45TH GENERAL COUNCIL ISSUE Kuhlman Lblies Of God

Beginning a Twoepart Feature on the12th A/G General SuperintendentThe Early Yeurs in the UpperMidwestG. RaymondCarlsonBy Fannie Mae Hallhen Ragna Carlson, a youngLutheran woman of Norwegian heritage, prayed for a son, shelikely did not realize the extent ofthat prayer. Shetold the Lord if Hewould grant her request,shewoulddedicate that son to the Lord forministry.’ On February 17, 1918,God answered her prayer. GuyRaymond Carlson was born.Though both Mrs. Carlson andher husband George had beenraised in a strong Lutheran tradition, Mr. Carlson had not acceptedChrist as Savior.” But God hadplans for this family, and Mr.Carlson’s conversionwasthe key tothat plan.In 1923, a young couple came toCrosby, North Dakota, the smalltown where the Carlson familylived, to pioneer a Pentecostalchurch. The meetingsled by these“Holy Rollers” drew great opposition. “The local priest incited aparishionerto burn the tent. Defeatseemedevident. But shortlyBlancheBrittain, the North Dakota ‘sodbuster,’ came to Crosby. Scoreswere saved and filled with theSpirit.“3One Sunday, November 8, 1925,during the Brittain meetings,George Carlson took his family tothe little storefront mission, thefirst Pentecostalchurch he had everattended.4Experiencingthe convic-WYoung Raymond’s fatherwas saved and filledwith the Holy Spiritduring revival meetingsBlanche Brittain conductedin Crosby, North Dakota.Here too 70yeareoldRaymond made his publicprofession of faith.tion of the Holy Spirit, he took thehand of 7-year-oldRaymond seatedbesidehim and led him to the altar.Mr. Carlson accepted Christ asSavior and Raymond made his firstpublic professionof faith.5Though Mr. Carlsonwasa highlyrespected churchman, he did notread the Bible. That afternoon hetook the Bible from the piano,gathered the family around him,and read to them from theScriptures.6GeorgeCarlson returned with hisfamily to the evening service andwas instantly and permanentlyhealed of sciatica.He had sufferedsuchexcruciatingpain that at timesthe children had to tiptoe acrossthefloor to avoid aggravating thecondition.7Hungry for all that God had forhim, Mr. Carlson prayed to bebaptized in the Holy Spirit. But ashe prayed the amount of 80 centscame before him. Over 20 yearsprior to this prayer GeorgeCarlson’s father had sent him witha load of hogs to the stockyard inthe town nearby. The stockyardattendanthad weighedthe hogsandhad mistakenly paid George 80cents too much. George had giventhe correctamount to his father buthad kept the 80 cents.Upon realizing that a mere 80centsstood betweenhim and God’sblessings, George promised theLord he would return the overpayment, even if it meant travelingover 700 milesto wherethe incidenthad occurred. Immediately Georgewas baptized in the Holy Spirit.(George not only kept his promise,but alsotook a tent and an evangelistic team to his home town andconducted a series of meetings.More than 35 people were savedduring the Sunday meeting of thatseries.)8A/G HERITAGE,SUMMERJ1993 5

With a mother who had prayedfor a son she could dedicateto theLord for ministry and a fathereagerto obey God without reservation, young Raymond had beengiven a solid foundation on whichto build a life of spiritualexcellence.ne fall day during threshingseasonMr. and Mrs. Carlsonleft Raymond and his youngerbrother Orville at the farm. Taking4-year-old Arlene with them, theydrove severalmiles to transactbusiness. In the meantime, lo-year-oldRaymond decided to tackle theman-sizedjob of taking fuel to thefield for the tractors. He beganthetask of hitching a team of horsestoa wagon holding a tall hay rack.Attached to that wagon was ametal-wheeled wagon that held a300-gallon fuel tank.Raymond had secured the harness of the first horse and wasstanding behind the singletree ofthe secondhorse pulling forcefullyon the secondtug when one of thehorsesspottedOrville crawlingoverhead on the hay rack. The horsesbolted taking Raymond and thewagonswith them.Raymond held tenaciouslyto thetug as long as he could. Then inexhaustion,he dropped the tug andfell to the ground. The metal wheelsof the fuel wagon ran across hisbody. Two farm workers foundhim lying on the ground bleedingand partially paralyzed. Theycarried him inside to await thearrival of his parents. Orville, sitting securely on the hayrack remained unharmed.Severalmiles away Mrs. Carlsonsensedthat Raymond was in need.