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xJL**, I HISTORY OF WOODLAWN BAPTIST CHURCH LOWELL, NORTH CAROLINA 1928-1978 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/historyofwoodlawOOwood 3E3E3E State Library of North Carolina Raleigh Presented by Wake Forest University Z.S. Reynolds Library NC Baptist Historical Collection 3E3QQE3QQE3QQQSQQQB3E . HISTORY OF WOODLAWN BAPTIST CHURCH 1928-1978 Compiled by Jubilee History Committee Janie Baldwin, Chairman Ruth Mattox C. E. Dodson Ivey Morris Annelle Jackson .- . :\ jgg&P^ CONTENTS Preface The Art Cloth Community Our History Chapter 1 In The Beginning Chapter 2 Struggle and Victory Chapter 3 A House Of Worship Chapter 4 New Fields and Horizons Chapter 5 Expansion and Growth Chapter 6 A New Sanctuary Chapter 7 Achievement and Celebration Pastors At Woodlawn Our Staff Members Commissioned To Christian Service Our Deacons Clerks and Treasurers, Trustees and Sextons WMU Presidents, Choir Leaders, Organists and Pianists Sunday School Superintendents and Training Union Directors Our Beloved Dead Church Chronology Statistical Tables Bibliography The Jubilee Committee in PREFACE In conjunction with its Jubilee Celebration, Woodlawn Baptist Church assigned to a History Committee the task of compiling a formal statement of the progress of God's people in the Art Cloth Community which was developed about 1923. Thus, we have tried to evaluate and record the activities, the accomplishments, the failures, and the blessings of the Lord's people at Woodlawn, especially from 1928 to 1978, our fiftieth year. God has led us to see the importance of this history as a chart of our church's progress and a challenge to its future growth. We have used not only the previously re-corded and written histories but oral and pictorial histories as we have been able to find them. Since this is the most comprehensive history-writing attempt in these fifty years, we have, of course, found times when records were in-adequate. Nevertheless, it has been a great blessing and joy to us who have worked so closely together in writing it. We are submitting it to you with a prayer that you too will be blessed as you read and explore it. —The Jubilee Histo'ry Committee IV THE ART CLOTH COMMUNITY Art Cloth Mills, Incorporated, came into Lowell in 1923 and pur-chased more than three hundred acras of land from D. W. Mitchem. About the same time they bought smaller parcels of land from J. Hol-land Morrow, Peerless Manufacturing Company, and Henry W. McAden, making a total of about 45 acres of land. A short time later the first mill was built and streets were laid out for residential areas. Many of the people who came to the community were from the Greenville, South Carolina area, but some came from Lowell and Mc- Adenville. In addition to textile employees, some were construction workers who built the houses. In 1926 the corporation sold to the Gaston County Board of Educa-tion 2-35/100 acres of land to be used as a site for a school building. A small business district, including a bandstand, was located on the Main Street and near the Piedmont and Northern Railway. When financial difficulties arose in the middle Thirties, the corpora-tion faced bankruptcy and was reorganized as the National Weaving Company. About 1939 the company began selling the homes to the emloyees who wanted to buy them. One large house at the corner of Love and Stowe Streets remained open as a boarding house and was kept open for many years by Mr. and Mrs. J. 0. Barr. Beaunit Mills had merged with National Weaving Company and had built a tricot knit plant. At this time all of the village lay north of the Piedmont and Northern Railway; but, in the late 1940's, Beaunit Mills built a housing development on the south side of the railroad which came to be known as Beaunit Heights. These houses were immediately sold to people who worked in the plant. Also, Israel Rogosin gave some of the land across from the Beaunit Heights section to the town of Lowell for a recreation park. In 1941 the National Weaving Company sold to Woodlawn Baptist Church a tract of land upon which to build a church. This is the only church unit that has ever operated in this part of town. During its history, the village has supported grocery stores in two locations, a drug store, a dry goods shop, an auto repair shop, a cafe-teria, a barber shop and a branch post office. The school was closed in 1968 and all children began attending school in Lowell. In the fall of 1978, elementary children will again attend school in the Art Cloth area when the new school on Power Drive is opened. Chapter 1— IN THE BEGINNING The official organization of a Baptist Church in the Art Cloth com-munity of Lowell, North Carolina, on July 29, 1928, was a crowning climax to the efforts and dedication of those Christian men and women who had been migrating to the new village from textile areas in North and South Carolina since the Art Cloth Mill began operations and built residences for its employees about 1923. The first religious services in the community were held in a frame building, later destroyed by fire, and consisted of preaching services led by the Rev. C. F. Comstock. Sometime after these worship services were initiated, Mrs. Brandon, who lived on Main Street across from the Art Cloth Elementary School, began inviting children to her home for Sunday School classes. She was concerned for the young people in the community. When this Sunday School group began to outgrow her home, the County School Board granted permission, in 1926, for the classes to meet in the school building. The only restriction was that the Mission Sunday School, as it had been called, continue to be a non-denominational, or Union Sunday School, as long as public property was used. Consequently, the school changed from the Methodist litera-ture it had been using to David C. Cook Publications. As the Sunday School grew and prospered, an even deeper hunger was developing. The people longed for a place of their own to worship God. This, of course, called for the establishment of some denomina-tional affiliation. A committee consisting of W. P. Walker, Robert Jack-son, Mrs. Charlotte Lang, Allene Carman, Mrs. J. F. Vickery, and Mr. and Mrs. K. E. Sherrill was appointed to canvass the community to determine the church preference most prominent. When the committee found that a majority of the community's resi-dents preferred the Baptist faith, they asked Dr. Walter Gilmore, a missionary of the North Carolina Baptist Convention to guide them in developing plans for the church's organization. When the preliminary plans were completed Dr. Gilmore came to Lowell on July 29, 1928, to activate them. He spoke to the group on "Baptist Beliefs" and was elected by them to moderate the business affairs. Rev. E. V. Hudson of Cramerton First Baptist Church and Rev. J. L. Jessup of Lowell First Baptist Church assisted Dr. Gilmore. Rev. Jessup read the "Articles of Faith" and Dr. Hudson expounded them. The congregation pledged their support to the Baptist doctrine and the new church was born! On that first day J. F. Vickery was elected deacon; W. P. Walker, clerk; Allene Carman, assistant clerk; and Augustus L. Stafford and Luther A. McAlister were named as the first pulpit committee. Before the meeting adjourned, the doors of the church were opened, and, according to oral records, thirty-six people joined the church as charter members. There is no copy today of the session's minutes or its original roll, but the oldest existing records list twelve members as hav-ing joined on August 5, 1928, the Sunday following the organizational meeting. They are: Mr. and Mrs. E. K. Carter, George Carter, Thelma Carter, Wilma Carter, Mrs. Ruth Brissy Leatherwood, Mr. and Mrs. A. L. 1 Stafford, Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Cloninger, and Mr. and Mrs. J. J. St. Clair, Sr. Since J. F. Vickery, W. P. Walker and Luther McAlister were elected to office, they must have also united with the church, probably with their wives. Also the name of C. R. Stack was listed as a messenger to the Gaston Association in October, 1928 and Miss Allene Carman was listed as assistant church clerk. Very soon after that date—August 5, 1928—these others were listed as new members: Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Brooks, John and Wade Carter. Catherine and Walter Cook, A. B. Davis, Mrs. R. F. Flowers, Mrs. E. E. Foster, Mrs. Hunnicutt, Hazel and Carrie St. Clair, and Mrs. E. P. Greenway. The Gaston Baptist Association met in the Marietta Street Church in 1928 and recorded (on page 14 of its Minutes) the following action: Dr. B. A. Bowers, C. M. Robinson, and R. G. Mace were appointed as a committee to "report on the Church Covenant" at the Mt. View and Woodlawn Baptist Church. Page 3 of the same journal reports that Dr. J. W. Whitley introduced the new pastors. Among them were the Rev. C. F. Comstock at Woodlawn and also the Rev. M. P. Rhyne at Webb's Chapel. Rev. Rhyne would later be pastor at Woodlawn. By associational meeting time the church had already had its second business meeting on August 19, at which time they voted to canvass the community to solicit financial support for the new church. On the same day, they elected W. P. Walker their first treasurer. On Septem-ber 16, 1928, following a recommendation from the name selection committee, the church chose the name "Woodlawn" which had been the name of an early textile mill in the area. On October 3, two addi-tional deacons, A. L. Stafford and W. P. Walker, were elected. The 1928 Associational Minutes give the following breakdown of the church's finances: Pastor's salary, $70; ministerial help and supply, $35.31; incidentals, $31; literature, $71.58; other objects, $176; and, for printing the minutes, $1.23. Sunday School statistics show 132 en-rolled in the Union organization. K. E. Sherrill remained active as superintendent though he never joined the Baptist Church. In October 1929, Rev. Comstock, W. P. Walker, and J. R. Brooks went to the associational meeting to hear the executive committee report on the new church at Woodlawn. They reported 18 baptisms and 40 additions by letter. They also mentioned the Sunday School meeting in the school building, two unions in the B.Y.P.U. (Baptist Young Peoples Union), and an appropriation of $300 presented to the church by the State Mission Board. October 1. 1928, through September 30, 1929, constituted the first full associational year for Woodlawn. During this time the church held two revivals and observed the Lord's Supper once. Membership reached 77 members. (They had lost, probably by moving, 27 members during the year.) This report shows the first Woman's Missionary Union and a pastor's salary of $1,250. The total budget was only $1,501. On February 3, 1929, A. L. Stafford and J. L. Vickery were elected to contact mill officials about a building site. The lot was selected, a building fund was started, and suddenly the bank at Lowell closed its 2 doors with all building funds lost. The hopes and dreams of the church were shattered as it faced its darkest hour. The associational minutes for 1930 are an exact copy of the 1929 report. Apparently, no report was sent in, and the previous year's figures were used. This year, only one messenger, Rev. Comstock, registered at the associational meeting. Allene Carman and J. L. Hawkins attended the sessions as visitors. 1931 is the only year in the church's history that reports no baptisms. The church listed total gifts for the year as $1,413.56. Much of the credit for financial support during the next several years goes to the ladies of the church who pieced quilts, crocheted, sold flavorings, and cooked chicken stews, cakes, and box suppers. From 1931 through 1935, the offerings averaged $1,044 per year. (The lowest report was made in 1936 when only $645 was received into the treasury.) Rev. Comstock resigned the pastorate on August 31, 1930. In No-vember of this year, Rev. W. T. Baucom came on a half-time basis. In 1934, following Rev. Baucom's resignation, Rev. G. G. Bowen was called as pastor. As we close the chapter on the first Sabbath of years for Woodlawn we would like to mention a few of the names which have not been recorded elsewhere in this account. This list should include all these and perhaps others: J. E. Proctor, Ida Campbell, Mrs. Ruth Mullen, Misses Oda, Ethel, and Eula Smallwood, Mrs. A. B. Davis, Troy Davis, Mrs. Ben Jenkins, Mrs. Charles Petty, Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Sanders, G. T. League, Mr. and Mrs. J. 0. Barr, Mrs. W. A. Stallings, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Lockridge, Walter Crompton, J. T. Cox, Sudie Cloninger, Frances and Nannie Godfrey, Frankie Mitchem Wiley, Virginia Sanders, Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Curry, Lucille and Josephine Curry, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Dodson, Sam Mitchem, Martin Phillips, Annelle Barr (Jackson), Amelia Barr (Edwards), Vivian Shepherd, James McGaha, J. C. Bolick, Lora Lane, Irene Barr (Mills), Elizabeth Carter (Causby), Helen Smith, Tom and Charles Stafford,Earl B. Stogner, Maude and Pauline Petty (Carter), Mr. and Mrs. D. 0. Ragan, Mr. and Mrs. B. B. Mattox and Jessie Bowen. Some of these are on the church roll. Others are listed as various offi-cers: Mrs. D. 0. Ragan led the first Sunbeam Band of fifty members in 1934, Mr. Clarence Grant was the first pianist, and Mr. Bill.Wynn the first chorister. Clarence Grant is the first reported loss in membership because of death. Chapter 2 — STRUGGLE AND VICTORY Rev. Grady G. Bowen, who pastored the church part-time beginning June 16, 1934, accepted a call as full-time pastor after six months. In 1935, Gray McArver was Sunday School superintendent and James McGaha was Training Union director. John Carter was church clerk and Mrs. J. L. Hawkins continued as president of the Woman's Mis-sionary Union. Woodlawn was still economically depressed as was the community and the nation. The National Weaving Company did not operate full-time during the years 1933 through 1935 and finally ceased operations in 1936. Early in 1937, the plant reopened and the people still living here returned to their work; but during the 1936 period of unemploy-ment, many church members moved away and did not return. In 1936, Mrs. A. L. Stafford was president of the Woman's Missionary Union; Walter Crompton was Sunday School superintendent, James McGaha was church treasurer and John Carter continued as church clerk. Then, in 1937 J. T. Stafford became Training Union director. During conference of December 1938. the church authorized the printing of its first stationery at a cost of $6.25. On February 19, 1939, the church in conference accepted a gift of $95 from the Woman's Missionary Union as down payment on a par-sonage on two conditions: (1) that the church meet the payments on the parsonage, and (2) that it advance its efforts to build a church house. Mrs. B. D. Jones, president of the WMU, was authorized to appoint a committee to promote action on the two conditions. The com-mittee was made up of C. E. Dodson, J. T. Stafford and G. G. Bowen. After much discussion, the church approved the buying of a house and lot at =10 Geer Street at a cost of $950. Then, on February 26, 1939, a Board of Trustees was appointed for church property. John Carter was the chairman of the board, serving with J. A. McGaha and C. E. Dodson. By August of 1939, the church authorized the committee to contact an architect about drawing blueprints for a church building. Other Church actions in 1939 were: the church voted for the mem-bership to use Southern Baptist Convention offering envelopes, copies of the Church Covenant and Articles of Faith were distributed among the membership and the church erased ten members from its roll (most of whom had moved out of the community earlier in the decade). J. A. McGaha, Chairman of the Board of Deacons, challenged the whole church