Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0753
F. B. Srygley vs J. L. Mitchell (Church of God)
May 1, 1924
Vinemont, Alabama
(By F. B. Srygley)
Four days debate at Vinement, Ala. with J. L. Mitchell.
Mitchell belongs to a church which they call "Church of God." They believe in miraculous healing and foot washing and practice the "holy kiss." They use instrumental music and the Lord's supper occasionally.
Mitchell said they have living apostles in the church - all who went out to plant their doctrine in new places were apostles. Mitchell claimed to be saved by a direct miracle. He said the church was set up between "upon this work" and Pentecost. He said God moved into the church on Pentecost. He did not think it possible that God could have built his church and moved into it the same day.
Mitchell introduced two witnesses in his congregation to prove miraculous healing. One was a man who had struck his side against the horn of an anvil and, as he believed, had torn something loose inside of him. Mr. Mitchell said he came all the way from Birmingham to pray for him. He was healed and went to church on Sunday. I asked the man if he absolutely knew that anything had been broken in his body. He though something might have been broken but he was not 100% sure. I then told him that the Mormons, with their polygamy, made the same claim on precisely the same evidence; the believer in Christian Science, who denied the atonement made by the blood of Christ, made the same claim, The Adventists, who keep the Jewish Sabbath, make the same claim.
I felt that the debate gave me a chance to teach the people. Some came 30 miles to hear the debate. I was reared in these Ala. hills. My father and Cap. Oden owned a store and cotton gin together at Falkville, Ala. I did my first preaching here.
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