Criswell Bible Class History
The little class had grown to around twenty members when we moved to Dallas and joined in 1969. That tiny room became so full they had to tear down a wall to enlarge the room to handle the attendance. And then, when the room became too crowded, Dr. Criswell moved us to Grace Parlor.
As the months passed by, Grace Parlor was not large enough! Folding chairs were set up outside Grace Parlor to accommodate those who wanted to listen to Mrs. Criswell teach. Coleman Hall would become the place adequate to seat those who joined the class. Her lesson would be heard on KCBI each Sunday morning; a Radio Bible Class Ministry was established to keep up with radio listeners! Class membership exceeded that of most Baptist Churches.
Over the years we’ve watched hundreds of prominent and noted personalities sit and absorb every word of the Bible that Mrs. C has come to make understandable and real to us. Without mentioning individual’s names, Mrs. Criswell has ministered to school teachers, homemakers, business men and women, real estate developers, motivational speakers and authors, athletic celebrities, physicians, the originator of aerobics, lawyers, college Presidents and leaders of men and women in a myriad of areas. Our class is like our church diversified, with people from all walks of life and every income. Each member is equally important to “the Kingdom of God”.
One of the seventeen British Interns serving in our church and the first to serve as our class pastor was Geoffrey Hammond. He recalls four distinctive things that he has never seen in a Sunday School Class before, or since and that is; first, the quality of people who attended; second, The great organization; third, the observance of Mrs. C’s intense study preparation, and fourth, Mrs. Criswell’s deep concern and follow-up for her class members, bereaved and ill. Geoffrey now serves in the number two position on the Virginia State Mission Board, Glen Alben, Virginia.
These recollections of Rev. Hammond remained up until the day the LORD took our beloved teacher and friend Mrs. C home to be with HIM. Wonderful People! Great organizational leaders! Mrs. C’s intense preparation! Mrs. Criswell’s deep compassion and love for her class members. How privileged we all were to “sit at her feet”…for the years past. Now, with the blessings of our LORD and Mrs. C we will continue in that great tradition under the leadership of Dr. Lamar Cooper, Sr. We are truly the most blessed of all God’s children.
Written by a Couple That Loved Mrs. C
Sounds of Sonshine KCBI
Early in his ministry at First Baptist Church, Dr. W. A. Criswell began to fulfill his dream of Christian Education which would begin in infancy with a church nursery; church sponsored K-12 school, and extends to a Christian College and Seminary with a radio station. In May 1976, the KCBI Radio Station was established when an educational radio frequency became available. In order to meet FCC guidelines as an educational station, it was under the authority of the board of Criswell Bible Institute thus being designated by the call letters KCBI. Today the Criswell College Board holds the same responsibility. The Station was housed on church property in the Sonshine Building at the corner of San Jacinto and St. Paul. Carol Singer was the first station manager. Charlie Campbell, who is the Sunday emcee for our class broadcast was a volunteer sportscaster when the station began. The programming of the station’s early years consisted primarily of music, the services of FBC and talk shows hosted by Dr. Paige Patterson, College President, Richard Land, Vice-President of Academic Affairs, and College Professors.
Mr. Andy Horner, longtime church member and founder of Premier Designs, was a deacon, friend of the Criswell’s, and supporter of church programs; felt that KCBI had little concentrated Bible study programs. In the early 1980’s, he approached Mrs. Criswell about the possibility of putting her class on the radio each Sunday morning. She agreed to this, knowing that it would have a powerful impact on the homebound church members as well as become a soul winning opportunity for our church. Dr. Criswell was in complete agreement because he always called his wife ‘the greatest teacher’. The class of about 50 to 70 members was meeting in Coleman Hall. This well-taught and inspirational Bible Study has been on air for the last 26 years.
Janet Smith was in charge of enlisting class member to answer the phone as the Sunday school hour ended. Having been on her committee, I was blessed to hear homebound or unchurched listeners express appreciation for Mrs. Criswell’s teaching. Through this ministry we have offered extended invitations to attend our class and services, and offered tapes of the lessons through the media department.
KCBI is now housed in Arlington and successfully administered by our own church member Ron Harris. The 24-hour listener supported station is now 100,000 watts and has a 100 mile broadcast capability. Dr. Criswell’s dream is a wonderful reality with Mrs. Criswell, and now Dr. Cooper, bringing a Bible class to thousands every Sunday over the Sounds of Sonshine station 90.9 KCBI.
Ruth and Charlie Quinn
Lottie Moon
In the month of December Southern Baptist have the opportunity to give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions. There is a special Lottie Moon envelope in the packet of offering envelopes you receive from the church. This offering is named for a woman named Lottie Moon who served as a missionary in China for 39 years, mostly in China’s Shantung Province.
Lottie was appointed as a missionary to China in 1873. Her sister Edmonia had already been working as a missionary there for a year. Lottie was very much like today’s missionaries. She was a hard-working, deep-loving Southern Baptist who labored tirelessly so the people group she worked with in China could know Jesus. She taught in a girls’ school and often made trips to China’s interior to share the “good news” with women and girls. She died in 1912 aboard a ship in a Japanese harbor.
Lottie frequently wrote letters to the United States, detailing Chinese culture, missionary life, and the great physical and spiritual needs of the Chinese people. She challenged Southern Baptist to go to China or to give so that others could go. One of these letters triggered Southern Baptists’ first Christmas offering for international missions. By 1888, Southern Baptist Women had organized and helped collect $3,315 to send workers to China. In 1918 the Woman’s Missionary Union named the annual Christmas offering for international missions after the woman who had urged them to start it.