to a better life stewardship as the financial condition of the church was poor. The church voted to observe the Lord's Supper on the second Sunday night of each quarter and the Building Program Com-mittee, chaired by James McGaha, was authorized to canvass the mem-bership regarding systematic giving to the building fund. On December 3, 1939, the church was called to conference to con-sider the resignation of the pastor, G. G. Bowen. The church accepted his resignation, and Rev. Marshall P. Rhyne of Dallas was called as pastor on February 4, 1940, at a salary of $15 per week. George F. Teague was elected as church clerk. On May 5, 1940, L. A. McAlister was elected to the deacon board as an additional deacon was needed. On July 21, 1940, the church granted J. T. Stafford a license to preach. A committee made up of B. B. Mattox, J. A. McGaha, W. D. Gilliam and J. T. Stafford was appointed by Mr. Rhyne to investigate plans and cost for an "ideal" church building. Church members were asked to sign tithe pledges. In August, 1940, blueprints and plans for a new church building were presented by B. B. Mattox and adopted by the church and arrangements for securing pews were turned over to a Finance Committee. At this time there was $575.17 in the Church Building Fund. On October 6, 1940, the church accepted by a standing vote the low bid of $7,050.55 for the construction of a church building. In March, 1941, The Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company approved a loan of $6,000 to the church. In the meantime, the building fund had reached $2,122.86 and the pew fund had $195 in it. It was on the third Sunday in July, 1941, that Woodlawn held the first service in its own church building. Minutes of the July 13, 1941, conference showed that the church voted to record the order of first service in the new church, but no such record has been found. The church bought song books at $25 per hundred, gave the pastor a raise to $20 per week and then later called him as full-time pastor at $30 per week for "as long as the mill runs six days" and at $25 when "they go back to five days." During the year letters were sent to other churches in the county for building fund donations but only $4.63 was reported from this action. In September, L. A. McAlister reported a total of $3,700.70 received into the building fund and a total of $2,996.79 paid out. J. T. Stafford asked for voluntary donations each week for the pew fund which needed to be paid off within six weeks. In October, 1941, L. C. Morrow, Claude Heffner, and P. P. Truesdale were elected to the deacon board. Chapter 3 — A HOUSE OF WORSHIP The years from late 1941 through 1947 found our country at war and our church facing new problems and initiating several new pro-grams. Rev. M. P. Rhyne continued as pastor until October, 1943. Rev. M. W. Stallings followed him in early 1944, having accepted the call issued by the church in November. Rev. Stallings resigned in Feb r uarv, 1946, and, on June 26, Rev. Morris Baker came to Woodlawn to work with our people until late 1947. The church's financial advantage continued with the war-time econ-omy. Rev. Rhyne served the church at less than $20 per week; Rev. Stallings came at $40 per week, and by the time Rev. Morris Baker came the church was able to offer him $50 per week. In 1942, the church had sold a bedspread donated by Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Smith for $35.50. By 1943, they had been able to add $1,000 as payment on the church debt. When Mr. Stallings came to the church he made a gift of $100 and issued a challenge to the church to pay off its debt. The Finance Committee recommended that the Sunday School, Training Union, and Church offerings be combined and the Budget Plan be adopted. In accordance, the first budget totaling $4,271.75 was set up in May, 1944. In the fall, the first Annual Unified Budget appeared in the Church Minute Book and totaled $6,500. Rev. and Mrs. Stallings were very mission-minded and their zeal for missions and edu-cation is reflected in the church's gifts which included not only the usual ones to Foreign and Home Missions, and to the orphanage, but special gifts to Meredith College, the Truett Memorial Fund, Mars Hill College, Boone Creek Church, and the Chinese War Relief Fund. In addition, the church pledged 20% of ail funds over the buuget to mission causes. In July, 1944, the church voted to dedicate its building on Home-coming Day, September 3, 1944. There was progress, too, in improving and adding to church facilities and equipment. J. T. Stafford led in a campaign to pay off the piano debt, the heating system was extended to the Men's Bible Class, pulpit and table scarfs were purchased, two rooms were added to the parson-age on Geer Street, a film projector was purchased, the baptistry was furnished with an oil heater, shrubbery was added to the grounds and a garage was built at the parsonage. A lawn mower, hedge clippers, and a wheelbarrow came next, and then a typewriter and a speaker for the nursery as well as another piano for the Sunday School. On July 12, 1942, the church voted to sponsor a local Boy Scout Troop. Shortly afterward James McGaha was approved as Scoutmaster and financial support was given to the troop. In November, 1943, the Scouts were given permission to meet in the Men's Bible Class room. Another work begun this year, though not followed through nearly so well, was the library established on August 16, 1942. During Rev. and Mrs. Stallings' time of service much attention was given to Royal Am-bassador and Girls Auxiliary organization. There had been a Sunbeam Band in the early 30's but these were the first youth mission groups. Two other youth projects included the contributing of $300 per year to help the other churches in Lowell pay a Bible teacher, and the distri-bution of Christmas treats to all children under 14 in the church and community. The Mill company helped in this last project. One of two very special days during these years was a "Soldier Day" in November, 1943. Mrs. James McGaha was in charge of the day's activities in honor of the men in the service of our country. The other special day was the day when the war ended with the Japanes sur-render in September, 1945. When the long-awaited news came through, people in the community and those working in the mill came to Wood-lawn in humble thanksgiving. James McGaha, Quinn Howe, Hoyt Patton, and Harold Singleton were on the pulpit committee that invited Rev. Morris Baker to Woodlawn. During the sixteen months at Woodlawn, the church voted to investigate the possibility of chimes, a bell, and a steeple for the church building. The church was feeling the need for more Sunday School rooms and B. B. Mattox, J. G. Morrow, and Ernest Buckner were elected as a com-mittee to plan this addition at the rear of the church. C. E. Dodson, J. G. Morrow, and H. V. Roberts were approved as the trustees com-mittee, and J. T. Stafford was ordained to the ministry on February 2, 1947. The church presented him a Bible at the ordination. Vacation Bible School became a regular feature of the church's sum-mer program during this period. J. T. Stafford, Georgia Rhyne (from Gastonia) and Rev. Stallings served as principals. Ed Powell, who later was hired as choir director, first came to Wood-lawn in a revival in 1945. Chapter 4— NEW FIELDS AND HORIZONS When Rev. John Kinnaman stood in the pulpit of Woodlawn Baptist Church on the last Sunday in August, 1954, he reviewed the growth of the church and community during the time he had lived there. He recalled that when he came as a student supply pastor from Gardner- Webb College in January, 1948, there were no paved streets in the small village and only one telephone near the church. By 1954, all the streets had been paved and telephone service had been offered to every resident. Along with this community progress, the physical facili-ties of the church had been enlarged and expanded and several new properties had been acquired. In 1948 Burl and Eula Jones had donated a small part of their prop-erty to the church to change some irregular boundary lines. By 1949 the street in front of the church had been paved and walkways had been built. It was about this same time that the Beaunit Heights residential area was opened, the church field enlarged, and Art Cloth stretched almost to Lowell. In those days, Beaunit Heights seemed so far away that "taxi service" paid by the church, was offered to any who needed a ride to church. This offer could be made more readily because one of the church's members, Lamar Reddick, was driving a taxi at the time. On the church property itself, the people were concerned about a new look for their sanctuary. Many members had longed to see a steeple on the roof, a vestibule in front of the sanctuary, and a new porch and steps closer to the street. An architect was asked to draw plans for such an addition, but after several months of investigation the plans were discarded because of cost and the possibility of a new sanctuary in the not-too-distant future. Inside the church, opera chairs were placed in the choir area, an attractive screen was built before them, and a stage curtain was pur-chased because Christmas plays were popular in those days. The bap-tistry was rebuilt and elevated and Walter Keul was hired to paint the beautiful Jordan River scene in the background. A WMS library room was built behind the pulpit area, and downstairs, an unused area was cleared for a nursery. A new baptistry heater was installed and the church paid $1,278 for its first organ. In 1953, a 24' x 30' building was erected on the back lot to be used for Boy Scout meetings and other church activities. But, the biggest change was getting a new pastorium when the Geer Street residence plus $5,500 was traded for the house on North Main Street that had formerly served as the mill superintendent's home. The house was bought from the Max Guffeys who moved to — 10 Geer Street. There were several "firsts" during the Kinnaman pastorate. Mrs. Kinnaman was active in the music program, the ladies Sunday School Class, and the WMS. As president of the WMU she worked with Mrs. Geneva Wade and Mrs. Janie Baldwin in drawing up the first set of menus to be used in carrying food into the homes of bereaved families. This plan was first used when Mr. Holland died and the family gathered at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Algie Ammons, in Beaunit Heights. In 1948, polio became epidemic and during that summer children were not allowed to gather at any public places or in churches. This affected Sunday School and Training Union attendance. 7 Even though the war had ended, our young men were still being drafted into military service. The church and its pastor sought to sup-port and encourage these young people by sending or giving to them a Bible. Rev. Jackie Stafford, now pastor at Lakeview Church in Mc- Adenville, had written to say that he still owns and cherishes the Bible that was given to him through this ministry. The church had no office secretary at this time, but Mr. Kinnaman had his typewriter and the mimeograph machine and, almost single-handedly, he began printing "The Woodlawn Messenger," a newsletter, usually several pages long, that was mailed to all young people away from home. It always carried news about church activities and people and a brief message of encouragement. Occasionally, the pastor would ask others in the church to submit articles for publication. It was Rev. John Kinnaman who established the policy of weekly bulletins for the Sunday services. During his ministry, he designed and printed these himself, and after his resignation Janie and Julius Baldwin continued the practice at the request of the church. In 1951, the church voted to enroll the pastor in the Relief and Annuity Program. In 1953, a preaching mission was opened in the Smyre area. J. N. Grant served as pastor. Later, a Sunday School was organized and Carroll Watts served as its superintendent. This program had to be disbanded the next year when the owner of the building de-cided to use the building for personal purposes. The practice of giving pins for Sunday School attendance was initi-ated in 1954 and has continued through the years since that time. Several Sunday School members have attained many years of perfect attendance. A really outstanding family example of the effectiveness of the plan can be seen today in the Robert Kendrick family. John Kinnaman came to Woodlawn as a ministerial student. He told the church on the day they asked him to supply that his heart was burn-ing with a desire to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. His experience prepared him to be a blessing to others who were called by the Lord into His service. After his graduation in 1948, he counseled with three young people in the church who were already being led to study for the Lord's work. In the fall of 1948, Charles (Pete) Stafford, Marion Eugene Gibson and Janie Dunlap (now Baldwin) entered the Freshman Class at Gardner-Webb. During the next two years the church was generous in its support of these students, and it continued to help others who in the next several years felt the same call. During Rev. Kinnaman's ministry eight men were licensed to preach the gospel. They were Charles Stafford and Gene Gibson in 1948: Jasper Grant in 1949; Ray Henderson, Tommy Ellington, and Homer Bennett in 1952 and Leonard Home and Charles Ray Moseley in 1954. In addi-tion both Charles Stafford and Tommy Ellington were ordained in 1954. While Tommy Ellington was in school at Gardner-Webb he brought a classmate to visit and soeak at Woodlawn. He was Fuad Saknini, an Arab Christian from Nazareth. Today, Fuad is pastor of the First Baptist Church and School in Nazareth, Israel. 