Great Soul-Winning Churches - Elmer Towns

ank. Evangelist Talbert Moore let the church meet in his large orange tent, and as cool, fall
weather came on, the small congregation huddled around the fuel oil stove to keep warm.
No one would loan the fledgling congregation money, since the church only had nine
men. One of the men who visited several banks with Thompson would say each time, “See, I told
you we couldn’t get money.” In the midst of discouragement, Charles Thompson claimed
Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by
Christ Jesus.” Thompson wrote to the Architecture Department of the Southern Baptist
Convention and bought a $5 blueprint and dug the foundation, with only $365 in the bank. He
went to a local concrete block company and said, “I don’t have any money. Will you give me the
blocks and let me pay you as soon as I have it?” He repeated the process with the concrete
company and lumberyard. A man who worked in steel began attending the church and loaned
equipment and worked with Charles, who was the general contractor. When they finished the
first floor of the intended two stories, they covered it with tarpaper. At this time the congregation
had reached 70 and continued to grow. The debt was overwhelming, but Thompson kept
claiming Philippians 4:19. When a businessman from California moved to Chattanooga to begin
a bond business, Thompson was his first customer. The bonds were printed and every one of
them sold. The tarpaper was torn off and the second story was completed. Thompson constructed
a $100,000 building “on determination and guts,” based on the promise of God. To this day
Thompson believes God sent the bond agent to help him because after the man sold the last bond
he moved back to California.
Four years later Thompson began a kindergarten. He had received a brochure in the mail
from Dr. Arlin Horton at the Pensacola Christian School, advertising a leadership clinic.
Thompson came home with a vision of beginning a school with high academic standards and
based on the Word of God. He felt he could teach every kindergartener how to read and write,
and he began the first year with one class of five-year-olds. The reputation of the school spread,
and he had 100 pupils the second year. Two years later he began the day care center, and within
the next two years announced an expansion to include grade 4. So many requests came that he
started six grades that year, with 190 students. Last year he added junior high school and now
has a student body of 731, with over 100 children in the day care center.
Trinity Christian Schools enabled the church to double their Sunday School facilities with
a $200,000 building three years ago, and last year the school enabled them to add an auditorium
that will seat 1,400 and executive offices costing $475,000.00 This fall a new $200,000 high
school gymnasium was completed to house classes, bookstores, locker rooms and complete
physical education facilities for children.
The school is carpeted throughout and as one walks through the classrooms all of the
implements of education are apparent. Thompson has tried to attract the best teachers without
sacrificing his standards but at the same time they know that the church and pastor head the
school, which Thompson feels is a biblical principle. Thompson indicates there are four
principles on which the school is built: (1) Required Bible courses for all students, (2) High
academic standards for all classes, (3) A biblical attitude towards discipline (students must be
taught obedience) and, (4) a patriotism for the United States of America.