In 1925 an evangelist had his tabernacle built in Wooster, where he preached to capacity crowds for nearly four weeks. His name was Bob Jones Sr.
Local ministers attended one of Jones’ revivals in Akron. They were so impressed they decided to form a committee of like-minded clergy from around Wayne County to bring Jones here. In mid-October 1924, the announcement was made that Jones had accepted the invitation and would conduct the revival the entire month of January 1925.
Shortly after the announcement, Jones’ agent W.C. Haymaker arrived in town to coordinate items for a successful campaign. The committee had to start raising funds and gathering volunteers. A site had to be selected for the tabernacle to be built.
Ultimately, 125 men were chosen as ushers. Four-hundred men and women were chosen for the choir. An assortment of women from WC churches volunteered to staff the tabernacle nursery, for children under 3 years of age. Enough money was raised for the construction of the tabernacle. After some difficulty locating a construction site, the Wooster School Board offered the lot behind the school on South Walnut Street in Wooster.
The wooden tabernacle construction began Dec. 15 and was completed Dec. 20. All that remained was electric lighting and heating. The tabernacle was an imposing sight — 110 feet wide and 165 feet long. It consumed most of the lot behind the school and was designed for 3,500 worshippers and a large choir. Its floor was simple sawdust.
On Dec. 22 it was reported Haymaker had left Wooster to spend Christmas with his family. Jones had completed his month in Brownswood, Texas and was going home to Montgomery, Alabama for the holiday. Everything was set for his month in Wooster.
Jones arrived in Wooster Jan. 3 and took a room at the American Hotel, near the square on East Liberty Street. Harry Storrs, assistant to Jones, arrived the day before to ensure the choir and ushers were trained and ready to go.
On Sunday morning, Jan. 4, the doors opened to the first sermon.
“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do I ought to do and by the grace of God I will do,” was part of his opening comments.
Over the next four weeks, Jones delivered his sermons on a strict schedule. Sunday would see two sermons at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday at 2:30 p.m., and Monday through Friday at 7:30 p.m. Saturday was a day for family needs.
Cottage prayer meetings were part of the plan. Homes all over the county were opened for prayer meetings in the interim between tabernacle sermons, hosted by preselected church members. This started ahead of the tabernacle and continued throughout Jones’ time here. These meetings were regularly reported in local newspapers.
Each tabernacle sermon was dedicated to a particular group of people, who would be seated front and center in the tabernacle. It could be businessmen, high school students, college students, fraternal organizations, veterans organizations, women’s groups, et cetera. Jones was constantly trying to maximize his reach.
He had two sermons titled “The Sins of Women” and “The Sins of Men.” In them, he denounced dancing and card playing as sinful.
He also said, “Woman was made to have a home and children, not to run a business and do as men. Man doesn’t know how to raise a family. His place is in the business world.”
The local newspapers reported almost daily “Bob Jones Rifle Shots,” quotes from his daily sermons. Some of those are as follows:
“The devil isn’t in hell; he is in Wooster.”
“Money is dangerous. I’m sorry for the kid that is raised in the home of the rich man.”
“Being honest won’t make you a Christian, but being Christian will make you honest.”
“Jesus Christ was the most democratic person the world ever knew.”
There are many more. Read them in the old newspapers at wcpl.advantage-preservation.com/.
One of the final sermons in Jones’ Wooster tabernacle was preceded by a parade of Wayne County Sunday schools, which formed at the corner of North and Buckeye streets and marched to the tabernacle. These Sunday schools were the honored guests for that evening’s sermon.
Jones delivered his final sermon on Sunday, Feb. 1, 1925, at the Wooster tabernacle. Forty-five-hundred attended and bid him farewell. He was presented with a gift offering from the committee that brought him to Wooster. The gift was $4,288.20. That equates to about $80,000 in today’s currency. Shortly after, he and his staff boarded a train and headed for home to prepare for the next crusade.
The tabernacle was sold at auction and eventually dismantled, and the lumber was salvaged. Before that, there was one last use of the young structure. On Feb. 2, 1925, a Ku Klux Klan rally was held there. An African-American singer opened with a song, “Friendship I’ll Show to Each Klansman I Know.” Let that sink in.
“Looking Back” is a feature from Mike Franks, a local historian. He can be emailed at mlfranks@gmail.com.
