J. Frank Norris may be the most influential fundamentalist leader that almost no one has heard about. In his day, he was a shoe-in to lead the fundamentalist movement after the passing of the great William Jennings Bryan of Scopes Trial fame. Norris was the fiery, fundamentalist pastor of Fort Worth’s largest church. He boasted the largest Sunday School in the world and had his own newspaper and radio station. His flamboyant preaching style and knack for publicity stunts and marketing, were being emulated by countless fundamentalist pastors around the country.
It was the 1920s and the fundamentalist movement was nearly at its peak. J. Frank Norris was already one of the most influential leaders in Evangelical Christianity as a whole. But then something happened in July, 1926, which would change everything. Norris shot an unarmed man in his church office, and that story rocked the country.
The events leading up to this incident, and the incredible murder trial which followed, are the focus of a new book by David R. Stokes, published by Steerforth Press and distributed by Random House. Stokes tells the J. Frank Norris story of his upbringing in a small Texas town, his education and early ministry. He tells the story of Norris’ time as pastor of First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, and his separation from the Southern Baptist denomination.
Stokes tells more than just Norris’ story, he tells the story of early Fort Worth and its leading citizens: mayor H.C. Meacham, newspaper mogul Amon G. Carter, and the unfortunate Dexter Chipps, who perished in Norris’ office that summer day in 1926. He describes the waning influence of the Ku Klux Klan, whose local leader was an influential member in Norris’ church. Stokes also surveys Texas Politics of the 1920s and the big influence J. Frank Norris held through his radio station and newspaper. The story of fundamentalism and the Scopes Trial is also explored, as he sets the table for the fast-paced and moving account of the murder trial of J. Frank Norris.
Stokes tells this story in the words of the newspapers, and personal remembrances of the day. One can tell he spent countless hours pouring over microfiche and personal correspondence in preparation for this book. The tale reads like a legal thriller, yet everything is true to life. Sometimes, it seems, life is stranger than fiction.
Ultimately acquitted, Norris lost the battle of public opinion. And his influence in Christianity and fundamentalism, began to decline. Norris’ years after the murder trial are only briefly recounted, as the book focuses more on the murder trial itself.
I found Stokes’ treatment of this charged story to be evenhanded and fair. Stokes, a minister himself, shows no favoritism for Norris’ side of the story, nor does he partake in fundamentalist-bashing, although this story would certainly afford the perfect opportunity to cast stones. He doesn’t step up and comment on what he thinks really happened or opine on how horrid Norris’ pastoral example was. Instead he captures the spirit of the man J. Frank Norris, and presents us with the facts as revealed in the trial.
What exactly happened in Norris’ office that day in 1926? We may never know. But the story of J. Frank Norris’ murder trial has had far-reaching impact. His acquittal allowed him to continue to influence the next generation of fundamentalist leaders, and yet the trial certainly tarnished the image of fundamentalist Christianity.
As one who was raised a fundamentalist of Norris’ ilk, who has been in churches founded by Temple Baptist Church of Detroit, which Norris pastored for a time (while at the same time still pastoring in Fort Worth), the tale of Norris is cautionary. His ideals were very man-centered and the emphasis in his ministry was on self-promotion and effort. Norris achieved the notoriety he desired, and even influenced many to follow Jesus Christ. But one has to wonder if the methods he used, while perhaps not murderous, have nevertheless afflicted fundamentalism with a deadly case of man-centered mania. Men like Jack Hyles and even Bob Jones, Sr. took pages from Norris’ book as they lead their ministries in an egotistical fashion prizing loyalty from their followers, and advancing the cause through self-promotion and human-centered means.
Norris offers an example of how not to lead a church. And for fundamentalists today who are in a season of reformation and renewal, this book will prove to be a text-book example of where fundamentalism went wrong. I hope this book achieves a wide circulation, as the sad story it tells may serve to spur on further reformation and reflection by evangelical and fundamentalist Christians everywhere.
Pick up a copy of The Shooting Salvationist: J. Frank Norris and The Murder Trial that Captivated America. You won’t find a more fascinating and captivating true story anywhere.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by SteerForth Press via the Amazon Vine Reviewers program. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
You can purchase a copy of this book from Amazon.com, or Random House or SteerForth Press.
After thoroughly enjoying the story, I also was fascinated by the epilogue, in which Stokes summarizes how Norris’ trajectory changed in the wake of the trial. He may have continued to be hard to work with, but he switched his conspiracy theorist-oriented anti-Catholicism for anti-Communism, even affirming the Roman Catholic Church as his ally in the fight against Communism. He also tended to leave the local leaders to their own devices, and quit stirring up quite as much of the same kind of trouble that led to his eventual murder charge.
When Stokes had his book signing at the Fort Worth Barnes and Noble, two blocks from the site of Norris’ office, I asked him if he had plans to expand on the story in the epilogue in the future. He said he had no plans, but I hope that the seed I planted takes root and bears fruit some day in a follow up volume.
