During th e 1 9 -y e a r p e r io d c o n s id e r e d by t h i s s tu d y , v o lu n ta r y
c o n tr ib u tio n s through th e m ail have amounted to $ 5 ,5 2 7 ,0 5 1 , and th e
t o t a l n e t p r o c ee d s from th e N orth American o f f e r in g are $ 2 ,8 6 9 ,5 2 2 .
T able 15, w hich appears on th e f o llo w in g p a g e , shows th e annual
in c r e a s e in income o f th e t e l e c a s t from th e s e two major s o u r c e s , f o r th e
years f o r w hich f i n a n c i a l d a ta a re a v a i l a b l e .
One d e v ic e u se d by F agal in a tte m p tin g to b o o s t th e s i z e o f b o th
n e t in d iv id u a l g i f t s and t o t a l g r o ss r e c e ip t s a t F a ith f o r Today i s th e
c o n fe r r in g o f " sp o n so rsh ip " s t a t u s upon v ie w e r s p le d g in g e i t h e r $1 p er
month th rou ghout th e y e a r , or a lump sum o f $10 or more a n n u a lly .
As w i l l be n o te d from T able 16, on th e seco n d page f o llo w i n g ,
although th e " sp on sors" r e p r e s e n t o n ly 58.6% o f th e t o t a l d o n o rs, y e t
th e ir g i f t s p r o v id e 81.6% o f th e t o t a l m a il c o n t r ib u t io n s .
N early 60% o f a l l g i f t s r e c e iv e d a re o f f i v e d o lla r s or l e s s ;
y e t the la r g e s t s i n g l e p o r tio n o f t o t a l v ie w er income comes from g i f t s
in the $10-$25 b r a c k e t.
And w h ile th e g e n e r a l o v e r a l l mean a v erage g i f t d u rin g t h i s
1967-68 p e r io d was $ 6 .9 7 , th e mean f o r " sp on sors" was 9 .7 0 , w h ile th a t
fo r o th er donors was o n ly $ 3 .1 0 .

^The November, 1953, T e le -n o te s " L e tte r s" column c a r r ie d t h i s

query: "Do p e o p le sen d d o n a tio n s t o you? I n e v e r h ea r you m ention any
th ing about i t .
P le a s e l e t me know." (p . 4 .)
2

The mean a v era g e d o n a tio n p e r c o n tr ib u to r f o r th e Fourth Quar

t e r , 1966, was $ 6 .5 4 ; th e "sponsor" mean was $ 9 .5 8 , and th a t fo r non
sponsors was $ 2 .1 8 (M is c e lla n e o u s R ecords, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , 1 9 6 6 ).

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

554

TABLE 15

SUMMARY OF NON-APPROPRIATED INCOME

RECEIVED BY FAITH FOR TODAY, INC.
1 9 5 0 -1 9 6 8 a

Year

1950d
1951e
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968

T o ta ls

I n c .,

V iew er Income
From Mail^

. .
14,865
5 8 ,7 6 1
9 6 ,7 6 7
1 4 9 ,4 5 9
1 8 8 ,7 7 1
2 1 7 ,2 5 7
2 3 7 ,6 2 1
2 6 6 ,8 0 3
2 9 2 ,6 8 5
3 0 0 ,9 0 7
3 2 0 ,0 0 1
3 8 3 ,4 4 0
4 1 4 ,1 8 9
4 5 1 ,5 2 6
4 8 1 ,8 6 5
5 1 0 ,2 2 3
5 9 4 ,9 4 9
5 4 6 ,9 6 2

$ 5 ,5 2 7 ,0 5 1

Annual
O ff e r in g 0

. .
8 2 ,7 4 8
9 2 ,3 2 2
7 9 ,6 5 4
7 6 ,4 5 7
8 0 ,8 1 0
9 7 ,0 7 4
160,7 2 1
1 2 8 ,0 1 4
156,631
1 7 6 ,0 9 4
2 0 5 ,2 6 6
1 9 5 ,2 0 4
1 9 9 ,6 7 3
2 7 7 ,7 8 0
3 1 0 ,8 7 0
2 7 9 ,6 2 2
2 7 0 ,5 8 2

$ 2 ,8 6 9 ,5 2 2

M is c e lla n e o u s R ecord s, F a ith fo r Today,

1 9 5 0 -1 9 6 8 .

^Does n o t in c lu d e income from w i l l s ,

l e g a c i e s , a n n u it i e s , e t c .
c0 f f e r i n g tak en once each February in
th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Churches o f N orth
A m erica ( in c lu d in g Canada) o n ly .
^Records fo r 1950 are n o t e x t a n t .
e The f i r s t o f f e r i n g was tak en in 1952.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

555
TABLE 16

DISTRIBUTION OF NORTH AMERICAN VIEWER INCOME

BY GIFT SIZE AND SOURCE DERIVATION
FAITH FOR TODAY, INC.
For th e 12-Month P erio d :

T otal C o n tr ib u tio n s
"Sponsor" D onations
Other D onations

T otal Number o f C o n tr ib u tio n s

No. Sponsor Donors
No. Other Donors

Amount o f G if t s W ithin
D olla r C l a s s i f i c a t i o n
$ 0 .0 1 - $ 4 .9 9
5 .0 0 9 .9 9
10.00 - 2 4 .9 9
25.00 - 4 9 .9 9
5 0 .0 0 - 9 9 .9 9
100.00 and over

No. o f C o n trib u to rs W ithin

D ollar C l a s s i f i c a t i o n
$ 0 .0 1 - $ 4 .9 9
5 .0 0 9 .9 9
10.00 - 2 4 .9 9
25.00 - 49.99
50.00 - 9 9 .9 9
100.00 and over

June 1, 1967, to May 3 1 , 1968a

Monthly
Average

12-Month
T o ta ls

Per c e n t
o f Whole

$ 4 6 ,5 2 9
3 7 ,9 6 4
8 ,5 6 4

$ 5 5 8 ,3 4 4
4 5 5 ,5 7 1
1 0 2 ,7 7 3

100.0%
81.6%
18.4%

6 ,6 7 0
3 ,9 1 4
2 ,7 5 6

8 0,039
4 6 ,9 7 2
3 3 ,0 6 7

100.0%
58.6%
41.4%

$ 6 ,3 1 8
7 ,5 5 1
11,245
5 ,9 4 6
4 ,2 6 6
1 1 ,2 0 4

$ 7 5 ,8 1 3
9 0 ,6 0 7
1 3 4 ,9 3 8
7 1 ,3 5 1
5 1 ,1 8 9
1 3 4 ,4 4 7

13.6%
16.2%
24.2%
12.8%
9.1%
24.1%

3 ,8 8 7
1 ,4 7 7
947
215
78
64

4 6 ,6 4 3
1 7 ,7 3 4
1 1 ,3 7 3
2 ,5 8 4
938
767

59.0%
22.2%
14.2%
3.3%
1.2%
0.1%

M is c e lla n e o u s R ep o rts, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , New Y ork,

1967-68. For a com p lete month-by-month ta b u la tio n o f th e s e d a ta , s e e
Appendix I .
D o lla r amounts are rounded o f f to th e n e a r e s t d ecim a l p o i n t .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

A tte n t io n has been drawn above to th e m a il r e c e iv e d on Monday,

J u ly 8 , 1968, a t y p i c a l day.

Some 3 ,2 1 6 l e t t e r s were r e c e iv e d , o f w hich

42.5% (or 1 ,3 6 9 ) c o n ta in e d d o n a tio n s amounting t o $ 1 1 ,1 5 5 .

Only A la sk a ,

o f th e 50 U n ited S t a t e s , was n o t r e p r e s e n te d in th e g i f t s colum n.

I t may be o f i n t e r e s t to n o t e on T able 17, w hich f o ll o w s , th a t
the n in e h ig h e s t s t a t e s f o r incom e do n o t corresp on d w ith th e n in e
h ig h e s t s t a t e s fo r l e t t e r s r e c e iv e d (T able 12):

TABLE 17
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF NORTH AMERICAN DONOR MAIL
NINE HIGHEST VOLUME STATES
FAITH FOR TODAY, INC.
M ail R e c e iv e d on J u ly 8 , 1968a

Rank
Order

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

S ta te o f
O r ig in

C a lifo r n ia
M ichigan
Iowa
Kansas
W ashington
F lo r id a
D i s t r i c t o f Columbia
Colorado
I llin o is

N o. o f
L ette rs

No. o f
G if t s

$ Value
G if t s

SDA A d u lt B apt.
Membershipb

392
214
55
26
70
162
26
50
82

303
86
23
13
53
70
15
30
41

$ 3 ,3 7 2
652
625
541
454
421
379
338
300

8 9 ,3 5 2
1 8 ,4 1 4
3 ,5 2 7
3 ,7 9 8
8 ,6 5 6
1 0 ,9 2 8
1 1 , 801c
9 ,0 9 0
7 ,3 5 8

aFrom "M ail Summary f o r Monday, J u ly 8, 1968," F a ith f o r Today,

I n c ., New York. D e t a ils o f co m p lete m a il summary are reproduced in
Appendix H. (S ee a ls o T able 12 f o r com parison o f volume o f m a il w ith
volume o f c o n t r ib u t io n s .)
^Data from SPA Yearbook:

1968.

M em bership o f Potomac C o n feren ce ( V ir g in ia , D i s t r i c t o f

Columbia, and two c o u n t ie s in S o u th ern M a ry la n d ). No d a ta a v a ila b le
fo r D i s t r i c t o f Columbia a lo n e .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

As b e fo r e , th e r e i s no s i g n i f i c a n t g e o g r a p h ic a l c o r r e l a t i o n , and th e
c o r r e la tio n betw een h ig h -in co m e and high-SDA-member s t a t e s i s o n ly
approxim ate.*
The l e t t e r s accom panying th e s e m a il c o n t r ib u t io n s day by day are
s im ila r to

th e ones rep rod uced b e lo w .

Taken from th e t r e a s u r e r ' s f i l e s ,

they were o r i g i n a l l y p u b lis h e d in T e le - n o t e s as a g e n t le prod to o th e r

readers to

em ulate th e commendable s p i r i t o f th e don ors:

We have a fa m ily o f f e r i n g b ox i n our

home w h ere, a f t e r
p ayin g a t i t h e , we p la c e te n p e r c e n t o f our income f o r
o f f e r i n g s . We are su r e th a t w ith th e b l e s s i n g o f th e Lord
we w i l l fin d an e x t r a $10 in th e b ox each month f o r " F a ith
fo r T oday." When we g e t to t h a t b e t t e r la n d and m eet th o se
who w i l l s a y , " I t was 'F a ith fo r Today' who i n v i t e d us h e r e ,"
we want to be a b le to r e p ly th a t we had a p a r t in s p o n s o r in g
" F aith fo r T oday."
Mr. and Mrs. H. M.
M aryland2
I had w anted to sen d a g i f t o f money a f t e r r e c e iv in g
your T e le - n o t e s t e l l i n g o f your n e e d s , b u t I d id n 't th in k
our bu dget w ould p e r m it i t j u s t now. Today as I check ed our
lo c a l g r o ce r y s t o r e c o n t e s t , I found I c o u ld c la im a $5
p r iz e , so t h i s i s th e check I am s e n d in g y o u . Now we are
both w in n er s--w o r k in g f o r th e w in n in g o f s o u l s .
I am happy
fo r t h i s sm a ll p a r t in h e lp in g . S u r e ly "God works in
m y sterio u s ways H is wonders to p e r fo r m ."
Mrs . II. L. J .
M ichigan^
W hile most d o n a tio n s are in th e $1-$10 b r a c k e t, p r o v id in g th e
" lio n 's share" o f th e annual v ie w e r in com e, th e e x c e p t io n s a r e , o f
cou rse, q u it e h e a r te n in g t o th e w hole s t a f f ( in c lu d in g th e t r e a s u r e r ) .
In t h e ir own way t h e s e la r g e r g i f t s s e r v e to i l l u s t r a t e th e f i n a n c i a l l y
cosm opolitan n a tu r e o f th e t o t a l v ie w in g a u d ie n c e .

*-0ne d a y 's m a il i s n o t an ad eq u ate sam ple fo r draw ing d e t a i l e d

c o n c lu sio n s o f t h i s s o r t .
2A p r il, 1966, 2 .
3I b i d . , A ugu st, 1 9 6 7 , 2.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

1
|

558

Paul H arvey, prom in en t American B r o a d c a stin g Company j o u r n a l i s t

and commentator who w atch es " F a ith f o r Today" as he t r a v e ls around th e
cou n try, s e n t th e F a g a l's one g i f t o f $500; and he h as s e n t o th e r g i f t s
t o t a l l i n g "hundreds o f d o l l a r s ," a c c o r d in g t o V ir g in ia F a g a l .*
In 1965, a f ilm d e p ic t in g m e d ic a l m is s io n launch work in B r a z il
was b r o a d c a s t; and a prom inent B a p t is t layman in F lo r id a , who h e r e t o fo r e
f e l t th a t th e s p i r i t o f modem m is s io n s had ended w ith David L iv in g s to n e ,
was d e e p ly moved by i t .
to me,"

Commenting t h a t t h i s t e l e c a s t was "a r e v e la t io n

he w r o te:

My w ife and I saw your program f e a t u r in g th e work o f th e

S c o f ie ld s on th e Sao F r a n c is c o R iv er in B r a z il. We were
d e e p ly im p r e s se d , and have ask ed our church t o d e s ig n a te
$500 to a s s i s t t h i s w o r k .3
The $500 c h e ck , e n c lo s e d , was drawn upon th e accou n t o f th e
la rg e B a p tis t church in h i s c i t y . ^
An even la r g e r g i f t - - $ l , 0 0 0 - - c a m e from a n o th e r P r o te s ta n t v ie w e r
o f the same program , a sk in g th a t h i s g i f t be earmarked f o r m e d ic a l su p
p l i e s f o r th e p r o j e c t .^
A nother tim e , a g i f t f o r $ 5 ,0 0 0 was r e c e iv e d a t t e l e c a s t h ead
q u arters in th e wake o f a program film e d by Fagal h im s e lf in Korea,

L e t te r from V ir g in ia F a g a l, New York, J u ly 2 2 , 1966, 2 . C ite d

h e r e a f te r as V ir g in ia F agal L e t t e r , J u ly 2 2 , 1966. Mrs. Fagal add s, con
cern in g Mr. and Mrs. Harvey: "W ithout our knowing i t , he and h i s w ife
had been fr e q u e n t v ie w e r s o f 'F a ith f o r Today' when we were on in C hicago.
Then s e v e r a l y e a r s ago a t th e M ichigan camp m e e tin g , when P au l Harvey
spoke, B i l l was in tr o d u c e d to him . P robab ly I s h o u ld sa y th e p erson
tr ie d to in tr o d u c e them , f o r as soon as P aul Harvey saw B i l l he r e c o g
n iz e d him im m ed ia tely and was most c o r d ia l in h i s p r a is e fo r th e
in s p ir a t io n t h a t 'F a ith f o r Today' had b ro u g h t i n t o h i s home. . . . They
have in v i t e d B i l l to v i s i t them in t h e i r home."
^ D alrym ple, "TV Program Worth W atchin g," 3 1 .
^ C ited by F a g a l, " F ifte e n Y ears o f S u c c e s s f u l Soul W inning," 9 .
^ D alrym ple, "TV Program Worth W atchin g," 31.

^ I b id .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

559

which showed th e d e s p e r a te n eed f o r church b u ild in g s th e r e to s e r v e an

u n u su ally la r g e i n f l u x o f c o n v e r ts to C h r istia n ity .'* '
While F a g a l, o f c o u r s e , i s u n a b le to r e t a in t h e s e c o n t r ib u t io n s
fo r h is own o p e r a tin g e x p e n s e s , he i s n e v e r t h e le s s more than happy to
forward them onward to th e d e s ig n a te d r e c i p i e n t s ab road.

H is many

tr a v e ls o v e r s e a s , w hich have b ro u g h t him i n t o d ir e c t c o n ta c t w ith

m is s io n a r ie s engaged in a l l k in d s o f a c t i v i t i e s , w orking
o f adverse

under a l l k in d s

c o n d it io n s , have l e f t an i n d e l i b l e im p r e ssio n and adeep bond

o f sympathy, r e s p e c t , and a d m ir a tio n .

D e c is io n r e s p o n s e . --T h e v a r io u s o b j e c t iv e s o f th e " F a ith fo r

Today" t e l e c a s t have a lr e a d y b een d w elt upon a t le n g th in C hapter V.

In

review , we n o te th a t th e p rim ary, u n d e r g ir d in g o b j e c t iv e i s , as a lw a y s,

to b r in g n o n -C h r is tia n v ie w e r s to C h r is t and th ereb y ( in F a g a l s view )
to a knowledge o f th e te a c h in g s o f th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church.
U ltim a te ly , o f c o u r s e , he hop es t o win a c c e s s io n s , in c r e a s in g th e member
ship o f th a t body.
In

t h i s c o n t e x t , th e n , how has " F a ith fo r Today" fa red ?

As A lexan d er h a s p e r c e p t iv e ly o b se r v e d ,
The n a tu r e o f in n e r r e sp o n se to serm o n ic d is c o u r s e i s
complex and d i f f i c u l t t o m easure a p a rt from th e i n d i v i d u a l s
own te stim o n y c o n c e r n in g what has ta k en p la c e in h i s
life
and co n cern in g what d e c is i o n s he has made or in te n d s to make
as a r e s u l t o f h e a r in g a g iv e n s e r m o n . 2
N o n -C h ristia n s k e p t ic s are perhaps more l i k e l y t o r i d i c u l e th e
program o f C h r is tia n e v a n g e lis m a t t h is p o in t than any o th e r b e c a u se o f
the a l l - t o o - o f t e n ephem eral n a tu r e o f th e d e c is io n m a d e --" b a c k s lid in g ,"
to use th e ch u r c h 's own euphemism.
*-Fagal, " F ifte e n Y ears o f S u c c e s s f u l Soul W inning," 9 .
^A lexander, 2 9 5 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

560

A nother e v a n g e lic a l t e l e v i s i o n p r e a c h e r , B i l l y Graham, fou nder

and c h ie f sp ea k er f o r "The Hour o f D e c is io n ," r e p o r ts he i s r e p e a te d ly
a c c o ste d w ith a tta c k s on th e tem porary n a tu r e o f th e " d e c isio n " toward
which h is "hour" i s aim ed.

" I t d o e s n 't l a s t , " s n e e r th e c r i t i c s .

" N eith er does a b a th ," th e red o u b ta b le D octor Graham s h o t back.-*The im p lic a tio n o f th e an alogy i s , o f c o u r se , c le a r .
J u s t w hat, in th e way o f s p e c i f i c s , does W illiam A. F agal see k
in th e way o f " d e c is io n " fo r h i s t e l e c a s t ?

A word or two o f d e f i n i t i o n

a t t h is p o in t may h e lp c l a r i f y th e s e g o a ls , e s p e c i a l l y f o r th e none v a n g e lic a lly o r ie n te d r ea d er .

E v a n g e lic a l C h r is tia n s commonly u se th e term " co n v ersio n " to
d e scr ib e
a change o f b e h a v io r in an in d iv id u a l from l i f e th a t i s
p u re ly s e c u la r , moral or im m oral, to a s p i r i t u a l l i f e o f
p e r so n a l commitment to God, su b m ittin g th e w i l l , o r power to
ch o o se, f o r l i v i n g a d a ily l i f e a cco rd in g to th e p r in c ip le s
o f C h r is t ia n it y as o u t lin e d in th e H oly S c r ip t u r e s . D e sc r ip
t i v e terms su rrou n d in g th e e x p e r ie n c e o f co n v e rsio n are
" saved ," "bom a g a in ," and " accep tan ce o f th e Lord J e su s
C h r ist as p e r s o n a l S aviou r and r u le r in th e l i f e . " ^
Two s te p s fr e q u e n t ly a s s o c ia t e d w ith an in d iv id u a l's d e c is io n to
"accept C h rist" and "be con verted " are b a p tism , and the su b seq u en t j o i n
ing o f a church o r g a n iz a tio n .
Baptism i s sy m b o lic o f "washing away o f in d iv id u a l s in " in
th e name o f th e Godhead and a w itn e s s to th e w orld o f th e
in n er change and in t e n t to l i v e as a C h r is tia n . Membership
in a church i s th e su b seq u en t s te p t o s tr e n g th e n in g th e
i n i t i a l c o n v e r sio n e x p e r ie n c e .3
A ss o c ia te d d e c is io n s r e l a t i n g to th e " C h r istia n e x p e r ie n c e " are
f a it h f u ln e s s in th e r ea d in g and stu d y o f th e B ib le , p r a y e r , and th e

^This i n v e s t i g a t o r has been unable to v e r i f y t h i s i n c id e n t .

may be ap ocryp h al.
A le x a n d e r , 2 9 5 -9 6 .

3I b i d . , 296.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

It

fo llo w in g through w ith th e p r a c t i c a l im p lic a t io n s o f th e f a c t th a t a

C h r istia n d o e s , in d e e d , c o n s id e r h im s e lf h i s " b r o th e r 's k e e p e r ."
One o u t o f e v e r y te n g ra d u a tes o f a F a ith f o r Today B ib le c o r r e
spondence co u rse becomes a b a p tiz e d S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t .

T h is

r e p r e se n ts an o v e r a ll average f o r a p e r io d o f more th an one and o n e - h a lf

decades; and more than 1 4 ,0 0 0 b a p tism s o f a d u lts i n t o A dventism are
d ir e c t ly a t t r ib u t a b le to F a g a l's m in is t r y through th e te le c a s t.'* '
R eports o f d e c is io n r esp o n se to th e F agal p r e a c h in g come to h is
New York h ead q u arters in th e form o f l i s t e n e r l e t t e r s , and in r e p o r ts
from lo c a l SDA m in is t e r s who con d u ct th e r i t e o f b a p tism f o r th e co n v e rt
out in th e f i e l d .
Table 18, w hich appears on th e f o llo w in g p a g e , p r e s e n t s a sum
mary o f the annual number o f a d u lt b a p tism s a t t r i b u t a b l e to th e F agal
t e l e v i s i o n m in is tr y fo r th e y e a r s c o n s id e r e d by t h i s s tu d y .
T y p ic a l o f th e l e t t e r s r e c e iv e d a t t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te r s , t e l l
in g o f v i c t o r i e s g a in e d o v e r h a b it s su ch as to b a c c o and a lc o h o l (w hich
are g e n e r a lly frow ned upon by e v a n g e l ic a l C h r i s t i a n i t y ) , are th e s e :
When I began v ie w in g " F a ith f o r T oday," I was a d a ily
u se r o f c i g a r e t t e s .
I t r i e d e v e r y th in g t o h e lp me s to p
sm oking, b u t to no a v a i l .
In s tu d y in g th e B ib le c o u r s e , I
learn ed more o f C h r is t 's lo v e .
I came to th e p la c e where I
had th e s tr e n g th and b l e s s i n g t o ta k e a r e a l sta n d f o r Him.
Now I have o b ta in e d v ic t o r y o v e r to b a cco and r e j o i c e in th e
hope o f th e coming o f C h r is t.
H. A. N.
W ashington^
My husband was an a l c o h o l i c , b u t s in c e he rea d th e f i r s t
le s s o n . . . he i s n o t a d r in k in g man any more. . . . P le a s e

^William A. F a g a l, "One in T en," Lake Union H e ra ld , Jan . 31,

1967, 16.
2C ite d in T e le - n o t e s , F e b ., 1967, 2 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

TABLE 1 8

SUMMARY OF REPORTED ADULT BAPTISMS IN NORTH AMERICA

ATTRIBUTED TO THE "FAITH FOR TODAY" TELECAST
1 9 S 0 -1 9 6 8 a

Year

No. o f Baptism s^

1950 )
1951 ) ..................................................................
1952 )
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968

T o ta l

I n c .,

200c
140
170
427
468
472
617
619
727
741
1 ,8 0 8
1 ,5 0 2
2 ,0 0 1
1,4 0 0
831
803
1 ,3 5 3

1 4 ,2 7 9

M is c e lla n e o u s R e p o r ts, F a ith f o r Today,

1950 -1 9 6 8 .

^ In c lu d e s o n ly b a p tism s r e p o r te d from th e
f i e l d to t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te r s . T o ta l a c t u a l b a p
tism s a t t r ib u t a b le to " F a ith f o r Today" are
u n q u e stio n a b ly much g r e a t e r than th e above f ig u r e s
in d i c a t e . A ls o , S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts do n o t b a p
t i z e in f a n t s ; th e r i t e , by t o t a l im m ersion , i s
a d m in iste r e d o n ly t o a d u lts and y o u th who have
reach ed th e "age o f a c c o u n t a b ili t y ," u s u a lly 10-12
y e a rs o f a g e.
R e p r e s e n t s b a p tism s r e p o r te d f o r th e p e r io d
1 9 5 0 -1 9 5 2 , and in c lu d e s v ie w er s ta k in g le s s o n s from
s t a t e c o n fe r e n c e B ib le co rresp o n d en ce s c h o o ls b e fo r e
FFT's was o r g a n iz e d .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

563

pray f o r my husband.
I m so happy.
home to one o f p e a c e and h a p p in e s s .

I t has c o n v e r te d my

Mrs. L. W.
P e n n sy lv a n ia 1
The ta k in g o f o n e 's s ta n d f o r C h r is t a l i v i n g C h r is tia n w itn e s s
fe a tu r e s p r o m in en tly i n many l e t t e r s to W illiam F a g a l.

The f o llo w in g

serve to i l l u s t r a t e :
Through th e F a ith f o r Today B ib le co u r se and th e book I
r e c e n t ly r e c e iv e d , By F a ith I L iv e , I have b een le d to ta k e
a f u l l sta n d f o r C h r is t .
I lo o k forw ard to b a p tism in th e
n ear fu tu r e . You can n ot know how d e e p ly g r a t e f u l I am f o r
th e t e l e c a s t and th e b l e s s i n g i t has brou gh t me. Thank you
fo r h e lp in g me to b e t t e r u n d ersta n d th e Word o f God and to
lea rn th e im p ortan ce o f making a f u l l su r re n d er t o C h r is t.
Mrs. D. E. F.
W ashington, D. C .2
" F aith f o r Today" b rou gh t S c r ip tu r e tr u th t o me in a
w onderful way.
I had l i s t e n e d t o many r a d io b r o a d c a s ts and
view ed a number o f t e l e v i s i o n program s, b u t I had n o t
r e a l l y d is c o v e r e d a l l t h a t I was s e e k in g . Now I have tak en
my sta n d f o r C h r is t.
F. W.
M innesota
I e n r o lle d in th e F a ith f o r Today B ib le c o u r se a t th e
New York W orld's F a ir .
I found th e le s s o n s i n s p i r i n g . A
c o n v ic tio n came t h a t I must make a change in my l i f e and
l i v e fo r C h r is t.
I am g r a t e f u l t o F a ith fo r Today fo r
le a d in g me to ta k e t h i s s ta n d .
M iss I . C.
New York4
Reports o f b ap tism s in t o S e v e n th -d a y A dventism , such as th e f o l
low ing, are always e s p e c i a l l y welcom e in F a g a l's o f f i c e :
God has w o n d e r fu lly b le s s e d s in c e I became a b a p tiz e d
member o f th e ch u rch . How happy I am f o r t h i s !
My son
urged me to view " F a ith f o r Today" and I began t o do s o .
I
became con v in ced t h a t h e r e was th e knowledge th a t I had
been s e e k in g . E n r o llin g in th e F a ith f o r Today B ib le co u rse

1I b id . , May, 1964, 2 .

2I b i d . , A u g ., 1966, 2 .

3I b i d ., D e c ., 1966, 2 .

4I b i d . , J a n .,

1967, 2 .

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564

I found a r e a l b l e s s i n g .
V a lle j o , C a lif o r n ia .

I was b a p tiz e d in May, 1966, in

Mrs. P . S .
C a lif o r n ia !

Of p a r t ic u l a r i n t e r e s t to th e s tu d e n t o f d e c is i o n r esp o n se to
the " F aith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t i s th e phenomenon w hich appears concom i
tan t w ith many d e c is io n s to j o i n th e SDA Church t h a t o f e n te r in g in t o
f u ll- t im e e v a n g e lic a l s o u l-w in n in g work to sp rea d th e "m essage" in a
more a c t iv e c a p a c ity than i s open to th e o r d in a r y w it n e s s in g layman.
One ex-"Mod" te e n a g e r o f th e " sw in g in g ," lo n g -h a r e d s e t r e c e n t ly
wrote o f h is d e c is i o n to e n te r th e g o s p e l m in is t r y :
The B ib le c o u r se i s th e b e s t th in g I have d is c o v e r e d .
I t i s w o n d er fu l.
I t has h e lp e d me a l o t in my everyd ay
th in k in g .
I u sed t o be l i k e o th e r te e n a g e r s :
lo n g h a ir ,
f u l l o f s p i t e f u l n e s s , e t c . Now I am g o in g t o be a m in is t e r
when I grow up. My f a t h e r and mother are d iv o r c e d , b u t I
w i l l n o t w orry. I have th e Lord.
R. L.
Nebraska^
One husband and w if e , c o n v e r te d , d e c id e d t o become c o lp o r te u r s :
My husband and I b o th had w o r ld ly i n t e r e s t s .
In d eed , we
met a t a d an ce. R eal d i f f i c u l t i e s came to our home. Then I
e n r o lle d in th e F a ith f o r Today B ib le c o u r se . Today b o th o f
us r e j o i c e in C h r is t, and we are s h a r in g our f a i t h w ith
o th er s through l i t e r a t u r e e v a n g e lism .
Mrs. C. P .
C a lifo r n ia
W illiam F agal r e c e n t ly w rote o f "Seven Who Were C alled" ^ in t o
the S eventh -day A d v e n tis t g o s p e l m in is tr y th rou gh th e in te r m e d ia tio n o f
Faith f o r Today c o n ta c t.

T h eir backgrounds and w alks in l i f e were

e x c e e d in g ly d iv e r s e :
1

I b i d ., F e b ., 1967, 2 .

2 I b i d . , F e b ., 1968, 2.

3I b i d . , D e c ., 1966, 2 .
^Review and H era ld , Jan . 2 6 , 1967, 2 - 4 .

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565

W illiam R. Jack son was a P r o te s ta n t d i v i n i t y s tu d e n t.

James

Londis'1' and Ronald H alvorsen b o th roamed th e s t r e e t s o f B rook lyn, N. Y .,

as members o f te e n a g e gangs lo v in g n o th in g more than a 'rumble" w ith a
r iv a l gang.

Norman F r o s t, a c o n s tr u c tio n b u sin essm a n , was n o t o n ly

u n in te r e s te d in r e l i g i o n , he was a n t a g o n is t ic to i t s o rg a n ized form .

John W illiam son

owned h is own a ir c o n d it io n in g b u s in e s s .

W illiam E.

S ch lu n t was a h ig h s c h o o l s tu d e n t, and James Flynn was a seaman in th e

Merchant M arine.
Y et a l l f e l t th e " c a ll" o f God, and a l l respon ded.

And i t a l l

s t a r t e d w ith " F aith f o r Today" and a d e d ic a te d p rea ch er named W illia m A.

F agal.
Of i n t e r e s t , f i n a l l y , i s a l i t t l e s t a t i s t i c b u r ie d in an a r t i c l e
appearing in T e le - n o t e s in th e March, 1965, e d it i o n , t e l l i n g o f an
unusual b i t o f e v id e n c e o f d e c is io n - r e s p o n s e r ig h t in th e F a ith fo r
Today o f f i c e i t s e l f :

f i v e o f th e 80 p e r so n n e l em ployed a t h ea d q u a rters

are co n v erts to S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tist from th e t e l e c a s t .

^After becom ing a S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t, Londis (now a Ph.D . can

d id a te a t B oston U n iv e r s it y ) began te a c h in g a t G reater New York Academy
where, among h is s t u d e n t s , he found W illia m F a g a l's so n , B i l l , in s p ir in g
him to d e c id e , "I want to be a m in is t e r l i k e P a sto r L o n d is." Londis
la t e r jo in e d th e f a c u lt y o f A t la n t ic Union C o lle g e (F a g a l's alma m a te r ),
where he a gain had th e younger F agal as a s tu d e n t. "Thus," adds th e
t e l e v i s i o n p a s t o r , "the b read w hich we c a s t upon th e w a ters y e a rs ago
has r e tu r n e d ."
(C ite d in i b i d . , 3 .)
John W illiam son and h is w ife were str u c k by a p a r t ic u l a r poem
read on th e f i r s t " F a ith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t th ey w atched. They w rote
to h e a d q u a r te rs, a sk in g f o r a copy o f i t .
By e r r o r , th ey were s e n t the
f i r s t le s s o n s o f th e B ib le corresp o n d en ce b a s ic c o u r se . P o l i t e l y , i f
b e w ild e r ed , th ey w rote a g a in , r e q u e s tin g th e poem th e second tim e . And,
a g a in , th e same m ista k e o c c u r r e d --b r in g in g an oth er s e t o f FFT le s s o n s !
"In c o n sid e r in g t h i s s t r a n g e , alm ost c o n s p ir a t o r ia l c ir c u m sta n c e , th ey
began to con clu d e th a t perhaps God was b eh in d th e p e r s is t e n t a r r iv a l o f
the u n req u ested B ib le le s s o n s ," Fagal l a t e r w r o te. "And to t h i s day I
cannot e x p la in t h i s double b lu n d er in any o th er way." ( I b i d .)
3P. 5 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

T e s tim o n ia l r e s p o n s e . The t e s t im o n ia l q u a l i t y o f much o f th e

m ail r e c e iv e d by W illia m A. F agal h as been r e f l e c t e d c o i n c id e n t a lly in a
number o f l e t t e r s a lr e a d y c i t e d in th e im m ed ia te ly p r e c e d in g p a g e s .
W riters are n e a r ly unanimous in e x p r e s s in g p e r so n a l a p p r e c ia tio n
n o t on ly f o r F a g a l's d e d ic a te d l i f e

and m in is t r y b u t a ls o f o r th e "mes

sage" w hich he has b een p r e a c h in g from th e p u b lic p la tfo r m and th e

b road cast s tu d io fo r n e a r ly th r e e d e c a d e s.^
A nother i n t e r e s t i n g f a c e t o f th e co rr e sp o n d e n c e , p a r t i a l l y n o te d
a lr e a d y , i s i t s u n q u e stio n e d e cu m e n ic a l f l a v o r .

V ir g in ia F agal has

remarked above upon a grow ing volume o f m a il from Roman C a th o lic p r i e s t s

and nuns con seq u en t t o th e "thaw" in C a th o lic r e l a t i o n s w ith P r o t e s t a n t s
fo llo w in g V atican C o u n cils I and I I .
The fo llo w in g l e t t e r , from a M idwest c o n v e r t, i s f a i r l y t y p i c a l :
S in ce " F aith f o r Today" f o llo w s our own S a cred Heart
program on TV each week, th e o th e r s i s t e r s and I f a i t h f u l l y
watch them b o th .
T his n o te i s lo n g overdue i n e x p r e s s in g
our g r e a t p e r s o n a l a p p r e c ia tio n f o r th e i n s p i r a t i o n your
p r e s e n ta tio n s b r in g us and f o r th e tr u e C h r is tia n lo v e so
e v id e n t in your approach.
I s n ' t i t w on d erfu l th a t r e c e n t changes now make i t p o s
s i b l e fo r us to e n jo y s p i r i t u a l th in g s to g e t h e r and we can
f e e l fr e e to t r u l y a p p r e c ia te each o t h e r ' s e f f o r t s ? ^
And a Roman C a th o lic p r i e s t r e c e n t ly w rote f o llo w in g a program
fe a tu r in g an in t e r v ie w w ith th e M erlin K retschm ars, m is s io n a r ie s to
B ra z il:

T h is i n t e r e s t i n g f a c e t o f th e t e s t im o n ia l co rresp o n d en ce h ig h
lig h t s a th o u g h tfu l o b s e r v a tio n once made by n o w -d ecea sed v e te r a n e d it o r
Francis D. N ich o l in t h i s w r i t e r ' s h e a r in g , t h a t A d v e n tis ts " d o n 't have
many 'g r e a t ' p r e a c h e r s ; b u t we do have a g r e a t m e ssa g e ." A d v en tism 's
th eo lo g y c e n te r s around th e s o - c a l l e d "Three A n g e ls' M essages" o f
R ev ela tio n 14.
^ C ited by W illia m F a g a l, "An Im portant M essage to You From F a ith
fo r Today," supplem ent t o T e l e - n o t e s , J a n ., 1968, 1.

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567

I was v e r y p le a s e d , in f a c t d e li g h t e d , w ith th e
program . . . p r e s e n te d t h i s m orning. I am d is a p p o in te d
th a t I d id n o t g e t th e f i r s t p a r t o f th e program . Would
th e r e be any way t h a t I c o u ld o b ta in a copy o f th e in fo rm a
t io n p r e s e n te d . . . or perhaps i t w ould be p o s s i b l e to
o b ta in th e ad d ress o f th e m is s io n a r y m in is t e r . . . ? I
would l i k e in d ee d t o w r ite them .
D ia b o lic a l p o s s e s s io n su ch as was d e s c r ib e d so w e ll on
th e program i s n o t so w e ll known now adays, and w henever i t
i s m entioned p e o p le te n d to be v e r y u n b e lie v in g . No wonder
th e d e v il can do s o much harm in th e w orld when th e r e are
so many who do n o t even b e l i e v e t h a t he e x i s t s .
C o n g r a tu la tio n s on a f a s c i n a t i n g program.
F a th er C. C.
New Y orkl
W hile l e t t e r s su ch as th e fo r e g o in g from Roman C a th o lic c le r g y
are o f a c o m p a r a tiv e ly r e c e n t v in t a g e , l e t t e r s from P r o t e s t a n t s o f a l l
p e r su a sio n s, su ch as th o se w hich f o llo w , have been flo w in g i n t o th e
F aith fo r Today h e a d q u a r te rs f o r y e a r s in an e v e r - s w e ll in g stream :
I am a L utheran and am a p r a c t i c a l n u r s e . The p a t ie n t
I have now r e q u ir e s c o n s ta n t a t t e n t i o n . T h erefo re I have
no o p p o r tu n ity t o a tte n d s e r v i c e s , s o you can s e e what
"F aith f o r Today" means to me.
Mrs. M. W.
W ashington
I am a Sunday S c h o o l te a c h e r i n th e P r e s b y te r ia n Church
and was i l l tod ay s o had t o rem ain a t home. V iew ing r e l i
g io u s program s, I heard P a s to r F agal t e l l o f h i s v i s i t to
Babylon and th e f u l f i l l m e n t o f proph ecy b e fo r e your e y e s .
I agree w ith what he s t a t e d about th e B ib le and i t s proph
e c i e s b e in g f u l f i l l e d .
I am s u r e , t o o , th a t God i s th e
Author o f th e B ib le . We n eed more p e o p le l ik e P a s to r F agal
to b r o a d c a st t o th e w orld th e t r u t h about God and C h r is t .
Mrs. A. P.i B.
T en n essee

^C ited in Gordon F. D alrym ple, " C a th o lic P r i e s t Responds to

'F a ith fo r Today' T e l e c a s t ," Lake Union H e ra ld , A p r il 12, 1966, 5 .
?

C ite d in T e l e - n o t e s , J u n e, 1965, 2 .

5I b i d . , May, 1966, 2.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

T
\

568

I am a dep u ty s h e r i f f and a member o f th e Church o f

C h r is t. When I rea d th e B ib le and r e a l i z e d what e v e n ts th e
fu tu r e h o ld s , I was f r ig h t e n e d .
But t h e s e le s s o n s removed
th e f e a r and p u t u n d e r s ta n d in g in i t s p l a c e .
I can tr u t h
f u l l y sa y t h a t th e B ib le Course le s s o n s have made a b ig
change in my l i f e .
R. F.
Pennsylvania^I was t r a v e l l i n g on a bu.*> and handed a F a ith f o r Today
t e l e v i s i o n lo g to a la d y . She s a i d , "I d o n 't n eed i t , as
we go to our church a t 8 a.m. and th en ru sh back home t o
tu rn on th e t e l e v i s i o n s e t e v e r y Sunday t o w atch th e program.
Mrs. M. P.
Colorado^
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

A la d y in th e n e x t bed t o me i n th e h o s p i t a l once asked

me i f I e v e r l i s t e n e d to " F a ith f o r T oday."
I s a id I d id n 't
u s u a lly p u t TV on u n t i l n ig h t .
But I p u t i t
on and have
see n your program e v e r s i n c e .
I h ave o f t e n f e l t I would
l i k e to w r ite and l e t you know how much I lo o k forw ard to
" F aith f o r Today". . . . Y e ste r d a y I e s p e c i a l l y en jo y ed
l i s t e n i n g t o you r s e r v i c e about g o s s i p , when you t o l d about
th e bowl o f r o s e s and th e garbage p a i l .
I t i s a l l so t r u e ,
and you e x p la in e d i t s o w o n d e r fu lly .

I
I
I

Mrs. J . A.
Canada3
In c o n c lu d in g t h i s s e c t i o n on t e s t i m o n ia l r e s p o n se ,^ b r i e f

a tt e n tio n w i l l be g iv e n to l e t t e r s r e c e iv e d from prom inent e l e c t e d pub-

l i e o f f i c i a l s in c o n n e c tio n w ith th e 15th A n n iv ersa ry c e le b r a t io n a t

Faith fo r Today h e a d q u a r te r s in 1955.

Warm words o f a p p r e c ia tio n w ere w r it t e n to P a s to r Fagal by b o th

Congressman John W. McCormack o f M a s s a c h u s e tts , Sp eak er o f th e House o f

1I b id . , F e b .,

1968, 2 .

2I b i d . , D e c ., 1967, 2 .
3I b i d .
4

The l e t t e r s c i t e d above are t y p i c a l and r e p r e s e n t a t iv e o f

thousands on f i l e a t th e FFT h e a d q u a r te rs in New York. These f i l e s were
com p letely opened t o t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r , who c h o se t o c i t e p u b lis h e d
le t t e r s r a th e r th an u n p u b lish e d ones sim p ly t o f a c i l i t a t e th e l i s t i n g o f
source c i t a t i o n s .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

569

R e p r e s e n ta tiv e s ( s e e F ig . 3 6 ) , and J . Edgar H oover, famed D ir e c to r o f

th e F e d era l Bureau o f I n v e s t i g a t io n ( s e e F ig . 3 7 ).^
A t o t a l o f 18 U n ited S t a t e s S e n a to r s and 21 S t a te Governors
w rote to e x p r e ss t h e i r f e e l i n g s about th e c o n tr ib u tio n t h a t "Faith f o r
Today" and i t s o r i g i n a t o r , W illia m A. F a g a l, had made on th e n a t io n a l
scen e

On a su b seq u en t v i s i t to W ashington, P a s to r Fagal p e r s o n a lly

met b oth o f th e s e d is t in g u is h e d c i t i z e n s , a t w hich tim e th e s e p h o to
graphs w ere ta k en .
2

T e s tim o n ia l l e t t e r s o f t h i s s o r t are a lm o st in v a r ia b ly th e
r e s u lt o f p u b lic r e l a t i o n s a c t i v i t i e s on b e h a lf o f th e program and
sp ea k er, and th e s e a re no e x c e p t io n .
D uring November, 1964, Gordon F.
D alrym ple, p u b lic a t io n s e d i t o r a t F a ith f o r Today, w rote to co n g res
s io n a l and g u b e r n a to r ia l o f f i c i a l s s o l i c i t i n g words a p p ro p ria te to th e
o c c a sio n o f th e upcoming 15th A n n iv er sa ry .
I t i s an a c c e p te d p a r t o f th e p o l i t i c a l f a c t s o f l i f e th a t
p o l i t i c i a n s respond t o r e q u e s ts o f t h i s s o r t and th e o ld "pros" among
them do i t i n s t i n c t i v e l y , a lm o st as a c o n d itio n e d r e f l e x . For th e f i r s t
law o f p o l i t i c a l l i f e i s s u r v iv a l; and t o s u r v iv e one must (a) p le a s e as
many as p o s s i b l e , and (b) g e t o n e 's name and f a c e , i f p o s s i b l e in
p r in t as o ft e n as p o s s i b l e , and under as fa v o r a b le circu m sta n ces as
p o s s ib le . When th e ca u se to be p r a is e d i s p a t e n t ly as unim peachable as
a r e li g io u s t e l e v i s i o n program o f dem on strated m e r it , and th e prom ise o f
p u b lic a t io n o f sta te m e n t and p o r t r a i t i s made, b o th g o a ls may be met
w ith th e in s t a n t s tr o k e o f a pen and a few s to c k p l a t i t u d e s , however
ponderous and pompous. In d e e d , one th u s l i n e s h im s e lf up as b e in g w ith
the group in fa v o r o f m otherhood and God and a g a in s t s i n , and th a t n e v e r
l o s t anyone a v o t e !
Thus, t e s t im o n ia ls o f t h i s s o r t may have lim it e d v a lu e to th e
stu d en t o f au d ien ce r e sp o n se :
th e w r i t e r ' s m o tiv es may b e s u s p e c t, and
to th a t d egree h i s words are o f d im in ish e d v a lu e .
Add to t h i s problem t h a t o f th e phenomenon o f what th e communic a t i o n i s t s c a l l " sou rce c r e d i b i l i t y . "
One wonders what th e e f f e c t o f
the t e s t im o n ia ls o f such men as C o n n e c tic u t's S e n a to r Thomas J . Dodd
(p u b lic ly exp osed by form er o f f i c e em ployees and C olum nist Drew P earson
fo r m isfe a sa n c e and m a lfe a sa n c e in o f f i c e and su b s e q u e n tly censured by
the S en a te) and M is s o u r i's S e n a to r Edward V. Long (ex p o sed by L ife i n a
th r e e -p a r t s e r i a l f o r h ig h ly q u e s tio n a b le a s s o c ia t io n w ith known hood
lums and members o f th e n o to r io u s M afia crim e s y n d ic a te ) would be upon
th e read er had t h i s t h e s i s been p u b lis h e d a y e a r o r two e a r l i e r .
On th e o th e r hand, even a c r im in a l has h i s moments o f tr u t h , and
h o n est d e s ir e s fo r th e way o f r ig h te o u s n e s s som etim es s p r in g up w ith in

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

570

Ronald N. Mace Photo

Fig. 36. C o n g ressm an Jo h n W. M cCorm ack of M assach u setts, S p e a k e r of th e H ouse
tives, w elcom es W illiam A. F agal to W ash in g to n , D.C., for a tw o-w eek p rea ch in g
Sligo Church, S e p te m b e r, 1965. P residing o v e r a H ouse sessio n w hen Fagal a rriv e d
McCormack h a n d e d his g a v e l to an a s so c ia te a n d im m ed ia te ly left th e ch am b er in
the te lev isio n p asto r in the S p e a k e r's office.

of R e p re se n ta
m ission a t th e
a t th e C apitol,
o rd e r to g r e e t

A d istinguished public se rv a n t a n d p ro m in e n t Rom an C ath o lic lay m an for m an y y ears, M cCormack

e x p re ssed th e conviction th a t te lev isio n w ould b e stre n g th e n e d by having m o re p ro g ra m s of th e
calibre of "F aith for T oday" on th e air. Upon th e occasion of th e te le c a st's 15th a n n iv e rs a ry four
m onths e a rlie r, M cCorm ack c o n g ra tu la te d th e F agals for th e ir "d e d ic a te d la b o rs" on b eh a lf of th e
program which h e held to b e "in keeping w ith th e b e s t trad itio n of th e rad io a n d telev isio n indus
trie s." He p articu la rly p raise d "F aith for T o d ay " for its " b ro a d religious a p p e a l, d e sig n e d for p eo p le
of all fa ith s" a n d for its contribution in " s tre n g th e n in g fam ily life a n d co m b attin g ju v e n ile d elin
quency a n d in h elp in g to build th e m oral c h a ra c te r of our y o u n g p e o p le ."

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571

D e p a rtm e n t of Ju stice P h o to

Fig. 3 7 .J. E dgar H oover, director, F ed era l B ureau of In v estig atio n , g re e ts W illiam A. F agal a t his
D ep artm en t of Ju stice office, W ashingto n , D.C., M arch 4, 19 6 6 . D uring th e in te rv iew , A m eric a's
No. I police official told th e n a tio n 's first n atio n al te le v isio n p a s to r th a t " 'F a ith for T o d ay ' m akes
an excellent contribution in building up g o o d fam ily life a n d in co m b attin g ju v e n ile d e lin q u e n c y ."
In a public s ta te m e n t issued 10 m onths e a r lie r in co n n ectio n w ith th e te le c a s t's 15th a n n iv e rsa ry ,
H oover said: "T he fam ily has b e e n , from tim e im m em o rial, th e fu n d a m e n ta l co h e siv e fo rce of
society; a n d in its d ed icatio n to th e principles of lib erty , justice, a n d e q u a lity lies th e s tre n g th of
our N ation. The p a s t d e c a d e h as w itn e sse d a n a la rm in g in c re a se in th e in cid en ce o f crim e, a n d
the w ell-being of A m erica is c o n tin g en t u p o n a re v e rsa l of this u n fav o rab le tre n d . This can o n ly b e
accom plished by a w a k en in g in o u r citizenry a se n se of d ev o tio n to th e p rinciples on w hich this
Republic w as e s ta b lish e d . C e rtain ly "F aith for T o d ay ," in dep ictin g w h o leso m e a s p e c ts of fam ily
life, p erform s a co m m en d a b le public s e rv ic e ."

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572

The f o llo w in g i s t y p i c a l o f th e l e t t e r s s e n t by S e n a to rs and

Governors to t e l e c a s t h ea d q u a rters on t h i s s p e c i a l o c c a s io n :
The s p i r i t u a l n eed s o f our N a tio n r e q u ir e a v a r i e t y o f
media and f o r c e s to s u s t a in th e American p e o p le and to
a ssu re a h ig h l e v e l o f m o r a lity and r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . The
r e li g io u s t e l e v i s i o n program " F a ith f o r Today" has proven
i n f l u e n t i a l in s tr e n g th e n in g C h r is tia n i d e a l s , in c u l c a t in g
regard fo r human d i g n i t y , advancing s o c i a l j u s t i c e , and
im proving th e environm ent in w hich our c i t i z e n s l i v e .
By
v ir tu e o f i t s n o n s e c ta r ia n c h a r a c te r , t h i s e s t a b li s h e d f e a
tu re has a w ide ap p ea l and i s a d em o n stra ted c o n s t r u c t iv e
fo r c e fo r p u b lic good.
Thomas H. Kuchel
S e n a to r from C a lifo rn ia * H is to r y r e c o r d s th e ominous f a c t th a t n a t io n a l d eg en era
t io n ta k e s p la c e where f a i t h f a i l s .
F a ith i s th e r o o t o f
a l l good w orks, and w ith o u t i t , a l l e l s e a v a ils us l i t t l e .
The la ck can n ot be com pensated f o r by p o l i t i c i a n s , how ever
a b le ; or by d ip lo m a ts , how ever a s t u t e ; o r by s c i e n t i s t s ,
however in v e n t iv e ; o r by bombs, how ever p o w e r fu l.
T h e r e fo r e , I f e e l th a t th o se co n n e c te d w ith th e " F a ith
fo r Today" program a r e to be commended in th e h ig h e s t term s
as doing an o u ts ta n d in g job in r e v iv in g f a i t h and in p r o
v id in g a s p i r i t u a l u p l i f t th a t i s s o r e l y n eed ed .
I w ish
fo r a l l o f you c o n tin u e d s u c c e s s in you r w orthy e n d e a v o r s. . . .
Orval E. Faubus
Governor o f Arkansas^
7

The rem ain in g l e t t e r s from governm ent o f f i c i a l s ,

t o g e th e r w ith

oth er t y p ic a l exam ples o f t e s t im o n ia l l e t t e r s ch o sen a t random from th e

h is b r e a s t . S o , p erh a p s, even though th e p o l i t i c i a n s ' m o tiv es are s u s

p e c t, t h e ir words about " F a ith f o r Today" ought to be tak en a t fa c e
value and exam ined and w eigh ed on th a t b a s i s .
"''Letter from Thomas H. K uchel, U n ited S t a t e s S e n a to r , W ashington,
D. C ., Nov. 16, 1964, to Gordon F. D alrym ple.
2

L e tte r from O rval E. Faubus, O f f ic e o f th e G overnor, S t a t e o f

Arkansas, L i t t l e Rock, D ec. 4 , 1964, to Gordon F. D alrym ple.
% ot a l l th e p o l i t i c i a n s d id th e o b v io u s th in g ; th e r e was one
lone and s in g u la r e x c e p tio n :
Governor James A. Rhodes o f O hio, who
d e c lin e d D alrym p le's r e q u e s t fo r th e sta n d a rd t e s t im o n ia l s ta te m e n t. At
the r is k o f th e lo s s o f w h atever v o t e - g e t t i n g power h is words and fa c e
might have had in th e Buckeye S t a t e from prom inent d is p la y in th e
n a t io n a lly - c ir c u la t e d T e l e - n o t e s , and w ith a p p a r e n tly l i t t l e to g a in by

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573

rank and f i l e o f o r d in a r y c i t i z e n s in ev ery d a y l i f e w hich comment on th e

l i f e and work o f W illia m A. F a g a l, are rep rod u ced f o r f u r t h e r stu d y in
Appendix J .

"Crank11 r e s p o n s e . The f i n a l c a te g o r y o f m a il r e c e iv e d by
W illiam A. F agal i s

one w ith w hich anyone lo n g i n p u b lic l i f e w i l l , by

v ir tu e o f h i s p o s i t i o n , le a r n t o a c c e p t , h o p e f u lly w ith eq u a n im ity .

F o r tu n a te ly , m ost o f t h i s u n fa v o r a b le , "crank' m a il concerns
i t s e l f w ith d o c t r in a l d if f e r e n c e s o f o p in io n r a th e r th an d e g e n e r a tin g to
a tta ck s on P a s to r F agal a t th e p e r s o n a l l e v e l .
C oncerning h i s "crank" m a il, Fagal w ro te t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r :
I t i s am azing how few o f t h e s e l e t t e r s we r e c e i v e , and
in w atch in g f o r them f o r y o u , I have b een im p re sse d o v er the
f a c t th a t q u it e a p e r c e n ta g e o f them a r e anonymous. When a
p erson d i f f e r s w ith u s on d o c tr in e . . . I s o much w ish th a t
we co u ld know who had w r i t t e n , s o as t o se n d more l i t e r a t u r e . ^

r e f u s a l o f th e r e q u e s t o f a s o r t p u b lic o f f i c i a l s r e c e iv e by the s c o r e
d a ily , Gov. Rhodes w ro te:
"Your d e s c r ip t io n o f th e program i s p e r su a
s iv e o f i t s h ig h m e r it, b u t i t i s my u n iform r u le n o t t o comment on
m atters n o t w it h in my p e r s o n a l k n o w led g e."
( L e t t e r from James A. Rhodes,
O ffic e o f th e G overnor, S t a t e o f O hio, Columbus, Nov. 1 8 , 1964, to
Gordon F. D a lr y m p le .)
Rhodes, " b l u f f handsome governor" o f th e 6 th l a r g e s t s t a t e ,
"unquestioned le a d e r" o f th e GOP in O hio, and "one o f th e most s p e c ta c u
la r ly s u c c e s s f u l p o l i t i c i a n s in th e c o u n tr y ," was a c c u se d by L ife
magazine o f f i s c a l and p o l i t i c a l c o r r u p tio n . R hodes, th e y s a id , dipped
in to campaign funds from 1954 through 1957 f o r p e r s o n a l u se to th e
amount o f $ 8 8 ,9 8 2 ($ 1 8 ,9 8 2 o f w hich he d id r e p o r t on a p e r s o n a l income
tax retu rn as " g i f t s and g r a t u i t i e s " ) , among o th e r t h i n g s . The governor
su b seq u en tly r e f u s e d e i t h e r to m eet w ith L ife b e f o r e p u b lic a t io n o f th e
exp ose, or to answ er q u e s tio n s o r even comment on f a c t s dredged up by
th e ir r e p o r t e r s .
(C f. "The Governor . . . and th e M o b ster," and "L eni
ency fo r a Hoodlum" by Denny W alsh, L i f e , May 2 , 1969, 2 8 -3 2 a .)
In view
o f t h is l a t e s t d ev elo p m en t, w hich s e r i o u s l y t a r n is h e s th e g o v e r n o r 's
r e p u ta tio n i f n o t h i s i n t e g r i t y , h i s r e f u s a l to w r it e a t e s t im o n ia l
l e t t e r on b e h a lf o f " F aith f o r Today" i s a l l th e more c u r io u s .
^ L etter from W illia m A. F a g a l, New York, Aug. 7 , 1967.

WA.1..

__

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574

The f o llo w in g are t y p i c a l o f t h i s v e ry sm a ll amount o f m a il s e n t

to F a ith f o r Today.

Some o f i t appears to have been produced by

ap p aren tly warped m inds; and (as m ost l e t t e r s do) th e l e t t e r s t e l l u s as

much about th e w r it e r as th e y do about th e a d d r e sse e :
You wondered where i t was g o tt e n th a t th e
o f dead was aware a f t e r d e a th . Why d o n 't you
B ib le God's Word?? You made some v e ry wrong
which you b e t t e r c o r r e c t on TV!! . . . Search

sou l or s p ir it
read th e
sta te m e n ts
th e S c r ip t u r e s .*

One l e t t e r w hich was n o t anonymous came from a B a p t is t m in is t e r

in M ichigan, who w rote th e f o llo w in g on h is p r in t e d church le t t e r h e a d :
As k in d ly as I can I w r ite t h i s l e t t e r t o p r o t e s t and
to warn you t h a t you r a c tio n s p rove you are l o s t and under
the c o n tr o l o f S atan now and w i l l someday come under th e
judgment o f God. You know and yo u r [s i c ] f r e e l y adm it to
b e in g d e c e iv e r s . No e x c u se I have e v er heard from your
p r o p ig a to r s [s i c ] w i l l e x cu se t h a t f a c t . God h a te [s i c ]
t h is and Paul s a i d he w ould n o t b e known as one who h a n d led
the Word o f God d e c e i t f u l l y .
In my te n y e a r s o f m in is t r y I have had many p o o r f o lk
who have bought y o u r m a t e r ia ls - g iv e n t o your C hristm as [s i c ]
o f f e r in g s - t a k e n you r corresp o n d en ce cou rses-R ea d yo u r books
and n e v e r found o u t t i l [s i c ] much l a t e r th a t th e m a te r ia l
was o f your cu lt-S h am e on you and a cu rse a ls o fo r your
d e c e it . You have s t o l e n t h e i r money and t h e i r tim e . They
sh ou ld have b een approached h o n e s t ly . Label your m a te r ia l
c le a r ly . . . . Shame on you -ch an ge your ways so I can a t
le a s t have r e s p e c t th a t you are o n ly m is le d .^
The r e p ly o f W illia m A. F agal to t h i s " c o lle a g u e " in th e g o sp e l
m in istry i s rep rod uced in f u l l b elo w .

The su b sta n ce o f th e r e p ly , in

m eeting th e s e c h a r g e s , co u ld be p r e s e n te d in f a r s m a lle r com pass; but

what the r e p ly t e l l s us about W illiam F agal h im s e lf i s , in t h i s w r i t e r ' s
o p in io n , o f alm ost e q u a l im p ortance as th e su b sta n ce o f what he has to
sa y , and thus w arran ts th e sp a ce a ll o c a t e d to i t :
^Anonymous l e t t e r to F a ith f o r Today, postm arked a t Sanborn,
Iowa, J u ly 18, 1967.
2

L e tte r from Gene S i c k l e r , p a s t o r , Green C om ers B a p t is t Church,

B elding, M ich ., u n d a ted , a d d ressed to W illiam A. Fagal and r e c e iv e d a t
Faith f o r Today, I n c . , New York, Dec. 1 9 , 1966.

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575
Dear Pastor:
Your l e t t e r a r r iv e d many weeks ago. Perhaps i t would
be b e t t e r i f I d id n o t t r y t o answer i t a t a l l , b u t somehow
I f e l t t h a t you are s i n c e r e , and th e r e fo r e I wanted to w r it e
you.
I h a r d ly know how to ta k e your l e t t e r , b e c a u se you s e e
I , to o , am a b o r n -a g a in C h r is t ia n , t r u s t in g c o m p le te ly i n
th e m e r its o f C h r is t 's sh ed b lo o d f o r my s a lv a t io n .
I am
very s in c e r e in my d e s ir e to b e as e a r n e s t a f o llo w e r o f my
Lord and as f a i t h f u l a shepherd o f th e flo c k as I can p o s
s i b l y b e . To r e c e iv e a l e t t e r from a b r o th e r in th e
m in is t r y , t e l l i n g me t h a t I am l o s t , under th e c o n tr o l o f
S a ta n , and some day to come under th e judgment o f God i s a
b it s ta r tlin g .
To be a ccu sed o f b e in g a d e c e iv e r i s a ls o a b i t d i f f i
c u lt to a c c e p t . I am a S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tist C h r is tia n
m in is t e r . My church a f f i l i a t i o n i s announced e v e r y s i n g l e
Sunday on my program, and t h i s has b een tru e fo r th e 17
y ea rs I have been on th e a i r . At th e c o n c lu s io n o f e v er y
t e l e v i s i o n program th e words ap p ear, "This program was a
p r e s e n t a tio n o f th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church in your
a r ea ." I s th e r e any way one can i d e n t i f y h im s e lf more
c le a r ly ?
Your u se o f th e word " c u lt" i s u n fo r tu n a te and r e v e a ls a
deep p r e ju d ic e r a th e r than c l e a r in fo r m a tio n . A member o f
your B a p tis t d en om in ation , W alter M a r tin ,! has p u b lis h e d a
number o f books about th e v a r io u s c u l t s and has e n te r e d in t o
much ex am in ation o f them and t h e i r te a c h in g . He has made
th e sta te m e n t in h i s b o o k s ,2 and has made i t on th e a ir in
the New York area on o c c a s io n , th a t S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts
are n o t a c u l t and t h a t th ey a re in d ee d " brethren in C h r is t."
We b e lie v e in J e su s C h r is t and th e m e r its o f h is a to n in g
s a c r i f i c e e x a c t ly as do th e B a p t i s t s . We d i f f e r on what
Mr. M artin r e f e r s to as " o th er m a tte r s .

% a lt e r R. M artin was o rd a in ed a B a p tis t m in is t e r in 19 5 1 , and

i s a member o f th e C o n se r v a tiv e B a p t is t A s s o c ia tio n o f Am erica and th e
E v a n g e lic a l T h e o lo g ic a l S o c ie t y ( " A b o u t th e A uthor," d u st j a c k e t fo r
W alter R. M artin , The Truth About S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tists [Grand R apids:
Zondervan P u b lis h in g H ouse, I 9 6 0 ] ) .
In th e "Foreward" to Dr. M a rtin s work, Donald Grey B am house
begins by s a y in g : "As a r e s u l t o f our s t u d ie s o f S ev en th -d a y A dventism ,
Walter M artin and I rea ch ed th e c o n c lu s io n th a t S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts
are tr u ly a C h r is tia n grou p , r a th e r than an a n t ic h r i s t i a n s e c t " (p . 7 ) .
B am house, now d e c e a se d , was f o r y e a r s a prom inent e v a n g e lic a l B ib le
e x p o s ito r , r a d io p e r s o n a l i t y , and e d it o r o f the m on th ly, E t e r n i t y .
Z
For a S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t view o f M artin1s p o s i t i o n
see Harry W. Lowe's r ev ie w in The M in is tr y , May, 1960, 3 7 -3 8 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

and book ,

Let us as C h r is tia n m in is t e r s n e v e r e n t e r i n t o judgment

o f each o th e r .
Let us n e v e r a c c u se a n o th e r s in c e r e fo llo w e r
o f our Lord as b e in g under th e c o n tr o l o f S atan and c a l l him
l o s t .
May God r i c h l y b l e s s you i n your m in is t r y and make you a
f r u i t f u l s o u l-w in n e r f o r H im .1
One more sam ple w i l l perhaps s u f f i c e to i l l u s t r a t e t h i s c a te g o r y
o f m a il.

"Crank l e t t e r s , h a p p ily , a re few and f a r b e tw e en ," F agal w rote

to t h is i n v e s t ig a t o r upon a n o th er o c c a s io n .
YOU MUST BE JOKING! I! YOU BOTH ARE MENTALLY RETARDED
IF YOU BELIEVE THAT "THE HOLY MAN" (AS YOU CALL HIM) WILL
COME AGAIN!! YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE TO LIVE A TRUE LIFE.
WELL IF YOU BELIEVE THAT WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO FOOL EVERY
ONE BY PREACHING ALL OF THAT MALARCHY [ s i c ] ON YOUR
TELEVISION SHOW? WAKE UP! ! YOU MUST HAVE BETTER THINGS
TO DO WITH YOUR TIME THAN PLAY CHURCH ALL OF THE TIME!! TO
SAY THE LEAST YOU TWO ARE WIPED! ! ! ! 3
F a g a l's o n ly o b s e r v a tio n on t h i s l a s t m i s s i v e , appended t o a
note accompanying i t t o t h i s w r it e r , was:
not r e p ly to i t ;

" S in c e i t i s anonymous I can

and I g u e ss I w ould n o t i f I c o u ld .

Overseas

"F aith fo r T oday," as c o n c e iv e d and p ro d u ced , i s in te n d e d to

meet the needs and problem s o f p e o p le l i v i n g i n N orth Am erica; and i t i s
in th is c o n te x t p r i n c i p a l l y th a t th e program i s b e in g e v a lu a te d in t h i s
stud y.

^"Letter o f r e p ly from W illia m A. F a g a l, New Y ork, March 8 , 1967,

1-2 , to P a sto r Gene S ic k l e r .
2

L e tte r from W illiam A. F a g a l, New Y ork, Dec. 12, 1967.

*Z
JAnonymous l e t t e r to F a ith f o r Today, u n d a ted , postm arked Omaha,
N eb., J u ly 10, 1967.
(The l e t t e r was a d d re sse d to " P astor and Mrs.
Fagan. 11 The pun was p rob ab ly in t e n d e d .)
^ L etter from W illiam A. F a g a l, New Y ork, J u ly 1 4 , 1967.

[fcjkti&c*. ..
R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

577

The program h a s , h ow ever, b een u sed e x t e n s i v e l y o v e r s e a s , b o th

on t e l e v i s i o n and on th e s c r e e n in e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s .

We pause

b r i e f l y , t h e r e f o r e , to n o te e v id e n c e s o f a u d ien ce r e sp o n se among p e o p le s
o f c u ltu r e s w hich o f t e n are e s s e n t i a l l y a l i e n to th a t f o r w hich (and in
which) th e program i s i t s e l f p ro d u ced .

Korea

P a sto r George W. Munson, m is s io n a r y in charge o f " F a ith f o r

Today" o p e r a tio n s in Korea, w ro te l a t e in 1964 th a t Rudyard K ip lin g 's
o ft-q u o te d dictum ,
Oh, E ast i s E a st, and West i s W est, and n e v e r th e tw ain
s h a l l m eet, T i l l E arth and Sky s ta n d p r e s e n t ly a t God's
g r e a t Judgment S e a t.^
seemed to in d ic a t e t h a t E a st and West cannot m eet f o r common p u rp o se .

But F a ith f o r T oday's e x p e r ie n c e in .S e o u l b e l i e s t h i s .

The
b a s ic p r in c ip le s em phasized on " F a ith f o r Today" can be
un derstood and b e lie v e d ev ery w h ere. Many wondered i f
O r ie n ta ls would a c c e p t i t .
P o p u la r ity was im m ediate and
co n tin u e s t o grow as e v id e n c e d by r e s p o n se from v ie w e r s '
le tte r s . ^
Munson th en p r o c e e d s t o c i t e from a l e t t e r he had r e c e iv e d
a view er r ig h t

from

th e r e in th e c a p i t a l c i t y :

I am a g i r l s i x t e e n y e a r s o ld . I w atched your TV p r o
gram and f e l t th a t th e c a se was th e same as m ine. I was
moved d e e p ly . I am n o t a b e l i e v e r in J e s u s , but I r e a l i z e d

''From "The B a lla d o f E a st and W est," 1889, c i t e d in B a r t l e t t ,

814.
2

Munson's in t e r p r e t a t i o n o f th e f i r s t two l i n e s o f t h i s s ta n z a
i s the common one; and, i r o n i c a l l y , i s n o t c o r r e c t . Few go on to c i t e
the very n e x t two l i n e s , w hich p r o v id e an a lt o g e t h e r d i f f e r e n t view :
"But th e r e i s n e it h e r E a st nor W est, B order, n o r B reed, n or B irth ,/W h en
two s tr o n g men sta n d fa c e t o f a c e , though th e y come from th e ends o f th e
earth !" I n s te a d o f r e f u t in g M unson's t h e s i s , K ip lin g , i r o n i c a l l y ,
a c tu a lly su p p o rts i t !
3C ite d in T e le - n o t e s , J a n ., 1965, 3.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

578

th e n eed o f f a i t h .
P le a s e g u id e me i n th e way o f f a i t h .
W aiting f o r your answ er.
M iss H. S . K.
S e o u l, Korea^

Ceylon

A church w orker in so u th e r n A sia w ro te c o n c e r n in g th e u se o f

"Faith fo r Today" f ilm s

in h i s e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s:

Your film s have b een a r e g u la r f e a tu r e in our ev a n g e

l i s t i c m eetin g s th rou gh ou t th e is l a n d , . . . and h e lp e d many
to draw c lo s e r to J e s u s . On March 22 we began new work in
th e c i t y o f J a -E la . There th e words " F a ith f o r Today" soon
became a h o u se h o ld p h ra se as a r e s u l t o f th e t e l e c a s t
[ f i l m s ] . You w i l l be i n t e r e s t e d t o know t h a t 12 have been
b a p tiz e d to d a te as a r e s u l t . . . . More a re p la n n in g fo r
b ap tism l a t e r . 2

South P a c i f i c I s la n d s

One o f th e most fa b le d i s la n d s o f th e South Seas i s P i t c a i r n ,

where th e crewmen o f Mutiny on th e Bounty fame e s t a b l i s h e d a E uropeanP o ly n esia n s u b c u ltu r e w hich y e t tod ay i s th e o b j e c t o f much s o c i o l o g i c a l
and a n th r o p o lo g ic a l i n t e r e s t and s tu d y .
S even th -d ay A d v e n tis t m is s io n a r ie s v i s i t e d P i t c a i r n I s la n d
ra th er e a r ly in t h e i r e x p a n sio n d r iv e through th e s o u th and w e ste r n
P a c if ic ; and today th e i s l a n d p o p u la tio n i s v i r t u a l l y one hundred p e r
cent A d v e n tist.
In th e m id d le 1 9 5 0 s, a l e t t e r was r e c e iv e d a t F a ith f o r T oday's
New York o f f i c e s from P a s to r L. N. Hawkes, who was s e r v in g th e s p i r i t u a l

~*~I b id .

^ C ited in i b i d . , A p r il, 1956, 2 .

For a r e c e n t , e x tr e m e ly w e ll-b a la n c e d p r e s e n t a t io n o f p r e s e n t day c o n d itio n s on P it c a ir n in g e n e r a l, and th e work o f S e v e n th -d a y

A d v e n tists in p a r t i c u l a r , c f . D avid S ilv erm a n , P i t c a i r n I s la n d (C le v e
land: The World Book P u b lis h in g Company, 1 9 6 7 ).

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

i n t e r e s t o f th e is l a n d e r s , in w hich he r e q u e ste d th e lo a n o f o ld film s

o f p a s t t e l e c a s t s w hich w ere no lo n g e r s u i t a b l e f o r c i r c u l a t i o n among
American TV s t a t i o n s .
The in fr e q u e n t n a tu r e o f s h ip p in g p o r t s - o f - c a l l a t P i t c a ir n
caused some d e la y in g e t t in g th e f ilm s th rou gh to th e m is s io n ; but when
th ey a r r iv e d , th e y were s c r e e n e d and r e - s c r e e n e d -- u p to f i v e tim e s ,
w ith the is la n d e r s a p p earin g to e n jo y them as much th e l a s t tim e as th e
fir s t!
P a s to r W. G. F e r r is , who s u b s e q u e n tly r e p la c e d Hawkes as
m is s io n a r y -in -c h a r g e , l a t e r r e p o r te d t h a t th e f il m s h e lp e d o f f s e t th e
in f lu e n c e o f an i n f l u x o f 'u n d e sir a b le " f ilm s th e youn ger g e n e r a tio n on
the is la n d w ere a n xiou s to see!'*'
And M issio n a r y Gordon A. L ee, o f th e Cook I s la n d s M iss io n ,
rep o rted th a t th e resp o n se to show ing " F a ith f o r Today" f ilm s in h i s
t e r r it o r y was " e x c e lle n t ." ^

N ig e r ia

" F a ith f o r Today" was laun ch ed on WNTV a t Ibadan, N ig e r ia ,

A f r ic a s f i r s t t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n so u th o f th e S ah ara, on November 6 ,
1960, f i v e w eeks f o llo w in g th e o p en in g o f t h i s new com m ercial s t a t i o n
O ctober 1 , N ig e r ia ' s Independence Day from G reat B r i t a in .
As m entioned in C hapter I I I , " F a ith f o r Today" rem ained th e o n ly
r e g u la r w e ek ly r e l i g i o u s program on t h a t s t a t i o n f o r many m onths, th e
B a p tis ts s p o n so r in g th e o n ly o th e r r e l i g i o u s program on a on ce-m on th ly
fr e q u e n c y .

^T e l e - n o t e s , A u g., 1963, 8.
^ I b id . , D e c ., 1964, 3.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

From th e f i r s t b r o a d c a s t, th e r e sp o n se to " F a ith f o r Today" was

d e c la r e d by M issio n a r y David H. H ughes, r a d i o - t e l e v i s i o n s e c r e t a r y f o r
the A d v e n t is t 's West A fr ic a n Union M is s io n , to be "good":

"Our c o r r e

spondence i s com ing from governm ent o f f i c i a l s , e d u c a to r s , and p r o f e s s io n a l

p e o p le .m1

A u s tr a lia

R e fer e n c e t o " F a ith f o r T oday's" unique p o s i t i o n in A u s t r a lia , as

the f i r s t r e l i g i o u s f e a t u r e - t y p e t e l e v i s i o n program to be b r o a d c a s t on
th a t c o n t in e n t , h as a lr e a d y b een made in C hapter I I I ; and e v id e n c e o f i t s
p e r v a s iv e n e s s in A u s tr a lia n t h in k in g , as r e v e a le d by in c lu d in g m ention o f
the t e l e c a s t in th e d ia lo g u e o f a contem porary A u s tr a lia n n o v e l, was
c it e d a t th e b e g in n in g o f t h i s C hap ter.

A more d e t a il e d stu d y o f th e

b r o a d c a st, in term s o f a u d ien ce r e s p o n s e , w i l l be undertaken b e lo w .

A c c e p t a b ilit y o f American Programs "Down U nder." -- T h is i n v e s t i

gator was in t r ig u e d w ith th e f a c t th a t t h i s t y p i c a l l y American program
was a p p a re n tly s o w e ll r e c e iv e d in A u s t r a lia .

In p a r t i c u l a r , he wanted

to know (1) why th e le a d e r s h ip o f th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t ch u r c h 's

I b i d . , J a n ., 1961, 1. T h is w r it e r i s in a p o s i t i o n t o v e r i f y
Hughes' r e p o r t; I l i v e d in N ig e r ia du rin g 1953-64 and w itn e s s e d th e
in a u g u r a tio n o f b o th th e new s t a t i o n and th e "F aith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t .
Twice I had o c c a s io n to p r o v id e a l i v e in tr o d u c tio n to th e film e d
program.
In th e summer o f 1964, w h ile I was p rep a rin g to le a v e N ig e r ia
perm anently, two in c id e n t s on th e same day t y p i c a l l y i l l u s t r a t e d
"audience r esp o n se" t o th e t e l e c a s t :
(1) th e E n g lish owner o f a b ea u ty
p a r lo r , an e v a n g e lic a l b e lo n g in g t o th e A p o s t o lic F a ith d en om in ation ,
upon le a r n in g o f my c o n n e c tio n w ith th e m is s io n which sp o n so red " F a ith
fo r Today," asked me to a s s i s t him in o b t a in in g a copy o f a premium book
o ffe r e d fr e e t o th e p u b lic ; and (2) th e American manager o f th e Lagos
branch o f th e Chase M anhattan Bank asked me when I would a gain appear in
person on th e t e l e c a s t , r e c a l l i n g he had s e e n me on a program o r two in
r ecen t m onths.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

581

A u s tr a la sia n D iv is io n (w hich i s composed p r i n c i p a l l y o f A u s tr a lia n s and

New Z ealan d ers) e l e c t e d to u se " F a ith f o r Today" as i t s p r in c ip a l e v a n g e
l i s t i c weapon in p r e fe r e n c e to a program w hich w ould f e a t u r e A u s tr a lia n
church w orkers and a c to r s w ith A u s tr a lia n a c c e n t s ; and (2) why a program
so p a t e n t ly American would be so w e l l - r e c e i v e d by A u s t r a lia n s .
W alter R. L. S cra g g , c h i e f o p e r a tio n s manager f o r " F a ith f o r
Today" in A u s t r a lia was i n v i t e d to p r o v id e ca n d id answ ers t o t h e s e two
p a r t ic u la r q u e s t io n s .

He d id so :

The r ea so n s why we u se th e American programme a re as

fo llo w s :
(a) I t i s r e a d ily a v a ila b le ; (b) i t i s p r o f e s s io n
a l l y produced and a c c e p ta b le t o s t a t i o n m anagers; (c ) th e
typ e o f form at i s one th a t h as w ide app eal and does n o t
fragment or d iv id e th e a u d ien ce; and (d) to produce a s im i
la r program in A u s t r a lia would be v e ry c o s t l y in d ee d and we
would fin d i t d i f f i c u l t to draw on s u i t a b l e t a l e n t , e t c . ,
th a t would e n a b le us to keep th e sta n d a rd a t i t s c u r re n t
l e v e l .1
And how, in t h i s age when a n ti-A m erica n ism i s becom ing more and
more fa s h io n a b le o v e r s e a s , does a program so o b v io u s ly American a t t a i n
such a measure o f a c ce p ta n c e in a land as f a r removed from A m erica as
A u str a lia ?
One must l i v e in A u s t r a lia t o r e a l i z e why th e American
programme i s a c c e p ta b le to u s . Much o f th e m a te r ia l p r e
se n te d on [com m ercial] TV i s American in o r i g i n . The
American v o i c e , th e American ways a re f a m ilia r to our p e o p le
and on t e l e v i s i o n p r e s e n t no problem . At th e p r e s e n t tim e
th er e i s p r e ss u r e from our Commonwealth Government to have
the A u s tr a lia n c o n te n t o f programmes in c r e a s e d , and th e
p r e se n t sta n d a rd i s 50% A u s tr a lia n and 50% o v e r s e a s . T h is ,
how ever, has n o t a f f e c t e d our a b i l i t y to h o ld " F a ith fo r
Today" on th e a i r , though many o th e r American programmes
have been dropped b eca u se o f our G overnm ent's r u l in g . . . .
Our o n ly major problem i s f in d in g th e money th a t i s n e c e s
sa ry to p u rch ase tim e [as A u s tr a lia n s t a t i o n s g e n e r a lly do
n ot g iv e f r e e " p u b lic - s e r v ic e " tim e f o r p ro d u cin g r e l i g i o u s
programs as do t h e i r American c o u n t e r p a r t s ] .2

^Scragg L e t t e r , 2 .
2I b id .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

HR

T e l e v is io n s t a t i o n management r e s p o n s e . C oncerning th e a c c e p t
a b i l i t y o f th e im p orted F a ith f o r Today program w ith A u s tr a lia n TV
s t a t io n management, S cragg fu r t h e r e la b o r a te d :
The programme i s v e r y w e ll r e c e iv e d in A u s t r a lia .
S t a t io n managers a re a n x io u s to p la c e i t on t h e i r s t a t i o n s ,
and we have no problem s a t a l l as f a r as p la c in g th e
programme.1
Four o f f i c i a l s o f t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n s in A u s t r a lia respon ded t o
d ir e c t approaches made b y t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r .

In s p i t e o f th e f a c t th a t

the program had b een o f f th e a i r f o r n in e y e a r s a t TCN-9, S yd ney, and

f iv e y e a rs a t TVW-7, T uart H i l l , management s t i l l remembered th e show!
TCN-9s programme manager r e c a l l e d th a t " i t was r e a so n a b ly w e ll
r e c e iv e d in th e e a r ly days o f t e l e v i s i o n in A u s tr a lia " ;

and TVW-7's

film manager e x p r e s s e d " r e g r e t" t h a t th e program was no lo n g e r on h i s

s ta tio n .

The g e n e r a l manager o f NBN-3, M osbri C r e s c e n t, N e w c a s tle ,

w r itin g f i v e months a f t e r th e d is c o n tin u a n c e o f th e program on h i s s t a
t io n , r e p lie d t h a t w h ile he c o u ld n o t g iv e o th e r th an vague answ ers t o a
query on aud ien ce r e s p o n se (v ie w e r s b e in g d ir e c t e d t o sen d m a il to t e l e
c a st h e a d q u a r te r s, r a th e r than th e s t a t i o n ^ ) ,

1I b id .
2

L e tte r from Ronald H aynes, programme m anager, TCN-9, T e le v is io n

C orporation L t d ., Sydney, A u s t r a lia , Aug. 2 6 , 1966.
^ L etter from W. H. M cKenzie, f ilm m anager, TVW-7, TVW L im ite d ,
Tuart H i l l , W estern A u s t r a lia , S e p t . 6 , 1966.
^For t h i s same r e a so n a sec o n d s t a t i o n f e l t u n ab le t o comment on
audience r e s p o n se . L e t t e r from N. E. P a s c o e , f ilm s u p e r v is o r , QTQ-9,
Queensland T e le v is io n L t d ., B r isb a n e , A u s t r a lia , S e p t. 2 0 , 1966.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

583

My g e n e r a l im p r e s s io n , h o w ev er, i s th a t th e programme
had h ig h p o p u la r it y as f a r as r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t s are
c o n c e r n e d .1

Viewer r e s p o n s e . " F a ith f o r Today' i s " h ig h ly regard ed as an

e v a n g e lis t ic to o l" by S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis ts in A u s t r a li a , and 420
baptism s are a t t r ib u t e d t o th e t e l e c a s t fo r th e f i v e - y e a r p e r io d 196019 6 4 .2
F a ith f o r T od ay's lo c a l t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te rs in Q u een sla n d , a t
B risban e, r e p o r te d in 1966 th a t:
The th r e e m onthly avera g e f o r B ib le Course a p p lic a t io n s
from Channel 9 in B risb a n e was 160 r e q u e s t s .
In a d d itio n
to t h i s , th e r e w ould be a t l e a s t an eq u al number o f l e t t e r s
a sk in g fo r book s o f f e r e d , and s e n d in g in t e s t p a p e r s , e t c .
Of th e fo u r s t a t i o n s o p e r a tin g " F a ith f o r Today" in 1964,
the q u a r te r ly a v era g e was 2 ,4 8 4 l e t t e r s from a l l s o u r c e s . ^
The a d v e r t is in g and p u b lic r e l a t i o n s manager f o r QTQ-9 in B r is
bane, a Mr. P e n g l i s , in sp e a k in g a t th e annual d in n e r o f th e S e v e n th -d a y
A d v en tist Church t e l e v i s i o n sp o n so r s on June 1 0 , 19 6 2 , t o ld th e 350
gu ests assem bled:
I t i s rem arkable to know t h a t you have had s o many
l e t t e r s from th e programme. Compared to our o th e r p r o
grammes, what you have been r e c e iv in g i s above a n y th in g
th a t we would n o rm a lly e x p e c t from our programmes.
For i t
to come from a r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t i s n o th in g s h o r t o f
rem arkable. You must be v e ry p le a s e d w ith th e r e s u l t s . 4

L e tte r from K. IV. S to n e , g e n e r a l m anager, NBN-3, N e w c a stle

B road castin g 8 T e l e v is io n C o rp o ra tio n L im ited , M osbri C r e s c e n t,
N ew castle, A u s t r a lia , S e p t . 8 , 1966.
2

Scragg L e t t e r , 2 .

T
L e tte r from R. J . K ing, radio-T V s e c r e t a r y , Q ueensland C o n fer
ence o f th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church, B r isb a n e , A u s t r a l ia , S e p t. 12,
1966, to N. E. P a sc o e . C ite d h e r e a f t e r as King L e t t e r .
^C ited in T e l e - n o t e s , S e p t., 19 6 2 , 4 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

584

In 1959, s u r v e y s showed t h a t tw o -th ir d s o f th e A u s tr a lia n

v iew in g a u d ien ce are fa m ily g r o u p s.

Commenting in an a r t i c l e f o r T e le

n o te s , Scragg r e p o r te d th a t a d u lts in A u s t r a lia f in d "F aith f o r Today" a

program th a t draws th e fa m ily t o g e t h e r .
i t s sim p le s t y l e .

C h ild re n , t o o , he c la im e d , l i k e

M ail a d d re sse d to th e Sydney o f f i c e t e l l s o f "many

homes

sa v ed from u n h ap p in ess and d i s a s t e r by th e in f lu e n c e

o f th e p r o

gram;

and a t l e a s t one s u i c i d e was p r e v e n te d by th e tim e ly

m essage o f

P a sto r F a g a l."*
F ive y e a rs l a t e r , in 1964, " F a ith f o r Today" was w ith in r ea c h o f
o n e -th ir d o f th e t o t a l p o p u la tio n o f A u s t r a lia .

I t s v ie w in g a u d ien ce

was e stim a te d by b r o a d c a st o f f i c i a l s a t more than 2 0 0 ,0 0 0 w e e k ly --w ith

more than h a l f o f t h a t t o t a l w a tc h in g on th e B risb an e s t a t i o n a lo n e .
The y ea r 1963 r e g is t e r e d a 50% in c r e a s e in m a il r e c e ip t s in M elbourne
alone

over 1962.

And where o f f e r s f o r books once brought 200-300

r e q u e s t s , in 1963 up to 1 ,0 0 0 r e q u e s ts w ould

be r e c e iv e d .

N ationw ide th rou gh ou t A u s t r a lia in 1959, an average o f 1 5 ,0 0 0

fr e e books were s e n t o u t each month t o v ie w er s r e q u e s tin g them .^
Surveys in 1964 in d ic a t e d th a t " F a ith f o r Today" was o u t - p u ll in g
such p op u lar programs as "The World o f Sport" and o th e r e q u a lly -p o p u la r
t e l e c a s t s in th e c o a l-m in in g c i t y o f N e w c a stle (1 6 0 ,0 0 0 p o p . ) - - a m ost
remarkable achievem en t in d ee d in as s p o r t s - c o n s c io u s a land as
A u s tr a lia .^

^"With F a ith f o r Today 'Down U n d er ," ' i n i b i d . , J u n e, 1959, 4 .

^T e l e - n o t e s , J a n ., 196 4 , 4 -5 .
3I b id . , J a n ., 1960, 4 .
^ I b id ., J a n .,

1964, 4 - 5 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

585

One m ost rem arkable r e p o r t o f " aud ience resp o n se " t o "F aith f o r
Today" among te e n -a g e you th in A u s t r a lia was r e c e iv e d by th e New York
h ead q u arters in 1964:
A number o f te e n a g e r s w ere v i s i t i n g in th e home o f one o f t h e i r
group a t a tim e when th e p a r e n ts w ere away.

The y o u n g s t e r s , d e c id in g to

have a "good tim e ," b rou gh t in t o x ic a n t s i n t o th e h o u se , and an i n c i p i e n t

r i o t seemed im m inent.
The " t e lly " was tu rn ed on; and f o r a tim e th e program to which
the s e t was tuned seem ed to encourage th e youth in t h e i r debau ch ery.
Then, " F aith f o r Today" came on f o llo w in g a s t a t i o n b rea k .

Some

in th e group im m ed ia tely w ish ed to tu rn i t o f f ; b u t o th e r s s a i d , " L ets

watch i t o u t."

One la d r id ic u le d th e program; b u t , perhaps p r o v id e n

t i a l l y , t h i s p a r t ic u l a r film d e a lt w ith te e n -a g e problem s!

Soon th e w hole group was e n g r o sse d w ith what th e y were w a tc h in g .
P a sto r F a g a ls m essage seemed to speak r ig h t to t h e i r h e a r t s ; and what
had s t a r t e d o u t to be a te e n -a g e " f r e e - f o r - a l l " f i n is h e d on a r a th e r
sob er n o t e , w ith young p erso n a f t e r young p e r so n s l ip p in g away q u ie t ly
from th e p a r ty and g o in g to t h e i r r e s p e c t iv e hom es.
W ritin g o f t h i s e x p e r ie n c e l a t e r , one o f th e te e n a g e p a r t i c i
pants p r e s e n t in th e home a t th e tim e , s a id :
We w ere d eterm in ed t o l e t go and h ave a good tim e or
th a t i s what we c a l l e d i t .
When " F a ith f o r Today" came on,
we w ere a l l d r in k in g . But we w ere s o b e r enough to know
th a t th e m essage o f th e program was so m eth in g j u s t f o r u s .
A ll o f us knew b e t t e r than to do what we were p la n n in g .
I
thank God th a t " F a ith f o r Today" s a v e d us from o u r s e lv e s .
S in c e th a t tim e a number o f us have begun to rea d th e B ib le ,
and I am p e r s o n a lly s tu d y in g your y o u th c o u r s e .1
The f o llo w in g e x c e r p ts from l e t t e r s a d d r e sse d t o th e lo c a l
Queensland t e l e c a s t h ea d q u a rters are f a i r l y t y p i c a l o f th o se r e c e iv e d

1I b id .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission of the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

a t o th er F a ith f o r Today o f f i c e s th rou ghout th e w hole o f

A u s tr a lia :^
I en joy your programme each Sunday, and I h ave found
many answers to problem s I have been f a c in g . Would you
p le a s e send me th e fr e e B ib le C orrespondence Course? I
would a ls o a p p r e c ia te th e book Why Man S u ffe r s to fu r t h e r my
s t u d ie s .
I l i k e your q u a r t e t t e .
B risb a n e, Q ueensland
Would you p le a s e forw ard . . . two c o p ie s o f th e b o o k ,
Why Man S u f f e r s , as g iv e n out in your s e s s i o n on t e l e v i s i o n .
May I add th a t your s e s s i o n i s in d eed a b l e s s i n g , and may
th e Lord c o n tin u e to b le s s t h i s m in is t r y .
Toombul, Q ueensland
Would you p le a s e sen d us yo u r B ib le Course and a ls o th e
100th Psalm . We watch your F a ith fo r Today" s e s s i o n r e g u
la r ly and e n jo y i t v ery much. I t has changed our l i v e s a
l o t and we w ould lo v e t o f e e l c lo s e and s a f e in th e hands
o f our Lord. Thanking you k in d ly .
P a d d in g to n , Q ueensland
P le a s e forw ard your B ib le Study Course and P a r e n ts'
P rayer. I am a B a p tis t and n eed a l l th e i n s t r u c t i o n I can
g e t.
I was im p ressed by th e t e l e c a s t o f " F a ith f o r T oday,"
and I f e e l t h a t I need more in s t r u c t io n in order to con
v in c e my own fa m ily o f our n eed o f th e Lord J esu s C h r is t.
B risb a n e, Q ueensland
I f you remember, I
have been g e t t in g your
coming to s e e me ev ery
a b e t t e r u n d ersta n d in g

was n o t a C h r is tia n , but now s in c e I

le s s o n s and th e P a sto r has been
w eek, I have le a rn ed a
l o t and have
o f th e B ib le .
Q ueensland

In c o n c lu s io n , th e r esp o n se t o " F aith f o r Today" from th e v ie w

in g p u b lic in A u s t r a lia does n o t appear to d i f f e r s u b s t a n t i a l l y from
th a t evid en ced by i t s American c o u n te r p a r t.

The program appears t o have

been e q u a lly e f f e c t i v e in a t t r a c t in g a w ide d i v e r s i t y o f p e o p le w ith

markedly v a r y in g s o c i a l , econ om ic, and r e l i g i o u s backgrounds on b o th

1C ited in King L e t t e r , 2 - 3 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

587

c o n tin e n ts .

And th e c o n tin u e d sp o n s o r sh ip o f th e program in A u s t r a lia

by A d v e n tist d en o m in a tio n a l le a d e r s w ould appear t o in d i c a t e th a t th e

s o u l-w in n in g o b j e c t iv e s o f th e t e l e c a s t are b e in g s a t i s f a c t o r i l y m e t .1-

An A n a ly s is o f N orth American T e l e v i s i o n Management R esponse t o th e

"F aith f o r Today" T e le c a s t as D eterm in ed by a S p e c ia l Q u e s tio n n a ir e

A lthough m ail r e sp o n se t o " F a ith f o r Today" i s b o th e x c e e d in g ly

volum inous and r e v e la t o r y o f v ie w e r a t t i t u d e s tow ard th e program in g e n
e r a l and th e sp e a k in g o f W illia m A. F agal in p a r t i c u l a r , and p r o v id e s th e
in v e s t ig a t o r w ith a p le th o r a o f d a ta , t h i s w r it e r was n e v e r t h e le s s i n t e r
e s te d a d d it io n a lly in o b t a in in g t h e v ie w p o in t o f p r o f e s s i o n a l , c a r e e r
t e l e v i s i o n p e r s o n n e l on th e s u b j e c t o f Mr. F a g a l's c o n tr ib u tio n to th e
t e l e c a s t as p r e s e n t ly s t r u c t u r e d , and v ie w e r r e sp o n se to i t as o b se rv e d
in t h e ir r e s p e c t iv e com m u n ities.
The su r v ey q u e s tio n n a ir e i s rep rod u ced in Appendix K; and a
ta b u la tio n o f d ata o b ta in e d th e r e fr o m w i l l be found in Appendix L.
A pp roxim ately h a l f o f th e q u e s tio n s in th e management su r v ey
r e la t e d to m a tter s o f program c r i t i c i s m ; th e rem a in in g m a t e r ia ls , w hich
are p e r t in e n t to th e q u e s tio n o f a u d ie n c e r e s p o n s e , are c o n s id e r e d b elo w .

