90 Years Ago, Narraganset Church of God Led in Benevolence
Narraganset Church of God was started by a women-preacher with only 10 members. Rev. Amelia Shumaker started the church only 15 days before the Great Depression began in 1929. She became a widow five years prior to moving to Chicago. Passing through the Great Depression by 1934, only five years after its establishment, the Narraganset Church of God was already a leader among the state benevolence ministries.
Located at 2254 N. Narraganset Avenue, the church officially took the name of its location in 1955. Early issues of the Church of God Evangel describe it as a South Side church, later corrected to the only Chicago Church of God. By 1994, the congregation has become one of only three Church of God locations in Chicago Metro. It was also where the first and only Bulgarian Church of God congregation in North America was founded also with only 10 members. (More from this timely research soon…)
Remembering Dr. Oliver McMahan (1954-2024)
On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at the age of 69, Oliver “Dr. Mac” Lewis McMahan died peacefully at his home in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Oliver was born on November 15, 1954 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was the son of Lewis Richard McMahan and Fiavaai “Fia” (Afalava) McMahan. He lived in Hawaii, where his parents were serving as missionaries, until he was ten years old. After leaving Hawaii, the family relocated to California to pastor churches in Salida and Modesto. Following high school, Oliver received a football scholarship to Cal Poly State University. During pre-season training for an upcoming All-Star game, he began to feel a heaviness of spirit and after much prayer, he decided to enroll in West Coast Bible College, instead, where he answered the call to ministry. It was here, also, he met the love of his life, Martha Hatcher. They were married in May of 1975.
Continuing his education, Oliver received his BA from West Coast Bible College in 1975. He then attended the Mennonite Seminary in Fresno for a year while pastoring the Traver Church of God. The following year he transferred to Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, where he earned his M.Div in 1978. In 1984, he received his D.Min also, from Brite Divinity School, TCU. In 1997, he received his Ph.D from Georgia State University.
Dr. McMahan held positions of Associate Professor of Bible and Dean of Students at Northwest Bible College in Minot, North Dakota and Dean and Professor at Jimmy Swaggert Seminary and Bible College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Dr. McMahan was honored to serve on the Executive Council of the Church of God International from 1994-1996 and 2006-2010. He served his church in many capacities, with over 25 years as pastor, associate, evangelist and Bible Convention and Camp-meeting speaker. He was also a published author of multiple books; chapters in textbooks for clinicians; and articles in many research publications including the Journal of Psychology and Theology.
At the time of his death, Dr. McMahan was serving as Head Pastor of Cross Pointe Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee and serving as the V.P. for Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. He was also providing counseling at Health Management Services in Cleveland.
During these years of education and ministry, Oliver and Martha were blessed with three children. Their first born, Sarah Elizabeth, died at the age of six months. God gifted them with two more children, Jonathan and Holly, to complete their family and now, they have six grandchildren and three great grands (and two on the way). Oliver loved his family whole heartedly and always sought the best for them.
Dr. Mac, as he was affectionately known by many, was preceded in death by his parents, Lewis McMahan and Fia McMahan, his brother, Grady Garna McMahan and his daughter, Sarah Elizabeth McMahan.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Martha McMahan; son, Jonathan Eric McMahan; daughter, Holly Beth (Ben) Salicco and grandchildren Haley (Cory) Houk; Sarah (Lucien) Allison; Olivia McMahan; Sophia Salicco; Josiah Salicco; Emma McMahan; and three great grandchildren, Scarlett Houk, Charlee Houk and Ellijay Allison.
The family will receive friends on Friday, March 29th, 2024 from 4- 7pm at Poole Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cleveland, 3000 Ralph Buckner Blvd NE Cleveland, TN 37311.
Dr. McMahan will lie in state at the Dixon Chapel from 10 am- until the service hour at 11:00 am with Dr. Michael Baker officiating. Interment will follow at Mt. Olive Cemetery 126 White Oak Rd Cleveland, TN 37312.
Condolences may be shared at pfhcleveland.com
Arrangements are entrusted to Poole Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cleveland.
SIGNS of the LAST DAYS: Universal Apostasy
SIGNS of the LAST DAYS: Watering down of the gospel
SIGNS of the LAST DAYS: Increased worldly knowledge
HOMESCHOOL SANCTUARY COUNTY
Teaching Biblical Greek
TRUTHS from AZUSA STREET REVIVAL by Frank Bartleman
“A revival almost always begins among the laity. The ecclesiastical leaders seldom welcome reformation.”
One reason for the depth of the work at “Azusa” was the fact that
the workers were not novices. They were largely called and prepared
for years, from the Holiness ranks, and from the mission field, etc.
They had been burnt out, tried and proven. They were largely
seasoned veterans. They had walked with God and learned deeply
of His Spirit. These were pioneers, “shock troops,” the Gideon´s
three hundred, to spread the fire around the world. Just as the
disciples had been prepared by Jesus.
We have now taken on a “mixed multitude.” And the seeds of
apostacy have had time to work. “First love” has been also
largely lost. The dog has “returned to his vomit” in many cases,
to Babylonic doctrines and practices. An enfeebled mother can
hardly be expected to bring forth healthy children.
The very truths that gave birth to the Pentecostal movement are
today generally rejected as too strong.
