This Week in AG History — February 18, 1939
By Darrin J. Rodgers
Originally published on AG News, 20 February 2020
Long before Twitter, the Assemblies of God had “Daddy” Welch.
John W. Welch (1859-1939), known affectionately as “Daddy Welch,” was a senior statesman in the Assemblies of God during its early decades. He served as Chairman (1915-1920 and 1923-1925) and Secretary (1920-1923) of the young Fellowship. Welch was known for his wit and wisdom. In the 1930s the Pentecostal Evangel published a regular column titled “Words of Council from Daddy Welch,” which shared his collected short sayings with readers.
The last installment of his column was published in the Feb. 18, 1939, issue of the Pentecostal Evangel, just several months before his death. His wisdom remains valuable reading today. Several examples of Welch’s sayings are below.
• The closer we get to God the more modest we shall become.
• Consistency and impartiality are needed in every minister.
• Cultivate yielding your mind to the Lord if you are going to preach.
• Be careful of your statements until you know your interpretations of Scripture are water tight.
• God can develop a mushroom overnight, but it takes years to develop an oak.
• As a shepherd, strive to direct the love of the people towards the Lord and not towards yourself.
• Teach tithing; but do not use an unnecessary amount of the income of the church for your personal needs.
• You can afford to make sacrifices for the sake of unity. It is a manly thing to stand up for your own rights, but it is a Christlike thing to surrender them for the sake of others.
• The philosophy of all preaching is first to get the people to think, then to feel, and finally to act.
• Character is the strength of God in the soul of man.
• Faith looks clear past the trouble. It visualizes Christ.
• The better we know Jesus the more readily we yield to Him.
• Beware of revelations and manifestations that are not given to other Spirit-filled believers.
• It is hard to guide a ship until it is in motion. The blessing of God falls on the path of everyday duty. Stay busy and God will lead you on.
For additional sayings read the entire article, “Words of Council from Daddy Welch,” on page 5 of the Feb. 18, 1939, issue of the Pentecostal Evangel.
Also featured in this issue:
• “Trouble: A Servant,” by John Wright Follette
• “Praying Always with All Prayer,” by Thomas Walker
And many more!
Click here to read this issue now.
Pentecostal Evangel archived editions courtesy of the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center.
Do you have Pentecostal historical materials that should be preserved? Please consider depositing these materials at the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (FPHC). The FPHC, located in the Assemblies of God national offices, is the largest Pentecostal archive in the world. We would like to preserve and make your treasures accessible to those who write the history books.
Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center
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Springfield, Missouri 65802 USA
Phone: 417.862.1447 ext. 4400
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Email: archives@ag.org
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