“Raymond is hurt,” she told herhusband, “we must hurry home.”Arriving as quickly as they could,they found Raymond near death.Instead of calling the doctor, Mr.and Mrs. Carlson calledthe pastor.The minister came immediately,prayed the “prayer of faith,” andRaymond was instantly healed!9With a heart bent toward thethings of God, Raymond wasbaptized in the Holy Spirit at anearly age. “As a teenager he was06 A/G HERITAGE,SUMMER1993Above, Pastor G. Raymond Carlson and Mrs. Carlson, far right, and their Thief River Falls,Minnesota, Sunday school staff in early 1940s. Below, Sunday school classesat Thief River Falls. MattBrusven, far left in back, provided both photographs.Above, three women who ministered in theUpper Midwest during the 1920’s “bring inthe sheaves.” From the left, Mabel Stake,Etta Reckley, and Blanche Brittain. G.Raymond Carlson was converted underBlanche Brittain’s preaching. Left, G.Rayinond Carlson teaching during Sundayschool meeting, early 1960s.

vibrant with life, scholarly, dedicated to the Lord, and a good rolemodel for our youth groups,”wrote Glenn Anderson, a long-timefriend and colleague. “At the sametime,” he continued, “his terrificsense of humor revealed that hekept both feet on the ground.“lOA growing senseof God’s callingon his life culminated at LakeGeneva Bible Camp in 1933. In theprayer room, at 3 a.m. one morning, he surrenderedto the ministry.”As a 15year-old he began preaching in his local church, and then inarea churches, outstations, andjails.‘*A serious-minded young manwith a desire for academic excellence, Raymond graduated fromhigh school at age 15.13In 1934,desiringto preparehimself for ministry, he sought and was grantedcredentialswith the former NorthCentral District which at that timewas comprisedof five north centralstates.l4 That sameyear he enrolledin Western Bible College in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.15 TheGreat Depressionheld the nation’seconomy in a death grip andfinances were limited. Raymond’smother beganraisingturkeysto payfor her son’s tuition. The Lordblessed Mrs. Carlson’s enterpriseand the profits coveredRaymond’scollegeexpenses.I6Raymond stayedonly one year atWestern Bible College before returning to Crosby in 1935. To support himself he hauled bundles ofgrain, loaded milk cans, drovetractors, harnessedhorses, milkedcows, cleaned the cow barn, anddid many other tasks necessaryforthe smooth functioning of the family farm. “I told him,” recalledLloyd Blyseth, a friend from thoseearly years, “that [farm work]should be one of the requirementsfor all preachers.“r7yBthis time a young lady namedMae Steffler held much of Raymond’s attention. Both the Carlsonsand the Stefflers attended theAssemblyin Crosby and Raymondand Mae as well as their familieshad been friends for a number ofyears.Raymond had consideredher“his girl” but she was content tosettle for just a friendship until hewent to Bible college. “Then Imissedhim,” Mrs. Carlson admitted with a grin.lsRaymond’s and Mae’s datinggraduated from doing things withtheir youth group to double-datingwith their friends, Verner and RubyAnderson, now parents-in-law oftheir sonGary. On October 7, 1938,Raymond and Mae were married.He was 20, and she was 22. “She’sthe only girl I ever dated,” BrotherCarlson related proudly. “She’s mygirl.“19my sheep.” Soon a letter was in themail from the Carlsons offeringtheir servicesto the little church.First they receivedan invitation tocome for a seriesof revival meetings, and then they were electedaspastors.