G. E. Lowman
G. E. Lowman | |
---|---|
Burton College and Seminary , July 1930 | |
Spouse | Minnie Anna Wagner |
Children | Elmer, Ruth, Edna, Doris, Vernon, Darlene |
Parent(s) | Oliver Lowman and Annie Perkins |
Writings | Prophecies for the Times (series) |
Congregations served | Baltimore Gospel Tabernacle (1930–1959); International Gospel Broadcasters weekly radio program (1930–1965) |
Guerdon Elmer Lowman, more familiarly G. E. Lowman (November 16, 1897 – January 18, 1965) was an American
He was called by contemporary newspapers "a noted preacher", whose "forceful sermons" addressed "timely and interesting topics".
Early years
G. E. Lowman was born in
In his early twenties, he began a commercial electrical contracting company.[4] Later, he acquired a spinoff supermarket chain in the Baltimore region from Sanitary Grocery Stores, which he renamed "Twin Food".[5]
Ministry
Baltimore Gospel Tabernacle
In the late 1920s, G. E. Lowman was ordained as a Methodist minister and began preaching at churches and missions in the Baltimore area. He also became a familiar sight in the city, using a specially equipped bus with a platform and loudspeakers to hold outdoor evangelistic rallies on Baltimore street corners.[6]
So popular was his preaching that G. E. Lowman founded the Baltimore Gospel Tabernacle in 1930, building a large
The newly completed church was dedicated on October 19, 1930, and Pastor Lowman began weekly live radio broadcasts of the services on Wednesdays and Sundays on WCAO and WCBM. On the church's first anniversary in October 1931, the Baltimore Post reported: "The Gospel Tabernacle is interdenominational in character and from 10 to 15 different denominations are represented at the services". In celebration of the anniversary, "jubilee services were held nightly for two weeks, with ministers from different churches conducting the services," the newspaper said.[10] Further expansion of the church occurred in 1933 with the addition of a south transept and a second balcony to accommodate the overflow crowds. By the late-1930s, attendance at the Tabernacle was typically 1,500-1,800 persons at each service.[11] Prominent Baltimore attorney Theodore R. McKeldin (and later Mayor of Baltimore and future Maryland Governor) was a frequent Tabernacle guest speaker.[11]
The Tabernacle broadcasts eventually reached coast-to-coast in the U.S., including such high-powered, Class 1-A
During World War II, the U.S.
In the late 1950s, a second weekly live radio program was also carried on the Mutual Broadcasting System network in the U.S. on Sunday nights.[9] Ratings were adversely affected by prime time television competition from such popular programs as The Ed Sullivan Show in the same 8 p.m. Eastern time slot and the evening radio program ended in 1959.
The programs were also noted for their music, featuring the Tabernacle's
Pastor Lowman authored several books in the series, Prophecies for the Times. His ministry was
In addition to his writings and weekly ministry at the Tabernacle, Lowman conducted crusades in various cities, at such venues as Pittsburgh's 2,500–seat
International Gospel Broadcasters
The weekly radio broadcast originated live from the Baltimore Gospel Tabernacle on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. until the final service there on December 13, 1959. The program then moved to studios in
When
Pastor Lowman's 35 years of radio broadcasts ended on January 31, 1965, shortly after his death in St. Petersburg, Florida. The former Baltimore Gospel Tabernacle sanctuary became the St. Paul Community Baptist Church, whose pastor at the time, Rev. Edward M. Revels, had listened to G. E. Lowman's radio broadcasts while working as a Pullman porter in his younger years.[19]
Honors and legacy
In honor of his ministry, Lowman was presented with the
The former Baltimore Gospel Tabernacle sanctuary, now the St. Paul Community Baptist Church, was designated as an historic landmark on May 6, 2009, by legislative act of the City of Baltimore, because of its "association with historic events and important people".[7][21] In making the award announcement at City Hall ceremonies, then-mayor Sheila Dixon said, "The City of Baltimore cherishes these jewels because they are unique and authentic ... the real places that tell the real Baltimore stories".[22]
On July 1, 2012, a new 16 ft. Open Wood rank was dedicated in his memory at the pipe organ of the Ocean Grove, New Jersey, Great Auditorium. Organist Gordon Turk played O That Will Be Glory, Pastor Lowman's radio program theme song, at the conclusion of the evening service.[9][23]
During the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, candidate Ben Carson was criticized for saying he would not support a Muslim for president. Writing in The Washington Post, Sarah Kaplan compared Carson's stand to Lowman's opposition to Kennedy in the 1960 U.S. presidential election.[24]
Death
G. E. Lowman moved from his home in Hampton, Maryland, to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1960, where he died five years later on January 18, 1965, of acute leukemia, ending the worldwide radio ministry of the International Gospel Broadcasters.[3] He is interred at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium, Maryland.[9]
Bibliography
- Prophecies for the Times in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Sermons and Helps for your Advancement toward the Kingdom of God in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Sermons and Scriptures: to help others to Christ and strengthen those that know him in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Prophecies and Signs for Future Events in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
Notes and references
- ^
- ^ a b "Radio Dial" New Haven Register, July 1940
- ^ Broadcasting. February 1, 1965. p. 68. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ a b Thomas H. O'Connor, Baltimore Broadcasting from A to Z, Baltimore, Md. (1985)
- ^ "G. E. Lowman and Twin Food Stores". Twin Food Stores—Baltimore (Md.) area supermarkets of yesteryear. Atlas Communications. 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-28.
- ISBN 0-910556-23-7.
- ^ a b "Baltimore City Landmark Designation Report — St. Paul Community Baptist Church" (PDF). Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation, Department of Planning, Baltimore City. August 14, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- ^ "New Gospel Tabernacle Dedicated; Cost $45,000". The Baltimore Sun. October 20, 1930. p. 7.
- ^ a b c d e f g "G. E. Lowman memorial website". Atlas Communications. Retrieved October 29, 2007.
- ^ a b William J. Leslie, "Gospel Tabernacle Dedicated One Year Ago", Baltimore Post, October 19, 1931.
- ^
- ^ Earl Parrish, "Indignant That Sermon Was Cut Off Air", Knoxville News Sentinel, February 8, 1942.
- ^ G. E. Lowman, Prophecies for the Times, Baltimore, Md. (1961)
- York Gazette and Daily. August 17, 1936. p. 9. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- York Gazette and Daily. September 3, 1936. p. 9. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "1,600 Hear Lowman at Revival Service". York Gazette and Daily. March 26, 1937. p. 16.
- ^ "Noted pastor of Baltimore Gospel Tabernacle to dedicate church here". Miami Herald. April 28, 1962. p. 16-A.
- ^ a b
Lowman, G. E. Lowman. Should a Roman Catholic Be President?. Vol. Number 8. pp. 83–89. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
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ignored (help) Archived at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. - ^ "St. Paul Marches On Into Its New Church Home", Baltimore News-Post, December 12, 1959.
- Baltimore News-Post. September 15, 1943.
- ^ "Landmark status". The Baltimore Sun. May 7, 2009. p. 3.
- ^ "Mayor Dixon Designates Twelve City Buildings as Historic Landmarks" (PDF). City of Baltimore government. May 6, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- ^ Walton, Mary (June 28, 2012). "With New Pipes, a Great Organ Gets Even Better". Blogfinger.net. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
- ^ Kaplan, Sarah (September 21, 2015). "Despite backlash, Ben Carson is not backing down from his opposition to a Muslim". The Washington Post – via ProQuest.