Beaman Library to display sermon charts

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FAMILY DONATION ADDS PIECE OF HISTORY TO LIBRARY COLLECTION



When Edward Vernon Mills saw an advertisement in the Gospel Advocate about a school opening in Nashville where Bible would be taught daily, he knew he wanted to be a part of that first class in 1891.  He sold his cotton crop in the field and left Arkansas in time to be the third student to enroll in Nashville Bible School (now Lipscomb University) where he studied for three years.  After leaving the school, he worked for the very publication which ran the ad that changed his life.  For over four years, he remained with the Gospel Advocate and also preached frequently.  In 1896, he married Dimple Scott and eventually she, too, enrolled in Nashville Bible School while Mills traveled as part of his preaching responsibilities.  The Mills family had nine children. 

    Anita Johnson, a granddaughter of E. V. and Dimple Mills, recently donated 16 sermon charts, handwritten notes and a printing set with the ink bottle used during the ministry of brother Mills.  He created sermon charts on fabric to be used as sermon outlines to provide visual aids for the members of his congregations.  Johnson, who lives in California, donated these family treasures to Lipscomb University’s Beaman Library Special Collections.  

Marie Byers, Beaman Library Archivist, calls the sermon charts “early PowerPoint tools.”  They gave preachers an additional tool to communicate with their congregations.  These charts, along with the notes and ink set, represent an important part of church heritage and give the Lipscomb library a piece of history from one of the school’s earliest students. Brother Mills was known for being a faithful student and a faithful member of the Church of Christ throughout his lifetime.

During the month of July, the donations will be displayed on the upper level of the library.  The library hours for the summer are Sunday 1-5 p.m.; Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8 a.m.-9 p.m.; Wednesday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday Noon-5 p.m.