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About Vance Havner
About Dr. Havner: A Brief
Bio
Interview: Enjoying
the Desires of His Heart
Always a Fresh Word From
The Lord
A Tribute to Vance Havner
About Dr. Havner: A Brief Bio
Dr.
Vance Havner, 1901 - 1986 was a very popular "revivalist" and Bible
conference speaker and authored over 30 books of sermons and
devotionals. He became a Christian as a boy, licensed to preach at
twelve and ordained at fifteen. His charm, wit, and homespun style of
relating biblical truth were convicting and unforgettable. And even
today, you still hear preachers quote from his books and sermons.
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Interview With Vance Havner: Enjoying the Desires
of His Heart
by
Dennis Hester
Proclaim October 1982
At
seventy-nine, Vance Havner continues to stir revival fires among God's
people from coast to coast. From his home in Greensboro, North
Carolina, he takes the time to laugh, reflect on his ministry, and
encourage his fellow preachers. The interviewer is Dennis J. Hester,
pastor of Jonesboro Baptist Church, Roseland, Virginia.
Hester:
How has preaching changed during your life?
Havner: Circumstances change, but preaching never changes.
We preach a message so much greater than ourselves. We must give it our
best as we stand behind the pulpit. I hear so much today about tension.
If the preacher is going to give preaching his best, he needs to be
tense. I don't mean nervous but keyed up with God's power and message.
There's not anything that can rejuvenate me like preaching. Preaching
should be full of life. It is life. R. G. Lee used to say, "There's not
anything that's wrong with me that a good sermon won't cure".
Hester:
How do you prepare yourself and your sermons to preach?
Havner: I don't have a set pattern. I like to do a lot of
walking and thinking. Walking is a thing of the past. Preachers are
involved in too many meetings and. programs. Meditation and solitude
are lacking in many of our preachers.
Not so much
praying, but just thinking about the things of God. I have a place down
the road where I do a lot of walking and thinking. Occasionally, I get
distracted by someone on a bicycle or one of these joggers. I like to
tell the story about the man who had a heart attack jogging from a
health food store. You can't do much thinking while jogging and gasping
for breath.
Hester:
What do you see as the future of preaching?
Havner: There'll always be preaching. Preaching has been
my priority for years. When I first began serving a church, I thought
it was my duty to be of service to every club, social gathering, or
committee that demanded my time and energy.
In my early days during revival meetings, I would overly commit myself
during the day, speaking and visiting. Then, that night when the main
service came, I was already worn out. I think visiting and preparation
for a revival is the pastor's job, not the evangelist's. Now I limit my
preaching to one service per day. I don't overeat or over socialize
after the meeting. Charles Finney spoke of these two evils, overeating
and over- socializing.
Hester:
What techniques of evangelism have proved successful for you?
Havner: I don't have any special techniques. I never
have. I don't maneuver any preaching engagements. I've never done any
advertising, printed brochures, or publicity. I am not an evangelist or
a pastor, just a preacher. I've been trying for a long time. There
never was a time when I felt I shouldn't be preaching. I began
preaching in 1913 at the age of twelve. I have more to do at the age of
seventy-nine than I've ever had.
I tell
church folk that when I get a little older, I am going to have to cut
down on the program. I do a lot of Bible conferences. Preachers ask me
how to get started in this type of work. I can't tell them how. It just
happens. God calls you, and then he'll open the doors for you to
preach. He'll make a way if he's called you. You just be there.
Hester:
What do you think are the major strengths and weaknesses among the
Southern Baptist preachers today?
Havner: I think Southern Baptists have some good, strong
preachers today. I've been on the platform with many of them. They are
doing a great work, especially some of the younger ones.
Hester:
You've met a lot of the spiritual giants of yesterday, haven't
you?
Havner: Yes, I've been fortunate enough to hear some of
the best teachers and preachers of this age and the past-such men as
Billy Sunday, W. B. Riley, H. A. Ironside, J. Wilbur Chapman, Mel
Trotter, Homer Rodeheaver, Gipsy Smith, George W. Truett, Baxter
McLendon known as "Cyclone Mack," James M. Gray, Gresham Machen, Donald
Grey Barnhouse, Charles M. Alexander, William Jennings Bryan, and R. A.
Torrey.
Hester:
How would you suggest a person prepare for the preaching ministry?
Havner: First of all, there must be a genuine call from
God. If you don't have that, you might as well forget it. We have too
many folks that preach for publicity and money.
