IS IT possible to be a minister's wife and a Bible instructor at the same time? Ask Mrs. O. J. Bell of Keene, Texas, that question and she will reply, with a twinkle in her eye and an affirmative nod, that she has been at it for better than twenty years!
She admits that planning a program was a bit easier once her three children left home (her youngest daughter was ten when she began). But probably what helped most was that her husband, Elder O. J. Bell, treasurer of several conferences in the Southwestern Union for many years, has always been in full accord and sympathy with her work.
Only once in the twenty-four years since she began her work as a Bible instructor was she not allowed to be on the conference payroll because she was a minister's wife. That, however, did not dampen her soul-winning zeal.
Mrs. Bell's training for Bible work began at the tender age of twelve when she began teaching a Sabbath school class of juniors. And she has been teaching Sabbath school classes ever since. "Anyone who can successfully teach a Sabbath school class can be a Bible instructor," asserts Mrs. Bell. We might add that a vivacious personality and a deep love for souls helps too, both of which assets she possesses.
It was while teaching church school that she had a part in winning her first convert her future husband. The Bells, a staunch Baptist family, attended an evangelistic series in a nearby town and accepted the message. O. J., how ever, did not attend, and it remained for Pearl to help break down his prejudice and interest him in the message. That interest developed into a life-long partner ship of service for God.
Besides her love for teaching and being a minister's wife, it was probably what she did on her own initiative in working for people that best prepared Mrs. Bell for her role as a Bible instructor. When the pastor of a large city church needed help in his soul-winning program, he turned to Mrs. Bell and gave her a start in this work. She recalls that first experience: "1 took the list of names and visited until I found someone to study with. That very first prospect was later baptized."
About eight years ago when Elder Bell retired, they moved to a quiet spot in the country near Keene. But there was to be no retirement for Mrs. Bell yet. For the next seven years she served on the staff of the large Keene church, counseling members, helping with hospital visitation, studying with interests, and in general serving as the pastor's right-hand woman. One of her most successful projects in this large Adventist community was her Sabbath school class composed of relatives of members and other nonmember interests.
In addition, she helped with evangelistic meetings held in nearby communities. Recently a new church of forty members was organized, for which she did much of the ground work. Her method was to go with the laymen to their gift-Bible interests whenever the prospect needed encouragement, or when some crucial truth, such as the Sabbath, was being studied. At one time during an effort she gave as many as seventeen studies a week in her lay-training program. She also conducted training programs for college women interested in Bible work.
Mrs. Bell is retired, officially at least, because of her husband's health. But her services are still much in demand. In fact, she confided to me, she would still be working full time were it not for her ability to say No. As a compromise she devotes one day a week to the work in addition to her Sabbath class. When I suggested to Mrs. Bell that she is still listed on the church bulletin as part of the staff she hastened to explain that it was because of a printing technicality. However, we suspect a bit of reluctance on the part of the pastor and congregation to give up such a valuable worker.
Our visit, renewing a long-time friendship, came to an end all too soon. As I prepared to leave the warmth of Mrs. Bell's home she slipped her arm around me and prayed a beautiful prayer. I left filled with new courage and inspiration and an awareness that I had been in the presence of a truly great mother in Israel whose full family of children will be known to her only in the kingdom!
