THE USHER - A BAPTIST HERO

 In 1934, in Charlotte North Carolina, A baptist evangelist was holding a tent revival. Every night the tent was filled to overflowing. One night, two young teen aged boys came by, heard the preaching and decided to check it out. As the neared the tent, they realized every seat was taken. They turned and walked away.

One man, whose name we will never know, was an usher at the revival, having volunteered from a local Baptist church, helping people to their seats. How did this man end up being an usher in a tent revival? Let's go back to April 1855. A man named Edward Kimball taught a boys Sunday School class at the Congregational church in Boston. The class was full of anxious teen aged boys, unruly at times, but Edward Kimball made a commitment that he would seek out every single boy and present the gospel in a way that related that Christ had come for each one. One of the boys worked in his uncle's shoe store, and Kimball decided to pay him a visit at work. Later, Kimball recalled in his own words the following; 

"I was determined to speak to him about Christ and about his soul, and started down to Holton's boot store. When I was nearly there I began to wonder whether I ought to go in just then during business hours. I thought my call might embarrass the boy, and that when I went away the other clerks would ask who I was, and taunt him with my efforts in trying to make him a good boy. In the meantime I had passed the store, and, discovering this, I determined to make a dash for it, and have it over at once. I found him in the back part of the building wrapping up shoes. I went up to him at once, and putting my hand on his shoulder, I made what I felt afterwards was a very weak plea for Christ. I don't know just what words I used, I simply told him of Christ's love for him, and the love Christ wanted in return. That was all there was. It seemed the young man was just ready for the light that then broke upon him, and there in the back of that store in Boston, D. L. Moody gave his life to Christ."

You might ask what all this has to do with the usher at the tent revival. Edward Kimball started a chain of events that led to the tent revival. D.L. Moody was converted by him. Under Moody, another man’s heart was touched for God, Wilbur Chapman.  Chapman became the evangelist who preached to thousands. One day, a professional ball player had a day off and attended one of Chapman’s meetings, and thus, Billy Sunday was converted. Under Billy Sunday's ministry, a man named Mordecai Ham was converted. It was Mordecai Ham that preached that tent revival where the usher was serving.

Ah you may think Mordecai Ham would be the hero in this story, and maybe he is one of some sort. Or maybe Edward Kimball is the hero, and again, maybe is one as well. But the real hero is the usher, a man whose name is not recorded nor remembered even by the ones who were the recipients of his heroism. You see, the two teen boys that night were unable to find a seat. They weren't at all concerned about religion, but had only heard the commotion and wanted to see the "show". As the boys turned and started to walk away, unable to find seats, the usher ran after them, brought them back, and retrieved two folding chairs intended for the ushers to use. As a result, both boys gave their lives to Christ. Those two boys were Grady Wilson and Billy Graham. I think you know the rest. Grady Wilson helped organize Billy Graham's crusades, which won over three million people to Christ.

All of the men in this story are heroes.  However, Mordecai Ham would have still preached whether the usher had acted or not. It was the usher, unnamed, unknown, unpaid and unhindered that ran after those boys and brought them back. This unknown man was the most responsible in this chain of events, for the conversions of millions. It is the faithfulness of this man, never in the spotlight, never acclaimed who saw two boys walk away who needed Christ, and he said "Not on my watch!" and brought them back.

That night, two giants and heroes in the faith, were literally "ushered into the kingdom".