I can't say one doesn't need an education. The trouble with many
schools today is you don't get enough Bible. The Bible must be a first
in a preacher's life. We need more prophets today, not just the
predicting type, but the "Thus saith the Lord" type. We need preachers
that will take to the woods and spend time with God and his Word.
Hester:
As you travel from coast to coast preaching, how much of an interest is
there in revival?
Havner: There's not much interest in the spiritual life. I
don't think America is ready for a revival, nor does she really want a
revival. Like the Laodicean church in Revelation, she's neither cold
nor hot. I see revival taking place in a few churches on a small scale.
Of course, revival could take place in a massive way. We must remember,
revival is always possible when people humble themselves, pray, seek
God's face, and turn from their wicked ways. But too many churches are
settled and satisfied.
Hester:
How did your writing ministry begin?
Havner: Once again, there's no Set pattern on how to get
started. There's got to be fire in your bones. With God's help, it'll
happen. I started writing devotions and drawing in the first grade.
Later, I began writing an inspirational column called "Havner's
Reflections."
Little did
I know as I wrote for the Charlotte Observer, the leading newspaper in
North Carolina that God was preparing me for a writing ministry. My
first book, By the Still Waters, was published in 1934 and is still
selling today. I've written articles for numerous publications and
thirty-one books consisting of sermons, devotions, and collections of a
variety of memorable experiences. One in that list was sort of an
autobiography entitled, Three Score and Ten.
Douglas White did a biography of me a few years ago entitled, "Vance
Havner, Journey from Jugtown" and Baker Book Company has recently
reprinted in paperback, The Best of Vance Havner. I remember one book I
wrote called Blood, Bread and Fire.
The publishers felt it needed a new title. I never did like the new
title because it read more like an epitaph than a book title. There it
was in bold print, Entered into Rest-Vance Havner.
I get letters from all over the country telling me how my books have
been a great comfort to troubled souls. That's worth the writing. All
I've ever wanted to do was be a traveling preacher and write. God has
given me the desires of my heart.
Hester:
Out of the thirty-one books you've written, which one means the most to
you and why?
Havner: Though I Walk Through the Valley is special because I wrote the
book in 1973 after the death of my wife, Sarah. Sarah was a wonderful
wife. So many youngsters are marrying today without love, romance, or
any devotion for one another. I wasn't married until I was thirty-nine,
but I am sure I got the woman God wanted me to have. Sarah was worth
waiting for.
Hester:
Do you have something you would like to say to your fellow ministers
who will be reading this interview?
Havner: No
better instruction is possible than Paul's words to Timothy. He
emphasized: (1) doctrine-"Give attendance to doctrine; (2) dynamic,
"Stir up the gift of God that is in you"; and (3) discipline, "Endure
hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
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Always a Fresh Word From The Lord
by
Dennis J. Hester
It
has been said, "The trouble with the old school of the prophets is that
the old fellows are gone, but not forgotten; and the trouble with
today's preachers is that we are forgotten, but not gone.
On August
12, 1986, Dr. Vance Havner, one of America's most beloved preachers,
went home to be with the Lord, whom he served for more than 70 years.
Havner is
home at last, but he shall never be forgotten. His powerful preaching
comforted us when we felt afflicted and afflicted us when we became
comfortable with the demands of Christ. His clever and humorous way of
"turning-a-phrase," and his ability to communicate deep spiritual
truths in his homespun fashion with clarity and conviction will always
stick with us.
When so
many preachers are trying to be "everything to everybody," Havner was
satisfied in being who God created him to be-himself. Havner wasn't
disappointed that he wasn't a "jack-of-all trades," but neither did he
boast in what he did best- preach. Like the Old Testament prophet
Jeremiah, Havner was created and destined to preach. He said on many
occasions, "I've never known a time that I didn't feel called to be a
preacher. All I've ever wanted to do was to preach all over this
country and write books. And God has given me the desires of my heart."
Havner
trusted Christ as his Savior at the age of ten and was baptized in
South Fork River in the Backwoods of Vale, "Jugtown," North Carolina.
He was licensed to preach at age 12 by Corinth Baptist Church of Vale
and was ordained at age 15. It was an awesome experience for a boy of
12 to stand on a chair at First Baptist Church of Shelby, North
Carolina, and preach to a congregation of 1000!
