Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I recently came across some material stating that the late Bro. C.P. Williams from Tulsa established a bible school in 1939 that the UPCI endoresed in 1945but later withdrew its endorsement. Does anyone know why the endoresment was withdrawn and for how long did the school operate?

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I 'm not sure of the dates, but they had a high school also. My uncle was a teacher at the high school in the early 50's.

He used my dad's CCC trunk (1930's) and it has decals from the Tulsa school.

My aunt often spoke of the Williams.


(I'm now the keeper of the trunk :) )

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

When I was 18 I went to ABI in St. Paul, MN for one year. It was close to Wisconsin where I lived at the time and my pastor, Bro. Lester Thompson, had gone there.

Another school that was recommended to me by someone other than my pastor, was IBC, International Bible College in San Antonio. This school had been established by Leonard Coote who was a UPC missionary but the school was no longer endorsed by the UPC.

There were also UPC Bible schools in Portland (Conquerors Bible College I think it was called), Oregon and WABC in California. Both of them were far away from a farm town in Wisconsin.

When I got to ABI I learned about two other UPC Bible Schools. One was PBI (Pentecostal Bible Institute) in Tupelo, Mississippi and one was AC (Apostolic College) in Tulsa. The general feeling in St. Paul that I picked up was that PBI was "weak on the doctrine" and AC was overly strict on standards --no wedding rings, no caffeinated drinks, only Dr. Pepper allowed.

We in ABI sorta looked down our noses at those "other" schools because we were considered the best taught and soundest in the doctrine.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

And? Were you? ;)

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Sam, I didn't remember about the Dr. Pepper thing. Bro.Williams told the women "if you want people to know you are married, get some kids to follow you around".

He was against any kind of jewelry and going to a Dr. for anything. The school was very, very, very strict but turned out some great preachers. I was there in 1950-1951 as a High School student and my brother graduated from the 8th. grade there. J B Lambeth was one of my high school class mates and we wrote to a couple of sisters from Texas, The Melton sisters.

I got into my share of trouble but had a lot of fun. The HS principal was Jack B. Still, a very nice and quiet man. I never thought he belonged there. Bro. Norman Dillon was the house master at the boy's dorm. There was two other Dillon brothers, Albert and ? who was students there at that time.

Peter Shebley was an instructor there the year before I went and his son, Dave Shebley, one of my best friends said that if one of the college students did something to displease CP he would make them stand through the service, which wasn't a short time.

I was the only HS student with a car and one time I was on restriction when the school was to go on an outing. I wasn't allowed to go until they decided they needed my car for transportation. That still amuses me.

The year after I left Tulsa I enrolled at ABI and worked in the office at the National Gould Battery company. Bro. Norris cut my year short because I had a fender bender with my car and hadn't turned my insurance policy into the school (didn't know I was supposed to).

I wanted to attend Coot's school in Texas but they dropped out of UPC during the Latter Rain outbreak.

I did graduate from Western Apostolic Bible College in Stockton, Ca. twice, once in 1964 and then again in1965..

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I'm just curious, why Dr. Pepper? And how did they get around the caffeinated drink rule and allow just one brand of pop?

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I loved the Williams very much. She took me to Brazil the first time I went...

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

The Dr. Pepper thing may have been a rumor. We heard that the people at the Tusla school were not allowed to drink Coke or Pepsi but could drink Dr. Pepper. At one time Coke had cocaine in it and "holiness" folks taught against drinking it. Dr. Pepper was non carbonated and made from natural roots, leaves, and berries or something unknown. It might not have been the caffeine thing although some holiness folks are against drinks with caffeine in them.

Well, one day some of us were looking through a yearbook from AC and we saw an ad for Dr. Pepper in the ad section in the back. We knowingly looked at each other because that "confirmed" the Dr. Pepper only doctrine in our eyes. We may have reached the wrong conclusion but it seemed to confirm what we had heard.

When I was at ABI, Lowell Mitchell was there. He had previously gone to AC.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I'm sure she would have liked to take me somewhere and leave me.:bliss

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I taught in Christian schools for 15 years and learned that students can best be controlled with love rather than overly strict rules.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Well, of course we thought we were. I heard some things that Bro. Norris taught and I just could not accept them. He was very strong on the three-step plan of salvation and I thought I had been saved for several months before I was baptized in Jesus' name. I thought that Jesus did come into my heart when I asked Him, and I thought that the change that happened to me was salvation. Silly me. I hadn't followed all the steps.

