Old Greenbrier Baptist ChurchPO Box 456Alderson, WV 24910

Pastor: Rev. Dr. Bill Bryan(304) 646-8631Ministers of Music:Dell & Nancy WoodCarolyn Holliday Treasurer:Charlotte MeltonCongregational Visitor:Peggy BollenbachOfficial Board, ChairBob LaRueStreet Address:301 North Monroe St.Church Phone:(304) 445-7854

Old GreenbriER Baptist News

2015

Non-ProfitPostage PermitNo. 32

Volume XVII No. VIII

Forwarding Service Requested

Church website: http://oldgreenbrierbaptistchurch.typepad.com/

FROM YOUR

PASTOR’S HEARTVacation Bible School is underway and the Oaklyn Baptist work team is hard at work even as this article is being written. The WV State Fair, the start of school, and Labor Day are just ahead. It seems hard to believe that another summer is almost over.

VBS - I want to say thank you to Donna and the entire VBS team for their hard work in providing a great Bible school. SonSpark Labs was a success. We learned that God is the creator of everything; that our sin causes the effect of being separated from God; that God still loves us and died for our sins so that we can lead lives of love like him. Thank you VBS team for instilling these important messages in the lives of our children.EACA - As we look to the start of a new school year we are hopeful for the beinning of our ministry through the Emma Alderson Christian Academy. Although our enrollment has been lower than we hoped, we are still moving forward to begin this important ministry to our children and families as God opens the way. It is not too late to sign-up for both the Pre-K and After-school programs. Please contact Jodi Wiseman, our interim director, with any leads on possible students.WVBC - This fall our West Virginia Baptist Convention will celebrate 150 years of existence. Our church will celebrate its 235th birthday in November. So, we say “happy birthday and many more” to our younger brother in ministry. Look for an excerpt of a portion of my article on the beginnings of Baptist work in southern West Virginia later in this newsletter. This article appears in the current edition of American Baptist Quarterly as part of a tribute for the sesquicentennial celebration of the WVBC.

1Men’sBreakfastJMUMC ~ 8am

2Communion SundayS School ~ 9:45aWorship ~ 11a

3 4 5Prayer/Bible Study ~ 6:30p Choir Practice ~ 7:30p

6Ruth Thurmond Circle ~ 1pm

7 8

9S School ~ 9:45aWorship ~ 11aOfficial Bd. ~ noonJazz Concert on Mem. Bridge ~ 6:30p

10 11 12Prayer/Bible Study ~ 6:30p Choir Practice ~ 7:30p

13 14StateFairBegins

15

16S School ~ 9:45aWorship ~ 11a

17 18 19Prayer/Bible Study ~ 6:30p Choir Practice ~ 7:30p

20

Pack Food Pantry ~9am

21

Food Pantry~9am

22

StateFair Ends

23S School ~ 9:45aWorship ~ 11a

24

25 26Prayer/Bible Study ~ 6:30p Choir Practice ~ 7:30p

27 28 29

30S School ~ 9:45aWorship ~ 11aChurch Picnic ~ 5:30pm Concert on the Lawn ~ 6:30pm

31

The September Men’s Community Prayer Breakfast will be Saturday, September 5 at 8am at River of Life Church of God.

Church PicnicOn Sunday, August 30 we will have our annual church picnic at 5:30pm in the park across the street from the church. The church will provide fried chicken, bread, and drinks. Please bring a vegetable, salad, or dessert to share. We will have a concert on the lawn beginning at 6:30pm.

Bring a lawn chair and a friend. In case of inclement weather, the picnic and concert will be held inside the church. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend.

Our Finance Team monitors our church budget and spending. Thank you for your regular tithes and 3 – Greg Taylor

7 – Amy Fleshman 8 – Sheldon Carter, Jr. 12 – Willa Hunter 13 – Robert Walkup

Greenbrier-Raleigh Annual Meeting

special offerings. Each month, we want to present an overview of where we are financially.

