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| Wardens Grove FWB Church. Photo by O.B. Howerin. |
When me and Heather joined Mom and walked up those steps to enter into the vestibule, so many memories began flooding in. Mom said, "Where are we sitting?" Of course, me and Heather said we are sitting where we always have, second pew from the back on the right. This is where we sat so many Sunday's with Granddaddy Mike. I turned around and could visualize Mr. Carol Ross sitting behind us. That was his regular seat too. Not seeing Mr. Carol Ross, I saw Chad Ross. Another, who always sat with his Granddaddy when he came to the Island.
As I sat in that pew and everything about the sanctuary brought back so many memories. A glance over to the front left pews, my memory brought back Grandmama Melissa, Uncle Roscoe, Mr. Virgil Lupton, and Ms. Josephine Smith sitting over in what I would call "amen corner". I looked up to the ceiling. The same tall, vaulted ceiling that was there in my youth. The choir loft brought back memories of hearing those many voices "who sang the wondrous love of Jesus". Mr George Lupton singing in his voice of bass and Miss Lillie Watson and Miss Gladys Midgette singing alto.
The original pine pews are gone. The floors are now completely carpeted. But the pine flooring underneath still provide the usual creaks and groans when walked across. I looked at the attendance board beside the choir loft. Only 25 attended that past Sunday. Would have been 27, but the Lord was preparing Uncle Roscoe to leave his temporary home and Myrna was by his side.
When I saw "little Henry" and Earl Jr., with all three of us in the same room together again, I thought of all of the Christmas programs we had participated. I could see the three of us standing in front during Sunday School, singing the children's songs - Jesus Loves Me, This Little Light of Mine, and Zacheus, being lead by Earl Jr.'s mom, Patsy Sadler.
When cousin Nina C made her entrance, the memory of sitting at the little table in her Sunday School class flooded back. This is where we learned the miracles of the Bible. Her stories of Jonah and the Whale, Noah's Ark, Moses, and so many more. What a loving instructor we had and is still just as loving today.
As a child growing up, this church is the basis for every bit of my christian education and upbringing. The foundation of all my formative years were in this church and of the folks who taught me so many things. The sermons of doctrine, sin and iniquities were mingled with the adventuresome stories of David and Goliath, Jesus feeding the multitudes, and the Tower of Babel. When you entered its doors, this was the most wondrous place of belonging. Everyone was accepted here.
Built around 1900, it was originally a Methodist Church and called Bernard's Chapel. Bernard Carawan, Uncle Roscoe's Great Grandfather helped establish the church and over the generations, the church was remodeled, updated and eventually became the church it is today, Warden's Grove.
Standing in the sanctuary that day, the memories of all the spirits of so many individuals of my past surrounded me. Within those walls lives a piece of my past. I will always be forever grateful for my home church and to all of those people who exemplified christian service in their everyday lives, including Uncle Roscoe. Wardens Grove Free Will Baptist Church will always be a rock of my foundation.
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| In Honor of my Great Grandmother, Melissa Howerin Rice Lewis | . |
