[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 114 (Wednesday, September 3, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1630-E1631]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       DEDICATION OF ANVIL HOUSE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 3, 1997

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 
Foundations Bible College and Schools in Dunn, NC on the recent 
dedication of its Anvil House. The president and founder of the 
Foundations Ministries and Schools, Dr. O. Talmadge Spence, announced 
the official Day of Dedication of Anvil House on May 15 with a 4-day 
celebration which culminated with the 23d graduation class of the 
college.
  The vision of this learning center around a worship sanctuary results 
after some 30 years of thought, and more energetically after Dr. Spence 
attended Oxford University. Six years and nine months of actual 
building has been involved with a little over 2 years in acquiring 
furnishings, furniture, decor, and art pieces for the learning 
laboratory experience. Anvil House phase 1, has been completed with 
30,300 square feet of floor space including: 8 divinity halls on the 
north and south; exterior and interior gothic walks; the first floor 
Founder's Foyer, and the Whitefield Sanctuary which seats 950 persons. 
The second floor consists of a gallery, balcony, and the colonnade walk 
which leads from the balcony to the podium above the first floor 
chancel. The cantilever pulpit projects out into the sanctuary some 30 
feet with the first floor sanctuary and the second floor balcony 
surrounding the entire pulpit area.
  The Anvil House is dedicated to three histories as pictured by its 
historical time and decor: World civilization, church history, and 
remnant Christianity. These three historical views are seen in a 
parallel chronology running throughout the facility. World civilization 
is seen in all of the rooms and areas. Church history, mingled with the 
parallel history of world civilization, is illustrated by the gothic 
walk of 46 nitches and over 100 art pieces. The divinity halls are 
designated by the following geographies, noting the ingredients of 
remnant Christianity: The French Room, noting the times of the 
Huguenots and the Waldensians; the Bohemian Room, the Hussites and 
Moravians; the Colonial Room, puritans and pilgrims; the English Room, 
Oxford Holy Club; the Welsh Room, the Welsh revival; the Swiss Room, 
the Swiss brethren and Zwingli; the Ulster Room, the dissenters and 
separatists; and the German Room, the Reformers and Luther.
  The second floor balcony and colonnade will be the regular 
processional walk for the graduation class each year as they proceed to 
the pulpit of Whitefield Sanctuary to receive their diploma or degree.
  In each of the rooms and other areas of Anvil House there is 
historical meaning everywhere. There are over 1,600 art pieces from all 
over the world. There are 688 fixed gothic arches in Anvil House 
besides another 500

[[Page E1631]]

other such arches in the art pieces themselves. This facility has one 
of the largest collections of Christian etchings found anywhere.
  The next addition will be phase two, and it will commence immediately 
to add seven three- and four-story towers, using castle rock as was 
used for the north Calvin Pavilion. The south tower will be called 
Wesley Tower, and the other six east and west towers will be identified 
by other personalities of church history, such as Robert Murray 
McCheyne, Jonathan Edwards, John Wycliffe, J. Gresham Machen, Brainerd, 
and Zinzendorf. The building itself will occupy about 1 acre of land. 
In phase two, east and west gardens will be planted to resemble the 
distinct kinds of gardens in the Orient and the western world as 
particularly viewed from the perspective of Christianity and missions.
  Dr. Spence, who is the president and founder of Foundations Schools 
as well as the original designer of the Anvil House, speaks glowingly 
of the project: ``We believe genuine history is being lost or neglected 
in the progress of modern man,'' says Dr. Spence, ``and history is 
being rewritten with a different presupposition than the facts of the 
past. We are losing the experience we have learned of the past.'' 
President Spence continues: ``As a Christian educational institution 
leaning into the twenty-first century, Foundations believes history 
must be protected as truthfully as we protect the Bible. To the 
Christian, the first authority is the Bible, the Word of God, then 
history, then philosophy, and then languages,'' said Dr. Spence, ``and 
all truth must be proclaimed, defended, and practiced by Christians no 
matter which compartment of life they live in during their daily 
activities.''
  Dr. Spence, concluded his remarks at the opening ceremonies by 
saying, ``The two Christians who are most appropriate to speak in these 
early hours of Anvil House are Dr. Bob Jones, Chancellor of Bob Jones 
University in Greenville, South Carolina; and Reverend Michael N. 
Riley, pastor of the Killian Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.'' 
Dr. Spence was led to Christ through D. Jones and Reverend Riley has 
been a cherished friend in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ of 
unusual gifts for interior decor.
  May 15 through May 18 involved the first 4 days of worship, open 
house, lectures, and graduation Sunday. Personal RSVP invitations were 
extended for this first occasion. A commemorative publication called 
``Anvil House'' and a reproduction of a 300-year-old text entitled 
``The Principle Reformers'' were produced to honor this historic event.
  Foundations Bible College and Seminary is located off Interstate 95, 
Exit 77 in Dunn, NC, on a 65-acre campus of 12 building facilities. The 
school also operates the radio station WLLN of Lillington, NC through 
the Christian Purities Fellowship for its outreach ministry program. 
Over its past 23 years, 100 divinity students from 15 countries and 31 
States have been ordained to the Christian ministry by the Foundations 
School.

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