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1945-1955 1956-1957 1958 1962-1963
1945 Dr. and Mrs. John Read began a Dr. John Reed suffered a heart attack 1958, George Warrington met with Supreme Court decisions banning
Bible teaching and reading program in and went home to be with the Lord Oliver Price, director of the Okla- prayer and devotional exercises in
Oklahoma homa branch of Bible Lovers League
Mrs. John Reed went to be with the school necessitated changes in school
Lord a year later The Lord prepared the way, and ministry
George became a field missionary A Bible history course was begun.
with the League.
CBM Ministries of the
Far right: George and Donna Warrington
Below George checks students‘ memory verses
Great Southwest, Inc.
―Reaching the next generation for Christ . . . one child at a time‖
Released Time Bible class ministry in Oklahoma and Missouri
New Beginnings (1945 – 1961)
ollowing many years of fruitful ministry in the pastorate, 1985
Indian mission work, and with university students, Dr. and
F Mrs. John Read began a Bible teaching and reading program possibility of continuing the work begun by the Reads. The Lord
prepared the way, and George became a field missionary with the
in 1945. Many would have considered retiring from active service, League.
but the Reads, like Caleb, boldly ―claimed a mountain for God.‖
With a letter of introduction from the county superintendent, they
soon made appointments in eight rural schools where they taught Challenges (1962 – 1991)
Bible lessons and distributed Scriptures through the Bible Lovers
League of Dallas, Texas.
Within a few years, the Reads were reaching thousands of chil- he 1962-63 Supreme Court decisions banning prayer and
dren in 40 rural and consolidated schools in Oklahoma, eventually devotional exercises in school necessitated changes in
extending their ministry to over 100 schools in six counties in T school ministry. Audible prayer, singing, and Scripture
Oklahoma and Arkansas. memorization drills were discontinued, and a Bible history course
Classes were held in classrooms or auditoriums and consisted of was begun.
prayer, singing, Scripture memorization, and a Bible lesson. Under Bible lessons were taught objectively as part of a secular pro-
the ―Read the Bible for a Bible‖ plan, students earned a New Tes- gram of education. Attendance was voluntary and children were
tament when they read the four Gospels, and a Bible when they not permitted to read a Bible, to earn one, without parental ap-
completed the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. proval. Classes were limited to schools in which the administra-
The Reads ministered for 13 years before Dr. Read suffered a tion was receptive.
heart attack in 1956, and went to be with the Lord. His wife died a
year later. The total number of schools declined due to consolidation or cau-
In late 1958, George Warrington met with Oliver Price, director tion on the part of school officials, resulting from the Supreme
of the Oklahoma branch of Bible Lovers League to discuss the Court rulings.
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