8 John and Bernice Kinnaman, with their daughter Phyllis, left Wood-lawn on August 31, 1954. He had been called as pastor to the Wilmont Baptist Church in Charlotte. Chapter 5 — EXPANSION AND GROWTH Rev. Morris Baker came back to Woodlawn on the fourth Sunday in April, 1955. In the interim Ed Wells. J. T. Stafford, and J. N. Grant had supplied as preacher. In their first pastorate the Bakers had lived in the Geer Street house. This time they moved to North Main Street. In July, following their arrival, Jasper Grant was ordained to the gospel ministry and Sammy Wiley was licensed to preach. Mr. Grant, now retired, still lives in this community. Sammy is a school principal in South Carolina. There were several changes around the church and pastorium as the Fifties merged with the Sixties. The parking lot behind the church was paved and with the permission of adjoining property owners, a driveway to Geer Street from the rear was opened and paved. This made for greater convenience, especially in directing traffic at funerals. Also, the drive at the pastorium was paved and a carport was built. The first bell system was installed in the classroom area, the first church-owned stove was placed in the Jones annex, and drinking fountains for adults and children were installed. In 1963, the church gave the Art Cloth Parent-Teachers Association permission to cut some of the trees on its property so that a play area could be provided for the children. Inside the church, the choir seats which had always faced the pulpit from its right were taken up and placed behind the pulpit so that the choir faced the congregation. The Hammond organ was purchased in 1960. Ed Powell of East Gastonia had been hired to direct the adult choir in 1956. In 1960 George England came in the same capacity. In 1954, Janie Baldwin became the first "paid" secretary at $5 per week. She prepared weekly bulletins, monthly financial statements, budgets and other typed material. Mrs. Baldwin worked closely with Garney Morrow and together they set up the first individualized records of contributions. In 1950, the partitions downstairs were removed to make an assem-bly room for the Primary age children. The Men's Class met across the hall and the ladies met in the area under the church porch. In 1955, a second Bible Class for men was organized and met for some time in the Scout Hut. In 1960, the church voted to change the constitution of the deacon board by rotating its membership with each deacon serving three years. In the election which followed the following men were elected as deacons: Stowe Petty, H. V. Roberts, James McGaha. Ivey Morris, R. L. Culbreth, J. G. Morrow, Jimmy McGaha, Julius Baldwin, and J. T. Stafford. Three of these would serve three years; three would serve two years; and three would serve one year. An outstanding achievement of Rev. Baker's second pastorate was the erection of the present educational building. The church had been looking forward to this for several years, and in May 1956, it elected B. B. Mattox, R. J. Dellinger, and Merle Yarborough as a Building Fund Committee. Later, J. T. Stafford was elected to serve as treasurer for the fund. In September of this year Martha Ann Dodson (Huffstetler) was recognized as the first child who had contributed to the fund. Her name was placed by vote of the church in the Book of Minutes. In 1957, the church bought the residence adjacent to its lot that belonged to Burl and Eula Jones. The land would be needed as a future building site and the house could be used for classroom space until the building was completed. In 1958, the church elected Roy Ervin, T. H. Lemons, Joe Corn, and Tom Roberts as its Building Planning Committee. In 1961, they sub-mitted the first plan, which, after revision, was accepted, and a low bid of $63,000 was taken. Tom Roberts, Joe Corn, Roy Ervin, and T. H. Lemons, with Stowe Petty, served on the Building Committee. The church borrowed $40,000 for the building and $5,000 for furnishings from the First Federal Savings and Loan Company in Lincolnton. The building was opened for Sunday School in April 1962. In the meantime, the Jones annex had been sold to Earl Cannon who removed it from the church lot. In 1958, the church grieved and shared with the Bakers in the loss of their only son and two of their grandchildren, who were killed in an automobile accident near Dallas, only minutes after they had ended a visit at Woodlawn pastorium. In the fall of 1963, Mr. Baker resigned, but agreed to serve the church until the end of the year. A pulpit committee was appointed, and when fall revival time came, the pastor asked this committee to find a preacher for the revival. They invited Rev. Wade McKnight of Vale, North Carolina, to come. On December 15, as the pulpit committee continued their work, they brought Mr. McKnight back for a trial sermon that he preached in the presence of his predecessor. Rev. Morris Baker, in turn, moderated the business meeting in which his successor was called to come as pastor in January 1964. On December 8, 1963, the church held a dinner in honor of the Bakers and presented them with $500 as a going-away gift. On Janu-ary 19, 1964, Mr. and Mrs. Baker were granted letters so that they could join the Friendly Chapel Baptist Church in Maiden, N. C. The Bakers left a beautiful and loving testimony at Woodlawn. Chapter 6 — A NEW SANCTUARY From the time the first sanctuary at Woodlawn was built in 1941, there were those who felt the building was not complete because there was no steeple reaching heavenward above its roofs. Plans for such an addition were drawn but were put aside in the hope of having a more adequate building and a more magnificent steeple! Today, that steeple 10 stands tall over Woodlawn Baptist Church with its cross pointing upward to the God whose love has made it possible, and outward to the people who have come to know Him and are continuing to serve Him because of the Christian witness moving in and around this church. In April 1964, shortly after Wade A. McKnight had come to Wood-lawn, church offerings increased to the extent that $2,500 could be applied to the $35,000 debt owed on the educational building. In a year's time, the monthly payments of $400 were increased to $1,000 per month and in July 1966, the debt was completely paid. The church immediately established a savings account, placing there $1,500 each month, the same amount as the final regular payments on their debt. Even before the debt was paid, in December 1965, a Planning Com-mittee composed of Annelle Jackson, Virginia Fulbright, Tom Roberts, Stowe Petty, Ivey Morris, Hoyt Cowan and Max Earley, was set up to begin plans for a new sanctuary. A year after the debt ended, in July 1967, the trustees of the church, C. E. Dodson, H. V. Roberts, and J. Garney Morrow, were named as a Steering Committee to guide a Bond Sale. Bonds, Incorporated, repre-sented by Ben Sturm, was secured to present the program in which the church approved the sale of no more than $150,000 in bonds. The bonds were issued and sold in October 1967. After the overwhelming success of the bond sale, the church was ready to ask for an architect. Benjamin Sides of Charlotte, North Caro-lina, presented plans in November 1967. At this time the Planning Committee was released, as such, but they were asked to continue their service in an advisory capacity. In the meantime, school consolidation in the Gaston County System had closed the Art Cloth School and the church decided to wait on the building plans until they were able to buy the school site if it were sold. Tom Roberts, George Waldrop and H. V. Roberts were appointed to offer bids on the property and were able to purchase it for $9,000. In 1969, the school building, erected in 1926, the first worship place for Woodlawn, was torn down and the land prepared for a new church. In March 1969, Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Cloninger, both charter members of the church, stood with Hoyt Cowan, Building Committee Chairman, and the pastor, Wade McKnight, in a ground breaking ceremony. Ray-field Construction Company, Bessemer City, North Carolina, was given the contract for $175,633. Later the church decided to complete a balcony in the church and $30,000 in bonds were sold to cover the added expense. The building was completed in 1970 and appropriate dedication services were held to commemorate the event. During this period 1964-1970, other strides were being made in the church program itself. In 1964, the part-time secretary, Janie Baldwin, was given a raise of $10 per week because of an increased workload. She continued in this position until 1968, when the church voted to hire an office secretary to work 15 hours per week. Jane M. Saunders was secured for this position and has been serving the church for the past ten years. 11 J. T. Stafford had been elected the first librarian in 1943. Jimmy McGaha, Sunday School superintendent, had donated the first book, a Bible dictionary, when he moved from Woodlawn in 1962, but other-wise little progress had been made in library service. On August 3, 1969, the church voted to establish a memorial library which would be housed in the new sanctuary. All books in the Memorial Library would be given in honor or memory of family members and friends. As Library Committee Chairman, Mary B. Pinnix was very active in setting up the Memorial Library and Ruby Usery has served as librarian since its opening. In 1969, while construction was going on at the new sanctuary, fire seriously damaged the educational building. The loss, covered by in-surance, was repaired by the same contractor who was working on the other building for $60,000. A very old custom faded away in 1969. For many years the mill com-pany and the church had joined together in giving Christmas treats to the children in the church and community. Time changed, and with con-tinued prosperity, this need vanished and the policy was discontinued. In 1970 the church honored the McKnights by giving them a tour of the Holy Land. They were accompanied by Virginia Fulbright, Annelle Jackson, Marion Baker and James Battle. This was the year also, that the church first purchased robes for the choir. Chapter 7 — ACHIEVEMENT AND CELEBRATION August 2, 1970, was "Victory Day" for Woodlawn Baptists. On that day at 10:50 a.m., Mrs. S. A. Cloninger, one of the charter members, cut the ribbon across the front door and the people moved into the new sanctuary. A series of dedication services began with the morning wor-ship hour and an open house was held in the afternoon when hundreds of people came to see what God had done at Woodlawn. "The Church's Responsibility" was the theme chosen for the series of dedication services, and Pastor Wade A. McKnight preached on "The Church's Responsibility to Its Founder" during the morning worship and on "The Church's Responsibility To The Community" during the evening service. Also during the evening service, greetings were re-ceived from other churches of the community and from Dr. Charles Lowery, Mayor of Lowell, who represented the civic community. —August 23, Dr. Howard Ford, Director of Missions for North Carolina Baptist State Convention, spoke on "The Church's Responsibility to Missions— Home and Abroad". —September 13, Dr. Eugene Poston, President of Gardner-Webb Col-lege, spoke on "The Church's Responsibility to Christian Higher Edu-cation". Thomas McGraw, associate to Dr. Poston at Gardner-Webb, spoke on the same subject during the evening service. —October 11, Dr. Hoyle Allred, Superintendent of Missions for Gaston Baptist Association, spoke on "The Church's Responsibility To The Association". 12 —November 15, the series of dedication services for the new sanctuary was concluded with Dr. Perry Crouch, Executive Secretary of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention, speaking on "The Church's Responsibility To The Denomination". In February 1971, the Church voted to change the Church Building Fund to Parsonage Building Fund as the church had already been given a lot by Beaunit Corporation on which to build. Later, in December 1971, the church received a $3,600 anonymous donation to the Par-sonage Building Fund along with a challenge to get it built, and in the same month the church elected a Planning Committee. Committee members were Everette Warren, Chairman; Marion Baker, Donnie Ben-field, Ruth Mattox, Joyce Grant, Roger Baucom, Roy Ervin, C. E. Dod-son, and Howard league. Alternate members were Julius Baldwin and Shirley Culbreth. In March 1972, the Committee presented plans to build a one-story brick veneer house at an approximate cost of $42,000. The church approved the plans and a bond issue, of $15,000 to help finance the construction. The bonds were sold even before they were printed. In May 1972, the church elected a Parsonage Building Com-mittee composed of Fred Darnell, Chairman; Shirley Culbreth and Roy Ervin, and authorized immediate construction of the parsonage. In April 1973, the pastor's family was moved into the beautiful new house at 727 Lineberger Street. It was dedicated to the Lord for the use of the Church's minister and his family. Open house was held and many people, including friends from across the state, came to visit and see the new home. Other actions of 1971 included installing intercom units in the homes of shut-ins, enabling them to participate in the worship services and cooperating with other Lowell churches in providing emergency help for the needy through the Lowell Goodwill Center. Also, Miss Rita Justice, spring graduate of Gardner-Webb College, worked with Wood-lawn youth for the summer. January 16, 1972, was proclaimed "McKnight Appreciation Day" which marked the pastor's eighth anniversary at Woodlawn. During the morning service and the luncheon that followed, more than-500 people paid honor and tribute to Pastor Wade McKnight and his family in a surprise "This Is Your Life" program. In August, after much planning and organizing, Woodlawn launched its first "Loyalty Crusade." The theme was "Rediscovering Sunday Eve-ning." The average attendance for the ten Sunday evening services was 310.5 which exceeded the goal of 303 set at the beginning of the Cru-sade. Nineteen membrs were added to the Church roll and offerings increased over $150 per week. Other actions in 1972 include the securing of Gerry Mentzer as a part-time youth director, the decision to keep the old parsonage, and the establishment of an Activity Bus Fund. This bus was purchased in September 1974. In 1973 the church hosted the Gaston Baptist Association and pur-chased the Overman property for $6,000. 13 Pictorial Church Directories for all resident members were ordered in 1974 and six listening units were installed in the sanctuary to ac-commodate those with hearing disabilities. On Memorial Day, May 26, 1974, a Flag Pole Dedication Service was held to express gratitude for those who have served and are serving in the Armed Forces of our country. A plaque, in honor of Larry K. Morrow who was reported "miss-ing in action" on May 29, 1972, was dedicated. In November 1975, because of growth and expansion, Jerry Watts was secured as first Minister of Music and Youth. His responsibilities were to include leadership in music, youth and recreational activities. In December, Appreciation Day for George England, retiring Minister of Music, was observed. He was presented a color TV and the church voted to continue his pay through the rest of the year. On Christmas Eve, Woodlawn's first Silent Communion Service was observed, beginning at 11:30 p.m. and lasting until midnight. This service is now a custom. In celebration of our Nation's Bicentennial, our town and church had many special activities. In the Bicentennial parade, our church float won second place. On Sunday, July 4, 1976, Woodlawn's congregation joined with the rest of our nation in celebrating America's 200th birthday. The bell from Woodlawn's first church rang out with a call to worship in this land of freedom. Many members walked from the ball park which was several blocks away to the church and joined with the rest of the congregation on the porch of our "Meeting House." Costumes and styles of 1776 were copied in Woodlawn's dress for the day and believers all drank from a common cup when we observed the Lord's Supper after the morning sermon. Dinner was spread on the walk between the Sanc-tuary and the Educational Building because of heavy rain. Pictures were made and fellowship was enjoyed on into the afternoon. In February 1977, a Fiftieth Anniversary Committee (Jubilee Com-mittee) was appointed to plan and implement the history, activities, events, speakers and celebration of Woodlawn's Fiftieth Anniversary in July, 1978. Committee members were Annelle B. Jackson, Coordinator; Ruth S. Mattox, Jane M, Saunders, Janie D. Baldwin, Gene Morrow, Calvin Arrowood, Everette Warren, Ivey Morris, Marie Lawing, C. E. Dodson, Myra M. Black, Joyce B. Grant, Virginia H. Fulbright, T. H. Lemons, and Jerry Autry. On the Lord's Day, July 31, 1977, during the morning worship service, the Jubilee Committee formally proclaimed Celebration of Jubilee and in this service, the church joined in respon-sive reading of its Message and Doctrines. At this same time, a Survey and Long-Range Planning Committee was also appointed to make re-commendations pertaining to Woodlawn's property needs, facilities, re-sources, and finances over a long period of time. Melvin Grant was appointed chairman to serve with Max Earley, W. C. Jackson, Ruby Usery, Lillian Morrow, Roy Ervin and Shirley Arrowood. In January 1978, the church voted to participate in the James Robi-son Crusade to be held in June at the Ashbrook Stadium. 