Memories of Wallace Heritage - Official website of Rev. JO Wallace

starting the Oak Ridge church, he shared his salary with the assistant Pastor, Ellis.
Jim’s wife, aunt Allie, was a tremendous cook. Everyone looked for her dishes at church and
family dinners. She was a loving companion and a quiet person.
Reflections on Rev. J.W. Wallace By Ina Rhea Beatty Robbins, March 24, 2007
My mother, Mrs. Mildred Beatty, moved to Nashville in May, 1945. Having received the Holy
Ghost in a brush arbor meeting outside Hohenwald, TN. in 1928, she knew she wanted a good
Pentecostal church to attend. She had heard of Bro. J.W. Wallace from a lady from Bemis, Tn.
she met at General Conference. Bro. A.D. Gurley was pastor of the Bemis United Pentecostal
Church at that time but was leaving for another assignment. Since Mother had been instructed in
the Pentecostal doctrine by Bro. Brickey, Bro. Gurley and Bro. E. J. Douglas, she knew Bro.
Gurley was highly regarded. She said to the lady, “I guess you really are sorry Bro. Gurley is
leaving.” The lady replied, “Oh, I don’t know about that. We still have Bro. Wallace.” From
that remark, Mother knew that she wanted to attend Bro. Wallace’s church in Nashville, Tn.
Also, her sister and husband, the C. H. Phifers were charter members of the church.
Bro. Wallace welcomed us with open arms. He was always so friendly and kind and willing to
discuss any problem. At that time, two of Mother’s sons were overseas in the Armed Services of
World War II so many prayers went forth for them from Bro. Wallace’s church. Thankfully,
they both returned home unharmed.
Bro. Wallace had a good sense of humor. Since I had married his nephew, James Robbins, in
1948, he was sometimes at my mother-in-law’s house. One day just after the Presidential
election, Bro. Wallace was at Mrs. Robbins’ home when I entered and very enthusiastically
blurted out, “Aren’t you proud that Truman got elected?” He laughed and said, “Oh, I don’t
know that I am.” I can hear him laughing now and still see that twinkle in his eye. It was then I
first realized I had married into a Republican family. Where I came from, everyone believed that
Roosevelt was the greatest President ever, and I thought everyone was a member of the
Democratic Party. I was in for a great awakening as my life’s journey was forevermore hooked
up with the very Republican Robbins/Wallace clan. It made for some “spirited discussion”
around our house at election time!
Bro. Wallace or “Uncle Jim” as we called him was one of the wisest men I ever knew. I always
thought he and Mrs. Robbins were full of wisdom. One example was an incident that took place
on Bro. Wallace’s church Board. One of the Board members came into possession of a
photograph of my husband and me in bathing suits with some other people. I guess this Board
member thought we should be put “out of the church” because we were definitely taught against
public and “mixed” bathing. After some discussion, Bro. Wallace learned that the other people
in the picture were my relatives and that our swimming location was way out of town in a rural
area with a large creek. He dismissed the subject saying he didn’t see anything wrong with
family members being together having a good time so we were not even brought in for
questioning. My big concern when I heard about this was not about being put out of the church
but that all those men on the church Board saw a picture of me in a bathing suit! I was a 17 year
old new bride, for goodness sake.
So many things happened in those early years of the church, but the thing that has a great impact
on me is how many of that small church family are still in church today. Our families are