Jimmy Allen

[AtPeace]

I would like to know what any of you have experienced regarding this "famous Church of Christ" preacher who regularly held giant outdoor stadium meetings in the 1960s. (I recall as a child going to hear him, and the song leader was Pat Boone.)

I have heard that in his autobiography he has written that he regrets much of what he wrote in his book, "What is hell like?", or what the tenor of it was, or something along those lines.

Anyone know anything?

[GMan]

I remember going to his "Crusade for Christ" but that is about it. And yes it was in the 60's.

[Memtiger]

Yep know him well.

Remember as a yoot sitting in a hot airplane hangar listening, no coc in the area was big enough.

[Hildegard]

I don't know much but I have also heard he regretted what he wrote about hell.

[Jack1]

Too young to really remember the guy, but I read his son's book: "Growing Up Church of Christ" which is kinda sweet in an odd way... Don't know how else to describe it. (His son left- attends a community church)

[Melanie]

I'm very distantly related to Jimmy. Let me see if I can get this right. My great grandmother's brother's wife's sister was Jimmy's mother. He was church of Christ royalty. He taught the class on Romans at Harding back in the day, and the joke was that he actually wrote the book! Tent meetings, as they were known, were not just religious events but were about the only social events available to poor rural folk. My daddy said when he was young, Jimmy held these meetings all over the countryside from town to town. He had 7 sermons and traveled. Anyway, my family and all the other folks around would travel to every little town to hear these same sermons over and over. That was their social life. As for Jimmy's regrets, my daddy said he once discussed that very issue with Jimmy once after they were old men. Yes, he regrets his fearful sermons on hell because he realizes now that even though a lot of people "came forward" and were baptized as a result, he really just caused a lot of people to "get wet," as he put it. I haven't seen Jimmy in many years, but as I recall, even though he was pretty stern in his cofC beliefs, he was a personable fellow for the most part.

[cathym]

He spoke in chapel sometimes when I was at Harding (mid-to-late 1990s) I don't remember much about his talks, but I do remember the never-ending "Just As I Am" afterwards - verse 1, 2, 3, 4, 2, 5, 3, 4, 1, 6.....

[Porcupine]

He did chapel once or twice a year. Made the kids so guilty they lineup to make the walk of shame. If 20 or 30 didn't do the walk he would added 5 more verses of "Just as I am" the invitation song. I know for a fact that a guy down the hall from me went forward and confessed about drinking. He was kicked out. So much about the college church and Harding being separate

[Porcupine]

I was in TN a couple of years ago and heard him speak. Not good
http://www.searchforbiblicaltruth.com/l ... yintro.php

[booknerd]

In the mid 70's, he spoke at the church I grew up in. Can't remember if it was a meeting or just a sermon, but will never forget his rant against abortion. Said if his daughter were raped by a negro (yes, actually used that word) that he would not allow her to have an abortion. I got up and walked out. He yelled out at me as I was walking out the back doors to the foyer and said something like, well just because you don't like it doesn't make it wrong. I was only in high school, but it was one of my proudest moments. Wish I had flipped him off. Also wish I had never gone back. Finally left for good when I turned 50. For the record, I am not opposed to miscegenation. It pissed me off that he would make a decision for his daughter and also that he would use her in a public manner. Pure c of c macho crap.