As Havner
began preaching, he often heard scoffers say, "Boy preachers never
last." In spite of the critics, Havner continued preaching, later
serving as a pastor. He traveled countless miles~ as an itinerant
preacher and delivered more than 13,000 sermons during his 72 years as
a minister of the Word. Havner often referred to the comment about boy
preachers not lasting, and with a grin he would say, "I think I've
given it a pretty good try." Havner was still actively preaching at age
82, but had done little preaching two years before his death because of
ill health and two broken hips. Havner took a different route from most
ministers to prepare himself for his preaching and writing ministry. He
never stayed anywhere long enough to graduate. He attended Boiling
Springs High School (now Gardner-Webb College, where he was conferred
the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1971), Wake Forest Baptist
College (now a University), Catawba College, Moody Bible Institute and
Florida Bible Institute.
Some
evangelists may have considered Havner unorthodox because the only form
of advertising that Havner ever remembers doing was in 1924, when he
placed an ad in the Biblical Recorder, his home state's denominational
news-paper. He simply stated that he was available to serve as a
pastor. Havner was then called to his first pastorate, the Salem
Baptist Church, for one year. After resigning and returning to his old
home place in the foothills of North Carolina, he preached in the
surrounding area and, as Havner put it, "floundered trying to find his
way."
Havner
returned to serve the Salem Baptist Church a second time for three
years. The little country congregation could tell their pastor was a
different man who had matured emotionally and spiritually. Havner
commented on his second installment at the Salem Baptist Church in his
book Threescore and Ten (Revell). "I stayed upstairs in a plain home,
studied by a kerosene lamp, drank water from a pitcher and warmed by a
wood burning stove; but I put in three years of the best Bible study I
have ever done. God honors the study and preaching of His Word. Pity
the preacher who uses a text only as a launching platform from which to
blast off into space, departing therefrom and never returning thereto!
There is a power in the direct preaching of the Bible that attends no
other pulpit exercise."
Havner's
next divine appointment was to pastor the First Baptist Church in
Charleston, South Carolina.
Scott
Walker served as an associate pastor when Havner was pastor in
Charleston. Walker said of Havner, 'Havner never was fond of many of
the pastoral duties other than preaching. He'd have me to do all of the
weddings, funerals and baptisms. Havner was a prophet; all he wanted to
do was preach."
The
congregation eventually became concerned about the amount of time their
young evangelist-pastor was spending attending revivals and Bible
conferences. Havner stayed at the oldest Baptist Church in the South
for five years. He then decided that his time had come to launch out on
faith and venture into the traveling ministry he had envisioned from
boyhood.
Havner
began his new ministry in 1940. His first meetings were to be held with
the Mel Trotter Mission in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He got as far as
Chicago, where he came down with the flu and had to be hospitalized. It
would become Havner's custom to migrate toward Florida to preach during
the winter, but at this particular time, as Havner battled the flu in
the North, the South's "land of sunshine" looked especially inviting.
So Havner
rearranged his schedule and accepted an invitation to preach in a Bible
conference at the Florida Bible Institute in Tampa. As Havner
recuperated, he met two people who would become enduring friends. One
was the would-be evangelist, Billy Graham, who was a student at the
Bible school. The other person was Miss Sara Allred, the dean of women
and the manager of the bookstore. Miss Allred nursed Havner back to
health with chicken soup, a game of dominoes before a big open fire,
and long strolls in the Florida sunshine and moonlight. When Havner
left to resume his speaking schedule, the love and letters of Sara
Allred followed him. They were married in December, 1940. They set out
together in the itinerant ministry for which Havner said, "I was now
far better prepared."
Sara did
all of Havner's driving. Havner never owned, a driver's license and was
66 before he purchased an automobile!
Havner was
40 years old when he married. He lived with Sara, his companion and
coworker, for 33 years. In 1973, she was struck with a dreaded disease
that distorted her lovely features and rendered her a helpless invalid.
As Havner struggled with the suffering and dying of his beloved Sara,
he wrote what became his all-time best seller, Though I Walk Through
the Valley. In this intimate book Havner reflected upon the waiting,
suffering, loneliness and grief during the nightmare of losing his
beloved Sara. He also testified to the peace and love of God that
sustained him. Hope Thou in God followed in 1977 and is a continuation
of Havner's struggles and victories as he adjusted to living without
Sara.
"It took me
40 years to get married," said Havner, "but Sara was worth the wait. I
loved her so much. People getting married today don't believe in
romance like Sara and I did. All they believe in today is sex."
As I became
better acquainted with Havner through his preaching and his 36 books,
and as I visited with him in his home in Greensboro, one supreme
characteristic stands out above all the rest: Havner was a holy man of
God.
