Great Soul-Winning Churches - Elmer Towns

uild a great church for God.” He indicated that he, like many other men, came out of the
seminary with faith in his heart, a Bible under his arm, and a desire to build a great church.
Cummons immediately began visiting cities in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia
and, like Abraham of old, “He looked for a city” where he could establish a church. He did not
want to go to a city that already had an Independent Baptist church, nor did he want to accept an
established church and build upon another man’s foundation. By the process of elimination, God
led him to Massillon, a city of 27,000 people and without a fundamental testimony. Cummons
borrowed $100 from his father and added a little money that had been received as a love gift
from a revival meeting, and rented a store-front at 611 Bebb Avenue, Southwest, next to a
grocery store and drugstore. Twenty-two people gathered in this small 25 x 50-foot store on
November 19, 1950, for that first service. The following Saturday a snowstorm completely
inundated the city; Cummons’ car was drifted in as he tried to drive to Sunday School, and no
one arrived at the small mission. Two little girls walked around the corner and stood crying
because there was no Sunday School. This story later made a national publication. Cummons
vowed, “If people are so interested in a church, I’ll give my entire life to build it.” (One of these
young ladies still attends the church.)
During those first days money came so hard that the young pastor bought a piano for only
$12.00. When the piano tuner saw it, he refused to waste labor on it, but the young congregation
used it anyway. One Sunday as Bruce knelt at the altar leading a person to Christ, a gentleman
saw a hole in the sole of his shoe; after the service, he slipped $20.00 into the pastor’s pocket for
a new pair of shoes.
Through the ensuing years, God has blessed the church financially, reaching rich and
poor alike, the unknown and the influential. Massillon’s mayor Archie Brinker was a saved
Presbyterian. When he attended Massillon Baptist Temple and heard Cummons preach on the
doctrine of the church, he moved his membership and submitted to believers’ baptism.
Within a year the congregation bought a 170 by 350-foot lot approximately one mile
away on Overlook Avenue. That summer Cummons held a tent revival on the lot, which is
today’s present location, and the Sunday School went over 100 for the first time. (Today they
own 27 acres at the present location.) The struggling congregation had no financial backing and
the banks would not lend them money to build. Finally, a family loaned the church $10,000 and a
shell was built, enough to get the congregation in and out of the elements. When the bank saw
the commitment of the congregation, it loaned them enough money to finish the building. The
church has gone through four building programs for Sunday School and now has a 1200-seat
auditorium.
Cummons spends part of each morning studying the Word of God and feels that it is
important for a pastor to thoroughly prepare his sermons so he can feed his flock. He writes the
literature for the church and instructs the Sunday School teachers at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday
morning and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evening (because of shift workers). Afterwards they divide
up into departments to plan methodology for presentation.
According to Cummons, “We have never promoted heavily, other than through
newspaper, radio, and visitation.” He indicates that they have only had two contests with other