Original New Martins Creek Baptist Church
My earliest memories of church are of attending the original New Martins Creek Baptist Church. I read that it was one of the oldest churches in our county.
When I was still a girl a new church was built across the highway and the old one was torn down. Pap played a huge role in building the new church. His grave is just up the hill to the left of where the old church once stood.
My Sunday school class was in the addition on the left side of the sanctuary. Sherry Dalrymple was my teacher. The other part of the addition had a row of church benches which meant the pastor had folks in front of him and to the side of him as he preached.
Us kids played all around the church after services. The graveyard that surrounded the building made a spooky place to beware of in the darkness of night.
Granny dosed me with hickory tea more than once under the oak trees for misbehaving in church.
I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior in the old church. I was very young, only in second grade. In all the years since that day I’ve let Him down a plenty, but He’s never let me down once.
The girls have been singing the invitational hymn “Almost Persuaded.” Every time I hear it I’m taken back to those days at the old church.
Pap and his brother Ray sung the song. It’s one of the tracks on their very first recording “Words of Life.”
A quick search online will turn up several sites detailing the history of the song.
Hymntime.com shares this:
“He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, and to be almost saved is to be entirely lost,
were the words with which the Rev. Mr. Brundage ended one of his sermons.
P. P. Bliss, who was in the audience, was much impressed with the thought, and immediately set about the composition of what proved to be one of his most popular songs.
One of the most impressive occasions on which this hymn was sung was in the Agricultural Hall in London, in 1874, when Mr. Gladstone was present. At the close of his sermon Mr. Moody asked the congregation to bow their heads, while I sang Almost Persuaded.
The stillness of death prevailed throughout the audience of over fifteen thousand, as souls were making their decisions for Christ.”
I hope you enjoyed the girls and Paul’s version of the song. P. P. Bliss met with an untimely tragic death. You can read more about his life here.
Tipper
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
Whether you use the red back book or the green church hymnal, you’re worshipping the same Jesus. You’re either singing about HIM or singing praises to HIM! When we walk out the front door of an old church or new church, we are entering a mission field. That mission is to point people to the same Jesus you just sang about!
One Sunday when I was about 3 or 4 years old I got in big trouble with my Mom (my Dad didn’t attend church). When the “plate” was being passed around I refused to put my coins in the plate. When Mom tried to make me, I started hollering at the top of my lungs, “No, Coca-Cola & Candy.” I wanted to buy a coke & candy instead of giving to the church. Mom finally squeezed my hand over the plate & forced me to drop the coins. After church I got a good talking to from Mom & I can’t remember if she whipped me. Mom took us to church every time the door was open & I hated going to church when I was young. I swore that every time I went to Sunday morning church I got a sick headache. Little did I know it was not going to church that gave me the sick headache, it was low sugar because I wouldn’t eat breakfast. I didn’t go to church when I left home, married & had children. I had a bitter taste in my mouth about organized religion, and after many many years I was baptized at the very childhood church that I thought gave me headaches. I was 71 yrs old. Even though I made the mistake of not taking my kids to church both of my children were baptized, but not in my childhood church or in that denomination. I have many regrets for the decisions I made earlier in life & when raising my children. I wasted so many years that I could have been learning more of God’s teachings. I guess better late than never.
Cheryl, if you had did that at my church when I was a child with you money, it would have cracked up the congregation and the one laughing the loudest would have been our dearly loved Preacher John Lockaby. My wife’s Uncle Barney would bring a roll of quarters to church each Sunday morning and give quarters to the children that might not have money to put in the offering plate. When he died, many of these same children put quarters in his casket. Like you, I have many regrets in my life, I have failed God many times and even though things have happened I don’t understand, He has never failed me.
I have lived in Arizona all my life but I’ve attended church in Kentucky and Indiana many times. I’ve heard this song a few times but I’m not sure all the words and lyrics. A wonderful hymn nonetheless. I think old songs, old churches, old roads and old friends are the best. Thanks for the trip down memory lane this morning.
I have heard very little “MODERN” music in the last 20 years of any genre that I care about. I enjoy the old stuff. I started my daughter with classical while she was still in the crib.
Jackie, I am like you, today’s so called gospel music does not appeal to me. I don’t hear Almost Persuaded sung very often nowadays, Just As I Am, Oh Why Not Tonight, Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling are some of the old time songs still sung at my old fashioned Bible believing, gospel singing, preaching, praying church. I heard a gospel song during my older childhood sung by Naomi and The Seagal Brothers titled “Sorry I Never Knew You” that has stuck with me all of my life.
