WILLIAMS, MARVIN.
Marvin Williams sermons, 1901-1936, 1965, undated (bulk 1922-1936).
PITTS THEOLOGY LIBRARY MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION NUMBER 333
LANGUAGE: Materials in English.
ACCESS: Access is unrestricted.
Stored off-site. Forty-eight hours advance notice required to access collection.
REPRODUCTION: All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.
COPYRIGHT: Information on copyright (literary rights) available from repository.
CITATION: Marvin Williams sermons, MSS 333, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University.
Marvin Williams, Methodist minister, was born in Clark County, Georgia, on July 12, 1874. He graduated from Emory College, Oxford, and was licensed to preach by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1901. He was admitted on trial to the North Georgia Conference of the MEC, South in 1909, and admitted in full connection in 1911. His appointments within the North Georgia Conference were:
1910-1912: Douglasville
1913-1915: Lithonia
1916-1917: Greensboro
1918-1921: Grace, Atlanta
1922-1923: St. James, Augusta
1924-1928: Wesley Memorial, Atlanta
1929-1930: Barnesville
1931-1934: Marietta District
1935-1937: Cedartown
Williams died on April 4, 1937. He and his wife, Mamie Wood, were the parents of two sons and two daughters. A fifth child died in infancy.
Source of biographical information:
Craft, Blake. “Rev. Marvin Williams.” Yearbook and Minutes of the Seventy-First Session of the North Georgia Conference, M .E. Church, South, ed. George W. Barrett. 1937.Over three hundred and fifty sermons preached by the Rev. Marvin Williams. Most are typewritten, but some are written by hand. Many are undated. A few of the folders contain items that post-date Williams’ death; the provenance of these items is unclear.
The sermons were originally stored in manila envelopes. In many cases there were handwritten notes on the envelopes. Envelopes with extensive notes have been retained. Envelopes which were labeled with only the name and dates of the sermons were discarded. In some cases, the envelopes indicate that the sermons were used on dates after Williams’ death. The context in which these sermons were used, and by whom they were used, is unclear.
The sermons are arranged alphabetically by the titles which appeared on the envelopes in which they were stored. These titles sometimes vary from the titles which appear on the sermons themselves.
Box Folder Description/Dates 1 1 Abiding Chapter [John XV -- Great Bible Chapters Series], 1936 1 2 Abolition of the Impossible, undated 1 3 About to Lose Faith, undated 1 4 Absalom, undated 1 5 Adversity, Blessings and Uses, 1930 1 6 Air Castles, undated 1 7 All for Christ, undated 1 8 Alpha and Omega, undated 1 9 Alumni Address, Emory University, 1928 1 10 Ananaias and Sapphira, undated 1 11 Ancient Vamp: Samson and Delilah, 1926 1 12 Anger: Ought a Christian to Get Angry?, undated 1 13 Appreciation, undated 1 14 Ascension, undated 1 15 As Unto Me, 1927, 1929 1 16 Atlanta, Miss, The Real, 1928 1 17 Atonement, undated 1 18 Baptist Articles of Faith, 1965 1 19 Beggars’ Gold, 1924 1 20 Be of Good Cheer, undated 1 21 The Bible: A Missionary Book, 1929 1 22 Bible Clean-Up, 1936, undated 1 23 The Big