1. Free to Change
2. Freedom and Responsibility
3. My Kind of People
4. "Come Out And Be Separate"
5. Private Intepretation
6. A "Monkey-Wrench" Scripture
7. The Truth That Frees
8. Literary Devices
9. Fear of God
10. A Love Story
11. The Three Trees In Eden
12. Imputed Righteousness
13. Different Essentials For Different People
14. God's Sons In All Ages
15. Looking To Lust
16. Divorce Her!
17. "While Her Husband Is Alive"
18. "They Won't Let Me Preach!"
19. God's Perplexing Prophets
20. Religous Titles
21. Who Sinned?
22. "I'll Join Your Church"
23. The Church As The Route To Heaven
24. One Hundred Years Old
25. Can Our Churches Unite?
26. Can The Cause Of Sickness Be The Cure?
27. When Life Begins
28. Abortion: Law Or Principle?
29. Human Chattel
30. The Hope of Israel
31. The Great Temptation of Jesus
32. The Rich Man And Lazarus
33. My Hermeneutic
34. Is Immersion Proved By Example?
35. Who Gets The Credit?
36. Hook's Points
37. Heresy
38. I Am A Debtor

Other Books at Freedom's Ring

Only the Lord can know all the people who have influenced my life and ministry. Although I might have felt at times that I was struggling alone, I must recognize that countless others have given me support in many ways, have helped my grow, and have become partners in the work that God has given me. I want to express appreciation for some of my benefactors knowing that I cannot mention them all.

My most faithful supporter and encourager is Lea, my loving and forebearing companion of forty-four years. Proposing new ideas and evaluating mine, she is my best critic. Lea is patient with me when I postpone household chores and social obligations in order to do my writing, correspondence, and mailing. As I have told you before, I count this ministry as a joint effort with her as an equal partner. The Lord knows that I need her. I thank him that I am so blessed.

Because I have spared you from any display of pictures of my super grandchildren, you surely have tolerated my one indulgence of using cartoon drawings done by our oldest grandson, Daniel Hook. He is fifteen years old. With pride I include his work along with mine. (Webmaster's Note: Unfortunately these illustrations have not been added to the web version yet.)

In the decade of the 1970's, I began to see my need for redirection more clearly. During that time I received tapes regularly of the lessons of Wesley Reagan who served the Burke Road Church in Pasadena, Texas. Through them I shared his agonizing struggle to find a Christ-centered religion and a servant capacity for the church. He helped me greatly in discovering the heart and soul of the Christian religion.

Through the years, writing was never my thing. In a few instances, however, I sent manuscripts to Reuel Lemmons which he published in Firm Foundation. I was surprised and pleased that he would use my material, the first article being printed in 1961. By the use of my material, Reuel greatly encouraged me to write. Some of the essays in my books appeared in his publication. I wrote a letter of inquiry to him in 1982. In response he scribbled an answer to it and returned it, and he added "You are doing some good writing." Coming from such a respected editor, that compliment was a tremendous encouragement for me. He could not have realized the impact it would have on me.

When my first book, Free In Christ, came out, I sent Reuel one of the copies. Within a week I received a treasured postcard with this message:

"Dear Cecil-

Thanks for the book. I'm glad you got it in print. You have kicked so many sacred cows it is quiet {sic} evident that you will suffer one of two fates: Either be run over in the stampeed {sic} you have caused, or else be gored by the bulls you have enraged. In eather {sic} case the final result is somber.

Seriously, that's good writing. It is well thought out and expertly articulated. It will make people think. Most of them will not agree with you but it could be they have the problem.

Keep doing it. There is more good stuff where this came from. Let's have another as soon as you can get to it. - Reuel."

I am indebted to him for his generous encouragement for me to write.

In my time of restudy I began to read Carl Ketcherside's publications. His honest handling of doctrinal manners made me overcome the prejudice that I had against him due to the slanderous accusations of other brethren. That patient and loving man helped me to see that I had labored under a yoke of law all my life. He did much to set me free.

A number of times I wrote him. He always took time to respond and encourage, wherever he was on his many journeys. His notes to me written on his clogged typewriter or in perfect penmanship are among my treasures. Although I had seen him and had shaken his hand only two times before, Lea and I had the happy privilege of visiting with him privately for two hours the year before he died. My debt to him is enormous.

I faintly remember seeing Leroy Garrett when we were students at ACC but I did not see him again for about forty-five years. I had heard his name anathematized by well-meaning brethren so that I was skeptical of his writings. But in my time of restudy, I began to read Restoration Review and found that he was saying things that we all needed to hear. He helped me much in clearing up doctrinal matters and allowing me to see the grace of God.