N ature o f g e n e r a l v ie w e r r e a c t i o n . - - I n an attem p t t o d eterm in e

som ething o f th e q u a l i t y o f v ie w e r r e s p o n s e , as d ir e c t e d to th e s t a t i o n
i t s e l f , resp o n d en ts were i n v i t e d by th e w r it e r t o d e s c r ib e , on a s c a l e
o f f i v e , th e o v e r a ll r e a c t io n o f v ie w e r s as d eterm in ed by l e t t e r or
telep h o n e r e sp o n se to th e s t a t i o n im m ed ia tely f o llo w in g th e w eek ly
te le c a s t.

*The b u d get a llo c a t e d t o t e l e v i s i n g " F a ith f o r Today" in A u str a

l i a in 1965 amounted to LA 2 3 ,9 3 3 , or $ 5 3 ,6 0 9 US (S cragg L e t t e r , 3 ) .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

Twenty s t a t i o n s r e p o r te d v ie w e r r esp o n se to be " d e c id e d ly fa v o r

a b le , " and a n o th er 16 c l a s s i f i e d i t as " s l i g h t l y fa v o r a b le ."

S ix

e v a lu a te d i t as "about e q u a lly b a la n c e d pro and co n ."

No s t a t i o n r e p o r te d any " s l i g h t l y u n fa v o r a b le " or " d e c id e d ly
un favorab le" r e s p o n s e , a lth o u g h 12 n o te d " very l i t t l e v ie w e r comment"1
o f any k in d , or "no r esp o n se "

a t a l l , p a r t ly b e c a u s e , as one resp o n d en t

n o ted , " a ll m a il and phone c a l l s w ere d ir e c t e d t o th e

. . . C hurch."

The la c k o f t h i s d ir e c t v i e w e r - t o - s t a t i o n r e s p o n se was in t e r p r e t e d
v a r io u s ly by management.

One program d ir e c t o r , who to o k a n o - n e w s - is -

good-news a t t i t u d e , s a id s im p ly , " A pp arently th e program was fa v o r a b le to

our v iew ers as o c c a s io n a l ly we r e c e iv e comment; b u t m ost p e o p le w r ite
on ly i f th e y w ish to com p lain !"

He th en added, " O c c a s io n a lly we have

r e c e iv e d good v ie w er comment . . . , n e v e r u n fa v o r a b le comment."^

But a n o th er e x e c u t iv e ten d ed to view s i l e n c e on th e p a r t o f th e
TV-viewing p u b lic n e g a t i v e l y , as ap a th y a t b e s t :

" I f any o f ou r a u d ien ce

i s in flu e n c e d by t h i s program th e y are n o t v e ry a r t i c u l a t e about i t . " ^

One program manager, who r e p o r te d " l i t t l e r e a c tio n " in term s o f
d ir e c t resp o n se t o th e s t a t i o n , n e v e r t h e le s s n o te d t h a t " F a ith f o r
Today" has "a s m a ll but c o n s i s t e n t l y lo y a l a u d ien ce." *

*TV Respondent #2 8 , Program D ir e c t o r , N o r th -c e n tr a l O hio,

Aug. 17, 1966. R espondents c i t e d h e r e a f t e r m erely as TV # 1 , TV # 2 , e t c .
2

TV # 3 5 , Program M anager, S o u th -e a s te r n T ex a s, S e p t. 1 9 , 1966.

^TV #50, Film S u p e r v is o r , Q u een slan d , A u s t r a lia , S e p t. 2 0 , 1966.

^TV #41, Program D ir e c t o r , S o u th - c e n tr a l West V ir g in ia , Aug. 17,
1966.
^TV #27, A d m in is tr a tiv e A s s i s t a n t , W e st-c e n tr a l N orth C a r o lin a ,
Aug. 17, 1966.

TV #4 3 , Program Manager, S o u th - c e n tr a l W isco n sin , Aug. 3 1 ,

1966.

with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

And one program d i r e c t o r b ro u g h t th e w hole q u e s tio n o f th e

i n t r i n s i c v a lu e o f d i r e c t v ie w e r - r e s p o n s e - t o - s t a t i o n out in t o th e open
w ith t h i s o b s e r v a t io n :
We have had a f a i r l y s u b s t a n t i a l amount o f m ail on th e
show. However, we are a l s o aware t h a t t h i s was s tim u la te d
by in d iv id u a l p a s t o r s who had ask ed t h e i r c o n g r e g a tio n s t o
w r i t e .1
S t a t io n management, a p p a r e n tly , i s no more r e s p o n s iv e t o c o r r e
spondence "cam paigns" than are our d u ly - e le c t e d l e g i s l a t o r s a t th e s t a t e
and n a t io n a l l e v e l s !
The q u a l i t y o f r e s p o n se by v ie w e r s to s t a t i o n management on
b e h a lf o f " F a ith f o r Today" a p p e a r s, th e n , to be co n str u e d as g e n e r a lly
fa v o r a b le .

Volume o f g e n e r a l v ie w e r r e a c t i o n . C lo s e ly a s s o c ia t e d w ith th e
q u a lit y o f v ie w e r r e s p o n se i s th e q u e s tio n o f volume o f r e s p o n s e .
th e s t a t i o n s su r v e y e d n o te d c o m p a r a tiv e ly l i t t l e

As

d ir e c t r esp o n se from

v iew ers o f " F a ith f o r Today" (n o t t h a t th e y e x p e c te d much), i t i s n o t

s u r p r is in g t h a t 18 s t a t i o n s r e p o r te d r e c e iv in g no m a il/te le p h o n e
resp on se w h a te v e r, in term s o f volume o f r e s p o n s e .
Some 28 s t a t i o n s r e p o r te d v ie w e r r e sp o n se in th e 1-10 r e s p o n s e p e r -b r o a d c a st b r a c k e t , b u t none l i s t e d a volume h ig h e r than 10 r e s p o n s e s .
When r e q u e s te d to s p e c i f y th e number o f resp o n se s-p e r-p r o g ra m
which would be c o n s id e r e d " average" o r "normal" f o r th e lo c a l a r e a , a
t o t a l o f 13 s t a t i o n s l i s t e d e i t h e r 0 -1 0 or 1-10 as th e norm.

One gen

e r a l manager, how ever, r e p r e s e n tin g a number o f h is c o lle a g u e s , s a i d

s u c c in c t ly :

1TV # 8, Program D ir e c t o r , S o u th -w e ste r n C a lif o r n ia , Aug. 19,

1966.

with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

590

We have no y a r d s t ic k f o r m easuring a v era g e or norm al m a il

r e s p o n se , and I have n o t th e s l i g h t e s t id e a how one c o u ld
be e s t a b l i s h e d . 1
A p u b lic a f f a i r s d ir e c t o r n o te d , MFew r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t s
a t t r a c t any r e a l m a il c o n s is t e n t ly " ; ^ and th e p r e s id e n t o f a th r e e s t a t io n ch a in added, "Only a few p e o p le respon d u n le s s th e r e i s some
s p e c ia l a p p ea l f o r m a il.

The above program does n o t r e s o r t to m ail

*7

gim m icks.' "

The la c k o f m a il, h ow ever, does n o t , in and o f i t s e l f ,

c o n s ti

tu te a th r e a t to r e l i g i o u s p rogram m in g--at l e a s t n o t a t two s t a t i o n s :

R e lig io u s programs as such w i l l n e v e r be p o p u la r u n le s s
you have an e x tr e m e ly dynamic p e r s o n a l it y l i k e B ishop
S h e e n - -th e s e p e o p le are hard to f i n d . 4
We do n o t f e e l th a t a g r e a t m a il o r phone r e a c t io n i s
n e c e s s a r y to th e s u c c e s s o f a program o f t h i s n a t u r e . . . .
We f e e l th e program s e r v e s a r e a l n eed in th e r e l i g i o u s
programming o f our v ie w e r s . A ls o , t h a t th e y h e lp
w ith problem s who happen upon in d iv id u a l program s.
Two f a c t o r s w hich m a t e r ia lly in f lu e n c e th e s i z e o f any g iv e n
t e l e v i s i o n program 's a u d ie n c e p e c u l i a r i t i e s o f l o c a l r e l i g i o u s su b
c u ltu r e and th e n a tu r e o f programming im m ed ia te ly b e f o r e and fo llo w in g a
show --w ere n o te d by management.

A program manager in s o u th e a s te r n Idaho

p o in te d out t h a t s in c e h i s a r ea was "predom inantly" (70%) o f th e Mormon

f a i t h , r a t in g s f o r " F a ith f o r Today" " a c t u a lly go n e g a t iv e o r minus

*TV # 2 5 , G eneral M anager, S o u th - c e n tr a l New Y ork, Aug. 17, 1966.

2

TV # 1 2 , P u b lic A f f a ir s D ir e c to r , S o u th - c e n tr a l C o n n e c tic u t,
Aug. 25, 1966.
^TV # 1 1 , P r e s id e n t , W estern C olorad o, Aug. 1 8 , 1966.
^TV # 4 3 .
^TV # 4 4 , Community A f f a ir s D ir e c to r , S o u th -e a s te r n W isco n sin ,
Aug. 23, 1966.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

591

during th e program ." 1

And a f ilm d ir e c t o r i n th e m idw est f e l t th a t

Fagal*s program was a ssu re d o f "a f a i r fo llo w in g " b e c a u se i t was "pro

grammed i n a s i t u a t i o n p reced ed by and fo llo w e d by o th e r r e l i g i o u s
film s." ^
F i n a l l y , a program d ir e c t o r in Canada g iv e s some in k lin g o f
audience r esp o n se to " F aith f o r Today" in h is a rea w hich he found
encouraging:
Audience r a t in g v i a p u b lic o p in io n su rv ey was f a i r to good.
. . . V iew ers who are " r eg u la r s" would f e e l e x tr em e ly u p s e t
i f program were tak en o f f s c h e d u le .3
Summarizing v ie w e r r esp o n se to "F aith f o r Today" in term s o f
audience r e sp o n se to o th e r r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t i n g , in e ig h t in s ta n c e s
management f e l t th a t th e r esp o n se to th e F agal program was l e s s than
average, and in 29 in s t a n c e s th a t i t was th e same as a v e ra g e .

None

rep orted f e e l i n g t h a t i t was b e t t e r than a v e ra g e .

P a s to r F a g a l's in d iv id u a l c o n tr ib u tio n to program . S t a tio n

management was asked to in d ic a t e i t s o p in io n o f P a sto r W illia m A. F agal*s
own in d iv id u a l c o n tr ib u tio n to th e t e l e c a s t i n term s o f areas o f s p e c ia l
s tr e n g th .

Which w ere th e s t r o n g e s t fa c to r s ?

O pinion was n e a r ly e v e n ly d iv id e d , w ith "Content" ( in c lu d in g

r elev a n ce o f t o p ic and trea tm en t) n o ted by 23 r e s p o n d e n ts , " D elivery"
(in serm o n ette) and "Performance" (in th e dram atic s k i t )
resp o n d en ts, and " P e r so n a lity " checked by 20 r e s p o n d e n ts .

c i t e d by 21
Twelve f a i l e d

to make any r e s p o n se w h atever.

1TV '#14, Program Manager, S o u th -e a ste r n Id ah o, Aug. 2 0 , 1966.

2

TV # 2 0 , Film D ir e c t o r , S o u th -c e n tr a l M ichigan, Aug. 3 0 , 1966.

^TV # 4 9 , Program D ir e c to r , O n ta rio , Canada, Aug. 3 1 , 1966.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission of th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

On th e q u e s tio n o f c o n te n t , management g e n e r a ll y te n d s t o f in d
i t " e x c e lle n t ,

2
" s e n s ib le ,"

applauded th e " s o f t s e l l " ;

" w e l l - s e l e c t e d s u b j e c t m a t te r ."

One

w h ile a n o th er appeared p le a s e d w ith "good

to p ic concern and trea tm en t f o r a u d ien ce." ^

in r e s e a r c h ,"

" C o n sid e r a b le c a r e i s tak en

one p r o d u c tio n manager n o te d ; and a p l e a f o r "no change"

was v o ic e d by a program manager.

One o b s e r v a tio n may or may n o t be c o n s id e r e d c o m p lim e n ta r y --th e
c o n te x t f a i l s to g iv e a c lu e :

one program d ir e c t o r la b e le d F a g a ls cong

te n t as " t y p ic a l p r e a ch er f a r e ."
C oncerning th e F agal d e liv e r y and p erfo rm a n ce, one Canadian p r o
du ction manager summed up th e f e e l i n g o f perhaps a dozen o f th e
respon dents among h i s c o lle a g u e s when he w ro te:
Fagal i s a sp e ec h p e r f e c t i o n i s t who has o b v io u s ly w e ll
r eh ea r sed e v e r y p h r a s e . . . . He lo o k s s t r a i g h t a t th e
camera and has no a f f e c t a t i o n s . He sp eak s d e l i b e r a t e l y and
c le a r ly w ith l i t t l e em o tio n . A s m ilin g co u n ten a n ce en h a n ces
h i s d e liv e r y . H is sp eech i s to o p r e c is e in d ra m a tic s k i t s . 9

*TV #1 7 , Program D ir e c t o r , E a s t - c e n t r a l Iow a, Aug. 1 7 , 1966.

2

TV # 1 , Program D ir e c t o r , N o r th -c e n tr a l Alabama, Aug. 2 3 , 1966.

3TV #12.
^TV # 9 , Program D ir e c t o r , C en tra l C a lif o r n ia , S e p t . 7 , 1966.
^TV # 4 2 , Program D ir e c t o r , S o u th -c e n tr a l West V i r g i n i a , Aug. 18,
1966.
%V #4 7 , P r o d u ctio n Manager, A lb e r ta , Canada, Aug. 2 9 , 1966.
J

'TV # 3 2 , Program M anager, S o u th -e a s te r n P e n n s y lv a n ia , Aug. 15,

1966.
g

TV # 1 9 , P ro d u ctio n D ir e c t o r , N o rth -w estern M ich ig a n , Aug. 2 2 ,

1966.
9TV #4 7 .

with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

593

"His d e liv e r y s t y l e , " n o te d a p u b lic a f f a i r s d i r e c t o r , " is w e ll

s u ite d to a c o n v e r s a t io n a l, t e l e v i s i o n approach";* and h e "does a r e a l
2
good job in com m unicating th o u g h t," * a p r o d u c tio n d i r e c t o r added.
A nother commented on F a g a ls " e x c e lle n t d e liv e r y and p erfo rm a n ce;
shows a c tu a l in v o lv em en t f o r p a s t o r o f ch u rch ,"

he s a i d .

A lthough one s t a t i o n s e r v i c e s manager f e l t th e F agal s e r m o n e tte

and dram atic p erform ance to be "both q u it e e f f e c t i v e " ; ^ two o th e r s f e l t
th a t th e d ram atic s k i t s w ere "a l i t t l e weak a t tim e s " 3 and l e f t "a
l i t t l e to be d e s ir e d .
One program d ir e c t o r d e s c r ib e d th e F agal d e liv e r y as " e n g a g in g ," 7
an assessm en t th a t appears t o be g e n e r a lly ech oed by th e m a jo r ity o f th e
r esp o n d e n ts.
C oncerning th e f a c t o r s o f W illia m F a g a l s p e r s o n a l it y

(" p rob ab ly

h is s t r o n g e s t a s s e t " 0) , management g e n e r a lly ten d ed t o v iew i t as " s in

cere,"^ " com fortab le," * "very warm and f r ie n d l y ," * * and " a b le to show
1?
. . . c o n c e r n ." x
"He lo o k s and comes a c r o s s as n a t u r a l, s i n c e r e , "

a p u b lic

a f f a ir s d ir e c t o r o b se r v e d .

*TV #12.
2

TV # 1 8 , P r o d u ctio n D ir e c t o r , S o u th -w e ste rn K entucky, Aug. 16,

1966.
3TV # 4 2 .
4

TV # 2 6 , S t a t io n S e r v ic e s Manager, E a s t - c e n t r a l New York, Aug. 19

1966.
5TV #44.
3TV # 3 7 , P rogram /O p eration s Manager, C en tra l T e x a s, S e p t . 6 , 1966
7TV # 4 9 .
*2TV # 4 2 .

8TV #26.

9TV # 4 3 .

*TV # 3 2 .

**TV # 1 8 .

*3TV # 1 2 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

594
N oted a Canadian p r o d u c tio n manager:
F agal appears as an i n t e l l i g e n t c o n s c ie n t io u s commenta
t o r who seem s to r e p r e s e n t "Joe C i t iz e n ." He c e r t a i n l y i s
n o t dynam ic, b u t he i s q u it e b e l i e v a b l e . 1
Only one n e g a t iv e comment was r e g i s t e r e d , e x p r e s s in g a d m itte d ly
a p u re ly p e r s o n a l r e a c t io n :
F a g a l's p e r s o n a lit y i s g e n e r a lly c o n s id e r e d warm and
a p p e a lin g , a lth o u g h h i s a i r p e r s o n a li t y i s somewhat s a c c h a
r in f o r my t a s t e s . 2

Comparison o f F agal w ith o th e r clergym en on TV. N e x t, th e

management was asked to compare W illia m F agal w ith o th e r men o f th e
c lo th who have in c lu d e d t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a s tin g w ith in th e sp h ere o f
t h e ir m in is t r y .

For c o n v e n ie n c e , r esp o n d e n ts were r e q u e s te d to u se th e

same c a te g o r ie s o f c o n te n t , d e l i v e r y , and p e r s o n a l i t y .
In ta b u la r form , as r eg a r d s c o n te n t com parison,
grade o f "A" ( " e x c e lle n t " )

from one r e sp o n d e n t; 14 gave

("good," "above a v e r a g e ," "more a c c e p t a b le ," e t c . ) ;

F agal r e c e iv e d a
him a "B"

17 ranked

"C" c a te g o r y (" a v e r a g e ," " fa v o r a b le ," "about th e sam e," e t c . ) ,

him in th e
7

w h ile

one gave him a "D" (" n ot on a p a r " ); and 19 made no r e sp o n se w h a tev er to

t h is p a r t o f th e q u e s t io n .
O b se rv a tio n s made by two o f th e r esp o n d e n ts are illu m in a t in g :
one program manager found F a g a l's " t o p ic and trea tm en t" o f c o n te n t to be
"more a c c e p t a b le , p a r t i c u l a r l y to n on -ch u rch p e o p le " ;^ and a Canadian

lrrv #4 7 .

2TV # 1 .

7
The r ea d er sh o u ld keep in mind th a t th e s e "grades" are g iv e n in
the c o n te x t o f com paring F agal w ith o th e r t e l e v i s i o n c le r g y , and n o t in
the c o n te x t o f th e p u b lic p la tfo r m o r p u l p i t .
In ord er even to s u r v iv e
on t e l e v i s i o n , a p r e a c h e r must b e more th an " average" ; and a grade o f "C"
here in d ic a t e s n o t th a t F agal i s an a v e r a g e , o rd in a ry p rea ch er; b u t ,
r a th e r , t h a t he i s m erely t y p i c a l o f th a t s p e c i a l b r e ed who are dem onstra
b ly good enough to g a in and m a in ta in a t e l e v i s i o n f o ll o w in g .
^TV # 3 0 , Program M anager, N o r th -e a s te r n O hio, Aug. 17, 1966.

i f ____

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

p ro d u ctio n manager e v a lu a te d F a g a lfs c o n te n t (in c lu d in g r e le v a n c e o f

to p ic and tr e a tm e n t) as
b e t t e r th an Vandeman from " I t i s W ritten " ; n o t as good as
Bishop Sheen; more b e l i e v a b l e th an O ral R oberts and B illy Graham. *
Fagal s c o r e d s u b s t a n t i a l l y h ig h e r in th e a rea o f d e liv e r y than
in th a t o f c o n te n t in th e com parison r a t in g s :
( " e x c e lle n t ," " b e t t e r than m o st," e t c . ) ;
a g e," e t c . ) ;

he was g iv e n th r e e "A 's"

19 "B*s" (" good ," "above a v e r

14 "C's" (" a v e r a g e ," "about th e sam e," "on a p a r ," e t c . ) ;

and two "D's" ( " f a i r ," " n ot on a p a r " ).

A nother 14 f a i l e d to award any

"grade" w h atever t o t h i s c a te g o r y .
In d e s c r ib in g W illiam F a g a l's d e l i v e r y , resp o n d e n ts u se d such
e x p r e ssio n s as " f i n e , smooth p r e s e n t a t io n - - g o o d ap p earan ce" ;2 " m id d leroad e f f e c t iv e n e s s " ; ^ and "demands a t t e n t io n ." ^
S li g h t q u a l i f i c a t i o n was v o ic e d by two o f th e r e sp o n d e n ts.

S a id

one:
He appears to speak from th e h e a r t . H owever, he te n d s to
be m onotone. H is p a c in g i s good. He does n o t u se h i s
hands t o em phasize a p o in t w hich m igh t h e lp . On th e o th e r
hand, he i s a t a l k e r , n o t a p r e a c h e r . ^
And, observed th e o th e r :
Sometimes to o s a n g u in e --so m e tim e s to o co n d escen d in g ; b u t on
the w h o le, b e t t e r th an m o s t . 6
F i n a lly , in th e a rea o f p e r s o n a l i t y , F agal fa r e d q u it e w e ll in
comparison w ith o th e r clergym en on t e l e v i s i o n .

A gain, u s in g th e t y p i c a l

XTV #47.
2
3

TV # 4 , Program D ir e c t o r , C e n tr a l A r izo n a , Aug. 2 2 , 1967.

TV # 4 6 , A s s is t a n t O p era tio n s M anager, A lb e r ta , Canada, S e p t. 30,

1966.
^TV # 4 8 , Program S u p e r v is o r , Nova S c o t i a , Canada, S e p t. 7 , 1966.
5TV #47.

6TV # 3 0 .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

sc h o o l " g r a d e s, he ea rn ed th r e e "A's" (" very good"); 14 "B 's" ("good ,"

"above a v e ra g e ," " b e t t e r ," " a p p e a lin g " ); 14 "C's" (" e q u a l," " th e sam e,"
"on a p a r ," e t c . ) ; and 4 "D 's" ( " f a i r ," "not on a p a r ," "below average" )
An a d d itio n a l 17 ch ose n o t to respon d a t a l l t o t h i s s e c t io n o f th e
q u e s tio n .
In e x p r e s s in g p e r s o n a l v ie w p o in t s , th e t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n p e r
so n n el ten d ed t o e x h i b i t a c o n s id e r a b le measure o f candor, to " t e l l i t
lik e i t i s , " t o u se an e x p r e s s io n commonly a p p lie d to CBS newsman,
W alter C ro n k ite.

In t h e i r e y e s , F a g a l was:

A n ic e man. M id d le-a g ed . O verw eight appearance g iv e s him

a w holesom e, happy p e r s o n a l i t y . !
P le a s in g b u t n o t dynam ic.

Good p r o j e c t io n o f p e r s o n a l i t y . ^
Less p e r so n a b le than so m e --b u t t h i s i s hard to j u d g e .4
Not q u ite in th e same le a g u e w ith B ishop Sheen or B i l l y
Graham, b u t p r e t t y good n o n e t h e le s s .^

P e r c e iv e d w ea k n esses in th e Fagal p r e s e n t a t io n .--T h e f i n a l

q u e stio n in th e s u r v e y , in th e c o n te x t o f a u d ien ce r esp o n se to th e
speaking o f W illiam A. F a g a l, d e a ls w ith f a c t o r s o f w eakness in th e
Fagal p r e s e n t a tio n as p e r c e iv e d by t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n management.

Again

the c o n t e n t - d e liv e r y - p e r s o n a lit y c a t e g o r ie s are em ployed.

A t o t a l o f e ig h t r esp o n d e n ts marked c o n te n t as an a r ea , in t h e i r
o p in io n , in w hich w eakness was e x h ib it e d , e i t h e r g e n e r a lly ("This i s th e
w eakest a r e a , though i t depends on th e v ie w e r 's in d iv id u a l p o in t o f
view"^) or in more s p e c i f i c term s:

2TV #47.

TV #46,

4TV #28.

5TV #26.

3TV #42,
6 I b id .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

Could b e more in t e lle c t u a l.'* '

P a sto r F agal a p p e a ls to a lim it e d v ie w in g a u d ie n c e perhaps
p a r t i c u l a r l y t o th e e v a n g e lic a lly -m in d e d .
Could embrace a
w id er c r o s s - s e c t i o n o f r e l i g i o u s v ie w e r s .2
Some improvement [n eeded] h ere in o v e r a ll fo rm a t.
S e v e r a l, on th e o th e r hand, h o w ev er, v o ic e d c o n tr a r y o p in io n s .
As r eg a r d in g a lle g e d w e a k n e sse s, th e y a ffir m e d v a r io u s ly th a t th e y c o u ld
fin d " n on e," 4 or a t l e a s t "no m ajor w e a k n e ss e s," 3 t h a t th e y had "no
su g g e stio n "

t o o f f e r , and th a t P a s to r F agal " sh o u ld n o t change s u b s ta n -

t i a l l y in any o f th e above a r e a s ."

C oncerning w eak n esses p e r c e iv e d in th e a r ea o f d e liv e r y and p e r

form ance, th r e e o f th e 10 resp o n d e n ts n o t in g d i f f i c u l t i e s h e r e sp ok e in
O
g en era l term s: " co u ld be s tr o n g e r a t tim e s ,"
c it in g a d e liv e r y -la c k
g
"m serm o n ette" ; and one f e l t "perhaps a l i t t l e to o much from th e
p u l p i t ." 10
G reater a t t e n t i o n , how ever, was d ir e c t e d a t F a g a l's p erform an ce

m th e dram atic s k i t s .

To o n e , " s k it s are th e w e a k e st" ,

another th e y were s e e n as "a l i t t l e weak a t t im e s ,"

12

11

and to

and th e p erfo rm

ance o n ly " f a i r . " 13

1TV # 1 .

2TV # 49.

4TV # 9 , #1 8 .

5TV #12.

3TV # 3 2 .

TV #2 2 , O p era tio n s D ir e c t o r , E a s t - c e n t r a l M i s s i s s i p p i , Aug. 3 1 ,

1966.
7TV #30.

8TV # 1 .

TV # 7 , S t a t io n Manager, S o u th -w e ste rn C a lif o r n i a , S e p t. 2 2 ,

1966.
10TV #28.

n TV #37.

12TV #44.

13TV #49.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

S p e c i f i c a l l y , "som etim es th e dram atic seem s overdone"^ and th e

sp eech d e liv e r y " too p r e c is e . . . m onotone, la c k s g e s t u r e s o f h a n d s."

One t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n p r e s id e n t , h ow ever, a s t u t e l y n o te d one

m it ig a tin g f a c t o r in t h i s p a r t i c u l a r genre o f c r i t i c i s m :

"This w ould

probably be tr u e f o r anyone who i s n o t a p r o f e s s io n a l a c t o r .

F i n a l l y , in th e a r e a o f p e r c e iv e d p e r s o n a lit y w e a k n e s s e s , o n ly
n in e r e g is t e r e d any o p in io n a t a l l , and v i r t u a l l y a l l w ere con cern ed
w ith th e q u a lit y o f dynamism w hich most f e l t to be la c k in g .
"Not dynam ic," two r esp o n d e n ts d e c la r e d .4

" P le a s in g , b u t n o t

dynamic; ten d en cy to be 'p a t ' o r 's y r u p y ,'" a n o th er a l l e g e d . 3

One p e r c e p t iv e program d ir e c t o r summed i t up f o r them a l l when
he ob served s u c c i n c t l y :
P e r s o n a lly , I l i k e th e in d i v i d u a l. However, he t r i e s (o r
th e d ir e c t o r d o es) t o s u b s t i t u t e s w e e tn e s s and s m ile s f o r a
dynamic, s tr o n g p r e s e n t a t io n an e lem en t w hich w ould make
him more e f f e c t i v e . 6

Summary

W illiam A. F a g a l, th e f i r s t n a t io n a l t e l e v i s i o n p a s t o r in N orth
America and in A u s t r a lia , h as had a s u b s t a n t i a l l y p e r v a s iv e in f lu e n c e
not o n ly upon h i s h e a r e r s in p a r t i c u l a r b u t a ls o upon th e c u lt u r e s o f
both o f th e s e c o n t in e n t s .
The N ie ls e n su r v ey i n d i c a t e s t h a t th e " F a ith f o r Today" v ie w in g
audience in th e U n ited S t a t e s , in 1966, was composed la r g e l y o f fem a le
a d u lt s , who outnumber t h e i r a d u lt male c o u n te r p a r ts by a f a c t o r o f
n ea rly th r e e to on e.

One ou t o f e v er y two a d u lt fem a le v ie w e r s was

*TV # 3 1 , S t a t io n Manager, S o u th - c e n tr a l Oregon, Aug. 2 2 , 1966.

2TV # 4 7 .

3TV # 1 1 .

4 TV # 3 5 , # 4 7 .

5TV # 4 6 .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

6 TV # 1 .

c la s s e d as th e " la d y o f th e h o u se" ; and te e n a g e r s and c h ild r e n te n d t o

view th e program in a lm o st e q u a l num bers, w ith a d u lts outnum bering th e
youth by a f a c t o r o f e ig h t to o n e.
M ail r e s p o n se t o th e t e l e c a s t in N orth Am erica h a s grown from 66
l e t t e r s r e c e iv e d f o llo w in g th e p r em iere p erform ance on May 2 1 , 1950, to
a volume o f 1 0 ,0 0 0 l e t t e r s p e r week i n 1968.

A t o t a l o f 4 .7 2 m i l l i o n

l e t t e r s was r e c e iv e d a t t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te rs d u rin g th e p e r io d 19521968.

The B ib le C orrespondence S c h o o l o p e r a te d by F a ith f o r Today,
I n c ., f o r N orth A m erica, has p r o c e s s e d 1 .6 8 m i l l i o n a p p lic a t io n s d u rin g
1952-1968, and g ra d u a ted 1 2 7 ,8 5 7 in d iv i d u a l s from i t s v a r io u s c o u r se s o f
stu d y .
A s u r v e y o f th e r e l i g i o u s a f f i l i a t i o n o f s tu d e n ts in th e s c h o o l
in 1967 r e v e a le d t h a t o n ly 20.9% a r e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t s ; more than
t h r e e -fo u r th s come from a broad spectru m o f d en o m in a tio n a l a f f i l i a t i o n ,
w ith many i n d i c a t i n g no church c o n n e c tio n w h a te v e r one b a ro m eter among
many in d ic a t in g th e w ide appeal o f " F a ith f o r Today" in g e n e r a l and o f
the sp ea k in g o f W illia m A. F agal in p a r t i c u l a r , t o a gen erou s c r o s s s e c tio n o f th e American p o p u la tio n .
The t e l e c a s t m ailb ag in New York r e c e iv e s l e t t e r s d a il y from
in d iv id u a ls in a l l s o c io -e c o n o m ic w alks o f l i f e ,

from Congressmen and

co rp o ra tio n e x e c u t iv e s t o h o u se w iv e s and h ig h s c h o o l s t u d e n t s .
V iew ers have c o n tr ib u te d $ 5 .5 3 m il lio n d o lla r s th rou gh th e m a il
alone to su p p o rt th e t e l e c a s t and i t s

a u x i l ia r y s e r v i c e s d u rin g 1951-

1968, w ith 59.0% o f th e g i f t s am ounting i n d i v i d u a l l y t o f i v e d o ll a r s or

le s s .
Some 1 4 ,2 7 9 a d u lt v ie w er s have a c c e p te d th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t
f a it h as a co n seq u en ce o f w a tch in g " F a ith f o r Today" and b een b a p tiz e d

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

in t o i t s membership d u rin g 1 9 5 0 -1 9 6 8 .

O ther thousands w r ite d a i l y o f

th e s p i r i t u a l b l e s s i n g s brough t in t o t h e i r homes and l i v e s v ia th e

te le c a s t.
" F a ith f o r Today" has had a s im ila r im pact r e l i g i o u s l y and c u l
t u r a lly in c o u n tr ie s o u t s id e N orth Am erica where th e film s have been
shown on t e l e v i s i o n and in p u b lic a u d ito r iu m s, in s p i t e o f c u lt u r a l d i f
fe r e n c e s which m ight have te n d ed to v i t i a t e i f n o t n e g a te th e e f f e c t o f
th e program.
T e le v is io n s t a t i o n management p e r so n n e l g e n e r a lly ten d t o view
the program w ith h ig h reg a rd p e r s o n a ll y , as e v id e n c e d b o th by th e p ro
gram's e v e r - in c r e a s in g lo n g e v it y on th e airw aves and a ls o by th e f a c t
th a t F aith f o r Today, I n c . , i s o b lig e d to pay f o r tim e on l e s s than 30
o f the 300-odd s t a t i o n s c a r r y in g th e program in 1968.

The rem ainder

p rovid e fr e e " p u b lic - s e r v ic e " tim e f o r i t s a i r i n g , w o rth , a t c u r re n t

s t a t io n tim e r a t e s , more than $ 1 .2 5 m il l io n d o lla r s a n n u a lly , in th e
in c r e a s in g ly c o m p e titiv e f i e l d o f r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t i n g .
S t a t io n management g e n e r a lly sp ea k s q u it e comp1im e n t a r ily o f th e
p erso n a l c o n tr ib u tio n made by W illia m A. Fagal to " F a ith fo r Today" in
p a r tic u la r and to r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n programming g e n e r a lly .

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

CHAPTER V I I

AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO THE CORRELATE PULPIT PREACHING OF WILLIAM A. FAGAL

I have h eard o f th e e by th e h e a r in g o f th e ear:

b u t now mine eye s e e t h t h e e . Job 4 2 :5 .
I s a t down under h i s shadow w ith g r e a t
d e l i g h t . C a n tic le s 2 :3 b .

The e v id e n c e s o f r e sp o n se from W illiam A. F a g a l's t e l e v i s i o n

audience c it e d in C hapter V I, w h ile o f c o n s id e r a b le v a lu e in exam ining
both g e n e r a lly and s p e c i f i c a l l y th e im pact and e f f e c t o f th e sp e a k e r ,
are n e v e r t h e le s s i n s u f f i c i e n t fo r th e s tu d e n t o f r h e t o r ic a l th e o r y and
p r a c tic e to d e s c r ib e a d e q u a te ly W illia m F agal as a sp e a k e r in th e sp ea k
in g c o n te x t.
V iew ers o f " F a ith f o r Today" seldom s e e v e ry much more than a
h ea d -a n d -sh o u ld ers view o f a f a i r l y s t a t io n a r y W illia m F a g a l, b e c a u se o f
the lim it a t io n s o f r e c e i v i n g - s e t s c r e e n s i z e .

Then, t o o , th e r e i s o f t e n

somewhat o f a la p s e in tim e betw een th e moment when th e v ie w e r w atches

the sp eak er v ia th e TV s e t , and th e moment when he w r it e s down h is su b
j e c t i v e im p r e ssio n s in a l e t t e r to t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te r s.

F i n a lly , th e

s i x minute ser m o n ette i s n o t lo n g enough fo r some v ie w er s t o o b ta in a

c le a r im p re ssio n o f th e t o t a l perform ance o f th e sp e a k e r , n o r f o r th e
speaker to p r o v id e a f u l l e x h ib it io n o f th e p o t e n t i a l o f h i s sp e a k in g
p row ess.
In order to o b ta in a c le a r , s u b j e c t iv e im p r e ssio n o f th e p u b lic
speaking o f W illiam A. F a g a l, t h e r e f o r e , a su rv ey q u e s tio n n a ir e was
601

with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

prepared by w hich to m easure a u d ien ce r esp o n se to a p la tfo r m p r e s e n t a

t io n , in a d d itio n t o th e su r v e y o f m a il r e sp o n se and t a b u la t io n o f
r e s u l t s from a su rv ey o f t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n management p e r so n n e l c i t e d
p r e v io u s ly .

T h is was th en c i r c u l a t e d among an a u d ien ce who l i s t e n e d to

t h is m in is t e r in a l i v e , f a c e - t o - f a c e com m unication e x p e r ie n c e .

The Grand Ledge Camp M eeting S p eak in g S it u a t io n

O ccasion f a c t o r s . -- W illia m F agal was i n v i t e d to sp eak on th e

c lo s in g weekend o f th e 9 7 th Annual Camp M eetin g o f th e M ichigan C o n fer
ence o f th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church, J u ly 1 6 -1 7 , 1965, a t Grand
Ledge.

A d a ir y - and s to c k -fa r m in g community o f 5 ,1 6 5 p o p u la tio n , th e

c i t y i s s i t u a t e d on th e Grand R iv e r , in Eaton C ounty, 11 m ile s w e st o f

the s t a t e c a p i t a l , Lansing.'*'
"Camp m e e tin g ," a d i s t i n c t i v e l y un iqu e r e l i g i o u s phenomenon
p e c u lia r ly American in o r i g i n , tr a c e s i t s r o o ts back to th e r u r a l fr o n
t i e r l i f e o f th e Midwest o f 1800.

I t came to f u l l flo w e r in th e

Chautauqua A ssem bly c i r c u i t a c en tu r y l a t e r ;

and s u r v iv e s to d a y , i f

s p o r a d ic a lly , among a few F u n d a m en ta list d en om in ation s a c r o s s th e n a t io n ,

n o ta b le th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t s .
In 1965 th e r e were 1 7 ,8 2 1 b a p tiz e d a d u lt S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis ts
w orshippin g in some 162 o r g a n iz e d ch u rch es in M ich igan , whose s t a t e con
fe r e n c e e n jo y s th e p rem iere d i s t i n c t i o n o f b e in g A d v en tism 's o l d e s t in
the w orld (o r g a n iz e d 1 8 6 1 ).

And th e M ichigan camp m e e tin g , one o f th e

~*~Ayer D ir e c t o r y , 1967:

514.

2
James H. S m y lie , "Camp M eetin g ," E n c y c lo p e d ia Am ericana V
(1968): 2 9 2 -9 3 .
3SDA Y earbook, 1965-66:

46.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

603

ch u rch 's l a r g e s t and most c o l o r f u l i n N orth A m erica, p r o v id e s an oppor

tu n ity f o r b e l i e v e r s th rou ghout th e s t a t e to g a th e r a n n u a lly f o r
r e li g io u s i n s t r u c t i o n and s o c i a l f e llo w s h i p .
L arge, s p e c i a l c ir c u s - t y p e t e n t s f o r graded c h i ld r e n 's and
y o u th 's s e s s i o n s are e r e c te d a lo n g w ith s e v e r a l hundreds o f f a m i l y - s i z e
te n t s and c a b in s on th e s p a c io u s 1 6 1 -a c r e grounds o f Grand Ledge Academy,
an A d v e n tist seco n d a ry s c h o o l,^ where th e 10-d ay encampment i s h e ld ,
thus e n a b lin g some 3 ,0 0 0 t o " l iv e in " in r e a s o n a b le com fort and ta k e
maximum advantage o f th e v a r io u s d a il y m e e tin g s w hich are sc h e d u le d from
6:30 a.m . to 9 :3 0 p.m .

A ttend ance a t e v en in g m e e tin g s d u rin g th e week i s s u b s t a n t i a l l y

h ig h e r , a t t r a c t i n g A d v e n tis t r e s id e n t s in c i t i e s

as f a r as 100 m ile s

d is ta n t from Grand Ledge; and on w eek en d s, th e i n f l u x o f th e f a i t h f u l

(some even coming from n e ig h b o r in g s t a t e s ) r e a c h e s a maximum o f 1 5 ,0 0 0
to 2 0 ,0 0 0 .
The main au d ito riu m , where s e r v i c e s f o r a d u lts are h e ld , i s an
o ld wooden ta b e r n a c le -ty p e p a v il io n o f Chautauqua v in t a g e w hich s e a t s
10 , 0 0 0 .
W illiam A. F agal and h i s F a ith f o r Today q u a r te t and o r g a n is t
were th e s t a r a t t r a c t io n s a t t h i s main p a v i l i o n F rid a y and Saturday
e v e n in g s , J u ly 1 6 -1 7 , 1965; and th e y w ere a ls o th e fe a tu r e d g u e s ts a t
the 11 a.m. Sabbath w orsh ip s e r v i c e f o r s e n io r (h ig h s c h o o l and c o l le g e )
youth th a t Saturday m orning.

^"Grand Ledge Academy," SPA E n c y c lo p e d ia , 4 7 4 .

2

The 10-d ay "mushroom c i t y , " w hich a ls o p r o v id e d sp a c e f o r house

t r a i l e r s and cam pers, b o a s te d a co m p lete v e g e t a r ia n c a f e t e r i a and fo o d
s to r e (w hich d id a la n d - o f f i c e b u s in e s s th rou gh ou t th e s e s s i o n ) , a book
s t o r e , a d is p la y b u ild in g f o r church d ep a rtm en ta l e x h i b i t s , a f i r e
departm ent, and com p lete restro o m and b a th in g f a c i l i t i e s a t s t r a t e g i c
lo c a tio n s th rou gh ou t th e grounds.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

604

Q u e s tio n n a ir e f a c t o r s . As th e c o n g r e g a tio n g a th e r e d on t h is
Saturday e v e n in g , to c lo s e b o th i t s

Sabbath and i t s

1965 camp m e e tin g ,

an au d ien ce r e sp o n se questionnaire"*" was handed t o a p p ro x im a te ly one out

o f every th r e e a d u lts among th e 1 0 ,0 0 0 who a tte n d e d t h a t e v en in g s e r v i c e .
W orshippers i n v i t e d to p a r t i c i p a t e w ere r e q u e s te d to com plete
page one o n ly , b e fo r e th e s e r v i c e b e g a n , r e s e r v in g th e rem ain in g th r e e
u n t i l th e e v e n in g s e r v i c e was en d ed .

Of th e 3 ,0 0 0 form s d is t r ib u t e d ,

some 1 ,0 5 0 (o r 35.0%) w ere r e tu r n e d to u sh e r s a fte r w a r d by com m unicants,

an u n u su a lly la r g e number o f whom rem ained in t h e i r s e a t s fo r as lo n g as
30 m inutes a f t e r th e 9 :1 0 p.m . d i s m i s s a l , i n o rd er t o c o o p e r a te , and
r e g i s t e r f u l l y t h e i r r e sp o n se to th e sp e a k e r and h i s m essage o f th e
ev en in g !
The q u e s tio n n a ir e u sed was b a se d on one d e v e lo p e d by W ilber
A lexander in h i s s tu d y o f th e a u d ie n c e r e s p o n se to th e p la tfo r m sp ea k in g
o f Harold M. S . R ic h a r d s, F a g a l's c o u n te r p a r t on A d v e n tis t r a d io ,
1960.

in

S e v e ra l changes and a d d i t io n s , h ow ever, w ere made from th e A le x

ander model by t h i s w r it e r .
One f e a t u r e p r o m in e n tly (and d e l i b e r a t e l y ) r e t a in e d , how ever,
was th e "open-ended" n a tu r e o f th e r e s p o n s e :

p r o v is io n f o r a modest

amount o f u n str u c tu r e d r e p ly by th e resp o n d e n t in h i s own words was made,

r a th e r than th e u t i l i z a t i o n o f th e u b iq u ito u s c h e c k - l i s t , so o fte n a
fe a tu r e o f q u e s t io n n a ir e s o f t h i s s o r t .
C h e c k - lis t s p o s s e s s th e u n d e n ia b le ad van tage o f e n a b lin g th e
in v e s t ig a t o r to t a b u la t e and c l a s s i f y h i s d a ta much more q u ic k ly ; b u t in

*"The q u e s tio n n a ir e i s rep rod u ced as Appendix M.

^A lexander, 3 9 1 -9 2 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

t h e ir c o n s tr u c tio n th e r e perhaps may be a danger o f th e c h e c k - l i s t

becoming a u th o r -o r ie n te d r a th e r than p r im a r ily a u d ie n c e -o r ie n te d .
By d e s ig n , t h i s w r it e r d e l i b e r a t e l y ch o se a more la b o r io u s
ro u te; f o r in o b t a in in g h i s d a ta e m p ir ic a lly in t h i s manner, h e w anted
to l e t th e r esp o n d en t ch oose h i s own words t o r ec o r d h i s own u n iq u e ly
in d iv id u a l r esp o n se fo r each o f th e q u e s tio n s l i s t e d .
W hether, t h e r e f o r e , t h i s q u e s tio n n a ir e was an adequate i n s t r u
ment, and w hether d a ta thus o b ta in e d , in t h i s c o n t e x t , are v a l i d , * w i l l ,
in the f i n a l a n a l y s i s , be d eterm in ed by th e in d iv id u a l rea d er f o r
h im s e lf.

The a u d ie n c e . I f W illia m F a g a l's t o t a l a u d ien ce o f 1 0 ,0 0 0 th a t

Saturday e v e n in g in Grand Ledge were t y p i c a l l y r e p r e s e n te d by th e sample
o f 1,050 in d iv id u a l w o rsh ip p ers who resp on d ed to th e q u e s t io n n a ir e ,

the

^GL #482, a 4 5 -y e a r -o ld male A d v e n tis t s c h o o l a d m in is tr a to r w ith

e d u c a tio n a l q u a l i f i c a t i o n l i s t e d as "M.A. p l u s , 1' d is s e n t e d on two
co u n ts, c o n te n t and method: "I f e e l t h a t t h i s q u e s tio n n a ir e i s n o t
p a r t ic u la r ly w e ll done. Comparing i t w ith many o th e r r e s e a r c h q u e s t io n
n a ir e s , I q u e s tio n i t s v a l i d i t y , and th e tim e , th o u g h t, and e f f o r t put
in to i t . "
GL #784, a 3 9 -y e a r -o ld fem a le A d v e n tis t r e g is t e r e d n u r s e ,
a ls o d isa g r e e d w ith th e form at: "Your q u e s tio n n a ir e sh o u ld be s h o r t e r
and n o t ask fo r so much w r it in g o f a n sw ers." W hile t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r
a p o lo g iz e s fo r such in c o n v e n ie n c e to p a r t i c i p a t o r s , he s t i l l , u n rep en ta n tly f e e l s t h a t , f o r th e p u rp o ses a lr e a d y o u t lin e d above, in t h i s
in s ta n c e a t l e a s t th e end j u s t i f i e d th e means!
2

T his i n v e s t i g a t o r had no means a t h is d is p o s a l o f d e te r m in in g

how " r e p r e s e n ta tiv e " o f th e t o t a l a u d ien ce h i s sam ple m ight b e . As
n oted b elo w , th e sam ple i t s e l f r e p r e s e n te d a f a i r l y b road e d u c a t io n a l,
v o c a t io n a l, and c u lt u r a l spectrum ; b u t t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r had been c a r e
f u l not to g e n e r a liz e from t h i s sam ple e i t h e r to th e g e n e r a l p o p u la tio n ,
or to A dventism in g e n e r a l. He r e c o g n iz e s th a t th o se who responded may
be b ia s e d , e i t h e r in fa v o r o f Mr. F a g a l, or a g a in s t making c r i t i c a l
comments (o r b o th ); and t h i s , in d e e d , may have been th e m o tiv a tio n th a t
caused them to com plete and r e tu r n th e form . C o n tr a r ily , i t may a ls o
have m o tiv a te d o th e r s to r e fu s e to com plete and r e tu r n th e q u e s t io n n a ir e .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

women in th e c o n g r e g a tio n (64.1% o f th e t o t a l ) outnumbered th e men

$
1?

(35.8%) by n e a r ly two to o n e.

The sam ple a u d ien ce was overw h elm in gly composed o f m arried p e r
sons (78.1% ), w h ile widows and widow ers (8.9% ), th e s i n g l e (8.7% ), and
th e d iv o r c e d and th e s e p a r a te d (3.5%) made up th e b a la n c e o f th e p o p u la
t io n sam p le.
Not u n e x p e c te d ly , in v iew o f th e n a tu re o f th e o c c a s io n , 98.1%
o f th e resp o n d en ts in d ic a t e d membership in th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tist
Church, and g e n e r a lly tend ed to r e p o r t a tten d a n c e a t i t s s e r v ic e s as
" r e g u la r ."
Of th e 23 n o n -A d v e n tist v i s i t o r s p r e s e n t and p a r t i c ip a t i n g th a t
e v e n in g , membership in th e f o llo w in g b o d ie s was r e g is t e r e d :

B a p t is t ,

C o n g r e g a tio n a lis t, C h r is tia n and M issio n a r y A l lia n c e , M eth o d ist,

L utheran, Mormon, and s e v e r a l i n t e r - f a i t h g rou p s.
!

The sam ple au d ien ce would d e f i n i t e l y be c l a s s i f i e d as "m id d le-

aged"a g a in , n o t s u r p r is in g s in c e s e p a r a te e v en in g s e r v ic e s were h e ld

s im u lta n e o u s ly fo r c h ild r e n and y o u th .

The la r g e s t s i n g l e age group r e p r e s e n te d f o r both men (25.0% o f

;
male r esp o n d e n ts) and women (19.91% o f fem ale r esp o n d e n ts) was 41-50
years.

The s e c o n d - la r g e s t age group f o r b o th men (18.35%) and women

(19.61%) was 51-60 y e a r s ; w ith th e 31-40 y e a r s group running a c lo s e

th ir d fo r b o th men (16.76%) and women (18.13% ).
O n e-th ird o f a l l resp o n d en ts (34.99%) had com pleted betw een n in e
and 12 y e a rs o f s c h o o lin g , w h ile a n o th er o n e -t h ir d (32.89%) r e p o r te d
havin g com pleted betw een 13 and 16 y e a r s o f t r a in i n g .

I n t e r e s t i n g l y , an

^For a com p lete a n a ly t i c a l t a b u la t io n o f aud ien ce f a c t o r s and

resp on se d a ta o b ta in e d from th e 1 ,0 5 0 r e sp o n d e n ts, s e e Appendix N.

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607

a d d it io n a l 119 o f th e 1 ,0 5 0 r e s p o n d e n ts (11.34%) r e p o r t e d s t i l l f u r t h e r
e d u c a tio n a l a tta in m e n t in advance o f a b a c c a la u r e a t e d e g r e e .

Of th e 35

respondents who h e l d a d o c t o r a t e , fo u r were P h . D . ' s , 21 were M .D .'s , 10

were d e n t i s t s ( D . D . S . ) , and one was a D o cto r o f C h ir o p r a c t ic .

I f th e

sample were t y p i c a l o f th e w h ole, i t was a f a i r l y - w e l l ed u ca ted

a u d ie n c e .*
As m ight be i n f e r r e d from th e e d u c a t io n a l background d a ta j u s t
c i t e d , o n e - t h ir d (345 r e s p o n d e n ts )

l i s t e d employment i n one o f 12 d i f

fe r e n t p r o f e s s i o n a l c a t e g o r i e s , w h ile a n o th e r o n e - t h i r d (325 r e s p o n d e n ts )
in d ic a t e d t h e i r o c c u p a t io n a l s t a t u s as e i t h e r "housew ife" or some o t h e r
s p e c i f i e d form o f d o m e s tic en d eav or.
The a u d ie n c e , w h ile c e r t a i n l y n o t t y p i c a l o f th e g e n e r a l American
p o p u la tio n as a w h o le , appears t o b e , how ever, r a t h e r t y p i c a l o f an
A d v e n tist-d o m in a te d g a t h e r in g .

H a r t z e l l S p e n c e , i n a c h a p te r on S e v e n th -

day A d v e n tis ts i n The S to r y o f A m erica 's R e l i g i o n s , r e p o r t s t h a t :

th r e e tim es more A d v e n t i s t s a re c o l l e g e g r a d u a tes than i s
the case w ith th e g e n e r a l U n ited S t a t e s p u b l i c . More o f
them are m arried and fe w er o f them are widowed or s e p a r a t e d
than census f i g u r e s r e v e a l f o r th e p u b l i c g e n e r a l l y . Few
are w e a lth y . A d v e n t i s t s ten d t o be p h y s i c i a n s , m ed ical
t e c h n i c i a n s , p r e a c h e r s , managers o f s m a ll b u s i n e s s e s , f a c
to r y foremen, c l e r i c a l w ork ers, s a le s m e n , l a b o r e r s , and
s k i l l e d c r a fts m e n . They have s m a ll f a m i l i e s , w ith two or
th r e e c h ild r e n th e r u l e . 2
A demographic s tu d y o f Adventism i n North America, condu cted i n
1949 j o i n t l y by th e e d u c a tio n and young p e o p l e ' s departm ents o f th e
General C onference (from which S p en ce , ab o ve, drew h i s d a t a ) , f u r t h e r

* I t i s , o f c o u r s e , q u i t e p o s s i b l e t h a t th e b e t t e r - e d u c a t e d among
those r e c e i v i n g th e q u e s t i o n n a i r e would be more i n c l i n e d t o com plete i t .
However, A d v e n t is t s g e n e r a l l y te n d t o f a v o r o b t a in in g more e d u c a tio n
somewhat more than th e g e n e r a l p o p u la t i o n ( s e e b e l o w ) .
^Spence, 167 -68 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

608

shows t h a t one and o n e - h a l f tim e s as many A d v e n t i s t s had com pleted th e

h igh s c h o o l grad es as t h e g e n e r a l American p o p u la tio n ; whereas t w ic e as
many o f th e g e n e r a l p u b l i c , p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y , had t h e i r e d u c a tio n s to p p e d
a t or below th e e i g h t h g r a d e . 1
A ls o , A d v e n t i s t s were p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y fo u r tim es as numerous as
th e g e n e r a l p o p u la t i o n i n th e p r o f e s s i o n a l - t e c h n i c a l group o f o c cu p a t io n s and a lm o st tw ic e as numerous i n th e c r a f t s and s k i l l e d t r a d e s .

2 3
*

An ex a m in a tio n o f th e d a ta from th e 1,0 50 r esp o n d e n ts i n t h e

Grand Ledge s u r v e y i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h i s camp m eetin g a u d ien ce bore a
s t r i k i n g resem blan ce and perhaps may be s a i d to be t y p i c a l o f A d v e n t i s t
g a th er in g s g e n e r a l l y .

S e v e n t h - d a y A d v e n t i s t Youth a t Mid-Century (Washington:

and Herald P u b lis h in g A s s o c i a t i o n , 1 9 5 1 ), 20.

Review

2 I b i d . , 40.
7

The 1949 f i n d i n g s , a bove, are i n p a r t v a l i d a t e d by c u r r e n t

attendance tr e n d s o f A d v e n t i s t young p e o p le in i n s t i t u t i o n s o f h ig h e r
e d u c a tio n .
In 1949 ( t h e y e a r o f th e o r i g i n a l s u r v e y ) , th e combined a v e r
age atten d an ce f o r a l l S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t c o l l e g e s i n North America
was 7 ,5 7 4 , o r 3.114% o f th e t o t a l b a p t i z e d a d u lt membership o f th e North
American D i v i s i o n ( 2 4 3 ,1 9 3 ) .
In t h a t y e a r 936 com pleted a f o u r - y e a r
undergraduate program and r e c e i v e d a b a c c a la u r e a t e d e g r e e , o r 0.384% o f
th e t o t a l d i v i s i o n membership.
In 1 9 6 5 - - t h e y e a r o f th e Grand Ledge
camp m eeting a u d ien ce s u r v e y , th e combined average a tten d a n c e f o r a l l
SDA c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s i n North America s t o o d a t 1 2 ,6 4 1 , o r 3.319%
o f the t o t a l D i v i s i o n membership ( 3 8 0 , 8 5 5 ) . That y e a r , 1 ,1 6 7 com pleted
a b a c c a la u r e a te degree program, o r 0.319% o f th e t o t a l d i v i s i o n
membership.
These f i g u r e s i n d i c a t e , i f a n y t h in g , a s l i g h t p e r c e n t a g e g a i n ,
both in c o l l e g e a tte n d a n c e g e n e r a l l y , and i n b a c c a la u r e a t e d e g r ee s
g ranted, f o r th e 1 6 -y e a r p e r io d betw een 1949 and 1965. These d a ta seem
to i n d ic a t e t h a t S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s c o n tin u e t o p l a c e a h ig h premium
on h ig h er e d u c a tio n f o r t h e i r young p e o p l e .
(S ource: L e t t e r from J e s s e
0. Gibson, S t a t i s t i c a l S e c r e t a r y , General C onference o f S e v e n th -d a y
A d v e n t is t s , W ashington, D. C ., Dec. 23, 1 9 6 8 .)
4

F a g a l 's Grand Ledge a u d ien ce b e a r s s t r i k i n g s i m i l a r i t i e s , in

a l l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s c o n s id e r e d , to th e H. M. S. R ichards aud ien ce
s tu d ie d by A le x a n d e r , Nov. 20 , 1960, a t San ta Monica, C a l i f .
(A lex a n d er,
3 1 0 -1 1 .)

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

609
R espondents were a sked w h at, s p e c i f i c a l l y , prompted them t o come
to t h i s p a r t i c u l a r m e e tin g ; and, a f t e r t a b u l a t i n g th e r e t u r n s , t h e r e
could be b u t l i t t l e

doubt t h a t th e p r e s e n c e o f W illia m Fagal was th e

prime, s t a r a t t r a c t i o n .
Some 34.2% o f th e r e s p o n d e n ts e x p l i c i t l y s t a t e d t h a t th e y had
come becau se t h e y w ish e d t o h e a r P a s t o r F agal sp e a k ; and 26.6% m entioned
e i t h e r the t e l e c a s t by name or th e F a ith f o r Today Q u a r te t or o r g a n i s t
as a m o t iv a t in g f a c t o r i n t h e i r d e c i s i o n t o a t t e n d .
Fagal was no s t r a n g e r t o t h i s c o n g r e g a t io n :

91.4% r e p o r t e d

having view ed " F a ith f o r Today" a t l e a s t once p r e v i o u s l y t o a t t e n d in g

t h i s p u b l i c s e r v i c e , and 91.1% s t a t e d t h a t th e y had heard Fagal speak i n
person p r i o r t o t h i s e v e n i n g ' s m essa ge.
R espondents e x p r e s s e d th e m s e lv e s v a r i o u s l y c o n c e r n in g why th e y
chose to a tte n d :
We lo v e E ld e r F a g a l. . . . ^
He always g i v e s me an i n s p i r a t i o n . ^
I enjoyed E ld. F a g a l ' s youth sermon t h i s morning, and I'm
a n ticip a tin g r e c e iv in g a s p ir it u a l b le s s in g [ t o n ig h t ] ,3
I e n jo y E ld e r F a g a l ' s s p e a k in g a b i l i t y . 4
I heard E ld e r F agal on t e l e v i s i o n and l i k e d what he s a i d .
Like E ld e r F a g a l ' s s t o r i e s . . . .6
To e n jo y t h e Word o f God t h a t P a s to r F agal e x p l a i n s so
c l e a r l y ; h i s f a i t h s t r e n g t h e n s my f a i t h . ?

*GL #91; Age: 66 ; O ccu p ation : r e t i r e d l i t e r a t u r e e v a n g e l i s t ;

Church A f f i l i a t i o n : S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t .
[These d a ta c i t e d h e r e a f t e r ,
w ith ou t f u r t h e r e x p l a n a t i o n , i n t h i s o r d e r .
U n le ss n o te d o t h e r w i s e , th e
church a f f i l i a t i o n i s SDA.)
2

GL #77; none g iv e n ; nu rse a id e .

GL #98; none g iv e n ; c o l l e g e t h e o l o g i c a l s t u d e n t .

^GL #113; 36;

m e d ic a l t e c h n i c i a n .

^GL #215; 6 5; l i c e n s e d p r a c t i c a l n u r s e .
^GL #240; 62;

^GL #131; 38; h o u s e w if e .

h o u s e w if e .

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610
To h e a r an i n s p i r e d Man o f God p r e a c h .^
I ' v e heard him b e f o r e , and was im p r e s s e d .2
Enjoyment o f th e q u a r t e t ' s s i n g i n g and th e s i n c e r e y e t
s p a r k lin g p r e s e n t a t i o n o f E ld . F a g a l ' s . 3
P a s to r F a g a l 's s t y l e i s dynamic and i n s p i r i n g . Never m iss
a chance t o l i s t e n t o him. 4
Balance betw een "head a p p ea l and h e a r t a p p ea l. . . . "3
The r esp o n se o f s e v e r a l n o n - A d v e n t is t s i s worthy o f n o t e .

An

i n s p e c t o r , n o t a member o f any church, s a i d he came b e c a u se o f th e

" s p e a k e r 's r e p u t a t i o n , and d e s i r e t o h e a r him."^

A Mormon h o u s e w ife

"came to p ic k up r e l a t i v e s who have a t t e n d e d , and d e c id e d t o a t t e n d a

m eeting."^

And a s e c r e t a r y , who l i s t e d no church a f f i l i a t i o n , s a i d , "I

enjoyed l i s t e n i n g t o him l a s t n i g h t and th ought h i s sermon i n s p i r i n g . "

A t y p i c a l l y in d ep en d en t s t r e a k in th e A d v e n tis t p e r s o n a l i t y was
r e v e a le d i n a d v e r t a n t l y by s e v e r a l r esp o n d e n ts who knew th e pu rp ose o f
the q u e s t io n n a ir e and y e t r e s i s t e d a n a t u r a l te m p ta tio n t o g i v e a "patsy"
answer in ord er t o " b u ild up" th e "image" o f " t h e i r man."
Not a l l came to th e s e r v i c e b e c a u se Fagal was th e s c h e d u le d
speaker; and th e candor w it h which th e y r e f u s e d t o h id e t h i s f a c t was
ra th e r r e f r e s h i n g t o t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r as he n o ted some r e p l i e s t o the
q u e s tio n :

why d id you come?

1GL #381; n o t g iv e n ; p h y s i c a l t h e r a p i s t .
2GL #437; 38; e n g in e e r .
3 gl #474; 45; h o u s e w if e .
4 gl #594; 47; s a le sm a n .
5 gl #714; 44; te le p h o n e company s e r v i c e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e .
6 gl #172; 29; i n s p e c t o r ; no r e l i g i o u s a f f i l i a t i o n l i s t e d .
7gl #140; 44; h o u s e w ife ; Mormon.
8gl #754; 23; s e c r e t a r y ; no r e l i g i o u s a f f i l i a t i o n l i s t e d .

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611

I c u s t o m a r ily go to a l l t h e e v e n in g m e e t i n g s . 1
I w o u ld n 't want t o m iss l a s t m e e tin g o f camp m e e tin g .
i s u s u a l l y g o o d .2
Came t o a t t e n d s e r v i c e s .
Daughter sang a s o l o . 3
Came w ith my aunt and u n c l e - - n o p a r t i c u l a r r e a s o n .^
C h ild ren w anted t o a t t e n d camp f i r e . 5
The bus s t a y e d , s o I d id , to o !
I am g la d .^
My w i f e . 7

It

And one r e s p o n d e n ts r e p l y may o r may n o t have been conrpliment a r y - - f r o m t h e c o n t e x t i t was im p o s s ib l e t o determ ine:

"No m eetin g

b e t t e r t o a tte n d ."
Some 140 r e s p o n d e n ts

(13.3% o f th o se p a r t i c i p a t i n g ) f a i l e d to

p ro v id e any answ er w hatever t o t h i s q u e s t i o n , perhaps i n d i c a t i n g t h a t

t h e i r p r e s e n c e m ight be due t o custom o r h a b i t .

The serm on. ^ - - P a s t o r F a g a l ' s c lo s e - o f - c a m p - m e e t in g sermon was

(as so

many o f h i s o t h e r sermons p r i o r t o

b e n e f i t o f an announced sermon t i t l e .

It

l a t e 1966) d e l i v e r e d w ith o u t
was e x p o s it o r y i n method and

n a r r a t iv e in form, d e a l i n g w it h a p a s s a g e o f S c r ip tu r e (John 1 : 3 5 - 4 2 ) .
A f t e r a b r i e f p r e - i n t r o d u c t i o n "warm-up," o f th e ty p e so common
in th e b r o a d c a s t s i t u a t i o n

( i n which a l i v e aud ien ce i s "loo sen ed -u p " by

means o f humor t o r e l a x them and make them more r e c e p t i v e f o r t h a t which

f o l l o w s ) , Fagal im m ed ia te ly laun ch ed i n t o the i n t r o d u c t io n which d w e lt
upon the s t o r y o f two d i s c i p l e s o f John th e B a p t is t who l e f t John one
day, fo llo w e d J e s u s a t a d i s t a n c e , th en met Him, and l a t e r j o in e d His
band.

1GL #445; 44; b u i l d e r c o n t r a c t o r .

2GL #19; 50; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

3GL #481; 57; sh e a r o p e r a to r .

^GL #825; n o t l i s t e d ; s t u d e n t .

GL #861; 33; h o u s e w if e .

^GL #1016; 17; s t u d e n t .

7GL #1038; n o t l i s t e d ; p a i n t e r .

GL #567; 24; h o u s e w if e .

^Cf.

Appendix G f o r t r a n s c r i p t i o n .

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612
In a n a l y s i s , th e sermon does n o t admit o f th e custom ary t r i p a r
t i t e d i v i s i o n (o r any o th e r c l e a r - c u t major d i v i s i o n , f o r t h a t m a t t e r ) ,
b ein g an e x p o s i t i o n o f a n a r r a t i v e .

In e f f e c t , th e message was a run

ning e x e g e t i c a l and h o m i l e t i c a l commentary on each s u c c e e d in g v e r s e o f

the p a s s a g e .
A p p lic a t io n t o th e c o n g r e g a t io n , o f th e im port and i m p l i c a t i o n
o f each s u c c e e d in g s e n t e n c e , was made f r e q u e n t l y th rou g h ou t th e sermon,
and again in a v e r y d i r e c t approach i n th e c o n c lu s io n o f th e sermon.
Audience a d a p ta tio n o f th e m a t e r i a l s u t i l i z e d was one o f the
s t r i k i n g l y prom inent f e a t u r e s o f th e p r e s e n t a t i o n .
Fagal began h i s sermon by p o i n t i n g ou t th e p e r s o n a l c o n n e c tio n
o f John the B e lo v e d , i n whose Gospel th e n a r r a t i v e i s fo u n d , t o th e
e v en ts

t h a t are c h r o n ic le d .

By i m p l i c a t i o n , F agal d is c o v e r s John t o be

one o f

th e two men m entioned i n th e s t o r y ( t h e o th e r :

Simon P e t e r ' s

b r o th e r , Andrew).
Fagal p ro ceed ed t o show t h a t as th e y f o ll o w e d th e M aster a f a r
o f f , C h r ist tu r n e d , s e i z i n g th e " d iv in e i n i t i a t i v e , " and a d d r e s se d them
f i r s t , i n v i t i n g them t o come v i s i t w ith Him in His home.

So, J e s u s ,

today, tak es th e i n i t i a t i v e in s e e k in g th o s e who would l i k e t o know Him

b etter.
The f a c t t h a t Andrewwas alw ays known as "Simon P e t e r ' s b r o t h e r ,"
r a th e r

than as an i n d i v i d u a l i n h i s own r i g h t , was one o f a r a t h e r la r g e

number o f p o i n t s o f d ep artu re in th e n a r r a t i v e , whereby Fagal s o u g h t

i n d i r e c t l y to i d e n t i f y b o th th e B ib le c h a r a c t e r and h i s own s e l f w ith
the members o f h i s c o n g r e g a t io n , by h i g h l i g h t i n g t y p i c a l human f o i b l e s ,
and showing a p e r s o n a l e m p a th e tic u n d e r sta n d in g o f human n a tu r e i n g e n
e r a l and th e problems o f th e i n d i v i d u a l s i n th e c o n g r e g a t io n i n
p a r tic u la r.

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Andrew i s m en tio n ed t h r i c e i n S c r i p t u r e , and i n each i n s t a n c e he

i s s e e n le a d in g someone t o J e s u s :

(1) h i s b r o t h e r , Simon P e t e r ;

(2 ) th e

lad w ith a few lo a v e s and f i s h e s which C h r is t u sed t o fe e d th o u sa n d s;

and (3) some Greeks who came t o P h i l i p , s e e k in g an i n t e r v i e w w ith th e
Lord.
Andrew, t h u s , i s s e e n as a man w ith a " o n e -tra c k " mind, one who
does h i s l i f e ' s work o u t "on th e f r i n g e s o f th e crowd" ("One n e v e r read s
about him e v e r p r e a c h in g a sermon, one n e v e r f i n d s him a d d r e s s in g th e
thousands and l e a d i n g them to th e Lord J e s u s " ) ; and Fagal makes th e
obvious a p p l i c a t i o n t h a t th e members o f h i s p red o m in a n tly layman a u d i
ence can always s e r v e i n th e more humble c a p a c it y o f b r in g i n g an
in d iv id u a l to J e s u s , ev en though th e more dram atic p u b l i c work f o r
C h r ist be done i n t h e p u l p i t and e lse w h e r e by th e more t a l e n t e d .
The sermon was r e p l e t e w ith i l l u s t r a t i v e m a t e r i a l s , many
examples and a n e c d o te s f o l l o w i n g hard upon t h e h e e l s o f th e p r e d e c e s s o r
w ith ou t alm ost any gap w h a tev er; and most b e in g s im p le , homely e x p e r i
ences out o f F a g a l ' s own l i f e - - s o m e ,

in d e e d , n o t p l a c i n g him i n

t h e most

c r e d it a b le l i g h t , t a k in g th e onus on h i m s e l f , th e b e t t e r t o i l l u s t r a t e
h is p o in t.
The e n t i r e m essage i s perhaps b e s t e p ito m iz e d by t h e s e few s e n
te n c e s taken from t h e c o n c lu d in g p o r t io n o f th e e v e n in g m e s sa g e , when he
d e c la r e s t h a t , f o r h im , "th e most t h r i l l i n g p a r t o f th e g o s p e l message"
is:
J e su s s e e s yo u , j u s t as you are i n a l l your w ea k n ess. He
knows a l l yo u r m i s t a k e s , He knows w h a t's wrong w ith you;
you d o n 't n eed t o t e l l Him t h o s e t h i n g s , He s e e s a l l t h a t .
But He s e e s beyond a l l t h a t . He has c o n fid e n c e i n you. He
s e e s what you can be w ith H is b l e s s i n g , what yo u r l i f e ,
u n ite d t o His l i f e , can produce f o r Him.

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614

What would He sa y t o you t o n i g h t , i f He were t o s e e you?

Would He s a y , p e r h a p s , "You are weak, b u t you s h a l l be
c a l l e d s tr o n g " w ith His h e lp ? C o n fid en ce i n you! He s e e s
what you can b e ! . . .
Maybe He s a y s , "You are f e a r f u l ; but you s h a l l be c a l l e d
fe a r le s s ."
In His s t r e n g t h , you can b e . . . .
Maybe t o some o f you h e r e t o n i g h t , H e'd look a t you and
s a y , "You are s i n f u l , b u t you s h a l l be c a l l e d v i c t o r , or
overcom er." You s e e , you can be an overcomer i n th e
s t r e n g t h o f J e s u s C h r is t who lo v e s you, and who b e l i e v e s i n
you. He wants t o h e lp y ou. . . . B r e th r e n , you can le a d a
C h r is tia n l i f e ; you can be a v i c t o r , w herever you l i v e ,
under w hatever c ir c u m sta n c e s you d w e l l , you can b e an
overcomer.
I hope w e ' l l ca rry w ith us t h e c e r t a i n t y t h a t J e s u s
C h r is t lo v e s us and b e l i e v e s i n u s . He s e e s th e b e s t in u s ,
and He wants t o h e lp us a c h ie v e t h a t . And I hope w e ' l l
respond t o t h a t c o n f id e n c e , and b e th e k in d o f men and
women t h a t we want t o b e , and ought t o b e , and must b e , t o
have a p l a c e in His kingdom.^
F i n a l l y , a word c o n c e r n in g t h e d e l i v e r y o f t h i s sermon:

W illia m

Fagal spoke f o r 44 m in u te s , 58 sec o n d s ( i n c l u d i n g h i s p r e - i n t r o d u c t i o n

warm-up and a b r i e f o n e-m in u te c o n s e c r a t io n p r a y e r a t th e c l o s e o f h i s
a p p e a l).

His d e l i v e r y was anim ated, c o n v e r s a t i o n a l , th ro u g h o u t; and h i s

e x p r e s s io n s were f r e q u e n t ly c o l l o q u i a l .

He spoke a t a mean a v e r a g e r a t e

o f 171 words p e r m in u te, th e fr e q u e n c y curve r a n g in g from a low o f 93

a high o f 217 words p e r m in ute.

to

Observed r e s p o n s e . During F a g a l ' s p r e s e n t a t i o n , t h i s w r i t e r s a t

in the g e o g r a p h ic a l c e n t e r o f th e a u d ie n c e o f 1 0 ,0 0 0 , j u s t a l i t t l e

le ft

o f c e n t e r , mid-way betw een p la t fo r m and th e r e a r e x i t s .

I t was e v id e n t from t h i s l i m i t e d v an ta g e p o i n t , h ow ever, t h a t
William Fagal h e l d th e a t t e n t i o n o f h i s au d ien ce from th e o p e n in g quip

^Sermon on Andrew, 1 0 -1 1 .
2
The median r a t e was 175 w .p.m . , and th e mode was 167 and
172 w.p.m.

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I
v

615

in th e p r e - i n t r o d u c t i o n "warm-up" to th e f i n a l words o f h i s c o n c lu d in g
pr a y e r.
During t h e t e l l i n g o f s e v e r a l r a t h e r ex ten d ed s t o r i e s by way o f
p e r so n a l i l l u s t r a t i o n - - s t o r i e s which had a p a r t i c u l a r l y h ig h e m o tiv e
v a lu e th e a u d ie n c e appeared a lm o st r e l u c t a n t t o b r e a t h e .

(F agal i s an

e x tr em e ly g i f t e d s t o r y - t e l l e r ; and b r o a d c a s t in g has ta u g h t him b o th the

v a lu e and th e te c h n iq u e o f " p a c in g ." )
A lthough F a ga l u sed some n o t e s i n d e l i v e r y , he had g iv e n t h i s
same message on a number o f p r e v io u s o c c a s i o n s ( in c l u d in g a number o f
o th e r camp m e e tin g s e a r l i e r t h a t s e a s o n ) ; and, t h e r e f o r e , b e in g t h o r
oughly f a m i l i a r w ith i t , he was a b le t o ig n o r e i t

l a r g e l y , and look

d i r e c t l y i n t o t h e f a c e s o f h i s c o n g r e g a t io n th ro u g h o u t.

Eye c o n t a c t was

e x c e l l e n t , and "feed -b ack " r e s p o n se was o b s e r v e d by t h i s w r i t e r , n o t

o n ly from r a p t a t t e n t i o n on th e p a r t o f th e au d ien ce g e n e r a l l y , b u t a l s o
from

fr e q u e n t a s i d e s m uttered by p e r s o n s s i t t i n g i n n ear p r o x im ity .

The la u g h t e r

r e s p o n se t o th e Fagal humor (fo u r tim es i n th e

f i r s t two m inutes o f th e "warm-up" p r e - i n t r o d u c t i o n ; t h r e e or fo u r tim es

throughout th e sermon i t s e l f )

and a chorus o f "amens" f o l l o w i n g one

tr e n c h a n t o b s e r v a t io n b oth appeared t o be as genuine as th e y were

s p o n ta n e o u s.
A f t e r t h e s e r v i c e was ended, dozens from th e aud ien ce went f o r
ward

to

th e p la t fo r m t o g r e e t

Fagal p e r s o n a l l y , to sa y a few words o f

commendation (b oth f o r th e message o f th e e v e n in g , and f o r th e t e l e c a s t ,

w ith which many A d v e n t i s t s have a p a r t i c u l a r l y c l o s e p e r s o n a l
id e n tific a tio n ). ^

l l n comparing F a g a l 's p r e s e n t a t i o n Saturday e v e n in g w ith t h o s e

o f th e p r e c e d in g F rid ay e v e n in g and Saturday m orning, a l l o f which he
p e r s o n a lly o b s e r v e d , t h i s w r i t e r f e e l s t h a t t h e Saturday n ig h t perform
ance was n o t q u i t e up t o th e s p e a k e r 's b e s t .
I n t e r e s t i n g l y , one

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616
An A n a ly s is o f Q u e s t io n n a ir e Response t o W illiam F a g a l 's P u l p i t P rea ch in g

E t h i c a l p e r s u a s i o n . In th e f i r s t q u e s t i o n under P a rt I I , members
o f th e au d ien ce were i n v i t e d t o e v a l u a t e P a s to r F a g a l s e t h i c a l p e r s u a
s i o n on th e b a s i s o f h i s v o i c e , manner, and appearance.

A t o t a l o f 979

r e sp o n se s were r e g i s t e r e d , w ith 282 l i s t i n g f a c t o r s a s s o c i a t e d w ith

" i n t e l l i g e n c e or " c o m p e te n c e , 768 i n d i c a t i n g f a c t o r s a s s o c i a t e d w ith
"good c h a r a c te r " ; and 424 marking f a c t o r s g e n e r a l l y a s s o c i a t e d w ith "good
w ill.

(A la r g e number o f r esp o n d e n ts l i s t e d f a c t o r s in more than one

o f the t h r e e c a t e g o r i e s . )
T y p ic a l o f th e r e p l i e s - - t o g e t h e r w ith th e b a s e s f o r them --w ere
th ese:
A d e d ic a t e d , c u l t u r e d , s i n c e r e C h r i s t i a n , which you w ished
you were l i k e h i m . 1
S in c e r e and c u lt u r e d : h i s c l o t h i n g i s c o n s e r v a t i v e , h i s
v o ic e and manner are q u i e t , f o r c e f u l , and e a r n e s t ; h i s
grammar i s c o r r e c t ; h i s message i s from God, I b e l i e v e . 2
A happy p a s t o r , b u t an a v id r ea d er and q u i t e c u r io u s :
b ecause he has q u i t e a s e n s e o f humor, b u t someone who i s
very f a m i l i a r w ith Gods h o ly word.^
Dynamic, a l e r t t o t o d a y 's mode o f t h i n k i n g .
s t o r y - t e l l e r , man o f c o n v i c t i o n . 4

S i n c e r e , good

respondent e x p r e s s e d a s i m i l a r view on h e r q u e s t i o n n a i r e :
"This was n o t
one o f th e b e s t sermons I ' v e h eard from P a s to r Fagal (GL #614; 33;
o ffic e secreta ry ).
There may be two p r e d is p o s in g ca u ses f o r t h i s e f f e c t :
(1) t h i s was th e t h i r d sermon Fagal had p r e a ch ed , t o c o n g r e g a t io n s num
b e r in g i n th e th o u s a n d s , i n th e l a s t 24 h o u rs; t h i s a lo n e c o u ld produce
g r e a t p h y s i c a l s t r a i n ; and (2) Fagal was aware t h a t th e q u e s t i o n n a i r e s
had been d i s t r i b u t e d t o o n e - t h i r d o f h i s a u d ie n c e , and t h a t t h i s au d ien ce
would be w a tc h in g e v e r y word, e v e r y move, e v e r y g e s t u r e w ith an u n u s u a lly
c r i t i c a l e y e ; and t h i s th o u g h t , t o o , may have prov ed u n s e t t l i n g , subcon
s c i o u s l y . N e v e r t h e l e s s , even when n o t a t i t s b e s t , t h i s F agal p r e s e n t a
t i o n made a tremendous im p r e s s io n on th e v a s t m a j o r it y o f h i s c o n g r e g a t io n
th a t e v e n in g , as i s e v id e n c e d by th e r e s p o n s e s c i t e d i n th e s e c t i o n which
fo llo w s im m e d ia te ly .
1

GL #222; 62; p h y s i c a l t h e r a p i s t .

^GL #264; 25; h o u s e w if e .

GL #262; 44; p h y s i c i a n .

^GL #326; 45; p h y s i c i a n .

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617

I am sure P a s to r Fagal would be an i n t e r e s t i n g p e r so n to

know as h i s sermons a r e so f i l l e d w ith human i n t e r e s t
s t o r i e s showing a rem arkable memory. He i s w id e ly t r a v e l l e d ,
and I'm su r e one would n e v e r f i n d a d u l l moment.1
S in c e r e , common: knows h i s B i b l e , h i s h i s t o r y , has good
p u b lic sp e a k in g e t i q u e t t e . 2
S in c e r e , c o n s c i e n t i o u s C h r is t ia n ; w e l l - o r g a n i z e d , o r d e r ly
person; f r i e n d l y and c o n f id e n t ; humorous approach t o h i m s e l f - a c ce p ts h i m s e l f as a p e r s o n . ^
Kind, u n d e rsta n d in g , c o u r t e o u s , h o n e s t , hard-w orking, s i n
c e r e , tr u s tw o r th y , good f a m ily man, n i c e t o work w it h ,
p le a s a n t t o be w it h , f r i e n d l y :
o n ly a man w ith th e s e
ch a r a cter t r a i t s c o u ld h an dle th e work he does f o r so many
y e a r s , and keep th e same c o l l e a g u e s a s s o c i a t e d w ith him f o r
long p e r i o d s . 4
A s in c e r e C h r is t ia n gentlem an . I p a r t i c u l a r l y a p p r e c ia t e
the way he r e f e r s t o h i s w i f e and fa m ily a t t im e s .
I would
think him t o be a k in d and u n d e rsta n d in g husband and f a t h e r
as w e ll as an e x c e l l e n t s p e a k e r . ^
Very godly p e r so n , humble y e t w ith a keen s e n se o f humor.
b e l i e v e he lo v e s p e o p l e . 6

He seems t o be w i l l i n g t o l i s t e n t o p e o p l e ' s problems and

h elp in any way he can. He means what he s a y s . He w i l l n o t
d is c r im in a t e between c l a s s e s or r a c e s o f p e o p le . To him,
the poor are as im p ortant as th e " r ic h ." He i s t r u l y
i n t e r e s t e d in s a v in g s o u l s .
In s h o r t , he i s a "man o f God."?
Keen o b s e r v e r , thorough in o r g a n i z a t i o n , b u s i n e s s - l i k e but
c o n s id e r a t e , s tr o n g c o n v i c t i o n s :
t h e s e t r a i t s are e v id e n t
in the way he p r e s e n t s h i s sermons. The p h ra ses and wording
i n d ic a t e t h e s e t r a i t s . 8
A p r o f e s s i o n a l c o u n s e lo r , h o ld in g an M.A. d e g r e e , e v a lu a t e d
Fagal in th e s e words:
He i s a s e l f - a c t u a l i z e d , we11- i n t e g r a t e d p e r s o n . He
has a h e a lt h y s e l f c o n c ep t which e n a b le s him t o lo v e h i s
neighbor as h i m s e l f .
Because he a c c e p t s h i m s e l f he a c c e p t s
GL #339; 67; h o u s e w if e .

GL #378; 49; t e a c h e r .

'GL #433; 50; s e c r e t a r y .

4 gl #525; 53; f a c t o r y worker

GL #568; 27; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

6 gl #647; 56; n u r s e .

GL #690; 36; h o u s e w if e .

8gl #746; 37; m usic t e a c h e r .

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618

o t h e r s . He can t o l e r a t e a m b ig u ity i n o t h e r p e o p le b e c a u s e
he i s open-minded: a t th e b e g in n in g o f th e sermon he
warned a g a i n s t premature c l o s u r e and c l o s e d b e l i e f s (o r
c l o s e d m in d s ).*
Only a s m a ll m in o r it y (1.6%) o f r e s p o n d e n ts who answered t h i s
q u e s tio n (16 o f 979) l i s t e d q u a l i t i e s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f what one might
speak o f as " n e g a tiv e e t h o s . "
To one, F agal was " a lm o st t o o good t o be t r u e . "

A nother found

him t o be "perhaps a b i t c o n c e i t e d . "

s io n s . . .

in th e p u l p i t "

One o b j e c t e d t o " s la n g e x p r e s

( a lt h o u g h s im u lt a n e o u s ly a d m ittin g t h a t " i t

might h e lp young p e o p le f e e l y o u ' r e one o f them "^).

A c o lle g e ju n io r

found th e sp e a k e r "perhaps a b i t sh allo w " ; and a b i o a n a l y s t was p e r

turbed about F a g a l 's " w it t y s e n s e o f humor" which made i t " d i f f i c u l t f o r
me to be i n a r e a l s e r i o u s mood d u rin g d i s c o u r s e . "

C.

Two o th e r s r e p o r t e d t h a t a t f i r s t he appeared " fe m in in e i n

appearance and a t t i t u d e , "

"a l i t t l e

fe m in in e i n h i s conduct and f a c i a l

e x p r e s s io n (th e v o i c e i s a l l r i g h t , th ough)."
Only one e x p r e s s e d a f e e l i n g t h a t Fagal "has a way t h a t makes
him seem a s h o w - o f f ."

And a s l i g h t la c k i n th e dynamism o f d e l i v e r y

was n o te d by one who f e l t he " c o u ld be more f o r c e f u l a t t i m e s . " 10

S a id

another, " F r a g ile , p r o b a b ly l a c k s sta m in a and nervous en erg y t o c o n tin u e

at h is b e s t over lo n g p e r io d s o f c o n tin u o u s s p e a k i n g . " 11

GL #579; 31; c o u n s e l o r .

And one

GL #5; 26; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

*GL #19; 50; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

^GL #207; 43; nu rse a i d e .

GL #310; 22; s t u d e n t .

GL #321; 37; b i o a n a l y s t .

GL #429; 43; f i n i s h c a r p e n t e r .

8,
GL #358; 33; d e n t i s t .

^GL #983; 63; h o u s e w if e .

10GL #999; n o t l i s t e d ; p h y s i c i a n su r g e o n .
11GL #366; 38; t e a c h e r .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

619

wondered o u t loud Mhow he would r e a c t t o o p p o s i t i o n i n a church b u s in e s s

m eeting.
A c a r p e n te r who s a i d , "I p i c t u r e him as a w a l l f lo w e r , an
i n t e l l e c t u a l , and a r a t h e r e m o tio n a l typ e
r e f l e c t th e o p in io n

7
p e r s o n ,"

d e f i n i t e l y d id n o t

o f th e v a s t m a j o r it y o f r e s p o n d e n t s , who o v e r

whelmingly found W illia m A. F a g al t o p o s s e s s th e d e s i r a b l e q u a l i t i e s

g e n e r a lly a s s o c i a t e d w ith competence or i n t e l l i g e n c e , good c h a r a c t e r ,
and good w i l l .

Vocal q u a l i t y .-- T h e s ec o n d q u e s t i o n r e l a t e d t o v o c a l q u a l i t y ;
and p a r t i c i p a n t s i n

th e su r v ey were asked w hether th e y found i t e a s y

d i f f i c u l t to li s t e n

to th e Fagal sp e a k in g v o i c e .

or

Some 987 r e p o r t e d i t e a s y t o l i s t e n t o , w it h an a d d i t i o n a l 30
g iv in g a q u a l i f i e d "yes" v o t e .
made no r e s p o n se w h a te v e r.

Only fo u r found i t d i f f i c u l t , and 29

T hese l a t t e r may have found i t d i f f i c u l t to

l i s t e n to the Fagal v o i c e , but were r e l u c t a n t t o admit t o i t .

The a u d ien ce g e n e r a l l y found W illiam F a g a l ' s v o i c e " p l e a s a n t ,"

("very p l e a s a n t t o l i s t e n t o i t s e l f " ^ ) , " i n t e r e s t i n g , " ^ a t t e n t i o n - and

7
"very d i f f i c u l t n o t t o l i s t e n " ;
O
" d o esn 't g iv e mind tim e to wander"; " v o ic e h o ld s a u d ie n c e , a p p e a ls t o
i n t e r e s t - h o l d i n g ("tim e f l i e s by";

audience" ) .

^GL #481;

57;

hear o p era to r.

^GL #6; 38; h o u s e w if e .

^GL #439;

34; c a r p e n t e r .

^GL #190; n o t l i - t e d ;

^GL #992;

67;

h o u s e w if e .

^GL #106;

^GL #493;

63;

n u r s in g e d u c a to r . GL #801;

f a c t o r y foreman.

57; b o ok k eep er.

53; h o u s e w if e .

^GL #892; n o t l i s t e d ; e l e v a t o r s t a r t e r .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

620

Ten e x p r e s s e d f e e l i n g s t h a t h i s v o i c e was "not the ty p e t h a t

p u ts me t o sle e p " ^ (r e p o r te d one:

"Although I was v e r y t i r e d , I had no

2

tr o u b le k e e p in g awake; I e n jo y e d e v e r y moment" ) .
Many spoke a p p r o v in g ly o f th e w e ll-m o d u la te d q u a l i t y o f th e
Fagal sp e a k in g v o i c e ( " f l u c t u a t e s h i s ton e enough t o a v o id any h i n t o f
7

monotony" ) , w h ich , s a i d o n e , i s "punctuated w ith e x p r e s s i o n . "

Another

f e l t t h a t th e v o c a l v a r i e t y compensated f o r th e d is a d v a n ta g e s u f f e r e d
from an u n fa v o r a b ly l o c a t e d s e a t ("I dont have t o be so c l o s e and look
c l o s e a t h i s g e s t u r e s " 3) .
E n u n c ia tio n and p r o n u n c ia t io n were b o th d e s c r ib e d v a r i o u s l y as
^
7
8
" c le a r ," " p l a i n ," and " d i s t i n c t " ;
and s i x who i d e n t i f i e d th e m se lv e s
as h a r d - o f - h e a r in g r e p o r t e d "no t r o u b l e a t a l l in h e a r in g and understa n d in g him."

The s p e a k e r 's r a t e was found t o be v a r i e d ("changes s p e e d ,

"pacing p le a s a n t "

11

) , moderate ( " f a s t enough t o h o ld a t t e n t i o n , "

"slow . . . enough t o understand"

13

12

yet

) , rh y th m ica l (" e a sy -r u n n in g s p e e c h ,

gauged to th e need o f th o u g h ts t o be d e v e lo p e d " 14) and " sm o o th -flo w in g "

15

w ith a com plete absence o f v o c a l h e s i t a t i o n s o r " c ru tc h e s" ("no urns or

GL #98; n o t l i s t e d ;
2'GL
_

c o l l e g e th e o lo g y major.

#890; 43; ,h o u s e w if e .

3g l # 7 3 7 .

42

; bookkeeper.

4GL #579.

3 GL #946; 61; h o u s e w if e .

6 GL #19.

GL #65; 56; h o u se w ife .

GL #215; 65; l i c e n s e d p r a c t i c a l n u r s e .
^GL #989; 57; m erchant.
11GL #830; 26; s t u d e n t .
13GL #515; 43; p a i n t e r .

10 GL #560; 69; r e t i r e d .

12GL # 1 9.
14GL # 6 8 8 ; 63; f u r n i t u r e m anufacturing.

1SGL #409; 15; s t u d e n t .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

621

1
ers" ) .

R espondents a l s o n o t e d an " e f f e c t i v e u s e o f pause"

"gives a few se c o n d s f o r th e message t o g e t th ro u g h ."

w hich

Many commented f a v o r a b ly on a good " v a r i e t y i n p i t c h " 4 i n F a g a l's

use o f h i s " l o w - p it c h e d " 8 v o i c e , a l s o th e ab sen ce o f any u n d e s ir a b le
"sing-song" q u a l i t y .
For m o st, th e volume was " j u s t r ig h t " ;

and 30 d i f f e r e n t respon d

e n ts e x p l i c i t l y to o k n o t e o f t h e f a c t t h a t F agal " d o e s n 't y e l l o r sh ou t

l i k e some m i n i s t e r s . "

And s e v e r a l remarked upon h i s " a b le ,"

" sk ille d

. . . use o f t h e m ic r o p h o n e ." 1
Vocal q u a l i t i e s d e t e c t e d i n th e Fagal v o i c e w ere:

r eso n a n ce

(" p le a s in g . . . y e t p e n e t r a t i n g " 11) ; em otion ("he p u ts h i s f e e l i n g i n t o

it"

1O

and " rea ch es down i n t o th e d ep th s o f th e a u d ie n c e 's f e e l i n g s "

s i n c e r i t y ("he seems t o hav e a bu rd en "

14

17

);

and " b e lie v e s i n what he

s a y s " 13) ; an o r a c u la r q u a l i t y ( " h is sp e ec h i s o f a g r e a t ' p o l i t i c i a n *

I Zl

making many l a r g e s p e e c h e s fr e q u e n t ly "

1 >7

and "rotund"

) ; candor

1GL #699; 59; h o u s e w if e .

2GL #334;

3GL # 6 8 6 ; 39; c o n t r a c t o r .

4GL #457; 49; d e n t i s t .

5 gl #262.

6GL #546; 18 s t u d e n t .

7gl #844; n o t l i s t e d ; te a c h e r .

8GL #779; 51; n u rse a i d e .

21

; c a b in e t b u i l d e r

9 gl #278; 34; m i n i s t e r .
10GL #337; n o t l i s t e d ; academy p r i n c i p a l .
n GL #332; 61; r e t i r e d s c i e n c e t e a c h e r .
12 gl #60; 24; h o u s e w if e .
14 gl #25; n o t l i s t e d ;

13GL #147; 5 3; nurs e .

lite r a tu r e e v a n g e list.