Resolution, 1927 1 24 Black Rock, undated 1 25 Blind Bartemus, 1922 1 26 A Blind Man in a Great City, undated 1 27 Blue Laws, undated 1 28 Brand-New Man, 1926 1 29 The Brazen Serpent, 1928 1 30 Brother and Sister, 1920 1 31 Brotherly Love, undated 1 32 The Burden of God, 1937 1 33 Business: Putting Business into Your Religion, undated 1 34 Can a Person Live without Sin?, undated 1 35 Cease Patronage, 1926 1 36 Childhood of Jesus, undated 1 37 Christ and the City, undated 1 38 Christ and Womanhood, undated 1 39 Christ and Womanhood: Mary and Martha, undated 1 40 Christian Cooperation / Love between Denominations, undated 1 41 Christian Education, undated 1 42 The Christian in Politics, 1927 1 43 Christmas: The Babe in a Manger, 1929 1 44 Christmas: Who Celebrated the First Christmas?, undated 1 45 The Christ of the Indian Road, 1927 1 46 Christ’s Blood and Abel’s, undated 1 47 Christ’s School of Optimism, undated 1 48 Christ with Us, undated 1 49 The Church the Bride of Christ, undated 1 50 Civic Righteousness / Citizenship, 1922, undated 1 51 Citizens of Eternity, undated 1 52 Come and See, 1919 1 53 Come with Us, undated 1 54 Confession, undated 1 55 Conrad the Cobbler, 1923 1 56 Consider the Lilies, 1926 1 57 Country Church, Glory of the, undated 1 58 The Cowardice of Refusing Christ, undated 1 59 A Coward Made into a Hero, undated 1 60 Cripples and Culls, or, What Shall We Do with the Indifferent Church Member, undated 1 61 Cross, Meaning of, undated 1 62 Crosses, 1923 1 63 The Cross, Gospel of, undated 1 64 Curse Ye Meroz, 1926 1 65 Dad Has His Inning / Importance of Being Dad, 1924, 1927, undated 1 66 Daniel, 1929, undated 1 67 Deborah and Barak / Team-working for God, 1928 1 68 Demas, undated 1 69 The Devil of Waste, undated 1 70 Devils, Eight in One Man, undated 1 71 The Devil’s Partner, undated 1 72 Digging Ditches, undated 1 73 Diversities of Gifts, undated 1 74 The Dives Family, 1924, 1928, undated 1 75 Doctoring the Doctors, 1927, undated 1 76 Doctors / Perils of a Partial Diagnosis 1 77 Don’t Divorce – Wait!, Rainbow Sermon #2, 1927, undated 1 78 Don’t Plunge – Wait!, Rainbow Sermon #3, undated 1 79 Doubts, undated 1 80 Drawing God’s Picture, undated 1 81 Duty Not Measured by Our Ability, undated 1 82 Duty to My Church, undated 1 83 Earnest Christianity, undated 1 84 Earnestness, undated 1 85 Easter Joy Bells, Excerpts, undated 1 86 Easy Street Religion, 1936 1 87 Efficacy of Trust, 1901 1 88 Elijah: A Character Sketch Sermon, 1925 1 89 Elijah-Jezebel-Ahab / Elijah under the Juniper Tree, undated 1 90 Emotional Religion, 1936, undated 1 91 Esther: A Prize Beauty with a Sense of Duty, undated 1 92 Euthychus, Who Went to Sleep on the Preacher, Looking Glass Series #1, 1927 1 93 Eyes for Spiritual Forces, 1919, undated 1 94 The Eyes of a Fool, 1922 1 95 Facing Front, 1926 1 96 Facing the Music, 1926 1 97 The Family Altar, undated 1 98 Fathers: Some Bible Daddies and Some Local Ones, 1925 1 99 Five Loaves and Two Fishes, undated 1 100 Forty Days with a Risen Lord, 1925 1 101 The Forward and the Backward Look in Religion, 1921, 1936 1 102 Freedom through the Truth, undated 1 103 Fruitful Vine, Illuminated Window Series #2, undated 1 104 Gethsemane, 1922, undated 1 105 Get Off the Earth, 1926 1 106 Gideon