*Ouring the Carlsons’ tenure inThief River Falls, the Lordblessed them with a daughterSharonand a son Paul. But at ThiefRiver Falls Raymond and Mae alsoexperienced the greatest trial oftheir lives. Paul was only a fewmonths old when the family doctorconfirmed their suspicions. PaulhadDown’s Syndrome! The news“As a 15yeareold hedealta crushingblow to this youngbegan preaching in hiscouple who had both been honorlocal church, and thenstudents and who could countin area churches,severalsalutatoriansand valedictorians in each of their families.outstations, and jails.”“When we heard the news,”Brother Carlson’s full-time minCarlson recalled, “we held handsistry beganshortly after the birth ofand wept together. But before weGary, their first child. Both he andcould dry our tears, the telephoneMae had quit their jobs, he as rang. A missionary who had beenrepresentativein a four-state area forced to return to the Statesfor the United States Department becauseof the war, was calling toof Agriculture, and she as a secre- sayshehad felt a burden to pray fortary to a prominent car dealer. us. Shortly after a knock came toThey had gone to be near Mae’sthe door. An older woman, a grandparents who had moved temporar- mother in Israel, had cometo tell usily to Wadena, Minnesota. Raythat she too had felt a burden tomond and Mae planned to stay pray.”until Gary’s birth and hoped toWith the awarenessthat God wasenter the ministry soon after.concernedfor both them and Paul,As their funds beganto diminish, the Carlsonsexperienceda measurethey realized they must do some- of grace to see them through theirthing soon. Raymond’s employer trial of faith. Today, Paul, age 50,askedhim to return to his lucrative is happy and fun-loving. “Ourposition with the U.S.D.A., butexperience with Paul has becomeboth Raymond’s and Mae’s hearts the bright spot in our lives,” addedwere in ministry.G. Raymond Carlson. “It has alsoOne evening as they sat aroundgiven us opportunity to witnesstothe table with Mae’s parents dis- hundredsof people.“zfcussing their circumstances, theyThe years at Thief River Fallsmade up their minds to trust God towere busy and fruitful. “Our livesopen a door of ministry. A few days were wrapped up in our church andlater a letter arrived from Rayour people. Nothing was moremond’s mother. She told them thatimportant,” said Mae Carlson.she had seena notice in the PenteCarlson’s keen senseof humor,costal Evangel of Assemblyof Godcoupled with an extremely highTabernacle in Thief River Falls,code of ethics won him the respectMinnesota, that needed a pastor. of old and young alike. At oneThe next morning Mae was sitting wedding he teasingly told theat the table reading the Bible when groom that the bride had notshe came across the Scripture showed up yet.23passage, “Lovest thou me? FeedA young man named MattDA/G HERITAGE,SUMMER19937

Brusven along with his familybegan attending Assembly of GodTabernacle. Carlson immediatelyrecognizedGod’s call on the youngman’s life and began encouraginghim toward ministry. Matt servedAssembly of God Tabernacle asdeacon and Sunday school superintendent. A building contractor,Matt went on to build a number ofchurchesin the Minnesota District.Today Matt is pastor of a group ofseniors in a large Assemblies ofGod congregation in San Jacinto,California.24From a pastorate inThief River Fallshe was electedMinnesota DistrictSuperintendent.arlson gainedthe respectof hiscolleaguesfrom the beginning.C“I remember the title of the firstsermon he preachedat our fellowship meeting in Bemidji, Minnesota, in 1943,” wrote Waldo Trask.“I have held him in high regard as Ihave had the privilege of knowinghim these past many years. He isseveralyearsyoungerthan I am, yetI have been able to look up to himas I have seen God use him in anumber of offices including Sundayschool director for the MinnesotaDistrict, to his present place asgeneral superintendent of theAssembliesof God.