HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_013628.jpg

Bible Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma. The pastor’s witness of the Holy Ghost acting
through his life was his personal cure, by transformative Grace, of a triad of self-
destructively sinful addictions: alcohol, gambling and promiscuity. Self-chosen and
self-declared, he now served this two and a half year old growing congregation of
over 200, mostly young, working families. The young men in attendance at the
warehouse church were in shirts and ties, very unlike the more casual garments of
even dressy occasions in Southern California at that time. Women were dressed
simply and modestly. Most of the children were in Sunday school in a small
neighboring store in the strip mall during the adult service. The few that
accompanied their parents were remarkably well behaved I was told that most
families tithed 10% of their income. They quoted Hebrews, “...king of the
righteous...to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all....” They believed that
their tithe would be returned manifold and the yellow Cadillac Deville served as
Pastor Carl Austin’s personal evidence. From these funds, the congregation
supported the pastor, his car, the rental expenses of the Sunday warehouse church
and an orphanage in a small Mexican border town. Some of these children, several
neurologically disabled, were bussed to the Sunday service for healing. They sat
together in a section in the front of the congregation and were the beneficiaries of
the second Sunday collection plate, passed around after the first one that was
designated for the church and its pastor.

The first Sunday sermon I heard in the warehouse followed several awkward
minutes of Pastor-directed warm up hugs of neighboring strangers while the choir
sang hymns. The songs were accompanied by instruments playing the melody in
unison sans harmony, and accented by the beats of two loud drums. As the volume
and pace of singing increased, I saw several episodes of ecstatic looks and fainting,
dying in the Lord and shouts of praise with upraised hands. The intermittent
elevation of the hands during prayer and song appeared to be spontaneous. I was
told that the arms were up as antennae, feeling the energy of Lord all around us.
The pastor’s topic was forgiveness. From Ephesians, “...let all bitterness, wrath,
anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, along with all malice... be
kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ

128

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_013628