American Decades
Norris, J. Frank 1877-1952
MINISTER
Flamboyant Fundamentalist.
Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, J. Frank Norris was one of the most flamboyant figures in the Southern Baptist Convention until he was forced from the denomination. Sensation naturally followed Norris. Once he was charged with burning his own church; on another occasion he was declared not guilty on grounds of self-defense for killing one of the many men he offended. A strident voice in Fundamentalist circles, he was widely loved and admired by those who shared his views and were swayed by his sermons.
Early Life and Career.
Norris was born in rural Alabama and moved with his family to Texas as a child. He experienced an early conversion, and after graduating from Baylor University and the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, he took a church in Dallas, Texas, which he quickly developed into one of the largest congregations in...
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1920's Religion
