Great Soul-Winning Churches - Elmer Towns

the area, getting them started this past year.) Berry noted that it was easy to get teachers, but they
felt the pinch in getting teachers with a Christian philosophy. He is starting the college to
upgrade those teachers he has and help train teachers for other Christian schools in America. Last
year the principal of Elkton Christian Schools visited Bob Jones University and reported that
there were 142 principals looking for teachers and Bob Jones had only 140 candidates to
interview.
At present the State of Maryland will not allow them to use the name “college” unless
they have a half-million dollars in liquid assets (one man has given them $80,000 in stocks). This
fall, they plan to have evening classes on Monday, Tuesday and Friday evenings, offering 9
semester hours. Berry sees approximately 80 students enrolled in the school. He plans to build an
academic building and begin day classes in the fall 1974.
This spring, the $650,000 gym and classroom building will be built that will allow the
school to grow to over 900 students.
Publications Ministry
The Sword and Shield Publications is an evangelistic outreach; 26,000 weekly copies of
The Visitor are mailed to a 25-mile radius, saturating the area with the gospel. The Sword and
Shield Publications grew out of an all-night prayer meeting. The people had been praying in
November, 1970, when Carl Bieber mentioned the need for a Christian weekly reader that would
not indoctrinate the children in evolution, one-worldism, and godless secularism. Bieber felt led
to speak to Warren Perry that evening in the hall about taking over a new publication, Christian
News Weekly. Perry, an executive with Avon products over computer operations, began
immediately putting out the paper for kindergarten and first grade the next month. God so
prospered the thought, that he left his $16,000 secular employment the following June to take the
$6,000 job and has expanded to ten full-time staff members, printing 17,500 per week for each
grade, K through 4, and they plan to expand through grade 6 by June.
Miracle Acres Camp
The church camp name, Miracle Acres, is indicative; it was an answer to prayer. A few
years ago, the property was put up for sale by the Fresh Air Society of Baltimore for $440,000
but it didn’t sell; later, they put it back on the market at $250,000. The Baptist Bible Church
offered $125,000, along with a $1,000 earnest money check. The owners kept the $1,000 and
countered with $190,000. The deacons of the church said, “No, God has told us $125,000,” to
which the realtor replied, “How does God tell you this?” The men answered they felt impressed
to offer this amount after praying all night. The owners countered at $165,000, waited two
months, and came down to $135,000. Finally, they met at the property last September 15, 1971,
to discuss particulars to transfer the property at $125,000; the deal was consummated. The realtor
wanted to take them out to eat, but Bob Fitz wouldn’t go to the restaurant because it served
alcohol-they went elsewhere. God used the convictions of a Christian to bring about His will, for
if they had met at the restaurant, another client was trying to contact the realtor at that restaurant
with a $160,000 deal.