the Man, Some Notes on, undated 1 107 Giving God All, 1927 1 108 Giving God the Residue, undated 1 109 God and the Groceryman, 1927 1 110 God in Catastrophe, undated 1 111 God Never Coddles Us, 1923 1 112 God’s Washing and Man’s, 1927 1 113 Go Forward, 1923 1 114 Go Teach, 1923 1 115 Good Samaritan, or The Road to Jericho, 1927, undated 1 116 Gospel of Vacation, undated 1 117 Gough, John B., Story of, undated 1 118 Great Commission, 1936 1 119 The Great Friendship, undated 1 120 The Great Grab, undated 1 121 Greatness through Service, 1926 1 122 Green Light – Go Ahead, 1928 1 123 Growing Roses, 1924, undated 1 124 Guest, Edgar, and His Religion, 1925 1 125 Healing of the Nobleman’s Son, 1926 1 126 Healing the Withered Hand, 1927 1 127 Hearts: A Children’s Sermon, 1919 1 128 Hearts and Hallelujahs, 1928 1 129 Heaven, undated 1 130 Hell Broke Loose, 1925 1 131 How May I Know that I Am a Christian?, 1919 1 132 How We Got the Gospel, 1933, undated 1 133 Jesus Revealing the Father, 1922 1 134 I Am God’s Steward, 1925, undated 1 135 If Heaven Could Radio, 1927 1 136 The Immortality of Goodness and the Inherent Destructiveness of Evil, undated 1 137 Individual Responsibility, 1928 1 138 In His Steps / Jesus in Atlanta, 1924 1 139 International Night, 1926 1 140 Investing One’s Life in the Church, 1936, undated 1 141 Is He a Living Christ to You?, 1936, undated 1 142 I Stand at the Door, 1925 1 143 Is the Modern Woman Going to the Devil?, 1925 1 144 Ithuriel’s Spear, 1924 1 145 Jekyll and Hyde, 1936, undated 1 146 Jesus and His Mother at the Cross, undated 1 147 Jesus at the Wedding, 1921, 1922 1 148 Jesus Misunderstood and Opposed, 1928 1 149 Job, undated 1 150 John the Baptist, 1935 1 151 John the Beloved, Character Sketch, undated 1 152 Joseph and His Brethren, 1922, 1925, undated 1 153 Joy, undated 1 154 Judas, undated 1 155 Just as I Am, 1924, undated 1 156 Keeping the Devils Out, undated 1 157 Keeping the Soul on Top, 1927 1 158 Keeping up with the Jones, undated 1 159 Keep the Devils or Lose the Hogs, 1926 1 160 The Kind of Good Boy I Would Like to Be, undated 1 161 The Kind of Good Girl I Would Like to Be, 1922 2 1 Labor Day Sermons, 1924-1925 2 2 Launch Out Into the Deep, undated 2 3 Law, 1926 2 4 Law Enforcement Day, undated 2 5 Lay Hold on Eternal Life, 1924 2 6 Les Miserables, undated 2 7 Let All You Do Be Done in Love, 1922 2 8 Letter Request, undated 2 9 Let the Dead Bury Their Dead, 1927 2 10 The Lieutenant and the Boy, undated 2 11 Life Insurance and Church Finances, undated 2 12 Life Services, 1921 2 13 Lifters and Leaners, 1927 2 14 Light Shining, undated 2 15 Line upon Line to Children, undated 2 16 Little Stones for Big Enemies: David and Goliath, undated 2 17 Living in the Big Realities, 1920, 1925 2 18 Living in the Suburbs, 1927 2 19 The Loss of the Individual, 1935 2 20 Lost Things Found, 1925 2 21 Love Your Enemies, undated 2 22 Loyalty to the Church, undated 2 23 Making Goodness Attractive, 1936 2 24 Malachi: God’s Revival Program, undated 2 25 Malchus, or The Story of the Chopped Off Ear, 1936 2 26 A Man and His Religion, 1923 2 27 The Man Nobody Knows, 1926 2 28 The Mansion, 1927 2 29 Methodism: Its Story / Why I Am a Methodist, 1930, undated 2 30 The Mission of Wesley Memorial / Mission of