Something else he taught was on apostles and prophets. He taught that all the apostles and prophets of the New Testament church died in the first century and there could never be any more. He taught that there were only twelve apostles--never were any more and never could be any more-- and that Matthias in Acts 1:26 was not a real apostle. I was new in the Lord and hadn't been reading my Bible for long when I went there but I saw about 20 people (even one woman) called apostles in the Bible.

When I was at ABI I don't ever remember Bro. Norris being called "the Bear.
I guess he got that title later. We thought his initials S.G. stood for "Sagging Gut" because of the way his stomach hung out and the way his necktie hung down over it and followed its contour.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Do you think you're saved now? :heeheehee

Reminds me of something one of my kids was taught in Christian school: that every bone in Jesus' body was broken, on the cross. (He made the mistake of trying to correct his teacher's error. I thought he was smarter than that! :lol)

:lol

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

yeppers.
not just think, I know according to my understanding of 1 John 5:13.
although some may think I'm no longer saved since I've left the mothership.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Maybe they don't think, they know! :lol

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Maybe they just think they know.

At one time when I was going to the Vineyard Church someone compared me to the prodigal son and compared the Vineyard to the hogpen.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

didn't Brother Norris also write a book about how the rapture/2nd coming/whatever he called it...would take place in 1987?

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

My parents went to school there in the late 50's and as a kid CP Williams was my Pastor for a while before his son took over.CP Williams pulled the church out of the UPC in a dispute with the local UPC officials somewhere around 1958 and after that the college gradually lost enrollment and they closed it down. Alot of well known ministers went to school there-Kilgore,Jonathan Urshan,and others.
Mary Williams was a wonderful person and a great teacher.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

No book. But all of his prophesy teaching embraced a lot of what Larkin taught.

The premise was a 14 year tribulation. Therefore with 2000 being the "end" it was always believed the Rapture would take place by 1986.

As much as I loved ABI and Bro Norris I've wondered how those prophesy classes are taught today.:toofunny

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Wow! You really are old as dirt!!!!:bliss

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Mark Hanby's (1st)wife, Gloria was a Williams. When he first came to Texas he was super duper UC, so that fits with him finding a wife in Tulsa.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Can you post some pics if the decals?

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I'll try to take a couple pictures but my pix posting talents are very limited :pullhair

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I don't know. I've never heard that.

I did hear he had an article or tract out showing that Benito Mussolini was the Antichrist. After Mussolini's death, Bro. Frank Curts kidded him and said, "Well, they just killed your Antichrist and dragged him through the streets." Bro. Norris said, "I wish I had that tract back." Bro. Curts told me this story.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

What became of that church? Didn't they also have a daughter church in another part of Tulsa?

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

That's not correct. Mark Hamby married Gloria Pyles-no relation to the Williams'. John D Williams married Faith Hamby ,Mark Hamby's sister.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

They had 2 churches in Tulsa, about 1968 they combined their congregations and John D Williams became the pastor of the church. In 1981 the church split and Gary Howard became the pastor of the group that split off. That church is doing very well and runs somewhere around 500 people ,but the original church has struggled since the split. Jeff Dykes became the pastor of the original First Apostolic church around 1994 and I believe it runs around a 100.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Is this just before we was contacted by George Lucas to compose some uplifting music for a certain space opera he was developing at the time?

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Now why couldn't I have been around to meet him? Oh the conversations that we could have engaged in!

"So young lady, when does the father of your children plan on doing the right thing and marry you and place you under proper authority???"

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I stand corrected, I thought that John was Gloria's brother, my mistake. BTW: it is Hanby.:thumbsup

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Thank you BHILL for providing that information!

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

yes, that is correct...I read the other post and thought that is not correct...thanks for correcting...I loved Sister Mary Williams...

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

The work in south Brazil that now belongs to the Lambeths once belonged to the Williams.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

The Williams loved and sent out many missionaries. Mark Hanby's sister Faith Doggette worked in Brazil with her husband.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Sis Alvear, how well did you know the Williams'? Did you spend ant time inTulsa?

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I knew them very well. I was not from their church was from a church in Arkansas that was in fellowship with them...spend almost every Christmas at their home...once traveled to Canada with them.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I was Janice Taylor and lived in Brazil with the Bristows and Roxie Ray.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

After the Bristows retired they attended church where my parents attend and a lady from our church provided a home for them to live in-I believe rent free. Where is Roxie Ray now ?

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

Just found this thread. Mom Williams was my great-grandmother...... I'm adding this bit of info to what I have already gathered. :)

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

MARY WILLIAMS was probably one of the smartest women in Pentecost during her day. Brazil owes a great debt to Brother and Sister C.P. Williams.

Re: Apostolic Bible School in Tulsa
 

I had cousins who went to the college there around that time.Robert and Sonny Martinez.