Sandwich readers might be interested to know that the recent League News “folktale” titled, Bible Up! The Legacy of Brother C.J. Arbuckle, was inspired by the true life story of my great-great-great uncle, Constant Joseph Carmichael. Uncle Constant Joseph was a Baptist preacher/church planter who lived in the 1800s. Like many Americans of his day, he was involved with the westward expansion of the United States around the time of the Civil War and experienced many hardships as he farmed, raised a family, and served the Lord.

In 1919 during the latter part of his life, Constant Joseph was asked by his family to write a autobiography so that generations to come could have an account of important family history, gain some insight into 19th century America, and have the testimony of a faithful man of God who try to tell the story of the Cross and of Christ crucified for over 50 years in eleven states of the Union.

Although some of C.J.’s life story involves specific Carmichael history, the great majority of it is really a declaration of his life as a disciple of Christ during a turbulent time in American history. Because of this, I thought that Christians outside the Carmichael family might be edified and encouraged by the testimony of a brother who came before them and tried to lay a foundation for heralding the Gospel for generations to come.

If you’re interested, you’ll find C.J.’s story HERE. (And in case you were wondering, this is not satire. It’s the real deal.)