General Fund for the Month Ended June 30, 2015:Beginning Balance $ 3,156.04 + Total Income $ 7,785.50 − Total Expenses $ 11,508.66Ending Balance $ (567.12)

Budget Needs Actual Need Difference

Giving thru June: $61,431 $69,134 - $ 7,703July 5, 12, 19: $ 5,374 $ 7,977 - $ 2,603 Total 2015 Giving: $66,805 $77,111 - $10,306

The annual meeting of the Greenbrier-Raleigh Association will be held on Tuesday, August 4 at Fairview Baptist Church in Forest Hill, WV. If you would like to attend, please let Pastor Bill know.

Alderson [(1661-1721?)], was a minister of respectable standing in his denomination.”4 While there is general agreement on John, Sr.’s birth in Yorkshire, England in 1699, the details concerning his father’s occupation and even the date of his father’s death have not been confirmed by historical records.5

John Alderson, Sr. arrived in the American colonies through interesting circumstances. It seems that he fell in love with a young woman who did not meet with the approval of his father.6 In order to remove his son from this temptation and to broaden his horizons, his father gave him a horse, a sum of money, and the freedom to travel throughout England. It appears that the money was spent and the horse was gone by the time he arrived in Liverpool. It is unclear if the money and horse were wasted in prodigal living. Either by choice or subterfuge, he found himself onboard a ship bound for America but without necessary funds to pay for his passage. Upon his arrival in America in 1719, John, Sr. “sold his time,” apparently a form of indentured service, to a farmer named Curtis and worked for him in Bethlehem, New Jersey.7 During this time of service he fell in love with Mary Jane Curtis (1702-1785), his employer’s daughter. After working out his time, John, Sr. and Mary Jane were married in 1721. John, Sr. joined Hopewell Baptist Church in New Jersey in 1730 and became an ordained Baptist minister before moving his family to Germantown, Pennsylvania where he and Mary Jane became members of New Britain Church.8 Their firstborn was John, Jr., who entered this life on March 5, 1738. Mary Jane bore four additional sons and four more daughters. John Alderson, Sr. moved his family to Rockingham County, Virginia in 1755, bought a 200 acre farm near the present-day town of New Market, Virginia, and became pastor of Smith and Linville’s Creek Church.9 After resigning, under somewhat cloudy circumstances, as pastor of Smith and Linville’s Creek Church in 1775, John, Sr. and Mary Jane moved to Fincastle, Virginia where they opened a grist mill and lived for the remainder of their lives.

. . . to be continued“BAPTIST BEGINNINGS AND EXPANSION IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA”

44. William Cathcart, ed., Baptist Encyclopedia, rev. ed. (Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1881), s.v. “Alderson, Rev. John.”55. David Fridley, ed., “Grinton Baptism: John of Virginia or John of Reeth?,” Alderson Roots & Branches 3, no. 2 [September 1991]: 8-9.66. Ralph C. McDanel, “Elder John Alderson, Jr., and the Greenbrier Church,” The Virginia Baptist Register, no. 7 (1968): 307-19, 307.77. Ibid.88. Linda and Bill Troutman, Heritage and History of the First Baptist Church of St. Albans, WV (n.p.: n.p., 2003), 4.99. This church’s name is spelled in various resources in one of three ways: Lynville, Lynnville, or Linville. Often the possessive form is omitted. The name Smith and Lynville’s Creek Church appears in Semple’s A History of the Rise and

Progress of the Baptists in Virginia. However the Linville spelling is used hereafter since it is the preferred modern spelling. Also note that Smith and Linville’s Creek Church was actually composed of two separate churches with separate meeting houses.

Both churches were served by the same minister until their division in 1775. After John Alderson, Sr. resigned as pastor of both churches, his son Elder John Alderson, Jr. pastored Linville’s Creek from 1775-77, and Rev. Anderson Moffet pastored Smith’s Creek Church beginning in 1775. See Troutman, 7-8, 221-23.

