Review: Chit-Chat

Chit-Chat, by Dorothy Fae (Tubbs) Noah; edited by J. Naaman Hall. Springfield, MO: J. Naaman Hall, 2010.

Chit-Chat, by Mrs. Dorothy Noah, is a behind-the-scenes look at the people and goings on at Oak Cliff Assembly in Dallas during the last eight years that her husband, H. C. Noah, pastored the church (1970-1978). Each week in the church bulletin she would report on bits and pieces of news regarding various people and families in the church. She recorded engagements, weddings, births, deaths, visitors, and many humorous events in the daily lives of the church family. She maintained the idea that a church is not just composed of a pastor, or a few leaders, but the entire body itself. This is not just a running diary of events. It is a heart-felt retelling (told in conversational style) of important happenings among the Oak Cliff family over several years. In addition to the “chit-chat,” the book includes a chapter on how the Noahs met (written by their daughter), a memoir by Sister Noah, a farewell column written just before the Noahs retired as pastors, photographs from the 1970s, and an index of names. For those who were members of this well-known church in the Assemblies of God or have some familiarity with the church or any of its members, it will bring to life many interesting happenings from the past.

This is part two in a trilogy of books that center around Oak Cliff Assembly of God in Dallas, Texas (now The Oaks Fellowship). The first book, produced by J. Naaman Hall in 2009, is called “And the Latter Days.” It is an excellent history of Oak Cliff Assembly, not only covering important events, pastors, and people connected with the church, but it also relates to the broader Pentecostal movement.

The third book in the series will include additional historical photographs, along with further stories and memories of people from Oak Cliff’s rich history, culled from the collected volumes of The Old Fashioned Camp Meeting Newsletter, an email newsletter that has gone out to past members of Oak Cliff Assembly for over five years.

Reviewed by Glenn W. Gohr

The first two books in the trilogy are available from: John Hall, 209 North Summit St., Red Oak, Texas 75154:

“And the Latter Days.” Softcover, illustrated, 424 pages. $24.90 (includes shipping).
Chit-Chat. Softcover, illustrated, 392 pages. $25.00 (includes shipping).

Review: And the Latter Days…

And the Latter Days…: A History of Oak Cliff Assembly of God…, by J. Naaman Hall. Springfield, MO: the author, 2009.

Oak Cliff Assembly of Dallas, Texas (now The Oaks Fellowship) holds a significant role in the history of the Assemblies of God. Beginning in 1909, evangelists such as F. F. Bosworth, Elias Birdsall, and Maria Woodworth-Etter held revivals in Dallas which helped to lay the foundation for the Oak Cliff congregation. Some of the early members of the church had earlier connections with Charles Parham’s Apostolic Faith movement, the Azusa revival, John Alexander Dowie’s movement, and the organizational meeting of the Assemblies of God.

The church officially began in 1921 under the ministry of evangelist Bill Barney Boland. Some of the later pastors included George Washington Pitts; Milton Summers; Finis Dake; Eddie Coyle; Clifford Andrews; J. C. Hibbard; Carl Alcorn; the much-beloved H. C. Noah, who pastored the church for more than three decades; David Godwin; Allen Groff; and current pastors Tom Wilson and his son, Scott Wilson.

Key people such as evangelists Aimee Semple McPherson, Anna B. Lock, Mildred Wicks, O. L. Jaggers, William Branham, Raymond T. Richey, W. V. Grant, Morris Cerullo, Oral Roberts, Gordon Lindsay, Jack Coe, and A. A. Allen each had an influence on the Oak Cliff congregation in its early years. Musical groups, missionaries, and evangelists such as David Nunn, Sara Sharp and Jerry B. Walker ministered at the church in more recent times.

The church has always been one of the top in Sunday school attendance and world missionary giving. Oak Cliff also helped to host the 1935 and 1969 General Councils which were held in Dallas.

The author has done a thorough job of researching the history of this vital congregation which has connections and ties with many important people in the Assemblies of God and the broader Pentecostal movement. The book is full of interesting testimonies as well as sketches of pastors and founding families of the church. It also includes photographs, bibliographical references, and an index.

Reviewed by Glenn Gohr

Paperback, 424 pages. Available for $20.00 each plus $3.00 shipping and $1.90 sales tax. Send $24.90 by check or money order to: John Hall, 209 North Summit St., Red Oak, TX 75154.

