We finally got to have our “homecoming”

For about a year and a half I was on the committee to plan the 100th anniversary celebration of Central Baptist Church.

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

The Covid pandemic stopped us short of having the entire program last year and we postponed the “Homecoming” part of our celebration to this year. It took place this past Saturday outdoors on the parking lot adjacent to the church.

The weather was fine, the food was good and the fellowship with people I had not seen in a long time was wonderful. We were entertained by the Fair Haven Quartet, minus their bass singer who is recovering from an illness.

Fair Haven is a local group that has performed at Dollywood and numerous churches. I attend the National Quartet Convention in Pigeon Forge and these fellows are as good as any that perform there. So, if you get a chance to hear them, take advantage of it.

Sunday, Dr. Don Mathis was our guest speaker for the celebration event. Dr. Mathis is a former pastor at Central Baptist and now lives in Bowling Green. He is a couple of years younger than me, but he is far more active. He is such a great preacher which makes him in demand from churches and events everywhere.

Dr. Mathis is a Kentuckian through and through as he always tells us. One of his favorite opening remarks, which he has used and we have heard many times, was told to him years ago by Jennifer McDaniel, a member of our church.

For those of you who have not heard him tell it I want you to know that every time I’ve heard him tell this I bend over laughing.

It goes like this: Two men, one from Kentucky and the other from Tennessee were driving down the road and they stopped at a grocery store to make a purchase. The guy from Kentucky said to the clerk, “I want some maters, taters and onions.” The store clerks said, “you are from Kentucky aren’t you?” The Kentuckian said, “how did you know?’ The clerk answered, “It’s the way you talk.”

They got back in the car and the guy from Tennessee said,”I’ll bet you they can’t tell where I’m from when I talk.” So he said, “Let’s stop at the next store and I’ll show you.”

So they went in the store and the Tennessean said very properly, “I want some tomatoes, potatoes, and onions.”

The store clerk said, “you are from Tennessee aren’t you?” With astonishment the Tennessean said, “how did you know that?” The store clerk replied, “this is a furniture store!”

From then on, as we refer to him, “Brother Don,” captured the audience. He can preach an hour and it seems like ten minutes. He is that good.

My parents took me to homecomings at Big Spring Union Baptist Church in Virginia when I was a child. Back then in that little church they would preach all afternoon while others were enjoying fellowship and food outside.

They got the word “conservative” from my dad. It was just before one of those homecomings that he surprised us when he came home from his job as a highway contractor driving a big Chrysler DeSoto convertible.

This was not your usual car. It had wooden doors and two big air horns on each fender. As a kid I thought it was great. For fun he would sound those horns and they were loud.

At the homecoming I would stay outside with my sisters and friend Glenn Parks. There was a General Store across the creek that sold snow cones and that was a treat for us.

When I think of homecomings it takes me back to those childhood years. Those thoughts ran through my head as I moved about Saturday during our final Centennial event.

A fact that Dr. Mathis pointed out Sunday made a big statement. Within five miles of Central Baptist Church every Sunday there are over 24,000 people not attending a church anywhere.

From the homecomings over 70 years ago to the recent one, lasting memories have developed. Attending and belonging to a church brings fulfillment that you won’t get anywhere else.