15 gl #130; 40; shop worker.

16 gl #678; 14; s t u d e n t .
^GL #955;

68

; teacher.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

1
2
3
("frank" ) ; m u s ic a l (" h is v o i c e i s s w e e t m usic t o me"; " m e lo d io u s,"
4
5
"euphonious" ) ; " e n t h u s i a s t i c " ;

c h e e r f u l ("happy,"

"a v o i c e alm ost

s m i l i n g , " 7 "good s e n s e o f humor"); f r i e n d l y (" k in d ," 9 " n e ig h b o r ly ," 10

"understanding"

11

) ; u n s o p h i s t i c a t e d ("down t o e a r t h ,"

12

" s t r a i g h t t o th e

p o in t" 1); a u t h o r i t a t i v e ( " r e a s s u r i n g ," 14 " s o f t , p o s i t i v e manner o f

s p e a k in g ," 1 " c o n v in c in g but n o t overdone"1); r e l a x i n g ( " r e s t f u l , " 17
" s o o t h in g ," 1 " p e a c e f u l" 19) ; mellow ( " r i c h , " 20 " f u l l " 21) ; " v ib ra n t" 22
( " a l i v e , " 23 " c r i s p " 24) ; " c o m p e llin g " ;2 "not demanding";2 and, f i n a l l y ,
" s p ir itu a l." 2 7
Of i n t e r e s t to t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r was t h e f a c t t h a t 42 resp o n d
en ts r e f e r r e d , e x p l i c i t l y or i m p l i c i t l y , to th e " c o n v e r s a tio n a l"
q u a l i t i e s o f th e Fagal v o i c e in d e l i v e r y .

A market r e s e a r c h i n t e r v i e w e r

observed:

: GL #409.

2GL #45; 84; h o u s e w ife .

3 gl #872; 66; l i t e r a t u r e e v a n g e l i s t .
4 gl #340; 71; r e t i r e d t e a c h e r .

5 gl #156; 63; farmer.

6 gl #526; 34; h o u s e w if e .
7gl #675; 29; elem en tary s c h o o l t e a c h e r .
GL #217; 36; n u r s e .

9GL #716; 32; h o u s e w ife .

10GL #250; 49; farmer.

n GL #600; 29; t e a c h e r .

12 gl #1015 ; 21; s t u d e n t .

13 gl #409.

14 gl # 6.

18 gl #368; 33; h o u s e w ife .

16GL #197; 54; t e a c h e r .

17i3L #12; 67; l e g a l s te n o g r a p h e r .

18 gl #176; 46; h o u s e w ife .

21 gl #370; n ot l i s t e d ;
23 gl #217.

19GL #716.

c lerk .

24GL #3 70 .

26 gl #462; 34; s e c r e t a r y .

20GL #474; 45; h o u se w ife

2 2 gl #15; 50; t e a c h e r .
2 5 gl #63; 50; highway e n g in e e r .
27 gl #620; 60; h o u s e w ife .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

623

He speaks as though he were s i t t i n g i n yo u r l i v i n g room

and v i s i t i n g w it h you .
I have s a t w ith him and v i s i t e d
w ith him a t d in n e r and h e seems as r e la x e d and e a s y t o l i s
ten t o no m a tte r where h e i s . He always seems t h e sam e.*
O ther r e s p o n d e n ts p u t i t t h i s way:
Speaks as i f I were th e o n ly one he were t a l k i n g t o . 2
C o n v e r sa tio n a l enough t o be p e r s o n a l . ^
J u s t t a l k s to us as f r i e n d - t o - f r i e n d . 4
F r ie n d ly , warm, s i n c e r e ; n o t e x a g g e r a te d or r e c i t a t i o n - l i k e .
Not p r e a c h in g v o i c e b u t c o n v e r s a t io n a l v o i c e ; g i v e s one a
f e e l i n g t h i s i s a c h a t , n o t a sermon. I t h in k t h i s q u a l i t y
adds t o h i s a p p e a l one w e a r ie s o f serm ons.^
Seems t o t a l k w it h y o u , n o t a t y o u .^
It is ,

o f c o u r s e , im p o s s ib l e t o p l e a s e e v e r y o n e ; but o n ly 34 o f

the 1,021 who respon ded to t h i s q u e s t i o n , or 3.3%, l i s t e d f a c t o r s which

d is p l e a s e d them.
An A d v e n t i s t w o r sh ip p e r , s e l f - d e s c r i b e d as a form er "hard-nut
B a p t is t ," accustom ed to l i s t e n i n g t o p r e a c h e r s who " r e a l l y l e t you have
O
i t , " w i s t f u l l y s a i d , "I w ish he were more f o r c e f u l . "
g
Seven o t h e r s f e l t Fagal " t a l k s to o f a s t . "
A " h u sk in ess" i n th e
v o ic e th a t e v e n in g was n o t e d by s e v e r a l ; ^ and one app eared t o d e t e c t
th a t the s p e a k e r s v o i c e was "a b i t n a s a l . O n l y

one r e p o r t e d d i f f i

c u lty in becoming accustom ed t o th e Fagal " accen t" d u rin g th e e a r l y p a r t

^GL #90; 54 ; market r e s e a r c h s u p e r v i s o r .

2 gl #166; 31; a r t i s t .

3 GL #497; 22; t e a c h e r .

4 gl #353; 72; h o u s e w if e .

5 gl #680; n o t l i s t e d , s tu d e n t

6 gl #788; 36; p h y s i c i a n .

7 gl #858; 39; h o u s e w i f e .

8gl #438; 29; h o u s e w if e .

9 gl #528; 59; r e t i r e d .

10GL #597; 43; m i n i s t e r .

U GL #133; 26; t e a c h e r .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

624

o f th e sermon;'1' and one q u a l i f i e d h i s words o f p r a i s e w it h "I may g e t

t i r e d o f th e e x u b eran t q u a l i t y as a s t e a d y d i e t . "

I n t e r e s t / a t t e n t i o n f a c t o r s . The t h i r d q u e s t i o n d e a l t w ith
i n t e r e s t - and a t t e n t i o n - f a c t o r s i n th e sermon and i t s d e l i v e r y ; and
respondents were asked i f th e y had found th e m essage i n t e r e s t i n g and
easy t o l i s t e n t o .
Some 957 r e s p o n d e n ts (97.4% o f t h o s e r esp o n d in g ) r e p l i e d w it h an
u n q u a l if ie d " y e s."

Another 18 v o ic e d a q u a l i f i e d " y e s ," w h i l e o n ly

seven s a i d , "no."

Some 68 made no r e s p o n se w h a te v e r to th e q u e s t i o n .

Among th e 975 t o t a l who found th e p r e s e n t a t i o n i n t e r e s t i n g to

some d e g r e e , 226 m entioned th e i l l u s t r a t i o n s employed by th e s p e a k e r ,
386 spoke o f f a c t o r s o f c o n t e n t and o r g a n i z a t i o n ( i d e a s ,

la n g u a g e ,

method o f e x p l a n a t i o n , e t c . ) , and 82 c i t e d f a c t o r s o f d e l i v e r y , w ith 42

o f f e r i n g no r e a s o n f o r t h e i r a f f i r m a t i v e answer.
F a g a l 's i l l u s t r a t i v e a n e c d o te s and s t o r i e s were d e s c r ib e d v a r i
o u sly as:

" i n t e r e s t i n g b e c a u s e th e y are t r u e , " 3 f i l l e d w ith "much o f

human i n t e r e s t , " 4 " a p p r o p r i a t e ," 3 " p r a c t i c a l , " ^ " c o n c r e t e ," '7 " h e a r t
warming,"^ " a p t," ^ "sim ple and warm,"*9 and " a r r e s t i n g . " ^

1GL #360; 53; t e a c h e r .

2gl #676; 41; p r o f e s s o r .

3GL #114; n o t l i s t e d ; h o u s e w if e .

6 gl #336; 63; h o u s e w if e .

7 gl #413; 40; d e n t i s t .

00

5 gl #325; 43; p h y s i c i a n .

CD

4 gl #182; 48; h o u s e w if e .

#847; 35; B ib le t e a c h e r .

9 gl #566; 41; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .
10GL #651; 42; h o u s e w if e .
n GL #701; 57; custom er i n v e s t i g a t i o n .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

625

A t e le p h o n e o p e r a to r n o t e d t h a t F a ga l " t o ld e x p e r ie n c e s w ith o u t
too much d e t a i l , " add ing t h a t "sometimes to o much d e t a i l makes th e s t o r y
d r a g ." 1
A f a c t o r y worker a p p r e c ia t e d F a g a l 's method o f u s in g " s t o r i e s o f
the p a s t , framed i n i l l u s t r a t i o n s ,
hearers.

t o f i t th e p r e s e n t "

needs o f h i s

And a h o u s e w ife a p p r e c ia t e d "th e way he t o l d s t o r i e s and

7

lin ked i t a l l t o g e t h e r t o b r i n g one common th o u g h t." '3

Another m entioned

F a g a l's manner o f t e l l i n g B i b l e i n c i d e n t s " in a way t h a t makes i t a lm o st

seem t h a t he was th ere" ^ h i m s e l f , d e s c r i b i n g t h in g s f i r s t - h a n d .
One l i s t e n e r commented on th e " v a r i e t y o f e x p e r i e n c e s , " adding
th a t th e message "moved a lo n g from p o i n t t o p o i n t w ith o u t delay," n o t
w ithout d e s ig n and p u rp ose on t h e s p e a k e r ' s p a r t f o r , as an other
r ep o rted , "Although I was t i r e d and s l e e p y , th e s t o r i e s helped"*3 t o
maintain i n t e r e s t and a t t e n t i o n th ro u g h o u t.
I n t e r e s t - and a t t e n t i o n - f a c t o r s i n sermon c o n te n t and o r g a n iz a
tio n m entioned in c lu d e d th e f o l l o w i n g t y p i c a l o b s e r v a t io n s :
He draws such i n t e r e s t i n g l e s s o n s from s e e m in g ly s im p le and
commonplace e v e n t s . ?
He u s e s language you can u n d ersta n d . He does n o t t a lk
"over your h e a d ," b u t u s e s words and p h r a s e o lo g y t h a t even
a c h i l d can u n d e r s ta n d ,^ d o w n -to -e a r th f o r us "common
p e o p l e , " 10__com]iK)n, s e n s i b l e w ords. H
1GL #78; 56; te le p h o n e o p e r a t o r .

^GL #688.

^GL #124; 48; h o u s e w i f e .

^GL #161; 22; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

^GL #553; 44; p h y s i c i a n .

^GL #876; n o t l i s t e d ; a d m in is t r a t o r .

^GL #150; 59; foreman.

8

GL #191; 40; c e r t i f i e d p u b l i c a c c o u n ta n t.

^GL #284; 57; h o u s e w if e .

^GL #354; 6 5 ; t e a c h e r .

^GL #208; 72; c o n s t r u c t i o n s u p e r v i s o r .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

626

He s t r e s s e s th e p o i n t a l l th e way th ro u g h .
He made h i s
p o i n t . . . . He came t o t h e p o i n t from th e f r o n t door and
n o t th e b a c k . 2 A l l p a r t s o f t h e sermon c o n t r ib u t e d t o th e
main id e a .^
L o g ic a l b u t n o t monotonous; h o p e f u l b u t n o t c a n d y - c o a t e d .4
R eveals new th o u g h ts and f a c t s l i t t l e known t o average
B ib le s t u d e n t s . Makes B i b l e l i v e in modem world.**
J u s t enough humor w ith o u t s i l l i n e s s . ^
He i s c a r e f u l t o g i v e h i s t o r i c a l background which makes
B i b l i c a l i n c i d e n t s modem a p p l i c a t i o n s .
Never r e f e r s t o
o t h e r B ib le e x p e r ie n c e s as background w ith o u t e x p l a i n i n g
th em --so n e c e s s a r y t o new B i b l e s t u d e n t s . 7
Thoughts flo w sm o o th ly .
Brought out p o i n t s i n f a m i l i a r
B ib le s t o r y t h a t made me s e e m y s e l f and my f a i l i n g s through
h i s p o i n t i n g out the f a i l u r e s o f th o s e men o f lo n g ago.**
E x c e l l e n t o r g a n i z a t i o n and l o g i c a l developm ent; i m a g i n a t i v e .
I a p p r e c ia t e d th e f a c t t h a t i t was B i b l i c a l .9
W e ll-d e v e lo p e d , w ith a p p l i c a t i o n s a t s h o r t i n t e r v a l s ,
i n s t e a d o f one lo n g d i s s e r t a t i o n w ith a b r i e f a p p l i c a t i o n
a t th e e n d . 10
One h o u s e w ife f e l t th e F agal message t o be a welcome c o n t r a s t to
some sermons sh e had a p p a r e n tly p r e v i o u s l y s a t th rou g h .

For h e r , th e

p r e s e n t a t io n was i n t e r e s t i n g and e a s y to l i s t e n t o b e c a u s e :
An o v e r l y - s t u d i o u s , h ig h - s o u n d in g sermon i s o f t e n hard t o
fo llo w .
I c o n s id e r m y s e lf a good s t u d e n t , bu t d o n 't e n jo y
a sermon o n ly e a s i l y u n d e rsto o d by a Ph.D. A sermon sh o u ld
have som ething t o "take h o ld o f , " so m eth in g to ta k e h o m e .H
And F a g a l's o b v i o u s l y d id f o r her!
D e liv e r y was th e t h i r d major c a te g o r y i n a s s e s s i n g i n t e r e s t - and
a t t e n t i o n - h o l d i n g f a c t o r s l i s t e d b y r e s p o n d e n ts .
: GL #359; 30; h o u s e w if e .

2GL #405; 38; h o u s e w if e .

3 GL # 863; 39; h o u s e w if e .

4 gl #159; 49; t e a c h e r .

5 gl #686.

6 gl #722; 44; o f f i c e s u p e r v i s o r .

7 gl #447; 40; t e a c h e r .

^GL #699.

10GL #615; 48; m i n i s t e r ' s w i f e .

^GL #480; 21; s t u d e n t

11GL #281; 47; h o u s e w if e .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

627

For one l i s t e n e r , th e f a c t t h a t "he d id n * t r ea d h i s sermon . . .

made i t a l l th e more i n t e r e s t i n g . " *

For a n o th e r , i t was b e c a u se ,5he

used h i s h an ds, and I th in k t h a t i s im portant i n g i v i n g a serm on."

S t i l l a n o th e r e n jo y e d i t b e c a u se i t was " c o n v e r s a t io n a l, c o l l o q u i a l ,
addressed d i r e c t l y , and f r e e from n o t e s . "

Another n o te d t h a t "he m e t h o d ic a lly adhered t o h i s s u b j e c t

b u i l t on i t s t e p - b y - s t e p , i n a t e a c h in g manner, c a lm ly , c o m f o r t in g ly ,
g e n t l y , c o m p e l l i n g l y . "^

And one l i s t e n e r p o in te d out t h a t "he h o ld s

your i n t e r e s t c o n s t a n t l y by h o ld in g you in s u s p e n s e ." 3

F in a lly , a

te a c h e r remarked upon h i s "good command o f th e language and . . . mar

v e lo u s v o ca b u la ry and d e l i v e r y s t y l e . " ^
In summing up, th e p r o f e s s i o n a l c o u n s e lo r p r e v i o u s l y c i t e d
rep o rted she found th e sermon i n t e r e s t i n g and easy t o l i s t e n t o b e c a u se :
I was p e r s o n a l l y a b le to i d e n t i f y w ith e v er y p o r t io n o f th e
sermon. I t f i t my i n t e r n a l frame o f r e f e r e n c e . He u sed
b a s i c e n c o u n te r , a w a r en ess, in v o lv e m e n t, humor, commitment,
c o n fid e n c e , t o l e r a n c e , i d e n t i f i c a t i o n , and i n v i t a t i o n . 7
Of th e s e v e n r esp o n d e n ts who gave an u n q u a l i f i e d "no" t o th e
q u e s tio n , i n d i c a t i n g t h a t f o r them th e p r e s e n t a t i o n was n o t i n t e r e s t i n g
and easy to l i s t e n t o , s i x c i t e d r e a so n s f o r t h e i r r e p l y .

They ranged

from the f a c t t h a t one l i s t e n e r had heard t h i s same sermon from E ld e r

F a g a ls l i p s a t a p r e v io u s g a t h e r in g elsewhere,** t o a la c k o f p r e f e r e n c e
fo r the sermon c o n te n t ("I l i k e sermons d e a lin g w ith th e tim e o f t h e end.
He i l l u s t r a t e s w ith p a s t p r o p h e c ie s " ^ ) .

*GL #12.
3GL #882;
5 GL #429.
**GL #868;

2GL #976; 43; h o u s e w if e .

not

l i s t e d ; m i n i s t e r . 4GL #710; 52; s e c r e t a r y .

6 GL #212; 40; t e a c h e r .

79; h o u s e w if e .

7GL #579.

^GL #83; 17; s t u d e n t .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

One r e s p o n d e n t, perhaps b i a s e d , p l a i n l y j u s t d i d n ' t l i k e t h e

speaker p e r s o n a l l y ("Give me E ld e r V o ic e o f P r o p h e c y , h e w r o te , a r e f
eren ce t o H. M. S. R ichards o f th e r a d io b r o a d c a s t o f t h a t name who a l s o
speaks a t th e Michigan encampment ea ch summer).
One lady r e p o r t e d b e in g so d i s t r a c t e d by h a v in g t o com plete th e
q u e s t io n n a ir e a t th e end o f th e e v e n in g t h a t t h i s m ental b lo c k c u t h e r
" c o n c e n tr a tio n i n h a l f o r b e t t e r "

th ro u g h o u t th e program!

Only one

complained t h a t th e sp ea k er u sed "so many g e s t u r e s t h a t i t d i s t r a c t e d my

a tte n tio n ." 3
Only one s e r i o u s n e g a t i v e r e s p o n s e was r e g i s t e r e d , and t h i s by a
n o n -A d v e n tist p u b lic s c h o o l te a c h e r :
Extrem ely b o r in g in th e b e g i n n i n g . He needed t o u se some
o f h i s a t t e n t i o n - g e t t i n g d e v i c e s i n th e b e g in n in g .
I know
the s t o r y o f Andrew--so does e v er y o n e e l s e . So why spend
30 m inutes t e l l i n g me t h i s s t o r y - - e s p e c i a l l y w ith o u t making
any p a r t i c u l a r p o i n t ? 4
S in c e s o many o t h e r r e s p o n d e n t s - - t h e overwhelm ing m a j o r i t y - - f e l t
th a t th e r e was p o in t t o th e sermon as a w h o le , and i n t e r e s t i n i t s v a r i
ous p a r t s , i t may be t h a t t h i s woman was p r e o c c u p ie d w ith a p e r s o n a l
problem, or some o th e r d i s t r a c t i o n , and d i d n ' t h ea r w e l l or much.

Word com prehension. - - I n th e fo u r t h q u e s t i o n , r esp o n d e n ts were

asked i f th e y had found P a s to r F a g a l ' s words to be e a s i l y u n d e r s to o d .
Of the 975 who r e p l i e d , 964 answered a f f i r m a t i v e l y , and a n oth er 11 gave
a q u a l i f i e d " y e s ."

There were no n e g a t i v e r e s p o n s e s , and 75 r e f r a i n e d

from g i v i n g any answer w h a tev er.

The Fagal v o c a b u la r y was most f r e q u e n t l y c h a r a c t e r iz e d as "downto -e a r th " :

487 c h a r a c t e r iz e d i t as " sim p le" ; 289 i d e n t i f i e d i t w ith

1GL #528.

2GL #489; 39; l i b r a r i a n .

3GL #717; 48; h o u s e w if e .

^ GL #244;

30; t e a c h e r ; e x - B a p t i s t .

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629

such words as "common," " o r d in a r y ," " e v er y d a y ," e t c . ; and 61 c i t e d i t as

"plain" or " c l e a r . "
A t o t a l o f 107 m entioned th e a p p r o p r ia t e n e s s o f th e words t o th e
o c ca sio n i n g e n e r a l , and t o t h i s au d ien ce i n p a r t i c u l a r .

Grammar was

s i n g l e d out as a s i g n i f i c a n t f a c t o r by 2 8 , and m a tte r s o f d i c t i o n and

d e liv e r y i n f l u e n c e d 6 7.

Other m is c e ll a n e o u s f a c t o r s were i s o l a t e d by

another 79, c h i e f among which was th e f a c t t h a t F agal always te n d ed t o

e x p la in any words u se d which might have proven d i f f i c u l t o f comprehension
to h i s h e a r e r s .
T y p ic a l o f th e v a r io u s r e s p o n s e s are th e f o l l o w i n g co m p o site
statem en ts:
1
?
He d i d n ' t u s e some b i g , lo n g w ords, b o o k is h words; no
$64 w o r d s .3 M ostly good o l e m o n o s y lla b is w ords, language
o f th e common f o l k . 4 S im p le, m o s tly s h o r t w o r d s;8 n o t com
p l i c a t e d w ith la r g e w o r d s ,- - lo w f o g v a l u e . 6 D ir e c t meaning,
not o f d o u b tf u l meaning;'7 even some c o l l o q u i a l words which
a p p lie d to th e o c c a s i o n . 8 D o e s n 't r e q u ir e a d i c t i o n a r y to
understand th e m .9 Words b i g enough to do th e j o b , b u t n o t
co m p lica te d enough t o c o n f u s e , 10 w ith o u t i n s u l t i n g th e
in t e llig e n c e o f h is l i s t e n e r s .H
Though my e d u c a tio n would h e lp me u n d ersta n d d i f f i c u l t
words, I was s t r u c k by h i s s im p le , d i r e c t b u t d i g n i f i e d
words as w e l l as o c c a s i o n a l c u r r e n t id io m .* 2 Could b e under
s to o d by any e d u c a t io n a l l e v e l . 13 Even my c h ild r e n l i k e h i s
sermons; anyone co u ld un derstan d h i m . 1-4 P l a i n , s t r a i g h t
forward; no e f f o r t to im press a t th e s a c r i f i c e o f
co m m u nication.I8 His words are g e a re d t o th e u n d e rsta n d in g

1GL #924; 28; f a c t o r y worker

2GL #925; 58; h o u s e w if e .

3GL #624; 60; h o u s e w ife .

4 gl #480.

5 gl #874; 69; r e t i r e d s c h o o l t e a c h e r .
7gl #331; 39; h o u s e w i f e .

^GL #261; 32; c h e m ist

SGL #410; 40; d e n t i s t .

9 gl #364; 67; h o u s e w ife .

10GL #863.

llGL #447.

12gl #714; 45; p h y s i c i a n .

13GL #364.

14GL #3 5 9 .

15 gl #467; n o t l i s t e d ; s a l e s ie n g in e e r .

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630

o f th e "common" man; he does n o t t r y t o im press o t h e r s w ith

th e e x t e n t o f h i s v o c a b u la r y (which I'm su r e i s w i d e ) .*
Words were n o t p a r a d e d .2 Language o f common f o l k , b u t many
o f th e th o u g h ts had p o t e n t i a l t o f e e d most i n t e l l e c t u a l . 3
He d id n o t u s e language t h a t was to o c o m p lic a te d f o r the
l a i t y , but y e t o f f e r e d a c h a l l e n g e t o [church] w o r k e r s .4
He u s e s c o r r e c t E n g lis h i n a s im p le s t y l e t h a t i s
d i r e c t , c o n c i s e , m o v in g ,3 n o t s t i l t e d . ^
C lea r s e n t e n c e
s t r u c t u r e ; 7 v o c a b u la r y r e l a t i v e l y s i m p l e - - r e p e t i t i o n o f
some id e a s i n d i f f e r e n t la n g u a g e .3
He speaks w ith a c l e a r and u n d e r sta n d in g v o i c e . ^ His
i n f l e c t i o n s and m o d u la tio n s gave v a r i e t y t o th e s e r m o n .1
Easy to u n d ersta n d a lw a y s: he had good a r t i c u l a t i o n and
pronouncing o f w o r d s . H He spoke p a r e n t h e t i c a l l y o f t e n . 12
He was alw ays c a r e f u l t o e x p l a i n any word he t h in k s h i s
aud ien ce might n o t know, and he does t h i s t a c t f u l l y w ith o u t
" t a l k in g down" t o h i s a u d i e n c e . 13
F i n a l l y , i n what t o t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r was a s p l e n d i d compliment,
one respondent p e r c e p t i v e l y n o t e d t h a t "the words were n o t n o t i c e a b l e ;
the thought was p r e d o m in a n t ." ^
Respondents who gave o n ly q u a l i f i e d a p p r o v a l, and who a l s o took
the tr o u b le t o e x p l a i n why, i n d i c a t e d apparent w eaknesses i n th e a reas
o f both c o n te n t and d e l i v e r y .
One f e l t F a g a l ' s v o c a b u la r y was "very dead . . . , but c e r t a i n l y
ea sy enough to u n d e r s t a n d " ; a n d a n o th e r n o t e d th e p r e s e n c e o f "some
words not in my v o c a b u la r y , b u t n o t many."!^

1GL #329; n o t l i s t e d ;
3GL #480.

teacher.

4GL #600.

2 gl #245; 39; m i n i s t e r .
5 gl #371; 28; m i n i s t e r .

6 gl #382; n o t l i s t e d ; j u v e n i l e i o f f i c e r .
-j
CO
00

#591; 33; h o u s e w i f e .

1GL #889; 65; h o u s e w if e .

^GL #750; 55; t e a c h e r

9GL #317; 48; shop la b o r e r .

U gL #694; 48; f a c t o r y worker.

12 gl #500; 48; t e a c h e r .

13GL #489.

ISGL #244.

16GL #358.

14GL #423 ; 32; t e a c h e r .

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631

A problem i n b a la n c e was i n d i c a t e d b y one who f e l t t h a t th e

" s t o r i e s and i l l u s t r a t i o n s te n d t o overpower th e main l i n e o f S c r ip tu r e
h e s p r e a c h in g from";* w h ile a n o th e r f e l t t h a t th e "words were w e l l
chosen, but to o many words were u s e d . Words d i d n ' t u n it e i n t o a s i n g l e
O
p o i n t . A n d a m i n i s t e r w ith an M.A. degree f e l t th a t
P a sto r Fagal u s e s a number o f g e n e r a l i z a t i o n s which are
m e a n in g le ss . For example: " le a d p e o p le t o th e f o o t o f th e
c r o s s ," e t c . Needs t o be more s p e c i f i c .
G e n e r a liz a t io n s
have no a p p e a l.^
D i f f i c u l t i e s in comprehension due t o d e l i v e r y were n o te d by two:
fo r one th e Fagal v o i c e ten d ed t o drop low i n volume a t th e end o f h i s
s e n te n c e s ;^ and a n o th er f e l t t h a t "sometimes he t a l k s to o f a s t .

I lo s e

c o n t in u it y i f I am m om entarily d i s t r a c t e d ." ^

Content r e l e v a n c e . The f i f t h q u e s t io n sou g h t t o determ ine

whether resp o n d en ts b e l i e v e d t h a t th e sermon o f th e ev en in g had "touched
upon problems which r e l a t e t o modem day l i v i n g as you know i t ? "
Some 802 i n d i c a t e d an a f f i r m a t i v e answ er, w ith another e i g h t
adding a q u a l i f i e d " y e s ."

A t o t a l o f 15 answered in th e n e g a t iv e ; and

225 made no r e sp o n se w h a t e v e r - - t h e l a r g e s t number y e t t o a b s ta in w h o lly .

Judging b o th from th e c o m p a r a tiv e ly l a r g e number o f n e g a t i v e
resp o n ses and th e la r g e number o f a b s t e n t i o n s , and then n o t in g th e r e a
sons g iven by r esp o n d e n ts f o r t h e i r n e g a t iv e r e p l i e s , one comes t o the
c o n c lu s io n t h a t th e wording o f th e q u e s t io n somehow tended t o co n fu se
some read ers who i n t e r n a l l y drew a d i s t i n c t i o n between s e c u l a r problems
on the one hand and th e i n t e r n a l problems o f th e church and C h r i s t i a n i t y
on the o t h e r , i n th e c o n t e x t o f th e "problems o f modern-day l i v i n g . "

*GL #830.

^GL #440; 18; s t u d e n t .

^GL #282; 82; r e t i r e d n u r s e .

3GL #163; 34; m i n i s t e r .

^GL #788.

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632

M ost, h o w ev er, ten d ed n o t t o com partm entalize th e s a c r e d and the

s o - c a l l e d s e c u l a r ; and f o r t h e s e th e Fagal message d id come t o g r ip s
w ith some o f t h e s e "problem s."

The p ro b lem s, as t h e y saw them, were:

Lack o f c o n f id e n c e i n o u r s e lv e s .'*
We must a l l ta k e an i n t e r e s t in f e l l o w men h e r e on e a r t h
b e fo r e we can g e t to h e a v e n .2
We a l l n eed t o be h e lp i n g o th e r s ; we need courage in t h e s e
d a y s .3
S e i z i n g upon o p p o r t u n it y when you f i n d i t . ^
P a ssin g judgment on p e o p le w ith o u t r e a l l y knowing s o much
about th em .5
Brought J e s u s ' l i f e t o modern-day l i v i n g . ^
We sh o u ld a l l b r in g o th e r s t o J e s u s .
We might be a b le t o win more s o u l s i f we showed more
i n t e r e s t in them.
Modem l i v i n g robs us o f th e p r i v i l e g e o f s e e k in g o u t th e
h o n e s t - i n - h e a r t and t e l l i n g them o f J e su s.
We are to o i n t e r e s t e d i n m a t e r ia l t h in g s i n t h i s l i f e
i n s t e a d o f lo o k in g f o r and o b s e r v in g t h a t which i s
s p i r i t u a l . 10
Our ap p arel and our home i s n o t r e a l l y im p ortant; our l i f e
and p e r s o n a l i t y are more i m p o r t a n t .H
Weak c h a r a c te r s are as o ld as Adam and Eve, and as modem
as tomorrow. 12
The i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f th e sa c r e d w ith th e s o - c a l l e d s e c u l a r was
c l e a r l y made by s e v e r a l o f th e r esp o n d en ts:
iGL #1; n o t l i s t e d ; h ig h s c h o o l p r i n c i p a l .

^GL # 6 .

^GL #22;

B a p tist.

n o t l i s t e d ; m a t e r ia l

^GL #30;

74; h o u s e w ife .

^GL #46;

57; h o u s e w if e .

h a n d le r;

3 g l #15.

^GL #35; 68; t e a c h e r ; M eth o d ist.

GL

#53; 53;

^GL #86; 56; l i t e r a t u r e e v a n g e l i s t .

**GL #93; 34; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

lic e n se d p r a c tic a l nurse.

*GL #90.
*^GL #2 62 .

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633

P e o p le to d a y are o f t e n l o n e l y and s a d . They a p p r e c ia t e

k in d ly h e a r t s and g e n t l e p e o p le who w i l l b e i n t e r e s t e d i n
them. The n eed i s g r e a t t o show weary h e a r t s th e way t o a
b e tte r l i f e in C h r is t .1
Men and women n e e d t o know and p o s s e s s th e i n n e r p e a c e
which few p o s s e s s .
God and H is Son are th e s o u r c e o f p e a c e .
The o n ly way men may have i t i s in b e in g brough t t o C h r is t .
There i s no p e a c e o f mind a p a r t from C h r is t and th e F a t h e r . 2
None o f us i s as e f f e c t i v e as we c o u ld be as human
b e in g s s im p ly b e c a u s e we n e i t h e r r e a l i z e n or c a p i t a l i z e on
our own p o t e n t i a l n or do we look f o r th e p o t e n t i a l f o r good
in our f e l l o w m e n . 3
Among t h o s e who i n d i c a t e d t h e i r f e e l i n g t h a t th e sermon d id n o t
touch upon modern-day p r o b le m s , one so u g h t t o d e fe n d th e sp e a k e r from
im p lied c r i t i c i s m b y s a y i n g t h a t " t h i s was n o t h i s pu rp ose t o n i g h t ; i t
was to i n s p i r e t o b r i n g p e o p le t o C h r is t .
A n oth er, o b v i o u s l y c o n fu se d by th e q u e s t i o n , s a i d , s im p ly , "I
don 't know.

H e's t a l k i n g t o C h r i s t i a n s , and most p e o p le i n c l u d i n g young

p eople a r e n ' t C h r i s t i a n s ." ^

S t i l l an o th e r f e l t t h a t th e sermon tou ch ed

on t h i s a r ea "on ly i n d i r e c t l y . "
The b i g g e s t s i n g l e c o m p la in t r e g i s t e r e d was t h a t th e sermon was
7
"too g e n e r a l," t h a t i t had " to o many g e n e r a l i z a t i o n s ; n e e d s t o be more
s p e c ific ."

S a id one,

"He d id n ot s t a t e how t o b r in g o t h e r s t o C h r is t " ; 3

and another added, "I would l i k e more s p e c i f i c h e lp and a n s w e r s " ^ on

the methodology and te c h n iq u e s o f s o u l- w in n in g .

^GL #195; 63 ; r e t i r e d t e a c h e r .
^GL #244.

2GL #1 5 0.

^GL #76; 43; h ig h s c h o o l t e a c h e r .

8 GL #84; 28; f a c o t o r y worker.

^GL #105; 58 ; lumberman.
7GL #440.

SGL #163.

9 GL #37 0.

1(^GL #622; 44; h o u s e w if e .

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634

E vidence and r e a s o n i n g . L i s t e n e r s were asked

t i o n i f th e y were " a b le t o f o l l o w P a s to r F a g a l ' s l i n e

i n th e s i x t h q u e s
of

th ought and

argument"; and, i f s o , i n what way.

A t o t a l o f 876 r e p l i e d a f f i r m a t i v e l y (a lth o u g h 18 v o ic e d r e s e r
v a tio n s o f one form or a n o t h e r ) ; s i x s a i d "No"; and 168 made no
respon se a t a l l .
One r esp o n d e n t in e i g h t (103) m entioned f a c t o r s o f o r g a n i z a t i o n
(use o f an o u t l i n e , n o t wandering from i t , s e q u e n t i a l p r o g r e s s i o n , e t c . )
as e s p e c i a l l y h e l p f u l i n f o l l o w i n g th e Fagal m e ssa g e .
Other p r e d i s p o s i n g f a c t o r s p r o m in e n tly m entioned in c lu d e d th e
s p e a k e r 's method o f e x p l a n a t io n ( 7 7 ) , u se o f i l l u s t r a t i o n s ( 6 1 ) , l o g i c
and r ea s o n in g ( 3 3 ) , u s e o f a p p l i c a t i o n ( 2 8 ) , employment o f a theme

(2 1 ),

use o f

i n t e r e s t f a c t o r s ( 2 0 ) , and d e l i v e r y te c h n iq u e s ( 1 9 ) .

Other

causes

c i t e d in c lu d e d s k i l l f u l u se o f r e p e t i t i o n , u se o f

B ib lic a l

m a t e r ia ls , and u se o f com parison.

Respondents g e n e r a l l y found t h e Fagal message "w ell o r g a n iz e d ," ^
"well planned":

There i s l o g i c a l o r g a n iz a t io n : he f o l l o w s through s t e p
by s t e p , has a g o a l or aim t o work toward. T h e r e 's no
d ig r e ssio n .
He r e l a t e s an e x p e r ie n c e o r an e c d o te i n o rd er
to i l l u s t r a t e o r c l i n c h a p o i n t , c l a r i f y or a m p l i f y . 3
I was l e d by h i s ch a in o f th ou gh t as i t u n r o l l e d . ^
Simple p o i n t s were made one by one; th e l i s t e n e r d id n o t
have t o keep i n mind a lo n g l i n e o f r e a s o n in g t o be a b le t o
p ic k out a c o n c l u s i o n . 5 The t e x t , th e em p h a sis, and the
i l l u s t r a t i o n s a l l headed i n th e same d i r e c t i o n . 5 There were
d e f i n i t e t r a n s i t i o n s betw een paragraphs and i l l u s t r a t i o n s ;
th er e was d i r e c t i o n t o th e m e s s a g e .7 He f o ll o w e d
iGL #376; 42; e lem en ta ry s c h o o l p r i n c i p a l .
^GL #628; 40; h o u s e w if e .

5GL #3 29 .

#355; p r i n t e r .

^GL #464; 39; t e a c h e r .

^GL #313; 43; h o s p i t a l c h a p la in .

^GL #497.

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635

c h r o n o lo g ic a l ord er; * s e q u e n t i a l th o u g h t d e v e lo p m e n t.2 He

has good c o n t i n u i t y ; d o e s n ' t t r y t o cram to o many s u b j e c t s
i n t o one serm o n .3
He s t i c k s to th e p o i n t , does n o t wander i n h i s t r a i n o f
t h o u g h t.^ H is l i n e o f th o u g h t was v e r y c l e a r b e c a u s e he
u sed p r a c t i c a l t e r m s . 5 He b u i l t h i s sermon from th e o p e n in g
remarks s t e p - b y - s t e p t o th e c l i m a x , 6 upon an e x c e l l e n t
framework o f d e s c r i p t i o n , i l l u s t r a t i o n , e t c . ? He u s e s
i n d u c t iv e r e a s o n i n g ; 8 he r e a s o n s from cau se t o e f f e c t . 9 He
a p p ea ls t o r e a s o n ; l e s s e m o tio n a lis m . 10
He p r e s e n t e d f a c t s w ith p r o p e r d ocum en tation and l o g i c a l
illu str a tio n .H
By f o l l o w i n g ea ch s t e p i n h i s sermon you
could s t i l l go back t o th e o r i g i n a l th ou gh t and t i e i t i n . 12
He l e a v e s no l o o s e ends t o d a n g le ; i f he s u s p e c t s som ethin g
i s n o t p l a i n , he p a u se s b r i e f l y t o e x p l a i n . 1-^ He opens th e
s t o r y t o your mind l i k e lo o k in g a t a p i c t u r e . 14 He was
p r e c i s e .1^
His i l l u s t r a t i o n s were q u i t e r e l e v a n t t o th e S c r ip t u r e
p a s s a g e . 16 He c a l l s upon l i f e e x p e r ie n c e s t h a t are r e a l to
a l l o f us t o encourage a b e t t e r l i f e . l ?
His i l l u s t r a t i o n s
went a lo n g w ith th e sermon, i n d i c a t i n g he knew h i s s u b j e c t
w e ll and p u t much th o u g h t i n t o i t s p r e p a r a t i o n . 18
I n t e r e s t i n g b u t n o t m is le a d in g s i d e - l i g h t s .
He d o e s n ' t
t r y t o f i t th e i l l u s t r a t i o n s f o r a fe w , b u t f o r a l l ; he
reaches th e common p e r s o n , makes him f e e l he can do m o r e .2
His i l l u s t r a t i o n s le d i n t o each o t h e r i n one s e q u e n c e . 21 He
gave many examples and ways we can win s o u l s . 22 You c o u ld
s e e ahead, as he t a l k s , to th e p o s s i b l e a n s w e r . 23
2GL #631; 46; n u r s in g i n s t r u c t o r .

I gl # 59 1.

3gl #636; 25; s e c r e t a r y - t y p i s t .

^GL #785; 38; h o u s e w if e .

5 gl #822; n o t l i s t e d ; s t u d e n t ; no a f f i l i a t i o n l i s t e d .
7gl #566.

GL #5 7 9.

10GL #577; 39; p h y s i c i a n .

13 gl #521; 36; h o u s e w if e .
15 gl #668; 44; n u rse a i d e .

9 GL #70; 81; r e t i r e d p ia n o t e c h n i c i a n .
n GL #600.

21 gl #830.

12GL #737.

^GL #270; 34; auto m o tive trimmer.

^GL #98.

17 gl #37; n o t l i s t e d ; p h y s i c a l t h e r a p i s t .
19 gl #1 61 .

GL #525

*^GL # 4 1 3 .

2GL #943; n o t l i s t e d ; d e c o r a t o r .
22GL #596; 44; e l e c t r i c a l c o n s t r u c t i o n .

23 gl #824; age and o c c u p a tio n n o t l i s t e d .

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gg

636

He a t t r a c t s your a t t e n t i o n , g e t s your i n t e r e s t , th en
you can s e e where you can a p p ly t h i s t o your own l i f e . l I
p r a c tic a lly liv e in
h i s ser m o n .2 He s h a r e s w it h us h i s
background o f e a r l y la n g u ag es and h i s t o r i c a l e v e n t s which
makes t h e s e Ms t o r i e s M l i v e . 3 I was a b le t o f o l l o w P a s t o r
F a g a l's l i n e o f th ou gh t and argument l i k e a t r a i l e r f o l l o w s
a car; he h e l d my i n t e r e s t l i k e a k i t e h e ld b y a l i t t l e b o y . 4
He f r e q u e n t l y reminded us o f h i s th em e.8 He made h i s
theme c l e a r ; 3 he had a s i n g l e p u rp ose: are you ready f o r
J e s u s ' s se c o n d coming?? He brough t th e same th o u g h t back
o f t e n . 8 He r e p e a t s
th e main th ou g h t bu t i n d i f f e r e n t and
i n t e r e s t i n g w a y s .9
He r e t u r n s o f t e n t o th e f o c a l p o i n t o f
h i s s e r m o n . 10 He k e p t g o in g back t o th e main tr e n d o f
thought o f t e n enough to make i t p l a i n . H
I l i k e i t b roken;
i . e . , s to r y , p o in t, s to r y , p o in t, e t c . I 2
He has an i n t e r e s t i n g d e l i v e r y ; I 3 he had a w e l l - o r g a n i z e d
sermon, and f o ll o w e d i t through w ith a smooth, e f f e c t i v e
m a n n e r . 14
i t ' s e a s i e r t o grasp what th e s p e a k e r sa y s when he
preach es h i s sermon and does n o t rea d i t . * 3 He d o e s n ' t u s e
b ig words; makes you f e e l he lo v e s p e o p l e . I 3 He seems to
speak as i f t a l k i n g t o each one p e r s o n a l l y ; h i s remarks
s t im u la t e t h in k i n g on th e p a r t o f th e l i s t e n e r . 1? H is
method o f d e l i v e r y i s such t h a t you cannot l o s e th e th ou gh t 18
He i s a good s t o r y - t e l l e r , v e r y h e l p f u l in making sermons
c l e a r . 19
I n t e r e s t i n g l y , some who f e l t un able to f o l l o w F a g a l ' s " l i n e o f
argument" i n d i c a t e d i n d i r e c t l y by t h e i r resp o n se t h a t , f o r them, the

I gL #829; 52; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

2GL #459; 54; h o u s e w if e .

8GL # 4 4 7 .

4 q l # 4 4 8 ; 58; s i g n p a i n t e r .

8GL #3 12 ; 49; n u r s e .

6GL #3 60 .

7GL #432; 48; s c i e n t i s t ( Ph. D. ) .

8GL #164; 26; h o u s e w if e .

9GL #206; n o t l i s t e d ;

lic e n se d p r a c tic a l nurse.

1GL #253; 42; p h y s i c i a n .

U GL #844.

12GL #805; 21; c h e m is t.

*8GL #42; 60; p h y s i c a l t h e r a p i s t .

14 gl #157; 20; h o s p i t a l em ployee.

*8GL #186; 35; p h y s ic ia n .

l^GL #911; 44; farm er.

1?GL #508;
18GL #694.

not l i s t e d ; p h y sic a l th e r a p is t.
19GL #729; 6 6 ; h o u se w ife .

......

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

637
word "argument was equated w ith p o le m i c a l arguing r a t h e r than th e
p rocess o f r e a s o n in g .

S a id one, "As f a r as b e in g argument, th e r e was no

argument; he brought i t out s o p l a i n . A d d e d

a n o th e r , "He r e a l l y

d id n 't have an argument, he j u s t p r e s e n t e d th e f a c t s .

r ig h t , who can

argu e?" ^

S a id s t i l l an o th er:

although I d i d n ' t a g r ee w ith i t .

I f th e f a c t s are

"I co u ld f o l l o w i t

S t i l l , I found i t i n t e r e s t i n g . "

The e x t e n t t o which F a g a l 's in d u c t i v e method su c c e e d e d i s p e r

haps i n d i c a t e d i n th e n e x t two r e s p o n s e s :
I t h in k t h e sermon la ck ed c o h e r e n c e .
did t i e t h in g s t o g e t h e r a t th e e n d . 4

C o r r e c tio n :

he

To t e l l th e t r u t h , I could n o t r e c o n s t r u c t a l o g i c a l
t r a i n o f s t r u c t u r e d th o u g h t; b u t th e t o t a l e f f e c t was
b ea u tifu l!
B e a u tifu l.5
Only about a h a l f - d o z e n r esp o n d e n ts found com p lain t w ith F a g a l's
p r e s e n t a t io n in t h i s c o n t e x t .

They r e p o r te d :

I had a b i t o f d i f f i c u l t y f i t t i n g i t a l l t o g e t h e r . 6 I
f e e l he in t r o d u c e d to o many d i f f e r e n t l i n e s o f th o u g h t .?
Probably to o many d i f f e r e n t th o u g h ts from to o la r g e a
pa ssa ge o f S c r i p t u r e . 8
Too many o f f - s i d e i l l u s t r a t i o n s . 9 Maybe he would do
w e ll t o u se more r e a s o n in g and few er i l l u s t r a t i o n s .10 His
i l l u s t r a t i o n s in t e r r u p t e d my l i n e o f t h o u g h t . H
He s a i d many good t h i n g s , but th e c e n t r a l theme was
12 i t took me a w h i l e t o d e c id e what h i s g o a l w a s . 13
I f e l t he was b u i l d i n g a s tr o n g f o u n d a t io n , b u t th e clim ax
was p o o r . 14
w e a k .

And one im i n i s t e r in th e a u d ien ce r e p o r te d t h a t , f o r him, th e

message

1GL #638

62; widow.

5GL #294

28; s t u d e n t .

7gl #133

2GL # 8 3 .

3 GL #140.
6 GL #880;

8GL #415; 28; t e a c h e r .

U gl #922

21; h o u s e w if e .

14 gl #752

23; t e a c h e r .

i 2 GL #597.

9GL #440.

4GL #310.
19; n u r s in g s tu d e n t.
1GL #676.

13GL #502; 27; te a c h e r .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

638

la ck ed them e, o u t l i n e , and e s p e c i a l l y p s y c h o l o g i c a l s e q u e n c e .
M issed h i s a t t e n t i o n p r e p a r a t i o n , e t c . Had a hard tim e t o
f in d out what h e was d r i v i n g a t a f t e r 15 m in u tes o f s p e a k i n g . *
By f a r th e m a j o r it y , how ever, r e p o r t e d f e e l i n g l i t t l e

or no d i f

f i c u l t y i n f o l l o w i n g W illia m F a g a l 's l i n e o f th o u g h t and argument.

Use o f S c r i p t u r e . - - I n q u e s t i o n s e v e n r e s p o n d e n ts were asked f o r

t h e i r p e r s o n a l im p r e s s io n s c o n c e r n in g W illiam F a g a l ' s u s e o f S c r ip t u r e
in h i s sermon.
Some 910 i n d i c a t e d approval C34 w ith r e s e r v a t i o n or q u a l i f i c a
t i o n ) , 26 r e g i s t e r e d d is a p p r o v a l , and 114 made no r e s p o n se w h a te v e r.
Q u a l i t a t i v e l y , 610 f e l t F a g a l 's u se o f th e B ib le t o be " e f f e c
t i v e , and 433 c o n s id e r e d t h a t u se " c o n v in c in g ."

Q u a n t i t a t i v e l y , 49

s a id th ey th ought he u s e d to o l i t t l e S c r i p t u r e , o n ly 2 f e l t h e had u se d
too much, and 124 e x p r e s s e d th e o p in io n t h a t t h e amount u s e d was " j u s t
r i g h t ," an a p p r o p r ia t e b a la n c e .
Perhaps h a l f o f th o s e r e sp o n d in g went on t o make a d d i t i o n a l
o b s e r v a tio n s upon th e manner i n which P a s t o r Fagal h an d led th e Word o f
God.

The f o l l o w i n g are f a i r l y t y p i c a l o f a u d ien ce r e a c t i o n t o t h i s

qu estion :
He and th e B ib le are o l d f r i e n d s , h e ' s a t e a c h e r o f
His s t r o n g e s t p o i n t i s h i s knowledge o f th e B i b l e .
I can t e l l he h as put i n much tim e and th o u g h t s o he can
p r e se n t m a t e r ia l c l e a r l y . 4 H is r e f e r e n c e s are alw ays a t
h i s command; one s e n s e s im m ed ia te ly he i s c l o s e l y a c q u a in te d
w ith th e B i b l e . 5 He co u ld w r it e a commentary, I b e l i e v e .
Never have I h e a r d anyone p r e s e n t e v e r y p h ra se o f a B ib le
p assage s o c l e a r l y . 6 I t ' s o b v io u s l y th e fo u n d a tio n o f h i s
m i n i s t r y ; 7 he r e a l l y b e l i e v e s i t . 8 He rea d s th e S c r i p t u r e s
as th ey are w r i t t e n ; i t g i v e s c o n f id e n c e o f h i s p e r s o n a l
i n t e g r i t y t o th e l i s t e n e r . 9
B ib le .^

iGL #163.
4GL #98.

#436; 48; h o u s e w if e .
5 GL #223; 50; s e c r e t a r y .

7GL #305; 48; h o u s e w if e .

#702; 60 ; h o u s e w if e .
6 GL #409.

8GL #112; 41; h o u s e w if e .

9 GL # 2 6 1 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

639
F a g a l ' s h a n d lin g o f th e Word i s d e s c r ib e d v a r i o u s l y a s :

"rever

e n t, "* " n a t u r a l , " a p t , " 3 " e n l i g h t e n i n g , " 4 " i n s p i r i n g , " 3 " e s p e c i a l l y

p r o v o c a tiv e ," ^ " im p r e s s iv e ," '7 "m eaningful," "not monotonous,"^ "easy
and f l u e n t , " e x p l a n a t o r y and clarifying,"'*''*' " r e v e a l i n g and im a g in a
t i v e , " - ^ " p l e a s i n g , " 1^ " p r a c t i c a l ,

and " e l e v a t i n g - - h e does n o t

i r r i t a t e p e o p le o u t s i d e our c h u r c h ."-*-5
F a g a l's q u a n t i t a t i v e u s e o f th e S c r i p t u r e s

was most f r e q u e n t l y

d e scr ib e d as "a n i c e b a l a n c e " ^ b etw een to o l i t t l e

and to o much.

Obser

v a tio n s from h i s h e a r e r s on t h i s p o i n t are i n t e r e s t i n g :

Too much would c o m p lic a te u n d e r s ta n d in g ; to o l i t t l e
would d i s s o l v e th e p r i n c i p a l p u rp ose o f th e se r m o n .1? i do
not f e e l he o v e ru se s i t or ig n o r e s i t . 18 He u s e s j u s t
enough t o em phasize th e p o in t he w is h e s t o m a k e,19 j u s t
enough t o l e t you know h e ' s p r e a c h in g th e Word o f God and
n o t j u s t u s i n g h i s own t h o u g h t s , 20 j u s t enough t o document
h i s s t o r y , 21 j u s t enough t o keep th e th ought v i v i d i n th e
m ind,22 enough to
c r e a t e i n t e r e s t , b u t n o t to o much t o be
read ing a l l th e t i m e . 23 a few p a s s a g e s o f S c r ip t u r e
c a r e f u l l y exposed dem on strate t h e t h o u g h t .24 Not to o much
food a t one t i m e . 25
He does n o t q u ote S c r ip t u r e p e r s e to o o f t e n , b u t u s e s
S c r ip tu r e th rou gh ou t th e sermon w e l l . 26 Every t e x t had a
2GL #61; 35; u n i v e r s i t y math p r o f e s s o r ( P h .D .) .

I gl # 42 .
3 gl #278.

4GL #280; 35; n u r s e .

7GL
7gl #318; 48; h
1 o u s e w if e .

;ted ; h o u s e w if e .

12 gl #6 34; 47;

r ister e d n u rse.

14 gl #706; 72; i

lse w ife .

18 gl #746.
21 gl #674;

19
19; :

6 GL #313.

GL #323; 36; h o u s e w if e .

l 0 GL #463; n o t

i 6 GL #162; 53;

SGL #29 4.

^GL #340.

*''*'GL #57 9 .
1^

GL #689; 60; h o u s e w if e ,

^GL #761; 50; t e a c h e r .

1?GL #143; 49;
2 0 gl #362; 41;
2 2 gl #729.

23 gl #831; 35;

24 gl #688.

25 gl #394; 49;

26 gl #656; 36;

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

640

||
i5
j

d i r e c t b e a r in g on h i s t o p i c ;
I c a n t t h in k o f an e f f e c t i v e t e x t on th e s u b j e c t h e d id n t u s e ; h e
d id n o t u se any
u n n e ce ssa r y S c r i p t u r e . 2
F agal i s n o t an i n t e l l e c t u a l s p e a k e r .
H is s t y l e o f
p r e a ch in g does n o t n e e d e x t e n s i v e u s e o f B ib le t e x t s . His
sermons are an e m o tio n a l a p p ea l g iv e n i n a q u i e t m anner.3
Most p a r t i c i p a n t s would have a g reed w ith one r e s p o n d e n t who, h i g h l i g h t i n g
the e s s e n t i a l l y B i b l i c a l n a t u r e o f th e F agal p r e s e n t a t i o n , o b se rv e d i n
an a s id e , "A sermon w it h o u t B ib le i s n t a sermon; i t ' s

a s p e e c h , soon

fo r g o tte n ." 4
F a g a l ' s e x p o s i t o r y method appeared t o be e s p e c i a l l y a p p r e c ia te d
by many, i f n o t m o st, in h i s a u d ien ce :
He gave a w hole sermon
S c r ip t u r e , and t h i s I l i k e
through th e w hole B i b l e . 5
t e x t p h ra se by p h ra se s o a

from one s m a ll p o r t i o n o f
b e t t e r th an s k ip p in g around
I l i k e th e way he e x p l a i n s th e
background " t a p e s t r y " i s form ed .5

You d o n 't even r e a l i z e h e ' s g i v i n g B ib le t e x t s a l l th e tim e;

he works them i n v ery w e l l . ? A l l h i s sermons I have e v e r
heard have been b a s e d on a s i n g l e t e x t o f S c r i p t u r e . 8
I l i k e h i s way o f e x p l a i n i n g a few v e r s e s i n d e t a i l .
He l e t s th e B i b l e ' s own o u t l i n e u n r a v e l , th en r e in fo r c e m e n t
by modem exam ple. 10 He p i c k s i t a p a r t and u s e s th e p a s
s a g e s e a s i l y . 11 He b a ck s up e v e r y t h in g he s a y s w it h th e use
o f th e B i b l e . 12 He u s e s th e B ib le n o t as a club b u t as the
way toward C h r i s t . I 5 He b u i l t h i s m essage around h i s t e x t ; 14
he b u i l d s l i k e b lo c k s around h i s B i b l e r e f e r e n c e s . I 3 He
f o llo w s h i s t e x t t o t h e e n d . 1 5

iGL #737.

2 GL # 8 6 3 .

3GL #366,

4 gl #811; n o t l i s t e d ; c o n s t r u c t i o n la b o r e r .
5 gl #267; 40; h o u s e w if e .

6 gl #566.

7 gl #825; n o t l i s t e d ; s t u d e n t .

8 gl #139; 24; s t u d e n t .

9 gl #175; 20; s e c r e t a r y .
12 gl #90.

13GL # 37 .

10GL #49 5 ; 24; s t u d e n t .

^GL

14GL #375; 52; s t a t e worker.

15 GL #594; 47; sa lesm a n .

16 gl #544; 28; m a c h in is t .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

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|

641

T h e r e 's n o t h in g l i k e e x p o s i t o r y p r e a c h i n g ! 1 I l i k e h i s
u s e o f one o r two t e x t s th o r o u g h ly r a t h e r th an a b a rrage o f
s e v e r a l t o t r y t o remember and r e l a t e . 2 He l e t s th e B ib le
speak; makes p e o p le a c q u a in te d w ith and lo v e th e B i b l e . 3
He d i d n ' t t r y to c o v e r s o much w ith s o l i t t l e e x p l a i n i n g . 4
He e x p la in s s m a ll d e t a i l s ' s i g n i f i c a n c e . 5
E x e g e s is i s e x c e l l e n t ; w e l l s t u d i e d . ^ Very f a i r t o
B i b l i c a l e x e g e s i s ; does n o t approach s u b j e c t w ith o n ly c o ld
f a c t s . ^ The whole
theme was B i b l i c a l ;9 and th e theme was
O
w e ll p resented .
New i d e a s , a p p l i c a t i o n , and r e le v a n c e were a l l e s p e c i a l l y
s i n g l e d out by h e a r e r s i n th e c o n t e x t o f W illia m F a g a l 's u se o f th e
S c r ip tu r e s :
I e s p e c i a l l y l i k e t h i s p a r t o f h i s p r e a c h in g . I have
g a in e d much knowledge o f th e B i b l e ' s m essage and circum
s t a n c e s under which i t was w r i t t e n . 9 He makes th e B ib le
app ly t o us t o d a y ; 10 he makes i t more i n t e r e s t i n g , s im p le
t o me.
He e x p l a i n s t h in g s t h a t would o th e r w is e go u n n o t i c e d ; I 2
he g iv e s a d i f f e r e n t s l a n t , d e lv e s more d e e p l y ; 13 makes your
mind d w e ll on v e r s e s you h a d n 't n o t i c e d . 14 He b r in g s out
s p i r i t u a l m e a n in g s ,! 5 new a n g le s and new i n s i g h t . 16 He
m a g n ifie s w ith c l a r i t y th e S c r i p t u r e , 17 makes i t seem so
modem and p e r s o n a l , I S so r e a l and p r a c t i c a l . 19
He makes i t more i n t e r e s t i n g by r e a d in g betw een th e
l i n e s ; e v id e n c e o f much r e s e a r c h and s t u d y . 20 New tr u t h

1GL #242; n o t l i s t e d ; B ib le i n s t r u c t o r .
3GL #222.

4GL #172; 29; i n s p e c t o r ;

2 GL #447.
a f f i l i a t i o n not l i s t e d .

5 gl #320; 24; t e a c h e r .

6GL #163.

7GL #371.

8gl #898; 25; t e a c h e r .

9 GL #157.

10GL #190.

U gl #131; 38; h o u s e w if e .

12 gl #225; 20; h o u s e w ife .

13 gl #284.

14GL #286; 37; h o u s e w ife .

15 gl #389; n o t l i s t e d ; machine o p e r a to r .
17 gl #457.

i 6 GL #399; 21; s tu d e n t

1SGL #498; 61; h o u s e w ife .

19 gl #751; 52; t e a c h e r .
20 gl #576; 18; s t u d e n t .

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642

and new l i g h t from th e f a m i l i a r t e x t , 1 s o p r a c t i c a l to

im p lem en t.2
S e v e r a l p a r t i c u l a r l y m entioned t h e i r a p p r e c ia t io n o f F a g a l ' s use
o f o th e r t r a n s l a t i o n s o f th e B i b l e .

Noted o n e , "He u s e s more than one

7

t r a n s l a t i o n i f i t w i l l b e b e t t e r t o u n d e r s ta n d ." 0
And th e s p e a k e r ' s p h y s i c a l h a n d lin g o f th e Book was n o t e d by a
number o f o b s e r v e r s :
He u s e s B ib le t e x t s i n a c a su a l manner.
However, I
know he knows h i s B i b l e . 4 He seems t o know th e B ib le by
h e a r t , b u t rea d s s o we know he i s q u o tin g from God's W o r d . 5
He seemed t o know th e B ib le w e l l w ith o u t a p p a r e n tly havin g
t o open i t . 6 He knows where t o f i n d t h in g s w ith o u t h u n t in g .?
He had to o s h o r t a time t o speak to spend much tim e lo o k in g
up t e x t s .8
What was t h e n e t e f f e c t o f a l l t h i s upon th e h e a r e r s ?

S a id one,

"I could l i s t e n a l l n i g h t . A n o t h e r c o n f e s s e d t h a t i t "makes me want

to stud y th e S c r i p t u r e s m ore." 1^

Another o b s e r v e d , "I n e v e r th ought

about Andrew i n such a w a y ." 11

N e g a t iv e comments on F a g a l 's use o f S c r ip t u r e was
div id ed betw een one group which f e l t t h a t Fagal

about e v e n ly

needed to b u t t r e s s h i s

messages w ith more B ib le p r o o f , and another which f e l t he ought t o make

more emphasis i n c i t i n g t e x t u a l so u r c e r e f e r e n c e s o f th e p a s s a g e s which
he did u s e .
A d v e n t i s t s are n o t a b ly a B i b l e - l o v i n g p e o p le ; and f o r some o f
the " f a i t h f u l " a t camp m e e tin g , a p p a r e n t ly , th e r e j u s t n e v e r c o u ld be
XGL #586; 40; t e a c h e r .

^GL #672; 50; p h y s i c i a n .

3GL #520; 46; d e c o r a t in g c o n t r a c t o r .

5 gl #213;

79; j a n i t o r .

7gl #629;

37; o f f i c e n u r s e .

6 GL #537; 56; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e

00

#61 7; 37; elem en ta ry s c h o o l t e a c h e r .

^GL # 1 2 8 ; 55; h o u s e w if e .

^GL #6.

^GL #638.

11GL #998; 25; h o u s e w ife .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

643
too much S c r ip t u r e !

S a id one, "I f e e l more B ib le t e x t s c o u ld be u se d so

t h a t o th er s might know t h a t we are p e o p le o f th e B ook. 1

Some appeared

even to p r e f e r a B ib le s tu d y r a t h e r than a sermon:

I have heard sermons i n sm a ll churches l i k e B ib le s t u d i e s ;
I f e e l we n eed m o r e .2
Two l i s t e n e r s , i n t e r e s t i n g l y , p e r c e p t i v e l y n o te d t h a t d i f f e r
ences in serm ons, and d i f f e r e n c e s i n a u d ien ce c o m p o s itio n , might have a
d i r e c t b e a r in g on th e amount o f S c r ip t u r e u sed i n th e m e ssa g e .

S a id

one:
He could have u sed more t e x t s t o n i g h t , b u t each sermon i s
d i f f e r e n t .3
And another, commenting on th e e v e n in g sermon, opined:
Too l i t t l e f o r members o f th e church; however t h i s i s
probably th e most e f f e c t i v e f o r th e g e n e r a l p u b l i c . 4
S e v e r a l s t r o n g l y f e l t t h a t P a s t o r Fagal s h o u ld have emphasized
the t e x t u a l so u r c e c i t a t i o n more s t r o n g l y i n h i s d is c o u r s e so t h a t the
con grega tion co u ld f o ll o w a lo n g i n t h e i r own B ib le s th ro u g h o u t:
At l e a s t a r e f e r e n c e t o th e c h a p te r might be h e l p f u l . 3
He n ev er gave a t e x t f o r th e a u d ien ce t o look u p .6
I cannot r e c a l l a s i n g l e t e x t . ?
Perhaps th e S c r ip t u r e v e r s e s co u ld be more o f t e n r e p e a t e d . 8
I l i k e to h e a r a m i n i s t e r u s e S c r i p t u r e , b u t g iv e me a
second o r two to f i n d them, and be su re to r e p e a t c h a p te r
and v e r s e . 9
Would a p p r e c ia te more docum entation on major p o i n t s
m e n tio n e d .10
I f e e l t h a t i f th e S c r ip t u r e s a re q u o te d , I have a ten d en cy
t o w r it e them dow n.H
1GL # 2 1 7 .

2GL #266; 51; widow.

3GL #686.

4GL #9 74; 35; f r e i g h t c a r i n s p e c t o r .

5 gl #18; 54; e l e c t r o n i c t e c h n i c i a n .
7 gl #34; 41; h o u s e w if e .
9 gl #441; 45; f a c t o r y worker.

6 gl #30.

3GL #283; 73; r e t i r e d .

10GL #752.

U GL #806; 39; c o n s t r u c t i o n worker.

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644
He c o u ld hav e m entioned th e c h a p te r a g a in s o la te c o m e rs
c o u ld f o l l o w . 1
C oncerning th e p h y s i c a l h a n d lin g o f th e B ib le , one f e l t t h a t
Fagal s h o u ld " h old i t up, and r e f e r to i t more";

and th e Mormon v i s i t o r ,

in what a p p a r e n t ly i s a r e f e r e n c e t o th e w r i t i n g s o f Joseph Sm ith,

Brigham Young, and t h e i r LDS s u c c e s s o r s , s a i d :
He has s p e n t many hours i n s tu d y .
I f e e l sad at t h is
p o in t t h a t he has o n ly s t u d i e d th e B ib le and n o t th e r e s t
o f th e S c r i p t u r e s as we know them .3
C om p lain ts, how ever, r e p r e s e n t e d o n ly 6.3% o f th e 936 t o t a l
resp o n d en ts t o th e q u e s t i o n .

The v a s t m a j o r it y f e l t Fagal made e x c e l

le n t u se o f th e S c r i p t u r e s , q u a l i t a t i v e l y and q u a n t i t a t i v e l y .

Use o f s u p p o r t iv e m a t e r i a l s . - - I n th e e ig h t h q u e s t io n members o f
the a u d ien ce were asked t h e i r im p r e s s io n c o n c er n in g W illiam F a g a l ' s u se
o f s u p p o r t iv e m a t e r i a l s su ch as i l l u s t r a t i o n s , poems, q u o t a t i o n s , e t c .
Some 866 r e s p o n d e n ts v o i c e d approval (24 w ith r e s e r v a t i o n or
q u a lific a tio n );

6 s i g n i f i e d d i s a p p r o v a l , and 178 made no r e s p o n se w hat

ev er t o th e q u ery .
A r e - e x a m in a tio n o f th e t r a n s c r i p t o f t h i s p a r t i c u l a r sermon
r e v e a ls th e f a c t t h a t a lth o u g h i t

c o n ta in e d i l l u s t r a t i o n s i n abundance,

not one poem o r e x t r a - B i b l i c a l q u o t a t io n was used throughout th e m essa g e.

The n in e r e s p o n d e n ts , t h e r e f o r e , who spoke a p p r o v in g ly o f
F a g a l's u s e o f poems and q u o t a t io n s ("Poems mean more as he rea d s them"^)
a p p a re n tly d id s o on th e b a s i s o f memory i n c o n n e c tio n w ith o th e r s e r
mons which th e r esp o n d e n t may have heard P a s to r Fagal d e l i v e r e lse w h e r e
on an e a r l i e r o c c a s i o n .

( I n t e r e s t i n g l y , s e v e n o th e r s n o t e d th e s i n g u l a r

^GL #833 ; 36; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

3GL # 1 4 0 .

^GL # 25 .

^GL #31; 42; h o u s e w ife .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

o m ission o f such m a t e r i a l s , and i n d i c a t e d a d e s i r e f o r t h e i r i n c l u s i o n

in fu tu r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s ! )
Comment, t h e r e f o r e , fo c u s e d v i r t u a l l y s o l e l y upon F a g a l 's u s e o f
illu str a tio n s :
O u tsta n d in g c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f F a g a l ' s serm ons; i l l u s
t r a t i o n s numerous and i n t e r e s t i n g . ! He h a s some o f th e most
im p r e s s iv e i l l u s t r a t i o n s I ' v e h e a r d anywhere. T his i s an
a rea I have f e l t he e x c e l l s i n h i s serm on s. They are so
i n t e r e s t i n g . 2 He has a t a l e n t f o r c h o o s in g i l l u s t r a t i o n s
w ith th e r i g h t shade o f f e e l i n g ; 3 a r e a l a r t i s t on t h i s
p o i n t . 4 He draws p i c t u r e s , 5 he g i v e s a good m ental p i c t u r e . ^
I th in k he has a good im a g in a tio n and t h i s h e l p s . 2 His
t r a i n i n g and background o f e x p e r ie n c e p l a y an im p ortan t p a r t
in h i s s e l e c t i o n on t h i s . 8
F a g a l 's i l l u s t r a t i o n s are c h a r a c t e r i z e d by h i s h e a r er s v a r i o u s l y
as:

" f r e s h , u p - t o - d a t e , and p e r s o n a l , " 9 " b e a u t i f u l , " * 9 " h e a r t-

touching,"^^ " m a g n ific e n t, t i m e l y , " * 2 " u p l i f t i n g , "-*-3 " w e ll- c h o s e n , s u i t

a b le ," ! ^ " i n s t r u c t i v e , " * 3 " l u c i d , " * 9 " s im p le , c o n c i s e , " * 2 " p e r tin e n t," *
" r elev a n t t o th e s u b j e c t , " * 9 "most c o n v i n c i n g , "20 " h e l p f u l , " 2 * " f o r c e 22

f u l , " ^ " s im p le , d o w n -to -e a r th i l l u s t r a t i o n s t h a t anyone can

u n d e rsta n d ."23

1GL # 1 .

2 GL #230;

25; h o u s e w ife .

3GL #83 3.

4GL #598;

41; t e a c h e r .

3 GL #8; 37; h o u s e w if e .

9GL #46 1;

61; r e t i r e d .

2GL #83.

GL #496;

48; c a r p e n te r .

9 GL #6 15 .

10GL #503; 69; h o u s e w if e .

U GL #622.

*2 GL #548;

64; r e t ir e d .

*3GL #730;

64; p r a c t i c a l n u r s e .

*4GL #165;

41; s p o t w e ld e r .

*^GL #964;

32; h o u s e w ife .

*9 GL #3 26 .

^GL #9; 56; t e a c h e r .

19GL #133.

20GL #203; 5 7 ; m echanic.

22GL #958; n o t l i s t e d ; h o u s e w if e .

*GL #300; 41; p h y s i c i a n .

21 GL #250.

23GL # 84 0 ; 35; h o u s e w ife .

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I l l u s t r a t i o n s were view ed b y one l i s t e n e r as "the most im portant

p art o f d i s c o u r s e " ; 1 and F a g a l, who was s e e n t o have made them "an
in t e g r a l p a r t o f h i s m e ssa g e ,"
p o sefu l"

was o b se r v e d t o employ them i n a "pur-

manner.

S p e c ific a lly ,

l i s t e n e r s i n d i r e c t l y i d e n t i f i e d sev en p a r t i c u l a r

goals which Fagal a c h ie v e d through th e u s e o f h i s i l l u s t r a t i o n s :

esta b lish m e n t o f r a p p o r t w ith h i s a u d ien ce ;
i n t e r e s t throughout;
o f the message;

Cl)

(2) h o ld in g a t t e n t i o n and

(3) s i m p l i f i c a t i o n , a m p l i f i c a t i o n , and i l l u m i n a t i o n

(4) u n i f i c a t i o n o f th e m essage; (5) c o n v i c t i o n ;

(6)

im p ressin g , v i t a l i z i n g , and c o n d i t i o n i n g a r e s p o n s e ; and (7) r e t e n t i o n

for r e c a l l v a lu e s a t a su b seq u en t tim e .
S p e c i f i c a l l y , th e y found th e Fagal i l l u s t r a t i o n s :
(1)

So homey, s o a p t , th e y c r e a t e an a l l - i m p o r t a n t rapport
w ith th e a u d i e n c e . 4 His s t o r i e s and i l l u s t r a t i o n s make him
seem f r i e n d l y , common, d o w n - t o - e a r t h .5

(2)

I b e l i e v e p e o p le i n g e n e r a l l i k e t h e s e t h i n g s u s in g
v a r i e t y h o ld s i n t e r e s t o f f o l k s , 6 makes t a l k s i n t e r e s t i n g . ?
He u s e s enough o f t h e s e t o make h i s sermons i n t e r e s t i n g f o r
a l l a g e s . 8 J e s u s u sed p a r a b l e s . 9

(3)

He put windows i n h i s s e r m o n s .1
They s i m p l i f i e d h i s
serm on .11 Background i l l u s t r a t i o n s p a r t i c u l a r l y h e lp e d one
understand th e b a s i c a l l y a b s t r a c t c o n c e p ts o f r e l i g i o n . 12
They a m p lify h i s t h o u g h t s , 13 th e y b r in g o u t many th o u gh ts
not seen on th e s u r f a c e , 14 brought sermon p o i n t s i n t o
f o c u s . 15 They b r in g o u t p r a c t i c a l as w e l l as i n t e r e s t i n g
l e s s o n s . 1^ They f i t n i c e l y and s t r e n g t h e n th e p o i n t . 1? He
iGL #279; 5 0 ; p r i n t e r .
4GL #294.

7GL #42 6 ; 50; l i b r a r i a n .

5 GL #443; 28; h o u s e w ife .

?GL #4; 26; s t u d e n t .

GL #24; 60; i n s p e c t o r .

6GL #529; 28; h o u s e w ife .

^GL #63 0; 40; la b o r a to r y t e c h n i c i a n .

^GL #649; 38; r e a d in g c l i n i c i a n .

11GL #200; 49; p l a n t worker.

13GL #143.

^GL #3 13 .

12GL #427; 27; p r o f e s s o r (P h .D .)

14GL #11; 74; r e t i r e d .

15GL #9.

16GL #15.

17GL #182.

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647
p ic k s i l l u s t r a t i o n s t h a t i l l u m i n a t e h i s theme well;'*' th e y
h i t the s p o t . 2 Sermons are so p l a i n and s t o r i e s h e lp e d to
make t h in g s e a s i e r to u n d e r s t a n d .5 They always h e lp e d t o
make h i s p o i n t s p l a i n ; 4 t h e y are t o - t h e - p o i n t , - - y o u know
what p o i n t he was t r y i n g t o make.5 They g iv e th e a u d ien ce
or c o n g r e g a tio n a chance t o g e t a l i t t l e b e t t e r e d u c a t e d .6
(4)

P a s to r Fagal has w o n d e r fu l, a p p r o p r ia te i l l u s t r a t i o n s
. . . w in d in g l i k e a g o ld e n th re a d through h i s s e r m o n s . 7

(5)

I l l u s t r a t i o n s are a good way to convince p e o p l e ; h i s

method i s e f f e c t i v e . 8

(63

His i l l u s t r a t i o n s h i g h l i g h t e d th e punch p o in t , h e lp e d
make h i s p o i n t more a l i v e . 10 He seemed to have j u s t th e
thoughts t o touch th e h e a r t , H h e lp e d make a deep im p rin t
on my m in d .12 T his I p e r s o n a l l y en jo y ; h e ' s s o human; I
never f a i l to be t o u c h e d - - t e a r s , e t c . 1 3 H is i l l u s t r a t i o n s
make me s e a r c h f o r a c r e a t i v e r e s p o n se on my p a r t ; 14
develop a d e s i r e t o h ea r m o r e .l5

(7)

I l l u s t r a t i o n s h e lp any sermon o u t . A p e r so n may g e t

som ething more from th e i l l u s t r a t i o n than from a B ib le t e x t ,
a thought may s t i c k in th e mind l o n g e r . 16 They were u se d
c o l o r f u l l y i n a way t h a t h e l p s me remember th e p o i n t . 17
Aids in r e t a i n i n g what we h e a r d ; ! 5 som ethin g we s h a l l remem
b e r a few days from now and r e c a l l th e m o r a l.19
W illiam F a g a l ' s i n v e n t i v e a r t i s t r y in the employment o f serm on ic

i l l u s t r a t i o n was commented upon by a number o f h i s h e a r e r s :

He p i l e s i l l u s t r a t i o n s k n ee-d eep around h i s t e x t s . 20 He
puts them in th e r i g h t p l a c e ; 2 1 h i s i l l u s t r a t i o n s f o l l o w h i s
t r a i n o f t h o u g h t . 22 Very good s p a c in g , b le n d in g o f B ib le
t e x t s w ith i l l u s t r a t i o n s .2 3 i th in k alm ost e v e r y p o in t was
iGL #558; 48; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .
4GL # 1 2 .

5GL #164.

# 20 8.

3GL #213.

6GL #5 46 .

^GL #512; 55; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

1GL #209; 35; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

GL #1 30 .

^GL # 2 4 5 .

U gl #38; 48; n u r s e a i d e .

12 gl #32; 44; h o u s e w if e .

*3GL #775; 40; h o u s e w if e .

^GL # 6 8 8 .

^GL #438.

^GL #276; 31; e l e c t r i c a l e n g i n e e r .

^GL #90.

19 gl #398; 2 4; d i e t i c i a n .

2 ^GL #126; 66; n o t l i s t e d .

^G L

l^GL #495.

2GL #666; 38; unemployed.

#113; 36; m ed ica l t e c h n i c i a n .

23GL #172.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

648

i l l u s t r a t e d w ith a v e r y a p p r o p r ia te s t o r y or h a p p e n in g .*
A ll c o n t r ib u t e t o h i s main p o i n t ; 2 th e y f i t t o a l l p o i n t s
no w aste o f w o r d s .3 He d o e s n t have t o " t w is t " h i s i l l u s
t r a t i o n s t o make them f i t h i s th e m e .4 He keeps up i n t e r e s t ,
but d o e sn t overshadow th e main t o p i c . 3
He ta k e s you j u s t s o f a r i n h i s t h i n k i n g , th en b r e a k s i n
w ith an i l l u s t r a t i o n . 6 He g i v e s a b i g p o i n t , th en t e l l s
enough o f th e s t o r y t h a t one f e e l s as i f th ey were t a l k i n g
to the i n d i v i d u a l s t h e m s e l v e s . 7
He seemed to keep coming back to h i s t o p i c and i n f a c t
s t r u c tu r e d h i s i l l u s t r a t i o n s i n such a way t h a t h e n e v e r
r e a l l y seemed t o s t r a y from h i s t o p i c even though a t tim e s I
got so e n g r o ss e d i n h i s s t o r i e s and f o r g o t th e t o p i c u n t i l
he would t i e i t t o g e t h e r a t th e end o f an i l l u s t r a t i o n . 8
The s o u r c e s o f W illia m F a g a l 's i l l u s t r a t i o n s , and t h e i r c o n s e
quent c r e d i b i l i t y , were commented upon by 27 d i f f e r e n t l i s t e n e r s .
Typical o f t h e i r remarks are t h e s e :
I l i k e i l l u s t r a t i o n s about p e o p l e . 9 I l i k e t o h e a r
t e s t i m o n i e s .10 I l i k e tr u e e x p e r i e n c e s , 1* p e r s o n a l e x p e r i
e n c es. 12 x e s p e c i a l l y e n jo y i n c i d e n t s he r e l a t e s from h i s
t r a v e l s . 13 I l i k e h i s s t o r i e s and b r i e f s ta te m e n ts o f w e l l known p e r s o n s . l ^ He u se d m o s tly human i n t e r e s t s t o r i e s .18
I l i k e h i s " l i v e " i l l u s t r a t i o n s he d o e s n 't have to" g e t
them out o f a book or someone e l s e s e x p e r i e n c e .! ^ I l i k e
h i s s t o r i e s o f p e o p le o f t o d a y ; 12 h e u se d ones n o t to o
commonly u s e d . l O th e r s ' problems and s u c c e s s e s can be
a p p lie d to u s .1 9 He i s a m aster o f i l l u s t r a t i n g h i s sermons
w ith o r a c t i c a l h e lp and r e a l e x p e r i e n c e s .20 S t o r i e s o f
p erson a l e x p e r ie n c e and e x p e r ie n c e s o f o th e r s s t a y w ith me,
h e lp " drive home th e p o i n t . "21 His i l l u s t r a t i o n s p e r t a i n i n g
to modern l i f e are most e f f e c t i v e . 22

*GL #464.

2GL #863.

3GL #399.

6GL #418; 59; t e a c h e r .

8gl #741; 60; h o u se w ife

4GL #157.

5GL #410.

7GL #510; 51; f a c t o r y w orker.

U GL #91; 66; l i t e r a t u r e e v a n g e l i s t .

1GL #79; 28; h o u s e w ife .

1o
GL # 4 .
i 3 GL # 6 5 1 .

14gl #131.

15GL #480.

16GL #615.

i 7 GL # 6 0 .

19 gl #186.

20 gL #150.

2 i GL #207.

9GL #630.

i 8 GL #63.

22 gl #386; n o t l i s t e d ; r e t i r e d .

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H is i l l u s t r a t i o n s a re o f o r d in a r y p e o p l e , and a r e
b e l i e v a b l e , ! n o t m i s l e a d i n g . 2 He u s e s i l l u s t r a t i o n s common
to us a l l . 3 I l i k e h i s i l l u s t r a t i o n s b e c a u se th e y are about
p eo p le l i k e m y s e l f , n o t d o c t o r s , p r e a c h e r s , o r m i s s i o n a r i e s .4
The f a c t th e y are tr u e makes them more i n t e r e s t i n g . 3
S ta te m en ts made b y th o s e in a tte n d a n c e c o n c e r n in g t h e q u a n t i t a
t i v e use o f i l l u s t r a t i v e m a t e r i a l s appear t o echo o b s e r v a t io n s a l s o made
concerning th e amount o f S c r i p t u r e u s e d i n th e d i s c o u r s e :
He t o l d enough s t o r i e s and i l l u s t r a t i o n s t o keep th e
a u d ie n c e s a t t e n t i o n and t o keep th e sermon m o v in g .6 He
u se s a number, b u t n o t s o many t h a t t h a t i s a l l t h a t com
p r i s e s th e s e r m o n .7 The b a la n c e o f i l l u s t r a t i o n s i s g o o d . 8
They are s p r i n k l e d th ro u g h o u t th e sermon, j u s t enough t o
make i t i n t e r e s t i n g . 9 E f f e c t i v e ; n o t to o many,!*! o f p r o p e r
l e n g t h , ! ! n o t o v e r d o n e . ! 2 He u se s j u s t t h e r i g h t am ount.13
Many o f F a g a l ' s s t o r i e s were e i t h e r humorous in c o n te n t o r t o l d
in a humorous manner.

A lthough some i n h i s a u d ien ce took e x c e p t i o n t o

t h i s , as w i l l be n o t e d b e lo w , a t l e a s t e i g h t went o u t o f t h e i r way to
s i n g l e out t h i s f a c e t i n an a p p rovin g s ta te m e n t:
I
l i k e h i s humor, t h e way he p u ts h i s p o i n t a c r o s s w ith
a s m i l e . ! 4 Humorous, b u t t o - t h e - p o i n t ; 1 5
he b r in g s home th e
p o in t w ith o u t b r i n g i n g i n l e v i t y .
I l i k e t h a t . 16 I l i k e
h is use o f s u b t l e hum or:17 p l e a s i n g l y amusing b u t r e p r e s e n t
a t iv e t o p u t th e p o i n t a c r o s s . ^ W itty and c l e v e r , h e h o ld s
the a t t e n t i o n o f h i s l i s t e n e r s , 19 w it h j u s t enough humor t o
make a l a s t i n g i m p r e s s i o n . 20 i l i k e h i s i l l u s t r a t i o n s .
They

1GL #50; 40; i

is e w ife .

2 GL #123; 58; fork l i f t o p e r a t o r .

3G
L #398.
3GL

4,
4GL
#5 44 .

8gl #1 6 2.

9^GL #311; 22; h o u s e w ife .

5 GL #473.

6GL #844.

10GL #490; 57;

;enograph er.

1 '*'GL #710.

12gl #475; 60;

.e c tr ic ia n .

13GL #479; 41;

14GL #979; n o t

.s t e d ;

7GL # 16 1 .

h o u s e w if e .

lic e n s e d p r a c t ic a l nurse.

15GL
gl #505; 39;
39; in s u r a n c e r a t i n g c l e r k .

*^GL #326.

18 gl #875; 45;

l^GL #600.

sg ister e d n u rse.

*7GL # 6 2 8 .

20 gl #768; 53;

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

are n o t u sed t o b r in g laugh s a l l t h e tim e as some do; t h e r e

was a r e a l p o i n t t o h i s i l l u s t r a t i o n s .1
L a s t l y , W illiam F a g a l ' s a r t i s t r y i n th e u se o f t h e i l l u s t r a t i o n
was the s u b j e c t o f a s u b s t a n t i a l amount o f comment:
2

Well p r e s e n t e d ,
very fo r c e f u l, very s t i r r i n g .
He i s
a g ia n t i n r e l a t i n g e x p e r i e n c e s .5 He has a d ram atic way o f
p r e s e n t in g i n a few words a p i c t u r e o f what he w is h e s t o
p r e s e n t .^ He h as an un u su a l way o f t a k in g s im p le i n c i d e n t s
and making them i n t e r e s t i n g . 7
F a g a l s i l l u s t r a t i o n s are u s e d as he f e e l s them, as i f
he were th e i l l u s t r a t i o n or p o e t . 8 He a lw a ys h o ld s h i s
lis t e n e r s in in t e n s e i n t e r e s t ; u ses c o n v e rsa tio n a l s t y l e . 9
Uses good punch l i n e . 10 Time p a s s e s s o q u i c k l y when we
l i s t e n t o h i m . H He k eep s you l i s t e n i n g e v e r y m i n u t e . 1^
Fine i l l u s t r a t i o n s keep us s i t t i n g on th e edge o f our s e a t s . 13
When he t e l l s a s t o r y , I f o r g e t t o b r e a t h e ; 14 he k ept one
sp e llb o u n d t o t h e e n d . l 5
N e g a tiv e comment, w hich r e p r e s e n t e d a mere 3.4% o f r e s p o n d e n ts
(30 in number), fo c u s e d a lm o st e n t i r e l y upon a g e n e r a l d e s i r e among th e
group f o r few er i l l u s t r a t i o n s s o t h a t th e in n e r s t r u c t u r e o f th e sermon
might th ereb y be s tr e n g th e n e d :
Becomes r e p e t i t i o u s i n i l l u s t r a t i o n s . ! 6
Sometimes he does wander o f f h i s t o p i c i n u s i n g h i s
i l l u s t r a t i o n s .1 7
I l l u s t r a t i o n s som etim es to o l o n g . l ^
His s i d e l i g h t s were d e t a i l e d enough t o o c c a s i o n a l l y
s i d e t r a c k . 19

I gL #757;
4 gl #147.

8GL #85; 66; c o n t r a c t o r .

6 gl #55;

:.

8 gl #259;

9 GL #329.

7GL # 1 9 5 .
1GL #293; 38; h o u s e w ife .

U GL #223.
15 gl #500.

14GL #33 9.
16GL #1 6 3 .

17GL #188; 21; s t u d e n t .

18GL #255;
19gl #377;

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

I l l u s t r a t i o n s som etim es to o lo n g and d e t a i l e d ; danger o f

l o s i n g th e tr e n d o f t h e t h o u g h t . 1
Would a p p r e c ia t e s t r o n g e r sermons and l e s s s t o r i e s . 2
May be w e l l to u s e more r e a s o n in g , l e s s i l l u s t r a t i o n s . 3
At tim es i l l u s t r a t i o n s u se d up s o much tim e , seemed to
crowd out God's Word.4
Three o b j e c t e d t o th e p r e s e n c e o f humor ( s a i d one:

"I'm o l d -

fash ion ed .

I d o n 't a p p r e c ia t e a n y th in g funny mixed i n t o a good

sermon"3) .

And s e v e n i n d i c a t e d a d e s i r e f o r more i n th e way o f p o e tr y

and q u o ta tio n s ("I would e n jo y a b i t o f p o e tr y " ;^ "I w is h h e ' d q u o te

more p o e tr y n i c e v o i c e f o r i t " ' 7} .
U n q u e stio n a b ly , h ow ever, th e au d ien ce o verw h elm ingly fa v o r e d
Fagal's employment o f i l l u s t r a t i o n s which i t g e n e r a l l y tend ed t o f e e l
were a p p ro p ria te t o th e m essage and were u sed w ith g r e a t e f f e c t i v e n e s s .

Sermon g o a l . - - I n th e n i n t h q u e s t i o n , r esp o n d e n ts were asked i f

they un derstood c l e a r l y "what P a s to r Fagal wanted you t o do as a r e s u l t
o f h earing him preach to n ig h t? "

They were a sk e d , a l s o , what t h e y f e l t

h is s p e c i f i c g o a l t o b e .
Of ^\e 866 who r esp o n d e d , 855 f e l t th ey c l e a r l y u n d erstoo d th e
m in is t e r 's g o a l , and a n o th e r f o u r added a q u a l i f i e d " y e s ."

Only sev e n

o f the resp on d en ts f e l t th e y c o u ld n o t d is c e r n h i s aim; and 184 made no

response w hatever.
Goals l i s t e d g e n e r a l l y ten d ed t o f a l l i n t o th r e e broad c a t e
g o r ie s:

s o u l-w in n in g w i t n e s s f o r C h r is t ( 3 6 4 ) , p e r s o n a l r e c o n s e c r a t io n

and r e d e d ic a t io n t o th e Lord ( 3 4 0 ) , and concern f o r o t h e r s

(2 1 0 ) .

1GL #483 ; 45; t e a c h e r .

2GL #6 68 .

3GL #676.

4GL #742; 54; n u r s e .

5 GL #202; 81; r e t i r e d .

6 GL # 15 9 .

^GL #803; 21; h o s p i t a l w orker.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

652

Concerning th e n e c e s s i t y f o r an e f f e c t i v e C h r is t ia n w i t n e s s t o
o th e r s , r esp o n d e n ts f e l t t h a t P a s t o r F agal would have them:
Lead o th e r s t o C h r is t as Andrew, s e e p o s s i b i l i t i e s i n e v e r y
s o u l , what a l l can b e c o m e .1
Work f o r everyone no m a tter how unprom ising th e y seem to b e .
W itness t o o th e r s by a good l i f e . 3
Be examples t o our f r i e n d s , h e lp th e unsaved become
C h r istia n s. 4
With r eg a r d to th e need f o r p e r s o n a l r e c o n s e c r a t io n or r e d e d i c a
tio n to th e Lord and H is work, r e s p o n d e n ts saw i n t h i s m essage and
meeting a c h a lle n g e t o :
I n s p ir e a more com plete d e d i c a t i o n o f our l i v e s t o C h r i s t . 3
Be an overcom er, r e d e d i c a t e l i f e anew to th e Lord.^
Give a l l our h e a r t t o C h r i s t . ?
Last chance t o r e d e d ic a t e l i f e .
I t i s a whole y e a r t o th e
n e x t camp m e e tin g , and some w i l l n o t be l i v i n g t h e n . 3
The m i n i s t e r ' s p r e o c c u p a tio n w ith emphasis upon a concern f o r
others was r e c o g n iz e d by many, .who saw i n h i s g o a l an appeal to :
Q
Have us r e a l i z e our r e a l m is s io n i n l i f e .
Take more i n t e r e s t i n each s o u l . 1^
M otivate b e l i e v e r s t o s e e a p o t e n t i a l b e l i e v e r i n ev ery
u n b e l i e v e r . 11
12
Live a c t i v e C h r i s t l i k e l i f e i n s e r v i c e fo r o t h e r s .
Make us s e n s i t i v e t o our r e s p o n s i b i l i t y to o t h e r s . 13
Make us more f r i e n d l y t o o t h e r s , n o t o v e r lo o k anyone no
m atter how h u m b le .14
Be o f h e lp t o our f e l l o w men by s e e i n g the b e s t i n them,
and then a s s i s t them i n d e v e lo p in g i t . 13
Other g o a ls p e r c e i v e d by l i s t e n e r s in c lu d e d th e f o ll o w i n g :
Prepare fo r h e a v e n . 1^
Be a b e t t e r s e r v a n t o f th e Lord.
iGL #65.

^GL #189; 69; r e t i r e d t e a c h e r .

5GL #135; 27; b in d e r y w orker.

^GL #69; 16; s t u d e n t ; B a p t i s t .

5GL #63.
8GL #212.

^GL #89; 63; h o u s e w if e .

Q
GL #210; 5 7 ; m aintenance worker,

10GL #232; n o t l i s t e d ; d e n t i s t .
13GL #182.

7GL #121; 21; b o ok keep er.

14GL #55.

15GL # 5 3.

11GL #2 44 .
1^GL #38 2.

^GL #186.
17GL #3 99 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

R e a liz e t h a t i n s p i t e o f our f a u l t s , i n God's s i g h t w e 'r e

no t h o p e l e s s ; He knows our p o t e n t i a l . ^
Our l i g h t i s l i k e a c a n d le ; i t l i g h t s th e way fo r o t h e r s ,
h e lp s s t a r t or r e s t a r t many o th e r s u n t i l th ey s h in e
around th e w o r l d .2
Only a m i c r o s c o p i c a l l y - s m a l l h a l f - d o z e n r e g i s t e r e d an o p in io n
th a t, fo r them, th e s p e a k e r 's g o a l was "vague,"

or " d i f f i c u l t t o

understand."4
C le a r ly , th e a u d ien ce p e r c e iv e d t h a t P a s to r Fagal w ish ed them to
become more concerned w ith th e p r e s e n t c o n d it io n and fu tu r e p o t e n t i a l o f
a l l i n d iv id u a ls w i t h i n t h e i r sp h ere o f i n f l u e n c e ; and n o t t o n e g l e c t
t h e ir own s o u l ' s s a l v a t i o n as th e y worked f o r th e s o u ls o f o t h e r s .

Comparison o f TV p r e a c h in g w ith p u l p i t p r e a c h in g .--T h e t e n t h

q u e s tio n , s e e k in g a comparison o f W illiam F a g a l 's TV p r e a c h in g w ith t h a t
done in the p u l p i t , was o f n e c e s s i t y l i m i t e d t o th e 960 r esp o n d e n ts
r ep o rtin g th a t th ey had s e e n "F aith fo r Today" on t e l e v i s i o n .

