The War Generations

I am 56 years old and can remember back....

Civil War Generation - Only through research
World War I Generation - My Great Grandmothers
World War II Generation - My Grandmothers

And with my religion...

The Methodist - Were at their best during the Civil War Generation
The Pentecostal Holiness -Were at their best during the World War generations

The Pentecostal Holiness arose from the Methodist church of the 1800's and the methods of service were exactly like the Methodist of that time. It would be nice to go back in time and sit with the old timers at the Merrimac Pentecostal Holiness church. Old Evans Linkous used to sit on the front pew and weep like a baby. And if he looked back to catch the amazed look in my eye he would weep, "The Holy Ghost! The Holy Ghost!" And point to all the souls blessed around the altar. To the old timers the religion was accompanied with a, "Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory!" You can hear Dallas shouting in the background in the video below. Dallas, Evans, and the singer, Preacher Vaught, have all moved on to Glory.

The revival type atmosphere died away with the old World War II generation. In its war generation I would have labeled the Methodist and Pentecostal superior. I am not saying these denominations are not Christian, backslidden, or apostate, what I am saying is that we do not have the same spirit that carried us through decades ago. I cannot say these denominations are now superior now the war generation have moved on to glory.

 

Which is why I am not a big fan of church doctrine. It has amazed me to see the change of character in generations, all under the same doctrine. The doctrine I thought superior didn’t inhibit the changes a new generation would bring.

 

At age 14, J Vernon McGee lost his dad to a cotton gin accident and his mother moved him and his sister to Nashville, Tennessee. I was listening to J Vernon McGee preach on the virtuous woman this afternoon. He recalls never waking up to find his mother in bed. I had to recall my grandmother and great grandmother, of World War generation, as they too were very well to do ladies.