The next town’s meetings that stand out to me were in Bennettsville, SC. There was already a church organized in this town, but the church was hungry for more of God, so a Holy Ghost Revival was in order. Dad was called to hold these meetings.
Dad’s revivals always had great music programs. His music director was C.W. McCoy. C.W. helped write the harmony parts to Mom & Dad’s song “Want to Be Like Jesus”. This song was published in the Pathway Press Choir books. Vep Ellis, a great songwriter for the Church of God also helped in some of dad’s meetings. Brother McCoy lead the people in several songs, then Mother and Dad sang the song, “You Waited a Moment to Late”. Setting the tone for the message, now it was time for dad to pour his heart out to the people. The people responded, the altars were overflowing with the people’s desire of more of God. The great revival had begun.
The second night of the revival would change the lives of 7 young ladies. These ladies were friends and hung out with each other all the time. They were there for each other through good times and bad. Through telegrams from the war stating their husbands were missing in action to found dead, these girls were there for each other. On the second night of the revival they happened to be riding around looking for love in all the wrong places when they rode by the Tent Meeting. They were drawn into the meeting and sat down together. At the end of the congregational song, my mother began to sing the old Hymn, “The Love of God” and dad preached his message about God’s Love that was so forgiving. The altar call was given and all 7 ladies came to the altar with tears in their eyes and hands uplifted, as Jesus came into their hearts. They left that night spreading the good news of what Jesus had done for them to their families and friends.
The third night of the revival meeting would be just as powerful as God was revealing His holy ghost power to the city of Bennettsville. The city had a business couple, Bill & Helen Haithcock, who were members of the Episcopal Church. They owned a Pool Hall, Café and Liquor Store with a BBQ pit in between. Helen had a bad reputation in the town. She was a large woman with a temper and was known to throw men out of her Pool Hall and cursed as bad as a sailor. Well Helen had heard from her friends what Jesus had done for them in the Tent Meeting and so she decided to drive down to the revival and join her friends. She walked into the tent and sat on the same row as her friends. I’m sure there were some looks from people just because of her reputation.
After the congregational songs, dad joined mom at the piano with his guitar and they began to sing their song “Want to Live Like Jesus”. After the song dad preached the word and was getting excited for what God was doing in these meetings and how the people were responding to the Word of God. This noticeably large woman, Helen responded to the altar call and all 7 ladies that were saved the night before followed her to the altar. She began to raise her hands toward heaven and with tears streaming down her face, allowed Jesus to come into her heart. Giving her a new Heart and Mind. She stood up from the altar with a huge smile on her face. My dad said he had not seen anything like this before. He had not really preached a big doctrinal message, he had just focused on the Love of God. Helen decided she wanted to be like Jesus. She took her hands and pulled all the bracelets off her arms and they fell to the ground.
Two days later Helen came by the trailer to ask Mom & Dad over for dinner. When they arrived at her home, she was still cooking. Dad couldn’t help but look around the house to see all the bullet holes in the walls and ceiling. Helen noticed dad looking around and began to laugh. She said “Brother Cox, we used to have shootings around here but no more.” She then asked dad to go to the liquor store and let Bill, her husband, know that dinner was ready. While walking to the store he began to think, “I have never been in a liquor store before”, but because Helen had asked him to get Bill, he thought it would be okay.
Dad opened the door to the store and went inside. Bill greeted dad at the door. “Preacher, he said, I have been hearing about the great meetings you’re having. I need to know what in the world have you done to my wife? She has stopped cursing, has a smile on her face and we enjoy having breakfast & coffee together now. I just don’t understand this. I want to give you something”. Bill begins to pull out his wallet and pulls out a hundred-dollar bill. Now in 1940 that was a lot of money. Dad said quickly, “I can’t take that, I did nothing to your wife. Bill, Jesus Christ gave you a new wife”. Bill said to dad, “Well you were the instigator.“ So dad told him if he felt that way, he would take the money.
For many years this Tent Meeting Revival was remembered in the city of Bennettsville, SC. Later in years, Bill passed away and my dad was called upon to preach his funeral. Dad never forgot this meeting either and would remind me of it years later.
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