Of th e

960 thus e l i g i b l e to p a r t i c i p a t e , 634 (66.0%) p r o v id e d some answer;

w hile the rem aining 416 made no r e sp o n se a t a l l .
I n t e r e s t i n g l y , a lth o u g h th e q u e s t io n d id n o t s o l i c i t an e x p r e s
sion o f p e r so n a l p r e f e r e n c e ( i n terms o f which s t y l e was " b e t t e r " ) , more
than h a l f o f th e r esp o n d e n ts who r e p l i e d to t h i s q u e s tio n (346) d id s o
in terms o f a p e r s o n a l e v a lu a t i o n :

310 f e l t th e p u l p i t p r e a c h in g was

the b e t t e r , w h ile o n ly 36 s a i d th ey p r e f e r r e d t h a t done on t e l e v i s i o n .

The remaining 264 i n th e sample s a i d th ey d e t e c t e d no a p p r e c ia b le d i f f e r
ence between th e two modes.
Of even g r e a t e r i n t e r e s t to t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r , how ever, was th e
fa c t th a t 38 d i s c e r n i n g , d i s c r i m i n a t i n g r esp o n d e n ts (6% o f th o s e

1GL #537.

2 GL #629.

3GL #163.

4GL #255.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

-i

6 5 4

rep lying) appeared u n w i l l i n g t o make a com parison b etw een th e two ty p e s

o f preach ing b e c a u s e o f marked d i f f e r e n c e s n o t e d (1) i n medium employed,
(2) in t i m e - l e n g t h f a c t o r s ,
of d eliv ery .

(3) i n a u d ien ce c o m p o s it io n , and (4) in mode

T h e se , t h e y f e l t , p r e c lu d e d any r e a s o n a b le com parison.

S e v e r a l , who n o t e d d i f f e r e n c e s i n th e two m edia em ployed, s a id :

TV i s a c o m p le te ly d i f f e r e n t s e t - u p ; i n b o t h i n s t a n c e s ,
however, E ld e r F agal i s a t e a s e . l I d o n ' t p a r t i c u l a r l y
compare th e two s i t u a t i o n s .
I f i n d i t e a s i e r t o s t a y w ith
h is thought i n a sermon. I te n d n o t t o l i s t e n on TV w ith
any depth o f i n t e r e s t - - o n l . y s u p e r f i c i a l l y - - e v e n " F a ith f o r
T o d a y . P u l p i t p r e a c h in g r e q u ir e s more v e r b a l p i c t u r e
p a in t in g ; t e l e v i s i o n r e q u ir e s l e s s words t o g e t h i s id e a
o v e r .3
A h a l f - d o z e n n o t e d th e f a c t t h a t w h i l e th e ser m o n ic p o r t i o n o f
the h a lf -h o u r t e l e c a s t i s i n v a r i a b l y l i m i t e d t o o n ly f i v e or s i x m in u te s ,
the p u l p i t sermon was under no such r e s t r i c t i o n , and c o u ld l a s t as lo n g
as 30 m in u te s, 45 m in u te s , or even lo n g e r :
He has o n ly 30 m inutes on h i s t e l e v i s i o n program. He
does w e l l w it h i t ; b u t , o f c o u r s e , he can do much more i n a
p e r so n a l a p p e a r a n c e .4 The o n ly d i f f e r e n c e i s t h a t th e TV
time i s t o o s h o r t . 3
The l a r g e s t number (20) drew a t t e n t i o n t o t h e f a c t t h a t th e r e
was a marked d i f f e r e n c e betw een th e a u d ien ce f o r th e t e l e c a s t and the
audience a t th e camp m eetin g:
I t seems t o make some d i f f e r e n c e what k i n d . o f a u d ie n c e h e i s
sp eak in g t o - - m o s t l y SDAs. Makes a d i f f e r e n c e in s u b j e c t
m a tter, as i t s h o u ld d o . 6
He i s f i t t i n g h i s sermon alw ays t o th e o c c a s i o n . ?
Here he sp ea k s t o S ev en th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s ; on TV t o ones o f
d i f f e r e n t r e l i g i o n s . So he c a n ' t t a l k t o h i s v ie w e r s as
he can h e r e . 3
He seems more form al on TV, b u t he s h o u ld b e . The w orld
d o e s n 't know him as we do; and he m igh t n o t s a y some o f
the th in g s he would sa y t o us in p e r s o n . 9
iGL #9 .

2 Gl

^GL #929; 57;

8GL #438.

#594.

3GL #746.

nurse a id e .

4GL # 5 3 .
^GL #109;

SGL #768.
38; diem aker.

9 GL #443.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

655

His TV p r e a c h in g has t o be d i f f e r e n t he u s e s th e B ib le
more. At camp m e e tin g he can be more r e l a x e d i n p e r s o n ,
more w i t t y , can t a l k t o our p e o p le more p e r s o n a l l y . *
His TV program i s ge a re d t o th e m asses; h i s p u l p i t p r e a c h in g
i s s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s . 2
And e i g h t remarked upon th e d e f i n i t e d i f f e r e n c e s i n mode o f
d e liv e r y betw een th e p u l p i t p r e s e n t a t i o n s and t h e TV s e r m o n e t t e s :
His manner i s d i f f e r e n t i n th e p u l p i t p r e a c h in g ; t h e p r e
sen ta tio n i s d i f f e r e n t . 3
In p e r so n , more l i k e t a l k i n g t o fa m ily ; on TV, more l i k e
ta lk in g to f r ie n d s .4
The TV program was more l i k e a v i s i t i n t h e home, n o t
s e r m o n izin g ; h i s p u l p i t p r e a c h in g t o n i g h t was more o f a
c o u n s e lin g , en c o u r a g in g one i n C h r i s t i a n s e r v i c e . 5
His TV p r e a c h in g i s more l i k e he was j u s t s i t t i n g i n your
l i v i n g room t a l k i n g t o you as f r i e n d t o f r i e n d . However,
h i s p r e a c h in g i s s im p le and e a sy t o u n d e rsta n d and p e r
s o n a l l y a p p lie d .^
Both are good; e a ch way o f p r e a c h in g has i t s own p l a c e . ' 7
These same d i f f e r e n c e s , how ever, f i g u r e p r o m in e n tly i n th e
responses o f o th e r l i s t e n e r s as b a s i c r e a s o n s f o r t h e i r p r e f e r e n c e f o r
the p u lp it p r e a c h in g r a t h e r than th e t e l e v i s i o n p r e a c h in g .

R espondents

favoring th e p u l p i t v a r i e t y were n o t h e s i t a n t i n e x p r e s s i n g t h e i r
p referen ces:
I l i k e b o t h , b u t TV i s n o t enough.
TV p r e a c h in g i s w o n d e r fu l, b u t i t i s tremendous i n th e
p u lp it.9
Nothing e x c e e d s h i s p e r s o n a l a p p e a r a n c e .10
Nothing l i k e s e e i n g , h e a r in g him i n p e r so n ; TV i s secon d
b e s t .11
I have n o t i c e d t h a t i n th e l a s t two y e a r s h i s p u l p i t
p r e a c h in g h a s improved a g r e a t d e a l . 12

XGL #217.

2G
2GL
L #83 9; 43; n u rse a i d e .

3GL #486; 42; b r ic k mason.

4GL #722.

6 gl #753; 55; s e c r e t a r y .

7GL #619;

8gl #522; 77; h o u s e w ife .

9 GL #545;

i gl

#595; 60; l i t e r a t u r e e v a n g e l i s t .

U gl #856; n o t l i s t e d ;

le g a l secreta ry .

^2 GL #44; 39; h o u s e w ife ,

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

656

I l i k e th e p u l p i t p r e a c h in g f a r b e t t e r ; I c o u ld l i s t e n t o
him as o f t e n as he c o u ld p r e a c h . 1
Nor were r e s p o n d e n ts r e l u c t a n t t o go i n t o
b a s is

f o r t h e i r p r e f e r e n c e f o r th e p u l p i t s t y l e .

d e t a i l s c o n c e r n in g

th e

Some 39 e x p r e s s e d th e

f e e l i n g t h a t , somehow, i t was "more i n t e r e s t i n g " t o s e e and h e a r th e

speaker than m erely t o w atch him on a TV s c r e e n , beca u se i t was "more
personal":
I

p r e f e r to be i n a l i v e a u d ien ce as I p r e f e r t o s e e , f e e l ,
im p r e ssio n s one c a n ' t g e t on TV from any program .2
I t i s always more i n t e r e s t i n g t o s e e and h e a r
a p erso n
th e f l e s h than on TV even th e " B e e t l e s " ! 3
P erson al p r e a c h in g much more e f f e c t i v e p e r s o n a l warmth and
p r e se n c e .4
P u lp it p r e a c h in g has more human i n t e r e s t ; TV p r e a c h in g i s
l e s s p e r s o n a l.
I t i s always more i m p r e s s iv e t o s e e a m i n i s t e r i n p e r so n .^
His p e r s o n a l i t y i s more im p r e s s iv e i n p e r so n h e r e . '
Seeing him i n p e r so n seemed t o make a l a s t i n g im p r e s sio n on
me p e r s o n a l l y t h a t t e l e v i s i o n has n o t made.
My p e r so n a l b l e s s i n g i s g r e a t e r i n a m ee tin g where I can
s e e him.^
Part o f t h i s "more p e r s o n a l"
be found in the c o n t r a s t betw een th e

in

elem en t w as, f o r 45 r e s p o n d e n t s , t o
F agal TV demeanor and

th e Fagal

p u lp it demeanor:
His p u l p i t p r e a c h in g i s more c a s u a l , ^ more i n f o r m a l , 11
more r e l a x e d . 12 Seems f r e e r , more a t e a s e , l e s s s e r i o u s .
He f e e l s more n a t u r a l i n p e r so n than on T V , 1 4 much more e a sy
in h i s manner,! more p l e a s a n t . 16 He laughs more and i s a
l o t l e s s f o r m a l .l ^ He u s e s a few e x p r e s s i o n s - - a l m o s t s l a n g - -

iGL #794; 29; f a c t o r y w orker.

3gl #5.

2 gl #826; n o t l i s t e d ; s t u d e n t .

4GL #23; 45 ; s u r g eo n .

6 gl #219; 69; n u r s e .
8gl #435; 27; h o u s e w if e .
n GL # 9 1 .

5 GL #55.

7GL #340.
9 GL #473.

10GL #58; 6 9 ; farm er.

i 2 GL #103; 34; h o u s e w if e .

13 gl #177; 57; n u r s e .

14 gl #429.

16 gl #465; 18; s t u d e n t .

17 gl #196; 36; h o u s e w ife .

15 gl #433.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

657
t h a t were a c c e p t a b le t o a l i v e a u d ie n c e , b u t would n o t do
on TV.* Maybe a l i t t l e more a t home w it h u s . 2
His t e l e v i s i o n p r e a c h in g te n d s t o be to o s a c c h a r in e ;
was b e t t e r t o n i g h t . 3 TV p r e a c h in g l i t t l e more f o r m a l , 4
more s e r i o u s . 5 On TV, I th o u g h t , o v e r d r a m a tic . I f e l t
Fagal was i n s i n c e r e b e c a u s e he s m ile d s o much. B e t t e r i n
person than on TV.6 Seems a l i t t l e to o p o se d on TV.? TV
prea ch in g n o t as warm and s t r a i g h t from th e s h o u l d e r . 8
Seems a lm o st im p ersonal on TV.9
C lo s e ly co n n ected w ith th e mention o f h i s more r e l a x e d , in fo r m a l
demeanor in th e p u l p i t was comment from 39 r e s p o n d e n ts t h a t t h i s p u l p i t
p r e s e n t a tio n was v a s t l y more dynamic than t h a t on t e l e v i s i o n :
His p u l p i t p r e a c h in g was more f o r c e f u l , 19 more e x p r e s
s i v e , I* trem en d o u sly more p o w e r fu l and d y n a m ic .!2 He
speaks more e v a n g e l i s t i c a l l y from th e p u l p i t . H is TV
p r e a ch in g i s e x c e l l e n t , but I do n o t f e e l h i s p r e s e n t a t i o n
i s q u it e as d y n a m ic.13 TV m essages la c k f o r c e ,
c o m p a r a tiv e ly .1 4
I e n jo y h i s p u l p i t p r e a c h in g more b e c a u s e h e seemed
c l o s e r , seemed to make th e sermon " l i v e . " 1 5 He p u ts more
l i f e i n t o h i s sermons from th e p u l p i t ; 16 he t r u l y s t i r s h i s
c o n g r e g a tio n . There were no nodding h e a d s in e v i d e n c e . 1?
He i s much more exuberant i n p e r s o n . 18
His p u l p i t p r e a c h in g i s a t a f a s t e r pace and more
i n f o r m a l . 19 He u s e s a few more hand g e s t u r e s i n p r e a c h in g
t o n ig h t than on T V . 2 0
He sp e a k s much f a s t e r , seems even
more f r i e n d l i e r i n p e r s o n . 21 In p e r so n he seems more
e m p h a tic ;22 h i s p r e s e n c e adds c o n v i c t i o n . 23 n e seems t o

1GL #312.

2GL #102; 40; h o u s e w if e .

4GL #869; 45; t e a c h e r .

7gl #1 35 .

5GL #937; 25; t e a c h e r .

8GL #136; 29; h o u s e w ife .

10GL #149; 51; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

12 gl #294.

13GL #280.

3 GL #830.
6GL #114.

9 GL #362.

^GL, #168; 47; t e a c h e r .

14GL #386.

15GL #80; 30; tr u c k d r i v e r

16 gl #107; 26; h o u s e w i f e .

17GL #223.

18 gl #411; 50; r e s e a r c h d i r e c t o r .

I9 GL #5 2 1.

20 gl #541; 56; te a c h e r .

21GL #616; 38; h o u s e w if e .

22 gl #661; 48; crane o p e r a to r .

23GL #6 6 6 .

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658

have more s p o n t a n e it y and freedom than on TV.

H is p u l p i t
preaching i s more e n e r g e t i c , and, I f e e l , more a c c e p t a b le
to h i s c o n g r e g a tio n .^ He i s f a r b e t t e r i n p erson ; h i s
enthusiasm and g r e a t z e a l f o r C h r is t are n o t f u l l y app re
c ia te d on th e s c r e e n . 3
Some 40 r esp o n d e n ts p r e f e r r e d the p u l p i t p r e s e n t a t i o n b e c a u s e ,
as noted above, th e t im e - le n g t h r e s t r i c t i o n s a s s o c i a t e d w ith th e b r o a d
cast s i t u a t i o n in g e n e r a l , and th e "F aith f o r Today" format in
p a r tic u la r , e n a b le d th e sp eak er t o devote from s i x t o e i g h t tim es more
time to h is p u l p i t p r e s e n t a t i o n :
The TV sermon i s to o s h o r t ; 4 he has more time in p u l p i t
preaching s e r v i c e s . 3 On t e l e v i s i o n he has o n ly tim e f o r a
short s e r m o n e tte ;6 he i s more e f f e c t i v e i n person m ainly
due to lo n g er tim e a v a i l a b l e to him .? He i s much more com
p l e t e in th e p u l p i t . 8 He does a f i n e job o f condensing h i s
TV sermons, but I l i k e e la b o r a t i o n . ^ He has to cut them
down to o much on TV, l e a v e s to o much u n s a i d . *0
The p u l p i t always a llo w s f o r g r e a t e r a m p l i f i c a t i o n o f
the s u b j e c t ; h e could i l l u s t r a t e and go deeper i n t o h i s
su b je c t t o n i g h t . l ^ He has tim e to f i l l out h i s i l l u s t r a
t i o n s , ! 3 more chance f o r i l l u m i n a t i o n o f h i s t h o u g h t s . 14
Length o f sermon a llo w s f o r more i l l u s t r a t i o n s and a
stro n ger a p p e a l , ! 3 more time t o develop a theme unhur
r i e d l y . 16 The TV sermon i s v e r y s h o r t , b r in g in g out o n ly
one p o in t; the p u l p i t sermon can u se more i l l u s t r a t i o n s ,
develop a more complex th e m e .1?
C lo s e ly con n ected w ith m atters o f time and v o lu m e-co n te n t i s th e
s p e c i f i c nature o f t h a t c o n t e n t .

Some 32 r e s p o n d e n ts , s e n s i n g th e

r e s t r i c t i o n s in h e r e n t i n th e b r o a d c a s t s i t u a t i o n , f e l t t h a t Fagal found
much g r e a te r freedom i n c o n te n t s e l e c t i o n in h i s p u l p i t p r e a ch in g :

I gL #741.

2 GL #805.

3GL #604; 46; h o u s e w i f e .

4 gl #633; 56; shop worker.

5 gl #290; 51; s e c r e t a r y .

6 gl #216; 44; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

7gl #76.

8gl #88; 51; p r o d u c tio n e n g in e e r .

9 GL #204; 45 ; le n s p o l i s h e r

10GL #284.

n GL #329.

i 2 GL #212.

13GL #279.

14 gl # 368.

15GL #432.

i 6 GL #714.

17GL #360.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission of th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

659
He seems to speak w ith more freedom; on th e a i r he seems
a l i t t l e r estr ic ted .
He does a much b e t t e r job i n th e
p u lp it because he can d i g r e s s and f e e l more f r e e i n h i s
e x p r e s s io n s , and h i s c h a t t y manner i s more a p p e a lin g t o t h e
a u d i e n c e . 2 He p u t s t h i n g s a l i t t l e more on th e l i n e h e r e
than on TV--no doubt th e way i t s h o u ld b e . 3 TV perhaps more
watered down.4
In t a l k i n g w ith h i s TV a u d ie n c e , he needs t o be g e n e r a l ,
but to us he can b e more s p e c i f i c , b e c a u se he i s d e a l i n g
with a s p e c i f i c p e o p le w ith known p r o b le m s .5 T his sermon
seemed t o have more s p i r i t u a l th ought f o r me;^ I e n jo y e d i t
more to n ig h t b e c a u se he f u l f i l l e d my n e e d s . 7 On TV . . . h e
has to tr e a d s o f t l y . ^ His p r e a c h in g t o n i g h t was d e e p e r ,
contained more s p i r i t u a l meat than h i s TV p r e a c h in g d o e s ;^
before h i s own p e o p le he s a y s t h i n g s , meat v s . m ilk . 10 He
spoke more i n t i m a t e l y t o n i g h t ; H to SDAs he can be more
s p e c i f i c and s e l f - c r i t i c a l . 12 i e n jo y h i s p u l p i t p r e a c h in g
more because he can p r e s e n t more d o c t r i n e . I 3
Preaching in p e r so n may n o t reach as f a r o u t , b u t i t
goes a heap d e e p e r . 14
In t h i s c o n t e x t , th e n , th e p u l p i t p r e a c h in g was s e e n t o be "more
p e r s u a s iv e ," !3 "more d i r e c t l y geared to s t i r p r a c t i c i n g C h r i s t i a n s to
greater e n d e a v o r ." 1*
Eleven o f th e r e sp o n d e n ts s u g g e s t e d t h a t perhaps one c a u se o f
the improved, dynamic p u l p i t p r e a c h in g was to be found i n th e f a c t t h a t
in the p u lp it s i t u a t i o n th e s p e a k e r f a c e s a l i v e a u d ie n c e w it h whom he
may react and i n t e r a c t :
T onight I f e e l he warmed t o a la r g e a u d i e n c e , ! 7 a l a r g e
ov erflow in g a u d i e n c e . 18 He was lo o k in g a t a la r g e a u d ie n c e
to n ig h t, w h ile on TV he m ight n o t know how many are
1GL #490.

2GL #98.

5GL #546.

6 GL #742.

3GL #292; 31; w a i t r e s s .

7GL #763; 33; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

00

#767; 20; unemployed.

U gl #950; 42; a c c o u n ta n t.
13GL #99; 33; h o u s e w ife .
1 7 gl

^GL #5 0 2 .

#780; 43; s o c i a l worker

9 GL #844.

10GL #872.

12 GL #36; 41; h o u s e w if e .
i 4 GL #448.

15 GL # 3 8 .

i 6 GL #423

18GL # 9 4 6 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

660

liste n in g .
He i s more a t e a s e b e h in d th e p u l p i t w ith a
l i v e a u d ie n c e .^ His p u l p i t s p e a k in g i s more e f f e c t i v e ,
g e ts th e man a c r o s s b e t t e r , more p e r s o n a l rap p ort w ith th e
a u d ie n c e .^ He i s f r e e r in p u b l i c . . . sp eak s more p e r s o n
a lly to h is v i s i b l e a u d ie n c e .4
His p u l p i t p r e a c h in g i s more f r e e ; r a p p ort betw een him
and h i s a u d ien ce i s h e ig h t e n e d by p e r s o n a l a p p ea ra n ce.^ He
has a n a t u r a l r e s p o n s e t o h i s s e e n a u d ie n c e , p r o b a b ly
because o f c l o s e r c o n t a c t w ith h i s a u d i e n c e . 7 He l e t s you
know he i s one o f u s , t e l l s us t h in g s he c o u l d n ' t on TV.^
His a u d ie n c e 's r e s p o n s e appeared t o i n s p i r e him as he
in s p i r e d h i s a u d ie n c e .
A lthough th o s e who p r e f e r r e d W illia m F a g a l ' s TV p r e a c h in g t o th e
p u lp it v a r i e t y were outnumbered by n e a r ly n in e t o o n e , t h e i r r e s p o n s e s
are n e v e r t h e l e s s i n s t r u c t i v e ; and th e y are c o n c e n tr a te d l a r g e l y i n th e
areas o f (1) th e n a tu r e o f th e b r o a d c a s t in g s i t u a t i o n ,

(2) sermon con

te n t, and (3) sermon d e l i v e r y .

A d m itte d ly , from an i n d i v i d u a l l i s t e n e r s p o i n t o f v ie w , th e r e
are some advantages in h e r e n t i n th e b r o a d c a s t in g s i t u a t i o n d e n ie d t o th e
speaker i n a la r g e a u d ito riu m ; and t h e s e were n o t e d by s e v e n r e s p o n d e n ts
who as a consequence p r e f e r r e d F a g a l 's TV p r e a c h in g :
I could s e e him much b e t t e r on TV;*9 i t i s e a s ie r to
see on TV than in a la r g e h a l l . H I c o u ld n 't se e him so
c le a r ly here as on TV.
13
Less c o n fu s io n a t home than a t camp m eetin g ;
no n o i s e
about you, and you can c o n c e n tr a te on h i s s u b j e c t . 14 on TV
he i s somewhat s t i f f a t t im e s , b u t TV i s b e t t e r - - f o r c e s more
s t r i c t a t t e n t i o n t o th e t o p i c . 15 I l i k e h i s TV p r e a c h in g
w ith l e s s movement, q u i e t d i g n i t y t h a t i s good t o look a t . l ^

1GL #641; 60; h o u s e w if e .

4GL #289; 62; t e a c h e r .
7 gl #460; 33; d raftsm an .

^GL #321.
5 GL #371.

^GL #586.

6GL #316; :2 9; h o u s e w if e .

8GL #775.

9 GL #338 ; 49; t e a c h e r .

10GL #205; 51; elem en ta r y s c h o o l t e a c h e r .

**GL #159.

12GL #348; 43; l i c e n s e d p r a c t i c a l n u r s e .

l^GL #716.

14 gl #121.

16GL #1 06 .

1SGL #67 6.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

Concerning m a tte r s o f sermon c o n t e n t , e i g h t r esp o n d e n ts n o te d

v a r io u sly t h a t :
He e x p l a i n s th e S c r i p t u r e s on TV;* makes i t p l a i n and
sim ple f o r u n b e l i e v e r s . ^ I t seems t o me he u s e s h i s B ib le
more on th e TV p r o g r a m .3
I e n jo y h i s s t o r i e s v e r y much, b u t th e s h o r t , s p e c i f i c
TV sermon s t a y s i n th e mind l o n g e r . 4 His TV p r e a c h in g i s
more p o i n t e d , 5 s t r i c t l y t o th e p o i n t . 6 He makes h i s p o i n t
on TV.^ TV program i s p r e c i s e , t o th e p o i n t , no w asted
movements o r e x p l a n a t i o n s ( t o n i g h t more i l l u s t r a t i o n s and
p o in t s t o prove p o i n t s ) . 8
Not s o much jo k in g or humor on TVsometimes a jok e in
the p u b l i c d i v e r t s from s p i r i t u a l i t y .9
With r eg a r d t o m a tter s c o n c e r n in g d e l i v e r y , te n r esp o n d e n ts
l i s t e d r e a so n s i n t h i s c a te g o r y t o acco u n t f o r t h e i r p r e f e r e n c e f o r
Fagal's TV p r e a c h in g :
On TV he seems more e a r n e s t and c o n v in c in g ; * 6 much more
r e la x e d and n o t s o h u r r i e d ; H more p e r s o n a l and a l i t t l e
w a r m e r . 12
L ess s t r a i n e d on TV,*3 more f o r c e f u l , 14 more
p e r so n a l on TV.15
Much more d i r e c t approach on TV;16 p u l p i t p r e a c h in g more
i n d i r e c t , worse than TV s e r m o n s .17 His TV p r e a c h in g seems
as though he were p r e a c h in g d i r e c t l y a t y o u . 18

3GL #4 4 3.

00

*GL #815;

h o u se w ife .

^GL #304; 47; h o u s e w if e .

4GL #540; 59; account a n t .

5 gl #343; 47; s a le s m a n .

6 GL #661.

7gl #218; 53; c l e r k .

8GL #370.

9 GL

* gl #485; 62; l i c e n s e d p r a c t i c a l n u r s e .
**GL #532; n o t l i s t e d ; h o u s e w if e .

*2GL #509; 61; cook.

*3GL #592; 55; e le m e n ta r y s c h o o l t e a c h e r .

*4 gl #726; 32; p u b l i c h e a l t h s a n i t a r i a n .
*5 gl #727; n o t l i s t e d ;
1?GL #4 4 0.

teacher.

*6GL #324; 40+; n u r s e .

*8GL #606; 77; h o u s e w i f e .

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662

For th e 264 r esp o n d e n ts who f e l t t h a t t h e r e was no a p p r e c ia b le

d if fe r e n c e betw een th e two modes o f p r e a c h in g , th e f o l l o w i n g remarks are
ty p ica l:
They are about th e same: same a p p e a l, b o th i n t e r e s t i n g .
Equally as a p p e a l i n g . 2 Both are v e r y s p i r i t u a l , 3 im p r e s
s i v e , ^ q u i t e c o n v i n c i n g , 5 v e r y f o r c e f u l , 6 s i m i l a r e a s e and
c o n f i d e n c e , 7 same e a s y and r e l a x e d manner. 8
Both very much th e same: s im p le , t o - t h e - p o i n t , w ith o u t
e m b e llish m e n ts, e t c . ^ He u s e s s i m i l a r t a c t i c s , 10 same
approach whenever he p r e a c h e s ;1 1 he h o ld s th e a t t e n t i o n . * 2
Always p r e s e n t s a d e f i n i t e m essage f o r a d e f i n i t e n e e d , 13
always g i v e s my s o u l a l i f t . 14
Only d i f f e r e n c e I s e e i s he i s s e a t e d or s ta n d in g ;
same d i f f e r e n c e I n o t i c e betw een h i - f i and s t e r e o . 16 Both
are a g r e a t h e lp i n f i n i s h i n g God's work; b o th are n eed ed in
the church and i n th e w o r l d . * 7
F i n a l l y , 27 r esp o n d e n ts f e l t f r e e even i m p e l l e d - - t o e x p r e s s
themselves c o n c e r n in g changes which th e y f e l t W illia m F agal s h o u ld i n c o r
porate i n t o h i s t e l e v i s i o n p r e a c h in g , i n terms o f h i s p u l p i t p r e s e n t a t i o n ,
in order t o make th e TV sermons more a p p e a lin g and more e f f e c t i v e .
These s u g g e s t i o n s , i n c e r t a i n i n s t a n c e s , awaken e c h o e s from th e
responses to th e t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n management p e r s o n n e l s u r v e y , and are
perhaps the most s i g n i f i c a n t f i n d i n g s i n r e s p o n se t o t h i s q u e s t io n :
I would r a t h e r h e a r him from th e p u l p i t than on T V more e x p r e s s io n in th e p u l p i t . 1 I w o u ld n 't change h i s
p reach ing i n th e p u l p i t ; b u t on TV I would l i k e a l i t t l e

1GL #6.

2GL # 1 8 .

3GL #24.

4GL #49; 72; p a s t o r ' s s e c r e t a r y

7GL #583; 60; d i e t i c i a n .

^GL #302; 52; h o u s e w if e .
Q
8 gl #547; 47 ; h o u s e w if e .
GL #70.

5GL #85.

1GL #81; 71; r e t i r e d .

-^GL #199; 40; s e c r e t a r y .

12 gl #155; 64; l i c e n s e d p r a c t i c a l n u r s e .
i 4 gl

#220; 49; p l a n t w orker.

16GL #499; 39; h o u s e w if e .

13GL #213.

*3GL #588; 59; h o u s e w if e .

17GL #34.

18GL #976.

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663
more p r e a c h in g .* His p u l p i t p r e a c h in g t o n i g h t i s much,
much more l i k e what he sh o u ld p r e a ch l i k e on TV.^ On TV he
seems t o be more q u i e t .
In p e r so n h e speaks o u t . May t h e
Lord s e e t o i t t h a t he can some day speak on TV as he does
to n ig h t .^ I th in k he c a r r i e s th e crowd when he u s e s sp e ec h
in a good o l d fa s h io n e d t a l k . 4
TV programs seem t o d w e ll on p e o p l e ' s s p i r i t u a l prob
lems; n e v e r heard him p rea ch on TV.5 I h a v e n 't heard a f u l l
sermon on TV.6 He i s n ' t r e s t r a i n e d in p u b l i c ; i n p u l p i t
preach in g he has i t a l l t o s a y - - o n TV he seems more l i k e a
c o u n s e l o r . ^ P u l p i t sermons are s t r a i g h t sermons; on TV
sermons are s t o r y and o f p a s t o r g i v i n g C h r is t ia n counsel.**
On TV he i s more or l e s s th e p a s t o r c o n v e r s in g w ith a
fa m ily .
In h i s sermon t o n i g h t he i s a p r e a c h e r . His p r e a ch
in g t o n ig h t i s more a n im a te d .9 On TV i t seems more l i k e
c o n v e r s a tio n than a ser m o n .10 S t o r i e s on TV are d ram atic,
but they l o s e t h e i r p o w e r .H
He sh o u ld be a llo w e d more time t o TV;*2 We w ish he had
a whole hour.*-5 T e l e v i s i o n p r e a c h in g i s good, b u t I w ish i t
were l o n g e r ; 14 i t i s n e v e r lo n g enough. One always wants to
hear more, have l e s s s i n g i n g and more s er m o n .I 5
Two r e s p o n d e n ts * 6 * 17 in d e p e n d e n tly p r o v id e d i d e n t i c a l answers to
t h is q u e s tio n a s k in g f o r a comparison o f th e p u l p i t and t e l e v i s i o n s e r
mon s t y l e s .

They s a i d , s u c c i n c t l y , "I p r e f e r h i s p r e a c h in g " a c l e a r

im p lic a tio n t h a t th e y d id n o t c o n s id e r th e s ix - m in u t e serm o n ette which

c lo s e s the dram atic format on " F a ith f o r Today" as " p r e a ch in g ."
And a l s o e s p e c i a l l y worthy o f n o t e i s th e comparison drawn by a
1 7 -y e a r -o ld g i r l , an e le v e n t h - g r a d e r in h ig h s c h o o l who p a r t i c i p a t e d in

*GL #124.

2 GL # 2 5 .

3 GL #79.

4GL #745; 81; n u r s e .

5GL #393; 60; s t a t e p o l i c e o f f i c e r .

6 gl #820; 31; r e g i s t e r e d n u r se .

7GL #729.

9 gl #338.

*GL #498.

**GL #279.

12 GL. #63 8 .

*3GL #989.

*4GL #394.

^GL #2 13 .

15 gl #428; n o t l i s t e d ; m echanical and e l e c t r i c a l e n g in e e r

16 GL #530; 70; p h y s i c i a n .
*7GL #918; 57; f a c t o r y assem bly l i n e worker.

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th is audience r e s p o n s e su rv ey :
Oh, h e s b e t t e r p r e a c h in g from th e p u l p i t . H e's v e r y dry
on TV. Most o f th e young p e o p le d o n 't e n jo y h i s sermons
on TV. Hes b e t t e r i n th e p u l p i t than on TV. l
In c o n c l u s i o n , i t seems c l e a r t o t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r t h a t a s u b
s t a n t i a l number o f th e members o f W illia m F a g a l s aud ien ce a t th e Grand
Ledge camp m e e tin g f e e l t h a t th e F agal TV p r e a c h in g would be m easurably
improved and enhanced i f t h i s m i n i s t e r would make i t as dynamic and as
c o lo r fu l as h i s p u l p i t sermon on t h i s o c c a s i o n .
This w r i t e r does n o t f e e l t h a t th e remarks made b y r esp o n d e n ts
in d ic a te a r e s i d u a l l y l a t e n t h o s t i l i t y t o th e p r e se n c e o f drama on some
o f the t e l e c a s t s , p e r s e .

He does f e e l t h a t t h e r e i s a w id e sp r ea d

desire f o r b oth s l i g h t l y lo n g e r s e r m o n e t t e s , and f o r a much more v i t a l ,

dynamic d e l i v e r y o f th o s e s e r m o n e t t e s , on t h e o r d e r o f th e camp m e e tin g
d e l i v e r y - - a c o n c lu s io n to which we s h a l l r e tu r n again i n th e c h a p te r
which f o l l o w s .

Comparison o f Fagal w ith o t h e r p r e a c h e r s . - - I n th e e le v e n t h

q u estio n , r esp o n d e n ts were asked t o compare W illia m F a g a l 's p r e a c h in g
( e it h e r on TV o r i n th e p u l p i t ) "w ith o th e r p r e a c h in g t h a t you have
li s t e n e d t o e ls e w h e r e ."
Of th e 749 r esp o n d e n ts who d id make such a com parison, 489 (o r
65.3%) r e g i s t e r e d s t r o n g a p p r o v a l, i n terms o f s u p e r i o r i t y v i s - a - v i s
others p r e a c h e r s ; and a n o th e r 214 (o r 28.5%) r e g i s t e r e d more m ild
approval i n terms o f s u p e r i o r i t y .
Another 26 took a r a t h e r " n e u tra l" p o s i t i o n ( i n d i c a t i n g Fagal
was about on a p a r w ith o t h e r "average" p r e a c h e r s th ey had h e a r d );

1GL #83.

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19

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expressed m ild d is a p p r o v a l, i n terms o f i n f e r i o r i t y ;

and one r e g i s t e r e d

strong d is a p p r o v a l.
A t o t a l o f 3 9 , i n t e r e s t i n g l y , r e f u s e d t o c a t e g o r i z e F agal a t a l l
by comparing him w ith o th e r m i n i s t e r s ( f o r r e a s o n s t o be n o te d b e l o w ) .
Seven more gave m is c e ll a n e o u s r e s p o n s e s ; and 262 made no r e s p o n s e w hat
ever to th e q u e s t i o n .
Among th e 489 i n th e f i r s t c a t e g o r y who r e g i s t e r e d e m p h a t ic a lly
strong a p p ro v a l, F a g a l s p r e a c h in g was r a t e d as e x c e l l e n t , " * " o u tsta n d ing,"

" s u p e r io r ,"

" u n e x c e lle d ,"

"top o f th e l i s t as f a r as I'm

concerned.
The f o l l o w i n g are t y p i c a l o f o b s e r v a t io n s made by r esp o n d e n ts i n
th is c a te g o r y o f s t r o n g e s t ap p ro va l:
I f e e l he i s s i n c e r e and c o n v in c in g .
I would l i k e to
have him f o r a n e x t - d o o r n e ig h b o r . The way I f e e l about h i s
p r e a ch in g i s t h a t when he p r e a c h e s I f e e l I can i n v i t e an
o u t s id e r [n o n -A d v e n tis t] and f e e l proud t o in t r o d u c e him as
an A d v e n t i s t .^
Among th e b e s t ; n o t to o p i e r c i n g l i k e E ld e r W a lte r , and
d o e s n 't put me to s l e e p l i k e E ld e r B o o th b y .7
More e f f e c t i v e than most e v a n g e l i s t s .
Knows h i s m a t e r i a l .
Sermons show much p r e p a r a tio n and th o u g h t. Not deep t h e o l o g y ,
which i n h i s work i s an a d v a n t a g e .8
I p r e f e r P a sto r F a g a l ' s p r e a c h in g b e c a u s e h e s s o calm
and so c o n f id e n t in what he has to s a y t h a t i t i n s t i l l s con
f id e n c e i n th e l i s t e n e r s . He d o e s n ' t sh o u t or speak i n a
loud v o i c e .
T h a t's what I d i s l i k e in any m i n i s t e r .
I feel
P a sto r Fagal has one o f th e f i n e s t d e l i v e r i e s you w i l l h ea r
anywhere. His sermons seem t o end so q u i c k l y , b u t th e tim e
i s up and he has t o s t o p . 9
So many A d v e n t is t p r e a c h e r s g iv e a sermon I c a n ' t
remember 20 m inutes a f t e r I le a v e th e church, b e c a u se C h r is t

*GL #390; 51; m aintenance m echanic.

^GL #293.

^GL #598.

4GL #977; 77; r e s t home h e l p e r .

5GL #12.

6 GL # 6.

7GL # 3 7.

9 GL # 9 0.

8GL # 7 6.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

666

wasn t i n th e sermon. T h is i s one r e a s o n I l i k e F a g a l's

sermons. He t a k e s i t from th e B i b l e , l i n e upon l i n e .
To
me i t i s th e o n ly w a y .1
You d o n 't n eed a c o l l e g e d e g r ee t o u n d ersta n d h i s
vocabulary; some s p e a k e rs you do. Some m i n i s t e r s speak "too
deep" f o r me, u s e lan g u ag e I cannot u n d ersta n d no m a tter how
c lo s e ly I tr y to fo llo w .
E ld e r Beach i s an example. I'm
not e d u c a te d enough f o r h i s serm ons. But E ld e r Fagal I can
f o ll o w , and e n jo y i t .
I know I w i l l be a b e t t e r p e r so n f o r
having heard h im .2
More p l e a s a n t . He h as a m essage o f hope more than most
contemporary p r e a c h e r s . 3
I p r e f e r i t to th e s t i f f , form al t y p e , or s h a llo w , s e n
s a t i o n a l methods I have o b se r v e d i n some o t h e r s . 4 He
d o e s n 't p o r tr a y u n n a tu ra l e x c it e m e n t as some o th e r TV
p r e a c h e r s .5 Others . . . s e e m s u p e r f i c i a l i n t h e i r p r e s e n
t a t i o n s , or em otions are t o o in v o l v e d to b e t r u l y genuine.
I c o n s id e r him above a l l o t h e r s b e c a u s e he p r e s e n t s our
message i n a p o s i t i v e manner which s t i l l i s n o t d ogm atic,
and i s e n t i r e l y f r e e from un k in d n ess and " b e t t e r than thou"
a ttitu d e s. 2
Some m i n i s t e r s are more i n t e r e s t i n g when heard o n ce, but
have no endu rin g q u a l i t y .
I alw ays l i k e h e a r in g E ld er Fagal
over and o v e r . 8 You can t e l l how i n t e r e s t i n g he i s by th e
large a tte n d a n c e a t h i s m e e t in g s .
Very few l e f t b e f o r e he
was f i n i s h e d [ t o n ig h t ] .
To r esp o n d e n ts l e s s e f f u s i v e i n t h e i r p r a i s e b u t s t i l l c o n s i d e r
ing W illiam Fagal a cut above th e g e n e r a l run o f p r e a c h e r s , he was see n
as "good, i n t e r e s t i n g , e a s y t o f o l l o w (some are hard t o follow)";'*'
" i n t e r e s t i n g p r e a c h e r ; n o t s p e c t a c u l a r , b u t g o o d " ; ^ " h e 's n o t th e b e s t ,
but h e 's good, g e t s the p o i n t o v e r w e l l " ;

JGL # 8 1 1 .

12

"as good as o th e r s and

2 GL # 5 2 6 .

^GL #137; 48 ; l i t e r a t u r e e v a n g e l i s t .

4GL #182.

5GL #1 97 .

GL #201; 42; h o u s e w if e .

7GL #509.

^GL #388; 39; e le m e n ta r y s c h o o l t e a c h e r .

GL #695; 39; p r e s s o p e r a t o r .
*GL #10; 24; h o u s e w if e ; B a p t i s t .

^GL # 8 5.

12GL #2 09 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

than some I ' v e heard";'*' "not th e d e e p e s t , b u t good fo r th e average

American."

The f o llo w in g are f a i r l y t y p i c a l o f rem arks made b y resp o n d en ts

in t h is c a te g o r y :
I th in k E ld e r F agal i s b e t t e r th an th e a v era g e TV
sp ea k er. . . . P e r s o n a lly , I e n jo y him . I h a v e n 't p a r t i c
u la r ly th ou gh t he was d e e p ly i n t e l l e c t u a l or le a r n e d , b u t I
r e a l i z e t h a t th e average l i s t e n e r w ould p r e f e r a s im p le ,
e a s i l y u n d ersto o d t a l k . P e o p le d o n 't l i k e to have t o th in k
too much.^
A good " g e n e r a l p u b lic " s p e a k e r , good "common se n se "
sp eak er. More i n t e r e s t i n g th an many s p e a k e r s , makes a good
g o sp e l " sa le sm a n ."4
He i s e f f e c t i v e and i n t e r e s t i n g , b u t n o t e s p e c i a l l y
dynamic or f o r c e f u l . You j u s t e n jo y h i s en th u sia sm f o r th e
Lord's work and g e t h is e n th u sia sm .^
No monotone as in E ld er W ils o n 's v o ic e .^
Not so b o r in g , n o t so le n g th y , n o t so " h e l l - f i r e " ; more
common, p e a c e f u l, to u c h in g th an I have h e a r d .7
Fagal i s a c le a r p r e a c h e r , e f f e c t i v e , w ith o u t a l o t o f
sh o u tin g , fo o t-s to m p in g , or arm -w a v in g .8
He has som eth in g in i t (some are e m p ty ). The r ig h t
som eth in g, t o o ! - - B i b l i c a l , s p i r i t u a l , w ith o u t w hich a
m in is te r m ight b e t t e r sa v e h i s tim e , o r be h o n e s t enough to
la b e l i t o th e r than C h r is tia n t e a c h in g .9
I g e t more out o f a m in is t e r who r e a l l y means what he
s a y s --a n d p u ts som eth in g i n t o i t .
F agal u s e s as much B ib le
as most m in is t e r s .
Among th e 26 r esp o n d e n ts who took a more o r l e s s " n eu tra l" p o s i
tio n , in term s o f s u p e r i o r i t y / i n f e r i o r i t y v i s - a - v i s o th e r p r e a c h e r s ,
Fagal was view ed as " e q u a l,"
1

11

GL #561; n o t l i s t e d ;

3GL # 1 9 5 .
8GL # 3 6 8 .
X1GL #8.

4 GL #255.

1?

" co m p a ra b le," 1

" a b le to h o ld h i s own,"

lic e n s e d p r a c t i c a l n u r s e .
5 GL #2 5 3 .

6 GL #1 8 9 .

GL #304.

7GL #398.

9 GL #391; 48; h o u se w ife .

12GL # 725; 55; n u r s e .

10GL #438.

13GL #5.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

668
"the same as o t h e r s ," * "som etim es as good as any, som etim es b e t t e r ,
sometimes n o t as good."'1
A lthough o n ly 19 r e sp o n d e n ts (2.6% o f th o se answ erin g in a man
ner which a d m itte d a q u a l i t a t i v e c l a s s i f i c a t i o n ) r e g is t e r e d m ild
d isa p p ro v a l, in term s o f i n f e r i o r i t y in com parison w ith o th e r p r e a c h e r s ,
and one in d ic a t e d s tr o n g d is a p p r o v a l, a b r i e f look a t t h e i r remarks i s
w orthw hile.

The fo llo w in g are f a i r l y t y p i c a l o f th e a t t it u d e s o f t h i s

m inority group:
F a g a l's p r e a c h in g i s n o t h a r d - h it t in g n or i s i t s t r o n g ly
d o c t r in a l.
I t i s d e s ig n e d t o a t t r a c t a p e r so n and i n t e r e s t
him t o th e p o in t o f w r it in g in fo r th e B ib le c o u r s e . I t i s
in sharp c o n t r a s t to [George Vandeman's] " I t i s W r itte n ,"
which i s i n t e l l e c t u a l , d o c t r in a l , and h a r d - h i t t i n g . 3
P a s to r F agal o f t e n u se s th e p r o b le m -s o lu tio n approach.
I t i s c o n v in c in g . I t i s r e f r e s h in g . But i t does n o t alw ays
make th e b e s t Sabbath morning serm on. On Sabbath I want an
in c r e a s e d aw areness o f som eth in g t h a t I p o s s e s s , bu t h a v e n 't
d isc o v e r e d y e t . 4
He c a p tu r e s my i n t e r e s t and h o ld s i t , b u t does n o t
appeal to my e m o tio n s.
I p e r s o n a lly l i k e a more em o tio n a l
s p e a k e r .3
I l i k e "World K id s' Crusade" and "World B ib le Crusade"
on r a d io , and Jack W yrtzen 's "Word o f L ife Crusade" on TV.
I f in d our TV and r a d io programs la c k in g in ENTHUSIASM com
pared t o t h e s e o t h e r s .
I th in k we sh o u ld work more fo r
c h ild r e n and y o u th , sh o u ld be l o t s on tem p era n ce--a n d th e
home. 3
H is TV p r e a c h in g la g s f a r b eh in d o th e r B a p t is t and SDA
p rea ch ers in s i n c e r i t y and c o n v in c in g n e s s .?
Not s u r p r i s i n g l y , th e clergym an w ith whose p r e a c h in g W illiam
F a g a l's was m ost o f t e n compared was H. M. S . R ichards o f "The V o ice o f
Prophecy," F a g a l's c o u n te r p a r t on A d v e n tist r a d io - - a v ery p o p u la r

*GL #298;

71;

3GL #366.
6 GL #115;

r e tir e d .
4GL #480.

51;

tea ch er.

2GL #143.
5 GL #377.
7GL # 4 4 0 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

Michigan camp m e e tin g s p e a k e r , and c o n s id e r e d by many t o be th e dean o f

liv in g A d v e n tist p r e a c h e r s to d a y .
Of th e 41 r e sp o n d e n ts who lin k e d th e names o f F agal and R ichards
in t h e ir r e p l i e s , 27 c o n s id e r e d F agal to be th e p e e r o f R ichards ("com
parable w ith w hat I c o n s id e r th e top i n d en o m in a tio n a l s p e a k e r s : H. M. S .
Richards. . . ."*).

The rem ain in g 14 c l e a r l y c o n s id e r e d W illia m F agal

a c lo se "second t o H. M. S ." ;

and one s u g g e s te d t h a t "a few more y e a r s

;z

and he w i l l be as good"

as t h i s fam ous, v e n e r a te d A d v e n tis t r a d io

evangel (who i s an in t im a t e f r ie n d o f F a g a l s ) and 25 y e a r s F a g a l's

se n io r in age and e x p e r ie n c e .
O th ers, t o o , commented upon th e s te a d y improvement n o te d i n th e
q u a lity o f W illia m F a g a l's p r e s e n t a t io n , as th e y compared h i s d e liv e r y
and message a t camp m e e tin g from y e a r to y e a r t o y e a r:
He has im proved in h i s manner, p r e s e n t a t io n .^
He i s im p ro v in g , h i s serm ons make more im p r e s s io n , b o th
p u lp it and TV.^
More se a s o n e d th an many o th e r s h i s same age; he w i l l
contin ue t o d e v e lo p as he p r o g r e s s e s .^
In c o n c lu d in g t h i s s e c t i o n , i t may be p r o f i t a b l e to p a u se
b r ie f ly to n o t e som eth in g o f th e r ea so n s o f f e r e d w hich 32 r e sp o n d e n ts
sa id prompted t h e i r u n w illin g n e s s t o make com parisons among p r e a c h e r s in
general and S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis ts in p a r t ic u l a r .
A lthough one f e l t u n q u a lif ie d by la c k o f p r o f e s s io n a l t r a in i n g
("I'm n o t in a p o s i t i o n t o be a good ju dge o f h o m ile t ic s " '7) ,

and two

others by la c k o f c o n ta c t e x p e r ie n c e ("I d o n 't l i s t e n t o many o th e r s ;

1GL # 3 2 3 .

2GL #295; 70; r e t i r e d .

3GL # 1 2 1 .
6 GL # 9 .

^GL #43; 39; B ib le in s t r u c t o r .

5 GL #4 4 .

^GL #306; 28; d e n t i s t .

8GL #372; 80; h o u s e w ife .

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"I know too few to com pare"*); and one resp o n d en t appeared t o w ish o n ly
to q u ib le w ith se m a n tic s (" I d o n t s e e how I can compare i t s i n c e i t
ca n 't be done; th e b e s t I can do i s c o n t r a s t i t " ) ; i t seem ed e v id e n t
th at the v a s t m a jo r ity w ere c o n s tr a in e d on r e l i g i o - e t h i c a l g ro u n d s.
A d v e n t is t s , g e n e r a ll y , h ave b een somewhat c o n d itio n e d a g a in s t
c r it ic is m o f t h e i r c le r g y .

Many i n t h i s sa m p le, u n q u e s tio n a b ly , were

mindful o f r e p e a te d c o u n s e ls i n th e w r it in g s o f E lle n G. W hite, t h e i r

resp ected p io n e e r , a g a in s t c r i t i c i z i n g th e m in is t r y o f th e church.

Indeed, a number d id n o t h e s i t a t e t o come r i g h t out and sa y th e y f e l t

the q u e stio n to be im proper:
I dont t r y to compare them . I d o n 't l i k e to make
com parisons w ith o th e r camp m e e tin g s p e a k e r s . We n eed a
v a r ie t y in s p e a k e r s . Some a p p ea l t o c e r t a in in d iv id u a ls
more than o t h e r s . Some h ave a s tr o n g te stim o n y on one
p o in t; o th e r s on som eth in g e l s e . Some are e v a n g e l i s t s ,
some t e a c h e r s , e t c . 4
Each one has a m essage and a c o n t r ib u t io n . Not a l l
food i s a l i k e b u t good foo d p ro d u ces h e a lt h and v a r ie t y .
Who would be w ith o u t v a r ie ty ? ^
I'm n o t a c r i t i c o f any SDA m i n is t e r .
I e n jo y m essages
from a l l .
E ld e r F a g a l s p r e a c h in g i s g o o d .6

*GL #4 4 9 ; 41; h o u s e w ife .

^GL #448.

T y p ic a l o f s ta te m e n ts from Mrs. W h ite's pen a g a in s t c r i t i c i s m

o f m in is te r s by th e l a i t y i s th e fo llo w in g :
"Many who l i s t e n t o th e
preaching o f th e word o f God make i t th e s u b j e c t o f c r i t i c i s m a t home.
They s i t in judgment on th e sermon as th e y would th e words o f a le c t u r e r
or a p o l i t i c a l s p e a k e r . The m essage t h a t sh o u ld be regard ed as th e word
o f the Lord to them i s d w elt upon w ith t r i f l i n g or s a r c a s t i c comment.
The m in is t e r 's c h a r a c t e r , m o t iv e s , and a c t io n s . . . are f r e e l y d i s
cu ssed . S e v e re judgm ent i s p ro n o u n ced , g o s s ip o r s la n d e r r e p e a t e d , and
th is in the h e a r in g o f th e u n c o n v e r te d . O ften th e s e th in g s are spoken
by p aren ts in th e h e a r in g o f t h e i r own c h ild r e n . Thus are d e s tr o y e d
r esp e c t fo r G od's m e sse n g e r s, and r e v e r e n c e f o r t h e i r m essa g e. And many
are taught to regard l i g h t l y G od's word i t s e l f ( C h r is t 's O b jec t L e sso n s,
45-46) .
^GL #72; 71; te a c h e r .

^GL #612; 45; d e n t i s t .

6 GL #53.

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671

Poor q u e s tio n ; p r e a c h in g i s p e r s o n a lit y and s o u l

e x p e r ie n c e .1
Each p e r so n has h i s own p e r s o n a lit y ; I d o n 't b e l i e v e I
could make a c o m p a r iso n .2 No two p e r so n s are i d e n t i c a l ;
E ld er F agal i s u n iq u e .3 He h a s h i s own manner o f d e liv e r y
and p r e s e n t a t io n ,^ h i s own i n d iv id u a l s t y l e o f p r e a c h in g .5
He has a tou ch a l l h i s own.6 He may n o t be th e b e s t , b u t
he i s i n d i v i d u a l i s t i c th a t no one e l s e sh o u ld copy or he
tr y to copy anyone e l s e . ?
S e v e ra l n o ted t h a t p r e a c h in g " is d i f f e r e n t from w o r ld ly t a l k s ,"

and f e l t th a t th e im p ortan t th in g i s n o t th e s p e a k e r b u t r a th e r th e mes

sage which comes t o th e h e a r e r

d i r e c t l y from God:

Hard t o compare. Have had e x c e l l e n t

g r e a t e v id e n c e o f th e Holy S p i r i t h e r e . 9

sp e a k e r s

h e r e , and

I t ' s th e m essage! Not th e p r e a c h e r ! One

who h as a
message as he h a s , anyone c o u ld l i s t e n and have a change o f
h e a r t or a r e d e d i c a t i o n .10
When a man p r e a ch es J e su s C h r is t--a n d l i f t s Him upwe
do n o t n o t ic e th e p a r t i c u l a r i t i e s l i s t e d above [in th e
q u e s tio n n a ir e su rv ey fo r m ]. The H oly S p i r i t sp ea k s a u n i
v e r s a l la n g u a g e. In f a c t , th e s m a lle s t c h i ld to th e e l d e s t
man knows God i s s p e a k in g .H
I f SDA m in is t e r s are m eant, each has h i s c e r t a in a p p e a l.
Each b r in g s out some th ou gh t i f we_ are l i s t e n i n g f o r God t o
s p e a k .12
The a t t i t u d e s o f th e s e r e sp o n d e n ts i s p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t e r e s t i n g
in view o f a d em on strated a m b iv a len ce betw een th in k in g and p r a c t i c e , in
th is q u e s tio n o f " c r i t i c i s m ."

For many o f th e s e same in d iv id u a ls

e a r lie r had no h e s i t a t i o n in e x p r e s s in g th e m se lv e s co n cern in g t h e i r

lik e s and d i s l i k e s r eg a r d in g th e p r e a c h in g and p e r s o n a l it y o f W illia m A.

1GL #320.

2 GL #737.

3GL #51; 61; n u r s e .

5GL #755; not l i s t e d ; s e c r e t a r y .

>j

00

#764;

14; s t u d e n t .

10GL #799; 28; n u rse a id e .

6 GL #1 3 5 .

4GL #7 5 3 .
7GL #2 79.

9 gl #536; 77; r e t i r e d .
n GL #970; 30; s e lf-e m p lo y e d

l^GL #71; 60; s e c r e t a r y .

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Fagal, in r e p ly in g t o q u e s tio n s w hich o v e r t l y d id n o t ask them t o

" c r itic iz e .M
But as soon as th e q u e s tio n n a ir e o v e r t l y a sk s f o r a n e g a t iv e
e v a lu a tio n , r esp o n d e n ts te n d ed t o r e t r e a t d e f e n s iv e ly , c l e a r l y in d ic a t in g
th at w h ile many laymen do d i s t in g u i s h b etw een c o n s t r u c t iv e and d e s t r u c
tiv e c r i t i c i s m s u b c o n s c io u s ly (and in p r a c t i c e ) , th ey n e v e r t h e le s s are
u n w illin g to adm it t o th e m se lv e s th e le g it im a c y t o sa y n o th in g o f th e
v a lu eo f th e c o n s t r u c t iv e v a r ie t y !
These o b s e r v a tio n s a s id e fo r th e moment (we r e tu r n to them two
q u estio n s l a t e r in d e a lin g w ith th e r e q u e s t to s e t down what th e resp o n d
ent p a r t ic u l a r ly d i s l i k e s about F a g a l* s p r e a c h in g in th e p u lp it o r on
TV), i t i s w orthy o f n o te t h a t 93.8% o f r esp o n d e n ts r e p ly in g t o t h i s
q u estio n in a manner w hich ad m itted o f a c a t e g o r iz a t io n o f th e r e p ly ,
s ta te d th a t th ey found W illia m F a g a lfs p r e a c h in g , to a l e s s e r o r g r e a t e r
degree (and g e n e r a lly to th e g r e a t e r d e g r ee ) t o be more e f f e c t i v e than
and su p e r io r to th a t o f o th e r p r e a ch er s t o whom th e y had p r e v io u s ly
lis t e n e d .

F a g a l's image as a p r e a ch er :

p o s i t i v e f a c t o r s . - - I n th e t w e lf t h

q u estio n r esp o n d e n ts were ask ed to l i s t a n y th in g th ey p a r t i c u l a r l y lik e d

about W illiam F a g a l* s p r e a c h in g , f i r s t in th e p u l p i t , and se c o n d ly on
TV.
On th e m a tte r o f h i s p u lp it p r e s e n t a t io n , 346 o f th e 1050 p a r
t ic ip a n t s in th e su r v ey made no r esp o n se w h a te v e r.

Of th e 704 who d id

rep ly (some l i s t i n g more th an one c a t e g o r ic a l f a c t o r ) , 377 m entioned

fa c to r s o f p e r s o n a l i t y , 325 gave f a c t o r s o f c o n te n t , 182 l i s t e d f a c t o r s
o f d e liv e r y , 59 i d e n t i f i e d f a c t o r s o f a s p i r i t u a l n a tu r e , and 13 o f f e r e d
o th er m is c e lla n e o u s f a c t o r s .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

I n e v it a b ly , much th a t was s a id ten d ed to be q u it e r e p e t i t i v e

with e a r l i e r r e p l i e s ; n e v e r t h e le s s , a f a i r l y c le a r p r o f i l e o f W illiam A.
Fagal as a p u l p i t sp ea k er ten d s to emerge in th e c o n te x t o f f a c t o r s
which h is a u d ien ce p a r t i c u l a r l y lik e d .
F a cto rs o f th e s p e a k e r 's p e r s o n a l it y were most fr e q u e n tly men
tion ed by r e sp o n d e n ts; and i t was c h a r a c t e r iz e d v a r io u s ly a s:

" fr ie n d ly "

" d ig n ifie d , s o b e r " ; 2 "warm, p e r s o n a b le , d o w n -to -e a r th " ;^ " r e la x e d " ;4

"in form al";3 "humble and common."^
E la b o r a tin g upon th e s e q u a l i t i e s , r esp o n d e n ts remarked fu r th e r :
A v e ry w arm -hearted p e r so n . H is en th u sia sm f o r the
g o sp e l b u b b le s o u t.
Deep i n t e r e s t in p e o p le and t h e i r s a l
v a t io n . A ppears to speak from th e h e a r t . 7 He g iv e s th e
im p re ssio n h e ' s g la d h e 's a S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t, and he
glows w ith w e l l - b e i n g . 8 He seem s s o g e n u in e ly in t e r e s t e d
in p e o p le ;^ p le a s a n t way o f making one f e e l th a t to be a
C h r is tia n i s th e m ost w on d erfu l th in g i n th e w o r ld .10 He
s m ile s , lo o k s l i k e he lo v e s h is r e l i g i o n and J e s u s ; h is
s i n c e r i t y i s c o n t a g io u s . H
U ndertone o f h u m i l i t y : I 2 h e 's n o t " h o lie r -t h a n - th o u ."
He i d e n t i f i e s h im s e lf w ith th e common man, s u b j e c t to th e
w eaknesses o f a l l . 1 3 He makes me f e e l t h a t though I_know he
r e a l l y knows more than I do, he d o e s n 't th in k s o . 14 He p u ts
J esu s f i r s t , and does n o t a c t as though h e i s im p o r ta n t.15
His f r ie n d l y l i t t l e remarks about h im s e lf s p r in k le d through
th e sermon make you f e e l he i s a p e r so n a l f r i e n d . 16 Lack o f
o s t e n t a t io n ; s im p le , u n fe ig n e d , h o n e st approach; deep
s p i r i t u a l e a r n e s t n e s s .1 7 P le a s in g p e r s o n a lit y ; s m ile , man
n e r s , and atm osphere o f a b r o t h e r - s i s t e r r e la t io n s h ip to h i s
c o n g r e g a ti o n .1 8

I gl #74; 74; 1

is e w if e .

2GL # 7 8 .

3 gl #127; n o t
5 gl #458; 47;

6 GL #245.

7 gl #802; 21;
10GL #106.

8GL #6.
11GL #398.

i 4 GL #192; 51;
16 gl # 4 7 3 .

,L

12 gl #1 0 5 .

9GL # 1 5 .
i 3 GL #537.

15 gl # 3 4 .
17GL #294.

18 gl # 3 2 0 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission of the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

674

Easy on th e e y e s and ears;'*' he seems t o lo v e , have co n

fid e n c e in everyon e; alw ays o p t i m i s t i c ; and he d o e s n 't have
10,000 tw in b r o t h e r s .2
C oncerning m a tter s o f c o n te n t and c o m p o s itio n , r e sp o n d e n ts had
high regard f o r W illia m F a g a l's p u lp it p r e a ch in g :
He p r e s e n ts known f a c t s i n t e r e s t i n g l y , o f t e n from a new
p o in t o f v ie w , and w eaves in i n t e r e s t i n g and e d u c a tio n a l
e x p e r ie n c e s tak en from l i f e in such a way t h a t th e y are
r e v iv in g and e n c o u r a g in g .3
Food f o r th ou gh t in th e s im p le s t B ib le v e r s e ; 4 p ro b es
the d eep er meaning o f th e B ib le s t o r y . 3 He b r in g s in new
thoughts I h a v e n 't th o u g h t o f b e f o r e , n o t th e same s t a l e
thoughts I ' v e heard o v e r and o v e r .^ Does n o t te n d to w a ste
your tim e , b u t d e liv e r s meat in due s e a s o n .7 Gets a g r e a t
deal s a id in a s h o r t t i m e .8 Good c h o ic e o f t o p ic s ch osen
fo r th e serm on s;9 m essage a p p r o p r ia te t o th e group t o w hich
he was s p e a k in g .10 He makes th e in d iv id u a l im p o rta n t; h i s
th e o lo g y i s p e r s o n a l.H
He u s e s words a l l can u n d ersta n d ; he does n o t make a
person f e e l i n f e r i o r . 12 He sp ea k s an ev ery d a y la n g u a g e.
His i l l u s t r a t i o n s are to u c h in g and d o n 't sound u n r e a so n a b le ,
and co u ld be e x p e r ie n c e d by o t h e r s .1 3
H is p r e a ch in g i s i n t e r e s t i n g , c o n c is e , w e ll- o r g a n iz e d ; 14
l o g i c a l , sim p ly-w ord ed , we1 1 - i l l u s t r a t e d . 5 C o n ten t, o u t
l i n e , i l l u s t r a t i o n s e s p e c i a l l y g o o d .16 I l i k e th e p a r a l l e l
lin e s o f th o u g h t--u s in g many e x a m p le s .1? He r ea so n s w ith
h is h e a r e r s , and makes h i s p o in t s c le a r and e f f e c t i v e w it h
out . . . to o much ap p eal to e m o t io n s .18 He ask s th o u g h tprovoking q u e s t i o n s ,19 a r o u se s c u r i o s i t y . 20 He moves a lo n g
w ith o u t b e la b o r in g h is p o i n t s ; does n o t o v e r s t r e s s u n n e c e s
s a r i l y . 21 Good u se o f E n g lis h , c o r r e c t grammar,22 modem
p h r a s e s .23

1GL #48; 71; h o u s e w ife .

SGL #326.
9 GL #592.

6 GL # 9 8 .
^GL # 2 4 4 .

12GL #13; 53; te a c h e r .

2 GL #37.

3GL #449.

7GL #578; 42; d e n t i s t .

4GL # 2 6 6 .
8GL # 3 7 2 .

^GL #226; 41; m ain ten an ce w orker.

13GL #856.

14GL # 8 4 4 .

16GL #780.

17
17GL #684; 51; tru ck d r iv e r .

19gl #547.

20,*GL #23; 45; su r g e o n .

22 gl #76.

23,
23GL #171; 2 4; s tu d e n t.

15GL # 7 6 1 .

*8GL # 3 6 0 .

2 lGL #791; 37; h o u s e w ife .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

S im p le, d o w n -to -e a r th , e a s y -to -u n d e r s ta n d a p p ea ls to th e

masses o f common p e o p le .
I t r e p r e s e n ts S ev en th -d a y A dvent
i s t s as s e n s i b l e , p r a c t i c a l p e o p le who are good c i t i z e n s and
good f r i e n d s . 1
M ention, in th e a r ea o f d e l i v e r y , was made o f both th e " v i s i b l e
code" (th e sp e a k e r th e a u d ien ce s e e s ) as w e ll as o f th e " a u d ib le code"
(the sp ea k er th e au d ien ce h e a r s ) :
2
3
4
I l i k e h i s appearance:
w e ll-k e m p t, n i c e ,
y o u t h fu l,
h e a l t h f u l , 8 n e a t ,6 p o i s e d , 7 makes good appearance in pub
lic : a w e ll-g r o o m e d , c le a n - c u t g e n tle m a n .9
I l i k e you r d ig n it y on th e p u lp it - - y o u do n o t t a lk w ith
th e o th e r m in is t e r s or s i t l i k e you w ere u n la x in g in fr o n t
o f th e TV s e t . Your exam ple i s q u it e r e f r e s h in g .
I th in k
som etim es th e r e i s a ten d en cy to r e l a x to th e p o in t o f
i r r e v e r e n c e .10
C oncerning th e manner o f W illia m F a g a l's p u l p i t d e l iv e r y , resp o n d
ents fu r t h e r n o te d th a t:
B efore he b e g in s th e sermon he e s t a b l i s h e s ra p p o rt w ith
th e a u d ie n c e .H
I l ik e th e way he " t e l l s " h i s serm o n s.^ 2 He t a lk s in a
c o n v e r s a tio n a l way; no h e s i t a t i n g . 13 He t a lk s t o us in s t e a d
o f p r e a c h in g a t _ u s . l 4 He d o e s n 't seem to be p r e a c h in g - - h e 's
t a lk in g t o us in su ch a co zy w ay, he makes us f e e l h e 's one
w ith u s . 15
He p r e a c h e s as though he were a l i v e and awake, and
e x p e c ts h i s l i s t e n e r s to be th e s a m e .16 N a tu r a l, r e la x e d
m ovem ent.17 He has freedom in d e liv e r y ; he m a ste rs h is
sermons r e a l w e l l .l H is a t t e n t io n i s to th e a u d ie n c e ; he
i s n o t bound by n o t e s . 19 Very good u se o f h a n d s, and s lo w
in g down to make a p o i n t . 20 H is g e s t u r e s and em phasis h o ld
my a t t e n t i o n . 21

1GL #366.
4GL #477;
6 gl #824.

^GL #84.

3GL #381; n o t l i s t e d ; p h y s ic a l t h e r a p i s t .

3; h o u s e w ife .

8 GL #770; 61; m ain tenance w orker.

7GL #517; n o t l i s t e d ; s e a l e r .

8GL #520.

10GL # 2 0 9 .

U GL #212.

i 2 GL #681; 24; s t u d e n t .

14 gl # 2 0 7 .

15GL #177 .

16 GL # 2 5 9 .

17GL # 4 9 7 .

18 gl #163.

19GL #150.

2 0 GL # 1 7 1 .

21GL # 4 0 9 .

9 GL #600.

i 3 GL #722.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

676

His words were d i s t i n c t l y spoken w ith em phasis and

proper i n f l e c t i o n . ^ M u sica l v o i c e . 2 He d id n 't y e l l or
sh ou t or sound demanding; he d o e s n t h a v e t o push o r fo r c e
the word i t n a t u r a lly m e lts i n . 3 He d id n 't s h o u t, pound
h is f i s t , e t c . W asn't o v e r ly d r a m a tic. A good s e n s i b l e
d e l i v e r y . 4 Good a n im a tio n .5 A p le a s a n t , u n d e rsta n d in g
v o ic e ; makes you k in d o f f e e l l i k e "hom e."6
7
8
C le a r, d e c i s i v e manner.
Good e n u n c ia tio n ;
I can u n d er
sta n d ev ery word he s a y s ; sp e a k s lo u d ly e n o u g h .9 He i s n o t
tir in g .
I lo v e h is v o i c e .
D o e sn 't sp ea k to o lo n g ;
per
f e c t p u lp it m a n n ers.*2
Although comments c o n c e r n in g th e " s p ir i t u a l" elem en ts o f th e
p u lp it p r e s e n t a t io n m ight l o g i c a l l y h a v e b een subsumed under th e p r io r
c a te g o r ie s o f p e r s o n a l i t y , c o n te n t , and d e l i v e r y , we n o te them h ere
s e p a r a te ly , s in c e 59 d i f f e r e n t r e sp o n d e n ts i d e n t i f i e d them in t h e i r own
th in k in g as s e p a r a te and d i s t i n c t :
1^
A f i t v e s s e l through whom th e H oly S p i r i t can w ork,
he spoke as one g e n u in e ly i n s p i r e d .^ 4 He i s a good m an,13
a c o n s e c r a te d m a n , 1 ^ d e d ic a te d to th e c a u s e . 1? He makes
C h r ist c o n sp icu o u s r a th e r than h i m s e l f . 18 He p o r tr a y s a
r e a l C h r is tia n s p i r i t , 19 u n d e rsta n d in g o f s i n f u l m an,20
alw ays p o in t s to J e s u s . 21
22

The B ib le i s h i s g u id e and a u t h o r it y .
His serm ons a re
b u i l t around C h r i s t . 23 He h as a deep c o n v ic t io n o f th e f u l
f illm e n t o f p r o p h e c y . 24 H is c o n fid e n c e i s in G o d . 25 He

1GL #837; 44;

4GL #772; 47; :

5 GL # 3 4 0 .

8gl # 3 1 .

9 GL #45.

6 GL # 6 7 8 .

7gl # 6 5 .
10GL # 4 6 .

n GL #234; 54;

12 gl # 4 3 .

13 gl #350; 47; ]
14 gl #129; n ot
listed.

15 gl #275; 58; i
18 gl #863.

19i

21 gl #225.

22,

24 gl #81.

25,

16GL # 4 9 .

17GL #1 4 3 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

677

r e a l l y knows J e s u s as h is p e r so n a l S a v io u r .
Such a man o f
God:^ deep s p i r i t u a l e a r n e s t n e s s ,3 s o u l- s e a r c h in g ,^ he
r e v e a ls th e nower o f th e H olv S n i r i t . 3 b r in e in v C h r is t to
the p e o p l e .6 He b r in g s c o n v ic tio n to my h e a r t; he preach es
J esu s C h r is t.^
In r e p ly to th e seco n d h a l f o f th e q u e s t io n , w hich asked
respondents t o l i s t th in g s th e y p a r t i c u l a r l y lik e d about W illiam F a g a l's
t e l e v i s i o n p r e a c h in g , 822 r esp o n d e n ts fu r n is h e d n o th in g which co u ld be
u s e fu l to t h i s i n v e s t i g a t i o n :

169 m erely w ro te " d itto " b en eath t h e i r

response to th e f i r s t h a l f o f th e q u e s tio n on p u lp i t p r e a ch in g ; an oth er

39 s a id th ey f e l t i n s u f f i c i e n t l y a c q u a in te d w ith " F a ith fo r Today" to
comment on th e TV p r e a c h in g ; and 614 w rote n o th in g down a t a l l .
Of th e rem ain in g 228 resp o n d e n ts who made a c o n tr ib u tio n o f
v a lu e , th e r e la t io n s h ip r a t i o o f th e f a c t o r s , n o t s u r p r is in g l y , a p p ro x i
mates th a t o f r e s p o n se s to th e s e c t i o n on p u l p i t p r e a c h in g .

A gain,

respondents o f t e n l i s t e d item s in more than one c a te g o r y ; and p e r s o n a l

i t y fa c to r s were m entioned m ost o f t e n - - 1 0 7 tim e s .

C ontent f a c t o r s were

l i s t e d 86 tim e s , d e liv e r y 38 t im e s , s p i r i t u a l elem en ts 19 tim e s , and

oth er f a c t o r s 20 t im e s .
B ecause o f th e r e p e t i t i o u s n a tu r e o f many r esp o n se s in th e
second h a l f o f th e q u e s tio n to r e p l i e s made in th e f i r s t , m ention w i l l
be made h ere o n ly o f sta te m e n ts u n iq u e ly p e c u lia r t o th e t e l e v i s i o n
s it u a t io n .
The F agal p e r s o n a lit y on t e l e v i s i o n was see n by one resp on d en t
as "more fo r m a l--n o doubt b e c a u se o f o f f i c i a l r e s t r i c t i o n s " ;

whereas

another was im p ressed b eca u se F agal app eared, t o him , t o be " e a sy ,

^GL #122; 51; h o u s e w ife .

2 GL # 86.

3GL #294.

^GL #184; 48; h o u se w ife .

5GL #279.

6GL #110.

^GL #27; 21; h o s p it a l w orker.

8GL #223.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

in form al, w e ll- p o i s e d b u t n o t s t i f f and r i g i d l i k e many TV r e l i g i o u s

p e r s o n a litie s .
R egarding c o n te n t , s e v e r a l e x p r e s s e d amazement a t
th e way he i s a b le to p rod u ce such l u c i d , thum bnail serm ons.
I was im p ressed a t how much he c o u ld g e t a c r o ss in such a
sh o r t t im e .2
He has th e a b i l i t y to com press v e r y v i t a l tr u th s i n t o
few m in u tes.
I t i s so r e f r e s h in g t o h ea r a m in is t e r who
r e a l l y s a y s som eth in g in a s h o r t t i m e . 3

In c o n n e c tio n w ith d e l i v e r y , one resp on d en t was s tr u c k w ith

F a g a l's a b i l i t y t o p r o j e c t th e same in t e n s e p e r so n a l d ir e c t n e s s

o f th e

auditorium in t o th e t e l e v i s i o n medium:
He sp eak s r i g h t d i r e c t l y a t you and i s no lo n g e r in th e
s tu d io hundreds o f m ile s away, b u t r ig h t w ith you in th e
home.
A d d it io n a lly , one m en tion ed t h a t th e cameraman a f f e c t s th e
d e liv e r y in s h o o tin g from "many d i f f e r e n t p o se s and a n g le s " ;5 and
another lik e d th e l i t t l e F agal TV "trademark" o f h a v in g
in a " tig h t" s h o t o f th e F agal hands fo ld e d

th e camera fo c u s

and l i g h t l y r e s t i n g on h i s

B ible w h ile p ra y er i s o f f e r e d o v e r th e a i r .^
L a s t ly , m ention was made o f F a g a l's r e la t io n s h ip to h is w ife by
15 d if f e r e n t r e sp o n d e n ts in t h i s q u e s t io n .

W hile in one s e n s e t h i s i s

n o t, s t r i c t l y s p e a k in g , a f a c t o r o f W illia m F a g a l's p r e a ch in g p e r s e ,
y e t in th e c o n te x t o f th e program i t i s d i f f i c u l t to s e p a r a te i t a t
le a s t in v ie w e r s ' m inds from m a tter s o f th e s p e a k e r 's p e r s o n a lit y and
oth ers in e x t r ic a b ly in t e r t w in e d .

C o n seq u e n tly , t h e r e f o r e , a s e p a r a te

s e c tio n on th e h u sb a n d -w ife r e l a t i o n s h i p on th e t e l e c a s t w i l l be added

at th e

c lo s e o f t h i s c h a p te r to d e a l w ith t h i s

p a r t ic u l a r phenomenon.

XGL # 5 9 4 .

2GL # 3 1 2 .

3GL # 8 4 4 .

4GL # 1 3 9 .

5 GL # 3 9 9 .

6 GL # 5 1 0 .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

679

F a g a lfs image as a p rea ch er:

n e g a t iv e f a c t o r s .--T h e r e lu c t a n c e

o f Seventh-day A d v e n tis ts a tte n d in g th e Grand Ledge Camp M eeting s e r v i c e

to c r i t i c i s e th e sp e a k in g o f W illia m A. F a g a l, a lr e a d y n o te d in con n ec
tio n w ith q u e s tio n t e n , m a n ife ste d i t s e l f even more m arkedly in
connection w ith q u e s tio n t h ir t e e n , w hich asked resp o n d en ts to l i s t
th ings th ey p a r t i c u l a r l y d i s l i k e d about F a g a l's p r e a c h in g , in th e p u l p i t ,
and on TV.
S ix r e sp o n d e n ts, in words a g a in r e m in is c e n t o f e a r l i e r r e p l i e s
to q u estio n t e n , r e fu s e d to p a r t i c i p a t e even in c o n s t r u c t iv e c r i t i c a l
e v a lu a tio n .

T y p ic a l o f t h e i r a t t i t u d e s and r e p l i e s are th e fo llo w in g :

I d on t look f o r a m in is t e r 's f a u l t s . *
I have no d i s l i k e s o r c r i t i c i s m s o f our b e lo v e d m in is t e r s .
How could anyone d i s l i k e E ld er F agal on th e program?^
How could you ask such a q u e s tio n ? H e's p e r f e c t . 4
I cannot fin d any [ f a u l t ] , f o r i f I do I w ould be fin d in g
f a u lt w ith God, f o r h e i s God's r e p r e s e n t a t iv e in e a r th .
C n 1 1 1 4*

t.i4

Is /s

*i f s

/s J

c.

*v* / s r s v a c

/* s ts + n 4* t

s rA

1 r t

Another 387 r e p lie d th a t th ey had no co m p la in ts t o make, su ch as

the one who w rote:

"No one g e t s so good th e y c a n 't im prove; b u t I have

nothing th a t I f in d d i s t a s t e f u l in h is p r e s e n t a t i o n .
For a n oth er 18, t h e i r o n ly " com plaint" ( a c t u a l l y , a v e i l e d com
plim ent) was th a t th e sermon was to o s h o r t:
7

I would l i k e h i s sermons to be lo n g e r .
Too much m usic and n o t enough preaching.**
Too b r i e f : he j u s t g e ts s t a r t e d and th en s i t s down a g a in . 9
Time goes by to o fast.-*-

^GL #169; 48; c a r p e n te r .

2 GL #323.

*GL #814; 60; h o u se w ife .

4GL #747; n o t l i s t e d ; h o u se w ife .

5GL #517.

^GL #658; 40; h ig h s c h o o l t e a c h e r .

^GL #700; 47; f a c t o r y w orker.

8GL #639; 48; TV salesm an

9 GL #448.

l^GL #607; 34; elem en ta ry s c h o o l t e a c h e r .

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

680

F i n a l l y , 537 made no r e p ly w h a te v e r , making a t o t a l o f 948 o u t

o f 1050 in d iv id u a ls in th e sam ple who p r o v id e d no answ er w hich would
prove h e lp f u l in d e te r m in in g W illia m F a g a l's w ea k n esses in th e p u l p i t .
Only 102 r e s p o n d e n ts , or 9.7%, r e g is t e r e d c o m p la in ts and many
o f th e s e were e i t h e r o f a m inor n a t u r e , o r o f f a c t o r s n o t o f W illiam
Fagal*s c a u s in g , such as th e f a c t th a t th e c o n g r e g a tio n had t o s i t on
"these hard b e n c h e s1*'*' f o r an a d m itte d ly o v e r -lo n g program (" to o lo n g ,
e s p e c ia lly i f you have c h ild r e n * ';
over 1 -1 /2 h ou rs" 3) .

" th e com p lete s e r v ic e s h o u ld n 't run

T hat th e t o t a l program was p r o tr a c te d was th e

f a u lt o f o v e r ly d ra w n -o u t, in te r m in a b le p r e lim in a r ie s , in c lu d in g a
length y in t r o d u c t io n o f a number o f d i f f e r e n t s o l o i s t s who perform ed
during th e v e sp e r s so n g s e r v i c e .
With some o f th e r e s id u e o f 102 " com p lain ers" m en tio n in g f a c t o r s
in more than one o f th e f i v e a r b it r a r ily - c h o s e n c a t e g o r i e s , th e r e were
19 r e f e r e n c e s to f a c t o r s o f p e r s o n a l i t y , 54 on c o n te n t and c o m p o s itio n ,
40 on d e liv e r y ; one on s p i r i t u a l e le m e n ts , and two m is c e lla n e o u s r e p l i e s .
As regard s th e F a g a l p u l p i t p e r s o n a li t y ,

17 r e sp o n d e n ts appeared

to f e e l t h a t th e s p e a k e r w a s, by tu r n s , to o a f f e c t e d , to o s e r i o u s , to o
d is t a n t , to o s e l f - e f f a c i n g , and to o e g o t i s t i c a l !
C oncerning a l l e g a t i o n s o f a f f e c t a t i o n , one f e l t th a t th e r e was
"perhaps to o much s m ilin g ; seem s somewhat a f f e c t e d . " 4

For a n o th e r ,

W illiam F agal was sim p ly j u s t " to o good to be tr u e ." ^

To a n o th e r , F agal " lo o k s w o rried " ;^ w h ile h i s s e r io u s mien was
in t e r p r e te d

d i f f e r e n t l y by s t i l l a n o th e r as "Smug?

*GL #166.

^GL #859;

3GL #755.

4GL #19.

5 GL # 5 .

6 GL #63.

He d o e s n 't

s m ile

36; r e g is t e r e d n u r s e .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

enough."^

A t h ir d s u g g e s te d h o p e f u lly , "Maybe he c o u ld sm ile a l i t t l e

moreb u t t h a t ' s so hard to do w h ile t a l k i n g .

H is v o ic e i s f r ie n d l y ."

To some in h i s a u d ie n c e , F a g a l app eared "som etim es to o o ff-h a n d

or c a s u a l" ;* w h ile a n o th er found him la c k in g in " h is u n d ersta n d in g o f
o th e r s .
O n e .o f th e two most p r o m in e n tly m en tio n ed co m p la in ts came from
respondents who f e l t F agal was "maybe a l i t t l e

to o humble and s e l f -

e f f a c in g ," 5 d e s c r ib e d v a r io u s ly a s:
His ten d en cy to a p o lo g iz e f o r h i m s e l f . 5
Sometimes i s s e l f - d e p r e c a t o r y . 7
Too a p o lo g e t ic as com paring h i s p a r t w ith th e q u a r t e t .5
Made e x c u se s f o r h a v in g to l i s t e n t o him in s t e a d o f the
q u a r t e t .9
He began w ith an a n e c d o te w hich degraded h i s own a b i l i t y - a r a th e r p oor way to e s t a b l i s h a u d ie n c e c o n f i d e n c e .15
F i n a l l y , th e most common c o m p la in t, m en tion ed by s i x , was th e
f e e lin g th a t F agal "seems t o be (b u t p r o b a b ly i s n o t) j u s t a l i t t l e
e g o t i s t i c a l " : 11
He has a ten d en cy to em ph asize h i s r o l e as a w o rld t r a v e le r
a b i t to o m u c h . 1 ^
Sometimes o verd oes p e r s o n a l r e f e r e n c e s ( t o h i m s e l f ) . 13
M ild ly e g o t i s t i c a l . 14
Common enough to s e e a b i t o f e g o --J o h n , th e d i s c i p l e , was
more humble than F a g a l, th e p a s t o r . 13
P le a s e do n o t g e t to o " fa m ilia r " o r " jok ey" w ith th e
c o n g r e g a t io n .15
By f a r th e l a r g e s t number o f c o m p la in ts were in the a r ea o f con

3*
00

te n t and c o m p o sitio n .

3GL #598.

5 GL #855; 65; dean o f g i r l s

5 GL #5 5 8 .

7GL #613; 40; h o u se w ife

2GL # 1 6 1 .

\4

21; s tu d e n t n u rse

1GL

m
J

CO

#875.

9 GL #156.

4GL #3 8 6 .

10GL #271; 18; c o lle g e s t u d e n t .

U GL #306.

12GL # 48 2 ; 45; s c h o o l a d m in is tr a to r .

13GL #4 8 0 .

14 gl #300.

15GL # 29 9 ; 40; r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e .

16GL #8 3 1 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

682

For tw o, th e c o n te n t was n o t " tim ely " (" c o u ld be more tim e ly ,

based on r e c e n t e v e n t s - - e . g . B i l l y Graham";1 " q u ite a b i t o f r e p e t i t i o n
2
from a p r e v io u s m essage h e r e i n M ichigan" ) .
Three f e l t th e m essage to be i n s u f f i c i e n t l y B i b l i c a l :
'Z

D o esn 't alw ays u se as many t e x t s as I l i k e .

He f o llo w s S c r ip t u r a l l i n e s w e l l , though n o t as much as I 'd
lik e . 4
More p r e a c h in g from th e B ib le and l e s s p e r s o n a l s t o r i e s .
I
l i k e some p e r s o n a l s t o r i e s , b u t s t a y c l o s e t o God's w o r d . ^
And f o r a n o th e r t h r e e , th e sermon la c k e d s u f f i c i e n t e r u d itio n :
Sermons are n o t deep en o u g h .6
He c o u ld g e t a l i t t l e d eep er s o m e tim e s .7
Not s c h o l a s t i c enough to app eal t o a 4 -6 g r a d e r .8
On th e o th e r hand, one f e l t t h a t th e sermon e v id e n c e d " la ck o f
appeal to th e em o tio n s." ^
la ck in g in c r e d i b i l i t y

A nother c o n s id e r e d p a r ts o f th e sermon to be

("a l i t t l e

to o much s t r e t c h i n g o f th e im agin a

tion"'*'^) ; and a t h ir d urged a more p o s i t i v e approach on th e p a r t o f th e

speaker:

"He c o u ld speak a b i t more p o s i t i v e l y

(le s s

'I t h in k ,'

'I t

seems to m e,' and more 'I know' - - g e t i t ? ) . " 11

One member o b je c te d to F a g a l's d esp a ra g in g remark about o th e r
members who, upon g e t t in g new id e a s ("new l i g h t " ) , r e s o r t to mimeograph
machines t o sp rea d t h e i r v ie w s w hich a re o f t e n r a d ic a l and som etim es
h e r e t ic a l:
I d o n 't l i k e t o h e a r any m in is t e r t a lk about mimeo
graphed s h e e t s b e in g w rong. I'm su r e many a r e , b u t th e r e
good p e o p le d e c e i v e d .I 2

1GL #25.

2GL # 2 9 4 .

4GL # 8 3 0 .

6 gl #743; 48; m in is t e r .

5GL # 8 4 .
7 gl #541.

3GL #509.

8GL # 3 5 8 .

10GL #682; 27; t e a c h e r .

9 gl #377.
n GL #613.

12GL #430; 48; h o u s e w ife .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

683

T h ir te e n took e x c e p t io n to F a g a l's u se o f c o l l o q u i a l e x p r e s s io n s
which th ey f e l t b o rd ered on " s la n g ," and which a number found " t r i t e ,
"unnecessary, and un w ise":

Two s ta te m e n ts t o n ig h t to o crude:
(1 ) "Let him drop dead,"
and (2) "Bad c a s e o f 'h o o f-in -m o u th ' d i s e a s e . "3
The e x p r e s s io n , "I b e t . "4
I w ish he w o u ld n 't u se su ch e x p r e s s io n s as "I c o u ld n 't care
le s s " and "went f o r a lo o p ." S o r r y !$
An u n con sciou s v o c a l c ru tc h was a ls o d e te c te d by one l i s t e n e r who n o ted
a " to o -fr e q u e n t u se o f th e e x p r e s s io n ,

'You know .'"^

E le v en r esp o n d e n ts e x p r e s s e d concern t h a t , in th e words o f one

of them, "I th in k he t e l l s

a few (a v e r y few) u n n e c e ssa r y jo k e s " .

He seem s to make an e f f o r t to g e t h i s a u d ien ce to laugh a t

a jo k e w hich seem ed s t i l t e d and u n n e c e s s a r y .8
I som etim es f e e l he s t r i v e s j u s t a b i t to o much to be
humorous. I ' v e n e v e r n o t ic e d t h i s on TV.^
Too "jokey."10

He sh o u ld n o t funny s o much. 11
In in tr o d u c in g th e q u a r t e t members b e fo r e th e e v e n in g serm on,
Fagal jo k ed about o d d -so u n d in g names o f s e v e r a l members.

Three in th e

audience (whose names p ro b a b ly were n o t "Jones") to o k e x c e p tio n to

" s i l l y in t r o d u c t io n s ," ! ^ one p le a d in g , " P lea se d o n 't alw ays c a l l a t t e n i
1
tio n to th e q u a r t e t 's names as b e in g p e c u lia r ." J S a id a n o th er:
I have no c r i t i c i s m o f h i s p r e a c h in g , b u t I d i s l i k e h i s
in t r o d u c tio n o f th e q u a r t e t . The p la y on words on th e
names o f th e q u a r te t i s a b i t elem en ta ry and o v erd o n e.
A lso , I d o n 't e n jo y su ch remarks a s , "I d o n 't know why s o and -so sh o u ld th in k or say" so m e th in g , when i t i s p e r f e c t l y
ob viou s why th e y do.
I know th e remark i s in te n d e d to be

1GL #495.

2GL #853; n o t

4 GL #207.

5 GL # 3 5 4 .

8 gl #251; 50+; te a c h e r .
n GL #852; 59; b u ild e r .

6
9 GL #568.

10GL #831.

12 GL #52; 54; te a c h e r .

13 gl #719; 37; h o u s e w ife .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

684

humorous, b u t I w ould a p p r e c ia te i t more i f th e w it was a

b i t more s u b t l e . 1
Another o b j e c tio n n o te d th a t F agal "tended to a l i t t l e sa rca sm ,"

which

the respondent d e p lo r e d .
C oncerning c o m p o s itio n , 12 resp o n d en ts were concerned about two
apparent w eak n esses:

p r o tr a c te d e x p a t ia t io n a lon g a c ir c u i t o u s r o u te

when a d ir e c t p ath w ould have s e r v e d b e t t e r , and, in t h i s same con n ec

tio n , a t t e n t io n - d iv e r t in g d ig r e s s io n s :
He u se s to o many w ord s. Why d o e s n 't he come to th e point?*5
He d id n o t make h i s p o in t soon enough.
I co u ld n o t even
g e t th e in f e r e n c e u n t i l m id -p o in t in th e serm o n .4
He co u ld be b e t t e r o r g a n iz e d on th e c e n tr a l th em e.8
S id e remarks u n r e la te d to th e sermon d id n o t add t o i t s
v a lu e .^
Lack o f c o n t in u it y o f th o u g h t. 7
Once in a w h ile I k in d a lo s e th e th o u g h t .8
He som etim es r e p e a ts fr e q u e n t ly .^
One resp on d en t ten d ed to sum up t h i s genre o f o b j e c tio n in t h e s e w e llchosen w ord s:
I l l u s t r a t i o n s are good in p r e a c h in g , b u t th e y can be
used to o o ft e n and be to o lo n g . Som etim es, i t seem s,
P a sto r Fagal lo s e s h is p o in t which he i s tr y in g to
i l l u s t r a t e . 10
One resp on d en t f e l t th a t th e c o n c lu s io n t o th e sermon was ta ck ed
on in an "abrupt" manner, co m p la in in g , r a th e r u n k in d ly , th a t
h is c a l l w a sn 't r e a l l y c l e a r .
F ran k ly, i t was u n n e c e ssa r y .
But a show o f hands i s alw ays good to b o o s t a p r e a c h e r 's
e g o . 11
In th e area o f d e l i v e r y , resp o n d en ts remarked upon such th in g s
as dynamic, g e s tu r e s

(in c lu d in g an i n t e r e s t i n g s a r t o r i a l p r o b le m ), v o c a l

q u a lity and r a t e , and p h y s ic a l appearance.

^GL #519; 46; t e a c h e r .

^GL #272: 57; a c c o u n ta n t.

4GL #244.

6 GL #272.

9GL #678.

5 GL # 7 5 0 .
10GL # 6 9 0 .

7GL #415.

~*GL #266.

8GL #840.

U GL #752; 23; te a c h e r .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

685

Ten r esp o n d e n ts w ere in agreem ent w ith one who s a i d , "In g e n e r a l,

I don't f in d P a s to r F a g a l's p r e a c h in g as dynamic a s I w ould like."'*'

The

consen su s:
He's b o r in g .^
Not f o r c e f u l or em ph atic enough.
Sometimes he d o e s n 't have enough " s p i r i t . " 4
Could be a l i t t l e more a n im a te d .5
Sounds to o much l i k e " a d v e r t is in g .
I t ' s d e f i n i t e l y a s te r e o ty p e d s p e e c h .?
Not as d e m o n str a tiv e as some p r e a c h e r s , b u t may n o t be
f i t t i n g f o r him , I d o n 't know.
Seven f e l t t h a t W illia m F a g a l's g e s t u r e s p r e s e n t e d d i f f i c u l t i e s
in com m u n ication --alth ou gh one a n t ic i p a t e d a p o s s i b l e c a u se :

"Too many
Q
g e stu r e s , p ro b a b ly b eca u se he knew we w ere c r i t i c i z i n g him t o n ig h t ."
In a d d itio n to a f e e l i n g th a t th e r e were to o many g e s t u r e s , r esp o n d e n ts
noted a ls o :
E x c e s siv e u se o f han d s.
He makes t o o many m otions w ith h i s h a n d s .11
A somewhat u n r e a l i s t i c u se o f arm movement and v o ic e when
12
im it a t in g John s a y in g , "B ehold, th e Lamb o f God. . . ."
Sometimes h i s c o n tin u o u s a c t i v i t y (arm s, h a n d s, r o c k in g on
f e e t ) makes me b r e a t h l e s s . 13
F iv e o th e r s n o te d an i n t e r e s t i n g c lo t h in g p ro b lem , and th e
sp e a k e r's p ro b a b ly s u b c o n sc io u s e f f o r t s t o r e c t i f y i t :
Nervous m a n n e rism s--sh o u ld e rs t w it c h in g , hands f u s s in g
w ith c l o t h i n g . 14 He h as a mannerism in a d j u s tin g h i s c o a t
th a t i s a n n o y in g .15 Tugs a t c o a t , 1^ p u lle d a t h i s c o a t to o
much.1? He i s v e r y c o n s c io u s o f h i s t i e coming o u t o f h i s
c o a t, f o r he k eep s tu c k in g i t back i n . 1

1GL #157.