My history of churches started with a stone church in Somersworth NH then a new church was built with Italian marble and stained glass from France. Was it better? No the message remained the same. Salvation through Christ. I moved from NH to Hawaii in 1996 and became a deacon at a Hawaiian Christian church (Kawaiaha’o) for three years and also a Sunday School Teacher to Hawaiian high school youth. Different church, same message. Salvation through Christ. As years passed I moved from Hawaii to Florida and then finally to Murphy. Every place I planted my feet I found a church that preached the Word. Some were big and some small but all taught the Word. But none that didn’t preach God’s Word. In 2014 I was asked to facilitate a prayer meeting (Awake America Murphy Prayer Meeting) where area residents who believe in the Word and the power of the Word came together on the third Thursday of the month at the Cherokee County Courthouse to pray for this bless country of ours that God has given us. I am a member of a Bible believing church (World Harvest Church North) that believes in prayer and the salvation through Christ. Bless you Tipper and your entire family.
Thank you, Tipper. “Almost persuaded” is one I have heard in church over the years, but I have never heard that being ‘almost persuaded left one still entirely lost’ put so plainly before, but it is so true! Prayers for those who are ‘almost’ would take that extra step and become ‘fully’ persuaded, including some in my own family. – – – My thoughts and prayers are with those in Texas! – – –
Sitting in the car waiting for Mass to start, I read your piece and then listen to the song sung by your daughters, their voices are absolutely heavenly. What a nice way to put my mind in the right focus before church.
I enjoy hearing Katie, Corie & Paul with their beautiful songs. Memories of our first churches are so endearing and heartwarming.
Prayers for you as the Hurricane approaches closer to your area. Prayers for all affected by the flooding in Kerrville here in Texas. Such strange weather patterns these days are making me think of the end times.
God bless Granny!
Oh Why Not Tonight?
Grew up hearing this great old hymn. I was about 15 when I was saved. The church I attend now normally sings more contemporary songs but occasionally the traditional hymns will be chosen. There are such beautiful messages in those old hymns.
The old church I grew up in is long gone also. It was all wood, in insulated and with single pane windows. There was a heating stove to the left side of the pulpit about 15 feet away. It was replaced with a brick church about 1974. I was saved there in the old church in March 1966 and baptised in the creek down under the cliff close by three days later. There have been a great many changes since those days. The surrounding land was sold, the timber cut, the land sold again, a new house built. That owner also built Airb&b cabins on the creek but the owner recently told me I could come anytime to the old baptizing hole. As you say, I have failed the Lord somewhat but He has never failed me.
good morning and God bless, tragedy in Texas people have drowned, people are missing, please pray, thank you and God bless you
Just As I Am and Almost Persuaded were the two songs the church of my youth played at invitation. I accepted Jesus and was saved at 19 although I had been attending and working in the church for some years before. I was saved during a tent revival hosted by my church. These two songs melt my heart. I get teary eyed just thinking about them.
I enjoyed Katie’s, Corie’s, and Paul’s rendition of this song. As I said last week I haven’t heard or sang it for years. Our church sings mostly modern songs, which I dislike. I truly miss hearing them. This song reminds me of Agrippa in the Bible when Paul witnessed to him. He told Paul “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” I was saved at age thirteen. My Sunday School teacher led me to the Lord. Have a blessed Sunday everyone.
I have heard this song sung many times in my church, but I have not heard it in a long time. I have went to the same Baptist Church ( Columbia Baptist, Honea Path, SC) all of my life. Along about 1965 we also built a new more modern church up on Hwy25. I remember when the church seemed to be full of children and how we would play after the services while the adults would hang around talking and fellowship with one another. Many times, me and many other children “walked the aisle,” but it was to the front door, not the altar, for a dose of hickory tea. Now me along with other members will get to talking sometimes about our childhood days at the old church building and laugh about some of things we did and the whippings we got during those times. Two memories of those times- my claim to fame will be of me climbing out the Sunday School room windows in the unaircondition old church building and running around in the cemetery until Mother or Daddy came to get me. I always hoped it would be Daddy. I stood a 50/50 chance Daddy would stay and walk around with me until it was time for the preaching service, no hope with Mother, it was a sure fire whupping. The other, running up the aisle from from Mother during one service and Preacher John stoping his sermon, stepping out of the pulpit, catching and holding me until Mother could come and get me. Boy, I got about a gallon dose of hickory tea for doing that! I had not only showed out, but embarrassed her too. Looking back, while I was up at the alter, I should have asked the church to “pray for me” that time. Some of the old members still tell and laugh about me climbing out of the windows.