Exodus Bay Shore questionnaire
Roger Powell, October 1, 2005
Why did you decide to join this mission?
In many conversations with Johnny Jackson (the minister) at Richardson, Texas concerning evangelism, taking biblical courses, including Greek, and teaching in the Junior High department, I had come to the conclusion that more needed to be done concerning the "Great Commission." Our visitation program there consisted of going to the church building and picking out cards left on a desk to visit whomever we chose. The only person actually doing personal evangelism was the preacher. I attempted to do some visitation with my wife, but each visitation ended up with the ladies pairing off and talking the whole evening about their children. Harvey Sanders and myself had several discussions concerning soul-winning efforts, and decided to team up and leave our wives to tend the children.
We immediately started seeking people who were not saved and setting up a bible study with them. Willette and Annette Rossen were the first couple to engage in a bible study. Annette had not been active as a member of the Church of Christ, and Willete was not following the Christian life either. (He had been a member of the Baptist Church.) Harvey Sanders and I had gone for the next slide presentation after the subject of baptism was covered the week before. When we arrived Willete asked if we had to cover that lesson that night. When we asked why, he said he wanted to be baptized that night. We called one of the elders and the preacher to make that happen. The elders were glad for Willette, but were more than a little convicted that Harvey and I were doing such a thing. None of the elders had ever done anything like that to my knowledge. The preacher was the only one doing "personal evangelism".
It was during that time that a young preacher by the name of Dwain Evans come to town to speak on a Sunday afternoon to solicit interested parties for a project named "Exodus Bay Shore". My wife and [almost] four children were out of town to visit her parents and siblings in Pampa, Texas. When Dwain Evans made the plea to fulfill the "Great Commission" I pledged to do that very thing, right then and there. I did not pray about it or confer with my wife or anything else. (This act would be one of the undoing things of my marriage).
What impact did the Long Island culture have on you?
This is a hard question. I don't believe it had any negative effect on me in any way. I left because I was greatly upset of seeing so many accidents on the way to and from work in Bethpage and hearing on the news that several people had died. I'll never forget one in which several people were being burned alive and no one trying to pull them out. [Roger also left to pursue his college education at West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas.]
How long did you live on Long Island?
I arrived on Long Island on July 5, 1963 and moved to Houston to work at the space center as a prime contractor for Grumman in July, 1967. I moved back to our home in July, 1969 and left Long Island in July 1970.
Briefly recount at least one significant positive experience and one negative experience.
As a result of a bible study with Mrs. Wood and another lady in her 90s, they made a decision to give their lives to Christ. I remember turning down an invitation from Dwain Evans to baptize them. Mrs. Wood thought of me as her son after that. Another episode that I recall is one in which I had studied with Maria Brewer and her husband for several months. When I left for Houston she was still very much Catholic. (Her mother from Italy lived with her and she felt she could never leave her religion). When I returned from Houston I was really surprised that she was now a regular attendee of West lslip Church of Christ.
As for a negative experience, the thing that perplexed me most was the criticism that Dwain and others endured from "the Brotherhood". Especially when friends or relatives of those at West lslip came sometimes as spies or to find fault with what we were doing. Another was when the leadership decided to hire Warren Lewis. lf my memory serves me right, I was the only one (l was a deacon) of the leadership that was against it, and rather strongly at that.
Were there changes in your theology?
I'm sure there must have been but I can't think of anything specific.
Did you experience economic loss as a result of your move?
No, in fact I've said many times "it was impossible to outgive God". We "entertained" a lot, not thinking about the financial aspect.
Are you a member of the Church of Christ today?
No! Three of my four children and Avanelle (no longer my wife) still are. Ruth, my youngest, and I are not. However, the congregations that they attend are not the dogmatic legalistic churches of the past. All of us are active members where we attend, and believe in living out the Christian teachings in our lives.
How did you feel about the church's participation in social concerns (open housing, etc.)?
I believed then, as I now do, it was inherently wrong. I know the scripture that says "they had all things in common". Consider the statement, "All digits 0 through 9 are positive. Now if I can find just one exception, then the statement is false. Zero is neither positive nor negative, therefore the statement is false. Now, if one interprets "all things in common" means they share their wealth, their wives, the chores, etc., sharing wives makes the whole sentence false.
If you had your 35 years back, would you do it again?
ABSOLUTELY !!!
[See Ava's responses to the same questionnaire here.]