Louis Entzminger

Louis Entzminger was born on a farm near Columbia, South Carolina on June 28, 1874.  While growing up in a home of a country preacher, he attended public school and worked in a turpentine camp.  At the age of 12, he was converted while attending a brush arbor meeting with his cousin.

As a young adult, he married his wife Ada and moved to Florida where he found himself again working in a turpentine camp.  It was at this time he organized his first Sunday school comprised of the 100 black employees at the camp.

He later left the turpentine business and began conducting Sunday school campaigns in the South.  When his ability to organize and build Sunday schools became known, in 1909, he was asked by the State Baptist Convention of Florida, to become the first State Secretary of Sunday School.  In 1912 the Association of Baptist in Kentucky asked that he move to Kentucky to be the Secretary of Sunday School work.

On July 9, 1913, he received the following telegram from J. Frank Norris, "Will you consider coming as the superintendent of the First Baptist Church Sunday School in Fort Worth to build the largest Sunday school in the world . . ?"  He arrived in Fort Worth two weeks later during a time of great turmoil.  The church had been destroyed by fire and the congregation was scattered.  Entzminger remarked on many occasions that the "razor blades were flying a thousand feet high" around J. Frank Norris.  Soon after his arrival, he began to implement his "Seven Essentials of Sunday School Growth".  He divided the multitudes into small classes for Bible instruction and substitute a "Bible only" curriculum in place of the then accepted International Uniform Lesson.  The Sunday school began to grow and surpassed 750 in attendance.  By the time he left First Baptist Church in 1917 to become an instructor in practical Sunday school work at Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, the Sunday school had a high attendance of 1,300.

Seven Essentials for Sunday School Growth

1.  The organization must be increased in advance of the growth in attendance.

2.  A system of records must be kept.

3.  There must be weekly meetings of Sunday School teachers and workers.

4.  There must be concerted weekly visitation of the prospects, absentees and the lost.

5.  The spirit of unselfish cooperation must be created and sustained.

6.  The plan must be understood and endorsed by all.

7.  Soul-winning must characterize the workers throughout the school.

During his ministry he pastored First Baptist Church in Lakeland, Florida (1918-20); First Baptist Church in New Orleans, Louisiana (1920-24); First Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas (circa 1925); a church in St. Petersburg, Florida (1928); First Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas (1931); Tabernacle Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas (1931); Grace Baptist Church in Houston, Texas (1934); co-pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan (1935); founded Berean Baptist Church in Houston, Texas (1937); Fundamental Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas (1939); First Baptist Church in Houston, Texas (1939); and co-pastor of First Baptist Church in Fort Worth , Texas(1939).

The first session of the Pre-Millennial Bible Conference was held on November, 1931.  These conferences were developed to provide concentrated pastoral training, encouragement, challenge and teaching in the truth of God's Word.  Entzminger became the first superintendent.  Out of these early Bible training efforts, the Fundamental Baptist Bible Institute was established on March 3, 1939. 

The first classes were held in the upper room of First Baptist Church in Fort Worth where J. Frank Norris was the pastor.  The curriculum was expanded from the Bible conferences and the length of the term was changed to eight months plus a two-month summer term.

Every morning Dr. Entzminger     would lead his class is singing: I'm glad salvation's free; I'm glad salvation's free; Salvation's free, for you and me, I'm glad salvation's free.

Entzminger and Dr. J. Frank Norris established the World Fundamental Baptist Missionary Fellowship in 1938.  Entzminger was elected the first president.

In 1939, Louis Entzminger held the following positions simultaneously:

                 Pastor of First Baptist Church in Houston

                 Pastor of Fundamental Baptist Church in San Antonio

                 Co-pastor of First Baptist Church of Fort Worth

                 President of the World Fundamental Baptist Missionary Fellowship

                 President of Fundamental Baptist Bible Institute

                 Editor of the Berean Banner

He authored 17 books and many pamphlets.  Inscribed in the book The Sunday School Transformed, "Dedicated to the officers and teachers of the First Baptist Sunday School of Fort Worth, Texas who through four years, prayerfully and sympathetically co-operated with me in the working out of many of these plans and methods." -- Louis Entzminger

During the time period from 1920 to 1940, Entzminger had a role in building 25 of the largest Sunday schools in the world.  He held many Sunday school campaigns for T. T. Shields in Toronto, Canada and W. B. Riley in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  In the introduction of the book "How to Organize and Administer a Great Sunday School", W. B. Riley stated, "Dr. Louis Entzminger I regard as the greatest Sunday School man on the American Continent.  I have reached this opinion after close observation of his work on other fields, and after two extended engagements of Mr. Entzminger in my own church and Sunday School.  It has long been my opinion that his exceptional talents should be devoted entirely to the important work of Sunday School teaching, organization and administration."

The following statement was made after holding a revival at the Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, "Perhaps the most unusual method used by any of the evangelists was that employed by Louis Entzminger.  More visiting was done during this revival than was ever before experienced by the church.  On the regular Tuesday visitation day nearly eight hundred visits were made."  Many churches today are still using the "Entzminger Record Keeping System" in their Sunday schools. 