14 On January 28, 1978, Mr. J. J. St. Clair, Sr., our oldest charter mem-ber died at age 89. Several other octogenarians— including Mrs. S. A. Cloninger, Mrs. Kate Powers, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Phillips, J. 0. Barr, D. W. Dunlap, Fred Bumgardner, Floyd Bumgardner and Mrs. Bessie Morrow—are in Woodlawn's congregation. On Boy Scout Sunday 1978, James McGaha, Scoutmaster for 36 years of Troop —47 which Woodlawn sponsors, was presented "The Good Shepherd Award." Easter Sunrise Services were held at Woodlawn on March 26 for the community and the Woodlawn Sanctuary Choir under the direction of Jerry Watts, presented the music, including "The Church Triumphant." After an inspiring service, the Jubilee Committee served refreshments. Invitations are being prepared, special services planned and excite-ment is bursting forth as Woodlawn climaxes her year of celebration on July 30, 1978. WOODLAWN'S JUBILEE-FIFTY YEARS OF SERVICE. 15 PASTORS AT WOODLAWN C. F. COMSTOCK 1928-1930 Led the congregation before the church was organized and became its first pastor. Called as pastor on September 16 1928. Resigned August 31, 1930. W. T. BAUCOM 1930-1933 Served on a part-time basis because there was no work at the mill. GRADY G. BOWEN 1934-1940 Led church through a period of economic difficulty and to a much stronger position. Fifty persons baptized in 1934. Pastorium on Geer St. was purchased. MARSHALL P. RHYNE 1940-1943 Commuted from Dallas, N. C, and did not live in the pastorium. Guided building program which erected the first sanctuary. Led in its first worship service in 1941. MELVIN W. STALLINGS 1943-1946 In his pastorate, church membership increased from 142 to 223. Baptized 59 people in 1944-45 church year. In his ministry he served congregations in Okla-homa, and North and South Carolina. J. MORRIS BAKER 1946-1947 and 1955-1964 In first pastorate, ground broken to add twelve Sunday School rooms to church physical plant; in second pastorate, he led in planning and building of the educa-tional building. Served as pastor in Gaston and Lincoln Counties for over 35 years. Was in great demand as a revival speaker. JOHN P. KINNAMAN 1948-1954 Led in a period of growth — membership increased from 257 to 393 — first served as student supply pastor from Gardner-Webb College. Church sanctuary and Sun-day School rooms remodeled and redecorated during this time. Scout Hut erected and parsonage on Main Street purchased. Beaunit Heights added to church field. Seven men licensed to the ministry while he was pastor. wade a. Mcknight 1964- Has led in a period of tremendous growth and development. New sanctuary and pastorium have been e rected; membership increased to more than 700; intercom telephone ministry and activity bus have been added. 16 OUR STAFF MEMBERS . JERRY A. WATTS Minister of Music and Youth 1975- Called in November 1975 as first full-time Minister of Music and Youth, with responsibilities in music, youth and recreation. Organized graded choir program, developed youth and recreational activities. Works with Senior Adults. JANE M. SAUNDERS Secretary 1968- Became first office secretary in 1968. She also serves as Church Clerk, Assistant Treasurer and publishes the Woodlawn News newsletter. Her artistic talents are another asset to her church. 17 COMMISSIONED TO CHRISTIAN SERVICE Judson T. Stafford Licensed 1940, Ordained 1947 Marion E. Gibson Licensed 1948 Charles W. Stafford Licensed 1948, Ordained 1954 Jasper N. Grant Licensed 1949, Ordained 1955 Charles Ray Henderson Licensed 1952 Thomas Ellington Licensed 1952 Homer Bennett Licensed 1952 Leonard Home Licensed 1954, Ordained 1956 Sammy Wiley Licensed 1955 Richard Peek Licensed 1965, Ordained 1966 Keith Chronister* Ordained Keith Chronister was not a member at Woodlawn, but was ordained here. Other full-time Christian workers who at one time or another attended regularly at Woodlawn include: Rev. Quinn Howe, Rev. Jerry Rumfelt, Rev. Ned Buckner, Rev. Jackie Stafford, and Rev. Ronnie Wilson. 18 OUR DEACONS On the day of its organization, J. F. Vickery was elected as deacon and very soon thereafter A. L. Stafford and W. P. Walker were chosen to complete the first board of deacons. The asterisk indicates those known to have served as chairmen. The deacons did not serve on a rotational plan until 1960. J. F. Vickery* A. L. Stafford W. P. Walker A. B. Davis Luther McAlister James A. McGaha* L. C. Morrow Claude Heffner P. P. Truesdale M. E. Gibson James A. McGaha, Jr. Tom Roberts T. H. Lemons Ivey C. Morris Raymond Dellinger Jack Ruppe* Robert L. Culbreth Max Earley Charles R. Lowery Charles Stafford J. G. Morrow, Sr. J. N. Grant* George Waldrop Stowe Petty Julius Baldwin* Roy Ervin H. V. Roberts J. T. Stafford* Gary Huffstetler James G. Morrow, Jr. Carroll Watts Roger Baucom Howard Teague* Everette Warren* Fred Darnell Leonard Hollifield Robert Bingham James McKnight Calvin Arrowood Gordon Ramsey Ralph Faulkenberry Larry Black W. P. Walker D. 0. Ragan James McGaha L. A. McAlister Ernest Buckner C. E. Dodson CLERKS AND TREASURERS A. L. Stafford Eugene Gibson Charles Stafford Amos Grant S. A. Cloninger John Carter George F. Teague Harold Singleton Ivey Morris J. G. Morrow, Sr. J. G. Morrow, Jr. Jane M. Saunders TRUSTEES AT WOODLAWN John E. Carter A. L. Stafford James A. McGaha L. A. McAlister C. E. Dodson H. V. Roberts Clarence E. Dodson was selected as one of the first trustees and has remained on the board through all of its history. J. G. Morrow, Sr. J. Thomas Roberts Mr. Ashe Malcolm McAlister SEXTONS Jackie Stafford James McGaha Robert Johnson Max Earley 19 WMU PRESIDENTS 1929-30 Mrs. S. A. Cloninger 1943-44 Mrs. A. L. Stafford 1931 Miss Ida Campbell 1945 Mrs. H. V. Roberts 1932-33 Mrs. G. W. Bowers 1946-47 Mrs. George Waldrop 1934 Mrs. E. K. Carter 1948 Mrs. J. E. Harwell Mrs. D. O. Ragan, 1949-52 Mrs. John Kinnaman Sunbeams 1953-56 Mrs. George Waldrop 1935 Mrs. J. L. Hawkins 1957-61 Mrs. Morris Baker 1936-37 Mrs. A. L. Stafford 1962-66 Mrs. Jessie Stafford 1938-39 Mrs. Eula Jones 1967-69 Mrs. Wade McKnight 1940-41 Mrs. B. B. Mattox 1970-72 Mrs. Blanche Teague 1942 Mrs. Eula Jones CHOIR 1973-78 LEADERS Mrs. Velma Earley Bill Wynn B. B. Mattox George England A. L. Stafford Victor Guin Ed Powell J. T. Stafford ORGANISTS AND PIANISTS Clarence Grant Earlene E>arr Vivian McGraw Denton Mrs. D. . Ragan Martha S, Jacobs Virginia Fulbright Allene Carman Joyce M. Roberts Bernice Kinnaman SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS 1928-30 Karl E. Sherrill 1949 Donnie E. Rabb 1931 Roy Lockridge 1950 Raymond J. Dellinger 1932 J. T. Cox 1951-59 James A. McGaha 1933-35 W. G.ray McArver 1960-61 James McGaha, Jr. 1936 Walter Crompton 1962 Jasper N. Grant 1937-43 James A. McGaha 1963-66 James A. McGaha 1944 Clau de W. Heffner 1967-77 Robert L. Culbreth 1945-48 Ernest Buckner 1978 Gordon Ramsey TRAINING UNION DIRECTORS 1929 Jesse Proctor 1951 Henry Phillips 1930-32 W. F'. Walker 1952 Joe Corn 1933-34 W. Giray McArver 1953-59 Roy Ledwell 1935-36 James McGaha 1960-61 Julius Baldwin 1937-41 J. T. Stafford 1962-64 Jack Ruppe 1942-43 Clau de W. Heffner 1965-67 Julius Baldwin 1944-49 James A. McGaha 1968-78 Carroll Watts 1950 Ray Henderson 20 OUR BELOVED DEAD 1928 1929- 1932 1933- 1947 1948- 1953 — Clarence Grant 1931 — none — W. E. Sanders 1946 — none — Mrs. W. G. Leatherwood Master G. Leatherwood Mrs. Betsey T. McDonald 1952 — none Irs. L. A. Proctor Mrs. Charles Overman Mrs. A. L. Stafford J. C. Mattox 1954 — none 1955 - W. G. Leatherwood 1956 -Jim Chandler Kelly Simmons 1957 — Miss Doris Huffman Walter Stallings Mrs. Davis Cannon 1958- F. H. Pope 1959 -G. M. McDonald 1960 — Jerry Moore Mrs. W. E. Stiles Mrs. Ruby Watts Merle Yarborough 1961 — Mrs. Minnie Long Raymond Dellinger 1962 - Mrs. L. A. Proctor 1963 — Mrs. Eula Jones Charles Warren 1964- William Baker Charlie Turner Mrs. Ella Jackson 1965 — Lee Moseley Mrs. Ralph Rowland Earl Pettit 1966 — Miss Earl Jordan 1967 -A. L. Stafford Mrs. Maude Greenway Will Brown Hugh Jones 1968- Glazier Warren Mrs. Dorothy Overman J. C. May Clifford Cloninger Mrs. Harding Overman 1969 — Mrs. James Battle Houston McDonald Billy Wilson Mrs. Mary E. Sharpe 1970- Mrs. Carrie St. Clair B. B. Mattox Mrs. Ocie Mitchem Mrs. Mae Huffman Sidney Bolick J. G. Morrow Sr. S. A. Cloninger 1971 - Miss Gale Baker Leroy Barr Wallace McGraw Charles Carter Floyd Hall 1972 - none 1973 — George Ervin Mrs. Bertie Barr 1974— Mrs. Mattie Wilkerson Mrs. Grace Walker 1975 — Mrs. Eunice Roberts Richard Peek James Shinn 1976 -Sherrill McGraw 1977 -J. A. Lewis Michael Bingham Mrs. Cumi Dailey 1978- Mrs. Lela Pettit Eugene Knight J. J. St. Clair, Sr. Barbara Land Harwell William A. Bess Robert Dean Lemons 21 CHURCH CHRONOLOGY 1923-26 Art Cloth Mill, village, business district and school building erected. 1923-28 Preaching services and Sunday School in old store building, Mrs. Brandon's home and later in the school building. 1928 July 29 — Church organized in the school building. 1928 September 1 — Church officially named Woodlawn and C. F. Comstock called as first pastor. 1929 Committee elected to select a building site for church. Bank closed and all building funds were lost. 1930 W. T. Baucom called to serve part-time as work at the mill had been curtailed. 1934 Harold Smith, Greenville evangelist, held a revival that added to membership at the church. Grady G. Bowen called as pastor. 1936 Mill ceased operations. 1937 Mill reopened as National Weaving Company. 1939 February — Women's Missionary Union presented the church with $95 to be applied as down payment on a $950 house at — 10 Geer Street to be used as pastorium. First Board of Trustees elected and deed for house recorded in Register of Deeds office. 1940 February — M. P. Rhyne called as pastor. August — Blueprints for new church presented and adopted. October — Bid of $7,050.55 accepted on building. 1941 July 20 — First service in new sanctuary. December 7 — Pearl Harbor attacked. 1942 July 12 — Church voted to sponsor Boy Scout troop. 1943 Melvin Stallings called as pastor. 1944 September — Building debt now paid and dedication ser-vices at homecoming. 1945 Eddie Lieberman, a converted Jew, led in one of Woodlawn's great revivals. World War II ended and church was gathering place for grateful worshippers. 1947 Morris Baker called as pastor. 1948 April 19 - Borrowed $6,000 to build Sunday School rooms and install a heating system. John Kinnaman called as full-time pastor. 1953 Scout Hut built for $2,400. Pastorium on Geer Street plus $5,500 traded for the house on North Main Street. Preach-in Mission and Sunday School established in the Smyre community. 22 1954 Sanctuary remodeled and baptistry installed with a loan of $2,500. Janie Baldwin hired as Secretary. 1955 Morris Baker called to pastor second time. 1956 Ed Powell began working as choir director. 1959 George England called as choir director. 1960 Deacon Board began Rotation Plan. 1961 June — Plans for a new eductaional building adopted. 1962 Educational Building completed and opened. 1963 December — Wade McKnight called as pastor. 1964 Young At Heart Club began under sponsorship of church. 1965 Sanctuary Planning Committee elected. 1966 Debt on Educational Building paid off. 1967 $150,000 bonds issued and sold to finance building. 1968 Jane Saunders hired as office secretary. 1969 Art Cloth School bought; bid accepted on new sanctuary. 1970 August — Sanctuary opened and dedicated. 1971 Ministry extended to shut-ins by telephone intercoms. 1972 Plans for new pastorium presented and approved. Loyalty Crusade, another of Woodlawn's great revivals. 1973 Pastorium completed and dedicated. Church hosted the Gaston Baptist Association for first time in its history. Overman property in front of church and on Main Street purchased. 1974 Church and Gaston College cooperated in opening an Adult Education Department at our church. Bought Activity Bus. 1975 Jerry Watts came as first full-time Minister of Music and Youth. 1976 Church observed nation's Bicentennial; entered a prize-winning float in the town parade. July 4 — Observed Bicentennial by walking from ball park to church in a group, wearing 1776 costumes, old fashioned Sunday School and dinner on the grounds. 1977-78 Church observes it year of Jubilee. 1978 July 30- Jubilee Day. 23 STATISTICAL TABLES YEAR BAPTISMS OTHER ADDITIONS TOTAL MEMBERSHIP MISSION GIFTS TOTAL GIFTS 1928 43 41 7.42 392.54 1929 18 43 77 115.45 1,616.64 1930 18 43 77 115.45 1,616.64 1931 17 88 50.27 1,413.56 1932 21 3 110 118.05 982.50 1933 21 9 148 97.00 1,176.00 1934 50 9 176 64.74 1,068.78 1935 9 11 170 139.65 950.63 1936 2 5 150 17.00 645.80 1937 2 23 164 82.40 952.57 1938 1 8 123 158.77 1,286.34 1939 1 4 89 124.47 1,403.00 1940 24 26 123 178.28 1,458.17 1941 8 7 131 303.36 5,282.95 1942 22 13 158 478.80 5,184.36 1943 7 4 142 549.69 5,199.98 1944 2 2 140 655.82 7,722.59 1945 59 34 223 1,683.81 9,077.16 1946 1 9 213 1,317.84 6,765.30 1947 31 11 240 846.00 11,700.87 1948 15 12 257 1,939.93 24,470.83 1949 35 18 284 1,050.00 14,021.15 1950 19 16 290 1,359.26 14,112.32 1951 29 17 324 1,241.00 14,172.73 1952 14 21 280 2,123.89 19,457.39 24 STATISTICAL TABLES YEAR BAPTISMS OTHER ADDITIONS TOTAL MEMBERSHIP MISSION GIFTS TOTAL GIFS 1953 24 10 373 2,519.40 19,343.44 1954 37 15 393 2,721.00 23,492.54 1955 24 22 428 2,400.00 20,924.92 1956 15 6 435 4,217.00 17,710.00 1957 17 18 450 4,896.00 27,287.00 1958 16 9 459 3,170.00 19,303.00 1959 34 5 488 4,484.00 21,100.00 1960 11 7 457 3,330.00 27,379.00 1961 6 13 467 2,629.00 26,839.00 1962 6 7 471 3,382.00 27,586.00 1963 12 8 477 4,903.00 31,045.00 1964 27 13 503 3,323.00 34,583.00 1965 11 12 514 3,576.00 39,437.00 1966 20 2 • 528 4,938.00 44,027.00 1967 16 11 540 4,724.00 42,128.00 1968 17 14 560 4,168.00 49,531.00 1969 24 9 571 5,699.00 62,836.00 1970 16 10 577 5,944.00 59,552.00 1971 11 6 579 7,956.00 66,603.00 1972 7 24 587 7,559.00 65,262.00 1973 25 34 646 7,726.00 75,283.00 1974 16 36 686 8,293.00 98,644.00 1975 7 19 694 11,433.00 91,554.00 1976 20 9 703 10,869.00 93,534.00 1977 17 10 720 11,333.00 93,500.00 TOTALS 845 737 — 151,110.75 1,330,614.70 25 STATISTICAL TABLES YEAR SUNDAY SCHOOL AVERAGE ATTENDANCE TRAINING UNION AVERAGE ATTENDANCE WMU ENROLLMENT 1928 32 None Reported None Reported 1929 165 40 Enrolled 11 1930 165 40 Enrolled 11 1931 200 None Reported 14 1932 235 133 32 1933 185 97 Enrolled No Report 1934 No Report 90 70 "Sunbeam Band" 1935 No Report 64 No Report 1936 No Report No Report No Report 1937 No Report 23 Enrolled 14 1938 No Report 34 14 1939 105 37 Enrolled 24 1940 132 42 16 1941 125 47 20 1942 77 38 16 1943 102 64 14 1944 77 34 67 1945 132 No Report 55 1946 118 69 40 1947 157 73 98 1948 140 53 69 1949 163 52 49 1950 180 68 49 1951 182 101 38 1952 No Report 54 36 26 STATISTICAL TABLES YEAR SUNDAY SCHOOL AVG.ATTND./ ENROLLED TRAINING UNION AVERAGE ATTENDANCE WMU ENROLLMENT 1953 205 60 92 1954 222 48 108 1955 226 40 77 1956 240 53 114 1957 250 82 108 1958 246 62 108 1959 258 73 125 1960 240 65 114 1961 No Report 76 118 1962 221 52 118 1963 217 44 85 1964 211 55 80 1965 210 52 99 1966 205 48 99 1967 190 41 101 1968 177 42 84 1969 177 58 75 1970 170 61 86 1971 198 59 84 1972 194 62 101 1973 196 65 117 1974 208 86 100 1975 216 68 92 1976 217 52 120 1977 199 51 129 27 BIBLIOGRAPHY Church Minutes and Membership Record Book I: October 2, 1938 to September 10, 1950 Church Membership Record and Minutes of Church Business, Book II: October 1, 1950 to March 4, 1962 Church Membership Record and Minutes of Church Business, Book III: November 22, 1970 Gaston Baptist Associational Minutes: 1928-1977 Gaston County Register of Deeds History of Wood I awn Baptist Church: 1920-1962 Minutes of Deacons' Meetings Ten Years of Progress: 1964-1974: Woodlawn Baptist Church, 1974 Woodlawn Baptist Church: Dedication, 1970 Wooley, Davis C. Guide to Writing the History of a Church, Broadman Press, 1969 28 WOODLAWN BAPTIST CHURCH Wade A. McKnight Pastor Jerry A. Watts Minister of Music Jane M. Saunders Secretary JUBILEE COMMITTEE Annelle B. Jackson Chairman History Janie D. Baldwin Ruth Mattox Ivey Morris C. E. Dodson Program Everette Warren Virginia Fulbright T. H. Lemons Jerry Watts Social Joyce Grant Marie Lawing Gene Morrow Correspondence C. E. Dodson Ruth Mattox Calvin Arrowood Jane Saunders Publicity Jane Saunders Myra Black Jerry Autry Finance Calvin Arrowood C. E. Dodson . • 29 STATE LIBRARY OF NORTH CAROLINA 3 3091 00636 9524 DATE DUE GAYLORD FRINTED IN U.S.A.