Dot Shackelford
Christmas Ministries
Mrs. Criswell’s Bible Class began volunteering at the Trew/Ryburn Homes (Buckner Benevolence) in 1971, under the leadership of Lou Brooks. The class supplied a monthly Birthday Party for all the residents and a Christmas Party in December. Mary Crowley insisted on supplying gifts for all of the residents. Through the years friends of the class such as Home Interiors, Weaver Manufacturing, Charles Humphrey and Associates, Dewayne and Claudia Leeds, and donations from the class have supplied the gifts.
Volunteers from the class provide cookies, cakes, breads, and candies. These “goodies” are placed on festive trays for the residents to enjoy at the party. A class representative gives the meaning of Christmas, and greetings from the class. A short program is given with Santa paying a visit at the close of the program. Charlie and Ruth Quinn were Mr. and Mrs. Santa for many years. However, now we have David and Deon Spearman playing the roles. Until the Ryburn home closed, there were two complete parties planned, one at the Trew home and the other at the Ryburn home. Over 600 guests were in attendance. For over twenty-five years the highlight of the party was a personal visit from Dr. and Mrs. Criswell. After their greeting the party would begin.
The volunteers also help with filling the trays with “goodies”, decorating tables for the party, serving, and cleaning up. For many years, we would have a big wrapping party with over 30 people attending to help wrap the gifts. Pot Luck dinners were enjoyed by all. It was a great social gathering.
We began helping Richard and Linda Spruill with the party and were asked to take over when they moved from Dallas. It has been such a pleasure in working with the class in “asking for goodies”, securing the program, wrapping gifts, delivering gifts and associating with all of our wonderful volunteers, church staff, and the staff of Buckner.
This year will mark the 35th year the class has given this festive party for the Trew Residents. It is a pleasure and a joy for all the participants to help in this way to celebrate the Christmas Season.
The Homebound Baskets began in 1995 when we felt a need to honor our Homebound Members. Each year “goodies” are wrapped, a gift is given, and our Class Members help deliver the basket and gift. This has become a special memory for our Homebound Members and Volunteers.
Christmas – a time of giving is truly shown in sharing with our Mary Trey Residents and Homebound Members
Dale and Sandi Coates
Bereavement Committee
Our Bereavement Committee seeks to be a small light in your time of sorrow as the Psalmist describes. We want you to know that we care when you hurt due to the passing of loved ones. We know God cares; and because he cares, we care.
The first thing to do is to call upon the Lord, and then please let us know. While we try to minister in various ways, such as bringing food or placing books in the library, our prayers for you begin immediately.
Our purpose is to draw us closer to one another, especially in times of sorrow, just as our Lord wraps us in his arms. We love you and want to let you know we care. While the fact is that only God can cure our hurts, we hope the care and concern from Mrs. C’s class will help to comfort you in your grief. Please do call Becky Killingsworth and let us know when you have needs.
The committee:
Carol Gilliland, Co-Chair
Lucy Porter, Co-Chair
Sue Ann Anderson
Mary Palmer
Carletta Guillory
Homebound and Connections Ministry
We have approximately 49 people in our class who are not able to attend Sunday school for various reasons. The Homebound members may have health or other problems that keep them from coming to class each week. Then there are some members who for various reasons are not able to attend for an extended period of time, but do plan to return to the class as an active member. They are the ‘Connection’ part of this ministry. We want to stay connected to all these people who have a vested interest in our class.
For many years there has been a homebound ministry for the folks associated with Mrs. C’s class, however in August of 2005, we took over the ministry and began reorganization. We contacted each Homebound and Connection member as well as the many folks that volunteer within the class.
Currently, we have 33 wonderful volunteers who have agreed to make contact once a month with the person they have been assigned. This means making a phone call, sending a card, or making a personal visit each month. Many of our volunteers contact multiple homebound and connection members each month. Then our volunteers send reports to us, helping us to keep a record of each member on our list.
We try to recognize special events in each of the homebound and connection members lives by sending Birthday and Anniversary cards. Each Christmas we work with Sandi and Dale Coates to help deliver goodie baskets to each of our folks. And finally, over the past year we have been highlighting one of our folks each week with an article in the ‘Connector’ about their lives.
We encourage each to contact our highlighted Homebound or Connection member. In this way we can show these folks that they have not been forgotten and that they continue to be an important part of our class.
Dot Shackelford & Peggy Glaze
Hospitality Ministry
What a pleasure to see all of your Sunday morning shining faces coming in the kitchen to get your cup of liquid of choice and/or donut holes; whether it be for waking up, warming up, or cooling off!
It’s a great time of meeting and greeting and sharing with you all…and then there are those that we hold special affection for……you know who you are! Our chats are never long enough but a happy time. We should be joyful and happy in preparation to study God’s Word.
We love you all and you are a blessing to us as we serve you. May we continue to be a blessing to each other as we come to worship God together.
Marcia Baldwin
Our Class Ministry to Our Hospitalized Members
During the 24 years that I served on the staff of our dear church, one of my greatest privileges was to assist Dr. Criswell by taking him to visit our members who were ill. Sometimes these visits were at their homes, nursing homes, or our many Dallas area hospitals. It made no difference to the Pastor what time of day or night, if he was needed, we went. He was a blessing not only to the patient and their family, but also to the medical staff. They all loved to see him coming, and felt up-lifted when he left.
My sweet mother-in-law, who is now in heaven, used to tell me about Dr. Criswell coming to visit her in Medical Arts Hospital. They had just delivered her lunch tray and he looked it over and asked, “Are you going to eat that?” “No”, she answered. So he did.
I told Dr. Criswell that I did not feel that I represented him well when I made a visit on his behalf. I told him that some times I couldn’t hold back the tears. To this day I can hear him say, “Oh Son, you go right ahead. It does people good to see a big man cry.” So, if I come and visit you, or your family, and I just can’t hold back the tears, you’ll understand.
Louie Mann
Hospital Visitor