“..the laborer is worthy of his hire… <\/em>” (Luke 10:7).<\/p>\n “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel<\/em>” (I Corinthians 9:14).<\/p>\n “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things<\/em>” (Galatians 6:6).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n As an example of the way it used to be, we are pleased to share the following: a letter from E.C. Fuqua in Fort Worth. Texas. [Written many years ago.]<\/p>\n Dear Brother Howell:<\/p>\n A cabin had just one small room, one door, no window, and a “stick and dirt” chimney that we could never warm by – it would catch fire easily. My mother and my wife tried to live in such a cabin. We had only one bed and Mother had to have that. Wife and I slept on the floor. Mother died a short time before Bro. Dunn visited us.<\/p>\n The cemetery was about 200 yards from my cabin door. I had no horse and no buggy. I preached at Hatton, Mississippi, six month, to a small bunch that attended. From my cabin, it was eleven miles to Hatton. I walked the distance (22) miles never failing to show up for services. Some times it was raining. One time I remember, I became so sleepy that I pulled high broom sage and made me a bed and never waked up until the sun was up (my wife was frantic when I did not get home as I never failed before).<\/p>\n So far as I can now remember, I never received one penny for the six months preaching, but a Bro. Hughes came to see me and brought a dozen eggs. I was also given credit at a store to the extent of a small “side of bacon.” The eggs and bacon were assembled just a few hours before Gus Dunn knocked on my door. (Was that Providential?) Anyhow, that is how Gus got dinner that day! Bro Dunn stayed most of the night, and we counted our blessings and went to bed (and the floor). The bacon left from supper we put away carefully.<\/p>\n But that night, while we were sleeping, a mountain lion came in and tried to carry our bacon to his lair. He got the piece but could not get it through the half-door – the rest he left for us. A couple of neighborhood boys, the next day, went hunting for that lion and treed it in a tall sweet-gum. From head to tail that lion measured 9 feet. In my walks, for 6 months. I feared contact with other beasts but was never actually attacked.<\/p>\n In “stickability” it cost a lot to hold a meeting under such circumstances. No money was exchanged, for there wasn’t any: it was dire suffering most of the time.<\/p>\n Before moving to this cabin we rented (?) another cabin, at Paris, Mississippi. It was, to be accurate, a cow shed. Mother was then living but in very poor health. She was given our only bed and wife and I slept on the floor, or on corn stalks for a mattress.<\/p>\n Hunger again stalked us until I remembered a sister some ten miles away who had asked if we needed any food. I kissed my wife and mother and marched into the darkness. It was raining. After midnight I reached that sister’s home and knocked on the door. When she and her husband heard my voice they dressed and came out. I told my story and they took me to the smokehouse and took down a small side of bacon to take home to a hungry wife and mother in the cow-shed, but when I got home with the bacon, there was nothing in the way of food to go with it. So we three ate bacon (minus). I was preaching every night, some 5 or 6 miles from my cow-shed home, and walking as usual.<\/p>\n This account of some of my struggles haunted me for three whole years, and I suspect that Bro. Dunn had like success – if that word truly expresses the situation. I baptized many people and I am quite sure it was not without suffering that attended those baptisms. God knows.<\/p>\n Brother Howell, I am thankful that you are not suffering so much, and that you will soon be well again. Your checks are deeply appreciated and while I am not preaching any more. I do all the more, appreciate the spirit of your letter. I would like to hear from brother Dunn.<\/p>\nYours in Christ Jesus P.S. I may miss in figures to a small extent, but of facts I am sure. I daily pray for those who, in face of adversity, have sacrificed for Christ and His wonderful Gospel. Utterly unworthy of praise or even thanks. I look forward in love. (E. C. F.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n -via Magnolia Messenger<\/em>, Oct-Dec, 09<\/p>\n “Fuqua plunged into mission work in spite of little hope of financial gain. Between 1899 and 1902 he evangelized in Mississippi.” (Search for the Ancient Order<\/em>, Vol. III. p.113).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Billy Moore via For a Better Understanding, March \/ April 2010 “..the laborer is worthy of his hire… ” (Luke 10:7). “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (I Corinthians 9:14). “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[726,1511],"class_list":["post-57625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-church-history","tag-preachers"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20581,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/professional-preachers\/","url_meta":{"origin":57625,"position":0},"title":"Professional Preachers","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"by Edward O. Bragwell via\u00a0Biblical Insights, Vol. 13, No. 1, January 2013 The trend toward developing a \"professional clergy\" among churches of Christ has been in the making for some time now. More and more, both churches and preachers, have come to view gospel preachers as professionals much like the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/preacher-231x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":58798,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/preacher-pitfalls-an-article-for-young-preachers\/","url_meta":{"origin":57625,"position":1},"title":"Preacher Pitfalls: An Article for Young Preachers","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 7, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. The Reflector\u00a0- August 2009 via\u00a0Ed's Sermons and Things Paul references Isaiah in declaring that the feet of those that preach the gospel are beautiful (Romans 10:15; Isaiah 52:7). I know of no higher calling for a young man to pursue than that of preaching the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25399,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/paying-uninspired-gospel-preachers\/","url_meta":{"origin":57625,"position":2},"title":"Paying Uninspired Gospel Preachers","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 27, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry W. Benton In discussing the right and expectation preachers ought to have for adequate financial support, I appealed to Paul's statements in I Corinthians 9:4-14 for the proof of that rightful expectation. A man of the house-church persuasion responded, and I think the exchange hits on some very\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":51459,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-churches-should-rethink-their-preachers-salary\/","url_meta":{"origin":57625,"position":3},"title":"Why Churches Should Rethink Their Preacher’s Salary","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wes McAdams via\u00a0Radically Christian The job a preacher does, and the money he takes home seems pretty cut-and-dry to most church members, \"Our preacher 'ministers' to this congregation - he visits the sick, he counsels, he evangelizes, he preaches, he teaches, he writes bulletin articles, and does whatever else\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54626,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/who-appoints-men-to-be-preachers\/","url_meta":{"origin":57625,"position":4},"title":"Who appoints men to be preachers?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Thank you very much for helping not just me but also the churches where there is a slight misunderstanding on this Evangelist subject. Please bear with me in coming to you again, for I want to understand clearly. You said in\u00a0Preachers: Ordination The idea of ordination is to choose\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":84572,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-churches-decide-where-preachers-should-teach\/","url_meta":{"origin":57625,"position":5},"title":"Do churches decide where preachers should teach?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Do preachers have to be sent out by churches according to Romans 10:15? Answer: \"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for \"Whoever will call on the name of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57625\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Way It Used to Be<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/ECFuqua-Preacher.jpg\")
Your interesting letter and check for $5.00 just received, with sincere thanks for both. Especially my remembrance to Bro. Gus Dunn and his one visit to my cabin home in Mississippi. Bro. Dunn and I were both preaching the Gospel around Water Valley, Mississippi, and so far as I knew, I was alone – until Gus knocked on my cabin door.<\/p>\n
\nE. C. Fuqua\n