From In the Nick of Time Reflections on the 96th Annual Meetiing of the FBFI

Eyewitness account from a pastor present at the first meeting (from the July 10, 1920 Evangel):

June 22nd, 1920​

...At a meeting attended by thousands last night, Cortland Myers, of the Tremont Temple, Boston, said this: "We serve notice on you fellows from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast, that we are not going to stand this thing any longer. You have got to get rid of your Inter-Church and World-Wide programme; your board of Promotion and some of your preachers and missionaries who are giving out anything but God's truth and you must call in that Baptist paper, or we will draw out. We believe that Jesus Christ is coming and He may come tonight."

He got that far when the wildest demonstration that I ever witnessed in my life took place. Shouts of "Praise God, Amen." The great audience arose to their feet: some threw their hats in the air; they clapped and shouted...

June 28th.​

We have had a wonderful convention. It was glorious the way God moved. The big denomination is now divided into two factions, called by outsiders, "The Conservatives" and the "Liberals." The real truth is, the so-called Conservatives are the men and women who stand for the Blessed Word of God and who are looking for the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For hours and hours we held our place in the convention contending in the power of the Spirit "for the faith once delivered unto the saints."

At a committee meeting (this I know) one minister got up, and with anger and hate in his voice said, "I do not believe in the fall of man, I do not believe in the Divinity of Christ, I do not believe in this blood religion; Jesus Christ never died to save anyone. I do not believe in the literal resurrection."

One of the Pastors shouted, "In God's name, what do you preach?" "O," he said, "I preach morality."

You could hardly believe how shamefully some of these ministers acted. But to the glory of Jesus, let me say, the men and women who were contending tor the faith manifested the sweet Spirit of Jesus.

For a while God just held things in that convention and many a victory was won. We Voted out the Inter-Church Movement. We buried the "Baptist," the liberal paper supposed to set forth Baptist principles; carried the vote to clean up the theological schools; let down all the bars to women, giving them a fair chance to preach the Gospel if they were called. But, the big board of Promotion that started the World-Wide Movement, we could not dispose of, and the Lord seemed to lead in our stopping at that point and call for a division of the house. Glory to God, it was just wonderful. Hundreds of Godly pastors who stand for the Word and are looking for the Coming of Jesus have taken a clear-cut stand, Amen!

Dr. Riley, A. C. Dixon, Massie and others spent one whole night on their knees praying over this. O, if they knew Pentecost! I praise Jesus for this truth which satisfies the soul. Hallelujah! I'm "one of them."

Mae E. Fry.