A revival almost always begins among the laity. The ecclesiastical
leaders seldom welcome reformation. History repeats itself. The
present leaders are too comfortably situated as a rule to desire
innovation that might require sacrifice on their part. And God’s
fire only falls on sacrifice. An empty altar receives no fire!
God has always sought a humble people. He can use no other…
There is always much need of heart preperation, in humility and
separation, before God can consistently come. The depth of
any revival will be determined exactly by the spirit of repentance
that is obtained. In fact, this is key to every true revival born of God.
Men’s hearts are being searched…it is a tremendous sifting time,
not only of actions but of inner motives. Nothing can escape the
all-searching eye of God.
Frank Bartleman: God Was in the Earthquake
Frank Bartleman was greatly used as a vessel of the Lord in intercession, and as a writer both before and during the Azusa Street Revival which began in 1906. The very same month and year that the revival began, the great San Francisco earthquake occurred. Frank Bartleman saw this as being the hand of God and quickly wrote a tract which was widely distributed.
By Frank Bartleman
“I found the earthquake had opened many hearts. I was distributing especially my last tract, The Last Call. It seemed very appropriate after the earthquake. Sunday, April 22, I took 10,000 of these to the New Testament Church. The workers seized them eagerly and scattered them quickly throughout the city.
Nearly every pulpit in the land was working overtime to prove that God had nothing to do with earthquakes and thus allay the fears of the people. The Spirit was striving to knock at hearts with conviction, through this judgment. I felt indignation that the preachers should be used of Satan to drown out His voice. Just as he later used them to stir up hatred and murder, during the great war. Even the teachers in the schools labored hard to convince the children that God was not in earthquakes. The devil put on a big propaganda on this line.
I had been much in prayer since the earthquake, and had slept little. After the shock in Los Angeles the Lord told me definitely He had a message for me for the people. On the Saturday after, He gave me a part of it. On Monday the rest was given. I finished writing it at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, ready for the printer. I kneeled before the Lord and He met me in a powerful way, a powerful witness that the message was from Him. I was to have it printed in the morning. From that time until 4 a.m., I was wonderfully taken up in the spirit of intercession. I seemed to feel the wrath of God against the people and to withstand it in prayer. He showed me He was terribly grieved at their obstinacy in the face of His judgment on sin. San Francisco was a terribly wicked city.
He showed me all hell was being moved to drown out His voice in the earthquake, if possible. The message He had given me was to counteract this influence. Men had been denying His presence in the earthquake. Now He would speak. It was a terrific message He had given me. I was to argue the question with no man, but simply give them the message. They would answer to Him. I felt all hell against me in this, and so it proved. I went to bed at 4 o’clock, arose at 7, and hurried with the message to the printer.
The question in almost every heart was, Did God do that? But instinct taught men on the spot that He had. Even the wicked were conscious of the fact. The tract was set up quickly. The same day it was on the press, and the next noon I had my first consignment of the tract. I was impressed I must hasten and get them to the people as quickly as possible. I was reminded that the ten days I was called by the Lord to prayer was up the very day I received the first of the tracts. I understood it all now, clearly.
I distributed the message speedily in the missions, churches, saloons, business houses, and in fact everywhere, both in Los Angeles and Pasadena. Besides I mailed thousands to workers in nearby towns for distribution.
Many raved at the message. A man followed me on the street raving like a maniac. He followed me into a business house, to do me violence. But the Lord protected. He then tore my tract up publicly at the curb, to show his hate. Many threw the message down in a rage, only to pick it up again and read it. It seemed God held them to it.
Everyone was curious for the tract, though it burned the most of them like fire. Sometimes they would get so excited on the street cars they would get off before they reached their street. My very presence seemed to convict many. The message struck consternation to thousands of souls. I have never written a tract that had so much influence.
Sunday, May 11, I had finished my Earthquake tract distribution. Then the burden suddenly left me. My work was done, Seventy-five thousand had been published and distributed in Los Angeles and Southern California, in less than three weeks time. At Oakland, Brother Manley, of his own volition, had printed and distributed 50,000 more, in the Bay Cities and ’round about, in about the same space of time. The following are some extracts from the Earthquake tract:
But what had God to do with earthquakes? When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). Which removeth the mountains, when He overturneth them in His anger, which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble (Job 9:5-6). The mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at His presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by Him (Nahum 1:5-6). And I will punish the world for their evil. Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken our of her place, in the day of His fierce anger (Isaiah 13:11, 13).
Then the earth shook and trembled, the foundations also of the mountains moved, and were shaken because He was wroth. There went up a smoke in His wrath, and fire out of His mouth devoured. The Lord thundered from Heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice. Then the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare, by the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His anger (Psalm 18).
Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and turneth it upside down (perverteth the face thereof), and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. The foundations of the earth do shake, the earth is utterly broken, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall stagger like a drunken man, and shall be moved to and fro. The transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it. (Isaiah 24:1, 18, 20). Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of Hosts with earthquakes, and great noise, and the flame of a devouring fire. (Isaiah 29:6). Men shall go into the caves of the rocks, from before the terror of the Lord, when he arises to shake terribly the earth (Isaiah 2:19). And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air and there was a great earthquake (Revelation 16:17,18).
And will you claim there is no God in earthquakes? John Wesley has said, Of all the judgments which the righteous God inflicts on sinners here, the most dreadful and destructive is an earthquake. From Earthquake Tract, April 1906.
SIGNS of the LAST DAYS: NEW tower of BABEL
