The American Baptist Publication Society chapel cars on the western frontier of faith

Baptist History and Heritage, Summer-Fall, 2003 by Wilma Rugh Taylor, Norman Thomas Taylor

The huge Geneva Steel Plant at Orem presented unique problems for Grace missionaries, Mary and Howard Parry. Their work was hampered by trailer camp life, long working hours for the plant employees, and the workers' hesitancy to be involved in church work because of the likelihood of the plant dosing. Yet the real problem, Parry wrote, was "the native Mormons frankly are antagonistic toward the defense workers as you can well understand in as much as this is ZION, their promised land." (35)

Parry kept a diary during his ministry, and on Tuesday, June 6, 1943, he printed in his diary in bold, foretelling letters "INVASION. LANDED 3:32 A.M. U.S. TIME. NORMANDY COAST." (36)

After the war, the Geneva Steel Plant dosed its operations, and hundreds of employees set out to find other jobs and other homes. Grace's pews were empty, and the Parrys knew that the frontier for the chapel car had faded. Only Messenger of Peace was still serving in a defense project in upper Washington State. Grace was retired to a place of honor at the American Baptist Assembly at Green Lake, Wisconsin, where it continues to serve as a memorial to the chapel car ministry. (37)

Conclusion

Paul Pearson, dean of the school of world missions at Fuller Theological Seminary, wrote in a Baptist Press article, December 1990, "In every age and era as societies change throughout history, God raises up new forms of the church, but there must be pioneer spirits who hear God's call, dream larger dreams--and step out in faith to answer that call." (38) In their beginning, the chapel cars were the fastest, most exciting, state-of-the-art, high-tech way "to go." Although the end of the line for the chapel cars came, thousands of railroad communities had received the gospel. (39)

Author's note: Wilma Rugh Taylor and Norman Thomas Taylor traveled over 30,000 miles following the routes of the chapel cars and conducting research for their book, This Train Is Bound for Glory: The Story of America's Chapel Cars (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1999). In addition, Norman is restoring the last of the chapel cars, Grace, at Green Lake, Wisconsin.

(1.) For more information on the Episcopal and Catholic chapel cars, see Wilma Rugh Taylor and Norman Thomas Taylor, This Train Is Bound for Glory: The Story of America's chapel Cars (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1999).

(2.) "The Chapel Car Evangel," Scrapbook, "Merry Christmas," The American Baptist Historical Society, Valley Forge, Pa., in Taylor, This Train Is Bound for Glory, 41.

(3.) "Anniversary of the American Baptist Publication Society, 1895," an address by Donald D. MacLaurin, American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia, 49, in ibid., 108.

(4.) "Report of the American Baptist Publication Society, 1892," 38, in ibid., 42.

(5.) "Baptist Church Organized," The Everett Times, 20 April 1992, in ibid., 45.

(6.) "Anniversary Report of the ABPS, 1901," Springfield, Mass., 48, in ibid.

(7.) Sophie Bronson, "A Day with Glad Tidings," Missions (January 1911): 23-25, in ibid., 118-19.