Gastonia, Feb. 21—A scene unparalleled in the history of Gastonia was witnessed last night at the Stephens’ Tabernacle, when, in response to a desperate and despairing appeal for help and support by Rev. George T. Stephens from the Christians of the community in his campaign here, which is suffering because of the coldness and indifference of the church people, 1,500 people, men and women, preachers, Sunday school teachers, and some from nearly every business and profession in the city, gathered around the pulpit, in the aisles and on the platform, and joined in a tearful, penitential, Pentecostal experience meeting, and prayer service.
This came as a sudden and dramatic climax to an attempt by Mr. Stephens to preach.
After talking for 20 minutes, he stopped, declaring that his heart was too burdened, that the coldness and indifference of the so-called Christian people of the town so hurt him and caused such a feeling of depression that he could not preach.
“You are too self-righteous in Gastonia,” he declared. “You think you are good enough, that you do not need a revival. You think because you all are members of the church that you are good enough. You have gotten away from Bible Christianity.”
From page 3 of the Concord Daily Tribune, Feb. 23, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1925-02-23/ed-1/seq-3/#words=February+23.+1925
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