The newest archival collection at Center for Restoration Studies has been processed and is now ready for use and research.  The Albert George Lemmons Papers consist of biographical and genealogical material about the Lemmons family, ministerial records and writings, photographs and artifacts.

Dr. Albert George Lemmons (b. 1936) has served Churches of Christ as an evangelist, minister, author, lecturer and educator. Educated at Freed-Hardeman College (A.A.), Harding College (B.A.), Harding Graduate School of Religion (M.A. and M.R.E.) and Luther Rice Seminary (D.Min.), Lemmons served as minister of congregations in Texas, Florida and Tennessee. He was an administrator at Freed-Hardeman College, Crowley’s Ridge College, Williamstown Bible College and Fort Worth Christian School. Active in chaplaincy, pastoral mentoring, non-profit management and community outreach, Lemmons serves on the Presidential Prayer Committee and the National Denominational Prayer Leaders. His lecturing across the US and the world has focused on prayer, spirituality, fasting, spiritual warfare, spiritual growth and the life and ministry of George Muller. Lemmons is Pastoral Minister at Fourth Avenue Church of Christ, Franklin, Tennessee.

Here are some select items from the Lemmons Papers:

Flyer announcing a Prayer Enrichment Seminar at the Church of Christ of Plymouth, Michigan from 14-16 May, 1980.

Flyer announcing a Prayer Enrichment Seminar at the Church of Christ of Plymouth, Michigan from 14-16 May, 1980.

Family of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Lemmons

An identification of members of Mrs. and Mrs. John B. Lemmons family with a trace of the lineage to Albert George Lemmons (b. 1936)

John B. Lemmons

Mrs. John B. Lemmons

Family of Albert Jerome Lemmons. Children are, clockwise from top, John, Viola, Riley, Paul, Lora and Arch. Arch was the father of Albert George Lemmons (b. 1936)

Click here for an article Albert Lemmons wrote for Twentieth Century Christian in 1972 titled “Formalism (When Sins Go To Church): ACU_Lemmons_301_20thCCLetterarticle1972.  Accompanying the article is a letter from M. Norvel Young, editor of Twentieth Century Christian.

With the arrival and processing of this collection, the Center manuscripts holdings now number 301.  The finding aid for the Albert George Lemmons papers, center for Restoration Studies Manuscripts # 301, is available in PDF and MS Word formats:

PDF: ACU_FindingAids_AlbertGeorgeLemmonsPapers_MS301

MS Word: ACU_FindingAids_AlbertGeorgeLemmonsPapers_MS301

Born 30 September 1896, Foy Esco Wallace, Jr. began preaching at age fifteen.  Taken at that time, this photograph captures the appearance of the ‘boy preacher’…even the knee-breeches.  This postcard sized image (also known as a real-photo postcard) was donated to Center for Restoration Studies by ACU faculty member Tom Milholland. Look closely on the reverse to see where ‘little’ was erased. No doubt ‘little’ helped distinguish him from his father, also an evangelist.  He commenced preaching in 1911 and soon ‘Little Foy’ gained a name for himself as powerful speaker. In time Wallace became one of the most well-known editors, evangelists, debaters and writers among Churches of Christ in the 20th century.

For photographs of Wallace’s debate with J. Frank Norris, see this blog post from 17 April 2013.