“25John Phillipps, a retired facultymember of North Central BibleCollege, remembers:In the late 1940’s the North Centralborder states(Minnesota, Wisconsin,and Michigan) were embroiled in adoctrinal dispute. The force engineer-Fannie Mae Hall is an editorial assistantfor Gospel Publishing House’s SundaySchool Curriculum.8 A/GHERITAGE,SUMMER1993ing the dispute was called the “NewOrder of the Latter Rain.” The pointof contention was the conferring ofsoiritual aifts in ministry offices uuonindividu& through the laying on ofhands. Frank Lindquist and IvanMiller stood rock solid on theconservative biblical side whilenumerous young pastors contendedfor the aberrant “laying on ofhands.” The Minnesota DistrictCouncil was in real danger of beinnripped apart. In the providence ofGod a vouna oastor from Thief RiverFalls, ‘G. Raymond Carlson, waselected district superintendent. Hiscool head and God-given wisdomguided the district through thistroubled period.26Council in Cleveland, Ohio,Carlson was confronted with adifficult decision. The GeneralPresbytery nominated him forCarlson told of agonizing overhis brethren standing on opposingsidesof this issue.The struggletooka physical toll on him. In oneparticular churchthe pastorand thechurch board were in great conflict.Carlson finally sent them homesince they could not reach anagreement.When Carlson arrived home hecould not sleep.He got up, prayed,and then returnedto bed, exhausted.Suddenly, the Lord dropped thefirst part of Philippians 1:22 intohis heart, “In quietnessand confidence shall be your strength.”The load lifted from his heart.Though the circumstancesdid notchange, he no longer felt overwhelmed by them.27As a district leader Carlsonshowed a personal interest ineveryone,regardlessof their status.He treated each individual withkindnessand respectand seemedtoknow most everyone by name.28election to the office of generaltreasurer.3o“I literally lay on thefloor in my hotel room seekingGod’s direction. I wondered, howcould I know the will of God betterthan these men of God who havenominatedme? Finally, at 3 a.m. Ifelt confident that I should stay inMinnesota. That proved to beGod’s direction. M. B. Netzel waselected to that position and did asplendidjob.31From the beginningof Carlson’stenure asdistrict superintendent,hewas involved in Christian highereducation. North Central BibleInstitute had begunin the basementof the Minneapolis Gospel Tabernaclein 1930and later occupiedtheoppositeend of an old hospitalthathad been purchasedby the districtand refurbished. In fact, NCBI notonly shared facilities with thedistrict offices, but alsooperatedasa part of the Minnesota DistrictCouncil. Every Thursday Carlsontaught a classat NCBI. Frequentlyhe also invited a male quartet thatincluded D.V. Hurst and L.B.Larsen to accompany him as hepreached throughout the district,conducting district business andraising funds for NCBI.Reflecting over his associationwith Carlson during those years,L.B. Larsen said, “He was a manof impeccable integrity. He wasstrong in the Word and he stayedwith the Word.“32A prolific writer, Carlson onceaccepted an assignment for anundated Sunday Schoolpublicationon Romans. Another writer hadfailed to meet an earlier deadlinesoDuring the difficultLatter Rain period hediscovered an importantleadership guide: “Inquietness and confidenceshall be your strength.”Cecil Liddle reported callingCarlson to assistin resolvingsomeissuesthat had stunted the growthof his struggling congregation.Carlson traveled several hundredmiles to assistthe church. His wiseand gentle counsel left both thecongregation and the pastorencouraged.29In 1957, during the GeneralAt the retirementof Frank J. Lindquistin 1961, G. RaymondCarlson was namedpresident ofNorth Central BibleInstitute.Continued on page 31

