Every month, this Bulletin Board will highlight a new document or set of documents that are available in the Archives. These are intended solely for the edification of our viewers and cannot be copied or otherwise reused without permission. Come on over and have a look!

To view items previously featured on the Bulletin Board, click

In 2015, the Archival Bulletin Board is turning onto a silver screen. Each month of the year we will be displaying a rare film from our vault, all featuring some aspect of the history of Christian evangelism.

Thanks to Bruce Knowlton of Wheaton College's Academic and Media Technology for his invaluable help in putting together this film festival.

This month's selection in our year-long archival film festival is the 20-minute film, Five Minutes to Live.

Filmed just after World War II between 1945 and 1946, the film features four well-known pastors who provide short sermons with their answers to the question of what they would do or encourage others to do with their last five minutes of life. Each refers to their own personal story while also appealing for faithful witness by Christians and inviting others to trust and follow Christ in faith.

The four speakers include (left column in order of presentation) Oswald Smith, William Bell Riley, Walter L. Wilson, and H.A. Ironside. Introducing each of the speakers is Bob Jones, Jr. (shown below)

(Click here or on the frame captures above or below to view the video; it may take a few moments for the video file to load and begin playing.)

While originally 20 minutes long, the Archives' copy lacks the title frames, introduction, and first part of Oswald Smith's message, leaving the running time short of 16 minutes. The movie was a production C. O. Baptista Films (called in its early days the Scriptures Visualized Institute), which was one of the first Evangelical Protestant film companies. The company was based in Wheaton, Illinois. This film is F17 in Collection 225; the Archives also has the script for the film in folder 1-17 of the collection.

Click here or on the frame captures above or below to view the video; it may take a few moments for the video file to load and begin playing.

Click here to see all the films in the Film Festival thus far.