F.M. Sumpter, Page 2
Marion met Theoria Lucille Carnegey and they married at Woodward, Oklahoma on Nov. 10, 1926. To this union was born, Matthew Edward in Sept. 1928 and Everett Wayne on Nov. 9, 1930. The family would pile into an old Ford car when it was time to go to church. Their starched and ironed clothing would have many wrinkles when they arrived. One spring, Bro I.L. Patton came to hold a revival. Lucille was under deep conviction. Marion took her to the altar. Later...during a summer camp meeting, Marion repented of his sins and found peace. He later was entirely sanctified.
Marion and his younger brother, Leon were wheat farmers. They had purchased $10,000 worth of farm machinery and had 1,000 acres of wheat planted. At harvest time they planned to pay off the equipment and each buy a new Buick. Three weeks before harvest, a hail storm destroyed their crop and bankrupted them. Marion was feeling the call to the ministry, but did not think that he should enter that field until his indebtedness to the Hart-Parr Company was taken care of. Representatives from the company came to talk to the young men. They said, "Boys, we know you can never pay this debt. If you will let us, we will cancel your debt and take the machinery."
Having thus resolved the problem, Marion and Lucille felt free to answer God's call. Sister L.C. Pile was preaching in area churches at that time. She took Marion and Lucille with her to some of her services. That led to them accepting a pastorate at the Dewey, Oklahoma Church of God (Holiness) in 1930. They were inexperienced and the pastorate proved to be a tough one. After a couple of years they returned to farm life. In 1933, they were called to Butterfield, Missouri to pastor the country chapel known as Log Church. This stint lasted for another couple of years.
Around 1934 he began to hold revivals in small churches and schoolhouses in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas. Money was not plentiful during most of their life, but particularly at this point. During this time Lucille decided to sell a bushel of peaches so she could buy gasoline for a trip to the revival Marion was holding in Clantonville. The two boys, Edward and Wayne, overheard comments about the financial needs of their parents.
Being good boys, they made an effort to "help out" by putting pond water in the gas tank of the car. As a result Sis Sumpter had a long walk to get to the revival. At the services, work was being done for the Lord. One man had to sit up front (he was too large to fit into the school seats). He and his wife prayed through and found victory in Jesus. Bro. Sumpter encouraged him to get rid of his booze and cigarettes (he was a boot-legger).
The Sumpters stayed at this man's farm during the revival meeting. While there, Marion and a man by the name of Ertie Weston built a 7 by 14' trailer house on a 4-wheeled chassis. He pulled it with a 4-cylinder Willys-Overland Whippet and it became the family home as they did evangelistic work for several years. Though the preacher was not formally educated God blessed his ministry and many people were converted. The devil was not pleased and fought hard. At times they were harassed and threatened with eggs or tomatoes. Green Forest, Arkansas was one such place. There a woman and her daughter-in-law sat on either side of a young man to keep him from going to the altar. In spite of all of this,. God did His work. It was during this series of meetings that August Leulf's (stuttering preacher) niece was sanctified holy.
Around 1935, Marion took the little trailer to the Independence School House. A group of Church of God (Holiness) people were meeting there. He pastored there until 1937 when the family moved on to Joplin, Missouri.