Dr. Alton
H. McEachern, Havner's pastor of First Baptist Church of Greensboro,
appropriately described Havner as one who was "intensely spiritual, but
perfectly natural."
Havner
nurtured his spiritual nature by rising early in the morning and
strolling in the woods to reflect on the things of God, and to watch
birds. There was nothing mystical about "bird-watching," but only a
habit that Havner began as a boy and continued all of his life. Havner
referred to nature often in his writings and found a joy in identifying
countless birds by their color and song. The wood thrush was his
favorite.
"Meditation
is a lost art among most preachers today," said Havner. "They're too
busy, wrapped-up with programs and committee meetings. I'm always
calling preachers to more meditation, reflection and solitude within
this rat race we live in. If we don't come apart to be with the Lord,
we will surely come-apart."
Havner was
a free spirit as God used him like a sword to proclaim the truth with
power and purpose. This "ole-time" revivalist never relied on trends or
slogans to convict people to love or to serve Jesus. Like a prophet of
old, Havner always had a fresh "word from the Lord" that did the
convicting and changing.
"We don't
need to be in the novelty shop, as much as we need to be in the antique
shop, where we find the old truths of God's Word," said Havner. "We
don't need something new today half as much as we need something so old
that it would be new if anybody tried it."
There's no
way this side of heaven to estimate the eternal good and undying
challenge Havner's prophet messages from pulpit and pen have brought to
God's people across our country. He faithfully honored God by
courageously speaking to our age, convicting our hearts, revealing our
sins, and pointing to "Jesus only" as the remedy.
From a
humble beginning in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Vance
Havner became one of America's best loved and most quoted preachers and
authors. Churches from various denominations in addition to his own
Southern Baptist Convention are indebted to Havner for stirring revival
fires in hearts of clergy and laity alike. But with all his success and
recognition, he never considered himself to be anything but a servant
of the Lord Jesus Christ, God for the influence of this rare,
remarkable and faithful servant of God.
(First
published in Confident Living - November 1987)
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A Tribute to Vance Havner
by
Dennis J. Hester
This
tribute to Vance Havner is included in Havner's new book,
When God Breaks Through
Dr.
Billy Graham calls Vance Havner the most quoted preacher in America and
says no one has done more to fan the flames of revival than Vance
Havner. Havner was already a popular speaker at Bible conferences, such
as the conference held at Florida Bible Institute (now Trinity College)
Dr. Graham, a student there first met Havner. As a boy Dr. Graham used
to read an inspirational column Havner wrote for the Charlotte Observer
in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr. Graham's hometown.
When I was a young preacher and would-be writer, Havner said to me,
after reviewing some of my inspirational newspaper columns, "I would
keep this up and make it a priority, if I were you. I would not make it
"the" priority, but I would make it a priority." He went on to say, "If
what you say has value, it will last longer than you will."
That was a prophetic statement that has been true in Vance Havner's
life and ministry. Even though Dr. Havner has been in heaven since
August 12, 1986, you can still here him preaching on radio and even
read his sermons in cyberspace. He was born in the rural community of
Vale, outside of Hickory, NC, in 1901 during the horse and buggy days
but lived to the jet age before he died at the age of 85.
Years ago Havner told about a visitor who visited Spurgeon's famous
Tabernacle in London and asked a church member what was the difference
between Spurgeon and other preachers. The church member said, "Well,
when other preachers preached it was good, it was good. But when Mr.
Spurgeon preached, 'there was fire.'"
Many people feel the same way about Dr. Havner. Havner was a prince of
preachers, a clever wordsmith and an anointed man of God who preached
with boldness, clarity and conviction. He was true to God's Word and
used it as a flaming sword to pierce the hearts of sinners and saints
alike. Havner said, "I've never known a time that I didn't feel called
to preach." He didn't have any hobbies or special interests other than
preaching. He didn't travel the world or take exotic vacations. He
studied; he read; he wrote newspaper columns; he wrote articles for
various religious magazines; and he penned over 30 books of devotions
and sermons.
Havner married late in life and had no children. For over 70 decades
Havner made a tremendous sacrifice by committing himself to what he was
called to do and what he did best - preaching the gospel and writing
books. He was small in stature and spoke with a bit of a nasal twang.
