Religion: Poling's Progress

Philadelphia's Grace Baptist Temple, with its seating capacity of 3,000, was built for the late Russell Herman Conwell, noted for the sermon "Acres of Diamonds" which he delivered 6,152 times. Ever since he died in 1925, the Temple has been looking for "another Conwell." Dr. A. Ray Petty, who came in 1926, shocked his flock by inviting Negroes and again, when 50 parishioners started to walk out on a sermon defending Al Smith, by directing the organist to follow their steps with Chopin's Funeral March. Dr. Petty was soon replaced by...

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