When I was in school, I had Carl Spain as a professor. Admittedly, he seemed to be riding out the years he had left until retirement. The classes I had were enjoyable enough, but they mainly consisted of him telling stories about his ministry.

There was a story he didn’t tell us. It happened 50 years ago, on February 24, 1960. Dr. Spain was a popular preacher, holding meetings across the country. He was invited to give one of the main addresses at the Abilene Christian College Lectureship. The ACU website describes the lecture as follows:

At Lectureship, Bible professor Carl Spain gave a lecture entitled “Modern Challenges to Christian Morals.” Word spread that his lecture would concern the issue of integration. When Spain spoke on February 24 in Sewell Auditorium there was standing room only and, for the first time in Lectureship history, the Associated Press carried a daily story.

This was 3 years before Martin Luther King led the march on Washington. Spain’s words sound racist today, but they were courageous in their day. Here are a couple of quotes:

” … I feel certain Jesus would say: ‘Ye hypocrites! You say you are the only true Christians, and make up the only true church, and have the only Christian schools. Yet, you drive out one of your own preachers [from your school] because the color of his skin is dark!”

“We fear the mythical character named Jim Crow more than we reverence Jesus Christ.”

This act of valor virtually ruined Spain’s preaching career. Churches canceled the meetings he was scheduled to preach. Anonymous letters and phone calls made threats on Spain’s life. His own brothers in Christ made his life a nightmare.

The Carl Spain I had in class was a pleasant, godly man. Only later did I learn of his courageous words and the high cost he paid for delivering them.

You can read the text of Spain’s lecture on the ACU website.