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The First Voice - Section 4






A Dream Come True. - Lee Braxton

Lee Braxton is Vice-President of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International; Mayor of Whiteville, North Carolina; Chairman of the Board, First National Bank; President of Braxton Enterprises; Vice-President Radio Station WENC; President Citizens Auto Finance Company; Owner Columbus Finance Company; Vice-President Braxton-Warren Company; President Braxton Motor Sales, Inc. President Braxton Auto Parts, Inc.; Chairman Public Library Board; Chairman Columbus County Development Committee; Member Legislative Committee, "North Carolina League of Municipalities; Member Executive Committee, 279th District Rotary International; National Director Oral Roberts Coast-to-Coast Radio Broadcast; Director Whiteville Merchants Association and Chamber of Commerce; Director North Carolina Merchants Association.

In October 1951 about two hundred businessmen and guests met for breakfast in Los Angeles to discuss the organization of a Fellowship of Full Gospel business and professional men. Then a month later another meeting was held in Fresno, California at which time our name was adopted and officers elected.

What is the motive and purpose behind this organization? You might ask are we not already overorganized in America today? Will this organization duplicate any other? How will we function? These are logical questions and have been considered, also many more, and I’m sure some of the answers will be found along the way as we fulfill our mission and get more experience on the firing line.

Business and professional men are needed to help extend Christ’s kingdom. Too long many of us have been busy making our own success in life, and in many cases we have not been given the opportunity to serve our church or the cause of Christianity in the way we could serve best, and we hope to do this through the Fellowship.

Business men need the fellowship of other business men. They speak each other’s language, and while this is not a social organization, I feel it will serve a good purpose in providing an opportunity for fellowship between those of like faith and similar economic standing.

There is strength in unity and numbers, and many times a business man’s advice and influence is needed, and more valuable than any contribution he might make in the terms of money. I think we should make this point clear in the beginning that this is not a money-raising, or giving organization, while some of both may be done in a proper manner as circumstances may dictate, but this is not the primary purpose.

I’ll give an example where our organization might have rendered a valuable service to our cause. A Full Gospel Church has been denied a building permit for a place of worship, and it appears that it is based on prejudice against the Full Gospel. This is too much of a fight for a small struggling congregation. However, we must remember this restraining order, if allowed to go uncontested, might soon spread into persecution of other Full Gospel congregations, that cannot defend themselves. Our organization, with our experienced men and legal advisers, could pretty soon straighten a thing like this out, and other matters which might effect and hinder the Full Gospel in general.

There will be many opportunities for our organization to render valuable service. It might be in foreign mission fields, it might be educational or financial, but I’m sure an open door awaits us to do our part in the upbuilding of God’s kingdom and the spread of The Full Gospel.