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Title | History of Woodlawn Baptist Church, 1928-1978 |
Contributor | Woodlawn Baptist Church (Lowell, N.C.) |
Date | 1978 |
Subjects |
Woodlawn Baptist Church (Lowell, N.C.) North Caroliniana Baptists--North Carolina--Gaston County |
Place |
Lowell, Gaston County, North Carolina, United States |
Time Period |
(1900-1929) North Carolina's industrial revolution and World War One (1929-1945) Depression and World War Two (1945-1989) Post War/Cold War period (1954-1971) Civil Rights era |
Publisher | [Lowell, N.C. : The Church, 1978] |
Rights | Religion in North Carolina see http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/ref/collection/p249901coll37/id/23786 |
Physical Characteristics | v, 29 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. |
Collection |
General Collection. State Library of North Carolina |
Type | text |
Language | English |
Format | Histories |
Digital Characteristics-A | 1932 KB; 46 p. |
Digital Collection | General Collection |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Audience | All |
Pres File Name-M | gen_religion_historywoodlawnbaptist1978.pdf |
Full Text | xJL**, I HISTORY OF WOODLAWN BAPTIST CHURCH LOWELL, NORTH CAROLINA 1928-1978 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/historyofwoodlawOOwood 3E3E3E State Library of North Carolina Raleigh Presented by Wake Forest University Z.S. Reynolds Library NC Baptist Historical Collection 3E3QQE3QQE3QQQSQQQB3E . HISTORY OF WOODLAWN BAPTIST CHURCH 1928-1978 Compiled by Jubilee History Committee Janie Baldwin, Chairman Ruth Mattox C. E. Dodson Ivey Morris Annelle Jackson .- . :\ jgg&P^ CONTENTS Preface The Art Cloth Community Our History Chapter 1 In The Beginning Chapter 2 Struggle and Victory Chapter 3 A House Of Worship Chapter 4 New Fields and Horizons Chapter 5 Expansion and Growth Chapter 6 A New Sanctuary Chapter 7 Achievement and Celebration Pastors At Woodlawn Our Staff Members Commissioned To Christian Service Our Deacons Clerks and Treasurers, Trustees and Sextons WMU Presidents, Choir Leaders, Organists and Pianists Sunday School Superintendents and Training Union Directors Our Beloved Dead Church Chronology Statistical Tables Bibliography The Jubilee Committee in PREFACE In conjunction with its Jubilee Celebration, Woodlawn Baptist Church assigned to a History Committee the task of compiling a formal statement of the progress of God's people in the Art Cloth Community which was developed about 1923. Thus, we have tried to evaluate and record the activities, the accomplishments, the failures, and the blessings of the Lord's people at Woodlawn, especially from 1928 to 1978, our fiftieth year. God has led us to see the importance of this history as a chart of our church's progress and a challenge to its future growth. We have used not only the previously re-corded and written histories but oral and pictorial histories as we have been able to find them. Since this is the most comprehensive history-writing attempt in these fifty years, we have, of course, found times when records were in-adequate. Nevertheless, it has been a great blessing and joy to us who have worked so closely together in writing it. We are submitting it to you with a prayer that you too will be blessed as you read and explore it. —The Jubilee Histo'ry Committee IV THE ART CLOTH COMMUNITY Art Cloth Mills, Incorporated, came into Lowell in 1923 and pur-chased more than three hundred acras of land from D. W. Mitchem. About the same time they bought smaller parcels of land from J. Hol-land Morrow, Peerless Manufacturing Company, and Henry W. McAden, making a total of about 45 acres of land. A short time later the first mill was built and streets were laid out for residential areas. Many of the people who came to the community were from the Greenville, South Carolina area, but some came from Lowell and Mc- Adenville. In addition to textile employees, some were construction workers who built the houses. In 1926 the corporation sold to the Gaston County Board of Educa-tion 2-35/100 acres of land to be used as a site for a school building. A small business district, including a bandstand, was located on the Main Street and near the Piedmont and Northern Railway. When financial difficulties arose in the middle Thirties, the corpora-tion faced bankruptcy and was reorganized as the National Weaving Company. About 1939 the company began selling the homes to the emloyees who wanted to buy them. One large house at the corner of Love and Stowe Streets remained open as a boarding house and was kept open for many years by Mr. and Mrs. J. 0. Barr. Beaunit Mills had merged with National Weaving Company and had built a tricot knit plant. At this time all of the village lay north of the Piedmont and Northern Railway; but, in the late 1940's, Beaunit Mills built a housing development on the south side of the railroad which came to be known as Beaunit Heights. These houses were immediately sold to people who worked in the plant. Also, Israel Rogosin gave some of the land across from the Beaunit Heights section to the town of Lowell for a recreation park. In 1941 the National Weaving Company sold to Woodlawn Baptist Church a tract of land upon which to build a church. This is the only church unit that has ever operated in this part of town. During its history, the village has supported grocery stores in two locations, a drug store, a dry goods shop, an auto repair shop, a cafe-teria, a barber shop and a branch post office. The school was closed in 1968 and all children began attending school in Lowell. In the fall of 1978, elementary children will again attend school in the Art Cloth area when the new school on Power Drive is opened. Chapter 1— IN THE BEGINNING The official organization of a Baptist Church in the Art Cloth com-munity of Lowell, North Carolina, on July 29, 1928, was a crowning climax to the efforts and dedication of those Christian men and women who had been migrating to the new village from textile areas in North and South Carolina since the Art Cloth Mill began operations and built residences for its employees about 1923. The first religious services in the community were held in a frame building, later destroyed by fire, and consisted of preaching services led by the Rev. C. F. Comstock. Sometime after these worship services were initiated, Mrs. Brandon, who lived on Main Street across from the Art Cloth Elementary School, began inviting children to her home for Sunday School classes. She was concerned for the young people in the community. When this Sunday School group began to outgrow her home, the County School Board granted permission, in 1926, for the classes to meet in the school building. The only restriction was that the Mission Sunday School, as it had been called, continue to be a non-denominational, or Union Sunday School, as long as public property was used. Consequently, the school changed from the Methodist litera-ture it had been using to David C. Cook Publications. As the Sunday School grew and prospered, an even deeper hunger was developing. The people longed for a place of their own to worship God. This, of course, called for the establishment of some denomina-tional affiliation. A committee consisting of W. P. Walker, Robert Jack-son, Mrs. Charlotte Lang, Allene Carman, Mrs. J. F. Vickery, and Mr. and Mrs. K. E. Sherrill was appointed to canvass the community to determine the church preference most prominent. When the committee found that a majority of the community's resi-dents preferred the Baptist faith, they asked Dr. Walter Gilmore, a missionary of the North Carolina Baptist Convention to guide them in developing plans for the church's organization. When the preliminary plans were completed Dr. Gilmore came to Lowell on July 29, 1928, to activate them. He spoke to the group on "Baptist Beliefs" and was elected by them to moderate the business affairs. Rev. E. V. Hudson of Cramerton First Baptist Church and Rev. J. L. Jessup of Lowell First Baptist Church assisted Dr. Gilmore. Rev. Jessup read the "Articles of Faith" and Dr. Hudson expounded them. The congregation pledged their support to the Baptist doctrine and the new church was born! On that first day J. F. Vickery was elected deacon; W. P. Walker, clerk; Allene Carman, assistant clerk; and Augustus L. Stafford and Luther A. McAlister were named as the first pulpit committee. Before the meeting adjourned, the doors of the church were opened, and, according to oral records, thirty-six people joined the church as charter members. There is no copy today of the session's minutes or its original roll, but the oldest existing records list twelve members as hav-ing joined on August 5, 1928, the Sunday following the organizational meeting. They are: Mr. and Mrs. E. K. Carter, George Carter, Thelma Carter, Wilma Carter, Mrs. Ruth Brissy Leatherwood, Mr. and Mrs. A. L. 1 Stafford, Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Cloninger, and Mr. and Mrs. J. J. St. Clair, Sr. Since J. F. Vickery, W. P. Walker and Luther McAlister were elected to office, they must have also united with the church, probably with their wives. Also the name of C. R. Stack was listed as a messenger to the Gaston Association in October, 1928 and Miss Allene Carman was listed as assistant church clerk. Very soon after that date—August 5, 1928—these others were listed as new members: Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Brooks, John and Wade Carter. Catherine and Walter Cook, A. B. Davis, Mrs. R. F. Flowers, Mrs. E. E. Foster, Mrs. Hunnicutt, Hazel and Carrie St. Clair, and Mrs. E. P. Greenway. The Gaston Baptist Association met in the Marietta Street Church in 1928 and recorded (on page 14 of its Minutes) the following action: Dr. B. A. Bowers, C. M. Robinson, and R. G. Mace were appointed as a committee to "report on the Church Covenant" at the Mt. View and Woodlawn Baptist Church. Page 3 of the same journal reports that Dr. J. W. Whitley introduced the new pastors. Among them were the Rev. C. F. Comstock at Woodlawn and also the Rev. M. P. Rhyne at Webb's Chapel. Rev. Rhyne would later be pastor at Woodlawn. By associational meeting time the church had already had its second business meeting on August 19, at which time they voted to canvass the community to solicit financial support for the new church. On the same day, they elected W. P. Walker their first treasurer. On Septem-ber 16, 1928, following a recommendation from the name selection committee, the church chose the name "Woodlawn" which had been the name of an early textile mill in the area. On October 3, two addi-tional deacons, A. L. Stafford and W. P. Walker, were elected. The 1928 Associational Minutes give the following breakdown of the church's finances: Pastor's salary, $70; ministerial help and supply, $35.31; incidentals, $31; literature, $71.58; other objects, $176; and, for printing the minutes, $1.23. Sunday School statistics show 132 en-rolled in the Union organization. K. E. Sherrill remained active as superintendent though he never joined the Baptist Church. In October 1929, Rev. Comstock, W. P. Walker, and J. R. Brooks went to the associational meeting to hear the executive committee report on the new church at Woodlawn. They reported 18 baptisms and 40 additions by letter. They also mentioned the Sunday School meeting in the school building, two unions in the B.Y.P.U. (Baptist Young Peoples Union), and an appropriation of $300 presented to the church by the State Mission Board. October 1. 1928, through September 30, 1929, constituted the first full associational year for Woodlawn. During this time the church held two revivals and observed the Lord's Supper once. Membership reached 77 members. (They had lost, probably by moving, 27 members during the year.) This report shows the first Woman's Missionary Union and a pastor's salary of $1,250. The total budget was only $1,501. On February 3, 1929, A. L. Stafford and J. L. Vickery were elected to contact mill officials about a building site. The lot was selected, a building fund was started, and suddenly the bank at Lowell closed its 2 doors with all building funds lost. The hopes and dreams of the church were shattered as it faced its darkest hour. The associational minutes for 1930 are an exact copy of the 1929 report. Apparently, no report was sent in, and the previous year's figures were used. This year, only one messenger, Rev. Comstock, registered at the associational meeting. Allene Carman and J. L. Hawkins attended the sessions as visitors. 1931 is the only year in the church's history that reports no baptisms. The church listed total gifts for the year as $1,413.56. Much of the credit for financial support during the next several years goes to the ladies of the church who pieced quilts, crocheted, sold flavorings, and cooked chicken stews, cakes, and box suppers. From 1931 through 1935, the offerings averaged $1,044 per year. (The lowest report was made in 1936 when only $645 was received into the treasury.) Rev. Comstock resigned the pastorate on August 31, 1930. In No-vember of this year, Rev. W. T. Baucom came on a half-time basis. In 1934, following Rev. Baucom's resignation, Rev. G. G. Bowen was called as pastor. As we close the chapter on the first Sabbath of years for Woodlawn we would like to mention a few of the names which have not been recorded elsewhere in this account. This list should include all these and perhaps others: J. E. Proctor, Ida Campbell, Mrs. Ruth Mullen, Misses Oda, Ethel, and Eula Smallwood, Mrs. A. B. Davis, Troy Davis, Mrs. Ben Jenkins, Mrs. Charles Petty, Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Sanders, G. T. League, Mr. and Mrs. J. 0. Barr, Mrs. W. A. Stallings, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Lockridge, Walter Crompton, J. T. Cox, Sudie Cloninger, Frances and Nannie Godfrey, Frankie Mitchem Wiley, Virginia Sanders, Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Curry, Lucille and Josephine Curry, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Dodson, Sam Mitchem, Martin Phillips, Annelle Barr (Jackson), Amelia Barr (Edwards), Vivian Shepherd, James McGaha, J. C. Bolick, Lora Lane, Irene Barr (Mills), Elizabeth Carter (Causby), Helen Smith, Tom and Charles Stafford,Earl B. Stogner, Maude and Pauline Petty (Carter), Mr. and Mrs. D. 0. Ragan, Mr. and Mrs. B. B. Mattox and Jessie Bowen. Some of these are on the church roll. Others are listed as various offi-cers: Mrs. D. 0. Ragan led the first Sunbeam Band of fifty members in 1934, Mr. Clarence Grant was the first pianist, and Mr. Bill.Wynn the first chorister. Clarence Grant is the first reported loss in membership because of death. Chapter 2 — STRUGGLE AND VICTORY Rev. Grady G. Bowen, who pastored the church part-time beginning June 16, 1934, accepted a call as full-time pastor after six months. In 1935, Gray McArver was Sunday School superintendent and James McGaha was Training Union director. John Carter was church clerk and Mrs. J. L. Hawkins continued as president of the Woman's Mis-sionary Union. Woodlawn was still economically depressed as was the community and the nation. The National Weaving Company did not operate full-time during the years 1933 through 1935 and finally ceased operations in 1936. Early in 1937, the plant reopened and the people still living here returned to their work; but during the 1936 period of unemploy-ment, many church members moved away and did not return. In 1936, Mrs. A. L. Stafford was president of the Woman's Missionary Union; Walter Crompton was Sunday School superintendent, James McGaha was church treasurer and John Carter continued as church clerk. Then, in 1937 J. T. Stafford became Training Union director. During conference of December 1938. the church authorized the printing of its first stationery at a cost of $6.25. On February 19, 1939, the church in conference accepted a gift of $95 from the Woman's Missionary Union as down payment on a par-sonage on two conditions: (1) that the church meet the payments on the parsonage, and (2) that it advance its efforts to build a church house. Mrs. B. D. Jones, president of the WMU, was authorized to appoint a committee to promote action on the two conditions. The com-mittee was made up of C. E. Dodson, J. T. Stafford and