After a long illness, his beloved wife died on April 20, 1945.  Her funeral service was conducted by Dr. J. Frank Norris at First Baptist Church of Fort Worth.

In 1952, due to Dr. Norris' physical condition, he again became the Sunday School Superintendent at First Baptist Church of Fort Worth. 

This resolution was passed by the Bible Baptist Seminary on December 17, 1952:  "Whereas Dr. Louis Entzminger, Founder of the Bible Baptist Seminary, has served faithfully since its inception as President, Dean and Teacher.  Be it resolved that Dr. Louis Entzminger be known as Founder and Dean Emeritus for life, and be relieved from all active duties only as he sees fit to serve."

This soldier of the Gospel died on September 24, 1958.  His funeral was conducted by Rev. Pat Powell on September 25 in the horse stable/classroom of the Bible Baptist Seminary in Arlington, Texas.  He was buried at the Greenwood Cemetery in Fort Worth.

                                "Life's race well run, life's work well done, life's crown well won...now comes rest."

 

1909-1910 - Became the first Sunday School Secretary for the State Baptist Convention of Florida

1911-1913 - Moved to Louisville, Kentucky to become the Secretary of Sunday School of the Association of

Baptists in Kentucky

1912 - General Secretary of the Kentucky Baptist Association

            Elected Second Vice President of the Federal Sunday School Association

            Field Representative of the Baptist State Board

1913 - General Secretary of the Kentucky Baptist Association

            Assumed the position of Sunday School Superintendent at First Baptist Church of Fort Worth

1915 - Elected the First Vice President of the Sunday School of the General Pastors' Association of Fort Worth

1916- President of the City Council of Sunday School Executives of Fort Worth

1917 - Began teaching classes in practical Sunday school work at Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth

1918 - President and manager of the Lake Worth Summer Encampment located in Fort Worth

            Became Sunday School Superintendent of First Baptist Church of Fort Worth

            Appointed as National Field Commissioner of the National Boy Scout Movement

1918-1920 - Pastor the First Baptist Church of Lakeland, Florida

1920-1924 - Pastor of First Baptist Church of New Orleans, Louisiana

1923 - One of the main speakers at the Baptist Bible Union of America held in Kansas City, Kansas

1924 - Involved strictly in evangelistic work

1925 - The Sunday School Transformed published by the Sunday School Times Company in Philadelphia

            Pastor of First Baptist Church of Hot Springs, Arkansas

1927 - Director of the Longwood Missionary Fellowship in Longwood, Florida         

1928 - Became pastor of a church in St. Petersburg, Florida

            Received an honorary degree from a seminary in Los Angeles, California

            Joined the staff of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth

1931 - Pastor of First Baptist Church of Little Rock, Arkansas

            Elected Secretary of the Pre-Millennial Bible Conference

            Became pastor of Fundamentalist Baptist Tabernacle which became Tabernacle Baptist of San Antonio,

1932 - President of the Southwestern Premillenial Bible School

1933 - Head of the Texas Pre-Millennial Bible Association

1934 - Called to pastor the Grace Baptist Church in Houston, Texas

            Preached over KTRH radio everyday

1935 - Co-pastor of Temple Baptist Church of Detroit, Michigan

 

1936 - New and Startling Facts About the Anti-Christ was published

            Appointed as National Field Commissioner of the Nationa Boy Scout Movement

            The Whole Bible for the Whole Bible School was published by the Interstate Evangelistic Association

1937 - Under his leadership, the Berean Baptist Church of Houston was established         

1938 - Elected the president of the World Fundamental Baptist Missionary Fellowship      

             The Holy Spirit and The Modern "Divine Healing" Racket   published

1939 - Held the following positions simultaneously:

                 Pastor of First Baptist Church in Houston

                 Pastor of Fundamental Baptist Church in San Antonio

                 Co-pastor of First Baptist Church of Fort Worth

                 President of the World Fundamental Baptist Missionary Fellowship

                 President of Fundamental Baptist Bible Institute

                 Editor of the Berean Banner

1941 - Published Studies in the Acts of the Apostles

1945 - Pinnacles in Prophecy published by the Wichita Publishing Company in Wichita, Kansas

            Mrs. Entzminger died April 20

1946 - Studies in Genesis published by Christian Supply House of Fort Worth

            Studies in Exodus published by the Manney Company of Fort Worth

            Rise and Decline of the Hebrew Monarchy published by the Seminary Press of Fort Worth

1949 - Leviticus, The Pattern for Scriptural Giving and How To Organize and Administer a Great Sunday

            School published by the Fundamentalist Press of Fort Worth

1950 - Studies in John's Gospel published by the Wichita Publishing Company of Wichita, Kansas

1952 - Became associated with the National Sunday School Association

             Became superintendent again of First Baptist Church of Fort Worth

            

1958 - Died on September 24 in Nederland, Texas