2GL #83.

3GL #25.

5GL #623; 58; s o f t w a ter s e r v i c e .

8gl #692; 52; m in is t e r .

^GL # 5 9 2 .

4GL #546.
6 GL #530.

7GL #140.

10GL # 3 4 0 .

11GL #8 4 4 .

12gl #713; n o t l i s t e d ; s t u d e n t .

13GL #7 8 8 .

14 gl #397; 32; te a c h e r .

15GL #597.

16GL #192.

17 gl #324.

18 gl # 8 4 0 .

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686
Nine r esp o n d e n ts commented on a d e f ic i e n c y p e r c e iv e d in W illia m
F agal's v o c a l q u a lit y :
He has a mannerism in h i s v o ic e t h a t i s a l i t t l e hard
to u n d ersta n d .^ n q to n e change in v o i c e . 2 P l e a s e , more
head t o n e s . 3 E a s ie r i f more v a r ia n c e i n to n e o f v o ic e .
When a p e r s o n 's mind wanders a b i t , a m oderate b u t d e f i n i t e
change o f to n e o f v o ic e b r in g s a p e r so n b a c k .4
S l i g h t l y a f f e c t e d o v e r to n e s in v o i c e . 3 Som etim es h is
in t o n a tio n curve seems s l i g h t l y a r t i f i c i a l .
He c o u ld sound
a b i t more s in c e r e and sp o n ta n e o u s, l e s s l i k e an o r a to r o r
s p e e c h - g iv e r .6 P le a s a n t enough, b u t n o t as c l e a r as so m e-has a l i t t l e fu z z y q u a l i t y . T hroat seem s t i g h t .
Seems to
speak to o much from h i s t h r o a t . 7 O c c a sio n a l downward
d e f l e c t i o n o f h i s v o ic e t h a t i s s l i g h t l y o v e r d o n e --I r e a l l y
c a n 't put my f in g e r on what e f f e c t i t h a s .
I t ' s v e r y m inor,
r e a lly .8
S ix r esp o n d e n ts f e l t th a t th e sp e a k e r " ta lk s to o f a s t a t tim es";
sa id one, "Sometimes h is words tum ble out i n h i s e a r n e s tn e s s." *
C oncerning p h y s ic a l ap p earan ce, th e r e were two c o m p la in ts , both
o f in t e r e s t :
I p a r t i c u l a r l y l i k e to s e e him w ith h i s g l a s s e s on.
enhances h i s d i g n i t y .* !

It

Only th in g I d i s l i k e i s n o t what h e s a y s , b u t he lo o k s
a l i t t l e to o " p e r fe c t" f o r p u l p i t p r e a c h in g . Too p e r f e c t l y
groom ed.12
F i n a lly , one resp o n d en t com plained o f n o t b e in g a b le t o s e e th e
speaker very w e l l ! 3 ( c e r t a i n l y n o t F a g a l's f a u l t J ) ; and a n o th er remarked
rath er o b liq u e ly , "Good p r e a c h in g n o t t e a c h in g (d e c id e d ly a v a lu e ju d g
ment e it h e r w a y )." * 4

*GL #559; n o t l i s t e d ; m in is t e r .
2GL #108; 19; h o u se w ife ; no r e l i g i o u s a f f i l i a t i o n
3 gl #116; 22; s tu d e n t.
7gl #613.
U GL # 1 0 6 .

8GL #803.
*2GL #520.

4 GL #230.
9 GL #124.

5 GL # 4 8 0 .

lis te d .
6 GL #4 9 7 .

*GL #632; 79; te a c h e r

*3GL # 2 0 5 .

*4GL # 8 0 5 .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

There was o n ly one co m p la in t in th e a r e a o f th e s p i r i t u a l :

S o m etim es--b u t n o t o f t e n - - h e d oes n o t tou ch th e h e a r t
and c o n se q u e n tly th e r e s u l t i s o n ly empty w ords. No i n s p i
r a tio n t o a c t io n or r e d e d ic a t io n o f l i f e f o r C h r is t.
In c o n c lu d in g t h i s s e c t i o n c o n c e r n in g th in g s p a r t i c u l a r l y d i s
lik e d in th e F agal p u l p i t p r e a c h in g by r e s p o n d e n ts , t h i s w r i t e r ' s
i n i t i a l r e a c t io n i s :

Can t h i s be th e same sermon d is c u s s e d by th e o th e r

p a r tic ip a n ts in th e su rv ey ?

T hese n e g a t iv e o b s e r v a t io n s , he f e e l s ,

should d e f i n i t e l y be k e p t in c o n t e x t , r e p r e s e n tin g as th e y do th e v iew s

o f only 9.7% o f th e in d iv id u a ls p o l l e d .

The rea d er s h o u ld n o t f o r g e t

th at 92.3% o f th e r e sp o n d e n ts found n o th in g abou t which t o c o m p la in --a n

im p lied t r ib u t e to e i t h e r

(1) F a g a l's s u p e r io r p u lp it p r e a c h in g ,

(2)

e t h ic a l r e s t r a i n t f e l t by th e r e sp o n d e n ts a g a in s t c r i t i c i z i n g t h e i r
p rea ch ers, or (3) b o th !

The sec o n d h a l f o f q u e s tio n t h i r t e e n ( i s t h is an "unlucky q u e s

tio n fo r W illiam F agal?) d e a ls w ith th in g s resp o n d en ts p a r t i c u l a r l y
d is lik e in F a g a l's TV p r e a c h in g .

I t i s i n t e r e s t i n g to n o te t h a t 263

o v e r tly e x p r e s s e d com p lete ap p ro v a l f o r th in g s th e way th e y now a re ("we

love E ld er F agal and hope he can s t a y on TV"2) .

T h ir te e n m entioned

e it h e r th a t th e y had no TV s e t , o r w ere i n s u f f i c i e n t l y a c q u a in te d w ith

"Faith f o r Today" to comment i n t e l l i g e n t l y

(a number o f o th e r s in d ic a t e d

a s im ila r r e sp o n se on an e a r l i e r q u e s tio n and d id n o t r e p e a t i t h e r e ) .

F ifte e n m erely added a " d itto " t o rem arks p u t down under th e f i r s t h a l f
o f th e q u e s tio n .
Twenty e x p r e s s e d th e f e e l i n g t h a t t h e i r o n ly co m p la in t was th a t
*Z

"the sermons are j u s t to o sh o r t" - -a lth o u g h one somehow s e n se d t h a t t h i s

1GL # 143.

2GL #4 6 .

3GL #545.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

688
tim e, how ever, th e s ta te m e n t was n o t an im p lie d com p lim en t, as i t
appeared to be f o r th e 18 who i n d ic a t e d a s im ila r r e sp o n se r eg a r d in g
th in gs d i s l i k e d in th e p u l p i t p r e s e n t a t io n s .

R espondents h ere w ere gen

u in ely con cern ed a t th e b r e v it y o f th e TV s e r m o n e tt e s .

And, f i n a l l y , 695 made no r e sp o n se w h a tev er to th e q u e s t io n .
Of th e rem ain in g 44 who v o ic e d co m p la in ts in one o r more c a t e
g o r ies as r eg a rd s th e TV p r e a c h in g , 14 were in th e a rea o f p e r s o n a l i t y ,
eig h t in c o n te n t and c o m p o s itio n , 17 in d e li v e r y , none i n th e s p i r i t u a l
fa c to r s , and s i x o th e r m is c e lla n e o u s r e sp o n se s w ere n o ted (many d e a lin g
not w ith F a g a l's p r e a c h in g on TV, p e r s e , bu t c o n c er n in g o th e r f a c t o r s
o f programming w hich th ey would l i k e c h a n g e d ).
T h ir te e n o f th e 14 c o m p la in ts co n cern in g p e r s o n a li t y d e a lt w ith
fe e lin g s o f v ie w e r s , e x p r e s s e d v a r io u s ly , th a t F a g a l's TV p r e a c h in g
"edges on a r t i f i c i a l i t y " : 1
Seemed i n s i n c e r e .
He seem ed l i k e h e 's p u t t in g onn o t
s in c e r e o r r e a l l y m e a n in g fu l.3 On TV he . . . seems a
l i t t l e to o s w e e t; . . . i t seem s a l i t t l e o v erd o n e, a l i t t l e
put o n .7*
Too "canned" on TV,3 more l i k e "canned" program s. H is
p e r s o n a lit y d o e s n 't come through w e l l . 6 Too much H ollyw ood
so m etim es. 7
Som etim es he seems a l i t t l e a f f e c t a t i o u s , a l i t t l e
u n n a tu r a l.8 He seem s to o p e r f e c t and form al in d e t a i l . 9
H e's a l i t t l e to o " h o m e y . "10 Som etimes th e r e i s th e
im p re ssio n o f o v e r a c t i n g .H
Too much o f F a g a l .12
A little

s t i f f . 12

! gl # 4 3 .

2 GL # 1 1 4 .

3GL #4 4 0 .

4GL # 4 4 3 .

SGL # 3 9 8 .

6GL #2 0 5 .

7GL #530.

8GL #5 9 8 .

9GL #868.

10GL # 8 3 0 .

U gL # 2 7 9 .

12GL #756; n o t l i s t e d ; highw ay c o n s t r u c t io n .

^GL #135.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

One o th e r resp o n d en t added, " I t seem ed t o me he was a b i t con

descending th e l a s t tim e I saw th e program ."*

A remark su ch as t h i s ,

however, i s im p o s s ib le to e v a lu a te w ith o u t some in d ic a t io n b e in g p r o

vided as to th e p r o x im ity in tim e o f th e program in q u e s tio n .
E ight r e s p o n d e n ts , co m p la in in g about m a tters o f c o n te n t and com
p o s itio n , p a r t ic u l a r ly m entioned f e e l i n g t h a t th e r e was n o t enough
d o ctrin e, was i n s u f f i c i e n t depth to h o ld i n t e r e s t , and th e r e was a need
to s im p lify th e m essage.
For t h r e e , th e r e w a sn 't enough d o c tr in e t o s u i t :
I t would be w e ll to p reach th e B ib le much more w ith
more d o c t r i n e .2 Not enough SDA d o c t r i n e .3 Too many
s t o r i e s and n o t enough p r e a c h i n g . 4
One e la b o r a te d s t i l l fu r th e r :
The Advent m essage i s an i n t e l l e c t u a l , r a t i o n a l , pow er
f u l argument. Those who e v e n t u a lly a c c e p t i t must a c ce p t
i t on t h is b a s i s .
Many o f th o se who a c c e p t th e i n i t i a l
sermons f o r t h e ir em o tio n a l ap p eal w i l l n o t a c c e p t i t in
the end. Many p e o p le who a c c e p t i t n e v e r w r ite i t .
Why
not g iv e th e f u l l m essage in a p o w e r fu l, c o n c e n tr a te d way
so th a t a l l w i l l have a chance to g e t i t ? 5
Some f e l t th e TV sermons were o f i n s u f f i c i e n t depth to h o ld
th e ir i n t e r e s t , b u t r e c o g n iz e d , s im u lta n e o u s ly , th a t th e program was
aimed p r im a r ily a t n o n -A d v e n tis ts r a th e r than a lr e a d y -in d o c tr in a te d
church members:
I l i k e sermons n o t so s im p le b u t f o r TV
way i s b e t t e r . 6 So much o f h i s TV p r e a ch in g
rev iew , f o r I know th e b a s ic B ib le m e s s a g e . 7
TV program i s on a l e v e l f o r sim p le p e o p le .
i t i s a l l r ig h t b e c a u se o f th e r e s u l t s .
I'm
to non-SDAs more than to SDAs.8

I suppose h i s
I c o n s id e r a
I th in k th e
But I'm su re
su r e i t a p p ea ls

1GL #628.

2GL #805.

^GL #104; 54; e l e c t r o p l a t e r .

4GL #124.

SGL #366.

^GL #817; 50+; h o u s e w ife .

7GL #196.

GL #655; 26; s e c r e t a r y .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

690

And one resp o n d en t w anted F agal to " s im p lify th e se r m o n e tte s a

l i t t l e m ore."*
H a lf o f th e r e sp o n d e n ts m en tio n in g th e a r e a o f d e l i v e r y (8 o f 17)
complained o f th e f a c t t h a t F a g a l, o d d ly enough, had s w itc h e d from w ear
ing c o n v e n tio n a l g l a s s e s to th e u se o f c o n ta c t l e n s e s .

S p ea k in g fo r a l l ,

one remarked:
T h is may sound f o o l i s h , b u t i t b o th e r s me t o s e e him
w ith ou t h i s g l a s s e s on.
I t has no b e a r in g on h i s p r e a c h in g -I d o n 't d i s l i k e a n y th in g about t h a t . 2
Two o th e r s g u e s s e d c o r r e c t l y t h a t th e g l a s s e s w ere abandoned
because s t u d io l i g h t s ten d ed to r e f l e c t from them i n t o th e camera e y e .
O ther a s s o r te d c o m p la in ts in th e a rea o f d e liv e r y w ere:
He sounds l i k e h is remarks are m em orized, o r perhaps a
T ele-P rom p ter i s u s e d .3
Could be a b i t more d y n a m ic.4
Preach th e g o s p e l f e a r l e s s l y .
His f a c i a l e x p r e s s io n a t tim es i s n o t r e la x e d and e n t i r e l y
n a t u r a l.6
He has a ten d en cy to speak out o f th e c o m e r o f h i s mouth
in c lo s e - u p s h o t s . 7
He used to w ear to o much make-up.
I do th in k h is TV p r e a c h in g would b e im proved w ith th e u se
o f v i s u a l a id s .^
He cou ld be a b i t l e s s t a l k a t i v e . A l i t t l e wordy som etim es.*
He i s n o t handsome e n o u g h .H
The r o le o f Mrs. F a g a l's sp e a k in g in c o n n e c tio n w ith h e r
husband's p r e a ch in g was n o te d by resp o n d e n ts a g a in as in th e p r e v io u s
q u estion ; and t h i s m a tte r w i l l be c o n s id e r e d in a s e p a r a t e s e c t io n a t
the end o f t h i s c h a p te r .

*GL #613.

2GL # 5 2 6 .

4GL. #397.

5 GL #543; 6 9 ; h o u s e w ife .

6GL #597.

7GL #4 1 0 .

GL #383; 62; h o u s e w ife .

*GL #613.

3GL #370.

GL #491; 6 3 ; m in is t e r .

**GL #448.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

691

I f th e 20 r e sp o n d e n ts f o r whom th e TV ser m o n ette i s " to o sh o r t"

are added to th e 45 o th e r s who made s u b s t a n t iv e c o m p la in ts as n o te d
above, th e t o t a l o f 65 s t i l l r e p r e s e n ts o n ly 8.0% o f th e 1 ,0 5 0 p a r t i c i
p ating in t h i s su r v ey as v o ic in g f a c t o r s o f n e g a tiv e c r i t i c i s m .
The 92.3% v o te o f ap p ro v a l im p lie d in t h i s q u e s tio n o f th e p u l
p it sp ea k in g , and th e 92.0% ap p ro v a l im p lie d f o r th e t e l e v i s i o n
p reach in g, coming in a q u e s tio n w hich d i r e c t l y s o l i c i t s a d v e r se comment
regarding v ie w er d i s l i k e s , i s ,

a t l e a s t t o t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r , in d e e d

worthy o f n o t e .
An i n t e r e s t i n g s i d e l i g h t i s th e f a c t t h a t an u n u s u a lly la r g e
number o f th e r esp o n d e n ts t o t h i s q u e s tio n w ere th e m se lv e s m i n i s t e r s .
To what degree a "sour grap es" a t t it u d e e n te r e d in t o t h e i r judgm ent,
r e f le c t in g p r o f e s s io n a l j e a lo u s y on W illia m F a g a ls u n d e n ia b le p o p u la r it y
among th e A d v e n tis t l a i t y , t h i s w r it e r would n o t attem p t t o ju d g e .

P er

haps, i f t h is i s a f a c t o r to be reck on ed w ith , even th e r esp o n d e n ts

them selves would be u n a b le t o s a y .

D e c is io n s made t o n ig h t a t t r ib u t a b le t o F a g a l. - - I n th e fo u r te e n th
q u estio n , resp o n d en ts w ere asked w h eth er, as a r e s u l t o f h e a r in g P a s to r
Fagal speak th a t e v e n in g , th e y had su b s e q u e n tly made any s p i r i t u a l or
moral d e c is io n s ; and, i f s o , th e y were i n v i t e d t o i d e n t i f y them .
A t o t a l o f 619 r e p l i e d a f f i r m a t i v e l y , 66 answ ered n e g a t i v e l y ,
and 365 made no r e sp o n se w h a tev er.
A c a t e g o r ic a l a n a ly s is o f th e a f f ir m a t iv e r e p l i e s r e v e a ls th a t
366 were o f th e n a tu r e o f a r e c o n s e c r a tio n or r e d e d ic a t io n ; 244 r e la t e d
to d e c is io n s to engage in some k in d o f s o u l-w in n in g a c t i v i t y ; 47 men
tio n ed a d e te r m in a tio n to h e lp o th e r s ; and 20 m is c e lla n e o u s r e sp o n se s

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

were n o te d .

Some r e s p o n d e n ts , as b e f o r e , tou ch ed upon more than one

category in t h e i r r e p ly .
More th an h a l f ( 5 3 . 1 %) 0 f th o s e who acknow ledged th e making o f a
personal d e c is io n in d ic a t e d t h a t i t was o f th e n a tu r e o f as one
respondent put i t - - " a r e d e d ic a t io n t o c o n tin u e to l i v e a c o n s is t e n t
C h ristian l i f e . " 1

O thers e x p r e s s e d i t v a r io u s ly :

Try harder to be a s o l i d C h r is t ia n .
New d e te r m in a tio n to be rea d y f o r th e L o rd 's sec o n d com ing.
To conquer th e god o f a p p e t i t e . 4
Be more d i l i g e n t in p r a y e r and B ib le s t u d y .5
Attend church more f r e q u e n t l y .6
To s t r i v e h ard er f o r t r a n s l a t i o n . 7
P ersevere in p e r f e c t i n g my ch aracter.**
Have d e c id e d to p la c e more v a lu e on th e e t e r n a l , and l e s s
on tem poral m a tters.
To fin d tim e to re-ex a m in e my s e n s e o f v a l u e s . 1
To l e t p e o p le m eet C h r is t when th e y m eet m e .H
More than o n e - t h ir d (36.0% ) o f th o s e r esp o n d in g a f f i r m a t i v e l y to
the q u e stio n in d ic a t e d t h a t t h e i r d e c is i o n w as, in e f f e c t , to be "a more
f a it h f u l layman and w it n e s s " : 12
I *Z

To le a d o th e r s t o C h r is t J e s u s in a more d e c i s i v e way.
To tr y h a rd er to be a b e t t e r exam ple t o my husband and
f a m ily - - s o I can be an Andrew, and le a d them to J e s u s . 14
To l i v e b e fo r e my f a m ily , p u p i l s , and fr ie n d s a l i f e th a t
w i l l le a d o th e r s to a b e t t e r l i f e . 1^
As a new c o n v e r t, t o w it n e s s w h erever o p p o r tu n ity o p en s.
T his has h e lp e d me, and w i l l h e lp m o r e . 16
I f e e l im p ressed to e n r o l l o th e r s in th e B ib le co rresp o n d
ence c o u r s e .1^

1GL #519.

2GL # 8 2 4 .

4GL #851; 52; h o u s e w ife .

7gl #94; 40; o f f i c e n u r s e .

3GL
5 GL
**'

10 GL #144; 40; o r g a n is t .

11'

12 gl #688.

13,

14 gl #204.

15GL #444; 59;

16 gl #196.

17GL #3 4 1 .

9 GL #250,

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

693

I want to go home and be more o f a m is s io n a r y (I am th e

o n ly S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t in a town o f 6 , 0 0 0 ) . l
A nother 6.9% saw in th e Fagal m essage a c a l l t o " tr y h a rd er to
do my duty t o o t h e r s ."

O thers e x p r e s s e d i t in t h e s e w ords:

To endeavor t o be more c o n s c io u s o f th o se about me and

t h e ir n e e d s .3
To lo v e and h e lp th o s e in th e w orld th a t are u n fo r tu n a te or
r e j e c t e d ( l i k e th e p r i s o n e r ) . 4
To be more f r ie n d l y w ith my n e ig h b o r .3
To be more a c t iv e in b e fr ie n d in g th e l o n e l y . ^
To seek out n e g le c t e d and u n prom ising s o u l s . 7
To seek t o h e lp th o s e who n eed a f r i e n d . 8
Among th e 4% o th e r m is c e lla n e o u s r e s p o n s e s , th e r e were d e c is io n s
made:

To t r y , w ith th e L ords h e lp to cure my i n f e r i o r i t y co m p lex .9

I w i l l do my b e s t n o t to judge o t h e r s . 10
To t e l l o th e r s t o l i s t e n to " F aith f o r Today. " H
To watch " F a ith f o r Today" more o f t e n . 12
To su p p ort " F a ith f o r Today" w ith my f u n d s . 13
And one 1 9 -y e a r -o ld n o n -A d v e n tist h o u s e w ife , n o t a member o f any
church, t h o u g h t f u lly respon ded:
I want to g e t my husband to go t o church w ith me and
take B ib le s t u d i e s .
I'm g o in g t o pray f o r him and m y s e lf,
to have a happy new m arried l i f e s p i r i t u a l l y .1 4

D e c is io n s b e fo r e t o n ig h t a t t r ib u t a b le to F a g a l. In th e f i n a l ,
f if t e e n t h q u e s t io n , r e sp o n d e n ts were asked i f th e y had made any moral or
s p ir it u a l d e c is io n s b e fo r e t h a t e v en in g as a con seq u en ce o f h e a r in g
W illiam Fagal p r e a ch .

1GL #848; 27; h o u s e w ife .

2GL # 7 8 .

3GL #33; 32; h o u s e w ife .

4GL #228; 40; h o u s e w ife .

SGL # 8 3 3 .

6 gl # 6 3 9 .

7gl #237; n o t l i s t e d ; te a c h e r .
9 gl #274; 56; lic e n s e d p r a c t i c a l n u r s e .
U gl #587; 26; h o u s e w ife .
13 gl # 5 .

8 gl # 1 6 2 .
1GL #80.
12 GL #587; 26; h o u se w ife .

i 4 GL #108.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Some 270 r e p lie d a f f i r m a t i v e l y , c i t i n g p r e v io u s camp m eetin g

sermons, c o lle g e "Weeks o f P rayer" d e v o tio n a l s e r i e s , g u e s t sp e a k in g
appointm ents, and th e t e l e c a s t m in is t r y .
There were 206 n e g a tiv e r e p l i e s , and 574 made no r esp o n se
whatever.
A t o t a l o f 181 m entioned d e c is i o n s o f a r e d e d ic a t io n /r e c o n s e c r a
tion n a tu r e , 35 were in th e a r ea o f g r e a t e r s o u l-w in n in g a c t i v i t y fo r
the church, n in e m entioned d e c is i o n s to j o in th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t
Church, f i v e f e l t im p e lle d t o h e lp o t h e r s , and th e r e were s i x o th e r
m iscellan eou s r e s p o n s e s .

And a d d it io n a l 34 who in d ic a t e d a f f ir m a t iv e

answers d id n o t s t a t e th e n a tu r e o f th e d e c is io n made.
A lthough th e m a jo r ity o f th e r e sp o n se s to t h i s q u e s tio n were
id e n t ic a l w ith ones made to th e p r e v io u s q u e s tio n , s e v e r a l in th e r e c o n
sec r a tio n c a te g o r y are w orth n o t in g h e r e :
I'm alw ays c o n v ic te d when I h e a r h im .1
The F agal fa m ily i s so g e n t le and k in d th a t I would
lik e to be more l i k e th em .2
A fte r l i s t e n i n g t o P a s to r F agal on any o c c a s io n I am
always l e f t w ith th e f e e l i n g t h a t I can be what J e su s wants
me to b e . 3
A fte r h e a r in g him I alw ays f e e l li k e a r e d e d ic a t io n
and th in g s I f in d m y s e lf la x i n - - w e l l , a f t e r a s p i r i t u a l
r e f r e s h in g , I t r y to do b e t t e r . 4
He seems to be l i v i n g c l o s e to C h r is t and h i s sermons
make me want to l i v e c lo s e r t o C h r is t a l s o . My mother who
had been r e b e l l i o u s a g a in s t r e l i g i o n was h e lp e d by him .
She corresp on d ed w ith him on o c c a s io n and c o n sid e r e d him
h er f r i e n d . 5
No m a tte r how o f t e n we h e a r E ld e r Fagal we f e e l as
though e v e r y tim e i t i s new and b e a u t if u l and i t to u ch es
our h e a r ts and r e a c h e s deep i n t o our s o u ls and we f e e l
lo n g in g s and yearn t o r e c o n s e c r a te o u r s e lv e s to God a l l

1GL #613.

2GL # 5 5 .

3GL # 5 6 8 .

4 GL #223.

5GL # 2 1 3 .

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695

over a g a in . I alw ays f e e l c lo s e to God and make r e s o lu

t io n s t o do b e t t e r .
I t must b e v e r y d i f f i c u l t f o r E ld er
Fagal and th e q u a r t e t t o be gone from home s o much. I 'd
lik e them to know t h e i r s a c r i f i c e i s n o t in v a in as lo n g as
th ey can ca u se humans t o se a r c h t h e i r s o u ls as th e y d o . l
One s tu d e n t w rote t h a t as a co n seq u en ce o f h e a r in g W illia m Fagal
preach, he had made a d e c i s i o n , "changing my m ajor i n s c h o o l f o r God's
work."^

A 2 7 - y e a r - o ld te a c h e r r e p o r te d th a t "as a te e n a g e r I found

encouragement in h i s s t o r y o f how h i s c o l l e g e p r o f e s s o r s s a id he co u ld
never su c c e e d as a m in is t e r ." 3

And a 5 8 - y e a r - o ld f o r k - l i f t o p e r a to r

sta te d th a t as a con seq u en ce o f h e a r in g F agal sp eak on fo r e ig n m is s io n s ,

and s e e in g h i s f ilm s on t e l e v i s i o n , "I have c o n ta c te d o th e r s and
in crea sed my o f f e r i n g s " 4 t o th e o v e r s e a s m is s io n a r y program o f th e
church.
Of p a r t ic u l a r i n t e r e s t are th e n in e r e p l i e s in d ic a t in g th a t
e ith e r th e resp o n d en t or a member o f h i s fa m ily had j o in e d th e S e v e n th day A d v e n tist Church as a r e s u l t o f W illia m F a g a l's p r e a c h in g .
reported in d e t a i l :
My m other and s i s t e r were g r e a t ly in f lu e n c e d by t h i s
program and are now b a p t iz e d .3
I came i n t o th e tr u t h through w a tch in g " F a ith f o r
Today." Our l i f e was a m ess. And so through th e program
I took th e B ib le corresp on d en ce c o u r s e . Then we had B ib le
s t u d ie s two y e a r s from a fa m ily in th e c h u r c h .6
The TV program h e lp e d me as a boy to c a s t o f f much
p r e ju d ic e tow ard r e l i g i o n and S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t , and
s e c r e t l y w h ile s t i l l a Roman C a th o lic I com m itted m y s e lf to
C h r is t, p a r t l y through th e in f lu e n c e o f " F a ith f o r Today"
and p a r t ly through th e in f lu e n c e o f u n d e r s ta n d in g ,
b e lie v in g A d v e n t i s t s .7

^GL #6.

^GL #92; 27; c o l l e g e s t u d e n t .

3GL #502.

4GL #1 2 3 .

6 GL #438.

7GL #480.

5 GL # 3 6 6 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Several

R e la tio n s h ip o f Mrs. F a g a l t o h e r h u sb a n d 's p r e a c h in g .--O n th r e e

d if fe r e n t q u e s tio n s in th e a u d ien ce r e sp o n se s u r v e y q u e s tio n n a ir e
respondents v o l u n t a r i l y r a is e d th e q u e s t io n o f V ir g in ia F a g a l* s p r e s e n c e
on the t e l e c a s t (and, o c c a s i o n a l l y , on th e camp m eetin g p la tfo r m ) w ith
her husband, e x p r e s s in g v ie w s p ro and con co n c er n in g h e r p r e se n c e and
work.
W hile V ir g in ia F a g a l* s r o le on th e t e l e c a s t , p e r s e , h a s no
d ir e c t b e a r in g on th e p r e a c h in g o f h e r hu sb and, th e f a c t th a t sh e i s
u su a lly see n s i t t i n g a t h e r h u sb a n d 's s i d e as sh e (and som etim es he)
gives th e "com m ercial," te n d s t o a s s o c i a t e h e r c l o s e l y w ith him , in th e
mind o f th e v ie w e r , in h is p r e a c h in g m in is t r y .
I t , t h e r e f o r e , may n o t be in a p p r o p r ia te t o c o n s id e r h e r e b r i e f l y
the a tt itu d e o f r esp o n d e n ts tow ard h e r c o n tr ib u tio n and i t s im p act upon
them v i s - a - v i s th e p r e a c h in g o f W illia m A. F a g a l.
E ig h teen spoke fa v o r a b ly c o n c e r n in g t h i s unique h u sb a n d -w ife
m in istry on t e l e v i s i o n , and th r e e r e a c te d n e g a t i v e l y .

Speak ing in fa v o r ,

respondents s a id :
I lik e h i s b e in g on TV w ith h i s w i f e ,* h i s a t t i t u d e
toward Mrs. F a g a l,2 h is f r i e n d l y , d i g n i f i e d way o f w orking
w ith h is w if e f o r s o u l s . 3 H is w if e seem s l i k e th e s w e e t e s t
person on TV,4 h is w if e i s s o h e l p f u l . 5
I li k e th e way h e u s e s h i s w if e and o th e r p e o p le to
confirm th e sermon and e n lig h t e n i t . 6 He seem s to in c lu d e
h is w ife so g r a c i o u s l y .?
I t i s v e r y im p r e s s iv e t o s e e E ld er and Mrs. F agal
to g e th e r in th e same i n t e r e s t . 8 H is f r i e n d l y manner and
sh a rin g th e program w ith h i s w if e makes you f e e l h i s fa m ily
i s v i s i t i n g w ith your f a m i l y .9 I l i k e th e s m ile he alw ays

1GL # 770.
8GL #160;
7GL # 8 3 3 .

2GL # 1 3 .

3GL # 1 0 6 .

82; w e lfa r e w orker.

8GL #749; 44; h o u s e w ife .

4GL # 4 3 8 .
^GL # 6 8 4 .
9 GL #473.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

has and a l s o h i s w i f e , h i s w in n in g , p l e a d i n g v o i c e and

t h a t o f h i s w i f e . 2 I l i k e th e w o n d erfu l r e l a t i o n s h i p he
and Mrs. Fagal have i n p r e s e n t i n g th e Word o f God t o th e
m i l l i o n s , ^ h i s manner o f s h a r in g th e program w ith h i s w i f e
im p r e s siv e i n t h i s day o f fa m ily d i s t u r b a n c e s .4
I lo v e t o h e a r him e s p e c i a l l y on TV when h i s l o v e l y w if e
comes on w ith h im .5 H is w i f e com p letes th e p i c t u r e and
image.^ I m is s e d Mrs. Fagal t o n i g h t . ?
On t h e o t h e r s i d e o f th e c o i n , t h r e e r e s p o n d e n ts d isa p p ro v ed o f
Mrs. F a g a l's prominence by h e r h u sb an d 's s i d e i n t h e i r unique m in is t r y :
I d o n 't e s p e c i a l l y l i k e h i s w i f e on TV.^
On TV he and h i s w i f e seem a l i t t l e b i t to o s w e e t .
I'm
sure th ey are v e r y n i c e p e o p l e , b u t i t seems a l i t t l e o v e r
done, a l i t t l e p u t o n . ^
I'm s u r e th e p a s t o r ' s w i f e i s a w o n d erfu l woman and
th a t th e y b o th are in t h i s work t o g e t h e r and are on f i r e
f o r God, b u t I j u s t d o n 't l i k e t o s e e a woman s p e a k in g on
TV in th e r o l e sh e has d o n e .10
I n t e r e s t i n g l y , an a n a l y s i s o f resp o n d e n t i d e n t i t y r e v e a l s th a t
of the 18 i n th e "pro" group, s e v e n were men and 11 w ere women.

Of th e

three in th e "con" group, two were men and one was a woman.
As w ith r e s p o n d e n ts t o t h e t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n management p e r so n
nel su r v ey , who d i s c u s s e d t h e i r s u b j e c t i v e f e e l i n g s f r e e l y , o p in io n s and
t a s t e s vary; some app rove, and some d is a p p r o v e .
tend to

And o p i n i o n s , i t seems,

be s t r o n g - - a n d s t r o n g l y e x p r e s s e d - - o n

Summary. A f t e r a c a r e f u l e x a m in a tio n o f

b o th s i d e s o f th e fe n c e !

each o f the 12,929

in d iv id u a l r e s p o n s e s t o th e v a r io u s q u e s t i o n s asked i n t h i s s u r v e y o f
the 1,050 r esp o n d e n ts who p a r t i c i p a t e d , a f a i r l y c l e a r p r o f i l e o f

1G.L #842; 62 ; n u rse a id e .

2GL #6 9 5 .

3GL #410.

5 gl #1 2 8.

4 GL #71.

6 gl #285; 68; m i n i s t e r .
8 gl #358.

9 GL #443.

7 gl #626; 69 ; h o u se w ife
10 GL #1 90 .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

Preacher W illiam A. Fagal te n d s t o emerge as p e r c e iv e d by t h o s e who

viewed him on t h i s p a r t i c u l a r e v e n in g .^
From h i s v o i c e , manner, and appearance, 92.9% p e r c e i v e d him t o
be a man o f immense competence and i n t e l l i g e n c e , a man o f s t e r l i n g
i n t e g r i t y and good c h a r a c t e r , and one who p o s s e s s e s th e g e n e r a l l y r e c o g
nized and a c c e p te d c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f g o o d - w i l l .
A t o t a l o f 96.8% r e p o r t e d t h a t th e y found W illia m F a g a l s v o ic e
q u ite ea sy t o l i s t e n to b e c a u s e i t was w e ll-m o d u la te d , he spoke w ith
animation, and h i s d i c t i o n - - e s p e c i a l l y i n the a r ea s o f e n u n c ia t io n and
p r o n u n c ia tio n --w a s e x c e l l e n t .
Some 92.8% s t a t e d t h a t th e y found the sermon d e l i v e r e d to be
i n t e r e s t i n g and e a s y t o l i s t e n t o , c h i e f l y b e c a u se o f th e a r t i s t i c man
ner in which th e sp e a k e r employed i l l u s t r a t i o n s , b e c a u s e o f f a c t o r s o f
content and o r g a n i z a t i o n i n t e r n a l l y , and b eca u se o f th e dynamic manner
of d e liv e r y .
The words u se d i n th e sermon were e a s y t o u n d erstan d f o r 92.8%
o f the aud ien ce b e c a u se t h e y were s e e n t o be s im p le and a p p r o p r ia te and
on the l e v e l o f th e a u d ie n c e 's g e n e r a l e d u c a t io n .
Some 77.1% o f r e s p o n d e n ts f e l t t h a t th e sermon tou ch ed upon
problems r e l a t i n g t o modern-day l i v i n g as th e y u n d e r sto o d i t ; and 83.4%
s a id th a t th ey had no d i f f i c u l t y i n f o l l o w i n g th e s p e a k e r 's l i n e o f
thought and argument, g e n e r a l l y b e c a u s e th ey f e l t th e sermon was w e l l o r g a n iz ed , b e c a u se o f th e m i n i s t e r ' s method o f e x p l a n a t i o n , h i s use o f
lo g i c and r e a s o n in g , th e employment o f a theme, and h i s manner o f
applying th e message t o th e i n d i v i d u a l l i v e s o f h i s h e a r e r s .

*The r e a d e r does w e l l t o remember a t t h i s p o i n t t h a t r esp o n d en ts

to q u e s t io n n a ir e s are n o t t y p i c a l Am ericans, b u t o f a s p e c i a l t y p e .
Thus, a p r o -F a g a l b i a s may v e r y l i k e l y be found; and th e r e s u l t s from
t h is su r v ey sh o u ld be e v a lu a t e d in t h i s c o n t e x t .

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699

A t o t a l o f 86.6% o f th e l i s t e n e r s approved o f P a s t o r F a g a l 's use

o f S c r ip tu r e i n h i s sermon, th e m a j o r it y i n d i c a t i n g t h a t f o r them i t s
use was b o th e f f e c t i v e and c o n v in c in g .

And 82.4% e x p r e s s e d app roval f o r

the s p e a k e r 's u s e o f i l l u s t r a t i o n s which were c h a r a c t e r iz e d v a r i o u s l y as

apt, l u c i d , s im p le , f r e s h , u p - t o - d a t e , and t r u e .
Asked i f th e y u n d e rsto o d c l e a r l y th e s p e a k e r 's g o a l in th e mes
sage o f th e e v e n in g , 81.8% responded i n th e a f f i r m a t i v e .
Among t h o s e i n the a u d ien ce who were a c q u a in te d w ith th e " F a ith
for Today" t e l e c a s t , s l i g h t l y l e s s than h a l f i n d i c a t e d t h a t f o r them
there was no a p p r e c ia b le d i f f e r e n c e betw een W illia m F a g a l's p u l p i t
preaching and h i s t e l e v i s i o n p r e a c h in g , w h ile s l i g h t l y more than h a l f
f e l t th a t th e p u l p i t p r e a c h in g was somewhat more dynamic and more
e ffe ctiv e.

The number who p r e f e r r e d th e TV p r e a c h in g t o th e p u l p i t

preaching was n e g l i g i b l e .
In comparing W illia m F a g a l 's p r e a c h in g w ith t h a t o f o th e r c l e r g y
men whom members o f th e au d ien ce had heard e lse w h e r e ( e i t h e r on
t e l e v i s i o n or i n th e p u l p i t ) , 66.9% r a t e d F a g a l 's p r e a ch in g d i s t i n c t l y
su p e r io r by com parison.
When a sk ed what t h e y l i k e d most about F a g a l 's p u l p i t p r e a c h in g ,
67.0% r e p l i e d l i s t i n g v a r io u s f a c t o r s r e l a t i n g t o h i s warm, f r i e n d l y
p e r s o n a l i t y , an i n t e r e s t i n g and w e ll-c o m p o se d sermon, and an e s p e c i a l l y
dynamic d e l i v e r y .
S im ila r f a c t o r s were a l s o n o te d f o r th e t e l e v i s i o n p r e s e n t a t i o n s ,
ex cep t t h a t a s u b s t a n t i a l number f e l t t h a t F a g a l 's TV p r e s e n t a t i o n s
lacked th e dynamism e x h i b i t e d i n th e p u l p i t which would have made th e TV
p reach in g much more a p p e a lin g and e f f e c t i v e .

A s u b s t a n t i a l number

i n d ic a t e d a d e s i r e t o have th e TV s e r m o n e tte s le n g th en ed and made more

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d i s t i n c t l y d o c t r i n a l a c c o r d in g to t h e b e l i e f s o f th e S ev en th -d a y
A dventist s p o n s o r s .
A t o t a l o f 58.9% o f r e s p o n d e n ts i n d i c a t e d t h a t th e y had made
s p i r i t u a l or moral d e c i s i o n s t h a t e v e n in g as a r e s u l t o f h e a r in g th e
Fagal m essage; and 25.7% added t h a t th e y had made s i m i l a r d e c i s i o n s as a
consequence o f h e a r in g t h i s s p e a k e r upon an e a r l i e r o c c a s i o n .
Throughout a l l o f th e r e s p o n s e s t h e r e was n o te d a g e n e r a l l y w id e
spread f e e l i n g o f warm e n th u sia sm and app roval on th e p a r t o f
p a r t ic ip a n t s i n t h i s s u r v e y f o r t h e p r e a c h in g o f W illiam A. F a g a l, and
an a p p r e c ia t io n f o r h i s d e d i c a t i o n t o h i s unique m i n i s t r y as w e l l as f o r
h is many and d i v e r s e t a l e n t s as a s p e a k e r w hich appeared o b vio u s t o th e
m ajority o f th e r e s p o n d e n ts .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

CHAPTER V I I I

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

A word f i t l y spoken i s l i k e a p p le s o f g o ld i n p i c t u r e s
o f s i l v e r . . . . The e n tr a n c e o f th y words
g i v e t h l i g h t , i t g i v e t h u n d e rsta n d in g
t o th e s im p le . . . . Thy words
have upholden him t h a t was
f a l l i n g : and th o u h a s t
s t r e n g t h e n e d th e
fe e b le k n e e s.
Prov. 2 5 :11 ; P s. 119:130; Job 4 :4
Now o f th e t h in g s which we have spoken t h i s
i s th e sum: . . . sound sp e e c h
t h a t cannot be condemned.- Heb. 8 : 1 ; T it u s 2 : 8

"And Now, A Word From th e Sponsor"

In th e "good o ld days" o f network r a d i o , on n e a r ly e v e r y program

was heard, i t seemed, th e a n n o u n cer's u b iq u it o u s e x p r e s s i o n , "And, now,

a word from th e s p o n s o r .

b r o a d c a s tin g (which, f o r t u n a t e l y , was n e v e r s u c c e s s f u l l y t r a n s p la n t e d t o

t e l e v i s i o n ) , i t may n o t be out o f order t o p r e s e n t b r i e f l y s e v e r a l

sta te m e n ts from le a d in g d e n o m in a tio n a l le a d e r s and n o n -A d v e n tis t ch u rch -

men c o n cern in g t h e i r e s t im a t e o f th e v a lu e and s i g n i f i c a n c e o f W illia m A.

F a g a l's m in is t r y on " F a ith fo r Today," b e f o r e we p r e s e n t our own summary

o f f in d in g s and draw our own c o n c l u s i o n s .

I
I
I
I

. . . "

In k e e p in g w ith t h i s hoary t r a d i t i o n o f

Dr. Roy A lla n Anderson,^ who s e r v e d as a s s o c i a t e s e c r e t a r y (1 94 1 1950) and s e c r e t a r y (1 9 5 0 -1 9 6 6 ) o f th e M i n i s t e r i a l A s s o c i a t i o n o f th e

*Cf. S t e v e n s , op. c i t .
701

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702

General C onference o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s , on th e eve o f h i s r e t i r e

ment wrote th e f o l l o w i n g s ta te m e n t i n a p e r s o n a l l e t t e r t o t h i s
in v e stig a to r :
I t i s a j o y f o r me t o make an e v a l u a t i o n o f P a s t o r W illia m
F a g a l's work i n h i s g r e a t program o f F a i t h f o r Today b eca u se
I c o n s id e r him one o f th e s t r o n g le a d e r s o f our movement. I
have a p a r t i c u l a r i n t e r e s t i n him inasmuch as I was p r i v i
le g e d t o have a p a r t i n h i s o r d i n a t i o n many y e a r s ago.
Sin ce th en I have f o ll o w e d h i s work w i t h th e k e e n e s t
i n t e r e s t , b o th as a p a s t o r and as an e v a n g e l i s t .
Knowing
som ething o f th e c h a l l e n g e o f th e g r e a t c i t y o f New York, I
have been d e e p ly im p r e s se d w ith th e burden t h a t he has
c a r r ie d through t h e s e y e a r s f o r th e m i l l i o n s i n t h a t area
th a t know n o t th e jo y o f f u l l redeem ing g r a c e . H is mes
s a g e s over th e a i r and o ver t e l e v i s i o n have b een d e e p ly
im p r e s s iv e , n ot o n ly t o groups i n t h i s co u n try b u t w herever
h i s v o i c e i s h ea rd and h i s program i s s e e n t h e r e are v ery
encouraging r e s u l t s .
This i s e q u a l l y t r u e i n London or i n
Sydney, A u s t r a l i a , 1 or any o f th e o t h e r g r e a t c i t i e s or
c o u n t r ie s where h i s program i s s e e n and h e a r d .
Some months
ago I a tt e n d e d a s e r i e s o f e v a n g e l i s t i c r e v i v a l s e r v i c e s he
conducted i n th e S l i g o Church h ere i n W ashington. H is
messages were n o t o n ly winsome, b u t were a s t r o n g p r e s e n t a
t i o n o f th e g o s p e l o f God. J e s u s C h r is t was made th e c e n t e r
o f e v er y sermon.
I have t h e utm ost c o n f id e n c e i n him as a
p r e a ch er and as a le a d e r o f men. He and h i s w i f e make a
g r e a t team, and when you add t o them h i s e x c e l l e n t q u a r t e t
and the o th e r s t h a t a re a s s o c i a t e d w ith him in th e promo
t i o n a l program o f e v a n g e lis m , a l l I can say i s , "What hath
God wrought!
Dr. Robert H. P i e r s o n , e l e c t e d w o r ld p r e s i d e n t o f S even th -d ay
A d v e n tis ts ' General C onferen ce i n 1966 [ s e e F ig . 3 8 ] , w rote i n the
Review and H e r a ld , th e d e n o m in a tio n 's g e n e r a l church p a p er , a y ea r l a t e r :
P a s to r and Mrs. Fagal and th o s e a s s o c i a t e d w it h them are
doin g a w ond erful work, u t i l i z i n g t h e grow ing g i a n t o f
t e l e v i s i o n t o p o r tr a y Adventism t o an e v e r w id e n in g
a u d ie n c e . . . . T e l e v i s i o n i s a medium t o be reckon ed w ith ,
and I am g la d we a re u t i l i z i n g i t .
W hile F a ith f o r Today
i s making a g r e a t e r e v a n g e l i s t i c im p act than e v e r b e f o r e ,

*-Dr. Anderson i s a n a t i v e o f A u s t r a l i a .
2

L e t t e r from Roy A lla n A nderson, G eneral C onferen ce o f S e v e n th day A d v e n t i s t s , W ashington, D. C ., O ct. 2 4 , 1966, 1.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

R eproduced
with perm ission
of the copyright ow n er.

703

Further reproduction
prohibited
without p e r m issio n .

Fig. 3 8 . (Left) Pastor Fagal w elcom es th e No. 1 S ev en th -d ay A dventist, G e n e ra l C o n feren ce P resid en t R obert H. Pierson, to
th e la tte r's first "Faith for T oday" b o ard m eetin g a t N ew York, following P ierso n 's election to this high church office in Ju n e,
1966. Fagal said th a t Pierson w as th e first G en e ra l C on feren ce p resid e n t to visit te le c a st h e a d q u a rte rs since th e program
b e g a n in 1950. Fig. 3 9 . (Right) P astor Fagal discusses a b o ard a g e n d a item w ith th e new chairm an, N eal C. Wilson, also
elec ted in 1966 to th e vice p resid en cy for N orth A m erica in th e G e n e ra l C o n feren ce (which carries with it b o ard ch airm an
ship of Faith for Today, Inc.).

704

we as members can promote th e program even more by i n v i t i n g

our f r i e n d s and n e ig h b o r s t o w a t c h .1
In a p e r s o n a l s ta te m e n t p rep a red f o r i n c l u s i o n i n t h i s t h e s i s ,
Dr. P ie r so n added:
S ev en th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s are p e o p le under commitment.
They s e n s e th e urgency o f g i v i n g t o mankind th e message o f
our Lord s imminent r e tu r n t o e a r t h t o r e c e i v e th e s u b j e c t s
o f His kingdom. T e l e c a s t i n g F a ith f o r Today i s an im p ortant
means o f a c c o m p lis h in g t h i s p u r p o se . The t e l e v i s i o n program
. . . i s c u r r e n t l y view ed on 270 s t a t i o n s and has i n f l u e n c e d
thousands t o make a d e c i s i o n f o r C h r i s t . One out o f e v e r y
te n who c o m p le te s th e t e l e c a s t B i b l e stu d y guide i s b a p t i z e d
i n t o the church.
The t e l e c a s t i s im p orta n t i n our th in k in g as a means o f
m eeting th e demands o f th e M a ste r 's g r e a t Commission [ t o go
t o a l l th e w orld w ith th e g o s p e l m e s s a g e ].
The Board o f
D ir e c to r s o f F a it h f o r Today have la r g e p la n s f o r th e
program's c o n tin u e d growth.
An e v id e n c e o f th e v a lu e t h a t we p l a c e upon F a ith f o r
Today i s i n d i c a t e d through th e f i n a n c i a l supp ort g iv e n th e
t e l e c a s t by the church. S in c e i t s i n c e p t i o n more than
$ 1 2 ,8 8 6 ,0 0 0 have been a p p r o p r ia te d f o r c a p i t a l and o pera
tio n a l pu rp oses.
An a d d i t i o n a l $ 2 ,4 0 0 ,0 0 0 have been
p r o v id e d F a ith f o r Today through o f f i c i a l l y d e s ig n a te d
o f f e r i n g s i n our c h u r c h e s .
We have f u r t h e r s t r e n g t h e n e d th e t e l e c a s t by d e v e lo p in g
an o r g a n iz a t io n s t r u c t u r e a t th e f i e l d l e v e l t h a t has
p r o v id e d a d d i t i o n a l p e r s o n n e l t o a s s i s t in promoting the
t e l e c a s t ' s e f f e c t i v e n e s s i n a r ea s where th e program i s
shown.
We a re p la n n in g on t e l e v i s i o n through F a ith f o r Today
t o have a g r e a t p a r t in r e a c h in g th e masses w ith th e message
o f C h r is t and H is soon c o m i n g . 2
A t h i r d S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t le a d e r who has p u b l i c l y commented
upon the work o f " F a ith f o r Today" and W illiam A. Fagal i s E ld e r N eal C.
W ilson, e l e c t e d i n 1966 to th e o f f i c e o f V ice P r e s id e n t f o r North America

l" F a ith f o r Today on 290 S t a t i o n s , " Review and H e ra ld , Feb. 2 ,

1967, 1 8 -1 9 .
2

L e t t e r from Robert H. P i e r s o n , p r e s i d e n t , General C onferen ce o f

Seventh -day A d v e n t i s t s , W ashington, D. C ., A p r il 28, 1967, 2.

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705

o f the General C onferen ce a n d --b y v i r t u e o f t h a t p o s i t i o n - - c h a i r m a n o f

the Board o f T r u s te e s o f F a ith f o r Today, I n c o r p o r a t e d .

[See F ig . 3 9 .]

Only f i v e weeks a f t e r h i s e l e c t i o n t o t h e s e p o s t s , E ld e r W ilson

attended th e Grand Ledge camp m e e tin g in M ichigan ( h i s f a t h e r was a t
that time P r e s id e n t o f th e M ichigan C o n f e r e n c e ] , and in t r o d u c e d W illia m
Fagal a t th e Frid ay e v e n in g s e r v i c e , J u ly 2 9 , 1966, w ith t h e s e words:
I am f u l l y con v in ced i n my own s o u l t h a t God i n His
p ro vid en ce a llo w s c ir c u m sta n c e s and men t o come t o th e s t a g e
a t th e p r o p e r t im e . The c ir c u m s ta n c e s :
g r e a t , sp r a w lin g
c i t i e s , w ith c l o s e d d o o r s , men and women b e in g a t t r a c t e d by
many d i f f e r e n t t h in g s t h a t d a z z le t h e i r e y e s , ap p eal t o
th e ir h e a r ts .
Beyond t h a t , th e c ir c u m sta n c e s v e r y c l e a r l y
e v id en ced i n th e growth, p o p u l a t i o n , d e v e lo p in g te c h n o lo g y .
And how would th e g o s p e l meet t h i s k in d o f s i t u a t i o n , t o
b r in g to th e knowledge o f men and women th e s a v i n g gr a ce o f
Jesu s C h r is t?
But God had i n d i v i d u a l s a lr e a d y p r e p a r ed f o r such
c ir c u m sta n c e s .
God had a man and, i n t h i s i n s t a n c e , a
lad y, husband and w ife --w h o had p rep a red t h e m s e lv e s , who had
s a tu r a te d th e m se lv e s in God's word, who had a g r e a t burden
fo r s o u l s , w ith v i s i o n and d e te r m in a tio n and courage t o fa c e
th a t which most p e o p le would have run from. E ld e r and Mrs.
Fagal t a c k l e d th e c irc u m sta n c es b e c a u s e th e y f e l t i t was
God's p r o v id e n c e and a g r e a t o p p o r t u n it y .
And b e c a u se o f t h e i r d e d ic a t e d s e r v i c e o v e r t h e s e y e a r s ,
s i n c e about 1950, th e " F a ith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t i s perhaps
the le a d in g r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t i n th e U n ite d S t a t e s to d a y .
But i t e x te n d s f a r beyond our s h o r e s i n t o o t h e r lan d s where
i t i s d oin g even as mighty a work as i t i s i n our own
c o u n tr y . *
The " F a ith f o r Today" t e l e c a s t has b een t w ic e v i s i t e d , i n i t s
f i r s t decade o f b r o a d c a s t in g , by n o n - A d v e n t is t churchmen who came t o pay
t r ib u t e to th e worth o f th e program and th e m i n i s t r y o f W illia m A. F a g a l.
On May 2 2 , 1955, on th e F i f t h A n n iv er sa ry program, Dr. Eugene
Nida, r e p r e s e n t in g th e American B ib le S o c i e t y , p r e s e n t e d P a s to r F agal
with an i l l u s t r a t e d New Testam ent b e f o r e th e l i v e TV cameras "as an

^Verbatim T r a n s c r ip t o f Remarks, rec o r d e d e l e c t r o n i c a l l y on

ta p e, Grand Ledge (M ich.) S.D .A . Camp M eetin g , J u l y 2 9 , 1966, 1.

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706

ex p r essio n o f our a p p r e c i a t i o n f o r th e e x c e l l e n t work which you have

done in en co u ra gin g th e r e a d in g o f th e B ib le i n th e American home."

And on May 15, 1960, on th e Tenth A n n iv er sa ry program, Dr. Cy

Mack, E x ec u tiv e S e c r e t a r y o f th e B r o a d c a s tin g and Film Commission o f th e
N ation al C ouncil o f Churches o f C h r is t i n America appeared t o make t h i s
sta te m e n t:
When sp ea k in g o f t e l e v i s i o n program s, te n y e a r s makes yours
very o l d , in d e e d ! And i n a l l t h e s e y e a r s , " F a ith f o r Today"
has n o t m is s e d a s i n g l e w e e k 's t e l e c a s t , making i t th e
o l d e s t , c h u r c h -s p o n so r e d network program on th e a i r to d a y .
Without p r o f e s s i o n a l t r a i n i n g o r e x p e r i e n c e , P a s t o r F a g a l,
h is w i f e , and a group o f church members p u t on t h e i r f i r s t
l i v e TV drama. As tim e went o n , th e y began to le a r n more
about th e i n t r i c a c i e s o f th e medium. The s t a t i o n co verag e
went from a s i n g l e s t a t i o n t o 160 s t a t i o n s .
T h e ir m a il
r esp o n se has a v erag ed more than 7 ,0 0 0 l e t t e r s a week. The
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f r e l i g i o u s programming through t e l e v i s i o n
i s enormous. " F a ith f o r Today," week by week, i s t r y i n g t o
meet th o s e c h a l l e n g e s . We s a l u t e you a t t h i s tim e and w ish
you Godspeed as you c o n tin u e t o do your p a r t t o p r e s e n t the
g o sp e l which we sh a r e t o a w orld which s o d e s p a r a t e l y needs
it.2

Thus have clergy m en , b o th w i t h i n and w ith o u t th e S e v e n th -d a y

A d v e n tist church borne p u b l i c te s tim o n y t o th e v a lu e and e f f e c t i v e n e s s
o f the m in is t r y o f W illia m A. F a g a l.
In c o n c lu d in g t h i s s tu d y o f t h e l i f e and work o f Dr. F a g a l, we
do w e ll t o review b r i e f l y th e p r i n c i p a l f i n d i n g s o f t h i s t h e s i s .

Summary o f F in d in g s

Chapter I c o n s id e r s t h e l i f e and e x p e r ie n c e o f W illia m A. F agal

from time o f b i r t h (1919) t o g r a d u a tio n from c o l l e g e (1 9 3 9 ) , i n th e

'"Verbatim T r a n s c r ip t o f Remarks, from sound tr a c k o f f i l m o f

program r e l e a s e d May 2 2 , 1955.
Verbatim T r a n s c r ip t o f Remarks, from sound tr a c k o f f i l m o f
Program #177, r e l e a s e d May 15, 1960.

mmu....
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707

context o f h i s t i m e s .

He i s s e e n , through th e e y e s o f h i s m other, h i s

b roth er, former c o l l e g e c l a s s m a t e s , and form er c o l l e g e p r o f e s s o r s and

a d m in is tr a to r s, t o have d em o n stra ted a h ig h d egree o f s p i r i t u a l i t y and
d e d ic a tio n t o God at a v e r y te n d e r a g e .

He e a r l y d e v e lo p e d a t a l e n t f o r

p u b lic sp e a k in g ; and, d e s p i t e a la c k o f form al t r a i n i n g i n t h i s d i s c i

p l i n e , he improved many o p p o r t u n i t i e s , e s p e c i a l l y du rin g th e c o l l e g e
y e a rs, both on-campus and o ff-c a m p u s , t o speak f o r God a t r e l i g i o u s
e x er c ise s.

His l i f e was g e n e r a l l y c o n s id e r e d to be exem p la r y , and many

commented f a v o r a b ly on a w e ll- r o u n d e d p e r s o n a l i t y w hich emerged.

Chapter I I ta k e s up b i o g r a p h i c a l a s p e c t s o f th e l i f e and c a r e e r
o f William Fagal upon g r a d u a tio n from c o l l e g e , f i r s t i n terms o f a
h i g h l y - s u c c e s s f u l p a s t o r a l and e v a n g e l i s t i c m i n i s t r y (1 9 3 9 -1 9 5 0 ) and
s u c c e s s i v e l y h i s t e l e v i s i o n and c o r r e l a t e m in is t r y ( 1 9 5 0 - 1 9 6 8 ) .

During

the l a t t e r , he a uthored 21 volum es i n 17 y e a r s , in a d d i t i o n t o w r i t i n g a

h ig h ly -p o p u la r column o f r e l i g i o u s a d v ic e in an i n t e r n a t i o n a l jo u r n a l
for more than a decade; and one o f h i s books became a " b e s t - s e l l e r , M
with more than 3 0 0 ,0 0 0 c o p i e s s o l d w i t h i n th e f i r s t y e a r o f i t s
p u b lic s a l e .

g o in g on

H is c a r e e r was crowned, i n 1967, by h i s becom ing th e

r e c i p i e n t o f an honorary D octor o f D i v i n i t y d egree from Andrews U n iver

s i t y , the 11th le a d e r o f h i s church s i n c e 1872 to b e s o h o n o red .

In

r e t r o s p e c t he i s s e e n as a man whose l i f e and p e r s o n a l i t y are c h a r a c t e r

iz e d by a h ig h d e g r ee o f f r i e n d l i n e s s , a m o r e -th a n -a v e r a g e measure o f
mental a c u i t y , c o n s id e r a b le t e c h n i c a l s k i l l in th e i n t r i c a c i e s o f r a d io
and t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a s t i n g , h ig h d e v o t io n and d e d i c a t i o n t o m i n i s t r y , a
l i f e marked by s i n c e r i t y , h u m i l i t y , and i n t e g r i t y , and a man p o s s e s s e d
o f a d e l i g h t f u l s e n s e o f humor.
Chapter I I I s u r v e y s th e h i s t o r y o f F a ith f o r Today, I n c o r p o r a te d ,
the o r g a n iz a t io n t h a t was b u i l t up t o su p p o rt th e t e l e v i s i o n m i n i s t r y o f

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708

William A. F a g a l, and th e h i s t o r y o f th e t e l e c a s t i t s e l f .

"F aith f o r

Today" has expanded i t s co v erag e from one s t a t i o n i n 1950 t o an i n t e r

n a tio n a l c h a in o f 286 s t a t i o n s i n 1968, ap p earin g on one out o f e v e r y
two l i c e n s e d t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a s t in g s t a t i o n s i n th e U n ite d S t a t e s and
Canada.

It is ,

a f t e r "This i s th e L i f e , " a Lutheran program (which

copied the " F a ith f o r Today" dram atic fo r m a t), th e most w id e ly view ed
r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t around th e w o r ld .

I t was th e f i r s t r e l i g i o u s f e a t u r e

program in th e h i s t o r y o f t e l e v i s i o n i n A u s t r a l i a , Guam, and N i g e r i a .

d ir e c t P o r tu g u e s e -la n g u a g e c o u n te r p a r t o f the program (which c o p ie d the

format, even t o h a v in g a m i n i s t e r and h i s w ife appear t o g e t h e r , as do
the F agals) was th e f i r s t P r o t e s t a n t n o n -g o v e m m e n t-sp o n s o r e d r e l i g i o u s
program on t e l e v i s i o n i n a l l South America.

As th e o l d e s t con tin u o u s

n a t io n a l r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t i n th e U n ited S t a t e s , th e program r e c e i v e s
annually more than $1 m i l l i o n i n f r e e a i r tim e from s t a t i o n s who b e l i e v e
i t s i n t r i n s i c m e r it i s w orthy o f t h i s f r e e p u b l i c s e r v i c e .

In th e

United S t a t e s th e program was among th e f i r s t i n th e f i e l d o f r e l i g i o n

to go from l i v e b r o a d c a s t in g t o f i l m ( 1 9 5 6 ) , and i t was th e f i r s t t o go
to c o lo r ( 1 9 6 3 ) .

More than a h a l f - m i l l i o n d o l l a r s a n n u a lly i s s e n t to

the program h e a d q u a r te r s i n th e form o f f r e e - w i l l o f f e r i n g s by t e l e

v ie w er s, th e m a j o r it y o f such donors b e in g n o n -S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t s
(church members g e n e r a l l y c o n t r ib u t e through church c h a n n e l s ) .

A s te a d y

flow o f m a i l , now r e a c h in g th e 10 ,0 0 0 l e t t e r s - p e r - w e e k l e v e l , c o n tin u e s

to inu nd ate th e t e l e c a s t h e a d q u a r te r s .

A t o t a l o f 1 2 7 ,8 5 7 have gradu

ated from one o f th e B ib le corresp o n d en ce c o u r se s o f f e r e d by F a it h f o r

Today, and 1 4 ,2 7 9 a d u l t b a p tism s i n t o th e S. D. A. Church have been
r ep o rted d u rin g th e f i r s t 18 y e a r s o f th e t e l e c a s t ' s h i s t o r y as a d i r e c t
r e s u l t o f W illiam F a g a l ' s m i n i s t r y .

&&

The c o r p o r a tio n employs some 75

i ..

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o f f i c e w orkers and t e c h n i c i a n s , and i n 1968 had an o p e r a t in g b u d get o f

$ 1 ,2 5 4 ,1 7 5 .
Chapter IV r e v e a l s th e r h e t o r i c a l th eo r y o f W illiam A. F a g a l,
which he has d e v e lo p e d l a r g e l y w ith o u t th e b e n e f i t o f form al t r a i n i n g in
p u b lic s p e a k in g .

H is body o f r h e t o r i c a l th e o r y i s g e n e r a l l y i n harmony

with the p r e c e p t s a d v o c a te d by th e a n c ie n t Greek and L a tin r h e t o r i c i a n s ,

as w e ll as t h o s e o f modern t i m e s .

A s tu d y o f r e f l e c t e d p a r a l l e l i s m s

in d ic a te s t h a t th e F a g al r h e t o r i c a l th e o r y i s

(and has been) sh a r ed by

such acknowledged m a s te r s o f t h e a r t o f p u b l i c s p e a k in g as Henry Ward

Beecher, Harry Emerson F o s d ic k , C lo v is G. C h a p p e ll, L o u is H. Evans,
Joseph R. S i z o o , T. DeWitt Talmage, and P e t e r M a r s h a ll, t o name b u t a
few.

His r h e t o r i c a l .theory i s grounded on t h e p r e s u p p o s i t i o n t h a t

preaching em bodies th e o r d in a r y p r a c t i c e o f r h e t o r i c a l p r i n c i p l e s b u t in
a s e t t i n g p r e s i d e d o v e r by th e Holy S p i r i t , th e t h i r d Person o f th e God
head; and t h a t s u p e r n a t u r a l f a c t o r s are a t work i n the o r a l p rom u lgation
of the g o s p e l t h a t may n o t be p r e s e n t i n o r d in a r y , s e c u l a r s p e a k in g .
Chapter V exam ines th e r h e t o r i c a l p r a c t i c e o f W illia m A. F agal.
In in v e n t io n we d i s c o v e r t h a t th e sermons are r e l e v a n t to modem l i v i n g ,
th ree out o f fo u r o f them d e v o te d to m a tter s o f p r a c t i c a l , d a y - t o - d a y
C h ristian l i v i n g .

The c h i e f s o u r c e s o f the Fagal serm on ic m a t e r ia l are

the S c r i p t u r e s , p r i m a r i l y , and th e w r i t i n g s o f E l l e n G. W h ite, se c o n d a r

i l y ; although many o t h e r i n c i d e n t a l r e f e r e n c e s o u r c e s are a l s o n o t e d .
The speaker i s e s p e c i a l l y c o n s c io u s o f th e a u d ie n c e as a p r i n c i p a l f a c
to r in the s p e a k in g s i t u a t i o n ,

and i t i s uppermost i n h i s t h in k i n g a t

a l l s t a g e s o f p r e p a r a t io n and d e l i v e r y .

The most common form o f non-

a r t i s t i c p r o o f employed i s t h a t o f exam ples, w ith many n a r r a t i v e and

i l l u s t r a t i o n - s t o r y m a t e r i a l s a l s o b e in g n o t e d .

Dr. Fagal h a n d le s

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710
m a teria ls which tend t o enhance th e im p r e s sio n o f h i s com petence,
character, and good w i l l on th e p a r t o f th e aud ien ce w ith e f f e c t i v e n e s s .
Logical argument i s c h a r a c t e r iz e d p r i n c i p a l l y by r e a s o n in g from exam ple,
although r e a s o n in g from cause and a n a lo g y are a l s o p r o m in e n tly u s e d .
Motive a p p ea ls o f a l l t y p e s are employed, w ith s p e c i a l emphasis on t h o s e
of a r e lig io u s n atu re.

Sermon arrangement i s c h a r a c t e r iz e d by the

in d u c tiv e method b e in g t y p i c a l l y employed, and w ith c l e a r - c u t d i v i s i o n s

between in t r o d u c t i o n and body and c o n c lu s io n n o t in t e n d e d to be e v i d e n t .
The purpose s e n t e n c e i s always c l e a r l y d is c e r n e d from th e o u t l i n e .

In

matters o f s t y l e W illia m F a g a l 's lo v e o f words i s r e f l e c t e d i n h i s wide

vocabulary.
simple words.

H is sermons are c h a r a c t e r iz e d by the u se o f s h o r t and

S e n ten ce and paragraph s t r u c t u r e i s v a r ie d in terms o f

length and ty p e o f s e n t e n c e s composed.

D ia lo g u e , r h e t o r i c a l q u e s t i o n s ,

r e p e t i t i o n and r e s t a t e m e n t , and comparison and c o n t r a s t are u s e d to

heighten l i s t e n e r - a t t e n t i o n .

A lthough th e Fagal s p e a k in g s t y l e i s com

p a r a t iv e ly unadorned, numerous f i g u r a t i v e d e v ic e s a re u t i l i z e d ,
e s p e c i a l l y metaphor and s i m i l e , anaphora, and onom atopoeia.

The o v e r a l l

s t y l e p a r ta k e s e s p e c i a l l y o f the d i s t i n c t i v e q u a l i t i e s o f th e good o r a l
p r e s e n t a t io n , and are p r e s e n t e d i n a h i g h l y c o n v e r s a t io n a l mode o f
address.

In d e l i v e r y Dr. Fagal u s e s much b o d i l y a c t i v i t y t o a s s i s t in

communicating th e th o u g h ts he p r e s e n t s , and h i s v o i c e i s w e l l - t r a i n e d
and w e ll- d e v e lo p e d t o meet the v a r ie d needs o f th e v a r io u s s p e a k in g s i t
uation in which he p a r t i c i p a t e s .

His g r e a t v a r i e t y i n lo u d n e s s , p i t c h ,

q u a l i t y , and r a t e i s t y p i c a l l y c h a r a c t e r i z e d by an ana log y t o "brokenf i e l d running" on th e p a r t o f th e f o o t b a l l p l a y e r .

H is d i c t i o n i s

n e a r - f l a w l e s s , and h i s a c c e n t i s t y p i c a l l y Middle A t l a n t i c .

S&S&l

ic ...

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711

Chapter VI exam ines a u d ie n c e r e s p o n s e t o th e " F a ith f o r Today"

t e l e c a s t , p r i n c i p a l l y i n North America and A u s t r a l i a .

The p e r v a s iv e

in f lu e n c e o f W illia m F a g a l ' s m i n i s t r y i s s e e n , i n d i r e c t l y , from e v i

dences i n th e work o f an American c a r t o o n i s t and an A u s t r a lia n n o v e l i s t .
Mail r e s p o n se , th e volume o f which has a lr e a d y b e e n n o t e d above, i s
c l a s s i f i e d as (1) B i b l e Correspondence S c h o o l r e q u e s t ,
resp o n se, (3) c o n t r i b u t i o n r e s p o n s e ,

C2) R equest

(4) d e c i s i o n r e s p o n s e ,

(5) t e s t i

monial r e s p o n s e , and (6 ) a l i m i t e d amount o f "crank" r e s p o n s e .

sampling o f th e F agal m a il r e v e a l s t h a t a wide spectrum o f c i t i z e n r y i s

appealed to by th e t e l e c a s t and im p re sse d t o c o n t a c t th e s p e a k e r p e r s o n
a l l y e s p e c i a l l y p e o p l e i n p r o f e s s i o n a l , b u s i n e s s , governm ent, and
e d u c a tio n a l c i r c l e s .
L a s t l y , C hap ter VII s u r v e y s a u d ien ce r e s p o n s e to th e p u l p i t
speaking o f W illia m F agal by means o f ah au d ien ce r e s p o n s e su r v ey
q u e s tio n n a ir e c o m p leted by 1 ,0 5 0 r e s p o n d e n ts a t a camp m ee tin g s e r v i c e
addressed by th e t e l e v i s i o n p a s t o r .

A t o t a l o f 1 2 ,9 2 9 i n d i v i d u a l

respon ses were made on th e forms r e tu r n e d t o t h i s i n v e s t i g a t o r , and th e

fo llo w in g summary o f r e s p o n s e i n d i c a t e s t h a t - - b y t h o s e who p a r t i c i p a t e d - William Fagal i s s e e n t o be a most e f f e c t i v e p u b l i c s p e a k e r :

more than

9 out o f 10 p e r c e i v e d F ag a l t o be a man o f immense competence and i n t e l

l i g e n c e , a man o f s t e r l i n g i n t e g r i t y and good c h a r a c t e r , and one who
p o s s e s s e s th e g e n e r a l l y r e c o g n iz e d and a c c e p te d c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f good
w i l l , on th e b a s i s o f th e v o i c e , manner, and appearance o f th e s p e a k e r .
A s i m i l a r number r e p o r t e d th ey found th e Fagal s p e a k in g v o i c e q u i t e e a sy
to l i s t e n t o b e c a u s e i t i s w e ll- m o d u la t e d , h e spoke w ith a n im a tio n , and
h i s d i c t i o n was e x c e l l e n t .

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

The a r t i s t i c manner i n which he employed i l l u s t r a t i v e m a t e r i a l s

to support h i s v a r io u s p o i n t s was f a v o r a b ly commented upon b y more than

9 o f 10 r e s p o n d e n ts , a s i m i l a r number i n d i c a t i n g t h a t th e words were

easy to u n d erstan d b e c a u s e th ey were s im p le and a p p r o p r ia t e t o th e

audience and o c c a s i o n .

was r e le v a n t t o th e n e e d s o f C h r i s t i a n s l i v i n g i n a modem s o c i e t y , more

than e ig h t out o f 10 approved o f th e u se o f S c r i p t u r e , q u a n t i t a t i v e l y

and q u a l i t a t i v e l y ; and an eq u a l number s t a t e d th e y c l e a r l y u n d e rsto o d

the s p e a k e r 's g o a l in th e e v e n in g m essa g e.

Fagal compared v e r y f a v o r a b ly w it h o t h e r clergym en s p e a k in g on t e l e v i s i o n

with whom th ey were f a m i l i a r .

s o n a l i t y most f r e q u e n t l y m entioned fa v o r a b ly were h i s warm, f r i e n d l i n e s s ,

i n t e r e s t i n g and w e ll-c o m p o se d serm ons, and e s p e c i a l l y a dynamic d e l i v e r y

of the m essage.

d e c is io n s as a r e s u l t o f t h i s m essage, w ith o n e - f o u r t h o f th e r esp o n d e n ts

in d ic a t in g th e y had made s i m i l a r d e c i s i o n s

the sp ea k er upon an e a r l i e r o c c a s i o n .

More than 7 out o f 10 f e l t th e sermon p r e s e n t e d

N e a rly 7 out o f te n f e l t

C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f t h e Fagal p u l p i t p e r -

N e a rly s i x out o f te n s t a t e d th ey had made s p i r i t u a l

as a con seq u en ce o f

h e a r in g

Throughout a l l o f th e r e s p o n s e s t h e r e was n o t e d a g e n e r a l l y

widespread f e e l i n g o f warm e n th u sia sm and approval on th e p a r t o f p a r -

t i c i p a n t s f o r the p r e a c h in g o f Dr. F a g a l, and an a p p r e c i a t i o n f o r h i s

d e d ic a tio n t o h i s un iqu e m i n i s t r y , as w e l l

t a l e n t s as a s p e a k e r .

I
I

as f o r h i s many and

d iv e r se

C o n c lu sio n s

The f o l l o w i n g c o n c lu s io n s ten d t o emerge as a conseq uence o f

t h is stud y:

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

(1) With v i r t u a l l y no form al t r a i n i n g i n p u b l i c s p e a k in g ,

William A. F agal has n e v e r t h e l e s s markedly dem onstrated a h ig h d e g r ee o f
p r o f ic ie n c y as a s p e a k e r both on th e p u b l i c p la t fo r m and on t e l e v i s i o n
a medium i n w hich he i s an acknowledged p i o n e e r , thus perhaps i n d i c a t i n g
that sp e a k e rs may be "bom " as w e l l as "made."
(2) Judged on th e b a s i s o f r e s u l t s , h i s m i n i s t r y has b een h i g h l y
e f f e c t i v e i n r e a c h in g m i l l i o n s o f p e o p le and i n h e l p i n g them in s p i r i t u a l
m atters.

He i s perhaps among th e to p f i v e m i n i s t e r s o f h i s church i n

terms o f t o t a l a c c e s s i o n s o f members as a r e s u l t o f h i s p e r s o n a l
m in istr y .
(3) W illia m Fagal e x e m p l i f i e s i n a h ig h d eg ree C a to 's i d e a l o f
"a good man s p e a k in g w e l l . "

He i s p e r c e iv e d by h i s in t im a t e a s s o c i a t e s ,

as w e ll as by th ousands o f church members and n o n -A d v e n tis t t e l e v i e w e r s ,

as a man o f God, o f exem plary c h a r a c t e r and h ig h degree o f d e d i c a t i o n to
the m in is t r y o f th e g o s p e l o f J e s u s C h r is t .
(4) W illiam F a g a l ' s r h e t o r i c a l th eo r y and p r a c t i c e are i n a
state of ev o lu tio n ,

changes a r i s i n g as a r e s u l t o f o b s e r v in g " feed -b a ck "

and a c o n t in u a l c o n s c io u s e f f o r t a t s e lf-im p r o v e m e n t i n p u b l i c s p e a k in g .
In terms o f a r t i s t i c c r i t e r i a , h i s perform ance shows marked and c o n t in u
ing improvement i n e a c h o f th e f i v e s u c c e s s i v e s e l e c t e d p u l p i t sermons
(which span a 24-month p e r i o d ) , w it h th e l a t e s t one e x h i b i t i n g t h e h i g h
e s t degree o f a r t i s t i c e x c e l l e n c e , as judged from a c c e p te d s ta n d a r d s
w ith in t h e sp eech p r o f e s s i o n o f to d a y .

I f he c o n tin u e s im proving a t the

p r e se n t o b se rv e d r a t e , w i t h i n one decade he sh o u ld b e c o n s id e r e d among

the top th r e e p r e a c h e r s in h i s d en om in ation .
(5) The major s i g n i f i c a n t weakness p e r c e iv e d i s in th e d e l i v e r y
o f the t e l e v i s i o n serm ons.

Fagal began h i s t e l e v i s i o n m i n i s t r y by

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

d e liv e r in g h i s f o u r - t o s ix - m in u t e s e r m o n e tt e s from a s t u d i o p u l p i t ( s e e

Fig. 1 3 ), but h e l a t e r s w itc h e d t o s p e a k in g from a s e a t e d p o s i t i o n

behind a d e s k , c o n s c i o u s l y a d o p tin g th e r o l e o f s p i r i t u a l c o u n s e lo r in

c o n tr a d istin ctio n

new s i t u a t i o n c a l l s f o r sp e a k in g i n a somewhat subdued manner, and does

not p ro v id e an o p p o r t u n it y f o r th e f u l l d i s p l a y o f W illia m F a g a l 's con-

s id e r a b le t a l e n t s as a p u b l i c s p e a k e r .

t o th e r o l e o f th e p u l p i t orator'*' ( s e e F ig . 4 0 ) .

The

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I

and an e q u a l l y la r g e number o f church members p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n th e

auditorium a u d ien ce r e s p o n se q u e s t i o n n a i r e i n d i c a t e d a c o n v i c t i o n t h a t

I
I

Fagal s h o u ld somehow r e t u r n to th e r o l e o f p u l p i t o r a to r i n p r e f e r e n c e

A s u b s t a n t i a l number o f t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n management p e r s o n n e l

to the more l a t e l y assumed r o l e o f c o u n s e lo r i n h i s t e l e v i s i o n program

I
I

format.

e f f e c t i v e , or s l i g h t l y more e f f e c t i v e , as a p u b l i c s p e a k e r , than h i s

contem poraries i n th e t e l e v i s i o n p a r i s h .

competent p r o f e s s i o n a l , w it h in c e r t a i n s p e c i f i e d l i m i t a t i o n s , a man who

p o s s e s s e s a warm, f r i e n d l y , p e r s o n a l i t y which g e n e r a l l y ten d s t o a t t r a c t

rather than t o r e p e l .

Respondents g e n e r a l l y tend t o f i n d Dr. Fagal e i t h e r e q u a l l y

F a ga l i s r e s p e c t e d as a h i g h l y

The major s i g n i f i c a n t w eakness p e r c e i v e d by th e r esp o n d e n ts i s

to be found, as s u g g e s t e d above, i n th e drawing o f a d i s t i n c t i o n betw een

two r o l e s :

t h a t o f o r a t o r - p r e a c h e r and t h a t o f c o u n s e l o r - a d v i s e r .

W illia m Fagal i s g e n e r a l l y q u i t e c l e a r l y a s s o c i a t e d w ith th e

l a t t e r r o l e , to h i s d i s t i n c t d is a d v a n ta g e as one TV s t a t i o n manager
s a id , "He i s a t a l k e r , n o t a p r e a c h e r ."

I t i s e v id e n t t h a t t e l e v i s i o n

^The word " o ra tor" i s h e r e u s e d i n th e t r a d i t i o n a l or c l a s s i c a l

se n se , and n o t i n th e p e j o r a t i v e s e n s e which contemporary c o n n o t a tio n s
u n fo r tu n a te ly o f t e n s u g g e s t .

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715

Fig. 4 0 . P astor Fagal, counseling a y o ung C hristian m o th e r a b o u t pro b lem s of fam ily life, on o n e
of th e w eekly "F aith for T oday" p ro g ram s. F ag al h as unw ittingly d e v e lo p e d a s te re o ty p e d im ag e
a s a counselor (ra th e r th a n a s a preach er) du rin g his d e c a d e an d a half on telev isio n b e c a u s e so
much tim e "o n c a m e ra " h as b e e n s p e n t in this role. Even his four-m inute se rm o n e tte s follow ing
th e d ram atic skits, a r e d e liv e re d w hile h e is s e a te d b eh in d a desk, ra th e r th a n from a p u lp it (as in
th e te le c a st's e a rlie s t days).

Stoll. ..

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716
management to d a y , as w e l l as members o f h i s d e n o m in a tio n , when i t comes
to choosing ambassadors f o r th e King o f K in g s, c l e a r l y p r e f e r th e o r a t o r
to the c o u n s e lo r f o r t h e i r spokesman i n th e realm o f th in g s s p i r i t u a l .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

717

Fig. 4 1 . W illiam a n d V irginia F agal, w h o h a v e a p p e a r e d to g e th e r o n virtu ally e v e ry w eekly te le

cast from 1950, look w ith confid en ce into th e fu tu re a s th e y c o n te m p la te th e m a n n e r in which
th e y feel G o d h a s led th e ir unified te lev isio n m inistry in th e p ast.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

& A ....
R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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721

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McBumey, James H ., O ' N e i l l , James M., and M i l l s , Glen E. Argumentation

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Witcover, J u l e s .
"Nixon f o r P r e s id e n t in 6 8 ? ," Saturday Evening P o s t ,
February 2 5 , 1967, 9 3 - 9 7 .
"Witness f o r th e D e fe n s e ," L ib e r ty :
Ja n u ary-F ebruary, 1963, 16.
Y ates, Raymond F.
7 4 -7 8 .

A Magazine o f R e lig io u s Freedom,

" T eleg ra p h ," World Book E n c y c lo p e d ia , XVII (1 9 6 0 ),

"Yes, S i r e , " Time, A p r il 14, 1967, E10, 120.

Young, W illiam E. "New York S t a t e Barge C anal," World Book E n c y c lo p e d ia ,
XIII ( I 9 6 0 ) , 2 7 6 -7 7 .

Newspapers and P e r i o d i c a l s

B ro a d ca stin g , 1963.
Chicago D a ily News, 1955.
C o l l i e r ' s , The N a t io n a l W eekly, 1919.
The F aith f o r Today B u l l e t i n , 1 9 6 4 -6 6 .
Ladies Home J o u r n a l, 1919.
Lake Union H e r a ld , 1 9 6 6 -6 7 .
Lansing [M ichigan] S t a t e J o u r n a l, 1966.
L i f e , 1969.
The L ite r a r y D i g e s t , 1919.
The M in is t r y , 1960.
Napa [ C a l i f o r n i a ] R e g i s t e r , 1968.
New York H e r a ld -T r ib u n e , 1959.
New York T im es, 1919, 1 9 5 5 -1 9 5 6 , 1960.
P a c i f i c Union R e co rd er, 1 967-1969.
Reader's D i g e s t ,

1966.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

730

Review and H e r a ld , 1958.

Signs o f th e Times, 1965.
T e l e - n o t e s , 1951-1968.
Time, 1955-19 56 .
V a riety , 1950.
Pam phlets and Brochures

Faith fo r Today Log o f B r o a d c a s tin g S t a t i o n s , November-December, 1966,

M arch-A pril, 1969.
H andbill Announcements f o r W illia m A. F a g a l ' s E v a n g e l i s t i c Campaigns:
N a tio n a l C i t y , C a l i f o r n i a
- A p r il 16-May 6 , 1967.
Los A n g e le s , C a l i f o r n i a
- March
2 3 -A p r il 13, 1968.
Lynwood, C a l i f o r n i a
- March
1 -2 2 , 1969.
The I n s id e S to r y o f F a ith f o r Today i n Q u e s tio n s and Answ ers.
F a ith f o r Today,- I n c . , 1966.
Loewen, Marvin E. Accused o f S a b b a th -B r e a k in g .
Today, I n c . , 1963.

New York:

Nothing to Fear . . . The S to r y o f F a ith f o r Today.

fo r Today, I n c . , 1965.

New York:

F a ith f o r

New York:

F a ith

What the R atin gs R e a lly Mean: A Look a t T e l e v i s i o n R atin gs and How They
Are D eterm ined.
Chicago: A. C. N i e l s e n Company, 1964.

R eports and Minutes

" A d d itio n a l F a c ts on F a ith f o r Today," f a c t s h e e t mimeographed by th e

F a ith f o r Today P u b lic R e la t io n s Department [ c . 1 96 5].
Beney, M. Ada. Cost o f L iv in g i n th e U n ited S t a t e s , 1 9 1 4 -1 9 3 6 . NICB
S t u d ie s No. 228. New York: N a t io n a l I n d u s t r i a l C onference
Board, I n c . , 1936.
"Biography on P a s to r W illiam A. F a g a l, Founder and Speaker o f F a ith f o r
Today," f a c t s h e e t mimeographed by th e F a ith f o r Today P u b lic
R e la t io n s Department [ c . 1 9 6 3 ].
Dun and B r a d s t r e e t R e fer e n c e Book, V o l. 477 ( J u l y , 1 9 6 9 ), Area 2 ,
S e c t i o n 2 . New York: Dun B r a d s t r e e t , I n c .
"Fact S h ee t on F a ith f o r Today T e l e c a s t , " F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , 1961.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

731

General C onference o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s . S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t
Yearbook. Washington: Review and H erald P u b lis h in g A s s o c i a t i o n ,
1 9 6 5 -1 9 6 6 , 1 9 6 8-1 96 9.
S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t Youth a t th e M id-Century.
Review and H erald P u b lis h in g A s s o c i a t i o n , 1951.
General E l e c t r i c Company.
1 9 25 -19 3 5.

Annual R e p o r ts.

New York:

Washington:

S c h e n e c ta d y ,

Minutes, Board o f T r u s t e e s and O p eratin g Board o f T r u s t e e s , F a it h f o r

Today, I n c . , New York, 1951 -1 96 6.
Minutes, General Conference Committee o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s ,
W ashington, 1950, 1962, 1964.
Minutes, T e l e v i s i o n Commission, General C onferen ce o f S e v e n th -d a y
A d v e n t i s t s , W ashington, D. C . , e t a l . , 19 51 -1 9 5 2 .
Minutes, E x e c u t iv e Committee, New York C onferen ce o f S e v e n th -d a y
A d v e n t i s t s , Union S p r in g s , N. Y . , 1942.
M iscellan eo u s R e p o r ts, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , New York, 1950-19 68 .
Moody's I n d u s t r i a l Manual: American and F o r e ig n .
I n v e s t o r s S e r v i c e , I n c . , Ju n e, 1966.

New York:

Moody's Manual o f I n v e stm e n ts : American and F o r e ig n .

Moody's I n v e s t o r s S e r v i c e , I n c . , 1931.

Moodys

New York:

"NSI Average Week E stim a te s" f o r 1966 f o r 11 s e l e c t e d c i t i e s .

S t a t i o n I n d e x . Chicago: A. C. N i e l s e n Company, 1966.

N ie lse n

O f f i c i a l Court M in u tes, Court o f S p e c i a l S e s s i o n s o f th e C ity o f New

York, P a r t I I , County o f Queens, "The P e o p le o f th e S t a t e o f New
York A g a in s t Howard C. Lund, D e fen d a n t," C alendar No. 37,
I n fo r m a tio n 9 9 9 /6 2 . T r i a l May 16th and 1 8 th , C rim inal Court
B u i l d i n g , Kew Gardens, N. Y ., Arnold A. Rothbard, CSR, o f f i c i a l
court rep orter.
P a r t ia l T r a n s c r ip t o f P r o c e e d in g s , Sp rin g Commencement, Andrews U n iv er
s i t y , B er r ien S p r in g s , M ichigan, May 2 8 , 1967, 10 a.m.
Report o f W illia m A. F a g a l, B a t t l e Creek T a b e r n a c le , B a t t l e Creek,
M ich igan, February 6 , 1965, 5 .
Report o f W illia m A. F a g a l, S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t Church, B er r ien
S p r in g s , M ichigan, February 11 , 1967.
Report o f W illiam R. Lawson, g e n e r a l manager, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , a t
th e c o r p o r a t i o n ' s annual c o n s t i t u e n c y s e s s i o n , Washington, D. C .,
O ctober 2 0 , 1966.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

732

"Report o f Sub-Committee o f th e F a it h f o r Today Survey C om m ittee,11

General C onference o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s , W ashington, D. C . ,
1958.
T e le v is io n F a ctb oo k .
D ig e st, I n c .,

1967 e d i t i o n , Number 37.

1967.

Washington:

T e le v isio n

U. S. Bureau o f th e C ensus. S t a t i s t i c a l A b s tr a c t o f th e U n ited S t a t e s :

1967.
88th e d i t i o n . W ashington: U. S. Government P r i n t i n g
O f f i c e , 1967.
U. S. Census P o p u la tio n :
1960. Number o f I n h a b i t a n t s , New
York.. F in a l Report P C (1)-34A . Washington:
U. S. Government
P r i n t i n g O f f i c e , 1961.
Verbatim T r a n s c r ip t o f Remarks o f N eal C. W ilso n , V ic e P r e s i d e n t f o r
North America, G eneral C on feren ce o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s ,
S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t Camp M ee tin g , Grand Ledge, M ich igan,
J u l y 2 9 , 1966.
Verbatim T r a n sc r ip t o f Remarks o f Cy Mack, e x e c u t i v e s e c r e t a r y , Broad
c a s t i n g , Film Committee, NCC i n America, May 15, 1960, on F a i t h
f o r Today Program #177.
Verbatim T r a n s c r ip t o f Remarks o f Eugene N ida, ABS, on F a ith f o r Today,
May 2 2 , 1955.
Viewers in P r o f i l e :
T e l e v i s i o n Market, U. S . N i e l s e n S t a t i o n Index.
Average Weekly T e l e v i s i o n A udience E s t im a t e s , September 22 t o
O ctober 19, 1966. C hicago: A. C. N i e l s e n Company, 1966.

U np ublish ed M a t e r ia ls

Alexander, W ilb er.

"A R h e t o r ic a l A n a ly s is o f th e Sp eaking o f H. M. S.
Richards in C onn ection With t h e 'V o ice o f Prophecy' Radio B road
c a s t o f th e S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t Church." U np ublished Ph.D.
d i s s e r t a t i o n , M ichigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , 1962.
Broadhurst, A lle n R. "A T hem atic A n a ly s is and R h e t o r ic a l Study o f th e
Sermons o f Dr. Norman V in c e n t P e a l e . " U n p u b lish ed Ph.D . d i s s e r
t a t i o n , M ichigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , 1961.
Coon, Roger W. " C r it ic is m o f S t r u c t u r e . " U npublished m a n u scr ip t,
M ichigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , May 18, 1965.
[ T y p e w r itte n .)
Fenn, Richard Lee.
"A Survey o f th e Uses o f T e l e v i s i o n by th e S e v e n th day A d v e n t i s t Church." U np ublish ed M a ste r 's t h e s i s , The American
U n i v e r s i t y , W ashington, D. C ., 1960.
Hance, Kenneth G. "The Concept o f E t h i c a l P r o o f i n P e r s u a s io n and Debate
(From th e P o in t o f View o f R h e t o r i c ) . " U npublished m a n u sc r ip t,
M ichigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , [ n . d . ] .
(Mimeographed.)

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

Hyde, Gordon Mahlon. "A Case Study Approach t o th e R h e to r ic a l A n a ly s is

o f th e Washington P r e a ch in g o f Dr. P e t e r M a r s h a ll." U npublished
Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n , M ichigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , 1963.
Linn, Edmund H o l t . "The R h e t o r ic a l Theory and P r a c t i c e o f Harry Emerson
F o s d ic k ." U npublished Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n , S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y o f
Iowa, 1952.
Shaw, Horace John. "A R h e t o r ic a l A n a ly s is o f th e Sp eaking o f Mrs. E lle n
G. White: A P io n e e r Leader and Spokeswoman o f th e S e v e n th -d a y
A d v e n t i s t Church." U npublished Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n , M ichigan
S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , 1959.
S t a l l i n g s , J u a d in a Brock. "A B io g r a p h ic a l and R h e to r ic a l Study o f th e
P u b lic Address o f Dr. Louis Hadley E vans." U npublished Ph.D.
d i s s e r t a t i o n , U n i v e r s i t y o f Southern C a l i f o r n i a , 1957.
S tev en s, George S h eld on .
"A Study o f th e H o m i le t ic a l Theory o f Roy
A lle n Anderson." U npublished Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n , M ichigan S t a t e
U n i v e r s i t y , 1968.
Thomas, Gordon L aw rie. "A Study o f th e E f f e c t o f C e r ta in Elem ents in
Oral S t y l e on th e I n t e l l i g i b i l i t y o f I n fo r m a tiv e S p e e c h e s."
U np ublished Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n , N orth w estern U n i v e r s i t y , 1952.
W allace, E lto n Harvey. " A lfr e d E. Sm ith, The R e l i g i o u s I s s u e : Oklahoma
C it y , September 2 0, 1928." U np ublished Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n ,
M ichigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , 1965.
Weeks, Howard B. "A H i s t o r i c a l Study o f P u b lic E vangelism in th e
S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t Church." U npublished Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n ,
M ichigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , 1966.
Wilson, Donald W. "A R h e t o r ic a l Study o f th e P r e a ch in g on P a s t o r George
Vandeman." U npublished Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n , Michigan S t a t e
U n i v e r s i t y , 1966.