G. G. Bowen. After much discussion, the church approved the buying of a house and lot at =10 Geer Street at a cost of $950. Then, on February 26, 1939, a Board of Trustees was appointed for church property. John Carter was the chairman of the board, serving with J. A. McGaha and C. E. Dodson. By August of 1939, the church authorized the committee to contact an architect about drawing blueprints for a church building. Other Church actions in 1939 were: the church voted for the mem-bership to use Southern Baptist Convention offering envelopes, copies of the Church Covenant and Articles of Faith were distributed among the membership and the church erased ten members from its roll (most of whom had moved out of the community earlier in the decade). J. A. McGaha, Chairman of the Board of Deacons, challenged the whole church to a better life stewardship as the financial condition of the church was poor. The church voted to observe the Lord's Supper on the second Sunday night of each quarter and the Building Program Com-mittee, chaired by James McGaha, was authorized to canvass the mem-bership regarding systematic giving to the building fund. On December 3, 1939, the church was called to conference to con-sider the resignation of the pastor, G. G. Bowen. The church accepted his resignation, and Rev. Marshall P. Rhyne of Dallas was called as pastor on February 4, 1940, at a salary of $15 per week. George F. Teague was elected as church clerk. On May 5, 1940, L. A. McAlister was elected to the deacon board as an additional deacon was needed. On July 21, 1940, the church granted J. T. Stafford a license to preach. A committee made up of B. B. Mattox, J. A. McGaha, W. D. Gilliam and J. T. Stafford was appointed by Mr. Rhyne to investigate plans and cost for an "ideal" church building. Church members were asked to sign tithe pledges. In August, 1940, blueprints and plans for a new church building were presented by B. B. Mattox and adopted by the church and arrangements for securing pews were turned over to a Finance Committee. At this time there was $575.17 in the Church Building Fund. On October 6, 1940, the church accepted by a standing vote the low bid of $7,050.55 for the construction of a church building. In March, 1941, The Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company approved a loan of $6,000 to the church. In the meantime, the building fund had reached $2,122.86 and the pew fund had $195 in it. It was on the third Sunday in July, 1941, that Woodlawn held the first service in its own church building. Minutes of the July 13, 1941, conference showed that the church voted to record the order of first service in the new church, but no such record has been found. The church bought song books at $25 per hundred, gave the pastor a raise to $20 per week and then later called him as full-time pastor at $30 per week for "as long as the mill runs six days" and at $25 when "they go back to five days." During the year letters were sent to other churches in the county for building fund donations but only $4.63 was reported from this action. In September, L. A. McAlister reported a total of $3,700.70 received into the building fund and a total of $2,996.79 paid out. J. T. Stafford asked for voluntary donations each week for the pew fund which needed to be paid off within six weeks. In October, 1941, L. C. Morrow, Claude Heffner, and P. P. Truesdale were elected to the deacon board. Chapter 3 — A HOUSE OF WORSHIP The years from late 1941 through 1947 found our country at war and our church facing new problems and initiating several new pro-grams. Rev. M. P. Rhyne continued as pastor until October, 1943. Rev. M. W. Stallings followed him in early 1944, having accepted the call issued by the church in November. Rev. Stallings resigned in Feb r uarv, 1946, and, on June 26, Rev. Morris Baker came to Woodlawn to work with our people until late 1947. The church's financial advantage continued with the war-time econ-omy. Rev. Rhyne served the church at less than $20 per week; Rev. Stallings came at $40 per week, and by the time Rev. Morris Baker came the church was able to offer him $50 per week. In 1942, the church had sold a bedspread donated by Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Smith for $35.50. By 1943, they had been able to add $1,000 as payment on the church debt. When Mr. Stallings came to the church he made a gift of $100 and issued a challenge to the church to pay off its debt. The Finance Committee recommended that the Sunday School, Training Union, and Church offerings be combined and the Budget Plan be adopted. In accordance, the first budget totaling $4,271.75 was set up in May, 1944. In the fall, the first Annual Unified Budget appeared in the Church Minute Book and totaled $6,500. Rev. and Mrs. Stallings were very mission-minded and their zeal for missions and edu-cation is reflected in the church's gifts which included not only the usual ones to Foreign and Home Missions, and to the orphanage, but special gifts to Meredith College, the Truett Memorial Fund, Mars Hill College, Boone Creek Church, and the Chinese War Relief Fund. In addition, the church pledged 20% of ail funds over the buuget to mission causes. In July, 1944, the church voted to dedicate its building on Home-coming Day, September 3, 1944. There was progress, too, in improving and adding to church facilities and equipment. J. T. Stafford led in a campaign to pay off the piano debt, the heating system was extended to the Men's Bible Class, pulpit and table scarfs were purchased, two rooms were added to the parson-age on Geer Street, a film projector was purchased, the baptistry was furnished with an oil heater, shrubbery was added to the grounds and a garage was built at the parsonage. A lawn mower, hedge clippers, and a wheelbarrow came next, and then a typewriter and a speaker for the nursery as well as another piano for the Sunday School. On July 12, 1942, the church voted to sponsor a local Boy Scout Troop. Shortly afterward James McGaha was approved as Scoutmaster and financial support was given to the troop. In November, 1943, the Scouts were given permission to meet in the Men's Bible Class room. Another work begun this year, though not followed through nearly so well, was the library established on August 16, 1942. During Rev. and Mrs. Stallings' time of service much attention was given to Royal Am-bassador and Girls Auxiliary organization. There had been a Sunbeam Band in the early 30's but these were the first youth mission groups. Two other youth projects included the contributing of $300 per year to help the other churches in Lowell pay a Bible teacher, and the distri-bution of Christmas treats to all children under 14 in the church and community. The Mill company helped in this last project. One of two very special days during these years was a "Soldier Day" in November, 1943. Mrs. James McGaha was in charge of the day's activities in honor of the men in the service of our country. The other special day was the day when the war ended with the Japanes sur-render in September, 1945. When the long-awaited news came through, people in the community and those working in the mill came to Wood-lawn in humble thanksgiving. James McGaha, Quinn Howe, Hoyt Patton, and Harold Singleton were on the pulpit committee that invited Rev. Morris Baker to Woodlawn. During the sixteen months at Woodlawn, the church voted to investigate the possibility of chimes, a bell, and a steeple for the church building. The church was feeling the need for more Sunday School rooms and B. B. Mattox, J. G. Morrow, and Ernest Buckner were elected as a com-mittee to plan this addition at the rear of the church. C. E. Dodson, J. G. Morrow, and H. V. Roberts were approved as the trustees com-mittee, and J. T. Stafford was ordained to the ministry on February 2, 1947. The church presented him a Bible at the ordination. Vacation Bible School became a regular feature of the church's sum-mer program during this period. J. T. Stafford, Georgia Rhyne (from Gastonia) and Rev. Stallings served as principals. Ed Powell, who later was hired as choir director, first came to Wood-lawn in a revival in 1945. Chapter 4— NEW FIELDS AND HORIZONS When Rev. John Kinnaman stood in the pulpit of Woodlawn Baptist Church on the last Sunday in August, 1954, he reviewed the growth of the church and community during the time he had lived there. He recalled that when he came as a student supply pastor from Gardner- Webb College in January, 1948, there were no paved streets in the small village and only one telephone near the church. By 1954, all the streets had been paved and telephone service had been offered to every resident. Along with this community progress, the physical facili-ties of the church had been enlarged and expanded and several new properties had been acquired. In 1948 Burl and Eula Jones had donated a small part of their prop-erty to the church to change some irregular boundary lines. By 1949 the street in front of the church had been paved and walkways had been built. It was about this same time that the Beaunit Heights residential area was opened, the church field enlarged, and Art Cloth stretched almost to Lowell. In those days, Beaunit Heights seemed so far away that "taxi service" paid by the church, was offered to any who needed a ride to church. This offer could be made more readily because one of the church's members, Lamar Reddick, was driving a taxi at the time. On the church property itself, the people were concerned about a new look for their sanctuary. Many members had longed to see a steeple on the roof, a vestibule in front of the sanctuary, and a new porch and steps closer to the street. An architect was asked to draw plans for such an addition, but after several months of investigation the plans were discarded because of cost and the possibility of a new sanctuary in the not-too-distant future. Inside the church, opera chairs were placed in the choir area, an attractive screen was built before them, and a stage curtain was pur-chased because Christmas plays were popular in those days. The bap-tistry was rebuilt and elevated and Walter Keul was hired to paint the beautiful Jordan River scene in the background. A WMS library room was built behind the pulpit area, and downstairs, an unused area was cleared for a nursery. A new baptistry heater was installed and the church paid $1,278 for its first organ. In 1953, a 24' x 30' building was erected on the back lot to be used for Boy Scout meetings and other church activities. But, the biggest change was getting a new pastorium when the Geer Street residence plus $5,500 was traded for the house on North Main Street that had formerly served as the mill superintendent's home. The house was bought from the Max Guffeys who moved to — 10 Geer Street. There were several "firsts" during the Kinnaman pastorate. Mrs. Kinnaman was active in the music program, the ladies Sunday School Class, and the WMS. As president of the WMU she worked with Mrs. Geneva Wade and Mrs. Janie Baldwin in drawing up the first set of menus to be used in carrying food into the homes of bereaved families. This plan was first used when Mr. Holland died and the family gathered at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Algie Ammons, in Beaunit Heights. In 1948, polio became epidemic and during that summer children were not allowed to gather at any public places or in churches. This affected Sunday School and Training Union attendance. 7 Even though the war had ended, our young men were still being drafted into military service. The church and its pastor sought to sup-port and encourage these young people by sending or giving to them a Bible. Rev. Jackie Stafford, now pastor at Lakeview Church in Mc- Adenville, had written to say that he still owns and cherishes the Bible that was given to him through this ministry. The church had no office secretary at this time, but Mr. Kinnaman had his typewriter and the mimeograph machine and, almost single-handedly, he began printing "The Woodlawn Messenger," a newsletter, usually several pages long, that was mailed to all young people away from home. It always carried news about church activities and people and a brief message of encouragement. Occasionally, the pastor would ask others in the church to submit articles for publication. It was Rev. John Kinnaman who established the policy of weekly bulletins for the Sunday services. During his ministry, he designed and printed these himself, and after his resignation Janie and Julius Baldwin continued the practice at the request of the church. In 1951, the church voted to enroll the pastor in the Relief and Annuity Program. In 1953, a preaching mission was opened in the Smyre area. J. N. Grant served as pastor. Later, a Sunday School was organized and Carroll Watts served as its superintendent. This program had to be disbanded the next year when the owner of the building de-cided to use the building for personal purposes. The practice of giving pins for Sunday School attendance was initi-ated in 1954 and has continued through the years since that time. Several Sunday School members have attained many years of perfect attendance. A really outstanding family example of the effectiveness of the plan can be seen today in the Robert Kendrick family. John Kinnaman came to Woodlawn as a ministerial student. He told the church on the day they asked him to supply that his heart was burn-ing with a desire to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. His experience prepared him to be a blessing to others who were called by the Lord into His service. After his graduation in 1948, he counseled with three young people in the church who were already being led to study for the Lord's work. In the fall of 1948, Charles (Pete) Stafford, Marion Eugene Gibson and Janie Dunlap (now Baldwin) entered the Freshman Class at Gardner-Webb. During the next two years the church was generous in its support of these students, and it continued to help others who in the next several years felt the same call. During Rev. Kinnaman's ministry eight men were licensed to preach the gospel. They were Charles Stafford and Gene Gibson in 1948: Jasper Grant in 1949; Ray Henderson, Tommy Ellington, and Homer Bennett in 1952 and Leonard Home and Charles Ray Moseley in 1954. In addi-tion both Charles Stafford and Tommy Ellington were ordained in 1954. While Tommy Ellington was in school at Gardner-Webb he brought a classmate to visit and soeak at Woodlawn. He was Fuad Saknini, an Arab Christian from Nazareth. Today, Fuad is pastor of the First Baptist Church and School in Nazareth, Israel. 