the Downtown City Church, 1925 2 31 Mission of the Aged, 1931 2 32 Mission to All the World, undated 2 33 Missions, 1926, undated 2 34 The Modern Mother, undated 2 35 Money, Christian’s Attitude toward, undated 2 36 Moses: A Character Study, 1919 2 37 Mother-in-Law, 1928 2 38 Mother’s Day, 1924-1925 2 39 The Mountain School Teacher, 1926 2 40 My Day and Its Task, undated 2 41 My Hobby and Why I Ride It, undated 2 42 My Work and My Religion, undated 2 43 Naaman, undated 2 44 Naboth’s Vineyard, undated 2 45 Names of Jesus, 1928 2 46 Nathanael, 1936 2 47 National Righteousness, 1930, undated 2 48 A New Man in a New World, 1924 2 49 New Year, 1922, 1923, 1928 2 50 The Ninety and Nine, 1924 2 51 Not Far from the Kingdom, undated 2 52 Not Fit for the Kingdom, 1925, 1927 2 53 Obedience to Law, 1927 2 54 One Increasing Purpose, undated 2 55 Optimism, Talk to Kiwanis at Rome, undated 2 56 The Other Man’s Portion, undated 2 57 Overcaution in Religion, undated 2 58 Overcomers, undated 2 59 Peace, The Road to, undated 2 60 Peter, 1926, 1929, undated 2 61 Pilate, 1922 2 62 Prayer, 1927, undated 2 63 The Prodigal Son, 1919, 1928 2 64 Providence / A Good Man’s Backing, undated 2 65 Quo Vadis, 1926 2 66 The Rainbow, undated 2 67 Relation of Pastor and People, undated 2 68 Religion in the Home, undated 2 69 Rejoice with Me, 1923, 1935 2 70 Resurrection, Angels of the, 1928, 1935 2 71 Rich Fool / A Man’s Dialogue with His Soul, 1928 2 72 The Rich Young Ruler, undated 2 73 The Rule of the Bramble, 1926 2 74 Running Away from God: Jonah, undated 2 75 Running Past the Red Signals of God, 1928 2 76 Sacramental Sermon, 1927 2 77 Saints, undated 2 78 The Samaritan Woman, undated 2 79 The Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever, 1921, 1926 2 80 Samson and Delilah, 1926 2 81 Samuel, 1917 2 82 Saved by Hope, undated 2 83 Scoutmasters, Address to, undated 2 84 The Scudders by Irving Batcheller, Book Review, 1936, undated 2 85 The Second Is Like Unto It, undated 2 86 The Second Mile, 1922 2 87 Self-Control, undated 2 88 Sermon in a Sandwich, 1922 2 89 Seven Sayings of the Risen Christ, undated 2 90 Seven Sayings on the Cross, undated 2 91 Serving God with Our Whole Bodies, undated 2 92 Shallow Religion, undated 2 93 Shall We Keep the Devils or Lose the Hogs?, 1926, undated 2 94 The Shame of Present Day Indifference, 1921 2 95 Sick of the Palsy, undated 2 96 Sinai and Calvary, 1921, undated 2 97 A Slice of the Millennium, 1928 2 98 The Small Group and Its Value, 1930 2 99 Song of the Shepherds, undated 2 100 Songs, “Jesus Loves My Soul:” A Hymn Sermon, 1925, 1929 2 101 Songs, “Onward Christian Soldiers” / “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” undated 2 102 Songs, “The Rock of Ages,” A Hymn Sermon, 1925 2 103 Sorry Church Member, 1921 2 104 S.O.S.: Save Our Sabbath / Springtime of the Soul, undated 2 105 So Teach Us to Number Our Days, 1917 2 106 Saul: Behold I Have Played the Fool, 1926 2 107 Spell Hell with Five Letters, 1924 2 108 Spiritual Mindedness, 1922 2 109 Spotlighting Sunday Nights, undated 2 110 Springtime in the Heart, undated 2 111 Stewards, undated 2 112 Stewardship, undated 2 113 Stewart, Wilder, Address at Unveiling of Monument, undated 2 114 Suicide, undated 2 115 Sunday Night Songfest, 