Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler: His Life and WorkAlexander, Gross
Religion
Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler: His Life and Work
Alexander, Gross
Holcombe, Steve P., 1835-; Methodists -- United States -- Biography
A. "We do not have much Bible reading. I know that it is the power of
God unto salvation; but the class of men who attend Missions, as a rule,
are in no condition to be profited by a long Bible reading. The mission
of the Missions is to stop these men in their downward course, put them
to thinking, get them into churches; then have the Bible read and
explained to them by those who are more competent than I am."
Q. "How long do you hold service?"
A. "Exactly one hour and a half; never more, sometimes a little less.
The first half hour is taken up in prayer and singing, the other hour in
exhortation and testimonies and prayers for the inquirers. After
dismissing, we remain with any anxious ones."
Q. "When do you have your converts' meeting?"
A. "Every Sunday morning, beginning at 9:30 o'clock and closing at
10:30, in time for them to get to church."
Q. "Do the churches take good care of the converts?"
A. "As a rule, yes. Some better than others."
Q. "Do the converts come to your Mission after they have joined the
church?"
A. "Oh, yes, sir. They feel more at home in the Mission than they do in
church, because it was there they entered upon the Christian life. Many
of our Christian workers make a great mistake. They find fault with the
churches because they don't receive these tramps--I must call them
tramps--in their filthy condition and give them the best seats, etc. I
want to say right here that a clean church, where clean people go, is no
place for a body of tramps. We must remember, my friends, that people
who are clean, who have good clothes and clean homes, also have some
rights to be considered. I say it is not right to take these people into
a fine church, and put them side by side with the clean ones until they
themselves are thoroughly clean. I took fifty or sixty of them into a
church once, but afterward I was aware that I had made a great mistake.
The Mission is the place to clean them up, and then send them to a clean
church, and they will feel better themselves, and be warmly welcomed by
the members. I don't like dirt any better than other folks, but some one
has to do this work, and I am perfectly willing to do it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler: His Life and Work — John Shaqi
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