The Sunday Richmond (Indiana) campaign was hosted from April 17 through May 29, 1922.
Palladium-Item. Mon, Apr 17, 1922 ·Page 1
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“I’ve Got a Combative Nature”—Billy
Fistic Opposition
“I was graduated from five gymnasiums: I can go so fast for five rounds you can’t see me for the dust,” said Billy Sunday, as he was describing an encounter he had with a wife beater. “I put my hand on the counter and I went over there like a shell out of a mortar, and he jumped backward to grab a 32 calibre gun that was lying there. I jumped between him and the gun and I said: “Don’t you move to touch that. If you do they will take you up with a dust pan and a whisk-broom.”
Palladium-Item. Mon, Apr 17, 1922 ·Page 7
Billy Sunday Forces Determined to Win Richmond for Christ. Palladium-Item Mon, Apr 17, 1922 · Page 3
“If we had known that there was any opposition to the Sunday campaign in Richmond, we would not have come,” said Robert Matthews, secretary to Billy Sunday, Monday, following a meeting of the executive council in the Reid Memorial church, Monday morning.
“We are here now, however, and the way to breed success is by success. Every minister left the meeting this morning with fire in his eye, determined to help make the series of meetings successful. A spirit of optimism was evident and I know that the people of Richmond cannot afford to stay away from our services.”
Mr. Matthews said that Mr. Sunday had received unanimous invitations to conduct meetings in 38 cities, and that they had believed the forces of Christianity in Richmond were united.
Devil Battle Sufficient.
“It is hard enough to battle the devil,” he said, “without having to fight also among a divided Christian army.”
Mr. Sunday said at the church meeting Monday morning, “When I was here 26 years ago Chapman said Richmond was the hardest town he ever tried, and I have heard the same thing said by every evangelist that has come since.”
“But we are coming through in fine shape,” he declared, “for we must make a success of this campaign. It is God’s work, and it must be done.”
The Sunday party was confident that the series of meetings would be a success in the end, Robert Matthews Sunday’s secretary, insisting that Billy had come to Richmond, when he knew so much about the town, because God had work for him to do there.
Enlarge Committee
In a committee meeting following it was voted to enlarge the finance committee, in order to relieve the meetings of the money raising, and to appoint a promotion committee to “sell” the idea of Billy Sunday to the merchants and big business men of the town.
“I am back of this meeting as much as ever,” declared F. S. Dodd, “but the finance committee is tired and discouraged. I am tired, and I do not have the enthusiasm for new ideas. When the members of a committee feel like that, it is time to get some new blood in to it.”
“We have got to sell the value of these meetings to Richmond,” declared Mr. Matthews. “We do not care for any difference whether or not they are interested in religion, we have got to make them see that Richmond can not fall down on this series.”
Suggests New Blood
New blood for the finance committee was demanded by Dr. J. J. Rae, of the First Presbyterian church. “No one realizes more than I do the obstacles that the committee has been up against,” he declared, “but we have got to give them new blood to bolster up their morale.”
“You should appreciate the efforts of your newspapers to give you the news of the meetings,” said Mr. Matthews. “I am an old newspaper man, and I appreciate how their work is not appreciated. Call them up and tell them that you appreciate their efforts to give the news of the meetings.”
Determination to keep Sunday here for the whole six weeks in spite of all difficulties was evidenced at the meeting. While the offer of a theater to raise the money for the tabernacle from Charleston, and then present it during the meetings, was being discussed officially, the suggestion that the offer be taken up was hotly opposed by many members of the committee.
No Time to Quit Now.
“The time to have dropped this thing was two months ago,” said one of the members. “We must put it over now.”
The Sunday meetings are the greatest he had ever heard in a town of the size of Richmond, Sunday declared. He said that Richmond had the greatest need of a revival. The other day, after a good day with his family there, and then return to Richmond
Palladium-Item Mon, Apr 17, 1922 · Page 3
Evangelist Billy Sunday (1862-1935) 