3 – Greg Taylor 7 – Amy Fleshman 8 – Sheldon Carter, Jr. 12 – Willa Hunter 13 – Robert Walkup

What follows is the first excerpt of an article written by Pastor Bill for the American Baptist Quarterly in honor of the 150 th anniversary of the West Virginia Baptist Convention. This article highlights the important part our church played in the beginning of Baptist work in southern West Virginia and beyond. The entire article is available in American Baptist Quarterly XXXIII, no. 1 (Spring 2014): 25-44. It will be published serially over the next several months as a feature article in the Old Greenbrier Baptist News.

BeginningsThe Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains formed natural barriers which limited

the westward expansion of settlers from the coastal plains and piedmont region of Virginia. However, a few intrepid souls began the arduous migration over the mountains to form the first permanent settlements west of these mountains in the early 1770s. Among these initial settlers came some with a desire not only to expand the physical frontier but also the spiritual frontier through the formation of new churches. This expansion west of the mountains came during a time of growing religious fervor and freedom in the American colonies. Three religious factors which influenced this westward religious expansion into southwestern Virginia were “. . . the act of 1738 granting religious toleration to dissenters west of the Blue Ridge; the erosion, born of frontier conditions, of ties that bound transmontane residents to the churches of their fathers; and the Great Awakening, a stirring and disruptive religious revival that swept southward from New England in the 1730s and reached Virginia in full force by the 1760s.”1 The earliest denominations to enter the Greenbrier River area were Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists. Among the earliest Baptists to visit the Greenbrier Valley was John Taylor, an un-ordained Baptist minister, who made at least three unsuccessful attempts, beginning in the winter of 1774-75, to initiate Baptist work in this area.2 By far the preeminent name associated with Baptist beginnings in southwestern Virginia is Elder John Alderson, Jr. “He was called ‘Elder’ rather than ‘Reverend’ because under British colonial rule the latter title was allowed only to those serving as ministers of the Established Church.”3

Elder John Alderson, Jr.The story of Elder John Alderson, Jr. (1738-1821) and his journey to

southwestern Virginia begins with his grandfather and father, both also named John Alderson. William Cathcart records that Elder John’s father, Rev. John Alderson, Sr. (1699-1780) “. . . was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1699. His father John

A Message Regarding the Recent Supreme Court Ruling on Same Sex Marriage 

by David Carrico, Executive Minister, West Virginia Baptist Convention

The recent ruling on same sex marriage by the Supreme Court does not alter the Word of God nor the policy of the West Virginia Baptist Convention.  I will not apologize for the Bible.  Our churches do not need to panic about the decision, but please make sure your church has a building use policy in your ruling documents. At this time there are no binding regulations when it comes to pastors performing marriage ceremonies.  Churches are not public institutions and do  not receive funding from the government.  The secular progressives love to pit the government against the free exercise of religion.  One Facebook post expressed the situation well: "The church should neither cave nor panic about the decision on gay marriage."

  THE GOSPEL HAS NOT CHANGED.  OUR MISSION HAS NOT CHANGED.

 JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER!  

??? Bible Quiz ???In a parable, Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to treasure hidden in a field. When someone finds it, what does he do?A. Takes the treasure and keeps it for himself.B. Buries it again, then sells all his possessions in

order to buy the field.C. Approaches the owner of the

field, offering to buy the treasure.

D. Takes the treasure, sells it and gives the money to the poor

11. Otis K. Rice, A History of Greenbrier County (Parsons, WV: McClain Printing Company, 1986), 181.22. Ibid., 190.33. J. Maurice Trimmer, History of Old Greenbrier Baptist Church 1781 – 1956: 175th Anniversary Edition (n.p.: n.p., 1956), 3.

Answer: B (See Matthew 13:44.)