Legacy of Everitt Fjordbak, longtime Dallas pastor

Rev. Everitt M. Fjordbak, longtime pastor of Lakewood Assembly of God in Dallas, Texas, passed away on August 20, 2008 at the age of 87. Originally from Storm Lake, Iowa, he moved to Dallas after his marriage to Mary Annette Tarter. He attended Dallas Theological Seminary and then pastored Lakewood Assembly of God for 36 years. He established Lakewood Productions, a television and video studio which produced teaching tapes for churches and home Bible study groups across the nation. While promoting the cause of Christ, he befriended and counseled a number of local businessmen. He also developed relationships with leaders in the broader evangelical and charismatic community. He felt called not to build buildings or a religious empire, but to be a shepherd to those willing to be led to the Lord. Reaching out to people from all walks of life, his diverse church was the subject of a nationally-aired review by the TV program 60 Minutes and by local publications such as D Magazine and Texas Monthly.

He authored more than 15 books, including a commentary and exposition on the book of Hebrews. He was also an adjunct professor at Christ For The Nations Institute.

One of his passions was Pentecostal history. Having been influenced by many of the founding members of the Assemblies of God, he saw the need to interview many of the pioneer pastors and missionaries in the Assemblies of God before they passed on. Through Lakewood Productions he was able to record testimonies on video of a number of pioneers and church leaders.

Texas Minister Celebrates Sixty-Five Years of Ministry

Rev. Opal Lesher Hall of Red Oak, Texas, who has been referred to by many as the official poet laureate of Oak Cliff Assembly of Dallas, Texas over the years (so named first by OCAG pastor David Godwin), is celebrating sixty-five years of ministry, and is being honored by the Assemblies of God. She was ordained on July 15, 1943.

On Sunday, June 8, 2008, Dr. Tom Wilson of The Oaks (formerly Oak Cliff) Assembly of God in Dallas, presented Opal Hall with a certificate of appreciation from the General Secretary’s office of the Assemblies of God and a letter from General Superintendent George O. Wood. Here is a copy of the letter:

Dear Sister Hall,

Greetings in the Lord! I recently learned that on July 15, 2008, you will have been an ordained minister for 65 years. That is indeed a milestone that few, if any ever reach. It is a joy for me to take this occasion to salute you for the sterling service you have given to The General Council of the Assemblies of God.

Please accept this letter as a small token of the esteem the General Council has for you for your dedicated and faithful service to the Kingdom of God and the local church. Your ministry represents many years of dedication to the Lord which has contributed to the growth of the Assemblies of God. Your faithful service is deeply appreciated. We esteem you highly!

Jesus told us that the Heavenly Father knows us so intimately that he numbers the hair on our heads. That wonderful word from the Lord tells us that He has watched over the endless hours and days you have served him, and that he will also watch over you in the days to come.

May the Lord bless you abundantly.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
George O. Wood
General Superintendent

Photos: Rev. Opal Lesher Hall receives flowers and congratulations from Dr. Tom Wilson, and a beautiful certificate of appreciation from the General Secretary’s office. In the lefthand photo are Dr. Tom Wilson at the podium, church member Doris McNellis presenting flowers, daughter-in-law Andrea Hall, and Rev. Opal Hall. On the right is Dr. Tom Wilson, with Rev. Opal Hall holding the certificate of appreciation.

Rev. B. V. Robison to celebrate 100th birthday

On February 2, 2008, Rev. Bernice Vance (B. V.) Robison will achieve something that few Assemblies of God ministers can claim – he will celebrate his 100th birthday. Reared in the Waurika and Terral areas in Oklahoma, Robison later moved to Texas, which became his home state. In 1927, at the age of 19, he began traveling with Floyd Hawkins. Together, they held revivals in towns and communities across Texas, bringing the Pentecostal message to many people for the first time. Numerous Assemblies of God churches were organized as a result of their efforts.

In 1929 Robison married Lillie Mae Holdridge. Following a 1930 revival campaign held in Freeport, Texas, he remained to pioneer a church, which became First Assembly of God. In the early days of the Assemblies of God, most pastors were bi-vocational, and they were expected to be competent in multiple skills. Robison’s natural building abilities meant that, in each of his pastorates, he would erect a church building.

After a hurricane destroyed the first building he erected for the Freeport congregation, he built a second one. To date, five Assemblies of God congregations have been birthed from the Freeport church. In 1935 he moved to Sherman, Texas, to serve as one of the early Assemblies of God pastors in that city. In 1939 he returned to south Texas to pastor the assembly in Cuero. His first project there was to build a new church building. The congregation worshiped in that building until 1993.

In 1942, again feeling the call of God to a city without an Assemblies of God witness, Robison moved 28 miles to Victoria, Texas. World War II was raging,