F.M. Sumpter, Page 3
Money was short (Depression Era) and the Joplin church building was in bad repair. A dog had been locked in the church after prayer meeting and had clawed his way out. No one had bothered to repair the damage. Marion and some of the church folk began to work on the building. One of the highlights was eating brown beans cooked on the church's big coal heater at midnight after cleaning and painting. Marion made trips to bring people to church who would normally have had to walk. They held taffy pulls and sled rides for the good group of young people who were attending.
Times were pretty rough. One family would give $2, another $1.50. Another would bring commodities that he had hidden inside his coat. The family rented a living room and one bedroom of a house and used the trailer house for a kitchen. The little house was rather crowded for they had to share it with a lady and her children. One month, the income from the church was only $ 9.00. In 1939, the Sumpters were able to buy a lot for the price of the back taxes ($10). They began to build a house there. It was only 2 rooms at first, but they continued to add on to it as the years progressed and it became their home for the rest of their life (with the exception of a few years when they pastored in other states).
In 1939, Marion began to pastor the church in Seneca, Missouri. He commuted there on Sundays and Wednesdays and during revivals.
Around 1942-43, he accepted the call to pastor the Midway church, south of Gravette, Arkansas. Though this pastorate also involved a rather long commute, the family enjoyed the experience and the attendance was good.
In January of 1946 a call came to pastor the Washington Street Mission in Los Angeles, California. Minnie Rose had started this work in an old store building. After a few months at this location, he moved to the Third and Freemont Church of God (Holiness). While here, he continued his self-education. He studied Orton Wiley's Christian Theology and taught it to his church on Wednesday nights. He learned new words by writing out the pronunciations and then using them in sermons. He studied many Christian books as well as Christian psychology.
The family returned to Joplin in 1947 before receiving a call to pastor the church in Rogue River, Oregon. They once again headed west and had a successful ministry in Oregon for four years. They added Sunday School rooms onto the church, built a camp-meeting dining room/kitchen, and added other amenities. They were loved and respected by many of the people in that part of the country. By now, their two boys were nearly grown. Marion performed the wedding of his son, Wayne at the Rogue River church. Upon completion of their ministry there, they returned once more to Joplin.
Unable to rest for long, they were soon ministering in Sidney, Iowa. This was their home for the next 9 months. For approximately one year, Marion did some more evangelistic work.
In 1952 the Joplin Church of God (Holiness) recalled him to pastor. This was his longest pastorate. Until 1970 he ministered to this flock. He was a true shepherd. He often spent times in the homes of his parishioners as well as the unchurched. The neighborhood children and adults, called him Bro. Sumpter, even if they didn't attend the church.