1928, 1930 2 116 Sunday School, undated 2 117 Teachers, undated 2 118 Tears and Hallelujahs (Homecoming), 1935-1936 2 119 Temptation, 1922 2 120 The Temptation of Jesus, 1922, 1924 2 121 The Tepid Christian, 1935 2 122 Terah Died in Haran, 1922, 1924 2 123 Thanksgiving, undated 2 124 Their Yesterdays, undated 2 125 Things New and Old, undated 2 126 Three Chairs, undated 2 127 Three Ways of Living, undated 2 128 Through Suffering to Joy, undated 2 129 Tito, or The Devil’s Toboggan Slide, 1923 2 130 Tomorrow, 1936, undated 2 131 The Tongue, undated 2 132 Too Late for a Wedding, 1925 2 133 The Trail of the Devil across Augusta/Atlanta, undated 2 134 The Trail of the Devil over Atlanta’s Business, 1927 2 135 The Trail of the Devil over Our Homes, 1927 2 136 The Trail of the Devil through the Gardens of Pleasure, 1927 2 137 The Transfiguration, 1920, 1922, 1925, undated 2 138 Traps and Snares, undated 2 139 True Riches, Farewell at St. James, 1923 2 140 The Two Foundations, undated 3 1 The Unconverted Church Member, or The Man without the Wedding Garment, undated 3 2 Uncovering Forces of God, 1925 3 3 Understanding Your Child, undated 3 4 The Unescapable Christ, 1920, 1923 3 5 An Unhaloed Hero, undated 3 6 Unification / My United Church, undated 3 7 The Universal Christ, 1926 3 8 The Unrecognized Christ, 1928, undated 3 9 The Unshakable Church, 1928 3 10 Unsung Heroes, 1927 3 11 Until He Find It, 1928, undated 3 12 Up Calvary’s Hill, undated 3 13 The Uttermosts (Three), undated 3 14 Vicarious Sacrifice, 1926 3 15 Vision, 1920 3 16 Visions and Tasks, 1925-1926 3 17 Wake Up, Atlanta!, 1926 3 18 The Wages of Sin Is Death, undated 3 19 The Walk to Emmaus, undated 3 20 Walls of Jericho, 1926, 1929 3 21 Wanted: A Liar, 1928, 1929, 1935 3 22 Warming by the Devil’s Fire, 1927 3 23 Washes Disciples’ Feet, undated 3 24 Weakness Made an Asset, undated 3 25 Wesley: A Centenary Message, undated 3 26 What Did Jesus Preach About?, 1923 3 27 What Is Preaching the Gospel?, undated 3 28 What I Wish I Had Known at 21, 1923 3 29 What Shall I Do with my Doubts?, undated 3 30 What Should I Expect of My Church – What Should My Church Expect of Me?, undated 3 31 What’s it For?, undated 3 32 The Wheat and the Tares, 1930 3 33 When “Bear Cat” Went Dry, undated 3 34 Where Are the Nine?, undated 3 35 Where Does the Sky Begin?, 1922, 1924, 1936 3 36 Where Is Zebedee?, 1925 3 37 Who Is My Brother?, undated 3 38 Who Killed William H. Cheek?, 1925 3 39 Whom Say Ye That I Am?, 1923 3 40 Wild Young People, undated 3 41 Wisdom Better Than Rubies, undated 3 42 Wives, 1923, 1924 3 43 Women and Christianity, undated 3 44 Working Out Your Salvation, 1926, 1929 3 45 World War Memorial Address, 1923 3 46 The Wrath of the Lamb, 1920, 1926 3 47 Ye Cannot Serve God and mammon, 1928, 1935 3 48 Ye Must Be Born Again, undated 3 49 Ye Shall Be As Gods, 1923 3 50 You Need Jesus Amid the Storms, 1930, undated 3 51 The Young Man I Admire, 1919, 1924-1925, undated 3 52 The Young Man I Admire, 1936, undated 3 53 Your Own Funeral Sermon, 1923, undated 3 54 Youth, undated 3 55 Youth: It Pays to Be True / The Girl for Me, 1927, undated 3 56 Zaccheus: Make Haste and Come Down, 1928 3 57 Zero Hour in Augusta/Atlanta, 1922, 1925 3 58 Photograph of Marvin Williams, undated