In which the racist evangelist Velmer Gardner is so scared of African-American preacher Father Divine, he seems to forget he in the exact same business.
A few quotes from Velmer's night in the DEVIL'S HOUSE! (A church in New Jersey where Father Divine was preaching.)
"I felt satanic power as I had never felt it..."
"In his heavens now white women sleep with colored women and white men with colored men. He is doing his best to mix the races."
"There are no doubt thousands of cases of sexual immorality in his heavens."
"I believe he is a tool in the hands of the Communists..."
Whoa, Velmer! Them is some heavy words to toss at a fellow evangelist and preacher. What's up with that?
Oh...I see...as Velmer puts it, "The Negro false Christ is shown here with his most recent bride..." Oh oh...no wonder Velmer is hotter than a tent revival in August. It is clear the preacher is "laying the foundation for race trouble" as Velmer putst it, but I think in Velmer's mind the preacher was laying something else, and that got his gospel dander up.
By the way, trivia for all you true believers: Johnny Mercer wrote the song "Accentuate the Positive" after hearing a Father Divine sermon.
Velmer sold his tracts for 25 cents to a dollar each at a time when a loaf of bread was 16 cents. But he did provide "a liberal discount to agents" according to his pricelist. He claimed to have sold over 200,000 books in two years. That is an awful lot of bread, Velmer.
I Spent Saturday Night in the DEVIL'S HOUSE by Velmer Gardner. 1952
Velmer Gardner Evangelistic Association, Inc. Collection Jim Linderman
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| Bile from Velmer's Book |
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