Singing at Aunt Lucy's
A decade before Middlebrook Pike United
Methodist Church was officially formed, the
roots were already planted at Garrett and Lucy
Jones' yard. As the weather turned warm, people would
gather in the yard at the corner of Piney Grove
Road and Middlebrook Pike for a "singing."
J.E. Pershing, a charter member of the
church, wrote that the singing resulted from
D.C. Vanosdale's belief that there was a need
for a community meeting place. The groups were
rather large. In fact, a photo donated by Mrs. Grace Bean
shows about 90 people at a singing.
As time passed, the warm-weather Sunday
meetings began to include Bible study, an
informal, non-denominational Sunday School was
formed, and guest preachers were invited. In September 1921, a community meeting was
held in the Matt Hulin cabin—a two-room log
affair with a dirt floor—located at the
current site of Shannondale Nursing Home. The
purpose of the meeting: Should a church be
built? If so, what denomination? A.R. Cardwell presided over the meeting,
which was attended by neighbors hailing from a
variety of denominations—mostly Baptists, a
few Presbyterians and one Methodist, A.H. Mills.
At the time, the nearest churches were Baptist
churches at Piney Grove, Gallaher's View,
Bearden, Ball Camp, and Third Creek.
As the people sat on wooden planks supported
by blocks of wood, J.E. Pershing, a
Presbyterian, suggested that a Methodist Church
be organized. Pershing later said he could
recall no opposition. Pershing's new store, located near the
present Westwood Apartment complex, had a large
empty hall upstairs. He offered the use of the
hall as a meeting place for the new church until
more suitable quarters became available.
On Oct. 3, 1921, Middlebrook Pike Sunday
School, the church's forerunner, was organized
in the hall with 35 members. The first sermon preached in the hall was by
the Rev. W.S. Hendricks, who would later become
the church's first pastor. On Jan. 1, 1922, Middlebrook Pike Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, was organized under the
direction of Dr. J.W. Perry, presiding elder of
the Knoxville District.
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Church life rooted in lay involvement
In 1924, the Women's Missionary Society
worked to raise money for a new lot and
building, holding ice cream suppers and
plays. They also served dinners and suppers
in downtown Knoxville on Saturdays in an
empty building on Gay Street. There were
only a few restaurants then and the dinners
became an expected event by those working
downtown. Girls from the church would sell
the 25-cent tickets, going from building to
building, while the ladies would cook.
In building the new church, there was intense
enthusiasm among the congregation. The
Vanosdales furnished two teams and a scraper for
excavation; boys in the congregation pitched in
during the summer, helping with the digging,
carrying concrete blocks, and performing other
tasks.
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Brush arbor meetings and evangelism
After construction began, the congregation
started meeting in a brush arbor, so they might
be near their labor of love during worship
services. By fall 1924, the congregation was meeting in
the completed basement of the church, whey they
continued to meet until the sanctuary was
finished.
A quote from Mr. Pershing is indicative of
the attitude and spirit of Middlebrook Pike's
congregation:
"A church, to be successful, must be
evangelistic and missionary. Keep the revival
fires burning. What is happening to churches
that no longer hold revivals? Keep in mind that
the purpose of the churches is twofold: first,
leading the lost to Christ, and second, the
building up of Christian character. Christ gave
us the work. Will we disappoint Him? The Lord
added to our church as many as were being saved
and is still doing so."
From 1937-52, the church struggled, with only
seven members occasionally showing up for
services. At one point, the bank was going to
foreclose on the church. Two women from the
church, Grace and Katy Kirby, sold hamburgers
and ice cream to get an extension on the loan.
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A
decade of spiritual growth
The years from 1952-62 was a landmark decade
in the growth of the church. The Rev. Hobart Rayfield, a supply pastor,
came to the church June 15, 1952, at a time when
Middlebrook Pike was ready to support a
full-time minister. It was also a time of
spiritual growth for the Rev. Rayfield. He
offered to attempt to go full-time if the church
would support him. The result was a spiritual
awakening of the church, and its pastor,
prompting a 10-year growth in enrollment from 52
to 296 members.
At the close of the 1953-54 church year,
plans were progressing nicely for the building
of a new church. In retrospect, it seems like a
bold venture for a congregation still numbering
about 80 members, replacing a house of worship
that was only approaching its 30th years. Still,
members had felt the evangelistic movement among
them -- and the move may have been prophetic.
The church year 1954-55 would start with a big
revival.
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Rising from the ashes
Calamity struck on Friday, Feb. 4, 1955. It
may have been that the old furnace overheated
that day while church was being prepared for
Sunday service. However, no one knows for sure.
Whatever the cause, the church was soon
engulfed and consumed by fire. Many of the
church's records went up in smoke.