8 John and Bernice Kinnaman, with their daughter Phyllis, left Wood-lawn on August 31, 1954. He had been called as pastor to the Wilmont Baptist Church in Charlotte. Chapter 5 — EXPANSION AND GROWTH Rev. Morris Baker came back to Woodlawn on the fourth Sunday in April, 1955. In the interim Ed Wells. J. T. Stafford, and J. N. Grant had supplied as preacher. In their first pastorate the Bakers had lived in the Geer Street house. This time they moved to North Main Street. In July, following their arrival, Jasper Grant was ordained to the gospel ministry and Sammy Wiley was licensed to preach. Mr. Grant, now retired, still lives in this community. Sammy is a school principal in South Carolina. There were several changes around the church and pastorium as the Fifties merged with the Sixties. The parking lot behind the church was paved and with the permission of adjoining property owners, a driveway to Geer Street from the rear was opened and paved. This made for greater convenience, especially in directing traffic at funerals. Also, the drive at the pastorium was paved and a carport was built. The first bell system was installed in the classroom area, the first church-owned stove was placed in the Jones annex, and drinking fountains for adults and children were installed. In 1963, the church gave the Art Cloth Parent-Teachers Association permission to cut some of the trees on its property so that a play area could be provided for the children. Inside the church, the choir seats which had always faced the pulpit from its right were taken up and placed behind the pulpit so that the choir faced the congregation. The Hammond organ was purchased in 1960. Ed Powell of East Gastonia had been hired to direct the adult choir in 1956. In 1960 George England came in the same capacity. In 1954, Janie Baldwin became the first "paid" secretary at $5 per week. She prepared weekly bulletins, monthly financial statements, budgets and other typed material. Mrs. Baldwin worked closely with Garney Morrow and together they set up the first individualized records of contributions. In 1950, the partitions downstairs were removed to make an assem-bly room for the Primary age children. The Men's Class met across the hall and the ladies met in the area under the church porch. In 1955, a second Bible Class for men was organized and met for some time in the Scout Hut. In 1960, the church voted to change the constitution of the deacon board by rotating its membership with each deacon serving three years. In the election which followed the following men were elected as deacons: Stowe Petty, H. V. Roberts, James McGaha. Ivey Morris, R. L. Culbreth, J. G. Morrow, Jimmy McGaha, Julius Baldwin, and J. T. Stafford. Three of these would serve three years; three would serve two years; and three would serve one year. An outstanding achievement of Rev. Baker's second pastorate was the erection of the present educational building. The church had been looking forward to this for several years, and in May 1956, it elected B. B. Mattox, R. J. Dellinger, and Merle Yarborough as a Building Fund Committee. Later, J. T. Stafford was elected to serve as treasurer for the fund. In September of this year Martha Ann Dodson (Huffstetler) was recognized as the first child who had contributed to the fund. Her name was placed by vote of the church in the Book of Minutes. In 1957, the church bought the residence adjacent to its lot that belonged to Burl and Eula Jones. The land would be needed as a future building site and the house could be used for classroom space until the building was completed. In 1958, the church elected Roy Ervin, T. H. Lemons, Joe Corn, and Tom Roberts as its Building Planning Committee. In 1961, they sub-mitted the first plan, which, after revision, was accepted, and a low bid of $63,000 was taken. Tom Roberts, Joe Corn, Roy Ervin, and T. H. Lemons, with Stowe Petty, served on the Building Committee. The church borrowed $40,000 for the building and $5,000 for furnishings from the First Federal Savings and Loan Company in Lincolnton. The building was opened for Sunday School in April 1962. In the meantime, the Jones annex had been sold to Earl Cannon who removed it from the church lot. In 1958, the church grieved and shared with the Bakers in the loss of their only son and two of their grandchildren, who were killed in an automobile accident near Dallas, only minutes after they had ended a visit at Woodlawn pastorium. In the fall of 1963, Mr. Baker resigned, but agreed to serve the church until the end of the year. A pulpit committee was appointed, and when fall revival time came, the pastor asked this committee to find a preacher for the revival. They invited Rev. Wade McKnight of Vale, North Carolina, to come. On December 15, as the pulpit committee continued their work, they brought Mr. McKnight back for a trial sermon that he preached in the presence of his predecessor. Rev. Morris Baker, in turn, moderated the business meeting in which his successor was called to come as pastor in January 1964. On December 8, 1963, the church held a dinner in honor of the Bakers and presented them with $500 as a going-away gift. On Janu-ary 19, 1964, Mr. and Mrs. Baker were granted letters so that they could join the Friendly Chapel Baptist Church in Maiden, N. C. The Bakers left a beautiful and loving testimony at Woodlawn. Chapter 6 — A NEW SANCTUARY From the time the first sanctuary at Woodlawn was built in 1941, there were those who felt the building was not complete because there was no steeple reaching heavenward above its roofs. Plans for such an addition were drawn but were put aside in the hope of having a more adequate building and a more magnificent steeple! Today, that steeple 10 stands tall over Woodlawn Baptist Church with its cross pointing upward to the God whose love has made it possible, and outward to the people who have come to know Him and are continuing to serve Him because of the Christian witness moving in and around this church. In April 1964, shortly after Wade A. McKnight had come to Wood-lawn, church offerings increased to the extent that $2,500 could be applied to the $35,000 debt owed on the educational building. In a year's time, the monthly payments of $400 were increased to $1,000 per month and in July 1966, the debt was completely paid. The church immediately established a savings account, placing there $1,500 each month, the same amount as the final regular payments on their debt. Even before the debt was paid, in December 1965, a Planning Com-mittee composed of Annelle Jackson, Virginia Fulbright, Tom Roberts, Stowe Petty, Ivey Morris, Hoyt Cowan and Max Earley, was set up to begin plans for a new sanctuary. A year after the debt ended, in July 1967, the trustees of the church, C. E. Dodson, H. V. Roberts, and J. Garney Morrow, were named as a Steering Committee to guide a Bond Sale. Bonds, Incorporated, repre-sented by Ben Sturm, was secured to present the program in which the church approved the sale of no more than $150,000 in bonds. The bonds were issued and sold in October 1967. After the overwhelming success of the bond sale, the church was ready to ask for an architect. Benjamin Sides of Charlotte, North Caro-lina, presented plans in November 1967. At this time the Planning Committee was released, as such, but they were asked to continue their service in an advisory capacity. In the meantime, school consolidation in the Gaston County System had closed the Art Cloth School and the church decided to wait on the building plans until they were able to buy the school site if it were sold. Tom Roberts, George Waldrop and H. V. Roberts were appointed to offer bids on the property and were able to purchase it for $9,000. In 1969, the school building, erected in 1926, the first worship place for Woodlawn, was torn down and the land prepared for a new church. In March 1969, Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Cloninger, both charter members of the church, stood with Hoyt Cowan, Building Committee Chairman, and the pastor, Wade McKnight, in a ground breaking ceremony. Ray-field Construction Company, Bessemer City, North Carolina, was given the contract for $175,633. Later the church decided to complete a balcony in the church and $30,000 in bonds were sold to cover the added expense. The building was completed in 1970 and appropriate dedication services were held to commemorate the event. During this period 1964-1970, other strides were being made in the church program itself. In 1964, the part-time secretary, Janie Baldwin, was given a raise of $10 per week because of an increased workload. She continued in this position until 1968, when the church voted to hire an office secretary to work 15 hours per week. Jane M. Saunders was secured for this position and has been serving the church for the past ten years. 11 J. T. Stafford had been elected the first librarian in 1943. Jimmy McGaha, Sunday School superintendent, had donated the first book, a Bible dictionary, when he moved from Woodlawn in 1962, but other-wise little progress had been made in library service. On August 3, 1969, the church voted to establish a memorial library which would be housed in the new sanctuary. All books in the Memorial Library would be given in honor or memory of family members and friends. As Library Committee Chairman, Mary B. Pinnix was very active in setting up the Memorial Library and Ruby Usery has served as librarian since its opening. In 1969, while construction was going on at the new sanctuary, fire seriously damaged the educational building. The loss, covered by in-surance, was repaired by the same contractor who was working on the other building for $60,000. A very old custom faded away in 1969. For many years the mill com-pany and the church had joined together in giving Christmas treats to the children in the church and community. Time changed, and with con-tinued prosperity, this need vanished and the policy was discontinued. In 1970 the church honored the McKnights by giving them a tour of the Holy Land. They were accompanied by Virginia Fulbright, Annelle Jackson, Marion Baker and James Battle. This was the year also, that the church first purchased robes for the choir. Chapter 7 — ACHIEVEMENT AND CELEBRATION August 2, 1970, was "Victory Day" for Woodlawn Baptists. On that day at 10:50 a.m., Mrs. S. A. Cloninger, one of the charter members, cut the ribbon across the front door and the people moved into the new sanctuary. A series of dedication services began with the morning wor-ship hour and an open house was held in the afternoon when hundreds of people came to see what God had done at Woodlawn. "The Church's Responsibility" was the theme chosen for the series of dedication services, and Pastor Wade A. McKnight preached on "The Church's Responsibility to Its Founder" during the morning worship and on "The Church's Responsibility To The Community" during the evening service. Also during the evening service, greetings were re-ceived from other churches of the community and from Dr. Charles Lowery, Mayor of Lowell, who represented the civic community. —August 23, Dr. Howard Ford, Director of Missions for North Carolina Baptist State Convention, spoke on "The Church's Responsibility to Missions— Home and Abroad". —September 13, Dr. Eugene Poston, President of Gardner-Webb Col-lege, spoke on "The Church's Responsibility to Christian Higher Edu-cation". Thomas McGraw, associate to Dr. Poston at Gardner-Webb, spoke on the same subject during the evening service. —October 11, Dr. Hoyle Allred, Superintendent of Missions for Gaston Baptist Association, spoke on "The Church's Responsibility To The Association". 12 —November 15, the series of dedication services for the new sanctuary was concluded with Dr. Perry Crouch, Executive Secretary of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention, speaking on "The Church's Responsibility To The Denomination". In February 1971, the Church voted to change the Church Building Fund to Parsonage Building Fund as the church had already been given a lot by Beaunit Corporation on which to build. Later, in December 1971, the church received a $3,600 anonymous donation to the Par-sonage Building Fund along with a challenge to get it built, and in the same month the church elected a Planning Committee. Committee members were Everette Warren, Chairman; Marion Baker, Donnie Ben-field, Ruth Mattox, Joyce Grant, Roger Baucom, Roy Ervin, C. E. Dod-son, and Howard league. Alternate members were Julius Baldwin and Shirley Culbreth. In March 1972, the Committee presented plans to build a one-story brick veneer house at an approximate cost of $42,000. The church approved the plans and a bond issue, of $15,000 to help finance the construction. The bonds were sold even before they were printed. In May 1972, the church elected a Parsonage Building Com-mittee composed of Fred Darnell, Chairman; Shirley Culbreth and Roy Ervin, and authorized immediate construction of the parsonage. In April 1973, the pastor's family was moved into the beautiful new house at 727 Lineberger Street. It was dedicated to the Lord for the use of the Church's minister and his family. Open house was held and many people, including friends from across the state, came to visit and see the new home. Other actions of 1971 included installing intercom units in the homes of shut-ins, enabling them to participate in the worship services and cooperating with other Lowell churches in providing emergency help for the needy through the Lowell Goodwill Center. Also, Miss Rita Justice, spring graduate of Gardner-Webb College, worked with Wood-lawn youth for the summer. January 16, 1972, was proclaimed "McKnight Appreciation Day" which marked the pastor's eighth anniversary at Woodlawn. During the morning service and the luncheon that followed, more than-500 people paid honor and tribute to Pastor Wade McKnight and his family in a surprise "This Is Your Life" program. In August, after much planning and organizing, Woodlawn launched its first "Loyalty Crusade." The theme was "Rediscovering Sunday Eve-ning." The average attendance for the ten Sunday evening services was 310.5 which exceeded the goal of 303 set at the beginning of the Cru-sade. Nineteen membrs were added to the Church roll and offerings increased over $150 per week. Other actions in 1972 include the securing of Gerry Mentzer as a part-time youth director, the decision to keep the old parsonage, and the establishment of an Activity Bus Fund. This bus was purchased in September 1974. In 1973 the church hosted the Gaston Baptist Association and pur-chased the Overman property for $6,000. 13 Pictorial Church Directories for all resident members were ordered in 1974 and six listening units were installed in the sanctuary to ac-commodate those with hearing disabilities. On Memorial Day, May 26, 1974, a Flag Pole Dedication Service was held to express gratitude for those who have served and are serving in the Armed Forces of our country. A plaque, in honor of Larry K. Morrow who was reported "miss-ing in action" on May 29, 1972, was dedicated. In November 1975, because of growth and expansion, Jerry Watts was secured as first Minister of Music and Youth. His responsibilities were to include leadership in music, youth and recreational activities. In December, Appreciation Day for George England, retiring Minister of Music, was observed. He was presented a color TV and the church voted to continue his pay through the rest of the year. On Christmas Eve, Woodlawn's first Silent Communion Service was observed, beginning at 11:30 p.m. and lasting until midnight. This service is now a custom. In celebration of our Nation's Bicentennial, our town and church had many special activities. In the Bicentennial parade, our church float won second place. On Sunday, July 4, 1976, Woodlawn's congregation joined with the rest of our nation in celebrating America's 200th birthday. The bell from Woodlawn's first church rang out with a call to worship in this land of freedom. Many members walked from the ball park which was several blocks away to the church and joined with the rest of the congregation on the porch of our "Meeting House." Costumes and styles of 1776 were copied in Woodlawn's dress for the day and believers all drank from a common cup when we observed the Lord's Supper after the morning sermon. Dinner was spread on the walk between the Sanc-tuary and the Educational Building because of heavy rain. Pictures were made and fellowship was enjoyed on into the afternoon. In February 1977, a Fiftieth Anniversary Committee (Jubilee Com-mittee) was appointed to plan and implement the history, activities, events, speakers and celebration of Woodlawn's Fiftieth Anniversary in July, 1978. Committee members were Annelle B. Jackson, Coordinator; Ruth S. Mattox, Jane M, Saunders, Janie D. Baldwin, Gene Morrow, Calvin Arrowood, Everette Warren, Ivey Morris, Marie Lawing, C. E. Dodson, Myra M. Black, Joyce B. Grant, Virginia H. Fulbright, T. H. Lemons, and Jerry Autry. On the Lord's Day, July 31, 1977, during the morning worship service, the Jubilee Committee formally proclaimed Celebration of Jubilee and in this service, the church joined in respon-sive reading of its Message and Doctrines. At this same time, a Survey and Long-Range Planning Committee was also appointed to make re-commendations pertaining to Woodlawn's property needs, facilities, re-sources, and finances over a long period of time. Melvin Grant was appointed chairman to serve with Max Earley, W. C. Jackson, Ruby Usery, Lillian Morrow, Roy Ervin and Shirley Arrowood. In January 1978, the church voted to participate in the James Robi-son Crusade to be held in June at the Ashbrook Stadium. 