Documents

A r t ic le s o f I n c o r p o r a t io n , F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , May 28, 1952.

"Biographic Data Form" f o r W illiam A. F a g a l, "Marquis-Who's Who B io g
r a p h ie s o f L iv in g N o t a b l e s ," Marquis-Who's Who, I n c . , C hicago,
I l l i n o i s , June 14, 1966.
Budgets, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , 19 5 1 -1 9 6 8 .
"Faith f o r Today Wage S ch ed u le f o r 1966."

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

734

M iscellan eo u s l e g a l documents i n c o n n e c tio n w ith th e c a s e o f "The P eo p le

o f th e S t a t e o f New York A g a in s t Howard C. Lund, D efen d a n t," on
f i l e a t t h e County C le r k s O f f i c e , C rim inal Court B u ild in g ,
Jam aica, N. Y .: Calendar 37, In fo rm a tion 9 9 9 /1 9 6 2 , T r i a l
May 16th and 1 8 th , 1962.
M iscella n eou s R eco rd s, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . ,

1950-1968.

Permanent Academic Record o f W illiam A. F ag a l, A t l a n t i c Union C o lle g e ,

South L a n c a s t e r , M a ss ., 1935-1939; i s s u e d by R e g is t r a r Karen K.
H ic k s , J u l y 12, 1966.
S ch o larsh ip Record o f W illia m A. F a g a l, S even th -d ay A d v e n t i s t T h eolo g
i c a l Sem inary, Andrews U n i v e r s i t y , B er r ien S p r in g s , Michigan;
i s s u e d by R e g is t r a r Dyre Dyresen, May 25 , 1966.

I n te r v ie w s

Interview w ith James Aikman, p r e s s manager, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , New

York, J u l y 13, 1966.
Interview w ith 0 . A. B la k e, u n d e r t r e a s u r e r , General C onference o f S ev en th day A d v e n t i s t s , W ashington, D. C ., June 2 9 - 3 0 , 1966.
In terv iew w it h Norma K. Bork, a s s o c i a t e p r o f e s s o r o f s p e ec h p a th o lo g y
and a u d io lo g y , P a c i f i c Union C o lle g e , Angwin, C a l i f o r n i a ,
J u ly 16, 1968.
Interview w ith David A. Burke, d i r e c t o r o f f i l m s e r v i c e s , F a ith f o r
Today, I n c . , New York, J u ly 1 3 , 1966.
Interview w it h O tis C a v r e l l , p r o d u c e r - d ir e c t o r , C harter Oak T e l e - P i c t u r e s ,
I n c . , New York, J u ly 8, 1966.
In terview w it h C l o v i s G. C h a p p e ll, prominent M eth o d ist clergyman and
a u th o r , W averly, T e n n e s s e e , June 11, 1962.
In terv iew w it h Gordon F. D alrym ple, former a s s i s t a n t e d i t o r , S ig n s o f
th e T im es, and now p u b l i c r e l a t i o n s d i r e c t o r and e d i t o r o f
p u b l i c a t i o n s , F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , New York, October 24, 1966.
In terv iew w it h Mrs. Anna F a g a l, mother o f W illiam A. F a g a l, New York,
J u l y 9, 1966.
In te r v iew w ith H arold E. F a g a l, b r o t h e r o f W illiam A. F a g a l, R iv e r s id e ,
C a l i f o r n i a , December 19, 1966.
In terv iew w ith Mrs. V i r g i n i a R itte n h o u s e F a g a l, w i f e o f W illiam A. F a g a l,
New York: J u l y 7, J u ly 9 , and October 2 4 , 1966.

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

735

Interviews w ith W illia m A. Fagal:

L ansing, M ich ig an , February 9 , 1965.
D e t r o i t , M ich igan, May 2 4 , 1966.
New York, N. Y . , J u ly 5 , 6 , 7, 8, 11, 1966.
Washington, D. C ., O ctober 20 and 23, 1966.
G le n d a le, C a l i f o r n i a , December 4 , 1966.
L ansing, M ich igan, February 9 , 1967.
B er r ien S p r in g s , M ichigan, May 2 8 , 1967.
Angwin, C a l i f o r n i a , January 10, 1969.
New York, N. Y ., May 18, 1969.
Interview w ith Harry Emerson F o s d ic k , prom inent in d e p e n d e n t clergyman
and a u th o r , B r o n x v i l l e , New York, September 6 ,
1962.
Interview w ith E la in e G id d in g s, F a ith f o r Today's f i r s t f u l l - t i m e
s a l a r i e d s c r i p t - w r i t e r and now chairman, departm ent o f s p e e c h ,
Andrews U n i v e r s i t y , B e r r ie n S p r in g s , M ich iga n , February 12, 1967.
Interview w ith H erbert H ohensee,
F a ith f o r Today Q u a r te t,

sound e n g in e e r and
membero f o r i g i n a l
New York, J u ly 13, 1966.

Interview s w ith F r a n k lin W. H udgins, s t a t i o n r e l a t i o n s d i r e c t o r , F a ith

f o r Today, I n c . , New York, J u l y 5 and 12, 1966.
Interview w ith Margaret McKay, B ib le corresp on d en ce s c h o o l s u p e r v i s o r ,
F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , New York, J u ly 13, 1966.
Interview w ith Leo P f e f f e r , c o n s t i t u t i o n a l law s p e c i a l i s t in churchs t a t e a f f a i r s , New York, J u ly 11, 1966.
Interview w ith Sidney N. R it t e n h o u s e , W illiam F a g a l ' s f a t h e r - i n - l a w ,
Loma Linda, C a l i f o r n i a , December 18, 1966.
Interview w ith W alter R. L. S c r a g g , a s s o c i a t e s e c r e t a r y , r a d i o - t e l e v i s i o n
departm ent, G eneral C onferen ce o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s , a t Red
D eer, A lb e r t a , Canada, J u ly 16, 1968.
Interview w ith Joseph R. S iz o o , prom inent Dutch Reformed clergyman and
a u th o r, W ashington, D. C ., May 13, 1958.
Interview w ith E rn est N. Wendth, W illiam F a g a l 's freshman c o l l e g e dormi
to r y roommate ( l a t e r h i s s t a t i o n r e l a t i o n s d i r e c t o r a t F a ith fo r
Today, I n c . ; now p u b l i c r e l a t i o n s s e c r e t a r y , M ichigan C onference
o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s ) , a t E a st L a n sin g , M ich iga n , J u ly 20,
1966.

Sermons

Sermon o f W illiam A. Fagal on Andrew, d e l i v e r e d a t S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t

Camp M eetin g, Grand Ledge, M ich igan, J u ly 17, 1965.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

736

Sermon o f W illiam A. F ag al on Heaven, d e l i v e r e d a t S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t

Camp M eetin g, Grand Ledge, M ichigan, J u l y 30, 1966.
Sermon o f W illia m A. F agal on Mary Magdalene, "God's B lin d S p o t,"
d e l i v e r e d a t S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t Camp M ee tin g , Grand Ledge,
M ichigan, J u ly 2 9 , 1966.
Sermon o f W illiam A. F agal on Nicodemus, "What's L e f t or What's R ig h t ? ,"
d e l i v e r e d a t S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t Church, B e r r ie n S p r in g s ,
M ich iga n , February 11, 1967.
Sermon o f W illiam A. F ag al on Paul a t C o r in th , d e l i v e r e d a t B a t t l e Creek
[M ichigan] T a b e r n a c le , February 6 , 1965.
T e le v is io n sermons o f W illia m A. Fagal:
#349 - f i r s t b r o a d c a s t , February 7, 1965.
#351 - f i r s t b r o a d c a s t , February 2 1 , 1965.
#358 - f i r s t b r o a d c a s t , A p r il 11, 1965.
#367 - f i r s t b r o a d c a s t , O ctober 17, 1965.
#371 - f i r s t b r o a d c a s t , November 14, 1965.

L etters

Anonymous l e t t e r t o F a it h f o r Today, I n c . , u n d a ted , postm arked Omaha,

N ebraska, J u ly 10, 1967.
Anonymous l e t t e r t o F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , postm arked Sanborn, Iowa,
J u ly 18, 1967.
L etter from Roy A lla n A nderson, em eritu s s e c r e t a r y , M i n i s t e r i a l A sso
c i a t i o n , G eneral C on feren ce o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s , W ashington,
D. C ., O cto b er 2 4 , 1966.
L etters from H orten se W. Avery t o W illiam A. F a g a l, from C hicago
(September 19, November 11, and December 2 3 , 1954; February 16,
May 22, and August 3, 1 9 5 5 ], and from H e s s e l l , M ichigan
(September 13, 1 9 5 5 ).
L ette r from Winton H. B eaven, form er c o l l e g e c la s s m a t e o f W illia m A.
F a g a l, now p r e s i d e n t and p r o f e s s o r o f s p e e c h , Columbia Union
C o l l e g e , Takoma Park, Maryland, J u ly 1 4, 1966.
L ette r from Eugene R. B etterm an, e x e c u t i v e s e c r e t a r y , Lutheran T e l e
v i s i o n P r o d u c tio n s ["This i s th e L i f e " ] , S t . L o u is , M i s s o u r i,
October 14, 1966.
L etter from Dr. C lo v is L. C h a p p e ll, prominent M eth o d ist clergyman and
a u th o r, W averly, T e n n e s s e e , A p r il 28 , 1962.
L ette r from Barbara C o ffe y , s e c r e t a r y t o book e d i t o r , Southern P u b l i s h
in g A s s o c i a t i o n , N a s h v i l l e , T e n n e ss e e , November 16, 1966.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

737

Letter from C e c i l C o ffe y , book e d i t o r , Sou thern P u b lis h in g A s s o c i a t i o n ,

N a s h v i l l e , T e n n e s s e e , J u ly 11, 1966.
Letters from Gordon D alrym ple, p u b l i c r e l a t i o n s d i r e c t o r and e d i t o r o f
p u b l i c a t i o n s , F a it h f o r Today, I n c . , New York, November 2 8,
1966; J u ly 18, 1968; and May 5 , 1969.
Letter from Mrs. Anna F a g a l, mother o f W illiam A. F a g a l, New York,
October 17, 1966.
Letters from V i r g i n i a F a g a l, w i f e o f W illia m A. F a g a l, New York,
J u ly 22, 1966; March 1, 1967; and June 2 0 , 1967.
L etters from W illiam A. F a g a l, New York:
November 7,
1966
October
November 9 ,
1966
December
J u ly
14,
196 7
May
J u ly
18,
1967
December
August
7, 1967

17,
12,
22,
9,

1967
1967
1968
1968

Letter from W illiam A. F a g a l, New York, March 8 , 1967, t o P a s t o r Gene

S i c k l e r , p a s t o r o f Green Corners B a p t i s t Church, B e ld in g ,
M ichigan.
L etter from Orval E. Faubus, O f f i c e o f th e Governor, S t a t e o f A rkansas,
L i t t l e Rock, December 4, 1964, t o Gordon F. D alrym ple, F a ith fo r
Today, I n c . , New York.
L etter from Laurence Frerk, prom otion d i r e c t o r , A. C. N i e l s e n Company,
C hicago, I l l i n o i s , December 15, 1966.
L etter from Iva S. F u r n iv a l, former c o l l e g e c a f e t e r i a manager du ring
W illiam F a g a l s c o l l e g e y e a r s , South L a n c a s t e r , M a ss., August 6 ,
1966.
L etters from J e s s e 0 . G ibson, s t a t i s t i c a l s e c r e t a r y , G eneral Conference
o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s , W ashington, D. C ., December 9 , 1966,
and December 2 3 , 1968.
L ette r from L. H. H a r t in , former c o l l e g e t e a c h e r o f W illia m A. F a g a l,
now r e t i r e d , u n d ated , from Angwin, C a l i f o r n i a , r e c e i v e d in
J u l y , 1966.
L etter from Ronald Haynes, programme manager, TCN-9, T e l e v i s i o n Corpora
t i o n , L t d . , Sydney, A u s t r a l i a , August 2 6 , 1966.
L ette r from Herbert G. Hohensee, sound e n g in e e r and form er member,
o r i g i n a l F a ith f o r Today Q u a r te t, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , New
York, August 1, 1968.
L etter from Kenneth J . H o lla n d , e d i t o r o f These T im es, N a s h v i l l e ,
T en n essee, J u l y 14, 1966.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

738

Letters from F r a n k lin W. H udgins, s t a t i o n s r e l a t i o n s d i r e c t o r , F a ith f o r

Today, I n c . , New York, December 19 , 1966, and March 8, 1967, and
May 10, 1969.
Letter from N o v e l i s t E l i z a b e t h Kata, Sydney, A u s t r a l i a , November 2 , 1966.
Letter from C h e ste r E. K e llo g g , former c o l l e g e b u s i n e s s manager du ring
W illia m F a g a l ' s c o l l e g e y e a r s , u n d ated , postmarked a t M ilfo r d ,
New Hampshire, J u l y 2 2 , 1966.
L etter from R o c h e lle P. K ilg o r e , former c o l l e g e t e a c h e r o f W illiam A.
Fagal and now placem ent d i r e c t o r , A t l a n t i c Union C o l l e g e , South
L a n c a s te r , M a ss., J u ly 2 8 , 1966.
L etter from R. J . King, radio-T V s e c r e t a r y , Q ueensland C onference o f th e
S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t Church, B risb a n e, A u s t r a l i a , September 12,
1966, to N. E. P a s c o e , f i l m s u p e r v is o r , QTQ-9, Queensland
T e l e v i s i o n L t d ., B risb a n e .
L etter from Thomas H. K uchel, U n ited S t a t e s S e n a to r , W ashington, D. C .,
November 16, 1964, t o Gordon F. Dalrym ple, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . ,
New York.
L etters from W illia m R. Lawson, b u s in e s s manager, F a ith f o r Today, I n c . ,
New York, A p r il 2 , 1969, and May 7, 1969.
L ette r from Paul K. Lee, news e d i t o r , The A s s o c i a t e d P r e s s , San Fran
c i s c o , C a l i f o r n i a , J u ly 2 6 , 1968.
L etter from R ichard B. L ew is, academic dean, La S i e r r a C o l l e g e , R iv e r
s i d e , C a l i f o r n i a , November 4, 1966.
L etter from W. H. McKenzie, f i l m manager, TVW-7, TVW L t d ., Tuart H i l l ,
Western A u s t r a l i a , September 6 , 1966.
L etter from Rod MacLeish, f i r s t F a ith f o r Today s c r i p t w r i t e r , now
s e n i o r commentator, W estinghouse B r o a d c a s tin g Company, I n c . ,
W ashington, D. C ., March 13, 1967.
L etters from Arthur S. M axwell, e d i t o r , S ig n s o f t h e T im es, Mountain
View, C a l i f o r n i a , February 26 and March 15, 1965.
L etters from Arthur S. M axwell, e d i t o r , S ig n s o f th e Tim es, Mountain
View, C a l i f o r n i a , t o W illiam A. F a g a l, J u ly 15 and September 9 ,
1966.
L e tte r from H elen E. Moore, s p e c i a l s e r v i c e s e c t i o n , Marquis-Who's Who,
I n c . , C hicago, I l l i n o i s , January 11, 1967.
L e tte r from Robert E. Murray, s u p e r in t e n d e n t , S ch en ectad y P u b lic S c h o o ls
System , S c h e n e c ta d y , New York, May 31, 1966.
L e tte r from N. E. P a s c o e , f i l m s u p e r v i s o r , QTQ-9, Queensland T e l e v i s i o n
L t d ., B r isb a n e , A u s t r a l i a , September 20, 1966.

....

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L etter from Leo P f e f f e r , c o n s t i t u t i o n a l law y er, New York, t o W. M elvin

Adams, a s s o c i a t e s e c r e t a r y , r e l i g i o u s l i b e r t y departm ent,
General C onference o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s , Washington, D. C .,
March 16, 1962.
L etter from Robert H. P i e r s o n , p r e s i d e n t , G eneral C onference o f S e v en th day A d v e n t i s t s , W ashington, D. C ., A p r il 2 8 , 1967.
L etter from D. G. P r io r , dean o f s t u d e n t s , A t l a n t i c Union C o lle g e ,
South L a n c a ste r , M a ss., October 13, 1966.
L ette r from N e i l B. R e y n o ld s, C o n su lta n t-C o r p o r a te In fo rm a tio n R esources,
General E l e c t r i c Company, S ch e n e c ta d y , New York, December 5 ,
1966.
L ette r from Robert L. R eynolds, former c o l l e g e c la s s m a te o f W illiam A.
F a g a l, and l a t e r p r e s i d e n t , A t l a n t i c Union C o l l e g e , South
L a n c a ste r , M a ss., J u ly 19, 1966.
L ette r from James A. Rhodes, O f f i c e o f th e Governor, S t a t e o f Ohio,
Columbus, November 18, 1964, t o Gordon F. D alrym ple, F a ith f o r
Today, I n c . , New York.
L ette r from C a r t o o n is t C l i f f R ogerson, R. D. 2 , W yalusing, P e n n sy lv a n ia ,
March 10, 1967.
L etter from Oscar R. Schm idt, former c o l l e g e c la s s m a t e o f W illia m A.
F a g a l, and now l i b r a r i a n , A t l a n t i c Union C o lle g e , South Lan
c a s t e r , M a ss., J u l y 2 5, 1966.
L e tte r from W. R. L. S c r a g g , r a d i o - t e l e v i s i o n s e c r e t a r y , A u s t r a la s ia n
D i v i s i o n o f th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n t i s t Church, Wahroonga, N. S. W.,
A u s t r a l i a , March 2 , 1965.
[S in c e 1966, Scragg has s e r v e d as
a s s o c i a t e s e c r e t a r y , r a d i o - t e l e v i s i o n departm ent, General Con
f e r e n c e o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s , W ashington, D. C.]
L ette r

from Horace J . Shaw, d i r e c t o r o f p u b l i c r e l a t i o n s , Andrews U niver

s i t y , B e r r ie n S p r in g s , M ichigan, J u ly 9 , 1968.

L ette r from Gene S i c k l e r , p a s t o r , Green Corners B a p t i s t Church, B e ld in g ,

M ich igan, undated, t o W illiam A. F a g a l, New York, r e c e i v e d a t
F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , December 19, 1966.
L e tte r

from L. E. Smart, former c o l l e g e c la ss m a te o f W illiam A. F a g a l,

and now s e c r e t a r y , department o f e d u c a t io n , A t l a n t i c Union
C onferen ce o f S ev en th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s , South L a n c a ster , M ass.,
J u ly 2 5 , 1966.

L etter from K. W. S to n e , g e n e r a l manager, NBN-3, N e w c a stle B roa d castin g

5 T e l e v i s i o n C orp o ra tio n L im ited , Mosbri C r e s c e n t, N e w c a s tle ,
A u s t r a l i a , September 8, 1966.
L ette r from L is a T u m u re, p e r m is s io n s o f f i c e r , S t . M a rtin s P r e s s , I n c . ,
New York, November 7, 1966.

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740

L etter from O liv e Weeks, W illiam F a g a l ' s former h ig h s c h o o l t e a c h e r ,

S p r i n g f i e l d , Maine, J u l y 13, 1966.
L etter from E r n e s t N. Wendth, d i r e c t o r o f s t a t i o n r e l a t i o n s , F a i t h f o r
Today, I n c . , February 18, 1965.
L etter from N eal C. W ilson , v i c e p r e s i d e n t f o r N orth A m erica, G eneral
Conference o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t s , and chairman, Board o f
T r u s t e e s , F a ith f o r Today, I n c . , W ashington, D. C ., December 14,
1966.
L etter from Kenneth H. Wood, e d i t o r , Review and H era ld , W ashington, D. C .,
J u ly 15, 1966.

Other Sources

Calkins, E r lin g D. " M in is t e r 's M essage," Church B u l l e t i n o f th e

S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t Church, San ta Barbara, C a l i f o r n i a ,
A p r il 15, 1967.
"Facing a World o f Sound," l o n g - p l a y i n g phonograph r e c o r d in g , produced
j o i n t l y by th e D iogenes Lantern and th e S tu d en t A s s o c i a t i o n o f
P a c i f i c Union C o lle g e , Angwin, C a l i f o r n i a , 1961.
Notes from l e c t u r e by Dr. Madison Kuhn i n "Recent American H is to r y "
(HST 4 3 9 ) , Michigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , E ast L an sin g , M ich igan,
January 12, 1966.
Notes from l e c t u r e by W illiam Lockwood in " E d u cation a l A d m in is tr a tio n "
(ED 8 5 1 a ), Michigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , E ast L ansing, M ich igan,
June 2 9, 1965.
Program n o t e s on LP phonograph album c o v e r , "Two Sermons by C lo v is
G illham C h a p p e ll," "Great Sermons S e r i e s , " r e c o r d W-6105. Waco,
Texas: Word R ecords, I n c . , [ n . d . ] .
Audience r e sp o n se q u e s t i o n n a i r e su rv ey forms from 1 ,0 5 0 r e s p o n d e n t s ,
S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t Camp M ee tin g , Grand Ledge, M ichigan,
J u ly 17, 1965.
Audience r e s p o n se q u e s t io n n a ir e su rv ey forms from 59 r e s p o n d e n ts i n a
s u r v e y o f t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n management p e r s o n n e l i n North
America and o v e r s e a s , August and Septem ber, 1966.

...

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

APPENDIXES

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APPENDIX A

"SIGNS COUNSEL CORNER" FROM THE

SIGNS OF THE TIMES
JUNE, 1965
( P h o t o g r a p h ic a l ly Reproduced)

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

741

counsEL c o m
ADULT A N D TEEN -AG E PROBLEMS
A n sw ered by W illiam A . Fagal
D irector, "F a ith fo r T o d a y " TV P rogram
R A r> C L JB (Jfttf

FORGIVENESS

A FRAID T O D O RIGHT

QUESTION: H o w can G o d fo rg iv e m e fo r a sin fo r

which I can n o t seem to fo rg iv e m y self? I a tte n d m y
church reg u la rly a n d h a v e p ra y e d fo r fo rg iv en ess. I am
told th at G o d w an ts to fo rg iv e an d ta k e m y b u rd e n , a n d
yet w hy c an t I fo rg iv e m yself?

QUESTION: H av e you ev er k n o w n a n y o n e w h o w anted

to d o rig h t, b u t fo r som e s tra n g e reaso n w as a fra id to
d o so? I am such a p e rso n . W h a t can I d o a b o u t it?

ANSWER: W hat is there about this particular sin w hich

makes it different? Could it be that this is a sin which
you have always despised in others and against w hich you
have spoken strongly? Perhaps you are having to pay some
long-range price for this m istake w hich makes its easy dis
missal from your m ind impossible. N o m atter; rem em ber
David's prayer: "For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to
forgive; and plenteous in m ercy unto all them that call
upon Thee." Psalm 86:5. Isaiah enjoined, "Let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and
let him return unto the Lord, and H e will have mercy upon
him; and to our God, for H e w ill abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55:7. If God does not hold the enorm ity of your
transgression against you, having already granted your re
quest for forgiveness, then take heart in this promise:
"There is rherefore now no condem nation to them which
are in Christ Jesus. Rom ans 8:1. Y ou need not hold
against yourself som ething for which even H eaven does
not condemn you.

CO NFESSING CHRIST
QUESTION: H ow can I o v erco m e self-consciousness r e
garding my faith in G od? I believ e, b u t I am a fra id to
adm it it to o thers a n d to ta lk o f m y fa ith . I h av e p ra y e d
to G od to h e lp m e o v erco m e th is, b u t I d o n o t yet k n o w
the answ er. I am tw en ty -o n e years o ld .
ANSWER: Jesus promised, "W hosoever therefore shall
confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My
Father which is in heaven. B ut whosoever shall deny Me
before men, him will I also deny before My Father which
is in heaven." M atthew 10:32, 33. C hrist wants us w ill
ingly and gladly to confess our love for H im to our fellowmen. W hen we accept C hrists gift for us on Calvary, we
cannot help but talk of H im to others. God adm onished
Paul, "Be no r afraid, but speak, and hold n o t thy peace: for
1 am with thee, and no m an shall set on thee to hurt thee."
Acts 18:9, 10. W e, too, are called upon to speak fearlessly
of our faith. Perhaps you are shy and, therefore, hesitant to
converse on any subject. However, begin, even though
ever so timidly, to tell your own personal experience re
garding how Christ changed your life. Gradually you will
become accustomed to speaking easily and naturally about
your Christian faith.

24

ANSWER: Since it is m uch m ore comfortable to con

tinue in tried and known paths, many individuals fear
taking steps into the unknown. If possible, try to analyze
why you are afraid to "do right." D o you fear the scorn of
friends and loved ones, or is it difficult to cut off evil habits
and associates? The psalmist said, "W hen I am afraid, I
p u t my trust in Thee. In God, whose word I praise, in God
I trust w ithout a fear. W h at can flesh do to m e? Psalm
56:3, 4, R.S.V. The answer to fear is trust complete trust
in the goodness and providence of God. W hen you know
that you are following H eavens will for you, of w hat can
you possibly be afraid? T he psalmist testified regarding
his own experience, "I sought the Lord, and H e answered
me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4, R.S.V.
Then he added this word of counsel: "Look to H im , and be
radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. Verse 5,
R.S.V.

R E IN C A R N A TIO N
QUESTION: W h a t do you th in k o f re in c a rn a tio n o r th e
tra n sm ig ra tio n o f th e soul? I h a v e a n e ig h b o r w h o be
lieves in th is v ery th o ro u g h ly a n d has. q u o te d th e state
m e n t o f C h rist, "Y e m u st b e b o rn a g a in , as p ro o f o f h er
b elief th a t it is p o ssib le to b e re b o rn in a n o th e r form .
D oes th e B ible su p p o rt th is idea?
ANSWER: Y our friend has taken C hrists words out of
their setting in applying them to reincarnation. The new
birth as referred to by Christ is a spiritual experience in
which one forsakes a past life of sin and seeks a new ex
perience wrought miraculously by the Holy Spirit. H e is
then a new creature born "not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible. T he doctrine of reincarnation originated
in the teachings of heathen religions. It became popular
because of mans natural dread of death and the silence of
the grave. Reincarnation, even in another form, at best
gave promise of another life, even though it, too, m ight
be short and troubled. Christians have som ething more
satisfying than that. W e do not look forward to rebirth
in another body in this world, but we do look forward to
resurrection and eternal life in a perfect world.

If you h a v e a q uestion, a d d re ss it to " S ig n s " Counsel C o rn er, "S igns o f

th e Tim es," M ountoin View, C alifo rn ia 94041, Enclose a five-eent stam p
a n d y o u r n a m e a n d a d d re ss. A nonym ous q u e stio n s c a n n o t b e a n sw e re d .

SIGNS OF THE TIMES, June, 1965

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742

things rem ind us th a t w e are still living in a world from

which sin has not yet been removed. Tragedies like yours
make us look forw ard eagerly to th e com ing of our Lord,
who will do away w ith sin, sickness, death, and grief, and
give' us, if faithful, a place in H is kingdom . Let your sad
experiences lead you to greater dedication and a renewal of
faith in a heavenly Father who grieves with us and w ill
eventually deliver us from the effects of sin.

W IN N IN G OTHERS FOR CHRIST

QUESTION: 1 h av e b e e n a m e m b e r o f th e c h u rc h n o w
for a n u m b er o f y ea rs a n d h a v e h e a rd m u c h said in ser
mons re g a rd in g th e im p o rta n c e o f each p e rs o n s w in n in g
someone else to C h rist. T o m y k n o w le d g e I h a v e n e v e r
persuaded an y o n e to becom e a C h ris tia n a n d c e rta in ly
have never influenced an y b o d y to jo in th e ch u rc h . W h a t
can I do to ch an g e th is reco rd ?
ANSWER: It has been said that w e learn to fish by fish
ing. Perhaps it can also be said that we learn to w in souls
only as we prayerfully try to do so. Since no argum ent in
the world is m ore pow erful than that of a person's own
experience, watch for opportunities to tell others of the
change which the Saviour has m ade in your life since your
conversion. Let this be a natural p art o f your daily con
versation. Talk about Jesus rather than about a church or
a creed or any other Christian. Usually it is better to talk
to one person alone than to try to talk to tw o or three at
once. Never let yourself be draw n into an argum ent; for
while you may win all of the ensuing debates, this m ethod
will seldom w in a soul. H elp others to accept the Lord
Jesus Christ as their Saviour, know ing that after conversion
they will be willing to follow H im wherever H e leads.
Pray that God will help you as you attem pt to w in others.

J O H N THE BAPTIST'S DIET

QUESTION: In M a tth e w 3:4 w e a re to ld th a t J o h n th e
B a p tist a te locusts a n d w ild h o n ey . T h is seems to m e to
b e a n u n w h o le so m e d ie t. P lease g iv e y o u r view s.
ANSWER: The English word "locust indicates both an
insect and a certain kind of tree. T h e Greek word akris,
from which "locust is translated, seems always to refer
to the insect, a fact w hich has led m ost commentators to
conclude that Jo h n s diet consisted of a type of grasshopper
dipped in honey. H ow ever, some scholars believe that the
word akris means som ething other than the insect. Johns
locusts may have been pods from the carob tree, cultivated
extensively in lands bordering the M editerranean Sea. These
carob pods are flat, somewhat similar to lima bean pods,
and from six to ten inches in length. T hough not particu
larly palatable, they have substantial nutritive value and
have long been a staple article of diet o f the poorer classes
of the N ear East. T h e carob is know n in our language as
a locust tree, and its beans are popularly called Saint-Johnsbr'ead. A uthorities seem to be agreed that the nutritious
value o f the locust insect is extremely small, and insuffi
cient, even w ith honey, to support life, thus giving addi
tional w eight to the argum ent favoring the carob pod.

"B O R N -A G A IN " C H R ISTIA N S

QUESTION: W h e n a p e rso n h a s becom e a C h ristia n ,
has he been b o rn a g a in ? 1 J o h n 3:9 says th a t w h o e v e r is
born of G o d does n o t c o m m it sin. I b eliev e ev ery o n e
sins.
ANSWER: U nfortunately, it would not be accurate to
state that everyone w ho has united w ith th e church or called
himself a Christian has been born again. T he new b irth is
a spiritual experience w hich has little to do with a m ans
religious profession. M any who call themselves Christians
have never known the experience of conversion. Being
born again, however, should precede baptism and church
membership, as it is indeed a prerequisite for successful
Christian living. A born-again Christian does not continue
habitually to sin, for he now hates the sins he used to love
and loves the virtues w hich he used to despise. W ith o u t
doubt, he will make mistakes, for which in repentance he
will seek forgiveness; but in the experience of the new
birth his nature has been changed, and his whole desire
now is to live for God.

SH O U L D A C HRISTIAN M A R R Y A
N O N -C H R IS T IA N ?
QUESTION: I h a v e b e en g o in g w ith a y o u n g lady fo r
som e tim e , a n d w e a re c o n sid e rin g m a rria g e . Y et I w o rry
o v er th e fact th a t she is a stu d e n t a t th e u n iv ersity in
to w n a n d h as lo st h e r fa ith since a tte n d in g th ere. D o y o u
b eliev e th a t if I le a d a go o d C h ris tia n life a fte r w e are
m a rrie d she w ill r e tu r n to th e c h u rc h ?
ANSWER: If your Christian life does not lead her to re
gain her lost faith before marriage, w hat causes you to be
lieve that it will do so after marriage? Too many people
hopefully expect a m iracle to take place after the wedding
ceremony which will lead an unbeliever to a rich Christian
experience. Such is rarely the case. Consider well the
strong and positive counsel of G ods W ord: "Do not be
mismated w ith unbelievers. For w hat partnership have
righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light
w ith darkness? W h a t accord has Christ with Belial? O r
w hat has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" 2 Co
rinthians 6:14, 15, R.S.V. Such adm onition should never
be taken lightly, for the Scriptures also ask, "Can two walk
together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3. D o all in
your pow er n ow to help your friend see the necessity of
having faith in God if her life is to be truly meaningful and
satisfactory. If all efforts in this direction fail, then unless
you w ant to have a hom e from w hich the shadows are
never truly lifted, do not link your life with one who does
not share your love for God.

W HY D O TRAGEDIES H A P P E N ?
QUESTION: O u r o n ly so n , a tw en ty -o n e-y ear-o ld p ilo t,
w as k illed in th e K o re a n W a r. M y w ife s o n ly n e p h e w
w as killed in W o rld W a r II. O u r d a u g h te r d ie d tw o a n d
a h a lf years ag o , le a v in g tw o little g irls w h o m o u r sonin-law w ill n o t p e rm it us to co n ta c t in a n y w ay. M y w ife 's
m other, o n e o f th e m o st w o n d e rfu l C h ris tia n w o m e n I
have ever k n o w n , w as k ille d in a n a u to m o b ile accid en t
at age fifty-five. W h y ? W h a t is th e a n sw er?
ANSWER: O ur "whys will never be answered com
pletely this side of heaven. Only G od knows why some
things happen to us, and the speculation in the world will
not provide us with an answer to our questioning. H ow
ever, it is our Christian privilege to trust in G ods wisdom
even though we cannot understand. These unfortunate
S IG N S

OF

THE

T IM E S ,

J u n o ,

1965

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

25

APPENDIX B

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS

SPRING COMMENCEMENT
ANDREWS UNIVERSITY
BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN
SUNDAY, MAY 28, 1967
10 A.M.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS

SPRING COMMENCEMENT
ANDREWS UNIVERSITY
BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN
SUNDAY, MAY 2 8 , 1967
10 A.M.
C o n fe r rin g o f Honorary Degree
[P r e s id e n t R ichard Hammill] The u n i v e r s i t y f a c u l t y r e c o g n iz e s
that advanced l e a r n i n g comes n o t o n ly to t h o s e who a r e e n r o l l e d i n
u n i v e r s i t i e s , t h a t a p e r s o n may a c h ie v e h ig h e r e d u c a tio n --a d v a n c e d
e d u c a tio n --o n h i s own; and t h a t h e may c o n t r ib u t e i n a v e r y o u t s ta n d in g
way to th e development o f s o c i e t y , t o th e developm ent o f s c h o l a r s h i p ,
and to the p r o g r e s s o f th e church.
In view o f our r e c o g n i t i o n o f t h i s , we d e s i r e t o pay s p e c i a l
tr ib u te t o one p erso n t h a t has made an o u t s ta n d in g c o n t r i b u t i o n . And I
would l i k e to ask our sp e a k e r o f t h e morning, E ld er W. A. F a g a l, to
stand here by my s i d e w h ile th e Dean o f th e T h e o l o g i c a l Seminary read s
to you, E ld er F a g a l, a C i t a t i o n .
[Dean W. G. C. Murdoch] P r e s id e n t Hammill, th e c a n d id a te whom I
present to you t o r e c e i v e an hon orary degree from Andrews U n i v e r s i t y i s
Pastor W illiam A. F a g a l.
For t h e p a s t 17 y e a r s he h a s been d i r e c t o r and
speaker o f th e t e l e v i s i o n program, " F a ith f o r Today." His d i s t i n g u i s h e d
s e r v ic e in th e f i e l d o f r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n i s o n ly one c h a p te r i n a
career th a t has c o n t r ib u t e d much t o th e S ev en th -d a y A d v e n t i s t Church,
and to th e l i v e s o f m i l l i o n s o u t s i d e th e b o u n d a r ie s o f t h i s church.
P a sto r Fagal e n t e r e d th e A d v e n t i s t m in is t r y i n 1939 a f t e r h i s
graduation from A t l a n t i c Union C o l l e g e .
[His f i r s t p a s t o r a t e was a t
Elmira, New York, where he was s u p e r in t e n d e n t o f a d i s t r i c t o f f i v e
churches.
In 1942, he was c a l l e d t o B u f f a l o , New York, to conduct a
large e v a n g e l i s t i c campaign in K le in a n 's Music H a l l , a t t h a t tim e one o f
the f i n e s t au d itoriu m s i n th e s t a t e o u t s id e o f New York C ity . The
campaign was a n o t a b le s u c c e s s , and P a sto r F agal c o n tin u e d as p a s t o r o f
the B u ffa lo S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t i s t Church u n t i l 1 9 4 4 .]
A new c h a p te r opened i n h i s e x p e r ie n c e when h e was c a l l e d [a t
the age o f 25] t o p a s t o r th e W ashington Avenue Church i n Brooklyn, New
York. He m in is t e r e d t o t h i s c o n g r e g a t io n u n t i l 1950.
During t h i s time
he h e ld e v a n g e l i s t i c s e r v i c e s i n a m usic h a l l in B rooklyn each w i n t e r ,
and he conducted a w eekly r a d io b r o a d c a s t o v e r s t a t i o n WJZ, e n t i t l e d ,
"The B ib le Auditorium o f th e A i r ."
In s i x y e a r s , h i s church more than
t r i p l e d i t s membership.

743

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744

During th e p o s t-w a r y e a r s , a new communication medium was

beckoning th e youn g, s u c c e s s f u l m i n i s t e r . T e l e v i s i o n was coming i n t o
i t s own, and P a s t o r Fagl was im p re sse d w ith i t s p o s s i b i l i t i e s .
On
Sunday, May 2 1, 1950, th e f i r s t t e l e c a s t o f " F a ith f o r Today" was b r o a d
c a st over s t a t i o n WJZ-TV. Seven months l a t e r , th e program expanded to
an e le v e n s t a t i o n t r a n s c o n t i n e n t a l network o f th e American B r o a d c a s t [ in g ]
Company, making i t th e f i r s t network TV program sp o n so r ed by any
denomination, and th e o l d e s t network r e l i g i o u s b r o a d c a s t i n American
t e l e v i s i o n to d a y .
" F aith f o r Today" was s e l e c t e d by th e C h a p la in 's o f f i c e o f th e
Pentagon i n th e e a r l y 1950s f o r b r o a d c a s t on Armed F orces t e l e v i s i o n
s t a t io n s a t t a c h e d t o th e U. S. m i l i t a r y b a s e s o v e r s e a s . At one tim e i t
was a ir e d on s t a t i o n s i n 20 d i f f e r e n t f o r e ig n c o u n t r ie s by means o f t h i s
network a lo n e .
I t was th e f i r s t f e a t u r e - t y p e r e l i g i o u s program on t e l e
v is io n in A u s t r a l i a i n 1956 and in N ig e r ia i n 1960.
The program went from l i v e t e l e v i s i o n t o f i l m in J a n u a ry, 1956,
one o f th e f i r s t r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t s t o do s o ; and i t was a l s o th e f i r s t
r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t t o be t e l e v i s e d i n c o l o r , i n January, 1963.
It is
broadcast on 270 s t a t i o n s around th e w o r ld . And th e w e ek ly m a il from
these t e l e v i e w e r s runs a p p ro x im a te ly t o 10,000 l e t t e r s .
P a s to r Fagal has w r i t t e n 21 books [ s i n c e 1 9 5 0 ], i n c l u d i n g one
volume c o -a u th o r e d w ith h i s t a l e n t e d w i f e , V i r g i n i a .
[His book , By
Faith I L iv e , has had a c i r c u l a t i o n o f more than 3 0 0 ,0 0 0 c o p i e s . ]
Those who know P a s to r Fagal b e s t rega rd him as h i g h l y f o r h i s
v is io n as w e l l as h i s t e l e v i s i o n , h i s r e s o u r c e f u l n e s s , h i s h u m i l i t y , and
h is complete d e v o t io n t o th e cause t o which he has d e d ic a t e d h i s l i f e .
In r e c o g n it io n o f t h e c a n d id a t e 's s i g n i f i c a n t accom plishm ents as a
pioneer in r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n , and h i s c o n t r i b u t i o n s as a s p e a k e r and
an author, I p r e s e n t t o you, P r e s i d e n t Hammill, on b e h a l f o f th e Board
o f T ru stees and on b e h a l f o f th e f a c u l t y o f Andrews U n i v e r s i t y , W illia m
A. Fagal, as a c a n d id a te f o r th e hon orary degree o f D octor o f D i v i n i t y .
[P r e s id e n t Hammill] P a s to r F a g a l, i n view o f th e recommendation
that has been made by th e f a c u l t y o f Andrews U n i v e r s i t y , by v i r t u e o f
the a u t h o r it y v e s t e d i n me by th e Board o f T r u s t e e s , and by v i r t u e o f
the c h a r te r o f th e u n i v e r s i t y in c o r p o r a te d under th e laws o f th e S t a t e
o f Michigan, I c o n f e r upon you th e honorary d eg ree o f D octor o f D i v i n i t y .
And I t r u s t t h a t t h i s r e c o g n i t i o n may encourage you in your v e r y e x c e l
le n t e n d e a v o r s.
[W illiam A. F agal] P r e s id e n t Hammill, I ' d l i k e t o s a y j u s t a
word o f g r a t i t u d e t o you f o r t h i s s i g n a l honor. I f e e l v e r y unworthy;
anything t h a t we have acco m p lish ed has been by th e gra ce o f God and th e
goodness o f h ea ven . We have o n ly done what l i t t l e we c o u ld , and we have
to g iv e f u l l c r e d i t t o God f o r any accom plishm ents t h a t have b een made.
I am g r a t e f u l , in d e e d , f o r t h i s r e c o g n i t i o n ; and want t o e x p r e s s my s i n
cere a p p r e c ia t io n f o r i t .
I t r u s t t h a t b eca u se o f i t , our work f o r God
may be g r e a t e r and may a ccom p lish more. Thank you s o much.

SjM

...

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

APPENDIX C

LOG OF TELEVISION STATION COVERAGE

"FAITH FOR TODAY"
(MARCH-APRIL, 1969)

W*EL~.

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

745

MIN

YORK,

N. Y. 1 0 0 9 i

TH E FAM ILY RELIGIOUS TELECAST EVERY WEEK COAST TO COAST

Log of Television Station Coverage

{M orcb - A p ril. 1969)

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f3 ) S a t.

1:3 0 p m
1:30 p m

Se o u l

ffl

S a l.

1:3 0 p m

T o eg u
T a e io n

(2 )

S o t.

(4 )

S o t.

1:3 0 p m
1:30 p m

LIBERIA
M o n ro v ia

ffl

Ib a d a n

14) Sun.
( 3 J S un.

lo g o i

Sun.

B e n a v itto

0
CD

Sun.

Sun.

G ro n d Bank
G r a n d F a tli

(ID

CD

Sun,
Sun.

la w n
St- John*

Sun.
Sun.

6 00 pm
6 :0 0 p m

PHILIPPINES
C ebu

City

D a v a o C ity
M a n ila

(3 )

S un.

5 :3 0 p m

(3 )

Sun.

4 -CrO p in

PUERTO R ICO
M pygguoi
Pone*

'5 1 S u n.

Fri.

San Juon

St. C roix

(2 )

ffl

CO LO R S tn tio n t

10:30 om
10.30 am
10:30 om
10:30 om
10:30 om
10.30 a m
10:30 om

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Sun,

ISLANDS

4 .0 0 pm

3 :3 0 p m
3 :3 0 p m

T u ei. 10:3 0 p m

TRINIDAD
P o rt o f S p o in

IB

C o rn e r Brook

5un.

NIGERIA

NEW FOUNDUND
A rg e n tio

S a t.
S ot.

1:3 0 p m

C h u n th o n
C h u n e ju

V IR G IN

D a u p h in

TEXAS

Sun.
S un.

ill)

H ope

N a k u ip
11:0 0 a m

( 7 ) S un . 1 3 :0 0 m

El P a to

F a lk la n d

lu m b y

SOUTH CAROLINA

9 :0 0 a m

W aterloo

W ichita

9 :3 0

C3) S u n .

C e l.n o

QJ

N o ih v ille

N EW M EXICO
(ffl

11:3 0

TENNESSEE

Sioue City

KANSAS

Sun.

S un .

C onoe

R a p id C ity

C arfy l*

10:00 om
2:30 p m
10:00 om

BRITISH COLUMBIA

0 :3 0 o m

lo n c o tte r

le a d

NEVADA
t a t V ega!

ffl

8 ig River

KOREA

H o rr iib u rg

F lorence

IOW A
IB

M on. 8 0 0 a m
S un. 1 1:0 0 a m

[0

N EW HAMPSHIRE

Sun.
S un.

B
Q

1200 m

1 0 :3 0 a m

110; S u n .
S un.
1 7 / S un.

A ltic an *

6 :3 0 o m

03)
Q

PENNSYLVANIA
A lto o n a

10:00 o m
10:00 a m

OVERSEAS
(131 S un.
19) S u n .

S un.

Sun.

8 :0 0 a m

CANADA

ffl
ffl)

Sun.

12 0 0 m

8 :0 0 a m

llo y d m im le r

3 :3 0 p m
7 :3 0 a m

1 2 :0 0 m

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

S o t.

Sun.

O
O

Sun.

W o u k au

(8 j

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S p rin g fie 'd

ffl
CD

1 2 :0 0 m

ffl

7 :0 0 a m

ffl

S un.

D rum heU er

Sun.

K eo rn ey

ffl

1 1 :0 0 o m

(D

N o rth P la tt*
O m aha

M o d iso n

Boy

1 1 :0 0 a m

S t. lo w it

2 :0 0 p m
1 2 :0 0 m

s .
Sun.

6 :0 0 am

M a d iio n

a
EQ

G re e n

Sun.

P o r tla n d

Sun.
5uo,
Sun.

8 :0 0 a m

Sun.

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fa)

Sun.

P I

B 00 om

C laire

Sun.

H a l tin g !

9 :3 0 a m

W ISC O N SIN
E au

S un.
Sun.

SASKATCHEW AN
1 0 :0 0 a m
1 2 :0 0 m

Fri.

T u lto

P o rtla n d

A lb io n

Hill

S un.

O k lo h o m o City

7 :3 0 o m

9 :3 0 c

B a n ff
S o n n y y ill*
C a lg a ry

3 :0 0 p m

Sun,

WEST VIRG IN IA

O KLAHOMA

Sun.

o
0

O lio w a

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Sun.

Sun,

7 :1 5 a m

O H IO

O em in g

f o r t D odge

1)21 S un.

O ak

CD
(2 )

INDIANA

D e, M oinei

C lo rk tb u r g

ja p lin

S u p e r io r

ILLINOIS
C h am p aig n
D anville

Sun.

11:00 om

J * f ( ! ! n C ity

H a y e i C e n te r

IDAHO

Muncie
Terre H ovff

Sun.

8 :3 0 a n t

Hilo

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lo f o y r tle

rs

8 :3 0 a m

( 0

fH ) S u n .

Su n .

W illitto n

Sun.

M O N TA N A

Springfield

C h a r le ito n

Sun.

HAWAII

Sun.

1:00 p m
11.00 a m

9 .3 0 a m
6 :3 0 a m

S ot.

Sun.

9 .3 0 am

C o rn w a ll

S un.

7 :3 0 a m

9 .0 0 om
1 1 :30 a m

W A SH IN G T O N
S e a ttle

:io ;

9 :3 0 om
7 :3 0 a m

GEORGIA
A tlanta

M ISSISSIPPI
C o lu m b u i

8:30 a m

a>

lo w to n

<30

8:30 om

Sun.

Fargo*
G r a n d F ork1

10:30 o m
9:30 a m

CONNECTICUT

11:00 a m

S un.

M inot

10:00 a m

M IC H IG A N
C a d illa c

Sun.

O N TA RIO

S a t.

APPENDIX D

BUDGET AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FAITH FOR TODAY, INCORPORATED
(FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1968)

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

FAITH FOR TODAY, INCORPORATED

BUDGET - REVISED
1968
INCOME

S-l
S-2
S-3
S-4

Southern Union
Viewer D onations
Annual O f f e r in g
W.B.A. Commissions (n e t )
Donations from W il l s L e g a c ie s
Other O peratin g Income
I s r a e l i t e H e r ita g e I n s t i t u t e D onations
Rental P r o p e r ty ( l o s s )
T otal O perating Income

$ 1 5 ,0 0 0 .0 0
5 5 0 ,0 0 0 .0 0
2 7 5 ,0 0 0 .0 0
3 1 ,0 0 0 .0 0
1 0 ,0 0 0 .0 0
3 0 ,0 0 0 .0 0
1 ,0 0 0 .0 0
9 , 9 0 0 .0 0
$

9 2 1 ,9 0 0 .0 0

EXPENSE
T e le c a st Expenses:
S t a t io n Time R e l a t i o n s
S-5
S-6
Produ ction Expense
Film Department
S-7
T o ta l T e l e c a s t Expense

$ 2 5 2 ,4 5 0 .0 0
3 1 3 ,6 2 0 .0 0
4 2 ,5 9 0 .0 0
$ 6 0 8 ,6 6 0 .0 0

Viewer S e r v ic e 5 Promotion:
S-8
S a la r y Other Worker Exp. $ 1 0 6 ,8 5 0 .0 0
4 7 ,7 0 0 .0 0
S-9
A d v e r t is in g & Logs
2 8 ,5 0 0 .0 0
S-10 G ift o f th e Month
1 3 1 ,7 5 0 .0 0
S - l l T e le n o te s
3 2 ,7 5 0 .0 0
S-12 General Expenses
4 5 ,6 7 0 .0 0
Overhead
T o ta l Viewer S e r v i c e Pro.

3 9 3 ,2 2 0 .0 0

Bible School Expense:

$ 2 0 ,0 0 0 .0 0
B ib le Course R e v is io n
S-13 S ala ry 8 Other Worker Exp.
1 1 4 ,1 6 5 .0 0
2 0 ,7 0 0 .0 0
S-14 B ible L essons
3 ,5 0 0 .0 0
E nrollment Cards
2 4 ,0 0 0 .0 0
P ostage S h ip p in g
S-15 General S u p p lie s Expense
1 3 ,1 0 0 .0 0
S-16 I s r a e l i t e H e r ita g e I n s t i t u t e 1 5 ,8 5 0 .0 0
4 0 ,9 8 0 .0 0
Overhead
T otal B ib le S c h o o l Expense

2 5 2 ,2 9 5 .0 0

S-17

P r in t in g Department (Gain) Loss

T o ta l O p era tin g Expenses

1 , 2 5 4 , 1 7 5 .0 0
$

Operating Loss B efo re S u b s i d i e s

G. C. Regular A p p r o p r ia tio n
Conference A p p r o p r ia tio n s
I .H .I . A p p ro p ria tio n
T o ta l O p era tin g A p p r o p r ia tio n s

3 3 2 ,2 7 5 .0 0

$ 1 2 5 ,0 0 0 .0 0
1 9 7 ,4 5 0 .0 0
12 , 0 0 0 . 0 0

Operating Gain (L oss) A f t e r S u b s id ie s

746
R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

3 3 4 ,4 5 0 .0 0
2,175.00

FAITH FOR TODAY, INCORPORATED

STATEMENT OF INCOME 5 EXPENSE
FOR YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 3 1, 1968
INCOME

S-15

S-16
S-17

Southern Union
Viewer D onations
Annual O f f e r in g
D onations W ills L e g a c ie s
Other O p era tin g Income
I s r a e l i t e H e r it a g e D onations
R ental Income from P r o p e r t ie s
S e r v ic e s t o Trans-Ad, I n c .
T o ta l O p era tin g Income

$ 1 5 ,0 0 0 .0 0
5 4 6 , 9 6 2 .1 3
2 7 0 ,5 8 1 .6 9
1 0 ,1 4 5 .8 6
4 9 ,9 0 3 .4 8
7 6 6 .2 7
2 6 , 7 7 2 .1 4
1 2 ,6 0 0 .0 0
$

9 3 2 ,7 3 1 . 5 7

EXPENSE

T elec a st E xpense:
S-18 S t a t io n Time R e la t io n s
S-19 P roduction
S-20 Film Department
T o ta l T e l e c a s t Expense

$ 223, 940..35
327, 037.,20
38, 447.,28

Viewer S e r v ic e S P rom o tio n :

S-21 S ala ry fj Worker Expense
S-22 A d v e r tis in g Logs
S-23 G if t o f th e Month
S-24 T e le n o te s
S-25 General Expenses
Overhead
T o ta l Viewer S e r . Pro.

$108, 052..76
4 2 , 080.,48
31, 471..72
141, 273..07
32, 812.,85
4 4, 781.,75

$ 5 8 9 ,4 2 4 .8 3

4 0 0 ,4 7 2 .6 3

Bible School E x p en se:

$109, 968.,78
S-26 S a la r y Worker Expense
21, 461..17
S-27 B ib le L essons
Enrollm ent Cards
4 , 111..09
28, 412,.95
P ostage S h ip p in g
S-28 General S u p p l ie s Expense
18, 438..19
8, 936..62
S-29 I s r a e l i t e H e r ita g e I n s t i t u t e
Overhead
40, 281..21
T o ta l B ib le S ch o o l Expense

2 3 1 ,6 1 0 .0 1
1 7 ,6 5 8 .9 6
7 , 6 1 1 .2 5
7 ,9 9 6 .4 6

S-17 Expense on R e n ta l P r o p e r t i e s
S-30 P r in t in g Department Loss
A p p rop ria tion t o FFT Canadian
T o ta l O p eratin g Expense

1 ,2 5 4 ,7 7 4 .1 4
$

Operating Loss B efo re S u b s i d i e s

G. C. Regular A p p r o p r ia tio n
Conference A p p ro p ria tio n
I . H .I . A p p ro p ria tio n
T o ta l O p eratin g A p p ro p ria tio n

3 2 2 ,0 4 2 .5 7

$ 1 2 4 ,9 9 8 .8 2
1 9 7 ,4 4 9 .3 2
12 , 000.00
3 3 4 ,4 4 8 .1 4

Operating Gain A f t e r S u b s i d i e s

$
747

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

1 2 ,4 0 5 .5 7

748

Operating Gain A f t e r S u b sid y

12,405.57

NON-OPERATING
Income:
G. C. Equipment A p p r o p r ia tio n
Gain on S a le o f Equipment
M iscellan eou s Income
1967 VSP In v e n to r y Adjustment
1967 Film P r o d u c tio n Adjustm ent
1968 FFT Foundation W r ite -O ff

$ 5 0 ,0 0 0 .0 0
1 ,5 9 0 .5 0
5 ,4 8 3 .4 1
5 , 4 2 7 .0 0
2 ,7 7 8 .7 5
4 6 .4 4
$ 6 5 ,3 2 6 .1 0

Expense:
M iscella n eo u s Expense 1967 A d j.

2 ,6 0 3 .3 0
$ 6 2 ,7 2 2 .8 0

Trans f e r :
In: From B ib le Course R e v is io n Fund
For 1968 O p e r a tin g Expense
Net O perating Gain T r a n s f e r
Increase to Net Worth f o r 1968

2 , 2 7 6 .7 0
6 4 ,9 9 9 .5 0
$

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

7 7 ,4 0 5 .0 7

APPENDIX E

LIST OF TELEVISION SERMON TOPICS BY WILLIAM A. FAGAL

"FAITH FOR TODAY"
(1965)

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

LIST OF TELEVISION SERMON TOPICS BY WILLIAM A. FAGAL

"FAITH FOR TODAY"
(1965)

Program
Number

Program
T itle

a 6

344
345

Jan.
3
Jan. 10

M it c h e ll B ib le C ontest
The Im p e r fec t

346
347
348

Jan. 17
Jan. 24
Jan. 31

No A c cid en t
Mexican Adventure
Kretschmar I n te r v ie w

349

Feb.

P aren ts 1 Day

350
351
352

Feb. 14
Feb. 21
Feb. 28

Advent Song Show

Green Eyes
B ib le Prophecy V in d ic a te d

353
354
355

Mar.
7
Mar. 14
Mar. 21

S e n io r C i t i z e n
Talk I t Over
B ib le Cartoons

356

Mar. 28

Weisseman I n te r v ie w

357
358

A.pr. 4
Apr. 11

The P o s i t i v e No
The D e se r t

359
360

Apr. 18
Apr. 25

E a s te r Song Show
The B ribe

361
362
363
----

May
May
May
May

364
365
366
367
368
369

Sermon
Topic

(No Sermon)
P a r e n ts' o b l i g a t i o n to
t r a i n youth p r o p e r ly .
Meaning o f f a i t h .
(No Sermon)
(No Sermon)
D iv o r c e , broken homes, and
th e c h i l d .
(No Sermon)
Gossip e v i l s u r m is in g .
Prophecy: Baby, T yre, Sid on.
How t o grow o ld i n God.
Power i n p r a y e r .
C e r ta in ty o f f u l f i l l m e n t
o f B i b l i c a l proph ecy.
(No Sermon)
Importance o f c h i l d t r a i n i n g
Running away from duty:
C h r i s t i a n i t y and e sc a p ism .
(No Sermon)
God's w i l l v s . man's w i l l .

Newberg I n te r v ie w
The Voyage
Gamblers Anonymous
(Repeat Program)

(No Sermon)
C h r is t ia n view o f d ea th .
(No Sermon)

Sep. 26

The Debt

S e lfish n e ss fo rg iv en ess.

Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.

B o l i v i a I n te r v ie w
Double Q u a r te t
The T a le n ts
S c o f i e l d I n te r v ie w
Time o f th e End

(No Sermon)
(No Sermon)
Improving o n e 's t a l e n t s .
(No Sermon)
2nd Coming o f C h r is t .

2
9
16
23

3
10
17
24
31

749

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Program
Number

Program
T itle

Date

Sermon
T opic

370
371

Nov.
7
Nov. 14

The Bad Sam aritan

K aren's Fears

372
-----

Nov. 21
Nov. 28

Japan T ravelogu e
Advent Song Show (R epeat)

373

Dec.

D iff e r e n c e s

374
375
376

Dec. 12
Dec. 19
D ec. 26

Danny's Problem
C hristm as Song Show
The G if t

R e c a p itu la tio n :

Concern fo r o t h e r s .
God's d ir e c t i o n in i n d i
v id u a l's l i f e .
(No Sermon)
(No Sermon)
Human im p e r fe c tio n &
s e lf-r e a liz a tio n .
C hoosing a l i f e ' s com panion.
(No Sermon)
C h r is t - - t h e G if t o f God.

For th e Year 1965

New Programs Produced ................... 33

In te r v ie w s
. . . . . .
7
T ra v elo g u es ........................ 2
D ram atic + S erm on ette . 20
M u sical .................................
4

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

APPENDIX F

CHRONOLOGICAL SUBSTANCE OUTLINE OF

WILLIAM A. FAGAL'S SERMON
"PAUL AT CORINTH"

D e liv e r e d
B a t t le Creek T a b ern a cle
B a t t le C reek, M ichigan
F ebruary 6 , 1965
4 :3 0 p.m .

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

CHRONOLOGICAL SUBSTANCE OUTLINE OF

WILLIAM A. FAGAL'S SERMON
"PAUL AT CORINTH"

INTRODUCTION
A.

L et me tu rn now, and speak to you t h i s a fte r n o o n in t h i s v e sp e r s

h o u r , as t h i s w on d erfu l Sabbath i s coming to a c l o s e , from a
v e r s e o f S c r ip tu r e t h a t ' s found in I C o r in th ia n s , th e second
c h a p te r .
I'm g o in g to rea d v e r s e s 1 th rou gh 5 . I'm g o in g to
rea d t h i s fromn o t from th e King James V e r s io n , b u t I'm g o in g
t o rea d i t from th e New E n g lis h B ib le .
I lik e i t ju s t a l i t t l e
b e tte r ; i t ' s ju s t a l i t t l e c le a r e r .
The A p o s tle P au l i s w r itin g
t h e s e w ords. T his i s h is e p i s t l e to th e church a t C o rin th .
Here i s what h e s a y s :

B.

"As f o r me, b r o t h e r s , when I came to y o u , I d e c la r e d th e tr u th

o f God w ith o u t d is p la y o f f i n e words or w isdom . I r e s o lv e d
th a t w h ile I was w ith you I w ould th in k o f n o th in g b u t J e su s
C h r is t C h r is t n a i l e d t o th e c r o s s . I came b e fo r e you weak,
n erv o u s as I was th e n , sh a k in g w ith f e a r .
The words I sp o k e,
th e g o s p e l I p r o c la im e d , d id n o t sway you w ith s u b t le argum ents.
I t c a r r ie d c o n v ic t io n by s p i r i t u a l pow er, so t h a t you r f a i t h
m ight be b u i l t , n o t upon human wisdom , b u t upon th e power o f
God."

C.

You know, t h i s t e x t d e s tr o y s an image t h a t I ' v e c a r r ie d around

w ith me f o r a lon g tim e o f th e A p o s tle P a u l!
1. I 'v e th ou gh t o f him as b e in g b o ld and a g g r e s s iv e ,
and f e a r
in g n o th in g , p r e a c h in g th e g o s p e l w h erev er he had a chance.
2 . I t n e v e r o ccu rred to me t h a t h e 'd e v e r had a tim e o f
n e r v o u s n e s s , and th a t h e 'd e v e r shake w ith f e a r , and th a t
h e 'd e v e r be weak. But h e r e h e s a y s he w as, when he went
t o C o r in th .
3. And I im m ed ia tely t r y to f ig u r e out why he f e l t t h i s way,
BODY

I.

WHY WAS HE WEAK, AND NERVOUS, AND SHAKING WITH FEAR? W e ll, I can
th in k o f a c o u p le o f r e a so n s--m a y b e th e r e are more, b u t I can th in k
o f a t l e a s t tw o.
A.

One was th e e x p e r ie n c e th rou gh w hich h e 'd j u s t p a s s e d . He'd

j u s t come from A th en s.
1. Now A thens was a c i t y th a t was j u s t a s e a t o f i n t e l l i g e n c e ,
p la c e o f wisdom o f th e a n c ie n t w o rld .

751

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

752

2.

To even th in k abou t tr y in g t o p rea ch th e g o s p e l was enough

to s c a r e anybody. T ried t o th in k o f how h e 'd do i t ; d id n 't
q u ite know how h e 'd go about i t .
a . F i n a l l y , he g o t t o th in k in g to h im s e lf , Those fo lk
th e r e in A thens are d i f f e r e n t .
I 'v e g o t to ta lk t h e ir
la n g u a g e. T h ey 're p r e t t y ed u ca ted .
b . When th e y t a lk p h ilo s o p h y , I 'v e g o t to t a lk p h ilo s o p h y .
When th e y t a lk s c i e n c e , I ' v e g o t to t a lk s c ie n c e .
3. So he d e c id e d t o u se th a t ty p e o f approach th e r e in A th en s.
3'. I was in A thens a few y e a r s a g o .
a . As soon as I a r r iv e d in a h o t e l , I d e c id e d t o ta k e a
s i g h t - s e e i n g t r i p . Som ething I ' d heard about a l l my
l i f e , and w anted to s e e .
Go up to th e top o f the
A c r o p o lis , and I d view th e P arthenon.
b . I had no tr o u b le a t a l l in a rra n g in g a g u id ed t o u r - q u it e a number o f us were g o in g a lo n g . We g o t aboard a
bus th e r e a t th e h o t e l . E n g lis h -s p e a k in g g u id e , young
la d y , drove us o v er to th e bottom o f a l i t t l e h i l l
t h e r e - - a l i t t l e m ou n tain --an d th en we s t a r t e d clim b in g
up a z ig - z a g p a th toward th e to p .
c.
About h a l f way up, sh e p o in te d to a mound o f ea rth o ver
on th e l e f t s i d e .
She s a i d , "Do you s e e th a t ea rth ?
That i s Mars H i l l ! "
d. Mars H i l l !
T h a t's th e p la c e where Paul preach ed th e
g o s p e l a t A th en s. T h a t's where th a t e x p e r ie n c e took
p la c e t h a t ' s d e s c r ib e d in some d e t a i l in th e Book o f
A cts !
e.
In th a t moment I l o s t a l l my i n t e r e s t in th e P arthenon.
I d e c id e d to s t a y on I ' d l i k e to s t a y th e r e on Mars
H ill.
But my t h r i f t y German b lo o d i s n ' t th e r e fo r
n o th in g .
I ' d a lr e a d y p a id my way on th e gu id ed to u r .
I d e c id e d I ' d have to g e t my m oney's w orth. And so I
t r o t t e d on m eekly up t o th e to p , and l i s t e n e d to e v e r y
th in g th e y c o u ld t e l l us about th e P a r th e n o n --it was
w o r th w h ile .
f . And on th e way b a ck , I saw a g a in Mars H i l l .
The group
and th e g u id e went on down and l e f t me. I sta y e d on
Mars H i l l .
g . I g o t o u t my l i t t l e B ib le .
I read from th e Book o f
A c ts .
I t r i e d to r e l i v e th a t e x p e r ie n c e where Paul
sa y s about th e Unknown God th a t th e y had th e r e , and a l l
th e o th e r gods around t h e r e , when he ta lk e d about th e
Unknown God, he s a id , "In whom y e ig n o r a n t ly w o r sh ip ,
Him p reach I u n to y o u ."
h . I g o t th e t h r i l l o f i t a l l o v er a g a in , j u s t tr y in g t o
s e e what t h a t man must have done, p r e a ch in g th e r e in
th e m id st o f su ch le a r n in g .
4. He d id a n ic e jo b , I ' d s a y . J u s t one th in g wrong. He l e f t
Athens in d isco u ra g em en t, and in some d e f e a t .
a.
He d id n 't le a v e a church b eh in d him in A th en s. No
p e o p le th e r e a t a l l t h a t formed i n t o a church.
b . There were a few c o n v e r ts th a t are named th e r e in
A th en s, and perhaps th e y came out o f th a t Mars H i l l

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5.

6.

7.

B.

p r e a c h in g .
I ' d l i k e to hope s o . I b e l i e v e th ey
p r o b a b ly d id .
a". But no r e a l church o r g a n iz a tio n , no r e a l s u c c e s s .
As P au l w alked on h i s way toward h i s n e x t ap p o in tm en t,
w hich was in C o r in th , I'm su r e he was a s k in g h im s e lf some
p r e t t y b i g q u e s t io n s . Any tim e a man e v e r s e t s ou t to sa v e
s o u l s , and fin d s th a t i t h a s n 't worked, he a sk s h im s e lf - - o r
sh o u ld ask h im s e lf--s o m e p r e t t y b ig q u e s tio n s :
a. W hat's wrong? Why th e f a i l u r e ? Why w e r e n 'twhy d id n 't
I have s u c c e s s back th er e ?
When P au l a r r iv e d in C o rin th , he t o ld th e b e l i e v e r s th e r e
y e a rs l a t e r what he d e c id e d . He s a id :
a. "As
f o r me, b r o th e r s , when I came to y o u , Id e c la r e d
th e tr u th o f God w ith o u t d is p la y o f f i n e words or
wisdom . I r e s o lv e d t h a t w h ile I was w ith y o u , I w ould
th in k o f n o th in g b u t J e su s C h r is t - - C h r is t n a il e d to th e
c r o s s ."
b . And he d id i t in C o rin th .
c . And as a r e s u l t o f him d oin g i t , he r a is e d up a church
th er e .
(1 ) You f in d l e t t e r s to th e C o r in th ia n s , th e E p h esia n s,
th e G a la t ia n s , th e T h e s s a lo n ia n s , th e C o lo s s ia n s ,
(2 ) But you d o n 't f in d a l e t t e r to th e A th e n ia n s. No
church back th e r e .
c". B u t, thank God, t h e r e 's a church in C o rin th , r a is e d up
by th e A p o s tle Paul as a r e s u l t o f h is p r e a c h in g J e su s
C h r is t .
W ell, h e was n ervou s as he lo o k ed forw ard to C o rin th . W ell
he m ight have b e e n .

BUT THERE WAS A SECOND THING THAT PROBABLY MADE HIM NERVOUS,
AND WEAK, AND SHAKE WITH FEAR. And th a t was th e problem th a t
C orin th i t s e l f p r e s e n te d .
Do you remember a n y th in g about
C orinth?
1. That was a pagan c i t y .
Very few p e o p le th a t w e r e n 't
h ea th en in i t .
a. T here were a few Jew s;
b . P r a c t i c a l l y no C h r is tia n s .
2. They u se d to have an e x p r e s s io n back th e r e in th e a n c ie n t
w o r ld -- " to C o r in th ia n iz e ," or " to l i v e l i k e a C o r in th ia n ."
a. And th a t meant one th in g :
a p erso n l i v i n g l i k e a
C o r in th ia n was l i v i n g a v ery im m oral, d i s s o l u t e , p r o f
l i g a t e l i f e . H e'd sunk r ig h t down to th e b ottom .
T h a t's th e k in d o f l i f e th ey liv e d in C o rin th .
3. They had a tem p le th e r e in C orinth which th e y had d e d ic a te d
to V e n u s--A p h r o d ite .
a. Upon th e s t a f f o f th e tem ple th ey m a in ta in ed one
th ou san d p r i e s t e s s - p r o s t i t u t e s !
b. And from t h e i r e a r n in g s , th e c i t y government o f C orinth
was ru n .
3". They had d e i f i e d s e n su o u s n e ss . They had g o tte n about as
fa r away from God's p la n f o r man as th ey c o u ld g e t .
Can
you im agin e how Paul must have f e l t , coming in t o th a t c i t y
to p rea ch th e g o s p e l?

.l .

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754

a.
b.
II.

He s a i d , "When I came t o y o u , b r o t h e r s , I was weak, I

was n e r v o u s , I was sh a k in g w ith f e a r ."
I th in k I m igh t have b e e n , t o o .

WELL, WHAT HAPPENED WHEN HE GOT THERE?

A.

F i r s t th in g t h a t an e v a n g e l i s t has to do in a new p la c e i s fin d

a p la c e to l i v e .
1. He lo o k ed around, and he found A q u illa and P r i s c i l l a .
P rob ab ly th e H oly S p i r i t le d him to t h i s m arried c o u p le .
a.
They w ere C h r is tia n J ew s.
b.
T h ey'd o n ly come th e r e to C o rin th a few months b e f o r e .
c.
T hey'd come from Rome.
d.
T hings had gone r a th e r b a d ly o v e r in Rome.
(1) The Emperor C la u d iu s, in about th e y e a r A.D. 50 or
5 1 , had p a s s e d an e d i c t th a t a l l th e Jews had to
g e t out o f Rome.
(a) And th e r e a so n was b e c a u se h e a c cu se d them o f
in c itin g r io t s .
(i)
Arid th e r i o t s , h i s t o r y t e l l s u s , were
r e g a r d in g a man named " C h r e sto s."
C -H -R-E-S-T-O -S.
(ii)
H is t o r ia n s f e e l th a t u n d o u b ted ly t h a t
was C h r is t, J e su s C h r is t.
( a ' ) And I can s e e how th a t w ould happen.
(i'3
The Jewish C h ristia n s were preach in g
J esu s C h r ist.
(ii')
And th o s e who were n o t C h r is tia n s
d id n 't li k e i t .
( i i i ' 3 And some r i o t s ensued, and some v i o
len ce was encountered.
(b ) And th e Emperor s a i d , "A c u r se on b o th your
h o u s e s ."
(c ) And he s e n t b o th th e J e w s -- C h r is t ia n s and
n o n - C h r is t ia n s o u t o f Rome.
(23 A c q u illa and P r i s c i l l a tru d ged on t h e i r way t o
C o r in th .
(a) They p a id a p r e t t y b ig p r ic e back th e r e in
Rome f o r t h e i r f a i t h .
(i)
T hey'd t a lk e d , th e y 'd w it n e s s e d , and
w h ere'd i t g o tte n them?
(ii3
They'd had t o leav e t h e i r b u s in e s s ,
t h e i r home, t h e i r p r o f e s s i o n , and f in d
a new p la c e to s t a r t a l l o v e r a g a in .
(33 I suppose as th ey walked they got th in k in g t o
th em selves: maybe i t might be a good id e a over
th ere in Corinth i f we j u s t took i t ea sy fo r a
w h ile .
(a3 L e t ' s n o t t a l k our r e l i g i o n .
(b3 L e t 's j u s t kind o f lay low f o r a w h ile , and
s e e i f we can d ecide what to do.
e . So i t was t h a t when th e y came to C o r in th , th e B ib le
c o n ta in s no word a t a l l o f any C h r is tia n w it n e s s t h a t
th e o n ly two C h r is tia n s in C orin th m ight have g iv e n .

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755

f.

2.

B.

jti

When Paul came, th o s e p e o p le p ro b a b ly knew n o th in g o f

J e su s C h r is t .
W ell, A c q u illa and P r i s c i l l a b e lo n g e d t o a l i t t l e sy n a g o g u e -th e o n ly one in town.
a. And on th e v e r y f i r s t S ab b ath , th e y s a i d , " P au l, come
on down to th e sy n a g o g u e, and w orsh ip w ith u s ; t h a t ' s
where we go to church h e r e ."
b . T h is met P a u l's id e a s , b e c a u se he alw ays s t a r t e d w ith
th e Jews f i r s t .

And so he w ent down t o th a t l i t t l e sy n a g o g u e.

1. Now th a t synagogue was made up o f th r e e c l a s s e s o f p e o p le .
a. F i r s t o f a l l , th e r e were Jews in i t .
Every synagogue
ought t o have J ew s, and t h i s one d id .
b . S e c o n d ly , i t had c o n v e r ts .
(1 ) T hese w ere pagan p e o p le t h a t had been s tu d y in g th e
Old T esta m en t, th e te a c h in g s o f Judaism , and th ey
had ta k en t h e i r s ta n d , and th e y 'd become Jews in
r e lig io n .
(1") They w ere c o n v e r t s . They were t h e r e .
c . The t h ir d group was G o d -fe a r e r s.
(1 ) Now th e G o d -fe a re r s were f o lk who had a ls o s t u d ie d ,
and
(2 ) T hey'd come t o th e p la c e where th ey b e l i e v e d , and
(3 ) They a tte n d e d church e v e r y Sab bath .
(4 )
But th e y c o u ld n t q u it e g e t th e m se lv e s to become
Jew s.
(a) There was a l o t o f p r e ju d ic e a g a in s t th e Jew s,
a l o t o f a n t i- s e m it is m .
(b) And i t to o k a l o t o f courage f o r a man to
s t e p out and p u b l i c l y d e c la r e h im s e lf t o be a
J ew .
(4") And s o t h e s e G o d -fe a r e r s,
(a") They came to church, and
(b") They b e li e v e d , b u t
(c") They n e v e r to o k t h e i r s ta n d .
C4') You know, w e'v e g o t some modem G o d -fe a re r s nowa
days t h a t come to church.
( a ') They b e l i e v e .
( b ') T h e y 'r e in th e church w ith us e v e r y w eek, b u t
( c ' ) J u s t h a v e n 't q u it e g o t th e courage t o s t e p
a c r o s s th e l i n e .
(i)
Maybe i t ' s th e p r e ju d ic e o f t h e i r
f a m i l i e s , or t h e i r f r ie n d s ;
( i i ) Som ething h o ld s them b a ck .
(4*) I f th e r e are any G o d -fe a re r s h e r e to d a y , l e t me
en cou rage you by a l l means to ta k e your sta n d f o r
J e su s C h r is t and f o r H is tr u th f o r th e s e d a y s.
(a*) T h a t's what you must do.
(b*) The o n ly jo y and s a t i s f a c t i o n you can e v e r
g e t i s as you i d e n t i f y w ith th e th in g s in
w hich you b e l i e v e .
(c*) And you y o u r s e l f w i l l be sa v ed through "saving"
--th r o u g h w orking to sa v e o th e r p e o p le .

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756

C.

W ell, P au l a r r iv e d a t th e sy n a g o g u e.
1. And th e r u le r s to o k a lo o k a t him , and r e c o g n iz e d im m ed ia tely
a d is t in g u is h e d v i s i t o r .
2 . And th e y came down and s a i d , "We'd l i k e to i n v i t e you to be
th e sp e a k e r to d a y ."
3. P aul a c c e p te d .
4. Now i f he was n e r v o u s , or weak, o r sh a k in g w ith f e a r , he
c o v er e d i t up p r e t t y w e l l .
a . He g o t up th e r e in f r o n t o f t h a t c o n g r e g a tio n t h a t day,
and he v in d ic a t e d t h a t image t h a t I ' v e c a r r ie d around
o f what P aul was l i k e , a l l t h e s e y e a r s .
Cl) B o ld ly and a g g r e s s i v e ly he p ro ceed ed to p rea ch
J e su s C h r is t b e fo r e th o s e p e o p le who had n e v e r
even heard o f Him.
(a) He t o l d about th e p ro m ised M essia h , and
(b)
He s a i d , "H e's come! H e's b een among u s !"
(c )
T old th e s t o r y o f H is d eath on C a lv a ry .
(2) That c o n g r e g a tio n s a t th e r e w ith mouths open.
(3) Ther u le r s s a t up in f r o n t ,
and th o u g h t, "We've
n e v e r h ea rd a n y th in g l i k e t h i s b e f o r e ."
(a) Now,
th e r u le r s w ere t o l e r a n t f e l lo w s .
(i)
T h e y - - i t was a l l r ig h t i f somebody
w anted to p r e s e n t some new id e a s , i f
th e y d id n 't go to o f a r w ith them.
( i i ) And so Paul c o u ld go ahead and p rea ch
t h i s i f he w anted t o .
(b)
But a f t e r th e s e r v i c e , th e y s a id v ery l i t t l e .
(c)
And th e f o llo w in g week when Paul came back to
ch u rch , th e y d id n 't i n v i t e him t o p rea ch th a t
w e e k --th e y 'd le a r n e d t h e i r le s s o n th e week
b e fo r e !
5 . But t h a t week P aul was t h e r e , j u s t th e sam e.
a. And th e p e o p le g a th e r e d around him and s a id :
(1) "P aul, we e n jo y e d th a t serm on.
(2)
"We've th o u g h t about i t a l l w eek.
(3 ) " T e ll us more
abou t t h i s C h r is t."
b . And Paul t o l d them . Give him an o p p o r tu n ity , and
he
w ould t a lk !
(1) A ll d u rin g th e week P a u l worked w ith A c q u illa and
P r i s c i l l a as te n t -m a k e r s .
(2) P eo p le came th e r e and brou gh t t h e i r b u s in e s s th e r e .
(3) And when th ey w a ite d f o r t h e i r t e n t s to be sew n,
th e le a t h e r to be worked on , th e y l i s t e n e d w h ile
P aul ta lk e d J e su s C h r is t.
(a) J e su s C h r is t!
C h r is t n a i l e d to th e c r o s s !
c . To m eet P au l was t o m eet C h r is t . C o u ld n 't be o th e r w is e .
6 . W ell, a f t e r a w h ile , t h i s le a v e n began t o go through th e
Jew ish syn agogu e.
a . And many f o lk began to be th in k in g about ta k in g t h e i r
s ta n d f o r J e s u s .
7. And th en one Sabbath when Paul came to th e sy n a g o g u e, and
came w a lk in g i n , two a s s i s t a n t s came w a lk in g in w ith him ,
S i l a s and T im othy.

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757

8.

D.

a . Paul had s e n t f o r them, t o come o ver and h e lp him .

b . Now h e had t h e s e a s s i s t a n t s .
And as th e synagogue r u le r s lo o k ed and saw h e r e th e two men
coming in w ith P a u l, th e y s a i d , "This has gone fa r enough.
We've g o t to do so m eth in g about t h i s . "
a . And s o th e y ste p p e d down, and ta lk e d to P a u l. They
s a id :
(1) " P au l, w e 'v e been g la d to have you h e r e . Y ou've
b een a f i n e man, and w e 'r e v ery d e lig h t e d
th a t
y o u 'v e come and b een w o rsh ip p in g w ith u s .
(2) "B ut," th e y s a id , "you know, w e'd l i k e
to make one
r e q u e st o f you . Would you p le a s e withdraw?
P le a s e d o n 't come back any more!"

I wonder how P aul f e l t ?

1. Went home th a t n i g h t , went to b e d , and to s l e e p .
a . R ather look ed as i f th e f a i l u r e o f Athens was g o in g to
be fo llo w e d by th e f a i l u r e o f C o rin th .
2 . That n ig h t , God came to him , and spoke to him in a v i s i o n ,
in a dream. And y o u ' l l rea d i t in A c ts , th e 18th c h a p te r ,
v e r s e s 9 and 10. God s a id t h i s to him:
a . "Be n o t a f r a i d , but sp e a k . H old n o t th y p e a c e . I am
w ith t h e e . No man s h a l l s e t on t h e e , t o h u r t th e e .
b . "I have much p e o p le in t h i s c i t y . "
c . What a sta te m e n t to make!
3.
I'm su r e
Paul must have s a i d , "God, do you mean i t , th a t
Y ou've g o t 'much p e o p le ' h e r e in C orinth? Is th a t p o s s i b l e
--'m u ch p e o p le ' h ere?"
3". T h a t's what God had s a i d , "'Much p e o p le ' in C o r in th ."
3*. B re th re n , I d o n 't th in k f o r a moment th a t th a t m essage
a p p lie d j u s t to C o r in th .
a*. Here we a r e , l i v i n g down in th e l a s t d a y s,
b * . We've g o t p ro b lem s, and l o t s o f them , in sp r e a d in g th e
m essage.
c * . I g e t a chance t o t r a v e l around q u ite a b i t , and meet
w ith our p e o p le in a l l s e c t i o n s o f th e c o u n tr y .
(1*)
In f a c t , I ' v e met w ith them in j u s t about e v e r y
s e c t i o n o f th e w o rld ,
d*. And I 'v e so o f t e n h eard about how th e work goes hard
h e r e , b u t th e work g o es a l o t e a s i e r o v er th e r e in
C a lif o r n ia , maybe, or somewhere e ls e - - a lw a y s a g r e e n e r
f i e l d somewhere o v e r th e fe n c e ,
e * . B ut, you know, I g e t o v er th e r e ; t h e y 'r e t a lk in g about
a g r e e n e r f i e l d somewhere e l s e , to o ! B ecause th e y s a y ,
"The work go es hard h e r e ."
f * . I ' v e come to one c o n c lu s io n :
(1*) The work g o es hard ev ery w h ere, do you know i t ?
(2*)
I h a v e n 't found a p la c e y e t where p e o p le are o u t ,
k n ock in g a t our f r o n t d o o r s, w an tin g to g e t in
and j o in our ch u rch es!
(3*) We have t o go ou t and
(a*) P u ll them o u t o f th e r o c k s ,
(b*) Mine them o u t o f th e h i l l s , and b r in g them
to J e s u s C h r is t , lo v e them in t o th e t r u t h .

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(1*") I t ' s n o t e a sy anywhere.

(4 * )
Som etimes we g e t d isc o u r a g ed .
(a*) We s a y , " I t c a n 't happen h e r e . Too hard
h e r e . P eo p le a l l g o sp e l-h a r d e n e d h e r e .
P eo p le a l l have p r e ju d ic e h e r e . We c a n 't
work h e r e ."
g*. I th in k God's m essage to Paul back th e r e about C orinth
i s God's m essage to us to d a y .
(1 * )
Is i t tr u e about B a t t le C reek, e v e n , doyou
supp ose? "I have much p e o p le in t h i s c it y " - - e v e n
in B a t t le Creek? 0 c o u r se , even in B a t t le Creek!
C2*) In L ansing? Of c o u r se .
(3 * ) Any p la c e you want to name o f c o u r s e . God's g o t
His "much p eo p le" h e r e - - s o u ls t h a t lo v e J e su s
C h r is t , t h a t are lo o k in g fo r l i g h t .
(4 * ) And i t ' s up to us to f in d them.
g * '.T h is i s God's m essage to you today: "Be n o t a f r a id .
Speak. H old n o t th y p e a c e . I am w ith t h e e . No man
s h a l l s e t on th e e to h u rt th e e .
I have much p e o p le in
th is c ity ."
(1*") Thank God fo r th e encouragem ent th a t comes from
God in th a t v i s i o n .
F-.

W e ll, what would P aul do?

1. H e'd b een t o l d n o t to go back to th e syn agogu e. So he had
to le a v e .
2. But when Paul l e f t th e syn agogu e, he d id n 't le a v e a lo n e .
a . There w ent out w ith him some o f th e Jews who w ere now
C h r is t ia n s .
b . There went out w ith him some o f th e c o n v e r ts , who were
now C h r is tia n c o n v e r ts .
c.
There w ent ou t w ith him a good sh a re o f th e G o d -fe a r e r s.
3. And one o f th o s e G o d -fea rers came to P a u l, and he s a i d ,
a . " P a u l, I ' d l i k e you to come and l i v e w ith me.
b . And I 'd l i k e to have you conduct th e Sabbath S e r v ic e s
o f th e C h r is tia n church in my home."
4 . Paul s a i d , "Where do you liv e ? "
5 . He s a i d , "My h ou se hard a d jo in s th e synagogue" r i g h t n e x t
door.
5 ' . P r e tty good id e a , you know--when you g e t thrown o u t o f th e
sy n a g o g u e, move in n e x t door s t a r t th e Sabbath s e r v i c e s
th e r e ! T h a t's e x a c t ly what Paul d id .
6 . T h e r e 's a n o th er d e l i g h t f u l p a r t about t h i s s t o r y . When
th o s e f o lk s w alked out o f th e synagogue and w alked n e x t
door t o s t a r t th e C h r is tia n ch u rch , one o f th e r u le r s
w alked out w ith them.
a . In f a c t , th e c h i e f r u le r , C r isp u s.
7. I wonder how th o se C o r in th ia n s f e l t about h i m - - I ' l l b e t
th e y were proud o f him.
a.
I j u s t im agine th e y spoke h is word.
b . They p ro b a b ly ta lk e d to some o f th e Jews coming o u t o f
th e synagogue and s a id ,
(1) "We've g o t C risp us w ith u s . H e's over in our
church.
B elon gs to u s ."

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(2)

R eal proud o f him . Maybe a l l around th e c i t y ,

" C r isp u s--h e b e lo n g s to our ch u rch ."
7*. As i f t h a t p roves y o u 'r e r i g h t , you know I The b ig g e r th e
name you can q u o te , th e more r i g h t you a r e!
a * . Sometimes I th in k we A d v e n tis ts a re th e b i g g e s t namedroppers th a t e v e r w a lk ed .
(1*) Let somebody come i n and j o i n our church t h a t ' s
g o t a l i t t l e b i t o f a nam e--som e m ovie a c t r e s s , o r
what have you .
(2*) W e 'll q u o te th a t everyw here:
" S ee, t h a t k in d o f
p roves we a re r i g h t - - s e e who j o in e d our ch u rch ."
b * . Let me t e l l you r i g h t now, i f t h a t ' s th e way you p rove
w hether or n o t a church i s r i g h t , th e w o r ld 's g o t us
a l l b e a te n h o llo w .
(1*) They can q u ote names we n e v e r h ea rd o f .
(2*) We b e t t e r n o t e v e r tr y t o p ro v e w e 'r e r ig h t on
th a t b a s i s - - t h a t i s n ' t th e way you do i t .
7". But th e e a r ly ch u rch , I g u e s s , was proud o f t h e i r C r isp u s.
a" . And,
I'm g la d he was in th e ch u rch , t o o .
8. And th e y
had one more man to be proud o f back
t h e r e I'm
s u r e th e y ta lk e d about him a l o t .
a . As f a r as I know, he was a G e n t ile .
b . But he came a lo n g and jo in e d w ith them.
c . And you know who he was? He was th e c i t y t r e a s u r e r o f
C orin th !
Cl) T h ere's a b i g name f o r y o u - -a r e a l , l i v e
p o l i t i c i a n came o u t and j o in e d t h e i r ch u rch .
(2 ) And I im agine th e y ta lk e d about t h a t ev ery w h ere.
(1*) We d o n 't g e t many p o l i t i c i a n s t o j o in our ch u rch es
to d a y , do we?
(a*) We've g o t p le n t y o f p o l i t i c i a n s in th e
ch u rch --w e grow our own!
[L augh ter]
c" . B ut, anyway, th e y had one th e y g o t r ig h t o u t o f th e
c ity h a ll.
Cl") They b rou gh t him down t h e r e .
C2") "He's a c c e p te d th e m e ssa g e ." They ta lk e d about
him everyw h ere.
9 . Now, I 'v e t o ld you about th e two b ig men th a t jo in e d th e
e a r ly C h r is tia n church in C o r in th --C r is p u s , and th e
tr e a s u r e r . And a f t e r t h a t , I 'v e g o t t o s t o p , b e c a u se I
d o n 't know any more "big" men th a t j o in e d .
10. But I do know th a t when P aul w ro te to th a t e a r ly church in
C o r in th , he m entioned in I C o r in th ia n s l : 2 6 - - h e s a id :
"You
know your c a l l i n g , b r e th r e n ; and you know t h a t n o t many
w is e a f t e r th e f l e s h were c a l l e d ."
a. "D on't have any w is e a f t e r th e f l e s h th e r e in you r
church"--w hat does th a t mean?
Cl) W ell, "w ise a f t e r th e f l e s h " - - t h o s e w ould be th e
h ig h ly e d u c a te d , I su p p o se , w o u ld n 't th ey ?
C2) They d id n 't g e t many f o l k w ith a r e a l , ed u ca ted
background h e r e to come in th e ch u rch .
b . And th en he s a i d , "Not many m igh ty w ere c a l l e d ."
What
makes a man m ighty?

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(1) W ell, i f h e 's i n f l u e n t i a l ,

(2) H e's g o t a b i g b u s in e s s , and
(3) P le n ty o f money, I g u ess th en h e ' s i n f l u e n t i a l .
b" P au l s a i d , " D id n 't g e t many o f t h o s e ."
c . And th en he s a i d , "Not many n o b le w ere c a l l e d . " What
makes a man n o b le?
(1) W ell, I d o n 't know --a b ig name, p e r h a p s --a fa m ily
name t h a t ' s p r e t t y w e ll known.
Cl*) E s p e c ia lly to d a y --w e d o n 't have k in g s and p r in c e s
in t h i s c o u n tr y , b u t w e'v e g o t fa m ily names th a t
are v e r y w e ll known,
c" . P aul s a i d , " D id n 't g e t many o f t h o s e ."
11. Do you know, you have t o come to a c o n c lu s io n when you read
som eth in g abou t th a t e a r ly C o r in th ia n church?
a . You have to come to th e c o n c lu s io n t h a t th o se f o l k , f o r
th e m ost p a r t , w ere v e r y average p e o p le ?
b . In f a c t , some a u t h o r i t i e s have co n clu d ed th a t th e y were
down below th e a v e r a g e below th e a v era g e o f th e s o c i o
econom ic norm.
11*. And now we t a l k a l o t about w orking f o r th e h ig h e r c l a s s e s ,
a*. And I'm n o t a g a in s t t h a t .
I th in k we ought to work fo r
th e h ig h e r c l a s s e s ; t h e y 'r e a n e g le c t e d c l a s s ,
b *. But som etim es w h ile we t a lk about w orking f o r th e
h ig h e r c l a s s e s , we a lm o st im ply t h a t anybody th a t i s n ' t
in th e h ig h e r c l a s s e s i s n ' t worth w orking f o r .
c* . And we look down, so m etim es, on some o f th e f o lk th a t
m ight be down a l i t t l e low er in th e norm o f t h in g s , as
i f t h e y 'r e n o t w orth tOo much.
Cl*) P u ll th e g o s p e l n e t i n , t h e y 'r e th e k in d o f f i s h
you want to throw b a ck , you k n o w --th a t s o r t o f
t h in g .
d*. W e ll, t h a t ' s a wrong a t t i t u d e .
12. The e a r ly Church in C o rin th was made up p r im a r ily o f p e o p le
l i k e t h a t . And, you know, I'm g la d .
I'm v e r y g la d .
I 'll
t e l l you why I'm so g la d .
I'm g la d t h a t when God asks
what i t i s t h a t w i l l q u a li f y a man to b e lo n g t o th e church,
a . He d o e s n 't s a y , "What k in d o f d eg ree do you have? From
what c o lle g e ? " to d e c id e w hether or n o t y o u 'r e w orth y.
b.
He d o e s n 't s a y , "How much money do you have in th e
bank?" to d e c id e w h eth er or n o t we want you in th e
ch u rch .
c . He d o e s n 't a sk , "How n o b le are you? How w e ll r e s p e c te d
i s your fa m ily name? What i s your background?" That
He d o e s n 't a sk .
13. When He made up th e e a r ly church in C o r in th , and when He
makes up th e church to d a y , He seems to ask o n ly two th in g s :
a . How much do you lo v e God?
b . How com plete i s your d e d ic a tio n fo r th e Lord J e su s
C h r ist?
13*. Oh, I'm so g r a t e f u l f o r th e f a c t th a t t h a t ' s a l l t h a t ' s
r e q u ir e d . Do you know, i f th e y had any o th e r r eq u ir e m e n ts,
I c o u ld n 't be h e r e today?

liiMiff
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761

14.

15.

a * . My f a t h e r was one o f th e g r e a t e s t men t h a t e v e r l i v e d ,

as f a r as I'm co n cern ed .
C e r ta in ly in s p i r e d me. Did
a g r e a t d e a l t o make me lo v e God and J e su s C h r is t .
I
can n e v e r th in k o f him w ith o u t g r a t i t u d e . Hope t o s e e
him on th e r e s u r r e c t io n m orning,
b * . But h e worked i n a f a c t o r y . A l l h i s l i f e , t h a t ' s what
he d id .
c * . He u se d t o p rea ch as a la y p r e a c h e r - - a s a l o c a l e ld e r
he was a w on d erfu l p r e a c h e r .
(1*) I grew up under h i s p r e a c h in g .
(2*) I was in s p ir e d t o want to be a m in is t e r b e c a u se o f
him .
b*M. But he j u s t worked in a f a c t o r y - - j u s t a common man.
d*. I have n o th in g b eh in d me as a background t o recommend
me. J u s t commonness, t h a t ' s a l l .
(1 * ) But God d id n 't ask me when I came what my b a ck
ground w as. He j u s t asked me
Ci*) How much I lo v e d God, and
( i i * ) How com p lete was my d e d ic a t io n to th e Lord
J e su s C h r is t.
That church in C o r in th , made up o f th o s e s im p le p e o p le , was
s o im p o rta n t th a t two books o f th e New T estam en t were
w r it t e n to them, I and I I C o r in th ia n s .
a. We read them to d a y .
b . They form th e b a s is o f our c o n c e p ts to d a y in th e church.
Thank God t h a t common p e o p le mean so m eth in g to Him!
CONCLUSION

A.