He often looked a bit frail and did not demand attention when he
stepped behind the pulpit. But when he preached, people could tell that
he had been with Jesus. He was an instrument in God's hands. He spoke
with purpose and power, and the Holy Spirit used him to touch the raw
nerves in listeners' hearts. On many occasions he reminded his
audience, "I have come to comfort the afflicted and afflict the
comfortable." Havner knew nothing of being "politically correct. He was
one who told it like it was and let the chips fall where they might. He
preached on topics that some might find today to be outdated, such as
heaven, hell, sin, repentance, sacrifice, holiness, revival, prayer,
and the Lordship of Christ. Havner said, "Jesus will be Lord of all or
He will not be Lord at all."
"You can't tell it like it is, if you don't believe it like it was, "
said Havner, as he addressed the student body of Gardner-Webb College
(now University) in 1974. It was the first time I had heard him preach.
I wrote this memorable quote in the front of my Bible, and I've been
reading and sharing his priceless wit and practical wisdom ever since.
They say the trouble with old preachers is "The old fellows are gone,
but not forgotten," and Havner added, "And the trouble with us
preachers today is, we're forgotten, but not gone."
If there were one Biblical character that Havner reminds me of more
than any other, it would be Elijah. He was a prophet who spoke a fresh
and convicting word that was often uncomfortable, as well as
liberating. And like Elijah, Havner was a holy man of God, "passing
by." To be holy, we must spend time with a Holy God and that was one of
Havner's daily habits, spending time with God. Havner said, "If we
don't 'come a-part' and spend time with God, we will 'come apart'
emotionally and spiritually.
Havner was a bird watcher and spent hours watching, listening and
learning about them. This pastime allowed him to walk for exercise and
afforded him the solitude he needed for prayer and meditation. He was a
mystic, marching to the beat of a different drummer. He lived and
ministered on a different level from most ministers.
Billy Graham described Havner this way, "Someone has said everyone is
born an original and dies a copy. That wasn't true of Vance Havner.
Vance Havner was born an original and he died an original" (from
Havner's funeral message delivered by Dr. Billy Graham at Havner's home
church, First Baptist Church of Greensboro, North Carolina).
Havner didn't care to be "one-of-the-boys," the center of attention or
the class clown. He was somewhat of a loner and his desire to live on a
higher spiritual level, untangled from the trappings of success and
materialism, may have caused him to appear, to some, as peculiar and
unsociable. But those who knew him best knew he had a tender heart and
a gentle spirit. Waiting, reflecting, watching and listening for that
"still small voice" that was Vance Havner.
Like the prophet Micaiah, he was often a lonely prophet, who stood
speaking for God, regardless of the consequences, (I Kings 22:7-8). He
did not have a circle of friends that he depended upon to make things
happen for him. To promote his speaking ministry he had no brochures,
radio or television advertisements and no evangelistic organization.
And still, he never lacked for a place to preach.
He traveled alone until he married Sara Allred when he was 40. Havner
never owned a driver's license, but finally bought a car when he was
60. Not being one to make hasty decisions, Havner said, concerning
these type of important decisions, "I wanted to think it over a bit."
Sara became his chauffeur and constant companion. He said, "Sara drove,
and I prayed."
Even in Havner's late 60s, he often preached weeks at a time without a
break and continued to preached almost until he went to be with the
Lord. He would often tell his audiences, "When I get a little older,
I'm going to have to slow down." In his later years, preaching into his
80s, he was often introduced as being retired.
I recall him saying, "Last week I was introduced at a preaching
conference as being "retired." Boy you should have heard me when I
stepped up to the pulpit. I told them. 'I've been preaching for three
weeks straight without a break, and I come here to preach and find out
that I'm retired. I am "tired," but I'm not 'retired.'"
He was always calling ministers to a lifestyle of solitude, meditation
and reflection. He saw ministers failing to make time with God, a
priority. Havner said one of his favorite themes to preach on was "the
out-living of the in-living Christ." Such an experience takes an
intimate and consistent relationship with our Lord. It was always
evident that Havner had "been with Jesus."
"What we need is preachers who will take their Bibles and spend some
time in the woods alone with God. And then they would come out of the
woods a new man," said Havner. But, of course, Havner understood that
just merely going to the woods was not the key to obtaining a
spirit-filled and holy life. He said, "The monks tried to be holy by
living in caves. But you can't be holy by hiding in a hole. It takes
time talking to God and listening to God. We don't need more Bible
study as much as we need reflecting on what we already know that's in
the Bible. We need to take the time to just 'think' about the 'things
of God.'"