14 On January 28, 1978, Mr. J. J. St. Clair, Sr., our oldest charter mem-ber died at age 89. Several other octogenarians— including Mrs. S. A. Cloninger, Mrs. Kate Powers, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Phillips, J. 0. Barr, D. W. Dunlap, Fred Bumgardner, Floyd Bumgardner and Mrs. Bessie Morrow—are in Woodlawn's congregation. On Boy Scout Sunday 1978, James McGaha, Scoutmaster for 36 years of Troop —47 which Woodlawn sponsors, was presented "The Good Shepherd Award." Easter Sunrise Services were held at Woodlawn on March 26 for the community and the Woodlawn Sanctuary Choir under the direction of Jerry Watts, presented the music, including "The Church Triumphant." After an inspiring service, the Jubilee Committee served refreshments. Invitations are being prepared, special services planned and excite-ment is bursting forth as Woodlawn climaxes her year of celebration on July 30, 1978. WOODLAWN'S JUBILEE-FIFTY YEARS OF SERVICE. 15 PASTORS AT WOODLAWN C. F. COMSTOCK 1928-1930 Led the congregation before the church was organized and became its first pastor. Called as pastor on September 16 1928. Resigned August 31, 1930. W. T. BAUCOM 1930-1933 Served on a part-time basis because there was no work at the mill. GRADY G. BOWEN 1934-1940 Led church through a period of economic difficulty and to a much stronger position. Fifty persons baptized in 1934. Pastorium on Geer St. was purchased. MARSHALL P. RHYNE 1940-1943 Commuted from Dallas, N. C, and did not live in the pastorium. Guided building program which erected the first sanctuary. Led in its first worship service in 1941. MELVIN W. STALLINGS 1943-1946 In his pastorate, church membership increased from 142 to 223. Baptized 59 people in 1944-45 church year. In his ministry he served congregations in Okla-homa, and North and South Carolina. J. MORRIS BAKER 1946-1947 and 1955-1964 In first pastorate, ground broken to add twelve Sunday School rooms to church physical plant; in second pastorate, he led in planning and building of the educa-tional building. Served as pastor in Gaston and Lincoln Counties for over 35 years. Was in great demand as a revival speaker. JOHN P. KINNAMAN 1948-1954 Led in a period of growth — membership increased from 257 to 393 — first served as student supply pastor from Gardner-Webb College. Church sanctuary and Sun-day School rooms remodeled and redecorated during this time. Scout Hut erected and parsonage on Main Street purchased. Beaunit Heights added to church field. Seven men licensed to the ministry while he was pastor. wade a. Mcknight 1964- Has led in a period of tremendous growth and development. New sanctuary and pastorium have been e rected; membership increased to more than 700; intercom telephone ministry and activity bus have been added. 16 OUR STAFF MEMBERS . JERRY A. WATTS Minister of Music and Youth 1975- Called in November 1975 as first full-time Minister of Music and Youth, with responsibilities in music, youth and recreation. Organized graded choir program, developed youth and recreational activities. Works with Senior Adults. JANE M. SAUNDERS Secretary 1968- Became first office secretary in 1968. She also serves as Church Clerk, Assistant Treasurer and publishes the Woodlawn News newsletter. Her artistic talents are another asset to her church. 17 COMMISSIONED TO CHRISTIAN SERVICE Judson T. Stafford Licensed 1940, Ordained 1947 Marion E. Gibson Licensed 1948 Charles W. Stafford Licensed 1948, Ordained 1954 Jasper N. Grant Licensed 1949, Ordained 1955 Charles Ray Henderson Licensed 1952 Thomas Ellington Licensed 1952 Homer Bennett Licensed 1952 Leonard Home Licensed 1954, Ordained 1956 Sammy Wiley Licensed 1955 Richard Peek Licensed 1965, Ordained 1966 Keith Chronister* Ordained Keith Chronister was not a member at Woodlawn, but was ordained here. Other full-time Christian workers who at one time or another attended regularly at Woodlawn include: Rev. Quinn Howe, Rev. Jerry Rumfelt, Rev. Ned Buckner, Rev. Jackie Stafford, and Rev. Ronnie Wilson. 18 OUR DEACONS On the day of its organization, J. F. Vickery was elected as deacon and very soon thereafter A. L. Stafford and W. P. Walker were chosen to complete the first board of deacons. The asterisk indicates those known to have served as chairmen. The deacons did not serve on a rotational plan until 1960. J. F. Vickery* A. L. Stafford W. P. Walker A. B. Davis Luther McAlister James A. McGaha* L. C. Morrow Claude Heffner P. P. Truesdale M. E. Gibson James A. McGaha, Jr. Tom Roberts T. H. Lemons Ivey C. Morris Raymond Dellinger Jack Ruppe* Robert L. Culbreth Max Earley Charles R. Lowery Charles Stafford J. G. Morrow, Sr. J. N. Grant* George Waldrop Stowe Petty Julius Baldwin* Roy Ervin H. V. Roberts J. T. Stafford* Gary Huffstetler James G. Morrow, Jr. Carroll Watts Roger Baucom Howard Teague* Everette Warren* Fred Darnell Leonard Hollifield Robert Bingham James McKnight Calvin Arrowood Gordon Ramsey Ralph Faulkenberry Larry Black W. P. Walker D. 0. Ragan James McGaha L. A. McAlister Ernest Buckner C. E. Dodson CLERKS AND TREASURERS A. L. Stafford Eugene Gibson Charles Stafford Amos Grant S. A. Cloninger John Carter George F. Teague Harold Singleton Ivey Morris J. G. Morrow, Sr. J. G. Morrow, Jr. Jane M. Saunders TRUSTEES AT WOODLAWN John E. Carter A. L. Stafford James A. McGaha L. A. McAlister C. E. Dodson H. V. Roberts Clarence E. Dodson was selected as one of the first trustees and has remained on the board through all of its history. J. G. Morrow, Sr. J. Thomas Roberts Mr. Ashe Malcolm McAlister SEXTONS Jackie Stafford James McGaha Robert Johnson Max Earley 19 WMU PRESIDENTS 1929-30 Mrs. S. A. Cloninger 1943-44 Mrs. A. L. Stafford 1931 Miss Ida Campbell 1945 Mrs. H. V. Roberts 1932-33 Mrs. G. W. Bowers 1946-47 Mrs. George Waldrop 1934 Mrs. E. K. Carter 1948 Mrs. J. E. Harwell Mrs. D. O. Ragan, 1949-52 Mrs. John Kinnaman Sunbeams 1953-56 Mrs. George Waldrop 1935 Mrs. J. L. Hawkins 1957-61 Mrs. Morris Baker 1936-37 Mrs. A. L. Stafford 1962-66 Mrs. Jessie Stafford 1938-39 Mrs. Eula Jones 1967-69 Mrs. Wade McKnight 1940-41 Mrs. B. B. Mattox 1970-72 Mrs. Blanche Teague 1942 Mrs. Eula Jones CHOIR 1973-78 LEADERS Mrs. Velma Earley Bill Wynn B. B. Mattox George England A. L. Stafford Victor Guin Ed Powell J. T. Stafford ORGANISTS AND PIANISTS Clarence Grant Earlene E>arr Vivian McGraw Denton Mrs. D. . Ragan Martha S, Jacobs Virginia Fulbright Allene Carman Joyce M. Roberts Bernice Kinnaman SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS 1928-30 Karl E. Sherrill 1949 Donnie E. Rabb 1931 Roy Lockridge 1950 Raymond J. Dellinger 1932 J. T. Cox 1951-59 James A. McGaha 1933-35 W. G.ray McArver 1960-61 James McGaha, Jr. 1936 Walter Crompton 1962 Jasper N. Grant 1937-43 James A. McGaha 1963-66 James A. McGaha 1944 Clau de W. Heffner 1967-77 Robert L. Culbreth 1945-48 Ernest Buckner 1978 Gordon Ramsey TRAINING UNION DIRECTORS 1929 Jesse Proctor 1951 Henry Phillips 1930-32 W. F'. Walker 1952 Joe Corn 1933-34 W. Giray McArver 1953-59 Roy Ledwell 1935-36 James McGaha 1960-61 Julius Baldwin 1937-41 J. T. Stafford 1962-64 Jack Ruppe 1942-43 Clau de W. Heffner 1965-67 Julius Baldwin 1944-49 James A. McGaha 1968-78 Carroll Watts 1950 Ray Henderson 20 OUR BELOVED DEAD 1928 1929- 1932 1933- 1947 1948- 1953 — Clarence Grant 1931 — none — W. E. Sanders 1946 — none — Mrs. W. G. Leatherwood Master G. Leatherwood Mrs. Betsey T. McDonald 1952 — none Irs. L. A. Proctor Mrs. Charles Overman Mrs. A. L. Stafford J. C. Mattox 1954 — none 1955 - W. G. Leatherwood 1956 -Jim Chandler Kelly Simmons 1957 — Miss Doris Huffman Walter Stallings Mrs. Davis Cannon 1958- F. H. Pope 1959 -G. M. McDonald 1960 — Jerry Moore Mrs. W. E. Stiles Mrs. Ruby Watts Merle Yarborough 1961 — Mrs. Minnie Long Raymond Dellinger 1962 - Mrs. L. A. Proctor 1963 — Mrs. Eula Jones Charles Warren 1964- William Baker Charlie Turner Mrs. Ella Jackson 1965 — Lee Moseley Mrs. Ralph Rowland Earl Pettit 1966 — Miss Earl Jordan 1967 -A. L. Stafford Mrs. Maude Greenway Will Brown Hugh Jones 1968- Glazier Warren Mrs. Dorothy Overman J. C. May Clifford Cloninger Mrs. Harding Overman 1969 — Mrs. James Battle Houston McDonald Billy Wilson Mrs. Mary E. Sharpe 1970- Mrs. Carrie St. Clair B. B. Mattox Mrs. Ocie Mitchem Mrs. Mae Huffman Sidney Bolick J. G. Morrow Sr. S. A. Cloninger 1971 - Miss Gale Baker Leroy Barr Wallace McGraw Charles Carter Floyd Hall 1972 - none 1973 — George Ervin Mrs. Bertie Barr 1974— Mrs. Mattie Wilkerson Mrs. Grace Walker 1975 — Mrs. Eunice Roberts Richard Peek James Shinn 1976 -Sherrill McGraw 1977 -J. A. Lewis Michael Bingham Mrs. Cumi Dailey 1978- Mrs. Lela Pettit Eugene Knight J. J. St. Clair, Sr. Barbara Land Harwell William A. Bess Robert Dean Lemons 21 CHURCH CHRONOLOGY 1923-26 Art Cloth Mill, village, business district and school building erected. 1923-28 Preaching services and Sunday School in old store building, Mrs. Brandon's home and later in the school building. 1928 July 29 — Church organized in the school building. 1928 September 1 — Church officially named Woodlawn and C. F. Comstock called as first pastor. 1929 Committee elected to select a building site for church. Bank closed and all building funds were lost. 1930 W. T. Baucom called to serve part-time as work at the mill had been curtailed. 1934 Harold Smith, Greenville evangelist, held a revival that added to membership at the church. Grady G. Bowen called as pastor. 1936 Mill ceased operations. 1937 Mill reopened as National Weaving Company. 1939 February — Women's Missionary Union presented the church with $95 to be applied as down payment on a $950 house at — 10 Geer Street to be used as pastorium. First Board of Trustees elected and deed for house recorded in Register of Deeds office. 1940 February — M. P. Rhyne called as pastor. August — Blueprints for new church presented and adopted. October — Bid of $7,050.55 accepted on building. 1941 July 20 — First service in new sanctuary. December 7 — Pearl Harbor attacked. 1942 July 12 — Church voted to sponsor Boy Scout troop. 1943 Melvin Stallings called as pastor. 1944 September — Building debt now paid and dedication ser-vices at homecoming. 1945 Eddie Lieberman, a converted Jew, led in one of Woodlawn's great revivals. World War II ended and church was gathering place for grateful worshippers. 1947 Morris Baker called as pastor. 1948 April 19 - Borrowed $6,000 to build Sunday School rooms and install a heating system. John Kinnaman called as full-time pastor. 1953 Scout Hut built for $2,400. Pastorium on Geer Street plus $5,500 traded for the house on North Main Street. Preach-in Mission and Sunday School established in the Smyre community. 22 1954 Sanctuary remodeled and baptistry installed with a loan of $2,500. Janie Baldwin hired as Secretary. 1955 Morris Baker called to pastor second time. 1956 Ed Powell began working as choir director. 1959 George England called as choir director. 1960 Deacon Board began Rotation Plan. 1961 June — Plans for a new eductaional building adopted. 1962 Educational Building completed and opened. 1963 December — Wade McKnight called as pastor. 1964 Young At Heart Club began under sponsorship of church. 1965 Sanctuary Planning Committee elected. 1966 Debt on Educational Building paid off. 1967 $150,000 bonds issued and sold to finance building. 1968 Jane Saunders hired as office secretary. 1969 Art Cloth School bought; bid accepted on new sanctuary. 1970 August — Sanctuary opened and dedicated. 1971 Ministry extended to shut-ins by telephone intercoms. 1972 Plans for new pastorium presented and approved. Loyalty Crusade, another of Woodlawn's great revivals. 1973 Pastorium completed and dedicated. Church hosted the Gaston Baptist Association for first time in its history. Overman property in front of church and on Main Street purchased. 1974 Church and Gaston College cooperated in opening an Adult Education Department at our church. Bought Activity Bus. 1975 Jerry Watts came as first full-time Minister of Music and Youth. 1976 Church observed nation's Bicentennial; entered a prize-winning float in the town parade. July 4 — Observed Bicentennial by walking from ball park to church in a group, wearing 1776 costumes, old fashioned Sunday School and dinner on the grounds. 1977-78 Church observes it year of Jubilee. 1978 July 30- Jubilee Day. 23 STATISTICAL TABLES YEAR BAPTISMS OTHER ADDITIONS TOTAL MEMBERSHIP MISSION GIFTS TOTAL GIFTS 1928 43 41 7.42 392.54 1929 18 43 77 115.45 1,616.64 1930 18 43 77 115.45 1,616.64 1931 17 88 50.27 1,413.56 1932 21 3 110 118.05 982.50 1933 21 9 148 97.00 1,176.00 1934 50 9 176 64.74 1,068.78 1935 9 11 170 139.65 950.63 1936 2 5 150 17.00 645.80 1937 2 23 164 82.40 952.57 1938 1 8 123 158.77 1,286.34 1939 1 4 89 124.47 1,403.00 1940 24 26 123 178.28 1,458.17 1941 8 7 131 303.36 5,282.95 1942 22 13 158 478.80 5,184.36 1943 7 4 142 549.69 5,199.98 1944 2 2 140 655.82 7,722.59 1945 59 34 223 1,683.81 9,077.16 1946 1 9 213 1,317.84 6,765.30 1947 31 11 240 846.00 11,700.87 1948 15 12 257 1,939.93 24,470.83 1949 35 18 284 1,050.00 14,021.15 1950 19 16 290 1,359.26 14,112.32 1951 29 17 324 1,241.00 14,172.73 1952 14 21 280 2,123.89 19,457.39 24 STATISTICAL TABLES YEAR BAPTISMS OTHER ADDITIONS TOTAL MEMBERSHIP MISSION GIFTS TOTAL GIFS 1953 24 10 373 2,519.40 19,343.44 1954 37 15 393 2,721.00 23,492.54 1955 24 22 428 2,400.00 20,924.92 1956 15 6 435 4,217.00 17,710.00 1957 17 18 450 4,896.00 27,287.00 1958 16 9 459 3,170.00 19,303.00 1959 34 5 488 4,484.00 21,100.00 1960 11 7 457 3,330.00 27,379.00 1961 6 13 467 2,629.00 26,839.00 1962 6 7 471 3,382.00 27,586.00 1963 12 8 477 4,903.00 31,045.00 1964 27 13 503 3,323.00 34,583.00 1965 11 12 514 3,576.00 39,437.00 1966 20 2 • 528 4,938.00 44,027.00 1967 16 11 540 4,724.00 42,128.00 1968 17 14 560 4,168.00 49,531.00 1969 24 9 571 5,699.00 62,836.00 1970 16 10 577 5,944.00 59,552.00 1971 11 6 579 7,956.00 66,603.00 1972 7 24 587 7,559.00 65,262.00 1973 25 34 646 7,726.00 75,283.00 1974 16 36 686 8,293.00 98,644.00 1975 7 19 694 11,433.00 91,554.00 1976 20 9 703 10,869.00 93,534.00 1977 17 10 720 11,333.00 93,500.00 TOTALS 845 737 — 151,110.75 1,330,614.70 25 STATISTICAL TABLES YEAR SUNDAY SCHOOL AVERAGE ATTENDANCE TRAINING UNION AVERAGE ATTENDANCE WMU ENROLLMENT 1928 32 None Reported None Reported 1929 165 40 Enrolled 11 1930 165 40 Enrolled 11 1931 200 None Reported 14 1932 235 133 32 1933 185 97 Enrolled No Report 1934 No Report 90 70 "Sunbeam Band" 1935 No Report 64 No Report 1936 No Report No Report No Report 1937 No Report 23 Enrolled 14 1938 No Report 34 14 1939 105 37 Enrolled 24 1940 132 42 16 1941 125 47 20 1942 77 38 16 1943 102 64 14 1944 77 34 67 1945 132 No Report 55 1946 118 69 40 1947 157 73 98 1948 140 53 69 1949 163 52 49 1950 180 68 49 1951 182 101 38 1952 No Report 54 36 26 STATISTICAL TABLES YEAR SUNDAY SCHOOL AVG.ATTND./ ENROLLED TRAINING UNION AVERAGE ATTENDANCE WMU ENROLLMENT 1953 205 60 92 1954 222 48 108 1955 226 40 77 1956 240 53 114 1957 250 82 108 1958 246 62 108 1959 258 73 125 1960 240 65 114 1961 No Report 76 118 1962 221 52 118 1963 217 44 85 1964 211 55 80 1965 210 52 99 1966 205 48 99 1967 190 41 101 1968 177 42 84 1969 177 58 75 1970 170 61 86 1971 198 59 84 1972 194 62 101 1973 196 65 117 1974 208 86 100 1975 216 68 92 1976 217 52 120 1977 199 51 129 27 BIBLIOGRAPHY Church Minutes and Membership Record Book I: October 2, 1938 to September 10, 1950 Church Membership Record and Minutes of Church Business, Book II: October 1, 1950 to March 4, 1962 Church Membership Record and Minutes of Church Business, Book III: November 22, 1970 Gaston Baptist Associational Minutes: 1928-1977 Gaston County Register of Deeds History of Wood I awn Baptist Church: 1920-1962 Minutes of Deacons' Meetings Ten Years of Progress: 1964-1974: Woodlawn Baptist Church, 1974 Woodlawn Baptist Church: Dedication, 1970 Wooley, Davis C. Guide to Writing the History of a Church, Broadman Press, 1969 28 WOODLAWN BAPTIST CHURCH Wade A. McKnight Pastor Jerry A. Watts Minister of Music Jane M. Saunders Secretary JUBILEE COMMITTEE Annelle B. Jackson Chairman History Janie D. Baldwin Ruth Mattox Ivey Morris C. E. Dodson Program Everette Warren Virginia Fulbright T. H. Lemons Jerry Watts Social Joyce Grant Marie Lawing Gene Morrow Correspondence C. E. Dodson Ruth Mattox Calvin Arrowood Jane Saunders Publicity Jane Saunders Myra Black Jerry Autry Finance Calvin Arrowood C. E. Dodson . • 29 STATE LIBRARY OF NORTH CAROLINA 3 3091 00636 9524 DATE DUE GAYLORD FRINTED IN U.S.A. |
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