Articles on the ministry, doctrine, and liturgy of Bishop Robert C. Lawson.
Monday, November 13, 2017
A Look Back: Comments
In the course of revisiting some old posts, the writer regrets depriving readers of some cogent comments that were made on an article that no longer appears on this blog. With significant pleasure, they are made available again below.
Let me first start by saying My family has been a part of the COOLJC since 1921 when my great Grandmother was baptized in the Harlem River by Bishop Lawson. My grandfather (her son) once served as chauffeur for Bishop Lawson, on my mothers side my grandfather served both as Principal of the RC Lawson Institute in Southern Pines NC and also Dean of the Church of Christ Bible Institute in Harlem in the late 1930's. My mother served as a personal secretary to Bishop Lawson and has personal letters he wrote to various pastors, and officials that he asked her to preserve. My Uncle also served as Young People President and personal confidant to Bishop Lawson in the 1950's as well as a Pastor in Bridgeport CT. I have grown up hearing firsthand accounts of some Bishop Lawsons most important decisions, personal problems and even things that he liked to do on his down time. One of the misconceptions about Bishop Lawson was that he split from PAW. He left all 3 churches he was pastor in the PAW and left ministers in charge as he came to NY. He did have a very good relationship with the PAW women pastor in Harlem Mother Horne. Many of his first members came from her church as he began his ministry in Harlem. Including Elder and Sis Waller (the parents of famous Jazz Piano player Thomas "Fats" Waller. I have checked newspapers accounts of Bishop Lawson's ministry in NY and one of the things most people do not know is that he purchased 52-56 West 133rd street in January of 1920, 6 months after arriving in New York. His ministry had such an impact on Harlem and the area in particular he was in that the church was open 7 days a week. He, his wife and children lived above the church for several years. Briefly, as far as Bishop S.C. Johnson is concerned, Johnson was baptized by Lawson in 1918 while he was still a member of PAW. When Lawson preached out a small church in Philadelphia, he then sent Johnson who was from and living in North Carolina to pastor the church in 1920. I actually have a copy of pages from the 1927/1928 minute book of the "Churches of Christ where the title Bishop was used for all of the state overseers including Johnson, Smallwood E. Williams, HJ Spencer, and several others. which disputes Williams claim later in his 10 Mistakes of Bishop Lawson published in 1958 in the Bibleway newspaper out of Washington D.C. I was fortunate to interview the late Elder James Thomas originally from West Virginia and saved in 1929 who was at the 1933 convention when SC Johnson split from COOLJC and Bishop Lawson. In his comments he stated that "Johnson was a very arrogant man and felt that the convention wasn't successful unless he had preached". According to Elder Thomas at the 1933 convention "Bishop Lawson did not ask him (Johnson) to preach and Johnson became visibly upset and left the convention". A few months later he had changed the name of the church from the Philadelphia Church of Christ to the Church of THE Lord Jesus Christ Inc." Also in an interview with my Uncle the late Bishop Arthur Anderson he shared with me that "Bishop Lawson financially took care of Bishop Johnson's wife and children (which there were several) because Johnson would not support her financially". He never made that public even thought Johnson regularly attacked Bishop Lawson's character on the his radio broadcasts. There is so much more I can share. But In my personal opinion, because of the long history with both sides of my family, Bishop Lawson, his legacy and the COOLJC, I often imagine haw he had extreme faith in God to leave his family, his churches, a high position in the PAW all for the call on his life to come to NY. God was truly with him and in my humble opinion the proof is that almost 100 years later the COOLJC is still a strong and vibrant Apostolic Church organization. Gods hand on Bishop Lawson's life has been like no other in the 20th century. God Bless Elder Robert I. Thomas Jr.
Thank you for your reply! I am familiar with literature contributions made by your uncle and mother, and those contributions are central to the work I am doing. Mother Thomas's work with Dr. Robert Spellman is the namesake and inspiration for this blog.
Among several interesting details you mention is the name of Mother Rosa Horne. I'd known about Lawson's early association with Mother Gertrude Lightford/Lightfoot, but the connection with Mother Horne, if true, is interesting in that she was a female bishop of several churches. I would like to know the when and how long about that relationship.
Thanks again for your very informed reply. My best regards to your family, and please keep reading.
Brother Smalls! I realize that i mad a mistake in naming Mother Poole as the Pastor of the church in Harlem that Bishop Lawson preached at. It was actually Mother Gertrude Lightfoot's church that he preached at and was a part of PAW. The churches name was Kings Chapel Assembly of the Apostolic Faith. Bishop and Mother Poole were based out of Chicago and had a tremendous ministry there. I believe they were once a part of PAW also. Sadly Kings Chapel Assembly left the PAW some years after her death under Pastor Thomas Streitferdt. Elder Robert I. Thomas Jr.