Havner kept his focus on Jesus and his "calling" to be a preacher. When
he was asked, "How do you want to be remembered, he would say, 'I want
to be remembered as 'Just a preacher.' Any more would be too much and
any less would be unnecessary." He was humbled and honored to be chosen
as one of God's spokesmen.
Havner was an iconoclast. He wasn't a rebel or a radical, but he did
buck tradition and ministered, as he felt led of God. He never
graduated from high school, college or seminary. He attended Wake
Forest College, Catawba College and Moody Bible Institute, but never
graduated from any of these schools. One of his teachers at Boiling
Springs High School (now Gardner-Webb University) gave the young Havner
some unconventional advice. He said, "Vance, if I were you, I believe I
would blaze my own trail." No doubt, this wise teacher saw the hand of
God upon this young preacher boy and gave him the wings of
encouragement that he needed.
Dr. Havner served two churches as a pastor. His first church was Salem
Baptist Church in Weeksville, North Carolina, where he served as pastor
two different times. He also served as pastor of the First Baptist
Church of Charleston, South Carolina, for five years, beginning in
1934. The truth is, Havner did not have a pastor's heart. He delegated
much of his responsibilities for funerals and weddings to his associate
pastor and detested business conferences and administration. His heart
was in preaching, and in 1939 he went into full-time "evangelism."
(Havner preferred to be called "a revivalist" or a "exhorter" rather
than evangelist).
Havner kept his focus on Jesus. He said in his second devotional book,
Consider Jesus (1939), "The Bible is important, but it is only God's
Word about Christ. The Spirit is important, but He testifies only of
Christ. Doctrine is important, but a doctrine is just a truth about
Christ. Experience is important, but an experience is just another step
with Christ." Is it any wonder that Havner would write a book entitled,
Jesus Only.
You will be able to tell from these transcribed messages of Havner that
he preached the gospel with a sense of urgency. Like Spurgeon
suggested, Havner preached "like a dying man, preaching to a dying
people." Havner knew that people were lost and hopeless without Christ.
That's why he challenged and sometimes "lambasted" the church when it
took lightly its responsibility of proclaiming the gospel and
witnessing to the truth.
He never lost this passion for "lost souls." He would often say, "We've
been called out of this world, to go back into the world, to call
others out of this world, and that's all the business we've got in this
world." Havner saw preaching and calling his listeners to make a public
decision for Christ as very important. And the next step of following
Christ as His disciple was equally as important. A good motto that
Havner often quoted was taken from a dye factory. Havner transformed
the company's motto into a Christian motto that went something like
this, "We live to dye and die to live. The more we dye the more we
live. And the more we live, the more we dye." Havner used this
illustration to call Christians back to a commitment to God.
Havner's homespun style of story telling and word play, often left his
listeners laughing, enlightened and conflicted. He was not
mean-spirited in his preaching or witnessing, even though sometimes he
was criticized for being too negative or too hard on preachers and
other church leaders. He unashamedly often reminded his listeners,
"Sometimes you hear congregations say concerning a preacher's message,
'I didn't get it.' It's not our place that they get it, it's our place
to see that they hear it."
Havner challenged preachers to enter the pulpit as though it were the
first time, as though it could be the best time, and as though it might
be the last time. And he emphasized that the preacher needed to love
the people he was preaching to, as much as he loved preaching.
If there ever was a time that we need to see a "holy man of God passing
by," it is today. Havner's Bible-centered messages of revival will be
forever relevant, because the human heart is the same. As Havner says,
"Nothing of importance has changed."
It is my prayer that these timeless messages of Havner's will warm your
heart, challenge your soul and will bring you to that holy place "when
God breaks through with genuine revival."
To learn more about Dennis Hester, visit www.BetterChurches.com
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If you would be
interested in joining a Vance Havner Foundation to preserve the memory
of Dr. Vance Havner and would like to help continue his ministry
through his writings and audio messages please contact Dennis Hester.
If you have
any photos, booklets, newspaperclippings, momentos or any other
resources you'd like to share with the Vance Havner Foundation please
contact Dennis Hester.
For
Information About The Vance Havner Foundation Contact:
Dennis J.
Hester
The Vance Havner Foundation
P.O. Box 52
Shelby, North Carolina 28151
Office: 704-480-0494
Fax: 704-480-0494
Email: DennisHester@VanceHavnerSermons.com
For speaking or consulting services
please contact Dennis J. Hester.
Copyright © Dennis
J. Hester 2003. All Rights Reserved.
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Why does our church keep
making the same mistakes?