ccExaZtHis Name Together”The FascinatingMinistry of R.D.E. and Goldie SmithBy Edith Blumhofern Friday evening, August 3 1,1928, the usual crowd congregated at Angelus Temple. Some ofthem knew that a wedding wasscheduled, but others did not. Inthe 192Os, thousands of peoplelooked forward every week to theFriday evening servicesat this bustling Los Angeles church. Built toseat 5,300, the huge theater-likeauditorium often accommodatedmany more. Crowds came whenever the Temple doorswere opened,especially when the Temple’s pastor, Evangelist Aimee SempleMcPherson was in town. The Friday evening service usually had ayouth emphasis. McPhersonknown to thousandsfar and wide as“SisteYorganized Temple youth asFoursquareCrusaders,boundto oneanother, to the Temple and to Godby a solemn covenant, and the Crusaders made it a point to attend0Friday evening services. When theBible schooladjacentto the Templewas in session,studentssometimespreached at the Temple on Fridaynights. But on August 31, 1928,Sister herself took charge.As always, lively band and choirnumbers warmed the crowd longbefore Sisterarrived. At 7:30 sharp,Sister made her entrance down thelong ramp that led from a door atthe top of the secondbalcony to theright side of the platform , and theservice began. A few minutes intothe service, the musicians beganplaying the wedding march and thedoor atop the ramp at the left sideopened. Down the ramp came awedding party-two flower girls,four bridesmaids and Sister’sdaughter, Roberta Semple, as maidof honor. They made their way tothe platform where they stoodamong floral arrangementsunder alarge gold wedding bell in front ofSister while the bride and groomrepeated their vows. The bride,Goldie Schmidt, was 16; the groom,Riley Donald Everett Smith, was20.A few minutes later, the bridalparty left. Sister continued withthe service, and the newlywedsthanks in part to the generosity of aTemple member who gave them lO-left for a honeymoon weekend at a cottage on Santa Monicabeach. That was 65 years ago thissummer. In the years since, R. D.E. and Goldie Smith have proventhe sincerity ofthe vows they madeto one anotherand to God that nightat Angelus Temple. First in theInternational Church of the Foursquare Gospel, then in theAssemblies of God, they have unselfishly devoted themselves toserving God and others.R. D. E. Smith was born inRedding, California on October 5,1907. His family roots were inEnglish Quakerism; according tofamily lore, the Smiths migrated toPennsylvania with William Penn,A/GHERITAGE.SUMMER19939

and each generation since has produced ministers. Although hisparents were Christians, R. D. E.Smith was not converteduntil 1925.By that time, his family lived inSan Jose, and they worshiped atFirst Baptist Church, a congregation that had been transformed in1922 by a visit from EvangelistAimee Semple McPherson. R. D.E. and his brother, Frank, wereworking away from home that summer. One weekend, Frank visitedFrank Smith wasconverted and thenled his brotherR.D.E. to the Lord.their parents, who took him tochurch. That Sunday night, he wasconverted, and when he returned tohisjob, he led his brother to Christ.On their next visit home, the brothers received the baptism with theHoly Spirit. Given both their heritage and the current state of affairsat First Baptist in San Jose,it is notsurprising that the Smith brothersand their sister, Shirley, felt calledinto the ministry.The three Smiths were among agroup of young people who feltthat call and moved to Los Angelesfrom San Jose in the late 1920s toprepare at Angelus Temple’s Bibleschool (known as L.I.F.E.). Theschool was not traditional by anystandards even as a Bible school.Rather, it was part of Sister’s thriving hub and her hope for the future.She intended to use the school totrain “on-fire” evangelists,men andwomen molded in the fervor of theongoingrevival that shealways saidhad flourished at the

KATHRYN KUHLMAN 16 20 Don’t Call Me a Faith Healer. An excerpt from a new biography Kathryn Kuhlrnan, The Woman Behind the Miracles. By Wayne Warner “COME UNTO ME” A Heritage focus on the Hjalmer Krans family. DONALD GEE 24 21 An excerpt from a new book Pentecostal Experience, The Writings of Donald Gee. Compiled by David A. Womack