Crowding around Dr. George W. Tructl, Dallas pastor who was president
of the Baptist World Alliance, are autograph enthusiasts who filled the
stage just after one of his Preaching Week sermons at Ridgecrest last
month. The microphone in front carried the address to an overflow crowd
of more than 3,000.
Ridgecrest
II lias jii.sl cIommI tho most suc¬
cessful season in its 32-year liis-
lory. Twenty-five thousand peo¬
ple. from all over llie world, at¬
tended the various sessions.
T) it- I/**t Colony, its Pinehurst,
and its Smoky Mountains, North
Cnrolinn will soon add another
top-ranker in attraction for out-of-
state visitors.
Twenty-live thousand people, from
nil hut several of the states and also
from a dozen foreign countries, at¬
tended various parts of the Southern
Ihipti't Assembly season this summer
at Ridgecrest, atop Swannanoa Gap.
18 miles east of Asheville.
Although it was by far the largest
attendance in Ridgecrest’s 32-year his¬
tory. size was not the most significant
advance made this summer at the
capital of Baptists of 10 Southern
states.
The assembly became cosmopolitan
n- leader» of -overnl different religion-
sects, educators, scientists, and politi¬
cal leaders participated on the three-
months’ program. Speakers tackled
racial, international, and economic
problem* in conferences with men and
women who traveled across the conti¬
nent to inhale both the spirit of
I Inn i ght and North Carolina’s moun¬
tain air.
It was difficult to lean against hotel
columns and see two ears with the
same kind of license tag roll by in sue-
cession. Usually more Texans were at
the assembly than North Carolinians.
Four men would bump together to
comment on the weather and discover
that they were from opposite corners
of the United States. A 1 C-voice staff
choir represented 10 states.
This cosmopolitan influence led to
interesting variety.
Three thousand people attending
one conference heard two Roumanians
discuss their country’s plight, then
listened to a Jewish lender plead for
aid for his people.
A native Italian and a Japanese
missionary attempted to show that
hearts of their people are just as lov¬
ing as British and American.
Missionary E. Stanley Jones, fresh
from Asia where he teaches extra¬
curricular religion, told something of
peace proposal* be had heard from
Chinese and Japanese governments
and outlined a seven-point plan for
saving the world.
An inlernationally-fainoiis Baptist
advocated quick American entry into
the war, while the president of a mili¬
tary academy told n group in a nearby
nmin that military power can ho of
no ultimate value.
Closed by Dr. Truett
And I>r. George W. Truett, cx-Bap-
n-t World Alliance president, closed
the season with eight days of old-time
religion.
Perry Morgan, manager-host of the
assembly, said the thousands of visi¬
tors during the summer were more
enthusiastic in praying and singing
than ever before in his six years at
Ridgecrest.
“Refuge in the old-lime religion is
much sought after in these times," he
said.
That partlv explains the flocking of
masses to Ridgecrest this summer.
Speakers during the three months
signed thousands of autographs for
enthusiastic young religionists and
posed for hundred? of photographs.
The rise of the Ridgecrest n-sein-
My into national limelight i« a fasci¬
nating story in itself. Founded in IDOfl
under the leadership of B. W. S nil-
mail, Kinston man, the tiny plant
struggled through war times and
emerged with a large hotel. Gaining
Southern Baptists’ official sanction,
the plant sprouted over hill after hill,
until 200 buildings on 000 acres of
the Blue Ridge are now Ridgecrest
property.
Perry Morgan, manager-host, a
Dunn native, is former State Baptist
Sunday school secretary.
Definitely a North Carolina project,
Ridgecrest has become a leading draw¬
ing card for vacationists the nation
over who want to think during time-
Mnny visitors this summer were
from the West. After several days in
Ridgecrest, they decided to see the
Atlantic Ocean, so they crossed the
entire state. North Carolina saw much
of Ridgecrest enthusiasts.
“THE BABY swallowed the paci¬
fier." screamed a frantic young
mot her in Goldsboro.
To a neighbor the cry came, “the
house is on lire,” and forthwith
she summoned the fire department.
Two pump trucks, the hook and
ladder truck ami 15 firemen dashed
up.
Adding to the great ado about
nothing was the pacifier— found un-
ч
wallowed