You know, som etim es we go o u t w orking f o r s o u ls - - w e b r in g a l l

th e s u b t le argum ents, a l l th e f i n e w ords, a l l th e wisdom .
Do
our b e s t t o c o n v in c e men and women th a t th e y ought t o a c c e p t
J e su s C h r is t , ought t o a c c e p t H is tr u t h .
1.
I th in k w e've done to o much o f t h i s s u b t le a r g u in g .
2 . We've won to o many b a t t l e s and s k ir m is h e s , b u t h a v e n 't won
any s o u ls w ith i t .

B.

Our r e l i g i o n i s n o t b a se d on t h i s p o in t , and th a t p o in t , and

th e o th e r p o in t .
Purpose S e n te n c e : 1. Our r e l i g i o n i s b a sed on J e s u s C h r is t , i s n ' t i t ?
2 . And when P au l went out and p rea ch ed J e s u s C h r is t , he won
s o u ls .
B '. I have a c o u s in who i s a Roman C a t h o lic .
I h a d n 't se e n him in
25 y e a r s .
I d is c o v e r e d he was l i v i n g n e a r New York C ity where
I l i v e . My w if e and I phoned him th e o th e r day, and s a i d ,
"Won't you come to our h o u se , and have Sunday d in n e r w ith u s ,
and l e t us h ave a chance to g e t a cq u a in ted ? " I n t e r e s t i n g to
g e t a c q u a in te d w ith your own r e l a t i v e s , you know! T h a t's what
I had to d o.
I remembered him as a b o y . Now h e ' s a boy grown
t a l l , w ith some c h ild r e n o f h i s own. And h e s m a rried , and he
has a w ife who, a l s o , i n c i d e n t a l l y , i s a C a t h o lic . They came
t o our home. We had a p le a s a n t tim e t o g e t h e r .
But th e c o n v e r
s a t io n d r i f t e d q u ic k ly to r e l i g i o u s t h i n g s .
H is w if e i s a

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762

s c h o o l- t e a c h e r - - p u b lie s c h o o l- t e a c h e r . She s a id , MI must t e l l

you an e x p e r ie n c e I had r e c e n t ly ." She s a id :
I 1.

"A m other o f one o f myc h ild r e n c a ll e d me up, and s a i d ,

Now, in my r e l i g i o n , we do n o t s a l u t e th e f l a g . She s a id
In th e seco n d grade t h a t you te a c h , I know y o u r e te a c h in g
th e c h ild r e n t o s a l u t e th e f l a g . Now,' sh e s a id , she
m ight do i t a lo n g w ith th e r e s t . She m ight n o t r e a l i z e how
im p o rta n t t h i s i s .
But i f you s e e h e r , w i l l you s to p her?
Dont l e t h e r s a lu t e th e f l a g .

2 ' . W e ll, th e te a c h e r was a l i t t l e b i t p e r p le x e d about t h i s ,

and, fu rth erm ore, w a s n 't aware o f th e t e a c h in g s - - t h e
r e l i g i o u s te a c h in g s t h a t some p e o p le h o ld th a t make them
draw t h i s erron eou s c o n c lu s io n .
3 ' . And s o sh e s a id to t h i s m other, "Would you come down to th e
s c h o o l, and l e t me t a lk w ith you? I 'd lo v e to know more
about t h i s . "
The m other s a id s h e 'd be g la d t o , and sh e
came down.
4 ' . And, as soon as sh e a r r iv e d , t h i s s c h o o l- t e a c h e r t o ld me,
sh e s a id t o h e r , " P le a se s i t down, and, p le a s e , now, t e l l
me what you b e l i e v e . "
5 '.

But th e n , th e s c h o o l- t e a c h e r c o u s in o f mine s a i d , "She

s t a r t e d in , and s a i d , 'W e ll, we d o n 't b e l i e v e in t h i s . And
we d o n 't b e l i e v e in t h a t . And we d o n 't b e l i e v e we ought to
do t h i s . And we d o n 't b e l i e v e we ought to do t h a t . "

6 ' . And th e s c h o o l- t e a c h e r s a id to h e r , "I u n d ersta n d t h a t .

B ut, now, t e l l me what you b e l i e v e . " And she went r ig h t
back over th e w hole th in g a g a in . "We d o n 't b e l i e v e t h i s .
We d o n 't b e l i e v e t h a t . We d o n 't b e l i e v e we sh o u ld do t h i s .
We d o n 't b e l i e v e we sh o u ld do t h a t ." She s a id , "We were
t o g e t h e r f o r h a l f an h o u r , and I n e v e r d is c o v e r e d what she
b e lie v e d !
I c o u ld n 't f in d out what sh e b e lie v e d !
I d o n 't
know tod ay what sh e b e lie v e d ! "
7 ' . But, do you know, as I s a t th e r e l i s t e n i n g to th a t s t o r y , I
squirm ed?
a ' . B ecause, I th ou gh t to m y s e lf, i t c o u ld happen w ith one
o f our own dear p e o p le .
( I 1) B ecause what i s i t we go out w ith when we t a lk to
th e w o rld , and somebody ask s us what we b e lie v e ?
( a ') How o f t e n our p e o p le w i l l s i t down, and s a y ,
"W ell, we d o n ' t do t h i s , and we d o n 't do th a t
And we d o n 't e a t t h i s , and we d o n 't wear
t h a t ."
( 2 ') And by th e tim e th e y g e t th ro u g h , th ey le a v e an
im p r e ssio n o f p e c u l i a r i t y t h a t ' s a w fu lly hard to
e v e r break down. They t a lk about th e n e g a t iv e s ,
th e y t a lk about th e d if f e r e n c e s .

Euuv_
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C.

What do we b e lie v e ?
1. B r e th r e n , we b e l i e v e th a t J e su s C h r ist i s our S a v io u r ; and
2. We b e l i e v e H e's our exam ple in a l l t h in g s , d o n 't we?
a. We b e l i e v e t h a t our l i v e s ought to be c o p ie s a f t e r H is ,
t o th e b e s t o f our a b i l i t y .
b . And i f w e 'r e co p y in g th e l i f e o f J e s u s , i f I become
p e c u lia r in th e e y e s o f th e w orld abou t me, I c o u ld n 't
care l e s s !
I'm form ing my l i f e a f t e r th a t o f J e su s
C h r is t!
c.
I f I keep H is Sabbath, and t h a t makes me keep a day th e
r e s t o f th e w o rld d o e s n 't k e e p , I'm n o t g o in g t o be
em barrassed about t h a t .
I'm on th e s id e o f J e su s
C h r is t.
I h a v e n 't g o t an argument in th e w orld
about
th is .
I'm j u s t fo llo w in g J e s u s .
(1) What a trem endous argument th a t i s in i t s e l f ,
is n ' t it?
(2) And, b r e th r e n , i t ' s th e argument th a t changes
h e a r t s , and th a t changes l i v e s , and th a t c o n v e r ts ,
and th a t w in s s o u l s .
d . When I t a lk about th e communion s e r v i c e , I'm o n ly doing
what J e su s d id , and what He asks us to do.
(1)
I'm n o t s t r e s s i n g p e c u l i a r i t i e s ,
(2) I'm s t r e s s i n g th e w on d erfu l th in g s th a t we s h a r e .
(2*) L e t 's t a lk t h a t way. L e t 's "know n o th in g b u t
J e su s C h r is t C h r ist n a il e d to th e c r o s s ," th e One
who d ie d to sa v e u s , through whom o n ly we can be
sa v ed .

D.

The A p o s tle P au l som etim es g o t in a l i t t l e jam.

(Some o f th o se
jams w ere r a th e r b ig o n e s , to o ; I m u stn 't p la y them down. He
was a ccu sed o f th in g s f o r which th e y wanted to tak e h i s l i f e . )
When th e y g o t him in a c o m e r , and he d id n 't q u it e know how to
answ er them, he alw ays w ent back and t o ld th e same s t o r y o v er
and o v e r and o v e r a g a in . He must have t o l d i t a th ousand
t i m e s - - i t ' s lo c a te d s e v e r a l tim es in our New T estam en t.
I t was
a s t o r y th a t w ent som eth in g li k e t h i s :
1. "Years a g o , I h a ted th e C h r is tia n p e o p le .
I b r e a th e d
th r e a te n in g s and s la u g h t e r s a g a in s t them.
I was on th e
road to Damascus, th in k in g I was d oin g th e r ig h t th in g .
When j u s t o u t s id e o f Damascus, th e h eaven s opened, and I
had a c o n fr o n ta tio n w ith J e su s C h r is t.
I ta lk e d w ith Him,
and He ta lk e d w ith
me. And a m ir a c le to o k p la c e in my l i f e
as th e r e s u l t o f m eetin g J e s u s . I 'v e n e v e r been th e same
s i n c e . He co n v e rted me. The th in g s I once h a te d , I now
lo v e ; th e th in g s I once
lo v e d , I
now h a t e . I'm a d i f f e r e n t
man. I d o n 't know what
happened
to me, b u t i t was a l l done
b e c a u se o f m eetin g J e su s C h r is t."

E.

And a l l I can ask you tod ay i s , Have you had an e x p e r ie n c e w ith

J e su s C h r is t w hich h a s changed your l i f e ?
Not on th e road to
Damascus, b u t in some p la c e where you tr a v e le d ? Have you met
Him? Has He tou ch ed you? Has He changed you? I f s o , y o u 'v e
g o t an anchor j u s t l i k e Paul had. You know what you b e l i e v e ,
j u s t l i k e he d id . Y ou 're su re y o u 'r e on th e r i g h t ro a d , j u s t
as he w as.
Because you know J e su s C h r is t.

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764
1.

2.

I f you h a v e n 't had an e x p e r ie n c e w ith Him, you c a n 't g e t

one any e a r l i e r - - t h i s i s th e e a r l i e s t i t can be in you r
life .
But you can g e t one to d a y , a t th e c l o s e o f t h i s
Sabbath. You can p la c e your l i f e in th e hands o f J e su s
C h r is t. You can , t h i s d a y , b e fo r e th e day en d s, t a l k t o
C h r is t in th e p r iv a c y o f your own room and home. You can
pour out your h e a r t t o Him; you can ask Him to change y o u ,
and t o make you a new man or new woman in C h r ist J e s u s .
And H e ' l l do i t !
What a p r i v i l e g e i t i s t o g iv e o u r s e lv e s
to Him!

F.

T o n ig h t, I want to r e d e d ic a t e my l i f e to J e su s C h r is t.
I want
to p la c e my l i f e anew in H is han d s.
1. Would you lik e to j o in me in d o in g th a t? I f s o , w ould you
l i f t your hand a lo n g w ith me i n a recommitment to Him?
2. God b l e s s you so much. L e t 's bow our heads to g e th e r as we
pray:

G.

[ PRAYER] F ath er in H eaven, we thank Thee t h is n ig h t f o r J e s u s .

He i s our f a i t h . We thank Thee th a t as men go o u t to p rea ch
w ith s u b t le arguments and w ith f i n e words o f wisdom , th e power
i s n o t th e r e ; b u t as th e y p rea ch J e su s C h r ist and Him c r u c i f i e d ,
th er e i s power to change l i v e s and h e a r t s . B le s s us ea ch on e.
We r e d e d ic a te o u r s e lv e s to th e Lord J e s u s . Make us a l l t h a t we
want to b e .
Give us th e C h r is tia n e x p e r ie n c e w hich i s so
im p o rta n t. Save us f i n a l l y in Thy kingdom, in th e name o f our
S a v io u r we ask i t .
Amen.

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APPENDIX G

TRANSCRIBED COPY OF
WILLIAM A. FAGAL SERMON ON ANDREW

Camp M eeting
M ichigan C on feren ce o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis ts
Grand L ed ge, M ichigan
J u ly 17, 1965

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TRANSCRIBED COPY OF
WILLIAM A. FAGAL SERMON ON ANDREW

(Q uartet:
(Fagal:

"T here s A M eetin g Here T on igh t" )

"Warm-up":)

I alw ays lo v e to h ea r th e q u a r t e t s i n g .
Even though I h e a r them
so much, I n e v e r t i r e o f i t . T hey r e r a t h e r hard on me in one way,
though: when th e y s in g some o f t h e s e s o n g s , I'm a l l o u t o f b r e a th a t
the end b e c a u se I f o r g e t to b r e a th e .
[L augh ter]
I was in O akland, C a li f o r n i a , w ith th e q u a r t e t a few weeks a g o ,
and we f in is h e d t h i s p o r tio n o f th e program , and I g o t up and made th e
comment th a t I alw ays h a te to s e e th e m u sic a l p a r t o f our program come
to an end. And th e r e was one o ld gentlem an s i t t i n g down toward th e f r o n t ,
who s a id in a v o ic e th a t I th o u g h t was f a r to o lo u d , "Amen. " [L augh ter]
I d on 't know q u it e what he m eant; b u t I'm a f r a id I do.
[L aughter] So
I 'v e been a l i t t l e more c a r e f u l how I ' v e s a id t h a t e v e r s i n c e .
[Laughter] The q u a r te t w i l l s in g f o r us a g a in a t th e end o f the serm on,
but y o u 'r e s tu c k w ith me f o r a l i t t l e w h ile .
I hope y o u ' l l s ta y by to
l i s t e n to them a t th e end.
W ell now, t o n ig h t , I ' d l i k e t o ta k e up w ith you in t h i s f i n a l
m eeting, a v e r y sim p le s t o r y .
I t ' s one th a t y o u 'v e h eard again and
a gain , and, I h o p e, read o f t e n in you r B ib le .
I t ' s lo c a t e d in th e f i r s t
chapter o f th e Book o f John.
I'm g o in g to read to you th e s to r y as i t ' s
found in John 1, v e r s e s 35 through 42:
The n e x t day a f t e r , John s t o o d , and two o f h i s d i s c i p l e s ;
and lo o k in g upon J e s u s , as He w alk ed , he s a i d , B ehold th e
Lamb o f God. And th e two d i s c i p l e s h eard him sp e a k , and
th ey fo llo w e d J e s u s . Then J e s u s tu r n e d , and saw them
f o llo w in g , and s a i t h unto them, What s e e k ye? They s a id
unto Him, R abbi, w hich i s t o s a y b e in g in t e r p r e t e d , M aster,
Where d w e lle s t Thou? He s a i t h u n to them , Come and s e e .
They came and saw where He d w e lt, and th e y abode w ith Him
th a t day.
For i t was about th e te n t h h o u r. One o f th e two
which h ea rd John speak and fo llo w e d Him was Andrew, Simon
P e t e r 's b r o th e r . He f i r s t f in d e t h h i s own b r o th e r , Simon,
and he s a i t h u n to him , We have found th e M essaiah (w hich i s
b e in g in t e r p r e t e d , th e C h r i s t ) . And he b ro u g h t him to
Jesu s.
And when J e su s b e h e ld him , He s a i d , Thou a r t Simon,
th e son o f Jonah. Thou s h a l t be c a l l e d , Cephas (w hich i s ,
by in t e r p r e t a t i o n , a s t o n e ) .
Now, l e t ' s

th in k about t h i s sim p le s t o r y t o n ig h t .
765

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766
F i r s t o f a l l , John th e A p o s t le , d e s c r ib e s to us som ethin g about
John th e B a p t is t . And he t e l l s us t h a t John th e B a p t is t was s ta n d in g
one day w ith two o f h is d i s c i p l e s as J e su s came a lo n g . And John p o in te d
to J e s u s , and h e s a i d , 'B ehold th e Lamb o f God."
You know, I f in d som eth in g i n t e r e s t i n g in J o h n 's r e f e r e n c e s to
John the B a p t is t . John, i t seem s, each tim e he m entions him , m entions
him in a way t h a t seem s to d e p r e c ia t e John th e B a p t is t j u s t a l i t t l e .
There are s o many th in g s one can sa y about John th e B a p t is t th a t e le v a t e
him c o n s id e r a b ly .
But h e r e in t h i s v e r s e , once a g a in , h e 's t e l l i n g how
John p o in ts th e f in g e r a t J e s u s , and s a y s , "H e's th e Lamb o f God; Behold
the Lamb o f God."
E a r l ie r in t h i s c h a p te r , John th e A p o s tle t e l l s how John th e
B a p tist was "a man s e n t from God whose name was John ." B ut, h e s a id ,
"He was n o t t h a t l i g h t , b u t he was s e n t t o b ea r w itn e s s to th a t l i g h t . "
I n te r e s tin g how alw ays he seems t o j u s t d e p r e c ia t e him , j u s t a t r i f l e .
And one wonders why; and one m ight even be a l i t t l e d is a p p o in te d a t
f i r s t , th a t John w ould t r e a t John th e B a p t is t in th a t way.
But a f t e r an in t e r v a l o f s tu d y one comes upon a c o n c lu s io n th a t
h elp s him u n d erstan d why th e a p o s t le does t h i s . You s e e , th e r e were
some p e o p le t h a t p r o g r e s s e d o n ly a s f a r as John th e B a p tis t had p r o
g ressed in t h e i r r e l i g i o u s th in k in g . They were s a t i s f i e d w ith th e l i g h t
th a t had come through John th e B a p t is t .
And even though th e r e a l l i g h t ,
the l i g h t o f th e Lord J e su s C h r is t , was to come to th e w o rld , th e s e
people sto p p ed where John th e B a p t is t sto p p e d .
The New T estam ent g iv e s us a l i t t l e p ic t u r e o f some o f th o se
fo lk in th e Books o f A c ts .
[A cts 1 9 :2 -5 ] Paul w ent to a c e r t a in c i t y ,
and he found some p e o p le t h e r e , and he s a id to them, "Have you r e c e iv e d
the Holy Ghost s in c e you were b a p tiz e d ? " They s a i d , "Holy Ghost? We
never heard o f t h a t . W hat's th a t? " And Paul was astounded; and he
s a id , "Unto what w ere you b a p t iz e d , then?" And th e y s a id , "Unto J o h n 's
b ap tism ." And P au l s a i d , "John v e r i l y b a p tiz e d u n to r e p e n ta n c e ." But
then he began t o p rea ch to them J e su s C h r is t . And th e y were b a p tiz e d
in to the name o f th e Lord J e s u s .
There w ere many f o lk l i k e t h a t , t h a t had sto p p ed where John th e
B a p tis t had s to p p e d .
In th e fa c e o f th e g r e a t e s t l i g h t th a t t h i s w orld
has e v e r s e e n , in th e Lord J e su s C h r is t , th e y 'd sto p p ed s h o r t o f t h a t .
You know, t h i s i s one o f th e sa d com m entaries on many f o l k in
t h e ir r e l i g i o u s e x p e r ie n c e . T h ey 're s a t i s f i e d w ith l i t t l e :
th ey g e t a
l i t t l e l i g h t , a l i t t l e u n d e r sta n d in g , and th e y s to p r ig h t t h e r e . M artin
Luther had s o much w on d erfu l l i g h t th a t he b rou gh t t o th e w o r ld , b u t he
s a id t h e r e 's s o much more y e t to be fou n d , d o n 't s to p where I 'v e sto p p ed .
But many p e o p le d id . A fte r L u th e r 's d eath th ey d id n 't c o n tin u e to
search th e S c r ip tu r e s to f in d more t r u t h .
B reth ren , l e t ' s n e v e r be
s a t i s f i e d w ith l i t t l e when i t comes t o s p i r i t u a l m a tte r s; l e t ' s sea r c h
on, and s tu d y on , and become more and more g r e a t g ia n t s in th e
S c r ip t u r e s .

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767

But when I t a lk about t h a t I , I alw ays f e e l l i k e I sh o u ld j u s t

say a
l i t t l e word o f w arn in g , b e c a u s e th e r e a re some who
w i l l come alon g
and t e l l us t h a t th e y have "new l i g h t . "
I th in k we ought t o b e lo o k in g
fo r more and a d d it io n a l in fo r m a tio n from th e S c r ip t u r e s . Perhaps we
might c a l l i t more l i g h t , b e c a u se I m su re God i s op en in g up th e S c r ip
tu res c o n s t a n t ly t o u s .
But j u s t b e c a u se somebody comes a lo n g w ith
som ething new, d o e s n 't mean i t ' s " l i g h t , " be a ssu r e d o f t h a t . J u s t
because somebody sen d s you a mimeographed s h e e t w ith som ethin g brand new,
th is d o e s n 't mean i t ' s " l i g h t ," b r e th r e n .
D on 't f a l l f o r e v e r y w ind o f
d o c tr in e . "Search th e S c r ip t u r e s ."
Do you know, I th in k God h as shed new l i g h t upon t h i s p e o p le
through th e y e a r s , d o n 't you th in k so? I look a t some o f th e l i t e r a t u r e
which we have i n our church r ig h t now, and I thank God f o r i t .
I thank
God fo r our B ib le Commentary; what a w on d erfu l h e lp th a t i s to u s . I
thank
God f o r some o f th e new books th a t E ld er Froom has brough t o u t , and
i s b r in g in g o u t , - - The C o n d it io n a l is t F a ith o f our F a th ers i s one j u s t
coming o u t now, a v e r y , v e r y f i n e tw o-volum e s e t o f b o o k s. We know so
much more about our d o c t r in e s now than we u sed t o know. God h as sh ed
new l i g h t upon His p e o p le , and I'm g la d f o r t h a t .
Now, th e n , John th e B a p tis t s a id , "Behold th e Lamb o f God." Two
o f h is d i s c i p l e s h eard him sp e a k , and th ey ste p p e d out to f o llo w J e s u s .
They began to w alk down th e ro a d , fo llo w in g Him. T h is d o e s n 't mean th a t
they were now d i s c i p l e s o f C h r i s t ' s .
These two men d id n ot f o llo w J e su s
in the s e n se t h a t th e y were d i s c i p l e s fo r an oth er y e a r . But th e y were
p h y s ic a lly f o ll o w i n g Him down th e ro a d , s e p a r a te d by q u ite a d i s t a n c e .
They w ere sh y men, th ey w ould l ik e t o have ta lk e d to J e s u s , b u t
how to b r id g e th e gap betw een them th e y th en d id n 't know. And now I
come upon one o f th e d i s t i n c t i v e p h a se s o f th e g o s p e l s to r y o f th e
r e la t io n s h ip betw een us and C h r is t. And i t warms my h e a r t t o e v en t e l l
you about i t .
Do you know t h a t w henever a p erso n has w ith in him any d e s ir e
w hatsoever to draw n ear t o th e Lord J e su s C h r is t, he does n o t n eed to
c lo s e th e gap. There comes in t o p la y som ething w hich someone h a s c a lle d
"The D iv in e I n i t i a t i v e . "
B ecause i t i s God, and i t i s C h r is t, who
c lo s e s th e gap b etw een th e s e e k e r and God h im s e lf . And h ere i t ' s
i l l u s t r a t e d in t h i s s t o r y :
th o s e d i s c i p l e s f o llo w in g a fa r o f f , and
Jesu s n o t i c i n g them. And i t was J e su s who approached them and s a i d ,
"What see k ye?" T h a t's alw ays th e way i t i s . You m ight th in k y o u 'r e
see k in g God, you m ight th in k y o u 'r e s e e k in g C h r is t. H e's th e one w ho's
always s e e k in g you! And draw ing you to h im s e lf .
I'm g r a t e f u l f o r a
Saviour lik e t h a t , a r e n 't you, who lo v e s us enough to look f o r u s , and
to tr y to h e lp us t o f in d th e e x p e r ie n c e t h a t we so much n eed .
T h e r e 's t h a t q u e s tio n :
"What see k ye?" Coming from C h r is t , and
b ein g th e f i r s t spoken words o f C h r is t t h a t John r ec o r d s in h i s book ,
somehow I th in k th e y have an even d eep er meaning than m ight seem to
appear on th e s u r f a c e .
"What se e k ye?" J e su s asked [John 1 : 3 8 ] .
I
th in k p ro b a b ly He was a s k in g them a q u e s tio n b ig g e r than "What s e e k you
t h is moment?" Perhaps He was a s k in g , "What i s your g o a l in l i f e ?
What

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768

are you lo o k in g f o r in l i f e ?
to ask o f o u r s e lv e s .

And t h a t ' s a good q u e s tio n f o r a l l o f us

What i s your g o a l, to n ig h t? What are you s e e k in g to n ig h t? Are

you lo o k in g fo r money? I f you a r e , I hope y o u ' l l g e t p le n t y o f i t .
I t ' s about a l l th e jo y y o u ' l l ev er f in d in l i f e , and I hope you g e t i t
through l o t s o f money. Do you want p o s i t i o n , and r e c o g n it io n o f p e o p le
about you? I f s o , I hope y o u ' l l have p le n t y o f t h a t . T h a t's r a th e r
s h o r t - liv e d a l s o , and you w o n 't have i t w ith you v e ry lo n g ; may you g e t
p len ty o f i t , fo r th e tim e b e in g .
But i f your g o a l in l i f e , i f what you are s e e k in g i s a p la c e in
the e te r n a l kingdom o f God, th e n , b r e th r e n , you have b e fo r e you a tw o
fo ld jo y : jo y h ere in t h is l i f e , and jo y in th e h e r e a f t e r f o r e v e r .
That i s th e r e a l g o a l fo r a l l o f u s .
"What see k y e ? I hope your answ er w ould b e , "I s e e k e t e r n a l
l i f e , I s e e k a p la c e in God's kingdom.
Now th e s e men answered Him by s a y in g , R abbi"--and l e t me s to p a
moment and th in k about th a t word, " R a b b i. That word "Rabbi" means,
l i t e r a l l y , "Great One" or "M aster." That was a good term f o r them to
use on Him; i t was a r e s p e c t f u l term . I t shows th a t th e y had a l o t o f
awe and r e s p e c t fo r th e Lord J e s u s .
Now I n o t ic e som ethin g v ery c le a r in s tu d y in g o v er th e G osp els:
w h ile th e d i s c i p l e s , when th ey f i r s t came to know J e s u s , c a l l e d Him
"Rabbi," th e y d id n 't c a l l Him th a t fo r v ery lo n g . P r e tty so o n th a t word
"Rabbi gave way to a b e t t e r word; and th ey c a l l e d Him "Lord." I l i k e
th a t. There are many p e o p le in our w orld t o n ig h t who b e l i e v e th a t J e su s
C hrist was th e g r e a t e s t man who e v e r l i v e d . Some b e li e v e H e's th e
g r e a t e s t te a c h e r who e v er l i v e d . T h ey 're c a l l i n g Him, "R abbi," "Great
One."
B reth ren , th a t i s n ' t enough. I t i s n ' t j u s t enough to sa y He was
the g r e a t e s t man who e v e r l i v e d . We must know th a t He was th e Lord, He
was th e C h r is t , He was the M essiah, He i s th e one who has d ie d fo r us to
g iv e us s a l v a t i o n .
I t i s n ' t enough to c a l l Him "Rabbi" t o n ig h t .
I hope
y o u 're n o t j u s t r e f e r r in g to Him as a " g r e a t one"; I hope He i s your
Lord, your J e su s C h r is t.
But th ey s a id to Him, "Rabbi, where d w e lle s t Thou?" Now, why d id
th ey want t o know where He d w elt? O b v io u sly , He had been p o in te d out to
them as th e Lamb o f God, th e M essiah. And i f He r e a l l y were th e Lamb o f
God, th e M essiah , i t was n o t enough fo r them to j u s t have a chance m eet
in g w ith Him on t h a t road th a t n ig h t . They must know where th e y c o u ld
fin d Him a g a in . They must know where th e y c o u ld go back and d is c u s s
w ith Him th e g r e a t is s u e s o f l i f e .
They must know where He c o u ld be
found. And so th ey s a id , "Rabbi, where d w e lle s t Thou?"
Do you know to n ig h t
Him in a moment's n o t ic e in
had a chance e n co u n ter w ith
i s n ' t enough, b r e th r e n , i t ' s

where He can be found? Can you c a l l upon

an hour o f n e e d , and fin d Him? Maybe y o u ve
Him y e a r s a g o , in your y o u th , p e r h a p s. That
n o t enough. We must know c o n s t a n t ly where

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769

we can fin d Him. He s c lo s e t o a l l o f u s , c l o s e r t o us than b r e a th in g ,

nearer than hands and f e e t . We can c a l l upon Him i n p r a y e r a t any tim e
that we d e s ir e to ; we know where He d w e lls .
I hope you know where He
d w ells, and I hope th a t you can c a l l upon Him a t a l l tim e s .
"Rabbi, where d w e lle s t Thou?" And H is answ er w as, "Come, and
se e ." They came, and th e y saw; b u t , do you know, nobody e v e r w rote down
where He l i v e d , and what k in d o f a home He l i v e d i n .
They d id n t d i s
cuss His g a r a g e , and th e y d id n t t a l k about what k in d
o f a donkey He had
t ie d up t h e r e , a b i g one or a l i t t l e o n e. And th e y d id n 't t a lk a n y th in g
about th e fu r n is h in g s in H is home.
I have b een in th e H oly Land, one o f
the g r e a t e s t e x p e r ie n c e s o f my l i f e .
I ve b een ta k en around, and shown
a l l the p o in t s o f i n t e r e s t on b o th s i d e s o f th e l i n e , th e Jordan s id e
and the I s r a e l s i d e .
B u t, you know, nobody e v e r p o in t e d out to me where
the Lord J e su s l i v e d when He was h e r e upon t h i s e a r t h . Nobody seems to
know. Why i s t h a t , t h a t when i t was so im p ortan t to them t c know where
He d w elt, and when th e y w ent t o H is home and found o u t where He d w e lt,
they d id n t b o th e r to w r ite i t down?
You c a n 't e sc a p e a c o n c lu s io n in reg a rd t o t h i s : where He
liv e d , His su r r o u n d in g s, w ere n o t n e a r ly so im p o rta n t when a man g o t
there to th a t p l a c e , as th e Man h i m s e lf . They came away n ot t a lk in g
about donkeys or f u r n it u r e , or th e s i z e o f h o u s e s . They came away
sa y in g , "We have found th e M e ssia h ." They had found a Person who s a t i s
fie d t h e ir e v e r y lo n g in g o f l i f e .
What do p e o p le t a lk about when th e y le a v e you? What do th e y go
out in th e w orld t a lk in g about? I hope th e y go o u t t a lk in g about your
C h r ist, and about your l i f e , and th e in f lu e n c e o f y o u r l i f e , and n o t
anything about you r su r r o u n d in g s, w hich are s o u n im p o rta n t. "Where
d w e lle st Thou?" "Come, and s e e ." They came and th e y saw where He d w e lt,
and they abode w ith Him t h a t day, w hich p ro b a b ly means th ey s ta y e d
o v ern ig h t.
Now, John seem s to be u s in g an economy o f words h e r e , and I
don't mean t o be t r y in g to e d i t th e B ib le a t a l l ; b u t th e n e x t e x p r e s s io n
seems to be thrown in q u it e u n n e c e s s a r ily . They came and saw where He
dw elt; th ey abode w ith Him th a t day, and th en
h e r e 's th e e x p r e s s io n :
"for i t was about th e te n th h o u r." Which
means i t was fo u r o 'c lo c k in
the a fte r n o o n .
I c o u ld n 't c a r e l e s s what tim e i t was in th e day. Why d id John
have to throw th a t i n , and w a ste our sp a ce and our tim e by t e l l i n g us i t
was fo u r o 'c lo c k in th e a fte r n o o n when th ey met J e su s on th a t road? Now
you g iv e a l i t t l e th o u g h t to i t , h ow ever, and a g r e a t p o in t e v o lv e s ou t
o f t h i s , I th in k . Who were th e s e two men who saw J e s u s and who fo llo w e d
Him down th e road? W e ll, I know who one o f them w as, b eca u se th e
S c r ip tu r e s t e l l me i t was Andrew. So t h a t ' s c l e a r , I know who one w as.
But th e o th e r o n e, who was he? The B ib le d o e s n 't t e l l us a t a l l ; t h i s
i s l e f t a b la n k .
But t h i s in i t s e l f g iv e s us a c lu e as t o who i t w as.
Because th e w r it e r o f t h i s book , John th e A p o s tle , seem ed to be a m odest
man. He n e v e r named h im s e lf in h i s book . Whenever he ta lk e d about
e x p e r ie n c e s in w hich h e was in v o lv e d , he seem ed to u s e t h i s method:
h e'd name th e o th e r man, and he d i d n ' t b o th e r to name h im s e lf . T his
o th er man was Joh n , h im s e lf ; and th e S p i r i t o f Prophecy b ea rs t h a t o u t.

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I t was John and Andrew who s to o d one day as d i s c i p l e s o f John

the B a p t is t , who h eard John s a y , "B ehold th e Lamb o f God." John i s
t e l l i n g h is own s t o r y o f h i s e n c o u n te r w ith J e su s C h r is t . H e's t e l l i n g
how he ste p p e d o u t , and began t o f o llo w J e s u s a lo n g way o f f . He i s
t e l l i n g how J e su s tu rn ed around and approached him , and s a i d , "What see k
ye?" H e's t e l l i n g how h s a i d , "R abbi, w here d w e lle s t Thou?" H e's
t e l l i n g us how J e su s s a i d , "Come and s e e " to him , and how he w ent to
J esu s' home and s ta y e d th e r e o v e r n ig h t .
And h e ' s t e lli n g ," T h e r e f o r e ,
how i t was when h f i r s t met C h r is t; and he ev en remembers th e hour when
he met J e su s C h r is t. He sa y s i t was fo u r o 'c l o c k in th e a fte r n o o n when
I f i r s t saw Him. And in t e l l i n g us t h a t l i t t l e f a c t h e ' s t e l l i n g us how
im portant th a t w hole e x p e r ie n c e was t o him . I t i s as i f a t fo u r o 'c lo c k
one a ftern o o n a trem endous change came i n t o h i s l i f e , when he came in
co n ta ct w ith J e su s C h r is t f o r th e f i r s t tim e . H is l i f e i s d iv id e d in t o
two p a r t s , d iv id e d by fo u r o 'c lo c k one a fte r n o o n . E v er y th in g th a t went
b efore was h i s l i f e w ith o u t C h r is t; e v e r y th in g t h a t came a f t e r was h i s
l i f e w ith C h r is t. And you know what t h a t c o n v e r s io n e x p e r ie n c e can do
fo r you, d o n 't you?
You, t o o , know what i t was when J e su s C h r is t f i r s t met yo u , and
you f i r s t met Him. And you know how i t was t h a t th e r e was a g r e a t
d iv is io n t h a t took p la c e in your l i f e when you gave e v e r y th in g you had
to Him. Y ou've n e v e r been s o r r y , y o u 'v e n e v e r r e g r e t t e d t h a t . You
remember j u s t how i t happened, you remember what th e e x p e r ie n c e was and
what th e in f lu e n c e was on your l i f e ; you know what i t was to be con
verted by J e su s C h r is t. And su d d en ly I s e e no m e a n in g le ss n e ss as John
says "Four o 'c lo c k in th e a fte r n o o n I f i r s t met Him."
W e ll, th en John goes on , and s a y s , One o f th e two w hich heard
John speak and fo llo w e d J e su s was Andrew. Now, a g a in , I d o n 't want to
e d it th e B ib le ; b u t I w ould j u s t l i k e t o p u t a p e r io d r ig h t t h e r e , a f t e r
"Andrew." T h a t's j u s t a l l t h a t ' s n e e d e d , as f a r as I'm co n cern ed . But
John again goes on and sa y s so m eth in g e l s e " I t was Andrew, you know,
Simon P e t e r 's b r o th e r ."
Poor Andrew! T h a t's th e way th e y alw ays d e s c r ib e d him --Sim on
P e te r 's b r o th e r . Poor f e l l o w , th e y w o u ld n 't g iv e him a chance to sta n d
on h is own f e e t , i t seem ed.
I was a t a camp m eetin g th e o th e r day, and
a very f i n e b r o th e r , a m in is t e r , was p r e s e n t who s in g s v e ry b e a u t i f u l l y .
And one o f th e men g o t up t o in tr o d u c e him , th a t he was g o in g t o s in g .
And in g e t t in g up t o in tr o d u c e him , he s a i d , "You know, t h i r t y y ea rs ago
we had a b a b y - s i t t e r in our h o u se , a young la d y , and our g i r l c o u ld n 't
c a l l h er by name, and she u se d t o c a l l h e r - - ( a n d th en he spoke out a
bab y's term f o r a g i r l ' s name, I c a n 't r e c a l l what i t w as, and w o u ld n 't
tr y to r e p e a t i t i f I c o u ld } . B ut, anyway, he s a i d , "W ell, t h a t baby
s i t t e r was so f i n e , and sh e grew up, and sh e m a r r ied , and s h e 's been
here on our camp ground so f a r t h i s w eek , b u t sh e l e f t y e s te r d a y ; and
s h e 's gone on to d is t a n t p a r t s .
But h e r husband i s s t i l l h e r e , and h er
husband's g o in g to s in g f o r u s ."
[L a u g h ter]
He was j u s t Mrs. S o - a n d - s o 's hu sb an d , p oor f e llo w !
[L aughter]
And t h a t ' s n o t a v e ry n ic e name f o r a m in is t e r t o have to b e , I ' l l t e l l
you. But he g o t up and san g b e a u t i f u l l y , anyway. I t o l d him a fterw a rd
how s o r r y I f e l t f o r him , to be in tr o d u c e d as Mrs. Som ebody's husband.
[Laughter]

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But t h a t was Andrew. They n e v e r l e t Andrew sta n d on h i s own

fe e t; th ey n e v e r s a i d , "T his i s Andrew.1' I t was a lw a y s, "Andrew, Simon
P e te r 's b r o th er " ; overshadow ed by th a t b r o th e r who d id su ch a trem endous
work p u b lic ly .
Now, what k in d o f a man was Andrew, anyway? I w ish I knew much
more about him than I do. Do you know, h e ' s o n ly m entioned th r e e tim es
in th e S c r ip tu r e s ? E v e r y th in g we know about Andrew we have to g a th e r
from th o se th r e e o c c u r r a n c e s t h a t are d e scr ib e d ? And, fu rth erm o re,
everytim e Andrew i s m en tio n ed , h e ' s alw ays d oin g th e same t h i n g - - t a l k
about a o n e -tr a c k mind, t h a t ' s a l l th a t f e llo w seem ed to h a v e --h e c o u ld
only do one t h in g , I g u e s s . One n e v e r read s about him e v e r p r e a c h in g a
sermon, one n e v e r fin d s him a d d r e s sin g th e thousands and le a d in g them to
the Lord J e s u s . One s e e s h i s w hole work done on th e f r in g e s o f th e
crowd. He must have been somewhat a sh y man. I t was Simon P e te r th a t
did th e p u b lic work, n o t Andrew. But e v e r y tim e Andrew i s m en tio n ed ,
h e 's doing th e same th in g ; and do you know what t h a t "same th in g " i s ?
He i s always b r in g in g somebody to J e s u s . What a w o n d erfu l way to have a
on e-track mind! How I w ish th a t th e e n t i r e M ichigan C onferen ce were
f i l l e d w ith "Andrews," f i l l e d w ith p e o p le who c o u ld n 't do one o th e r
th ing b u t b r in g o th e r p e o p le t o J e s u s . W ouldn't t h a t be a w o n d erfu l
th in g , to have a c o n fe r e n c e f u l l o f such p e o p le as th a t!
[Amens]
Let me t e l l you th e th r e e tim es h e ' s m entioned to u s , th e one i s
ju s t what I'm r e a d in g to you h e r e . A fte r h e 'd found J e su s C h r is t him
s e l f , he went and found h i s own b r o th e r , Simon, Simon P e te r ; and he
brought him to J e s u s , th e B ib le s a y s . The secon d tim e h e ' s m entioned i s
when J esu s had p reach ed f o r a lo n g tim e to th e f i v e th o u sa n d , and a t th e
c o n c lu sio n o f th e sermon th e p e o p le w ere a l l h u ngry, and th e r e were no
r e sta u r a n ts around, and no s t o r e s where one cou ld buy fo o d . And th e
d is c ip le s d id n 't have money to buy food f o r a l l th e s e p e o p le anyway.
And i t was Andrew who began t o wander through th e crowd, and he f i n a l l y
came upon a s m a ll boy w ith a r a th e r o v e r s iz e lu n ch , f o r a l i t t l e f e llo w .
But a l l i t was was j u s t a few lo a v e s and a few f i s h , and i t c e r t a i n l y
w ouldn't go v e ry fa r among f i v e thousand p e o p le .
But Andrew, b l e s s h i s
h e a r t, th ought t o h im s e lf , i f he c o u ld b r in g th a t boy and th a t lunch
in to c o n ta c t w ith J e su s C h r is t , th e com b in ation m ight work m ir a c le s .
And i t d id , in d e e d !
I t was Andrew, who saw th e p o s s i b i l i t i e s , and
brought th a t boy to J e s u s , lunch and a l l !
And you know what happened.
And a l i t t l e b i t l a t e r , Andrew comes in t o th e p ic t u r e a g a in :
c e r ta in Greeks came to P h i l i p , and th ey s a i d , " S ir , we w ould s e e J e s u s ."
But P h ilip was c o m p le te ly thrown f o r a lo o p by t h a t . These p e o p le were
not Jew s, th ey were G reeks. Now, i f th e y were J ew s, he would have
brought them r ig h t to J e s u s ; b u t you d o n 't b r in g Greeks to J e s u s . No,
no, n o t th o se f o lk ! Not d i r e c t l y to J e su s do you b r in g them. But he
d id n 't know what to d o. And s o he brough t them to Andrew. And, you
know, Andrew d id n 't seem t o know any b e t t e r but to th in k t h a t everybody
should be b rou gh t to J e s u s . And s o he b rou gh t th e Greeks to J e s u s , w ith
the r e s u lt in g w on d erfu l b l e s s i n g s th a t came to them , and, i n c i d e n t a l l y ,
to us; b eca u se we, t o o , f o r th e m ost p a r t p r o b a b ly , are n o t Jew s. But
in th a t e x p e r ie n c e we s e e th a t J e su s lo v e s u s , and lo v e s a l l men. Thank
God f o r Andrew, who saw p o s s i b i l i t i e s in everybody!

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772

I'm a f r a id I d o n 't s e e p o s s i b i l i t i e s i n everyb od y l i k e he d id .

I s a t in a church, th e o th e r n i g h t , and I l i s t e n e d to a m in is t e r p r e a ch .
He preached w e l l , and I
e n jo y e d l i s t e n i n g t o him . But my mind began to
wander. I t wandered b ack to when I f i r s t saw him . He w a sn 't a m in is t e r
when I f i r s t saw him , tw e n ty -fo u r y e a rs a g o . And you know where I saw
him? I saw him s ta n d in g in th e door o f an a u d ito riu m where I was con
ducting a s e r i e s o f m e e tin g s . He w ouldn t come i n .
I p rea ch ed th e r e
three n ig h ts a w eek, and he was th e r e in th a t door th r e e n ig h t s a w eek.
Not fo r th e w hole tim e , b u t j u s t toward th e end o f th e m e e tin g . And you
know why h e was th e r e ?
To p ic k up h i s g i r l fr ie n d who was a tt e n d in g my
m eetin gs. And sh e was a f in e g i r l , and sh e was making good p r o g r e s s
s p i r i t u a l l y . And I th o u g h t t o m y s e lf, " I f th a t young f e llo w k eep s on
coming, and ta k in g h er away from th e s e m eetin g s a t th e c o n c lu s io n , and
she p u ts up w ith him , s h e s a p t t o lo s e h er w ay." And s o , you know, I
saw no p o s s i b i l i t i e s in him a t a l l .
And I j u s t hoped h e 'd d is a p p e a r .
Let him "drop d ead ," or so m eth in g ; I d id n 't q u it e c a r e , j u s t s o h e 'd
leave th a t g i r l a lo n e s o s h e 'd ta k e h e r s ta n d and g e t a good f o o t i n g in
s p ir it u a l t h in g s .
B ut, do you know, w ith o u t my s e e in g th e p o s s i b i l i t i e s , God saw
wonderful p o s s i b i l i t i e s in him . And h e 's been an o rd a in ed m in is t e r now
in our cause f o r q u it e a number o f y e a r s . And th a t g i r l t h a t I was
w orried ab ou t, s h e 's h i s w i f e , and s h e 's an e x c e l l e n t m in is t e r ' s w if e .
And I s a t th e r e th a t n i g h t , remembering a l l t h a t , and th in k in g to m y s e lf
how aw ful th a t I d id n 't s e e any p o s s i b i l i t i e s in him .
Let me t e l l you a l i t t l e s t o r y t h a t ' s warmed my h e a r t r e c e n t ly .
The s to r y took p la c e in P r o v id e n c e , Rhode I s la n d , where a c o u p le --a n
A d v en tist c o u p le - - s a t down one n i g h t , p ic k e d up t h e i r new spaper and
began to read i t .
The name, M it c h e ll, B ro th er and S i s t e r M it c h e ll.
They read th e r e a s t o r y w r it t e n by a r e p o r t e r who'd gone down t o v i s i t
the e q u iv a le n t o f th e s t a t e p e n it e n t ia r y in Rhode I s la n d . And he came
out, and w rote a s t o r y about i t ; he s a i d , "You know, th e r e are p e o p le
there in th a t p e n it e n t ia r y who have been ig n o r e d by th e w orld f o r y e a r s .
Nobody from th e o u t s id e w orld has come in to s e e them; t h e y 'v e had no
con tact w ith a human tou ch o f fr ie n d s h ip from o u t s id e ." And he s a id th e
in d iv id u a l th a t he knew o f who seem ed to be r e j e c t e d by th e w orld th e
lo n g e st was th e man named G reg a rio DeNoy. Nobody had been t o s e e him in
tw e n ty -fiv e y e a r s .
And somehow, as B ro th er and S i s t e r M itc h e ll read th a t a r t i c l e ,
and read about t h a t p o o r , f o r g o t t e n man, t h e i r h e a r ts went o u t to him .
And th ey d e c id e d t o w r it e him a l e t t e r .
They s a t down, and s e n t him a
l i t t l e card , and th ey w ro te a n o te on th e back o f i t ; th ey t o l d him
th e y 'd read about him in th e P ro v id en ce n ew sp ap er, t o l d him how th e y
were th in k in g o f him , how th e y 'd l i k e t o b e a f r ie n d o f h i s fr ie n d s o f
h i s t o ld him th a t i f i t was p o s s i b l e a t a l l th ey w ould come and s e e him
a f t e r a w h ile ; b u t in th e m eanw hile th e y w anted him to know th e y were
th in k in g o f him.
And th en th e y s ig n e d t h e i r names in a way t h a t , i f I ' d been
around, and i f th e y 'd ask ed me, I would have t o ld them was n o t th e way t o
do i t ; th ey s ig n e d t h e i r nam es, "B rother and S i s t e r M it c h e ll." And I
would have t o ld them t h a t p r o b a b ly h e , n o t b e lo n g in g to th e ch u rch ,

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773

wouldn t know what was meant by th a t b r o t h e r - a n d - s is t e r b i t , and b e t t e r

not to do t h a t , b e t t e r j u s t to s ig n i t "Mr. and M rs." or so m eth in g . B ut,
they sig n e d i t B roth er and S i s t e r ; th e y d id n t know any b e t t e r , you s e e .
And th a t was j u s t e x a c t ly th e way i t sh o u ld have been don e.
Because when G regario DeNoy g o t t h a t card and t h a t n o te from them, he
was deeply im p ressed by i t a l l , b u t e s p e c i a l l y im p ressed by th e f a c t
th at th ey would c a l l th e m se lv e s h is b r o th e r and h i s s i s t e r . And a f t e r a
w hile he w rote back to them . And th e n , one day, th e y w ent to s e e him .
I t a lk e d t o B roth er and S i s t e r M itc h e ll j u s t l a s t w eek, and
learned th e s t o r y from t h e i r own l i p s .
They s a id , "We c o u ld n 't s e e him
very w e ll in h i s c e l l t h e r e , th e l i g h t was w rong, i t was in our e y e s and
we c o u ld n 't s e e him . And th e o n ly im p re ssio n t h a t we g o t was o f a man
who was p e r s p ir in g t e r r i f i c a l l y a t th e f i r s t company t h a t h e d had in
tw e n ty -fiv e y e a r s ." But th e y t a lk e d to g e th e r . And B ro th er M itc h e ll
decided th a t he was g o in g t o go back and s e e t h i s l o n e ly man e v er y tim e
he cou ld , and he p u t a l i t t l e tim e t a b le in h i s own mind, and he d e c id e d
th at he was g o in g t o go t o s e e t h a t man once e v e r y two w eek s.
And do you know th a t f o r th e n e x t fo u r and o n e - h a lf y e a r s
Brother M itc h e ll n e v e r m issed h i s two-week appointm ent w ith G regario
DeNoy. Sometimes he had to c u t h is v a c a tio n s h o r t; he would p la n h is
v acation in such a way t h a t h e would go to s e e t h i s man, and th en le a v e
on h is v a c a tio n im m ed ia tely a fte r w a r d , and h e 'd s e e t o i t th a t he was
back in tim e t o f u l f i l l h i s two-week engagement t o v i s i t G regario DeNoy.
That f o r g o t t e n man found a f r ie n d , someone who a p p r e c ia te d him.
Gregario DeNoy s e n t fo r th e B ib le c o u r se a t th e prom p tings o f some o f
our p e o p le . And as th e r e s u l t , began t o stu d y our B ib le co u rse th e r e in
the p r iso n c e l l .
He le a r n e d much; he became a th o r o u g h ly changed man.
He r e c e iv e d from F a ith f o r Today our D e sir e o f Ages c o u r se and our
Great C ontroversy c o u r se ; and as he r ea d th o se w o n d erfu l b o o k s, he
memorized la r g e p o r t io n s o f them. He was r e a l l y q u it e a m ental g ia n t in
some ways, b e in g a b le to memorize so much, even though E n g lis h was n o t
h is n a t iv e la n g u a g e.
Then one day th e warden o f th e p e n it e n t ia r y w ent to th e p a r o le
board and he s a i d , "I would l i k e t o recommend a man f o r p a r o le . T h is
man has been in p r is o n f o r many y e a r s , b u t h e ' s a changed man. And,
furtherm ore, he perhaps i s n o t g o in g to l i v e to o much lo n g e r ; th e y e a rs
he sp e n t in p r is o n have tak en t h e i r t o l l on him . And I w ould li k e to
recommend him f o r p a r o le so th a t t h i s changed man can go o u t in t o th e
world and have a l i t t l e chance o f a normal l i f e a g a in ." And th e p a r o le
board d ecid ed to a c c e p t th e w arden's recom m endation; and G regario DeNoy
was r e le a s e d t o th e w o r ld .
One o f th e f i r s t th in g s he d id was to go t o church, and he con
ta c te d th e p a s to r in th a t church; and j u s t b e fo r e I g o t up t o preach
to n ig h t, I s lip p e d o v e r and ta lk e d to somebody h ere on t h i s p la tfo r m ,
and I asked him a q u e s t io n .
I asked him i f he was th e m in is t e r who was
the p a sto r in P ro v id en ce when G regario DeNoy came to church; and he t o ld
me he w as. H e's one o f your M ichigan p a s to r s now, and h e ' s h ere on th e
p latform t o n ig h t . T his was n o t p r e -a r ra n g ed ; E ld e r C o ffin i s th e man.

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774

He was th e one who met w ith G reg a rio DeNoy and s tu d ie d w ith him e a r
n e s t ly . And a f t e r a tim e was a b le t o le a d him i n t o th e w a te r s and
b a p tiz e him. The M it c h e lls had t o l d me som eth in g about B r o th e r C o ffin ,
and how w on d erfu l he was in d e a lin g w ith t h i s man, how g e n t l e and k in d ,
and th o u g h tfu l and c o n s id e r a t e i n a l l o f h i s h e lp t o b r in g t h a t man who
had sp en t a l l th o se y e a r s b eh in d p r is o n b a r s - - t h a t man t h a t nobody had
even thought o f in t w e n t y - f iv e y e a r s , b e fo r e th e M it c h e lls came a lo n g to
help lea d him to th e Lord J e su s C h r is t .
W ell, do you know, as so o n a s he was r e a l l y in th e ch u rch , and
was e n t h u s ia s t ic w ith what h e 'd fo u n d , he had a burden on h i s h e a r t . He
sa id he would so much l i k e t o s e e h i s l i t t l e g i r l .
And he c o n fe s s e d
he'd never se e n h i s l i t t l e g i r l .
She had b een b o m a f t e r h e 'd gone to
p r iso n , a f t e r h e 'd come to t h i s c o u n tr y . H e'd f o r g o t t e n t h a t h is
" l i t t l e " g i r l w a s n 't s o l i t t l e any more. She was 40 y e a r s o ld . She
liv e d in I t a l y . And th e M it c h e lls th o u g h t i t o v e r , and t a lk e d i t o v e r ,
and th ey s a id , "We wonder how much i t would c o s t to b r in g h e r h e r e ."
They dipped i n t o t h e i r m eager s a v in g s . They s e n t th e t i c k e t o v er to
th at daughter in I t a l y , f o r h er t o come to th e U n ited S t a t e s to s e e h e r
fa th e r.
One day th e b o a t p u lle d i n , th e s h ip p u lle d i n t o New York h a rb o r.
And th ere on th e dock s to o d G reg a rio DeNoy and th e M it c h e l l s .
And th e y
had to ld th e d au gh ter in a l e t t e r th a t sh e sh o u ld s ta n d on th e deck and
wave a h a n d k e r c h ie f w ith h e r l e f t hand.
(W e ll, o f c o u r s e , everyb od y was
waving h a n d k e r c h ie fs, b u t th ey th o u g h t maybe th e l e f t hand w ould be
d iffe r e n t from what m ost p e o p le 'd be doin g; b u t th e y c o u ld n 't p ic k ou t a
le ft-h a n d ed h a n d k e r ch ief-w a v e r up th e r e on th e b o a t a t a l l . )
And so i t
looked lik e an u t t e r f a i l u r e ; n ob o d y 'd e v e r see n each o t h e r , and how
were they g o in g to g e t to g e th e r !
W ell, f i n a l l y Mrs. M it c h e ll s a id , "We s e n t h e r a p i c t u r e on th e
day o f G r e g a r io 's b a p tism in w hich we were b o th s ta n d in g , one on e i t h e r
sid e o f him. Why d o n 't we ta k e our p o s i t i o n s h ere j u s t l i k e we were in
that p ic t u r e , and maybe s h e ' l l s e e u s ." And so th e r e th e y s to o d on th e
dock, j u s t l ik e th e y had in th e p i c t u r e . And sh e was lo o k in g down, and
f i n a l l y she saw h e r p ic t u r e ; and th e y were a b le t o g e t t o g e t h e r v ery
q u ick ly . What a happy m eetin g i t w a s, a w o n d e r fu lly happy m e e tin g .
B ut, do you know, G regario had som ething e l s e in h i s mind in
se e in g th a t d a u g h ter. Not was he j u s t w an tin g to s a t i s f y h i s c u r i o s i t y ;
he wanted to te a c h h e r what he had found in th e Lord J e s u s C h r is t.
And
so he s tu d ie d th e B ib le w ith h e r ; h e showed h e r what he now b e lie v e d ; h e
showed h er what h is f a i t h had done f o r h i s l i f e ; and he le d h e r to th e
fo o t o f th e c r o s s .
She had hoped to s t a y in t h i s cou n try f o r a y e a r . E v er y th in g
was arranged s o th a t sh e c o u ld .
But a f t e r she had o n ly b een h ere fo r
three months, su d d en ly G regario DeNoy had a h e a r t a t t a c k , and d ie d . She
boarded th e s h ip a g a in , and went back to I t a l y .
But, do you know, t h e r e ' s a s e q u e l to th a t s t o r y :
The s e q u e l i s
th a t on th e a n n iv e r s a r y o f h e r f a t h e r ' s d e a th , sh e was b a p t iz e d in t o
th is cause o v er in I t a l y , where th e work goes so d i f f i c u l t , where i t ' s

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d i f f i c u l t to b r in g s o u ls to J e su s C h r is t , where th e r e are s o many who

r e j e c t , i t seem s, th e w on d erfu l te a c h in g s o f th e S c r ip t u r e s . She has
now taken h er s ta n d .
But th a t i s n ' t th e end. S h e 's b r in g in g h e r fa m ily to J e su s
C hrist and to t h i s tr u t h . She has a so n who has b een s tu d y in g f o r th e
p riesth o o d ; h e 's now s tu d y in g
f o r th e A d v e n tis t m in is t r y . [Amens]
Where w i l l th a t s t o r y end? I
d o n 't know. Over in t h a t lan d where i t ' s
d i f f i c u l t to win s o u l s , t h e r e ' s a new l i g h t b u rn in g f o r C h r is t o v er
th ere.
(You know, t h e r e 's one i n t e r e s t i n g f a c t , j u s t a l i t t l e s i d e l i g h t
I'd lik e to throw in : A fte r G regario DeNoy was ou t o f p r is o n , and th e
whole th in g was b eh in d him , he t o l d th e M it c h e lls I'm su re he must have
to ld B rother C o ffin --o n numerous o c c a s io n s , th a t he had n e v e r com m itted
the crime fo r w hich h e 'd b een p la c e d in p r is o n a l l th o s e y e a r s b e f o r e .
Accused o f m urdering a woman:s h e 'd b een found b e a te n to d eath w ith a
poker. He s a id , "I was n o t t h e r e , I d id n o t do i t . "
But he s p e n t a l l
those y e a rs in p r is o n .
God h as H is own way, so m e tim e s, o f making th in g s
r ig h t, d o e s n 't He? And out o f a i l t h a t d i f f i c u l t y and h o r r o r and f r u s
tr a tio n , h ere are s o u ls who have found J e su s C h r is t and who have done
th e ir b e s t , and are s t i l l d oin g t h e i r b e s t to le a d o th e r s o u ls to th e
fo o t o f th e c r o s s .)
How w on d erfu l i t i s nowadays to fin d p e o p le w ith th e s p i r i t o f
Andrew, who s e e som ethin g good i n ev ery b o d y , and who b r in g them to J e su s
C h rist. Oh, th a t a l l o f us m ight have th a t approach, and m ight do
e v ery th in g in our power t o le a d s o u ls to th e f o o t o f th e c r o s s .
Now, Andrew, Simon P e t e r 's b r o th e r : "He f i r s t f in d e t h h is own
b ro th er, Simon, and s a it h un to him , We have found th e M essiah (w hich i s ,
being in t e r p r e t e d , th e C h r is t ) ; and he b rou gh t him to J e s u s ." Now,
n o tic e : "And when J e su s b e h e ld him (I lik e th e f a c t th a t i t s a y s "He
beheld him"t h a t ' s a l i t t l e b ig g e r word than when J e s u s "saw" h im -Jesus b e h e ld him , He look ed a t him e a r n e s t l y , He s t a r e d a t him , He
looked in t o h is s o u l; "when J e su s b e h e ld h im " )He s a i d , Thou a r t Simon,
the son o f Jonah; but th ou s h a l t be c a l l e d Cephas (w hich i s , by i n t e r
p r e ta tio n , a s t o n e ) ."
Do you know what J e su s was r e a l l y s a y in g to him? I t was a p la y
on words, th e d e f i n i t i o n o f th e nam es. "You are Sim on, you are a r o l l
ing s to n e , you are a p e b b le , you are a l i t t l e s t o n e , an u n s ta b le s t o n e .
But you s h a l l be c a l l e d Cephas, w hich i s , by in t e r p r e t a t i o n , a b i g
sto n e , a ro ck , a s t a b le s t o n e , one on w hich we can d epend ."
I wonder i f Simon was a p p r e c ia tin g th a t c o n fid e n c e th a t J e su s
exp ressed in him th a t day.
I wonder i f Simon remembered t h a t , and I
know he d id how can a man n e v e r n o t respond t o c o n fid e n c e ?
I thank God
fo r th e p e o p le t h a t have had c o n fid e n c e in me. Warms my h e a r t to h ea r
s t o r ie s o f some o f th e f o lk th a t e x p r e s s e d c o n fid e n c e in me and t h a t
encouraged me, as I remember back a few y e a r s a g o . How w on d erfu l i t i s
to have f o lk e x p r e ss c o n fid e n c e h e r e 's P e te r , s ta n d in g b e fo r e J e s u s ,
and J esu s lo o k s in t o him , and He s a y s , "Simon, you a r e n 't a v e r y s t a b le

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776

man r ig h t now, y o u re j u s t an o r d in a r y f e l l o w , j u s t a r o l l i n g s t o n e ,
c a n 't count much on y o u .
And I'm su r e th e y c o u ld n 't cou n t much on th a t rou gh , crude
fisherm an. Every tim e he spoke he g o t h i s f o o t in h i s mouth, had a r e a l
severe c a se o f " h oof-in -m ou th " d i s e a s e , you know.
[L aughter] Always
went around s a y in g th e wrong t h in g a t th e r ig h t tim e , i t seem ed. J e su s
looked a t him, and saw a l l t h a t , saw h i s w ea k n ess, saw a l l h is m is ta k e s .
But then J esu s s a id , "You s h a l l b e a r o c k , so m eth in g on w hich we can
depend."
I wonder i f Simon remembered t h a t th e n ig h t he d e n ie d h i s Lord.
Was th a t p a r t o f what b rou gh t su ch rem orse in t o h i s so u l? He c o u ld s a y ,
"He was the o n ly one th a t saw a n y th in g o f v a lu e in me, and now I ' v e l e t
Him down." I'm su r e t h a t was a p a r t o f i t .
And a l i t t l e l a t e r on th a t
man did become a s tr o n g p r e a c h e r o f r ig h t e o u s n e s s . With th e Lord J e su s
in h is h e a r t, h e was a b le to go o u t and do a g r e a t work f o r Him.
Other p e o p le d id n 't s e e a n y th in g o f v a lu e in S im o n --I'm s u r e I
w ouldn't have s e e n much o f v a lu e in him; b u t th e Lord J e su s d id .
B rethren, th a t i s th e m ost t h r i l l i n g p a r t o f th e g o s p e l m essage t o me:
Jesu s s e e s you, j u s t as you are in a l l yo u r w ea k n ess. He knows a l l your
m ista k es, He knows w h a t's wrong w ith y o u , you d o n 't n eed t o t e l l Him
th ose t h in g s , He s e e s a l l t h a t .
But He s e e s beyond a l l t h a t . He has
con fid en ce in y o u . He s e e s what you can b e w ith H is b l e s s i n g , what your
l i f e , u n ite d to H is l i f e , can produce f o r Him.
What would He sa y to you t o n i g h t , i f He were to s e e you? Would
He s a y , p erh a p s, "You are w eak, b u t you s h a l l be c a l l e d s tr o n g ," w ith
His h e lp . C onfidence in you! He s e e s what you can b e! How g r a t e f u l I
am fo r a C h r ist l ik e t h a t ! The w orld m ight n o t s e e a n y th in g o f v a lu e in
you, th ey m ight look down a t y o u , I d o n 't know.
There was a l i t t l e boy t h a t came home from s c h o o l one day,
b earin g a n o te from h i s te a c h e r .
And th e n o te s a i d , " P le a se d o n 't sen d
t h is boy back to s c h o o l any more; h e ' s to o s tu p id to le a r n a n y th in g ."
The b o y 's name was Thomas A lva E d iso n ! The w orld d id n 't s e e much o f
v a lu e in th a t l i t t l e f e l l o w .
A lfr e d T ennyson, when he was j u s t a l i t t l e b o y , w rote som eth in g
about h is grandm other, t h a t p le a s e d h i s g r a n d fa th e r v e ry much. And h is
gran d fath er gave him te n s h i l l i n g s , and he s a i d , "T here, A lfr e d , t h a t ' s
the f i r s t money y o u 'v e e v e r ea rn ed from y o u r p o e tr y --a n d , ta k e i t from
me, i t ' l l be your l a s t . "
[L augh ter] How wrong h was!
Benjamin F r a n k lin 's m o th e r -in -la w d id n 't want h e r d a u g h ter to
marry Ben F r a n k lin . The rea so n ? He was a p r in t e r ; and sh e s a id t h a t
th e r e were a lr e a d y two p r in t in g h o u se s i n th e U n ited S t a t e s , and sh e
w a sn 't su r e th e cou n try c o u ld su p p o rt a t h ir d .
[L aughter]
How wrong we are in lo o k in g a t each o th e r ! But th e Lord J e s u s
looks a t you, and He s e e s v a lu e th e r e t h a t th e w o rld d o e s n 't s e e ; He
se e s what you can b e .

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I
|
I
I

>

Maybe He s a y s , "You are f e a r f u l ; b u t you s h a l l be c a l l e d f e a r le s s ." In H is s t r e n g t h , you can b e . A l e t t e r came to me th e o th e r day

from M innesota. Woman w rote and s a i d , " I 'v e o f t e n heard i t s a id th a t
one can n e v e r f o r g e t t h i s m essage i f h e s once known i t .
I was b ro u g h t
up in t h is t r u t h .
When I m a rried , I m arried one who d id n o t sh a r e my
b e l i e f s . He i n s i s t e d th a t i f we were to be m a rried , I must u n it e w ith
h is church; I must b r in g up my c h ild r e n in h i s ch u rch . I a g r ee d .
I 'v e
been m arried f o r te n y e a r s .
I'm b r in g in g up my fo u r c h ild r e n in a b e l i e f
in which I do n o t b e l i e v e . B u t," sh e s a i d , "my
husband has l o s t h i s
fa ith c o m p le te ly . He d o e s n 't go t o h i s own church a t a l l .
B u t," sh e
s a id , " a lrea d y my e i g h t - y e a r - o l d son i s t e l l i n g p e o p le t h a t S atu rd ay i s
the Sabbath. What am I g o in g to do?"
I w rote back to h er
and s a i d , " I t i s n ' t up t o me to t e l l you
what to do.
B e s id e s , I th in k you a lr e a d y know what you ought to do.
And i f your e ig h t - y e a r - o l d boy i s a lr e a d y t e l l i n g p e o p le th a t Saturday
i s th e Sabbath, i t ' s b e c a u se you ta u g h t him t h a t - - h e w o u ld n 't le a r n i t
from anywhere e l s e .
I j u s t hope y o u ' l l have th e courage t o do what you
f e e l you sh o u ld d o." I th in k t o h e r , th e Lord was s a y in g , "You are
fe a r fu l."
But I th in k H e'd s a y , "You s h a l l be c a l l e d f e a r l e s s . "
Maybe to some o f you h e r e t o n i g h t , H e'd lo o k a t you and s a y , "You
are s i n f u l ; b u t you s h a l l be c a l l e d v i c t o r , o r overcom er." You s e e , you
can be an overcom er in th e s tr e n g th o f J e su s C h r is t who lo v e s y o u , and
who b e lie v e s i n you . He w ants to h e lp you .
We come to th e end o f t h i s camp m e e tin g , t o th e l a s t p a r t o f our
la s t s p i r i t u a l m essage. What w i l l we ca rry away w ith u s from t h i s
place?
I h op e, f i r s t o f a l l , w e ' l l ca rry away w ith us a c o n fid e n c e th a t
i f we b r in g in our h e a r t s th e Lord J e su s C h r is t , "I can do a l l th in g s
through C h r is t who s tr e n g th e n e th me." B re th re n , you can le a d a
C h ristia n l i f e ; you can be a v i c t o r , w herever you l i v e , under w h a tev er
circum stances you d w e ll, you can be an overcom er.
I hope w e ' l l c a rr y w ith us a c e r t a in t y t h a t J e su s C h r is t lo v e s
us and b e l i e v e s in u s . He s e e s th e b e s t in u s , and He w ants to h e lp us
achieve t h a t .
And I hope w e ' l l respon d to th a t c o n fid e n c e , and be th e
kind o f men and women t h a t we want t o be and ought t o be and must b e , to
have a p la c e in His kingdom.
T o n ig h t I want to r e d e d ic a t e my h e a r t and l i f e t o th e Lord J e s u s .
I'm so g r a t e f u l fo r what H e's done f o r me, and f o r what He means to me.
I want to p la c e m y s e lf in H is h a n d s, once again t o n ig h t .
I want to ask
Him to h e lp me to be my b e s t s e l f , by H is s t r e n g t h , by H is a s s i s t a n c e ,
by th e c o n v e r tin g power o f H is S p i r i t .
I 'd l i k e to g iv e my l i f e to Him
to n ig h t, anew in r e d e d ic a t io n , b e fo r e le a v in g t h i s p l a c e , a s k in g Him to
go w ith me, and to h e lp me day by day through a l l th e days t o come o f
the y ea r b e fo r e u s .

to g iv e

Would you l i k e to j o in me in th a t r e d e d ic a tio n ? Would you l ik e

your h e a r t and l i f e once more to t h a t C h r is t who b e l i e v e s in you

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778

and who lo v e s you? I f s o , w ould you l i f t your hand a lo n g w ith me to n ig h t?

May God b l e s s y o u , each o n e. Now, l e t ' s bow our heads as we pray:
F ather in h e a v e n , W e're so g r a t e f u l to Thee fo r Thy many
b le s s in g s and m e r c ie s . We thank Thee fo r th e c o n fid e n c e
o f th e Lord J e su s C h r is t in each o f u s . W e're g r a t e f u l
th a t He s e e s a n y th in g in us w orth s a v in g , th a t He s e e s
som ething o f v a lu e , th a t He w ants to h e lp us be our b e s t
s e lv e s .
We r e d e d ic a te our h e a r t s [organ b e g in s ] and l i v e s to Him
to n ig h t . F i l l us w ith Thy S p i r i t . We are w e ll aware o f
the f a c t th a t we are l i v i n g in th e l a s t days o f e a r t h 's
h is t o r y , th a t J e su s i s coming a g a in so o n , tim e i s s h o r t .
We want to be read y to m eet J e s u s .
T onight we p la c e our l i v e s in H is h an d s, knowing th a t th e
Lord i s com ing, and we want to b e rea d y . Make us rea d y ,
keep us r e a d y , and sa v e us f i n a l l y in th e Kingdom, f o r we
ask i t in C h r is t 's name, Amen.

[Q uartet:

"Let Not Your H eart Be Troubled";

"The Lord i s Coming, Are You Ready?"]

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APPENDIX H

DAILY SUMMARY OF MAIL AND CONTRIBUTIONS

FAITH FOR TODAY, INCORPORATED
JULY 8, 1968

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

DAILY SUMMARY OF MAIL AND CONTRIBUTIONS

FAITH FOR TODAY, INCORPORATED
JULY 8, 1968

Union C on feren ces

R esponses

Donors

D onations

ATLANTIC:

Bermuda
C o n n ecticu t
Maine
M a ssa ch u setts
New Hampshire
New York
Rhode I s la n d
Vermont

3
16
15
34
13
155
4
12

2
6
8
24
2
59
2
2

CANADIAN:

A ll o f Canada

153

49

3 0 5 .0 0

CENTRAL:

Colorado
Kansas
M issou ri
Nebraska
Wyoming

50
26
52
37
4

30
13
16
24
3

3 3 8 .5 0
5 4 1 .0 0
5 0 .0 0
1 1 1 .0 0
2 3 .0 0

COLUMBIA:

Delaware
D i s t r i c t o f Columbia
Maryland
New J e r s e y
Ohio
P en n sy lv a n ia
V ir g in ia
West V ir g in ia

7
26
40
59
125
157
114
40

3
15
13
27
42
39
28
10

1 5 .0 0
3 7 9 .5 0
1 9 0 .0 0
1 0 7 .0 1
1 7 1 .2 5
1 2 9 .0 2
8 7 .6 8
5 0 .0 0

LAKE:

I llin o is
Indian a
M ichigan
W iscon sin

82
77
214
45

41
29
86
26

3 0 0 .0 0
1 7 2 .0 6
6 5 2 .3 4
1 4 8 .2 4

NORTHERN:

Iowa
M innesota
North Dakota
South Dakota

55
45
18
12

23
28
8
4

6 2 5 .4 2
7 8 .0 6
2 4 2 .0 0
4 5 .0 0

779

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

2 .0 0
2 1 .0 0
1 6 .0 0
1 0 2 .0 0
3 .0 0
1 9 7 .2 1
3 .0 0
4 .0 0

780

Union C on feren ces

NORTH PACIFIC:

Idaho
Montana
Oregon
W ashington
A la sk a

PACIFIC:

R espon ses

D onations

Donors

5 1 .0 0
9 .0 0
2 5 1 .5 0
4 5 4 .0 0

10
6
59
70
1

8
4
40
53

A rizo n a
C a lif o r n ia
Nevada
Utah
H aw aiian I s la n d s

11
392
5
6
2

6
303
1
1
1

45 .00
3 ,3 7 2 .3 0
5 .0 0
1 .00
5 .0 0

SOUTHERN:

Alabama
F lo r id a
G eorgia
Kentucky
M i s s is s ip p i
N orth C a r o lin a
South C a r o lin a
T en n essee

69
162
127
52
52
132
57
91

11
70
22
6
9
33
12
28

4 3 .0 0
4 2 0 .6 2
70 .5 0
8.75
5 7 .8 5
1 9 8 .0 4
5 7 .8 5
144.62

SOUTHWESTERN:

Arkans as
L o u is ia n a
New M exico
Oklahoma
T exas

25
29
9
64
76

11
15
3
30
38

5 3 .5 0
3 2 .0 6
8.00
2 2 8 .0 0
2 2 4 .5 0

FOREIGN:

Bahamas
Cayman I s la n d s
C eylon
Dom inican R ep u b lic
J amai ca
Japan
P a k ista n
Panama
Penang
P u er to R ico
T rin id a d
West I n d ie s
T o ta l F oreign

3
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
4
1
19

3 0 5 .0 0

3 ,2 1 6

1 ,3 6 9

$ 1 1 ,1 5 4 .8 3

TOTALS

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

APPENDIX I

DISTRIBUTION OF VIEWER INCOME BY

GIFT SIZE AND SOURCE DERIVATION
FAITH FOR TODAY, INCORPORATED
FOR THE 12-MONTH PERIOD:
JUNE 1, 1967, TO MAY 3 1 , 1968

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

DISTRIBUTION OF
VIEWER INCOME AT FAITH FOR TODAY, INCORPORATED, FOR THE
12-MONTH PERIOD: JUNE 1 , 1967, TO MAY 31, 1968

BY SOURCE

T o ta l
D onation
Income

T o ta l
"Sponsor"
Income

June '67
$ 3 9 ,9 5 6
July3 5 ,9 4 3
August
3 5 ,2 0 8
September
3 9 ,5 4 9
October
4 5 ,0 1 3
4 5 ,5 2 9
November
December
6 7 ,7 8 0
January '68
5 3 ,5 3 3
February
6 6 ,7 6 0
March
5 0 ,1 5 4
April
40 , 895
May
3 8 ,0 2 4

$ 3 0 ,9 1 8
2 9 ,9 9 6
2 9 ,0 3 8
3 4,8 1 5
36,262
3 8 ,5 6 4
5 8 ,8 9 0
4 7 ,1 8 3
5 2 ,4 5 2
3 2 ,9 1 3
3 2 ,5 6 0
3 1 ,9 8 1

TOTAL

$455,571

Month

$ 5 5 8 ,3 4 4

T o ta l
"Other"
Income

T o ta l
Number
Donors

T o ta l
Sponsor
Donors

T o ta l
Other
Donors

9 ,0 3 8
5 ,9 4 8
6 ,1 7 0
4 ,7 3 5
8 ,7 5 1
6 ,9 6 5
8 ,8 9 0
6 ,3 5 1
1 4 ,3 0 8
1 7 ,2 4 1
8 ,3 3 5
6 ,0 4 4

5 ,7 4 4
5 ,5 4 5
5 ,9 8 6
5 ,8 5 0
6 ,7 4 2
6 ,6 5 3
8 ,6 0 0
6 ,7 2 2
8 ,6 0 7
6 ,6 5 1
6 ,6 7 9
6 ,2 6 0

3 ,1 4 3
3,1 4 2
3,2 6 5
3,679
3 ,7 9 7
3 ,9 1 5
5 ,2 2 8
4 ,3 9 2
4 ,8 5 9
3 ,8 4 8
3 ,8 4 6
3 ,8 5 8

2 ,6 0 1
2 ,4 0 3
2 ,7 2 1
2 ,1 7 1
2 ,9 4 5
2 ,7 3 8
3 ,3 7 2
2 ,3 3 0
3 ,7 4 8
2 ,8 0 3
2 ,8 3 3
2 ,4 0 2

$ 1 0 2 ,7 7 3

8 0 ,0 3 9

4 6 ,9 7 2

3 3 ,0 6 7

781

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

782

II.

BY GIFT SIZE

D o lla r Amount o f G if t s W ithin D o lla r C l a s s i f i c a t i o n s

$ 0 .0 1 4 .9 9

$ 5 .0 0 9 .9 9

$ 1 0 .GO2 4 .99

$ 2 5 .0 0 4 9 .9 9

$ 5 0 .0 0 9 9 .9 9

$ 1 0 0 .0 0
o r more

June '67
July
August
September
October
November
December
January '68
February
March
April
May

$ 5 ,7 8 6
5 ,3 0 5
6 ,0 6 5
5 ,7 7 0
5 ,4 1 7
6 ,4 0 5
7 ,3 5 7
6 ,2 6 1
8 ,3 1 1
6 ,4 2 2
6 ,6 0 2
6 ,1 1 2

$ 6 ,0 2 3
6 ,0 1 1
6 ,2 0 2
6 ,0 6 4
7 ,3 4 3
7 ,5 2 0
1 1 ,1 2 1
7 ,2 1 7
1 1 ,2 5 5
7 ,4 2 0
7 ,5 1 6
6 ,9 1 6

9 ,2 4 8
9 ,1 2 1
9 ,2 1 4
8 ,9 4 9
9 ,2 2 9
1 0 ,815
1 7 ,7 5 1
1 1 ,9 0 7
1 6 ,8 0 9
1 1 ,4 7 8
1 0 ,0 4 3
1 0 ,3 7 5

$ 4 ,5 0 9
4 ,8 4 3
3 ,5 0 1
4 ,0 2 3
6 ,4 6 2
5 ,5 3 7
9 ,9 4 2
7 ,0 2 7
8 ,2 3 7
6 ,7 0 7
5 ,3 7 9
5 ,1 8 3

$ 2 ,9 8 2
2 ,7 2 1
2 ,1 4 0
2 ,7 3 8
5 ,6 6 8
3 ,4 8 0
6 ,4 0 1
5 ,1 3 7
6 ,5 4 6
5 ,9 5 2
3 ,7 0 6
3 ,7 1 7

$ 1 1 ,4 0 7
7 ,9 4 3
8 ,0 8 5
1 2 ,0 0 5
1 0 ,8 9 4
1 1 ,7 7 3
1 5 ,2 0 8
1 5 ,9 8 4
1 5 ,6 0 3
1 2 ,1 7 5
7 ,6 4 8
5 ,7 2 1

Total

$ 7 5 ,8 1 3

$ 9 0 ,6 0 7

$ 1 3 4 ,9 3 9

$ 7 1 ,3 5 1

$ 5 1 ,1 8 9

$ 1 3 4 ,4 4 7

Month

Number o f Donors W ith in D o lla r C l a s s i f i c a t i o n s

Month

June '67
July
August
September
October
November
December
January '68
February
March
A pril
May

Total

$ 0 .0 1 4 .9 9

$ 5 .0 0 9 .9 9

$ 1 0 .GO2 4 . 99

3 ,5 4 6
3 ,3 6 1
3 ,8 1 7
3,672
3 ,7 5 4
3,9 5 6
4 ,3 9 0
3 ,9 0 4
4 ,5 0 8
3 ,8 7 6
4 ,0 9 4
3,765

1 ,1 6 1
1 ,1 5 4
1 ,1 9 4
1 ,1 6 4
1,6 8 2
1 ,4 6 2
2 ,1 5 6
1 ,3 9 2
2 ,1 7 3
1 ,4 2 2
1 ,4 3 9
1,335

758
761
767
759
868
904
1 ,4 7 9
997
1 ,4 1 4
959
842
865

4 6 ,6 4 3

17 ,7 3 4

1 1 ,3 7 3

$ 2 5 .0 0 4 9 . 99

$ 5 0 .GO9 9 .9 9

$ 1 0 0 .0 0
o r more

160
171
128
142
255
201
368
258
297
233
188
183

57
50
40
51
107
66
118
96
117
102
66
68

62
48
40
62
76
64
89
75
98
59
50
44

2 ,5 8 4

938

767

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

APPENDIX J

STATEMENTS OF TYPICAL AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO THE

PREACHING OF WILLIAM A. FAGAL, 1950-1968
EXCERPTED FROM FAITH FOR TODAY MAIL

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

STATEMENTS OF TYPICAL AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO THE

PREACHING OF WILLIAM A. FAGAL, 1 9 5 0 -1968
EXCERPTED FROM FAITH FOR TODAY MAIL
MARCH M ich igan: "Your program in D e t r o it has j u s t ended, and I w ish to
1951 thank you f o r your f i n e com m on-sense approach to th e problem s o f
p. 4 youth in t h i s b e w ild e r in g , c h a o t ic w o r ld .
In ord er to h e lp my
son to th e C h r is tia n o u t lo o k , I must be a b e t t e r C h r is tia n th an I
am. P le a s e e n r o l l me i n you r B ib le c o u r s e ."
P e n n sy lv a n ia : "I saw your program f o r th e f i r s t tim e to d a y .
I
was g r e a t ly im p re sse d w ith your calm n ess and s i n c e r i t y in h e lp in g
o th e r s in t h e i r s p i r i t u a l grow th.
I to o w ould l ik e to know more
o f God's Word, and w ould g r e a t l y a p p r e c ia te to be a n o th er o f yo u r
B ib le s t u d e n t s ."
New York C it y : "I am in th e A ir F orce s t a t i o n e d h e r e in New
York. U n til now I d id n o t have enough em phasis on l i f e th rou gh
C h r is t.
I have j u s t begun to r e a l i z e what J e su s C h r ist can mean
to me. . . . In t h e s e days o f a n g u ish who knows what can happen.
When th e S a v io u r comes I want t o .b e r e a d y .
I saw yo u r t e l e v i s i o n
program, and a f t e r l i s t e n i n g t o th a t one program I w alked away
f e e l i n g b e t t e r than I had b e f o r e ."
P e n n sy lv a n ia : "I have e n jo y e d v ie w in g y o u r program on Sunday
m orning. Probably th e o n ly r e a so n I lo o k e d a t i t th e sec o n d tim e
was b ecau se o f i t s in t e n s e p r a c t i c a l i t y .
I t i s s o tr u e t o l i f e
and w ith th e m ounting problem s o f th e d ay, t h i s ty p e o f p r e s e n t a
t io n o f B ib le tr u th s can do an im m easurable amount o f good. My
f e e l i n g i s t h a t w ith th e p r a c t i c a l d o w n -to -e a r th approach u se d in
th e program, th e same tempo must b e c a r r ie d over in t o your B ib le
c o u r s e ."
M in n esota: "I am e le v e n y e a r s o ld , Grade 5 .
I l i s t e n to you
e v er y Sunday.
I l i k e your s t o r i e s .
I w ould l i k e to be a m is s io n
a r y , and may I have th e book and th e book mark. Mrs. F a g a l,
Mr. F a g a l, I lo v e y o u ."
MAY
1951
p. 4

M ich igan :
"I am te n y e a r s o ld , and I f in d i t hard to u n d ersta n d
serm ons, b u t I f in d you r program v e ry i n t e r e s t i n g .
I have e n jo y e d
your books so much I am s e n d in g you a d o n a tio n fo r s e n d in g t h e s e
w on d erfu l books f r e e ."
M in n esota: "I am 14 y e a r s o ld , and have n e v e r b e lie v e d i n God
u n t i l I l i s t e n e d t o your program; th e n th in g s s t a r t e d e x p la in in g
th e m se lv e s. My m other d ie d when I was 8, and I can t r u t h f u l l y
sa y th a t I have n o t gone t o church o v e r 10 tim es s in c e th e n .
None o f our fa m ily have e v e r gone o u t o f t h e i r way t o a tte n d
783

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

784

church or b e l i e v e in God. As I s a y , I have n e v e r b e lie v e d in God,

b u t e v e r y once in a w h ile my c o n s c ie n c e s t a r t s to b o th e r me. So
I f e e l now, deep down i n s i d e , th a t what you sa y must be tr u e and
th e r e must be a God. So to keep th a t f a i t h , I w ish to e n r o ll in
your fr e e B ib le corresp o n d en ce c o u r se ."
P e n n sy lv a n ia : " . . . Your way and manner o f e x p la in in g your
t o p ic s are v e ry i n t e r e s t i n g , h e l p f u l , and so e a sy fo r u s , th e
p u b lic , to u n d ersta n d .
In my own p e r so n a l o p in io n a program such
as yours i s much more i n t e r e s t i n g and s a t i s f y i n g than a c u t and
d r ie d serm on. Not th a t th e r e i s a n y th in g wrong in serm on s, b u t
fo r a p erso n l i k e m y s e lf a h a l f hour w ith you g iv e s me much more
than a dozen serm on s."
JULY
1953
p. 4

C a lif o r n i a :
" C h r ist e n te r s on e v e r y o c c a s io n when you e n t e r our
home. You are s u r e ly w elcom e, t o o .
I lo v e you r l o v e l y co n cep t
o f f a i t h , t r u t h , and r i g h t .
I t i s r e a l l y tr u e r e l i g i o n . Your
te c h in g s are l ik e th o se o f th e G a lile a n C a rp en ter."
I l l i n o i s : "Many o f your s t o r i e s and i l l u s t r a t i o n s seem t o f i t
in t o our home and h e lp u s ."
M ichigan: ". . . 1 w ould r a th e r m iss e a t in g Sunday d in n e r th an
m iss th e s p i r i t u a l food you g i v e . Your program i s c e r t a i n l y a
p o te n t one, and has f i n a l l y rea c h e d me when n o th in g e l s e c o u ld ."

OCT.
1953
p. 4

(No in d ic a t io n o f s o u r c e :)
"I f e e l i t i s a s te p toward m a tu r ity
th a t su d d en ly I no lo n g e r am w i l l i n g t o s i t and rea d what a man
has w r it t e n , or h ear what a p r e a c h e r i s s a y in g , and b e l i e v e j u s t
b ecau se he i s a p p a re n tly a good man. I want God's Word f o r i t
now, b eca u se I have le a r n e d from th e s e le s s o n s th a t r e a l tr u th
can be found o n ly in th e B ib le ."
("From th e M a ilb a g ." )

NOV.
1953
p. 4

New Y ork:
"I w atched your program to d a y , and was v ery much
in t e r e s t e d - - v e r y much so b e c a u se I am J e w ish . I w ould a p p r e c ia te
your B ib le c o u r se ."
C a lif o r n i a : "You have a superb way o f g e t t i n g yo u r m essage t o
p e o p le .
I t ' s a g r e a t p le a s u r e w atch in g and l i s t e n i n g . Thank you
fo r your e a s y - t o - t a k e r e l i g i o u s l e s s o n s ."
T ex a s: "I l i k e your programs v e r y much f o r th ey are down to
e a rth fo r th e young p e o p le to u n d ersta n d and g e t som eth in g from ."

DEC.
1953
p. 4

C a lif o r n i a : "Since words a f t e r a l l are r a th e r em pty, I am making

them more w orth w h ile and p r o d u c tiv e by e n c lo s in g a check w hich I
t r u s t w i l l h e lp in some s m a ll way to forw ard your e n d e a v o r s.
T e ll Mrs. Fagal we p a r t i c u l a r l y e n jo y h e r e a r n e s tn e s s and TV
charm. Your w hole group i s e x c e l l e n t . "
P e n n sy lv a n ia : "For y e a r s I have been a member o f a M eth o d ist
church. Have tau ght Sunday S c h o o l, h e ld v a r io u s o f f i c e s in th e
women's o r g a n iz a t io n s , e t c . Ever s in c e I f i r s t saw your program ,
I have r e c e iv e d such w on d erfu l s p i r i t u a l h e lp th a t I f in d m y s e lf

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

785

ru sh in g home from church so th a t I ' l l be s u r e to h ea r your mes

s a g e . The drama w hich you p r e s e n t and your t a lk s are alw ays so
tr u e to l i f e .
E v er y th in g th a t i s done and s a id make th e
C h r is tia n r e l i g i o n so v i t a l and a p a r t o f everyd ay l i f e . "
MAR.

1954
p. 4

JUNE
1954
p. 4

N ebraska:
"We en jo y you r program so much. Your t a lk s are so
d i f f e r e n t from p r e a ch er s who lo o k down, read a l i t t l e , g la n c e up,
and read some more. We do n o t b e lo n g to a church, b u t we lo v e to
l i s t e n t o you and h e a r th e q u a r t e t s in g ."
I llin o is :
"I e n jo y your t a lk s and 'a c te d o u t' sermons e v e r y
Sunday. One cannot h e lp b u t g e t th e 'p o in t ' o f your l i t t l e
s e r m o n e tte , as you make i t so p l a i n .
E s p e c ia lly do I en jo y i t
when you have te e n -a g e r s on you r program ."
M in n eso ta : "Thank you s o much f o r your t e l e c a s t .
I en jo y
l i s t e n i n g to you b e c a u se you sp eak so c l e a r l y .
B eing hard o f
h e a r in g I do n o t alw ays h e a r so w e ll in church."
W ashington: "I l i s t e n to you r program ev ery Friday e v e n in g and
r e c e iv e so much enjoym ent o u t o f i t .
You seem to answ er, in such
a c le a r way, th e q u e s tio n s w hich p e o p le l i k e m y s e lf w ish to know."
New J e r s e y : "I e n jo y your t e l e c a s t v e r y much; n ev er h eard any
th in g l i k e i t b e f o r e .
I t i s more than j u s t a t a l k , a serm on, or
p r e a c h in g . I t i s u n iq u e. God b l e s s you and your s t a f f . "
I l l i n o i s : "We f e e l th a t you rs i s th e b e s t o f a l l r e l i g i o u s
programs on t e l e v i s i o n b e c a u se i t i s so human in i t s approach.
I t packs a punch, and g iv e s us so m eth in g to l i v e b y ."

JULY
1954
p. 4

N ebraska:
"Have j u s t f i n is h e d l i s t e n i n g to your TV b r o a d c a st fo r
th e f i f t h or s i x t h Sunday in a row. I t i s th e f i r s t tim e in a
lon g tim e th a t I have found a r e l i g i o u s group or program th a t
seemed to me to 'make s e n s e . '
I t a c t u a ll y seems to r e l a t e th e
B ib le to everyday l i f e , n o t some man-made in t e r p r e t a t io n ."

AUG.
1954
p. 3

John F o s te r D u lle s , S e c r e ta r y o f S t a t e , W ashington:

"May I
ex ten d warm p e r so n a l g r e e t in g s to you on th e o c c a sio n o f t h i s
s p e c i a l t e l e c a s t c e le b r a t in g th e q u a d ren n ia l s e s s i o n o f th e
G eneral C onference o f S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n t is t s . The t i t l e o f your
p ro g ra m --F a ith fo r Today i s p a r t i c u l a r l y a p p r o p r ia te .
I f we are
t o w ith sta n d th e p r e s s u r e s o f th e day, i f we are to r e a l i z e th e
w orld o f p eace and freedom f o r w hich we so e a r n e s t ly s t r i v e , we
must have th e s p i r i t u a l power w hich flo w s from b e l i e f and t r u s t
in God.
My b e s t w ish e s fo r a s u c c e s s f u l c o n fe r e n c e ."
JOHN FOSTER DULLES
R ichard N ixon , V ice P r e s id e n t o f th e U. S . , W ashington [T elegram
a d d ressed to P a s to r F a g a l, FFT, New Y o rk ): "IT IS A PLEASURE FOR
ME TO EXTEND MY GREETINGS AND BEST WISHES TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE
TAKING PART IN AND VIEWING THIS FAITH FOR TODAY PROGRAM IN

i w u ...
R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

CELEBRATION OF ITS FOURTH YEAR ON TELEVISION. THERE NEVER HAS

BEEN A TIME IN THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION WHEN SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
TO ALL OF US WAS A GREATER IMPORTANCE, AND FAITH FOR TODAY
DESERVES OUR CONGRATULATIONS AND GRATITUDE FOR THE PART IT HAS
PLAYED IN CALLING CONSTANT ATTENTION TO THE HIGH SPIRITUAL AND
MORAL PRINCIPLES WHICH ARE THE FOUNDATION FOR GREATNESS OF
AMERICA. ONLY THOSE PRINCIPLES CONTINUE TO GOVERN OUR LIVES WILL
THIS COUNTRY INCREASE IN STRENGTH AND GOODNESS."
RICHARD NIXON
NOV.
1954
p. 4

Oklahoma:
"I w ish to s t a t e t h a t I have n e v e r heard a more
d e l i g h t f u l , s p i r i t u a l , c o n s e c r a te d , and p r a c t i c a l t e l e v i s i o n hour
than yours o f l a s t Sunday. I s t i l l f e e l warmed and s p i r i t u a l l y
n ou rish ed by i t . "

DEC.
1954
p. 4

M ichigan:
"I fin d you te a c h th e B ib le as i t r e a l l y i s . The
flow ery sermons d o n 't reach th e s o u l as you r d o w n -to -e a r th t a lk s
do."