On the following Sunday, Feb. 6, services
were held at Cedar Grove School. There were 85
people present in Sunday school. Afterward, the
Rev. Rayfield knelt on the ashes where the altar
had burned and promised the Lord he would build
a new church on the spot. And on Oct. 23, the Rev. Rayfield laid the
cornerstone of the new building and the facility
was occupied March 11, 1956, with 176 people
present.
In the 1957-58 church year, Sunday School
enrollment grew to 202, while church membership
was 200. Lay workers were still in charge of the
Sunday School, the Methodist Youth Fellowship,
the "every member canvas" and church custodial
duties.
Records for the 1958-59 year indicate the
importance placed on church lay workers -- and,
not surprisingly, food and fellowship:
"We have had our most successful every member
canvas to date. The parsonage has a new walk and
steps. Wallpaper has been added to the parsonage
living and dining rooms. Shrubbery has been
planted on the church grounds. The church
furnace has been finished. Our picnic grounds
have been permanently lighted and the new grill
can fry 40 hamburgers at one time. We are
striving to get more laymen involved in all
phases of church life -- striving for quality as
well as quantity. For instance, all new members
of the official board, before they are accepted,
must agree to total abstinence from alcoholic
beverage and tithe their income into the
church."
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Bottomed out and up again
The Rev. Ray Robinson was appointed to serve
the church from 1965-69, a time when we needed a
boost. It was as if we had "bottomed out" into a
low plateau of enthusiasm, interest and church
growth. The Rev. Robinson got the church
"re-organized and re-vitalized."
Fellowship dinners were started; a
newsletter, the "Messenger" was published; the
old Hammond organ was replaced with a new and
larger one; landscape improvements were made;
and our first pictorial directory was completed.
Attendance and programs increased as a new
feeling of spiritual alertness permeated the
congregation.
Plans for a new education building
came into focus. Under the leadership of the Rev. J. Robert
Smith, ground was broken on the new education
building Nov. 18, 1971. On Oct. 1, 1972, the
formal opening and consecration of the new
education building was held. Our dream had come true; however, we soon
realized that we had already outgrown this
building.
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Realizing laity ministry and mission
The appointment of the Rev. J. Fort
Fowler from 1973-75 helped bring the church
laity to a more distinct realization of its
mission as the Body of Christ.
Unfortunately, the Rev. Fowler's ministry
was cut short by illness that led to his
death. Yet, he and his wife, Elizabeth, have
left lasting memories. Their heritage
includes the FISH food pantry, what would
later become Mother's Day Out, and a young
adult ministry that continues to grow and
flourish.
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1973-84:
Years of incredible growth
After several months of activity as a
surrogate minister, Lay Leader Dwight Cope could
hardly contain himself as he introduced the new
minister, the Rev. Albert J. Bowles Jr., to the
congregation. That was the beginning of a nine-year period
of exciting and challenging ministry that saw
our congregation grow from 499 members to 713.
The Men's Club was reactivated and became
truly active: grading, graveling and marking off
an enlarged parking lot; cooking breakfasts once
a month; and renovating the kitchen at Katie
Miller Home for Girls. The United Methodist Women helped decorate
the bedrooms at Katie Miller Home; started a
Prayer Chain; brought the Mother's Day Out
Program to fruition; furnished the church parlor
and kitchen; held Bazaars and Taster's Tours to
support their Missions Program; and helped
buy equipment for the office and parsonage.
In 1978, Dr. Frank Porter, a newly retired
minister from First United Methodist Church,
joined the staff as our Associate Minister,
making it clear that he only wanted to work
"part-time." His "part time" accomplishments
include organizing a
Singles and Singles Again Class; taking part in
short-term missions to Galfito, Costa Rica;
and forming the Keenagers, an on-the-go group of
members over the age of 50.
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Onward in ministry and service
Since 1984, the church has continued to be in
active ministry on the corner of Vanosdale and
Middlebrook Pike. The facilities improved
again as a
new sanctuary was added in 1987 and the old sanctuary
building was renovated to accommodate an
ever-growing Sunday School. An emotional moment in the church was the
transfer of the old sanctuary's cross—hand-fashioned by Dwight Cope—to the new
sanctuary on the shoulders of longtime member
Don Haas.
On July 12, 1998, the church took another
step in faith by breaking ground for a new
multipurpose facility, which was completed in
Spring 2000 and consecrated April 9, 2000.
And across these years and into the
present, Middlebrook Pike United Methodist
Church has been blessed to have been led by
some of the regions finest Pastors,
including the
Reverends Harper Sasser, Doug Smith, Jimmy Ball, Gil Smith,
Larry Ousley, Gordon Goodgame, and Nathan Malone.
Eric Rieger and his family
joined us in June 2007 and the church's future
looks to be in another pair of great
hands for the coming years!
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... And we're still singing!
Just like those days of singing at Aunt
Lucy's, our church
continues to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.
In both traditional worship services and
contemporary ones, you can still hear us
singing every Sunday of the year—and
sometimes even on Saturday—as you pass by.
Please join us! Come on home and become
one God's people on the corner!
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