The epic cartoon "KILROY WAS HERE" was a famous
logo every WWII veteran remembers;
not meaning to plagiarize, the flip side of "Kilroy Was Here",
I can say "ROY WAS THERE."
I was there .... I know both sides of the story. The 1950 split started when G.B. Vick tried to fire Louis Entzminger. When Entzminger came to Norris saying that Vick fired him, Norris was not going to have that, no way.
Entzminger had been with Norris from the very beginning ... thru thick and thin ... 40 years .... he helped Norris "blaze the trail" and was Norris' best friend who had always been loyal and a decent man. Because of Entzminger's age (75+ at the time), Vick wanted to kick Entzminger out the front door ..... so who do you think Norris is going to side with?
Norris confronted Vick, and it made Vick mad. Dr. Norris was in tears over this, was accused of being a dictator just because he wanted to keep his old buddy around. .... But it was Entzminger who started the seminary .... it was Entzminger who helped Norris build two churches .... it was Entzminger, who helped knock on doors for years and years. Norris was the guiding force behind the success of Temple Baptist Church ...... so, for someone who was mentored by Norris, G. B. Vick should have known better than to fire Louis Entzminger. Norris needs to be commended for standing up for his friend, an elderly man who deserved respect.
Vick, being associate pastor of Temple Baptist was indeed there for about 15 years, 24/7, and won the confidence of his congregation. Naturally they would take Vick's word. I'm sure Vick had a different story, because no one would admit they disrespect the elderly. But instead of befriending Entzminger, he was too eager to get rid of him. Vick could have learned a lesson from our 90 year old veterans .... if he had, the 1950 split would not have happened.
Bear in mind that it was the supporters of G. B. Vick who stormed into Norris' First Baptist church of Fort Worth ... and made demands beyond all sense of reasonableness. If the firing of J Frank Norris from Temple was legitimate, why would it's deacons not give Norris a hearing before Tempe's 3000 people? He was not allowed to do so. Norris was not allowed any hearing before the church, just the deacons. It is really sad when the church members are not allowed to hear both sides of the story.
As in his ministry, J. Frank Norris was always in the right ... fighting for what is right ... standing up for a friend.
P.S. In a future date, I will write a paper on that episode of WWII's ......
"KILROY WAS HERE."
~ Roy Falls