Prayer Needs as of July 26

Family of Kermit SmithVisions of Jesus during RamadanStudents and staff of Nigerian BTSSaeed AbdeniHope Aliff (friend of Anne Parker)Glenna Adams (sis-in-law of Mary Godby)June Ames (friend of J. Lehmann)Karen Baker (sister of L. Carter)Jim Belcher (friend of Anne Parker)Nathan BradleyGary BryantJohn Butler (Dean Butler’s father)Dreama CarterNathan Clay (friend of Anne Parker)Magnant Danjuma (student of Pastor Bill)Don Dean (Deborah Bryan’s father)Donna EskinsLinda Fitzwater (Friend of Anne Parker)Crystal & Emma HalsteadKent Hanserd (C. Knapp’s nephew)Clara HardestyJerry HarrisBetty HighlanderAnita Hill (friend of Mary Godby)Jean Himes (friend of Diana Taylor)Dickie & Ora HonakerShawna Hopkins (C. Smith’s granddaughter)Lorene HouseMadeline Howard (C. Knapp’s sister)Jesse Hylton (friend of Dolphis Wood)Matthew Jarvis (friend of Mary Godby)Bonnie KirbyMichelle KnappBob & Judy LacyBob LaRueRebecca LaRue & baby (Bob &Gayle LaRue’s daughter-in-law) Levi LevisayCharlie LobbanLori Loggins (A. Parker)Virginia Miller (sister of Charlotte Grimmett)Charles Mitchell (friend of Mary Godby)Melody Moss (A. Parker)Sharon Mullins (C. Holliday’s sister)Eva Nichols (friend of Anne Parker)Lee PattersonBoyd PenceLevi Pugliani (Bob & Gayle LaRue’s grandson)Marsha RayRebecca Rexroad (Jewell Smith’s grand-daughter)Jim Reynolds (friend of Pastor Bill & Deborah)

Libby, Stephanie, G.W. Richmond (C. Smith)Brittany ShaferMargie SimmonsTammy SkaggsLucy May SmithMyra Vestal (C. Knapp)Sammy Walker (friend of C. McCallister)Claudine Hinkle WaltonJeff WillisRoger Wiseman (Jim Wiseman’s brother)

ALL TROOPS In Our Armed ForcesRandy Fleshman (home)Katie Hunter (home)Jess Phillips (home)Brent Taylor (home)Ernie Tincher (Afghanistan)

Church Family Shut-inMary Lou Bowden Ernestine LightFrances Canterbury Juanita RookstoolHarriett Dancy Dorothy Taylor Louise Utterback

Government Officials Heads of State

Students: Jonathan Bradley, Bethany Burdette, Hannah Griffin, Rhys Rogers, Kari Still, Stephanie Willis, Keith Wiseman, Brennan Wood

EMMA ALDERSON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

Note: Please notify church office 304 445-7854 to delete or add to prayer list.

AMA Summer Work Teams Update

Our Alderson Ministerial Association (AMA) is sponsoring five work teams in our community this summer.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, Camden, NJ – This group of seven folks has served with us for the past three years. The week of May 16, they worked on a home in Alderson and also worked as volunteers at Wellspring.

United Church of Christ, Southbury, CT – This large group of volunteers helped us in construction of Amy’s House a few years ago. This year they returned with 39 volunteers the week of July 5 and made amazing progress in beginning the clean-up and refurbishment of the new AMA building.

Oaklyn Baptist Church, Oaklyn, NJ – This group of friends is with us as this article is being written. They have returned for their eleventh consecutive year of ministry in Alderson. They are once again doing amazing work to help repair homes in Alderson.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Nutley, NJ – This group of young men and women will come from the New York City area the week of July 26 to assist us this summer. I will be personally coordinating the work of this team on several projects in Alderson.

First Presbyterian Church, Honesdale, PA – This group returns for their fourth year of service with us the week of August 2.

Please be in prayer for these teams as they travel to and from home and as they complete their work assignments here. As always, we know that God

will do more than we can hope or imagine. Our prayer is that God will be glorified in and through all that is done.