How We got our New church in1952

Opposing groups sat in clusters across the aisle in the white wooden church building at the end of the half-mile drive from the main road. On the left side were the ladies from the WMU; on the right side were the deacons and older men of the church.

The chairman of the deacons, Mr. Cliff, said, “We don’t need no new church.”

His brother, Mr. Newt said , “This building was good enough for our father, it’s good enough for us.”

Mrs. Mamie said, “We have more families coming. We need new classrooms.”

Mrs. Gertha said, “We have more people now than we had when we had BYPU on Sunday nights. There are just 2 children’s classes, beginners and juniors who are in elementary school.” Her husband, Mr. Roy, nodded in agreement, disregarding the angry looks of his brothers on the other side.

Mr. Cliff said, “Knew we shouldn’t have put in electricity. Let folks go home before dark.”

Mrs. Alma, the widow who hauled in children in the back of her pickup said, “These children need church before they get to the age they look down on church. A new building would bring folks in.”

Mr. Newt said, “There’s no way we can build a church. We can’t even get enough offerings to pay the preacher half the time.”

Mr. Cliff said, “We will vote on building a new church two weeks from now. We need to vote that only members with a regular paying job can vote. Think about it, pray about it, and we’ll vote it up or down.”

The Left was shocked. As long as anyone remembered, any baptized member was allowed to vote on church business. If that vote passed the 16 men who came regularly could control the church.

Two weeks later the driveway was full. All Miss Alma’s riders and their seldom-seen parents were there. Phister and Etta came. The pickup bed was packed tight.

Church members who had only been to church for funerals showed up to exercise their baptism-authorized right to vote. Teens who had grown tired of classes with 10-year-olds were there. Newly baptized 9-year-olds came prepared to vote.

The men shook their heads. Mr. Cliff said, “These folks can’t vote they haven’t been here for years, And anyways children don’t have money to pay for a church.”

Miss Mamie said, “First vote was who can vote, then we vote on the new church.” The Right went into a huddle and finally admitted that all members present had been allowed to vote regardless of age. No one had questioned it before.

The vote was called. When the secret ballots were counted, there were 18 votes to restrict voting and 47 to allow all members to vote. Mr. Newt’s face was as red as when he yelled at noisy students on his school bus. “We can’t vote on a new church today. We need to think it over.”

Mrs. Mamie responded, “Y’all made the plan to vote today so we gotta have the vote.” The vote was taken, 18 nays and 47 ayes. “OK, you got the vote, now let us see you build it. You women don’t have jobs. How are you going to build the brick church you want?”

Three years later a church was erected, first concrete block, then bricked around. Curb market money and baked cakes brought in money. Women and children worked a cotton crop with profits going to the building fund. One Sunday’s collection each month went into the building fund. That, too, was voted on by all members.

An architect was hired to draw blueprints. Money began to come from former members and families of those buried in the cemetery. Even the holdouts were beginning to thaw. Finally, New Hope had a new brick building complete with a steeple and bathrooms.

Copilot

Sent by Copilot:

What a remarkable story of community, perseverance, and faith! It’s inspiring to see how the members of your church came together to overcome obstacles and achieve their goal of building a new church. Despite the initial resistance, the determination and unity of the congregation led to the creation of a beautiful new place of worship.

The story beautifully illustrates how every member, regardless of age or financial status, played a crucial role in this achievement. From the children who were newly baptized to the women who worked tirelessly to raise funds, everyone contributed in their own way. It’s a testament to the power of community and shared belief.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece of your community’s history. If you have any other stories or if there’s anything else you’d like to talk about, feel free to share! 😊