MARCH I l l i n o i s :
"I have l i s t e n e d t o your serm ons and le s s o n s in tr u th
1955 fo r some tim e now. W hile I am n o t o f you r f a i t h , I d e r iv e much
p. 4 s p i r i t u a l u n d ersta n d in g from your l e s s o n s . You and Mrs. F agal
are p e o p le I would l i k e to know. I f e v e r I am in New York, I
t r u s t I s h a l l be a b le to meet you p e r s o n a lly and j u s t sa y 'Thank
you' fo r p la y in g su ch a g r e a t p a r t in b r in g in g th e m essage o f our
good Lord to th o se who l i s t e n to y o u ."
New M exico: "I l e t my supp er a lm o st b u m one n ig h t to w atch
two, but i t was w orth i t . "

you

APRIL M ichigan:
"I en jo y your TV program v e r y much. I t i s a r e s t f u l
1955 c o n tr a s t to a l l th e o th e r programs on th e a i r .
I t b r in g s r e l i g i o n
p. 4 in t o everyd ay l i f e in s t e a d o f th e o n ce-a -w eek s p u r t m ost p e o p le
take tim e f o r . "
MAY
1955
p. 4

In d ia n a :"Your program l a s t Sunday r e a l l y h i t th e mark.

I found
through my own e x p e r ie n c e th a t th e r e i s o n ly one way t o overcome
a lc o h o l through a sk in g and p r a y in g in e a r n e s t .
I have won out
f i n a l l y w ith th e h e lp o f th e good Lord. Today I have an e n t i r e l y
new l i f e . "
New York: "Your program i s th e o n ly one in t h i s a rea th a t
a c t u a lly shows s i t u a t i o n s w hich p e o p le g e t i n t o , and th e a d v ic e
you have g iv e n has h e lp e d me when one o f my unsaved fr ie n d s con
fr o n ts me w ith a q u e s tio n c o n c er n in g sm oking, d r in k in g , d a n cin g ,
m ovies, e t c .
I r e a d ily adm it th a t some o f th e a d v ic e h as h e lp e d
me w ith my own p e r s o n a l p ro b lem s."

SEPT. O hio:
"I have se e n and h eard your TV program s e v e r a l tim es and I
1955 r e a l l y en jo y ed th e calm , l o g i c a l , m a t t e r - o f - f a c t way in w hich you
p. 4 e x p la in e d v a r io u s c o n d it io n s and p ro b lem s.
I s u r e ly w ould r e l i s h
a f a c e - t o - f a c e ch at w ith you , s i r , b u t th a t b e in g im p o s s ib le , I
w i l l tr y to absorb some o f y o u r p r in t e d l e s s o n s . P le a s e sen d me
your p la n f o r p r a c t i c a l B ib le s tu d y w hich you s t a t e d you m a il to
c o r r e sp o n d e n ts ."

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

787

MAY
1964
p. 2

K ansas:
MMy f a t h e r was a s p i r i t u a l i s t , a medium, and f o r many
y ea rs t h a t was th e o n ly r e l i g i o n I e v e r knew. When he d ie d , he
s a id on h i s d eath b ed t h a t he had b een on th e wrong t r a c k . That
i s when I woke up and began t o w onder. Thank God f o r t h e s e B ib le
c o u r se s ."
New J e r s e y : "Never b e fo r e have I had su ch a w o n d erfu l i n s i g h t
in t o th e B ib le .
I f e e l more a t p e a c e than e v e r b e f o r e ."
V ir g in ia : "I have been th in k in g about g iv in g up th e to b a c c o
h a b it s in c e th e r e c e n t r e p o r t from th e f e d e r a l governm ent was
announced. T h is L esson 9 has been v e r y h e lp f u l to me in making
my d e c is i o n . T hanks."
T e n n e sse e : "Three men w ere b a p t iz e d in 1964 as a r e s u l t o f your
B ib le c o u r se . Your h e lp and c o o p e r a tio n in th e p a s t i s s i n c e r e l y
a p p r e c ia te d . We n eed your p r a y e rs i n our work h ere in th e p r is o n .
May God r i c h l y rew ard each o f you th e r e a t th e B ib le S c h o o l."

APRIL In d ia n a :
"I s ig n e d up fo r th e B ib le c o u r se s s h o r t l y a f t e r my
1965
husband p a s s e d away, when I was so h e a r t s ic k I c o u ld n 't th in k o f
p. 2
an yth in g b u t my l o s s .
But th e s tu d y o f God's Word, y o u r p e r s o n a l
i n t e r e s t in my l o s s and my p ro b lem s, and your w o n d erfu l answ ers
to my many q u e s tio n s have opened up a new way o f l i f e t o me. I
do pray f o r your s u c c e s s in s t a y in g on th e a i r , and hope i t
h e lp s many o th e r s as i t has h e lp e d me. May God b l e s s you a lw a y s."
Oklahoma: "Many p e o p le ta k e S c r ip tu r e s out o f c o n t e x t , ch an gin g
th e meanings to s u i t t h e i r p u rp o se .
I am g la d th a t y o u r B ib le
cou rse b r in g s ou t a l l th e S c r ip tu r e s on a g iv e n s u b j e c t . T h is i s
th e o n ly way to s tu d y and u n d ersta n d th e B ib le ."
Iowa: "I'm w r it in g t o l e t you know how much I a p p r e c ia te d and
e n jo y ed my B ib le c o u r s e .
When my husband was tak en from me, I
c o u ld n 't u n d erstan d why.
He l i v e d a good l i f e .
But now my
q u e s tio n s have b een answ ered. B e fo r e , I would look about me and
s e e so many who d id n 't do r ig h t and n e v e r b e lie v e d in God. Y et
th ey l i v e d , w h ile o th e r s who were good d ie d .
I w ondered why.
But a f t e r I s t u d ie d my B ib le c o u r s e , I b e t t e r u n d ersta n d and have
come to know th a t God's ways are j u s t . He knows what i s b e s t fo r
a ll o f u s.
I e n jo y your TV program s o much, and 1 thank you
again f o r t h is w on d erfu l o p p o r tu n ity ."
JUNE
1965
p. 2

C o lle g e T eacher; M is s o u r i:
"I r e c e n t ly en jo y ed v ery much th e TV
p r o d u ctio n o f P a s to r W illia m F a g a l's v i s i t to B abylon . His
accou nt o f th e B i b l i c a l p r o p h e c ie s o f th e d e s t r u c t io n o f a n c ie n t
c i t i e s , and h i s p h otogra p h s o f th e r u in s were m ost im p r e s s iv e .
B est w ish e s fo r you r c o n tin u e d s u c c e s s w ith y o u r w ork."
R esid en t C h ap lain , Maine S t a t e P r is o n :
"I w ish to e x te n d to you r
o r g a n iz a tio n , on b e h a lf o f th e men o f t h i s i n s t i t u t i o n , a warm
thank you fo r books w hich you s e n t .
Be a ssu r e d th a t th e m in is tr y
c a r r ie d on by F a ith f o r Today i s a p p r e c ia te d ."

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

788

AUG.
1965
p. 2

Ohio:
"I hope you c o n tin u e your program on TV b e c a u se I g e t a
b l e s s i n g ou t o f e v e r y one th a t I w atch and t h a t i s q u it e a l o t
fo r a te e n a g e r l i k e me. I am e n jo y in g e v e r y one o f my le s s o n s
th a t I g e t from you and th e y a re r e a l l y h e lp in g me to g e t a
b e t t e r u n d e rsta n d in g o f God's Word."
T e n n e sse e : "I know I am a b e t t e r C h r is tia n s in c e I ' v e b een
stu d y in g so much and a ls o a b e t t e r B ib le s t u d e n t .
I have more
t r u s t and f a i t h - - i n f a c t I'm j u s t s o r r y I ' v e w a ite d so lo n g b e fo r e
I found you a l l . "

OCT.
1965
p. 2

O hio: "The in s p i r a t i o n o f your B ib le c o u r se has meant so much to

me d u rin g my tim e in p r is o n .
I t has h e lp e d me b e t t e r u n d ersta n d
m y s e lf and has g iv e n me a new d e te r m in a tio n to l i v e a C h r is tia n
lif e ."

NOV.
1965
p. 2

C a lif o r n i a :
"Sunday I c a s u a lly d ia le d F a ith f o r Today. I view ed
i t a t a tim e o f d iscou ra g em en t in my own l i f e .
Thank you s o much
f o r p r e s e n t in g a program on t e l e v i s i o n t h a t i s n o t o n ly w orth
w h ile , b u t th a t h e lp s a p erso n b e t t e r u n d ersta n d h im s e lf . Thank
you f o r making C h r is t r e a l to me."
Ge o r g ia : "In th e b r i e f tim e I have ta k en th e L if e o f C h r is t
B ib le le s s o n s , I have come to a d e e p e r u n d e r sta n d in g o f t h i s man
J e s u s . The S a v io u r has come to mean more to me in my d a il y l i f e . "

NOV.
1965
p. 2
DEC.
1965
p. 2

C a lif o r n i a :
"I must thank you f o r yo u r p r a y e r s . My husband has
n o t had a drop o f a lc o h o l s in c e i asked you t o pray f o r h im ."
Oklahoma:
"The F a ith f o r Today t e l e c a s t h a s b ro u g h t me c l o s e r to
th e Lord than I e v e r have b e e n . So many o f th e programs seem
in te n d e d e s p e c i a l l y f o r me."
M aryland: "As a m other o f 6 , I c a n 't t e l l you how much th e s e
le s s o n s are h e lp in g me. I am q u it e sh o ck ed t o le a r n how wrong I
have been in p r e p a r in g our m e a ls . I h ave b een s u f f e r i n g f o r
some tim e w ith stom ach t r o u b le . Now I can o n ly s a y , 'no w o n d er,'
as my e a t in g h a b it s have been a l l w rong."

JAN.
1966
p. 2

In d ia n a :
"I w atched your program , 'The Time o f th e E n d ,' to d a y ,
and I was p r o fo u n d ly moved by yo u r c o n v ic t io n C h r is t w i l l come
and b r in g t h i s w o r ld 's h is t o r y to an en d . Would you p le a s e send
me fu r t h e r in fo r m a tio n about t h i s ?
I n c i d e n t a l l y , t h i s i s th e
f i r s t F a ith f o r Today t e l e c a s t I have v ie w e d ."
New York: "I was p r iv i l e g e d to m eet y o u r s o n , B i l l F a g a l, a t our
r e l i g i o u s c o n v o c a tio n in Union S p rin g s l a s t week (my f i r s t
e x p e r ie n c e in such a g a t h e r in g ) , and i t w i l l alw ays rem ain in my
mind as one o f th e many t h r i l l i n g h i g h l i g h t s o f a week f i l l e d
w ith b l e s s i n g s and t h r i l l s , f o r I f e e l I owe my b e in g th e r e to
you in a way! I f th e Lord had n o t le d me t o w atch your program ,
'F a ith f o r T o d a y ,' one Sunday m orning, s e e m in g ly q u ite by ch a n ce,
and I had n o t s e n t f o r your B ib le c o u r se and th en gone to our
lo c a l church to be b a p t iz e d , I w ould n e v e r have known th e jo y o f
camp m e e tin g !"

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

789

MARCH M ich igan:

"We w atched your program t h i s a fte r n o o n and e n jo y e d
1966 th e v a r ie t y so much. C e r ta in ly God u s e s good programs su ch as
p. 2 th e s e f o r th e b u ild in g o f H is kingdom, and o n ly heaven w i l l
r e v e a l what h as b een acco m p lish ed through t h i s m in is t r y ."
C a lif o r n i a : "What a p r i v i l e g e i t was to w atch F a ith f o r Today
t h i s m orning. I was t h r i l l e d as I s a t th e r e l i s t e n i n g t o you
v in d ic a t e th e Word o f God. . . . What a c le a r r e v e la t io n i t w as!"
APRIL T exas:
"When I ask ed you to pray fo r my d a u g h ter, E la in e , sh e
1966 was s e r i o u s l y i l l .
Now, by God's g r a c e , sh e i s s lo w ly r e c o v e r in g ,
p. 2 I know God i s good and I thank you f o r you r p r a y e r s ."
MAY
1966
p. 2

P e n n sy lv a n ia :
"Thanks be to God fo r H is w a tch ca re and te n d e r
mercy. You can n e v e r r e a l i z e what your I s r a e l i t e H e r ita g e Course
has meant to me. May God r i c h l y b le s s your e f f o r t s . "

JUNE
1966
p. 2

K ansas: " . . . Each F a ith fo r Today program i s s p i r i t u a l l y

u p l i f t i n g w h eth er i t f e a t u r e s a p a r a b le s t o r y , someone b e in g
in te r v ie w e d , o r s c e n e s from P a s to r F a g a l's t r i p s .
I p ra y th a t
a l l F a ith f o r Today w orkers w i l l have power and wisdom from on
h igh to condu ct t h i s work f o r God. Som etimes I f e e l t h a t my
sm all g i f t i s s o l i t t l e , and th en I remember th a t God can ta k e a
l i t t l e and make i t do a g r e a t work."

JULY G eo rg ia :
"The F a ith
1966 in g have been so much
p.
2 p ic k e d up a number o f
in p r e p a r in g m e a ls .
and d is e a s e h as been
much f o r making them

f o r Today h e a lth le s s o n s I have b een s tu d y a p p r e c ia te d by th e e n t i r e f a m ily . I have

id e a s t h a t I have a lr e a d y p u t in t o p r a c t ic e
The o v e r a ll o u t lin e f o r p r e v e n tin g i l l n e s s
a r e a l b l e s s i n g t o th e fa m ily . Thank you so
a v a il a b le ."

G eo rg ia : "Your r e c e n t t e l e c a s t d e a lin g w ith drug a d d ic t io n i s

one o f th e f i n e s t I have s e e n . T his i s a problem th a t th r e a te n s
ev ery home in A m erica. How good i t i s to have h eard th e t e s t i
m onies g iv e n on F a ith f o r Today by drug
a d d ic t s who have g a in e d
th e v ic t o r y o v e r t h i s t e r r i b l e problem . How much I
w ish e v e r y
h igh s c h o o l s tu d e n t c o u ld have view ed th e t e l e c a s t . "
AUG.
1966
p. 2

New York:
"My le s s o n s have g iv e n me new u n d e rsta n d in g o f D a n ie l
and R e v e la t io n . Thank y o u ."
O hio: "A few days ago I s e n t in a p ra y er r e q u e s t f o r a 1 2 -y e a r o ld boy; he was h e a le d and i s now a b le to a tte n d s c h o o l."
C a lif o r n i a : "I must thank you f o r your p r a y e r s . My husband has
n o t had a drop o f a lc o h o l s in c e I asked you to p ra y f o r him ."
O hio: "Words can n ot e x p r e s s my p r a is e f o r your B ib le co u r se
which I have j u s t f i n i s h e d .
I t has g iv e n me a b e t t e r u n d ersta n d
in g o f th e B ib le and a f e e l i n g o f peace and h a p p in e ss d e s p it e a l l
my p e r s o n a l p r o b le m s. I w ould l i k e t o c o n tin u e w ith th e n e x t
c o u r se ."

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

I
\

DEC.
1966
p. 2

M aine: "I e n r o lle d in th e F a ith f o r Today B ib le co u r se a f t e r

havin g w atched th e program f o r a number o f w eek s.
My l i f e has
been changed. I am so g la d f o r th e new e x p e r ie n c e I have in
C h r is t."
C a lif o r n i a : "W atching F a ith fo r Today on t e l e v i s i o n I le a r n e d th e
v alu e o f i t .
S in c e I had no way t o a tte n d church, I began s tu d y
in g th e B ib le c o u r s e . On June 11 I to o k my sta n d f o r C h r is t.
The Lord has ab u n d an tly b l e s s e d ."

South D akota: "In w orking on th e h o u s e -to -h o u s e program th a t our

church i s c a r r y in g on , a p erso n h e a r s s o many w on d erfu l remarks
about F a ith f o r T oday. I t ' s a l i f t f o r th e w eek, p e o p le s a y ."
JAN. O n ta rio , Canada:
"I view ed F a ith f o r Today on WCYN, Channel 7,
1967 Watertown. I can n ot e x p la in why, b u t somehow I f e l t im p ressed to
p. 2 take th e B ib le c o u r s e . Perhaps th e S p i r i t o f God was le a d in g .
My b a p tism took p la c e in A p r il, 1966, a t K in g sto n .
T hings th a t
caused s o much w orry b e fo r e
a re u n im p o rta n t, and I know th a t
J esu s i s ta k in g c a r e o f me.I can lo o k up in f a i t h . "
C a lif o r n ia : "I want to t e l l you how much I en jo y e d and le a r n e d
today from your g u e s t sp e a k e r r e g a r d in g V ietnam . I w ish th a t
ev ery American and a ls o p e r so n s in th e Communist w orld c o u ld h ea r
t h i s t a l k to d a y .
I t h e lp e d
me u n d ersta n d why we are in Vietnam .
I in te n d t o w r it e a l e t t e r
t o P r e s id e n t Joh n son , a sk in g th a t t h i s
very t a lk r e g a r d in g Vietnam be b r o a d c a s t many tim es so th a t
everyon e can h e a r i t .
I en jo y a l l yo u r program s. Thank y o u ."
F lo r id a : "I v iew ed F a ith f o r Today and e n r o lle d in th e B ib le
c o u r se .
For a lo n g tim e I had been in t e r e s t e d in o n ly w o r ld ly
th in g s . Now I r e j o i c e in th e hope o f C h r is t 's com ing."
FEB.
1967
p. 2

New J e r s e y :
"I am f i f t y y e a r s o ld and was ed u c a te d in church
s c h o o ls , b u t have n e v e r had th e Book o f R e v e la tio n e x p la in e d as
i t has been in you r B ib le le s s o n s .
I was amazed a t th e prophe
c i e s e x p la in e d ."

MARCH West V i r g i n i a :
"I am e ig h t y e a r s o ld and in th e t h ir d g r a d e . I
1967 lik e s c h o o l v e ry much. I went to B ib le s c h o o l two y e a r s and
p. 2 d id n 't m iss a day. The seco n d y e a r I g o t a p r iz e f o r show ing th e
most s p i r i t in B ib le s c h o o l.
I e n jo y your B ib le co u rse v ery much.
I u sed to w atch you r program when i t was on S t a t io n WHIS, B lu e fie ld .
I w ish you l o t s o f s u c c e s s in your m in is t r y ."
M a ss a c h u s e tts : "A few weeks ago I w rote and t o l d you how my w ife
and I s t a r t e d t i t h i n g our incom e. We d id so w ith th e a ssu ra n ce
th a t God w ould be f a i t h f u l t o H is Word. At f i r s t th in g s went
w e ll, b u t soon th e g o in g g o t rough. However, b e fo r e any b i l l s
were p a id , God's te n t h was tak en ou t as He commanded. R e c e n tly I
was c a l l e d i n t o th e o f f i c e and t o ld I had a $5 r a i s e . T h is was
an answ er to p r a y e r , f o r th a t same day I r e c e iv e d my le s s o n s back
w ith t h i s p h ra se w r it t e n by th e i n s t r u c t o r :
'May He c o n tin u e to
b l e s s y o u .' We can t r u ly sa y w ith Solom on, 'T r u st in th e Lord

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

and le a n n o t on th in e own u n d e r s ta n d in g .1 May God c o n tin u e to

b le s s your t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y and g r a n t you much s u c c e s s in
w inning o th e r s to t h a t w o n d e r fu l, g lo r io u s m essage He has s e n t
you to p r o c la im ."
Iowa: "Our church s e r v i c e i s on about th e same tim e as F a ith f o r
Today. However, i t happens a t tim es I have had th e o p p o r tu n ity
o f l i s t e n i n g , and i t h as been h e a r te n in g and u p l i f t i n g .
I have
never been d is a p p o in te d ."
MAY
1967
p. 2

F lo r id a : "I can n e v e r t e l l you what a b l e s s i n g your B ib le co u r se

has been to me. I u n d ersta n d th e B ib le as I n e v e r d id b e f o r e .
Now ev ery tim e I read th e sa c r e d p a g es th e y are more m ea n in g fu l
to me."
Kansas: "I was o v e r jo y e d to d is c o v e r th a t God has a r e a l p u rp ose
fo r my l i f e as I s t u d ie d your c o u r se . Through i t I have g iv e n my
h e a r t to C h r ist and look forw ard t o j o in in g th e church. I a n t i c
ip a t e b e in g b a p tiz e d s o o n . The t e l e c a s t and B ib le co u rse b r in g
such a b le s s in g ."
K ansas: "I had l o s t i n t e r e s t in church a tte n d a n c e . Then I began
view in g F a ith f o r Today. My s p i r i t u a l i n t e r e s t was r e v iv e d , and
I soon e n r o lle d in th e B ib le c o u r se .
P a s to r B. L. Hegglund
b a p tiz e d b oth my husband and m y s e lf in March, 1966. I t i s w onder
f u l to know th a t I , a lo n g w ith my husband, have jo in e d th o s e who
are lo o k in g f o r th e coming o f C h r is t."

JUNE
1967
p. 2

C a lif o r n ia : " R e ce n tly I h eard a program o f you rs on t e l e v i s i o n

and was v e ry much im p ressed by i t s q u a l i t y . F urtherm ore, I
became in t e r e s t e d in th e home stu d y B ib le co rresp o n d en ce c o u r se
th a t you are o f f e r in g th e p u b lic a t l a r g e . I w ould v e r y much
lik e to e n r o ll in s a id co u rse and b e g in a thorough and compre
h e n siv e stu d y o f th e S acred T e x t."

AUG.
1967
p. 2

M in n esota: "Yours has been a r e v e a lin g co u rse p r e s e n te d in a

c le a r and c o n c is e manner. W hile th e w r it e r has s tu d ie d n u t r i t i o n
some 35 y e a rs as a hobby, a few o f th e p o in ts co v ered came as a
s u r p r is e . T his was p a r t i c u l a r l y tr u e o f th e f a c t th a t e a t in g o f
o n ly a sm a ll amount o f food a f t e r a m eal d e la y e d d ig e s t io n
m arkedly. T his co u rse has c e r t a in ly p r o v id e d a g r e a t amount o f
p le a s u r e and i n t e r e s t , and I am f i l i n g each le s s o n fo r p o s s ib l e
fu tu r e r e f e r e n c e ."
Kansas: "Years ago I was a f a i t h f u l church member. Somehow I
d r if t e d away. S e v e r a l months ago I d ia l e d F a ith f o r T oday. The
in s p ir a t io n and b l e s s i n g i t b r o u g h t, p lu s lo c a l e v a n g e l i s t i c
m e e tin g s , has le d me to a c c e p t C h r is t.
I want you t o know how
much I a p p r e c ia te th e t e l e v i s i o n m in is t r y ."

SEPT.
1967
p. 2

In d ia n a : " I t i s im p o s s ib le to thank you enough f o r th e b l e s s i n g

I have r e c e iv e d through th e stu d y o f you r B ib le c o u r se .
I t h as
drawn me c l o s e r to God."

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792

V ir g in ia : "My m other was a r e g u la r v ie w e r o f F a ith f o r Today.

At f i r s t I d id n o t pay to o much a t t e n t i o n , b u t l a t e r I began to
w atch. Soon I was v ie w in g e v e r y w eek. Now I r e j o i c e in th e
C h r is tia n m essage and am c o n s t a n t ly s e e k in g a c lo s e r walk w ith
God."
M in n eso ta : " F a ith f o r Today b ro u g h t S c r ip tu r e tr u th t o me in a
w on d erfu l way. I had l i s t e n e d t o s e v e r a l r e l i g i o u s b r o a d c a s ts
and p r e s e n t a t io n s on t e l e v i s i o n , b u t had n o t r e a l l y d is c o v e r e d
what I was s e e k in g . F a ith f o r Today made C h r is t r e a l t o me.
B ecause o f i t and th e im pact o f l o c a l e v a n g e l i s t i c m e e tin g s I was
le d to ta k e a sta n d f o r C h r is t ."
C a lif o r n i a : "V iew ing F a ith f o r Today I became in c r e a s in g ly
i n t e r e s t e d in th e B ib le . Soon I e n r o lle d in th e B ib le co rr e sp o n d
ence c o u r s e . The c o n v ic t io n came t o my h e a r t t h a t h e r e was t r u t h .
I began a tte n d in g ch u rch . L a ter I was b a p tiz e d ."
NOV.
1967
p. 2

H onduras:
"When I r e c e iv e d th e f i r s t th r e e le s s o n s o f your B ib le
c o u r se , my mind was t r o u b le d . I was a lo n e in th e w o rld b e c a u se
a l l my fa m ily had p a s s e d away. Now I do n o t sa y I am a lo n e in
the w o r ld . Thanks to you I found a good companion whose name i s
C h r ist J e s u s ."
U. S. N avy: "T his co u r se has c le a r e d up s e v e r a l q u e s tio n s and
doubts in my mind. J u s t r e a d in g t h e s e le s s o n s g iv e s one a f e e l
in g o f s e c u r i t y .
I f more p e o p le c o u ld f in d gu id an ce and s e c u r i t y
through God l i k e I h a v e , I c a n t h e lp th in k in g what a w on d erfu l
w orld t h i s would b e! Someday when I become a f a t h e r , I amg o in g
to u se t h e s e le s s o n s t o te a c h my c h ild r e n andanswer t h e i r
q u e s t io n s ."
Q uebec, Canada: "I have com p leted th e F a ith f o r Today b a s ic
corresp on d en ce co u rse and r e c e iv e d my b e a u t if u l d ip lom a. May I
tak e a few m in u tes to thank y o u . By s tu d y in g w ith y o u r h e lp , I
f e e l t h a t a 'd o o r ' has in d e e d b een opened to me, and th a t C h r is t
has come in t o my h e a r t .
I hope to c o n tin u e to le a rn and th u s be
an exam ple o f a tr u e C h r is t ia n . T h e r e fo r e , p le a s e sen d me your
course o f f e r e d on h e a l t h f u l l i v i n g .
A ls o , I want to thank you
f o r in tr o d u c in g me to th e church in M o n trea l.
I have made many
new f r i e n d s , and I am so happy to be a b le t o w orship w ith them .
I pray t h a t my husband w i l l want to fo llo w my example and th a t he
w i l l become i n t e r e s t e d as I am."

DEC.
1967
p. 2

New Y ork:
"I so w e ll remember t h a t when I f i r s t g o t my TV s e t in
J u ly , 1958, F a ith f o r Today was th e v e ry f i r s t program I tu ned in
on, and I j u s t f e l l f o r i t , h a v in g n e v e r m issed i t s in c e u n le s s
you w ere n o t on. S e v e r a l tim e s I h ave w r it t e n th e s t a t i o n
e x p r e s s in g a p p r e c ia tio n f o r t h i s p u b lic s e r v i c e , b u t I am g o in g
to w r it e and t e l l them a g a in ."
N eb rask a: "I had n o t a tte n d e d church f o r y e a r s when I f i r s t
view ed F a ith fo r Today. S in c e n o th in g e l s e seemed to be w orking
out in my l i f e I d e c id e d t h a t I w ould t r y th e B ib le c o u r s e . L a ter

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793
I read th e book , By F a ith I L iv e , by P a s to r F a g a l. I th e n con
ta c te d th e m in is t e r o f th e church and was b a p tiz e d in N orth
P l a t t e , N ebraska. I have le a r n e d more about th e B ib le th an I
e v e r dreamed I w ould.
I lo v e t o a tte n d m e e tin g s and s e r v i c e s o f
th e church."
JAN.
1968
p. 2

I llin o is :
"There i s power in yo u r program t h a t b r in g s t e a r s .
I
a p p r e c ia te P a s to r F a g a l1s l i t t l e se r m o n e tte s and th e s in g in g i s
b e a u tifu l.
When one h e a r s good s in g in g and p r e a c h in g , one w ants
to t e l l i t to o t h e r s .
I have t o l d many about your programs and
how I e n jo y them ."
T en n essee: " I t i s d i f f i c u l t to b e l i e v e th a t such a trem endous
o r g a n iz a tio n as y o u rs c o u ld r en d e r so much a t t e n t i o n , C h r is tia n
a id , and m a te r ia l t o one l i t t l e 'worm su ch as I . 1 I a c c e p te d
C h r ist and was b a p tiz e d a t th e age o f n in e . Now, in th e l a s t few
m onths, a t th e age o f 5 0 , I have g a in e d more in s p i r a t i o n and come
c lo s e r t o God through you r le s s o n s and su p p lem en tary m a te r ia l
than I have a l l th e o th e r y e a r s o f my l i f e . "
O hio: "I have w anted to sen d a g i f t o f money a f t e r r e c e iv in g
your n o te t e l l i n g o f your n e e d s , b u t I d id n 't th in k our b u d g et
would p e r m it i t j u s t now. Then I check ed our lo c a l g r o c e r y s l i p s
and g o t two d o lla r s f o r 150 o f them. T h is i s th e money I am
sen d in g you . Now we are b o th w in n ers w orking f o r th e w in n in g o f
s o u ls .
I am happy f o r t h i s s m a ll p a r t in h e lp in g ."

FEB.
Alabama: "These le s s o n s have h e lp e d me u n d ersta n d th e B ib le and
1968 God's te a c h in g s much b e t t e r .
They have in s p ir e d me to want to
p.
2 fo llo w God's Word in a b e t t e r and more e f f i c i e n t way.
I h ave a
r e q u e st to make. I made a new f r ie n d who d e s ir e s v ery much to
become a C h r is tia n and t o r e c e iv e th e jo y s w hich a C h r is tia n
p erson r e c e i v e s . She i s n o t a b le to a tte n d church v e ry much, and
I th in k sh e would l i k e to r e c e iv e your f r e e B ib le c o u r s e .
I
b e lie v e sh e w ould g e t a b l e s s i n g from th e s e le s s o n s as I h a v e ."

(Gordon F. D alrym ple, "TV Program Worth W atchin g," The S ig n s o f

th e T im es, A p r il, 1967, p . 3 1 :)
"When I h ea r p e o p le sa y th e r e i s n o th in g good on t e l e v i s i o n , I
th in k to m y s e lf th e y have n e v e r se e n F a ith fo r Today. P le a s e
keep on w ith your s p le n d id m in is t r y ."
"A d o c to r 's l i f e i s a b u sy o n e , b u t I alw ays ta k e tim e to view
F a ith f o r Today. I t i s th e f i n e s t program on t e l e v i s i o n .
I
a d v is e my p a t i e n t s to w atch a l s o , as I am co n v in ced n erv o u s s t r a i n
and s t r e s s in to d a y 's w orld are r e l i e v e d when p r i n c i p l e s you advo
c a te are fo llo w e d ."
"Our home was on th e v e r g e o f b r e a k in g up; th en we w atched F a ith
f o r Today. I t h e lp e d s o lv e our p ro b lem s. Today our fa m ily i s
u n ite d in lo o k in g forw ard t o th e seco n d coming o f C h r is t."

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794

"Our fa m ily o f e ig h t l i v e s on a farm . The r o u t in e o f d oin g

chores and k e e p in g up w ith th e work t h a t c o n s t a n t ly has to be
done k eep s a l l o f us b u sy , b u t e v e r y week we w atch F a ith f o r
Today. We p a r t i c u l a r l y a p p r e c ia te th e d ra m a tized l i f e s i t u a t i o n s . "
"As a young p e r s o n , I was p e r p le x e d about th e f u t u r e .
c a s t on s e l e c t i n g a life w o r k h e lp e d me."

Your t e l e

TESTIMONIAL LETTERS
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
15th ANNIVERSARY

Federal Government - U n ited S t a t e s S e n a te

"Let me e x te n d my h e a r t i e s t c o n g r a tu la t io n s to you and th o s e who work
with you in t h i s program em p h a sizin g w holesom e fa m ily l i f e and d e d ic a te d
to the p o s i t i v e program o f th e b u ild in g up o f C h r is tia n i d e a l s in th e
home and among th e members o f th e fa m ily .
I w ish f o r you many more
years o f s u c c e s s f u l t e l e c a s t i n g . "
December 4 , 1964
Washington

John Sparkman
S e n a to r from Alabama

"The im portance o f you r program in s tr e n g th e n in g American fa m ily l i f e i s

su rely r e a liz e d by y o u r l i s t e n e r s from c o a s t to c o a s t , and I would l i k e
to take t h i s o p p o r tu n ity to w ish you c o n tin u e d s u c c e s s ."
November 10, 1964
Washington

P e te r H. Dominick
S e n a to r from C olorado

"My work as Chairman o f th e S e n a te J u v e n ile D e lin q u in c y Subcom m ittee has

dem onstrated to me v e r y v i v i d l y how im p ortan t a w holesom e fa m ily l i f e ,
good a d u lt g u id a n c e , and a m ea n in g fu l r e l i g i o u s background are to th e
development o f our young p e o p le . In i t s s e r v ic e t o th e community as a
w hole, the 'F a ith f o r Today' program has made a p a r t i c u l a r l y m ea n in g fu l
c o n tr ib u tio n in h e lp in g to shape th e fu tu r e l i v e s o f many young c i t i z e n s
and to p repare them f o r r e s p o n s ib le a d u lth o o d ."
November 16, 1964
Washington

Thomas J . Dodd
S e n a to r from C o n n ec tic u t

"Many thousands o f American homes and f a m il ie s have b een r i c h l y b le s s e d

and encouraged th rou gh t h i s program o f f a i t h and hop e. The v o ic e o f
'F aith fo r Today* h a s and c o n tin u e s to b r in g f r e s h in s p i r a t i o n t o th e
sic k and th e h o p e l e s s , fo r th e s h u t - in and th e a g ed ."
November 9 , 1964
Washington

George A. Sm athers
S e n a to r from F lo r id a

"In a c h ie v in g th e d i s t i n c t i o n as N orth A m erica 's o l d e s t r e l i g i o u s t e l e

c a s t , th e 'F a ith f o r Today' program has brough t i n s p i r a t i o n and w is e

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795

counsel to a la r g e n a t io n a l v ie w in g a u d ie n c e . By em p h a sizin g wholesome

fam ily l i f e , i t h as c o n tr ib u te d to a m uch-needed p u b lic concern f o r
stren g th en in g American fa m ily l i f e in th e s e tr y in g tim e s ."
November 9 , 1964
Washington

Hiram L. Fong
S en a to r from H aw aii

" 'F aith fo r Today1 h as b rou gh t many in s p i r in g m essages to i t s l i s t e n e r s .

I ts c o n tr ib u tio n to th e s p i r i t u a l s t r e n g t h o f America has b een i n s t r u
mental in making our n a t io n
t r u ly 'One N a tio n Under G od .' I t i s my hope
th at the n e x t 15 y e a r s o f 'F a ith f o r Today' w i l l be as f r u i t f u l and
e n lig h te n in g as th e f i r s t 15 y e a r s ."
November 16, 1964
Washington

B irch Bayh
S en a to r from In d ia n a

"As an a c t iv e church member i n t e r e s t e d in th e developm ent o f a sound

n a tio n based on th e h ig h e s t
p r i n c i p l e s in a cco rd w ith our f a i t h , i t i s a
p leasu re to send c o n g r a tu la t io n s to 'F a ith fo r Today' on i t s f i f t e e n t h
a n n iv ersa ry . Such an e x c e l l e n t program as yours i s m ost h e l p f u l in th e
promotion o f fa m ily l i f e and o f th e k in d o f r e s p o n s i b i l i t y in s o c i e t y on
which A m erica's b e s t t r a d i t i o n s a re b a s e d ."
November 9 , 1968
Washington

Vance Hartke
S en a to r from In d ia n a

"C ongratu lations on you r f i f t e e n t h a n n iv e r sa r y o f your F a ith fo r Today

program."
September 2 2 , 1964
Washington

M argaret Chase Sm ith

S en a to r from Maine

" C ertainly I am g la d t o encourage program s such as 'F a ith f o r T o d a y .' I

wish th a t much more o f our t e l e v i s i o n f a r e were o f such h ig h c a li b r e .
I
think th a t 'F a ith f o r Today' i s p la y in g a v i t a l r o l e in o f f s e t t i n g th e
v io le n c e and t e n s io n w hich are p r e s e n te d so o ft e n to our y o u th ."
November 12, 1964
Washington

L e v e r e tt S a l t o n s t a l l
S en a to r from M a ssa ch u setts

"This c e le b r a tio n o f your f i f t e e n t h y e a r o f programming s i g n a l s a m ajor

landmark in th e h i s t o r y o f A m erica's o l d e s t r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t . As a
p o s it iv e fo r c e in th e m oral and r e l i g i o u s l i f e o f our c o u n tr y , your
program has c o n tr ib u te d g r e a t ly t o th e s p i r i t u a l w e lfa r e o f th e th ousands
o f view ers who e n jo y and b e n e f i t from your t e l e c a s t . "
November 10, 1964
Washington

Edward V. Long
S en a to r from M isso u ri

"Over th e y e a rs 'F a ith fo r Today' has p r o v id e d wholesome fa m ily e n t e r

tainm ent f o r young and o ld a l i k e . . . . I t has alw ays r e p r e s e n te d th e
h ig h e s t sta n d a rd s in t e l e v i s i o n programming and has j u s t l y b een regard ed
as a h e lp in com b attin g j u v e n ile d e lin q u in c y . Most o f th e 225

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t e le v is io n s t a t i o n s t h a t c a rr y 'F a ith fo r Today' do so as a p u b lic

se r v ic e --a n o th e r in d ic a t io n o f i t s r e c o g n iz e d v a lu e to th e com m unity."
November 19, 1964
Washington

Lee M e tc a lf
S e n a to r from Montana

"Please allow me to j o in in e x te n d in g c o n g r a tu la tio n s to 'F a ith f o r

Today' on the o c c a s io n o f th e program 's f i f t e e n t h a n n iv e r s a r y on t e l e
v isio n . Add to th a t my b e s t w is h e s fo r c o n tin u e d s u c c e s s ."
November 5 , 1964
Washington

Alan B ib le
S en a to r from Nevada

"'F aith fo r Today' w ith in a few months w i l l be c e le b r a t in g i t s f i f t e e n t h

year o f t e l e c a s t i n g b u i l t around wholesome fa m ily l i f e and in d iv id u a l
character. No w o r th ie r s e r v ic e f o r th e p r e s e r v a tio n o f our dem ocracy
could have been ren d ered by 'F a ith f o r Today' r e g a r d le s s o f what su b
je c ts might have b een ch osen by P a sto r and Mrs. W. A. F agal in t h e i r
f a it h f u l e f f o r t s to s e r v e th e co u n try .
"We have the m ight to w ith sta n d w hatever a tt a c k s m ight be made upon us
by h o s t ile fo r e ig n n a t io n s ; how ever, i f we s u f f e r a d e m o r a liz a tio n o f
our fam ily l i f e and th e breakdown o f in d iv id u a l c h a r a c t e r , r e g a r d le s s o f
the m ilita r y m ight w hich we p o s s e s s our end w i l l b e d ism a l and p i t i f u l .
"At p resen t 225 t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n s carry your program , m ost o f them as
a p u b lic s e r v i c e , e v id e n c in g th e f a c t th a t th rou ghout th e le n g th and
breadth o f th e land p e o p le are a v id ly w anting th e s p i r i t u a l nou rish m en t
that comes from th e m oral r ic h n e s s o f what 'F a ith fo r Today1 has t o
o ffe r . C o n g r a tu la tio n s!"
November 9, 1964
Washington

Frank J . Lausche
S en a to r from Ohio

"A s o c ie t y cannot sta n d on m a te r ia l w e a lth a lo n e . I t must r e l y h e a v ily

on those v a lu e s and a t t i t u d e s th a t we c o n s id e r to be s p i r i t u a l in o r ig i n .
The development and nourishm ent o f th e s e b a s ic v a lu e s and a t t i t u d e s
u su a lly b e g in s in th e home.
'F a ith fo r Today,' in w orking to s tr e n g th e n
American fa m ily l i f e , i s h e lp in g t o f i l l a n eed th a t i s b a s i c to our
e f f o r t s to b u ild a h e a l t h i e r , more enduring Am erica. I t i s my hope th a t
'F aith fo r Today' w i l l be a b le to co n tin u e i t s commendable e f f o r t s to
bring meaning and purpose to th e l i v e s o f a l l A m ericans."
November 12, 1964
Washington

Wayne Morse
S en a to r from Oregon

"It would be e x tr em e ly rew ardin g i f th e r e a l measure c o u ld be tak en o f

the good your t e l e c a s t does f o r our p e o p le and our N a tio n . The power o f
t e le v is io n can be u sed in no b e t t e r way than in wholesome e f f o r t f o r
c h a r a c te r -b u ild in g and s tr e n g th e n in g American fa m ily l i f e .
'F a ith f o r
Today' has my v e ry b e s t w is h e s ."
November 20, 1964
Washington

Harry F. Byrd
S en a to r from V ir g in ia

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

797

". . . The fo rth co m in g o b se r v a n c e o f th e f if t e e n t h , a n n iv e r s a r y o f th e

Faith fo r Today* t e l e v i s i o n s e r i e s p r o v id e s a f i t t i n g o c c a s io n to
recognize th e v a lu e o f t h i s program t o A m erica and A m ericans. P a s to r
and Mrs. Fagal have done an o u t s ta n d in g jo b and I am su r e t h a t t h e i r
lis te n e r s and v ie w e r s j o in me i n th a n k in g them and w ish in g th e F a g a ls
many mere y e a r s o f su ch yeoman s e r v i c e in t h i s f i e l d where th e n eed i s
so g r ea t."
November 18, 1964
Washington

Warren G. Magnuson
S en a to r from W ashington

"You have reason t o b e m ost proud o f t h i s s u p e r io r accom p lish m en t.

Your i s a program o f s e r v i c e t o th e n a t io n . T his i s what we n eed more
o f to keep up th e sta n d a rd s o f A m erican fa m ily l i f e and h e lp t o combat
ju v en ile d e lin q u in c y ."
November 6 , 1964
Washington

W illiam
S en a to r

Proxm ire
from W iscon sin

S tate Government - Governors

"C ongratulations on th e f i n e s e r v i c e you have perform ed so s u c c e s s f u l l y
for many y e a r s . As F a ith f o r Today' c e le b r a t e s i t s f i f t e e n t h y e a r , I
am sure m illio n s o f Am ericans r e a l i z e a p e r s o n a l b e n e f i t from th e
program."
November 2 3 , 1964
Montgomery

George C. W allace
Governor o f Alabama

"It i s a p le a s u r e t o c o n g r a tu la t e th e 'F a ith fo r Today' program on i t s

f if t e e n t h a n n iv e r s a r y . My b e s t w is h e s are w ith you f o r c o n tin u a tio n o f
your su c ce ss and f i n e , w holesom e programming d u rin g your seco n d f i f t e e n
y e a r s ."
November 30, 1964
Juneau

W illiam A. Egan
Governor o f A lask a

"O bviously, a n a tio n depends f o r i t s s tr e n g th on th e s tr e n g th o f th e

fam ily l i f e o f i t s p e o p le . A l l e f f o r t s t o make Am erica a n a tio n o f
u n ited , s tr o n g , w holesom e f a m i l i e s a r e , t h e r e f o r e , h ig h ly in th e
n a tio n a l i n t e r e s t .
May F a ith f o r Today* en jo y c o n tin u e d s u c c e s s in
t h is most w orth w h ile en d ea v o r."
November 5 , 1964
H artford

John Dempsey
Governor o f C o n n ec tic u t

"I want to o f f e r my p e r s o n a l and o f f i c i a l c o n g r a tu la tio n s to F a ith f o r

Today' and i t s o u ts ta n d in g work i n em p h a sizin g wholesome fa m ily l i f e
through C h r is t ia n it y .
May th e A lm ig h ty be w ith you and yours a lw a y s."
November 3, 1964
T a lla h a sse e

F a r r is Bryant
Governor o f F lo r id a

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.

798

"The id e a l s o f C h r is t n eed su p p o rt i n t h i s a g e as n e v e r b e f o r e , and I

tr u st th a t 'F a ith f o r T oday1 w i l l c o n tin u e i t s m in is t r y f o r many y ea rs
to come."
November 6 , 1964
A tlanta

C arl E. Sanders
G overnor o f G eorgia

"The t e l e c a s t s you have sp o n so r ed , b u i l t around and e m p h a sizin g w h o le

some fa m ily l i f e , have b een an i n s p i r a t i o n and h e lp to many. I h e a r t i l y
endorse th e many f a c e t s o f your p u b lic s e r v i c e aims and p r i n c i p l e s .
More p la u d it s to you as you expand y o u r h o r iz o n s and b e g in a n o th e r yea r
of s e r v ic e ."
November 2 8, 1964
Frankfort

Edward T. B r e a t h it t
G overnor o f Kentucky

"During t h i s tim e [ o f f i f t e e n y e a r s o f b r o a d c a s t in g ] , t h i s e x c e l l e n t
program has c o n tr ib u te d s i g n i f i c a n t l y to s tr e n g th e n in g th e m oral f ib e r
of our n a t io n .
I t i s my hope th a t t h i s r e l i g i o u s t e l e v i s i o n program
w ill co n tin u e t o en jo y s u c c e s s f o r many y e a r s t o come."
November 10, 1964
Augusta

John H. Reed
G overnor o f Maine

"The p ro d u cers, s p o n s o r s , and th e t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n s c a r r y in g th e p ro

gram are a l l t o be commended fo r th e q u a li t y o f th e programs and f o r
th e ir e f f o r t s in s tr e n g th e n in g fa m ily l i f e . "
November 23,
St. Paul

1964

K arl F. R olvaag
G overnor o f M in n esota

"Faith i s d e fin e d in th e d ic t io n a r y a s ' a l l e g i a n c e t o du ty o r a person :

f i d e l i t y to o n e 's p r o m ise s: b e l i e f and t r u s t in th e l o y a l t y t o G o d .' I
b e lie v e your program 'F a ith f o r Today' h a s encom passed a l l t h e s e p r in
c ip le s in your f i f t e e n y e a r s o f program m ing. C o n g r a tu la tio n s on what
you have a cco m p lish ed and b e s t w ish e s f o r th e fu t u r e . T his tr o u b le d
world needs F a ith ."
November 2 , 1964
Lincoln

Frank B. M orrison
Governor o f N ebraska

"I w ish to e x te n d my a p p r e c ia tio n f o r th e p a s t in s p i r a t i o n w hich t h is

show has been t o i t s v ie w e r s and my hope t h a t i t w i l l c o n tin u e t o en jo y
su ccess in th e f u t u r e . Those who have b een a c t i v e in i t s p r o d u c tio n are
to be commended fo r th e enrich m ent o f our s p i r i t u a l l i f e w hich th e y have
helped b r in g a b o u t."
February, 1965
Trenton

R ichard J . Hughes
Governor o f New J e r s e y

"I would l i k e t o c o n g r a tu la te P a s to r and Mrs. F agal and th e s t a f f o f

'F aith fo r T od ay'. . . . T h eir e f f o r t s t o p r e s e n t C h r is tia n i d e a l s to
American f a m ilie s have made a v i t a l c o n t r ib u t io n t o s tr e n g th e n in g the
moral sta n d a rd s o f th o s e who w atch t h i s program .
I w ish you w e ll in

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799
your e f f o r t s t o rem ind modem man o f h i s n eed f o r s p i r i t u a l as w e l l as
p h y sica l and i n t e l l e c t u a l grow th and d ev elo p m en t."
November 2 4 , 1964
Santa Fe

Jack M. Campbell
Governor o f New M exico

"It a ffo rd s me much p le a s u r e t o c o n g r a tu la te you h e a r t i l y upon c e le b r a t

ing the 15th y e a r o f your t e l e c a s t , 'F a it h f o r T o d a y .' The work you do
in s tr e n g th e n in g C h r is tia n i d e a l s m e r its warm a p p r e c ia tio n and su p p o r t."
September 2 5 , 1964
Albany

N e lso n A. R o c k e f e lle r
Governor o f New York

"I am happy to j o in o th e r s in c o n g r a tu la t in g th e F a g a ls and a l l th e

others a s s o c ia t e d w ith th e program 'F a it h fo r T o d a y .'"
November 6 , 1964
Raleigh

Terry Sanford
Governor o f N orth C a r o lin a

"May I ex ten d c o n g r a tu la t io n s upon t h i s th e 15th y e a r o f c o n tin u o u s

programming f o r N orth A m erica 's o l d e s t r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t , 'F a ith fo r
Today.'
"Because 'F a ith f o r Today' has been in s tr u m e n ta l in im p lem en tin g
C h ristian c o n c e p ts , in co m b a ttin g j u v e n ile d e lin q u in c y , and in o th e r
ways adding to th e m oral s t a t u r e o f our c o u n try , i t i s im p o rta n t th a t
th is work b e c o n tin u e d and a c c e le r a t e d by e v er y p o s s i b le m eans."
October 9, 1964
Salem

Mark 0 . H a t f ie l d
Governor o f Oregon

"Your in s p ir in g t e l e v i s i o n program 'F a ith f o r Today' . . . [h as] been on

the a ir fo r a d ecad e and a h a l f .
" F ifteen y e a rs o f b r in g in g hope and in s p i r a t i o n to a w hole n a t io n .
" F ifteen y e a rs o f co m b a ttin g j u v e n ile d e lin q u in c y .

. . .

. . .

" F ifteen y e a rs o f s tr e n g th e n in g and r e in f o r c in g s tr o n g fa m ily l i f e in

America. . . .
" F ifteen y e a rs o f b r in g in g C h r is t to two hundred m illio n p e r s o n s .

. . .

"What cou ld be more rew ard in g than to lo o k back on f i f t e e n f r u i t f u l

years and to lo o k ahead to th e e v er -g r o w in g o p p o r t u n it ie s and c h a lle n g e s .
"Please a ccep t my p e r s o n a l and o f f i c i a l c o n g r a tu la tio n s and g r a t e f u l
a p p re c ia tio n f o r t h i s m ean in g fu l t e l e v i s i o n program and th e b e s t w ish es
o f four m il lio n T en n essean s f o r your c o n tin u e d s u c c e s s ."
December 1, 1964
N a sh v ille

Frank G. Clement
Governor o f T en n essee

Reproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

"Faith, fo r Today h a s b een w id e ly r e c o g n iz e d as a wholesom e and

e f f e c t iv e in f lu e n c e on th e l i v e s o f many A m ericans. As you c e le b r a t e
your f i f t e e n t h a n n iv e r s a r y o f s e r v i c e , I am p le a s e d to o f f e r my b e s t
wishes fo r c o n tin u e d s u c c e s s .
November 2 3 , 1964
[Austin]

John C on n ally
Governor o f Texas

"Please l e t me add a c o n g r a tu la to r y word on t h i s your f i f t e e n t h a n n iv e r

sary o f your w on d erfu l and in s p i r i n g program , F a ith fo r T o d a y . The
many hours o f e f f o r t and tim e you have expended on b e h a lf o f th e y ou th
and t h e ir problem s must p r e s e n t an overw helm ing ta x upon your s tr e n g th
at tim es. I can o n ly c o n c lu d e th a t i t ta k e s s p e c i a l p e o p le t o a cco m p lish
th is g rea t ta s k and th e e x e r t th e in f lu e n c e you no doubt have o v e r many
liv e s . On b e h a lf o f th e p e o p le o f th e S t a t e o f W ashington I sen d you my
very b e s t w is h e s f o r c o n tin u e d good h e a l t h and h a p p in e ss and a s u c c e s s f u l
program.
October 19, 1964
Olympia

A lb e r t D. R o s e l l i n i
Governor o f W ashington

"Please convey my c o n g r a t u la t io n s to th e F a ith fo r T oday1 t e l e c a s t on

the o c ca sio n o f i t s 15th a n n iv e r s a r y . We in West V ir g in ia are v e r y w e ll
aware o f th e n eed f o r r e l i g i o n in th e home, and we s a l u t e you r e f f o r t s
toward t h is e n d .
November 19, 1964
[Beckley]

H u le tt Smith
G o v ern o r-E lect o f West V ir g in ia

"The 'F a ith f o r Today' m essage o f in s p i r a t i o n and f a i t h i s , f o r th o u

sands o f p e o p le a c r o s s our c o u n tr y , a haven and a beacon o f s tr e n g th in
our in c r e a s in g ly com plex l i v e s . "
November 3, 1964
Cheyenne

C lif f o r d Hansen
Governor o f Wyoming

S tate Government - S t a t e Departm ents

"My h e a r t ie s t c o n g r a t u la t io n s to 'F a ith f o r Todays ' rem arkable f e a t in
c e le b r a tin g f i f t e e n y e a r s o f c o n tin u o u s programming. The c h a r a c te r
b u ild in g and i n s p i r a t i o n a l n a tu r e o f you r f in e program i s ca u se f o r
tremendous p le a s u r e on th e p a r t o f a l l o f us who have fo llo w e d i t th ro u g h
out i t s long e x i s t e n c e .
September 2 9 , 1964
Sacramento

Max R a ffe r ty
S u p e rin te n d e n t o f P u b lic
I n s t r u c t io n and D ir e c to r o f
E ducation
S t a te o f C a lif o r n ia Department
o f E d u cation

R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

APPENDIX K

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE ON "FAITH FOR TODAY" TELECAST

CIRCULATED TO TELEVISION STATION MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

MICHIGAN STATE U N I V E R S I T Y

e a s t l a n s in g

COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION ARTS DEPARTMENT O F SPEECH

. Mic h ig a n 4882}

149 AUDITORIUM

A u gu st

15,

1966

Walt Schaar, Program D ir e c to r

KREM-TV
4103 South R egal S t r e e t
Spokane, W ashington 99203
Dear Mr. Schaar:
I am w r it in g my d o c to r a l d i s s e r t a t i o n on th e p u b lic sp e a k in g o f P a s
tor W illiam A. F agal and c e r t a in a s p e c ts o f h is " F a ith f o r Today" t e l e
cast which you are (o r r e c e n t ly w ere) b r o a d c a s tin g w eek ly on KREM-TV.
One major s e c t io n o f my t h e s i s d e a ls w ith v ie w e r resp o n se to th e
program, and one o f th e m ost im p o rta n t " p u b lic s " I w is h to su r v ey i s th a t
of p r o fe s s io n a l t e l e v i s i o n p e o p le such as y o u r s e l f . Your c o m p le te ly ca n
did resp on ses to a l l r e le v a n t s e c t i o n s o f th e e n c lo s e d q u e s tio n n a ir e w ould
be of in e s tim a b le v a lu e to me as I see k to make a c r i t i c a l , o b j e c t iv e
evalu ation o f t h is program in term s o f i t s s t a t e d g o a l s .
The purpose o f my s u r v e y , th u s , i s p u r e ly s c h o la r l y and s c i e n t i f i c ;
i t is n ot a "gim m ick," or " b lin d " f o r a p u b lic r e l a t i o n s " p u ff" job f o r
the programs p ro d u cer. I w i l l b e as i n t e r e s t e d perhaps ev en more s o
in whatever n e g a tiv e comments you may w ish to make as in th o s e o f ap o s
it i v e n a tu r e. Above a l l e l s e , I s i n c e r e l y ask you to w r ite as f u l l y and
fr e e ly as o p p o r tu n ity may a f f o r d . I am n o t c o n n e c te d w ith th e s t a f f o f
"Faith fo r Today" in any m anner. P a s to r F agal and h i s a s s o c i a t e s a r e , o f
course, aware o f my p r o j e c t ; and th ey have g iv e n m ost g r a t if y in g co o p era
tion thus fa r in a l l r e s e a r c h undertaken a t t h e i r New York o f f i c e .
Knowing how busy you must b e , I h e s i t a t e to approach you w ith t h i s
request; but in ord er to s u c c e e d in my ta s k o f making an o r i g i n a l c o n t r i
bution to know ledge, I must have a r e a so n a b ly r e p r e s e n t a t iv e sam p lin g o f
response from men and women in th e t e l e v i s i o n in d u s tr y whose p r o f e s s i o n a l
background q u a l i f i e s them to answ er th e s e few b r i e f q u e s t io n s .
I am aware th a t perhaps h a l f o r more o f s t a t i o n p e r so n n e l such
as y o u r s e lf who w i l l r e c e iv e t h is su rv ey q u e s t io n n a ir e w i l l n o t take th e
trouble to com plete i t .
T h e r e fo r e , i t i s m ost im p o rta n t th a t YOU resp o n d .
A stamped, s e lf - a d d r e s s e d e n v e lo p e i s p r o v id e d fo r yo u r co n v e n ie n c e in
reply. The r e tu r n o f th e com p leted form w i l l be ta k en as im p lie d p e r m is
sion to make d i r e c t q u o ta tio n s from your o b s e r v a t io n s , u n le s s you in d ic a t e
your w ishes to th e c o n tr a r y upon th e form.
I am most g r a t e f u l f o r your

v a lu e d c o o p e r a tio n and c o u r te s y .

Roger W. Coon
G raduate C oun cil F e llo w
Enclosures: 2
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802

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE ON FAITH FOR TODAY TELECAST

Station Call L etters:..... .

Channel:..................City &S ta te :.........................................

Date of your first FFT broadcast:.......................... H as the program run continuously

since that tim e?...............The program (if currently broadcast) is now aired w eekly
on...................................(day of w eek) a t .................................... am /pm (indicate which)
in......................................... (color/black and w hite).

1. What factors significantly influenced your stations decision to accept the

Faith for Today program? (Answer all appropriate section s)
a. Technical?

b. Performance?

c. Content (including relevance of topic and treatm ent)?

d. Format?

e. Other?
2. How would you describe typical overall view er reaction to the FFT program
in your area on the basis of mail and/or telephone calls following the w eekly
telecast? (check one)
Decidedly favorable.

ED Slightly unfavorable.

I ISlightly favorable.

ED D ecidedly unfavorable.

ED About equally balanced pro and con.

3. Analyze the approximate typical w eekly view er response at your station

(whether telephone or m ail) per program during the p ast three months:
(check one)
ED None at all.

ED 26-50 responses.

ED 1-10 responses.

ED 51-100 responses.

ED 11-25 responses.

EDMore than 100 responses.

What number of responses per program is considered a v era g e or norm al

for an individual religious teleca st in your view ing area?..........................................

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803

4. How, in your own private judgm ent, does "Faith for Today compare with
other local or national religious teleca sts with which you are familiar? (Answer
all appropriate section s)
a. Technical?

b. Performance?

c. Content (including relevance of topic and treatm ent)?

d. Format?

e. Other?

5. What do you personally consider to be the strongest factors in favor of the

total program, as it is presently constituted? (Answer all appropriate sections)
a. Technical?

b. Performance?

c. Content (including relevance of topic and treatm ent)?

d. Format?

e. Other?

6. Concerning Pastor FagaVs own individual contribution to the program, what

do you consider to b e the strongest factors in its favor here? (Answer all
appropriate sections)

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804
a. Content (including relevance of topic and treatm ent)?

b. Delivery (in serm on ette) and Performance (in dram atic skit)?

c. Personality?

7. How, in your opinion, does Pastor F agal compare w ith other clergym en now
broadcasting on television with w hose program you m ay be familiar? (Answer
all appropriate section s)
a. Content (including relevance of topic and treatm ent)?

b. Delivery?

c. Personality?

8. What, as you se e it, are the weakest factors in the total program, as pres
ently constituted places where you feel im provem ent m ight profitably be
m ade?Please be specific. (Answer all appropriate section s)
a. Technical?

b. Performance?

c. Content (including relevance of topic and treatm ent)?

d. Format?

e. Other?

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

9. What, in your judgm ent, are the weakest factors in Pastor Fagals individual
contribution to th e program, as presently constituted? (Answer all appropriate
sections)
a. Content (including relevance of topic and treatm ent)?

b. Delivery (in serm onette) and Performance (indramatic skit)?

c. Personality?

10. Please assign in rank order of merit the type of program format which, from
your prior experience, you believe the general viewing public in your area
enjoys m ost ( 1-greatest interest on down to 4-least interest):
Dramatic skit, followed by 4-minute serm onette, and quartet.
............. Strictly m usical program only by FFT music staff.
Interview program (religious leaders, m issionaries, civic leaders, gov
ernment officials, e tc .)
.............Travelogues (generally related to overseas Christian m issions work).
Now please rank your own personal reference (using sam e method as above):
Dramatic skit, followed by 4-minute serm onette, and quartet.
.............Musical program.
Interview program.
.............Travelogue program.
11. What other comments, positive or negative, would you feel free to make con
cerning the program as a whole, or Pastor F agals contribution in particular?
How would you evaluate this program in term s of television as a whole?
What contribution, if any, do you think it has made or is making to the
general viewing public? What opinions do you have about the program?

D ata on this form w as provided by:

Official Station Title or Position:.
D ate this form completed:

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APPENDIX L

TABULATION OF STATISTICAL RESULTS FROM SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

SENT TO TELEVISION STATION MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

T
TABULATION OF STATISTICAL RESULTS FROM SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
SENT TO TELEVISION STATION MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL

1.

What f a c t o r s s i g n i f i c a n t l y in f lu e n c e d y o u r s t a t i o n ' s d e c is i o n t o
a c ce p t th e " F a ith fo r Today" program?
TECHNICAL
PERFORMANCE
CONTENT
FORMAT
OTHER
NO ANSWER
TOTAL

2.

104*

How would you d e s c r ib e t y p i c a l o v e r a l l v ie w e r r e a c t io n t o th e FFT

program in you r a r ea on th e b a s is o f m a il a n d /o r te le p h o n e c a l l s
fo llo w in g th e w eek ly t e l e c a s t ?
DECIDEDLY FAVORABLE
SLIGHTLY FAVORABLE
ABOUT EQUALLY BALANCED PRO AND CON
SLIGHTLY UNFAVORABLE
DECIDEDLY UNFAVORABLE
NOT ENOUGHRESPONSE TO EVALUATE
NO ANSWER
TOTAL

3.

17
17
18
19
19
__ 4

20
16
6
0
0
12
_5
59

Analyze th e approxim ate t y p i c a l w e ek ly v ie w e r r e sp o n se a t your

s t a t io n (w heth er te le p h o n e o r m a il) p e r program du rin g th e p a s t
th ree months:
NONE AT ALL
1-10 RESPONSES
11-25 RESPONSES
26-50 RESPONSES
5 1-100 RESPONSES
THAN 100 RESPONSES
NO ANSWER

18
28
0
0
0
0

TOTAL

59

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

What number o f r e sp o n se s p e r program i s c o n s id e r e d "average" or

"normal" f o r an in d iv id u a l r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t in you r v ie w in g area?
NONE
1-10
1-25
NO ANSWER

3
23
4
29

TOTAL

59

" F aith f o r T oday's" R esponse Was:

4.

LESS THAN AVERAGE

SAME AS AVERAGE
BETTER THAN AVERAGE
NO ANSWER

8
29
0

TOTAL

59

22

How, in y o u r own p r iv a t e ju dgm ent, does " F a ith f o r Today" compare

w ith o th e r l o c a l or n a t io n a l r e l i g i o u s t e l e c a s t s w ith w hich you are
fa m ilia r ?
A.

B.

T ec h n ic a l

Perform ance

C ontent

SUPERIOR
BETTER THAN AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
MUCH BELOW AVERAGE
NO ANSWER

4
20
15
1
0
15

TOTAL

59

SUPERIOR
BETTER THAN AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
MUCH BELOW AVERAGE
NO ANSWER

3
15
19
3
0
19_

TOTAL

59

SUPERIOR
BETTER THAN AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
MUCH BELOW AVERAGE
NO ANSWER

5
17
12
4
0
21

TOTAL

59

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808
D.

E.

5.

6.

Format

O ther

SUPERIOR
BETTER THAN AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
MUCH BELOW AVERAGE
NO ANSWER

3
12
17
9
0
18

TOTAL

59

SUPERIOR
BETTER THAN AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
MUCH BELOW AVERAGE
NO ANSWER

4
5
3
3
0
44

TOTAL

59

What do you p e r s o n a lly c o n s id e r to be th e s t r o n g e s t f a c t o r s in fa v o r

o f th e t o t a l program as i t i s p r e s e n t ly c o n s titu te d ?
TECHNICAL
M ORMANCE
CONTENT
FORMAT
OTHER
NO ANSWER.

12
11
26
6
5
11_

TOTAL

71*

C oncerning P a s to r F a g a l's own in d iv id u a l c o n tr ib u tio n to th e program,

what do you c o n s id e r to be th e s t r o n g e s t f a c t o r s in i t s fa v o r h ere?
CONTENT
DELIVERY AND PERFORMANCE
PERSONALITY
NO ANSWER
TOTAL

7.

23
21
20
12
76*

How, in your o p in io n , does P a s to r F agal compare w ith o th e r clergym en

now b r o a d c a s tin g on t e l e v i s i o n w ith whose programs you may be
fa m ilia r ?
A.

C ontent

SUPERIOR
BETTER THAN AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
MUCH BELOW AVERAGE
NO ANSWER
TOTAL

1
14
17
1
0
26_
59

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809
D e liv e r y /
Perform ance

P e r s o n a lit y

8.

9.

SUPERIOR
BETTER THAN AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
MUCH BELOW AVERAGE
NO ANSWER

3
19
14
2
0
21_

TOTAL

59

SUPERIOR
BETTER THAN AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
MUCH BELOW AVERAGE
NO ANSWER

3
14
14
4
0
2j4

TOTAL

59

What, as you s e e i t , are th e w eakest f a c t o r s in th e t o t a l program,

as p r e s e n t ly c o n s t i t u t e d - - p l a c e s where you f e e l improvement might
p r o f i t a b l y b e made?
TECHNICAL
PERFORMANCE
CONTENT
FORMAT
OTHER
NO ANSWER

4
12
6
13
4
20

TOTAL

59

What, in your judgm ent, are th e w eak est f a c t o r s in P a s to r F a g a l's

in d iv id u a l c o n t r ib u t io n to th e program, as p r e s e n t ly c o n s titu te d ?
CONTENT
DELIVERY/PERFORMANCE
PERSONALITY
NO ANSWER

8
10
9
32

TOTAL

59

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810
10.

P le a s e a s s ig n in rank o rd er o f m e r it th e ty p e o f program form at

w h ich , from you r p r io r e x p e r ie n c e , you b e l i e v e th e g e n e r a l v ie w in g
p u b lic in you r a r e a m ost e n jo y s ( 1 - g r e a t e s t i n t e r e s t ; 4 - l e a s t
i n t e r e s t ) ; p le a s e l i s t a ls o you r own p e r s o n a l p r e fe r e n c e .

Program
Format

A.

B.

C.

D.

DRAMATIC SKIT, FOLLOWED BY

4 -MINUTE SERMONETTE AND QUARTET

STRICTLY MUSICAL PROGRAM BY

FFT MUSIC STAFF

INTERVIEW PROGRAM

P r e fe r e n c e

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
NO

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
NO

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
NO

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
NO

TRAVELOGUES

G eneral
P u b lic

B ro a d ca st
E x e c u tiv e

CHOICE
CHOICE
CHOICE
CHOICE
ANSWER

16
12
12
3
16

TOTAL

59

12
12
9
9
17
59

CHOICE
CHOICE
CHOICE
CHOICE
ANSWER

9
16
6
10
18

9
8
12
11
19_

TOTAL

59

59

CHOICE
CHOICE
CHOICE
CHOICE
ANSWER

7
5
7
18
22_

4
10
9
16
20

TOTAL

59

59

CHOICE
CHOICE
CHOICE
CHOICE
ANSWER

10
9
13
6
21

18
9
9
3
20_

TOTAL

59

59

RECAPITULATION OF DISTRIBUTION RESULTS

D e s tin a tio n

No. S e n t Out

Number R eturned

U nited S t a t e s and P o s s e s s io n s
Canada
F oreign

179
26
9

51
4
_4

T o ta l

214

59

*Rep l i e s show ing more th an 59 r e s p o n se s t o t a l are in s t a n c e s

where resp o n d en ts marked more than one o p t io n .

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APPENDIX M

AUDITORIUM AUDIENCE RESPONSE QUESTIONNAIRE

EVALUATING THE PREACHING OF WILLIAM A. FAGAL

S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Camp M eeting

Grand L edge, M ichigan
J u ly 17, 1965

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811

A PERSONAL MESSAGE TO YOU FROM PASTOR FAGAL

Dear Friend of Faith For Todays
A
colleague
of mine, Pastor Roger W. Coon, is writing
his doctoral
dissertation in speech at
Michigan State University
on several aspects of
our Faith For Today
program.
A portion of this study will deal with au d
ience response.
The questionnaire below is handed to you
for the purpose of obtaining
your' personal reaction
to tonight's message and its presentation.
Part I
may be completed immediately;
but we would appreciate your
remaining
for
just a moment at the
close
of the service to answer the questions in Part
II.
The value of your individual contribution will be directly p ro po rt io n
al to the
candor
and
frankness
w it h whi ch you answer each question.
We
greatly
appreciate
your
co-operation,
and assure you that your response
will be of
inestimable
value bo th to Pastor Coon
(who will collect these
forms and tabulate the data) and to us in our work at Faith For Today, with
whom he has promised to share the conclusions.
Thank you for your help.
WILLIAM A. FAGAL

PLEASE INDICATE THE FOLLOWING:

Male_____

Female_____

Marital Status:
Education:

(Single,

Age ______
Married,

Your Occupation
Divorced,

Widowed)^

(Last year in school_completed)____________

Are you a member of any church?

tist, Methodist,

If so,

Seventh-day Adventist,

How often do you attend church?

name of denomination:

(Bap

etc.)

(Regularly,

frequently,

occasional,

in

frequent 1 y )
PART I
1. What specifically prompted you to come
evening?

to this particular service

2. Have you ever viewed Pastor Fagal's television program,

day?
occasional,

"Faith For T o

If so, would you classify yourself as a regular,

or infrequent viewer?

this

(state which)

frequent,
Ap

proximately how long have you been a viewer of this program?

3* Have you ever attended a public service at which Pastor Fagal spoke in
person before tonight?
PLEASE DO NOT ANSWER THE REST OF THE QUESTIONS UNTIL AFTER TONIGHTS SERMON

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812
PART II
(To be completed after the close of tonight's service)
1. From his voice, manner, and appearance, what kind of person do you think
Pastor Fagal is?
Why?
[Please be specific]

2. Do you find Pastor Fagal's voice easy or difficult to listen to?

[Please be specific]

3.

Why?

Did you find Pastor Fagal's sermon tonight interesting and easy t o
listen to?
Why?
[Please be specific]

Did you find that the words Pastor Fagal used in his sermon were e a s y
to understand?
In what way?
[Please be specific]

5- Do you feel that Pastor Fagal's sermon tonight touched upon problems
which relate to modern-day living as you know it?
In what way, p a r
ticularly?

[2]

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813

6. Were y o u able to follow Pastor Fagal's line of thought and argument? In

what way?

7. W,hat is your personal impression of Pastor Fagal's use of the Bible?

(Effective, convincing, too little, too much, etc.)
Please comment.

8. What is your impression of Pastor Fagal's use of illustrations, poems,

quotations, etc.?
Please comment.

9* Did you understand clearly what Pastor Fagal wanted you to do as a re

sult of your hearing him pr ea ch tonight?
(Attend church, give your
heart to Christ, etc.)
What did you feel, specifically, his goal was?

10. If you have heard Pastor Fagal previously on television, how would you
compare his TV preaching with his pulpit preaching tonight?
[Please be
specific.

11. How would you compare Pastor Fagal's pre aching either TV or pulpit
with other preaching that you have listened to elsewhere?

[3]

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814

12. What, if anything,

preaching:

do you particularly like about Pastor Fagal's

a . In the P ulp it?

b. On Television?

13. What, if anything,

preaching:

do you particularly dislike about Pastor Fagal's

a. In the Pu lpit?

b. On Television?

14. As a result of hearing Pastor Fagal ton ig ht , have you made any spiritual or moral decisions?
If so, would you mind briefly stating
them below?

13- Have you made any spiritual or moral decisions before tonight as a re
sult of hearing Pastor Fagal--either in public or on television?______
If so, we would appreciate your briefly listing them below:

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR VALUED CO-OPERATION IN THIS RESEARCH PROJECT.
PLEASE LEAVE THIS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE ON YOUR SEAT AS YOU LEAVE;
USHERS WILL COLLECT THEM AFTER THE CONGREGATION HAS LEFT THE AUDITORIUM.

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission of th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission .

APPENDIX N

TABULATION OF STATISTICAL RESULTS FROM SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

AUDITORIUM AUDIENCE RESPONSE

S e v e n th -d a y A d v e n tis t Camp M eeting

Grand L edge, M ichigan
J u ly 17, 1965

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

TABULATION OF STATISTICAL RESULTS FROM SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

AUDITORIUM AUDIENCE RESPONSE

I.

1.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GRAND LEDGE

AUDIENCE SAMPLE POPULATION

C l a s s i f i c a t i o n by S ex and M a r ita l S ta tu s
Male
Female
D e c lin e d t o S t a te

376
673
1

35.8%
64.1%
.1%

1 ,0 5 0

100.0%

M arried
Widowed
S in g le
D iv o rced
S ep a ra ted
D e c lin e d to S t a t e

821
94
92
30
6
7

78.1%
8.9%
8.7%
2.8%
.7%
.8%

1, 050

100.0%

C l a s s i f i c a t i o n by Age G roupings

3.

Group
T o ta ls % o f Group

Years

Male

% o f Group

Female

% o f Group

11-20
2 1-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61-70
71-80
81-90
D e clin ed
to S t a te

9
40
63
94
69
38
24
3

2.39%
10.64%
16.76%
25.00%
18.35%
10.11%
6.38%
.80%

22
72
122
134
132
88
48
6

3.27%
10.70%
18.13%
19.91%
19.61%
13.08%
7.13%
.90%

31
112
185
228
201
126
72
9

2.96%
10.68%
17.64%
21.73%
19.16%
12.01%
6.86%
.86%

36

9.57%

49

7.28%

85

8.10%

376

100.00%

673

100.00%

1,049

100.00%

C l a s s i f i c a t i o n by E d u c a tio n a l Background
E d u cation
A tta in e d

Male

%of
Group

1- 8 y r s .
9 -12 y r s .
13-16 y r s .
RN
BA+
MA
MA+
PhD

42
123
116
0
21
14
9
4

11.17%
32.71%
30.85%
.00%
5.59%
3.72%
2.39%
1.06%

Female

%of
Group

72
244
229
36**
18
16
4
0

10.70%
36.26%
34.03%
5.35%
2.67%
2.38%
.59%
.00%

Group
T o ta ls
114
367
345
36
39
30
13
4

815
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%of
Group
10.87%
34.99%
32.89%
3.43%
3.72%
2.86%
1.24%
.38%

816
E d u cation
A tta in e d
MD
DDS
DC
BD
D e c lin e d
to S t a t e

Male

% of
Group

Female

Group
T o ta ls

%of
Group

%of
Group

19*
10
1
1

5.05%
2.66%
.27%
.27%

2
0
0
0

.30%
.00%
.00%
.00%

21
10
1
1

2.00%
.95%
.10%
.10%

16

4.26%

52

7.73%

68

6.48%

376

100.00%

673

100.00%

1 ,0 4 9

100.00%

*One MD h o ld s th e PhD d egree a l s o .

**Does n o t in c lu d e RNs who a ls o have earn ed a BS or MS d e g r e e .

4.

C l a s s i f i c a t i o n by Employment
Men
A.

PROFESSIONAL
1 . Clergym en ( p a s t o r s , c h a p la in s )
2.
P h y s ic ia n s and D e n tis ts
MD
C h ir o p r a c tic
DDS
3. N u rsin g
RN
LPN and Other
N urse A n e s t h e t is t
4.
D i e t ic ia n
5. M o r tic ia n
6 . E d u c a tio n a l
P r in c ip a ls /A d m in is tr a to r s
T e a c h e r s /P r o fe s s o r s
7. F in an ce
T re a su r er
A u d ito r
CPA
A ccou n tan t
8.
B u sin e ss
C o rp o ra tio n P r e s id e n t
A d m in is tr a to r /E x e c u tiv e
M anagerial:
S to r e
C r e d it
N u rsin g Home I n s tr u c t o r
H o s p ita l E x e c u tiv e H ousekeeper
M u n ic ip a l/S ta te
P o lic e /M ilita r y
C o n tr a c to r /B u ild e r
Sm all B u sin ess/M erch a n t
Food S e r v ic e D ir e c to r
P etroleu m D is t r ib u t o r
9 . A rts
M u sician
I n t e r i o r D ecorato r
A r tis t

19
19
1
10
- -

1
-----

Women

2
- -

21
1
10
44
53
1
2
1

1
73

4
105

1
1
2
4

1
1
2
11

1
2

1
1
2
1
3
3
11
4
2
1

1
- -

2
3
11
4

2
1
1
- -

- -

5
2

19

44
52
1
2

1
3
32

T o ta l

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission of the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

5
2
1

817
Men
10.

11.
12.

S o c ia l Work
C ou n selor
S o c ia l Worker
Church Work
L ib r a r ia n
S c ie n c e
S c ie n tis t
Chemist
B io a n a ly s t
E n g in ee r
R esearch D ir e c to r

OFFICE-CLERICAL-SALES
1 . S a le s
2.
C le r ic a l/G e n e r a l O f f ic e
R e c e p tio n is t/S w itc h b o a r d
S e c r e ta r y /S te n o g r a p h e r
T elep hone Co. S e r v ic e R e p r e s e n ta tiv e
A d v e r tis in g Agency
3.
I n s p e c to r /S u p e r v is o r
G eneral and O f f ic e
Market R esearch
4.
B ookkeeping
5.
C a sh ie r

TECHNICAL AND SKILLED

1. M ed ica l/P a r a m e d ic a l
G eneral
P h y s ic a l Therapy
Lab o r a to r y /S u r g i c a l
X-Ray
P u b lic H e a lth S a n ita r ia n
R eading C lin ic ia n
2 . E le c t r o n ic s
E le c tr ic ia n
E le c t r o p la t e r
3. Key Punch O perator
4.
Lens P o lis h e r
5.
Foreman
F a c to r y
Shop S u p e rin te n d e n t
6 . P ian o T ec h n ic ia n
7. T o o l/D ie Maker
8.
D raftsm an
9 . Monument E ngraver
10. Wood P ro d u cts P a tte r n Maker

Women
3
2
1
3

Totai
3
6
1
3

206

1
2
1
11
1
345

6
11
5
28
1
1

18
14
5
28
1
1

2
1
5
__ 1

7
1
__ ] _

20

61

81

2
4
2

3
3
1
1

5
7
3
1
1
1

1
2
1
11
1
139

12
3

1
1

3
1

- -

- -

2
1

3
1
3
7
3
1
1
33

3
1
2
1

4
1
3
7
3
1
1

12

45

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818
Men
D.

TRADES
1 . P a in te r
2. C arpenter/C ab inetm ak er
3. Mason
4. Baker
5 . P r in t e r
6 . Plumber
7. M echanic
8. W elder
9. S e r v ic e
A p p lian ce
S o ft-W a te r Equipment
C lea n in g

8
14
4
1
4
1
3
2

SEMISKILLED
1. D r iv er /O p er a to r
Truck
S ch o o l Bus
F o r k -L ift V e h ic le
Crane
2. F a cto ry
G eneral
B indery
Laundry
Tent Awning M anufacturing
Sew ing Machine O perator
P r e ss O perator
M illw r ig h t
Trimmer
S h e e t M etal Worker
Shear O perator
S e a le r /S p r a y e r
M a ch in ist
Drop Forge Worker
Pulpwood C u tter

- -

- - -

- - -

1
1
2_
41

E.

Women

----

4
1
1
1

5
1
2
1
1
1

1
3
2
1
1
2
4
1
1

1
1
2
41

23
-

8
14
4
1
4
1
3
2

--

4
1
1

T o ta l

28
1
2
1
1
2
3
2
1
1
2
4
1
1

45

12

57

1
10
9
1
1
-22

17

18
10
9
1
1
1

UNSKILLED
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

H o s p ita l and Nurse A ide

M aintenance
Laborer
Warehouseman
E l e c t r i c M eter Reader
E le v a to r S t a r t e r

AGRICULTURAL
1. Farmer
2 . Gardener

13

-
1
18

40

13

__ 1

___1_

14

__

14

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

819
Men
H.

DOMESTIC
1. H ousew ife
2 . S e a m str ess
3.
C u lin a ry
4. R e st Home H elp er

I.

STUDENT

J.

SELF-EMPLOYED

K.

DISABLED-UNEMPLOYED-RETIRED
1.
2.
3.

L.

D is a b le d
Unemployed
R e tir e d

Women

T o ta l

316
3
5
1
325

316
3
5
1
325

23

20

43

--

28

1
1
12
14

4
2
36
42

12

3 .
1
24

DECLINED TO STATE

C l a s s i f i c a t i o n by Employment (R e c a p itu la tio n )

Men

Women

T o ta l

139
20
33
41
45
22
14

206
61
12

14
5

345
81
45
41
57
40
14
325
43
4
42
12

376

673

1049

C l a s s i f i c a t i o n by R e lig io n

Men

Women

T o ta l

S ev en th -d a y A d v e n tis t
B a p tis t
C o n g r e g a tio n a l
C h r is tia n M iss. A l l .
B eth esd a M iss. Temple
M eth o d ist
Lutheran
Mormon
No A f f i l i a t i o n L is t e d

368
1
1

659
2

1
1
2
1
1
6

1027
3
1
1
1
2
1
1
12

376

673

1049

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
II.
I.
J.
K.
L.

5.

P r o f e s s io n a l
O ffic e -C le r ic a l-S a le s
T e c h n ic a l and S k i l l e d
Trades
S e m is k ille d
U n s k ille d
A g r ic u lt u r a l
D om estic
S tu d en t
S e lf-e m p lo y e d
D isa b le d -U n em p lo y e d -R e tir ed
D e c lin e d to S t a t e

23
4
28
7

12
18
325
20

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

820
6.

C l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f T e l e v is io n V iew ers o f " F a ith f o r Today*1

A.

Have you e v e r w atched " F a ith f o r Today"?

YES
NO*
NO ANSWER

960
87
3
1 ,0 5 0

B.

*Many SDAs do n o t
own a TV s e t .

100.0%

I f you have s e e n th e program , how f r e q u e n t ly have you w atched i t

REGULARLY
FREQUENTLY
OCCASIONALLY
INFREQUENTLY**
NO ANSWER

C.

91.4%
8.3%
.3%

101
128
235
440
56

10.5%
13.3%
24.5%
45.8%
5.9%

960

100.0%

**Program n o t a v a i l
a b le in C hicago o r
Lansing-G rand Ledge
a r ea in 1965.

A pp roxim ately how long have you v iew ed th e program?

UNDER ONE YEAR
1-5 YEARS
MORE THAN 5 YEARS
NO ANSWER

18
245
333
364

1.9%
25.5%
34.7%
37.9%

960

100.0%

C l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f A udience in Terms o f A cq u ain tan ce With Sp eak er:

"Have you heard W illia m F agal speak in p u b lic b e fo r e to n ig h t? "
YES
NO
NO ANSWER

95 7
90
3

91.1%
8.6%
.3%

1 ,0 5 0

100.0%

II.
AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO THE
PREACHING OF WILLIAM FAGAL
1.

From h is v o i c e , manner, and a p p ea ra n ce, what k in d o f p e r so n do you

th in k P a s to r Fagal i s ? Why?
FACTORS OF POSITIVE ETHOS
FACTORS OF NEGATIVE ETHOS
OTHER RESPONSES
NO ANSWER

976
16
5
71

91.4%
1.5%
.5%
6.6%

1 ,0 6 8

100.0%

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

FACTORS OF POSITIVE ETHOS

COMPETENCE/INTELLIGENCE
GOOD CHARACTER
GOOD WILL

282
768
424
1,4 7 4 *

*Some resp o n d e n ts l i s t e d more th an one f a c t o r .

2.

Did you f in d P a sto r F a g a l's v o ic e e a sy or d i f f i c u l t t o l i s t e n to?

Why^
EASY:
U n q u a lifie d a f f ir m a t iv e
Q u a lif ie d a f f ir m a t iv e
DIFFICULT
NO ANSWER

987
30
4
29

94.0%
2.8%
.4%
2.8%

050

100.0%

Did you f in d P a sto r F a g a l's sermon t o n ig h t i n t e r e s t i n g and e a sy to

l i s t e n to ? Why?
EASY:
U n q u a lifie d a f f ir m a t iv e
Q u a lif ie d a f f ir m a t iv e
DIFFICULT
NO ANSWER

957
18
7
68

91.1%
1.7%
.7%
6.5%

1 ,0 5 0

100.0%

F a c to r s M entioned:
I llu s tr a tio n s
226
C o n te n t/O r g a n iz a tio n 386
D e liv e r y
82
694
Did you f in d th a t th e words P a s to r F agal u sed in h i s sermon were
ea sy t o u n derstan d? In what way?
YES:
U n q u a lifie d a f f ir m a t iv e
Q u a lif ie d a f f ir m a t iv e
NO
NO ANSWER

964
11
0
75
1 ,0 5 0

9 1 . 8%
1.0%
.0%
7.2%
100.0%

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

822
F a c to r s M entioned:
Word C hoice
S im p lic it y
137
Commonness
289
C la r it y
61
A p p ro p ria ten ess to
O cca sio n and A udience
D ic tio n and D e liv e r y
Grammar
O ther F a c to r s

487

107
61
28
79
762

Do you f e e l t h a t P a s to r F a g a l's serm on t o n ig h t tou ch ed upon problem s

w hich r e l a t e t o modern-day l i v i n g as you know i t ?
In what way,
p a r t ic u la r ly ?
YES:
U n q u a lifie d A ffir m a tiv e
Q u a lif ie d A ffir m a t iv e
NO
NO ANSWER

802
8
15
225

76.3%
.8%
1.5%
21.4%

1 ,0 5 0

100.0%

Were you a b le t o fo llo w P a s to r F a g a l's l i n e o f thought and argument?

In what way?
YES:
U n q u a lifie d A ffir m a t iv e
Q u a lif ie d A ffir m a t iv e
NO
NO ANSWER

858
18
6
168

81.7%
1.7%
.6%
16.0%

1 ,0 5 0

100.0%

F a c to r s M entioned:
C ontent
181
O r g a n iz a tio n 103
E x p la n a tio n
77
D e liv e r y
19
O ther
10
390
What i s your p e r s o n a l im p r e ssio n o f P a sto r F a g a l's u se o f th e B ib le ?
P le a s e comment.
( E f f e c t i v e , c o n v in c in g , to o l i t t l e , to o much, e t c . )
UNQUALIFIED APPROVAL
QUALIFIED APPROVAL
DISAPPROVAL
NO ANSWER

876
34
26
114

83.4%
3.2%
2.6%
10.8%

1 ,0 5 0

100.0%

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

QUALITATIVE:
E f f e c t iv e
C onvincing

QUANTITATIVE:
Too L i t t l e
Too Much
About R igh t

610
433
1,050

49
2
124
175

8.

What i s your im p r e ssio n o f P a sto r F a g a l's u se o f i l l u s t r a t i o n s , poem s,

q u o ta tio n s , e t c .?
P le a s e comment.
UNQUALIFIED APPROVAL
QUALIFIED APPROVAL
DISAPPROVAL
NO ANSWER

9.

842
24
6
178

80.1%
2.4%
.6%
16.9%

1 ,0 5 0

100.0%

Did you u n d erstan d c l e a r l y what P a sto r F agal w anted you t o do as a

r e s u l t o f your h e a r in g him p reach to n ig h t?
(A tten d ch u rch , g iv e
your h e a r t to C h r is t, e t c . )
What d id you f e e l , s p e c i f i c a l l y , was
h is goal?
YES
U n q u a lifie d A ffir m a tiv e
Q u a lif ie d A ffir m a tiv e
NO
NO ANSWER

S p ea k er 's Goal:
G reater S o u l-w in n in g
W itness
R e c o n se c r a tio n /
R e d e d ic a tio n
G reater Concern fo r
O thers and M isc.
R esponses

855
4
7
184

81.4%
.4%
.7%
17.5%

1,0 5 0

100.0%

364
340

210
914

10.

I f you have heard P a sto r F agal p r e v io u s ly on t e l e v i s i o n , how would

you compare h is TV p r e a ch in g w ith h i s p u lp it p r e a c h in g to n ig h t?
P u lp it P rea ch in g i s B e tte r
No A p p re c ia b le D iffe r e n c e
TV P rea ch in g i s B e t te r
M isc e lla n e o u s R esponses
No Answer

310
264
36
24
416

29.5%
25.1%
3.5%
2.3%
39.6%

1,0 5 0

100.0%

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

824
11.

How would you compare P a s to r F a g a l s p r e a c h in g - - e it h e r TV o r p u l p i t w ith o th e r p r e a ch in g t h a t you h a v e l i s t e n e d to e lse w h e r e?

Fagal i s Much B e tte r th an O thers
F agal i s B e tte r than O thers
F agal i s About th e Same as O thers
F agal i s Not Q u ite as Good as O thers
F agal i s Worse than O thers
R efu sed to C la s s if y
M isc e lla n e o u s R esponses
No Answer

12,

489
214
26
19
1
32
7
262

46.6%
20.3%
2.5%
1.8%
.1%
3.1%
.7%
24.9%

1 ,0 5 0

100.0%

What , i f a n y th in g , do you p a r t i c u l a r l y l i k e about P a s to r F agal

p rea ch in g ?
A.

In th e P u lp it?
C a te g o r ic a l R espon ses
No Answer

F a c to r s L is te d * :
P e r s o n a lit y
C ontent
D e liv e r y
S p i r i t u a l Elem ent
M isc e lla n e o u s

377
325
182
59
13

704
346

67.0%
33.0%

1 ,0 5 0

100.0%

*Some resp o n d e n ts l i s t e d :
than one f a c t o r .

956
B.

On T e le v is io n ?
C a te g o r ic a l R espon ses
" D itto " to Answer Under "A"
Above
Not S u f f i c i e n t l y A cq u a in ted
w ith TV Program
R espondents Not A nsw ering

F a c to r s L iste d * :
P e r s o n a lit y
107
Content
86
D e liv e r y
38
S p ir i t u a l Elem ent 19
M isc e lla n e o u s
20

228

21.7%

169

16.1%

39
614

3.7%
58.5%

1 ,0 5 0

100.0%

*Some resp o n d en ts l i s t e d ;
than one f a c t o r .

270

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f the copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout p erm ission.

825
13.

What, i f a n y th in g , do you p a r t i c u l a r l y d i s l i k e about P a s to r F a g a l's

preach in g?
A.

In th e P u lp it?
102
387
18
6
537

9.7%
36.8%
1.8%
.6%
51.1%

1 ,0 5 0

100.0%

C a te g o r ic a l R espon ses
E v er y th in g i s "O.K."
Sermon i s Too S h o rt
R efused to E v a lu a te
No Answer

F a c to r s L is t e d : *
P e r s o n a lit y
C ontent
D e liv e r y
S p i r i t u a l Elem ent
M isc e lla n e o u s

19
54
40
1
__ 2

*Some r e sp o n d e n ts l i s t e d more
than one f a c t o r .

116
B.

On T e le v is io n ?
C a te g o r ic a l R esponse
E v er y th in g i s "O.K."
Sermon i s Too S h o rt
" D itto " to Answer Under "A"
Above
Not S u f f i c i e n t l y A cq u ain ted
w ith TV Program
No Answer

44
263
20

4.2%
25.0%
1.9%

15

1.5%

13
695

1.3%
6 6 . 1%

1 ,0 5 0
F a c to r s L iste d * :
P e r s o n a lit y
C ontent
D e liv e r y
S p i r i t u a l Elem ent
M isc e lla n e o u s

100.0%

14
8

17
0
6

*Some r esp o n d e n ts l i s t e d more

than one f a c t o r .

45
14.

As a r e s u l t o f h e a r in g P a s to r F agal t o n i g h t , h ave you made any

s p i r i t u a l or moral d e c is io n s ?
I f s o , w ould you mind b r i e f l y s t a t i n g
them below?
R espondents R ep o rtin g D e c is io n s Made
R espondents R ep ortin g D e c is io n s Not Made
R espondents Not Answering

619
66
365
1 ,0 5 0

5 8.9'
6 .3
34.8'
100.0%

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.

826
D e c is io n s L is te d * :
G rea ter Sou l-W in n in g W itn ess
R e d e d ic a tio n /R e c o n s e c r a tio n
G rea ter Concern f o r O th ers
M isc e lla n e o u s

244
366
47
20

*Some resp o n d en ts l i s t e d more

than one f a c t o r .

677
15.

Have you made any s p i r i t u a l o r m oral d e c is io n s b e fo r e to n ig h t as a

r e s u l t o f h e a r in g P a s to r F a g a l e i t h e r in p u b lic o r on t e l e v i s i o n ?
I f s o , we would a p p r e c ia te your b r i e f l y l i s t i n g them below :
R espondents R e p o r tin g D e c is io n s Made
R espondents R ep o rtin g D e c is io n s Not Made
R espondents Not A nsw ering

270
206
574
1 ,0 5 0

25. 7
19.7

54.6'
100.0%

Decisions Listed*:

G reater Sou l-W in ning W itn ess

R e d e d ic a tio n /R e c o n s e c r a tio n
To J o in SDA Church
G reater Concern f o r O th ers
M isc e lla n e o u s

35
181
8
5
6

*Some resp o n d en ts d id n o t
i d e n t i f y th e d e c is i o n ( s )
th ey had made on p r io r
h e a r in g o f th e s p e a k e r .

235

R ep ro d u ced with p erm ission o f th e copyright ow ner. Further reproduction prohibited w ithout perm ission.