After I began writing, on impulse I sent an article to Leroy and, much to my amazement, he published it. He invited me to send more, and I have been doing it ever since. I continue to be in awe that my cotton-patch material would be in the same journal with that of a Harvard and Princeton graduate who has taught in universities all his career. Not only has he helped me greatly in understanding the Scriptures, he has encouraged me to write also.

In recent years, Lea and I have had a number of visits with Leroy and Ouida and have found them to be gracious, loving, and hospitable. There friendship is treasured. Leroy has always been a free man. His writings reflect that. He always stays several jumps ahead of us in order to challenge us in new ideas.

Leroy, Carl, and Wes have had the conviction and courage to be on the cutting edge for many years. They have met the resistance and born the onslaughts of others who felt free to berate them. I owe them much. Thank God for such leaders.

When I completed the manuscript for my first book, Free In Christ, I could find no publisher who would touch it, and I certainly did not have the resources with which to publish it. But the Lord had a total surprise for me. He sent Charley Elrod, a local brother who was willing to finance the printing of 3000 copies for free distribution. He made possible a ministry that has gone beyond any of our dreams. Much credit is due to Charley for any and all good the books have accomplished. In spite of his having undergone some severe trials since that noble deed, surely God has treasured blessings in store for him.

Since I gave no credits by name in the first printing of Free In Christ, I want now to thank Jim and Ruth Ash, of Dallas, for their great financial help. They gave generously for postage and to us in our whole ministry. They and Charley Elrod have given the largest gifts to boost this ministry. The most consistent donor has been Lou Rife, a brother who lives in Cookeville, Tennessee whom we have not met. Lea and I thank God for these and all other partners.

About the time my first book came out, liberated people in the area of Ventura, California began meeting on the campus of the college there. Lyle "Nick" Ensminger ordered copies for this Channel Islands church to study together, and they have invited us for two visits with them. Later, they surprised us with money to purchase a copier. That wonderful tool housed in our middle bedroom has proved to be invaluable. How did I ever operate without it!

Because I dub so many tapes to send out, a local friend, Bill Abbott, gave a portable cassette player with double speed dubbing. Then, last March at Tulsa, Rayleen McLendon, whom I had seen only once before, gave me her Recordex high-speed dubbing machine. This equipment is serving many people, thanks to Bill and Rayleen.

Another local friend, Morris F. "Mo" Rector, kept insisting on helping me to get a computer for my word processing. Reluctantly, I have him a few names of donors to my ministry. He had associated with Bob Scott, of Little Rock, in barbershop singing and spoke to him about the matter. Bob agreed to mail out the letters. Response was immediate. They got me a very good system that is compatible with a desk-top publisher for typesetting. I had never used a word processor but have found it eliminates most of the tedious work of writing and preparing manuscripts. I am deeply grateful for it.

Those who contributed for it are Wayne and Georgia Freiling, Bill and Virginia Abbott, and Byron and Kay Bradfute of New Braunfels; Rufus Gonder, McMinnville, Tennessee; Cecil Glovier, Amarillo, Texas; Brad Hembree, Shawnee, Oklahoma; Kenyon Wells, Lexington, South Carolina; James and Sharon Harris, Sheffield, Alabama; Bob and Gretchen Gleaves, Brentwood, Tennessee; Lou and Gwen Rife, Cookeville, Tennessee; and James and Sammye Dillon, McMinnville, Tennessee. Except for the local donors, I have met only three of these people. I appreciate their trust in me and their partnership in this exciting ministry of freedom in Christ.

Many other people have sent money in varying generous {but not enormous} amounts to enable the free distribution of Free In Christ. Because of this, Lea and I consider that the Lord has given us a ministry; so we have relinquished the profits from thousands of those books in order to spread the message. May God reward each of you for your generous partnership.

A person can proofread the writing of someone else much more than his own material. I am grateful to Brian Casey for his diligent work in this area. He and Mariann live in Newark, Delaware. You may find errors in this book, but blame me for them, for I revise and format the manuscripts after he has corrected them, and that opens the door for many errors.

God has sent all these wonderful people into our lives in a ministry that reaches further than Lea and I could have imagined. The books have gone into all the world. Through person-to-person advertising, we have been enabled to distribute 24,000 copies of Free In Christ as of July 1990. We depend on you to pass the books on to those that may be helped by them. My prayers go with each book that God may use it to help someone. We thank God for all of you who help and encourage. I am a debtor to so many people.

Many of you have comforted us with the assurance that you pray for us. For that we are grateful. It is always a joy to receive your letters, calls, and visits. God continues to enlarge our ministry, blessing us with strength, resources, and fellow-workers. To him be the praise.