As an aside, just to drop more names, I thought I’d share the fate of one of Norris/Vick’s successors at Temple Baptist Church in Detroit, Dr. A. V. Henderson. He apparently pastored Temple in the late seventies or early eighties, but my former IFB pastor attended the Christian school run by Henderson’s church in Arlington, TX in the latter half of the eighties. After that young man, who shall remain nameless, grew up, he was called to take the pastorate of the church his father pastored before him until he fell into ill health and was honored with the Pastor Emeritus position. A few years after that, Dr. Henderson retired from his Arlington church, which went on to go contemporary in the nineties, which eventually drove him to seek greener pastures among us. He, too, was named Pastor Emeritus of this church by his former Christian school student, who in many ways explicitly patterns his ministry and leadership style (if you know what I mean) after Norris. I’m no longer a member of this church, but I recently heard from another former member who left after I did, that this young pastor had recently declared that he was the “reincarnation of J. Frank Norris” (sigh!)
Anyway, during Dr. Henderson’s time among this church, his spunky, but charming wife, Pat, died, and he found his second wife among the “senior saints” in our church–but this is now after my family’s departure from the church.
As Stokes points out in The Shooting Salvationist, Norris’ staff had quite a turnover because he was such a hard man to work for. In like manner, Norris’ 21st century “incarnation” followed suit by responding to the venerable Dr. Henderson’s critique of his preaching style by firing him on the spot! Dr. Henderson’s new step-daughter reports that in a conference held in the wake of this unfortunate turn of events, the young Norrisite explained (in part, I assume): “No one criticizes my preaching!”
Yes, the legacy of Norris lives on!
P.S.–Naturally, Dr. Henderson moved on to another local church. But it’s just as well, because since his departure, our beloved young Norrisite has commenced to incorporate a more blended/contemporary style as well.
It is interesting that both Norris’ Ft Worth and Detroit churches have gone “contemporary.” Guess his legacy for fundamental”ism” didn’t stick in his churches.
Well, most of the IFB churches in the D/FW area have gone contemporary/blended. There are plenty of “old fashioned” ones, and a few extremist ones, but by and large, fairly moderate, regardless of music style.
Two indications of just how moderate Norris’ school, Arlington Baptist College, has become and hence many of the churches: (No, wait! Three…)
1) Grammy-winning CCM/Black Gospel artist, Kirk Franklin attended there “way back when”;
2) The last time I attended a youth conference with this church I’ve been telling on, it was MC’d by a Rick Warren like worship leader with the Hawaiian shirt thing going. And we sang what I call P&W (Praise & Worship) choruses from the screen;
3)Ergun Caner, formerly President of Liberty University’s seminary or something like that, is now a Dean/VP/teacher at Arlington Baptist College, beginning his first semester just this Fall.
Wow! Ergun Caner is now on staff at Arlington?!?!? Wow. I was looking at that school a bit back in the day….
I think with southern IFB churches, many of them were just fine with Southern Gospel style music, so the slide to CCM isn’t that far.
Thanks for sharing your insights to the book, too, John. It’s neat you put that bug in David Stokes’ ear. You hailing from Ft. Worth and all.
Funny how the emphases changed to where the former anti-Catholic extraordinaire would actually meet the pope and be excited about it….
I too read the book on J. Frank Norris.
One item to mention that might help bring some biblical clarity is the well documented Norris’ slander and innuendo against non-Christians through the use of radio and print. It was not occasional, but continual and voluminous.
He used it against Christians too – and that also is documented – but Norris was despised by many non-Christians because of his public slander and deception against them in order to attain his goals
Since Christ, who speaks through Scripture, does not allow a man to serve in leadership unless he “be well thought of by outsiders” (1 Timothy 3:7), it is obvious that Norris ministered in a time and place where godly men were lacking.
When viewed from this perspective the matter of Norris being acquitted for murder by a jury of men is far less significant than the author makes it out to be. What is important for Christians living today is to understand God’s assessment for what comprises godliness in leadership. Sadly, the author fails to bring this out, leaving the book an historical chronicle and little else. It falls short, IMO, of providing the reader with anything truly redeeming.
Norris’ story is all so, well, sad. The end.
So let’s gain some wisdom from it all. Can good fruit come from a bad tree?
Excellent thoughts, Ted. I agree there’s more to get from the story when you add it with Scriptural reasoning and Christian application.
Does all this mean that I should reconsider resigning my membership of the reform baptist church I have been attending and not join the fundamental baptist church I have visited on occasion? Perhaps I have been running into all the exceptions and anomalies, but the fundamentalists that I have met are some of the kindest, warmest, most gracious and unassuming people I’ve met. Maybe I missed something somewhere.
I must have missed the boat regarding Bob Jones Sr. too. In all the sermons that I’ve heard him preach I was not able to note anything self-promoting, egotistical or man-centered in them. I guess I’d better start paying better attention.
But I wonder if there are any planks that we in the reform camp need to be removing out of our eyes.
Are there any teaching another doctrine of justification? Are there any using justification altering terms in their teaching such as “future grace”, or “future justification”, or “final salvation”? Is there any compromise. Are there any having “Christian” fellowship or declaring Christian unity with Roman Catholic priests. Are there any allowing R.C. priests to preach to their sheep from their own reform pulpits on the Lord’s Day. Has worldliness come into our camp like a flood? Or practical, if not doctrinal, antinomianism?
With all this, I wonder if our vision here in the reform camp is clear enough to remove the specs and planks from the eyes of fundamentalism.
The church of Jesus Christ in America is in sore need of revival, Do we pray for that? I am truly sorry to have to say that the attitudes in this thread are indicative of her need of it. (revival)