Let me first start by saying My family has been a part of the COOLJC since 1921 when my great Grandmother was baptized in the Harlem River by Bishop Lawson. My grandfather (her son) once served as chauffeur for Bishop Lawson, on my mothers side my grandfather served both as Principal of the RC Lawson Institute in Southern Pines NC and also Dean of the Church of Christ Bible Institute in Harlem in the late 1930's. My mother served as a personal secretary to Bishop Lawson and has personal letters he wrote to various pastors, and officials that he asked her to preserve. My Uncle also served as Young People President and personal confidant to Bishop Lawson in the 1950's as well as a Pastor in Bridgeport CT. I have grown up hearing firsthand accounts of some Bishop Lawsons most important decisions, personal problems and even things that he liked to do on his down time.
ReplyDeleteOne of the misconceptions about Bishop Lawson was that he split from PAW. He left all 3 churches he was pastor in the PAW and left ministers in charge as he came to NY. He did have a very good relationship with the PAW women pastor in Harlem Mother Horne. Many of his first members came from her church as he began his ministry in Harlem. Including Elder and Sis Waller (the parents of famous Jazz Piano player Thomas "Fats" Waller. I have checked newspapers accounts of Bishop Lawson's ministry in NY and one of the things most people do not know is that he purchased 52-56 West 133rd street in January of 1920, 6 months after arriving in New York. His ministry had such an impact on Harlem and the area in particular he was in that the church was open 7 days a week. He, his wife and children lived above the church for several years.
Briefly, as far as Bishop S.C. Johnson is concerned, Johnson was baptized by Lawson in 1918 while he was still a member of PAW. When Lawson preached out a small church in Philadelphia, he then sent Johnson who was from and living in North Carolina to pastor the church in 1920. I actually have a copy of pages from the 1927/1928 minute book of the "Churches of Christ where the title Bishop was used for all of the state overseers including Johnson, Smallwood E. Williams, HJ Spencer, and several others. which disputes Williams claim later in his 10 Mistakes of Bishop Lawson published in 1958 in the Bibleway newspaper out of Washington D.C.
I was fortunate to interview the late Elder James Thomas originally from West Virginia and saved in 1929 who was at the 1933 convention when SC Johnson split from COOLJC and Bishop Lawson. In his comments he stated that "Johnson was a very arrogant man and felt that the convention wasn't successful unless he had preached". According to Elder Thomas at the 1933 convention "Bishop Lawson did not ask him (Johnson) to preach and Johnson became visibly upset and left the convention". A few months later he had changed the name of the church from the Philadelphia Church of Christ to the Church of THE Lord Jesus Christ Inc." Also in an interview with my Uncle the late Bishop Arthur Anderson he shared with me that "Bishop Lawson financially took care of Bishop Johnson's wife and children (which there were several) because Johnson would not support her financially". He never made that public even thought Johnson regularly attacked Bishop Lawson's character on the his radio broadcasts.
There is so much more I can share. But In my personal opinion, because of the long history with both sides of my family, Bishop Lawson, his legacy and the COOLJC, I often imagine haw he had extreme faith in God to leave his family, his churches, a high position in the PAW all for the call on his life to come to NY. God was truly with him and in my humble opinion the proof is that almost 100 years later the COOLJC is still a strong and vibrant Apostolic Church organization. Gods hand on Bishop Lawson's life has been like no other in the 20th century.
God Bless
Elder Robert I. Thomas Jr.
Thank you for your reply! I am familiar with literature contributions made by your uncle and mother, and those contributions are central to the work I am doing. Mother Thomas's work with Dr. Robert Spellman is the namesake and inspiration for this blog.
DeleteAmong several interesting details you mention is the name of Mother Rosa Horne. I'd known about Lawson's early association with Mother Gertrude Lightford/Lightfoot, but the connection with Mother Horne, if true, is interesting in that she was a female bishop of several churches. I would like to know the when and how long about that relationship.
Thanks again for your very informed reply. My best regards to your family, and please keep reading.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteBrother Smalls! I realize that i mad a mistake in naming Mother Poole as the Pastor of the church in Harlem that Bishop Lawson preached at. It was actually Mother Gertrude Lightfoot's church that he preached at and was a part of PAW. The churches name was Kings Chapel Assembly of the Apostolic Faith.
ReplyDeleteBishop and Mother Poole were based out of Chicago and had a tremendous ministry there. I believe they were once a part of PAW also.
Sadly Kings Chapel Assembly left the PAW some years after her death under Pastor Thomas Streitferdt.
Elder Robert I. Thomas Jr.