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Baptism at Grace Baptist Church Today, three young girls stepped down into the small baptismal pool at Grace Baptist Church. Pastor David Braneky said a few words, led a prayer, then gently guided each girl under the water and up again.  For those not familiar with Baptists, the basic tenets of our faith include the attainment of salvation through faith in God and Jesus Christ. We also believe in the Bible. We differ from many Protestants believing that the person being baptized needs to be wholly immersed in water.  The immersion represents the resurrection of Christ and also being born anew into a committed life of Christian faith.  I looked at our humble baptismal pool and thought of the church when it was in the city in the building that is now Temple Performing Arts Center. In the interviews for the book, so many have recalled it in such detail that I can envision it.  The entire design of the Baptist Temple was more like an auditorium than a normal church. Conwell, our famous fou

A Progress Update on the Book  Letting Love Flow--A History of 150-Year-Old Grace Baptist (Baptist Temple)--The Church That Founded Temple University Today I submitted proposals to five book publishers. I'd like to pop that bottle in celebration, but until one of them says, yes, we're interested, I think I'll wait. I'd hoped to have more blogs along the way, but I had pages to write. And pages to edit. And argh, pages to revise, edit some more. I included this photo to share what my reading has looked like lately. My undergraduate degree was in psychology, and my master's degree was in business, so in addition to book-related research, I thought I needed to fill in the gaps, if you will, with some books on writing. Celebrate this milestone with me--the proposal submissions! Until I get the book in your hands, I'll share a few quotes from the book: We're more, so much more, than a church that just gets together on Sunday mornings.--Natalie Glantz Missions are

Discover Russell Conwell's Prized Possessions             Grace Baptist Church's fourth pastor, Russell H. Conwell, had been a captain in the Union army. During his lfetime, Conwell was also amazingly productive. He was a lawyer, real estate developer, newspaper man, prolific author, and well-known lecturer in the US. He actually traveled the globe giving his speeches. He gave his most famous speech, "Acres of Diamonds," more than 6000 times. It is estimated that Conwell earned an incredible sum over his lifetime for these lectures, but instead of keeping the funds for himself, he supported thousands in getting their college education. When asked what drove him to work so hard, he explained he worked for two. And shared the story of John Ring.      Before leaving for war, his beloved regiment honored him with a gold-sheathed sword, which Conwell promised to guard with his life. Many young men clamored to a part of the great effort of the war, including some far too yo

 February 18, 2021 As I sit in my home office here in the suburbs of Philadelphia, watching the snow plows clear the latest 6-9 inches of snow we got this morning, I'm mesmerized by the following letter. It has transported me to a hot, desolate empty field in North Carolina in 1914, and then back 50 years earlier to a Civil War battle. The letter was written my Russell H. Conwell, my church's pastor from 1882-1925. He wrote back to his congregation his thoughts since he'd just visited the battlefields and recounted his memories of those days, including a story of a young soldier, Johnny Ring, who died saving his captain's beloved sword. Conwell is best known for founding Temple University, and helping fund many students' educations through funds he earned through his lectures, including his most famous one, "Acres of Diamonds." Below is my typed version, but if you read on you can see Conwell's letter in his own handwriting.    

The Four Chaplains Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13 On a frigid February 3, 1943, the US troop ship Dorchester was sailing through rough seas in a convoy out of Newfoundland bound for Greenland.  They were about 150 miles off the coast.  Down in the old converted cruise ship’s stifling hold, 4 US chaplains circulated among the frightened young men, some lying wide-eyed in their bunks, others nervously playing cards or shooting dice.  Chatting with the troops, the chaplains eased tensions, calmed fears and passed out soda crackers to alleviate seasickness. The troops anxiously looked forward to reaching Greenland the next day.  They knew that U-boats prowled their ship’s course.  They did not know that by morning nearly 3/4s of them would be dead, and that the rest would have their lives changed forever.  Nor did they know the magnificent way in which these four chaplains would minister to them. Father John Washington was fr

 Certainly one of the most memorable stories of Grace Baptist Church is that of Hattie May Wiatt.  According to Robert J. Burdette in his The Modern Templars--A Sketch of the Life and Work of Russell H. Conwell  it all began one day in 1883 with a little girl, 6 years old, Hattie May Wiatt. The following version is easy to read, but read on to see Conwell's sermon on Hattie May for a first-hand account, as well as other details of the little girl who lives on in our history. Additional Info Hattie May was the daughter of Joseph and Harriet (Hattie) J. Ball Wiatt and they lived at 1917 Mervine Street in Philadelphia.  She died of diphtheria at age 7, which her younger sister also contracted and died just 5 days later.  They were originally buried in Monument Cemetery but were moved within the cemetery on May 11, 1904.  Two years later, they grandmother, Abbie P. Ball was buried with them.  Monument was closed in 1956 and on June 22 of that year Annie and Hattie May were removed for