Great Soul-Winning Churches - Elmer Towns

God dealt with him about his sin. He could hear God speaking: “I’ve called you to preach, and
here you are, carousing around.” About 2:30 that Sunday morning, Tom made a total surrender
to God; Sunday as he reached the church parking lot, the pastor said, “Tom, what are you going
to do with your life?” Three weeks later, he was at Baylor University to study to become a
Southern Baptist pastor. During that year, he became disenchanted with the Southern Baptists
and transferred to Bob Jones University.
He pastored two years at Brownsburg, Indiana, and spent three and a half years in
evangelism. Next, Berry pastored eleven and a half years at Avon, Indiana, building the church
from 60 in Sunday School with rented facilities, to 585 and $280,000 facilities.
Sunday School Buses
Sunday School buses have paid off for Baptist Bible Church in several ways. Paula Case,
who made a profession of faith at age 14, rode the church bus for 10 years. After high school she
worked for 5 years, then graduated from Tennessee Temple Schools and returned to teach second
grade at the Elkton Christian Schools. Also, she teaches Sunday School, is in charge of Primary
Church, sings in the choir and helps on a bus route.
Barbara Murray also rode the bus to Sunday School. She was converted at age 15 at
revival and graduated from Tennessee Temple Schools. Barbara taught at Elkton Christian
Schools for 9 years; she now writes full-time for the Christian News Weekly.
Elkton Christian Schools
During the first year of Elkton Christian Schools, a man on his way to work hit the
church van, killing two children and leaving Ray Lindsey, Jr., unconscious in the hospital. His
father visited every day to pray for his son. One day as he said, “Amen,” he heard his son repeat,
“Amen.” The doctor had indicated that if the boy lived, he would be a vegetable; yet the father
got him to memorize Scripture verses. Now, the 13-year-old boy is on the honor roll at school,
and each Friday evening he goes with his father to hold street meetings in Elkton.
The Elkton Christian School began in September, 1963, with only 11 students in the
kindergarten, and this year has 585 students, reaching through grade 12. Paul Lunger, director of
the schools, has given stability and direction.
This past spring, the school was certified by the State of Maryland; only three teachers
were short in their hours for full certification. A strong patriotic emphasis is tied to biblical
education, pointing toward academic excellence. Whereas last year the students in Wilmington,
Delaware, tested a grade lower, the children in Elkton Christian Schools tested a grade higher
than their placement.
Elkton Baptist College
Berry believes God has raised up the bus ministry and the Christian School to save
America. “If these don’t do it, nothing will.” He wants to strengthen his Christian school and to
help others get started. (He gave textbooks, desks, and steered teachers to three other schools in